Have some cheer, Evotion

 The Irregula Daily Dose

Work Day Devotions That Work

Their Faith - His Cheer

Matthew 9: 2: And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

 

When Jesus arrived at his own city, there were people ready. They knew Him.  They knew His compassionate heart. They knew His response to help.  They knew His quick ability and willingness to forgive and restore.  They knew.

 

So they brought a friend.  They brought someone who had lost hope.

 

Immediately, Jesus brought cheer out of His bag of blessing.  He answered with cheer.  Certainly, the man was lacking in cheer.  Jesus brought what no one really expected.  Along with health and forgiveness, He brought cheer.

 

ACT!  Do you have a friend who needs some cheer?  Can you bring him to the place where you expect Jesus to arrive? 

 

PRAY! Father, Jesus is full of cheer.  In a world of pain and problems, Jesus has cheer. His cheer comes alongside healing and forgiveness.  Bring cheer to my friend, Evotion .  Bring a smile to the heart.  Pour Yourself over my friend, Evotion.

 

 If we can pray for you regarding anything in your life, please let us know.  Our greatest blessing is to bless others in prayer. 

 

 

 

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Your Own City, Evotion.

The Irregular Daily Dose

His Own City

Matthew 9:1: And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.

 

 

Each of us has a place called home.  There is that city we call our own.  Jesus had that place also.  When life gets a little crazy, we need our own city.  That place here we are aware of the customs and the customary is important in times of stress.

 

Where do you get away after stress and rejection?  Why do you go there?  What drives you back to the comfort zone?  It is a good thing to have family and friends to whom we can  retreat and relax.

 

ACT!  Needing a little respite?  Take it.  Don’t hesitate to go where you are comfortable and loved in times of stretch.

                           

PRAY! Life stretches me, Father.  Over and over I find myself in need of the comfortable and common to restore my soul.  There is that place I call my city, my refuge, my comfort.  Take me there, Father.  Be my home in time of stretch.

 

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What reason do we have for departing from Jesus' influence, Evotion.

Irregular Daily Dose

Departed

Matthew 8:33: And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. 34: And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.

 

Our lives are full of such inequities.  At one moment we want Jesus.  At the next moment we don't want Him.  In our torments and fears, our patience for His presence is absent.  We want Him to move, and we want Him now.  Once the threat is gone, we tend to want to go back to our normalcy.  The very items in our lives that brought on the torment are welcomed back.  Jesus is given the boot.  We slip back into our pains slowly with a dull, methodical rhythmic pattern of self inflicted wounding through sin.

 

ACT!  Don't slip back.  Don't let the old style of life creep back in and chase Jesus' influence away.  Make a concerted effort today to unearth some old sin pattern into which you are slipping back.  Re-invite Jesus to chase it out.

 

PRAY! What a wonder You are, Father.  When I fall, You are there.  When I slip, You are there.  When I stumble, You are there.  Place my feet on the Solid Rock.  Deliver me from my fears.  Let them not overwhelm me.  Banish them so that I might enjoy time with You.

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Demon Buster

  The Irregular Daily Dose

Work Day Devotions That Work

Meet Jesus : Demon Buster

Matthew 8:28: And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. 29: And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? 30: And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. 31: So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. 32: And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

 

Who ya gonna call when life gets tough?  Jesus. 

 

Who ya gonna call when the seas get rough?  Jesus.  

 

 Who ya gonna call when the devil gets into your stuff?  Jesus.

 

 Who ya gonna call when you have had enough?  Jesus.

 

ACT!  Call on Him for deliverance out of the toughest situation you have.

 

PRAY!  Father, I am ecstatic that I serve a tough God.  Jesus is un-intimidated by the most fearsome nightmare situations.  Father, I need that.  Father, right now let me hide myself in the ability of Jesus to face the greatest torments of life.  Holy Father, grace over me and deliver me from all evil.  Cause love to pour over my soul and into my heart.  Let me see clearly the love of Jesus.

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Nonplussed

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Work Day Devotions That Work

Nonplussed

Matthew 8:23: And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.

24: And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25: And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26: And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27: But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

 

How easy is it to rattle you?  That is a stiff question.  Each of us has a level at which life will rattle our composure.  For Jesus there appeared to be none.  He approaches situations as if He owns the world. He does.  Remember that He is on your side.  What is His is ours.  If He doesn't get rattled by a tornado, a typhoon, a hurricane, a sea storm, or any disease or devil or person, then neither should we.  Be changed by staying around Him.

 

Life has been challenging over the last decade.  It seems that every year becomes more intense than the prior one.  The years are not long.  The years are not wrong.  They are just full.  Greatness touches every day.  That can get old.  Blessing touches every moment.  That can get emotional.  Jesus learned to rest easy in the midst of the struggle of life. 

 

At the home of a friend, I was impressed at his calm in the middle of many children.  They were happy, rambunctious and just being kids.  Nonetheless, that constant noise and press can make your nerves come loose.  He handled it well.  The joy of seeing someone doing what they love to do even in the middle of the press is wonderful.

 

ACT!  Unravel your last rattle.  Ponder what rattled you last.  Maybe in the last few minutes or hours or days.  Is it still around?  Was it worth it?

 

PRAY!  Father of comfort and all rest.  Unravel my rattles.  Let me have the testimony of great faith in You.  Let me have the witness among men that greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.  Encourage confidence in me to face the gravest threat with a simple, "Yes, Lord, this too shall pass."  Help me to boldly stand in my place in You in all storms of life.

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Unrelenting Love for Evotion

  The Irregular Daily Dose

Work Day Devotions That Work

Unrelenting

Matthew 8:18: Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. 19: And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 20: And Jesus saith unto him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.”

21: And another of his disciples said unto him, “Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.” 22: But Jesus said unto him, “Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.”

 

Excuses

Our human tendency is for excuses.  The opportunities of the moment are quickly passed by for the excuses of a lifetime.  One wants comforts and a secure destination.  Another wants to seal the family fortune and let the past generation find finality.  Jesus wanted them that day.  Jesus wants those who will go where there is no promise of a comfortable destination.  Jesus wants those who will go and let the prior generation either come along or resolve life on their own.  Jesus is unrelentingly in motion toward heaven.

 

Garbage Man

At breakfast one morning a friend looked into the eyes of another friend.  Piercingly, he declared, “You are the garbage man!”  They had been discussing activities in the community.  The one was talking about going into hard places.  There he developed and discipled people in this gospel lifestyle.  His friend saw a thread.  The thread was finding struggling situations and bringing those in them to fruitful fields. The thread was tenacity and insight and time and effort.   The thread was taking what others reject and bringing people to full fruit.

 

Smelly Love

Take what others throw away and apply strong action.  Most will avoid it.  Jesus embraced it.  It is His daily bread and unrelenting task.  It meant not having a home at times.  It meant not being followed into the hard spots.  It meant  smelling like a portion of mankind with which friends are unfamiliar. 

 

Unfamiliar Odors

What is not ours and is not familiar looks and smells like garbage.  I remember working in nurseries as a young parent.  Changing my child’s diaper was easy.  Changing the diaper of a friend’s child was horrid.  The smell was unfamiliar.  At times, I would lean over a trash can in case I could not handle it. My stomach might revolt. 

 

Lift

This month, be a special blessing to some minister.  For the most part they are “garbage men”.  They take our hurts and pains and help us through to new light and life.  They could use a lift this clergy appreciation month.

 

ACT!  Release an excuse that has been keeping you from full commitment to Jesus call on your life.  Think about how you would live if you had no financial attachments or no expectations of tomorrow's fortune.

 

PRAY!  Father, I am so weak.  My strength is small in the challenge of adversity.  Jesus came with no guarantees of comfort or family or home.  He thought it not something to be grasped to be resident with You as King of the Universe in heaven.  He left throne and comfort to live among men.  Help me have His way in me.

 

 

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