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Praise & Shine

Wake up to your favorite Contemporary Christian Music and Hits with a positive message, every Sunday morning starting at 10 AM on Quicksie 98.3. If you want to share what God is doing in your life or want us to pray for you, visit https://wqxe.com/prayer

Contentment // Praise Shine

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Contentment is not automatic, nor is it a natural attitude. Rather, it is a learned skill. So how can we find joy in any circumstances?

Paul expresses thanks to the Philippian believers with a reminder that he was not thankful because he was in need, rather he was showing them that he was humble and content. Paul could exist with or without earthly needs being met beyond basic essentials. In addition to living humbly, Paul focuses on the concept of contentment, regardless of his circumstances.

“…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Philippians 4:11-12.

Paul’s variety of ministry experiences offered him times of plenty, as well as times of need. This allowed Paul to learn how to find joy, regardless of his circumstances.

Writing from Roman imprisonment, he was at a time of great need. Even so, Paul expresses joy and contentment. It’s important to recall that his imprisonment was not brief. He had been continually held for two years in Rome, in addition to multiple years in Palestine. Contentment was essential for Paul to find joy in his circumstances.

God desires us to be content and not worry in any circumstances. You are precious and valuable to our creator.

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26

Try to find joy and peace in even the toughest times.
I pray this prayer on you from Numbers 6:24-26

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gratious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Podcast: Download (Duration: 2:26 — 5.6MB)

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Means of Grace // Praise & Shine

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God’s grace isn’t earned, and we can’t wait idly to experience it. We need to engage in means of grace as a way to renew our relationship with the Lord. Means of grace are sacraments, special, holy moments when we are closest to the presence of God. Jesus gave us examples of these sacraments in scripture. 

Two examples of these sacraments include baptism and holy communion. 

Baptism is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual work of grace. Baptis marked the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. John the baptizer made it clear when he said, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming. …….. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:8)

In Matthew 28:19, Jesus said, “Go . . . make disciples . . . baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Baptism “is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him” (Acts 2:38-39).

Baptism is a public confession of our faith and marks our new identity in Christ.

Jesus instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion during his last supper with his disciples, and he commanded them to continue sharing the bread and cup of the new covenant in remembrance of him (Luke 22:19-20).

And Jesus said to his disciples, “This [bread] is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). “Then he took a cup, and after giving

thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you’” (Matt. 26:27).

When we come to the Lord’s Table, we come to the banquet table of God.

In addition to these sacraments, there are many other means of grace we can describe as sacred moments such as prayer, worship, or marriage. 

Regardless of what sacraments you practice or believe in, these are holy moments that we get to share with God, our creator. In the words of John Wesley, “We may not all believe alike, but we can all love alike.” Love first because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

Podcast: Download (Duration: 2:14 — 5.1MB)

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Sabbath // Praise & Shine

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The health benefits of rest are well known and documented. It can allow time for recovery, prevent muscle fatigue, reduce the risk of injury, and can even improve performance. With the benefits of rest so well known, why do we resist it so much?

Even God, the creator of the universe found time to rest (Genesis 2:3). And the fourth commandment reminds us to “remember the Sabbath day.” (Exodus 20:8) If the creator found time to rest and called it holy, who are we to think we have the power to do more?

Forget the troubles of the world. Relax and spend time with the family. Stop the stress/fatigue cycle. Find your Sabbath.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:26 — 3.3MB)

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Pray for Revival // Praise & Shine

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Despair seems to be all around us these days. Turn on the news or scroll through your social media feeds, and you’ll know what I mean. The thing is, we live in a world that’s ripe for revival.

Like Ezekiel, we will all face situations that seem impossible — an addiction, betrayal, barren womb, or wayward child. Ezekiel put all his doubts aside and did as the Lord asked, prophesizing the return of Israel in Ezekiel Chapter 36.

The Lord showed Ezekiel a vision of a valley of dry bones coming together with flesh and becoming filled with the breath of life (Ezekiel 37:1-14). This vision symbolized the whole house of Israel that was then in captivity. Like unburied skeletons, the Israelites were wasting away with no end to their judgment in sight. They thought their hope was gone, and they were cut off forever, with their nation dying in the flames of Babylon’s attack with no hope of resurrection.

The dry bones signified God’s plan for Israel’s restoration. The vision also, more importantly, showed that Israel’s new life depended on God’s power to be brought back from a dead state and filled with the “breath of life.” Something that only our God could do.

Today we can see God’s plan at work with the establishment of the state of Israel in the 1940s. The Israelites now reside in the Holy Land, with Jerusalem becoming recognized as the capital of Israel in 2017. God’s plan is not yet complete with Israel, and He’s not through with you either.

God says He brought dry bones to life, so “you would know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 37:13). What if we approached each day believing that what God did then, He can do again?

Jesus said in Mark 11:24, “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”

“…Revive us so we can call on your name once more. Turn us again to yourself, O LORD, God of Heaven’s Armies. Make your face shine down upon us…” (Psalm 80:18-19)

“Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.” (Psalm 85:6-7)

“Create in me a clean hear, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)

The following questions are from Newspring Church’s devotion Pray for revival.

Praise

  • Where have you seen God bring something dead to life? Maybe it was a relationship, a career, or a dream.
  • What did you learn about God’s faithfulness and unfailing love from that experience?

Repentance

  • Is there any situation where you’ve given up because things feel too far gone or too impossible to change? Where have you lost faith?
  • How is your heart toward God? How do you deal with disappointments or despair?

Ask

  • What do you want to see God revive in you?
  • Where do you want to see a revival around you? Ask God to show how you can help bring revival to your home, work, or community.
  • Where do you long to see revival in the church? Ask to fill His church with joy, unity, boldness, confidence, generosity — and whatever else His Spirit brings to mind.

Yield

  • Read Psalm 51, making these words your own. If a line causes your heart to skip a beat, pause and wait to hear God speak. When you get to the end, consider what God said to you. The first step in any revival is aligning what we say about ourselves with what our Father says to us.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 2:33 — 5.8MB)

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Lukewarm // Praise & Shine

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Have you ever wondered what it means to be a lukewarm Christian? We read in Revelation 3:15-16, “I know all the thing you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!”

Many Christians believe these verses to mean being hot is to be on fire for the Lord and cold is to be far from God or ungodly. We can all agree in this context we all desire to be hot; however, I believe there is a more accurate interpretation of these verses.

When taken in context, Jesus says, “I wish you were hot or cold.” Do you believe that Jesus is saying that he wishes that we were either spiritually hot or spiritually cold and not of God? If this is the case, why then would God not spit out the spiritually cold?

Jesus taught in parables that were easily understood by the people of the time. They would have understood that water is essential to life. Hot water is good for healing, cooking, cleaning while cold water is refreshing and sustaining. Lukewarm water on the other hand has no useful purpose.

So with this understanding, what is Jesus trying to teach us in Revelations? He wishes that we would be useful to God. Either hot or cold, like water both are useful, but lukewarm water has no purpose. If you are not useful to God, he will spit you out.

Ask yourself, “am I being useful to the Lord?”

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:30 — 3.4MB)

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