Today we continue the series “Give Us This Day”

     Matthew 6:11 (NKJV) “Give us this day our daily bread.” I were to mention the name Joseph Merrick, would have no clue who I am talking about. He was born in Leicester, England, on August 5, 1862. If I said he was the Elephant Man, we would know. Very few people have ever suffered from more physical deformities than him. All of his fingers were useless nubs. His misshapen head was the circumference of a man’s waist, his distorted mouth made his speech almost impossible to understand. His right arm was twice the size of his left arm. His deformed legs barely supported his weight. In nineteenth century England, a perverse form of entertainment was human novelty exhibitions. Joseph was a headliner and posters about him said he was half man/half elephant. One day a surgeon named Frederick Treves wandered into the human circus. Doctor Treves, “He was the most disgusting specimen of humanity I had ever seen.” But Dr. Treves didn’t shriek and turn away. The sight of Merrick stirred his scientific curiosity and his empathy for this man. He gave him his business card. It was that business card that the London police found on him as he huddled in a dark corner of a train station like a wounded animal. The police called Treves who came and took Merrick to the London Hospital.

Shortly after Merrick arrived, Dr. Treves ordered him a tray of food but failed to warn the nurse about his appearance. When she saw him she dropped the tray and went out of the room screaming. Over time they adjusted to his appearance. Dr. Trevor orchestrated a very careful experiment for Merrick. He had a woman enter his room, smile at him, wish him a good morning, and shake his hand. Treves, “The effect on poor Merrick was not quite what I expected. As he let go her hand he bent his head on his knees and sobbed until I thought he would never cease. He told me afterwards that was the first woman who had ever smiled at him, and the first woman, in the whole of his life, who had shaken hands with him.” The smile…the touch proved to be the tipping point, the turning point. He began to change from a disfigured thing into a man. The doctor found out about Merrick, he was a veracious reader of the Scriptures. Through this love and attention Merrick said many times, “I am happy every hour of the day.” Merrick died at 27 and Dr. Treves eulogized the infamous Elephant Man this way: I have never heard him complain. Never heard him complain? How is that even possible with the kind of trauma he experienced? Happy every hour of the day? How does someone who was mistreated for so many years profess happiness every hour of the day? Our lesson learned from Merrick is this…the obstacles we face are not the enemy. More times than not, we are the enemy. The obstacle, believe it or not, is the way. Kiss the Wave. This is actually a quote from the great Charles Spurgeon, “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” Paul said, “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Kiss the wave! Lord, give us this day!

oday we continue with the third in the series “Give us this day.”

     TMatthew 6:11 (NKJV) “Give us this day our daily bread.” We will be talking about what it means to be ambidextrous somewhat. Judges 3:15 (NKJV) “But when the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man.” Batterson – Your brave is someone else’s breakthrough. We think right here, right now. God is thinking nations and generations. We think what God does for us is for us, but it’s never just for us. It’s always for third and fourth generations. When we win the day, in our own unique way we enable future generations to dream a little bigger and think a little longer. 

1. Be deliberate in developing your skills. We can assume that these men of Benjamin were not born with this skill set of using both the right hand and the left, sense only about one percent of the population is born ambidextrous. So how did these men of Benjamin develop this unusual skill of using both hands for battle? To become an expert archer or rock slinger takes lots of practice. The Benjamites may have been the first to truly use the Cross-fit training method. It took many years and lots of blisters to get where they were awesomely ambidextrous. 

2. Ehud’s victory became the tribe of Benjamin’s story. The Benjamites cultivating right and left hand skills in battle, was a way of honoring Ehud, and his deliverance for Israel. His brave in winning the victory was not just their breakthrough, it became their inspiration. Everything we do, we should be thinking future generations. Batterson – God wants to use you at your point of greatest giftedness. That’s a given. He is the One Who gave you those gifts in the first place. But God wants to also use you at your point of greatest weakness. Why? Because that is when His power is made perfect. That is where we provide double trouble for the enemy.

3. Connect the dots. There is probably no phrase used more than “David verses Goliath.” We have the tendency to read stories the wrong way, we always think David had the disadvantage. If it was hand to hand combat, yes. There is no way David could win that fight. But David had an advantage. When it seemed like God had forgotten David, God was preparing him for something bigger than he could ever imagine. He was becoming an expert with a slingshot. This is how our brave can be someone’s breakthrough. David had to just win the day to change his life and other’s too. Give me this day!

Today we continue the series “Give us this day”.

     Matthew 6:9-15 (NKJV) “Give us this day our daily bread.” Paul said in Philippians 3:13 (NKJV) “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” If you live long enough you will experience profound pain and suffering. There is no escaping this reality. Life is unfair, and then you die. Slightly depressing. The good news, you can move past your past! Sir Walter Osler – So many people are so overwhelmed by so many things. We’re paralyzed by things we cannot change—the past. We’re crippled by things we cannot control—the future. The solution? Let go of “dead yesterdays” and “unborn tomorrows.”

1. We have to let go of dead yesterdays. The Apostle Paul wrote trying to help us with the process of forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. All of us have felt the sting of death when we lose a loved one. It sometimes feels insurmountable but we have to be willing to pray “Lord, give me this day”. Just one day at a time with God’s help. 2 Corinthians 5:8 (NKJV) “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” When we are experiencing profound grief, pain, and a broken heart, whether from the loss of a loved one, a betrayal, an unexpected tragedy, we have to pray…Father, give me this day. Today. Get me thru today.

2. We owe it to everyone to pray for God’s help each day. This may be a shock for someone to hear today but life does not stop for those around you just because you are going through something terrible. It may be your time of greatest influence. Romans 14:7 (NKJV) “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.” When we fail to bury our dead yesterdays whatever they were or how bad they hurt, we are not just cheating ourselves. We are cheating those who could be touched by our influence and our touch. Hear your pastor, we also cheat God because we are saying we can’t trust Him or believe He can give us this day.

3. Keep straining forward and keep praying, “Give me this day.” Let’s face it, none of us are all God wants us to be. We have not arrived by any means but we keep trying and why we keep praying. Yesterday is done and tomorrow is still unknown but today I can apply myself to strain forward through whatever it is I am going through. I am preaching to myself as much as I am you. Give me this day.

How is it possible for we “humans” to be faithful...

 

... to be obedient...to be generous...to be extra-ordinary in any way in a world that tears away from anything spiritual we would want to be?  Have we set you up for failure when we tell you to be extra-ordinary or is there something more that will help you in this endeavor?  Let me establish this point...we serve an extra-ordinary God...we serve an extra-ordinary Savior Jesus Christ and He has sent to us extra-ordinary help thru Holy Spirit! This being the case why would we ever settle to be ordinary?

Jesus Himself said this: Acts 1:8 (NLT) “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” If we have decided Jesus is extra-ordinary in His life, His love, and His promises we can be sure that He will supply us with the power we need to live lives that are full of life!  Again He said: John 10:10 (NKJV) “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

You shall receive power and He has come that you might have life and have it to the full. This being said by our Lord Jesus Christ...where do we stand today with having this incredible power and having this life.  Remember LIFE stands for Living In Freedom Every day...are you?  Paul said: Ephesians 5:15‑18 (NLT) “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  Pastor Rick, how can I know if I am filled with the power of Holy Spirit?  Do you pray in the Holy Spirit daily, are you walking in power or defeat, are you walking in freedom of the Holy Spirit?  My challenge for you is this...Seek the Lord while He may be found with all your heart and implore Him to fill you with power from on high. Thru the power of the Holy Spirit you can live an extra-ordinary life! 

Today we start a new series, Give Us This Day.

This is taken from the Lord’s prayer where He is actually teaching us to pray this most wonderful request. Matthew 6:11 (NKJV) ^“Give us this day our daily bread.” I believe Christians should be the example to the world, to young believers, and to new converts what it means to live a disciplined life. We all need to be disciples. So how can we become Christ’s disciples and be able to overcome the day of endless distractions and ceaseless change? Listen to these words from a self-proclaimed average man, the Father of Modern Medicine: Sir Walter Osler – So many people are so overwhelmed by so many things. We’re paralyzed by things we cannot change—the past. We’re crippled by things we cannot control—the future. The solution? Let get rid of “dead yesterdays” and “unborn tomorrows.” Philippians 3:13 (NKJV) “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” If yesterday is history and tomorrow a mystery, pray a simple prayer that can totally change your life. Give me this day. When you win today, tomorrow will take care of itself. Do it every day and nothing is impossible.

1. You are Only One Decision Away from a Totally Different Life. Show me the size of your dream and I will show you the size of your God. If you are going to dream big you need to pray…Give me this day. You arrive at your dreams one day at a time. Discipleship is so important to the believer and the daily decisions we make will either project us into a better future or continually keep us in the mire of a disappointing life. Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) ^“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

2. The Twenty-Four-Hour Rule. That one decision to pray “Give us this day” is much easier said than done. We probably wish it said, “Give us this week.” Or “Give us this month.” Or “Give us this year.” That would be so much easier, wouldn’t it? That way we wouldn’t have to depend on God every day. But that, of course is the point of the Lord’s prayer. Our one decision to pray the prayer, “Give us this day” is to remind us of our dependency on God every day.

3. Do It for a Day. Mathew Barnett is the co-founder of the LA Dream Center which has helped tens of thousands of people who find themselves at the end of their ropes. An amazing complex. Many of the people who go there are trying to overcome life-controlling addictions or rebuild broken lives. No matter what habit they are trying to break or what their goals are, Matthew always asks them this question: Can you do it for a day? If you can do it today, you can do it tomorrow! You have a streak going! Give me this day!