Thursday, December 25, 2008

Christmas Day Devotion

Merry Christmas!!

Genesis 1:26 - Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..(KJV)

John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.

How powerful and exciting to know the Trinity is eternal, not just God the Father. I pray the world's eyes are opened. The ending of our world's oppression begins with our world opening our hearts and minds to Christ and the Holy Spirit. Genesis 3:15 states that Christ will step on the head of the serpent.

How AWESOME it is the Word was in the beginning and later became flesh, dwelling among us. To argue the authenticity / validity of scripture is arguing the authenticity / validity of Christ. Our perspective would be very different if scripture stated the flesh became the Word. Then anything predating or outside of Christ's dialogue would be rendered null and void.

All Creation - the Word, All Wisdom - the Word, was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary; developing then emerging as a human baby. God entered the world as man. The Word became Flesh. Much has been written and stated about the awe overwhelming Mary and even Joseph. Rightly so, this is a tremendous honor for Mary, and even Joseph - although he have initially wondered. I have frequently heard the question of how we would respond today if we were Mary or Joseph.

In reality, each of us who proclaim to be Christ, Holy Spirit Filled Christians are Mary. Instead of delivering a baby, impossible for men; we are delivering the Word to the world. The Holy Spirit has conceived great gifts in each of us; these gifts are equally as miraculous as the baby - because these gifts are only able to manifest by our Lord working in and through us.

Just as Christ became a physical manifestation into the world, God is calling each of us to step up, face the danger of death as Mary and Joseph did in delivering the Word to our broken world.

May you and your family Make it a Great Christmas in Christ!!

Rick
http://www.rickemeyer.com/

Friday, December 12, 2008

Jonah

Wisdom is recognizing submission to God's Will is inescapable. Sometimes God allows a choice of our participation in His desires; other times we cannot escape Him. Being God's Will and being Easy are often incongruent.

Whom is God calling you to proclaim His Word and Mercy?

Wisdom recognizes the vines in Life, those people, events, items, plants, etc that provide needed comfort are from God.

Wisdom recognizes God allows worms to remove our comforts as quickly as He provides.

Wisdom recognizes God provides Life at the depths of the sea, the lowest, darkest places on earth. He provides us Life even when we are at our lowest, darkest moments.


What is your ministry? The road or sea may be rough; you may feel as if your business or career is stuck in a whale at the bottom of the sea at this precise moment. During these times, God even uses whales in the deepest, darkest times to deliver you to the ministry He chooses for you.

Make it a Great Day in Christ!
Rick
www.rickemeyer.com


Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Always Trust Christ our Lord

Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

The last advice my dad gave me came two (2) days after he received a diagnosis of lung cancer. His mental confusion, due to other factors, prohibited meaningful enduring conversation. I remained awake most of the night in his room, I arrived after a speaking engagement in a neighboring city 50 miles to the southeast. The following morning dad ate breakfast, and then requested we pray, “That God may bless everyone we know”; this includes tens of thousands of people. A few minutes later, he looked me in the eye, as he had many times over the years; saying, “Always Trust God, Always Remember that, Always Trust God!” He continued looking me in the eye as I fought back tears; responding, “I will Dad, I will”.

As Christians, we each believe we will join our Lord in heaven at the end of our earthly journey. This reward is bigger than imagined; conversely, those ignoring God's call will endure torture greater than imagined. We trust God in grabbing our souls at our physical death; bringing them to Him.

We continue to trust in Salvation and Eternal life in Heaven with our Father, Savior, and Comforter even though we wait all of our lives to see the proof. For some this wait ends in the womb, at birth, or 16 years; while others, the wait endures for 80, 93, or perhaps exceeding 100 years. Often faith increases with the wait, with age. If fact, most elderly are thankful for their long journey on earth, their long waiting period to enter heaven greeted by Christ's open arms. As we wait for the fruition of our burden of fleshly living, we avoid doubting and giving up on entering Heaven.

Conversely, how many of us (my hand is raised) give up on much lesser gifts of God (compared to being in Heaven with Him) while living in our human flesh? We impatiently wait a day, week, month, year, perhaps a decade or more for prayer requests. The same Jesus who died for us, also promised to give us whatever we ask for in His name. We believe the greater reward while doubting the lesser, although still great to us humans. We doubt because we wait.

What does it mean to ask in Jesus name? This is a blank check, IF we ask with a heart free of grudges, free of doubt, free of selfishness, free of all that God opposes. To ask in Jesus name is to ask with our Hearts Saturated with the Holy Spirit, Saturated with Christ's forgiveness, mercy, and love; asking with a heart of repentance. Frequently I hear people tell the Lord they deserve a reward. If we deserved Heavenly gifts, Christ died and resurrected for nothing. God gives to us freely out of mercy and love, as opposed to our deservedness.

Trust the Lord with your soul, both on earth and in Heaven. Continue to Trust the Lord with your finances, friendships, family, relationships, health care (Jesus is the Great Physician), business, career, and all other concerns.

Twenty-two (22) days later dad breathed his last breath; trusting the Lord with all of his heart, leaning not on his own understanding. I will too, how ‘bout you?

Make it a Great Day in Christ!

Rick
www.rickemeyer.com

Friday, December 5, 2008

Hope

Proverbs 13:12 - Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

How many times have you heard someone say, "I will be happy when......"?


When:
The house is paid off
The car loan is paid off
The credits cards are paid off
The kids are out of school
This project is completed
This product or service is attained
I see someone special
I get even with an adversary
Attain my degree - High School, Bachelors, Masters, or Doctor of Philosophy
_____________________________________(Add from your list)

The potential length for this list is extraordinary, with time and effort invested in its creation. Today's scripture from Proverbs states, living in the hope of tomorrow makes our heart sick. How can we achieve everything in one day? Nearly everything in the above short list requires days if not years to achieve. This is where faith enters our lives, our minds, and our beliefs. As Hebrews 11 informs us, Faith is the substance of things hoped for without any observable evidence.

The bible instructs us to ask in Christ's name expecting results. Consequently, Hope is immediately available upon asking and believing. Our longing desires are fulfilled; we are able to enjoy the tree of life. When we desire a voyage, whether vacation or visiting family or friends; excitement commences with planning, packing, and traveling. Once we request our desires with belief in Christ, we begin planning, packing, and traveling toward our journey. Hope is no longer deferred; the longing is fulfilled.

God desires relationships with His people and for His people to engage with one another. "When two or more are gathered in my name, I am in their midst". Attainment is a process allowing us to strengthen our relationship with our Lord, retaining our dependence on Him. He often has us work with others, building new relationships, strengthening present or former relationships. Uplifting our Lord and His Word at all times.

The longings of our heart, our hope; is fulfilled each day regardless of our circumstances. We recognize this in Faith, Faith God hears our prayers, provides our needs, wipes out our debts, protects our loved ones. The journey is now.

Live in the Hope of this Day - Knowing Christ is fulfilling each of your longings. a tree of Life, a healthy heart!

God has plans for you this day, and every day!

Make it a Great Day in Christ - Live in the Belief of Faith!!!

A Humble Servant of our Lord,
Rick
www.rickemeyer.com

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

YOUR WORD IS YOUR WORTH (November 2006)

On a cold January night I was suddenly awakened. I had drifted into a deep sleep on the couch while reading. I did not remember hearing the phone ring at 11:00 pm, but there I was standing with the receiver in my hand visiting with Bruce. Bruce proudly proclaimed he and his wife were new parents to Brent. After gathering my senses, I congratulated him on the birth of his son and thanked Bruce for calling. Bruce quickly acknowledged, "I told you that I would call; I gave you my word."

Yes, Bruce gave his word seven months prior, in a cornfield. When Bruce initially shared the news, that he and his wife were expecting their first child, I asked him if he would call me when the child was born. He replied "yes". No future discussion was necessary, until that January night of Brent's birth. That occasion was one of many where Bruce gave his word once; with no further discussion he fulfilled his promise on time, whether that was hours, weeks, months or years after the giving his word!

Bruce is a man of his word! Are you a man or woman of your word? My grandparents, who welcomed the president of the world's largest seed corn company into their home to discuss business, would often say 'a person is only as good as their word'. What is your worth?

Bruce could have used any number of excuses for not calling or offered no excuse and no phone call. His excuses could have included such things as: he forgot, it was too late for a phone call, he did not know or lost my phone number, he did not believe my request to be serious or I ought not to have believed him in the first place. After all it had been seven months since we had talked about this and not one word of it since that day in the cornfield.

If Bruce had been an attorney, perhaps he could have claimed a signed contract regarding the phone call was non-existent. He was not legally bound to place that call or to keep his word. Still, Bruce understood he had given something more valuable and binding than a document approved by one thousand of the world's top attorney's.
He had given his word.

Fulfilling your word is a matter of being honest with yourself and others. We should be wise and discerning about a situation before we give our word. Once our word is given, we should do everything that is legally, morally, and ethically necessary to deliver on time the promise that was made.

Remember... your word is your worth!

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Frankie's Persistence

He is purchasing his first computer, a laptop. He attends educational seminars and product meetings across multiple states regularly throughout the winter months. Frankie tells his wife and business partner that he is still learning how to farm. He has been the recipient of enough awards to cover a barn door. He farms over 1,100 acres, drives the tractor, sprayer, and combine himself. He is in the bleachers for his grandchildren’s school activities; he even climbs the stairs when necessary. He also continues to play the accordion in a polka band, as he has for decades! This may not seem overwhelming. Others farm more acres; drive tractors and combines, operate computers, play accordion and attend school activities.

What sets Frankie apart from most others? Frankie is seventy years old, and over twenty-five years ago he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Frankie sadly tells that of those he shared the (MS) diagnosis with at the same time, he is the only one still on the go. The others have either died, or are now crippled to the extent of being unable to work. The diagnosis has not been the only tragedy, he lost a son in a farming accident, and he himself has lost portions of several fingers in farming accidents. Frankie could easily give up, but he has too many things to get done. His smile is permanently fixed on his face, not by a plastic surgeon, rather by his positive, winning attitude.

Frankie uses two canes to walk, one in each hand. He hangs them on the hand railing of the tractor or combine, while he negotiates his way up the steps, into the drivers seat. He informs any doubters of the benefits of farming therapy. “I can get plenty of physical therapy right here on the farm. Once I get situated in the cab, I can do anything thing I need to do,” he energetically quips.

Some question why he does not retire from farming, considering both his age and health. Frankie views these challenges the same as a drought, floods, or a crop-destroying hailstorm. They are inconvenient and bothersome, but they are not the ends of the journey. They are simply challenges to work through.

Initially, every trail ended at some point. Someone had to overcome the challenges to continue the trail in a progressive direction, onto greater opportunities. Where the trail ends, the adventure begins.

Frankie continues his life’s adventure and has gone on to pave greater trails in soil conservation, farming techniques, and the human mind. He does everything in his power to assure every kernel of grain reaches the market, every grain of soil and drop of water is retained in the field. He says, “Every gallon of water (rain or snow) kept on the farm is a dollar in the bank”. He engages life with the same attitude, every moment in pursuit of a goal. He utilizes every ounce of his physical ability or energy to pursue meaningful results, whether in faith, family, or farming.

I have known Frankie four years. His continual emotional drive, competitiveness, wisdom, knowledge and understanding, and positive attitude are simply remarkable. People like Frankie make this world great. They are driven to do everything in their power, including prayer and worship, to leave this world a better place. It would be easy for them to become bogged down in self-pity and the challenges in this life, but their focus is on adventurous results!

Why is Frankie buying his first computer now, at the age of seventy? He sat by another farmer in a meeting who had a laptop with him. This guy was getting information on the markets faster than Frankie. After all, as Frankie says of himself, he is still learning how to farm and if the trail is widening in a new direction, you can bet Frankie will want to be a part of it!