tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52901144519319035342024-03-12T20:15:34.283-07:00Daily DiscipleshipHelp for following Jesus every day.R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-24733164599228571162010-12-07T14:59:00.000-08:002010-12-07T14:59:19.407-08:00Glad to See You! (Praying with Confience in God part 2)My mother died from cancer eighteen years ago at the age of 51. I remember the last time I was with her alive. It was Mother’s Day 1992. We had driven from Kansas City back home to Pueblo, Colorado to see her and my dad. She was very sick; yellow from the jaundice because her liver and kidneys were shutting down; almost too weak to get out of bed. We sat with her, read scripture together, sang R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-87671939176826048892010-12-06T15:17:00.001-08:002010-12-06T15:17:30.349-08:00How Do You Pray with Confidence?Long ago two boys on the bank of the Mississippi River watched a mighty paddle wheeler majestically move down the river. As it drew near, one boy laid down his fishing pole and began to wave frantically and yell. The other lad laughed at the effort of his friend to get the attention of the paddle wheeler, but suddenly the giant vessel began to slow down and then turned toward the bank.
In R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-88919555230087033062010-12-03T06:44:00.000-08:002010-12-03T06:44:30.395-08:00Praying to the Good God in the Bad Times, Part 2I don’t know what you are facing today—maybe the loss of a job, the loss of a loved one, or the loss of health yourself or from someone you love. Afflictions and trials hit all of us. No one is immune from trouble, it is part of life on this sinful world. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." For the child of God, afflictions can R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-71157306725427698582010-12-02T14:16:00.001-08:002010-12-02T14:19:36.668-08:00Praying to the Good God in the Bad TimesAfflictions come in all shapes and sizes. An affliction can be as small as an aggravating head cold or as large as a major illness, the loss of a job, public persecution, or rumors spread by your enemies. Or an affliction could be the sort of cosmic suffering Job experienced. Some affliction is self-induced, sometimes others bring affliction to us, sometimes affliction is just the result of R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-45632457667244507972010-11-16T12:58:00.000-08:002010-11-16T12:58:25.926-08:00What will it take for us to work together as Christians?When the British and French were fighting in Canada in Octorber of 1690, Sir William Phips of Massachusetts, commander of the British fleet, was to anchor outside Quebec. He was to wait for the British land forces to arrive, and then support them when they attacked the city. Contrary to the plan Phipps’ navy arrived early. As Phips waited, he became annoyed by the statues of the saints that R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-29068661976105004172010-11-15T11:30:00.000-08:002010-11-15T11:30:53.323-08:00How do I tell if someone is truly acting Jesus name?In my last post I looked at Luke 9:49-50 to see what it teaches us about people who serve Jesus who are not a part of my group. The passage reads:49 Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."50 But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."From R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-43375115857140088522010-11-11T11:05:00.000-08:002010-11-11T11:05:09.053-08:00How do I interact with followers of Jesus who are not like me?How do I interact with followers of Jesus who are not like me? What if they being to a different group? What if their worship style is different than ours? What if they spread the gospel using a different method than my church? What if they have a different emphasis in the community?Here is a truth I learned from Luke 9:49-50: Jesus has many servants and most do not look like me.49 Now JohnR. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-55167445511994828162010-11-09T07:07:00.000-08:002010-11-10T06:17:12.703-08:00What To Do When You Can’t SleepI don’t sleep as soundly or as long as I used to. I am not really sure why. Maybe it’s just another one of those annoying things that happen as we grow older—like the hair that grows everywhere except the top of my head; or the furrows in my forehead that appear to have been pulled by a deep eight-bottom plow; or my inability to tolerate loud music anymore.So when I wake up now—at midnight, at R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-54591299687719474912010-11-08T10:15:00.000-08:002010-11-08T10:15:27.725-08:00Say Okay and Do It Right Away“Say okay and do it right away.” I have heard my wife say that little rhyme to our kids many times over the years. I was reminded of it again as I studied Psalm 119 this week. Psalm 119:57-64 is really a prayer to the all sufficient God. God is sufficient as my portion—He is what I really need and want. In these next verses I see God is sufficient as my Lord and Master. (Psalm 119:59-61)59 R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-14482644497556754462010-11-05T07:28:00.000-07:002010-11-08T05:48:01.072-08:00What Is Your Portion?"Jesus … He is all we need and all we want. We are shipwrecked on God and stranded on omnipotence!" — Vance HavnerPsalm 119:57-64 is really a prayer to the all sufficient God. The writer of Psalm 119 has already said that he loves God’s Word, longs for the Word, aches for a deeper desire, and he desperately prays for more eye-opening, treasure-discovering, soul-satisfying delight in the Word of R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-7840892784326764332010-11-04T16:09:00.000-07:002010-11-04T16:09:57.954-07:00All I Need Is ____________Psalm 11957 You are my portion, O LORD; I have said that I would keep Your words.58 I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; Be merciful to me according to Your word.59 I thought about my ways, And turned my feet to Your testimonies.60 I made haste, and did not delay To keep Your commandments.61 The cords of the wicked have bound me, But I have not forgotten Your R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-8509224045490951722010-10-13T09:12:00.000-07:002010-10-13T09:12:25.649-07:00Been Hugged?“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:3.Don Graham writes about a young woman named Linda who was traveling alone up the rutted and rugged highway from Alberta to the Yukon in the fall of the year. Linda didn't know you don't travel to Whitehorse alone in a R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-7995313420919862752010-10-12T15:06:00.001-07:002010-10-12T15:06:51.179-07:00FellowshipWhen’s the last time you invited someone to come home with you for dinner after a Sunday worship service? I remember my first Sunday in Lompoc, California in 1984. I was a new second lieutenant in the USAF reporting at Vandenberg AFB on Monday. I looked in the yellow pages (yes this was before the internet!) for a place to worship, and was able to find it just a couple blocks off the main R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-82912354708053710102010-10-07T10:09:00.000-07:002010-10-07T10:12:36.226-07:00Six Ways the Bible Comforts Us in AfflictionPsalm 119:49-56Request from the Afflicted: Remember (Psalm 119:49-50) “Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope.” When we pray, especially when we are afflicted, it is always good to pray for God to remember (or to act upon) His promises in His word. When Nehemiah prayed he said, "Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses,” (Neh. 1:8). R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-42331922659360299222010-10-05T10:12:00.000-07:002010-10-05T10:12:02.342-07:00A Prayer to Witness Without FearThis week I met some of the parents whose kids are in marching band with my son at the local high school. As I was talking with one man I sensed the urging of the Holy Spirit to share with him about my relationship with Jesus Christ. At the same instance I also felt a great fear well up in the pit of my stomach. I knew God wanted me to say something, but at the same time I felt like I couldn’t doR. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-88681262678301986482010-10-01T06:20:00.000-07:002010-10-01T06:27:59.329-07:00Another Forgiveness StoryGeneral Oglethorpe once said to John Wesley: “I never forgive and I never forget.” To which Wesley replied: “Then, sir, I hope that you never sin.”In my last two posts I wrote about what Jesus said about forgiveness in Matthew 18. Peter asked Jesus, “How often should I forgive my brother, seven times?" (Verse 21). And Jesus answered, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-25430045290087252532010-09-30T07:06:00.000-07:002010-09-30T07:06:29.333-07:00Jesus’ Story of ForgivenessIn my last post I wrote about what Jesus said about forgiveness in Matthew 18. Peter asked Jesus, “How often should I forgive my brother, seven times?" (Verse 21). And Jesus answered, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”Then, as He often does, Jesus tells a story. It goes something like this: There was a slave who owed the king 10,000 talents. (Now if a talent R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-41004362444666433722010-09-29T11:47:00.000-07:002010-09-29T11:47:00.405-07:00What Jesus Said About ForgivenessThe mother ran into the bedroom when she heard her seven-year-old son scream. She found his two-year-old sister pulling his hair. She gently released the little girl’s grip and said comfortingly to the boy, "There, there. She didn’t mean it. She doesn’t know that hurts." He nodded his acknowledgement, and she left the room.As she started down the hall she heard the little girl scream. Rushing R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-19801468494184887972010-09-28T05:41:00.000-07:002010-09-28T18:42:06.958-07:00Finishing WellI was watching the NASCAR race last Sunday at New Hampshire (No, unfortunately I wasn’t at the race. I watched it from my living room). Tony Stewart was leading the race with one lap to go when his car ran out of gas. Rather than win the race he finished 24th. The guy who won the race, Clint Bowyer, later had problems of his own. Even though he won the race on Sunday, the car failed a post race R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-40147401665527139542010-09-23T05:02:00.000-07:002010-09-23T05:02:59.008-07:00Revival: Dedication to HolinessPsalm 119:25-32Last week I began to write about personal revival from Psalm 119:25-32. Many Christians would love to see a true revival in our nation and world. I would too. But revival begins with the individual. Personal spiritual revival must precede any corporate revival. As we saw in Psalm 119:25, the real prayer we need to pray is, “Revive me!” What does revival according to God’s R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-79756936603424671132010-09-21T07:23:00.000-07:002010-09-28T05:04:04.553-07:00Revival: Dependence on God in PrayerPsalm 119:25-32“An awakening is ready to burst on the dismal scene when Christians have a deep, profound Spirit of prayer for an awakening.” - Lewis Drummond.Last week I began to write about personal revival from Psalm 119:25-32. Many Christians would love to see a true revival in our nation and world. I would too. But revival begins with the individual. Personal spiritual revival must precede R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-77822778206567297612010-09-20T07:38:00.001-07:002010-09-28T05:04:32.181-07:00Revival: Devotion to God’s WordPsalm 119:25-32“Revival awakens in our hearts an increased awareness of the presence of God, a new love for God, a new hatred for sin, and a hunger for His Word.” - Del Fehsenfeld Jr.Last week I began to write about personal revival from Psalm 119:25-32. Many Christians would love to see a true revival in our nation and world. I would too. But revival begins with the individual. Personal R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-75494689736535769092010-09-17T10:46:00.000-07:002010-09-28T05:04:59.504-07:00Catch the Wind of Heaven: Confess Your WaysPsalm 119:25-32“We cannot organize revival, but we can set our sails to catch the wind from Heaven when God chooses to blow upon His people once again.” - G. Campbell Morgan.Yesterday I began to write about revival. Many Christians would love to see a true revival in our nation and world. I would too. But as I wrote in my last post, revival begins with the individual. Personal spiritual revival R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-54694057439664591052010-09-16T07:42:00.000-07:002010-09-28T05:05:26.734-07:00From Down and Out to Up and Running!Psalm 119:25-32All of us are painfully aware of the economic downturn in our country. Major banking institutions have failed. Millions of people are without jobs. Families are hurting. The government seems powerless to change it. The recession is fast turning into a depression. But I believe that the bigger problem in our world today is not financial, but spiritual. Many in our world, and maybe R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290114451931903534.post-72139902265635043342010-09-13T07:16:00.000-07:002010-09-13T07:40:08.259-07:00Courage to Move Forward"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (Josh 1:9 NKJV).Courage is not the absence of fear. It takes no courage to face that which you are not afraid of. Courage is moving ahead despite your fears. I like what John Wayne said about courage: "Courage is being scared to death R. Sipeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00267746088059386132noreply@blogger.com4