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07/16/2020

Jesus – Miracle Worker

I can’t help it, but every time I start to think about miracles, all I can hear in my mind is the sports announcer Al Michaels. If you aren’t familiar with who I’m talking about, he was the announcer when the USA hockey team beat the Soviet Union for the Olympic gold medal. As time was running out Michaels said, “Do you believe in miracles?” This USA hockey team was not supposed to beat the seemingly unbeatable Soviet Union. But they pulled together as a team and accomplished something that was viewed as impossible. This week I want to look at a passage in the New Testament where there seemed to be no hope and Jesus stepped in and completely changed the outcome.

I know most of you know the story of Lazarus and how Jesus raised him from the dead. If you would like to refresh your memory of the story you can find it in John chapter 11. There are just a few things that I would like to point out that may get overlooked along the way as you read this passage. In the beginning of the chapter you will see that Mary and Martha, Lazarus’s sisters, sent word to Jesus that their brother was sick. Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Jesus stayed two more days where He was and then left to go to Lazarus. During that time from when the message got to Jesus about Lazarus and the time, He made it to Lazarus’s village, he passed away. Martha heard that Jesus was on His way and she went to meet Him. She told Jesus, “If You had been here my brother would not have died.” Mary, when she met Jesus said something very similar, that if Jesus had been there Lazarus would not have died. Mary and Martha knew that Jesus could have made a difference but thought now all hope was gone because her brother was dead. Don’t miss what Mary and Martha did before Lazarus passed away, they were interceding on their brother’s behalf. They were actively involved in his battle.

Jesus told both sisters that their brother would rise again, but they thought Jesus was referring to the resurrection. Jesus finally made it to the tomb, where they laid Lazarus to rest. Jesus told those around watching to remove the stone. Martha reminded Jesus, “he’s been dead four days, he stinks!” Jesus replied to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So, they rolled the stone away and Jesus told Lazarus to come out and the dead man was made alive. Lazarus still had him grave clothes on and Jesus told them to “loose him and let him go.”

Here is where I want to point out something that I believe gets lost and I don’t want you to miss it. Did you notice how many people Jesus used in this miracle. The messengers who went to Jesus for Mary and Martha played a direct role in this miracle. Mary and Martha were active participants in this miracle, they knew Jesus could change everything! The folks who rolled the stone away at Jesus’s command literally cleared the path for the miracle to take place. And even those who helped to take the grave clothes off Lazarus participated. You may be asking why I’m pointing this out, because it’s clear, we were never designed to do life alone! You weren’t meant to walk through battles by yourself. Then the victories can be celebrated together, because believers extended their hands of faith and God reached back with His faithfulness and a miracle happened.

I told you last week that I had a PET scan coming up and I wanted all of you who would, to pray and believe with me for a clear scan. Well, Monday was my scan and I received word back Monday afternoon that there was no evidence of the previous Lymphoma! God gave me a miracle! God used all of you who prayed and believed to see this miracle happen. I can’t thank you all enough for the prayers and support. I still have a way to go as far as treatments are concerned. I’m basically at the tail end of phase 1 and my doctor has laid out a total of 3 phases. I don’t know what you are facing today, but I want you to know a few things. The first thing is this, Jesus has not forgotten you and Jesus can change your life. The second thing is, you weren’t meant to face life’s struggles alone. The third thing to remember is, there is power in believers praying and trusting God together. And the last thing I want you to remember is, there is peace for all of us in knowing, That I am His and He is Mine!!!

Please take a moment to listen to this song.

https://youtu.be/37wV6D49iEY

Brian Bishop

Watch the official music video for “There Was Jesus” with Dolly Parton now. Listen to everywhere: https://ZachWilliams.lnk.to/RescueStoryAlbum...

07/10/2020

The Preparation for a Miracle
I hope all of you are doing well. I finished my 4th chemo treatment Wednesday of last week. As I said in the last devotion this is important because now that I’ve finished this treatment, I will have a scan in the next few weeks to see what the treatments have done. You will notice we are making a slight change in our topic. For the past few weeks, we have been walking though and discussing different battles in the Old Testament and how we can draw encouragement and hope from those battles. Now we are going to transition to miracles. I’ve said from the very beginning that I wanted to take you on this journey with me so that we could see and experience together God’s goodness and faithfulness through this battle. After much prayer I feel led to change the theme leading up to this scan, because I honestly believe we are going to see God’s work on full display. I’m praying and believing for a clear scan, and I’d like for all of you to pray for that with me. This week we are going to talk about preparing for a miracle.
Before we start talking about how to prepare for a miracle, let’s nail down exactly how we are going to define a miracle. My lifelong friend, Jeremy Mahaffey, said “a miracle is something only God can do, only God can explain, and only God can get the credit for.“ If you know him like I do, it’s a miracle in itself that he came up with such a good definition of a what a miracle is. I want us to use that thought as a springboard to jump into our text today. I want us to remember one thing as we walk through these miracles together; God has not changed! He’s the same miracle worker today as He was in the scriptures we read. I want us to look at a passage that is probably very familiar to most of you. We are going to look at when Elijah faced off against the prophets of Baal. To get the whole story read 1 Kings 18.
There was a severe famine in the land at that time and it hadn’t rained in quite some time. Jezebel had killed many of the Lord’s prophets and the children of Israel had turned from worshipping the Lord to following the prophets of Baal. Elijah told Ahab to gather all of the children of Israel and all of the prophets of Baal and to meet on Mt. Carmel. When they all got together Elijah asked a very pointed question, a question that we need to answer personally. In verse 21 Elijah asked, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, then follow Him, but if Baal, then follow him.” You see the children of Israel had made a compromise. They disregarded what they knew to be true and began to follow a lie. Could it be, that that is the same thing that’s holding back God’s power in our lives? We are torn, we are divided in our hearts and minds between His truth and something else. We extinguish God’s power in our lives, if we continue to serve a divided heart.
Elijah told everyone there, that he and the prophets of Baal would each present a sacrifice and pray to their god and whoever sent down fire to consume the sacrifice would prove to be the one true God. Elijah allowed the prophets of Baal to go first and call on their god to send down fire to consume their offering. When there was no response Elijah began to have a little fun at their expense. He told them to yell louder that maybe their god was asleep or on a journey. Elijah allowed them to continue on until it was time for the evening sacrifice, and then it was his turn. 1 Kings 18:30 says, “Then Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me. So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.” If we want to see and experience God miraculous work in our lives there are preparations and repairs that need to be made. Elijah repaired the altar of the Lord before he asked God to send down the fire. Maybe the altar of our heart needs to be cleaned and repaired before we ask God for that miracle we so desperately need. That’s where I am today, I’m searching my heart and asking God to clean and repair the altar of my heart. Because if I want to see a miracle, there’s preparations that need to be made and it starts with me.
After Elijah repaired the altar, he placed the sacrifice on it. So there would be no doubt in anyone’s mind he instructed one of them to pour buckets of water on the altar and the sacrifice. Elijah prayed and asked God to send down fire and consume the sacrifice so that Israel would know that the Lord is the one true God. God sent down fire and it burned up everything, even the water that was poured out. But none of that happened until Elijah made preparations to receive the miracle. Let me encourage you today to search your heart, and repair what’s broken down so that you can receive God’s miracle that He has for you.
How many of you reading this today are in need of a miracle? You could be like me and need a miracle of healing, but it doesn’t stop there. You may be in need of a financial miracle. With all that’s taken place in the workforce with layoffs due to COVID-19 many folks are struggling financially and they need help. You may be in need of a miracle in your marriage. Things just aren’t the same as they used to be and you both need God to step in and fix what is broken. You may be looking for a miracle in the life of a friend or loved one that’s far away from the Lord. You pray day and night for that person to place their faith in the Lord and receive the miracle of salvation. I’m convinced more than ever; we all are in need of some type of miracle. I am also convinced that we love to talk about miracles, but if we are honest with ourselves, we doubt God will actually step in and perform that miracle we need. Let me encourage you for just a moment, God has not changed! His miracles didn’t stop with the conclusion of the book of The Revelation. He is exactly as He was and He will continue to be. He’s a miracle worker, a way maker, He keeps His promises, and there’s nothing you will face in this life that He can’t see you through. Thank you, God for Your faithfulness, thank You for Your miraculous works, thank You that You can be trusted, and thank You, That I am Yours and You are Mine!
Brian Bishop
I really would like for you to listen to this song, I know you all have probably heard it, but I chose this one in particular because at the bottom of the screen you will notice all of the prayer requests that folks shared. We are all in need of a miracle, we all need the miraculous power of our Lord, and we are not alone! He's a Way Maker!

Brian Bishop

https://youtu.be/26jEkcGtFlM

Way Maker | Elevation Church Worship Team | Ft Isaiah Templeton and Pastor Steven Furtick
Way Maker is a wonderful christian worship song written by Osinachi Okoro released in the year 2016. This wonderful worship recorded at Elevation Church Ball...
youtu.be

Way Maker is a wonderful christian worship song written by Osinachi Okoro released in the year 2016. This wonderful worship recorded at Elevation Church Ball...

06/22/2020

Leadership in Battle
Before we get into today’s devotion, I want to apologize for not emailing out a devotion last week. The past 2 weeks have been a struggle but I’m bouncing back and starting feel better. I really appreciate all of your prayers and I look forward to good reports in the near future, enough about that let’s dive into what I feel like God has for us today. Have you ever been around someone and from the first time you meet them you know they were designed to lead? I’m the worlds worst to sit and people watch, and sometimes it drives my wife crazy because I’ll spend more time watching what others are doing and not paying attention to what she’s saying or doing at the time. But I love watching people in social situations and see how they act, react, follow the lead, or actually take the lead. Today I want us to focus our attention on one of the great leaders of the Old Testament, Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah and served as one of the great kings and spiritual leaders during his reign.
When you get time, read 2 Chronicles 20 to get the whole story. But for our purposes today I’ll try to summarize what’s taking place. Jehoshaphat had gotten word that they are going to be attacked and a huge army had formed to overthrow Judah. As you read this passage you will see the very first thing Jehoshaphat did was bring all of Judah together to pray and call on God to see them through. You’ll notice they didn’t waste time talking about how bad things were or how bad they could possibly get. They gathered together and Jehoshaphat lead his people in prayer. He concluded his prayer by saying in verse 12, “For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us, nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” How awesome and relevant of a statement for where we are as a nation, Lord I don’t know what to do, but I’m watching You! I’m waiting on You! I’m trusting You! Remember, this is being done in front of all of Judah. He’s crying out to the Lord admitting that he needs God to intervene and bring hope, where it seems hopeless.
Along those same lines, something else jumps off the page at me as I read this text. In verse 13 it says, “Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord.” What an awesome testimony to those families and the little children that we can call on God in our time of need. Guys, Father’s Day is coming up this week and I’m just going to tell you, we need daddy’s like this. Our children need daddy’s who sets the example that God is our help and our strength. Being a daddy has nothing to do with how many commas we have in our checkbook, or how loud we can snore from the comfort of our lazy-boy, but has everything to do with setting an example of trusting Jesus and letting Him guide our lives.
After Jehoshaphat prays and asks God for help, I want you to hear God’s response because it’s such a great reminder of how we face battles. Verse 15 says, “Do not be afraid or dismayed because of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” Please hear what the Lord is saying to you right now, the things you are struggling with, the battles you are facing, the crisis that seems unbearable, that’s not your fight! That battle is the Lord’s battle, so let Him fight for you! You don’t have to be a Twitter tough guy, or a Facebook wordsmith, you just have to rely on the power of the Almighty! So, what happened to Jehoshaphat and the coming battle; he led his people just as the Lord had instructed and they all as a nation prayed and sang praises to the Lord. God set up ambushes against those who rose up against Judah and they were destroyed; their enemies even took up arms against each other and destroyed themselves.
Remember this, when you pray you are activating a power that cannot be contained by any set of shackles nor can it truly be described by any words that we have in our vocabulary. You are calling on and actively inviting the God of the universe to step into your situation! The One who spoke everything we see into existence is waiting to be your help at your time of need. The One who powers the oceans and refreshes us with a gentle breeze wants to hear from you! And when you pray, you don’t just get a little taste, you get all that God has to offer! All of His power is available to you when you pray! What do you need today? Do you need direction, then pray; do you need healing, then pray; whatever you need is available to you, just pray! Our society is at desperate crossroads. At this time, more than any other that I can remember in my lifetime, we need the church to be the church and lead! Lead like Jehoshaphat! Lord, I’m not sure what to do, but I’m watching You! There’s nothing that can satisfy you or help you like Jesus! I’m so guilty of trying to do things my way, but there’s nothing better than Him, He makes a way when there seems to be no way! He can be trusted and He’s always good! Jehoshaphat won a great battle and never lifted a sword to fight! We can do the same when trust in Him, and rest in knowing That I am His and He is Mine!

https://youtu.be/KwX1f2gYKZ4

Graves Into Gardens ft. Brandon Lake | Live | Elevation Worship
"Graves Into Gardens ft. Brandon Lake" live from the album, Graves Into Gardens by Elevation Worship Available everywhere now: https://elevationworship.lnk.t...
youtu.be

Brian Bishop

"Graves Into Gardens ft. Brandon Lake" live from the album, Graves Into Gardens by Elevation Worship Available everywhere now: https://elevationworship.lnk.t...

05/28/2020

Obedience in Battle

I’m going to give you a scenario today, that I think most of you will be familiar with, especially if you have children. As you all know we have three children, Bridges 5 (turns 6 in September), Maggie and Lucie 2 (turns 3 in July). So, as you would expect our days are filled with laughs, crying, playing great with each other, and then one is mad because the other looked at them. As with probably all parents, our biggest struggle and our most repeated phrase is, “listen, do as you’re told!” Here’s a simple scenario to illustrate what I mean. Our children love ice cream or any desert for that matter. When we sit down to eat supper one child will ask (it’s normally Bridges) can we have desert tonight? Which is answered with a question and a statement by myself or Brandi. It goes like this, have you already had something sweet today, and if not, then you have to eat a good supper and try everything on your plate, even if it looks funny. That is often greeted with moans and groans and even tears, you get it you’ve been there. I can’t tell you how many times that reaction has led me or Brandi to say, listen do as you’re told! If you want desert, then do what mommy and daddy said, otherwise you’re not getting it! I feel like as a parent that’s one of our biggest jobs is to teach our children obedience. That’s done by correcting them when they get out of line, and by modelling obedience in our own lives. That’s where I find myself today, I want to model obedience to my family.
As I sit here one week removed from treatment and at the halfway point from getting a scan to see how the treatment is going, I keep hearing and feeling in my spirit God honors obedience. Now that may sound familiar to some of you, if you have ever heard our owner, Danny Cash, do a devotion for us at work you’ve heard him say on multiple occasions, God honors obedience! Well, I want to illustrate that today with a very familiar story that I’m sure you all have heard. The battle of Jericho is such an awesome account of God honoring the obedience of Joshua and his army. To get the whole story, read the end of Joshua chapter 5 and chapter 6. At the end of chapter 5 Joshua was alone standing by Jericho and was met by the Commander of the Lord’s army. Joshua knew then he was in the presence of the Lord and fell down and worshiped. If you remember from our devotion a couple of weeks ago, sometimes God uses our isolation for our preparation, well that’s what’s happening here. The Lord gave specific instructions to how this battle was going to be won. Joshua was going to take the ark of the covenant, priests, and fighting men and they were going to march around the city one time for six days in a row. Then on the seventh day they would march around the city seven times, when the others marching heard the trumpets blow one long continuous note they would shout and the walls would fall down. Now I didn’t serve in the military, but even I know that strategy sounds strange. But we have to keep in mind when reading this passage, God honors obedience.
Joshua communicated and followed God’s plan just as he was instructed. He ordered everyone to remain quiet as they marched each day, and to not utter a word until he gave them instruction to shout. Why was Joshua so confident? Because in his time alone with the Lord, the Lord already told him that battle was won and He had already given Joshua the city. That’s why Joshua could remain committed to God’s instruction, that’s why Joshua and the others could shout in victory before the walls ever fell down. It’s one thing to celebrate and praise the Lord after the walls are down, it’s completely different to celebrate and praise the Lord while looking directly at your walls or circumstances. I know we all have things we are dealing with, circumstances that bring on worry, walls that seem insurmountable, but you can’t let the darkness of your trials cloud what God said in the light!
I’ll admit obedience is much easier to write about than it is to practice it daily. But it’s what we’ve all been called to do, live a life of obedience. Why? Because God honors obedience! Joshua experienced a great victory that day in Jericho. What are some areas in your life that you need victory? The battle is won, you just need to be obedient and march. This battle I’m currently facing with cancer is won, I’m just trying to be obedient and march. Is it tough? Yes! But I can press on marching, because I know that I am His and He is mine!

Brian Bishop

https://youtu.be/e3RRU25dpPg

Raise A Hallelujah (Lyrics) ~ Bethel Music
Raise A Hallelujah (Lyrics) ~ Bethel Music Chords and Charts for "Raise A Hallelujah" https://bethelmusic.com/chords-and-lyrics/raise-a-hallelujah/ VICTORY A...
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Raise A Hallelujah (Lyrics) ~ Bethel Music Chords and Charts for "Raise A Hallelujah" https://bethelmusic.com/chords-and-lyrics/raise-a-hallelujah/ VICTORY A...

05/22/2020

I am His and He is Mine

If you have had a conversation with me lately or read any of these devotions you have probably heard or read the statement, I am His and He is mine. Throughout this process of being diagnosed with Lymphoma and all of the waiting between appointments, next scheduled test, or the next treatment cycle, God has been echoing this truth in my mind, I am yours and you are Mine! The statement comes from the Song of Solomon 6:3 “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.” Historically speaking this book is written about Solomon and his love for the Shulamite maiden, but it also depicts Christ’s love for His bride the church (believers). For this week’s devotion I want to explain why this statement is so important to me and why it gives me so much encouragement.

The first reason this is so important to me and why it’s brings me so much encouragement is that it is a constant reminder of my salvation. You see I haven’t always been able to truthfully make the statement; I am His and He is mine. It wasn’t until I was 15 years old that I accepted Christ as my Savior. My grandfather had just passed away and I wanted to know the Lord the way he did, and I wanted to experience Christ’s forgiveness. So, I accepted Christ as my Savior that day, the date was November 10, 1992. I’ll never forget that day, because that was the day my grandfather stepped from his earthly life into eternal life, and it was the day I stepped from death into life. The reason I say it that way, is that the bible says in Ephesians 2:1 “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” The very moment I believed, God brought light into my darkness, He made what was spiritually dead alive.

Another reason this statement is so important and brings me so much encouragement is that it reminds me that there is healing in Christ. I’d be lying if I told you I don’t pray constantly for healing, but not just for myself but for others as well. I pray that way, because I know God can heal. You can open your Bible and read about so many different miracles, but one thing most have in common is this. Miracles happen when we extend our hand of faith toward God, and God meets us with His faithfulness. One example of this is the woman with the issue of blood (Luke 8:43-48.) She had tried Dr’s and medicine and nothing was working, she saw Jesus and the thought struck her, if I could just touch Him that would be enough to heal me. The Bible says that there many who were trying to get to Jesus that day, but all she could do was reach out her hand and she touched the border of His garment. But that was all she needed; Jesus healed her the moment she touched Him. Jesus wanted to know who touched Him and when she told Him what happened Jesus said, “your faith has made you well.” I don’t know what any of you reading this are facing today, but I do know Jesus can make a way where it seems impossible. You may be in need of physical healing, Jesus can do it, you may need healing in a relationship, Jesus can do it, you may need spiritual healing, Jesus can do it! I know what some of you reading this may be thinking, Brian do you really believe God can heal you? My answer is yes, 100% yes. The bible says, the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. If God can part the seas, walk on water, cause blind eyes to see, make the lame walk again, cause the dead to rise and live again, storms obey His command, the mute talk, the deaf can hear, and the list goes on and on then yes He can heal me. Because the same power that performed those miracles is the same power I received when I believed and trusted Christ as my Savior.

The last reason the statement, I am His and He is Mine, is so encouraging to me and means so much, is that it gives hope for the future. There is salvation in a relationship with Jesus, and there is healing in a relationship with Him and because of that we can look forward in hope for the future. Knowing that God who loves us so much is working it all out. As I’ve said in previous devotions, God loves you with an eternal everlasting love, He wants good things for you. He wants to bless you, and give you an abundant life. Life filled with joy, joy that comes from being His child, and the hope that comes from knowing, I am His and He is Mine!

Artist: Hillsong United Album: Zion Released: 2013 Video by: We Are Christians

05/18/2020

The Isolation Before Battle

by Brian Bishop

How many of you reading this post enjoy being alone? I know many folks who despise being alone, and to be honest the thought of being alone is rather terrifying. I am one that has never minded being by myself, but that has really been put to the test in recent weeks as I face this battle with cancer. Brandi hasn’t been allowed to be with me at all during my doctor’s appointments, hospital stays, tests or procedures that I’ve had along the way due to Covid-19 restrictions. Being alone has left me plenty of time to pray and reflect on what God is doing in my life. Don’t get me wrong, I would much rather have Brandi with me in the room for support, but I’m trying my best to use the time I’m given in a positive way. This past week has been a struggle for me, I had a minor procedure Monday and I haven’t felt as well as what I did leading up to the procedure. To be completely honest, I’ve laid flat on my back for the better portion of the week. While I’ve tried to use my time alone this week wisely, I couldn’t help but fall into a little bit of a funk. I’ve had moments of feeling sorry for myself, being angry and fighting the demons that attack our mind. Wednesday afternoon rolled around and I’d had enough, so I began to pray, read and reflect on everything God has done so far during this journey. God used that time to encourage me and teach me another lesson that I want to share with you this week.
While being alone may not always be fun, it does lend itself to uninterrupted time with the Lord. Here’s the lesson that I’ve learned this week; sometimes God uses our isolation as a means for our preparation. Sometimes God has to get us alone so that He can speak to us and prepare us for we are about to face next. Let me give you a couple of examples of what I mean. The first one that came to mind was Moses. Moses fled Egypt after killing an Egyptian soldier. It wasn’t until he was in the desert alone watching his fathers-in-law sheep that God spoke to him in the burning bush. During that time alone God showed Moses signs and gave him the words he would speak to Pharaoh when he stood before him. Jonah is another example of God using isolation as way of preparation. It wasn’t until Jonah was in the belly of the fish that he started listening and getting ready to deliver God’s message to the Nineveh. I could give you many more examples, but the last one I’ll give you is Jesus. If you remember, leading up to Jesus’ arrest and eventual crucifixion, He took Peter, James and John to the garden to pray. The scripture says that Jesus left them (Peter, James, and John) to pray together while He went to pray alone. During that time alone Jesus was praying and wrestling with His humanity and His divinity. His humanity said, “let this cup pass from Me…” but His divinity prayed, “not My will Father but Yours be done.” God used the time alone to prepare our Lord for the cross, where He would take on the sins of the world and pay the ultimate sacrifice for you and for me. If Jesus needed time alone, how much more do we need time alone to hear from God and prepare us for the days ahead?
So, you may be asking, what did God tell you during your time alone this week? Well, I spent time reading through all the blog posts and the kind words you all have left for me. I’ve spent time praying and reflecting on scripture and through it all God is showing me that I have so much to be thankful for. He reminded me of everything He’s already done and accomplished during this short time. He showed me that my battle has already been won, so I don’t have to live in defeat I can live in victory. Moses was able to walk in victory because “I am” was with him. Jonah delivered God’s message that was burned into his heart in the great fish. Jesus defeated death, hell, sin and the grave after His time of isolation in the garden. Please don’t forget, God uses our time of isolation as preparation. That’s where we can remember all the battles God has brought us through victoriously. It’s also where God can set our hearts on fire again with His truth. We all have something that we are going to face this week, mine just happens to be another round of treatments, but I’m going to fight my battle with the knowledge “That I am His and He is Mine!”