Brian Friedl's Blog, page 9

Be The Church Not A Business

I am so thankful that that our local congregation we attend is focused on loving God, one another, and advancing the Gospel.

I have attended churches in the past where the church is run like a business rather that God’s house.

On the surface there are many activities going on, attendance is up, giving is up, and building projects are happening.

When the focus is shifted from the gospel to church business, the vision is lost. It is often run like the Pastor is the CEO.

This is not how God wants His church to operate.

Be engaged and involved with your local fellowship of believers. Love God, one another, and work together to advance the Gospel.

Do everything in your power to ensure your church is His church and not a business.

#MPWarrior

#LoveGodOneAnotherAndAdvanceTheGospel

#BeTheChurchNotABusiness

Strive For Souls Not Wind

emember my zeal in amassing wealth and stature. I would pour over home catalogs and trade journals looking for mansions I may want to live in and jobs I wanted to possess.

Then I would go to my corporate job and do my best to be the best. Day after day, I gave my all to the company worked for.

Meanwhile, people around me were perishing while I was focused on acquiring more stuff and praise. More and more, my conscience would be pricked and show me my selfishness.

The temptation of this world is strong and we only have so much time here. We need to not strive after the wind but souls.

The work of our hands for ourselves is just vanity. When we carry out the good works God has prepared us to walk in, we don’t strive in vain, but instead accomplish the perfect plan of our Father in heaven which will last forever.

Here’s a quick test. Do you spend more time thinking about people and their needs or what to do with your stuff and how to get more?

Fix your mind on the Lord and His work. Everything else is vanity.

#MPWarrior

#StriveAfterSoulsNotWind

#DoTheLordsWork

Humble Me And Keep Me Close

When we experience the amazing lovingkindness of the Lord, we never want to be without Him again.

He becomes our life and our light. The beauty of His holiness surrounds us and His powerful sacrifice draws us in close to Our Savior.

The enemy is not content with your contentment. He is like a fly in the cool and rainy fall; looking for a place to enter your home and torment you even when you try to rest.

He brings with him pride and he is as crafty as they get. He will try to convince you that all you have has come from your hand instead of God’s.

He simply needs you to trust yourself and doubt the provision of God. It’s the same trick he has used since Adam and Eve were tricked in the garden.

We must ask for God to humble us that we may see the devil’s schemes clearly and avoid the foot of pride. Truly all that we have is not by our own doing, but by the Lord who has given it to us.

May God crush every ounce of pride in us and all those who oppose us as we carry out His mission to advance the gospel.

#MPWarrior

#CrushMyPrideLord

#KeepMeCloseLord

Prayer Answered – A Mind To Work

Have you ever prayed for God to remove an enemy that stood in the way of you doing His work and instead He strengthens you to face that giant?

When Sanballat, Tobias, and the Arabs heard that Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall they were furious and they did everything in their power to discourage them.

What’s Nehemiah’s response? You guessed it…prayer. He prays that the Lord would “give them up for plunder in a land of captivity”. He’s basically praying for the Lord’s judgement to remove their enemies.

God answered the prayer but not as Nehemiah had requested. He strengthened Nehemiah and the people and gave them “a mind to work”

God’s plan for thwarting their enemies including demonstrating His power through Nehemiah and the people of Israel.

What giants are you facing today?

Have you prayed for God to remove them?

In what ways is God strengthening you to face your enemies and demonstrate His power?

#MPWarrior

#GodAnswersPrayer

#HeIsOurStrengthAndAnswer

He Will Supply

In the last week, I have had the opportunity to pray with and for hundreds of people. I have also had the blessing of seeing God’s abundant answers. He will supply!

We must remember it is according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. This there is a process by which we come to understand our greatest need has been met in Jesus. There are times in life where this is all we have to cling to. There are times where our material needs are met by “random” or not so random strangers.

God is always at work carefully demonstrating who He is, His love for us, and our need of Him. May we seek Him above all needs. For Jesus will always be our greatest need. God knows that but we are still learning.

Reflection

What needs are being met around you by God?

In what way is Jesus your greatest need?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, teach us who You are and remind us of our true need. Give us a heart to seek You above all else and may we see your abundant provision by Your hand and through Your people.

When Death Is Not The End

Yesterday I attended the funeral of a close brother in Christ. The morning was filled with memories and recollections of Jacob. These were not inflated stories of a super human who pulled himself up by the bootstraps, but instead a genuine man of God that struggled in the flesh as we struggle, knew the pain of sin, and knew his dependence on Jesus.

As each story was shared, I was reminded of the struggle that Sarah and the kids would have without a father and was grieved and moved to the point of tears. And yet, in my heart I knew that he is with Jesus and the struggle was over for him.

The day progressed and more conversation ensued. The tone of the day moved from sorrow to sorrow mingled with joy as we began recounting the stories of those who had already been encouraged by Jacob and Sarah’s story. The conversation continued to pick up momentum from person to person.

As we gathered together in Sarah’s home, there was an atmosphere of strength and hope, knowing the we are not grieving without hope. Jacob is now in an amazing place with His Savior and his legacy and even his death has created a platform to reach and encourage thousands of others.

For the believer death is not the end. Jesus’ finished work at the cross conquered death once and for all and our God has the power to cause ALL things to work together for good. Death has been turned to victory to him who believes.

As I sit at breakfast pondering my time here, I’m blessed beyond measure. For I have an amazing wife who made this trip possible. I am surround by the closest brothers in Christ I have ever known. I am filled with hope that cannot be quenched by death. I have the opportunity to love the body of Christ. I have a Savior who has given me the victory over death.

Reflection

We often have been taught to not talk about or think about death and yet it is a part of this life we live. We must not fear it but instead understand how Jesus has overcome it and how God can cause it to work for good.

How has Jesus overcome death?

Do you believe that death is not the end?

How might God cause even death to be used for good?

Prayer

Father, expand our minds to understand your victory through Christ and Your power to cause all things to work together for good. May our eyes see the marvelous work of Your hands as You turn mourning to joy. Comfort our hearts and gird or minds for the sake of the gospel and Your children. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

@brianfriedl

#deathisnottheend

#Jesushasovercome

#Godisstillgood

What To Fear

The last week has been like one of those dreams playing out where stuff is happening but you’re unable to move your body to react. One of my good friends is laying in a bed at a hospital that thinks he’s not worth wasting the blood and plasma on. They refused to do an organ transplant even though someone direct donated a liver and kidneys. My gut aches thinking through this and writing it.

Two words come to mind as they often do, “But God”. Though man, in his finite wisdom, seeks to play God, he will never be God. Two impossible surgeries have already been completely successfully. The stage is set for God to move. We’re in the final 2 minutes of the fourth quarter. All eyes are watching.

Though it appears that Jesus is sleeping while the storm is raging, He has all of us in His hands and at the perfect time, He will move forward His perfect plan. We need not try to wake him up in a panic. He has this!

At the end of the passage, Jesus asks them “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” The end result was still fear but instead of fearing the world they feared the Savior of the world.

Reflection

Read Mark 4:35-42

What storm is is raging for you?

What would it look like if you let Him sleep trusting that His plan was perfect and fearing Him?

Prayer

Father in heaven, thank You that You never leave us or forsake us. Thank you we need not panic. For You hold all things in Your hand and You are carrying out Your perfect will. Help us to trust and fear you instead of the raging storms of this life, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

@brianfriedl

#intheeyeofthestormYouremainincontrol

#ourGodhasthis

The Greatest Words

As Mary Magdalene and Mary approached the tomb, their hearts and minds must have been overwhelmed with grief and sorrow. For not only had the lost a friend and son, but the Messiah. And yet they pressed on with a dutiful and love filled courage.

Upon arrival, the found not what their heart mourned and expected. Instead and Angel uttered the words “He is not here. He has risen, just as He said…”. In an instant, their minds must have raced with new possibilities and hope. For joy abounded where short-sided grief and mourning once reigned.

They must have sounded crazy as they shared the angels words with the disciples, but in their minds these brothers would have recalled the words of Jesus telling them of His death and resurrection. For Him to have risen and fulfilled all of what He said was even greater than their misconceived notion of His earthly rule. For He had overcome death once and for all. Sin and death had lost. The victory had been won for all eternity!

Reflection

Meditate on these words “He is not here, He has risen”

What do these words really mean to you?

What is their significance in your life?

What would your life be like without them?

Praise God for His mercy and great plan of salvation!

Prayer

Father, we thank you that You not only hear us but you made a way for us to have access to you. You have reached down and rescued us from our sin and adopted us into Your Family. What love and tender care You have for us! Remind us of these truths in our darkest hours, when we can’t see clearly, and when we are in mourning. For with You all things are possible in Jesus, Amen!

@brianfriedl

#HeIsNotHereHeHasRisen

#TheGreatestWords

#trutalk4life

Looking Back Looking Forward

How dark a day this must have been in history. One betrayed, the rest had abandoned Him. With emotions on high, their minds were not able to recall His promise to rise in 3 days. In their understanding, He was to be King and rule on High, extinguishing the rule of all oppressive forces once and for all.

We have the privilege of looking back with New Testament in hand and rejoicing for what will take place on Sunday. We have hope in in His victory. For He swallowed up death and removed our reproach. We are now His children! As the song says, “Once an enemy, now seated at His table, Jesus Thank You”

And yet holding on to this joy is a fight. We look around us and we see children being murdered by their mothers, every manifestation of hate and perversion you can think of, depression and depravity rampant. We must not forget the promises that have been given us that are yet to come. There will be a day of no more tears, no more pain, where all has been reconciled to Him. He keeps His promises. As we look back to His victory, we also look forward to the completion of all His promises. We must not look to our situation, but keep our eyes fixed on Him!

Reflection

What things are you struggling with today that are keeping you from having joy?

What promises has Our Father given you that give you hope in the days ahead?

Meditate on these promises daily-morning, noon, and night.

Prayer

Father, Your plan is perfect and Your promises are true. Help keep our eyes fixed on You and trust in Your promises. While this world seems out of control, we know You are above all things and nothing is impossible with You. Encourage us through Your word today as we walk through darkness being Your light. We ask all of these things in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!

@brianfriedl

#truthtalk4life

#lookingbacklookingforward

Prayer In His Will

I am continuously amazed at how my flesh wants to make God my project manager instead of bowing to Him as LORD.

He is the very God whose words spoke all into being-from the vastness of the universe to the complexity of the human eye.

He is the One who knit me in my mother’s womb, crafting every hair in my head and He remembers each one.

He is the One who passionately pursued me when my heart desired the many pleasures of this world.

He was the One who gave His Son who emptied Himself at the cross paying the price for my sin with His precious blood.

And yet my flesh wants what it wants. Even in the midst of His many blessings, it seeks to bend Him to my will instead of bending me to His as I pray.

For we need Him to continuously remind us of His great love and teach us to surrender completely to Him. For when we commit our way to Him, and trust Him, He will do it. Our relationship with Our Heavenly Father is not about us launching requests for Him to project manage and solve. It is about us drawing close to Him, committing all of ourselves to Him and seeing the beauty of His work in and through us for His glory.

If we truly want to see powerful prayer, we must surrender completely to His will and way.

Reflection

In what ways have you been going on your way with life without surrendering completely to God?

Repent and ask for forgiveness for these and commit your way to the Lord’s mission (Matt. 28:16-20)

Delight yourself in His ways and plan!

Prayer

Father you are our LORD and Our Trust. Help us completely surrender to You and Your mission. Help us to see Your power. Bend and comfort Our will to Yours that we may draw close to You and live in Your powerful presence. Let us not hurl requests at you according to our will, but instead in alignment with You pray in accordance to Your will and see the abundance of Your answers in Jesus, Amen!