Month: November 2015

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PWTE Daily Devotion

The Gates of Thanksgiving

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado

On the eve of Thanksgiving Day, we prepare ourselves to thank God for his blessings.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!”
Psalm 100:3-4 English Standard Version

The orange rock to the right in this picture is known as the North Gate Rock, and, you guessed it, the rock on the extreme left is the South Gate Rock. These two sandstone formations have framed many photographers’ pictures of Pikes Peak. They form a gap that draws us further into Garden.

Though this opening is not the gate into the temple in Jerusalem, many of us feel that these rocks are God’s gates that lead us to thanksgiving. And with such an entrance we are called to lift our hands to the God of heaven and earth; the God who sent his Son to a cross for his wounded sheep.

And so it’s Thanksgiving Eve. Tomorrow, God’s Spirit will draw us into his presence to give thanks. Many of us will sit around our Thanksgiving tables giving thanks for our blessings. We’ll share these blessings with our family and friends as we lift our hands to God.

Our thanks are better than the smell of turkey, the taste of pumpkin pie, or the clarity of wine to God. As we enjoy fellowship and laughter with each other, may we fall on our knees in thanksgiving to our gracious and loving God.

I will especially give thanks to God for you, the readers and supporters of the Praying With The Eyes Ministry. Your faithfulness encourages and humbles me. May God bless all of you as you give thanks to our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier.

Copyright Douglas P Brauner

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PWTE Daily Devotion

The Trouble with Locked Doors

St. Elmo, Colorado

The door that God opens cannot be shut.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia.
This is the message from the one who is holy and true,
the one who has the key of David.
What he opens, no one can close;
and what he closes, no one can open:
‘I know all the things you do,
and I have opened a door for you that no one can close.
You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.'” 
Revelation 3:7 New Living Translation

I worked the pole bean fields for much of my early life. I began by picking the beans and then moving to a weigh boy, a job that covered a multitude of tasks from irrigating the fields to weighing the beans for the pickers. This outhouse in St. Elmo, Colorado looks much like the outhouses that we used everyday with one big difference: we didn’t have padlocks on the doors. I can’t imagine what would have happened if those doors had been locked shut.

St. Elmo, Colorado
St. Elmo, Colorado

My gut tells me that some prankster has locked a family member or friend in this outhouse (not that you and I would do such a dastardly thing).

God had opened a locked door for the church in Philadelphia in Asia minor (present day Turkey), but where did that door lead?

The door that God opened to the church in Philadelphia was the door to his kingdom. Through Christ these new, fledgling Christians had access to the presence of God. He opened the way to the Father that no one can shut. It’s a door that is also open for us who have been clothed with Christ. We have access to the Father through Jesus. We have entry into the presence of God which no one can close.

On the other hand, the open door is also a door to live like Christ in the world. A door that is open for us to love like Christ loved, to forgive as Christ forgave, and to be merciful as Christ was merciful. This was also the door God opened for the people of Philadelphia as their community, their city of brotherly love, would need to experience Christ’s presence through his followers.

So the door that is open leads two ways. It leads to the heart of God and to our world. When God opens the door to his heart, he also opens the door to our world. I pray that you see the open door before your eyes. It is a door that no one can shut.

Copyright Douglas P Brauner

 

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PWTE Daily Devotion

An Unchanging Word in an Ever Changing World

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Though our lives are always changing, God’s Word remains the same.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.”
Isaiah 40:8 English Standard Version

The Mamas and The Papas sang, “All the leaves are gone and the sky is grey,” The leaves of this tree were brilliant but only for a short time.

Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Transient things fill our lives. They come and go as quickly as the fall leaves. Life itself is only a breath.

One day our children are born the next they’re off to college.

One day we start our dream job the next we’re retired.

One day we buy our first home the next we’re selling it and moving to another town.

As life changes from day-to-day and season-to-season, the “word of our God stands forever.” For that reason many of our churches celebrate a cycle of seasons throughout the year. We move from Christmas to Easter and back to Christmas again. We hear the story repeatedly because the story never changes.

God’s story that never changes includes you. It was for you that Jesus was born. It was for you that Jesus lives. All the leaves may disappear, but God’s word never will.

Copyright Douglas P Brauner