Trust in the Mess

I've explained how I've struggled lately.  I know God is working but everything seems so bleak.  It's been weighing my heart down.  I've been neglectful spiritually in every area of my life.  Today I was determined to return to my time with the Lord.  And He gave me yet another gift of encouragement to uplift my heart and spirit.  

From my BSF notes, "God calls us to trust His providence in bewildering personal circumstances and bleak world events."  We are in the book of Esther where God is never mentioned, yet His hand and working are clearly evident.  

This is something I've struggled to remember these last few weeks or so.  But God is so very  loving and patient with me.  He has given little reminders, touches of His love throughout my "grayness" that I am cherishing each and every moment.  

Thinking through the notes as I read, I realize that God uses and works in messy people, like me and you, in messy situations in our messy world.  Just because things seem so dim and gloomy does not mean the Lord has stopped working or stopped seeing us.  Not only is He working and loving and caring, He uses us in all our imperfections and imperfect responses when we seek to obey Him, to help others and to please Him.  

Has He forgotten me in these past weeks of grayness?  No.  Has He understood my heart and loved on me in my imperfect response to my feelings of gloom and apathy?  Yes.  

Reading the story of Esther has been such a blessing and I am so glad that the Lord planned just this time for me to be reading it.  And not only did I need to come back to this book, I got to explain it to someone else, a random stranger who the Lord put in my path just the right time!

Here is the story:  My husband and I went to Hawaii for a vacation recently.  I have to say, seeing all the beauty and magnificent creation of God has done a lot to raise my spirits.  He is everywhere...but I digress lol.  The story is, we were out sightseeing and gift shopping, and as we were finished, we decided to go back to the ship and just relax.  We waited a few minutes for our "hop on hop off" tour bus to come, and when it did we were the only ones going back at that time.  So the driver decides to listen to something on his phone...lol and it was the book of Esther!!!  Omgosh!!  Could the timing be anymore perfect.  

So I said something like, "Oh, the book of Esther."  And the driver said, "I really don't understand it, what is it about??  I ended up giving him a bit of a synopsis and how it relates to Christ sacrificing Himself for us.  What an absolute God visit, God moment.  I felt like Phillip In Acts 8:26-35 26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. 27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”  30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”  31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this:  “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth.  33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away, and who will declare His generation?  For His life is taken from the earth.” 34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 

In my messy, imperfect way God used me to share the truth of Scripture with this man.  It was so exciting.  Like Esther, I was in the right place at the right time by God's perfect timing and plan!  All the years, saving and planning for this trip, we went at just this specific time. That is no coincidence.  

The world is bleak.  But there are still people searching for truth.  God is still using us for His purposes and He is still holding us in His hands.  He understands us and tenderly cares for us.  Lord, help us to not lose sight of that truth and help us to be open to the opportunities You provide for us to do Your will.  In Jesus might Name I pray, Amen.  

Waiting

This week, I lingered in the final breath of Malachi’s words and I felt the unbearable weight ofwhat followed.

When the prophet finished speaking, heaven did not answer.

The echo of his voice faded…and then… nothing.

Four hundred years of silence.

No open vision.

No burning word.

No prophet rising with fire in his bones.

No “Thus says the Lord” breaking the darkness.

Four hundred years of waiting.

Of longing.

Of groaning.

Of hearts lifted toward heaven that seemed sealed shut.

Generation after generation was born into the quiet.

They lived.

They died.

And still—no voice.

Until one night.

On a dirt floor in a forgotten place… 

in a stable that did not look holy…

in the shadows of obscurity and insignificance…

a sound was released.

After four hundred years, heaven spoke again—

not with thunder, not with fire, not from a mountain- but from the lungs of a newborn.

A cry pierced the silence.

A cry that split history in two.

A cry that carried eternity within it.

In that moment, the King of Glory stepped down into the dust of His own creation.

The Eternal wrapped Himself in skin.

The Word became flesh—and cried.

The Son laid aside His throne and chose a manger.

Heaven’s highest treasure placed in a feeding trough.

He came low.

He came meek.

He came breakable.

Wrapped in swaddling cloths, laid where animals ate, born beneath the looming shadow of a cross.

A Lamb born to be slain.

The Hope of a hopeless world breathed His first breath in the dark.

A weary world rejoiced as a young virgin labored and delivered its redemption.

In that manger, the Great I AM made Himself vulnerable.

Touchable. 

Killable.

And with one holy cry, the silence was shattered.

The separation was broken.

The way was opened.

Then, suddenly, heaven could not remain quiet.

The skies erupted with angelic voices declaring,

“Glory to God in the highest!”

Wonderful.

Counselor.

Mighty God.

Everlasting Father.

Prince of Peace.

With the cry of an infant, heaven invaded earth.

Behold—our Redeemer.

Behold—our King.

Behold—the fulfillment of every promise.

Behold—the sound that broke four hundred years of silence.

Not the roar of an army.

Not the shout of a king claiming His crown.

But the fragile cry of God-with-us.

He did not arrive with a sword in His hand, but with nails already written into His future.

He did not enter wrapped in royalty, but in cloths that foretold a burial.

The silence was not just broken, it was answered.

Every unanswered prayer.

Every tear cried into the dark.

Every generation that waited without seeing.

Every promise that seemed delayed but not denied.

All of it converged in that single cry.

That night, heaven did not just speak- heaven gave.

God did not send another prophet.

He did not send another sign.

He sent Himself.

And in that stable, eternity took its first shallow breath.

Omnipotence learned weakness.

Glory learned humility.

Love made itself small.

The cry that shattered the silence would one day be echoed again- not from a manger, but from a cross.

The first cry said, “He has come.”

The final cry would say, “It is finished.”

From swaddling cloths to grave clothes, from a feeding trough to a borrowed tomb, He came to be broken so we could be made whole.

And even now, that sound still reverberates.

It calls the weary.

It awakens the forgotten.

It reaches into the places where heaven has felt silent again.

If God could speak through the cry of a baby,

He can still break silence in our darkest night.

So behold Him.

Not distant.

Not untouchable.

Not unmoved.

But Emmanuel.

God with us.

-Jessica Jecker Simply Jecker

Hello all.  I know it's been a bit.  I think I mentioned in my last post that I was struggling through some gray places.  I think that's the best way I can describe what I've been wading through lately.  Grayness.  

It's not that God has been totally silent.  There have been words spoken by others or given in sermons, a sweet little note given by one of our young people at church, tiny toy hearts dropped next to my car, different ways the Lord has reached out....yet my heart has felt so heavy and lifeless.  Part of it has been the holiday season, the waiting, looking for the fulfillment of that peace on earth we hear sang in so many songs.  Even though I know that will only truly be fulfilled when Jesus returns, my spirit just longs for it so much, and the waiting has made me weary.  Also there has been the wait for answers to prayer, things I've been praying to be filled for years. Seeing some dear friends going through terrible losses this holiday season.   I guess my mind and heart are just tired lately.  I do apologize for the silence from this blog lately.  It's not that God hasnt been visiting, it's more like I haven't been receiving.  

Today, my friend sent me the above post in a message and I thought it was so much an answer to my hearts dullness.  Waiting.  Quiet.  Silence.  All of that was happening those hundreds of years between Malachi and Matthew.  But then God answered in the most unexpected way.  The most beautiful of ways.  

Sometimes being in the long grayness of waiting can cause us to turn to hopelessness.  And I felt myself slipping into that.  But God.....As usual He answered in His tender way, reminding me that the good plan continues even in the silence.  I can't say my heart is rejoicing, it's still tender and tired, but my hope is alive and I will continue to trust and rest in the Lord.  I pray, that as you my readers go through this Christmas season, will find the hope and peace that comes only from our Lord Jesus Christ.  

Merry Christmas!! 

How Many Times Does He Catch Me

I shared this link because I thought it was a moving commentary on how we feel about ourselves when we can't seem to beat certain sins in our lives.  I've really been struggling with impatience and anger lately and I feel like they consume my heart some days.  It's so frustrating when I can't seem to be the "good" Christian I want to be or feel like I'm supposed to be.  Feeling like a failure seems to be my walk lately and even though I know God's love never fails, I feel so unworthy of it.  My mind's eye sees Him turning away in disgust and frustration....and nothing could be further from the truth.  My head knows that.  My heart on the other hand just hurts, feels alone and wants to curl up and cease to exist.  

Has anyone else been there?  I know they have.  Well this is our God visit.  The one that says, "I see you."  "I love you." and "I am on your side."  God does not leave us without His love.  He does not leave us, period. 

Genesis 16:13 Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?”

Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.

Romans 8:34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

My heart hurts.  I just want to be pleasing to God.  And civil to others, lol.  I want to be a good witness and shine the light of Jesus.  I know these desires pleases God...I just want my behavior to catch up.  

Struggling with this the last few weeks has been very depressing and emotionally draining.  So when my friend sent me this video (she did not know I was going through this), it was like a light shown around me as Jesus Himself came to "visit."  I know God wanted to sooth my heart and encourage me not to give up.  I know He is doing the same for someone else through this blog entry today.  

Lord, thank You.  I know even the smallest desire to please You brings You joy.  I also know that "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;"  You will never give up on Your children.  Please encourage each person that reads this.  Let them know You are working and they just need to keep going forward, keep trying and keep trusting.  It's in the Name of the one who makes intercession for us that I pray.  Jesus Christ  

Crazy

I published the week's blog and went on to a study I'm doing "Praying the Names of God for 52 Weeks."  The question in this weeks lesson asked us to look to John 15:9-11 for reference to our answer.  

John 15:9-11  9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.  11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

Wow!  Just wow.  LOL

Abide--New Song!

Just as an aside, when I say "new song," I generally mean new to me.  LOL

I heard this great song at church recently and since it's something I've been desiring, and trying to figure out what that looks like in my life, I thought it was such a wonderful song to hear.  And it really spoke to my heart.  This abiding depends on Jesus, He is the author and finisher of my faith, He gives me the desire to abide and draw closer to Him, so He is the one who will teach me and lead me in abiding.  I'm so grateful for this because I seem so faulty, so stop and go in my attempts to abide in Him.  I get distracted, forgetful....I allow myself tto be carried away into life's dilemmas and problems instead of just keeping my heart set on Him.  

Lord, let us abide in You.  Teach us!  You put in each one of us the desire and the need to be connected to You the vine.  Help us to  make that an every day, every moment reality.  In Your precious Name and in Your mighty strength, Amen. 

 

John 15:4-5 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

At a recent Bible study where we are studying 1 Peter we were asked to define the word sanctification.  Besides the normal definitions of set apart, holy, consecrated, the Lord revealed something more to me.  We see sanctification comes upon us when we enter into a living relationship with Jesus, as well as an ongoing process throughtout our journery, and also our final state of being for eternity...the Lord impressed upon me that the way to sanctification during this life is to abide in Jesus.  In Him, we are holy, set apart and living for Him.  In Jesus we are sanctified.  

 

Be Careful!

 I've been reading through Matthew lately and I was in chapter 26 when I came to verses 6-13  

It says, "6 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. 7 While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head.  8 The disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste!” they said. 9 “It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”  10 But Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me? 11 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. 12 She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”

The Lord stopped me there for a couple of moments, long enough to hear Him say, "Be careful not to criticize other servants."  

Wow, I never really thought of these verses in this context before, but that is exactly what was going on.  And I thought to myself, do I do this?  To I judge anothers focus, time spent or method of serving the Lord?  I am sure I have been guilty of this on occasion.  UGH. 

This woman wasn't told to feed the poor.  She wasn't told to minister to the sick.  She was led my the Holy Spirit to anoint Jesus for His burial.  What other people are called to do for the Lord is His choice and not ours.  

But what an important message God brought to me in these few verses.  I kind of think it goes along with last weeks message on never thinking of our service as insignicant.  We should never look at other's service as less than or wrong in anyway.  That's not our place.  Each of us has a special service to offer our Lord and we need to celebrate and appreciate every work done for Him.

Lord, keep me from ever thinking some one else should be doing something else then You've given them to do.  Help me to encourage, appreciate and acknowledge that each one does and be thankful that they are helping in whatever way You direct.  Let's build each other up!  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.  

No Comparison

I was reading Matthew 25:31-40  about a week ago when God brought a beautiful message to my heart.  Not all of us will be a Billy Graham, a George Mueller or any of the other "great" preachers and teachers and big movers in the kingdom of God.  Most of us will have what seems like a very small sphere of influence (in the natural world anyway).  Maybe you're a Christian in a worldly workplace.  A Mom or Dad raising kids, or a retiree living out your faith by serving meals at a homeless shelter, or a person who is a prayer warrior or someone who shares the Gospel in the check out line.  Maybe you care for animals with others who are not walking with the Lord.   All of these, and more are used by God to reach exactly who He wants reached and served in nHis plan for humankind. 

Matthw 25:31-40 31 “But when the Son ofMan comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.  34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’   37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’   40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

While I wass reading these verses it came to me in the form of correction and encouragement (That's a God thing!) that we should never negate the people we serve by seeing the size of our service as insignificant.  Hmmmm.  That's an interesting and new way to look at things.

Once a month my church serves meals at a homeless shelter.  Sometimes I feel as if this is such a small and inconsequential service.  I don't know if it's making a difference.  It seems so little to do.  But the Lord came with the above mentioned correction.  In viewing my service as small, I was making the people I served small as well.  And that was the furthest thing from my heart to do.  These people were precious to God and to me.  

I saw my service as unworthy of God's notice and smile.  Funny, I didn't see the other people who help that way, only myself.  LOL   And in doing so I diminished the people I served, and in looking at it as I type this, those who served with me.  Or I should say that God was serving through me, because it's always Him doing the work.  

Wow!  That really blew my mind.  According the the above passage, every time we serve even one person, we are serving Jesus.  And truly, is there anything better than that!!

Lord, thank You for this beautiful reminder that our service, whether small or large by the world's standards is lovely in Your sight.  We may not be called to a world wide ministry, but we are called to be Your hands and feet right where we are.  Nothing we do for the kingdom, when done faithfully and humbly for You, is insignificant or meaningless.  Give us hearts of service, love and humility.  Help us to walk in good works as stated in Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them, bringing glory and honor to Your Name as Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.  Let us remember every time we serve, even the "least" we are serving You.  And thank You for the privilege and honor of doing so.  In Jesus' most precious Name.  Amen 

The Struggle is Real, But Our Father is Bigger

Lately I've been really struggling with my emotions and attitudes.  I'v been short-tempered, grumpy and not really the nicest person to be around.  I don't know why, but it just feels like everything inside is on edge.  It feels horrible.  I feel bad to start with, then my words match my attitude, and then I feel guilty and like the worst Christian on the planet.  UGH!!!

Yesterday I read the Scriptures about abiding in Christ.  John 15:4-5 . 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  So I thought to myself, this is just what I needed.  I need to be abiding in Christ more.  That'll make the difference!  

Fast forward to this morning.  My husband once again, left his clothes in a place I don't want them.  LOL  And once again my emotions got the better of me and I started complaining.  I forgot all about the "abiding" I was supposed to be doing.  UGH!!!! Failed again.  I'm so frustrated with myself.  

But God.....

He knows all about this.  He knows all about the emotional rolllercoaster ride that's been plaguing me lately.  And thankfully He as made provision for my forgiveness in Jesus.  But wait, there's more!!  We are told in Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  Well, He certainly knew the exact words I needed to hear and pray this morning and He used my "31 Days of Prayer" devotional by Ruth Myers to show me and lead me.  I am always in awe of His timing and tender care.  

"I pray about my need for encouragement...for release from inner stress...for greater love and wisdom in relating to others, especially my family...for knowing how to handle my insecurities, my anxieties, my anger...for open doors in the future."  

Perfect.  Exact.  These few words spoke exactly what was in my heart but didn't know how to say.  The Holy Spirit came alongside me through the words of this little book and went straight to the heart of what I needed to pray about.  I'm so grateful for His continually intervention and all encompassing knowledge.  

We all need a prayer partner who knows us completely and can intercede for us continually.  God has provided that in His Holy Spirit.  

Lord, thank You for the way You meet each and every need we have, especially the spiritual needs that we cannot even name or understand.  Help me to listen for Your leading and voice.  I pray that You truly calm the storm of my emotions and change the way I think, talk and act.  Give me and all of us Your peace in each situation, fill us with Your love for those around us and let us remember it is always, always You that we live for and serve.  It's in the Name of our awesome Savior I pray.  Amen.  

Restored Not Rebuilt

I heard this song a few days back.  And it spoke to my heart.  "I wasn't made to be tending a grave."  I am not rebuilt with my broken parts, patched back together again.  I am made for more than that.  I am fully restored and regenerated.  Made new.  I am not made to continually look at my sin, nursing my sorrow and guilt. I am made to look at my God, my Savior, and sing His praises, be filled with His joy, and live with His new life in me.  

This topic was also addressed in our Bible Study Fellowship class this week.  Restoration.  We were taken to Ezekiel 37:1-14   The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. 3 Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”  “O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.”  4 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! 6 I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”  7 So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. 8 Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.  9 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’”  10 So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.  11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ 12 Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’”

God opened the grave for His people to be reborn and to live, not to stand at and weep.  He put new life into them.  Ezekiel 36:26-27 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.  We are given a new heart, new breath, and made alive with His Spirit.  

What spoke to me in this song and in this lesson, what I feel God is really wanting me to understand is that I am not redeemed to my former broken state (the quote from our BSF lecture is "He doesn't redeem them back to their broken state so they find themselves in some desperate cycle of failure.).  I am redeemed to a complete regeneration of my spirit by the Lord's Spirit.  Made new.  

There are circumstances in my life, relationships I am in that I've been praying about for years.  Progress is slow and some days seems non-existent, and sometimes it seems to get worse.  These relationships started as broken.  But now I know that God does not want to bring the relationships and circumstances back to what they were, but to totally transform them into something new and beautiful, alive and flourishing.  

The more I look at this truth, this reality of regeneration, the more I will fulfill it in my daily walk with God.  The less I focus on the failure, the deadness, on what is broken and not working, the more I can set my mind on trusting God to fulfill all His promises of new life and wholeness.  This lesson, these God visits strung together have raised the flag of hope in my heart and I go forward today  knowing my Lord is at work and has victory in mind.  

Lord, give us the surety that You do not want us standing at a grave, mourning our brokeness, the deadness in our lives.  Instead, You want us to celebrate the new life You have put into us, the new breath and hearts You've given to Your children.  I think we forget this all too often.  I know I do.  You haave made us for so much more, You have such wonderful plans for us, even when it feels hard and when the victory seems so far off.  Thankk You for that victory.  It is ours because of our Savior.  We love and worship You for You goodness to us.  Lord, help us to walk as if we were made new because we are.  In the Name of our mighty Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen 

Newness

 14 One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?”  15 Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.  16 “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.  17 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”

This passage has always been unclear to me.  I had a vague understanding of it, but it didn't shine brightly with clarity in my mind or my heart.  Today, while listening to J Vernon McGee explain it, the light bulb finally went on.  

He explained it this way.  He called this passage a "change in dispensations," meaning we were changing from the law of the Old Testament to the grace of the New Testament.  We were no longer under the law but under the grace of God.  Romans 6:14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

This I understood.  But what really opened these verses up to me was when Pastor McGee said that Jesus came not to patch an old garment, but to bring us a new garment.  Jesus comes and gives us a new garment, meaning the robe of righteousness.  When I think about this, I see the patches under the law as the sacrifices of lambs and goats.  They patched up people when they sinned.  But Jesus, He uses no patches, the shedding of His blood gives us a whole new garment that cannot become stained or ruined.  It's His.  His own perfect, eternal, complete righteousness.  

The new wine (grace) could not go into the old wineskins.  The old wine, the law, had done all it could, it was our guardian.  Galatians 3:23-24 23 Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.  24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 25 And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.

But the Gospel of Jesus, the grace of our Lord, is expansive, it cannot be contained in the Old Testament law.  Think about when Jesus spoke about the law in the sermon on the mount.  He went so much deeper than just "Do not... or Do this...."  He went to the heart.  What the law was supposed to be in our hearts, a Spirit led change of thinking and doing and feeling could not be contained in a system of laws.  Grace does that.  The law does not.  

This whole discourse given by Pastor McGee really made this so much more sense to me than any other teaching ever had.  It let me see it in a way that was clear.  I think it was the new garment, the robe of righteousness that gave me a clear picture in my mind, and I needed that.  I pray that you will enjoy seeing it this way as well.  

Lord, Your Word is alive!  There is always something new, always a beautiful gem to be had.  It always goes deeper and deeper, changing our sight and our hearts.  Thank You!  You are amazing and Your Word is our bread!  Let each of us never tire of reading and studying it. Let it be our life!  In the Name of the One who saves us and gives us His own righteousness, Jesus.  Amen. 

Troubled Waters, from Mom

 The times we live in are so filled with troubles and chaos.  So many are lost in darkness, hatred, lies, anger, purposelessness.  We have quite the task of reaching this world, our countries, cities and even our own families with the Gospel, of being salt and light in this tasteless dark place.  But we are not without power or purpose.  We have been given the authority of our Lord and the power of the Holy Spirit to both lead and guide and work.  No weapon turned against us will succeed (Isaiah 54:17).  Whether we live in our own personal troubled waters or are just trying to navigate through living this in this daily world of turmoil, God is with us.  He has us in the palm of His hands.  He holds us and will be with us every step of the way.  Let's explore what Mom put down in her journal for this topic. 

Psalm 34 I will praise the Lord at all times.  I will constantly speak his praises.  2 I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart.  3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.  4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.  He freed me from all my fears.  5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.  6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles.  7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.  8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!  9 Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need.  10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,  but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.  11 Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord.  12 Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous?  13 Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!  14 Turn away from evil and do good.  Search for peace, and work to maintain it.  15 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help.  16 But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth.  17 The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.  He rescues them from all their troubles.  18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.  19 The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.  20 For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous;  not one of them is broken!  21 Calamity will surely destroy the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished.  22 But the Lord will redeem those who serve him.  No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

We learn in troubled waters.  We acknowledge and face the difficulty and allow God into it.  We rely on God's promises.  He will keep His divine eyes on us.  Open yourself to His guidance through this difficulty.  Maintain a really strong desire to follow God's way.  Be willing to be taught by God.  Have a willing spirit so we can be open to learn what God wants to teach us.  Yield to His will, commit to Him and walk by faith not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).  God asks that we have a tender heart and a teachable spirit.

John 15:5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.  Acknowledge our helplessness without Jesus.   

2 Chronicles 20:1-15  After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat. 2 Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army from Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at Hazazon-tamar.” (This was another name for En-gedi.)  3 Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. 4 So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord’s help.  5 Jehoshaphat stood before the community of Judah and Jerusalem in front of the new courtyard at the Temple of the Lord. 6 He prayed, “O Lord, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you! 7 O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people Israel arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? 8 Your people settled here and built this Temple to honor your name. 9 They said, ‘Whenever we are faced with any calamity such as war, plague, or famine, we can come to stand in your presence before this Temple where your name is honored. We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us.’  10 “And now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir are doing. You would not let our ancestors invade those nations when Israel left Egypt, so they went around them and did not destroy them. 11 Now see how they reward us! For they have come to throw us out of your land, which you gave us as an inheritance. 12 O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.”  13 As all the men of Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, wives, and children, 14 the Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the men standing there. His name was Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite who was a descendant of Asaph.  15 He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 

No problem is bigger than God.  Keep our eyes on Jesus.  Wait on Him.  His plans vill be completed for us.   Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  (I added that)

Walk with Jesus through troubled waters.  He instructs us--"wait on Him" and He will give us insight into our situation and what steps to take.  He teaches us how to apply the truth He has given us.  Meditate on Scripture, the relevance of God's Word will be revealed by Him to our problem.  He guides us as He keeps watch over us.  The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual promptings to guide our actions and decisions. 

Psalm 93:3-4 The floods have risen up, O Lord.  The floods have roared like thunder;  the floods have lifted their pounding waves.  4 But mightier than the violent raging of the seas,  mightier than the breakers on the shore—the Lord above is mightier than these!  The storm will not last forever, cling to the Lord's promises.  

Romans 8:28-39 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together[m] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn[n] among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.  31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.  35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.  38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[p] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him  Trust Him and be encouraged.  Life is continually changing, one problem is settled and then a new challenge pops up.  But we are to be confident in God.  He will continually walk us through each season of our life, each trouble of our day and not once will He fail us.  Whether we walk through our own personal trials or those that come from living in a world that hates God and His children, we never walk alone, we are never without His strength, and at the right time His plan will be revealed.   Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.

Lord, we walk in a dark place, but we don't walk without light.  Each day brings troubles, each day brings new challenges, but You are with us.  This world is a chaotic, evil place where Satan seems to be winning.  But we know that is not true.  The battle belongs to You and we know the ending.  Jesus wins!!  Help us to keep our eyes on the prize, our eternal life with You.  Help us to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven and not be sidetracked or distracted by the things of this world.  Let us cling to You, keep our eyes on You and live by the faith You've given us.  Discouragement comes easily but You cause us to be overcomers.  Thank You for all Your promises.  We know they never fail.  It's in the Name of Jesus our mighty Savior and Sustainer we pray.  Amen.  

Lord, I also want to say a prayer for the family and friends of Charlie Kirk.  Once again evil has raised its ugly head and snuffed our a bright light for You.  Or so it seems   But Your Word and work continue on.  Please keep his wife and children in Your loving arms.  Comfort them and surround them with Your Presence.  We have lost a big voice for You, but Your voice will always come through.  Rest in peace Charlie Kirk, you've come to your reward.  Well done good and faithful servant.  (Matthew 25:21)

Addendum

God's timing is impeccable.  It's amazing and astounding and right on the money every time.  

I bought a new devotional recently called "31 Days of Prayer by Ruth and Warren Myers and I'm loving it.  It beautifully focuses my heart and gives a springboard for turning my muddled murmurings into coherent prayers that make sense and say what I want them to. 

Well, right after I typed the last journal entry I went into today's reading and it was entitled "Pray Against Satan; Praise for Victory in Christ.  It spoke of intercessory prayer and how we are included in the battle against evil.  How we are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms, joining with Him in intercession for our loved ones, the lost, whatever and wherever in the world that the Spirit leads us.  From the book:  "So I stand boldly before Your throne, grateful that I'm not praying alone.  Rather, I'm joining Your Son and all Your 'prayer warriors' as we strive in prayer against the enemy--as we advance Your purposes and defeat Satan's purposes in lives and situations throughtout the world."

This intercessor role is our duty and privilege as children of God!  And how wonderful a mission it is!

Lord, there is no such thing a coincidence in Your world.  And I don't believe that this reading was not meant for exactly this day. As I typed in the previous entry under the Holy Spirit's lead, it was meant to meld perfectly together with this day's devotion.  Thank You the way Your timing is always perfect.  Let that be a lesson to us to not give up as we pray, because the timing for answers is in Your hands.  Hallelujah!! 

Song!

 

I have heard this song a lot lately and it really stirs my heart to be that prayer warrior for others.  I was once lost, drowning in the sea of addiction.  I was drunk and high most of the time, claiming to be a Christian, even reading my Bible.  Was I saved at that time?  I believe so.  Was I living as a child of God.  Absolutely not.  I was adrift in a haze of alcohol and drugs, trying to numb my pain but instead was actually destroying myself.  

But Mom prayed.  And she enlisted prayer warriors.  And eventually much like the prodigal son, I came to my senses and went back to my Father's house.  

Are you lost and falling?  I am praying for you.  Are you the prayer warrior watching your loved one walk a dangerous path of destruction?  Know that God hears those prayers and is working.  I'm sure there were many days my Mom thought her prayers would never be answered, but they were.  In God's way, in His timing.  Whether you are the prayee or the prayer, DON'T GIVE UP.  Answers are coming!

Lord, I pray for each one reading this.  I pray that You will work out all things going on in their lives, the good, the bad and the ugly for Your glory and for their blessing.  I stand alongside those who are praying for loved ones to be delivered and saved.  Lord, work out their heart's desire.  I pray for those who are struggling, that You would come alongside them and bring purpose and deliverance, place their feet on higher ground.  You see each need, each hurt, each life, each heart.  You know how and when to change things.  Help us all not to give up in the face of the rockiest roads and the highest obstacles.  Let's not stop trying to grow, or praying for others.  You got this Lord!  You got us!!  In the Nname of our mighty Savior, Jesus Christ.  

Right Where I Am

Our Father is so loving to, tenderhearted and knowing of each of us.  I was talking to Him this morning about how I can have great prayers in my head, but when I speak them aloud in a group setting they come out all jumbled and, in my eyes, senseless.  I hear others pray to eloquently and I feel so inadequate in my words.  I know in my heart that I am heard, I am loved and that God doesn't care about fancy speech and fluency.  He hears and knows exactly what I mean, and how to meet the need I am praying for.  But still I feel tongue tied and nervous.

I bought a new devotional from Ruth Myers (with Warren Myers) called "31 Days of Prayer and have been going through it most mornings.  Well today's lesson was "Pray for God's working in your church."  This is something a small group of us has been studying on Thursday mornings.  How to get along and be in unity as a church.  It's a great teaching and sometimes quite difficult to walk out as we are humans.  Cue the Holy Spirit here!!

Well at the end of the reading Ruth quoted from William Gurnall a very astute thought.  "Sometimes you hear another pray with freedom and fluency, while you can hardly get out a few broken words.  Hence you are ready to accuse yourself and admire him, as if the gilding of the key makes it open the door better."

Wow.  What a profound statement.  I know God was encouraging me, and revealing His heart to me.  He doesn't care about smooth-spoken, perfectly expressed prayers.  He sees the heart and love behind even the most crudely spoken words and in His perfect way, answers the halting, bashful prayer as well as the most eloquent and boldly spoken one.  

The Bible tells us in Romans 8:26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

Our words may not come out as wonderfully as some great orator or even the person city next to us in the pew, but our Lord hears them loud and clear.  

Thank You Lord!  You take even the simplest, child-like, fumbly prayer and turn it into an arrow of Your power and love for those we pray for, the concerns we bring before You and our deepest needs.  You are amazing and I love You for just the right timing of words on a page that comforted and soothed my heart.  I'm always blessed when these things occur and I am doubly blessed to share them with others.  Thank You again.  

Reel Them In!

2 Corinthians 10:4-6  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 

The last few days I've been struggling with thoughts of annoyance.  I've been complaining in my head about a project that sort of got dropped on me at church.  It was a job that already had people that did it each year, so why it came on me this time around I really have no idea.  LOL.  And I have no problem helping out, but I didn't want the bulk of it to be on my plate.  There were quite a few things there already, thank you very much.  But here I was caught in the net of planning and executing things and I really felt in over my head and frustrated with the fact that I ended up being the one to do this.  

I had just went through the whole serving is an honor lesson with God.  And I am so very, very honored to be able to serve Him in any way He deems necessary in whatever time He appoints.  But all this  got thrown overboard as I entered into this task and felt very much set adrift on my own.  

Well, thankfully a friend saw what was going on and started praying for me.  I am so grateful for her, because no matter how hard I was trying to find the honor, find the peace, I kept coming back to a complaining spirit (in my head anyway).  

I took the time to go for a walk and after listening to some teaching, I took some time to pray as I walked,  and the Lord gave me this amazing picture of the above verse.  Anyone that has done some fishing knows how a fish will grab hold of the baited hook and try to run.  Let's just call that fish a whinerfish.  Every time I hooked that whinerfish with my hook (obedience to God's Word), he tried to run, tried to drag me along the "complaining and whining line."  But through the strength of Christ, and the prayers of my friend I was finally able to reel that fish in.  That negative thinking  that kept my awake at night, that wanted to derail my service to God and cause a division in my heart was finally brought into the obedience of Jesus.  God is so good!!

I know this may seem like a silly picture to many people.  But to me, it was gold.  It was a beautiful example of putting God's Word in action and seeing it in a clear, common sense way.  I am so grateful for the prayers of friends and the way God uses them to lift us up and out of the pits we slide into.  I am so grateful for His ability to show us things in a way we can understand.  

Lord, thank You again for reaching me, teaching me and turning things around.  You are an awesome, wise and loving Father.  Thank You for the way You gave my friend insight into what was going on in my heart and for her desire to pray for me.  And thank You for the peace I now have in my heart and for bringing back the joy of serving You.  I am so honored and so blessed to be Your child and Your servant.  

I just saw this little saying in a book I'm reading:  

Coram Deo: 

Living all of life in the Presence of God

Under the authority of God

and to the glory of God. 

Coram Deo is Latin for "in the Presence of God."  LOVE IT!!

Double Visit

Colossians 3:23-24 23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.

Today I was doing a lot of prep work for some food I was making.  Now, I don't really love cooking.  I mean, it's okay...but I don't like messes, and it makes a mess.  It's just not my favorite thing in the world.  But each week we have a lunch after church and each week a bunch of the ladies bring food, myself included.  So I was prepping that, also a side dish for a bar-bq we are headed to today and some food for dinners during the upcoming week.  Lots of chopping and slicing and mixing!

Sometimes the extra cooking for the lunch can get tiring.  It's already the end of a busy week and I don't really feel like making another meal, lol.  But as I stood their chopping veggies and mixing coatings, I got to think that it was actually an honor to be doing this for God.  How precious my couple of hours became when I looked at it that way. 

I finally got all of it done and ready, so I decided I would take a walk.  A little background here, I've been trying to limit my tv time and "rest" time (for me that is doing a puzzle) and spend more with the Lord, reading, studying, praying, etc.  And that is important to do...all those things.  But as I walked and listening to Joyce Meyer teach on "Doing Life With God," she said something that really spoke to my heart.  I can't remember the exact words , but she said that it's just as sacred to light the candles on your child's birthday cake as it is to light a candle in the church.  

Hmmm.  Everything we do, as long as we are doing it for God, thru God, with God, it's sacred because we are living for Him.  Whether that's taking care of our body by exercising, taking care of our family, giving ourselves "off" time to rest our minds, doing things that make us laugh.  All of it can be glorifying to our Lord if we give it to Him.  

I really needed to hear this.  I've been so intent on becoming a "God time" professional, I was sort of forgetting I was to take care of all areas of my life, whether it's my spiritual life or my mental and emotion and physical well being.   I needed to know that my cooking for others, was cooking for Him and honoring Him as much as spending time in Bible study.  

God still needs to come first in all things.  But we are multifaceted beings, created by Him to find enjoyment, purpose, and fellowship.  Don't let yourself become so rigid in what you do for the Lord, that you forget that He designed you for fun too. 

Lord, thank You for the permission to enjoy life and all that You bless us with.  Keep us balanced as we see to honor and glorify and serve You each day.  Give us wisdom in all things.  And let us honor You in each area of our lives.  In Jesus' Name, amen. 

Take Aways

We had a wonderful teaching from a lovely lady who comes to us once a year at Plant Grow Harvest Church.  Her name is Irene and she is from California and works in a mission that helps children and teaches women all around the world.  We are blessed to get a short version of the teaching she shares in her women's meetings.  And it's always good!!  After jotting down a lot of notes during her presentation, I came home and summarized it into some easy to remember (or read when I forget) sentences so I could grow more like Jesus and be a brighter light for Him.  These are my take aways. 

1) Practice sanctification. 

Romans 8:11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Romans 8:29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

2) Practice the truth.

1 John 1:5-10 his is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

3) Reflect transformation. 

James 1:22-25  But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

4) Make a radical break from the old life. I remember when I decided I needed to get clean of drugs and alcohol, I couldn't just wean myself off, I had to make a radical break from them.  

5) Entrust Jesus with my time.  I tend to guard my time closely...but it's not really mine to guard, it's mine to give back to Jesus and let Him decide how I spend it. 

6) Make a plan.  She gave an intensive reading plan that she has for going through the New Testament.  She does nine chapters a day and then repeats those nine chapters every day for a month.  Then she moves onto the next nine chapters.  However you want to do it, make a plan for your study time with God.  It can be subject matter, books of the Bible, a guided study....whatever, as long as it keeps you focused, moving and growing. 

7) Train my mind to be holy.  

1 Peter 1:13-15 So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.

8) And this is my favorite: Don't linger in bad company.  What is going on inside me? Thoughts, emotions, what am I lingering on?  What am I allowing to enter in?  The world? Social media? Regular media?  

Philippians 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

9) Think and remember before I speak.  Sometimes silence is best!  

10) Receive the first three fruits of the Spirit then let the rest be produced from there.  The first three are a gift of God and can only come from Him. 

Galatians 5:22-23 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

What ones in this list are take aways you can implement in your walk with Christ? 

Lord, we desire to honor You with all our minds, strength, hearts and lives.  Remind us, conform us, transform and live through us to Your glory and the blessing of those around us.  In Jesus' Name, amen. 

New Song Alert

I heard a song for the first time a couple of days ago and it just blew me away.  It's not a "new" song, but an old one, but for me it was the first time hearing it.  Often when we pray we want that instant deliverance, that right now answer, but it doesn't happen.  We wait.  Sometimes for years.  This song was a reminded that God is never late.  I know I am not the only one who needs to be reminded of this.  

Lord, give us the faith to wait on Your timing and not try to force the answers and plans You have for us.  

Staircases

Recently in one of our Bible studies we were talking about these verses and how they reflected a staircase.  I thought it an interesting way to view these passages and was reminded that the Beatitudes are often considered a staircase to Christ-like living.  

Colossians 3:1-17  3 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.  5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.  8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.  12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Our words, actions and attitudes can be part of a staircase.  They can take us up or down.  When we follow the thoughts, actions, attitudes and words put forth in verses 5-9 they take us down the staircase.  When we follow the directions in verses 12-14, making our words and actions line up with the character of Christ, we go up the staircase, growing and getting closer to our Lord.  

We see another staircase in Matthew 5:3-10, the passage known as the Beatitudes.  Our lives reflect our attitudes.  If we walk up the staircase of the Beatitudes, we grown more Christlike.  Our witness becomes stronger, we attract people to Jesus, we build the kingdom of God and He is glorified.  I know that is my hearts desire.  

Matthew 5:1-11  And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

For they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

For they shall inherit the [a]earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

For they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

I love the staircase picture God gave.  It's such a great visual for our spiritual lives and something we can look at in our minds to see how we are doing spiritually.  If we look at the world around us in all its glory, it's no wonder our Father gives us visual pictures to help us understand spiritual concepts.  

Lord, I love the way You illustrate Your precepts.  Thank You!  Help us to be continually going up the staircase!  In Jesus's Name, our Savior, example and King.  Amen. 

Another staircase.  2 Peter 1:5-8  In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.  8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

A Much Needed Prayer Each Day

Complaining, gossip, criticism, judging.  All these things start in our heart and our mind and if left unchecked eventually come out of our mouths.  One of my friends confessed that she had had a problem with this last week and she offered a short prayer to the Lord, "Lord, please remind me before I open my mouth."  That's it.  Short and sweet and to the point.  Lord, remind me before I speak to make sure my words are kind, encouraging, said in love and are helpful rather than hurtful.  We want to speak words that build the kingdom rather than tear down our witness and glorify Satan.  Such a simple prayer.  We see this reflected in David's words written in Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.  Let us prayer this prayer often during the day.  

Lord, thank You for the simple.  Thank You for the sweet.  Lord, remind me before I speak.  Put Your words in my mouth and Your attitude in my heart.  In the powerful Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  

Twofer

The last week has gone by in a blur.  We've been gearing up for Vacation Bible Camp in our church and now it's here!  It's a fun (for the kids and adults), exhausting (for the adults) week where we get to share the  story of Jesus and prayerfully sow seeds into the lives of these little ones.

The weeks leading up to this seem to be a time of satanic attack on the adults that are participating.  And I was not immune.  Depression plagued, self-doubts assailed and my old self-esteem issues arose in full force.  But through it all, God reigned, God spoke and God delivered.  I am so grateful.  Even when we know and expect these trials to come when we step out for the Lord, pushing through them can be can be a rough road. 

Last week was spent trying to get the loose ends tied up.  And I had a lengthy list of things I needed to pick up.  Of course I couldn't find it before I had to leave the house.  Oh boy, was I annoyed.  And blaming.  Myself, God....I was muttering and complaining under my breath when I got in the car to go to the store and see what I could remember from the missing list.  As I drove down the block I realized I had forgotten my phone.  More muttering lol.  Time was tight, and now I had to turn around and go back for the phone.  SMH  Why was I so forgetful and disorganized?  Self-recriminations raised their ugly head in my mind.  "You never get it right." rang through my head.  

Well God.....I get back to my house and find my phone in the bedroom.  And lo and behold, right underneath it was the list!  LOL  God is quite funny.  I'm guessing He had this plan all along to let me know I needed to be relying on Him not myself, to keep focused and not scatter my thoughts in a million different directions.  Take a breathe, calm down, and remain in Jesus.  Peace and clarity live there. 

Ok, so that was God visit #1.  Onto #2.  

Sunday night I was driving to our 6 pm service.  Again I was struggling that day, praying for change that I never seem to get.  My thoughts were negative and I couldn't understand why our Lord had not delivered me from the years long battle of wrong thinking.  Conversations with others ran through my head...nothing positive.  Habits and food addiction that I struggle with and can't seem to get victory over, all of it flooded my mind and I was doing the "Why, God, why?" and "When, God, when? routine in full force.  As I pulled into the church parking lot I reigned in my questions and thoughts and tried to put on right mindset, one ready to hear God's Word. 

Well God.....He had an answer for this day too.  John 3:16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  The answer, part one.  God loved ME so much that Jesus came to die for ME.  This answer for mankind came at a precise time, a perfect time, God's time.  

James 5:17-18  Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.  God answers prayers offered in faith.  The answer is in His time and His control.  And notice the other little nugget of truth there; Elijah was a man just like us!.  Answer, part two.

As I drove to church I felt so overwhelmed by despair.  Waves of doubt and failure, frustration and sadness felt as if they were crashing over my head again and again.  I really have been feeling like I've been drowning lately.  If you've ever body-surfed and got caught up in the wrong way of a big wave, you know the feeling.  You feel like you are in a washing machine getting tumbled over and over, not knowing which way is up until you are finally slammed into the sand.  

The next set of verses given Sunday night really sealed to answers for me.  Mark 4:35-40 35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.  38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”  39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Answer part three.

As I sit here writing this, I have to wonder if when Jesus was saying "Silence!  Be still!" if He was not only talking to the storm, but to the disciples as well.  And to me.  Silence the doubts and fears, the failures and the frustrations.  Don't be afraid, but have faith.  The One who quiets the winds and the waves with His Word will quiet the tempest in our hearts.  Have faith.  He's not sleeping, He's never unaware or slack, but purposeful.  His answers are well thought out and perfectly planned.  Have faith! I think this was the final answer to God's correction and direction. 

Lord, forgive me for going down this road again.  Thank You for Your rebuke, and Your comfort.  I will have faith, help my unbelief!  I know Your answers and Your timing is perfect and I know Your love is all encompassing, a love that died for me before I even knew You.  Each one of us was on Your heart when You came down to earth and sacrificed Your life for us.  Lord, so often we forget how much joy it gives You to bless us and care for us.  We forget Your love and don't trust Your wisdom.  Help us to leave those childish ways behind and to put on the mind of Christ--fully mature, fully trusting.  Thank You again for all the ways You speak to us and train us and love us.  In Jesus' Name, amen. 

Luke 12:29-32 29 And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. 30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. 31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.  32 “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.  

James 1:2-4  Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

What Matters Most

Unrest.  Chaos.  Wars and rumors of wars.  Bombings. Fires. Riots. Hatred.  Anger.  That seems to be our world today.  As Christians, it's hard to even know how to pray for all this mess.  We are told that all this would come.  Jesus warns us about it in Matthew 24:3-14   3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.   9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Today is a big day of protest in the United States.  Many are very unhappy with the way our government is being run.  Even members of my own family are siding with this movement called "No More Kings."   In my opinion there is a spiritual reference here that many are missing.  The people in this movement are referring to the sitting president of our country, but I believe it has a spiritual reference to rejecting the throne of Jesus Christ Himself.  They do not want to bow before the King of kings and Satan is planting these seeds in the hearts of many people.  But that's just an aside that's been in my head lately. 

So this was my God visit for the morning.  I know my job today is prayer.  Prayer for safety, peace, and a laying down of hatred.  But....I was angry and saddened by the fact that my family members seem to be siding with chaos and lawlessness.  So as I was driving around to do errands and struggling to pray like I have been called to do, the Lord confronted me with a profound truth.  It's eternity that matters.  

No matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on in this country or any other, it's where you spend eternity that matters most.  Presidential terms are four yrs.  At most they are here for eight.  Government leaders come and go.  Political winds change for decade to decade.  But God and the salvation found in Jesus Christ are forever.  I may not agree with another's point of view on how society should be run, but I do agree that they need Jesus.  God needed to remind me to look beyond the present troubles of this world and focus on the future of each person I care for, love and meet.  

I will not be able to convince anyone to agree with me on every social issue.  But I can let the Holy Spirit work through me to convince them of their need for a Savior.  And that is what we are called to do.  Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

In the end, every knee will bow...either willingly ending in eternal life, or begrudgingly ending in eternity in hell.  My prayer is that more and more and more people will choose the first option.  Revelation 15:4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested.”

Romans 14:9b For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.”

Of course we should work for justice and peace.  We should plead the cause of those who are oppressed and needy.  God calls us to help others.  What I think God was saying to me today is don't get co caught up with sides that you forget to carry out the great commission, and forget that where people eternity is what matters most.

Lord, let me be focused in my prayers, actions and words to glorify You, to be a blessing, to stand for Your righteousness.  Let my heart be broken for the lost instead of angry at people that don't agree with me or You.  Help Your children to be salt and light not matter which way the political and societal winds are blowing.  People need You!  They don't need this human leader or that human leader...they need the one and only King of kings.  Open hearts and eyes today to the truth or eternity.  Bring peace between You and each and every man, woman and child.  In Jesus' Name I pray, amen.  

Quotes

"Every parable that Jesus ever told is an absolute miracle of divine wisdom, and every miracle that Jesus every performed is a parable of divine truth and divine power."   

This is a quote I heard in a sermon last night.  The speaker was teaching on Mark 3:1-8

Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. 2 Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.  3 Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” 4 Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him.  5 He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! 6 At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus.  7 Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him.

The speaker went on to say that in the parables and stories we need to look for where we "fit in."

I've known that the miraculous healings of Jesus pointed to a bigger picture.  Jesus physically healed those who believed in Him, those who had faith.  But the real healing, the healing He longed for them to have was the healing of their hearts.  

In this miracle we see a prime example.  The man with the deformed (or withered, as some versions put it) hand was willing to believe and obey Jesus.  Jesus told him, "Come and stand in front of everyone."   The man came forth.  Jesus then told him, "Hold our your hand."  Again the man obeyed.  It was in this faith and obedience that the man found his restoration.  The man found truth and power in the person of Jesus.  He found healing and restoration, not just for his hand but for his soul.

Conversely, the enemies of Jesus, (the Scribes and the Pharisees) found fault.  The found a reason for more hatred and more jealously and more motive to get rid of Him.  Their hardened hearts could not see the truth in front of them  They walked away unchanged, still withered of soul.  

Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

Proverbs 2

My son, if you receive my words,

And treasure my commands within you,

2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom,

And apply your heart to understanding;

3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment,

And lift up your voice for understanding,

4 If you seek her as silver,

And search for her as for hidden treasures;

5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,

And find the knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord gives wisdom;

From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;

7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;

He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;

8 He guards the paths of justice,

And preserves the way of His saints.

9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice,

Equity and every good path.

10 When wisdom enters your heart,

And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,

11 Discretion will preserve you;

Understanding will keep you,

12 To deliver you from the way of evil,

From the man who speaks perverse things,

13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness

To walk in the ways of darkness;

14 Who rejoice in doing evil,

And delight in the perversity of the wicked;

15 Whose ways are crooked,

And who are devious in their paths;

16 To deliver you from the immoral woman,

From the seductress who flatters with her words,

17 Who forsakes the companion of her youth,

And forgets the covenant of her God.

18 For her house leads down to death,

And her paths to the dead;

19 None who go to her return,

Nor do they regain the paths of life—

20 So you may walk in the way of goodness,

And keep to the paths of righteousness.

21 For the upright will dwell in the land,

And the blameless will remain in it;

22 But the wicked will be cut off from the earth,

And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.

In every act of Jesus', every story, parable, word,  miracle...all of His life here is truth, power and wisdom for us.  We are instructed to seek, to come to Him! It is God's pleasure to reveal Himself to us.   And we are instructed to obey Him.  When we do, we find healing for our lives, our souls and hope (solid, assured and definite) for our eternity.   Jeremiah 29:13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.   

As you read through the Gospels, the whole Bible, look for ways to apply it, maybe there's a principle, or a parallel, instruction or warning.  The Lord wants us to look beyond the surface and dig deeply into Him.  He wants to heal our withered parts, our deformities and our lostness.  Don't be afraid to come before Him when He calls.  

Lord, You truly are our truth, healer, savior, power and life.  Let us search for You with all our hearts.  Share with us Your will, Your wisdom, Your truth and Your heart as we read Your Word.  Only You have the words of life.  Only You can heal the deformities of our souls.  And as You do this, we will be walking sermons of hope and deliverance drawing others to You.  We love You and need You each moment of each day.  Thank You.  It's in You we pray and have hope Jesus.  Amen. 

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.