Attention: * Denotes devotion has been printed in the Center Bethel Church of God monthly newsletter
Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
John 16:31-33
Tonight, I opened up the Holy Word to study the scriptures and my eyes fell upon the Lord’s prayer found in John 17. But before I read through that chapter my attention was taken to John 16:31. “Do you now believe?” I could almost hear Jesus asking His disciples this question. The same question I have asked myself time and time again. He went on to say, “Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone.” Although Christ was speaking of His immanent death on that old rugged cross, my thoughts darted to the here and now. The year 2020 when our vision was clouded by deception and fear. We were scattered and confined to our homes because the threat of a virus was broadcasted louder than the message of hope. Death became an unacceptable enemy and our church doors were locked shut. And many left Jesus alone…alone to hang on that cross because the fear of death frightened too many and the remembrance of the resurrection was but a distant memory tucked under the pile of anxieties. And for others, they were refused the opportunity to flood into the church pews seeking answers, seeking understanding, and most of all…seeking hope. Instead doors were shuttered across the globe and the people turned to the bottle and others to drugs. This led to skyrocketing numbers of overdoes while a growing number of people couldn’t bear the weight of the world any longer and made the decision to end their life. Watching the effects of a global shutdown rocked my soul to the core as I witnessed the fear that ravaged the world that has only led to more death.
The consequences and repercussions of the lockdowns weighed heavily on my heart and I felt helpless; helpless and alone to what I was seeing occur in our world. I went on to read the rest of verse 32 as Jesus said, “Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.” And I remember sitting at my desk pouring over the scriptures this past year feeling alone and isolated not understanding how so many Christians were so afraid. Just as Jesus wasn’t alone then, I’m not alone then or now. Because our perfect loving Creator is with me too just as He promised to never leave us and never to forsake us. “Great are you Lord,” my heart shouts with praise! I find rest for my weary soul knowing I’m not ever alone.
Again, my attention is returned to the scriptures and I read through verse 33 where Jesus makes us a couple of promises. It’s a passage that isn’t discussed nearly as much as it probably should be yet it’s just as relevant today as it was then. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” I had to unpack these words step by step and I started with the second promise because honestly, that’s where it starts in most cases for us to desire the first promise. In this world, we will have tribulation. That isn’t referring to God’s wrath or judgement. Instead, Jesus warned us that we will have to endure hardships, heartaches, trials, and sufferings. He never said we would be exempt or live a life of pure happiness without worry on easy street. In fact, He said the exact opposite. He also didn’t say that we are promised tomorrow or even today for that matter. It’s in times like this that we cling to the hem of His garment resting in His promise to us: I have said these things to you, that In Me you may have peace. You know that peace that surpasses all human understanding? I read it again but this time my focus was on two two-letter words: In and Me. IN ME… In Jesus we may have peace. My mind raced as I quickly recalled other “In Me/Him” statements of Christ. “Whoever believes In Him” found in John 3:16. “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes In Me shall never thirst. (John 6:35) “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also In Me.” (John 14:1) Then this profound revelation was unveiled as I began to contemplate just how much is In Jesus. His peace, His life, His power, His joy, His strength, His love, His hope is so vast that it cannot be contained or counted. In short, He is an endless resource to everything that is good. There aren’t enough grains of sand to count what is in Him. It swells over His creation desiring for us to each put our belief and trust In HIM with every aspect of our earthly lives as well as our afterlife. He doesn’t want us to scurry and hide when the threat of death knocks on our door. God doesn’t want us to cower away from fighting the good fight so He fills our lungs with His breath every single day to proclaim the Good News to a world that is searching for answers from the things that are in this world to no avail. He comforts us so that we can then go comfort others with His love in these times of trouble. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5) In a year when seeing and understanding seem to be seen through a glass dimly, we can know that we can rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character; and character produces hope. (Romans 5:3-5) It’s that blessed hope (Titus 2:13) that one day Jesus will appear and we believers in Christ will be caught up in the air and dwell in a place that is beyond perfection; it’s heavenly and glorious beyond imagination! Dear brothers and sisters, take heart because Jesus Christ has overcome the world of its sting of sin and death with His finished work on the cross!
12/03/2020
The consequences and repercussions of the lockdowns weighed heavily on my heart and I felt helpless; helpless and alone to what I was seeing occur in our world. I went on to read the rest of verse 32 as Jesus said, “Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.” And I remember sitting at my desk pouring over the scriptures this past year feeling alone and isolated not understanding how so many Christians were so afraid. Just as Jesus wasn’t alone then, I’m not alone then or now. Because our perfect loving Creator is with me too just as He promised to never leave us and never to forsake us. “Great are you Lord,” my heart shouts with praise! I find rest for my weary soul knowing I’m not ever alone.
Again, my attention is returned to the scriptures and I read through verse 33 where Jesus makes us a couple of promises. It’s a passage that isn’t discussed nearly as much as it probably should be yet it’s just as relevant today as it was then. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” I had to unpack these words step by step and I started with the second promise because honestly, that’s where it starts in most cases for us to desire the first promise. In this world, we will have tribulation. That isn’t referring to God’s wrath or judgement. Instead, Jesus warned us that we will have to endure hardships, heartaches, trials, and sufferings. He never said we would be exempt or live a life of pure happiness without worry on easy street. In fact, He said the exact opposite. He also didn’t say that we are promised tomorrow or even today for that matter. It’s in times like this that we cling to the hem of His garment resting in His promise to us: I have said these things to you, that In Me you may have peace. You know that peace that surpasses all human understanding? I read it again but this time my focus was on two two-letter words: In and Me. IN ME… In Jesus we may have peace. My mind raced as I quickly recalled other “In Me/Him” statements of Christ. “Whoever believes In Him” found in John 3:16. “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes In Me shall never thirst. (John 6:35) “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also In Me.” (John 14:1) Then this profound revelation was unveiled as I began to contemplate just how much is In Jesus. His peace, His life, His power, His joy, His strength, His love, His hope is so vast that it cannot be contained or counted. In short, He is an endless resource to everything that is good. There aren’t enough grains of sand to count what is in Him. It swells over His creation desiring for us to each put our belief and trust In HIM with every aspect of our earthly lives as well as our afterlife. He doesn’t want us to scurry and hide when the threat of death knocks on our door. God doesn’t want us to cower away from fighting the good fight so He fills our lungs with His breath every single day to proclaim the Good News to a world that is searching for answers from the things that are in this world to no avail. He comforts us so that we can then go comfort others with His love in these times of trouble. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5) In a year when seeing and understanding seem to be seen through a glass dimly, we can know that we can rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character; and character produces hope. (Romans 5:3-5) It’s that blessed hope (Titus 2:13) that one day Jesus will appear and we believers in Christ will be caught up in the air and dwell in a place that is beyond perfection; it’s heavenly and glorious beyond imagination! Dear brothers and sisters, take heart because Jesus Christ has overcome the world of its sting of sin and death with His finished work on the cross!
12/03/2020
*Released in the July 2019 Newsletter
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God
1 Corinthians 10:3
Last year was the first year my son, then nine years old, played football. He practiced hard and drank in all the knowledge he could for the game. God gifted him with speed and agility which are his greatest assets in the game. The passion in his heart for the game surpassed any sport he’s ever played so the first game on the field, I expected to see that passion play out before my eyes. The opposing team were like giants as he stood against them. Being one of the smallest statures on the team, it looked as though he would be crushed under their weight. Nevertheless, he stood tall and held his ground to the best of his ability making some great tackles. He had a 50-yard run that game playing well but I sensed something was still missing. He was upset they had lost the game and kept running through the plays in his head on how he could improve. After the second game it ended with the same result. He placed the weight of winning on his shoulders. The “could have’s”, “should have’s”, and “ifs” stumbled out of his mouth like the missed catches and failed runs on the field. I knew I needed to find the missing piece to help him through the new challenge he was facing. I was talking to God about this new dilemma and it hit me like a blocker bulldozes over the quarterback in the pocket. It wasn’t the lack of talent or passion but where Joe’s heart was in the game. Our gracious Creator showed me it was about my son’s motive. I talked to Joe about it a day after the game and asked him exactly what his motive was out on the field. He said, “To win the game, Mom.” I began by asking where he thought he received his talent for the game. “That’s easy, Jesus!” I assured him he was correct in his thinking. I then probed a bit more and asked, “When you’re playing who are you playing for?” He responded by saying himself and his team. Then he questioned me, “Is that not what God wants?” Gently I sat him on my lap and explained that everything we do shouldn’t be for our glory- not even in the slightest. Not for a team, a coach, or our own selfish desires. Our motives can be our menace and will eventually lead to our demise. This is exactly how our adversary deceives us because we often unknowingly allow our pride to get in the way of God’s plan for us. We become blinded by our own desires thinking it’s about us and forget that the glory does not belong to us. The Word of God tells us in Romans 11:34-36, “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” After our talk, Joe’s game changed as did his motive. I saw his heart out on that field playing for the One who saves his soul.
What does any of this have to do with our walk with Christ? Absolutely everything. No matter if we are playing football, writing, leading a ministry, baking a cake, playing an instrument, singing in a choir, evangelizing to the lost, discipling others, going to church, attending Sunday school, going to work, or anything in between, we must assess our motives behind it. When we walk in our own strength we fail every time. But when our motives are pure, wanting Christ to receive the glory, He works all things for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28) Colossians 1:17-18 beautifully explains that Christ, our Messiah, is before all things, and in Him all things are held together because He is head of the church, His bride. Our purpose isn’t to compete against one another or to do things with selfish fleshly motives but to attain unity in the faith and knowledge of the Son of God so that we may mature to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:13) If we ever want to make an impact we must first empty ourselves of us and ask that Christ rule and reign in these broken vessels so that He, and He alone, may be glorified.
May our motives be for the glory of Christ in all that we do
What does any of this have to do with our walk with Christ? Absolutely everything. No matter if we are playing football, writing, leading a ministry, baking a cake, playing an instrument, singing in a choir, evangelizing to the lost, discipling others, going to church, attending Sunday school, going to work, or anything in between, we must assess our motives behind it. When we walk in our own strength we fail every time. But when our motives are pure, wanting Christ to receive the glory, He works all things for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28) Colossians 1:17-18 beautifully explains that Christ, our Messiah, is before all things, and in Him all things are held together because He is head of the church, His bride. Our purpose isn’t to compete against one another or to do things with selfish fleshly motives but to attain unity in the faith and knowledge of the Son of God so that we may mature to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:13) If we ever want to make an impact we must first empty ourselves of us and ask that Christ rule and reign in these broken vessels so that He, and He alone, may be glorified.
May our motives be for the glory of Christ in all that we do
*Released in the June 2019 Newsletter
This is a continuation of the writings based upon December 2018’s advent topics: Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, Jesus
Jesus
Throughout this advent season, we have looked at different truths of Jesus; hope, peace, joy, and love. We journeyed through, starting at the Garden of Eden. We arrive to His birth and anticipate His return for His bride.
Often times we read the scriptures and breeze right through them, like a monotone dialogue. We lose the humanness of it all. Meaning, we aren’t connected with the emotion that has occurred in the people we read about. I’d like to expound upon that for just a moment so that we can see the human experience between a man and the Savior as a baby. Who remembers Simeon that we read about in Luke 2? The scriptures tell us that Simeon was a righteous and devout man who was waiting on the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him. Let’s pick up the story in verse 26 of Luke 2. “And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.’”
Can we take a moment and think about how Simeon must have felt the moment he laid eyes on the Messiah cradled in His mother’s arms? This was a moment that God told him would happen. I’d imagine Simeon was in one of those moments where he would have pinched himself to make sure it wasn’t a dream. The pure elation that flooded his soul had brought peace to his heart as God fulfilled His word to him. I don’t want you to miss the most crucial part of what Simeon said though. Did you catch the last part? He said, “for my eyes have seen YOUR Salvation.” And it was Jesus that is a light of revelation for the Gentiles and to bring glory to God’s people, Israel! That’s an incredibly bold proclamation for that time, especially in the land where the Jews lived, worshipped God in the temple, and were governed by the Pharisees. This shows that even before Christ’s ministry officially started, He was already known as the Messiah, the Savior of the world!
This is the Light to those with rebel hearts against God. Our stubbornness and restlessness can prevent us from experiencing the hope, peace, joy, and love that God wants to give us. If you haven’t given your heart to Jesus, today is the day of salvation! We have nothing to offer God except our heart- but honestly, that’s all He really wants anyways. It is by His grace that we are saved from the damnation of eternity without Him after this life. I don’t want that for any of you, my friends. And to those who already have accepted Christ, I pray that you each love Him passionately with excitement. That you embrace the new creation in which He promises us. Because when you love somebody, there’s a fire inside that you just can’t hide. When you love somebody, you come alive and you’ll testify. I pray that each and every single person here say, “I’m in love with the One who saved my life!” For there’s no one else that can save our lives but JESUS!
Throughout this advent season, we have looked at different truths of Jesus; hope, peace, joy, and love. We journeyed through, starting at the Garden of Eden. We arrive to His birth and anticipate His return for His bride.
Often times we read the scriptures and breeze right through them, like a monotone dialogue. We lose the humanness of it all. Meaning, we aren’t connected with the emotion that has occurred in the people we read about. I’d like to expound upon that for just a moment so that we can see the human experience between a man and the Savior as a baby. Who remembers Simeon that we read about in Luke 2? The scriptures tell us that Simeon was a righteous and devout man who was waiting on the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him. Let’s pick up the story in verse 26 of Luke 2. “And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.’”
Can we take a moment and think about how Simeon must have felt the moment he laid eyes on the Messiah cradled in His mother’s arms? This was a moment that God told him would happen. I’d imagine Simeon was in one of those moments where he would have pinched himself to make sure it wasn’t a dream. The pure elation that flooded his soul had brought peace to his heart as God fulfilled His word to him. I don’t want you to miss the most crucial part of what Simeon said though. Did you catch the last part? He said, “for my eyes have seen YOUR Salvation.” And it was Jesus that is a light of revelation for the Gentiles and to bring glory to God’s people, Israel! That’s an incredibly bold proclamation for that time, especially in the land where the Jews lived, worshipped God in the temple, and were governed by the Pharisees. This shows that even before Christ’s ministry officially started, He was already known as the Messiah, the Savior of the world!
This is the Light to those with rebel hearts against God. Our stubbornness and restlessness can prevent us from experiencing the hope, peace, joy, and love that God wants to give us. If you haven’t given your heart to Jesus, today is the day of salvation! We have nothing to offer God except our heart- but honestly, that’s all He really wants anyways. It is by His grace that we are saved from the damnation of eternity without Him after this life. I don’t want that for any of you, my friends. And to those who already have accepted Christ, I pray that you each love Him passionately with excitement. That you embrace the new creation in which He promises us. Because when you love somebody, there’s a fire inside that you just can’t hide. When you love somebody, you come alive and you’ll testify. I pray that each and every single person here say, “I’m in love with the One who saved my life!” For there’s no one else that can save our lives but JESUS!
*Released in the April 2019 Newsletter
This is a continuation of the writings based upon December 2018’s advent topics: Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, Jesus
Love
As we walked from the garden to Abraham’s time, we will now travel to the time of the prophets. I absolutely love how God’s Word foretells great mysteries to us even before they happen! God tells us what will happen, before it happens, so that when it happens we can trust that He is exactly who He is He is. (John 13:19) Isaiah, Daniel, and Jeremiah were all men of God whom God revealed what will happen before it happened to display to the world that He is different than all other gods. Elohim, the Great I AM, is sovereign over all.
Isaiah reveals to us in chapter 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” God is with us. Oh, what sweet truth that stirs in our hearts! We can read further in Isaiah 9:6 that tells us, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Every time I read these portions of scripture, my heart swells with love for our Creator. And throughout my time to prepare these readings filled with prayer, study, and more prayer I can see, and I hope you have to, just how much our Father in Heaven loves us.
We look around this world and see such a lack of love, compassion and empathy. We see people who abuse children and we say, “Lock them up and throw away the key.” We see addicts who steal from their families and destroy their lives and we think, “Let them go, they deserve what they get.” We have murderers roaming the streets and we shout, “They deserve death!” But can I be honest with you for a moment, brothers and sisters? We deserve death too. If it wasn’t for the grace of God because of His great love for us, we would all suffer the same fate. We’d be separated from God and His Son for all eternity where there is nothing but torture, wailing, and gnashing of teeth in a place called Hell.
There are times when we get off track, think that God has forgotten us or that He doesn’t love us. Let this reminder speak to your heart. God displayed His love in the Garden of Eden by not destroying the human race. God demonstrated His love whenever He rescued Noah and his family from the Great Flood. God proved His love when He spared Isaac’s life. God showed His love by never leaving Moses and the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness. God exhibited His love by foretelling the prophets of our King’s birth. God came down in love when He sent His only begotten Son to earth to be born in a manager. God proved His love when Jesus hung on that tree for the sins of this world. And God has asks us to trust His love when He promised us that He will return for us one day.
Love is simple yet compound. Love is truth and grace. Timothy Keller once said this: “To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.” On a cold winter’s night, flesh met Heaven in the form of a baby, the Savior of the world. I have one question for you today. Do you want to love and be loved superficially? Or do you want to love and be loved sacrificially?
As we walked from the garden to Abraham’s time, we will now travel to the time of the prophets. I absolutely love how God’s Word foretells great mysteries to us even before they happen! God tells us what will happen, before it happens, so that when it happens we can trust that He is exactly who He is He is. (John 13:19) Isaiah, Daniel, and Jeremiah were all men of God whom God revealed what will happen before it happened to display to the world that He is different than all other gods. Elohim, the Great I AM, is sovereign over all.
Isaiah reveals to us in chapter 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” God is with us. Oh, what sweet truth that stirs in our hearts! We can read further in Isaiah 9:6 that tells us, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Every time I read these portions of scripture, my heart swells with love for our Creator. And throughout my time to prepare these readings filled with prayer, study, and more prayer I can see, and I hope you have to, just how much our Father in Heaven loves us.
We look around this world and see such a lack of love, compassion and empathy. We see people who abuse children and we say, “Lock them up and throw away the key.” We see addicts who steal from their families and destroy their lives and we think, “Let them go, they deserve what they get.” We have murderers roaming the streets and we shout, “They deserve death!” But can I be honest with you for a moment, brothers and sisters? We deserve death too. If it wasn’t for the grace of God because of His great love for us, we would all suffer the same fate. We’d be separated from God and His Son for all eternity where there is nothing but torture, wailing, and gnashing of teeth in a place called Hell.
There are times when we get off track, think that God has forgotten us or that He doesn’t love us. Let this reminder speak to your heart. God displayed His love in the Garden of Eden by not destroying the human race. God demonstrated His love whenever He rescued Noah and his family from the Great Flood. God proved His love when He spared Isaac’s life. God showed His love by never leaving Moses and the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness. God exhibited His love by foretelling the prophets of our King’s birth. God came down in love when He sent His only begotten Son to earth to be born in a manager. God proved His love when Jesus hung on that tree for the sins of this world. And God has asks us to trust His love when He promised us that He will return for us one day.
Love is simple yet compound. Love is truth and grace. Timothy Keller once said this: “To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.” On a cold winter’s night, flesh met Heaven in the form of a baby, the Savior of the world. I have one question for you today. Do you want to love and be loved superficially? Or do you want to love and be loved sacrificially?
*Released in the March 2019 Newsletter
This is a continuation of the writings based upon December 2018’s advent topics: Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, Jesus
Joy
We are moving onward from the garden to the time of Abraham. Throughout our studies of scripture, we know that God made an everlasting covenant with Abram. He’d be the father of many nations and it was through Abram’s bloodline that the Messiah would come from. Imagine the joy that Abraham must have felt as God stated in Genesis 17:7 “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you that throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.” That’s a mighty promise!
Let’s take a few steps down the road to when God tested Abraham. Genesis 22:2 said that God called out to Abraham and said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” I believe most, if not all of us, know the outcome to that story. But I’m going to ask if anyone has seen the foreshadowing of Christ in this event? Remember, God asked Abraham to sacrifice is only son, the son whom he loved. Then as Abraham was being obedient to God’s request, God brought Abraham to a halt and instead a ram- a male sheep- was stuck in a thicket which was sacrificed in Isaac’s place. This is the foreshadow of Jesus. Jesus, God’s own Son, was our sacrificial lamb. Now, imagine the relief of Abraham as God called down to stop what he was doing. The joy of God saving his son, Isaac, had to bring Abraham to tears. And the realization that Christ bled out and suffered for us should bring us to our knees filled with a mixture of sorrow for our sins yet joyful with thanks for His ransom for us.
Let’s examine joy for a moment. Joy is often confused with happiness. Happiness is fickle and all too fleeting. It contains no substance or permanent effects. Joy, however, is lasting and satisfies the soul. Joy is a characteristic of God’s people, found in His presence and rejoice is the action of that joy. It’s praising our Savior, the only Savior of the world, with all that we do. No matter if we sing, play an instrument, read His word, serve in our community, or raise a family, we are called to praise Jesus with all that we can possibly muster from our tattered temporary bodies. A pastor once said, “Christian joy flows from realizing our position in Christ: who you are in Him and what He has done for you.”
Soon, we will observe the birth of our Savior. This truth should bring great joy to our hearts as we look to that special day we celebrate when Christ was born of human flesh. On that starry night, when the shepherds rushed to see the Good News, I imagine even the animals bowed to the King laying in that manger. The glory of Heaven should bring rejoicing to our souls! As we continue along the hustle and bustle of this whirlwind of a season, let us take the time every day and find the joy in knowing the Spirit of our King lives within us. For there is no greater joy that can ever fill our hearts than that of the God who loves sacrificially and unconditionally, reckless even, as He does. So, all those worries, all those burdens, all those mountains we see in front of us that create a load more than we can bear- hold fast to this reminder from Paul, brothers and sisters, “May the God of hope fill you with all the joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13. Jesus is our hope. Jesus is our peace. Jesus is our joy.
We are moving onward from the garden to the time of Abraham. Throughout our studies of scripture, we know that God made an everlasting covenant with Abram. He’d be the father of many nations and it was through Abram’s bloodline that the Messiah would come from. Imagine the joy that Abraham must have felt as God stated in Genesis 17:7 “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you that throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.” That’s a mighty promise!
Let’s take a few steps down the road to when God tested Abraham. Genesis 22:2 said that God called out to Abraham and said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” I believe most, if not all of us, know the outcome to that story. But I’m going to ask if anyone has seen the foreshadowing of Christ in this event? Remember, God asked Abraham to sacrifice is only son, the son whom he loved. Then as Abraham was being obedient to God’s request, God brought Abraham to a halt and instead a ram- a male sheep- was stuck in a thicket which was sacrificed in Isaac’s place. This is the foreshadow of Jesus. Jesus, God’s own Son, was our sacrificial lamb. Now, imagine the relief of Abraham as God called down to stop what he was doing. The joy of God saving his son, Isaac, had to bring Abraham to tears. And the realization that Christ bled out and suffered for us should bring us to our knees filled with a mixture of sorrow for our sins yet joyful with thanks for His ransom for us.
Let’s examine joy for a moment. Joy is often confused with happiness. Happiness is fickle and all too fleeting. It contains no substance or permanent effects. Joy, however, is lasting and satisfies the soul. Joy is a characteristic of God’s people, found in His presence and rejoice is the action of that joy. It’s praising our Savior, the only Savior of the world, with all that we do. No matter if we sing, play an instrument, read His word, serve in our community, or raise a family, we are called to praise Jesus with all that we can possibly muster from our tattered temporary bodies. A pastor once said, “Christian joy flows from realizing our position in Christ: who you are in Him and what He has done for you.”
Soon, we will observe the birth of our Savior. This truth should bring great joy to our hearts as we look to that special day we celebrate when Christ was born of human flesh. On that starry night, when the shepherds rushed to see the Good News, I imagine even the animals bowed to the King laying in that manger. The glory of Heaven should bring rejoicing to our souls! As we continue along the hustle and bustle of this whirlwind of a season, let us take the time every day and find the joy in knowing the Spirit of our King lives within us. For there is no greater joy that can ever fill our hearts than that of the God who loves sacrificially and unconditionally, reckless even, as He does. So, all those worries, all those burdens, all those mountains we see in front of us that create a load more than we can bear- hold fast to this reminder from Paul, brothers and sisters, “May the God of hope fill you with all the joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13. Jesus is our hope. Jesus is our peace. Jesus is our joy.
*Released in the February 2019 Newsletter
This is a continuation of the writings based upon December 2018’s advent topics: Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, Jesus
Peace
We last talked about the Garden of Eden and the fall. And even though that fall brought hopelessness to mankind, we were promised a Savior to give us hope. I’d like to take a few steps through the garden after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit because this is where everything starts: Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, and Jesus.
In Genesis 3 we find God walking in the Garden and Adam and Eve hid with shame for they knew they were naked. Yet God didn’t call out condemning them immediately saying, “How dare you; you are of no use to me!” Instead in verse 9 it says that He called out, “Where are you?” Just hold that question in your pocket for a minute because we are going to pull it out again.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God they had a shame that entered into their souls that they had never experienced before that trickled down throughout the generations and into you and I. We’ve allowed this temporary world to guide our thought processes. How often do we allow fear and condemnation from others to rule our minds and rob us of peace? How many times a day do we allow Satan to distract us from our Lord’s promises in His holy word and allow the lies of hell to haunt us? Our thoughts and feelings can be like a rapid fire of chaos lacking the peace that Christ has promised us. When our hearts are in turmoil, wrestling with God much like Jacob did, we are stripped of His peace. Isaiah 26:3 promises us that the Lord keeps man in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him, because man trusts in God. Too often the world creeps into our minds and dictates what we should and shouldn’t think and believe. This is the time that Satan will take advantage of as he tries to persuade us that God is not trustworthy or able to fulfill His promises. Hear me when I say, God is not a God of confusion but of order and peace. It’s His peace that He wants to fill us with. As Romans 8:6 tells us, “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
Now reach back into your pocket and pull out how God responded to the first man and woman. Do you remember? He said, “Where are you?” Let’s ask ourselves, where am I? Am I living in shame hiding from God? Or am I living In Christ where there’s peace in my heart? Here’s a truth that will comfort us. Our Redeemer responded out of love to Adam and Eve and traded their fig leaves for garments of animal skins. Yes, there’s consequences to sin, but brothers and sisters, our Creator has a perfect plan for our dust and His name is Jesus Christ, our Messiah. It is because of Him that we can attain a peace that surpasses all human understanding. However, we can’t achieve that peace ourselves, we must know Him personally and intimately. Without Jesus, we continually search this world for the same peace that Adam and Eve experienced after they ate the fruit. It’s not found in possessions, job titles, money, or vehicles. And if this is where you’re at in life, don’t bother looking because I’ve already looked and it isn’t in any of those things. It can’t be replaced or obtained by stuff, knowledge, or even people. Only our Savior can fill the emptiness inside our hearts with a divine peace beyond our comprehension. Let’s remember Isaiah 54:10 this week. “’For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” This, Christian, is His promise to us. May we embrace it.
We last talked about the Garden of Eden and the fall. And even though that fall brought hopelessness to mankind, we were promised a Savior to give us hope. I’d like to take a few steps through the garden after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit because this is where everything starts: Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, and Jesus.
In Genesis 3 we find God walking in the Garden and Adam and Eve hid with shame for they knew they were naked. Yet God didn’t call out condemning them immediately saying, “How dare you; you are of no use to me!” Instead in verse 9 it says that He called out, “Where are you?” Just hold that question in your pocket for a minute because we are going to pull it out again.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God they had a shame that entered into their souls that they had never experienced before that trickled down throughout the generations and into you and I. We’ve allowed this temporary world to guide our thought processes. How often do we allow fear and condemnation from others to rule our minds and rob us of peace? How many times a day do we allow Satan to distract us from our Lord’s promises in His holy word and allow the lies of hell to haunt us? Our thoughts and feelings can be like a rapid fire of chaos lacking the peace that Christ has promised us. When our hearts are in turmoil, wrestling with God much like Jacob did, we are stripped of His peace. Isaiah 26:3 promises us that the Lord keeps man in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him, because man trusts in God. Too often the world creeps into our minds and dictates what we should and shouldn’t think and believe. This is the time that Satan will take advantage of as he tries to persuade us that God is not trustworthy or able to fulfill His promises. Hear me when I say, God is not a God of confusion but of order and peace. It’s His peace that He wants to fill us with. As Romans 8:6 tells us, “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
Now reach back into your pocket and pull out how God responded to the first man and woman. Do you remember? He said, “Where are you?” Let’s ask ourselves, where am I? Am I living in shame hiding from God? Or am I living In Christ where there’s peace in my heart? Here’s a truth that will comfort us. Our Redeemer responded out of love to Adam and Eve and traded their fig leaves for garments of animal skins. Yes, there’s consequences to sin, but brothers and sisters, our Creator has a perfect plan for our dust and His name is Jesus Christ, our Messiah. It is because of Him that we can attain a peace that surpasses all human understanding. However, we can’t achieve that peace ourselves, we must know Him personally and intimately. Without Jesus, we continually search this world for the same peace that Adam and Eve experienced after they ate the fruit. It’s not found in possessions, job titles, money, or vehicles. And if this is where you’re at in life, don’t bother looking because I’ve already looked and it isn’t in any of those things. It can’t be replaced or obtained by stuff, knowledge, or even people. Only our Savior can fill the emptiness inside our hearts with a divine peace beyond our comprehension. Let’s remember Isaiah 54:10 this week. “’For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” This, Christian, is His promise to us. May we embrace it.
*Released in the January 2019 Newsletter
Over next several months, the writings released will be based upon December 2018’s advent topics: Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, Jesus
As I prepared for the advent season, the Holy Spirit took me on a journey that I’d like to share with you. Our promised Messiah is the destination we will set out for yet discover Him all along the way. To do this we must be equipped with God’s inspired word, ears to hear, and eyes to see, as we follow the light unto our path that brings us to the Savior of the world. Our expedition will start at the very beginning; in the garden, travel to His birth and end with the blessed hope of His glorious return.
Hope
In Genesis, we meet the most adorable, yet under-dressed, couple. And to make it even more interesting they were made from a lofty component called dust. They had all that one can possibly imagine. Plenty of food, they were fearlessly friends with all the animals, the temperature was always perfect, they lived in a garden of luxury, and they walked and talked with none other than the Creator of the universe. That is, until one bleak day when a visitor came to manipulate Eve. Between the two of them, they twisted, added to, and questioned what God had told Adam about the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. The forbidden fruit was consumed and death entered the scene. Hope of eternity with our glorious Lord in Paradise was brought to a halt. However, this didn’t deflate the plans of God, for He is all-knowing. Instead, Father gave us a promise and a prophecy in Genesis 3:15 that says, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” But what does this mean? Good news for humanity! Satan will eventually be destroyed because Jesus would be sent to put on flesh and dwell with humanity to be the Savior of the world. And through Christ, He will swallow up sin and death so that those who love Him will dwell with Him forever. Christian, we must understand that Abba is holy, righteous, perfect and just. There is no room for sin or darkness in His garden. As humans, we know that we are born with the seed of sin and can no way be perfect enough, do enough good deeds, or think we can somehow earn our way to the Father. Without a plan, we have no hope. Praise be to God that in Genesis 3:15 we know for certain that the great I Am knew exactly what to do! He was going to send His Son, Jesus, our grace, who is the face that God wears when He looks at all our sin yet responds with love. Brothers and sisters, we deserve death. But because the Messiah was promised in the garden, we have hope of eternity with our Creator when we accept Yeshua as our Lord and Savior!
Our hope doesn’t stop there. Because our Lord is a personal God, He wants us to know that in the every day living, there’s hope that replaces hopelessness. To do this we must take a walk in our spiritual gardens; our hearts. If we are honest with one another, we all have devastating trials we must each walk through. We don’t always know what to do and we will experience times when hope has all but dissipated from our hearts. The constant rollercoaster we endure can leave our stomachs in knots. We get confused, unsure, and often the sharp left during the ride jerks us almost out of our seat. This is where we can apply Romans 12:12 that says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” David knew where his hope was too. Psalm 39:7 states, “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” Our lives are constantly in the midst of change. The key is finding the hope within our spiritual gardens to endure the day’s struggles rejoicing in Jesus for HE is our ONLY hope!
Hope
In Genesis, we meet the most adorable, yet under-dressed, couple. And to make it even more interesting they were made from a lofty component called dust. They had all that one can possibly imagine. Plenty of food, they were fearlessly friends with all the animals, the temperature was always perfect, they lived in a garden of luxury, and they walked and talked with none other than the Creator of the universe. That is, until one bleak day when a visitor came to manipulate Eve. Between the two of them, they twisted, added to, and questioned what God had told Adam about the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. The forbidden fruit was consumed and death entered the scene. Hope of eternity with our glorious Lord in Paradise was brought to a halt. However, this didn’t deflate the plans of God, for He is all-knowing. Instead, Father gave us a promise and a prophecy in Genesis 3:15 that says, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” But what does this mean? Good news for humanity! Satan will eventually be destroyed because Jesus would be sent to put on flesh and dwell with humanity to be the Savior of the world. And through Christ, He will swallow up sin and death so that those who love Him will dwell with Him forever. Christian, we must understand that Abba is holy, righteous, perfect and just. There is no room for sin or darkness in His garden. As humans, we know that we are born with the seed of sin and can no way be perfect enough, do enough good deeds, or think we can somehow earn our way to the Father. Without a plan, we have no hope. Praise be to God that in Genesis 3:15 we know for certain that the great I Am knew exactly what to do! He was going to send His Son, Jesus, our grace, who is the face that God wears when He looks at all our sin yet responds with love. Brothers and sisters, we deserve death. But because the Messiah was promised in the garden, we have hope of eternity with our Creator when we accept Yeshua as our Lord and Savior!
Our hope doesn’t stop there. Because our Lord is a personal God, He wants us to know that in the every day living, there’s hope that replaces hopelessness. To do this we must take a walk in our spiritual gardens; our hearts. If we are honest with one another, we all have devastating trials we must each walk through. We don’t always know what to do and we will experience times when hope has all but dissipated from our hearts. The constant rollercoaster we endure can leave our stomachs in knots. We get confused, unsure, and often the sharp left during the ride jerks us almost out of our seat. This is where we can apply Romans 12:12 that says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” David knew where his hope was too. Psalm 39:7 states, “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” Our lives are constantly in the midst of change. The key is finding the hope within our spiritual gardens to endure the day’s struggles rejoicing in Jesus for HE is our ONLY hope!
“And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 1:6 ESV
*Released in the November 2018 Newsletter
In the month of early October, a dear sister in Christ posted a picture on social media. The photo showed the front of her home with a lilac bush in bloom. In October! Now, I’m not gifted to have a green thumb or much knowledge in the gardening section of life, so I did a little research to see when these lilac bushes are supposed to bloom in western Pennsylvania. As it turns out, there are three different variations of lilac bushes which all bloom in different seasons. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, it states that this particular species of lilac is to bloom in late May. This struck me as quite odd as I’m sure it did the owner considering she stated that this has never happened before. I immediately knew this was a work of God.
I sat in wonderment of this phenomenon for quite a while just thinking about the beauty of a flowering bush at a time that it was not meant to bloom. My curiosity took me to scripture to try and find even a line or two about lilacs. I found one in Song of Solomon 2:13 that states, “Lilacs are exuberantly purple and perfumed, and cherry trees fragrant with blossoms. Oh, get up, dear friend, my fair and beautiful lover- come to me!” Then I noticed that it was a different version that I haven’t read before and quickly dismissed the text. That was until the Lord nudged me to check my ESV. “The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom: they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.” The parable of the fig tree came directly to mind as I read these words and found myself in awe of our gracious God. As many of us know, the fig tree represented in God’s Holy Word is symbolizing Israel and it is, in fact, in bloom. By this sign of Israel, we know our King will soon return!
Looking at this in a slightly different perspective, God showed me yet another striking aspect of this untimely blossoming. One can surmise from this particular occurrence that God isn’t bound by season, time, or circumstances. I absolutely love the fact that our Heavenly Father can work miracles in the most unlikely times. He blesses us beyond measure- sometimes we notice, however, often times His blessings aren’t recognized. It brings great joy to my heart knowing that this particular blessing was more than noticed, it was felt in the deep recesses of my heart.
This bush represents so many of our lives today. Many of us are just waiting to bloom. To find our nitch, our calling. Maybe a ministry or our purpose in life. It took me a while to learn this but I have found that God must do a good work in you before He can do a good work through you. I didn’t want to hear that at first. I begged God to launch me forward but He said, “Child, it’s not your season to fully bloom yet.” As I slumped my shoulders forward in defeat, He then whispered, “But you’re blooming one flower at a time.” We try to rush through life, dear brothers and sisters. Let’s take a lesson from this lilac bush because when we least expect it, our Savior will allow us to bloom when the timing is perfect. Until then, may we grow in our understanding and knowledge of our Great and Good God who promises us in Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
May we wait for His timing for it is good and perfect
I sat in wonderment of this phenomenon for quite a while just thinking about the beauty of a flowering bush at a time that it was not meant to bloom. My curiosity took me to scripture to try and find even a line or two about lilacs. I found one in Song of Solomon 2:13 that states, “Lilacs are exuberantly purple and perfumed, and cherry trees fragrant with blossoms. Oh, get up, dear friend, my fair and beautiful lover- come to me!” Then I noticed that it was a different version that I haven’t read before and quickly dismissed the text. That was until the Lord nudged me to check my ESV. “The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom: they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.” The parable of the fig tree came directly to mind as I read these words and found myself in awe of our gracious God. As many of us know, the fig tree represented in God’s Holy Word is symbolizing Israel and it is, in fact, in bloom. By this sign of Israel, we know our King will soon return!
Looking at this in a slightly different perspective, God showed me yet another striking aspect of this untimely blossoming. One can surmise from this particular occurrence that God isn’t bound by season, time, or circumstances. I absolutely love the fact that our Heavenly Father can work miracles in the most unlikely times. He blesses us beyond measure- sometimes we notice, however, often times His blessings aren’t recognized. It brings great joy to my heart knowing that this particular blessing was more than noticed, it was felt in the deep recesses of my heart.
This bush represents so many of our lives today. Many of us are just waiting to bloom. To find our nitch, our calling. Maybe a ministry or our purpose in life. It took me a while to learn this but I have found that God must do a good work in you before He can do a good work through you. I didn’t want to hear that at first. I begged God to launch me forward but He said, “Child, it’s not your season to fully bloom yet.” As I slumped my shoulders forward in defeat, He then whispered, “But you’re blooming one flower at a time.” We try to rush through life, dear brothers and sisters. Let’s take a lesson from this lilac bush because when we least expect it, our Savior will allow us to bloom when the timing is perfect. Until then, may we grow in our understanding and knowledge of our Great and Good God who promises us in Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
May we wait for His timing for it is good and perfect
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“But now, Oh Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
Isaiah 64:8 ESV
*Released in the October 2018 Newsletter
The Holy Spirit reminded me of a memory I have kept tucked away in my memory bank for quite some time. When I was a teen, my mom took courses to obtain her GED. At the high school that offered the classes, there was an art teacher who opened his classroom to my family. One night after class, he invited me to try my hand at the pottery wheel. Considering I’ve always had a love for the arts, I accepted his offer. He first showed me the basics and I took a seat behind the potter’s wheel. I was given a lump of clay and I tossed it down on the base and wet my hands. I recall feeling pridefully confident that I could turn nothing into something spectacular, as it looked easy enough from the teacher’s lesson. I wet my hands again and began to work the clay, as my foot pumped the pedal below and the wheel spun. About three minutes into my project, I realized this isn’t as easy as it looks. Nevertheless, I kept at it, adding water, spinning, and forming my hands around the clay. I remember it was cool to touch and I felt in control of the creation I had envisioned it to be. I eventually got the clay to form upward as I had my heart set on making a vase. Instead, it was more like an overheated melted plastic container that a microwave tries to consume. I began the delicate process of hollowing out the middle. Ever so slightly, I pushed just a tad too hard in the middle of the heap of disaster and before I knew it, the entire ‘masterpiece’ was back to where I started…a massive lump of clay as remnants of the substance was all over my hands and shirt.
Immediately, Isaiah 64:8 came rushing into my heart. “But now, Oh Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” I think back to when I tried so hard to be perfect and how defeated I always felt. It wasn’t until I realized that by trying to form my own clay, I rejected our Heavenly Father of being my Potter. Instead of striving for perfection, what our gracious Father really wanted from me was growth. Because perfection is more about outward appearance. Growth is what happens on the inside when I began to surrender my control. And thereafter the clay of my soul stopped being formed haphazardly. Jesus, being the gentle shepherd that He is, took my mismatched broken pieces, a messy and unformed heap of marred pottery that I was, and began the process of making me into a new creation. His new creation.
I have learned and continue to discover more than I could have ever imagined while developing in the hands of our perfect Potter. God is not a Creator of chaos but of order. He starts at the exact spot in our hearts that needs tended to first. As He slowly spins the wheel, He pays attention to the little details of our cracks, carefully tending to the soft spots that are fragile to touch. As our Lord works through the textures of defeat, let downs, and failures, He whispers to our clay hearts our worth because of His Son. The more Yeshua shapes and chisels our most intimate being, the more we appreciate having a Messiah who is willing to rework the dust of this earth into His child. It is there that Jesus makes the most of the living water that flows from Him and into us. And we can find peace in knowing, that when God starts a good work, He will bring it to completion. There’s beauty in being hand crafted into a unique piece of exquisiteness that only our Heavenly Father can do. May our hearts cry out, “Sculpt me Sculptor!”
May we allow the Great I AM, our Potter, to sculpt our hearts
Immediately, Isaiah 64:8 came rushing into my heart. “But now, Oh Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” I think back to when I tried so hard to be perfect and how defeated I always felt. It wasn’t until I realized that by trying to form my own clay, I rejected our Heavenly Father of being my Potter. Instead of striving for perfection, what our gracious Father really wanted from me was growth. Because perfection is more about outward appearance. Growth is what happens on the inside when I began to surrender my control. And thereafter the clay of my soul stopped being formed haphazardly. Jesus, being the gentle shepherd that He is, took my mismatched broken pieces, a messy and unformed heap of marred pottery that I was, and began the process of making me into a new creation. His new creation.
I have learned and continue to discover more than I could have ever imagined while developing in the hands of our perfect Potter. God is not a Creator of chaos but of order. He starts at the exact spot in our hearts that needs tended to first. As He slowly spins the wheel, He pays attention to the little details of our cracks, carefully tending to the soft spots that are fragile to touch. As our Lord works through the textures of defeat, let downs, and failures, He whispers to our clay hearts our worth because of His Son. The more Yeshua shapes and chisels our most intimate being, the more we appreciate having a Messiah who is willing to rework the dust of this earth into His child. It is there that Jesus makes the most of the living water that flows from Him and into us. And we can find peace in knowing, that when God starts a good work, He will bring it to completion. There’s beauty in being hand crafted into a unique piece of exquisiteness that only our Heavenly Father can do. May our hearts cry out, “Sculpt me Sculptor!”
May we allow the Great I AM, our Potter, to sculpt our hearts
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“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6 ESV
*Released in the September 2018 Newsletter
In August’s devotion, I made a statement that we are to love others. But what I neglected to say was to love others, we must love them with the whole truth. Yes, God loves us just as John 3:16 tells us. Yes, God wants to redeem us and forgive us from our sins. But God is a jealous God who wants His creation to love Him more than we love ourselves or this world. Hell is rarely mentioned in every day conversations yet, it’s a place that many find themselves going to after they leave this world. It’s not a comfortable understanding that Christians want to admit. But the truth is, Hell is a real, literal place with gnashing of teeth and constant torment. When I think of this wretched fiery place, my heart aches for those who chose and choose that path. It spurs me forward, giving me boldness and courage to preach the Gospel- Yes, we are born into sin but we have a way out. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” There’s only one way- the way of our Redeemer, Yeshua, Messiah, the Christ, Jesus. The Great I AM has provided the payment with an unblemished lamb, free of sin, for our punishment that we deserve. Yet, it’s a free gift if we surrender ourselves to the Alpha and the Omega and accept Him as our Lord and Savior. That, my brothers and sisters, is the truth and one we should be shouting to the ends of the earth.
I say all this to bring into focus a difficult truth we must accept as being followers of The Way and something I am being reminded of daily. As I stated earlier, preaching the gospel should be shouted to the ends of the earth. In my talks with people I hear many remarks like, “Well I used to go to church but I stopped.” Or, “I’m an Easter and Christmas kind of goer.” Other times I hear, “I don’t know what I believe” or “I just don’t believe there is a God.” Add in things like, “I’m not a practicing Christian.” And, “I believe but I don’t read the Bible or go to church.” I also hear things such as, “I just don’t understand the Bible.” Or “I used to pray but God never answers my prayers the way He should.” I also hear many false teachings that people earnestly believe that makes my heart cry of sorrow. Every time I hear these lies, I recollect Hosea 4:6 that says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” My heart weeps for these lost souls. Often times, I feel much like Noah. But, I’m reminded over and over again of the rejection Jesus received from His own people which led to the 2nd temple being destroyed. Jesus was rejected over and over again and finally hung on a cross to die for offering living water to the thirsty and healing to the broken. Even then, knowing the punishment He would have to endure, Christ never ceased His mission but instead forged through because of His great love for His creation. He kept true to His mission, seeking the lost, making a way for us to Him. Which is what we all need to do- preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, teaching the truth and leading others to the understanding of their need for a Savior and accepting Him so that they too may be rejected from this world. Because that’s really what it’s all about. Standing apart from secularism, deception, and pride, and surrendering to the One who holds our eternity in His hands forevermore. The Gospel is child-like simple: Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross for our atonement of sin, buried then rose the 3rd day and when we admit we are a sinner, truly believe Jesus is who He says He is, and confess He is our Lord and Savior, anyone who calls upon His name will be saved. (1 Corinthians 15: 3-4, Romans 10:13). Let’s go outside our comfort zone and spread the Good News!
May we speak the Lord’s Truth with conviction and power through His Holy Spirit
I say all this to bring into focus a difficult truth we must accept as being followers of The Way and something I am being reminded of daily. As I stated earlier, preaching the gospel should be shouted to the ends of the earth. In my talks with people I hear many remarks like, “Well I used to go to church but I stopped.” Or, “I’m an Easter and Christmas kind of goer.” Other times I hear, “I don’t know what I believe” or “I just don’t believe there is a God.” Add in things like, “I’m not a practicing Christian.” And, “I believe but I don’t read the Bible or go to church.” I also hear things such as, “I just don’t understand the Bible.” Or “I used to pray but God never answers my prayers the way He should.” I also hear many false teachings that people earnestly believe that makes my heart cry of sorrow. Every time I hear these lies, I recollect Hosea 4:6 that says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” My heart weeps for these lost souls. Often times, I feel much like Noah. But, I’m reminded over and over again of the rejection Jesus received from His own people which led to the 2nd temple being destroyed. Jesus was rejected over and over again and finally hung on a cross to die for offering living water to the thirsty and healing to the broken. Even then, knowing the punishment He would have to endure, Christ never ceased His mission but instead forged through because of His great love for His creation. He kept true to His mission, seeking the lost, making a way for us to Him. Which is what we all need to do- preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, teaching the truth and leading others to the understanding of their need for a Savior and accepting Him so that they too may be rejected from this world. Because that’s really what it’s all about. Standing apart from secularism, deception, and pride, and surrendering to the One who holds our eternity in His hands forevermore. The Gospel is child-like simple: Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross for our atonement of sin, buried then rose the 3rd day and when we admit we are a sinner, truly believe Jesus is who He says He is, and confess He is our Lord and Savior, anyone who calls upon His name will be saved. (1 Corinthians 15: 3-4, Romans 10:13). Let’s go outside our comfort zone and spread the Good News!
May we speak the Lord’s Truth with conviction and power through His Holy Spirit
” You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Matthew 22:37-39 ESV
*Released in the August 2018 Newsletter
For the last eighteen years, I’ve worked in the healthcare field-specifically with geriatrics. And over the last three years, I accepted the responsibility for caring for my elderly paternal grandmother who suffers from Dementia. There are good days but we also endure a lot of bad days. Often times, she becomes agitated because she is confused, forgetful, and feels as though she has no purpose. Unfortunately, she doesn’t see that it’s her love that is her greatest purpose in this sliver of time. Instead, she yearns for years passed when she was young and vibrant, full of life; driven with purpose.
As I sit here and write, I reflect upon her sense of despair and how her body ages yet her mind wants to relive her glory days. The memories that she shares with me, although not always accurate, gives an account of pieces to her puzzle. It’s like brief movie clips streamed out in words as my imagination brings it to life. As I listen to her stories I smile hearing the joy as she depicts cherished details of her life. Her mother and father dancing to Polka, her eldest brother having his military buddies write her letters during WWII, the banter between her and her youngest brother, the love she still feels for her deceased husband. Although they have all passed on, she tells the tale of lives intertwined and each one had a deep meaning; a purpose.
From conversations I have held with countless people, purpose is always what is searched for the most. In Revelation chapter 3, we find a letter written to the church in Laodicea; the lukewarm church. In the understanding I have been given by our Heavenly Father, I believe the charge Christ has against this church is the fact that they are without purpose. They believe they are rich with various earthly possessions but are poor in spirit and zeal for our Lord and Savior. And looking at the world today, it sure fits the description that is described in verses 14-22.
So, what’s the remedy? The answer to what our purpose is quite simple. Our key verse explains it perfectly. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love Jesus, our Messiah, for the sacrifice He made on the cross for me and you. Love our great Jehovah by reading His infallible Word to get to know who we believe in more intimately. And love Christ knowing His grace is sufficient for us (2 Corinth 12:9). Rest in the knowledge that our eternity is with Him, the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2). The next commandment falls right into the first. Love our neighbor. And not just the neighbor who lives beside us but every person we come in contact with. This is the Christian call God has placed on us. Need a purpose in life? Love the Great I AM, and direct those who are lost to El Yeshu’atenu (Psalm 68:19); the God who is our salvation.
May we love as Christ loves us
As I sit here and write, I reflect upon her sense of despair and how her body ages yet her mind wants to relive her glory days. The memories that she shares with me, although not always accurate, gives an account of pieces to her puzzle. It’s like brief movie clips streamed out in words as my imagination brings it to life. As I listen to her stories I smile hearing the joy as she depicts cherished details of her life. Her mother and father dancing to Polka, her eldest brother having his military buddies write her letters during WWII, the banter between her and her youngest brother, the love she still feels for her deceased husband. Although they have all passed on, she tells the tale of lives intertwined and each one had a deep meaning; a purpose.
From conversations I have held with countless people, purpose is always what is searched for the most. In Revelation chapter 3, we find a letter written to the church in Laodicea; the lukewarm church. In the understanding I have been given by our Heavenly Father, I believe the charge Christ has against this church is the fact that they are without purpose. They believe they are rich with various earthly possessions but are poor in spirit and zeal for our Lord and Savior. And looking at the world today, it sure fits the description that is described in verses 14-22.
So, what’s the remedy? The answer to what our purpose is quite simple. Our key verse explains it perfectly. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love Jesus, our Messiah, for the sacrifice He made on the cross for me and you. Love our great Jehovah by reading His infallible Word to get to know who we believe in more intimately. And love Christ knowing His grace is sufficient for us (2 Corinth 12:9). Rest in the knowledge that our eternity is with Him, the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2). The next commandment falls right into the first. Love our neighbor. And not just the neighbor who lives beside us but every person we come in contact with. This is the Christian call God has placed on us. Need a purpose in life? Love the Great I AM, and direct those who are lost to El Yeshu’atenu (Psalm 68:19); the God who is our salvation.
May we love as Christ loves us
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:21 ESV
*Released in the July 2018 Newsletter
In the rat race of life, we often measure one’s worth by their outward appearance, employment rank and status, the home they live in and the vehicles they drive. We tend to desire to measure up to those in our circle. One friend may have a pool that we may desperately long to have, another couple may have great kids who are respectful while ours are running around screaming. We see the freedom our single friend has and wish we would have waited to commit. Our neighbor bought a brand-new vehicle while ours looks like it belongs in a junk yard. A brother makes six figures a year and we barely make ends meet. A cousin graduated with high honors from a prestigious university while we struggled to obtained a GED.
The comparisons we make against one another have sky-rocketed especially since social media took the world by storm. We post only the perfect pictures, the inspiring words of endearment, and memes that state at least a partial truth of our heart. The endless selfies, the gossip and slander, political alliances and derogatory criticisms are the norm while being real in a fake society and having freedom of speech without being attacked have fallen away. We were warned this would happen. We were told that right would become wrong and wrong would be right. We were cautioned that in the last days people would become lovers of self and easily offended. We were informed that people would have the appearance of holiness yet deny it’s power. This doesn’t only apply to social media though but to everyday living. Over the last month, I’ve been guided by the Spirit to be still, stop striving and just listen. And in that time, I was reminded of a lesson that our Holy Father taught me while I was writing Safe Under the Willow.
Build a home within your heart that you would want to have. But remember to center God in the middle. Branch out from room to room and fill it with what you feel is right. Visualize it daily; hoping God will answer your prayers. Just remember, be thoughtful for what you place in each room. And as time passes see if those items you place in each room change. You may be surprised because at the end of your journey, you’ll see that it’s not the home you live in, in the material world- it’s the home you have built in your heart that completes you.
As we reflect upon this, I encourage you to really think about our key verse found in Matthew 6:21. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Brothers and sisters, it’s easy to get caught up in what the world thinks of us. Satan tempts us with what seems harmless disguised as light however, darkness is still seeping in as we are fooled by the master of deception. We must keep our eye on the prize, keeping our eternity in the forefront of our minds. What are we filling our homes with? Is it the Word of God staying true and standing on our firm foundation, Christ? Or are we allowing the world to sway us away from the fruits of the Spirit? We all must make a choice; commit to Christ or commit to this selfish fallen world.
May we fully live in His grace and understand our need for Jesus
“When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him,
“Do you want to be healed?”
John 5:6 ESV
*Released in the May 2018 Newsletter
When I was pregnant with my first child, I unknowingly went into my last checkup appointment before meeting my daughter for the first time later that night. The doctor completed a routine exam and asked if I was experiencing any contractions. I replied no, but I was feeling weird all day. He then revealed I was four centimeters dilated and it was time to go to the hospital. I instantly broke out in a cold sweat as my shirt was soaked with perspiration. My anxiety kicked into high gear and all I wanted to do was crawl into my bed and not have this baby. By 7:30 that evening I felt my first contraction. Now as any mama knows, those contractions don’t just stop when you’re about to deliver a baby. My heart was racing with fear but full of excitement. I was venturing into the unknown.
As I reflect back on that time in my life almost thirteen years ago, I remembered how Christ compared His return to the birth pains in Matthew 24:8. And as I said before, those birth pains don’t stop, they only intensify. When we study the prophesies yet to be fulfilled and then turn on the news we can see so many signs and wonders of our great and powerful Lord so we aren’t left wondering what’s next. The contractions won’t stop, instead they will only intensify. Recently, Israel, specifically Jerusalem, has also hit the headlines. They need our prayers, dear brothers and sisters. Let’s not forget them in our daily time with God.
Due to the season we are in, we know that the return of Christ can be at any moment. It is because of this reason we need to stand united as a Body of Christ. So, what should we be doing? Simple. Offering the Good News to every soul that is willing to hear. The hour is late and that should stir in us the desire and passion to reach all those who don’t know Jesus as their Lord and Savior as well as build up and encourage those who already do.
I believe we are much like the role of a nurse. I have the utmost respect for the nursing profession so when I say we are like them, it’s by no means reducing their education or heart they put into their profession. However, as a Christian we assist those in need, who are hurting, lost, and feeling worn from the effects of life and quite possibly bad choices. We take the pulse of the patient, assessing their need and we offer guidance to the One that can heal them. We aren’t the healers or restorers, we aren’t the ones to shame or judge, and we aren’t called to point out every flaw the person has. Instead, we are to direct them to the One who can fully restore and offer life forevermore. In our key verse in John 5:6 Jesus spoke to a man who had some infirmity for thirty-eight years. Jesus asked him a simple question: “Do you want to be made well?” Jesus knew the answer to life and it was Him; the Healer, the Great Physician. Maybe the next time we find someone in need of hope, love, joy, and peace let us ask him or her, “do you want to be made well?” And direct them to the One who holds victory in His hands- Jesus Christ!
May we be used as willing vessels to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ
As I reflect back on that time in my life almost thirteen years ago, I remembered how Christ compared His return to the birth pains in Matthew 24:8. And as I said before, those birth pains don’t stop, they only intensify. When we study the prophesies yet to be fulfilled and then turn on the news we can see so many signs and wonders of our great and powerful Lord so we aren’t left wondering what’s next. The contractions won’t stop, instead they will only intensify. Recently, Israel, specifically Jerusalem, has also hit the headlines. They need our prayers, dear brothers and sisters. Let’s not forget them in our daily time with God.
Due to the season we are in, we know that the return of Christ can be at any moment. It is because of this reason we need to stand united as a Body of Christ. So, what should we be doing? Simple. Offering the Good News to every soul that is willing to hear. The hour is late and that should stir in us the desire and passion to reach all those who don’t know Jesus as their Lord and Savior as well as build up and encourage those who already do.
I believe we are much like the role of a nurse. I have the utmost respect for the nursing profession so when I say we are like them, it’s by no means reducing their education or heart they put into their profession. However, as a Christian we assist those in need, who are hurting, lost, and feeling worn from the effects of life and quite possibly bad choices. We take the pulse of the patient, assessing their need and we offer guidance to the One that can heal them. We aren’t the healers or restorers, we aren’t the ones to shame or judge, and we aren’t called to point out every flaw the person has. Instead, we are to direct them to the One who can fully restore and offer life forevermore. In our key verse in John 5:6 Jesus spoke to a man who had some infirmity for thirty-eight years. Jesus asked him a simple question: “Do you want to be made well?” Jesus knew the answer to life and it was Him; the Healer, the Great Physician. Maybe the next time we find someone in need of hope, love, joy, and peace let us ask him or her, “do you want to be made well?” And direct them to the One who holds victory in His hands- Jesus Christ!
May we be used as willing vessels to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ
“You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”
Micah 7:19 ESV
*Released in the April 2018 Newsletter
Close your eyes and picture yourself at the beach at night. The noise of the day has fallen asleep as you sit in the sand. The tiny grains weave in and out of your toes as you feel the coolness kiss your skin offering relief from the heat. You allow yourself to disengage from calamity that comes with phones, media, and a list of to-do’s that is a mile long. For a brief moment in time, it’s only you and your Creator. You begin to listen to the waves crashing hard against the shore. The salt is thick in the air and you can almost taste the overpowering smell that invades your nostrils. Your soul begins to feel the vibration of authority the water builds as it churns in the sea. Yet you know that it is God who is in control holding the water back so it doesn’t swallow the entire land. The weight of your burdens seems minuscule to the power our Lord has so your eyes flutter open and adjust to the darkness. Only the darkness doesn’t last long. God brightens up the sky with sparkling diamonds spread far and vast in number. You smile thinking that God is winking at you when the brightest star you see glistens with illuminating light. It’s here that you strip yourself to the very core of your spiritual being remembering who God is. And you realize that this sort of meditation is what restores your heart and mends the woes.
It’s a beautiful portrait of us spending some quiet time with our Lord. But then I ponder the notion of how others may look at life. The weariness that builds in their hearts until they reach a point of total exhaustion unable to trudge forward another day and I recollect what I used to see and feel.
Staring out into the ocean you begin to notice the roar of the waves as the whitecaps slosh against the sea. It reminds you of hearing about shipwrecks from turbulent storms that capsize the ships and lives are lost. Between the winds and water these types of storms seem to be filled with vengeance and anger. Trying to imagine the power behind this scenario, you allow yourself to enter into the height of the storm. On the right you see an imminent death with a capsized boat. To your left you feel the loss of lives in a shipwreck. The fear of these types of storms makes you want to hide under a blanket until the calmness returns. But then the anger of the waves captivates you and it causes you to wonder why are they so full of retaliation? Could it be that the passage found in Micah 7:19 “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea,” be the reason for the rage the sea emits?
Our sins are cast out into the sea like a fisherman casts his line. Only this isn’t some ordinary cast, this is one that is as far as the east is to the west just as David explains in Psalm 103:12. There are two types of people in this world- saved people and lost people. As we reflect upon the death and resurrection of Christ let us remember the sacrifice He made on the cross so that we can find and cast out to that sea of lost souls and bring them to the table of Christ…the table of grace.
May we reflect upon the knowledge that the Creator sacrificed Himself for His creation
It’s a beautiful portrait of us spending some quiet time with our Lord. But then I ponder the notion of how others may look at life. The weariness that builds in their hearts until they reach a point of total exhaustion unable to trudge forward another day and I recollect what I used to see and feel.
Staring out into the ocean you begin to notice the roar of the waves as the whitecaps slosh against the sea. It reminds you of hearing about shipwrecks from turbulent storms that capsize the ships and lives are lost. Between the winds and water these types of storms seem to be filled with vengeance and anger. Trying to imagine the power behind this scenario, you allow yourself to enter into the height of the storm. On the right you see an imminent death with a capsized boat. To your left you feel the loss of lives in a shipwreck. The fear of these types of storms makes you want to hide under a blanket until the calmness returns. But then the anger of the waves captivates you and it causes you to wonder why are they so full of retaliation? Could it be that the passage found in Micah 7:19 “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea,” be the reason for the rage the sea emits?
Our sins are cast out into the sea like a fisherman casts his line. Only this isn’t some ordinary cast, this is one that is as far as the east is to the west just as David explains in Psalm 103:12. There are two types of people in this world- saved people and lost people. As we reflect upon the death and resurrection of Christ let us remember the sacrifice He made on the cross so that we can find and cast out to that sea of lost souls and bring them to the table of Christ…the table of grace.
May we reflect upon the knowledge that the Creator sacrificed Himself for His creation
“Behold! I tell you a great mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 ESV
*Released in the March 2018 Newsletter
Our eyes and ears are portals to our souls. What we put in can and will have an effect on the person we are. Music is one of those areas in which can be used for good and also evil. For this reason, I’ve personally become very selective with my choice of music. There are many gifted musicians and singers and I have the upmost respect for their talents. But there’s one in particular that I thoroughly enjoy listening to while playing the ivory keys every so often on Sunday mornings. Depending on the selected piece will determine whether I want to get up and dance or a slower tempo to sit and reflect on the glory of our Creator. Her fingers dance across the keys so delicately at first and as the passion swells of the love she has for her Savior, her energy ignites. The heart of her craft pours out from the strings of her instrument. It then travels to my ears and hits the very core of my spirit. That’s powerful worship when you can feel your heart soar to the heavens praising God for who He is and how He works in each of us.
Our lives are much like the pianist and their instrument. Some clang and bang the keys in a rushed ruckus of noise. Others put some time in to learn the basics and can play a tune or two. While there are a few who put in hours of study and practice time and are able to play methodically with grace and ease. We are called to be disciples of The Way. There are ones who hone their craft, studying and gaining understanding of scripture, and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide them as they journey through this life we are granted. The question remains is who are we going to be and how do we soar on the wings of our Heavenly Father?
I believe one way to answer this is found by reading about the Apostle Paul. Paul spoke in many of his letters to various churches about the 2nd coming of Christ. We are told in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, “Behold! I tell you a great mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” He had an understanding that if people were focusing on the return of Jesus they would lead pure and holy lives because their focus was on Jesus not the things of this world. I think now, even more than before, we should direct our attention to the promise of meeting our Lord and Savior in the clouds. By understanding and believing that Jesus can return at any time it encourages us, filling us with hope and love. And when we love more, all those fleshly behaviors seem to melt away. His Spirit flows more freely as we learn to die to self daily, even hourly and minute by minute, as we become more like Christ without even realizing the change within us. And when we do that, our song is played with love and grace as we dance across the ivory keys while we wait for our eternal home.
May the hope of the Lord’s return bring an urgency to proclaim the Gospel in our hearts
Our lives are much like the pianist and their instrument. Some clang and bang the keys in a rushed ruckus of noise. Others put some time in to learn the basics and can play a tune or two. While there are a few who put in hours of study and practice time and are able to play methodically with grace and ease. We are called to be disciples of The Way. There are ones who hone their craft, studying and gaining understanding of scripture, and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide them as they journey through this life we are granted. The question remains is who are we going to be and how do we soar on the wings of our Heavenly Father?
I believe one way to answer this is found by reading about the Apostle Paul. Paul spoke in many of his letters to various churches about the 2nd coming of Christ. We are told in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, “Behold! I tell you a great mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” He had an understanding that if people were focusing on the return of Jesus they would lead pure and holy lives because their focus was on Jesus not the things of this world. I think now, even more than before, we should direct our attention to the promise of meeting our Lord and Savior in the clouds. By understanding and believing that Jesus can return at any time it encourages us, filling us with hope and love. And when we love more, all those fleshly behaviors seem to melt away. His Spirit flows more freely as we learn to die to self daily, even hourly and minute by minute, as we become more like Christ without even realizing the change within us. And when we do that, our song is played with love and grace as we dance across the ivory keys while we wait for our eternal home.
May the hope of the Lord’s return bring an urgency to proclaim the Gospel in our hearts
“For he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
1 John 4:4 ESV
*Released in the January 2018 Newsletter
Trees are mighty creations made by God. In the spring and summer, a tree is full of vibrant life and an array of colors that pleases the eye. In the fall, the leaves begin to change color and fall to the ground ready to be made into a heap of laughter for young hearts. Then it appears as though the tree dies by the winter season. It loses its luster and the breath seems to be suppressed. The joy of life isn’t seen by the naked eye. Instead, our view is exposed branches held up by a cool gray trunk. They seem to look tired, worn, and depressed. It’s lacking so much joy, so much hope, so much love, so much peace. The tree sleeps in a waiting period.
Last month we reflected upon the advent season with excitement to celebrate our Savior’s birth and it came to fruition once more. As the new year dawns into reality we can also reflect upon our hearts and exactly what it means to have peace, joy, hope, and love living and breathing inside of us. Much of the lukewarm Christian body won’t understand any of those attributes of God because they are in that null period of sleep just like those winter trees. The legalist ones will not understand love because they can’t accept grace. The Apostate church can’t have joy because they are too busy working for their hope. And many go without the peace of Christ because they won’t surrender to Him all the hidden doubts of their hearts.
God’s love is life-changing and when we have a relationship with Him, this kind of impact is life shattering in a monumentally good way. It strips us of pride, anger, and unforgiving hearts. We are filled with His Spirit and when we have the hope and blessed assurance that we are His and He is ours it’s grants us a peace and joy as the love freely flows out of us.
As we journey through the days to come around the sun, let us live forgiven because that is the avenue in which tore the veil so that we may share in the presence of Glory with our Lord Almighty. We are invited in to share His heart because of His great love for His creation. We are God's army and we are to storm the fields and trenches to spread the Good News. Put on the armor and be not afraid of what we will face, for the battle is not ours, we are but a messenger sent with a mighty task to deliver news that leads unsaved souls to our savior so that they too may join God's brigade. We must humbly pray in humility and ask our most gracious King to fill us with His love, His peace, His joy, and His hope because we cannot do this alone on our own. When we are in Christ, He dwells within His children and we think His thoughts, we feel His compassion, we want His will to be done, we love like He loves. As 1 John 4:4 says, “For he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
Rise up, brothers and sisters, and proclaim the Gospel not being ashamed! Always remember we never go alone. Because we can’t muster the strength, intellect or perseverance ourselves. Pray that He fills us with Himself, that we love the love of God, that we have the joy of Christ in our hearts, ask for the Prince of peace to fill us. Why? Because, we cannot replicate these things ourselves no matter how hard we try. Hope, peace, joy, and love all must come from Christ so that He can work in and through us.
May we experience the hope, peace, joy and love of Christ in a life changing way
Last month we reflected upon the advent season with excitement to celebrate our Savior’s birth and it came to fruition once more. As the new year dawns into reality we can also reflect upon our hearts and exactly what it means to have peace, joy, hope, and love living and breathing inside of us. Much of the lukewarm Christian body won’t understand any of those attributes of God because they are in that null period of sleep just like those winter trees. The legalist ones will not understand love because they can’t accept grace. The Apostate church can’t have joy because they are too busy working for their hope. And many go without the peace of Christ because they won’t surrender to Him all the hidden doubts of their hearts.
God’s love is life-changing and when we have a relationship with Him, this kind of impact is life shattering in a monumentally good way. It strips us of pride, anger, and unforgiving hearts. We are filled with His Spirit and when we have the hope and blessed assurance that we are His and He is ours it’s grants us a peace and joy as the love freely flows out of us.
As we journey through the days to come around the sun, let us live forgiven because that is the avenue in which tore the veil so that we may share in the presence of Glory with our Lord Almighty. We are invited in to share His heart because of His great love for His creation. We are God's army and we are to storm the fields and trenches to spread the Good News. Put on the armor and be not afraid of what we will face, for the battle is not ours, we are but a messenger sent with a mighty task to deliver news that leads unsaved souls to our savior so that they too may join God's brigade. We must humbly pray in humility and ask our most gracious King to fill us with His love, His peace, His joy, and His hope because we cannot do this alone on our own. When we are in Christ, He dwells within His children and we think His thoughts, we feel His compassion, we want His will to be done, we love like He loves. As 1 John 4:4 says, “For he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
Rise up, brothers and sisters, and proclaim the Gospel not being ashamed! Always remember we never go alone. Because we can’t muster the strength, intellect or perseverance ourselves. Pray that He fills us with Himself, that we love the love of God, that we have the joy of Christ in our hearts, ask for the Prince of peace to fill us. Why? Because, we cannot replicate these things ourselves no matter how hard we try. Hope, peace, joy, and love all must come from Christ so that He can work in and through us.
May we experience the hope, peace, joy and love of Christ in a life changing way
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV
There’s been many times in life when I’ve stood outside the gates of grace. I’d think to myself, “I’m too much for God to handle.” He’d whisper, “You’re not too much for me,” but I ignored His still small voice. Instead, I’d attempt to work on myself, determined that I could change. I was in charge and in control of who I was and what I did. Or so I thought. As I was growing up, I had the mentality that I had to prove to others I was worthy enough and overcome the predetermined defeat. I also believed I had to work in order to receive the Kingdom of Heaven. I put on a facade pretending to others and even myself, I was strong, tough, and fearless. I had built this wall that would keep anyone from hurting me again, however I was only setting myself up for struggle and a hardened heart. The truth is there were years I would purposely not look into a mirror because I didn’t like who I was. I felt trapped inside a steel cage, like a bird who refused to be tamed from the wild. So, my wings battered against the bondage of sin and the past failures. I continuously warred against those unseen emotions and memories until I became weak. The promises laid out in the scriptures went unknown because the holy book sat on the shelf full of dust. I didn’t know His Word assures us that God will make us His masterpiece. I wanted that more than anything but I did not believe it was possible. I didn’t see myself, or others for that matter, the way God sees His children: with loving, tender eyes full of compassion and empathy.
Looking back, it was me who was unwilling to understand or accept the gift of grace Jesus wants to freely give. It’s easy to bypass a mirror and not look into it because when we do, we find a tattered, worn down, unworthy heap of mess. We may be afraid to show God our hearts because we trust the untruth that God can’t handle the dirtiness we hide inside. We cry out in pain thinking we are too much for the Master to restore and heal. Fortunately for us, we are each an original and handcrafted by the Creator. In the midst of us being made new, God can and will certainly forge us through the fire so that when it’s all said and done the world sees the face, love and compassion of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul had a very transparent way of speaking when he penned the letters to his intended recipients. Paul also knew the overwhelming love that Christ has for humanity because he stood outside the gate of grace just like you and me. Paul understood the great mystery of grace that so many of us can’t seem to process. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Sadly, much of the world looks at weakness as a terrible thing.
Grace is a gift, beloved (Romans 6:23). It isn’t earned or bought. We cannot work or pay our way into God’s favor or the Kingdom of God. We solely have to rely on the blessed assurance that was accomplished on the cross with Christ, Jesus. As we celebrate the birth of our Savior who redeems us, accept His gift to us and give thanks and praise to Him who was enough for each one of us. Then share the knowledge of that gift with others and prepare to be overwhelmed with joy!
May we understand and accept the free gift Christ offers us
Looking back, it was me who was unwilling to understand or accept the gift of grace Jesus wants to freely give. It’s easy to bypass a mirror and not look into it because when we do, we find a tattered, worn down, unworthy heap of mess. We may be afraid to show God our hearts because we trust the untruth that God can’t handle the dirtiness we hide inside. We cry out in pain thinking we are too much for the Master to restore and heal. Fortunately for us, we are each an original and handcrafted by the Creator. In the midst of us being made new, God can and will certainly forge us through the fire so that when it’s all said and done the world sees the face, love and compassion of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul had a very transparent way of speaking when he penned the letters to his intended recipients. Paul also knew the overwhelming love that Christ has for humanity because he stood outside the gate of grace just like you and me. Paul understood the great mystery of grace that so many of us can’t seem to process. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Sadly, much of the world looks at weakness as a terrible thing.
Grace is a gift, beloved (Romans 6:23). It isn’t earned or bought. We cannot work or pay our way into God’s favor or the Kingdom of God. We solely have to rely on the blessed assurance that was accomplished on the cross with Christ, Jesus. As we celebrate the birth of our Savior who redeems us, accept His gift to us and give thanks and praise to Him who was enough for each one of us. Then share the knowledge of that gift with others and prepare to be overwhelmed with joy!
May we understand and accept the free gift Christ offers us
Advent writing: Love
We journey through the advent season as we carry the message of Christ in our hearts. The gospel of His free gift is a symbol of love that was birthed into human form with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, 2,000 years ago. We see God displaying His greatest gift of love for His creation by placing a son in the womb of the virgin named Mary. Our anchor, Jesus, knew exactly what His purpose was long before that tiny babe entered the world and He continues to allow us to fly on His wings of love.
As we all know, God is love and therefore we can then love too. Love is a glorious token hidden in the hearts of people that is displayed through various acts, words, and expressions. Love is a million little details that often go unnoticed or unknown by many. Other times love is shown as the light shines brightly between a Mama and her child. Love is feeding the hungry, comforting a grief-stricken heart, or caring for the elderly. But most of all, love is sharing the gospel that sets people free and ushers them into the Kingdom of Heaven.
As we continue to walk through this season of reflection filled with awe, we may see the perilous times frightening, however, the love of Christ that dwells in our hearts will give us peace knowing our redemption draws near. So, let us continue to cast out love like a fisherman while we wait for our coming Messiah to rescue us.
1 John 4:9-11
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
As we all know, God is love and therefore we can then love too. Love is a glorious token hidden in the hearts of people that is displayed through various acts, words, and expressions. Love is a million little details that often go unnoticed or unknown by many. Other times love is shown as the light shines brightly between a Mama and her child. Love is feeding the hungry, comforting a grief-stricken heart, or caring for the elderly. But most of all, love is sharing the gospel that sets people free and ushers them into the Kingdom of Heaven.
As we continue to walk through this season of reflection filled with awe, we may see the perilous times frightening, however, the love of Christ that dwells in our hearts will give us peace knowing our redemption draws near. So, let us continue to cast out love like a fisherman while we wait for our coming Messiah to rescue us.
1 John 4:9-11
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Advent writing: Joy
Luke 1:44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
We are gifted joy by our Holy Father in many ways while we walk this earth. The cry of a newborn baby gives us a joyous harmony singing the emotions of our hearts. And when we read Luke 1:44 we see an unborn child leaping for joy in his mother’s womb already understanding the miracle that will shortly be revealed to the world.
In the lives we lead today, we can often miss the tokens of joy because of continuously being rushed, having our heads burrowed in technology, or reading the headlines of destruction. This isn’t God’s desire for us. Instead, 1 Peter 1:8-9 tells us, “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” It’s this inexpressible joy-filled faith that gives us hope as we wait for our Messiah’s soon return.
When we are weary and feeling like we can’t find the joy, imagine the scene when Christ was born. He lay in a feeding trough on a cold night as the star of David shined brightly above. The elation of the Messiah’s arrival would bring anyone to their knees and bow before the King of kings and Lord of lords. I’d dare to say, that even the animals bowed before the Creator of all the universe. And that, my brothers and sisters, is joy, knowing our Savior has been born!
We are gifted joy by our Holy Father in many ways while we walk this earth. The cry of a newborn baby gives us a joyous harmony singing the emotions of our hearts. And when we read Luke 1:44 we see an unborn child leaping for joy in his mother’s womb already understanding the miracle that will shortly be revealed to the world.
In the lives we lead today, we can often miss the tokens of joy because of continuously being rushed, having our heads burrowed in technology, or reading the headlines of destruction. This isn’t God’s desire for us. Instead, 1 Peter 1:8-9 tells us, “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” It’s this inexpressible joy-filled faith that gives us hope as we wait for our Messiah’s soon return.
When we are weary and feeling like we can’t find the joy, imagine the scene when Christ was born. He lay in a feeding trough on a cold night as the star of David shined brightly above. The elation of the Messiah’s arrival would bring anyone to their knees and bow before the King of kings and Lord of lords. I’d dare to say, that even the animals bowed before the Creator of all the universe. And that, my brothers and sisters, is joy, knowing our Savior has been born!
“You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:19
Close your eyes and picture yourself at the beach at night. The noise of the day has fallen asleep as you sit in the sand. The tiny grains weave in and out of your toes as you feel the coolness kiss your skin offering relief from the heat. You allow yourself to disengage from calamity that comes with phones, media, and a list of to-do’s that is a mile long. For a brief moment in time, it’s only you and your Creator. You begin to listen to the waves crashing hard against the shore. The salt is thick in the air and you can almost taste the overpowering smell that invades your nostrils. Your soul begins to feel the vibration of authority the water builds as it churns in the sea. Yet you know that it is God who is in control holding the water back so it doesn’t swallow the entire land. The weight of your burdens seems minuscule to the power our Lord has so your eyes flutter open and adjust to the darkness. Only the darkness doesn’t last long. God brightens up the sky with sparkling diamonds spread far and vast in number. You smile thinking that God is winking at you when the brightest star you see glistens with illuminating light. It’s here that you strip yourself to the very core of your spiritual being remembering who God is. And you realize that this sort of meditation is what restores your heart and mends the woes.
We've envisioned the serenity we receive from water. Let’s look at it from a different approach.
Staring out into the ocean you begin to notice the roar of the waves as the whitecaps slosh against the sea. It reminds you of hearing about shipwrecks from turbulent storms that capsize the ships and lives are lost. Between the winds and water these types of storms seem to be filled with vengeance and anger. Trying to imagine the power behind this scenario, you allow yourself to enter into the height of the storm. On the right you see an imminent death with a capsized boat. To your left you feel the loss of lives in a shipwreck. The fear of these types of storms makes you want to hide under a blanket until the calmness returns. But then the anger of the waves captivates you and it causes you to wonder why are they so full of retaliation? Instantly, you think of a passage found in Micah 7:19 “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”
Our sins are cast out into the sea like a fisherman casts his line. Only this isn’t some ordinary cast, this is one that is as far as the east is to the west just as David explains in Psalm 103:12.
When thinking of our own transgressions, I wonder how many Jesus followers believe they will lose their salvation by the sins they commit. Or that we have to "help" God and earn our way to enjoy eternity praising the Alpha and Omega. We have to do His work because we are His hands and feet, right? How many Followers of the Way believe that it's their duty to tell the world all that they are doing wrong and that their sins are keeping them from an eternal destiny with the King of kings...It's all about perfecting ourselves, or so I thought.
The Holy Spirit has been working on me for quite a while regarding this very topic: Salvation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I've remained quiet...listening, reading, gaining more and more understanding as God revealed His solid Truth to this wretched heap of rags who was willing to listen.
Let me explain- I understood that there was nothing that I could personally do to save myself. I said it over and over. Yet, I had some pride that needed pruned. I believed I had to help God work on myself to become better- to be more like Him so people could see Christ in me... You see, brothers and sisters, I made it all about me, not Jesus. Pride is an awful disease hidden deep within so many hearts. In fact, pride is what got Satan booted out of Heaven. You can read all about it in Ezekiel 28:11-19. In verse 17, it says, "Your heart was proud." Did you catch that? It's a heart issue, not a physical issue like breaking the commandments, not an issue of how many sins you have committed. It's about being proud in our hearts thinking Jesus isn't who He says He is... The Savior of the world who has made it possible to have a relationship with our One True God. We can try and cover up our wrong doings with acts of good works. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick just as Matthew 25:35:40 speaks about. Here's a sliver of wisdom; if you don't offer them The Good News you've offered them nothing that will last. Jesus isn't just speaking about physical acts in Matthew 25, He is speaking about spiritual ones. Need a drink? Christ offered the Samaritan woman at the well living water. Do you sit behind bars? How many chains do we keep around ourselves with bondage of disbelief in what Jesus has actually done for us? Hungry? Jesus said He is the bread of life. Got a sickness? Our Great Physician has the healing touch. Running low on clothes? Jesus says He clothes us in His righteousness, not our own. Isaiah 64:6 says, "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." No matter how hard we try, we will never be righteous without the grace of Jesus Christ. My friends, God loves the world (His creation), and yes even those rebellious souls, so much that He sent HIS Only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life. [John 3:16] God was willing to come to earth and die on a cross so that His creation, all of us, could be made clean in His sight, not condemned. That isn't our work or the lack of sins we commit that makes that happen- it's because of a man we call Yeshua; Jesus the Christ who died on the cross and rose the third day tearing the veil between us and God. In Mark 3:28 Jesus gives us clarity by saying, "Truly, I say to you, ALL sins will be forgiven". That's a pretty powerful statement. Now think about how many throw stones, in and out of church. I think as humans we think like humans (more literal, more physical aka Pharisees) when in reality, God wants us to rely on Him for understanding. We, people, have sins labeled in a tier system. God doesn't though. James 2:10 puts it into perspective for us. "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails one point has become accountable for all of it." Ouch... It's like the parable found in Matthew 18:21-35. We owe a debt that would take over 2,000 lifetimes to fulfill and yet we still cannot repay it. It is because the Father has great mercy on us (His creation), which by the way is totally undeserved, we are forgiven when we believe God has forgiven us forever, for all things, when we simply trust that He has already redeemed us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus often spoke to the Pharisee and religious leaders. And each time they denied who He was, by not recollecting the prophesies foretold in the Old Testament. I think the donkey [Zechariah 9:9, Matthew 21:1-11] ride into Jerusalem would have been a huge clue, but hey, what do I know? Regardless, they focused on what everyone was doing and they gained payment because of it. They sat at the most elite tables, wore the finest clothing, and they were held above the lepers and broken tattered souls who were looking for just a sip of living water. Meanwhile, they were self-righteous, boastful, and ignorant towards the One they were promised for thousands of years. So much so, they denied Him and sent Emmanuel to the cross. All because of their "laws". That's why Jesus said in Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Jesus knew something that so many of us just don't get- The Law can never be fulfilled by man. Never. He fulfilled the Law by dying as a sinless man so that we may enter into Glory and worship Him forever because that is what it took. He is the bridge between us and God.
There is only one sin that will keep us from dwelling with our Savior. And that is disbelief of Jesus and the work that was accomplished on the cross. It's the same disbelief of the Pharisees 2,000 years ago. After Jesus' death, and after the Holy Spirit came down with fire on the disciples, Peter gave his first sermon. By the end of his preaching, the devout Jews that were listening were shaken to the core. We find in Acts 2:38 Peter answers their question on what to do. Peter said, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Many will read forgiveness of sins and think that's what it's all about. But I disagree. It's about belief in who Jesus Christ is: Redeemer, Blessed Hope, Savior, Atonement, Immanuel. That is what kept them from receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit and forgiveness of sins. Remember, He forgives all sin, past present and future as the scriptures say Christ died for us when we were still sinners. Ephesians 2:8-9 states this; "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." This is why we can find rest, our sabbath, in Jesus Christ, for He has paid our debt. Not because we deserve it, not because we have earned it, not because we have done enough works that makes us worthy but because HE loves HIS creation and it brings glory to God for His great mercy and extension of grace to a very undeserving people. This also pertains to feet washing. When Jesus washed the disciples feet Peter said no at first but then said to wash his whole body. Jesus said your body is clean (belief in who Jesus is which means he is already forgiven) however, we all fall short of His glory so we need to continually rest in the grace of Christ, acknowledging His great sacrifice for us as He washes us clean.
Now let's take a look at works and fruits of the Spirit. I can sum this up in 2 different passages. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us about the Fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We tend to over look the first part that says, "fruit of the Spirit"- Who's fruit? The Spirit's fruit. The fruit mentioned isn't ours. Remember Isaiah 64:6? The gift in us from God is that of the Holy Spirit who is God, therefore the fruit of His Spirit is when we allow the Holy Spirit to take over our flesh and then God will use His fruit for His glory, not for ours. As for works we can seek out John 15 when Jesus says He is the True Vine and God is the Vinedresser. Verse 3 confirms we are already clean (re: feet washing above), "Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you." He goes on to say in verse 5, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. Nothing for His glory. Nothing for the Kingdom. Nothing for our salvation. Nothing. The fruit it talks about in verse 5 is the Good News we talk about to unbelievers. When the Holy Spirit speaks [convicts] to their hearts and they turn from their unbelief and bow at the foot of the cross that is the fruit in which we bear like vine bears grapes. It is only when we elevate Christ that others will see the burden is light and not cumbersome with a bunch of works like the Pharisees taught. Jesus addressed this very issue in Matthew 23. Once we receive the Holy Spirit we are made into a new creation [2 Corinthians 5:17-19] because we have been reconciled in the eyes of God who promises not to hold our transgressions against us and instead be seen as righteous. All because of Jesus.
Final thoughts:
I have come to the realization that it's nothing that I personally do- whether it's not sin, resist temptation, good works, helping a neighbor, extending forgiveness, loving my enemy- whatever it may be...it isn't me; it's the workings of Christ in me that does any of that. I have also found that perfectionism is the act of not trusting God to do good in me. Perfectionism is also a control issue...prideful. (Remember why Satan got his one way ticket to hell?) We must understand this Truth, "I must decrease and He must increase." We keep carrying this burden where we think our sins or shortcomings will keep us or others from the Promised Land (Heaven). That load is awful heavy and one that can't humanly be carried. That's why Jesus died and rose on the third day. He was the ultimate sacrifice and atonement for our sins. Not only the ones we unintentionally commit but the ones we intentionally commit as well. Once we are secured and written in the Book of Life our lives begin to change. It isn't us changing by ourselves, though. We die to self and allow the Holy Spirit to rule our hearts instead of the dead flesh. It is because of the Spirit that we are used as vessels to do that of which pleases God. But only when we are willing to be His instrument without taking the glory for it. So when our family and friends see the change in us and look in amazement (or possibly disgust) because they notice you have more patience and are kinder. You love deeper and extend forgiveness easier. But remember, we are a work in progress. It's all in God's timing not our own. I also know that I have eternal security. How can I be so sure? Check out John 10:27, Ephesians 4:30, Romans 10:9-11, Revelation 3:5, and Revelation 12:11. You see, God's grace covers all our damages, all our wounds, all our brokenness, all of our mess. He wants to give us His everlasting life through His Son, Jesus Christ. Because it's always been about Jesus, ever since the beginning of time, "In the beginning was the Word." [John 1:1] Jesus is the Truth, the Life, and the Way. Nobody comes to the Father except through Him. [John 14:6] And He wants us to know who we worship. [John 4:22]. Friends, Jesus is enough and nothing, nothing will ever change that.
May we understand the gospel of Jesus Christ and proclaim to everyone we meet
We've envisioned the serenity we receive from water. Let’s look at it from a different approach.
Staring out into the ocean you begin to notice the roar of the waves as the whitecaps slosh against the sea. It reminds you of hearing about shipwrecks from turbulent storms that capsize the ships and lives are lost. Between the winds and water these types of storms seem to be filled with vengeance and anger. Trying to imagine the power behind this scenario, you allow yourself to enter into the height of the storm. On the right you see an imminent death with a capsized boat. To your left you feel the loss of lives in a shipwreck. The fear of these types of storms makes you want to hide under a blanket until the calmness returns. But then the anger of the waves captivates you and it causes you to wonder why are they so full of retaliation? Instantly, you think of a passage found in Micah 7:19 “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”
Our sins are cast out into the sea like a fisherman casts his line. Only this isn’t some ordinary cast, this is one that is as far as the east is to the west just as David explains in Psalm 103:12.
When thinking of our own transgressions, I wonder how many Jesus followers believe they will lose their salvation by the sins they commit. Or that we have to "help" God and earn our way to enjoy eternity praising the Alpha and Omega. We have to do His work because we are His hands and feet, right? How many Followers of the Way believe that it's their duty to tell the world all that they are doing wrong and that their sins are keeping them from an eternal destiny with the King of kings...It's all about perfecting ourselves, or so I thought.
The Holy Spirit has been working on me for quite a while regarding this very topic: Salvation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I've remained quiet...listening, reading, gaining more and more understanding as God revealed His solid Truth to this wretched heap of rags who was willing to listen.
Let me explain- I understood that there was nothing that I could personally do to save myself. I said it over and over. Yet, I had some pride that needed pruned. I believed I had to help God work on myself to become better- to be more like Him so people could see Christ in me... You see, brothers and sisters, I made it all about me, not Jesus. Pride is an awful disease hidden deep within so many hearts. In fact, pride is what got Satan booted out of Heaven. You can read all about it in Ezekiel 28:11-19. In verse 17, it says, "Your heart was proud." Did you catch that? It's a heart issue, not a physical issue like breaking the commandments, not an issue of how many sins you have committed. It's about being proud in our hearts thinking Jesus isn't who He says He is... The Savior of the world who has made it possible to have a relationship with our One True God. We can try and cover up our wrong doings with acts of good works. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick just as Matthew 25:35:40 speaks about. Here's a sliver of wisdom; if you don't offer them The Good News you've offered them nothing that will last. Jesus isn't just speaking about physical acts in Matthew 25, He is speaking about spiritual ones. Need a drink? Christ offered the Samaritan woman at the well living water. Do you sit behind bars? How many chains do we keep around ourselves with bondage of disbelief in what Jesus has actually done for us? Hungry? Jesus said He is the bread of life. Got a sickness? Our Great Physician has the healing touch. Running low on clothes? Jesus says He clothes us in His righteousness, not our own. Isaiah 64:6 says, "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." No matter how hard we try, we will never be righteous without the grace of Jesus Christ. My friends, God loves the world (His creation), and yes even those rebellious souls, so much that He sent HIS Only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life. [John 3:16] God was willing to come to earth and die on a cross so that His creation, all of us, could be made clean in His sight, not condemned. That isn't our work or the lack of sins we commit that makes that happen- it's because of a man we call Yeshua; Jesus the Christ who died on the cross and rose the third day tearing the veil between us and God. In Mark 3:28 Jesus gives us clarity by saying, "Truly, I say to you, ALL sins will be forgiven". That's a pretty powerful statement. Now think about how many throw stones, in and out of church. I think as humans we think like humans (more literal, more physical aka Pharisees) when in reality, God wants us to rely on Him for understanding. We, people, have sins labeled in a tier system. God doesn't though. James 2:10 puts it into perspective for us. "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails one point has become accountable for all of it." Ouch... It's like the parable found in Matthew 18:21-35. We owe a debt that would take over 2,000 lifetimes to fulfill and yet we still cannot repay it. It is because the Father has great mercy on us (His creation), which by the way is totally undeserved, we are forgiven when we believe God has forgiven us forever, for all things, when we simply trust that He has already redeemed us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus often spoke to the Pharisee and religious leaders. And each time they denied who He was, by not recollecting the prophesies foretold in the Old Testament. I think the donkey [Zechariah 9:9, Matthew 21:1-11] ride into Jerusalem would have been a huge clue, but hey, what do I know? Regardless, they focused on what everyone was doing and they gained payment because of it. They sat at the most elite tables, wore the finest clothing, and they were held above the lepers and broken tattered souls who were looking for just a sip of living water. Meanwhile, they were self-righteous, boastful, and ignorant towards the One they were promised for thousands of years. So much so, they denied Him and sent Emmanuel to the cross. All because of their "laws". That's why Jesus said in Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Jesus knew something that so many of us just don't get- The Law can never be fulfilled by man. Never. He fulfilled the Law by dying as a sinless man so that we may enter into Glory and worship Him forever because that is what it took. He is the bridge between us and God.
There is only one sin that will keep us from dwelling with our Savior. And that is disbelief of Jesus and the work that was accomplished on the cross. It's the same disbelief of the Pharisees 2,000 years ago. After Jesus' death, and after the Holy Spirit came down with fire on the disciples, Peter gave his first sermon. By the end of his preaching, the devout Jews that were listening were shaken to the core. We find in Acts 2:38 Peter answers their question on what to do. Peter said, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Many will read forgiveness of sins and think that's what it's all about. But I disagree. It's about belief in who Jesus Christ is: Redeemer, Blessed Hope, Savior, Atonement, Immanuel. That is what kept them from receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit and forgiveness of sins. Remember, He forgives all sin, past present and future as the scriptures say Christ died for us when we were still sinners. Ephesians 2:8-9 states this; "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." This is why we can find rest, our sabbath, in Jesus Christ, for He has paid our debt. Not because we deserve it, not because we have earned it, not because we have done enough works that makes us worthy but because HE loves HIS creation and it brings glory to God for His great mercy and extension of grace to a very undeserving people. This also pertains to feet washing. When Jesus washed the disciples feet Peter said no at first but then said to wash his whole body. Jesus said your body is clean (belief in who Jesus is which means he is already forgiven) however, we all fall short of His glory so we need to continually rest in the grace of Christ, acknowledging His great sacrifice for us as He washes us clean.
Now let's take a look at works and fruits of the Spirit. I can sum this up in 2 different passages. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us about the Fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We tend to over look the first part that says, "fruit of the Spirit"- Who's fruit? The Spirit's fruit. The fruit mentioned isn't ours. Remember Isaiah 64:6? The gift in us from God is that of the Holy Spirit who is God, therefore the fruit of His Spirit is when we allow the Holy Spirit to take over our flesh and then God will use His fruit for His glory, not for ours. As for works we can seek out John 15 when Jesus says He is the True Vine and God is the Vinedresser. Verse 3 confirms we are already clean (re: feet washing above), "Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you." He goes on to say in verse 5, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. Nothing for His glory. Nothing for the Kingdom. Nothing for our salvation. Nothing. The fruit it talks about in verse 5 is the Good News we talk about to unbelievers. When the Holy Spirit speaks [convicts] to their hearts and they turn from their unbelief and bow at the foot of the cross that is the fruit in which we bear like vine bears grapes. It is only when we elevate Christ that others will see the burden is light and not cumbersome with a bunch of works like the Pharisees taught. Jesus addressed this very issue in Matthew 23. Once we receive the Holy Spirit we are made into a new creation [2 Corinthians 5:17-19] because we have been reconciled in the eyes of God who promises not to hold our transgressions against us and instead be seen as righteous. All because of Jesus.
Final thoughts:
I have come to the realization that it's nothing that I personally do- whether it's not sin, resist temptation, good works, helping a neighbor, extending forgiveness, loving my enemy- whatever it may be...it isn't me; it's the workings of Christ in me that does any of that. I have also found that perfectionism is the act of not trusting God to do good in me. Perfectionism is also a control issue...prideful. (Remember why Satan got his one way ticket to hell?) We must understand this Truth, "I must decrease and He must increase." We keep carrying this burden where we think our sins or shortcomings will keep us or others from the Promised Land (Heaven). That load is awful heavy and one that can't humanly be carried. That's why Jesus died and rose on the third day. He was the ultimate sacrifice and atonement for our sins. Not only the ones we unintentionally commit but the ones we intentionally commit as well. Once we are secured and written in the Book of Life our lives begin to change. It isn't us changing by ourselves, though. We die to self and allow the Holy Spirit to rule our hearts instead of the dead flesh. It is because of the Spirit that we are used as vessels to do that of which pleases God. But only when we are willing to be His instrument without taking the glory for it. So when our family and friends see the change in us and look in amazement (or possibly disgust) because they notice you have more patience and are kinder. You love deeper and extend forgiveness easier. But remember, we are a work in progress. It's all in God's timing not our own. I also know that I have eternal security. How can I be so sure? Check out John 10:27, Ephesians 4:30, Romans 10:9-11, Revelation 3:5, and Revelation 12:11. You see, God's grace covers all our damages, all our wounds, all our brokenness, all of our mess. He wants to give us His everlasting life through His Son, Jesus Christ. Because it's always been about Jesus, ever since the beginning of time, "In the beginning was the Word." [John 1:1] Jesus is the Truth, the Life, and the Way. Nobody comes to the Father except through Him. [John 14:6] And He wants us to know who we worship. [John 4:22]. Friends, Jesus is enough and nothing, nothing will ever change that.
May we understand the gospel of Jesus Christ and proclaim to everyone we meet
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23 ESV
*Released in the November 2017 Newsletter
Not that long ago, my son, Joe, and I went to a local bakery for some treats. There were plenty of patrons waiting their turn so we waited patiently. A short time passed as we were standing in line when I heard the crash of coins hitting the tile floor. Initially hearing the sound, it reminded me of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, “I tell you a mystery, we shall not all sleep but be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.” Using my imagination, I started to smile thinking of that moment when we shall be changed and are caught up to Heaven. As I was picturing in my mind what that time will be like praising God, unbeknownst to me, my eight-year-old little boy walked over and began picking up the coins. By then, I was aware of my surroundings to witness my son placing the coins in the lady’s hand who dropped them. I gave him a reassuring wink and a fist bump when he came back to stand next to me. A few moments later, the lady approached my son and handed him a dollar. She said, “This is for you because you were so kind.” Joe smiled and thanked her and it was then our turn at the counter.
Once our goodies were packaged to go we went to the car. The woman’s words stuck with me and I thought deep and hard about what she said. Kindness can seem to be hard to come by, but once in a while you get to witness the fruit of the Spirit working right in front of you. I talked to my little guy about how considerate it was that he was willing to help another person without being asked. I went on to tell him that he displayed the fruits of the Spirit and that’s proof that Jesus lives in his heart. He wasn’t quite sure what that all meant so I broke it down in a language that he could understand telling him about our key verse found in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Our Heavenly Father worked through Joe to remind us that kindness and thoughtfulness are little bits of joy sprinkled with gentleness and love. This world is filled with a great deal of evil but it is still blessed with the Holy Spirit living and working through even the youngest of people. Too often we hear of all that is wrong in the world. I challenge myself, and you beloved, to look for more good and pay attention to the nudges the Holy Spirit gives us to allow Him to work His fruits through us. And while we walk this earth let us worship our Lord and Savior by focusing our minds attention and hearts affection on Him, praising God for who He is and what He does.
Here’s a truth that should sink deep within our hearts. All of us, brothers and sisters, young and old and anywhere in between can do random acts of kindness. God will give us the opportunities. We just have to recognize them more often.
May we allow the fruits of the Spirit to overtake our hearts
Once our goodies were packaged to go we went to the car. The woman’s words stuck with me and I thought deep and hard about what she said. Kindness can seem to be hard to come by, but once in a while you get to witness the fruit of the Spirit working right in front of you. I talked to my little guy about how considerate it was that he was willing to help another person without being asked. I went on to tell him that he displayed the fruits of the Spirit and that’s proof that Jesus lives in his heart. He wasn’t quite sure what that all meant so I broke it down in a language that he could understand telling him about our key verse found in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Our Heavenly Father worked through Joe to remind us that kindness and thoughtfulness are little bits of joy sprinkled with gentleness and love. This world is filled with a great deal of evil but it is still blessed with the Holy Spirit living and working through even the youngest of people. Too often we hear of all that is wrong in the world. I challenge myself, and you beloved, to look for more good and pay attention to the nudges the Holy Spirit gives us to allow Him to work His fruits through us. And while we walk this earth let us worship our Lord and Savior by focusing our minds attention and hearts affection on Him, praising God for who He is and what He does.
Here’s a truth that should sink deep within our hearts. All of us, brothers and sisters, young and old and anywhere in between can do random acts of kindness. God will give us the opportunities. We just have to recognize them more often.
May we allow the fruits of the Spirit to overtake our hearts
“You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’”
Psalm 27:8 ESV
*Released in the October 2017 Newsletter
Life can get messy and overwhelmingly demanding. We pour ourselves into work, kids, projects, family, friends, studying God’s Word, and personal passions. The constant go, work, go, study, go, obligations, go, leaves little to no room for rest. Here’s a not so hush-hush secret, I think everyone probably knows about me; as a mom, wife, and daughter of the Most High King, I sink into the untruth of believing I am wonder woman. One would think I would learn my lesson the first five hundred times before I crash. Evidently, I haven’t figured out how to learn from the first conk on the head from our Loving Savior. This time was no different. I went too far and our gracious God gave me a very stern warning by sending a dream where I awoke gasping for breath and seeing that I had forgotten who He is. As I gathered my bearings when I woke from a slumber, it felt like my heart was beating so hard that it was about to break through the bones of protection and leap right out of my chest. I thought to myself, “Ok, Lord, you have my full attention.”
Allow me to set the scene. When this sort of thing happens, I always start out thinking I’m doing good but it quickly leads to the gutter of frustration and spiritual blindness. I pause to listen to what God needs me to remember and I get distracted with a ringing phone and a child crying because his sister was being mean to him. I try again to hear that still, small voice only to be lured to the ding of a text message reminding me to check on my dad and gram, make a mental note that they need milk, and notice it’s time for soccer practice. I mutter a quick, “I’m sorry God, give me a few,” and move on with my schedule. Once the house is quiet and my family is peacefully dreaming of cute little squirrels frolicking in the meadow, I sit down to study God’s Word totally forgetting that I promised our Lord the quiet time for Him to talk and me to listen. Instead, I do much of the rambling as I am try to discern the meaning of passages. That whole concept I speak about in Sunday school about “listen to hear, not listen to respond,” (trust me, I am trying to drill it into my thick skull which is why I say it so often) has flown right out the window. My neglectfulness of seeking Him is as high as the mountain of laundry that needs folded, which I’d rather throw out the window instead. The clock is well after mid-night and I drag my weary bones to bed with a head full of questions and no answers as the silence of God looms over me. I lift up my nightly prayers and feel a coldness shutter across me. Silence again and I’m crushed with a sense of longing for my Heavenly Father.
I wake the next day to go about the busyness of schedules, to-do lists, and obligations, only this time I get that conk on the head with the dream I described earlier. I think back to King David and how he poured His heart out before the Lord. In our key verse of Psalm 27:8 he writes, “You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek’.” It is then that I realized I forgot to seek God’s face in the mix of messiness. He wasn’t being silent, it was actually me who just didn’t listen. It’s only when we seek our Lord that we can find the rest that we desperately need in this fast-paced world. It’s easy to become wrapped up in our tiny little worlds but it’s extremely important to remember the One who grants us each breath as we journey through life. In Him, we find rest and strength to continue the path for which He has set for us.
May we seek His face for rest and direction
Allow me to set the scene. When this sort of thing happens, I always start out thinking I’m doing good but it quickly leads to the gutter of frustration and spiritual blindness. I pause to listen to what God needs me to remember and I get distracted with a ringing phone and a child crying because his sister was being mean to him. I try again to hear that still, small voice only to be lured to the ding of a text message reminding me to check on my dad and gram, make a mental note that they need milk, and notice it’s time for soccer practice. I mutter a quick, “I’m sorry God, give me a few,” and move on with my schedule. Once the house is quiet and my family is peacefully dreaming of cute little squirrels frolicking in the meadow, I sit down to study God’s Word totally forgetting that I promised our Lord the quiet time for Him to talk and me to listen. Instead, I do much of the rambling as I am try to discern the meaning of passages. That whole concept I speak about in Sunday school about “listen to hear, not listen to respond,” (trust me, I am trying to drill it into my thick skull which is why I say it so often) has flown right out the window. My neglectfulness of seeking Him is as high as the mountain of laundry that needs folded, which I’d rather throw out the window instead. The clock is well after mid-night and I drag my weary bones to bed with a head full of questions and no answers as the silence of God looms over me. I lift up my nightly prayers and feel a coldness shutter across me. Silence again and I’m crushed with a sense of longing for my Heavenly Father.
I wake the next day to go about the busyness of schedules, to-do lists, and obligations, only this time I get that conk on the head with the dream I described earlier. I think back to King David and how he poured His heart out before the Lord. In our key verse of Psalm 27:8 he writes, “You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek’.” It is then that I realized I forgot to seek God’s face in the mix of messiness. He wasn’t being silent, it was actually me who just didn’t listen. It’s only when we seek our Lord that we can find the rest that we desperately need in this fast-paced world. It’s easy to become wrapped up in our tiny little worlds but it’s extremely important to remember the One who grants us each breath as we journey through life. In Him, we find rest and strength to continue the path for which He has set for us.
May we seek His face for rest and direction
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Matthew 4:4 ESV
*Released in the September 2017 Newsletter
God and I have the most profound conversations during those pesky household chores. It was an ordinary day as I set my sights on washing dishes, which is not my most favorite thing to do in the world, as I’m sure some of you can relate to. It seems every week He plants a new question in my heart to be explored. This week was no different as I pondered the notion as to why God didn't clearly lay out our do's and don’ts. Instead, He mixed it up with history, instructions, genealogy, stories and parables.
My hands may have been submerged in the suds but my mind drifted off to Scripture. I went to the beginning as God laid it out clearly for Adam and Eve. He said in Genesis 2:17, do not eat from the Tree of Knowledge. We all know what happened there. God gave specific direction including the repercussion (death) and they didn't obey Him. The sad part is He only gave them one, yes ONE, rule! The clank of cups filled the airwaves as the second instance came to mind. God gave Moses the ten commandments. Again, we see how well the Israelites followed those orders. And even today, many of us break the first commandment in Exodus 20:3 which says we shall have no other gods before God. Next, I considered what if God laid everything out in an easy format. It would create ease; not that anyone followed easy directions from the start. My friends, God is saying it takes effort. We must earnestly seek Him, to understand and get to know Him so that we can have a valuable and voluble relationship with Him. The fourth consideration is having the Scriptures shows the power of stories. God used various people throughout His Word to tell their accounts. I think of Job and Esther. David and Solomon. Peter and Paul. And most importantly, Jesus, Himself. It offers hope and encouragement. Tucked beneath the top layer there is incredible insight and wisdom to learn. It proves our Heavenly Father’s love and redemptive mercy for His people. Therefore, since the peoples’ stories mentioned throughout the Bible are important which are used for teaching, our experiences are just as important which can be used a teaching moments to both believers and non-believers. Having a bible full of stories does something else, which carries us to the fifth point. It brings everything to life so that it's understandable and easy to relate to. Without Paul's words of the thorn in his flesh or Peter sinking in the water, many people would feel hopeless for not being good enough. God wanted to prove that He is the hope we all need and to totally depend on Him for all things. (Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”) As I rinsed the last dish, this conclusion settled upon me. If we would have a book full of rules and no accounts of history, we'd look at it like we do the laws of our land. Blank stare... zzz... Using stories instead of only laws sparks an interest in people's minds and eventually hearts, because then it's relatable. We can't even obey the speed limit that is clearly posted. I don't see any average people carrying around law books or the constitution to make sure they’re obeying every law. Same goes for the laws of our Creator. This is why the conviction of the Holy Spirit is so powerful. We may not know we are sinning but He surely pierces our hearts with sorrowful feelings once we do something that displeases the Lord.
We need God’s words to seep deep into our minds and travel down to our hearts if we are ever going to become who we are intended to be. We confirm this with our key verse found in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Faith is action, beloved. Let us live it with passion and reverence to our One True Living God.
May we hunger for God’s Word every moment
My hands may have been submerged in the suds but my mind drifted off to Scripture. I went to the beginning as God laid it out clearly for Adam and Eve. He said in Genesis 2:17, do not eat from the Tree of Knowledge. We all know what happened there. God gave specific direction including the repercussion (death) and they didn't obey Him. The sad part is He only gave them one, yes ONE, rule! The clank of cups filled the airwaves as the second instance came to mind. God gave Moses the ten commandments. Again, we see how well the Israelites followed those orders. And even today, many of us break the first commandment in Exodus 20:3 which says we shall have no other gods before God. Next, I considered what if God laid everything out in an easy format. It would create ease; not that anyone followed easy directions from the start. My friends, God is saying it takes effort. We must earnestly seek Him, to understand and get to know Him so that we can have a valuable and voluble relationship with Him. The fourth consideration is having the Scriptures shows the power of stories. God used various people throughout His Word to tell their accounts. I think of Job and Esther. David and Solomon. Peter and Paul. And most importantly, Jesus, Himself. It offers hope and encouragement. Tucked beneath the top layer there is incredible insight and wisdom to learn. It proves our Heavenly Father’s love and redemptive mercy for His people. Therefore, since the peoples’ stories mentioned throughout the Bible are important which are used for teaching, our experiences are just as important which can be used a teaching moments to both believers and non-believers. Having a bible full of stories does something else, which carries us to the fifth point. It brings everything to life so that it's understandable and easy to relate to. Without Paul's words of the thorn in his flesh or Peter sinking in the water, many people would feel hopeless for not being good enough. God wanted to prove that He is the hope we all need and to totally depend on Him for all things. (Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”) As I rinsed the last dish, this conclusion settled upon me. If we would have a book full of rules and no accounts of history, we'd look at it like we do the laws of our land. Blank stare... zzz... Using stories instead of only laws sparks an interest in people's minds and eventually hearts, because then it's relatable. We can't even obey the speed limit that is clearly posted. I don't see any average people carrying around law books or the constitution to make sure they’re obeying every law. Same goes for the laws of our Creator. This is why the conviction of the Holy Spirit is so powerful. We may not know we are sinning but He surely pierces our hearts with sorrowful feelings once we do something that displeases the Lord.
We need God’s words to seep deep into our minds and travel down to our hearts if we are ever going to become who we are intended to be. We confirm this with our key verse found in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Faith is action, beloved. Let us live it with passion and reverence to our One True Living God.
May we hunger for God’s Word every moment
“Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you.”
Ephesians 1:18 ESV
*Released in the August 2017 Newsletter
The silent thunder roars in our hearts as the raging storm of worry and obligations overwhelm our souls. We sometimes think to ourselves, “In the world, I am just another face that blends into the sea of bodies with no true direction.” The wheel we find ourselves stuck on as we revolve around the sun is consisted of endless responsibility and a load even the devil would have difficulty carrying. In the constant rush of busyness, we forget what rest even means let alone practice it. We lose ourselves and allow the demands of life to suck the passion out of our spirits. Our sense of belonging is all but forgotten. We tend to find ourselves in this rut from time to time. Paul points us in the right direction on where we need to go in our key verse. “Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened,” as he continued to the Ephesians and the entire world for generations. This isn’t our physical eyesight, my friends. Paul gently enlightens us that it is a heart matter, not a physical issue. When we lose hope, maybe even waiver in our faith, we lose sight of who God is and why He gave His only begotten Son.
My family and I made an escape to the shores of North Carolina this past June. It was there that I was reminded of the rest my soul craved for. As I positioned myself on the beach, I recalled the psalmist’s words in Psalms 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” I sat in silence as the sun kissed my skin with its warmth. I drifted off to a place where I was alone even though I was surround by people. I allowed myself to feel all of my senses as I breathed deep and inhaled the salty air. The wind whipped my hair to and fro as it tickled my cheeks. The rumble of the waves crashed against the sand that reminded me of all the heaviness on my heart. It was then that the warm breeze swept out the negative thoughts and doubts. I scooped up a handful of the gritty sand and allowed it to cascade through the cracks of my fingers. The meditation of my mind immediately went to Genesis 22:17 where God promised Abraham that his offspring would be as numerous as the sand that is on the seashore. The bewilderment of trying to understand that even before a breath was formed in my lungs, God had already counted me in those tiny grains of sediment. The eyes of my heart burst with a refreshed hope because I’m reminded that because of the grace of God, I am specifically designed by Him with purpose and I’m not forgotten but favored. And tender beloved, you are too. Our Lord wants more than time with us, He wants our full attention, seeking Him, trusting Him, and loving Him more than we love this world or anything or anyone in it. As my twelve-year-old daughter said just the other day, “Love God as He loves you.” I couldn’t have summed it up any better.
We returned home from our vacation and I have fire in my heart believing that when we have that passion for our Creator we thrive inspiring the Kingdom for all of Yeshua’s glory!
May the passion of Christ be deep within our hearts to shine for all to see
My family and I made an escape to the shores of North Carolina this past June. It was there that I was reminded of the rest my soul craved for. As I positioned myself on the beach, I recalled the psalmist’s words in Psalms 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” I sat in silence as the sun kissed my skin with its warmth. I drifted off to a place where I was alone even though I was surround by people. I allowed myself to feel all of my senses as I breathed deep and inhaled the salty air. The wind whipped my hair to and fro as it tickled my cheeks. The rumble of the waves crashed against the sand that reminded me of all the heaviness on my heart. It was then that the warm breeze swept out the negative thoughts and doubts. I scooped up a handful of the gritty sand and allowed it to cascade through the cracks of my fingers. The meditation of my mind immediately went to Genesis 22:17 where God promised Abraham that his offspring would be as numerous as the sand that is on the seashore. The bewilderment of trying to understand that even before a breath was formed in my lungs, God had already counted me in those tiny grains of sediment. The eyes of my heart burst with a refreshed hope because I’m reminded that because of the grace of God, I am specifically designed by Him with purpose and I’m not forgotten but favored. And tender beloved, you are too. Our Lord wants more than time with us, He wants our full attention, seeking Him, trusting Him, and loving Him more than we love this world or anything or anyone in it. As my twelve-year-old daughter said just the other day, “Love God as He loves you.” I couldn’t have summed it up any better.
We returned home from our vacation and I have fire in my heart believing that when we have that passion for our Creator we thrive inspiring the Kingdom for all of Yeshua’s glory!
May the passion of Christ be deep within our hearts to shine for all to see
“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:30 ESV
*Released in the July 2017 Newsletter
We read the words written within the pages of scripture and wonder if they are applicable to our lives today. Faith is believing the truth the Holy Bible promises without physically seeing just as Jesus told Thomas in John 20:29, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Most often, the proof is found hidden within our hearts. Yet, repeatedly we choose to keep our stories to ourselves, which impedes the revealing of the power of Christ to those around us. A critical factor we must understand is how impactful our testimonies can prove the power of God. I get it, I do. It is scary to place ourselves in such a vulnerable state. It's difficult to take that leap of faith; to walk on water. However, it is a liberating feeling when you know God is working; displaying His power, His wisdom, His Truth. The beauty of it all is that we need no special training, no particular rank and it does not matter how far we are in our walk with God. God uses us, regardless of where we are in our journey. I'm not saying we should divulge our deepest secrets or transgressions. I am saying that we should allow God to use us in a way that can be encouraging to others. God places us in circumstances where we can use our own stories to help someone else and encourage someone else. All we have to do is listen to those around us. I'm a firm believer that God prepares us for what is coming in the future. This means that we can apply the knowledge we gain from our obstacles and hardships so that it may help someone else in the future.
This leads us to the core of the devotion. How often do we try to do it ourselves without seeking God for His help? We run from Him, we hide from our Savior, even though we know the scriptures. We forget, or maybe we just do not believe what He says applies to us too. In Matthew 11:29-30 Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Knowing from my own personal experiences, I have found Jesus' yoke easier than my own. When we rely on ourselves the pressure can be intense. The stress level outweighs any rest or gentleness Christ wants to give us. And yet, time after time, where do we find ourselves? Maxed out, full of tension, and unsure of what to do next. Our eyes dart from left to right begging for a solution to appear and the devil sits back and laughs at us. Did you read that? Let me say it again. The devil laughs at us. Because even he knows the power of Christ. As you are aware, we all have burdens, but we do not have to allow them to destroy us. Let me tell you about one I had to release to God.
The heartbreak I carried for almost a year was laden with grief when I learned of the restrictions and risk of blindness my daughter has due to an eye condition. I visualized my daughter to be the star volleyball player or the softball pitcher with a mean arm. Instead, God gave me a dancer. A little girl who dances with all of her heart as she praises her Savior through artistic grace. As I watch her give glory to our Heavenly Father, I give thanks for my daughter. Not for the daughter I envisioned her to be, but for the daughter Christ has made her to be. When I released her into Christ’s arms, I also relinquished control of who she is and will be. I removed the burden I was carrying by surrendering to His yoke which took the fear out of my heart and replaced it with peace.
May the yoke of Christ ease your heart
This leads us to the core of the devotion. How often do we try to do it ourselves without seeking God for His help? We run from Him, we hide from our Savior, even though we know the scriptures. We forget, or maybe we just do not believe what He says applies to us too. In Matthew 11:29-30 Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Knowing from my own personal experiences, I have found Jesus' yoke easier than my own. When we rely on ourselves the pressure can be intense. The stress level outweighs any rest or gentleness Christ wants to give us. And yet, time after time, where do we find ourselves? Maxed out, full of tension, and unsure of what to do next. Our eyes dart from left to right begging for a solution to appear and the devil sits back and laughs at us. Did you read that? Let me say it again. The devil laughs at us. Because even he knows the power of Christ. As you are aware, we all have burdens, but we do not have to allow them to destroy us. Let me tell you about one I had to release to God.
The heartbreak I carried for almost a year was laden with grief when I learned of the restrictions and risk of blindness my daughter has due to an eye condition. I visualized my daughter to be the star volleyball player or the softball pitcher with a mean arm. Instead, God gave me a dancer. A little girl who dances with all of her heart as she praises her Savior through artistic grace. As I watch her give glory to our Heavenly Father, I give thanks for my daughter. Not for the daughter I envisioned her to be, but for the daughter Christ has made her to be. When I released her into Christ’s arms, I also relinquished control of who she is and will be. I removed the burden I was carrying by surrendering to His yoke which took the fear out of my heart and replaced it with peace.
May the yoke of Christ ease your heart
“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”
1 Corinthians 9:24:27
Competition
The great apostle Paul related life as a great race, numerous times. When we think of a race, we think of a competition. And in each competition, there’s always a winner and always a group of losers.
Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.”
And now the main scripture that I want to focus on today comes from:
1 Corinthians 9:24:27 “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”
Paul loved comparing life to a great race as he did it with many of the churches that he wrote to. It certainly makes sense. We have a starting point and we have an ending point. But neither the starting or ending really matters when we have a whole in between to worry about. It’s that in between that will lay the ground work for many things. It will affect other lives; potentially change the course, either good or bad, it can influence others in ways you may not realize, or lead someone to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ or it can deter them. It’s in that “in between” that many times, it becomes a competition.
I see it in so many families, between friends, at work, and even in churches. I’ve also dealt with family and friends fighting for the spotlight. The comparison of one another, who's better, who's the best, who is worthy of praise. It causes a slew of emotions including anger, resentment, and feeling like 'I'm not good enough.' It’s always easier seeing it in other families as an outsider. Siblings are always trying to out-do one another. “Mom loves me more. Dad said I’m his favorite.” At work there’s always someone trying to impress the boss with their achievements and sweeping under the rug all they do wrong. And in church we have groups that do this or that and won’t support and encourage other groups. It’s all about one thing- being better of the rest.
At what point do we actually take Paul’s words and really hear what he is saying? In the secular world, many are running this great race as if they are alone to get that crown that will only lead to emptiness because they make it a competition instead. But we aren’t from this world, we are only passing through it. We walk with Jesus and we carry Him in our hearts every single day. With Jesus, there are no me’s or I’s- it’s “we” forfeiting any competition that may be in our hearts. When we walk with Jesus, and aren’t against Him or where He is taking others, we lose focus of our own desires and realize there’s a whole big picture that we don’t always see. We may never see it fully but we understand that we are a part of this big scheme God has created to have His kingdom come to fulfillment.
What’s Paul’s last words in chapter 9? “I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” We can preach until we have no air left in our lungs but if we aren’t doing it in a loving manner and holding back His kingdom we will surely lose this race. Churches are closing their doors at an alarming rate. Could it be because they weren’t supportive and see some of the new ministry’s sprouting up as a competition? Their congregations dwindle in numbers significantly because they aren't willing to see the bigger picture- they only see their agenda- not God’s. So, as we continue to run with purpose (I love that phrase), let us remember who we are running with and why. Our steps will either determine, or deter, others. I, myself, would much rather encourage than make it a competition any day of the week. I’m reminded of Matthew 9:37-38 when Jesus said, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So, pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” There aren’t enough workers, and we need more. We have them at our fingertips but competition can sometimes deter them from entering the fields and their work is left un-done. Instead, let’s remember to always do as Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 “So encourage each other and build them up.”
Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.”
And now the main scripture that I want to focus on today comes from:
1 Corinthians 9:24:27 “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”
Paul loved comparing life to a great race as he did it with many of the churches that he wrote to. It certainly makes sense. We have a starting point and we have an ending point. But neither the starting or ending really matters when we have a whole in between to worry about. It’s that in between that will lay the ground work for many things. It will affect other lives; potentially change the course, either good or bad, it can influence others in ways you may not realize, or lead someone to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ or it can deter them. It’s in that “in between” that many times, it becomes a competition.
I see it in so many families, between friends, at work, and even in churches. I’ve also dealt with family and friends fighting for the spotlight. The comparison of one another, who's better, who's the best, who is worthy of praise. It causes a slew of emotions including anger, resentment, and feeling like 'I'm not good enough.' It’s always easier seeing it in other families as an outsider. Siblings are always trying to out-do one another. “Mom loves me more. Dad said I’m his favorite.” At work there’s always someone trying to impress the boss with their achievements and sweeping under the rug all they do wrong. And in church we have groups that do this or that and won’t support and encourage other groups. It’s all about one thing- being better of the rest.
At what point do we actually take Paul’s words and really hear what he is saying? In the secular world, many are running this great race as if they are alone to get that crown that will only lead to emptiness because they make it a competition instead. But we aren’t from this world, we are only passing through it. We walk with Jesus and we carry Him in our hearts every single day. With Jesus, there are no me’s or I’s- it’s “we” forfeiting any competition that may be in our hearts. When we walk with Jesus, and aren’t against Him or where He is taking others, we lose focus of our own desires and realize there’s a whole big picture that we don’t always see. We may never see it fully but we understand that we are a part of this big scheme God has created to have His kingdom come to fulfillment.
What’s Paul’s last words in chapter 9? “I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” We can preach until we have no air left in our lungs but if we aren’t doing it in a loving manner and holding back His kingdom we will surely lose this race. Churches are closing their doors at an alarming rate. Could it be because they weren’t supportive and see some of the new ministry’s sprouting up as a competition? Their congregations dwindle in numbers significantly because they aren't willing to see the bigger picture- they only see their agenda- not God’s. So, as we continue to run with purpose (I love that phrase), let us remember who we are running with and why. Our steps will either determine, or deter, others. I, myself, would much rather encourage than make it a competition any day of the week. I’m reminded of Matthew 9:37-38 when Jesus said, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So, pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” There aren’t enough workers, and we need more. We have them at our fingertips but competition can sometimes deter them from entering the fields and their work is left un-done. Instead, let’s remember to always do as Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 “So encourage each other and build them up.”
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.”
Job 38:4 ESV
*Released in the June 2017 Newsletter
I remember being a new mama as I tenderly held my baby girl for the first time. The feeling of intense joy overwhelmed my entire being. Yet I had no idea how that little life would help transform who I was and how I thought. I lacked the understanding that our Lord and Savior already knew. I could not see how He had already ordained His newest daughter, only minutes old in the world, to teach me, and my hardened heart, how to love another unconditionally. This love was different. It was profound and impactful. I just did not understand it at the time. Which reminds me of another love I did not quite grasp either. We will get to that in a minute.
I reflect on a time when my relationship with God was much different- shallower. I was a new mom and my excuse was I did not have time to dedicate to something as strenuous as having a relationship with Christ. I read the gospel of Matthew and was foolish enough to believe I knew exactly who God was in just one book of the Holy Bible. I am sure the Lord was shaking His head as I am now. It was a few years before I began to understand the whole ‘relationship’ thing and the grace and love of God. It took dedication, time, and a thirst that could not be quenched by any earthly means. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. It has evolved into an obsession of sorts- one that I yearn for from the unfathomable workings of my soul. I need more of God and His understanding. This is how my quest for Truth initiated my hours of study and love for the Lord.
I stumbled across Job a few years ago. His story impacted me greatly as we get to witness a conversation Job had with God. Prior to that, though, Job discusses his situation with his three trusted allies. He tells them, “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living.” (Job 28:12-13) Job made a powerful and bold statement for the world to acknowledge. As much as this spinning globe offers, it is nothing in comparison to the worth and understanding of our Almighty God.
I can tell you who God is to me and how He saved me from violence. I can tell you how He loved me even when I was unlovable. I would testify with conviction of His grace and mercy. I could explain how He has softened my heart, built up my worth, and torn down the walls of pride and self-righteousness. I would speak about the love that I feel and the peace and healing He has given to me as a free gift because I surrendered to Him. But even after all that- it is still not enough to be able to comprehend who God is. He is more than just words on a page. He is something to billions of people for generations and even then, He is more.
So, when I read Job 38:4, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.” I can only bow in humility. “For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14) I am nothing without Him, but with Him, I am everything He wants me to be.
May the understanding of Christ permeate your minds and hearts
I reflect on a time when my relationship with God was much different- shallower. I was a new mom and my excuse was I did not have time to dedicate to something as strenuous as having a relationship with Christ. I read the gospel of Matthew and was foolish enough to believe I knew exactly who God was in just one book of the Holy Bible. I am sure the Lord was shaking His head as I am now. It was a few years before I began to understand the whole ‘relationship’ thing and the grace and love of God. It took dedication, time, and a thirst that could not be quenched by any earthly means. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. It has evolved into an obsession of sorts- one that I yearn for from the unfathomable workings of my soul. I need more of God and His understanding. This is how my quest for Truth initiated my hours of study and love for the Lord.
I stumbled across Job a few years ago. His story impacted me greatly as we get to witness a conversation Job had with God. Prior to that, though, Job discusses his situation with his three trusted allies. He tells them, “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living.” (Job 28:12-13) Job made a powerful and bold statement for the world to acknowledge. As much as this spinning globe offers, it is nothing in comparison to the worth and understanding of our Almighty God.
I can tell you who God is to me and how He saved me from violence. I can tell you how He loved me even when I was unlovable. I would testify with conviction of His grace and mercy. I could explain how He has softened my heart, built up my worth, and torn down the walls of pride and self-righteousness. I would speak about the love that I feel and the peace and healing He has given to me as a free gift because I surrendered to Him. But even after all that- it is still not enough to be able to comprehend who God is. He is more than just words on a page. He is something to billions of people for generations and even then, He is more.
So, when I read Job 38:4, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.” I can only bow in humility. “For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14) I am nothing without Him, but with Him, I am everything He wants me to be.
May the understanding of Christ permeate your minds and hearts
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.
Luke 10:27 ESV
*Released in the May 2017 Newsletter
Some people spend a lifetime sitting in the church pew, reading his word, or teaching Sunday school classes and yet never experience the love of Christ. Do we ask ourselves why?
I felt abandoned by God for a long time. When I began my search for Truth as I was writing Safe Under the Willow I learned who God is and what His promises are. I had to learn who He was and is before I could ever trust Him, especially with something as precious as my heart. Please don’t misunderstand; this isn’t godly thinking. However, for me, given my childhood I had the inability to trust my own parents, so I found it almost impossible to trust anyone else, especially God. Unfortunately, after all my studying I still didn't feel loved by God. I didn’t understand that God wanted all of me as our key verse explains in Luke. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” You see, I was missing some of the components. In my mind I did and my soul pleaded for it. But it all didn’t click.
The scales were removed when I spoke for the first time at a benefit dinner. That night I experienced Gods love exploding through my soul and I consciously dedicated my life solely to serving Christ. Not myself or this world. Prior to that through studies, a solid foundation was built on His word. But my world dramatically enhanced once I knew without a doubt that the Holy Spirit was freely flowing within me. I was set free as I felt the chains fall to the floor. It was a transformation beyond my wildest dreams and I want to share that with all I possibly can. I finally was able to see how my story was tragically beautiful.
One may ask but how can a person experience such a life altering encounter? For me, the only way I was able to do that was by meeting my pain and shame face to face. It was there that I found Jesus in the midst of it. That's when I felt loved by God and not abandoned by Him. I didn’t blame Him anymore, instead I praised Him! When we allow ourselves to overlook or ignore the pain, disappointments, shame, or grief, we aren't allowing Christ to shine His light in the darkness. And when we do that we remain in darkness. We trick ourselves into thinking that it’s in the past; it’s over and done with. That’s when we end up missing the love of Jesus and any hope of healing.
Think of how much God has worked in your life when you allowed Him to enter into your darkness. Then share it with someone who God calls you to and watch how He uses the darkness in our lives for good to shine His light. Then praise His Holy Name and rejoice with gratitude!
May the healing of Christ blanket your heart
I felt abandoned by God for a long time. When I began my search for Truth as I was writing Safe Under the Willow I learned who God is and what His promises are. I had to learn who He was and is before I could ever trust Him, especially with something as precious as my heart. Please don’t misunderstand; this isn’t godly thinking. However, for me, given my childhood I had the inability to trust my own parents, so I found it almost impossible to trust anyone else, especially God. Unfortunately, after all my studying I still didn't feel loved by God. I didn’t understand that God wanted all of me as our key verse explains in Luke. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” You see, I was missing some of the components. In my mind I did and my soul pleaded for it. But it all didn’t click.
The scales were removed when I spoke for the first time at a benefit dinner. That night I experienced Gods love exploding through my soul and I consciously dedicated my life solely to serving Christ. Not myself or this world. Prior to that through studies, a solid foundation was built on His word. But my world dramatically enhanced once I knew without a doubt that the Holy Spirit was freely flowing within me. I was set free as I felt the chains fall to the floor. It was a transformation beyond my wildest dreams and I want to share that with all I possibly can. I finally was able to see how my story was tragically beautiful.
One may ask but how can a person experience such a life altering encounter? For me, the only way I was able to do that was by meeting my pain and shame face to face. It was there that I found Jesus in the midst of it. That's when I felt loved by God and not abandoned by Him. I didn’t blame Him anymore, instead I praised Him! When we allow ourselves to overlook or ignore the pain, disappointments, shame, or grief, we aren't allowing Christ to shine His light in the darkness. And when we do that we remain in darkness. We trick ourselves into thinking that it’s in the past; it’s over and done with. That’s when we end up missing the love of Jesus and any hope of healing.
Think of how much God has worked in your life when you allowed Him to enter into your darkness. Then share it with someone who God calls you to and watch how He uses the darkness in our lives for good to shine His light. Then praise His Holy Name and rejoice with gratitude!
May the healing of Christ blanket your heart
Blessed be the God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ESV
*Released in the April 2017 Newsletter
We recently witnessed what happens when the body of Christ unites as one. God shows His power and glory to His people, and the community around us. The mix of emotions were raw and even painful, but the beauty of God’s love poured out from the Heavens.
Often we are asked to do various missions as we maneuver through our walk with God. At times, they are small in size or task. However, others are on a grander scale and require a body of believers to successfully complete them. God had laid upon the hearts of His people a need in our community. We saw it as a mission and we bravely stepped forward to answer His call. We sought His council, we prayed for His grace and provisions and the outcome was nothing short of amazing. I praise God for the work that was done, but I also believe that it was just a sliver of what He has for us to do. We are not supposed to stop here. There are communities all around us with hurting, needy, and oppressed people. In fact, there are people within our own church that need someone to extend a helping hand, a kind word, a listening ear, or a loving smile.
Too often we lose sight of the mission field as we deal with our own highs, lows, and busy schedules. Sometimes we need a reminder as Paul states in our key verse; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” When we cling to the cross instead of our fears and inadequacies, God equips us with different talents, gifts, and experiences so that we can comfort others. Not just our friends or family, but all who stumble across our paths. Our mission field is right where each of us are standing. It is where we are each moment of every day. We are to push forward with the vision God has laid on our hearts as individuals and as a united body loving (yes, even our enemies) and encouraging every soul we meet along the way.
Being the body of Christ is more than just words spoken at a platform or the scripture that we read. Our cries for injustice of others requires action if we are to shed any sort of light into the world and bring others to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. It requires more than just reading and knowing the Word of God; we must live and breathe the Word of God in every aspect of our lives. And then, ask God to show us who is vulnerable and in need right in front of us.
May the comfort of the Lord blanket your heart
Often we are asked to do various missions as we maneuver through our walk with God. At times, they are small in size or task. However, others are on a grander scale and require a body of believers to successfully complete them. God had laid upon the hearts of His people a need in our community. We saw it as a mission and we bravely stepped forward to answer His call. We sought His council, we prayed for His grace and provisions and the outcome was nothing short of amazing. I praise God for the work that was done, but I also believe that it was just a sliver of what He has for us to do. We are not supposed to stop here. There are communities all around us with hurting, needy, and oppressed people. In fact, there are people within our own church that need someone to extend a helping hand, a kind word, a listening ear, or a loving smile.
Too often we lose sight of the mission field as we deal with our own highs, lows, and busy schedules. Sometimes we need a reminder as Paul states in our key verse; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” When we cling to the cross instead of our fears and inadequacies, God equips us with different talents, gifts, and experiences so that we can comfort others. Not just our friends or family, but all who stumble across our paths. Our mission field is right where each of us are standing. It is where we are each moment of every day. We are to push forward with the vision God has laid on our hearts as individuals and as a united body loving (yes, even our enemies) and encouraging every soul we meet along the way.
Being the body of Christ is more than just words spoken at a platform or the scripture that we read. Our cries for injustice of others requires action if we are to shed any sort of light into the world and bring others to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. It requires more than just reading and knowing the Word of God; we must live and breathe the Word of God in every aspect of our lives. And then, ask God to show us who is vulnerable and in need right in front of us.
May the comfort of the Lord blanket your heart
But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and
gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. Genesis 39:21 ESV
*Released in the March 2017 Newsletter
There have got to be hundreds of stories in Scripture that tell about average people, lowly people, and the elites. As we read their individual stories, God grants us a walk through time where we can sometimes see a sliver of ourselves in the shoes of a man or a woman who lived hundreds or even thousands of years before us. There is a unique aspect of history. It repeats itself over and over again. Whether you lived 2,000 years ago or in today’s world, we all have struggles and hardships. It is no secret that life is challenging. It is proven time after time in our Good Book. But, we do have hope because our Savior has overcome the world!
Recently, I heard the story of Joseph found in Genesis multiple times in a short period. Now usually when this happens there is a great lesson to learn and once I realized it, I knew I had to share it with you all. Joseph started out quite successful in the foreign land of Egypt, being blessed with the Lord’s favor. Everything he did flourished as the blessings showered down upon him. Then, disaster struck and Joseph found himself in prison due to a false claim. Through all of this, we are reminded of God’s great love as we read our key verse in Genesis 39:21. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. This verse shows us that no matter where we are; our not so happy home, sitting in solitude behind bars, working the fields of struggle, or in the streets of despair; God is there, still loving us, even when we do not feel Him.
Some time after he was imprisoned, Joseph saw that two fellow prisoners were troubled due to dreams they each had. With the Lord’s favor, Joseph was able to interpret those dreams. He asked the cup bearer to, “remember me,” found in verse 14 in chapter 40. After two years, that cup bearer remembered Joseph as he remained in prison for a crime he did not commit. Eventually, Joseph was released, and he rose to power because he always sought the Lord and not himself.
The lesson in all this is quite simple yet one of the most difficult to accept and learn. Even when things seem very bleak and full of tyranny, we can look to find God at work…and usually, that is when the most difficult work is done. We become broken and shattered, as we lay before our Lord and Savior crying out to Him for restoration and healing. It is a time when new creation begins to form, and God takes over our lives as we submit our will for His. We cannot be afraid to submit our brokenness to our Creator. Because even still, through our fear of change and our fear of leaving our comfortable place, God loves us and finds favor in His children who seek Him. God blesses us not only to enjoy His blessings, but to also bless others. When you find yourself walking through the valley, remember to look for the blessings so that you may bless one another. That is where you will find the joy to make it through another day.
May the joy of the Lord swell in your heart
Recently, I heard the story of Joseph found in Genesis multiple times in a short period. Now usually when this happens there is a great lesson to learn and once I realized it, I knew I had to share it with you all. Joseph started out quite successful in the foreign land of Egypt, being blessed with the Lord’s favor. Everything he did flourished as the blessings showered down upon him. Then, disaster struck and Joseph found himself in prison due to a false claim. Through all of this, we are reminded of God’s great love as we read our key verse in Genesis 39:21. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. This verse shows us that no matter where we are; our not so happy home, sitting in solitude behind bars, working the fields of struggle, or in the streets of despair; God is there, still loving us, even when we do not feel Him.
Some time after he was imprisoned, Joseph saw that two fellow prisoners were troubled due to dreams they each had. With the Lord’s favor, Joseph was able to interpret those dreams. He asked the cup bearer to, “remember me,” found in verse 14 in chapter 40. After two years, that cup bearer remembered Joseph as he remained in prison for a crime he did not commit. Eventually, Joseph was released, and he rose to power because he always sought the Lord and not himself.
The lesson in all this is quite simple yet one of the most difficult to accept and learn. Even when things seem very bleak and full of tyranny, we can look to find God at work…and usually, that is when the most difficult work is done. We become broken and shattered, as we lay before our Lord and Savior crying out to Him for restoration and healing. It is a time when new creation begins to form, and God takes over our lives as we submit our will for His. We cannot be afraid to submit our brokenness to our Creator. Because even still, through our fear of change and our fear of leaving our comfortable place, God loves us and finds favor in His children who seek Him. God blesses us not only to enjoy His blessings, but to also bless others. When you find yourself walking through the valley, remember to look for the blessings so that you may bless one another. That is where you will find the joy to make it through another day.
May the joy of the Lord swell in your heart
My soul clings to you, your right hand upholds me Psalm 63:8 ESV
*Released in the February 2017 Newsletter |
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If there’s an emotion I know well, it’s the pain of loss. I’m no different than others, the ache and grief that we feel is a difficult walk to try and maneuver through. The hardships and struggles that life seem to hurl at our hearts try to cripple our very existence. Pain may come in different forms but it ends with the same result. We are left feeling defeated and full of hurt.
Often times we are afraid to confront the pain because then, we are forced to feel something we aren’t comfortable with. But sometimes, God will allow something to happen that forces us to look at pain straight in the eyes. We did that recently as a community and a body of Christ.
The other day, I read a quote and it resonated with me profoundly. “Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give but cannot. All of that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.”
As much as I love the quote above, I can’t agree with the last sentence. Grief does have a place to go…right into our Savior. All the struggles, tragedies, heartache, and pain are all known by our Lord. As He hung on the cross after being whipped and tortured, the crimson flowed around Him feeling the ache in His heart of a sinful world. We see story after story throughout scripture where people experience grief and yet God still shows us that He is right there with us as Isaiah 41:10 tells us, Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
David spoke about grief and we find his psalms to voice what the heart can’t always say. Just as our key verse says in Psalm 63:8, My soul clings to you, your right hand upholds me. We must remember the prayers of the psalmist when he says in Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. The physical body may ache and grieve as we mourn the loss but we are promised that our Heavenly Father will save us from our crushed spirits so that when the time is right we may experience the joy in our hearts once more.
John 3:16 reinforces to us For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Eternal life… that’s significant because it gives us hope! And as we reflect back on all the goodness of our loved one, our hope will remain alive as we remember Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Brothers and sisters, when we cling to our Lord and Savior in the midst of loss and grief, we can start to breathe again. We will then understand that once we are able to see past our great sorrow, which takes time, we will begin to think about our loved one’s legacy. The memories of all their goodness flows through us and into others, shining God’s great light into those who need it most in this dark world.
May the peace of Christ blanket your heart.
Often times we are afraid to confront the pain because then, we are forced to feel something we aren’t comfortable with. But sometimes, God will allow something to happen that forces us to look at pain straight in the eyes. We did that recently as a community and a body of Christ.
The other day, I read a quote and it resonated with me profoundly. “Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give but cannot. All of that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.”
As much as I love the quote above, I can’t agree with the last sentence. Grief does have a place to go…right into our Savior. All the struggles, tragedies, heartache, and pain are all known by our Lord. As He hung on the cross after being whipped and tortured, the crimson flowed around Him feeling the ache in His heart of a sinful world. We see story after story throughout scripture where people experience grief and yet God still shows us that He is right there with us as Isaiah 41:10 tells us, Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
David spoke about grief and we find his psalms to voice what the heart can’t always say. Just as our key verse says in Psalm 63:8, My soul clings to you, your right hand upholds me. We must remember the prayers of the psalmist when he says in Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. The physical body may ache and grieve as we mourn the loss but we are promised that our Heavenly Father will save us from our crushed spirits so that when the time is right we may experience the joy in our hearts once more.
John 3:16 reinforces to us For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Eternal life… that’s significant because it gives us hope! And as we reflect back on all the goodness of our loved one, our hope will remain alive as we remember Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Brothers and sisters, when we cling to our Lord and Savior in the midst of loss and grief, we can start to breathe again. We will then understand that once we are able to see past our great sorrow, which takes time, we will begin to think about our loved one’s legacy. The memories of all their goodness flows through us and into others, shining God’s great light into those who need it most in this dark world.
May the peace of Christ blanket your heart.
