November 25, 2024

Eve: The Life-Giver

August 15, 2014 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

As Eve opens her eyes, she hears a voice echoing an elated response. “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called ‘woman’ for she was taken out of man.”  Her strong husband took hold of her and their laughter could be heard all throughout the garden. (Can’t you just hear it?)

They took walks together and had many long talks and they were naked and unashamed. They were in paradise and they were in fellowship with the Creator, their God. There were no shadows in Eden, no disorder and no discord or fear. Until the day that changed it all.

Enters the serpent, the enemy.  He said to Eve,”Did God really say that you can’t eat from any tree in the garden?”  He goes on to say,”You won’t die. God knows that your eyes will be opened and you will be like Him, knowing good and evil.” Eve listened closely. She remembered how God’s voice brought her joy. Could she possibly be like Him? It didn’t take her long to challenge what the serpent said. She took a bite of the apple and then shared with her husband. Darkness filled their souls and order was now disorder and trust was now fear. This was not what she expected.

Then they hear the voice of their Creator. They ran and hid. “Where are you?” God called. “I heard You and I was afraid, and so I hid from you because I was naked.” Sin had formed a separation between them and God.  And God, with a heavy heart, had to banish them from the garden.

But God is still a loving God and, even in the punishment, He promises Eve children! I can only imagine that Eve was at her lowest point…the life she had known was totally gone—they were now having to toil land and look for food instead of the fresh fruits of the garden. But God is a God of grace. He is now and He was then. He never stopped loving them. Yes He judged them but His grace was abundant.

Where are you today? Maybe you are at your lowest. You’re in a great position to get on your knees before God and soak in His love for you. Maybe you are in the garden with Him right now. Your relationship with Him has never been better and you are walking so close with the Creator. Relish this time. Listen to Him. You’re in a great position to hear from His heart. Maybe you don’t know Him and He is not Lord of your life. Would you like to? If so, then I invite you to pray with me at the end.  I want to close with His Word.

From the fullness of grace we have all received one blessing after another.

John 1:16

But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:20-21

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And now, if you are one of those who do not know this Lord and Savior, I invite you to pray this prayer with me:  Dear God, I know that my life isn’t what it should be and I know it is because You are not in it. I know I am a sinner and I need Jesus. I believe Jesus is Your son and He died to save me from my sins. I ask forgiveness. I want to know You more. Come into my heart and be my Savior. Thank You for what You are about to do in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Job’s Wife, It was Hard Work

August 8, 2014 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

Many of you know the story of Job….  He is going about his life and all is going well. He is blameless and upright and loves God. Then the enemy goes to God and says that Job is only blameless and a follower because his life is so perfect. Like, who wouldn’t be, right? But his God knew better and He allowed some pretty awful things happen to him. He lost his land and his livestock and his money. He watched his children die and he pretty much lost it all.

Job grieves after these tragedies and then…falls to the ground and worships God! After his health goes down , and he’s in so much pain, his wife enters the story. In Job 2:9 she says to him,”Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die.” Now, she is who most of us can relate to. I mean, I totally get his wife. Even though I know I belong to God, and I do love Him with all that I am, I do understand being so overwhelmed and broken in my circumstances that my faith has been drained and I have really been upset with God.

We as Christians (those who have matured or have just became one) understand that trials and struggles will come, as Philippians 1:29 says “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for Him.” Yes, we are promised suffering. But we are also promised an abundant life.  And though it hurts, we know the end result is a life with Him forever. The most important thing is for Him to be glorified and for others to see how amazing He really is. And He promises in Romans 8:28 that all things will work together for good! (Look that verse up and underline it!)

Back to Job’s story….  God blessed the latter part of his days. His future held so many blessings, he couldn’t even count them. What a promise and a hope to hold onto! It’s hard when you are going through such difficult things to actually fall to the ground in worship.  We may be more like Job’s wife and want to curse God. Or naybe tell Him that we could write the story so much better and the pain would be so much less but we would make sure He got the glory, right?  Wrong! Sometimes the only way He is glorified is to see Him working in a life that is at the end of the human rope. Nothing and no one can do anything to make it better—then God steps in and saves us. No other way but Him.

I can tell you that I have lived through seven years of hard and I am just now seeing the ‘why’ of it. I cannot say that I understand it, but I can say that I totally trust Him. Others will know for sure that it is nothing that we (our family) have done, only our God. But we did believe…and we did keep walking when we really just wanted to stay in bed…and we did keep thanking Him for what He was doing in our lives. Some days all I could say was Mark 9:24, “I believe, help my unbelief.”

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If this is you today, and you’re really wanting to fall on the floor and cry, remember that God is sovereign and He knows what He is doing. If you could see the end of your story, you wouldn’t change a thing. And most of all, He will get the glory and others will come to know Him, through you! And if you are one that doesn’t know Him, please ask Him today to be Lord of your life. All you have to do is pray this simple prayer:

Dear God, I know I am a sinner and I need forgiveness. I know that I need a Savior. I believe that You sent Your Son to die on the Cross to save me from my sins. I want Him to come into my heart today and be my Lord. I want to walk with You through this life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Encouragement Comes in Many Forms

August 1, 2014 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

This morning I’ve been meandering around FaceBook…noticing oh-so-very-many encouraging posts.  This—the encouragement—is a wonderful use of social media such as FaceBook, don’t you think?  Encouragement comes in MANY different forms; for example,

  • beautiful photographs of God’s gorgeous Creation that are shared
  • quotes that nurture our souls and motivate us to go and do
  • prayers that are offered to sisters in need
  • and (my favorites!) Scriptures that you post to remind another of God’s goodness, His grace and mercy, His faithfulness, and His love.

It is through the history depicted in the Scriptures that we come to know so much about our great God and His heart for all mankind.

For whatever was thus written in former days was written for our instruction, that by [our steadfast and patient] endurance and the encouragement [drawn] from the Scriptures we might hold fast to and cherish hope.
Now may the God Who gives the power of patient endurance (steadfastness) and Who supplies encouragement, grant you to live in such mutual harmony and such full sympathy with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,
That together you may [unanimously] with united hearts and one voice, praise and glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

Romans 15:4-6

Truly it is by and through the Scriptures that our hearts and minds are encouraged. In the Bible we read of God’s promises, we hear of the Hope of eternity spent with Him (and each other) in His Kingdom, we learn of our Father’s unconditional love. All intended to encourage us!

Here are definitions for the words encourage and encouragement from Webster’s 1828 dictionary:

ENCOUR’AGE, v. enkur’rage.

  • To give courage to; to give or increase confidence of success; to inspire with courage, spirit, or strength of mind; to embolden; to animate; to incite; to inspirit.

ENCOUR’AGED, pp.

  • Emboldened; inspirited; animated; incited.

ENCOUR’AGEMENT, n.

  • The act of giving courage, or confidence of success; incitement to action or to practice; incentive.

Each of us knows by experience…some more than others, it is true…that there are days when we simply feel that we don’t have the courage to endure. There are times when the stresses and pressures of this world cause our little hearts to cave and we doubt we can handle them. There are life situations that we struggle through worrying and being overwhelmed at times. These are all situations and circumstances in which we must find a way to seek the One Who has made us promises, the One Who is faithful, the One Who loves us unconditionally…the One Who desires to encourage each one of us!

There is SO MUCH that is good and joyful and righteous and blessed and a blessing  to think about!  When we set our thoughts on THESE things, we will be encouraged!

Finally, brothers,
whatever is true,
whatever is noble,
whatever is right,
whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely,
whatever is admirable—
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—
think about such things.
Philippians 4:8

It is our’s and our’s alone…a constant choice we have to work towards being encouraged!  We are not alone in this!  We have each other…we have the Scriptures…we have Jesus…we have the Holy Spirit…and we have God Almighty!  We CAN do this!  We can become encouraged and live with joy and rejoicing!  So…

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4, 6and7

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My prayer and desire for each of us:

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds…
but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:23-25

 

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Love is the Home for Both

July 25, 2014 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

In the fifteenth chapter of Luke, starting with verse 11, we read the story of the prodigal son.  I’m sure you have read or heard this so many times but bear with me for a minute.  The actual word ‘prodigal’ means the squanderer or the waster. And the “prodigal son” did squander his inheritance and totally wasted all that his father gave him.

If you think about it, we have all played both roles at some time in our lives. Maybe at one point we are the older, responsible son—keeping everything in order and never disappointing our Father, and looking down on those who do and those who give the sinner a break. We have also been the younger one—wasting our inheritance from our Father, turning to anyone or anything that will make us “happy”, and running so far the other way.  But instead of finding happiness and freedom, we find ourselves in slavery to this other life that we thought we wanted so desperately.  We find ourselves starving for real substance and we are desperate for the life we had before.

And then there’s the father who never gave up on his son, and continued to search and wait and believe that they will one day be a family again. The son returns and the father lavishes love and compassion and hugs. He gives him his best robe and a ring and acts as if nothing happened. Even when the older son gets mad and protests, the father does not judge him. He is fair and just, resembling our Father in Heaven.

Here is the story:

Luke 15:11-32 (NIV)
The Parable of the Lost Son

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.  After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.  When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’  So he got up and went to his father.  But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.  Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.  ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’  The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’  ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

Which son do you relate to?  Have you run so far or are you a slave to something other than God?  Have you wasted all that God has given you for something you thought was better?  Or are you the older brother, looking down on the one who made the bad choices, and maybe a little bitter when he is given mercy by others?

God is your Father and He loves you.  If you have run away, He is ready to meet you where you are.  He is willing to accept you just the way you are and give you the finest life and the abundant blessings that are yours!  All you have to do is ask.  God’s arm reaches so far and you can’t ever outrun Him.

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Do you know this Father I’m talking about?  Do you want this unconditional love that you’ve just read about?  Then pray this with me:

Dear God, I know I am a sinner and I need forgiveness.  I believe that Jesus, Your Son, died on the cross to save me from my sins and I will have Him in my heart forever.  I love You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Elisha and the Widow

July 18, 2014 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

Elisha and the Widow—She Always had Enough

A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming back to take my two sons to be his slaves.”  So Elisha said to her,”What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in this house?” And she said,”Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”  Then he said, “Go borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors-empty vessels, do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons, then pour it into all these vessels and set aside the full ones.”  So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her and she poured it out.

2 Kings 4: 1-5

Notice this poor woman sought out a man of God to help her. She was at the end of her own resources and the creditors were about to take her sons! Today, we may get our cars taken away, or our homes foreclosed on…but no one is going to come get our children for an unpaid debt, am I right?  So, as you can imagine, she was desperate.  And Elisha was available to help, and he was a man of God.  In order to fight, she knew she needed God on her side.

Elisha did not condemn her for her debts nor did her try to get rid of her because her problem was too hard or he was too busy.  He didn’t have the solution to her problem but he knew God did and he trusted Him.  Obviously the widow was in great poverty and she didn’t have much.  In fact, if you look at the above passage, all she had was some oil.  She had sold all she had to attempt to pay off her debts. But for God, this was just enough for Him to bring deliverance to her . See, God told her, through Elisha, to borrow empty vessels and pour the oil into them. And she did.

God isn’t restricted by an amount of oil. He multiplied what she had to fill all the empty vessels. But she had to have the faith to believe He would come through or else she wouldn’t have done her part. She could have thought that was crazy and she would have never been delivered. She BELIEVED what God had told her.

Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full , that she said to her son,”Bring me another vessel”.  And he said to her,”There is not another vessel.” So the oil stayed.  (verse 6)

All the vessels were filled and the oil stayed only when there was not another single empty vessel. Yet these were enough to pass her and her children from bankruptcy into having abundance.

Then she came and told the man of God. And he said,  “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt, and you and your sons live on the rest.”  (verse 7)

The oil was so much that she and her sons paid off their debt. They were delivered from their problem and she also gained a treasure.  All because she sought the Lord’s deliverance and believed with her whole heart that He would come through for her.  She went to God, poor and oppressed and she left rich and delivered.

What about you today? Are you in need? Do you need a miracle? All you have to do is call on Him and believe that no matter how big or how small, He can and will give you all the riches you desire and abundance from Heaven. His Word is full of stories like this one, of faith delivering people from awful situations. Just believe in Him and He will come through.

Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

Do you know Him today?  Or maybe you have just moved a little far from Him right now.   If so, all you have to do is call on Him and He will answer.  Just seek Him and He will be found.  And if you haven’t been saved by asking Jesus into your heart, you can do so right now!

 

Just pray with me:  Dear God, I am a sinner.  I need forgiveness.  I believe that Jesus is Your Son and You sent Him to die on the Cross for my sins.  I have been set free!  I ask that You come into my heart and save me, and walk with me forever.  Thank You for everything!  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Rahab-She Was So Much More

July 11, 2014 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying,
Go view the land, even Jericho.
And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
Joshua 2:1

We often name our children after some heroes in the Bible, such as Caleb, Daniel, Hannah, and even Moses. But we never hear of a child named Jezebel or Rahab for obvious reasons. Who would name their child after such women whose values are so much less than our own?

Interestingly, Rahab was an Old Testament harlot who vaulted in the New Testament for her faith. That’s right, she is mentioned right up there with Abraham, Noah, Joseph, and Moses. In Hebrews 11 (often referred to as ‘Faith’s Hall of Fame’), these characters from the Bible are referred to including Rahab the harlot. Hebrews 11:31 reads,”By faith, the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not.”  She is there because of her faith…not her profession.

Joshua’s first test of leadership was Jericho.  It was the only way into the Promised Land.  He sent two spies there to survey the land and report back on what they saw.  When they got there, they sought refuge in the home of Rahab, because strange men entering the home of a prostitute wouldn’t look suspicious  to anyone.

The king of Jericho, however, received a report that the two spies had arrived in Jericho under cover in the dark of the night. “Behold”, he was told, “men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country” (Joshua 2:3).  He immediately dispatched soldiers to search the home of Rahab, but Rahab had hidden the two men on her roof and she told the king’s men that the men had left the city before the gates were shut for the night.

Rahab’s courage allowed Joshua’s spies to report back to their new leader and as we all know from the song, “Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down.”

Rahab and her family were spared death because of her courage and the reason she is so esteemed in the New Testament comes from what she said to the two spies. “The Lord your God,” she told the two spies, “He is God in Heaven above and on earth beneath” (Joshua 2:11).  In spite of the gods that Rahab worshipped, she realized and professed that the Israelites’ God was the real God and she proved her faith by works.

Don’t you see the message in this story? It’s all about faith! Faith is not, and cannot be viewed as, a private treasure for only us to enjoy.  It must be shown for others to realize that God is the real deal! So I challenge you today to allow your faith to show up in the lives of others through serving God’s children. We do this by showing love, just like Rahab did to these men that she didn’t know. Would I do the same? I would like to think so.

Do you know the God I’m writing about today? He is the Real Deal and He loves you so much.  He can shelter you from this world, giving you hope and rest and strength for this journey. All you have to do is pray this simple prayer:

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Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and I need forgiveness. I ask that Your Son Jesus, the One and only Savior, come into my life and change me. I know that He died for my sins so that I may live forever with You.  Thank You for loving me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

If you prayed this prayer today, let us know in the comments section so we can rejoice and pray with you!

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He Sets Us Free

July 4, 2014 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

Today is July 4th and it’s all about the freedom of our country.  We are so blessed to live here in this place where so many have fought and died for us to be able to go to church, read our Bibles and meet together and worship in homes. So many places today still have rules about Christianity and have to meet in secret or they will be killed.  In the Middle East, Christians are being persecuted every day for their faith.

Not only are we free as a country, we are free in Jesus. We should celebrate this everyday, praising Him and worshipping Him for all He has done for us. God sent His Son to die in our place so that we could live free today with our sins washed away. Sometimes thoughts come in of our past—things we have done or said that we so wish we had not.  The enemy starts in on us, and we start with the name calling. Today this was me…so I went to His Word to remind myself of who I am in Him. These were some of the verses that He led me to and I wanted to share with you.

2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

1 Corinthians 6:12
“Everything is permissible for me”–but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”–but I will not be mastered by anything.

Galatians 5:13-14
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galatians 3:22
But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Ephesians 3:12
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Psalm 119:45
I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.

Psalm 118:5
In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free.

Acts 13:38-39
“Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.

Romans 6:22
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

1 Peter 2:16
Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

Colossians 1:21-23
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation–if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the Gospel.  This is the Gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Romans 8:20-21
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Romans 8:1-4
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

Galatians 2:4
[This matter arose] because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves.

Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…

Luke 4:18
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed…

I challenge you to check out the word freedom in the glossary of your Bible and look up some of the verses and claim them.  Memorize them so that when those thoughts come in, you have His Words in your heart to combat them and then take them captive.  Let His grace wash all over you for you are a child of the King!

And if you don’t feel free today because you really aren’t in a relationship with Jesus, it’s your day to have a life that is free.  Jesus loves you and He died for you.  You don’t have to do anything except ask Him to come into your heart and be your Lord and Savior.

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Let’s pray this together:  Dear God, I know I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness.  Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to die for my sins so that I can live eternally with You.  I am ready to be free.  Please come and be Lord of my life.  I give my life to you today.  In Your name I pray, amen.

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Jonah and the Big Fish

June 27, 2014 by

jonah2.2prayer

Jonah and the Big Fish

I’m sure if you have been to Sunday School ever in your life, you have heard the story of Jonah and the big fish.  Here is a little recap: God orders Jonah to go to Ninevah to warn them that God is going to smite them for their sins.

The Word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai.
“Go to the great city of Ninevah and preach against it,
because its wickedness has come up before Me.”
Jonah 1:1-2

Like many people these days, Jonah isn’t thrilled to go to Iraq and his new assignment.  So he goes missing, nowhere to be found.  Next thing we know, he is jumping ship at Joppa and is headed for Tarshish and God is really not happy with him.  So He sends a storm of huge proportion and the sailors start to pray for a rescue,  “each cried out to their own god…”.

Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose
that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid
and each cried out to their own god…
Jonah 1:3-5

As the storm gets rough, Jonah goes below the deck and takes a nap.  Why is he sleeping at this stressful hour?  He is avoiding difficulty.

It doesn’t work.  The captain decides to wake him up and the rest of the sailors are trying to figure out why all this is happening to them.  Jonah begins to explain that he worships the Lord God Almighty and that at this very moment, he is fleeing the Lord’s commands.  The sailors are so afraid to hear about God.  They all worship a god of their own so why are they so frightened of the Lord? They are realizing that Jonah’s God is mightier than their own.

Finally Jonah tells them to throw him overboard to please the Lord.  The sailors hesitate at first, not really wanting to toss him over.  They try to row the other way but it’s all for nothing.  So, as a last resort, they throw him overboard (verse 15) and guess what?  The storm stops and the sailors make a sacrifice to God (verse 16).

The Lord God Almighty provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah (verse 17). “Provided” is amazing.  The fish isn’t really a punishment, the fish is salvation.  Jonah spends a long, relaxing weekend in the belly of a fish.  He stayed on his knees praying the whole time and thanking God for rescuing him from death (Jonah 2:2-9).  God commands the fish to spit him out.  He is free and ready to do God’s work.

Do you see how much prayer plays such a big part of this story?  God hears and answers and saves him from certain death.  But the miracle doesn’t stop there. Jonah goes to Ninevah.  The Ninevites pray and it works and God pardons the city.  Prayer again is working (Jonah 2:1,10)!!

Prayer leads to God’s provision—always.  It may not be exactly what you asked for but God always answers.  And, depending on how close you are listening, you just may hear Him.  We see God’s character; He may be demanding but He is always merciful. And you may see something as punishment but it  just may be saving your life.  Whatever you may be going through right now, the Lord knows and He sees and He is ready to save you.  His timing is perfect.   Whether He sends a fish (or spares you the fish), He is always on your side and He has a perfect plan.

Do you know Him? I love Him so much that I want everyone to get to experience His love. If your answer is “no, I don’t know God”, then I ask you to pray this simple prayer with me.  Today is your day and your life can change.

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Let’s pray together: Dear God, I know I am a sinner and I need forgiveness.  I believe that Jesus, Your Son, shed His blood for me and my sins are forgiven.  I confess Jesus as my Lord and Savior and accept You in my heart.  Thank You for grace unlimited and for this new life that is mine through You.  In Your name I pray, amen.

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He Found Her

June 20, 2014 by

nameLordstrongtower
There is a story in the Bible about a mother that no one loved. Is there a name that comes to mind?  My first guess was Rebekkah, the mother that deceived her husband and stole the birthright from her firstborn. But it is not. Do you remember Hagar? She was the Egyptian handmaid to Sarah, the wife of Abraham.

Sarah was unable to have children, so Sarah suggested that Abraham have relations with Hagar so he could have a son. She thought she would be fine with it. She wasn’t at all. See, she wanted an heir for Abraham so badly and she was not willing to wait on the Lord, and the plan turned on her. She became really jealous. She put her will before God’s.

So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar and she became pregnant.
But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt.
Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault!
I put my servant in your arms, but now that she’s pregnant she treats me with contempt.
The Lord will show who’s wrong—you or me!”
Abram replied, “Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit,”
Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.
Genesis 16:4-6 NLT

So, you can see that Hagar is the least-loved mother  in the Bible.  She was young, she was pregnant, and she was all alone.  Instead of help, she received harshness and Abram, the father, turned his back on her also. She had no one—no family or friends.  But she had God.

The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness,
along the road to Shur. The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant,
where have you come from, and where are you going?”
“Im running away from my mistress, Sarai,” she replied. The angel of the Lord said to her,
“Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.”
Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.”
And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son.
You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’),
for the Lord has heard your cry of distress.
Genesis 16: 7-11

What do you think of Hagar? When the world was ready to blame her, the Lord redeemed her. Hagar was lost and the Lord found her. She was alone in her wilderness, and really alone but God came to her rescue.

For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.
Luke 19:10

The Lord found her… the Lord favored her. He promised her more descendants than she could count and told her that she was already pregnant!  Ishmael is full of God’s favor yet the world thinks differently. Did she deserve it? No, but Jesus says in Matthew 11:28,”Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest.”

The Lord became her friend. “Therefor, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said,”You are the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:13). Hagar gave her new friend a new name that day, “El Roi,” which means ‘the God who looks, inspects, considers’.  She considered Him the God who saw her needs and decided to help her. God never left her alone.

Is this you today? Do you feel alone or abandoned? If the world has cast you out or maybe you have retreated to your own desert, the Lord sees you. He knows where you are and He will meet you right there! He loves you and He is your friend. He sees you! Hold on to His love today and cry out to Him. There is so much joy waiting for you and blessings beyond your wildest dreams. And if you don’t know Him or you don’t know how to reach Him, then pray this with me:

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Dear God, I am a sinner. I know I need Your forgiveness and mercy. I want a new life, and I want to walk with You. Today I ask You into my heart, to guide me and direct me. Thank You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen!

{{ If you prayed this prayer today, please let us know in the comment section.  We  would love to rejoice with you in this journey and be praying for you! }}

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I Choose Jesus

June 13, 2014 by

Jesusthewaythetruththelife

I have searched to find the meaning of this life
Something that would fill my empty soul
Some believe a lie, choose darkness over light
But I will stand and let the whole world know

I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
The One who first chose me

I stand unashamed trusting in one Name
‘Cause I have seen the Cross and I believe
This choice comes at cost, all other things are lost
No other love could mean so much to me

I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
The One who first chose me
I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
For now and eternity

He chose to love me when I felt unlovable
He chose to reach me when I felt unreachable
He carried me out of my fear and doubt
How I want the world to know—I choose Jesus

Singer/Songwriter: Moriah Peters along with Tony Wood, Chuck Butler, Ed Cash

* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥ ~ * 

Have you searched to find meaning and SOMEthing that would fill the emptiness of your soul?  I have….  Oh, how I yearned to KNOW I was l-o-v-e-d!  Probably for most of the first quarter century of my young life, I attempted to fill that void. But nothing…not accomplishments, not approval, not food, not inappropriate relationships…nothing was able to fill that hole in my heart.  And, assuredly, there is nothing COULD fill that hole in my heart…only Jesus.

perhaps you have heard this quote,
“There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person,
and it can never be filled by any created thing.  It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ.”
(Blaise Pascal)

I think that pretty much describes it well—a ‘God-shaped vacuum in the heart.’  I believe God created man (and woman) with that need.  And I know He perfectly provided for the filling of that vacuum when He made Adam and Eve and gave them the opportunity to have perfect fellowship with Him every moment of every day.  And I trust He would have always supplied their need…but they were deceived.   They chose to think that something else—being equal and alike to God Almighty—was the true answer to their needs.

But the serpent said to the woman,
You shall not surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and calamity.
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave some also to her husband, and he ate.
Genesis 3:4-6

And, because they chose the deception of the enemy of their souls, and disobeyed the One Who truly DID love them, they lost that fellowship and perfection connection and the fulfillment that a relationship with their God gave them.

And mankind has suffered under the sin of Adam since.  But God would not allow His plan, His desire to fail.  And He provided so that all of humanity could have that ‘God-shaped vacuum’ filled in the way He has originally planned.

By this the love of God was manifested in us,
that God has sent His only begotten Son
into the world so that we might live through Him.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us
and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:9-10

Jesus IS the perfect and complete filling of that vacuum!  We do not need to search or attempt to fill the void inside…we need to accept God’s perfect provision making Jesus our Lord and Master and live our lives in obedience to Him.

In this beautiful song, Moriah Peters sings, “He chose to love me when I felt unlovable…He chose to reach me when I felt unreachable…He carried me out of my fear and doubt.”  No longer do I (nor you either!) have to search for something to fulfill the emptiness, the void.  We need to choose Jesus!  He has chosen me (you, too)!

Sing and praise along with me…

I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
The One who first chose me
I choose Jesus, I choose Jesus
For now and eternity

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