January 23, 2025

God Will Provide the Lamb

May 9, 2014 by

And Isaac said to Abraham, My father! And he said, Here I am, my son.
[Isaac] said, See, here are the fire and the wood,
but where is the lamb for the burnt sacrifice?
Abraham said, My son, God Himself will provide a lamb for the burnt offering.
So the two went on together.
Genesis 22:7-8

We all know the story.  Abraham is asked to give the ultimate sacrifice.  He obeys and, at the last minute, as Abraham is about to kill his son…God stops him.  He hears a word from the Lord.  It was a test to see if Abraham was willing to be obedient, and he was.

It’s almost beyond our comprehension, right?  That we would take our child by the hand and lead them to a place where we knew we would take his life.  Abraham truly loved God and trusted Him above all else.  He knew that if God made a covenant with him that He would follow through.  Remember, Isaac was the promise that Abraham would be the father to many nations.  But how would that happen if God was telling Abraham to kill Isaac?  Abraham believed that God would provide.  As the two walked up the mountain, Abraham trusted His Creator.  Abraham built the altar…still no word from God.  He laid Isaac on the altar…God still had not provided.   Abraham took the knife to sacrifice his son…and still no provision.  Then a word from God came, saying the sweetest words that Abraham had ever heard, telling him not to lay a hand on Isaac.

But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said,
Abraham, Abraham! He answered, Here I am.
And He said, Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him;
for now I know that you fear and revere God,
since you have not held back from Me
or begrudged giving Me your son, your only son.
Verses 11 and 12

Abraham then saw a ram and offered it up to God. He even called the very place, “The Eternal One Will Provide.”

In verse 8, Abraham states, “…God will Himself provide the lamb….”  What is it that God is asking you to do today?  Is it something you are putting before God that He’s asking you to sacrifice?  Maybe it is your time. I know today He asked me to step out of myself and do flood relief cleanup.  Oh yes, it was a beautiful day on the beach, the last pretty day for a while and I would’ve loved to relax but I knew my time was better spent helping clean houses that were still saturated.

Friend, if this is you and you don’t know what God is asking or telling you He wants you to give up, I encourage you to spend some time at His feet, praying and seeking His will for your life.  Prepare your heart to hear and then be obedient.  It may be a test—like Abraham’s—or it may be for your own good. But this we know for sure…it will be for His glory!

  ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  * 

Let us pray:  Dear Lord, thank You for always providing a lamb.  We are in awe of Your love for us and Your sovereignty.  Thank You for guiding us and asking us to do Your will.  And that we can have faith that no matter what…You have our best interest at heart.  Your will is perfect and I hope that I would lay down my life to serve You.  Help us to listen, and prepare our hearts to be willing to serve You.  We love You so much!  In Your Son’s name we pray, amen.

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Where is God in the Storms?

May 2, 2014 by

holdontohopeencouragement

This past week I have seen so much devastation and loss.  It has happened to good people, in fact, our worship pastor lost his home and all his furniture and memories as his home flooded in a matter of thirty minutes. It was scary, yet there was peace because we know Who is in control. Still, people are hurting as memories and keepsakes are now in ruins. God is still good and His heart breaks for His children. As He watched the floods and storms  that affected so many, “His heart was filled with pain” (Genesis 6:6).

So what do we hold on to in the midst of all the chaos? It is this: that God is good, all the time and that “He works all things to the good for those who love the Lord” (Romans 8:28) All things, my friend. This verse doesn’t say that God makes bad things good or that bad things are good. It says that God can take the bad and use them to bring about good in His children’s lives.  God is a loving God. He is not a punishing God that is constantly looking at ways to reprimand us.  When things happen in our lives that are not what we want, or what we think we need, please know that God is still loving you and He may be allowing this for a purpose.  If we could see the big picture, I am sure we would not write our story any differently. He loves you and He walks with you and He promises to never leave you or forsake you.

For You are my rock and my fortress;
For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.
Psalm 31:3

What do you picture when you read that verse? He is a Rock, always strong, always firm and He is a Fortress, a place to dwell in hard times.  One thing we know about life is that it is hard; another is that God is our Strength and our protection. He goes before us and walks with us. He carries us when we can’t put one foot in front of the other.

So if today finds you in a hard place, hide in Him. If life is too much today, trust His heart and His promises. And if you don’t know Him, I invite you to accept Him today. This could be the first day of living free! He loved you enough to die for you so that you could live forever with Him! Jesus took your place and He took all your sins and mistakes and nailed them to the Cross.  Are you ready?  I invite you to pray this prayer with me:

*  ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

Dear Lord Jesus,

I know I am a sinner and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I want You as my Lord and Savior and I trust and follow You today. Guide my life and help me to do Your will and to come to know You more. In Your name I pray, amen.

If you took this step today, we are celebrating with you!

Holy Spirit give them courage!

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CHRISTLife — ThirtyThree: Worthy

February 26, 2014 by

cl worthy

Worthy ~ having sufficient merit or importance, estimable, honorable

Do you know that you are worthy in your Father’s eyes?  Read that definition again and let it sink in.  You are worthy.  Do you see that nowhere in that definition is the word “feeling”?  We rely so much on those, feelings I mean.  We base our worth on what we have done, who we have hurt, what we have said and who we have said it to.  You are not defined by what you have done, praise the Lord!  You cannot do anything to get in to Heaven.  You were bought with a price and that price was the life of Jesus Christ.  God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die on the Cross with every sin that we would ever sin on Him.  God had to turn His back on His own Son, they were separated by darkness—His only Son was beaten and suffered for you.

The only way to be worthy is through Jesus Christ.  You have to accept Him as your personal Savior; apart from Him, you are not worthy.  It’s that simple, really.  You confess with your mouth that you are a sinner and you fall short of the glory of God;  then you ask for forgiveness and ask Jesus to come live in you and walk with you through this life and to fill you with His joy.  Oh friend, I cannot begin to tell you how amazing this is.  If this is hard for you to believe, and even if it’s not, listen to just how worthy He says you are!

But God so rich in mercy and He loved us so much
that even though we were dead because of our sins,
He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead.
(It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)
For He raised us from the dead along with Christ
and seated us with Him in the Heavenly realms
because we are united with Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:4-6 NLT

If you are a parent, when you hold that beautiful baby in your arms, you are in love. Fast forward to the years that they try you every single day.  Are they still worthy to be your child?  Yes!  Just as our Heavenly Father feels about us, no matter how far down we have gone, He still loves us and calls us His.  He designed each one of us to do good works for Christ.  And He wants us to do good works of eternal significance.  We are called and chosen by God to finish well.

Think about this: God made us. We may all get here differently.  Some are prayed for and loved on.  Some are unwanted by their parents while some are brought in with love.  We may not like our circumstances but each one of us has the chance to be born again.  Before the earth was created, God knew all of the details of our lives. Here’s what we do know:

  • God chooses us: You are chosen, individually by name.
  • God is always with us: Even if our parents have neglected us, God never leaves us or forsakes us.
  • God names us: Before we were given a name by our parents, God already knew us.
  • God calls us: We are all wanted! God wanted us because He called us and designed us from the womb.
  • God saves us: He has made a way for us to be born-again!  You actually get a do-over!  He wipes away all your sins, your many mistakes and messes and gives you a clean slate. He writes your name in the Book of Life with a pen…it cannot be erased. He gives you a hope for the future! His mercies are new every day, to all of us! Each one of us has the same opportunity with God! Whether you are rich or poor, sick or well, God sees us all the same—His!
  • God is our Father: You may have a father that doesn’t interact with you, or maybe he’s never told you that you matter.  But God promises us that we can know His voice and that we will become more like Him daily, as we spend time with Him and in His Word.

God chose you despite your failures and sometimes uses them for His benefit.  Now it’s our job to spread the hope to others.  God’s people are hurting and may be feeling a little less than worthy but we know they are and we need to tell them.  So from now on, don’t overlook anyone.  Make everyone feel important and tell them this: “God loves you!”

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Let us pray: Dearest Lord, thank You for creating us and loving us before we were ever a thought in our parent’s mind.  Thank You for having such good things in store for us and for all the blessings that rain down on us every day.  You are amazing and so loving and we praise You for that.  Lord, forgive us when we speak negative to ourselves.  Help us to remember Whose we are always and may we never forget the price You paid for us.  Give us the courage to step out of our comfort zone and tell others that they are loved by You and that You have a great plan for us all.  Keep us humble, oh God, and keep our ears open so we will hear Your voice always over the lies of the enemy.  We love You and we thank You.  It’s in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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CHRISTLife — TwentyEight: Empowered

February 19, 2014 by

cl empoweredMost times it’s through weakness that we experience God’s strength. He uses our weaknesses and the areas that we feel less strong to open a divine door. Without weakness we would rarely experience His strength. My mind goes back to Gideon and his army of 300, yet he was equipped to do exactly as God intended and defeat an army that worshipped idols.  He started out with 3000 men, and God reduced the army to 300.  Another example of less is more is the feeding of the masses with just loaves and fishes.  Doesn’t our God just have a way?  When we trust Him with our life, can’t He equip us and empower us for exactly what He has for us to do?   You already have access to the strength the Spirit gives, simply because He lives in you!

He has called you for supernatural acts, my friend, which require supernatural equipping.  We must be charged up in order to do the will of God.  Like your cell phone, it will do you no good if it is not charged.  Same with us as believers, if we do not stay connected to His Word, and in tune with His Spirit, how will we know what  God has in mind for us?  He speaks to us through His Words in the Bible. And at the end of this chapter, there are a few verses that were recommended for deeper study and I thought we could go through them together…

Your right hand, O Lord, is majestic in power; Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.
Exodus 15:6

God saved the Israelites by parting the Red Sea.  It is an almighty symbol of God’s saving work on behalf of His people.  This event is a reminder of the salvation of our God.  How do you remind yourself of His great saving work in your life? What “red sea” do you need Him to part in your life today?

I love You Lord, You are my strength.
Psalm 46:1

This was written toward the end of David’s life when there was peace.  God is praised for His works and blessings thoughout the years.  What blessings has He done in your life, and have you praised Him for it?  What if are you struggling with right now?  Even if… He is worthy to be praised.  What is your “if?”  Even if the world around you is crumbling, we don’t need to fear.  In the face of utter destruction, the writer expressed a quiet confidence in God’s ability to save him. No matter what, God is our refuge.  Even if there’s turmoil and trials, He’s not just a retreat—He is our Eternal Refuge and strength in every circumstance.  He is always providing, always there to help.  His power is complete and He gives us victory over all!  He will never fail you, He will always rescue you.

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord Himself is my Strength and my Defense; He has become my Salvation.
Isaiah 12:2

God is never too tired or too busy to help and listen to His children.  His strength is ours and—if we stay close and engaged in His Word—we will always have His strength at our disposal. All you have to do is say His name and seas calm, problems fade, and you are restored.  Even if a whisper is all you can muster, Yahweh is listening and ready to intervene.

Friends, you may feel like you don’t have what it takes to do battle for God, but He sees it differently.  He sees you as equipped, empowered, full of strength and ready for any task laid before you.  1 Corinthians 1:27 says,”But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”  If this is you, you are exactly where God wants you. You are in a position to listen and accept what He has for your life and you are humble enough to know that you cannot do anything on your own.  For He has promised that when we are weakest,  He is strongest.  And when we are at our lowest, His strength carries us.  It is such a precious time of communion that we don’t ever want to forget and we will always cherish such times.  I encourage you to journal and keep a list of when you and God are more in union and you couldn’t make it another minute without His strength.  Then you have a battle plan to share with others and a faith that can move mountains!

Let us pray: Dearest Lord, thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit in me.  Help me to never get in the way of Your perfect plan.  I pray for a fresh filling every morning, oh God.  I thank You for Your power in me, for Your patience in my weakness and for Your strength when I need it most.  Lord, keep me humble. Keep me teachable and positioned to hear You only.  Silence the voices of the world that can be so loud and can drown You out sometimes.  Help me to remember that the only way to hear You is to be still and listen and to read Your word and pray. Thank You for parting our “Red Seas” and for taking care of our “if’s.”  Forgive us when we forget that You are enough.  We love You and praise You and sit at Your feet.  Precious Lord, thank You for hearing us. It’s in Jesus name we pray, amen.

 

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CHRISTLife — Eighteen: No Longer Condemned

February 5, 2014 by

cl no longer condemned

Why is it so hard to accept His forgiveness?  Why do we automatically think that He is condemning us for the sins that He so readily forgives and forgets?  I remember watching each one of my babies begin to walk.  I remember the praise, the clapping, and oh the hugs!  Yes, they stumbled; and yes, they would fall—but did I ever condemn them?  No…I ran to them, exactly where they were in the exact spot that they fell and I picked them up, held them in my arms for a while, sat down a minute or two just holding them and just being still, enjoying every moment with them.

Don’t you see?  Your Heavenly Daddy does the same thing, except He has the ability to actually forget the sin.  When you accepted Jesus as your Savior, you were made new.  Your name was written down in the Book of Life by the God who created you and the pencil He wrote which has no eraser!  So no matter what you have done or will do, you can never be separated or condemned for your sins.  You may feel a nudge sometimes to repent, but once you have asked forgiveness, you are set free from your sin.

The enemy, however, loves to condemn us and speak lies to us; but that’s what they are—just lies.  The condemnation that you may feel is from him…the same enemy that tempted man to sin in the first place.

At the end of this chapter, Mrs. Myers asks her readers to reflect on a few verses. Let’s read them together shall we?

But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed.
You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you.
These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord,
their vindication will come from me, I, the Lord, have spoken.
Isaiah 54:17

You are His servants…He’s talking about you!  No weapon against you can stand!  He has promised that we will live eternally with Him if we just ask Jesus to be our Savior! He died with our sins on Him.  He cleansed us with His blood.  We are forgiven, made new, cleansed from our filth.

God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save it.
John 3:17

To SAVE it, not to CONDEMN it. He let His only Son die a horrible death, and couldn’t even look at Him because of all the sin that was cast on Him.  Jealousy, addiction, pornography, oppression, murder, robbery are all sins that were on God’s Son when He died.  All that we would do would be undone by Him.

There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him.
But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged
for not believing in God’s one and only Son.
Verse 18

If this (“anyone who does not believe in Him…”) is you, stop now and take a minute and invite Him in.  If you don’t know how, I suggest you reach out to one of us, or a pastor or a friend that you know is saved.  This is the most important thing you will ever do.  And we celebrate with you this day that you become new.

But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law.
When He was hung on the cross, He took upon Himself the curse for our wrongdoing.
For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on the tree.”
Galatians 3:13

He has rescued you!  You are promised everlasting life!  This is the heart of our Christian faith, that we cannot get right with God on our own works but by His blood…and by God’s grace we are saved.  He promises us that all we have to do is trust, receive, and just rest in Him.  So I leave you with a question from this chapter:

What makes you most grateful for your new identity in Christ?

(You can leave your answer in your comment under this blog…I look forward to celebrating with you!)

Let us pray:  Dear Lord, thank You that You love us enough to let Your own Son, Who knew no sin, become our sin and die a horrible death so that we may live forever with You.  You are patient, long-suffering, our Stronghold, our Provider, our Comforter and our Redeemer.  Thank You for meeting us right where we are and not expecting us to be anything more than who we are.  You created us to glorify You and oh, how we fall short sometimes but You take us back, just as we are, You pick us up from our many falls and You hold us and love us.  Forgive us when we try to control things around us, for You are in the drivers seat, and we are so grateful.  Gently nudge those today who need You; let this be for someone out there today who needs a Savior.  It’s in Jesus name we pray, amen.

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Sweet, Sweet Spirit

January 30, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjvIt’s December 22, 1990. It’s cold outside—and inside, really.  I’m wearing a green velvet dress and I’m waiting to walk down the aisle.  It’s my sister’s wedding. Not expected really, two daughters marrying in one year. We needed the Holy Spirit now, more than ever. See, my sweet daddy was giving away his baby, his last daughter and it wasn’t supposed to be this soon. She had a sweet blessing on the way and made the decision to get married. She and I both always wanted our dad to sing in our weddings and here we were. He had just sang at mine and that was hard but now he could barely choke out the words. We were “praying and we were praying through.”

A lady by the name of Doris Akers wrote this beautiful song in 1945. One night, as she prayed with her own choir, she felt they weren’t ready for the service and they really needed to pray. Again and again they prayed and they didn’t feel Him. Then she said, “We need to pray and pray through!”  They did and the Holy Spirit came down in a powerful way, just like it did that day in December during my sister’s wedding. The next morning, Doris had this song in her mind, playing over and over. She titled it, “Sweet, Sweet Spirit.”  Here are the lyrics:

There’s a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place,
And I know that it’s the Spirit of the Lord;
There are sweet expressions on each face,
And I know they feel the presence of the Lord.

Sweet Holy Spirit, Sweet heavenly Dove,
Stay right here with us, filling us with Your love.
And for these blessings we lift our hearts in praise;
Without a doubt we’ll know that we have been revived,
When we shall leave this place.

There are blessings you cannot receive
Till you know Him in His fullness and believe;
You’re the one to profit when you say,
“I am going to walk with Jesus all the way.”

If you say He saved you from your sin,
Now you’re weak, you’re bound and cannot enter in,
You can make it right if you will yield,
You’ll enjoy the Holy Spirit that we feel”

Words and Music: Doris Akers / Performed by Gaither Vocal Band & SSQ

  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~  *  ~  *  

When Jesus left earth to go back to His Father, He left us with a task that we could not possibly do on our own. He made it clear that we would need the power of the Holy Spirit.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you
and you will be my witnesses.
Acts 1:8

Have you ever thought about how your life is different because you have the Spirit living inside you? He is your comforter, advisor, encourager, and strength. He guides us in the way we should go!

So as believers, we do feel the “sweet sweet spirit” in this place.  And we know that it’s the Presence of the Lord.  Need Him today? Call on Jesus, ask the Lord for His Holy Spirit to fill you and guide you in every direction and every aspect of your life. And pray and pray and pray through!  What a gift we have been left by Jesus Himself.

And like the song says, “I am going to walk with Jesus all the way!”

Let us pray:  Dear Lord Jesus, we thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit to guide us and comfort us and fill us so that we can have the joy and freedom given by being saved.  Help us to empty ourselves of us and receive Your Spirit and all that goes with that.  We love You and we praise You for giving us the strength to resist temptation, to be able to love each other, to spread Your hope and good news to the world.  Thank You for the Spirit to intercede on our behalf when we don’t even know what to say.  Help us to keep our eyes on You.  For it’s in Your Name we pray, amen.

 

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CHRISTLife – Three: Swan Story

January 15, 2014 by

1513255_414194085379002_1926593591_nI have been the swan and I have been the ugly duckling.  It all depends on the lens that you are looking through.  When I was in my late teens, I battled an eating disorder….  Oh, I knew what God said about me—that my body was a temple and I was to honor Him with it.  But I saw total imperfection.  I went to counseling and ultimately God and I won the victory (but notice I put Him in the equation!)  I remember looking in the mirror and seeing one thing; then closing my eyes and praying to see myself the way God did.  I cried out to the Holy Spirit and asked Him to be my eyes. You know what? When I would open them again, I saw God’s creation—a beautiful young woman on fire for His Kingdom.  Isn’t that what it is all about?

We know how we see ourselves.  We have given ourselves many, many names.  Some not so nice, right?  So I thought I would find proof of what God thinks of us, or how He defines us in His Word.  At the end of the chapter, there are many verses to look up and I would like to read them together, okay?  Then you decide, swan or (ugly) duckling.

But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like cedars of Lebanon.
For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house.
They will flourish in the courts of our God.
Even in old age they will still produce fruit, they will remain vital and green.
They will declare, “The Lord is just! He is my Rock! There is no evil in Him!”
Psalms 92:12-15

Palm trees are known for their long life; so to flourish like a palm tree is to stand tall and to live a long time.  The cedars of Lebanon are 120 feet in height and 30 feet in circumference!  So, if we are strong like these, we are solid, unshakable, strong, and immovable!  God sees us as godly ones, His children who are unmoved by winds of circumstance, because we have Him on our side.  Our foundation is a God Who never changes and is not shaken by the struggles of this world.  These struggles only make us more beautiful in His eyes.  You see, we have won the victory through Jesus!!

So all of us who have had the veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.
And the Lord—Who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like Him
as we are changed into His glorious image.
2 Corinthians 3:18

As believers in Jesus, the veil has been removed and we can be like Him!  How then can you see anything other than beautiful?  As we read about Him and become close with Him, we see the truth about Jesus and it transforms us.  And as we learn more about His life and His sufferings and death on our behalf, our knowledge deepens and the Holy Spirit works in us to change us into Christ-like daughters. And so it is that the more closely we follow, the more like Him we will be!  Now what do you see in that mirror?

Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you,
because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing.
2 Thessalonians 1:3

Paul always started his letters out by saying what he appreciated about his readers and the joy he felt because of their faith in God and their love for each other.  He is thanking God for these people!  As a community of Jesus followers, aren’t we better together?  Shouldn’t we be uplifting to each other?  I challenge you to find ways to encourage the women around you.  We can get so caught up in the comparison game and falling short of our neighbor.  But God created you to be you and to be the most amazing you that you can be.  In His image we are created and we are made to love each other like He loves us.  How much better the world would be if everyone felt this love?  We wouldn’t have many insecure women if we followed Paul’s example.

And last is…

Rather you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
All glory to Him, both now and forever! Amen.
2 Peter 3:18

This is Peter urging his readers to grow in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus, to get to know Him more and more by walking close to Him.  No matter where you are in your journey with Jesus—whether you are mature in your faith or just a beginner—the world is sinful and it is always a challenge to our faith.  There is always room to grow!  Never be content with where you are.  Always seek and pray and read His Word.  You will grow in the grace and knowledge of Him!  The closer you are to Him, the more strength you have to handle these hard and trying circumstances we will go through. This is beautiful, my friends!

Now, answer the question that is asked in this chapter:

“How confident are you
that you truly can change, grow,
and become more than you now are?”

Let us pray:  Dear Jesus, we praise You for Who You are!  You are never changing, always the same and, in this uncertain world, we cling to You!  You love us and You created us to be Your followers.  In Your image we are made and You are perfect. Forgive us for the critical things we say about ourselves and for the constant comparisons we make to each other and to ourselves.  You never meant for us to be anything other than beautiful, full of grace, always forgiving, loving, God-fearing followers of You.  Help us to stay in Your Word and to always remember who You say we are. We are a swan in Your eyes;  help us to see and believe. You are so patient with us always.  We love You and thank You for always loving us and accepting us. For it is in Your name we pray, amen.

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Looking back and Looking Forward

December 28, 2013 by

Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.     Romans 12:2

A verse for the new year, don’t you think? As I look back on 2013, I see God’s hand in all of it. I cannot imagine a day without Him, really, and I don’t want to. This year has been challenging for sure, yet my faith has grown by leaps and bounds. There have been times of scarce resources yet God has provided loaves and fishes. My children have not gone hungry and there has always been a roof over our heads. The Lord is so good.

Kyle started a new job this time last year. He has been on the road for most of 2013 and had a lot of time with His Creator. I have had the privilege of watching God grow and mold him into the husband and father that He intended him to be. The marriage that almost ended has been completely renewed  and restored to an even more magical and Spirit-filled marriage, and love for each other is greater than ever. We found a church home and a group of wonderful godly people who love us for us and accept us just the way we are, but love us too much to let us stay content. How amazing when God puts people in your path that actually speak truth to you and help you grow spiritually.

I’ve watched my children grow spiritually through some pretty hard things. But, isn’t that how God works? It’s through the tests and trials that our faith grows and we realize that with God we can do anything. They have seen God do the impossible, too. As much as I would love for their lives to be easy, without hardships and heartaches, their character and faith and relationship with Him grows out of the dark murky soil. I wouldn’t change anything. God is good and all He gives is good. We cannot see the big picture so we don’t see how all these pieces fit together. But God does—and He puts the tapestry of our lives together. I love that I can look back with a smile knowing that He WAS  in control; I love that I can step into next year knowing that He IS in control. What would I do differently? Nothing!

So what are my hopes for the new year? For starters, I don’t want to take one step that He does not ordain. And what is the best way to hear what He says about our future? We go to His Word. His promises always come true and His word is more valuable than any amount of money.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect,
but I press on to make it my own,
because Christ Jesus has made me His own.
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.
But one thing I do; forgetting what lies behind
and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward
the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3, verses 12-14

‘Forgetting the past,’  ‘pressing on toward the goal,’  ‘for the prize,’  amazing words! And the prize is the the call on your life—an anointing on your life from your Father.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17

You are a new creation, the old has passed! 2013 has passed, there is nothing that can be done about it now. If wrong has been done, then we repent, ask forgiveness and move forward, right? And that is all that is required. We are forgiven. Grace is ours for free! And there’s more…

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.
Behold I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and (spring) rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:18-19

This is actually our family life verse. He does make a way in the desert—He always has and He always will. When there seems to be no way, He makes a way. He is the way. John 14:6 says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Friends, if you don’t know Jesus and you don’t know the way to the Father, please read these Scriptures and pray them back to Him. All you have to do is ask Him to come in to your heart and live forever. Then read His Word and begin the most important and amazing walk of your life.

Last is Isaiah 43:1-28, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name and you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.” (Verses 2-5)

 He has called you by name and you are His!! Praise the Lord, He will walk in to 2014 with you and you will start fresh. You have an empty slate, a fresh start, a do over, if you will. All your steps are ordained and He will go before you and make a way for you! Oh…how He loves you and can’t wait to do life with you this year. So let’s take a deep breath, and take His hand and step on into the new year….

Let us pray: Dear God, our Father, thank You so much for this past year, for our successes and failures, for our victories and for trials, for keeping us safe and for loving us always. You are an amazing God, and even the rocks cry out to You. You are our Abba Father, our Daddy, we can crawl up in Your lap and forget the world. Thank You for going before us and making a way for us in the wilderness. Thank You for the fresh springs in the desert and for giving us the victory before the trial. Lord, as we walk in to this new year, I pray Your hedge of protection be around us and our families. Provide all we need, Dear Jesus, and keep us close to Your heart. I’m excited to see what;s in store for us this year! For it’s in Your name we pray, amen!

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapters 14 and 15 – Love Always Hopes, Love Always Perseveres

November 21, 2013 by

16daylovechallengehopesperseveres

 

Love always hopes

What does it mean that love always hopes?  In 1 Corinthians 13:7, we find four things that love “always” does. Love is not just an idea…it is an action.  The third action in this verse is that love always hopes.  Love is always hopeful.  In the Greek language, “hope” is from elpidzo, meaning ‘to hope or wait for salvation with joy and full confidence.”  This word, hope, is used 32 times in the New Testament alone.  Hope expresses more than a wish or a desire, but a confident belief in the unseen.  Hebrews 11:1 says,”Faith is being sure of the things we hope for and being certain of what we cannot see.”  Faith, hope and love are often connected in the Bible.  In Colosians 1:4-5, they are combined again: “We heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in Heaven.”

Just as God is called “Love,” Jesus is called our “Hope.”  He is the Hope within us. And the hope that will be seen by others around us.  If we are living in such a way—with such a hopeful attitude—then we will reflect the way of Jesus and bring glory to His Father.

Part of showing love is hoping, and part of hoping is seeing the good in others. If we treat others as they should be treated, then we have a part in helping them become who they should be.  As moms, we are always encouraging our children and showing them that there is hope in such a hard world.  If you have ever been in a job loss situation, what got you through?   Was it hope in Jesus, believing that at some point He would rain blessings down on you if you could just hold on long enough.  Hope holds on long enough.  Have you ever had a horrible medical diagnosis, maybe one that was a sure death sentence? What if you went ahead, planned your funeral, told your kids goodbye and moved away? That, to me, is life without hope.  Hope believes that Jesus has a miracle that is waiting just for them.

What about when you accepted Jesus as your Savior?  You had hope that His death would save you from all your sins and that you would live eternally with Him in Heaven. Without hope, where would we be? I’ve known many alcoholics and addicts.  They cling to the hope that one day they will be clean and stay sober.  Hope helps us bear the unbearable, my friends.  To a Christian, hope is the knowledge that we are being changed for the better as we trust in God’s promises.

The Bible is full of examples of men and women who hoped in God’s promises.  The patriarch Abraham is a model of hope for believers.  When he was 75 years old, God promised to bless him with many descendants, as many as there were stars. Abraham believed what he heard. Yet he had to wait another 25 years to see his hope fulfilled. Never once did he doubt God Almighty.  His hope wasn’t in his own ability to have a child at this old age, but he trusted an unchangeable God—the same God we worship today. Hebrews 6:19 describes this hope as “…an anchor for the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast.”

You may be thinking to yourself, “How did Abraham stay hopeful for that long?” And perhaps, “How can you stay hopeful for what you need?”  The Bible says that Abraham was a friend of God.  He was also His servant. He stayed obedient and God gave him what he needed. You can do it too.  How you ask?

1. Submit yourself to God.  He is the source of your hope.  He alone.

2. Strengthen your faith. Let the previous blessings that He has given you remind you of the Blesser.

3. Trust His timing. Sometimes He answers our prayers and gives us what we hope for quickly and other times He allows us to wait. Through faith and patience, Abraham’s hope was fulfilled.

4. Thank God today.  Though it is hard to rejoice as we wait for hopes to be fulfilled, rejoicing opens the heavens for blessings to rain down. (Romans 5:1-5)

Have you lost hope? You can have it again, you know. Right now, turn to Him Who is able to do so much more than we could or would ever ask and ever hope for, and rest in Him. He knows and He never goes back on His word.

Love always perseveres

Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Persevere defined, means to bear up under pressure.  It’s a military term meaning that an army must hold a vital position at ALL costs. In fact, love must mean perseverance or you shouldn’t say it unless you are willing to give all, to develop, to protect and keep that love.

When we say “I love you,” it not only means forever but it means also that we will fight anything that would get in the way of that love lasting!  Anything else is not love.  At the end of the passage above, we see love stand against overwhelming opposition as it bears all things, believes all things and hopes all things. Perseverance is the unending climax of love.  It is always on high alert and never stops fighting for the relationship.

Oh yes, the father of lies has his say and we may have some obstacles thrown at us; well… let’s say we will have some lies thrown at us.  And lies will be whispered to us like, “Love shouldn’t be this hard!” or “Love should be effortless!” or “Love is tolerance.”  Friends, this is a recipe for disaster and very un-loving relationships.  Love doesn’t just let people do what they want to do, and love doesn’t just care about happiness of the other person. Love has to make some hard choices sometimes and has to say hard things.  Our society leans more towards “God just wants me to be happy.” and gives up at the first sign of trouble. I want to give you some examples from Scripture of real, persevering love. We will start with Hosea.

  • The book of Hosea was written by the prophet and it tells a larger story of the Israelites unfaithfulness to God. It begins with Hosea marrying a prostitute and she becomes unfaithful to him, of course, and leaves him. He goes from house to house to find her and buys her back for 15 shekels of silver and some barley, a large amount. His love for his wife was a persevering love, never giving up.
  • Next is Stephen. In Acts chapter 7, Stephen is attempting to reason with the Jews and persuading them to trust in Jesus as their Savior. We all know how this ends— with them dragging him out of the city and stoning him to death.  As he is breathing his last breath, he cries out to the Lord, saying,”Lord, do not hold their sins against them.”  Even in dying, Stephen showed persevering love by reaching out to those who were killing him. He was more concerned with their salvation and knowing Jesus as their Savior than he was for his own life.
  • Then there is Jesus.  Jesus went to the Cross because He loves you with a persevering love like no other.  He took the sins of all mankind on Himself, so that we would be forgiven through our faith in Him.  And God your Father loves you with an everlasting love. Nothing you can do or say will ever separate you from Him.  There is no sin so great that can’t be forgiven.  If you are here today and you have not accepted Jesus as your Savior, I encourage you to ask Him in your heart today. Tell Him you know you’re a sinner. Confess it to Him and ask for His forgiveness. It is free. You will forever be changed and will live eternally with Him. Oh, yes—there will still be some trials and things you won’t like, but He overcame this world. Romans 8:35 says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” The love of Jesus perseveres through any hardship that may come your way!  No matter the circumstance you find yourself in, there is nothing that can separate us from Jesus.  His love perseveres through it all.  And this should be our example to follow…to love others in the same way.  So now when you say love, you mean that you will fight to the end for them!  As Jesus did for us….

Let us pray:

Lord, we praise You and thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your Son to die in our place, so that we may live with You forever.  Oh Lord, we, on our own, cannot love as You have commanded, and without first loving You, we cannot love like You ask us to love each other.  Please give us the desire and fill us with the kind of love that only You can give, that it will be overflowing from us to all who know us and may we never grow tired of spreading the good news of You.  If we love each other, then we want the world to have what we have, and that is You. And for those who have accepted You today for the first time, may we keep discipling them and may they truly begin to walk closely with You.  How exciting to finally be alive! Be with us as we carry the message to this dying world.  In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 9 Love Keeps no Record of Wrongs

November 14, 2013 by

16daylovechallengenorecordofwrongsHave you ever played putt-putt golf?  Do you remember what the scorecard looks like? I’m thinking that it looks a little like the one we keep in our heads.  Who’s name is at the top of the scorecard?  Is it a husband, friend, sibling, parent or yourself?  Is it an ongoing score card? I know…I’m asking a lot of questions…but only because I’m concerned.  I, too, was a score keeper.  I had so many scorecards with so many names on them and I can tell you I didn’t let anything go.  No free passes and no excuses and not much grace.  I wanted grace but I didn’t give it.  Which brings me to the hard question that is in the book, “Would I want to hold another accountable for their small transgression against me and run the risk of having the Lord repay me for all of my sins?”

Hold on to that scorecard for a minute.  I want you to look up 2 Corinthians 5:14-21. “So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view” (verse 16).  “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ as we plead, ‘come back to God.’  For God made Christ, Who never sinned to be an offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (verses 20-21).

Jesus tells us that because of His death on the Cross, we are a new creation.  We are never the same person that we were.  We are His ambassadors.  The way we do things and the way we see things has to be 180 degrees different than the rest of the world.  We are Christians and, as His followers, we do things a little differently.  So, if the rest of the world is holding grudges and taking other people’s inventory and suing his Christian brother, what are we to do differently?  I know, we are to go the extra mile for our neighbor. We are to love our enemies.  We are to wash the feet of those who have wronged us.  We are to remember that—just as our own sins were nailed to the cross all those 2,000 years ago—so are the people’s sins that are at the top of your score cards.

He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our sins…

Isaiah 53:5

 I feel that if Jesus were sitting right here today, He may just tell us to go ahead and rip up the scorecards.  To shred them into pieces and throw them away.  And He would speak words to us , maybe something like this…

“My child, I suffered evil, shame and wrong, yet I love all of you who brought Me pain.  I have never sinned, yet I gave up my rights for your sin and I was slain.  My love was rejected by sinful men, yet I loved expecting nothing in return.  I have been mocked and beaten, yet I forgave.  From me, and my example, learn.  Make my death count for something.  For when you keep a record of someone else’s wrongs against you, you are saying that my death wasn’t enough.  I ask you to love Me with everything you have—your heart, soul, mind, and strength—and second, love your neighbor as yourself.  Especially when they’ve wronged you.  And forgive, forgive, forgive and forgive again. And love, love, love them. For I love you and I forgave you and I erased your sins and the slate is clean. Remember, if you want to be My disciple…deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Me.”

Friend, have you been hurt?  Wronged deeply by someone you love and trusted?  Then may you ask for grace greater than all your sin and theirs because usually when we are hurt, we usually sin against the person that has wronged us.  Jesus wants you to know that He has overcome the world and, as His followers, we too will overcome the world. Freedom, my friends, comes from forgiveness.  The record of wrongs keeps us in bondage.  The person you are keeping record of usually has no idea.  It’s in our minds and hearts; and can become so big it stands in the way of our God.  Free yourself today by forgiving whoever you need to forgive and pray to your Father to fill you will such love for others that you will never be the same!  You will never be the same!

I leave you with this…Jesus praying for us and about us to His Father.

And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it,
that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
John 17:26

* * * * *

Let us pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, You are our Maker, our Redeemer, our Provider, and You are full of mercy.  Lord, we come to You today asking for forgiveness for keeping records of wrongs made against us.  We keep score and pride slips in and makes us feel better or less. Lord, we are all sinners but You died to forgive us, You died so that we don’t have to carry the weight of our cross day in and day out.  Give us the strength to let it go, to lay the scorecards at Your feet forever and leave them there.  If we are tempted to pick them back up, help us to remember that You died for them too.  Give us a heart to respond to others and to pray for others.  Help us to know You better and to serve You with all that we have.  We love You and we thank You for what You are doing in each one of our lives. Thank You for freedom from these chains. For it’s in Jesus name we pray.  Amen.

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