Tag: Encouragement

Loaded with Fears

I don’t care how tough you are.

You may be a Navy SEAL. 

Doesn’t matter. 

Every parent melts the moment he or she feels the full force of parenthood!

How did I get myself into this? 

My moment came in the midnight quiet of an apartment

in downtown Rio De Janeiro, Brazil,

as I held a human being—my daughter—in my arms.

The semi-truck of parenting comes loaded with fears.

Will we have enough money? 

Enough answers? 

Enough education? 

It’s enough to keep a parent awake at night.

God has a heart for parents! 

Are we surprised? 

After all, God himself is a father.

What parental emotion has he not felt? 

But because of his great love for us,

Romans says, “he did not spare his own son but gave him for us all. 

So with Jesus, God will surely give us all things!”

ALL THINGS—

must include courage and hope!

~ Max Lucado

Don’t take anyone else’s word . . .

“Don’t take anyone else’s word for God.

Find Him for yourself, and then you too will know by the wonderful,

warm tug on your heartstring,

that He is there, for sure.”

~ Billy Graham

(My note:

“Don’t take anyone else’s word for what’s in the Bible.

Read it yourself.

Many people,

including even some well-meaning pastors,

take scripture out of context

and use it for their own opinions to try to get a point across. ~ Sharon)

Joy in Sharing

by Billy Graham

We . . . offer our sacrifice of praise to God by telling others of the glory of his name.
–Hebrews 13:15 (TLB)

Jesus knew that one of the real tests of our yieldedness to God is our willingness to share with others.

If we have no mercy toward others, that is one proof that we have never experienced God’s mercy.

Emerson must have been reading the gauge of human mercy when he said, “What you are speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.”

Satan does not care how much you theorize about Christianity, or how much you profess to know Christ.

What he opposes vigorously is the way you live Christ.

Some time ago a lady wrote and said, “I am 65 years old. My children are all married, my husband is dead, and I am one of the loneliest people in all the world.” It was suggested to her that she find a way of sharing her religious faith and her material goods with those around her. She wrote a few weeks later and said, “I am the happiest woman in town. I have found a new joy and happiness in sharing with others.” That’s exactly what Jesus promised!

Prayer for the day

There is no greater joy, Father, than sharing Your love. Help me to convey this in all my dealings with others.

When we learn to trust the Lord

When we learn to trust the Lord,

we will begin to have a sense of rest in the Lord

knowing that He has everything under control

even when life seems to be out of control.

Trusting God will get us to the point where we make a decision to trust in Him

and NOT in our own understanding.

God wants to give us a full and abundant life,

but He only asks for us to believe in Him.

“Trust in the LORD forever,

for the LORD, the LORD,

is the Rock eternal.”

– Isaiah 26:4 NIV

THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT

…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17b

Scripture is God’s Word to us. Get to know it. It is the source of truth, assurance and comfort. Learn its lessons. Let God use it to speak to your heart. Look to it to cut through the enemy’s lies and spiritual deception, and to reveal the truth. Use it to persuade others about God’s love and forgiveness.

When God’s Spirit impresses us with a verse or a passage of Scripture to use in our battle against the enemy in a particular conflict, we are able to defeat our enemy. The Bible calls this taking the sword of the Spirit.

Jesus defeated Satan the three times he was tempted in the wilderness by using the sword of the Spirit. (see Matthew 4).

Ruth’s world changed when she chanced to find a Bible. She was fifteen when she was rummaging through her Muslim family’s library. She found it hidden behind the other books. She says, “I quickly read a few pages and the message immediately touched my heart, even though I understood practically nothing of it. Secretly I began to read the Bible regularly in my room. I knew that I had to do more with this. I wanted to get to know Jesus better.”

She adds, “I don’t remember how it happened, but my family realized that I was showing too much interest in Christianity. My whole family was against me, especially my mother.”

“You’re a Muslim,” she said. “Why are you throwing your life away? Why aren’t you like other girls? You’ll soon be going to university and then you’re going to marry a respected Muslim!”

Ruth’s voice falters and for a moment, she doesn’t say anything. “I suffered a lot,” she continues. “But still I kept reading the Bible in secret. The Lord Jesus keeps drawing me closer to Him.”

RESPONSE: Today I take the sword of the Spirit so I can expose the tempting words of Satan.

PRAYER: Lord may the two-edged sword of Your Word be ready in my hands today and in the hands of those reading it for the first time.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS)
A daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks

© 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission

We are called to obey “The Great Commission”

Matthew 28:19-20

New International Version (NIV)

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20

Amplified Bible (AMP)

19Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them

[a]into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

    20Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you,

and behold, I am with you [b]all the days ([c]perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion),

to the [very] close and consummation of the age.

[d]Amen (so let it be).

What is “The Great Commission (commandment, instruction)?
It is the instruction and last words Jesus spoke before He ascended to heaven. He commanded that we are to go into “all the world” and:
  • Make disciples
  • Baptize those who become disciples, and
  • teach them to obey everything Jesus has commanded

These words are called “The Great Commission” (commandment, instruction) and were given not only to the 11 disciples who were with Him at the time, but to all believers from then on.

At first glance, this instruction would seem to be straight-forward and easy to follow. But let’s go a little further and analyze these verses so that we have the tools and understanding that we need.

When Jesus instructed His disciples to go and make other disciples of all the nations, He included  “Gentiles” as well as Jews.

Notice Jesus instructs them to baptize other disciples into the name (singular tense) of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. We can see clearly that the concept of the “trinity” comes directly from Jesus Himself.  However, the word trinity well describes the three-in-one nature of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. In researching the word trinity, no results were found in the following version(s) of the Bible: Amplified Bible, New International Version, American Standard Version, King James Version or New American Standard Bible. This one verse emphasizes both the unity and plurality of God (Greek singular).  Many passages show that the work of one involves the work of one or both of the other two Persons. There is no hierarchy of persons here. We must be careful that we do not lose either the unity or the diversity in the nature of God. (Part of this exegesis was derived from The New International Version and The New Living Version of the Bible.)

Why is baptism important?

Baptism unites a believer with Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection as a symbol of death to sin and resurrection to new life. Baptism shows submission to Christ and a willingness to live God’s way.

How is Jesus present with us?

  • He was present physically from His birth until He ascended into heaven.
  • He is present spiritually with us through the Holy Spirit.

Practical Applications and Understanding our Task

regarding “The Great Commission”

  1. The Great Commission is not an option, but a command given to us by Jesus, so we should obey.
  2. If we don’t obey, then we have failed, or omitted to follow His instruction.
  3. We don’t have to be preachers, or evangelists to teach.
  4. We all have gifts given to us by God that can be used by Him to enable us to fulfill these commandments.

We can:

  • smile,
  • love,
  • give words of encouragement,
  • or do a service for someone in need like giving them a ride, cleaning their house, mowing their lawn, etc.

The most important part of “The Great Commission” comes from loving God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind and our neighbors as ourselves.

For further study, go to http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2028:19-20&version=AMP#en-AMP-24215

Footnotes:

  1. Matthew 28:19 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
  2. Matthew 28:20 John Wycliffe, The Wycliffe Bible.
  3. Matthew 28:20 Webster’s New International Dictionary offers this phrase as a definition of “always.”

I hope you have enjoyed this Bible Study.  Hopefully, it will be only the first of others that I do. Writing doesn’t come easy to me, but I felt led to write anyway.

Please feel free to comment or ask questions. We’ll work through any answers together.

Blessings,

Sharon

God is Always the Same

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,

who does not change like shifting shadows. 

James 1:17”

God will always be the same! 

No one else will. 

Lovers call you today and scorn you tomorrow. 

Companies follow pay raises with pink slips. 

Friends applaud you when you drive a classic and dismiss you when you drive a dud. 

Not God. 

God is always the same. 

James 1:17 says, “With God, there is no variation or shadow due to change.” 

Catch God in a bad mood? 

Won’t happen. 

Can your fear exhaust his grace?  A sardine will swallow the Atlantic first. 

Do you think he’s given up on you?  Wrong! 

Did he not make a promise to you? 

What he says he will do, he does. 

What he promises, he makes come true. 

God is not a human being, and he will not lie.

God is never sullen or sour,

sulking

or stressed. 

His strength,

truth,

ways,

and love never change. 

He is the same yesterday and today and forever!

~ Max Lucado

Finishing the Race

The Lord said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 

2 Corinthians 12:9

Derek Redmond was favored to win the 400 meter race in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.  Halfway into his semi-final heat, he suffered a torn hamstring.  Even as the medical team was approaching, he pushed away to finish the race.  A big man pushed through the crowd.

“You don’t have to do this,” he told his weeping son.
“Yes, I do.”  Derek declared.
“Well, then,” he said, “we’re going to finish this together.”

And they did!  His dad wrapped Derek’s arm around his shoulder and helped him hobble to the finish line.

What made him do it?  His son was hurt so the father came to help him finish.

God does the same.

Our attempts may be feeble.

Our prayers may seem awkward.

But He comes to help us finish the race!

~ Max Lucado

‘Passion of the Christ’ star Jim Caviezel says playing Jesus sunk his career

Despite a long list of woes that include being labeled an anti-Semite, having a violent temper and allegedly breaking the teeth of the mother of his youngest child—Mel Gibson has a friend in Jesus—or, at least the actor who played him in 2004’s “Passion of the Christ.”

“Mel Gibson, he’s a horrible sinner, isn’t he?” Jim Caviezel asked members of the First Baptist Church of Orlando, FL during an appearance Saturday night. “Mel Gibson doesn’t need your judgment, he needs your prayers.”

Caviezel, 42, spoke at the 14,000-member church in a speech the local paper described as “giv(ing) witness to his faith, (urging) others to share it and to sell a new all-star audio production of the Bible that he has produced.”

The staunch Roman Catholic recalled when Gibson first offered him the role of Jesus, he warned that it could end his career.

“(Gibson) said, ‘You’ll never work in this town again,’” Caviezel explained. “I told him, ‘We all have to embrace our crosses.’”

During the 20-minute talk, Caviezel said he was “called” to be an actor, noting that it was no coincidence that “in my 33rd year, I was called to play Jesus.”

He even joked about his initials– J.C. –with Gibson during casting, which “freaked [the director] out a little.”

Caviezel said taking on the role of the Son of God limited his career, saying that he was “rejected in (his) own industry.”

“Jesus is as controversial now as he has ever been,” Caviezel said. “Not much has changed in 2,000 years.”

But Caviezel has no regrets, saying “We have to give up our names, our reputations, our lives to speak the truth,” and adding that he’ll get his reward in heaven.

 

Remembering the Holocaust: Never Again!

By Joel C. Rosenberg

Today in Israel, and around the world, we stop to remember the evil that was perpetrated during the Holocaust, pray for the survivors and their families, and recommit ourselves to the principle: Never Again.

“A two-minute siren sounded across the country at 10 am Thursday in memory of the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust,” reports Ynet News. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a moving address honoring Holocaust Remembrance Day, and applied its lessons to the current showdown with Iran. Israeli President Shimon Peres also discussed Iran today in light of the Holocaust. I commend these to your attention.

Last November, I had the opportunity to travel to Poland with two pastors and their wives to visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camps for the first time. My son, Caleb, and I produced a short video of that trip which might help you and your family and friends get a brief glimpse inside the tragedy and what it means.

Most of all, please pray for these survivors, that the Lord would draw them close to His heart and heal their memories and show them His amazing grace and mercy. As the Hebrew prophet Isaiah wrote, “How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Isaiah 52:7)

Why we’re less likely to try great things for God

By Jon Walker

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

God pours his power into your life, giving you his strength to do what he’s called to do.

Faith is acting in confidence that God’s power is active in and through your life; faith is trusting God’s power will be your strength to do everything through him.

He’s not asking you to live life under your own power or through your own strength. That would limit what you can do while God’s power and strength are unlimited.

When you say, “There’s something I’d really like to do for God, but I don’t think that I can do it,” God may reply, “Great! I’m glad you’ve figured it out. You can’t do it by yourself, but with my power working through you, you can do anything I ask you to do.”

If you stay at “I can’t” and never move power to “God can,” then you’re less likely to even try great things for God. It’s like having a car with the most powerful engine ever built, but saying, “I don’t think it can get me past the first intersection.” So you leave it in your garage, never taking it onto the road.

God’s power is available to you: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13 NLT).

Transformed By Grace

He hath made him to be sin for us . . .

that we might be made the righteousness of God . . .
–2 Corinthians 5:21

Augustine was one of the greatest theologians of all time. He was a wild, intemperate, immoral youth. In spite of his mother’s pleadings and prayers, he grew worse instead of better. But one day he had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ that transformed his life. His restlessness and the practice of sin disappeared. He became one of the great saints of all time.

John Newton was a slave trader on the west coast of Africa. One day in a storm at sea he met Jesus Christ. He went back to England and became an Anglican clergyman. He wrote scores of hymns, one of which has become the modern
popular song, “Amazing Grace.”

This is what Christ can do for anyone who puts his trust in Him.

Prayer for the day

Your amazing grace transformed even my unworthy life—I love You, Lord Jesus!

~ Billy Graham’s Daily Devotional

 

This is Love

“This is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us.

John 4:10”

Love never fails!

Wait a minute, no one has unfailing love! 

No person can love with perfection. 

That’s right. 

But God is not a person. 

Unlike our love, his love never fails! 

God’s love is immensely different from ours. 

Ours depends on the receiver of the love. 

Our love will be regulated by appearance or by personality. 

Even when we find a few people we like,

our feelings will still fluctuate.

Does God love us because of our goodness? 

Because of our kindness? 

Because of our great faith?

No.

He loves us because of HIS goodness,

kindness,

and great faith. 

The love of God is born from within him,

not from what he finds in us. 

His love is uncaused, spontaneous. 

God loves you simply because he has chosen to do so!

~ Max Lucado

The Secret of Forgiveness

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered. 

Psalm 32:1”

Is it still hard to consider the thought of forgiving the one who hurt you?

We’ll never be able to wash the feet of those who’ve hurt us until we allow Jesus,

the one we’ve hurt, to wash ours. 

That’s the secret of forgiveness. 

You’ll never forgive anyone more than God has already forgiven you.

Watch Jesus as he goes from disciple to disciple. 

Can you hear the water splash?  Keep that image. 

John 13:12 says, “When he had finished washing their feet…” 

Note, he finished washing their feet. 

He left no one out. 

That’s important! 

It means he also washed the feet of Judas. 

Jesus washed the feet of his betrayer.

That’s not to say it was easy for Jesus. 

That’s not to say it’s easy for you. 

That IS to say—

God will never call you to do what he hasn’t already done!

~ Max Lucado

I Know My Redeemer Lives

 

But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God. I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!

Job 19:25-27 NLT

I know that my Redeemer lives; what joy the blest assurance gives! He lives, He lives, who once was dead; He lives, my everlasting Head!

He lives, all glory to His name; He lives, my Savior, still the same; what joy the blest assurance gives: I know that my Redeemer lives!

I Know That My Redeemer Lives
Samuel Medley (1738-1799)

One of those verses

Every once in a while, a verse jumps out of the Old Testament and takes on a new meaning. Job lost his fortune, family, and much of his health. In a stunning display of faith, he expresses his only remaining hope: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25). The words find an uncanny fulfillment in Jesus.

Jesus gave His life to redeem us, to buy us back from our slavery to sin. His death was the price of our freedom. But that’s not the bottom line, thank God. As the sun rises on Easter morning, we can say with Job, “I know that my Redeemer lives.” He lives! Death could not hold Him. He lives, to finish salvation’s work in me.

Hymn writer Samuel Medley often repeated words and phrases in his songs. Here, what’s repeated is the most important concept: “He lives…He lives…He lives.”

Our “Resurrection Week” readings are adapted from The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale House Publishers (1995). Today’s is taken from the entry for April 2.

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

Stepping into a new life

By Jon Walker

“Come” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. Matthew 14:29

“The disciple may think he is being dragged out of his secure life into a life of absolute insecurity, but in truth he is stepping into the absolute security and safety of Jesus’ fellowship.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer

When Peter stepped out of the storm-tossed boat and onto the water, where was the safest place to be? In the boat or in the arms of Jesus?

The answer, of course, is with Jesus, and for a brief time, Peter saw that. Right then he got a glimpse of what it is like to TRUST in Jesus and what it is like to operate within the realm of costly grace as a citizen of the kingdom of heaven.

And we get a glimpse of that, too. We see that following Jesus requires us to step into apparent insecurity in order to find true security. In the alleged insecurity of discipleship, we experience the gift of Christ and are enveloped in the grace of God.

It’s a paradox of faith: Our first step of faith places us in a position where faith becomes possible. By our obedience, we learn to be faithful. If we refuse to follow, we never learn how to believe. We stay stuck in the shallow end of faith, trusting in ourselves, living by sight and not by faith.

Discipleship is Jesus constantly pushing us into new situations where it is possible for us to trust him even more. He pushes us into impossible situations where we must stake everything solely on his Word. Ask Jesus to push you to the place where you will know with certainty that he is good for his Word, that he is the Word of God.

Six Hours, One Friday

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,

that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:21”

Six hours, one Friday. 

Mundane to the casual observer. 

A shepherd with his sheep,

a housewife with her thoughts,

a doctor with his patients. 

But to a handful of awestruck witnesses,

the most maddening of miracles is occurring.

God is on a cross. 

The creator of the universe is being executed. 

It is no normal six hours. 

It is no normal Friday. 

Far worse than the breaking of his body is the shredding of his heart. 

And now his own father is beginning to turn his back on him,

leaving him alone.

What do you do with that day in history? 

What do you do with its claims? 

They were the most critical hours in history. 

Nails didn’t hold God to a cross. 

Love did.

The sinless One took on the face of a sinner

so that we sinners could take on the face of a saint!

~ Max Lucado

Jesus’ Burial

~ by Max Lucado

When Pilate learned that Jesus was dead, he asked the soldiers if they were certain. They were. Had they seen the Nazarene twitch, had they heard even one moan, they would have broken his legs to speed his end. But there was no need. The thrust of a spear removed all doubt. The Romans knew their job. And their job was finished. They pried loose the nails, lowered his body, and gave it to Joseph and Nicodemus.

Joseph of Arimathea. Nicodemus the Pharisee. They sat in seats of power and bore positions of influence. Men of means and men of clout. But they would’ve traded it all for one breath out of the body of Jesus. He had answered the prayer of their hearts, the prayer for the Messiah. As much as the soldiers wanted him dead, even more these men wanted him alive.

As they sponged the blood from his beard, don’t you know they listened for his breath? As they wrapped the cloth around his hands, don’t you know they hoped for a pulse? Don’t you know they searched for life?

But they didn’t find it.

So they do with him what they were expected to do with a dead man. They wrap his body in clean linen and place it in a tomb. Joseph’s tomb. Roman guards are stationed to guard the corpse. And a Roman seal is set on the rock of the tomb. For three days, no one gets close to the grave.

But then, Sunday arrives. And with Sunday comes light—a light within the tomb. A bright light? A soft light? Flashing? Hovering? We don’t know. But there was a light. For he is the light. And with the light came life. Just as the darkness was banished, now the decay is reversed. Heaven blows and Jesus breathes. His chest expands. Waxy lips open. Wooden fingers lift. Heart valves swish and hinged joints bend.

From When Christ ComesAnd, as we envision the moment, we stand in awe.

We stand in awe not just because of what we see, but because of what we know… We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us” (Rom. 6:5–9 MSG).

From From When Christ Comes: The Beginning of the Very Best
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 1999) Max Lucado

Eternal Choices

Then (the thief) said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”  Luke 23:42-44

Isn’t this the reminder of Calvary’s trio?  Ever wonder why there were two crosses next to Christ?  Why not six or ten?  Ever wonder why Jesus was in the center?  Could it be the two crosses on the hill symbolize one of God’s greatest gifts?  The gift of choice.

The two criminals were convicted by the same system.  Condemned to the same death.  Equally close to the same Jesus.  But one changed!

You’ve made some bad choices in life, haven’t you?  You look back and you say, “If only I could make up for those bad choices.  You can! 

When one thief on the cross prayed, Jesus loved him enough to save him.  When the other mocked, Jesus loved him enough to let him.  He allowed him the choice.

He does the same for you!

~ Max Lucado

Such Passion

Posted: 16 Mar 2012 11:01 PM PDT

“I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand

the greatness of Christ’s love.” 

Ephesians 3:18

 

From the cradle in Bethlehem to the cross in Jerusalem

we’ve pondered the love of our Father.

What can you say to that kind of emotion?

Upon learning that God would rather die than live without you,

how do you react?

How can you begin to explain such passion?

~Max Lucado

The 100/0 Principle

An excerpt from
The 100/0 Principle
by Al Ritter

What is the most effective way to create and sustain great relationships with others? It’s The 100/0 Principle: You take full responsibility (the 100) for the relationship, expecting nothing (the 0) in return.

Implementing The 100/0 Principle is not natural for most of us. It takes real commitment to the relationship and a good dose of self-discipline to think, act and give 100 percent.

The 100/0 Principle applies to those people in your life where the relationships are too important to react automatically or judgmentally. Each of us must determine the relationships to which this principle should apply. For most of us, it applies to work associates, customers, suppliers, family and friends.

STEP 1 – Determine what you can do to make the relationship work…then do it. Demonstrate respect and kindness to the other person, whether he/she deserves it or not.

STEP 2 – Do not expect anything in return. Zero, zip, nada.

STEP 3 – Do not allow anything the other person says or does (no matter how annoying!) to affect you. In other words, don’t take the bait.

STEP 4 – Be persistent with your graciousness and kindness. Often we give up too soon, especially when others don’t respond in kind. Remember to expect nothing in return.

At times (usually few), the relationship can remain challenging, even toxic, despite your 100 percent commitment and self-discipline. When this occurs, you need to avoid being the “Knower” and shift to being the “Learner.” Avoid Knower statements/thoughts like “that won’t work,” “I’m right, you are wrong,” “I know it and you don’t,” “I’ll teach you,” “that’s just the way it is,” “I need to tell you what I know,” etc.

Instead use Learner statements/thoughts like “Let me find out what is going on and try to understand the situation,” “I could be wrong,” “I wonder if there is anything of value here,” “I wonder if…” etc. In other words, as a Learner, be curious!

Principle Paradox

This may strike you as strange, but here’s the paradox: When you take authentic responsibility for a relationship, more often than not the other person quickly chooses to take responsibility as well. Consequently, the 100/0 relationship quickly transforms into something approaching 100/100. When that occurs, true breakthroughs happen for the individuals involved, their teams, their organizations and their families.

The Forgetful Servant

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 01:00 AM PDT

By Jon Walker

I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. John 13:15 (NIV)

It’s near impossible to remain self-centered while serving the deep needs of another person. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition . . .” Paul says, “But in humility consider others better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3 NIV).

Jesus set an example for us when he got up from the meal and then got down on his knees to wash his students’ feet (John 13:4–5).

Since people wore sandals or walked barefoot on dusty roads, they needed to clean their feet when they entered a house. Usually, the host would have a servant do the dirty chore, but Jesus assigned the service to himself, “taking the very nature of a servant . . .” (Philippians 2:7 NIV).

Menial was not beneath Jesus. He placed the needs of his students above his own, even as he approached his darkest hour.

Serving others requires forgetfulness on your part; you start by forgetting yourself (Matthew 10:39). “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14 NIV).

Ask God to show you one relationship that would be transformed if you emphasized the other person’s needs over your own. Like Peter walking on water, God will support you one step at a time.

My new book, In Visible Fellowship: A Contemporary View of Bonhoeffer’s Classic Work ‘Life Together’, will help you understand why you must be in Christian community in order to mature spiritually..

This devotional © Copyright 2012 Jon Walker. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

From my heart

Please bear with me as I am still recuperating from surgery. I have such great intentions–to read your messages, comment, or at least “like” them. But I am falling further and further behind.

I’ve even worked on the “Sunshine Award”, and posted it; however, I haven’t sent you the congratulations letter. I also want to do another “Sunshine Award” post and add all of the others of you that I follow, to the award nominations. I’m frustrated because I have so little energy. As I sit here today, contemplating all that I want to do here on the site, I am in major physical pain. Because I can’t take pain meds because of the effect they have on me, I am going through this recuperation on my own with the help of  God and my husband.

Just sharing my heart with you, with the sincere hope you’ll just understand.

Much love and blessings,

Sharon

 

Why do we pray? « Actions, not just words…

We pray to change our attitude towards our own ability to effect change on the things that have eternal consequences. I think prayer reorients our mind to things that really matter and do focus our attention on the things that God is already working on. He will do the work with or without us, but He wants us to join in the effort and God knows, that this effort is the only thing that will bring us real joy through his eternal grace.

via Why do we pray? « Actions, not just words….

 

Very good message! I know you will be blessed by it, as much as I am.

Spiritual maturity means following the truth

By Jon Walker

He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” John 9:11 (NIV)

A sign of our spiritual maturity is when we follow truth wherever it leads; we face the truth no matter how much it hurts; we stand on truth no matter how much it costs.

We’re called to come out of the darkness into the obedience to the truth, who is Jesus Christ, our Lord: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NIV).

When the now-seeing man saw the truth, his whole perspective changed.

We see truth with Jesus-eyes. The blind man now had eyes that could see, and he saw with Jesus-eyes. Yet, when his neighbors realized the man was no longer blind, they couldn’t believe their eyes; they were blind to the ways of Jesus: “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV).

We testify oneness-with-God. As the now-seeing man walked back from Siloam, those who’d ridiculed him saw a man transformed. His abandonment to God transformed him into a new man; Jesus re-created him from a man born blind to a man who could see to eternity.

Sunshine Award

Thank you, Canadian Mommy Time (http://canadianmommytime.wordpress.com) for nominating sharin’ His love for the Sunshine Award.  “Sunshine” was a nickname that was given to me when I was a young lady working at St. Regis Paper Company near Pensacola, Florida.  Japanese visitors to our company gave me this nickname, so this nomination stirred up a fond memory.

Being nominated by Canadian Mommy Time is such an honor, I enjoy her blog and all of the wisdom she shares.  She also encourages me every time she presses the “like” button on my posts.

Please go and see her blog for plenty of thought-provoking articles, life tools and guidance for everyone.  She’ll leave you feeling inspired and encouraged.

The Sunshine Award has some rules:

 Include the award’s logo on your blog.
 Answer some questions about yourself.
 Nominate 10-12 other fabulous bloggers for this award.
 Link your nominees to the post and comment on their blogs letting them know they have been nominated.
 Share the love and link to the person who nominated you.

Questions:

1. What is your favorite color? Red; that color makes me feel passionate, which is so typical of my personality.
2. What is your favorite animal? Lions; they seem so majestic and powerful. No, I don’t own a lion!
3. What is your favorite number? 7
4. What is your favorite non-alcoholic drink? Diet Pepsi, but I have given it up so that I don’t have caffeine or artificial sweeteners. So, I’d have to say water, apple juice, and milk.
5. Do you prefer Facebook or Twitter? Facebook.
6. What is your passion? My awesome husband, who, by the way is 32 years younger than me.
7. Do you prefer getting or giving presents? Giving.
8. What is your favorite pattern?  Circles and arcs.
9. What is your favorite day of the week? Every day, for each day I am just humbled to be living a wonderful, peaceful life.
10. What is your favorite flower? Roses, pansies.

My nominees (in no particular order) –

You’ve each inspired me enough to nominate you for the Sunshine Award. If you’ve already received this reward, just know that I wanted to share with other readers your importance to me so they have a chance to know you like I do. There are so many more blogs that are important to me, so if you’re not on this list, I’m sorry. I’ve already gone way past the normal number of nominees. I’ll include my other favorites in other blogs.

Please take some time to read these blogs, they all have a little sunshine to offer to their readers – PLEASE ENJOY!

1)   Canadian Mommy Time (http://canadianmommytime.wordpress.com)

2)  Women’s Window  (http://womenswindow.com)

3)  Breathe Deeply (http://breathedeeply.org)

4)  Two Minutes of Grace (http://twominutesofgrace.wordpress.com)

5)  Faith is the Reason (http://faithisthereason.com)

6)  Wordsmith’s Desk (http://butchdean.wordpress.com)

7)  Story of the Day (http://kaarre.wordpress.com)

8)  So Beloved (http://sobeloved.wordpress.com)

9) Loving Ministry (http://trusting.wordpress.com)

10) Mental Health Food (http://living4bliss.wordpress.com)

11)  In Love with the Lord (http://inlovewiththelord.wordpress.com)

12) Memory Bears by Bonnie (http://memorybearsbybonnie.wordpress.com)

13) Found it on a posted Note (http://founditonapostednote.wordpress.com)

14) Lilies, sparrows, and Grass (http://liliessparrowsandgrass.com)

15) Jesus is my Joy (http://jesusmyjoy.wordpress.com)

16)  Aspire Motivate Succeed (http://amsdaily.net)

17) Samuel at Gilgal (http://samuelatgilgal.wordpress.com)

18) Broken Believers (http://brokenbelievers.com)

19) Actions, not just words (http://catholicjournaling.wordpress.com)

20) Dicky To’s Inspirational Writings (dickyto.com)

21) Hodgepodge 4 the Soul (http://hodgepodge4thesoul.wordpress.com)

Don’t Be Afraid

“Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him,

‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’

Mark 5:36”

Sometimes what we need is just a word of encouragement,

isn’t it?

And God gives a word—

to the overwhelmed. 

To the downcast. 

To us. 

He urges, “Don’t’ be afraid; just believe.”

Believe that He can. 

Believe that He cares. 

Believe that He comes.

Mark it down. 

You will never go where God is not. 

You may be transferred, enlisted, commissioned, re-assigned, or hospitalized….

But brand this truth on your heart—

Jesus promised, “I am with you always.” 

Don’t be afraid, just believe!

Make your fear a visitor and not a resident. 

Hasn’t fear taken enough? 

Enough smiles? 

Enough restful nights? 

Enough exuberant days?

Make it a day changer to meet your fears with faith. 

Choose to make every day—a great day!

~ Max Lucado

What’s your problem?

If your father were Bill Gates and your computer crashed,

where would you turn? 

If Stradivari were your dad and your violin string snapped,

to whom would you go?

If your father is God and you have a problem on your hands,

what do you do?

Is your problem too large? 

Ephesians 3:29 says, “God is able to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” 

Is your need too great? 

2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance.”

Is your enemy too strong? 

Philippians 3:21 says, “God is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”

God is able to do what you cannot. 

When you have a problem—

make this your first thought—

“How can I get this problem to Jesus!”

It’s a day changer. 

Choose to make every day a great day!

~ Max Lucado

Boulders on the beach by Hagai Nativ – Israel

“Behold I am laying a stone for a foundation in Zion; a sturdy stone, a precious cornerstone, a secure foundation.”

ISAIAH (28:16)

הִנְנִי יִסַּד בְּצִיּוֹן אָבֶן אֶבֶן בֹּחַן פִּנַּת יִקְרַת מוּסָד מוּסָּד הַמַּאֲמִין לֹא יָחִישׁ

ישעיהו כ’’ח:ט’ז

Hebrew Lesson

hee-ne-NEE yee-SAD be-tzee-OHN eh-VEN eh-VEN boh-KHAN pee-NOT yeek-RAT moo-SOHD moo-SOHD ha-ma-ah-MEEN loh ya-KHEESH

From United with Hebrew, “The word for ‘stone’ in HEBREW is אבן/EH-VEN. It is a very interesting word, as it is made up of the word אב/av, meaning ‘father’ and בן/ben, meaning ‘son.’ Perhaps this is because the bond between a father and son is as solid as a boulder and as precious as a fine stone.” Are you United with Hebrew?

About Today’s Photograph

Photograph of boulders on the beach by Hagai Nativ. On the peak of Mount Moriah in the Old City of Jerusalem lies the foundation stone, אבן שתיה / eh-VEN she-tee-AH. According to “Legends of Jerusalem” by Zev Vilnay, “The sages of Israel commented: ‘And it was called the Foundation Stone, because the world was founded on it. For Isaiah the prophet said: ‘Thus said the Lord, Behold I am laying a stone for a foundation in Zion.’”

God’s Daily Promise – #11

 

Jeremiah 29:11  

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Yahweh,
thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.
  (World English Bible)
Promise #11: My plan for your future is filled with hope.

When you think of your own future, how do you feel? Are you excited to think of what is ahead or does the thought of the future cause you to be anxious? With an uncertain economy, wars and rumors of wars, etc., it is easy to feel anxious and uncertain about what lies ahead. Yet in today’s promise, God says that your future is filled with hope.

My favorite Bible translation of this verse comes from the NIV Bible… For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV) I find it very reassuring to know that God has a plan for my future that is filled with hope. I don’t have to dread what’s coming because my heavenly Dad already has a plan for me. And of course we know that the ultimate hope is living in the light of God’s love forever!

May the reality of today’s promise fill you with peace. May you know that while the future may be uncertain to you, it is not to God. He has a father’s heart toward you and has determined to fill your future with hope. Does this mean that there will be no bumps in the road? Certainly not. But we do know that all things will ultimately work together for our good as Paul declared in Romans 8:28… We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. (WEB)

God’s Daily Promise – #10

Ezekiel 36:26-27 

26 I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my ordinances, and do them.
(World English Bible)
 
Promise #10: I have given you a new heart and put My own Spirit in you.  
This passage of Scripture is pointing to the day when people would no longer have to live a life separate from God. They wouldn’t have to try and figure out what the Lord desired from a distance because God promised to give them a new heart and put His own Spirit within them.

Of course this promise was fulfilled when Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, came into the world and made a way for each one of us to receive the free gift of salvation. Because of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, we no longer have to live with a cold heart of stone because He has given us a new heart. Because of the New Covenant, we no longer are separated from God because He has given us the most precious gift He could give…the gift of Himself.

God has given each one of us a new heart and He has put His own Spirit within us as a deposit to guarantee our inheritance. There is no greater gift that He could give. May we be aware of the abiding presence of God that lives in us today and have a heart of thanksgiving to God for giving us the precious gift of a new heart and His own Spirit!

Photo by Barry Adams

Click here to read Barry Adams’ new daily devotional at Fatherheart.tv

More than Forgiveness

“This is my commitment to my people: removal of their sins.” 

Romans 11:27,

The Message

God does more than forgive our mistakes;

he removes them!

We simply have to take them to him.

He not only wants the mistakes we’ve made.

He wants the ones we are making.

Are you making some? . . .

If so, don’t pretend nothing is wrong . . .

Go first to God.

The first step after a stumble must be in the direction of the cross.

~ Max Lucado

God’s Daily Promise – #9

Galatians 3:29 

If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed
and heirs according to promise.
(World English Bible)

Promise #9: Since you are in Christ, I have made you an heir of all My promises.
 
Every one of the promises that God made to Abraham now belongs to you and I because we belong to Jesus Christ and are now heirs according to the promise. Just think of that for a moment. You are an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus (Romans 8:17). Every promise that God made to Abraham is part of your own spiritual inheritance!

When God said to Abraham that He would be the father of many nations, and a blessing to many (Genesis 12), you were part of that promise.  The New Living Translation says Galatians 3:29 this way… And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. NLT

May our God and Father give each one of us a revelation today about what it means to be an heir in His amazing kingdom. An heir of God and a co-heir with our elder brother, Jesus Christ. There is no higher call, there is no greater destiny, than to be part of the eternal family of the living God. Be encouraged by the words found in Galatians 4:7 – So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.(WEB)

Photo by Jeff Epp

Click here to read Barry Adams’ new daily devotional at Fatherheart.tv

God’s Daily Promise – #8

Galatians 4:6

And because you are children,
God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying,
“Abba, Father!”
 (World English Bible)

Promise #8: I sent the Spirit of My Son into your heart so you could call Me Father.

The greatest gift that the Father could give us was the Spirit of His Son, the Spirit of Sonship. Each one of us who is born again, carries within our being the very life and nature of Jesus Christ Himself. Galatians 4:7 goes on to say… So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (WEB)

The Spirit of the Son that lives within us continually calls out ‘Abba Father!’. Abba is an Aramaic word for father that little children would call out to their dads in New Testament times. It would be like us saying ‘papa’ or ‘daddy’ in the English language. Because we carry within our very being the Spirit of the Son, our spirit man continually cries out ‘Papa’ to God, whether we are aware of this cry in our heart or not.

I believe it delights our heavenly Father when we cry out ‘Abba!’ to Him, for that is the very reason why God has given us the Spirit of His Son… so that He could be a Father to us. So may a cry resonate deep in our heart today as we join with the Spirit of the Son that lives within us that calls out ‘Abba Father!’.
Photo by Jeff Epp

Click here to read Barry Adams’ new daily devotional at Fatherheart.tv

Almond Trees in Israel

 

I will cause a sprout of righteousness to sprout forth for David, and he will administer justice and righteousness in the Land.  
JEREMIAH (33:15)

אַצְמִיחַ לְדָוִד צֶמַח צְדָקָה וְעָשָׂה מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה בָּאָרֶץ
ירמיהו ל’’ג:ט’’ו

ahts-mee-OKH le-da-VEED tze-MOKH tze-da-KAH ve-ah-SAH meesh-POT oo-tze-da-KAH ba-ah-RETS

A Taste of Torah for Shabbat
This Shabbat, Jews around the world read Parshat Yitro/Jethro, the Biblical portion (Exodus 18-20) describing the greatest event of human history, when God revealed Himself to man through His giving of the Ten Commandments. Rabbinic commentators point out that Jethro is singled out and rewarded by having this special reading eternally connected with his name because he was a righteous gentile who recognized the great miracles the One True God performed for the Jewish people. Jews have always shown admiration and appreciation for the righteous gentiles throughout our history who have stood by the People of Israel.

About Today’s Photograph
Almond trees, known in Hebrew as שקדיה/she-kay-dee-YA are amongst the first to blossom throughout Israel and are a welcome reminder that spring is just around the corner. The pink and white flowers turn into leaves and finally give way to almonds in just a few months. Almond trees have grown in Israel since Biblical times and were amongst the gifts sent by Jacob to Joseph in Egypt according to Genesis (43:11). Today’s photograph is by Galit Trager.  Happy Birthday Galit  –  יום הולדת שמח גלית

Judah will exist forever

Judah will exist forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
JOEL (4:20)
וִיהוּדָה לְעוֹלָם תֵּשֵׁב וִירוּשָׁלִַם לְדוֹר וָדוֹר
יואל ד:כ

ve-ye-hoo-DAH le-oh-LOHM tay-SHEV vee-roo-sha-la-YEEM le-DOR va-DOR

Today’s Bible Lesson: Guest Post
by Sondra Baras, Director of CFOIC
Judah was Jacob’s fourth son and when the land was divided amongst the Tribes of Israel, Judah received the vast area of land south of Jerusalem extending from the Dead Sea in the east to the Mediterranean in the west. For centuries, this area was known as the Region of Judah, or Judea. Today, many people seek to sever the Jewish people from Judea, the Biblical Heartland of the Jewish People.  But God promised through His prophet Joel, that Judah would exist forever.  “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21).

About Today’s Photograph
Photograph of a father and son walking through the streets of Jerusalem’s Old City by Vladi Alon. Today’s verse and much of Jewish literature connect Jerusalem with eternity.  “While pondering the creation of the world, the sages asked: ‘From where did He create it? And the answer is ‘From Zion.’ And when the Holy One, blessed is He, shall renew the world, He shall renew it out of Zion.” From “Legends of Jerusalem” by Zev Vilnay.

Jesus is our center!

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Phil Ware

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

Jesus is our center! He is the hub around which we turn. Rather than trying to add on to the truth of Jesus, we must learn to accept it and trust it in child-like faith. But that child-like faith must be nourished and grown. As Jesus remains our central focus and our hearts remain thankful to God for his grace, we will that our faith is strengthened and that Jesus is more real than ever.

Prayer…

Holy and Righteous God, please give me eyes to see evil and avoid it. Please give me wisdom to know deceptive and false teaching when it is placed before me. Empower me to live a thankful life of holiness so that I can live in Jesus to your honor and glory. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

God’s Daily Promise – #7

John 3:16 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
(World English Bible)

Promise #7: I have given you eternal life because you have believed in Jesus Christ.
John 3:16 is one of the most quoted, most loved Bible verses in the New Testament. This Scripture has been used by evangelists over the years to invite many people to come to Christ. The foundation of this much loved verse is and always will be, the love of the Father. For God (the Father) so loved the world…

It was the great love of our heavenly Father that caused Him to give up His most treasured possession, the life of His Son, so that we too could share in Jesus’ eternal life. What a glorious promise! We were loved so much by God, that He gave up all that He loved in order to gain our love!

May we never take the wonder of John 3:16 for granted, but may we continue to revel in the amazing love our God and Father has for us every day in our lives. Thank you Father for loving us so much, that you sent your only begotten Son to the world in order to purchase our redemption! ~ Barry Adams

God’s Daily Promise – #6

Colossians 1:12-13 

12 giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; 13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;
(World English Bible)

Promise #6: I delivered you from darkness into the kingdom of My beloved Son.
Each one of us were once held captive by the power of darkness before we were set free by the power of Christ and brought into His kingdom. For every one who have said ‘yes’ to Jesus, our old life is now in the past tense and our new life in Christ is our present reality…
Whether we feel like it or not.

May the Holy Spirit give us revelation today to know that we have already been translated into the kingdom of our elder brother. The power of darkness has no more hold on us because of our royal position in Christ. We now live in an upside down kingdom, where the last will be first, the weak will be strong, and the poor will inherit the riches of our Father’s kingdom.

May each and every one of us echo the prayer that Paul prayed in Ephesians that our God and Father would give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation to know Him better. That the eyes of our heart would be opened so that we could really see the hope of His calling and our glorious inheritance in the saints!

Ephesians 1:15-23…
15 For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which you have toward all the saints, 16 don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might 20 which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. 22 He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (WEB)

Excerpt from Great Quotes from Great Leaders

Cover of "Great Quotes from Great Leaders...
Cover of Great Quotes from Great Leaders

1. “The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.”
Abraham Lincoln
(1809-1865)

2. “Life is a series of experiences, each of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and griefs which we endure help us in our marching onward.”
Henry Ford
(1863-1947)

3. “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”
Mother Teresa
(1910-1997)

4. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It’s the courage to continue that counts.”
Winston Churchill
(1874-1965)

5. “A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination.”
Nelson Mandela
(1918 – )

6. “Leaders aren’t born, they are made. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal which is worthwhile.”
Vince Lombardi
(1913-1970)

7. “Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble.”
Thomas Jefferson
(1743-1826)

8. “We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face…we must do that which we think we cannot.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
(1884-1962)

9. “A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.”
Mahatma Gandhi
(1869-1948)

10. “The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been kindness, beauty, and truth.”
Albert Einstein
(1879-1955)

11. “Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.”
Franklin Roosevelt
(1882-1945)

12. “Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust and hostility to evaporate.”
Albert Schweitzer
(1875-1965)

13. “I believe the unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
(1929-1968)

14. “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.”
Helen Keller
(1880-1968)

The Love of Jesus

The Love of Jesus

There’s no love more precious,
more costly, more kingly.
There’s no love that’s greater-
that’s more wonderful, more wild,
more passionate, more powerful-
than the love of Jesus.

Believe, receive, and rejoice forever in the greatest love the world has ever known!

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38, 39 NASB

(From: Dayspring.com)

God’s Daily Promise #5

Ephesians 1:4-5 

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without blemish before him in love; 5 having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,
(World English Bible)

Promise #5: I chose you to be adopted into My family before creation.
It pleased the Father to choose us before the foundation of the world. In love, He saw the day when we would say yes to the free gift of His Son’s life for our life and become born into His amazing family. Before He even spoke the world into existence, He saw us!

And our adoption is not like any human adoption, for God has given us His own Spirit as a deposit to guarantee our inheritance. We are not servants in His house, but actual sons and daughters, joint heirs with our elder brother Jesus, seated in Christ in heavenly places.

What an amazing promise! Every other promise and precept rests on God’s eternal plan to make us part of His family. As Ephesians 1:4 says, we are holy and without blame before Him in love all because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. What Jesus did on our behalf has secured our place forever as God’s kids!

1 John 3:1 – Behold, how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. (WEB)

 

The Gift

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

As a child, I loved to receive gifts. In such a simple time of life, a gift meant I was loved. I didn’t worry about the significance or hidden message in a gift. I wasn’t concerned about the “strings attached” to the gift. It was just a gift — a free expression of love I didn’t deserve, given to me by someone who truly cared for me. Isn’t it great to get to be God’s child and receive his gift and know we can receive it as a child?!

Prayer…

Thank you, generous Father, for the gift of grace, the gift of faith, the gift of salvation, and most of all, the gift of Jesus. I know I can never repay these gifts, but I look forward to saying “Thank you!” through my lifestyle now and I look forward to continuing to say “Thank you!” through all eternity. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

~ Phil Ware

Sinai Ibex

“The Lord, God is my strength, and He makes my legs as swift as hinds’ feet; and He leads me to walk upon my high places. To the conductor, with my songs.”

HABAKKUK 3:19

Do you know what type of beautiful animal this is?

It’s actually called a Sinai Ibex, and its favorite habitat is the desert mountains of Israel!

Verse of the Day – 2/2/12

From inside the fish Jonah prayed … “In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me.
From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.”
—Jonah 2:1-2 (NIV)

Phil Ware

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

Jonah was disobedient, rebellious, and selfish. He had run from the Lord. He had shunned the Lord’s command. He had endangered the lives of those on the ship where he had tried to hide. Yet even in the middle of his rebellion, God heard his cry and delivered him. If you are in rebellion, if you are seeking to hide some secret and all-consuming sin, please know the Lord wants to ransom and redeem you! Things won’t be easy, but coming back to the Lord means ultimate redemption and deliverance.

Prayer…

Holy and righteous Father, please forgive me for the times that I am in rebellion to your will. Help me to recognize those times and give me the strength to avoid those temptations. In your grace, dear Father, please not only help me to live as you want me to live but also lead me to someone else who needs to know of your grace and redemption. Please use me to help them escape from their bondage to sin and shame. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

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You are in Christ Jesus

. . . you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God —

that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Phil Ware

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

Jesus is our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Let’s unpack those church words.

Righteousness — the ability to stand before God and be declared free from guilt.

Holiness — the character and nature that reflect the glory and sanctity of heaven.

Redemption — the gift of freedom bought at great expense.

Christians aren’t perfect? Hmmm!

We know this is true. But, because of Jesus’ loving sacrifice, we also know that in God’s eyes we’re righteous, holy, and redeemed.

That, dear friend of Jesus, is what we call amazing grace!

Prayer…

How can I thank you, wise and merciful Father, for the gift of Jesus? Your love in formulating the plan to send him, your sacrifice in having him become mortal, your agony when your own creations murdered him are too wonderful for understanding. But in my heart I do know that you did these things because of your loving grace and I want to thank you and praise you forever. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Look over your shoulder

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

fixing our eyes on Jesus,

the pioneer and perfecter of faith. 

Hebrews 12:1-2

In Matthew 14:28, Peter took Jesus at his word: 

“Lord, if it’s you, command me to come to you on the water. 

Jesus said, Come  And when Peter had come down out of the boat,

he walked on the water to go to Jesus.”

Storms prompt us to take unprecedented journeys. 

For a few historic steps and heart-stilling moments,

Peter did the impossible. 

He defied gravity and nature;

he walked on the water to Jesus!

But when Peter saw the wind,

he was afraid;

and beginning to sink he cried out,

“Lord, save me!”

Peter shifted his attention away from Jesus and toward the squall—

and when he did, he sank like a brick in a pond.

Whether or not storms come,

we cannot choose. 

But where we stare during a storm—

that we can!

~ Max Lucado

God’s Daily Promise #4

Genesis 1:27-28  

27 God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
(World English Bible)

Promise #4: I created you in My own image with My special blessing.

God created us in His own image. Think about that for a moment. We were created to reflect the image of God Himself! I wonder what the angels thought when they first saw Adam and Eve? What a glorious privilege to be made in the image of the One who knit us together in our mother’s womb!

May we never take this blessing for granted. May we always be in awe of the fact that we were created to look just like God. When Jesus came to the earth 2,000 years ago, He sealed the deal by making a way for us to be conformed into His image (Romans 8:29) inside and out so that He could be the firstborn of many brothers and sisters.

My prayer today is that we would live in the light of our Father’s original blessing to be fruitful, to multiply and to have dominion throughout the whole earth with the knowledge that we were created to look just like our heavenly Dad.

Photo by Barry Adams

God’s Daily Promise #3

Psalm 33:11 
The counsel of Yahweh stands fast forever,
the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
(World English Bible)

Promise #3: The intentions of My heart will remain steadfast forever. 

In today’s promise, we are reminded that God is steadfast in what He has purposed. The New Living Translation Bible says Psalm 33:11 this way… But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken. NLT

When God determines to do something, His plans will stand firm forever. He is not fickle or tempermental and He will not be swayed by public opinion or the winds of change. He has fixed His eyes upon us and has purposed in His heart to love us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). …And He won’t change His mind!

What our heavenly Father started in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 1, He will see to completion at the end of the book of Revelation. No force in heaven or on earth will be able to prevent His purposes from being fulfilled. We can rest in God’s plan for our lives for the intentions of His heart will remain steadfast forever! ~ Barry Adams

Photo by Eric Boldt

God’s Daily Promise #2

Psalm 103:8 

Yahweh is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.
(World English Bible)

Promise #2: I am full of mercy and grace and I overflow with love. 

We live only a few miles from Niagara Falls. I am always overwhelmed by the sheer power and volume of the water that cascades over the brink of this natural wonder every second. When I think of the unending stream of God’s love that He shows to us every day, I think of this natural wonder.

As we continue our daily journey of reflecting in some of the promises of God in 2012, may we always be reminded of how He sees us. The Lord is full of mercy and grace and He overflows with love towards us. Everything that He does is motivated by His eternal, unending kindness. May the Holy Spirit give us a deeper revelation of the character and nature of God this new year and may He dismantle any misconceptions of our heavenly Dad that cause us to see Him as distant and angry.

Our God and Father is good. He is full of mercy and grace and just like Niagara Falls, He continually showers His love upon us. And His love will never ever end. May the revelation of the love of God continue to rush like a mighty river into your heart today.

Photo by Barry Adams

God’s Daily Promise #1

Malachi 3:6 

“For I, Yahweh, don’t change;
therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed.
(World English Bible)

Promise #1: I am the Lord your God and I never change. 
It is important for us to be reminded of this simple truth…  The Lord our God does not change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Every promise that He has made is secure and will last forever. Since we live in a world that is constantly changing, the promise of our Father’s rock-solid commitment to us is very reassuring.
Today is a new day for us to be able to experience the Lord’s continued faithfulness in our lives. He will never leave us or let us down. He loves us with all His heart and each one of His promises that is true today will be true in a million years from now.I pray that this truth will bring a deeper level of comfort and security to each one of our lives. May we look forward to all of the ways that our Father will show Himself faithful to us in 2012. May you be blessed beyond imagination!

AuthorBarry Adams

Become a Worry-Slapper!

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,

and all these things shall be added to you. 

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow,

for tomorrow will worry about its own things. 

Matthew 6:33-34

Jesus said, “I tell you not to worry about everyday life—

whether you have enough.”

Not enough time, luck, credit, wisdom, intelligence. 

We’re running out of everything, it seems, and so we worry! 

But worry doesn’t work.

I challenge you to become a worry-slapper.

Do you procrastinate when a blood-sucking bug lights on your skin? 

“I’ll take care of that in a moment.” 

Of course you don’t! 

You give the critter the slap it deserves. 

Don’t waste an hour wondering what your boss thinks. 

Ask her.

Don’t assume you’ll never get out of debt. 

Consult an expert.

Let God be enough! 

He knows your needs. 

Seek Him! 

He will give you everything you need!

~ Max Lucado

CAR BOMB KILLS IRANIAN NUCLEAR SCIENTIST

Posted: January 11, 2012 in Uncategorized
by Joel Rosenberg

>>  Iranian president arrives in Cuba; U.S. warns of ‘dangerous alliance’

UPDATED: Another headline this morning ripped from the pages of my two recent novels, The Twelfth Imam and The Tehran Initiative. This one from the BBC: Iran car explosion kills nuclear scientist in Tehran. Excerpt: “A university lecturer and nuclear scientist has been killed in a car explosion in north Tehran. Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, an academic who also worked at the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, and the driver of the car were killed in the attack. The blast happened after a motorcyclist stuck an apparent bomb to the car. Several Iranian nuclear scientists have been assassinated in recent years, with Iran blaming Israel and the US. Both countries deny the accusations….” FLASHBACK FROM DEC 2011: COVERT WAR HEATS UP IN IRAN AND MIDEAST: Will it be enough to neutralize nuclear threat, or will Israel launch preemptive strikes in 2012?

Verse of the Day – January 24, 2012

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you
before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to
the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority,
through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and
forevermore! Amen.
— Jude 1:24-25
http://www.BibleStudyTools.com/search/?query=Jude+1:24-25

THOUGHT:
What a great cluster of truths are found in this one prayer of
blessing. Our eyes are first drawn to what God can do for us —
prevent us from falling and present us before his glorious presence
in joyful perfection. But on closer inspection, our hearts are
drawn to the description of our incredible God: the one who is
able, the only God, our Savior, the one who lives in glory and
majesty and power and authority, the one who has communicated to us
through Jesus our Lord, and the one who exists before all ages and
who is alive now and who will be forevermore. Our blessings as
God’s children are incredible, but the reason why they are is that
our God is beyond incredible, awesome, and wonderful. Our words
cannot do him justice. Our brightest insights cannot comprehend the
glory he has. Yet despite his grandeur, he loves you and me in our
finite mortality!

PRAYER:
Awesome and Holy Lord Most High, thank you for not only being
God, but for loving me and showing yourself to me in the face of
Jesus. I look forward to standing in your presence, enjoying your
shared perfection, and praising your glory with the angels. Please
accept my limited and human praise until the day my words are
unchained from their mortality and my imperfections are swallowed
up in your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sorting coins until God says I’m good

By Jon Walker

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. Romans 3:20 (NIV)

I once went to one of those coin-sorting machines today and poured in a huge bag of change that had accumulated in a cup kept on the chest of drawers in my bedroom.

The total came to $22.31. I took the receipt to customer service and the cashier gave me 22 dollars in bills . . . and then 31 cents.

So I still have change and I paid the machine eight percent of the total to count those 31 cents (why it rejected the rubber band and the guitar pick that also poured out of the cup is beyond me).

Hmmm, I think I need some chocolate to help me think this through. Perhaps this is how you get hooked into an addiction; you always have change left over, so you eventually have to come back.

I know, I could count out the exact amount of change to total an even dollar amount, like $22.00 and no cents, and then pour that into the coin-sorting machine.

But then I’d be counting the change myself and I might as well not be at the machine. Aarghhhh!!!!

I definitely need some chocolate to reach a cosmic revelation on this. Anybody got change for a candy bar? I seem to be a little short . . .

When we try to live by the law, it’s like we’re pouring change into a coin-sorting machine, always trying to hit an even dollar amount. The law serves a useful purpose in that it shows us how impossible it is to reach God-righteousness by our own efforts.

The frustration we feel when we stumble and fail is absolutely normal. In truth, it’s part of God’s plan. “Through the law we become conscious of sin,” (Romans 3:20 NIV) and by realizing how far we fall short, we’re able to admit, “I can’t; God can.”

Once there, we’re able to live by the Holy Spirit at work within us.

Fear involves torment

There is no fear in love;

but perfect love casts out  fear,

because fear involves torment. 

But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 

I John 4:18

Fear,

when it is mismanaged,

leads to sin. 

And sin leads to hiding. 

And since we’ve all sinned, we all hide—

in 80-hour workweeks,

temper tantrums,

and religious busyness. 

We avoid contact with God!

We’re convinced God must hate our evil tendencies. 

We despise our lustful thoughts, harsh judgments, and selfish deeds. 

If our sin nauseates us,

how much more must it revolt a holy God?

So we draw a practical conclusion: 

God is ticked off at us! 

Sin has left us lost and confused. 

Yes, we have disappointed God. 

But no, God has not abandoned us!

Jesus loves us too much to leave us in doubt about His grace. 

God keeps no list of our wrongs. 

His love casts out fear because He casts out our sin!

Live forgiven!

~ Max Lucado

Do you disagree with God?

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalm 139:13-15

We sometimes believe a mouse in a lion’s den has better odds of success than we do. 

You flop miserably and descend yet another level into the basement of self-defeat!

Fear of insignificance creates the results it dreads! 

It arrives at the destination it tries to avoid.  I

f you pass your days mumbling,

“I’ll never make a difference; I’m not worth anything,” then guess what? 

You sentence yourself to a life of gloom without parole!

Even worse—you’re disagreeing with God.  Questioning His judgment. 

Second-guessing His taste. 

According to God, you were ‘wonderfully made.’ 

He can’t stop thinking about you.

Why does He love you so much? 

The same reason the artist loves his paintings. 

You’re His idea! 

And God only has good ideas!

~ Max Lucado

Obeying God brings great joy

How Much Do You Trust Your Heavenly Father?

If you love me, obey my commandments. 

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you.…

Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love them.

And because they love me, my Father will love them,

and I will love them.

And I will reveal myself to each one of them.

Matthew 21:28-32 NLT

An expression of trust

Parents set up rules for their children: Clean up your room, don’t go anywhere with a stranger; be home by 11 p.m. The purpose, of course, is for the children’s benefit and protection; loving parents are not trying to make their children miserable by given them rules to follow. And parents hope that their children will understand rules as expressions of love and concern; they hope their children’s obedience will be motivated more by love than by fear of punishment. Our obedience to Christ should likewise be an expression of our trust in his care for us.

adapted from TouchPoint Bible with devotional commentary by Ron Beers and Gilbert Beers, Tyndale House Publishers (1996), p 934

It is better to go to Troas with God, than anywhere else without Him.
G CAMPBELL MORGAN

You have not really learned a commandment until you have obeyed it.… Nothing clarifies doctrine like doing. Each new thing learned becomes a millstone if we don’t make it a milestone.
VANCE HAVNER

The Lord of all creation has ordained that he would do his work through us. Our seeing the Spirit’s guidance and obeying what he wants us to do and say is the way he works to bless the world.
LLOYD OGILVIE

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

Only One You

From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth;

He fashions their hearts individually;

He considers all their works. 

Psalm 33:14-15 NKJV

The truth is—

you were a brand-new idea from the mind of God!

Psalm 33:14-15 says, “From the place of His dwelling,

He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth;

He fashions their hearts individually.” 

You’re the only you God made! 

He made you and broke the mold! 

No one can duplicate your life.

Scan history for your replica—

you won’t find it! 

You’re tailor made by God. 

God personally formed and made you. 

You’re not one of many! 

You’re it!

And if you don’t take full advantage of how God made you,

we don’t get you. 

We miss out! 

Think of it this way: 

you’re heaven’s Halley’s comet. 

And we have one shot at seeing you shine!

~ Max Lucado

Studying Biblical Prophecy

The study of prophecy is not to Scare us,

but to Prepare us.

Studying Biblical Prophecy has been a passion of mine since I was a teenager. My first exposure to the subject was from a book entitled “The Bible and Tomorrow’s News”.

Studying prophecy can bring confusion and fear to a lot of people. I think that is because it is hard to understand.

We are attempting to wade into the study of prophecy a little at a time on our blog. We think it will be interesting for our readers to understand the basics as you follow each day’s news and how they are related.

The study can also be a source of encouragement and inspiration.  As we understand the relationship of knowledge of the scriptures and motivate our call to share the gospel, it will strengthen all of us.

I have included direct links below to the categories on our blog that will help us as we study.

We encourage comments and discussion of this wealth of knowledge that God has given us in His word.

Blessings,

Sharon & Erick

 

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