The Body of Christ

      There are still more gifts of the Spirit to come! The blog will be back on June 9^th. Please tune in then to read more about your unique and distinct giftedness! Here is a poem I wrote for a class I taught on these gifts, recognizing that we all represent a different and necessary part of the Body of Christ. Jesus is the head of the body. Looks like the crown and heart that were a part of this poem did not transfer. Enjoy and have a great week.

Jesus is the Head

of all we say and do

As believers, we, the body,

are the vessels He works through.

Some will see with eyes of faith

led not by sight. Some will listen

 to a weary one and humbly

share the light. With

 the loving Word

we speak the truth

to those with hungry hearts

      Arms wide open to share His                  love, the wisdom He imparts

    Hands to serve, to touch, to hug             to rise up in awestruck praise

      Clasped in                                                          prayer

  in hope, in trust, to      honor for all of our days

The Spirit of the living Lord

is seeking every soul

to comfort us, to guide us,

and continue to make us whole

We are His work in progress

as we mature in faith and love,

beginning to surrender and

to focus on things above

                           Will you                      be His

                      warrior kneeling                  deep in prayer

                       Will you walk                        the pavement

                      speak boldly,                         will you dare?  

Yes, we stand on holy ground now and forevermore, as we await His coming

and move through heaven’s door. Let every step we take be for His eternal glory; oh Spirit walk with us as we continue to tell the story;

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him, who is the Head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:15-16

Jesus is the Head

of all we say and do

As believers, we, the body,

are the vessels He works through.

Some will see with eyes of faith

led not by sight. Some will listen

 to a weary one and humbly

share the light. With

 the loving Word

we speak the truth

to those with hungry hearts

   Arms wide open to share His                love, the wisdom He imparts

 Hands to serve, to touch, to hug             to rise up in awestruck praise

  Clasped in                                                          prayer

  in hope, in trust, to      honor for all of our days

The Spirit of the living Lord

is seeking every soul

to comfort us, to guide us,

and continue to make us whole

We are His work in progress

as we mature in faith and love,

beginning to surrender and

to focus on things above

                      Will you                      be His

                       warrior                      kneeling

                       deep in                       prayer

                 Will you walk                        the pavement

                speak boldly,                         will you dare?  

Yes, we stand on holy ground now and forevermore, as we await His coming

and move through heaven’s door. Let every step we take be for His eternal glory; oh Spirit walk with us as we continue to tell the story;

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him, who is the Head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:15-1

Spiritual Gifts/Discernment

     The spiritual gift of discernment gives someone the ability to distinguish between spirits, between truth and error, and to recognize what is of God, of humans or of Satan. The Bible speaks over and over again of the counterfeit abilities of Satan. He and his demons are able to disguise themselves as holy. (1 Corinthians 11) to enable false teachers and to speak what sounds deceptively like truth. (2 Peter 2, 2 Thessalonians 2 and 1 Timothy 1) Those with this gift are able to see through to the lies.

     To spot a counterfeit you have to be familiar with the truth. Those with this gift have a solid knowledge of the full council of God and His Word. They can spot demonic activity and may find it necessary to speak up even when it is challenging. This gift needs to be used skillfully and humbly.

     Do you feel the need to speak up and expose what is wrong according to God’s Word? Are you able to make quick evaluations of events and people that others do not see and are later proved to be correct? Are you able to uncover false teaching? You may have the gift of discernment. In this day and within our culture, we, as the body of Christ, should pray to receive this gift.

And this is my prayer, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.  Philippians 1:9-10

Dear Father,

Please give us the guiding of Your Holy Spirit to discern what is of You and what is not. Protect Your believers around the world as evil continues to surround us.

In Jesus name

Amen 

Spiritual Gifts/Knowledge and Wisdom

     Understanding the difference between the spiritual gifts of knowledge and wisdom can be confusing. I put them together today to help us differentiate between the two.

     Those with the gift of knowledge have the ability to gather and analyze information and use it to advance God’s purpose in the church. They have a hunger for and enjoy studying and doing research on the Bible. Often teachers have this gift. This gift can be used by someone behind the scenes to provide data and information to leaders, teachers and pastors.

     In addition to the spiritual gift of knowledge there is what is called, “a word of knowledge.” This word or message of knowledge can be given to any believer at a given moment. It is given supernaturally from God for a certain time and place with information that can only have come from God to benefit someone else.

To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:8

     Those with this gift love to dig deep, not willing to stay on the surface of study and learning.  They research and compile inrormation for the benefit of others.

     The spiritual gift of wisdom takes a step further in understanding and applying God’s truth and spiritual knowledge to complex or paradoxical situations. The person with this gift skillfully applies God’s Word to often difficult life situations. They have gained great knowledge and understanding from God’s Word and get to the bottom of a situation. This spiritual wisdom sees with clarity what needs to be done and to cut through to a simple, practical solution that others have not seen.

     If you love analyzing, studying and digging deeply into God’s Word, gathering information for others or yourself you may have the spiritual gift of knowledge. If others comes to you in a difficult situation asking for prayer and for an understanding of God’s knowledge, you may have the gift of wisdom. Applying God’s Word to everything in life with a mature and abiding faith in Jesus could describe those with this gift of wisdom.

Dear Lord,

We thank You for the gifts of knowledge and wisdom. We ask You to deepen our hunger for Your Word and show us how to apply it to everything around us as we journey through our lives on earth.

In Jesus name

Amen

Spiritual Gifts/Teaching

     The spiritual gift of teaching allows someone to understand, communicate and apply the Word of God to benefit others in the faith. Those with this gift have a thirst for knowledge and a passion to share Biblical truth.  They enjoy gaining new insight from the Bible, subsequently finding ways to communicate it to others. They have a passion to help others grow in faith.

     Sometimes they may study too much without sharing information or be too profound or too detail oriented. They may be discouraged if others are not as excited as they are about a subject. (I can relate!)

     Do you enjoy studying and researching? Do others come to you for insight into Scripture? Do you enjoy speaking to various sizes of groups about Biblical issues?

     This gifting includes working in one-on-one discipleship, in speaking to informal Bible study groups or in large group settings.

If it is serving, let him serve, if it is teaching, let him teach. Romans 12:7

Dear Father,

Thank You for the teachers among us, those willing to study hard and apply the Word of God to real life and to teaching others. Give them more and more of Your wisdom and understanding during these days.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Spiritual Gifts/Apostleship

     The gift of evangelism that we looked at yesterday is often paired with the gift of apostleship. Other gifts may be present in this unique gifting such as faith, encouragement, leadership and teaching. Those with the gift of apostleship have a heart to start and develop new churches, to work cross-culturally or to impact multiple ministries.

     The term, “sent out” is the common term for a missionary. Working with a group of inner city kids or working with several diverse groups in ministry might describe someone with this gift. Paul wrote much of the New Testament as an apostle to the Gentiles. Paul set up many churches, including one in the city of Ephesus.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.  Ephesians 1;1

     If you have a missionary’s heart and the ability to plant churches and easily work cross-culturally with an entrepreneurial spirit this might be your unique and rare gift.

Dear Lord,

We thank You for the leadership of those with the gift of apostleship. Planting, building and forming new churches across the world is happening in miraculous ways. We thank You for every single person working under the challenging and blessed gift of apostleship.

Amen

Spiritual Gifts/Evangelism

It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists. Ephesians 4:11

     Those with the spiritual gift of evangelism boldly communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. They have an uncanny ability to know when someone might be ready to receive the good news of Christ.  They find ways to bring Jesus into almost every conversation. They may understand how to meet the practical needs of an unbeliever in order to introduce Jesus.

     Those with this gift have compassion and a heart for the lost. They seek ways to answer questions and doubts and, subsequently, to find answers. They enjoy being out in different neighborhoods and cultures rather than doing ministry or serving one church. They may not always understand that other believers do not have this strong gift of evangelizing.

     Do you enjoy teaching others how to share faith? Do you often find ways to direct conversations to Jesus? Does a person’s conversion bring you joy? Do you enjoy being around non-Christians looking for opportunities to share faith?

Dear Lord,

Thank You for those willing to move out into our communities and around the world in an effort to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with a hurting world. Thank You for their willingness to take risks with their very lives, sacrificially leaving their homes to serve You. We thank you for the evangelists of Your Word.

Amen

Spiritual Gifts/Giving

     Do people describe you as generous? Do you give of your possessions, time and talents sacrificially and joyfully? Do you enjoy giving to others anonymously? Do you look at all of your belongings, money and talents as gifts from God to be used for Him?

     If this describes you, you more than likely have the gift of giving. Sometimes those with this gift do not recognize it as a gift, believing that every believer should give so generously. Sometimes God may give this gift to someone with an abundant income and they meet the needs of many ministries and cater to the needs of the believers and the community.

     This gift allows both the wealthy and the poor to give sacrificially like the widow in the book of Mark.

But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to Him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.  They all gave out of their wealth, but she, out of her poverty, put in everything-all she had to live on.” Mark 12: 42-44

Dear Father,

We thank You for the spiritual gift of giving. Thank You for their cheerful and sacrificial giving. Thank You for the ways in which they provide for so many of Your ministries on earth. Give all of us the heart to give generously and cheerfully.

Spiritual Gifts/Faith

     The next three gifts of the Spirit are obvious to every believer. They are the spiritual gifts of faith, giving and evangelism. All of us have a measure of each as Christians. Those with the manifestation of the gift of faith, the gift of giving and the gift of evangelism have them to a different degree above and beyond the average Christian.  We begin with the gift of faith.

     The gift of faith includes the ability to envision what needs to be done and to trust God even when it appears to be impossible to others. They trust God when there are insurmountable odds against them and refuse to give up even when others choose to do so. They work easily with change and remain optimistic and hope-filled. They know the Word of God and stand firmly upon it.

  

     Do you have a deep and abiding prayer life? Do you have a sense of God’s purpose and of encouraging others to believe? Are you able to keep the faith even in the midst of seemingly insurmountable obstacles? Do you understand God is present in every detail of life?

     The gift of faith includes a belief in the supernatural power of God. Those with this gift often have many experiences of faith at work and are willing to share them. Sometimes people with this gift expect everyone to see things their way without recognizing the opinions and gifts of others.

To another faith by the same Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:9a

     One of the first church members of Christ was martyred for being a Christ-follower. Stephen remained faith-filled as he was being stoned to death. (see Acts 6-7)

While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord, Jesus receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:59-60

Dear Jesus,

We thank you for the unswerving gift of faith around us. Thank you for those with a vision of Your purpose and a heart ready to remain faithful through trying times, understanding the final outcome. Draw us to those with this gift to fulfill Your purposes.

Amen

Spiritual Gifts

     As we continue to look at the gifts of the Spirit, it is important to remember that the entire body of Christ works together, each doing their own part. There is no one spiritual gift that is better or more vital than another. As we talked about last week, God honors the more quiet, behind-the scenes gifts. Please note that the gifts of the spirit are listed in several different places in Scripture. You will find many of them in 1 Corinthians 12,  Romans 12, Ephesian 4 and 1 Peter 4.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7  

     As you are reading through the descriptions of each of the gifts over these weeks, maybe one or two appeal to your own spirit. Is God asking you to serve with one or more of these gifts? I love assisting others in discovering their spiritual gifts. It also helps to understand our unique personality types, our natural talents and gifts and what we value most. We are all designed in such varied and beautiful ways.

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:4-5

Dear Lord,

Thank You for fearfully and wonderfully creating each one of us. (Psalm 139) Your Spirit leads us in where we should serve. Open the eyes of our hearts as we continue to investigate the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Spiritual Gifts/Leadership

     Leaders have the ability to instill vision, to motivate and to coordinate others in ministry. They have confidence in the vision and are able to set goals and encourage groups to work together to attain that goal.  They can see how all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit can work together.

     Leaders need to stay close to their relationship with Christ and move people closer to Him rather than to their own personal leadership.

…if it is leadership, let him govern diligently. Romans 12:8b

     People develop trust and confidence in a true leader. Do you have the spiritual gift of leadership? Do you enjoy being the one with the overall responsibility for the direction of a group or organization? Do others look to you when a difficult situation arises? Do you step into a leadership role easily when none exists? Leaders play a vital role in the body of Christ.

Father,

Today we thank You for those You have chosen to lead. Keep them humble and in service to You alone. We thank You for those willing to take responsibility and to take Your vision and motivate others to do their part.

In Jesus name

Amen

Spiritual Gifts/Administration

     That eye for detail and organization we saw yesterday as part of the gift of helps appears again today in the spiritual gift of administration. Are you practical and enjoy organizing events and people?  Do you see the necessary details and steps to get a project done? You may have an affinity for numbers and spreadsheets. This spiritual gift is often a natural life gift used in a profession and in family life as well as in the body of Christ.

     People with this gift have the tendency to observe a situation and use problem solving and reasoning to come up with the answers needed. They make decisions on behalf of others that result in efficiency and in accomplishing goals. It may be difficult for those with this gift to allow the Holy Spirit to lead and make changes when there is a plan!

But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.  1 Corinthians 14:40

Dear Lord,

Thank You for those with the spiritual gift of administration. We thank You for their willingness to organize us with efficiency and grace. We appreciate them and their talents. Show us all how to work together for You.

Amen

Spiritual Gifts/Helps

     Those with the spiritual gift of helps or service can be seen throughout the community and the church. They are there, usually behind the scenes, setting up before meetings, sharpening the pew pencils, most likely the first to arrive and the last to leave. Helping just for the satisfaction of helping is something the world does not recognize, but God places special value on these sometimes hidden talents.

     There is great spiritual value in filling the practical needs of the body of Christ. In fact these gifts are indispensable and given even greater worth in the sight of God and the rest of us in the body of Christ.

On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable. 1 Corinthians 12:22

     Do you notice when things need to be done and step in immediately to help? Does your joy come from alleviating the burdens and responsibilities of others? You may have an eye for detail and a sense of loyalty. Those with the gift of helps and service often have a deep humility and a servant’s heart. One caution with this gift is the ability to know when to say, “no”.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.  1 Peter 4;10

     If you are one of the behind-the-scenes helpers, you are highly valued! We thank God for you today.

Dear Lord,

Give a special blessing to those with this unique and needed gift. They ask for no special attention, but are willing to serve joyfully. Honor them today.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Spiritual Gifts/Mercy

     Do you notice when others are suffering? Instead of avoiding those in crisis or the most vulnerable and weak, do you just want to help?  Do you have the ability to feel another’s pain and want to see them through? Do you have the capacity to enter a very difficult situation with joy rather than obligation or difficulty? If so, you may have the spiritual gift of mercy.

     This particular gift can bring about great blessing and joy, but it can be the one gift that is emotionally and physically draining. The person with this gift can immediately tell when someone is suffering. Their heart is full of compassion and with a willingness to alleviate another’s pain. This gift is often paired in someone with the gift of encouragement. These two work hand in hand to seek out and recognize suffering and then finding a way to deal with it in a compassionate and hopeful manner.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  Matthew 5:7

….if it is showing mercy, let him to it cheerfully. Romans 12:8b

    Relying on the strength of God and our faith is so important for those with this gift, as well as keeping healthy boundaries. The gift of mercy often comes with a heart so filled with compassion and the heart to want to “fix” the suffering. Remember that God is the great healer and we are called to show His compassion, mercy, and hope in the midst of it.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Romans 12:12

Dear Jesus,

We thank you for the gifts of the Spirit. Show each one their special and unique gifts and how to use them for Your purposes. Today we thank You for the merciful. Teach us who we are in You and how we were made to serve.

Amen

Spiritual Gifts/Encouragement

     Did you know there are spiritual gifts listed in the Bible? The Holy Spirit gives each of us gifts to use for the common good of the body of Christ and for others. You have at least one and God will use the gifts within you to serve others. The gift of encouragement (or exhortation) is one of these gifts. Often people with this gift can tell when someone is struggling or discouraged. They have the ability to give words or actions of compassion and hope.

     Barnabus had the gift of encouragement. In fact, his name means "son of encouragement." You can find him encouraging Paul in Acts 9 and John in Mark 1. People with this gift walk alongside the hurting and the weak with patience and the ability to listen.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had so that with one mind and one voice you may glority the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as, in fact, you are doing.  1 Thessalonians 5:11

     With the mind of Christ we can see, hear and understand the needs of others. Have you thought about your spiritual giftedness? Maybe you are an encourager. Let's talk about the gifts of the Spirit this week as we continue to build each other up. We're in this together.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor, if either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Dear Father,

We thank you for the encouragers in our midst. Thank you for their willingness to walk alongside us when we are hurting. You give us the gifts to use to build one another up. Show us how.

In Jesus name

Amen

The Shallow and The Deep

     Standing on the sidelines of faith, or just barely getting our toes wet in the shallow end is safe. Yes, I believe Jesus was a nice man. I know He lived on the earth. I go to church. I am a good person. All of the platitudes we hear over and over and repeat to ourselves. I’ll stay in the shallow end, thank you.

     Allowing Jesus to penetrate down to the depths of our soul takes courage. Considering diving into a real and intimate relationship leaves us standing on the edge, not quite ready to take the plunge. When we do, He will catch us, cleanse us and fill us with the things that matter.

These are the things God has revealed to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.  1 Corinthians 2:10

     He’s calling for you to jump in, right into His arms. His love will wash over You for all of the days of your life. He will take the deep hurts and replace them with the deep things of God.

He reached down from on high and took hold of me. He drew me out of deep waters.  Psalm 18:16

Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls, all Your waves and breakers have swept over me.  Psalm 42:7

     Deep calls to deep. He will catch you in the deep waters and His love will sweep over you. Is it time? His ways are so much higher than ours. He will teach us the deep truths of the Spirit. The water’s fine. Ready…set… jump!

Dear Lord,

Catch us, cleanse us, teach us, as our souls cry out to You from the depths. Take away our fear and coax us out of the shallow end of our lives. Your Spirit searches all things. Deep calls to deep  Let Your love soak us through and through.

Amen

The Weak and The Strong

     When we first come to Christ, we may be filled with a bitterness about our past, with the pride at what we have accomplished, with a sense of our won abilities to gain wealth or power and with our own strength. And as we step to the foot of the cross and witness the agonizing death of Jesus in our place, we bow to His abundant love and sacrifice and give Him our lives. Our new reality speaks to us. We are nothing without Him.

     In that instant we feel the sweetness of His love, gain the riches of the kingdom of heaven and become humble and poor in spirit, recognizing our deep and continual need for a Savior. Today we take another step into the upside-down and inside-out world of Christianity, as Christ works around, through, and with our weaknesses to show His strength.

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise and chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  ! Corinthians 1:27

    God will use the parts of you that are most vulnerable, the attributes you would view as weak and show just who He is. The apostle Paul had what he called, “a thorn in the flesh.” He asked God to take it away three times and God said, “No.” Why?

     But He 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

     His power is made perfect in our weakness. We can boast when He uses us because we boast in Him. It is only because of Him. Give Him those parts of yourself that would appear weak to the world and watch how He uses them!

Dear Jesus,

Take our vulnerabilities, our disabilities, our awkwardness, our lack of confidence, the very parts of us that appear most weak and shine Your strength on them all. Let our confidence be in You and Your powerful strength. Use us in mighty ways.

Amen

The Rich and The Poor

     Bitter to sweet, proud to humble, rich to poor? What would your answer be if asked to choose between being rich or poor? “I’ll choose rich!” We might envision more than enough money, more than enough food, a nice home, not a worry in the world, right? Jesus speaks to us in a spiritual language. In His first sermon in Matthew 5, we hear what are called the Beatitudes (some say “Be Attitudes.”) And the first is:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3

     We are blessed to be poor in spirit. The meaning of this word is “like a beggar.” Recognizing our need for Jesus, recognizing the sin that separates us from a holy God, brings us to a wretched place of need. That may be why the next Beatitude is:

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4

     We grieve over our sin, our brokenness and become beggars before Him, crying for mercy. And what did Jesus do for us?

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you, through His poverty, might become rich.  2 Corinthians 2:9

     He took the punishment and made us rich in spirit. For your sake and for mine He became poor. We are comforted. We will inherit heaven! The poor have become rich in the way that matters most. He gives us enough; our daily bread, forgiveness, His protection, and His glory. Forever! We are rich!

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows) John 10:10 Amplified Bible

Dear Jesus,

Your desire for us is to empty ourselves before You. Take our sin, our grief, our guilt and turn them into joy and comfort and peace. You give us the abundant life to enjoy. We are rich indeed.

Amen

The Humble and The Proud

     Trails of destruction often lead back to pride. We see it in the news. A celebrity thinks he or she is above the law. The world places others on a pedestal and they begin to believe the adulation. It began with pride in the garden of Eden. Lucifer’s fall from heaven began when he wanted to be like God.

     It is no wonder God hates pride. The Bible makes it clear. It is on the top of the list of the things God hates. Pride goes before a fall and the humble will be lifted up. Coming close to the cross brings us to our knees. The Creator, the Lord of Lords, humbled Himself to be a servant to all and to die for us. Humility before God and before others is exactly what God desires for us. He brings us down to lift us up.

You save the humble, but Your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low. 2 Samuel 22:28

“Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the Lord. “These are the ones I look on with favor; those who are humble and contrite in Spirit and who tremble at my word.” Isaiah 66:2

You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. Psalm 16:27

     Humbling ourselves before Jesus, allows Him to work in our hearts, to see others as His children, to show His mercy to others, just as He has shown it to us. Our natural thoughts and desires want to criticize and judge others so we can feel a little better about ourselves. Without Jesus we are all lost. He does bring down the proud, but He is always there ready to lift us up.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10

Humble yourselves, therefore, under god’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.  1 Peter 5:6

For those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.  Matthew 23:12

     If you are feeling unappreciated or unnoticed, if you are raising your amazing children with little thanks or doing a kindness for someone you really don’t even like, expecting nothing in return, if you are devoting your quiet life to prayer for others, or sitting rhough long days at work to provide for your family, God is lifting you up right now. He delights in you. God was well-pleased with His Son when He gave Himself up for us. It is only with Him we can keep a gentle and humble heart.

Dear Lord,

Work in our hearts to come humbly before You, and You will lift us up. That is all You ask, that we look to You. Lead us to put others first even when it doesn’t feel right, even when no one notices. You do.

In Jesus name

Amen

The Bitter and The Sweet

     The bitter and the sweet go hand in hand. This time of the year for me is just that. Celebrating my wedding anniversary brings joy. It was one of the happiest days of my life, but also one of the saddest. My mom became very sick that very week and died the day after our wedding. May 2^nd and May 3^rd. The deep hole of loss I felt during the first days and years after her death have shrunk, but the pangs of loss still hit. I miss her.    

     Our daughters have grown into beautiful, hard-working young adults. We are so proud of them. Both have found their guys and our baby will be graduating from college in two weeks and getting married next year. They bring us such sweetness and joy. But there are those pangs again, of letting go. It is a new season, a transition, changes, bitter and sweet, joy and sadness, holding on and letting go, the days of our lives.

     We are God’s. He knows the number of our days. He gave us wonderful children to raise and love and He gave me a wonderful mom and dad, even if for a time much shorter than I would have wished. The bitter and the sweet. Holding on and letting go. Savoring the sweet and allowing Him to take away the bitter.

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again, from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.   Psalm 71:70

Dear Jesus,

We thank You this morning for those You give us to love. The seasons of our lives bring change. Give us the ability to savor the sights, sounds and flavors of each one as we hold on and let go. Keep our hearts grateful and looking ahead to the days to come. With You we find true joy and peace through it all.

Amen

     

Stepping In The Spirit

     Faith In Christ does not mean life is easier, or that there is less suffering or that we have all of the answers. We just know the One who does. Some of the wise and mature believers in my life have suffered; some of them in unimaginable ways. Somehow, coming out of their time of great suffering and loss, they have come to a deeper love and trust in Christ. Jesus can redeem our suffering. Look at this verse with me.

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example; that you should follow in His steps.  1 Peter 2;21

     Jesus suffered for us. He gave His life for us. He took all of the ugliness and suffering and sin of the world on His shoulders. We may have to suffer for a little while in our earthly lives, too. Let’s follow in His steps. He counted it pure joy.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:1-2

     Running the race with perseverance as we follow Him. Can we do that? Following in His steps does not mean getting everything we want. He gives us what we need, wherever life takes us. Our earthly suffering will be redeemed one day as we, too, get the answers to our questions.

   We will know the answers to: Why? How can it be? How can I go on? What purpose could this serve? Why her? Why me? How could You allow this, Lord? He hears us. Not only does He hear, but He understands. He has been there in the depths, too, in anguish.

     One day we will know. In the meantime, trust Him with it all. I have seen lives changed through the powerful testimony of those who have suffered. Our testimonies bring glory to our God. Powerful, eternal answers are there at the end of the race. Follow in His steps, keeping in step with the Spirit and fixing our eyes on Jesus. Hold on to Jesus as we run the race with perseverance. We’re almost there.

Dear Father in heaven,

Let Jesus be our example. The suffering servant gave it all for us for the joy set before Him. We don’t get it. We don’t understand it. Any of it. But we trust You. You gave us Jesus and to Him we turn.

I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to Your statutes.  Psalm 119:59

In Jesus name,

Amen

Stepping In The Spirit

     Thank God, He loves us! I don’t know about you, but every now and then I just have to ask Him how he puts up with us? With me? He allows us to return to Him and in His great mercy He kindly forgives and forgets once again. New mercies, tender mercies, each and every day. The more we seek Him and return to Him, the steadier we become. Our next turning back may not take so long. We stop before we speak. We listen to God’s voice rather than our feelings. We begin to walk by faith.

For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

     We get ourselves in trouble if we move too far ahead of God or lag too far behind. The Holy Spirit is there. He lives within us! We can train ourselves to listen and to heed His voice as our commander in chief. After all, we found out yesterday, He knows us more intimately than we know ourselves. Let's not get so far ahead He has to yank us back into place. And let's not wait until He has to drag us by the scruff of the neck to catch up.

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  Galatians 5:25

     Keeping in step with the Spirit can be just like one of my favorite shows, “Dancing With The Stars.” We need a little discipline, some hard work studying the Word, some good communication with our instructor and pretty soon, our steps will be fluid and practiced, just like a beautiful dance, synchronized with the One of our hearts.

Dear Jesus,

Teach us the dance of life in the Spirit. It is like no other movement on earth. Give us a sure and practiced step today as we face the challenges of life. Take the lead.

Amen