That They May See

     I pray for you as we enter a fresh new year. May this be a year of new light, of new beginnings, of astounding hope and possibilities such as you have never seen or experienced. Believe in God. Believe in the way He sees you as His beloved child. And as His child you can shine His love light wherever you go.

     If you haven’t taken down your Christmas cards pray for each family. Reach out to others. If you are going through a time of difficulty turn the focus on to someone else. Bake some cookies. Give a word of encouragement. Pay a compliment. Try to please God rather than yourself. The more you give away the more you will receive in great blessings.

     I pray for you dear ones, as the Son prays for you. Before Jesus went to the cross, He prayed He would be glorified. He prayed for His disciples and He prayed for you and for me.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. John 17:20-21

     That the world may believe in Jesus. Let that be your goal for the New Year, that because of us the world may see and believe.

“The Christian is a person who makes it easy for others to believe in God.” Robert Murray M’Cheyne.

Jesus,

Shine Your divine light on us and through us in the new year. May others ask about You because of us. We can make an eternal difference for You.

Amen

Happy New Year! See you Monday! 

Walk By The Light

     The longer we walk with Jesus, the more we recognize His faithfulness, His love and His grace. He forgives and forgets. He allows us to grow more and more into His image as we follow Him. We no longer belong to the darkness. We walk in the eternal light of life.

You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 1 Thessalonians 5:5

     As we continue our journey in Christ, the follies of the night no longer satisfy. The old lusts and passions fall by the wayside and we move into more and more light. What a gift! Removing our hearts from the night brings great freedom and joy. Allow Him to lead you into more and more sunlight.

Your word is a lamp for my feet; a light on my path. Psalm 119:105

Lord,

Show us the way. Light up the path. Lend us Your hand ans lead us out of darkness into a life of light. Your Word will light the path and show us how. You know the way.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Light of Life

     Jesus is the light of the world. Light came to live among us and the darkness has not overcome it. Just as the sun sustains life and without it there is death and darkness, so it is with the Son.  Jesus removes us from darkness and shines on us and through us to give real life.

In Him was life and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:4-5

     Allow Jesus to sustain and nourish you with the light of life. Without Him there is darkness. And with Him you will never walk in darkness. Look up and feel the warmth of His love. Bask in it. Delight in it. It is yours forever.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Jesus,

As we follow You, You remove the darkness from us. Let Your light shine in our hearts as we get ready to welcome in a new year. You promise us the light of life.

Amen

Merry Christmas!!

     Merry Christmas! Sing the hymns. Praise His name. Light the candles. Open the gifts. Remember the precious Son of the living God born in Bethlehem in a manger. God with us, Emmanuel. Listen to the words of Mary as the angel, Gabriel, gives her the news of the birth to come.

And Mary said, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. Luke 1:46-47

     Let your soul and spirit magnify and glorify the Lord Jesus this Christmas.

Father God,

We worship and praise You this season. May the miraculous birth of Your Son remain in us every day of our lives. Thank You for the greatest gift ever given.

Amen

See you on Monday!

A New Life

     Jesus came to save us. All He asks of us is to believe. Believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, ask Him to forgive and you will be His forever. Death is vanquished and true life begins. Life in Him. What an exchange; death to life; total forgiveness past, present and future and eternal joy ahead!

     Don;’t miss your chance this season to accept the gift He graciously offered on the cross. His precious sinless blood was shed for you and He offers His complete righteousness and a resurrection like His. Imagine that! Our Father God will immediately write your name in the Book of Life, never to be blotted out.  Signed, sealed and delivered. Don’t miss the choice you have today!

The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before My Father and His angels. Revelation 3:5

 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever should believe in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Dear Lord,

Why do many stray from Your good news and promises? We pray many hearts will be open to You this season and the new life Jesus offers in this life and in the life to come.

In Jesus name,

Amen

A New Thing

     Today is the shortest day of the year; the winter solstice. The sun comes up late and goes down early. We could choose to focus on the darkness, or we could watch for the first rays of the dawn. The shortest and darkest day of the year is the end of one season and the beginning of another. The days will lengthen in their light day by day.

     With God, each ending brings a new beginning. Each omega brings the promise of an alpha. Darkness comes just before the dawn. Satan wants us to focus on the darkness. He confuses darkness with light and many times we are fooled. We talk ourselves into staying in a dark place. It feels comfortable. We make the best of it.

     God offers full light, beacons of hope before the fullness of the sun. His hope is always there. Brightness is ahead. Full summer days to bask in His light. Let the hope of fresh beginnings fill you this morning. Take a deep breath and watch for the dawn. Count your blessings and pray for fresh light.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up. Do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19

Father,

We wait in hope for the new beginnings you have in store for us. Shine your beacon of hope through the darkness of the days. You are making a new path for us. You are the God of new beginnings.

In Jesus name,\

Amen

A Safe Place

     This week we have withdrawn to solitary places to seek God. We have stilled our minds and hearts to know God. We have slept in peace as we trust God. We have found a solemn place to worship God. Silence, stillness, sleepful peace and solemnity bring us to a safe place: it is Jesus.

     His protection is yours for the asking. His promises are for you and He is faithful. His resurrection is sure and so is yours, if you believe. The resurrected Jesus is coming soon. Look up and get ready and rest assured. You will be escorted safely home. Seek Him, find Him and rest in Him today, tomorrow and forever.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge, my fortress, my God in whom I trust. Psalm 91:1-2

Do not withhold your mercy from me Lord, may your love and faithfulness always protect me. Psalm 40:11

Father,

Your promises are faithful and true. We rest in them. Protect us. Give us peace. Give us sanity and serenity and safety throughout this season.

In jesus name,

Amen

A Solemn Place

     See the bright and shining star? It hovers over the greatest miracle on earth; the birth of a Savior, the baby Jesus, the One who came to save us. Sit in solemn wonder and fill your heart with the awe of it. It is the greatest story ever told and the greatest gift given to mankind. He came for you.

     This innocent child would grow into the sinless man, fully man and fully God. He took our place. This Christmas be reminded of the miracle that is Jesus at His first coming, His most humble beginnings, born in a manger in the presence of common shepherds.  In His second coming, we will see Him in full majesty as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. At first He came as a Lamb. He will come back as a Lion. Bow in reverence and solemn wonder.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:10-11

Jesus,

Don’t let us get comfortable with the Christmas story and take it for granted. Give us the true hope and joy of the miraculous moment when You came into this world. The Son of God, the light of the world, the Messiah, the Lord stepped from eternity into space and time. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace goodwill toward men. (luke 2)

Amen

A Sleepy Place

     I don’t know about you, but I could stand a good night’s sleep. Can Scripture help? Tonight give your troubles to the One who never sleeps. He will watch over you.

Indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Psalm 121:4

     Let His peace wash over your mind as you drift off to sleep. Trust Him with everything. Shut out the busyness of the season, give Him your burdens and Your worries and rest your mind and your weary soul. Ask Him to protect you and hold you safely for this night.

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8

When you lie down you will not be afraid. When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Proverbs 3:24

Jesus,

Sometimes sleep becomes difficult. We toss and turn. Our mind and our heart keep us awake hour after hour. Let these Words from You filled with promise allow us that deep peace that comes from You alone. Give us sweet rest as we count on Your protection.

Amen

A Still Place

     For some of us complete silence and quiet is nerve wracking and awkward. The TV or the radio blares with background noice. We text. We call. We compute. Even fifteen minutes in complete silence seems impossible. God can speak in those quiet moments. A deep thought may be allowed to escape from within to give you new insight.

He says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

     And in the quiet time, the waiting time, the watching time, God works for us. Let Him be in control. Let Him fight the difficult battles. He will help you overcome them all with peace in your soul. Just listen.

The Lord will fight for you. You need only to be still. Exodus 14:14

Father,

Let us be still and behold Your presence. Let us be quiet and watch You work. Take care of our needs today as we witness Your miraculous ways. We will be still and know You.

Amen

A Solitary Place

     My husband and I are both introverts by nature. I love being home alone, studying, reading and preparing to teach. I regain energy when I am alone and so does he. We both love our friends and family, but even at a party we are often the first to leave. When we have a weekend together you will often find us on separate floors. We both appreciate the reality of the man cave.

     Today, even for you extroverts, try to embrace your inner introvert. God wants to spend intimate, alone time with you each day. To become a person of faith and to fulfill the plans God has for you, you need to know Him and His Word and what He says about our short lives on earth.

     Jesus often went away by Himself to pray.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place where He prayed. Mark 1:35

At daybreak, Jesus went off to a solitary place. The people were looking for Him and when they came to where He was, they tried to keep Him from leaving them. Luke 4:42

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5;16

     If the Son of God Himself needed time to withdraw and pray, how much more is it necessary for us?

Lord,

We long to withdraw and spend time with You. We want to make You first and not last in our lives. Help us to prioritize You above all else.

In Jesus name,

Amen

His Preparation For Us

     As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, as we prepare our hearts to serve Him throughout our lives as believers, did You know Jesus is busy preparing something special just for us? He anticipates and delights as He prepares a home for each of us in heaven. If we could really and truly understand our eternity, none of us would be able to wait another minute! Listen to what Jesus says to you and me:

“Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house there are many mansions…if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." John 14:1-2

     Day by day, hour by hour we are getting closer to our heavenly mansion. There will be great joy and love, no more tears, so much to explore and people to meet. You will still be you and I will still be me. We can sit together hour after hour.  You are welcome at my mansion anytime.

Jesus,

Thank You for reminding us of our glorious future. As You prepare a place for us, we wait patiently for You. We thank You for coming to this earth to save us. We anticipate this season with Your joy and look forward to Your coming again.

Amen

Prepare to Pray

     Prepare yourself for a Christmas season and a new year filled with prayer. As you wrap your gifts pray for each recipient. As you put together the holiday meal, pray for your guests. As you gaze at the Christmas lights pray for your neighbors. As you sit in the pews to worship, pray for those sitting around you.

     Take each opportunity to lift others up in prayer. The bonus and the result will be reaped in benefits for you. Jesus honors our thoughts and prayers. He sees the heart.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

     When no one is looking, the Lord sees your heart. Let it resound and beat for Jesus. Pray, praise and love. He sees your kindness. He sees your service. He hears every word you utter. Let your thoughts and prayers honor Him.

Jesus,

We don’t always feel like praying. Let it become such a habit that no matter where we are or what we are doing, you are a part of it. We pray for our nation. We pray for our communities. We pray for our families. We pray for each other. Change lives. Open hearts. We love You.

Amen 

Prepare for a Miracle

     Be prepared to witness a miracle. They are all around you. Try to view the world with spiritual eyes.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

     The miracle may not be in physical healing. It may be in the perfect timing of the right word at the right time.  The hurt may be lessened when a friend sits and listens and cries along with you. It could be in the laughter of a toddler, in the Christmas lights, in the loving arms of the Savior.

     Focus on the eternal. Focus on the love of the season. Stretch yourself to see beyond the hurt to where healing begins. Let Jesus fill in the emptiness and the loneliness. He can be everything you need in a miraculous way. Look for the wonder and the splendor of the season.

Father,

The earth will one day be redeemed into the creation You intended it to become. In the meantime, we focus our eyes on the things of the Spirit. There are miracles all around us. Point them out to us and guide us to be the miracle for someone else this season.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Be Prepared

      As we anticipate celebrating the birth of Christ, we also wait patiently and expectantly for His second coming. Many signs are converging into what Jesus calls the “birth pains” of the last days. It could be tomorrow. It could be a decade from now or several decades. Just like giving birth we recognize the signs will increase in both frequency and intensity.

“Therefore keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour.” Matthew 25:13

     Jesus used parables in his messages to the people of His day and to all of us. Most of them include messages on being ready and prepared, to store up our treasures for heaven rather than with earthly possessions and to use our gifts and talents and money for His kingdom.

     As you prepare for the busyness of this season, take a few minutes to reflect on your life. How can we represent Jesus in the coming year? How can we use our passions and talents to serve Him in the world around us? Is there someone to pray for in your life? Make a prayer list and pray faithfully and watch Jesus work. And be ready! Our heavenly calling is just around the corner.

Father,

We praise You for bringing Your Son to earth. He humbled Himself to be one of us and died for each one of us. You love us so much. May we love You back by serving You with humility and honor.

In Jesus name,

Preparations

     Somehow the things of Christmas have taken over THE one thing of Christmas: Jesus. The preparations for the season can overwhelm our schedules, over-tax our budgets, over-indulge our stomachs which all overtake our focus on Christ.

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. Hebrews 3:1

     Prepare for your celebration by fixing your thoughts on Jesus. Don’t let the less important take you from the celebration of the birth of the Savior. Joy to the world! The Lord has come. Let earth receive her king!

Jesus,

Keep our thoughts on the reason for the season. Forgive our over-emphasis on things that do not honor You. We celebrate Your birth this season. The One who saves. It is all about You.

Amen.

With God We Believe

     Those living a comfortable or even prosperous life may be those living the farthest away from God. Those willingly running from God with anger, with an obstinate heart, those following a path of self-destruction or those protesting loudly, “There is no God!” may be the closest to finding Him.

                                                                                                     

     Let me explain. Think of all of the people sitting in church pews week after week. Many of those same people have not met Jesus. They listen half-heartedly, glance at their watches, waiting somewhat impatiently, for the service to be over. What’s for lunch? What time is the game? Some believe they have fulfilled their obligation to God for the week, giving Him little or no further thought.

     The desperate heart, the angry young man, the addict, the prostitute, the atheist, are often the very ones, when they hear the Word, the true Gospel of salvation, to fall to their knees and ask for help. It takes Godly sorrow, a repentant heart, a humbling of soul, to seek the Savior.

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 2 Corinthians 7:10

     God uses the struggle, the pain and the transitions in our lives to reach out and find us. Know someone in great pain? Know someone leading a desperate life? Know someone heading down a path of self-destruction? Wait, pray and watch. You may witness the miracle of a transformed heart.

Jesus,

We don’t understand the sorrow and pain in our lives and in the lives of others. We trust You with the answers and we pray for a miracle for those we love. We pray the test will become a testimony, the mess a message. With You, we believe it can happen.

Amen

With God We Praise

     Are you struggling today? Some days it seems easier to give up, to stay in bed, to embrace defeat in our lives. There is pain, suffering, sickness, worry and stress. Let’s begin this morning by praising our God together. Recognize He is bigger than our defeat, more powerful than our weakness, more loving than any other human being. Soak in His love and praise Him for every little blessing.

For everything God created is good and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. 1 Timothy 4:4

     This next verse can change your heart and mind. Sometimes our praise is a sacrifice to us. We certainly don’t feel like praising God when everything is falling apart. But God finds great joy in our praise, especially when it is difficult. Praise him for His goodness, for His love and for His light even when He seems far away. It will turn your attention to Him rather than on your troubles.

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that openly profess His name. Hebrews 13:15

Jesus,

In our darkest hours, we praise You. In our defeat, we praise You. In our despair we praise You. Open our hearts to the sacrifice of praise and we will be lifted up.

Amen

With God We Will

     A fresh start. A new beginning. A transformed heart. A blessed hope.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone. The new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17

     Born again! All things have now changed. Can we exchange our thoughts to match what God believes about us? We no longer belong to the world. We belong to Christ.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans 12:2

     It may seem impossible to figure out God’s will. Does it help to know that His will is always best? His will for our lives is not only good. It is pleasing and perfect!  The Words above explain how we get there. We renew our minds with God’s Word. And then we ask the question. Is this in God’s will? Would God be pleased with this direction in my life? Does He want more, expect more, yearn for me to find more in life?

     He can change our direction, re-focus our mind, and start us on a fresh path. He is waiting for you and me to renew our minds and follow His will. And it is good! It is pleasing! It is perfect!

Jesus,

Help us to discover the plans You have for us. We get scared. We lose our way. We fall apart and there You are. Even when others give up, You never do. You are the God of second chances and new beginnings. And here we are again.

Amen

With God We Can!

     The transforming power of the Holy Spirit is not of this earth. We struggle and strain, give up and try again. We want to prove ourselves to others. We are strong. We are invincible. And then life happens. We fall and try to do it on our own again. Beginning again in God’s strength takes a humble heart.

     What would it feel like to give everything to Him? What would change if we took the focus off of ourselves and shifted our gaze to Jesus? With Him, all things are possible.

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God. Mark 10:27

     God can conquer our fear and our hopelessness. With Him we are strong. With Jesus as our guide, the impossible finds hope.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

I can do all this through Him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

     Without God we can do nothing. But with the hope and the love of Christ we can do all things. With God, all things are possible. With God we are more than conquerors. With God, we can!

Jesus,

We humble ourselves before You today. We give You our lives. Forgive us for the times we have fallen and not turned to You. You can transform us from the inside out. Begin Your new work today.

Amen

Seek Him With A Grateful Heart

     If you find yourself reading this blog today, you may either love Jesus or are seeking Jesus. If you seek Him you will find Him.

                                                                                               

Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

And without faith it is impossible to please God, for anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.  Hebrews 11:6

     Seek and find Him. He will change your life. He transforms the wounded heart. He will lavish you with love. He will forgive you and lift you up. Come to Him with a grateful heart. Jesus changes everything.

Father,

We are grateful for so much. Most of all we thank You for Your Son, Jesus, for His sacrifice, for His unending love and for His transforming power to guide us through life into heaven. Remind us to be grateful, not only on Thanksgiving, but every single day of our lives.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Happy Thanksgiving! See you on Tuesday, Decembe

Gratitude in Forgiveness

     I am grateful for the forgiveness of Jesus. He has forgiven us, as believers, from past, present and future sins. They are nailed to the cross, each one of them. What a gift! My small, but extended family has a history of disagreements, misunderstandings, unresolved issues, confusion and even hostility.

     Maybe your family gets together with the proverbial “elephant in the room.”  We are hosting a get-together this year and, with much prayer, I believe everyone will be there. I have asked that we place the past in the past, understand we have all make mistakes and move on in forgiveness.

     We’ll see how it goes. Without Christ it is difficult to let our hurts and worries rest with Him. It may be impossible to resolve and let go of past deep hurts without Him. My deepest and most abiding prayer is for everyone to meet Jesus and to accept Him as Savior. He is the answer. And my prayer for all of us, including you and your family, is for peace-filled, tummy-filled, gatherings this season.

Father,

I ask for Your deep love to saturate all of our family gatherings this year. I pray Your Holy Spiritwill invade our homes and that many would look to You. When we understand Your forgiveness and Your love for us, we can extend it to others, even those who have hurt us.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Friendly Gratitude

     I pray you have some close friends, those you trust, those that build you up and don’t leave at the first sign of trouble, those that make you laugh and hold you accountable. Let’s take a peek at just what the Bible says about friendship and let’s be grateful.

A friend loves at all times…Proverbs 17:17a

     The Bibles values friendship. Do you have friends you love no matter what? We all make mistakes and say the wrong things. We all suffer through so much. A good friend doesn’t necessarily have all of the right answers. Often it is just a listening ear, a hug, an understanding heart with no judgment. They bring the fragrance of life.

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice. Proverbs 27:9

Father,

Give us good friends to love and to love us back. Give us friends with wisdom and with heartfelt advice. This week as we bring our thankfulness to You, we thank you for good friends.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Evil vs. Good

     The Bible tells us, in the last days evil will be called good and good evil. God is pure and holy, blameless and true. Our culture is filled with evil, but our culture calls it good. If it feels good do it. Lust, sexual immorality, brawls and violence, shootings and anger, drugs and porn, all permeate our society. None of it is pleasing to our God.

     The Bible tells us what to think about. If we spend more time in the world than with our God, which voices will speak the loudest? Listen to these words, first about what will be happening before Jesus returns.

But mark this; there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure, rather than lovers of God-having a form of godliness, but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. 2 Timothy 3:1-5

     Quite a list, isn’t it? We want to believe things will get better. Tolerate everything and let everyone do their own thing. The Bible is clear. Evil has to run its course. The times will get worse before Jesus returns. But, never forget, light shines brightest in the darkness. And think on these things.

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

     Focus on Jesus and let him transform your life into something admirable. He changes everything.

Lord,

Keep us from becoming frightened or filled with doubt. You knew the end of the story before you created the earth and man. Change our hearts and our minds so that they may be filled with what pleases You and not the world around us. Help us to be pure, lovely and admirable in Your sight.

Amen

Pray, Go, Tell

     Never underestimate the power of prayer. We have a hunger to save lost souls. The Bible is clear. There is a heaven and a hell. Jesus spoke more about hell than anyone in Scripture. Our souls will live forever in one place or the other and the choice is ours.  Jesus tells us not to be afraid, even of death.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Matthew 10:28

     Pray for others. Look for ways to share your faith. Watch for opportunities Jesus places in your life. God maneuvers the right people to fill in for Him at just the right time. He might choose you and use you today. You have a testimony. You have a story. It is yours to share.

Jesus,

Give us a chance to save others from hell. You are the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through You. Those are Your Words. Give us courage in these dark days.

Amen

Confess and Believe

     Have you confessed the hope you have in Christ? Here is a promise for you and me.

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

     Confess with your mouth and believe in your heart. So simple and we make it so complicated. Open your heart and seek Him. He is standing at the door of your heart. If someone you know wants to receive Christ, ask them to pray after you:

Dear Jesus,

I believe in my heart that you came to earth, you died for our sins, you were buried and rose again from the dead. Forgive me, Lord, for anything I have done against You. I receive you now as my Lord and Savior. Guide my life so I may follow You.

Amen

     That’s all it takes and can you imagine the wonder of helping someone get to heaven? What a privilege. What an honor to bring glory to God. Amen!

Good News

     What is the Gospel message? If someone asked you how to receive Jesus would you know what to say? We know it is a gift. We know He died for us. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians there is a clear message for us to share.

By this Gospel you are saved if you hold firmly to the words I preached to you. Otherwise you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance-that Christ died for us according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.  1 Corinthians 15:2-4

    Believe that Jesus is Lord of all, that He sacrificed Himself on a cross for our sins, that He was buried and rose again. That’s it. Ask Him for forgiveness, turn from your sins and accept His free gift. It is hard to believe many will turn away this offer. Jesus suffered for you and for me. He suffered more than any of us. He moved from glory to be one of us.

Share the good news. He does not want to lose one.

Jesus,

Your good news brings tidings of great joy. We want to sprinkle seeds of hope to others. Let that be our greatest desire until we reach heaven.

Amen

Grace and Truth

     Being a Christian should make others want to be a Christian. Pounding others with rules or what they are doing wrong only pushes people away. Giving the message of Christ with only grace may leave out truth. Is there a balance?

                                                                                                   

God is Spirit and His worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. John 4:24

     Let the Holy Spirit guide you on how and when to speak up about Jesus. Some will listen and be open to truth. Others will not.

And I will ask the Father and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever-the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him for He lives with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17

     Lean on God’s wisdom. He will guide you. Show the love and joy of Jesus. Shine with His light. Someone may ask you about the joy within you and the Spirit of truth will give you the words. Some will hear.

Father,

Take away fear and discouragement. You put people in our lives for a reason. Let our lives count for You. Show us how to share Your grace and Your truth.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Open Our Hearts

      True believers in Jesus Christ have an eternal bond. My prayer sisters and Bible study group are closely united. We dig into God’s Word together, we pray for each other, and we mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15)

     Open your heart to other Christians and welcome their love for you. It is a deep and powerful feeling to know that others are truly praying for you. They bring joy and encouragement.

Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people. Philemon 1:7

Jesus,

Remind us that we are here to serve one another. Give us the strength we need to bring joy and encouragement to others and the strength to receive it when we are in need.

Amen

Open Our Hearts

                                                                                         

     Be thankful. Begin each day with an open and grateful heart. Jesus loves you and He is beside you and within you right now. He is with you and within you tonight, tomorrow, next month, next year, into your old age and as you step into His eternal glory.

     With truth like that how can we help but have grateful hearts? When life gets tough, focus on Jesus. When the next step hurts, lean on Jesus. If you are scared, trust Jesus. If you are weak, rely on the strength of Jesus. If your heart is burdened, give it to Jesus. When you lie on your death bed, look into His eyes and get ready to meet Him face-to-face.

     Face today with an eternal heart, fixed on Jesus and be thankful.

Jesus,

Your sacrifice gives us access to You. We come to You with everything on our hearts and minds today. We give everything over to Your sovereign might and power. Give us thankful hearts today and tomorrow.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Open Our Hearts

     Maybe you can make a difference today. Maybe it’s you God has placed in the life of that difficult person. Maybe it is your kind words that can change a mood or change a life. Maybe Jesus chose you. As our hearts are open to His love, it begins to show in our actions, words and deeds.

     Maybe you will have just a bit more patience than the person behind you. Maybe you will be a bit slower to anger than the other person. Maybe you will speak the words that one person has been waiting to hear. Maybe the Gospel is on the tip of your tongue.

     Maybe it’s you.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send and who will go for us?”  And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8

Jesus,

Here we are. Send us! Use us! Let it be us that represent You wherever we go. Let Your Holy Spirit flow through our lives as we use words of love, encouragement and kindness. It is us.

Amen

Open Our Hearts

   Rather than finding our greatest desires to be set on riches or power, let our greatest desire be to love and honor God and to pray the same for our friends and family. Here are two more verses fo pray over others. Pray they might be saved. Pray that the eyes of their hearts may be opened to Jesus. Eternity is at stake.

Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. Romans 10:1

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people. Ephesians 1:18

Father,

We live on for eternity, all of us, either in hell or in heaven. Let our desire be to share the truth of Jesus. He does not want to lose even one and neither do we. Hear our prayers for our loved ones today. Keep us bold and courageous in talking about You to others.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Open Our Hearts

     Jesus offers us eternity. It is a free gift, ours for the taking. Whether we understand it or not, something will be missing from our lives until we accept Jesus. He satisfies our spiritual hunger and thirst. He opens our eyes to see the truth. He opens our ears to hear His Word. And best of all, He turns our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26

     Are you praying for someone to accept Jesus? Never give up on that prayer. God’s timing is perfect. He knows the very moment our stony hearts will be open to hear His Word of grace. He will send the right person, at the right moment, in the best setting. In the meantime, pray.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

Jesus,

You do not want to lost one soul. Open the eyes of the hearts of those we love. We will continue to pray for them.

Amen

Eternity Bound

     Jesus is the missing piece for everyone. The earth is not our true home. Our true home will be with Him. Author Randy Alcorn puts it this way: “We think that what we want is money, sex, drugs, alcohol, a new job, a raise, a doctorate, a spouse, a large-screen television, a new car or a vacation. What we really want is the Person we were made for, Jesus, and the place we were made for, Heaven. Nothing less can satisfy us.”

     Jesus is preparing a place made just for you. It will fit like a glove, match your greatest desire, and fulfill your every longing. In the meantime, seek His presence above all else. Spend good time with Him. Turn off the TV. Close the newspaper. Shut out the distractions and open His Word to you. He has the words to eternal life.

“In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.” John 14:2-3

     If you are unsettled, uneasy, anxious or dissatisfied, remember you are away from home.

“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” C.S. Lewis

Father,

Your Son is preparing a place for us in our true home. Help us to focus on the things You want us to focus on, to give to the people you put in front of us, to listen to You above the spinning globe. You are coming to bring us home.

Amen

Eternity Bound

     A pastor once said something like this: “Only when you lose your fear of death, can you really live.” Are you afraid to die? Many of us are fearful of the process of dying, if not what happens after we leave this earth. Knowing we are in the hands of Jesus through this life right into the next brings about inner peace and strength. Knowing the brevity of our lives when compared to eternity gives us hope and perspective.

For we walk by faith and not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:7-8

     Did you notice? When we are absent from the body we are present with the Lord. Jesus made a promise to the thief next to Him on the cross. The thief asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom. Here is the Lord’s reply.

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise. Luke 23;42

     Angels may escort us. (see Luke 18) Heaven waits for us. Our loved ones and Jesus will greet us. Absent from the body, present with the Lord, immediately in the presence of paradise. Death has lost its sting. (1 Corinthians 15:55)

Jesus,

Thank You for the promise of paradise. Death no longer holds us in fear. We will be with You in a resurrected body that will never fade away. Take away our fear of death. It has no hold over us because of Your death and resurrection.

Amen

Eterntiy Bound

     Even in the church we have misconceptions about heaven. Maybe you imagine heaven as a place of endless boredom as we sway on a cloud, playing a harp. Or a worship service with no end, where we sing songs and bow down all day long. Oh yes, there will be magnificent worship in heaven. We will be face-to-face with our God!

     But all of the longings of our earthly life will be realized in a perfected heaven and earth. Somehow our seminaries fail to focus on the new earth. The heavens and the fallen earth as we know them will be destroyed.

By the same Word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgement and destruction of the ungodly. 2 Peter 3 7

     And our Creator will make a new perfected earth and a new heaven. It is beyond our imagination, but we will have much to do and see in our resurrected bodies. The adventures will never end as we move about freely from the mountainous beauty to the bounty of the forests. Our true home awaits.

But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:13

Father,

We do know your judgment is coming soon upon the earth and the ungodly. Keep our focus on Jesus as we wait for the promise of a new heaven and a new earth.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Eternity Bound

     Because of our eternal destiny based on our faith in Christ, we can live lives of patience, perseverance and hope. There is suffering that seems to have no end. There are trials on a daily basis. There is separation from our loved ones at their earthly death. And yet…God has destined us for a purpose through it all. Make Him your greatest desire today and hold onto faith.

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4

     So many great men and women of faith have gone before us. Many of their stories are in the Bible or in the pages of books. Many have been martyred for their faith in Christ. We have loved ones in heaven. Their witness bears testimony to Jesus and they give us courage.

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. Hebrews 12:1

     Let’s make this short life count. When all is said and done, what we have done for Jesus will last. Love with His heart, laugh with His great delight in you. Persevere through the most difficult of days with hope for eternity. It is right around the corner.

Jesus,

Build up our courage, our perseverance and our joy in loving You. You have marked out our paths before we were born. Let us walk out that path hand in hand with You.

Amen