Faith Comes By Hearing

     Though Jesus was fully God, He humbled Himself for us. He emptied Himself in obedience and became one of us.

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage. Rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross.  Philippians 2:6-8

                                                                                                    

     The Creator of the universe humbled Himself to be a servant to all. How can we say no to the gift He offers? And how can we stay pride-filled depending on our own merit? Let’s humble ourselves before Him. He now sits in glory and He will come next time, not as the Lamb of God, but as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and every knee will bow. Some of the last Words of Christ in the very last chapter of the Bible continue to offer the invitation:

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David and the bright Morning Star. The Spirit and the bride say, “Come,” and let the one who hears say, “come.” Let the one who is thirsty come and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. Revelation 22:16-17

     Take the free gift of everlasting life. Believe on Him. He says, “Come.”

Jesus,

Allow us to share this gift with others. It is filled with grace and love. And it was given with deep pain and suffering. We accept the gift of the water of life.

amen

Faith Comes By Hearing

     Accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord begins with the recognition of our need. Pride and self-sufficiency slip away when we realize how far we are from a holy and righteous God. And yet, He reaches out to us.

Jesus knew the pain He would suffer. He took all of our pain and sorrow on His own sinless shoulders.

In Jesus, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross. Colossians 1:19-20o reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross. Colossians 1:19-20

     Jesus came in the fullness of God, fully man and fully God. And the blood on the cross reconciled us to Him. It was a debt we could never pay. The cross. It represents the passion of God. It represents the agonizing pain of the Lamb of God. It represents our salvation. Our debt paid in full by Jesus. Praise Him today.

Jesus,

You are the fullness of God, sent to save us. We can’t thank You enough. Use us to save others. You do not want to lose even one. We pray Your light will shine through us onto those around us, so Your sacrificial love can be honored.

Amen

Faith Comes By Hearing

     As we look at some Gospel Scriptures this week, I thought we should begin in the Old Testament. Jesus fulfilled hundreds of Old Testament prophecies at His first coming. The timing was perfect, just as it will be at His second coming. Read these verses written by the prophet Isaiah several hundred years before the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Surely He took up our pain and bore our suffering; yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him and afflicted. Bue He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him and by His wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-6

    Many scientists and scholars have dug into the Bible to prove it wrong, to uncover error, looking for proof of a made-up book written by flawed men. Most become believers and all come to the conclusion there is no way, other than a God-breathed book, for not only its historical accuracy but the miraculous fulfillment, down to the most minute detail of hundreds of prophecies written hundreds and even thousands of years beforehand.

     Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world. Pass it on. Isaiah knew He was coming. He knew He would be stricken and wounded for our transgressions. He willingly took on our sin and made us the righteousness of God. As Isaiah said, He was crushed for us and His punishment brought us peace.

Lord,

We thank you for the miraculous power of the Scriptures. They are the breath of life and bring wisdom and truth to our mind, body and spirit. Teach us to share this Good News with others. Faith comes by hearing the Word.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Faith Comes By Hearing

     As believers, we are commissioned by Jesus Himself to make disciples. (Matthew 28) We have the joy and peace of knowing we will live eternally and we want to pass the Good News of Jesus along to others in our lives. The hardest part is knowing how and when to speak up. How do we talk about Him without sounding preachy or pushy?

     With Jesus, we can be loving and kind to others. But, at some point, we want to mention the name of Christ. Yes, He is the One filling me with joy. Yes, He is the One that gives me all things. Yes, He is the One I thank every day for every single one of my blessings. He is the One.

     Remember, Jesus tells us not to be anxious or worry about anything. The Holy Spirit Himself recognizes when and how we will come to Know about Jesus. He opens up hearts and minds with the Word of God. But know this. He WILL use you! He wants us to be a part of growing His kingdom. I can’t imagine anything more exciting than seeing someone in heaven, knowing we played a part in their arrival!

     So relax! It’s not about us. It’s about Jesus and He does the work. Believing in Christ comes from hearing the Gospel, the Word of God.

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the Word about Christ.  Romans 10:17

     Maybe you believed when you heard the most familiar of the Gospel messages from the Word of God.

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

     This week let’s look together at some Scripture verses. Memorize them. Write them down. Take them with you. Be prepared to share. You never know when the Holy Spirit may ask you to assist Him in our shared mission.

Lord,

Use us. Keep us calm and prepared. You have the words to eternal life. Keep them in our hearts and in our minds.

In Jesus name,

Amen

And Two Shall Become One

     My mother’s heart is full of joy. Our baby is getting married in a week! I will be taking two weeks off from writing and from a few other things. I don’t want to miss a moment of expectation, of capturing each moment, and of savoring the memories. I pray you do the same each day with those you love. When we witness the swiftness of the years, more and more, we appreciate each other and sweet moments. I leave you with the two Scripture passages they have chosen for their wedding day. May God bless you and keep you until May 26^th.

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast. It is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13;4-7

But at the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.  Mark 10:6-9

     The two will become one flesh and our family will gain a son. And the Son of God will be present, right in the center of the ceremony and in the center of their lives. Praise God!!

Lord,

We ask for Your face to shine upon our daughter, and her fiancé, on this special day as they join their lives together in front of family and friends and in Your holy presence. Thank you for the blessing of raising children.

In Jesus name,

Amen

What Will We Say?

     When the disciples asked Jesus about the end of the age, He took time to explain some of the signs to come. You can read more thoroughly in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. Remember the seven year tribulation will involve Israel and the lost nations. But we, as the church, can be aware of what Jesus calls the “birth pangs.”

     You might be aware of some of them. Israel will be back in the land after the dispersion that happened in 70 A.D. That prophecy was fulfilled when Israel was “born in a day” (Ezeziel) on May 14, 1948. Others signs involve an increase in earthquakes, roaring seas, nation rising against nation and many others.  Persecution against Christians will also increase. We will be looked upon as judgmental, narrow-minded and intolerant. Sound familiar?

      But take heart. Jesus will take care of us. His protection surrounds us. Are you willing to stand up for His name and admit He is your Lord and Savior? Not easy in the world today. Here are Jesus’ Words for us, His dearly beloved children.

But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.  Luke 21:14-15

Jesus,

We can almost hear Your footsteps. You tell us to make up our minds not to worry. Keep our minds focused to Your Word above all else, as we prepare to defend Your Holy Name.

Amen

Do The Word

     The Bible is compared to a mirror. If we look into it intently, we can begin to reflect that image with others. The Word teaches and convicts. It adds joy and peace and protects us from Satan. It brings light to our eyes and hearts and hope to our weary minds. Not only are we to learn the Word, but we are to do the Word.

Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it-not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it-they will be blessed in what they do.  James 1:22-25

     Can we live out what we read? Can we obey, rather than run away? Can we stop and take it in and do it? Let’s not forget the image of Christ as we walk the earth this week. Stop and listen to others. Give comfort where there is none. Call a hurting friend. Bring the hope of Jesus. We live in a chaotic, lost world. A world that needs Christ.

Lord,

Never let us tire of looking intently into Your Word. You promise if we not only hear and read the word, but to do it, we will be blessed.

In Jesus name,

Amen

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Seeds of Hope

     If you are like me, you want everyone to know and believe in Jesus Christ as Savior. If you are like me, you may feel responsible for your family and friends and making sure they get into heaven. I want to set your hearts and minds at rest. Jesus hears your prayer. Yesterday we looked at a verse to remind us. Sometimes we plant a seed, someone else waters it and God, through His Holy Spirit, makes it happen.

     Many of us had given up on my brother Jim ever believing. He had been depressed off and on throughout his life. He called himself an atheist and couldn’t imagine a loving God in this dark world. It would only be during the end of his life that God started to bring the right people around him. Because of a neurological disease that began in his toes and worked its way upward over years until he couldn’t speak or swallow very well, he lived in a nursing home.

     He connected with a motorcycle-riding chaplain. A friend he hadn’t seen in decades, also in a wheelchair, happened to see him on a metro-mobility bus and would come to the nursing home with a Bible in her hand. They hymns they sang on Sunday morning melted his heart and he shed the tears he had been holding in his whole life. And one beautiful fall day, on his wife's birthday, as she and I walked into the nursing home. He said, "I am born again. I have met Jesus!"

     Jesus knows the day and the hour a heart will open. He will send the right people at the right time. Plant those seeds, pray with confidence and watch for God to work. Praise Him! Believe He is working even before we see results.

“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." Jeremiah 29:11

Father,

We trust you with our loved ones. Open their hearts and minds to accept You. We pray for the right words and for the right people to come into their lives at just the right time. We trust You. We want to share You with them.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Sowing Seeds

     Years ago, my husband and I followed a sign posted on the side of the road to a garden center and found pure treasure. We would call the owner, “old guy” and we visited him year after year. He was ancient looking.

     He and his shop were a treasure trove of unusual and common plants, planted in every kind of container you could imagine, from pots and pans to watering cans to birdhouses, to cages. When I think of the seeds he planted and took care of, it seemed astronomical and impossible. His gnarled hands worked lovingly and every time we stopped in he was singing.

     What a joy to be in his presence. Over the last few years the shop was closed. Just this last Saturday on a beautiful day and our 28^th wedding anniversary, we decided to drive by. We found out he had died and the family was selling it all, everything. I bought an old watering can and a garden sign. We reminisced with his son and great grandson and enjoyed picking rhrough the things he loved and cherished.

     What seeds are you planting in the lives of others? His passion, his love for nature, his joy-filled nature filled the souls of all who visited. We are reminded in Scripture to plant those seeds of kindness and love and of Jesus. Sometimes it takes more than one person to pass along the Gospel. You might begin the process, the next person waters and one day, they bloom into the kingdom.

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.

1 Corinthians 3:5-6

Father,

Give us our task of sowing, planting or watering the seeds of grace. We know it is Your work to grow the Spirit.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Delight in the Word

     We have been studying the Word all week. The Word of God is God-breathed, active and alive, sharper than a two-edged sword. Jesus is the Word of God come to life! This gives us reason to continue to study and comprehend, to meditate on and to look into the Word.

     Read Psalm 119 sometime. It is a lengthy Psalm, but speaks over and over again of the Word, the law, the commands of God. Here are a few verses to meditate on today.

I rejoice in Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your Word. Psalm 119:14-16

Teach me Lord, the way of Your decrees, that I may follow it to the end. Give me understanding so that I may keep Your law and obey it with all my heart.  Psalm 119:33-34

Your Word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.  Psalm 119:89-90

Dear Jesus,

You, the Word, give us light and hope and a path to follow. Keep us faithful to Your Word even when it is difficult. Teach us Your ways and let us follow them. You have the Words to eternal life. The Word stands firm in the heavens, forever.

Amen

e that was to come into the world.

Amen