Him Alone

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6   

     The verses above make it clear. There is no other name, no other way by which we may be saved. Jesus speaks only truth. And He is the way, the truth and the life. C. S. Lewis says we all have to make a choice. We believe Jesus is a liar, Jesus is a lunatic, or Jesus is Lord.

     The name above all names came to save all of us. He is the firstborn of creation. All things were made by Him and for Him. Every story in the Bible foreshadows Jesus. The final sacrificial Lamb came in human form. Do you know Him? Have you accepted Him as Lord of your life? If you haven’t read through 1 Corinthians 15. The gospel is there. Believe it, ask forgiveness, accept the free gift. That’s it. That’s all He asks. Believe and be saved.

Jesus,

Only You can mediate between us and a holy God. We all fall short. Thank You for this gift above all others, the good news of grace. The free gift of eternal iife in Your name alone.

Amen

The Name

     The name of Jesus Christ is powerful. It is the name above all names. The name sends the demons running. The name protects. The name is the name of the Savior of the world. Don’t use it lightly.

Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth. Philippians 2:9-10

It is written, “As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will acknowledge God.” So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. Romans 14:11-12

     Be careful how you use the name of Jesus. He sits at the highest place and one day, every single human being will stand before Him on bended knee. Bending the knee now secures our heavenly home. Why not try it? One day it will be too late. He offers forgiveness, redemption and eternity. Who could ask for more?

Jesus,

Your name is above all others. And no one will be saved without it. God sees us in Your image once we believe. You are above all else.

Amen

Majesty

     Most people around the world, even in a variety of religions, agree that Jesus walked the earth. Many believe He was a prophet, a rabbi or a kind and generous man.  That’s the problem. Leaving our image of Christ as a man. The truth is Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. Jesus is eternal. All things visible were created by Him and for Him. Imagine!

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things have been created through Him and for Him.  He is before all things and in Him all things hold together. Colossians 1:15-17

     Jesus holds ALL THINGS together. The universe is in His hands. The workings of your body are in His hands. The sunrise and sunset are in His hands. He names the stars in the sky and counts the hairs on your head. He is worthy of our worship and praise. You were created for Him. Worship His holy name today.

Jesus,

You created all things on heaven and earth. Our minds can’t comprehend it, but our hearts can be open to Your majesty. We worship You today as our Creator, the One who came to save us.

Amen

G-rated Living In A X-rated World

     God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. (Isaiah 55) And yet, God came to earth as a man and lived among us. (John 1) It is mind-boggling to think that Jesus lived in a human body and now sits at the right hand of God.

     God allows us into the supernatural and majestic kingdom of heaven. His Spirit lives within us when we allow Jesus to become the Savior of our lives. Are you feeling the Spirit of the risen King? We can live under His guidance in a world running with madness and evil. We can stand out in the crowd. They might witness something different about us.

     A G-rated, God-rated life rises above the darkness into His glorious light. Fight the good fight. Finish the race He has called you to run. The rewards in heaven await. Eternity is forever!! Stand strong.

I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

Father,

We long to fight the good fight for You. Give us our calling. Show us the way. Keep our faith steadfast in You alone.

In Jesus name,

Amen

G-rated Living In An X-rated World

Yesterday God asked us to think about certain things. The day before taught us the fruit of the Spirit and the attributes that will begin to grow in us as we connect more deeply to Jesus.  Today God asks us to stay away from certain activities and actions. The flesh and the Spirit war naturally. Which will win out in us today?

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children, and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. Ephesians 5:1-4

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who are like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21

      Whew! Sounds a lot like our world today, doesn’t it? Greed, factions, fits of rage, sexual immorality and the like.  God will work in us as we grow in faith. Never forget, we are forgiven; past, present and future once we accept Christ as Savior. We are immediately seated in heaven and the power of the resurrected Lord lives within us. Live in that freedom and allow the Spirit to guide you into His ways.

Father,

It is so hard to live in the world and not compromise the values You cherish. Give us a heart to see what pleases You above ourselves. You only want the very best lives for us.

In Jesus name,

Amen

G-rated Living In An X-rated World

     How is your thought life? Satan loves to plant doubt, cynicism, anger and guilt within our minds. God wants the opposite. He wants to fill our minds with the things of the Spirit. God is complete love. What does God ask us to focus on and think about?

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

     I find it interesting that the verse above immediately follows the command to “be anxious for nothing.” Maybe thinking on the outstanding qualities in life instead of dwelling on the negative, the nasty, on what is wrong with others, on what may or may not happen in the future, keeps us steadfast and at peace.

     A devotion I read recently said “Garbage In, Garbage Out.”  Whatever you put in your mind will come out in attitude and action.

Think on those things of God. The world around us may not look admirable, excellent, lovely or pure, but it is possible to keep our minds on such things.

Father,

Give us beauty and good behavior and love. Give us honor and respect and hope. Give us purity. Give us excellent and lovely thoughts today. They don’t come naturally or easily. They come only as we focus on You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

A G-rated Life in an X-rated World

     Darkness and light. Cursing and blessing. Life and death. God gives us the choice. Move into the light with Jesus or stay in darkness. This week we are searching the Scriptures to see what God tells us about the battle between darkness and light.

     Living in Christ’s love and forgiveness opens the door to grow in the fruit of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit grows this fruit from within. And slowly and surely it begins to show outwardly. Look through this fruit and see which ones need work in your life. Pray about it and seek Scripture on the particular fruit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

     After a week of diverticulosis and side-effects of meds, my patience and faithfulness need a little work. How about you? Let the Spirit work in your heart and pray for growth in the fruit. These are the ways of God and the G-rated life!

Jesus,

You will teach us how to grow in the fruit. You are the vine. (John 15) When we are rooted deeply in You, the fruit will begin to grow naturally. We put our faith in the true vine. It is You!

Amen

G-rated Living in an X-rated World

     God’s plan for us is G-rated. How do we survive in an X-rated world? The deeds that were once hidden in shame are now paraded down main street. What was once considered evil is now called “good.” Here is what Isaiah says about the last days.

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Isaiah 5:20

     Woe to those who call evil good. God created mankind and all of nature. His plan is good. He will only allow evil to increase for so long. His wish is for all of us to turn to Him, listen to Him, follow His plan. HE is good. He loves purity, truth, honor, respect, patience and goodness. We are not seeing many of those virtues today.  He is turning evil over to reach its fullness and we are witnessing the fullness today.

Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. Romans 1;32

Father,

Keep us in tune with Your ways. Turn hearts and minds back to You. The evil around us is becoming accepted and applauded. We stand for You and Your Word. Help us during these days when evil is called good.

Amen

Dreams

     Resting in Jesus throughout our lives brings peace and joy. When pleasing Him becomes our greatest priority, we won’t care what others think. Honoring Him is the desire of our heart. When His dreams become our dreams, we have rest for our souls.

     Our lives may look insignificant to the outward-focused, money-oriented, me-first world, but to Jesus we are His treasures, His chosen people. His royal priesthood. Our prayers matter. Our Bible study matters. Our deep love for others matters. We are keeping evil at bay, every single day with the power of the resurrected Christ. Let His dreams become yours. You are making an eternal difference.

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do. Ephesians 6:7-8

Father,

Keep our minds and hearts on Your dreams for us. With Jesus in our lives, we understand sacrifice. We understand love. We understand humility. He showed us the way through all He did for us.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Dance

     The dance of life does not move in easy, sequential steps. There are times when we barely move, in a slow dance, rocking back and forth in the same place. Change is difficult. Some seasons we move in an elegant waltz, organized and flowing. Everything in the dance of life flows smoothly and steadily.

     The music speeds up and life spins out of control, a raucous and chaotic polka, spinning us wildly. We aren’t sure where we will land. And there are the moments of wild abandon and freedom. We don’t care who is looking. We take on the world and don’t care what others think.

     Whatever dance you are experiencing, let the Lord of the dance take control. He can keep up with each step. And worship Him as if no one is looking. Imagine the powerful King of Israel, dancing on the street in worship; so exceedingly filled with the joy of the Lord, he could not stop. Even with his wife’s embarrassment and harsh words, David needed to worship his God.

Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might. 2 Samuel 6:14

Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness. I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. Jeremiah 31:13

     The dance of life with Jesus is sure. Our footsteps, whether in control or faltering, whether in wild abandon or joyful worship, are His. One day our mourning will turn to gladness and we will dance through heaven’s gate.

Jesus,

Take the lead as we continue the dance of life. With You, we will never completely lose our way. You are getting ready to take us home.

Amen

Direction

     Wondering which path to take next? Do we look back to the past for the answers or do we press forward to what is ahead? The answer is “yes!”

This is what the Lord says, “Stop at the crossroads and look around, and ask for the ancient paths where the good way is, and walk in it and find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:16a

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do; forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. Philippians 3:13

     Are you standing at a crossroad? When we need direction, there are answers in the Bible. Learn from the ancient ways. The Bible is full of stories of men and women just like us. They had doubts. They made mistakes. They asked for forgiveness. And they moved ahead.

     Look at the ancient paths and forget the doubts and mistakes. You are forgiven. Press on to what is ahead. Jesus is right there leading the way.

Jesus,

We get confused. We wonder what’s next. Guide our eyes and ears to see and hear Your Word and strain toward Your goals, Your ways, Your direction.

Amen

Daylight

     When we receive Jesus as Savior, we move from darkness to light. Jesus is the light of the world. (John 8 and 9) Having been filled with His light, we can shine with His enduring love. Because of His complete forgiveness, we are washed clean.

This is the message we have heard from Him, and declare to you. God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1 5-7

     He purifies us from ALL sin. Let this freedom fill you with peace and joy. Because of His great love, we can walk out our lives in the light of eternity. Shine today as a child of the light.

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

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

Jesus,

Because of You, we need not walk in darkness. The light of Your glory has forgiven us, washed us clean and set us in eternity. Fill us with Your light as we finish our earthly lives as children of the day.

Amen

Delight

     These words came to mind this morning out of nowhere. You will make my dreams come true, when all I seek is to glorify You.  When God becomes our first love and our greatest desire is to follow and please Him, he blesses us with supernatural power and the desires of our hearts become His.

Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

     Take time to delight yourself in the Lord today. Thank Him for His Son, Jesus who saved us, for His Spirit that guides us, for His Word that teaches us, for His creation that inspires us, for friends and family who bless us, for food and shelter that sustain us. Take delight in His presence, in His power, in His protection, in His providence. He will give you the desires of your heart.

Lord,

We take delight in You today for all of Your good gifts from above. We, as children of the light, are already seated I heaven with You. How miraculous! How amazing! How delightful are You!

Amen

Refocus

     I have had two separate conversations with friends this week on how our values have changed over the years. The “stuff” of life that took so much time, energy and care has moved down a few rungs on the ladder of life.  We talked about simplifying, decluttering and giving away the things we once thought we couldn’t live without.

     One of my friends has moved into the house of her youth. Her husband recently died and her dad has moved into a nursing home. The house is absolutely full of “stuff.”  Leaving our children with a mess of the temporary serves no purpose.

     What if we spent our lives focusing on the relationships, the testimonies, the love that will follow us into our eternal home? Clearning out our stuff can help to clear our minds and our hearts and give us more time to focus on the things of heaven.

Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary and what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

     I never tire of these words, my favorite life verses. Focus your eyes on the eternal today. Be reminded of what is of true value and worth and what will last. Fix your eyes on Christ.

Jesus,

We spend so much of our time on the outward and the temporary. Change our focus to the unseen and the eternal. One day that is what will be with us; Your love and the love we shared with others.

Amen

He Died For All

     I am reminded this week, through the witness of others, that we can share God’s glory with others through our times of sorrow as well as our times of great joy. The gold medal winners in synchronized diving took the time to speak of their identity in Christ, above their identity as divers and gold medal winners.

     On the day I witnessed this moving testimony, I heard a similar testimony of Christ’s love through the family members of the missionaries killed in a tragic accident. A husband, wife and three small children were killed instantly. How do we deal with such loss? As this family spoke of their deep grief, they also spoke of the assurance of heaven and their forgiveness for the driver that killed their loved ones. Because of Jesus, they will be reunited with their beloved family.

     Grace, boldness, deep peace and the love of Christ shone through these witnesses. Without Christ, there is no hope. Those of this world are searching for ways to fill their souls. Nothing works. Everything falls short. We need a Savior, Jesus the Christ. He came to save us all.

He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:15

Jesus,

We have You through it all. We want to share Your love throughout our lives, no matter the circumstances. We need You through the joys and sorrows in life. Teach us to live for You, the One who gave everything for us.

Amen

The Word

“This is the covenant I will make with them after that time,” says the Lord. “I will put my laws in their hearts and  I will write them on their minds.” Hebrews 10:16

     When we fill our minds and our hearts with the word of God, we will follow His ways. There will be little room left for what is against His heart. How beautiful are the words of our Lord.

I have hidden Your words in my heart that I might not sin against You. Praise be to You, Lord. Teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the words that come out of Your mouth. I rejoice when following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. Psalm 119:11-14

     Keep God’s Word hidden in your heart and written on your mind and you will not stray from Him. Speak it out loud. Pray it over your children. Praise the Lord with His Words. Thank Him for the Gospel given to you. Rejoice in His Word as in great riches. It is more valuable than silver and gold.

Jesus,

You are the Word of God come to life. We see God’s image in You and understand Your Word through the Holy Spirit’s teaching. Guide us into a deeper understanding and do not let us stray.

Amen

The Word

     Studying God’s Word with others helps to strengthen our faith, to learn from the wisdom of others and their experience and it gives us opportunity to wrestle with some of the tough questions in life and in following Jesus. The ways of the world today can easily seep into our minds and hearts.  How do we stay pure and in line with God?

     Seeking Him first. Praising and praying to Him as we rise, meditating on His Word as much as possible, praying throughout the day and listening for the voice of the Holy Spirit within us. Not easy is it? I pray you have deep fellowship in the Lord. Those relationships with other believers will keep us strong and faith-filled and accountable.

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

     The following verse touched the hearts of the class of women I have been blessed to teach for the past seven years. I am richly blessed to have been among them.

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly, as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Colossians 3:16

Father,

Thank you for the believers you place in our lives. Let us encourage and strengthen one another as we follow You in the world around us. Give us courage and wisdom today.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Word

     The Word of our God is our greatest weapon in staying out of the grips of the enemy. In the chapter on the armor of God (Ephesians 6) the Word of God is our sword. Let the Word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom. (Colossians 3:16)

     Joshua was one of just two of the original group of Israelites to walk into the promised land. King David remained a man after God’s own heart after turning away and sinning against Him. What can we learn from these two men about following God and His heart?

Keep this book of the law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Than you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on the law day and night. Psalms 1:1-2

     Does meditating on God’s Word day and night sound like an impossible quest? As you study and develop a hunger and a thirst for more of God’s Word, it becomes a privilege and a way of life. This is the Word of the Sovereign Lord, the One who loves you. The One who died for you. Listen to Him. Meditate on His Word for you day and night. The answers are waiting.

Dear Father in heaven,

Your Word has life and power for us. The answers to daily living are written for us. The Word has great wisdom. It holds the wisdom of Your great heart for us and Your unfailing love. Help us to develop an undying thirst for it in our day-to-day habits.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Working and Waiting

     Don’t lose heart. God continues to work in us at all times. He prepares people and places for us. He doesn’t give up. The Israelites went around the same mountain for 40 years on a journey that should have taken 11 days! And God continued to give them one chance after another. Every single time they turned back to Him, there He was.

     Are you going in circles around that same mountain? Try a new path. Try it God’s way. Look into Scripture for answers on the tough questions in your life. Some of the journey will be an up-hill battle, but His ways will always be in your best interest. His ways will not sound like the ways of the world. It’s really not all about us. It’s about Him. And He is working in your life, until He one day meets us face-to-face.

Being confident of this; that He who began a good work in you, will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

Jesus,

There You are, waiting for us to turn back to You. Keep us from the vicious circle of sin in our lives. Move us into the blessings You have waiting for us. You never give up. You just keep on working and waiting.

Amen

He Will Direct Your Path

    

     Change often brings fear and uncertainty. Maybe, like me, you have moved ahead of God’s steps and made the wrong choices. Even when we are following God’s lead, life becomes difficult. Luckily, He never gives up on teaching us His ways. Trusting Him through days of uncertainty can be tough. He asks us to trust Him completely!!!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. Proverbs 3:5-6

     The Holy Spirit lives in us! As we grow in our faith, we learn to trust His guidance and follow peace with God. He sacrificed everything for us. Let’s continue to follow His lead with a humble and a cheerful heart.

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

     Today let’s not move too fast. Watch and listen and be still.

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

Lord,

Forgive us when we move too fast or lag too far behind. We become impatient in waiting. Your timing is always perfect. We stay still today and listen for Your Holy Spirit to guide us.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Entertaining Strangers

     If you are like me, change can be difficult. God continually guides us to new adventures, new opportunities, and into the lives of the most unexpected people. He brings others into our lives for a lifetime, a season, a year or a day for His purposes. Did you know that even angels can disguise themselves as people? Listen to this verse:

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. Hebrews 13:2

     Keep your heart and mind open to God’s work in your life. Is He asking you to try something new? Has He brought someone new into your life? Are you taking every opportunity to speak of and to show His love? He may bless you with the presence of an angel. The spiritual realm is at work all around us.

     Many of the angels spoken of in Scripture were created to worship and honor God and to surround His holy presence, including the seraphim and the cherubim. Other angels are watching over us:

Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? Hebrews 1;14

     God protects His own. Pray to Him for protection, for His angels to surround you and watch for exciting opportunities each day. Don’t be afraid to move out of your comfort zone and into a new adventure!

Lord,

We can’t imagine all the times we miss out on Your work around us. Keep our hearts and minds open to what You are doing and to where You are leading. We thank You for Your ministering angels sent for us.

In Jesus name,

Amen