He Will Do It!

     God has called you. He saw your heart before you were formed in the womb. He is faithful and He will love you forever. Wondering what is next? Worried about tomorrow? Feeling some despair? Seek God. Feel His love.  He is right there. The story of the prodigal son reminds us of the love of our Father.

     Even when the son ran away from his safe and loving environment, even when he squandered his inhertamce and lived a dangerous and decadent life, his father never stopped loving him or hoping and praying for his return. Once you have believed in Christ, you are sealed forever.

     Remind yourself of the loving kindness of our God. His love endures forever. Remind yourself of His faithfulness and His ability to work through the toughest of times. Read this verse out loud if you can.

The One who called you is faithful and He will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:24

Lord,

When we turn away, You wait. When we fall into doubt, You are faithful. When we return, Your loving arms are open wide. Pour Your precious love on us today. You are faithful and You will do it!

Amen

A New Beginning

     Death is an awful word. It conjures up fear, hopelessness and loss. Without Jesus, death is the end of all hope. Without Him, we are separated from eternal security. With Him, death has absolutely no hold on us. We will live forever! Listen to the beauty of death in the sight of our God.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful servants. Psalm 116:15

     Our death is precious? What a concept. Our God longs to be with all of His precious children forever. Christ lived as a human. He understands our earthly desires. He understands our earthly grief at the loss of a loved one. He understands our fear of death. He felt the sting of death in a way none of us will ever comprehend.

     But precious is our death. Our death means the beginning of life eternal. Our death brings us into the presence of our Lord. Precious are we!

We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8

Father,

Take away our fear of death and loss. Remind us of the precious truth. We will be at home with You the minute our last breath is given.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Power of Believing

     All God asks of us is to believe. Believe that Jesus is the risen Son of God. Believe that because of Him we are seated in heaven and will live forever. Believe in the free gift of salvation offered to us because of the cross. Believe in God above our circumstances and above the evil around us. Believe He is sovereign and He will one day soon create a new heaven and a new earth. Believe in hope, faith and love above all else.

     Believing in God’s power and love allows us to witness His supernatural works around us. Open the eyes of your heart and believe!

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

     Believing pleases our God. Earnestly seek Him and He will reward you with His power, love and blessings.

Lord,

We ask for our hearts and minds to move beyond earthly limitations, to seek heaven’s power and to believe in You and Your works. We ask for Your guidance today as we believe in You and earnestly seek You.

Amen

Heavenly Works

     Each of us will meet with Jesus. As the song says, “I Can Only Imagine!” It truly is beyond our imagination to be in the presence of the risen Lord, to walk with Him and talk with Him and serve Him. Our sins are forgiven, past, present and future. The works we did in His name will follow us into our heavenly home.

     The Bible promises, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 21:4)  There will be a moment or two as He wipes away our tears forever, a few moments where we will realize the missed opportunities. Our true motivations will be before us. The times we believed we were being selfless, but instead only brought attention to ourselves. God always looks at the heart.

     But there will be those times, the times we allowed the Spirit to work. The times in our lives that truly brought glory to our God. The moments when the Spirit asked us to do more, to sacrifice something, to give some time we didn’t have, to humble ourselves before God and truly serve him.  Those moments will be refined into bright jewels and glowing, golden crowns. The rest?  Burned as hay and stubble.

Their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss, but yet will be saved-even though only as one escaping through the flames. 1 Corinthians 3:13-15

     Some will arrive with the smell of soot drifting into heaven with them, others will gladly accept the burnished gold and the precious jewels to leave at our Savior’s feet. Heaven will be glorious either way and the works that survive will be the works we allowed the Spirit to do through us. Hallelujah!  Let’s build our lives on the things that will survive, the only things that truly matter.

Jesus,

Only with You can we do the works of heaven. Without You, we can do nothing. Open our eyes to Your power. Open our ears to listen to Your call and keep us humbly in Your service even when it seems impossible. We can only imagine what we can do through You.

Amen

Heaven's Blessings

     The finished work of the cross saves us. The Holy Spirit resides in us. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit continue to work on us and through us. The triune God is preparing us for heaven! Our choice is to listen and allow this work to transform us more and more into the image of Christ, or to stay where we are, missing out on the heavenly blessings available to us right now.

     The closer I walk with Christ, the more I want to grow in the fruit of the Spirit. Christ will prune some branches. He may even completely cut off an unproductive spiritual limb or two from our earthly desires. Ultimately, our blessings will overflow as we surrender some things we hold unto for dear life and reach out to grow in the gifts of the Spirit.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3

     The resurrection power of Jesus is available to us. Feel His supernatural blessings poured upon you today! The following Scriptural prayer is written for you.

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, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 1:18-20

He Restores Our Joy!

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore onto me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me with Your free Spirit.  Psalm 51: 11-13

     You may have sung these words on a Sunday morning. These words are in a traditional church hymn sung through the ages. What beautiful words to sing to our God. Not feeling joy-filled at the present moment? The joy of our salvation wanes and weaves from our hearts and minds as we live out our lives. But God will restore that joy to you as you continue to ask Him for His holy presence in your life.

     God’s presence is not always a tangible, emotional feeling. But believe it; He is ever-present! It takes faith and trust in a God who is more than able and available. He watches over your life.

The Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:8

     A reason to rejoice! Your salvation in Christ brings great joy. His ever-present guidance is available right now this very minute. Ask Him to restore your joy and be filled with His free and willing Holy Spirit.

Jesus,

We ask for Your complete joy to fill us today. Thank You for watching over us all the time.

Amen

Rejoice In His Love

     King David was called, “a man after God’s own heart.” But, like us, he messed up time after time. His beautiful songs and emotions fill the pages of the Psalms. We witness his sorrow, his fear, his deep shame and his continued desire to come back to God.

     Even when we mess up, God is there. He loves us always, never less, never more, because of our behavior. His unconditional love is beyond our human understanding. Wherever you are today, rejoice in His love for you.

I will be glad and rejoice in Your unfailing love, for You have seen my troubles, and You care about the anguish of my soul.  Psalm 31:7

Then I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be glad because He rescues me. Psalm 35:9

     Notice in the last verse above, the word “rescues.” It is not past-tense or future-oriented. It is a perpetual rescue, past, present and future. He will rescue us. He has rescued us. He rescues us over and over again.

Lord,

We rejoice in Your ever-present love for us even when we mess up and turn away from You. Thank You for never leaving us alone. All we need to do is turn to You again and again.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Rejoice!

     Paul suffered greatly in his life. Proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus propelled him forward no matter the circumstances.  You can read through a list of some of the trials Paul suffered beginning with verse 24 of 2 Corinthians 11.  Paul wrote many of his last letters from a prison in Rome where he was chained to a Roman guard.

     How then could he write these words from the dank, smelly cavern of a prison cell?

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again-rejoice! Philippians 4:4

     A tall order to “always” be full of joy in the Lord. Remind yourself today of all you have in Jesus. His Spirit resides within you. He is ready to teach and guide you throughout the rest of your life. He has a plan and a purpose for you. He has an eternal home waiting for you. Let’s say it again!  Rejoice!

Jesus,

We do rejoice in You! Keep the deep joy bubbling up within us until it shows beyond ourselves to the world around us. Your transforming love needs to be shared.

Amen

Joy In The Morning

     The deep joy of Jesus, even facing the agony to come, can be embedded deep within our souls. The Holy Spirit seals us when we first believe and comes to reside within us. That deep peace and joy of our blessed assurance in eternity provides our souls with an abiding rest.

     When our human emotions, struggles and trials begin to take over ouf lives, as they will time and time again, we can choose to focus on Jesus. Fix your eyes on Him and on hope. Joy, complete and eternal, is waiting for us.

For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5

What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Psalm 84:5

Jesus,

You are the joy of our hearts. Place our hearts and minds above the earth to You today. Remind us continually of the joy to come.

Amen

Count It Joy

     Imagine the Creator of the universe, the Word of the infinite God, the One with thousands of angels under His authority, offering to live as one of us and experience humanity in all of its forms. Jesus wept. The Son of God became angry. The Messiah felt weariness and was tempted in every way. Our Savior prayed continually for guidance from our Father in heaven. The good Shepherd sweat drops of blood agonizing over the death to come.

     He did it willingly. In fact, He did if for the coming joy.

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 12:2b

     If we could only imagine the joys of heaven. Jesus knew the end of the story. The agonizing darkness on Friday would become a glorious Sunday filled with light and hope. Death had no power over Him. And it has no power over you, because of Him. He did it for you and me. He suffered every sin we would ever experience, every disease that invades our bodies, every grief that robs hope from the soul. He overcame it all for the glorious joy of resurrection and redemption.

Jesus,

There are no words. The plan of salvation was written before time began. You counted it joy and You are worthy to be praised from now ‘til forevermore.

Amen

A Little While

     A friend of mine reminded me today of a Bible study we did a few years ago. That study gave us real insight into the over-all big picture of life, death and eternity. The apostle Peter wrote these Words:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. The inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice though now, for a little while, you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 1 Peter 1:3-6

     Praise God!!  We have new birth. We have a living hope. We have an inheritance that will never perish, spoil or fade. Through faith we are shielded with God’s mighty power.  We can greatly rejoice because of our inheritance to come.  Notice this!

…now, FOR A LITTLE WHILE… (v6)

     Our grief and suffering, our trials are for just a little while. Keep it in perspective.  Today…a little while…ETERNITY!!!  Forever and ever, one day we will rejoice forever.  Look up and rejoice.

Jesus,

Your resurrection overcame the enemy of death. Our spirits will never die and we will receive resurrected bodies just like Yours one day very soon. Comfort those who grieve. Give peace to the anxious heart. Bring hope to those in depression. Open hearts to Your gift of eternal life. We are here for just a little while.

Amen

Cast Your Cares

     Sunshine, flowers, happy thoughts, beautiful mornings. We believe it would be best if every day was filled with rainbows and easy living. Think back on your life. Where did you gain the most wisdom? When did you feel closest to God? When have you relied on God’s strength most and when did you begin to trust Him above what was happening in your life?

     If you are like me, the darkest times, the times of deepest suffering brought you into a more intimate relationship with Christ. Even in music, the minor chords lead us to appreciate the majors. Gratefulness and thanksgiving are often most apparent after coming through a tough time. Life is filled with challenges and struggles.

     Without Jesus, it would be impossible to get through it all. With Him, we gain perspective over time, we gain wisdom through His Word, we gain trust when He gets us through once more and we gain peace and joy when eternity is secure.

     Count on Him. Rely on His power. Trust Him to see you through the next moment, the next hour, through one more day. His grace is sufficient. He cares for you.

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

Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 2 Peter 5:7

Father,

We don’t understand why we suffer. You do. And Your power shines through every situation. We cast all of our anxiety on You today knowing You care for us.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Stop, Savor, Shine

     Take a deep breath. Take a few minutes to let the stress go. Today will be just a memory in a short while and, soon, the years will be adding up behind you faster than you can imagine. Those days you thought you wouldn’t survive? You did. The grief you would never get through? You made it. The what-ifs you worried yourself sick over? Most never saw the light of day.

     Today, appreciate the job. Be a light to the people around you and not the complainer, the grudge holder, the angry one in the crowd. Life is so short. What if, because of Christ, we can make life a bit brighter, more hope-filled, an answer to prayer, an avenue to fill a deep need? What if today is different? Take a breath. Savor it. Say a prayer. Help a stranger. Make a phone call. Bring light into the darkness.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Father,

Lift us out of worry, anger, greed and wasted days. Fill us with Your kind of love and hope. Remind us to stop, savor, pray and listen just for today.

In Jesus name,

Amen

He Will Do It

May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through, May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

     I love those verses. They remind me that even when I am not faithful, Jesus is. As our Lord, He sanctifies us (keeps transforming us) through and through, even when we don’t feel it or see it ourselves. Even though our physical body changes and ages and eventually wears out, our spirit, in the image of Christ, will never die.

     Our souls (our mind, will and emotions) will follow us into heaven. Believe Jesus today. He calls you, the one and only you, to be His forever. He is faithful and He will do it!

Jesus,

Thank you for sanctifying us, body, soul and spirit. You continue to do Your work in us throughout out lifetime on earth preparing us tot the place You are preparing for us! We are in awe of you.

Amen

His Plans Are Good!

     God has plans for your life. His foreknowledge planted you right here. He knew the years you would be present on the earth. He knew the day you would accept His gift of grace and believe He is the Son of God. Read through the following verses and rest assured. God knows the plans He has for you and they are good!

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good  works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10

“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

     God never gives up. He continually works before us, beside us and behind us. He picks up the pieces. He reformulates when we stumble or turn away. His purposes and His plans are good. He has prepared good works for us and He has plans to prosper our lives. His love endures forever. Incline your ear to His Words. Meditate on His love and forgiveness. He is for us, not against us!

Jesus,

We want to lead the lives You have planeed for us. Teach us how to listen to the Holy Spirit within us. Let Your voice, let Your Word, let Your love be foremost in our lives.

Amen

Keep Jesus first! Out of town for a few days. See you back here on Tuesday, September 13^th.

Times and Seasons

     Within our finite minds, it is impossible to fathom eternity. To our Father in heaven, a thousand years is but a day.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends, with the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. 2 Peter 3:8

     The disciples and apostles believed Jesus would return to set up His kingdom at any moment. That was 2,000 years ago. Is He slow in coming? To Him, it has been just a couple of days.

The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

     If life appears to be speeding by or is not moving quickly enough, don’t worry. Our lives are just a wisp or vapor in God’s sight. He is preparing us for eternity. Rest as we wait for His return. It will be any day now.

Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. James 4:14

Jesus,

Your time is eternal; our lives but a breath to You. Our greatest hope and blessed assurance is to be with You eternally.  Keep us safely in Your loving arms today.

Amen

Times and Seasons

     September is upon us. The nights are a bit cooler, the sunrise a bit later, the sunset a bit earlier. Slowly, nature around us will fade into the dormant stage, getting ready for winter. All four seasons have their own unique quality and purpose. I appreciate them all, but each season also has its share of challenges.

     We deal with the mid-summer heat, the ice-covered roads, the raking of leaves and the rains of spring.  Do you find yourself in a dormant stage, waiting for a breath of new life? Are you expectantly waiting for a new season with a wedding or a baby or grandbaby? Maybe it is a season of letting go.

     Spring brings hope and rejuvenation, summer the warmth of the noon-day sun and the growing of good fruit and blooming plants. Fall brings fresh color and a cool breeze, followed by the beauty of fresh snow.

     Let’s appreciate each season of life. God gives each of us a certain number of days; none of us know how many. His creation is for us to enjoy and savor.

He waters the mountains from His upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the fruit of His work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate-bringing forth food from the earth, wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts. Psalm 104:13-15\

Lord,

Give us grateful hearts in all seasons. You provide enough for each day. We thank You for the creation around us and for the particular season of life we are living right now. Grant us peace.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Now and Forevermore

     Placing memory verses within your heart can keep the power of God handy at all times. Memorize verses to protect you, to keep you from worry, to remain faith-filled. I am memorizing Psalm 121. Please read these beautiful words and believe God holds you every single day now and forevermore

I lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip-He who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you-the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun will not harm you by day nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm-He will watch over your life. The Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore. Psalm 121

Enjoy the last vestiges of summer. See you on Tuesday!

Wait On The Lord

     Life continually changes. Endings and beginnings. Death and new life. Letting go and waiting for something new. We grasp for our comfort zones. It is hard to move on. The grief and waiting in between brings sorrow as we grieve the past. Is God asking you to wait for a time? To stay still and listen for the next step? That’s what He is doing in my life. I have had to let go of a couple of leadership positions as we transition into a new place of worship.

     I miss the people. I miss the preparation for fall classes and I am still trying to let go of leading a crisis-ministry team. Trusting God through it all is the answer. He knows the plan and I don’t. Waiting for His wisdom and His timing can be frustrating and confusing. We are an impatient group, aren’t we? Today I’ll listen and study, pray and wait. How about you? Don’t simply wait. Wait expectantly.

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice. In the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. Psalm 5:3

Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

Father,

Help us to remember that your timing is perfect. You will answer as we wait expectantly for You. Hear our prayers this morning and we will stay strong.

In Jesus name,

Amen