Final Freedom

     The inward work of the Holy Spirit is supernatural. When you look back over the years of following Jesus, you will witness a change. A change in attitude, a change in the peace within, a change in an ever-increasing forgiving heart. Yes, it’s a heart change.

     Our outward bodies may be growing weaker. Our inward strength will be drawing us closer and closer to the image of Christ, until we reach our final glorious state in heaven. Let each footstep bring excitement as we move closer to eternity. Our final reward will outweigh everything we have suffered on this earth. And here are my favorite Bible verses!

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, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4;16-18

Jesus,

Thank You for our country. Protect our freedoms and protect our families as we celebrate this week. You give us the ultimate freedom from death. Keep us safe in You.

Amen

Happy 4th of July.  See you next Wednesday, July 6th!

A Work In Progress

     Rather than throwing out Bible verses or judging the behavior of others, what would happen if we love others just the way they are? The righteous anger of Jesus burned against the Pharisees. They were the religious leaders of the day, well-versed in Scripture, quick to point out their perfect lives and point out the flaws in others. Listen to the Words of our loving Jesus.

"You brood of vipers! How can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." Matthew 12:34

“Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean." Matthew 23:27

     Notice how Jesus always looks on the inside. He sees our hearts and He changes them to be loving, kind and generous. The Pharisees were concerned about their outer image presented to the world. They prayed in loud voices, wore long, flowing robes and pointed fingers.  And Jesus sees the truth.

     Follow the heart of Christ. He accepts us as we are and He does the work. Point others to Him. When we point out the flaws in others, they will turn away from Jesus, rather than to Him. Shine with love and light and mention the name of Chrst.  He transforms darkness into light.

Jesus,

Give us opportunities to love and give hope. It is easy to judge the world. They don’t know You yet. We want everyone to have a saving knowledge of who You are.

Amen

A Work In Progress

     God doesn’t give up on us. He understands our fear, our failures, our faithlessness. God does not condemn. If you are experiencing condemnation, doubt and guilt about yourself, constantly putting yourself down or believing anymore of Satan’s lies, listen to God’s loving voice. He might convict you to turn away from a bad behavior or a pattern in your life. He is Your Father after all and we need discipline.

     Listen to His voice. Read His Word and believe it! The Holy Spirit will guide your way today. Follow peace and joy. Follow truth and hope. Run from fear, doubt, worry and dread. Allow God to work in your life.

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 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 1:4-6

     Be confident in His work. He began to transform your life the moment you first believed. And it will one day be complete on the day of Chrst Jesus. Amen!

A Work In Progress

     When we meet Jesus we are justified. It is “just as if” we never sinned. Next, the Holy Spirit sanctifies us. He draws us closer to Jesus and continues to grow us more and more into His image. Finally, we are glorifed. Our sanctification brings more and more glorification until our final glory when we will be like Jesus!

     Justification, sanctification, glorification. Don’t let the Biblical words intimidate. They are the most wonderful words in the world. They are heavenly words. They are powerful words that represent our life in Christ.

     Our sins are forgiven! The Holy Spirit does the work within us! (If we let Him!) We are glorified day by day until the final glory in heaven!

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Father,

We can’t fathom how You work within us through Your Holy Spirit. Continue to transform our lives with ever-increasing glory as we transform into the image of Your Son.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Gift of Amazing Grace

     There is no other religion under heaven and earth that offers eternal life as a free gift of God’s grace. Only Jesus. And Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship with a living God. There are religions that believe we can get to heaven on our own. Others believe we need to come back and live more lives before we achieve a heavenly state. Others believe they need to pray a certain number of times each day, to follow the rules, to live a “good” life.

     The truth is, none of us are good enough to work our way to heaven. The God of the universe is holy and perfect and just. And we are not.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

    Don’t buy into rules and religion. Jesus offers us the finished work of the cross. He paid the price for all of us and all He asks is for faith. To believe He is the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

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

Father,

What a gift. It is amazing grace. The gift you have given us in Your one and only Son. He paid the price. He took on the suffering that we deserved. He took on our sin, all of it. We believe.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Greater

     The enemy of our souls prowls around like a lion ready to pounce (1 Peter 5:8) He accuses us. (Revelation 12:10) He disguises himself as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14) He knows our weaknesses and knows how to discourage us. He wants nothing more than to discredit our witness.  If you are working for Christ, he is your enemy. The best thing for us is to recognize the enemy and his wiley ways and to understand, we have the resurrection power of the almighty God within us.

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

    firm in the faith. Allow God to resist the devil and he will flee. The One within us is greater than our enemy. Stand firm in your faith. 

Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7

     Recognize your foe with no fear. He has to flee from us!

Father,

Thank You for Your protection and thank You for the Holy Spirit that resides within us. He is mightier than the one in the world. Keep us steadfast in the faith, submitting to You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Victorious

     Victorious in Christ. Victorious over death. Heaven-bound. Immortal bodies. No more pain. No more tears. It all awaits us.

For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it who overcomes the world? Only the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:4-5

     When we lose our fear of death, we can live in freedom. Each day on earth is a blessing. Every breath to be savored and treasured. We believe. We are overcomers in Christ! Force the negative, stress-filled thoughts out of your mind today. Dwell on the beauty of the day, the loved ones in your life, the little things that matter. Don’t let those small negative stresses take over your throughts. Don’t allow the moments of life to get away from you. Take the one good thing and magnify it. Don’t worry about the things that may never come to pass. Right now, this very moment, savor life.

Jesus,

Because of You we are overcomers. The victory is ours. We thank You for the special moments, the loved ones, the beauty of creasion, the food on our table and the breath of life.

Amen

It Is Finished!

     We talked yesterday about the world having trials and troubles, but Jesus has overcome them all. I am studying a book called “The Invisible War” with some dear friends and one of the author’s points is that, “we don’t fight FOR victory. We fight FROM victory.”

     Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) Sins are forgiven once and for all. God sees us, as believers, through Christ’s blood. We are washed clean and we are already seated in heaven.

     Does this change our perspective on life? It should! We need not fear death. We have an all-powerful God on our side. He wants to use us for the short time we have here for His purposes. And that is life’s best. To show God’s glory. To please Him and not man.

     Paul said it this way,

“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10    

     Easier said than done. We do want to please people, but God must come first. Let’s try to give Him the glory in our lives today. Represent Him well. Your faith please Him.

Dear Father in heaven,

The victory over death has been won. We are seated in heaven with You forever and ever. We can never thank You enough for the gift of eternal life and the power You give us to live life from the victory. It is over!

In Jesus name,

Amen

He Promises

     God’s purpose for our lives is filled with abundant joy and peace.  Satan loves nothing better than stealing our peace and joy and replacing them with fear, doubt, guilt, anger and jealousy. What keeps you from believing God and allowing His joy and peace to reign?

     When we feel anxious there is a Scripture verse to take it away. When we fear, God promises He will never leave us. When we are discouraged, He tells us He understands. He knows the world is filled with troubles and trials, but don’t fret.

“I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:13

     Believe God and His promises today. Let Him fill you with His deep peace and joy, understanding that nothing can ever separate you from Him. Nothing Not ever. His promises are eternal.

Father,

Forgive us for losing our trust in You and for not believing Your Word filled with promises. Give us peace and joy today. Replace the negative feelings with the good fruit of Your love.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Savor the Blessings

     My best friend’s husband died this week after battling brain cancer for a little over a year. A reminder of our mortality. We push our chairs back from the table when death is mentioned. We try to erase the years from our bodies and faces as if trying to slow down life. Only God knows the number of our days. Can we learn to savor and treasure each moment?

     My friend taught me much over this last year. She remained strong and positive through an impossible journey. She took much time from work, scheduled doctors’ appointments, surgeries, radiation, hired nurses, and over the last few weeks took tender care of her love as he slipped away. Each moment was treasured.

     One day a few months ago she said just seeing Steve reading the paper and drinking coffee was enough for the day. And just a couple of weeks ago he told her she looked “snazzy.” It was as if the clouds parted and the sun came out.

     Today look around you. Live life and love. Love matters most. Treasure the little moments in the stress of the day. Stop to thank God for each little blessing. We take so much for granted. Enjoy life, love and enjoy Jesus. He loves you more.

“A new command I give you. Love one another. As I have loved you, so must you love one another.” John 13:34

“As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love.” John 15:9

Father,

Your love remains in us through Your Son. Stop us in our tracks today to count our every blessing, small or large. We want to savor every moment of this precious life You have given us.

In Jesus name,

Amen

He Will Lift You Up

     The Bible has some choice words for the pride within us. Pride goes before a fall. God hates pride

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11:2

The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this. They will not go unpunished. Proverbs 16:5

     Meeting Jesus brings us to our knees. We see the holy, perfect and just God and we see ourselves as we are, unworthy. Jesus wipes the slate clean with His blood. Our sins washed away, once and for all. Our humble hearts are renewed! And He lifts us up.

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

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

     Our humility and our weakness allow God’s mighty Spirit to work through us. It is Him, not us. Thankfully, His power shines through our weakest moments and our most dire circumstances. He is enough. Always.

Jesus,

Thank You. We praise You. We humbly thank You for all You have done for us, for all you do for us, for all you will do for us. The past, present and future are in Your hands. Lift us up.

Amen

Gentle Patient, Loving

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

     Humble, gentle, patient. Three virtues, seemingly impossible to live on our own. We want the credit. We deserve the best. We become angry and out of sorts. Why be gentle when everyone is out of control? We want to stand our ground, fight back, be right! And patience? How? Even our own family members drive us crazy!

     But Christ is patient and gentle with us. He humbled Himself to become our servant. He doesn’t grow weary when we fail again. He gently picks us up, brushes us off, and tells us to move forward. Maybe next time we’ll listen?

     Where do you need more patience? Who needs your gentle spirit even when they don’t deserve it? Who needs a hug or a reminder of God’s love? Can we bear with one another through another difficult day? With Christ’s never-ending love, yes we can. Draw on His strength, His wisdom, His gentle endurance with us.

Jesus,

We don’t deserve Your love. No one does. Remind us of that when we step out into the cold, dark, violent, impatient, angry world around us, and teach us to be gentle patient and loving with everyone. After all, we represent the One who loves us all.

Amen

Supernaturally Sacrificial

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or with conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. Philippians 2:3

     This is a tough verse to swallow. Value others above ourselves? Placing others first and caring about their lives, their hearts, their needs, does not come naturally.  Our flesh screams out, “What about me??”

     The only way to live out these words is with the power of the Holy Spirit within us. God can develop our spiritual lives in a way that is not natural. It is super-natural, filled with heavenly power. When you do something sacrificial or give others time you don’t have, when you go the extra mile, or say something kind and generous through gritted teeth, the Holy Spirit is at work.

     Pray for supernatural power today. Pray for the love of Christ to overwhelm your natural desires. Pray for His wisdom when you meet the self-centered world around you. Don’t believe in the lies of the world. Rise above them in humility and love. Christ will show us how.

Jesus,

The impossible is possible with You. It is only with the supernatural powers available through You that we can meet the needs of others before our own. Let us point to You, not to ourselves, but to You alone.

Amen

A Servan'ts Heart

     Life can become so self-focused can’t it? What’s best for me? How can I make life comfortable for me? We get offended, critical and angry at others when they don’t fit into our idea of how life should work. Jesus, the Lord of all, the Creator of the universe, the One that calls the stars by name, came to earth to serve.

And, being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross. Philippians 2:8

     As we follow Jesus, He asks us to put Him and others first. Look beneath the surface to see the heart. Open up to others in love and kindness. Jesus became one of us and died for us. Represent Him well.

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

Father,

Your Son gave us everything for us. Teach us how to put others first and to humble ourselves before You. Give us Your heart today.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Grieving With Hope

     My heart is heavy as my oldest and dearest friend gets ready to say her earthly goodbyes to the love of her life. They met as teenagers and have been together for over 40 years. Heaven awaits Steve. There is relief ahead in his suffering and his family and friends know that. No one wants to watch him suffer from the brain tumor any longer.

     Moving ahead in a life so different, in a life where a part of you is gone is impossibly difficult. The memories will comfort, the love they shared can never be taken away, and those who love their family will surround them. And Paul reminds us of our hope.

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

     We grieve. We grieve with hope. Eternity awaits. Heaven will bring Steve home soon. And each step we walk in life will bring us closer to being together forever. Hope remains.

Jesus,

Comfort those who grieve. We grieve with hope, but our hearts break through our goodbyes. Love brings pain, but we savor the love we have, even if it is for a short time. Thank You for loving us and for bringing us home to You.

Amen

A New Heart

     It’s a heart issue. Move from the academic doctrine and the head knowledge just a bit South and open up your heart to Jesus. He loves you and all He wants is your love and faith in return. Open your heart of stone and let Him in, truly in, to give you rest, to give you joy, to fill your heart with the things of heaven.

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

     Move from the outward appearance of duty to the inward conviction of the heart. Allow your heart to be made flesh, to warm with God’s love, to understand the truth. Life transformed, an all-sufficient God, a relationship with the living Jesus, a hope for eternity, a love forever.

Jesus,

You are the way, the truth and the life. Open our hearts to You. Remove our stony, stubborn hearts and give us a beating heart of love and new life in Your name.

Amen

Together

     Our family is reading “The Story” by Max Lucado. This book gives an overview of the entire Bible. It is filled with Scripture and additional insights by the author. Studying God’s Word with others is a gift. God tells us to stay in fellowship with other believers. That deep fellowship gives us strength to face the world, fitted with the armor of God and His holy word.

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25

     Each year brings us closer to Christ’s return. The signs are beginning to line up and we draw together as the body of Christ, encouraging one another in love.

Jesus,

Thank you for other believers. We unite under Your lead. Keep us bonded as one in You. Thank you for the gift of fellowship.

Amen

Sufficient

     Sufficient: Having or providing as much as is needed. Enough. And we can count on Jesus Christ to be sufficient for the moment, the hour, the day, the week, the season, the year. He is enough. He gives us exactly what we need.

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed , but will have sufficient courage so that now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. Philippians 1:20

     Paul is nearing the end of his life, sitting in a prison, writing to the church of Jesus. His greatest desire is to have sufficient courage to exalt Christ, no matter what. Can we believe and love Jesus enough to want to share Him with the world, no matter what our circumstances?

     When life gets tough, can we rely on Him to be sufficient, to be enough? Can we shine with His light in the midst of darkness? I have seen it in others. I pray to stay strong through this life, to hang onto hope, to believe Jesus is right there with me in the middle of the muddle, in the storms and valleys. He is enough. Let it be so.

Jesus,

We long to exalt You above our circumstances, trusting You to know all. You hold us and give us hope through these short lives. You are sufficient for today.

Amen

Transformed

     Saul had it all. He was a Hebrew among Hebrews, from the tribe of Benjamin, rich in power and wealth. (See Philippians 3:5) He moved with confidence and control and he hated Jesus and His followers. He had permission from the government to round them up and to kill.

     Before Jesus, we find our confidence in the world around us. We have control of ourselves and confidence in making our own decisions. But apart from Jesus, we are enemies of God, just as Saul was an enemy of God.

He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Acts 9:4

     Notice Jesus is feeling the pain of His followers. As Saul persecutes the Christians, Jesus takes the pain. And in one encounter on the road to Damascus, Saul becomes the apostle, Paul, the writer of most of the New Testament, the faithful follower and messenger of the Gospel of grace.

     Are you on the wrong road, following the wrong message? Need a little hope and forgiveness? Have an encounter with Jesus and be transformed. And Jesus beckons us with His word, and His grace, and with His forgiveness and with His life-transforming message of hope. And He takes the pain and persecution on His shoulders.

Jesus,

Our lives become new after an encounter with You. Turn us in the right direction. Take our pain from us and fill us with hope.

Amen

Power In Prayer

Pray continually. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)

Pray without ceasing 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NKJV)

     Pray without ceasing. Pray continually. How do we do that?  How about staying aware of God’s presence throughout the day? He is right beside you. Remember His Spirit resides within you. He is behind you encouraging you to move forward. He walks ahead guiding you in the right direction.

     Acknowledge His presence continually. Pray without ceasing. Ask for His help before you speak. Ask for His wise words before a confrontation. Ask for His peace as you make a tough decision. Ask for His strength to get through a difficult time. Ask for His comfort as you go to visit a hurting friend. Ask and you will receive. He is available every moment of every day in every circumstance.

Jesus,

You remain with us throughout our days and through the toughest nights. May we all feel Your presence today wherever we are and in whatever we do.

Amen

Power In Prayer

     I read a quote a long time ago that went something like this: Prayer moves the hand that moves the world. Are you seeking His wisdom? Are you praying for answers? Are you praising the God of your life? And IS He the God of your life? Or are the distractions, the pleasures, the television, the job, the busy details keeping Him out of first place?

By day the Lord directs His love, at night His song is with me-a prayer to the God of my life. Psalm 42:8

     One sign of a life filled with the God of life, is a deep joy and peace. Are they missing from your life? As you surrender to the One with the answers, the One that will turn you from trouble, the One of your heart, that inner joy will be available and infectious. That joy and peace can and will remain throughout your life. 

     By day let the Lord direct your life and by night let His song fill you with joy and peace. Surrender to the God of your life. He comes first.

Father,

We come to You on our knees. Show us Your love and keep us wise in our decisions today. We pray for deep peace and joy to infuse us and that it will be noticeable to the world around us. Make a difference in the way we live. Help us to show the world the God of our life.

It is Jesus and in His name we pray,

Amen

Power In Prayer

      Our God loves it when we take time with Him. To survive this life, through the ordinary, the heart-breaking and the amazing, we need the loving presence of our Creator. The Bible tells us our prayers rise as incense to Him, that He keeps our tears in a bottle, that our faith pleases Him.

I call to You, Lord. Come quickly to me, hear me when I call to You. May my prayer be set before You as incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. Psalm 141:1-2

     When you don’t know what to pray, sit with Him awhile and the Holy Spirit will bring your needs to the Father. Jesus, through His Spirit intercedes for us. Call to Him to be with you. Sit with Him and praise Him. Your prayers and your praise will be lifted to the throne of heaven and all will be well with your soul.

Lord,

We thank You for being there. We long to take more time to sit in Your holy presence, to understand Your Father’s heart for us. Teach us how to pray. We call to you.
In Jesus name,

Amen