Spiritual Eyes

 

     How would our lives change if we viewed the world through spiritual eyes? How would we view our days if we have an eternal perspective and an ability to focus our gaze above us rather than around us?

     What if we truly could praise God even through our times of suffering and fear? Looking at Jesus with trust and love and listening for His voice in the midst of our days, allows Him to work. And as we look to Him, remember to watch for Him, too. He could come to bring us all home at any time. Death is not to be feared. We will live forever, so change your focus. Look up!

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  Colossians 3:2

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

     Jesus does not want us to fear when we see the turmoil and terror around us. The Bible prophesied everything we see, all of it. He is not surprised at the weather, at the violence, at the lawlessness. He told us to watch for it. Jesus talks about it in Matthew 24 and in Luke 21. What does He tell us to do as believers?

When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.  Luke 21:28

Jesus,

Teach us to use our spiritual eyes, to set our minds on things above, to see the eternal rather than the temporal and to continually watch and wait expectantly for You. We trust You with it all.

Amen

 

The Good Shepherd

 

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

     Jesus often spoke in parables. In the parable of the sheep, He tells us in another way that He is the only way to heaven. There is one gate and it is Jesus. The gatekeeper (the Father) opens the gate to allow the sheep to enter.

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you. I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture.  John 10:7-9

     We are like lost sheep without Him. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is called the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd and the Chief Shepherd. If you are one of His, you know His voice. If you know His voice you will not follow the voice of the thief. (Satan)

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.  John 10:10-11

     What beautiful words. Not only does Jesus bring us through the gates of heaven to eternity, but He offers the abundant life on earth. There is nothing like a life with the Good Shepherd, Jesus. He offers rest, comfort, peace, joy, and a never-ending supply of living water. His love and His Word will fulfill you in ways you never dreamed possible.

     Take a sip. Rest awhile in His green pastures. Let Him tend to your every need. He is your Good, Great and Chief Shepherd. He will carry you when you can’t go on. He will prod you along when you need a push. He will feed you with fresh spring water that will never run dry and He will keep you safe from the dangers of evil. What more could we ask? Will you recognize His call?

When He has brought out all His own, He goes on ahead of them and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice.  John 10:4

Jesus,

Your sheep know Your voice. There is no other voice in heaven or on earth like Your voice. We hear You. We follow You. We will listen for Your call.

Amen

He Waits Patiently

 

     Have you walked away or run away or hidden away from Christ? It is easy to move away when things get tough. Or when life gets busy. Or when the pleasures of life take precedence over what is best. The prodigal son ran away from his loving father. He squandered his inheritance on loose living (Luke 15:13) and ended up feeding pigs, the height of humiliation for a Jew, as pigs were considered unclean. (v15)

     And the Scripture says, “He came to his senses.” (v 17) When we belong to the Father and we run away, hide away or walk away, He is waiting for us to “come to our senses.” We know deep inside where we truly belong; under the watchful care of our shepherd, our Savior. He will tend to us and feed us with His Word, watch over us with protection and hold us in His loving arms. Listen to the reaction of the prodigal son’s father:

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. Luke 15:20

     Are you ready to be welcomed back home? No matter how far away God seems, he is watching and waiting, filled with compassion for you. His arms are wide open.

All those the Father gives Me will come to Me and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away.  John 6:37

Jesus,

Forgive us when we move away from Your love. Guide us back to You. We want to remain close to you and follow the path You have set before us. Take us in Your arms once again. Your compassion and mercy are new every day.

Amen

He Is There

 

     God commands us to love Him first, with all of our might, with all of our strength, with all of our minds and with all of our hearts. Everything He commands is for our own good, isn’t it? How do we put that command into practice? Practice is a good place to begin. Practice giving Him thanks and praise first thing every morning.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  Mark 12:30

     Practice praying throughout the day. If a friend or loved one comes to mind, there is a good chance it is the Holy Spirit’s nudging. Pray. Remind yourself that Jesus died for you and loves you unconditionally. Since He loves you so much, it isn’t hard to love Him right back. Your soul can always be at rest, even when your minds and your body and your emotions are out of sorts.

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him. Psalm 62:1

     Practice saying, “I love you Jesus,” every night before you go to sleep. If you are too tired to pray that is a good way to end each day. He will watch over you as you sleep. Practice His presence. Remind yourself of His consistent companionship. Love Him right back.

I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy.  Psalm 116:1

Father,

Let Your Spirit nudge me throughout the day. I love You, my triune God. I love Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Remind me to practice praying, listening and recognizing Your blessings throughout each day. I praise You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

He Understands

 

     Fear and worry, sadness and grief, anticipation and joy, depression and hopelessness, elation and happiness, contentment and peace, unrest and sleeplessness, love and desire, trust and loyalty, mistrust and rejection. Did any of these words hit home with you? There are times when my emotions hit several of the above within a twenty-four-hour time frame.

     God created us to experience desire and hope, to walk through grief and sorrow. In fact, our Father in heaven, sent His Son to experience all of it during His thirty-three years on earth. Throughout the Scriptures, we watch as Jesus weeps, (John 11:35) as He sweats blood in His agonizing prayer before His death on the cross, (Luke 22;44) as He displays anger at the money-changers in the holy temple, (John 2:15) as He sighs deeply, (Matthew 8:12) and, of course, as He suffers intensely for hours and hours on the cross. (See the Gospels and Hebrews 2:9)

     Remember Jesus experienced those diseases, agonies, sufferings and sins for all of us. He endured it for the joy set before Him, which is us! (Hebrews 12:2) He overcame them all through His death and resurrection. Wherever you are emotionally, Jesus has felt it Himself and experienced it for you and me. Tell Him all about it. Let Him take the burden from you and replace it with His abiding peace and joy. Trust Him with the next step. Trust Him with your tears. Trust Him with your future. His agony brought about the joy of our salvation.

Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8

Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I entrust my life.  Psalm 143:8

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6

Lord,

Teach me to trust You with my life and the lives of those I love. Listen to my prayer and make my paths straight into Your will today. Be my refuge and strength.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

Great Advice/God's Word

 

     God’s word is available to us, to be memorized, meditated on and researched. Dig into it. It is the plum line for our lives. Saturate your mind with it, until it settles into your heart. I guarantee a hunger and a thirst will develop for it. The more you read, the more you want. There is no end to the blessings it offers. You will get to know Jesus and His ways. Truth will reign.

      Sit in awe at the scope of wisdom offered, the prophecies that have come to pass and the prophecies yet to come See Jesus foreshadowed throughout the Old Testament and how His death and resurrection fulfilled the law and the prophets. Read about His soon return and the glories of heaven. Not one word has been proven wrong. In fact, science, archeology, and history continue to catch up and prove its truth.

The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold. They are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. Psalm 19:9-10

     Jesus is the word of God in the flesh. The Bible is all about Him, from Genesis to Revelation. The story of creation, of Israel, of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, of David and Solomon, of the prophets from Daniel and Isaiah to Micah and Zechariah, from the story of Moses and the escape from Egypt, to the baby born in a manger. Read about the flood and the ark, of Jonah and the whale, of the twelve disciples, about the transformation of Saul into Paul. Read about life and how to live it. Read of His passion, His death and resurrection, about the life to come. Eternity awaits. Read all about it and go forth and live it!

Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

Jesus,

We pray for Your word to enliven us, to restore us, to redeem us, to teach and guide us. Develop a hunger and a thirst in our hearts to meditate on it daily, until everything we do and see is seen through Your loving eyes. Let us live for You.

Amen  

Great Advice/Grace and Truth

 

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

     Our churches today often err on one side or the other of grace and truth.  Truth hates sin. Grace loves sinners. How do we balance them? Jesus shared His compassion and love with all people. He came for the sick, the sinner, for you and for me.

     Strong Christians today are known for the truth they stand on, which is important. And too much grace with no Biblical truth waters down the Gospel and brings us into the follies of the world. It becomes easy to compromise and fit in with the world. Love and share Jesus and stand for His truth. It works.

     The Gospel saves and Jesus transforms. He lavishes His grace on us and sets us on the road to obedience. He wants only the best for us, not a watered-down version of what the world says is best. Don’t settle for conformity. You are sons and daughters of the King. Accept His protection. Accept His grace. Follow His truth and you will be blessed.

God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:24

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. Ephesians 4:15

Lord,

Keep us balanced in truth and grace. You love all of us, but You do hate sin. Let Your Spirit continue to sanctify us into the life You have in store for us. It is beautiful and blessed.

Amen

Great Advice/Be Filled

 

     Being filled with Jesus will increase our joy. Jesus calls Himself the bread and water of life. Our spiritual health is more vital than our physical health. Our souls are eternal, and our spiritual health will overflow into our physical health and general well-being.

     As we place our faith in Christ and trust Him to take care of us, as we spend good, quality time with Him, as we allow His Word and the Holy Spirit to fill us, the power of Christ will overflow onto others and bring light to the world around us.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5;6

…and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:19

Jesus,

Fill us to the brim until we overflow with Your love. Keep our focus on You and let Your Spirit work in our hearts with the abundance of joy that only comes from You.

Amen

 

Great Advice/Be There

 

     The best advice is often the advice not spoken. Our one-on-one care ministry team trained in the art of listening. Allowing others to talk and to grieve and to unburden their hearts gives them the opportunity to heal. They are allowed to just be, right where they are, to talk out their feelings and emotions, while slowly finding their way. The more we can allow ourselves and allow others to let go of feelings, the more we come to a place of understanding, a place of peace.

     Often the best gift we can give another when they hurt, is to be present.  Quick answers and platitudes offer no real cure. A silent friend can be the one most refreshing, effective and valued.

I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint. Jeremiah 31:25

     When we bring Jesus into the presence of a hurting person, we bring His comfort. He refreshes the weary with His gentleness, His kindness, His goodness.  Do not be quick with leading questions, with solutions and answers. Bring the presence and love of Christ. The Holy Spirit will guide you as you listen and love.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Jesus,

We trust You with our silence and with our words. Guide us as we enter into the suffering of others. Take away our fear of silence. We share Your comfort as we have first been comforted.

Amen

Great Advice/Listen

 

     The Holy Spirit is the believer’s teacher and guide. There are times I find myself trying to take His place. I judge or I preach or I talk over others with a point I want to make. When it comes to my beautiful daughters, I often given them answers to questions they did not ask. Wanting the best for our children often means allowing them to find the answers for themselves just as we did. We learn through trial and error, through prayer, through patience and, often, through mistakes, or through times of hardship.

     The Holy Spirit will do His job. He will find the answers and the solutions. Some great advice comes from the Holy Scriptures:

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19

     The Holy Spirit will do His work in our lives and in the lives of other believers. He intercedes in our lives and brings us into God’s will. Be quick to listen to listen to Him first. Can’t find the answers? Don’t know what to pray? Allow Him.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance of the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

Father,

We thank You for the Holy Spirit’s work within us. He will teach and guide, comfort and intercede for us as we seek answers. We long to be quick to listen and slow to speak.

In Jesus name,

Amen

An Expected Savior

      God answers us in unexpected ways (not always to our liking). He brings unexpected hope to the hopeless. He gives unexpected peace that passes all understanding and He allows us to pray unexpected prayers as He listens to us throughout our days.

     And one day soon our Savior will come, at an unexpected time. We don’t know the date or the hour. Even though His arrival will be at an unexpected time, we should be waiting expectantly! Are you ready? Have you spoken of Him to your friends and family? Do you know Him and love Him with all of your heart, soul and strength? Will you be ready when He arrives to take us home? And will Jesus respond to us like this? 

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.’ Matthew 25:21

     The signs Jesus told us to look for are upon us. It might not be in our lifetime, but there is a good chance His unexpected arrival could be soon. What are we to do? Jesus tells us:

“When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads because your redemption is drawing near. Luke 21:28

Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:18

     I pray these words will encourage you. Expect the unexpected. Listen for the answer, look for hope and peace, pray for all things and stand and look up! Your redemption is drawing near.

Father,

Sometimes we long for our heavenly home, but You have things for us to do. We await Your coming with expectant hearts. Keep us awake and ready to meet You face-to-face.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Unexpected Prayers

 

     I don’t know about you, but before I came to know Jesus I did not pray much. There may have been a “forgive me” or “help me” prayers, but they were few and far between. Before accepting Jesus as our Savior, I bet most of us resort to prayer only when we find ourselves in trouble. For me, God was sometimes a benevolent figure and other times a vision of an old man watching for me to do something wrong.

     Instead, Jesus is within us, He is around us and best of all, He loves us. It still boggles my mind that the sovereign, omniscient and magnificent God of ours, not only loves us, but can use us. He loves nothing more than when we include Him in our everyday needs. Think of the most loving father figure you know on earth and imagine his heart for his children. Multiply that by a trillion and beyond. Jesus loves us that much. He will listen and He will answer.

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him?  Matthew 7:11

     Shoot out an unexpected prayer to Your loving Father throughout the day. He longs to be with you every step of the way. He will use you to bring glory to Jesus. He will answer your everyday needs. Your faith pleases Him.

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

Father,

Thank You for loving us, for using us, for listening to us, for giving us the gift of faith and the intimacy of prayer. We earnestly seek You throughout the day with unexpected prayers and praise. You love to answer our prayers.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Unexpected Peace

 

     A contest was held for artists with the theme, “Peace.” Many of the artists depicted a scene most of us would imagine; blue skies, ocean breezes, palm trees and solitude. Surprisingly, the winning artist painted a scene in direct contrast to those peace-filled scenes. There were dark skies, lightning bolts, scenes of war and confusion. Each scene within the painting brought a feeling of darkness and of chaos and doom.

     But right there, in the center of the mayhem, sits a small yellow bird singing a song. In our lives, we experience chaos and confusion. Within our times of unease and war, of terror and death, Jesus can provide peace. In the words of the familiar song, “All is well with my soul.”

     In the beginning, He was there. In the everyday, He is there. At the end of life, He is there. He is waiting, watching, and He is ready for the circumstances. Our peace is found, again and again, in Him and nowhere else. There is peace available in the middle of a storm.

     Both my daughter and I have experienced the fear and anxiety of a panic attack. Here are some words that remind us of the peace available to us through our Lord. Take a deep breath and sing a song of peace in the midst of it all.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Jesus,

Remind us in our anxiety, in our unrest, in our grief and through our busy days, that we can find deep peace with You. Hear our petitions and our prayers as we thank You for the deep peace available that passes all understanding. We need to turn to You each day to find that peace.

Amen

 

Unexpected Answers

 

      God shows up at our weakest moments. When did you first meet Jesus? I searched for answers after being diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease, followed by the death of my beloved mom. When you seek answers, you will find them. Often the light of Christ appears for the first time or the hundredth time in the dark times of life. Cry to Him. Seek Him. Lean on Him.

The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer. Psalm 6:9

You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

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

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

     Cry out to Him with all your heart. Seek Him with all your heart. Lean on Him with all your heart. Trust Him with all your heart. The answers may not make earthly sense, but they bring heavenly glory to Jesus.

Lord,

You understand. We ask for Your help and we ask for Your presence to be made known in our darkest times. Let all of us feel Your unwavering presence around us.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

Unexpected Hope

 

     The rainbow after a storm. A baby’s cry after the pain of childbirth. The first real smile after a time of mourning. Healing after a battle with cancer. The unexpected hope of Jesus. Life is full of surprises and miracles. Are you looking up with hope?

     I have watched as Jesus worked through times of depression, hopelessness, grief, loneliness and despair. I have witnessed a deep and abiding joy in the lives of Christians through the difficulties of life. There is unexpected hope of heaven just beyond the earth. The unexpected love of a Savior. I pray we will witness the transformation of those we love to witness the glory and light of life with Jesus. He changes everything.

…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They shall be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor. Isaiah 61;3

     Allow Jesus to bring hope to you. Praise Him even in the pits of despair. He will turn your suffering into hope and bring joy after your mourning. The unexpected hope of Jesus. He will lift you up.

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

Jesus,

Bring unexpected hope to those in need. You will lift us up when we need it most. We place our hearts and our hope with you forever.

Amen

 

Love and Grace

 

     Critical judgments, holding onto guilt, blaming others and holding ourselves and others to a rigid and rule-oriented standard are exhausting and worthless. All of the above will keep us from a more intimate relationship with God. But, with God, theycan be overpowered with love and with His word.

     When you want to hurl a stone of hurt or gossip, Jesus says:

“But I tell you love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.”  Matthew 5:44

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most-High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked”   Luke 6:35

     Jesus forgives us and others. When we want to blame ourselves or others, holding onto or offering guilt, again we are asked to love.

 Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.  Proverbs 10:12

Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.  Proverbs 17:9

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  1 Peter 4:8

     Jesus accused the law keepers of pride and hypocrisy. Holding ourselves and others to too high a standard and putting on a show for others to see, takes a toll on our spiritual, emotional and physical health. Allow your heart to find Jesus. Move the knowledge of His grace from your head to your heart. He sees through our lines of defense and the outer trappings of our lives. Rigid rules and rituals have been replaced by grace.

For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth through Jesus Christ. John 1:17

Lord,

Thank You for opening our hearts to You. You offer love and grace, forgiveness and salvation and you offer us freedom from all that binds us. Remove all of the heavy chains we carry around with us and reduce us to love.

In Jesus name,

Amen

     Back on Monday! Enjoy the weekend!

 

    

Lawmakers

 

     Jesus used His harshest words on the religious leaders of the day. They knew the law, every jot and tittle, every crossed “t” and dotted “i.” They tested Jesus, daring Him to do something wrong. What they didn’t know? Jesus wrote the law. But beneath the regulations, He came to fulfill the law and bring freedom and grace.  He came for our hearts.

     The rituals, rules and religiously righteous believe we have to behave a certain way, believe a certain way, perform a certain way. And then came grace. And the Pharisees did not understand. And our kind, compassionate, sinless Jesus said these words to the keepers of the law:

“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

     Whoa! You can feel the anger of the Messiah. This is just one verse of many in this chapter accusing these leaders of greed and self-righteousness and pride, of placing heavy burdens onto others without lifting a finger of their own. The heart matters to Jesus.

     I want my heart to yearn more and more for intimacy with Him. He will guide us into obedience, not because we have to, not because of rules and regulations or guilt, but because we want to follow Him. Why? Because of His love and sacrifice. I want to love the Lord with all of my heart and all of my strength and all of my mind. And all the rest will come.

Dear Lord,

Your anger is against false piety and putting ourselves before others, vying for attention and caring only for ourselves and the way we appear to others. Change our hearts to be like Yours and help us to stand for mercy, faithfulness and justice.

Amen

 

Guilt Finders

 

     We blame ourselves. We blame others. We blame God. There’s plenty of guilt to throw around. We don’t have enough faith for healing. They deserve the suffering. Job suffered more than most. He lost his children, his home, his livelihood and his health. His so-called friends and even his wife blamed him. What did you do for God to punish you like this?

     As believers, we might wonder the same. Why do we suffer? There is danger in believing we will be prosperous, healthy and blessed every day of our lives. God walks with us through our suffering. He may walk us through, steer us around, or miraculously deliver us.  Our suffering can draw us closer to Him, making our faith even stronger. Job did what we need to do. He looked up.

“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Job 1:21b

     Even the disciples questioned Jesus about a man blind from birth.

His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  John 9:2

Jesus answered:

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”  John 9:3

     Here we are thousands of years later reading and discussing both Job and the blind man. The man born blind was used to show the healing power of Christ. Job’s suffering was used to show the possibility of trust even when everything is taken from us.  Get rid of the guilt and look up. The one of your heart is there in the midst of it. We just may be used to display the works of God.

  Dear Lord,

Our suffering has meaning for You. Take away our guilt or the temptation to blame others. You meet our needs whatever we do and wherever we are. Comfort those in grief and doubt today with Your presence. You have the grace to cover it all.

Amen

 

Stonethrowers

 

     The law of Moses was clear. For certain offenses, there were stones to be thrown. Judgment cast. Stone throwers called to the courtyard. Our stones may not be physically thrown these days, but our stone throwing still packs a punch. Shaking our heads at certain sins. Can you believe? Did you hear?  

     Gossip and critical judgments come so easily and make us feel just a little better about ourselves. We certainly would never do that! Or that! Or even that! The aim is easy when it’s thrown at others. Let’s look back There they were; the stone throwers of the day, ready to hit and kill the woman accused of adultery. And the keepers of the law tested Jesus.

“In the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ John 8 6

 When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  John 8:7

     Jesus does that, doesn’t He? He stops us in our tracks just as we are about to throw out another stone. All of us fall short of the glory of God. All of us. Each and every one of us. And He looks at us with compassion and deep sadness, willing us to look at Him and believe. He suffered it all, from a white lie, to adultery, to a murderous thief and everything in between. Soon it is just Jesus and the guilty woman. And it is just Jesus and me, Jesus and you.

Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus answered. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”  John 8:10-11

     Jesus never condemns. He loves and listens, forgives and leads us out from our sinful natures into His glorious light.

Dear Lord,

You love us despite all of our flaws. Lead us from our lives of sin. Show us how to live the life You prepared for us before the beginning of time. The life of inner joy and peace, filled with Your undying love.

Amen

He is Risen!

 

     There is no other faith 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 or to keep working and meditating to achieve a deeper peace.

     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, regulations and religion. Jesus offers us the finished work of the cross. He paid the price for all of us and all He asks is the faith to believe He came, He died and He rose again. To believe He is the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. (Romans 10:9-10)

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

He is not here. He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Matthew 28:6

     Come and see! He is risen!

Father,

What a gift. It is amazing grace. After the darkness of Friday, there came a Sunday, full of light and hope. 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

I wish you the blessings of the resurrected Christ this weekend and every single day to follow. . Happy Easter! Hallelujah! He is risen!

The One Within

 

     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 wily ways, but 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

     The power of the Spirit of Christ within is greater than our enemy!

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