2 Timothy 3 & 4

Are You Ready for Christ's Return? {2 Timothy 3 & 4}

12:00 AM


Please Read 2 Timothy 3 & 4

A while ago, I started wondering if Christ would recognize me.  But how will Christ recognize me when He returns?  I could see godliness, but I just didn’t see God’s power.  That was until I learned more and more about the presence and power of Jesus in my life.  Prayer and praise has become vital.  But more, it’s in seeking wisdom and understanding each and every time I open God’s Word.

Paul’s teachings are always so thorough and here in 2 Timothy 3 & 4, he teaches us what we should look like and act like for Christ to recognize us. 

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We can hide our sin for a while, but eventually the truth will be revealed.  Sooner or later, distraction, opposition, anger or fatigue will wear us down, and our true hearts will be exposed.  The trials of life will conspire against our efforts to maintain a religious front.  We can’t pick when and where we will be tested by adversity.  We need to build character carefully because it will come out under stress.  Live each day as if your actions will one day be known to everyone.  It is useless, in the middle of a test, to acknowledge that you should have prepared.  Now is the time to change anything you wouldn’t want revealed later.

Paul teaches us that we have to be willing at any moment to share our faith (4:1-2).  Satan is always looking for an opportunity to enter us.  We couldn’t want to have sin enter us like Judas, with a kiss, or like Joab, with his hand extended in friendship and his tongue uttering flattering words.  Instead, don’t allow fear (sin) to push you to shy away from speaking the truth.  Just as Paul reminds us of all the torture he endured for speaking the truth, we have to have the Passion of Christ in us to be truthful and not allow sin to enter us.
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Paul warns us to not mix with people dominated by sin (3:2-5).  This helps us to understand that the potential to commit these sins is right in our churches.  Why?  It exists in our churches because we have all come out of the world where these things are nurtured, and none of us have overcome all these characteristics yet!  In other words, despite our conversion, we are still capable of expressing these sins and we must be on guard. 

“Love of self is the basic sin, from which all others flow.  The moment a man makes his own will the center of life, divine and human relationships are destroyed, obedience to God and charity to men both become impossible.  The essence of Christianity is not the enthronement but the obliteration of self.”  ~~William Barclay

God’s Word has changed me thoroughly.  God, not man, is in charge of this world.  God puts in the hands of Christians spiritual weapons which influence the times in which we live.

Scripture guides us right now in the times of despair, of pressure, of stress.  The first thing Paul would do would be to give himself to proclaiming the mighty revelation of God, to help people see that God is in charge of life.

If Jesus were to come at this very moment, while you are eating lunch with your friends, or while you are grocery shopping, or while you are at work, or while you are relaxing at home on the couch, would your conversation and your conduct resemble what you study and pray about each morning?  Because when you are confronted with routine, or danger, stress or persecution, will you behave yourself?  Just look at Paul – he practiced what he preached.  By returning to God’s Word, Paul was able to control his temper, subdue his lusts, master his passions, conquer his fears, and forgive his enemies.  He did what God told him to do.  He worked with his hands to support himself.  He prayed for his friends.  He kept himself growing and walking in the Spirit because he knew that was the greatest thing he could do to counteract the fear, the depression and danger of the times in which he lives.

“God knows your needs.  He desires to bring you closer to Himself and He will do so as long as you keep striving and stumbling towards Him.”  ~~ Dan Burke

Everything Paul did was done with the understanding that it would either please the Lord Jesus or it would result in grief of the heart to him (2 Corinthians 5:9).  We should be asking ourselves – “Is what I’m saying, what I’m doing, what I’m thinking, pleasing my Lord?  Does it reflect His beauty, His character, His loveliness?”

We can be our own worst enemy, especially when it comes to patience.  Sometimes it is so difficult to be patient with people.  Sometimes we say, “Don’t bug me.  Don’t push me.  Let me have some time to work this out.  Get off my back – give me some breathing room.”  Other people feel the same way.  If you want others to be patient, then you have to be patient with them.

Above all, the one word that should describe all Christians is love.  Love means acceptance of everyone as being valuable.  You should not regard anyone with contempt or disdain.  You should not put anyone down.  You must understand that though people may be struggling, though they may be difficult – they ARE valuable!  God loves them.  God has made them in His own image.  Christian love shows what great possibilities others may have if given the right attention. 

And finally, we must be steadfast.  That means endurance, not quitting when the pressure gets rough, hanging in there, not merely in a grin-and-bear-it attitude, but rather a confidence that God is working things out.

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Have you ever wondered about the phrase “and it came to pass” (2 Chronicles 20:1)?  You can read more here, but this phrase occurs in the Old Testament many times.  Nothing lasts very long.  Each period of life comes to pass – childhood, adulthood.  But every day passes and so do opportunities.  The Lord is always with us.  He works all the events of our lives, so we cannot go about our days never proclaiming the Person we know who’s in charge.  We need to teach the truth – spread it around.  Let people know what’s right and real.  Share what you know about the Book you hold in your hand.  Live righteously.  Practice what you preach.  Expect trouble – because you will get it.  We don’t become Christian and live in a bubble, protected by some creed.  Swim upstream – against the crowd.  You will be unpopular, but don’t let that stop you from saying it and living it!  That’s how Jesus will recognize you when He comes again.

God knows things are going to get worse – He planned it that way.  But He has planted among the decaying, corrupting, morally imperfect civilization, women like you and me who are given the privilege of standing for the truth!

Let this be a reminder as we take a brief break from writing this summer.  God is not on vacation.  He is still writing the story of our lives!  I pray that you will all open your Bibles each day and be filled with new wisdom and understanding.  May your eyes continue to be opened to the truth of God.



Jesus' Return

“Cordially Invited” {Rev. 19}

12:30 AM



Revelation 19

My husband and I will have been married twenty five years in September. To many that seems like a lifetime, yet to me it seems like just yesterday that I was a eager bride, ready to begin my new life with my new husband. I remember feelings of anticipation and excitement swirling inside me as I stood in the church waiting to walk down the aisle. Yet the happiness I felt on that day can’t begin to compare to the joy that will fill my heart when, as the bride of Christ, I walk down the aisle to Jesus. 

In Revelation 19 John speaks of his vision where he hears “something like a great multitude in heaven saying, ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God’.” (vs. 1) A great celebration is happening all around John. God, “whose judgments are true and righteous”, (vs. 2) has destroyed the Antichrist and his followers, avenging the blood of those Christians who fell by his hand. The heavens are filled with praise over God’s great victory. The heavenly host exult His name and rejoice in the “marriage of the Lamb”.  Christ the Bridegroom has come for His bride the church. “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” (vs. 7) This glorious union is indeed cause for great celebration. For not only does it promise blessings to those who are invited to the wedding feast (vs 9), it ushers in the triumphant return of our Lord.

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.” (vs. 11) Forever to be called, “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (vs. 16) in glory and power Jesus, with His bride by His side, returns to the earth. He strikes down the nations with His Word and rules over them with a rod of iron. With the, “fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.” (vs. 15) Christ tramples the wicked like grapes trampled in a wine press.
“When Jesus returns, He is not coming back as the gentle Lamb. He will appear as the reigning King, our mighty warrior, and as the righteous Judge of the living and the dead. Jesus returns with His forces to accomplish all the remaining prophecies and covenants of His Word-establishing His kingdom on earth and destroying evil. He is called Faithful and True because not one of His promises will go unfulfilled.”....Dr. Charles Stanley 

Jesus is coming soon for His bride. He has set the date, planned the ceremony, arranged the wedding supper, and sent out the invitations. “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And the one who hears says, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.” (Rev. 22:17). Once again I am filled with anticipation and excitement as I wait for that illustrious day when I join my Bridegroom forever. Until then I will continue to grow in both closeness and likeness to Jesus, serve Him with abandon, and tell all who wish to attend the “marriage of the Lamb”, that they are cordially invited! 



Apple Pie

Apple Puffs

8:18 AM




Apple Puffs

2 pounds sweet, tart apples, such as cameo and braeburn, chopped small
4 tablespoons honey 
3 tablespoons unsalted butter 
1 tablespoon lemon juice 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/8 teaspoon salt 
1 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped small 
All-purpose flour, for dusting
One 14-ounce package puff pastry, defrosted 

Place the apples in a medium pot with 1/2 cup water, the honey, butter, lemon juice and cinnamon. Stir and cook over medium heat until the apples soften, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the walnuts. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place a rack close to the center of the oven. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry to about 1/8-inch thick and cut the pastry into 3-by-3-inch squares. Press the squares into the wells of a mini muffin tin and poke the bottoms with a fork to dock. Place a heaping tablespoon of the apple mixture in the center. Repeat for the remaining pieces of pastry and apple filling. Bake until the pastries are puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool pastries on a wire rack.

Hebrews 2

Hebrews 2:18 ~ Jesus ~ His Saving Work

12:00 AM

Saturday, April 27, 2019





Welcome to Scripture Saturday!

This coming week's memory verse is Hebrews 2:18...

Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted. (NIV)

Since Jesus suffered He is able to empathize with us when we undergo suffering and temptation in this world. 

Read the amplified version of Hebrews 2:18…

"For because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted (tested and tried), He is able [immediately] to run to the cry of (assist, relieve) those who are being tempted and tested and tried [and who therefore are being exposed to suffering]" 

Let that sink in. Fully understand this wonderful truth! Jesus suffered for us! He experienced every temptation, testing, and suffering that we have, are now, and will be. And He is able to intercede for us. He will come running to the rescue because He is our High Priest. He is our loving Savior!

Have a blessed day and week everyone!

2 Corinthians 4:17

Jesus – His Passionate Love (Mark 14)

12:00 AM


Please read:  Mark 14

This past week we shared with some very close friends of ours, their grief for the loss of the father of the family. Our hope is that a few days before he passed away, he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and he happily gave us the news over the phone while still in the hospital! We cried overfilled with joy, for we had witnessed to him and his family for over 20 years!  This first miracle occurred in his life right before his heart surgery. Of course, we all prayed for a second miracle: his healing and recovery… but our Heavenly Father had other plans for him, and he took him Home. Now he will live for eternity, because Jesus his Savior paid the price!!

At the funeral I heard one of his daughters cry out: “Why…, why? I cannot understand why?” Yes, they were all suffering for not having him physically here with them, but this is only momentary: “…, is but a “light momentary affliction preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17). I pray they will soon understand this truth as they continue as a family, to surrender their lives to our Heavenly Father!

In today’s chapter we find some important events before Jesus’s crucifixion, which brought to my mind these similar questions: “Why… why did Jesus have to go through such anguish and suffering, and for so long?”

I focused on the following verses:
“32 Then they went to a place called Gethsemane; and Jesus said to His disciples, “Sit down here until I have prayed.” 33 He took Peter and James and John with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and troubled [extremely anguished at the prospect of what was to come]. 34 And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved and overwhelmed with sorrow, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.” 35 After going a little farther, He fell to the ground [distressed by the weight of His spiritual burden] and began to pray that if it were possible [in the Father’s will], the hour [of suffering and death for the sins of mankind] might pass from Him. 36 He was saying, “[k]Abba, Father! All things are possible for You; take this cup [of judgment] away from Me; but not what I will, but what You will.” (14:32-36 AMP)

My heart is heavy for I just can’t imagine Jesus’ anguish because of the weight of the spiritual burden He was carrying: ALL the sins of each one of us piercing his body and soul!!
 “Was Christ in such agony for our sins, and shall we never be in agony about them? How should we look upon Him whom we have pierced, and mourn!” (M. Henry)

I found the following words from C.H Spurgeon that vividly describes this passage of Jesus in Gethsemane:

“But you know my chosen theme-the place where I can always best remember Christ. It is a shady garden full of olives. O that spot! I would that I had eloquence, that I might take you there. Oh! if the Spirit would but take us, and set us down hard by the mountains of Jerusalem, I would say, see there runs the brook of Kedron, which the king himself did pass; and there you see the olive trees. Possibly, at the foot of that olive, lay the three disciples when they slept; and there, ah! there, I see drops of blood. Stand here, my soul, a moment; those drops of blood-dost thou behold them? Mark them; they are not the blood of wounds; they are the blood of a man whose body was then unwounded. O my soul picture him when he knelt down in agony and sweat,-sweat, because he wrestled with God,-sweat, because he agonized with his Father. "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me." O Gethsemane! thy shades are deeply solemn to my soul. But ah! those drops of blood! Surely it is the climax of the height of misery; it is the last of the mighty acts of this wondrous sacrifice. Can love go deeper than that? Can it stoop to greater deeds of mercy? Oh! had I eloquence, I would bestow a tongue on every drop of blood that is there; that your hearts might rise in mutiny against your languor and coldness, and speak out with earnest burning remembrance of Jesus. And now, farewell, Gethsemane.” (The Remembrance of Christ- C.H. Spurgeon)  
Wow, my heart aches as I humbly recall these words: “Can love go deeper than that?”


We read in Hebrews 12:2; “ focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, [a]disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].” (AMP)

Why endure the shame, the suffering and the cross? Because He could see the joy on the other side of the cross—the joy of saving us!!
After meditating through these Holy days and Easter: have you decided to make any changes in your life? -Your prayer life? -Your service to your Church, etc.?

I invite you to consider with me, the following words:

"Nothing puts life into men like a dying Savior. Get you close to Christ, and carry the remembrance of him about you from day to day, and you will do right royal deeds. Come, let us slay sin, for Christ was slain. Come, let us bury all our pride, for Christ was buried. Come, let us rise to newness of life, for Christ has risen. Let us be united with our crucified Lord in his one great object - let us live and die with him, and then every action of our lives will be very beautiful." (Spurgeon)

Blessings,
Mari

Becky Austin

The Passion of His Empathy (John 11)

3:41 AM


John 11 

We know the story of Lazarus well and it is by far one of the most astounding miracles that Jesus performed. Who wouldn’t be amazed at a dead man being raised to life again.  But, the miracle is not why I turn to this story so often to build my faith. I turn to it to remind me of the compassion Jesus has for my experiences on this earth.  Here are some of the things that I take to heart when I think about the events that unfolded. 

  • 1. Just because I am going through a trial or difficult circumstance, that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love me. 
  • John tells us that Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha. (5) And yet, they were not spared the challenges of dealing with illness, grief, and heartache. It can be hard sometimes when facing difficult and challenging circumstances to feel like God loves us. Our circumstances may change, but God’s love never does.  

  • 2. I may not know what the future holds, but nothing surprises Jesus. He can foresee the outcome and can purpose it for His glory. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”” (3-4) 

  • 3. My sense of urgency about a situation may not fit God’s timetable. There may be a purpose in waiting.  “So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” (6)  I must be diligent in my prayers and petitions but I must remember that He is sovereign over all circumstances. It is always best to be patient for prayers to be answered  “ in His time. “  

  • 4. Even though Jesus knows the final outcome and the “big picture”, He empathizes with my lack of understanding and he truly cares about the impact that the circumstances are having on me. It truly amazes me that Jesus was so moved by the weeping and heartache of those mourning the death of Lazarus that he expressed empathetic emotion too. “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.” (33 )  
  • “Jesus wept.” (35) 

  • 5. No matter how impossible my situation may seem, Jesus has no limitations when it comes to intervening on my behalf. He can turn around any circumstance. Lazarus had been dead 4 days and yet Jesus confidently instructed that the grave stone be rolled away and He called for Lazarus to come out of the burial tomb.   Nothing is impossible for Jesus! He can miraculously orchestrate the events of my life. I just need to stand back and let Him work.  

What a truly amazing God we serve!  Jesus tells us that if we have seen Him, then we have seen the Father. This one story alone reveals to us the beauty of Christ’s passion for us.......... He serves us with love and compassion as our Great Physician, counselor, healer, miracle worker, and friend! 

Jesus Christ's Presence

He Prayed for You {John 17}

12:00 AM

Scripture Reading: John 17

I was once sitting in church listening to a preacher go on and on about all those who had come before me; my grandparents, parents and so on who had prayed for me, when I suddenly realized I couldn’t confirm or deny if anyone up until that day had ever prayed for me before then. Imagine that! And then the Lord reminded me that He had long before I was ever born. All the way back in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus was praying for you and me.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent Me.  I have given them the glory that you gave Me, that they may be one as we are one—  I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.
“Father, I want those you have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory, the glory You have given Me because You loved me before the creation of the world” John 21:20-24

Gethsemane was not actually a park, but an olive grove. It was a place where Jesus and the disciples went often to pray without fear of being interrupted.
I don’t know if you’ve come from a long line of godly believers who were forever interceding for you, or if you’re like me, and don’t know if there was ever another person who interceded for you, but whatever the case, all of us were on His heart and mind that night of Jesus’ arrest.
When I think it that way, His prayer seems to take on more weight in my eyes. It definitely causes me to want to do all I can to fulfill what was so heavy on His heart that night. Don’t you? 
First and foremost, Jesus prayed, “all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent Me”
Jesus wanted us to be unified.
If you're like me and long to please Him, we can call on His Spirit’s to help us live in harmony with all believers as best we can. I know there will always be some that will be at odds with us no matter what we do, but as far as it depends upon us, we can live in peace with those individuals too! It might not always be easy, but we know we can seek His help with this, especially knowing how passionate He is about it.
I believe it all starts with focusing on Jesus! Spending quality time with Him each day and then the closer we draw to Him the more like Him we’ll be and His desires will become our desire.
His second petition was, “Father, I want those you have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory, the glory You have given Me because You loved me before the creation of the world”

I remember once hearing someone describe Enoch's relationship with God. If you’ll remember Enoch was taken off the earth by God and never died. The pastor implied that Enoch walked so closely with The Lord that one evening God said to Enoch, “We’re closer to My home this night why don’t you come home with Me.” And so he did.

That story has always stuck with me, because I believe each of us can grow as close to God as we choose, and I want to be that close, so that one day God will simply invite me to His home that day, and it will be a very sweet time of fellowship. Sweeter than sweet! And the greatest part of all of this is- it’s His desire too!