godly advice

If Only - Psalm 81

11:00 AM

 


Psalm 81, Hebrews 1:3

We all know the truth that hindsight is 20/20. Because there isn’t a single person who hasn’t looked back at past mistakes and uttered the words, “If only”. If only I had heeded another’s warning. If only I had trusted my gut instincts. If only I had made a different choice. Regret is a powerful emotion. One that keeps us in bondage and stuck in the past. That’s why our Heavenly Father cries out, “Oh that My people would listen to Me!” (vs. 13)

As Christian’s our greatest goal is to walk hand in hand with God. To have a close, personal, relationship with the One who knows us best. But to walk with God, we have to listen to God. For as Dr. Charles Stanley says, “Our God is not silent. He speaks to us in a way that we can hear Him, receive His message, and obey Him. He is infinite, fully capable of communicating with each of us right where we are.” All we need do is listen. But how do hear from God?


One of the greatest ways God speaks is through His Word. When we study the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit points us to truths that come directly from God. Other times God speaks to us through teachers or fellow believers. It may a pastor’s sermon, a Bible study, or a Christian friend’s advice. We even hear from God through worship. Because worship allows God to penetrate our minds and hearts. And He inhabits the praise of His people. (Ps. 22:3)


Many are the ways in which God speaks. Which is why it’s so important to listen for and obey His voice. Israel learned the hard way the pain of regret. And from her mistakes, can we save ourselves the pain of, “If only.” And in the process receive some amazing promises. For those who listen to God can expect an abundance of blessings, their foes subdued before them, and to be fed only the finest of wheat and honey!  (vs. 10, 14,16) 


Pause and Reflect -

Did you know the word listen contains the same letters as silent? After you finish talking to God do you give Him a chance to reply, or do you just go about your day? Israel didn’t hear from God because they were living in disobedience. Is there anything in your life standing before God? Are there areas in which you need to submit to His will?


Finally, let’s pray together,

Our dearest Father in heaven above, hallowed be Thy name. Father we sing aloud to You. For You alone are our strength, our joy, and our inheritance. May we have ears set to listen to your still, small, voice. And may Your Holy Spirit speak to us as we wait for wisdom, insight, and direction. Father whatever You show us, or direct us to do, may we obey quickly, trusting in Your perfect will. For Father we long to draw near to You, so help us sense your loving presence and to listen as you speak. In Jesus's precious name, we pray, Amen.


Don't' forget to head over to our Facebook group at, https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenintheword2 to join in on the discussion. Also check out our public Facebook page at, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083156569388 and give us a like!


I can’t wait to hear your thoughts, and I pray your day overflows with love and blessings.


💕 Lisa

Church

Wake Up!! {Revelations 3}

8:00 AM

 Today's Scripture Passage: Revelations 3

I was once very much like the church of Sardis; busy, busy, busy! I was teaching in a Christians school during the day, working in the Awana and Sunday School programs on Wednesday nights and Sundays, leading a women's study on Tuesdays, while trying to make time for my husband and children each week. I was looking good on the outside; doing all the right things, but I was dead spiritually and didn't even know it, until The Lord moved me thousands of miles away from everyone and thing, except my husband, and sat me down to have a talk.  It wasn't quite like the one He had with the Church of Sardis, but there are enough similarities:

“I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead.  Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. 

I'd be lying if I said that He hadn't gotten my undivided attention at that moment.  

Can you relate? Has there been a time in your life when you were kept so busy in ministering to others that it was adversely impacting your relationship with Him?

  • Your study time was to benefit others through your teaching.
  • Your prayer time had become mechanical. Running down a list of requests for others or your own personal needs you could foresee coming ahead for that day or week. 
  • Your date book was full with notations of phone calls to make and so forth, and when your phone did ring you feared you'd forgotten someone or something.
  • You fell into bed at night and were out as soon as your head hit the pillow. 
  • There was never anytime to sit silently before the Lord and listen even for five minutes. 

 Did you know that the way the Lord presents Himself to each of the churches is a clue as to what the underlining problem is within each of them? Here He calls Himself, "him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars." These symbols were identified for us in the first chapter of Revelation. The "seven spirits" are a symbol of the Holy Spirit in His fullness. 

Therefore, what the church at Sardis and I desperately needed was God's Spirit operating and back in charge.  

We need to be walking in the Spirit, and to remember that Jesus is Lord of His church. It is never left up to us to run the church, and minister in our own strength.

Somehow both the church at Sardis and I had forgotten that along the way. Which should lead us to wonder, what do we do when that happens? He tells us in the very next verses,

  Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.

4 “Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.

Simple as that! Turn around and go back to The Lord, surrender once more and allow Him to take over.  Don't you just love how simple The Lord makes things?  Everything changes in one act of obedience. We can set it all back into His hands and find rest, refreshment and the renewal our soul had been longing for. 

One more thing I must tell you before I close, for this speaks volumes of our Lord's heart I believe. It's found in Revelation 3:5, 

Did you know that white garments are always a symbol of redemption in the Scriptures? In the seventh chapter of this book we'll read of a great multitude of people who will come out of the great tribulation and who have "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb," (Revelation 7:14).

White garments are a sign of being redeemed, being saved by the grace of God. Our Lord is so very rich in mercy and lovingkindness, beloved.  He promises us once more all will be forgiven and forgotten. When we fall short, whether by accident or on purpose we only need to turn (repent) to right our relationship with Him once more. 

Know wonder He is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.(Is 9:6)

Blessings, 


sue

alone

Following Jesus Can Seem Lonely at Times, But There's Hope! {John 7}

9:30 AM

Following Jesus can lead you to lonely places at times. Have you ever felt the sting of persecution by those you love; family, friends, or neighbors? Sometimes we're called to take a stand, or step out in faith when no one is willing to stand with us, but take heart, Jesus knows all about that and this chapter is proof, and here in this chapter, He also offers us hope!



We see here in chapter seven, Jesus’ own brothers questioned His divinity and seemed to be mocking Him. No one seems to understand, and if they did, they certainly weren't willing to admit it, for Jesus was receiving death threats from the religious leaders who should have been on His side.

 In order for us to better understand all that's taking place here we need to know a bit more about this festival they are all celebrating: 
The Feast of the Booths or the Feast of the Tabernacles was actually a party in many ways for the Jewish people.  The people would moved out of their homes for a week and lived under shelters made of branches, similar to camping out today. The purpose behind this religious festival was to remind the nation of Israel of their time wandering in the wilderness living under God’s care.  
The Temple area would have been filled with large candles that were supposed to remind the people of the pillar of light God provided for them in the wilderness.  And each day during the seven days, the priest would carry water from the Pool of Siloam and pour it out in the Temple as a reminder of the water that miraculously came from the rock in the wilderness.
If we skip down to verse 37, we are on the seventh and last day of this feast.  It was called the great day because a lot of special things happened then. On this day the priests would march seven times around the altar chanting Psalm 118:25, "O LORD, save us, we pray. We beseech You, O LORD, cause us to prosper!"  On the seventh trip around the altar they would pour out the water.

 I believe it was at that moment that Jesus stood and shouted this incredible invitation, and invited all those who were thirsty to come to Him and drink. 
1 Corinthians 10:4 tells us that the rock in the Old Testament from which the water miraculously flowed was Jesus.  He was that rock, and now we know that the water that poured from that rock was the Holy Spirit. 
So, when we believe in Jesus, His Holy Spirit is given freely! Those of us who are in Christ possess His Spirit and His Spirit will freely flow through us onto others. 

 The people then couldn't have fully understood all that Jesus was saying at that time. But now we know the Holy Spirit literally dwells in every believer all over this world.  We aren't ever alone, for we are on a mission working with the Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent King of kings! 

 Just how cool is that?

 Blessings, 

 sue

Acts 4

When God Takes Over! {Acts 4}

10:00 AM


Today's Passage: Acts 4

The chapter begins in the middle of the story! Peter and John are addressing the people who have just witnessed Peter heal a man in his forties that had been lame since birth (Acts 3) and right in the middle of their speech we read:

“As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening.” Acts 4:1-3

The Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead, which may be why they decided to cut off their speech right then and put them in jail until morning. But even then, they had been too late for the passage goes on to add, “many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.” (4:4)

Just imagine what that night must have been like for John and Peter, for the last time the Jewish council had met together it was to hear a case concerning Jesus, and had agreed to have Jesus crucified. I wonder if John and Peter were thinking they would be next come morning.

But if they were, it didn’t prevent them from speaking out boldly the next day! Notice,

"Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people,  if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well,  let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by his name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone.  And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:9-12

Whoa! He’s no longer the Peter who denied Jesus thrice on the last night of His life. Can you remember the last time you spoke out about Jesus? How do you feel about sharing the good news? Bold, like Peter, reluctant or somewhere in between the two.

Chapter four is an awesome example of the Holy Spirit’s power operating in us! Notice how the believers “filled with the Holy Spirit” responded to the threats made to them should they persist in proclaiming Jesus’ name:

“...they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them,  who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said,
‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
And the peoples devise futile things?
‘The kings of the earth took their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together
Against the Lord and against His Christ.’
For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.  And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence,  while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”  And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness!” Acts 4:24-31 (emphasis mine)

I wondered if our churches would respond the same way today. Even still, the most amazing passage of chapter four to me is the description of the New Testament church in verses 32-35,

“And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.  And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.  For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales  and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.” (Emphasis mine)

They were one in heart and soul which when I studied these words further I discovered it meant, they were one in “intellect” and “emotion”. Over five thousand brand new believers shared everything in common. The Holy Spirit not only caused them to be bold in proclaiming the gospel, but in their actions as well, for they boldly shared all they had with other believers trusting God to care for them all.

That is amazing to me, but that’s God! Nothing is too hard, or impossible for Him, if He is permitted to reign over His people.

Blessings,
sue


Acts

The First Day of Church {Acts 2}

5:00 PM



Monday Feb. 10, “Walking in Wisdom”


After the death and resurrection of Christ, the disciples had gathered together to celebrate Pentecost, the Jewish Feast of Weeks. “Suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.", (vs. 1-4). Can you imagine what a glorious spectacle that must have been! One minute the disciples were ordinary men meeting and worshiping together, the next they were filled with the Holy Spirit; preaching in all languages to all peoples about the "mighty deeds of God."

While Jesus walked the earth, He was able to physically minister to His followers; providing strength, healing, and teaching. But soon He would be returning to sit at the right hand of God. And so He told the disciples, "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever." (John 14:26) That Helper is the Holy Spirit; a Helper not reserved for the disciples alone, but for each of us as well. For the very minute we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to indwell also in us; beginning the work of shaping and conforming us into the likeness of Jesus. And not only is He sent to help, comfort, and guide us, the Holy Spirit is also God's seal on us marking us as His very own.

As wonderful as that particular day of Pentecost was with the outpouring of the Holy Spirt, an equally wonderful thing also happened that day. That day the Lord’s church was established. “The church is the body of Christ, of which He is the head. “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.” (Ep. 1:22-23) The body of Christ is made up of all believers in Jesus Christ from the day of Pentecost until Christ’s return. “ (gotquestions.org)

With all of the fighting and strife  in the world, in the church, and amongst Christians themselves, my heart longs to be a member of that first church of believers. To be a part of such pure joy, love, and fellowship! For in that gathering, the people weren’t gossiping about each other. They weren’t debating doctrine. They weren’t arguing over who was the greatest, most giving, or most knowledgeable. They weren’t pronouncing judgments on each other. Nor were they busy glorifying themselves or their works. Instead, at that gathering all the members of the church were busy rejoicing in their love for God and demonstrating their love for each other. “All the believers were together and had everything in common.They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.” (vs. 44-47)

In the current climate, there is more than enough hate to go around. And it’s easy to get caught up in the anger and turmoil of the day. But as the church, as Jesus’ representatives on earth, shouldn’t we strive to do better? To be better? Shouldn’t we want to get back to the same rejoicing, generosity, togetherness, and worship demonstrated by the early church? Shouldn’t we have hearts which share God’s will to be beacons of light in a dark world? If that is indeed our will, the Holy Spirit is the way. For the more we walk in His power, the more the fruit of the Spirit becomes evident in our lives. What is the fruit of the Spirit? James tells us, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."  (Gal. 5:22-23) So lets get back to being the church the Lord established on that glorious Day of Pentecost. May each of us, out of love and joy, let the fruit of the Spirit flow abundantly through us to others. And may the Lord’s church be so powerful a witness that Jesus can add to the number daily, “those who were being saved.” (vs. 47)



Holy Spirit

Our Power Source {Luke 4}

10:00 AM

Today's Passage: Luke 4

This chapter is the beginning of Jesus’ ministry on earth and it’s packed full of so many important truths that I couldn't adequately cover all of it in just one post! BUT there is an important truth, that many may miss while reading and that's where I'd like to focus today. It is found in verses 14-21,

“Then Jesus went back to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and the news about Him spread through the entire region.  And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised and glorified and honored by all.
 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.  The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor.
He has sent Me to announce release (pardon, forgiveness) to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set the captive free.
to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the favor of God abound greatly].” (Isaiah 61:1-2a)

 Then He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down [to teach]. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.  And he began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing’” (Luke 4:14–21 emphasis mine).

Jesus stopped reading in the middle of Isaiah 61:2. The rest of verse two reads, “and the day of our God’s vengeance.” which refers to Jesus’ second coming and judgment on the world. So what is Jesus saying exactly? The Jews knew this was a messianic prophecy, therefore when He tells them that, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” He’s saying, “I am the Messiah; the Sent One.”

This is important to note for it makes the rest of the passage come to life! 

When He reads, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, and God has anointed Me to proclaim good news—that’s the gospel—to those who need it." Jesus is marking the beginning of His three year ministry leading up to the Cross. 

The first Adam sinned and failed to fulfill his purpose. Jesus, as the last Adam, never sinned and did fulfill His purpose as a man. Clearly Jesus was always fully God, but for a time, He chose to "empty" Himself (something we can’t fully grasp or explain), and was living His life here as an example of the perfect life Adam should have lived and the "ideal life" that all believers today should aspire to (1Cor 11:1). 

I know you’re probably thinking, “He was God”, but what Luke is alluding to in this chapter is that Jesus relied on the same Source of power, the Holy Spirit, that you and I have access to today, for the Spirit of Christ indwells every believer (Rom 8:9). Therefore, as Jesus told us Himself in John 14:12, we have the power to do all Jesus did and even “greater things” because we possess the same power He relied on (Eph 3:20)! 

Imagine that! Look back at Luke 4:1,

“Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness.” The Greek word for “filled” or “full” also means “controlled”. All believers possess the Holy Spirit within, but not all believers are “full” or “controlled” by the Holy Spirit and here lies the problem. A carnal Christian (one operating in the flesh and in their own strength) looks to what he/she can do FOR The Lord but a Spirit-controlled Christian is surrendered to the Spirit’s control so that the Spirit is free to work through them and there is a tremendous difference between what our finite selves can do and what an infinite God can do through us!!

Jesus also said, “God has sent Me to announce release to the captives.” In other words, “I have come to set you free. You don’t have to be slaves to sin or idolatry anymore.”  Freedom comes through Jesus Christ and in Christ alone.

Now all of us may be able to break some bad habits by sheer willpower and discipline, but we won’t truly be free, for we’re not free until we’re yielded and controlled by Christ’s Spirit. Then and only then will all those issues be behind us and no longer have any control over us, and that’s when we’re truly free to serve Him.

Our surrendering and being wholly controlled by The Spirit is a moment by moment exercise. We can expect to battle the flesh for as long as we’re here, but there's actually something even worse found 
hidden in the chapter in verses 4:28-30,

“As they heard these things, the people in the synagogue were filled with a great rage; and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the crest of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to hurl Him down the cliff.  But passing [miraculously] through the crowd, He went on His way.”

We never read of Jesus returning to Nazareth again in Scripture. His invitation is for “today” and may not ever come again. Which caused me to think of the writer’s exhortation to us in Hebrews 3:15, “As it has been said: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart...” There may never be another chance to accept Him and His Spirit He offers.

~~~~~Do you know Him? And are you wholly surrendered to Him? Is He not only Savior, but Lord of your life? 

It's my prayer, as we not only begin a New Year, but a new decade that we will spend it with Him; relying on and being controlled by His power within us to help us make the days ahead profitable for His Kingdom! 

I'm so excited to spend this year with you as we journey together through 2020 and witness all He has planned for us!

God bless you all!

sue


God's perspective

A Mind Set On The Spirit {Romans 8}

12:30 AM


Monday May 13

Romans 8

I’ve always been a bit of a daydreamer and as such have been told a time or two, “Get your head out of the clouds and come back to earth!” But earthly thinking isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The Apostle Paul tells us that as Christians, instead of on the things of the world, our minds should be set on the things of the Spirit. “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” (vs. 5) 

Once we were in chains, slaves to our sin and burdened under the Law of God which we were unable to obey. But Jesus died to free us from bondage. He became the perfect fulfillment of that Law, and because of His sacrifice not only are we reconciled to God and declared righteous, no longer do we have to lead lives driven by the sinful desires of the flesh. “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (vs. 1) The moment we receive Jesus as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us. And through the power and strength the Spirit provides, we can take captive earthly desires, urges, and thoughts that keep our focus from where it belongs, on God. 

Having minds set on the Spirit allows us to have the spiritual mindset of God Himself, and to concentrate on the things which are pleasing to Him. Things like love, fellowship, praise, worship, and obedience. And once our minds our set, our bodies will soon follow. For, “whatever the mind is minding, that is what we will walk after. If the mind is minding the flesh, we will walk according to the flesh; if the mind is minding the Spirit, we will walk according to the spirit.”...Watchman Nee

Why should our perspective on life be one of maintaining a spiritual focus? Because as vs. 6 tells us, “the mind set on the spirit is life and peace.” Not only do we have the assurance of eternal life, but also life in the sense of one filled with the love, hope, and joy that comes with having a close, personal relationship with the Lord. And once hostile to God, unable to please Him, we can now have peace. No longer His enemies, forgiven through the blood of Jesus, we have “received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!"(vs. 15) Matthew tells us that it’s impossible to serve to masters. (Matt. 6:24) We can either have a mind set on the flesh which leads to death, or a mind set on the Spirit which leads to life. Which will you choose?

We need to continually rid ourselves
Of every lofty thought
And everything that sets itself up
Against Jesus Christ, our Lord

For if we don't, we can't move on
To where God wants us to be
And walk in Jesus' love and grace
And to truly be set free

Satan comes and attacks our minds
To stop what God wants to do,
We shouldn't listen to his constant lies,
For in him, there is no truth

Our thoughts should be on the things of God
That builds us up in our faith,
Singing His praises and worshipping Him
And upon His word, meditate

For this is how we can actively take
Every thought captive to Christ,
By filling our minds with the things of God
And to do what we know is right

Despite what the world around us says,
We need to guard our minds
And refuse to give in to its worldly ways,
Nor allow it the chance to bind

For Christ did come to set us free
From the way we lived before,
So we may always walk in that freedom
With our faith and trust in the Lord.
                 .......lM.S.Lowndes