Everlasting

God’s Lovingkindness Is Everlasting - Psalm 136

10:00 AM

Psalm 136, Matthew 5:44-45

Psalm 136 is one of my favorites, because it’s a summary of the entire book of Psalms. And its message, repeated 26 times, is this. God’s lovingkindness is everlasting. What a beautiful promise we can carry in our hearts! And what a beautiful song to sing no matter the circumstances we face. Because it’s a powerful reminder that God’s goodness and love aren’t limited by time or circumstance, but are boundless and unending. And most wonderful of all, offered freely to all who call on Jesus as Lord. So in response to the God’s faithfulness, how should we be living our lives as Christians? 


First and foremost, we are to lead lives that are thankful for God’s lovingkindness. Because every good and perfect gift comes from Him alone. (James 1:17) And even if we aren’t in the best place in our lives, there is always something to be grateful for. So from the moment we awaken until we close our eyes at night, our lips should be giving thanks to God for all that He does, and all that His is. 


Next we are to lead lives that trust in God’s lovingkindness. Even when the world tells us otherwise, we know that nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1:37) He is always in complete control, working all things for our good. (Rom. 8:28) And nothing happens to us without His say so. We can trust in Him to guide and protect us. And because of His great love, we can rely on the Lord to provide for all our needs. 


We are also to lead lives that are telling the history of God’s lovingkindness. One of my favorite quotes says that we may be the only Bible someone reads. And since our hope comes from God’s Word, (Rom. 15:4) part of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ includes sharing the rich history of the Bible. Because there is no greater story of love than how God chose and redeemed His people. And how that redemption is available to all. 


And finally we are to lead lives that are sharing God’s lovingkindness. God’s love isn’t to be kept hidden away in a secret place in our hearts, reserved for us alone. Instead it is to be on full display for all to see. For we are commanded to love others as God loves us. (John 15:12) And nowhere is God’s love greater exampled than when what we what say, how we live, and how we care for others lines up with the way the Lord does. 


David was quite the poet. And this Psalm is no exception. It’s full of hope and comfort to a lost and hurting world. For it contains the blessed promise that God's love and mercy remain steadfast. Demonstrated most of all through His Son, Jesus Christ, who shed His precious blood to provide eternal life to all who believe in Him.


Pause and Reflect - 

In what areas of my life do I struggle to trust God? How can I work on developing a deeper sense of trust and reliance on him? How does remembering the history of God's faithfulness in the Bible strengthen my faith and encourage me in my walk with God?


Lets Pray Together -

Our dearest Father in heaven above, hallowed be Thy name. Father we come to you with hearts full of gratitude and praise. We thank you for your steadfast love that endures forever, and for all the ways in which you have blessed us throughout our lives. Father help us to trust in you, even in times of trouble or uncertainty. Strengthen our faith and help us to rely on your guidance and protection. And Father we also pray for unity and community among your people. Help us to recognize that we all share in your love and grace, and to work towards building relationships that reflect your goodness and love. In Jesus 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


anxious

Choosing Faith Over Fretfulness ~ Psalms 37

9:00 AM

 Today's Reading: Psalm 37 &  Proverbs 2:21-22 ; Colossians 2:15



Are the events happening around you often unsettling? Do you ever wonder if God is listening? If He'll act, or when? 
Do you ever think that perhaps there might be something you could do to lend Him a hand as though He could use your help? 
I could answer "yes" to all the above at different times in my life, which is why I feel Psalm 37 is so powerful!

Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.
Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the
         noonday sun.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in
       their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret–it leads only to evil. –Psalm 37:1-8

David begins with, "Do not fret" because of what others are doing and I feel right away David must know me so well! I can't count the times I've fretted over what others seem to be getting away with! Or how many times I've wondered what they must be thinking! And, if I'm honest, I can't count the times I've sat here trying to figure out how I might try to lend a hand to help our Lord out, as though He really needs my help! Our Creator needs my help. (sigh).

Thankfully David didn't stop in verse one, but goes on to give us some great advice as to what we can be doing instead of fretting.  He goes on to list eight positives to the one negative instruction in just the first eight verses: 

“Trust in the Lord” (v. 3).

"Do good" (v.3)

"Live in the land and enjoy safe pasture." (v.3)

“Take delight in the Lord” (v. 4).

“Commit your way to the Lord” (v. 5-6).

“Rest in the Lord” (v. 7-11)

“Wait patiently for the Lord” (v. 7)

"Refrain from anger" (v.8)

This  is when I hit my "Aha!" moment. Where are my eyes focusing and where should they be focusing? When I take my eyes off of God and set them on others or circumstances is when my heart can become disquieted. It can be as easy as watching the evening news. I can begin to fret about all I see going on around me and even feel helpless in the situation. 

The blessings begin to come when we realize not only can we trust God during difficult times, but we can also be assured that He understands our situation and feels our pain. And cares about our problems. Furthermore, we can count on the Lord to bless us. (Read the rest of Psalm 37). He will provide for our physical needs, as well as supply spiritual strength and blessings to press on through this life.

My "Aha!" moment came when I realized David here, in Psalm 37, is telling us we all have choices to make. We can choose:

  • Faith over fretfulness
  • Trusting God over doubts.
  • To do good over evil.
  • The spirit over the flesh.
  • Positive thinking over negative thinking.
  • God's Truth over error.
  • Contentment over anxiety.
  • Choose courage over fear.
I'm so thankful David took the time to point all of this out! Aren't you?

So let me ask you:

When current events and the news are overwhelming, how do you initially react? 

Do you take time to be still before the Lord? Do you go to seek His wisdom, understanding and guidance at the onset of trouble?

Let's Pray: 

Dear Father, help us to be still, and to rest in Your love; trusting in Your omnipotent power to handle every situation and circumstance. Teach us to learn to be patient and to give You our anxious thoughts. Help us to turn our faces towards You to focus on Your, strength, light and love. Our Father, we thank You, for being our Refuge and Strength, and our ever-present help in time of need. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

 Blessings,




Faith

Thursday Jan. 20th- A Shelter and Refuge

6:00 PM

 


 



From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy.   Let me dwell in Your tent forever; let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.
Selah. Psalms 61:2-4

During the times when our life is uncertain or we are dealing with anxiety, worry and fears, where do you run to?  Do you run to a friend, food or anything else that will for a time quiet your mind and heart? 

The Lord is a strong tower that we can run into and be safe.  How do you do that?  Spend time in His Word everyday seeking Him, praying His Word, and resting in His promises.  It is a matter of faith, belief, trust, hope and perseverance.  Run to Him first and let Him quiet you.  He only is the One who gives us peace that passes all understanding and guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 

Selah,

Lyn

1 Samuel 1

–Walking in Wisdom- Conquering Through Faith (Mark 9)

8:30 PM





Today’s Scripture: Mark 9
In today’s scripture in verses 1-8, Mark describes how magnificently “Jesus assumes his glory during the Transfiguration at the top of a mountain- shining in dazzling white clothes and revealing himself as worthy of worship” (iWorship Bible) Imagine the marvelous scene Peter, James and John witnessed, that they were stunned by the miraculous sight! (vs. 7-8)

After coming down from the mountain: “When they came [back] to the [other nine] disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and scribes questioning and arguing with them.”  The father of a suffering boy explained to Jesus that his boy had been tormented by a spirit for so many years and he came seeking for help:” I told Your disciples to drive it out, and they could not do it.”, he said (vs.18b)·

The apostles had failed in their attempt to drive this spirit out of the boy! Didn`t they have the sufficient faith to do so? (vs. 19)  And since the boy’s father witnessed this, his faith  waivered too!
Then the boy’s father continued saying:
“ But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” 23 Jesus said to him, “[You say to Me,] ‘If You can?’ All things are possible for the one who believes and trusts [in Me]!” 24 Immediately the father of the boy cried out [with a desperate, piercing cry], saying, “I do believe; help [me overcome] my unbelief.” (Vs. 22-24)  In the nest verses we discover how Jesus with His love and compassion healed this child!

Have you presented one or more prayer requests to God and are still waiting for the answer? Has it been a long time? Has this apparent delay strengthened your faith, or not?

 “All things are possible for the one who believes and trusts [in Me]! (9:23)
This promise seems so simple, but it is powerful! We need to believe and trust in Jesus, in His Faithfulness!

C.H. Spurgeon explains it this way:
“The presence of Christ is victory to His Church: the absence of the Lord Jesus entails disgraceful defeat. O armies of the living God, count not on your numbers, rely not on your strength; reckon not upon the ability of your ministers; vaunt not in human might; nor on the other hand be discouraged because ye are feeble; if He be with you, more are they that are for you than all they that are against you. If Christ be in your midst, there are horses of fire and chariots of fire round about you.”
                            
 What about you? Are you still waiting on God for a prayer request? As it been so long you need to ask God:  “I do believe; help [me overcome] my unbelief” (9:24)

We have many examples in the Bible, of apparent delays from God to the prayers of some characters: Abraham and Sarah, Moses, Elijah and Joseph. How about Hannah, one of my favorites in 1 Samuel 1:

“… but the Lord had given her no children. 6 Hannah’s rival provoked her bitterly, to irritate and embarrass her, because the Lord had left her childless. 7 So it happened year after year, whenever she went up to the house of the Lord, Peninnah provoked her; so she wept and would not eat.” (Vs.:5-7)

“ Hannah was greatly distressed, and she prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish…” 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart (mind); only her lips were moving, and her voice was not heard, so Eli thought she was drunk. 14 Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Get rid of your wine.” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman with a despairing spirit. I have not been drinking wine or any intoxicating drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord…”It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.” ” (Vs.:12-15, 20)

I waited for 12 years for the birth of my youngest son, who we named Samuel. But when I became pregnant after the joyful surprise and we praised God for this miracle, we later discovered my uterus had many tumors growing on it which made the pregnancy a great risk both for the child and for me. While seeking God in the midst of this situation, He took me to 1 Samuel 1, and Hannah`s faith and perseverance were an example for me!. We praise God that through this difficult situation we experienced a powerful and Faithful God (Sam is now 23)!!

So remember: “All things are possible for the one who believes and trusts [in Me]! (9:23) Let us seek, cry and pray, and continue praying like Hannah did. We must keep on believing and never be moved away from it by what we see or feel. We must stand firm on His promises, and trust that even that apparent delay is an answer to our prayer requests. But there is a powerful purpose for this, and as we wait in Him, He will equip us and strengthen our walk in faith!

Blessings,
Mari


contentment

Scripture Saturday ~ Psalm 37:3-4~ Take delight! ~ Contentment

12:00 AM

Saturday, February 2, 2019


Welcome to Scripture Saturday!
This coming week's memory verse is Psalm 37:3-4... 

Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. (NIV)

Trust is an active form of believing. When we actively trust in God it governs the decisions we make and the work we do. Our trust makes us confident that He alone is able to provide us with the greatest quality of life. God alone has the power to satisfy us. He has promised to supply everything that we truly need. When we take delight in Him it draws us closer to God. We can begin to see our lives from His perspective. Remember that God has promised you both a future and a hope. He desires to be a part of our lives everyday.

Have a blessed day and week everyone!






Believing

Overcoming Fear {1 John 4:18-19}

12:00 AM


January 22, 2019


Here we are at week 3, and God has been doing a huge amount of cleaning in my life.  Right after Christmas, I began a purge – of stuff that cluttered my household and my heart.  Then this study began.  For me, it began a bit earlier than 3 weeks ago, because I needed to read and research each topic and scripture. 

What I’ve discovered during this clean up and purge is it all boils down to Lordship.  Seriously, there are a lot of very good Christians around us and right here this morning with us.  But if we are truly honest with ourselves and each other, Jesus is not LORD over ALL of our lives.


Last week I shared some of my anxieties (Read Here) which God then led me immediately to where I am today.  My anxieties are just that - mine.  I own them.  I hold them.  I carry them around with me.  But the remedy is so simple.

It starts with believing.  Oh you can say you’re a believer on Sunday, then go to dinner afterwards and discuss all your troubles and go home and worry about your bank account, your job, your future and your kids’ future.  But you said you believed – Really?

 Image result for 1 john 4:18-19

There is no fear in love

But perfect love (that’s God) drives out fear

Because fear has to do with punishment

The one who fears (that’s us) is not made perfect in love.

Here’s the kicker – fear has to do with punishment.  We are usually afraid of something we sin – a behavior or something we are doing (gossip, slander, porn, abuse {physical or mental or substance}, shopper, diet, exercise), whatever, and we have truly not confessed it.  Maybe our fears are sins/behaviors we’ve passed on to our children and so we are afraid of their salvation.

Perfect love (that’s God) casts out our fear – you’re afraid of your past, and your sins are never going to be completely forgiven – God casts them out (Micah 7:18, Psalm 103:12, John 1:29, Isaiah 38:17).  God casts them out and He doesn’t care where they land.  Remember the story of the demon possessed man and the pigs?  Your demons are gone!  Well, that is if you believe what Jesus says, then they are.

I think we don’t quite associate our anxiety or fears with demons, but maybe we should.  We allow these demons to stay inside of us instead of truly believing what we profess to believe.

Somehow as I was studying, praying and learning about this, led me to read about Joseph being thrown into the pit and sold into slavery.  Some of us are sold into the slavery of our fears and anxieties.

Satan is so incredibly clever that as soon as he sees a weak link in our armor, he moves in and whispers and we believe him.

“I think that if I had understood as I do now that this great King really dwells within this little palace of my soul, I should not have left Him alone so often and never allowed His dwelling place to get so dirty.”  St. Teresa of Avila

Image result for Luke 12:32

Instead of being held captive in your “what ifs”, you truly need to BELIEVE.  And I’ll be the first to admit that this has been difficult, but it begins with scripture – if you don’t know it and own it, you will not have the fighting power you need to survive all your fears.  We need to be more like Jesus right?  When Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, He was taken for a reason – to be tempted.  Hello!!!  We will ALL be tempted.  Life here on this side of heaven will not be all rainbows, flowers and sunny days!  We have been told there will be difficulties.  But we have got to stop with all the excuses (“Well, we are only human…”)  Seriously, we are believing the wrong person! 

Instead of cowering when Satan lies, we need to kick him in the teeth!  I mean take the Word and kick him in the teeth!  He wants to take you down.  He wants to take your family down.  Instead we need to be like Jesus.  Three times Satan tempted Jesus and Jesus responded with “It is written” (Matthew 4).

Each time you feel defeated and you allow yourself to live there in that pit of anxiety or to be possessed by the demon of fear, Satan laughs all the way to the bank.  Are you really worried about your bank account?  Or are you going to turn your eyes upon Jesus?

We have every reason to live in victory.  There is NO FEAR IN LOVE and we can start by believing God.  It starts with true belief.  Belief in perfect love. 

God has a plan.  He ordained my life as well as my kids’ before we were ever even thought of (Psalm 139).

I have never associated myself with boldness – but today, I see it as a lack of fear.  Having the courage to face the trials or even the courage to face the day to day.  It means trusting His sovereignty and not leaning on my own understanding.

It takes intentionality on my part, it takes making my trust bigger than my fear/worry/anxiety.  It takes fixing my eyes on Jesus.  It takes repetition.  Trusting God is not a one-time thing.  Over and over.  Moment by moment.  Learning to trust Him more.  Oh for the grace to trust Him more!



anxiety

The Best Defense for Anxiety! {Philippians 4:4-9}

8:00 PM


Reading for Wednesday, January 16th ~ Philippians 4:4-9

Don’t be anxious! Is that really humanly possible?
Notice what this article had to say:

When you’re overwhelmed by heart-pounding panic, paralyzed by fear, or exhausted from yet another sleepless night spent worrying, you’ll do just about anything to get relief.
More than one in five American adults took medications for psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression in 2010, according to new research by Medco Health Solutions, Inc. Titled America's State of Mind ...
The analysis revealed that 20 percent of all adults took at least one drug to treat a psychiatric condition, while among women that number rose to 25 percent—or one in four—reporting having taken such drugs.*

I think we can all agree anxiety is a real problem among, not only women, but society in general. I also believe anxiety can sometimes be a physical condition and not just a spiritual one. I’ve read recently that diet and exercise can affect our anxiety levels; good or bad. Most councilors will tell you, that if you’re dealing with anxiety issues on an ongoing basis it’s best to see a doctor to make sure there isn’t a physical problem, and then you can deal with the spiritual.  

 I personally haven’t dealt with panic attacks as some have, but I believe all of us deal with different levels of anxieties at some times in our lives, and because of that, I believe God's solutions are found in His word like here in Philippians 4:4-9.

 The most popular verses being Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Faith is the opposite of anxiety/ fear/ worry/ doubts; whichever term you choose.

 Faith is complete, blind trust and obedience.  Faith doesn’t understand everything – but it's doing it anyway because you trust God and His perfect care and guidance!

AND faith requires humility. It requires us to admit we don’t have all the answers or the abilities we need, but we know the One who does. Anxieties can flair up when we’re trying to do it all on our own. Therefore the first step is admitting we need help! (Look back at Phil 4:6-7)

 This can be hard because it may cause us to feel weak in an area where others may appear to be strong. There is always going to be the temptation to keep pushing and hope the anxiety goes away on its own.

Which can bring on other coping mechanisms, however. 

Some may try to alleviate stress by snacking constantly on junk food. Some drink wine or other alcoholic beverages to take the edge off. Others may try to find solace in television, books or social media. BUT none of these are healthy ways of dealing with stress and anxiety and can actually end up doing more harm than good.

PRAYER through faith is our answer. 

 We need to turn our anxious thoughts and worries into prayer; which requires developing a conditioned reflex, like when we touch something hot our brain  immediately tells us to pull back. We need to recognize what's happening immediately and turn it completely over to God and His word promises that, " the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will mount guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  

No other stress relievers needed.

But also notice the very next thing Paul tells us to do just after he tells us to give it up to God in Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Paul is pointing out the fact that what we fill our minds with has a profound effect on our spiritual and mental state of being.

We need to remember that we live in a world at war. While God wants us to succeed and flourish, there is another who would love nothing better than to see us struggle and fail. He will come and whisper in your ear lies about your identity, your self-worth, your status before God, your past, your future, your hope; anything that will help him succeed in keeping you stressed, anxious and feeling like a failure. We not only need to recognize these for the lies they are, but combat them with God’s truth.

If you are walking through a valley of anxiety right now, there's hope! Give it all up, and keep turning it over to the One who is able to give you victory over whatever is causing your stress at the moment and fill your mind on the truths found in His word.

I hope you'll also remember this may be an on going battle which may not be won immediately, but He has given us our weapons of warfare and one another to help eventually gain the victory over our fears! If you're ready to fight, we're here to help! Please let us know how we can be praying for you over at Women in the Word!

Blessings!
sue

* https://www.anxiety.org/antianxiety-medication-use-soars-in-past-decade

Altar

What is Faith {Hebrews 10-11}

12:30 AM



Tuesday, December 11, 2018



Image result for Hebrews 11:8-10

 I personally did not grow up moving from home to home or city to city.  I grew up in one house and moved out when I went to college.  However, my mother did not grow up with the same comforts.  She moved around a lot and struggled going on vacations and living out of a suitcase.  She longed for “home”. 

Abraham came to be known as the Hebrew.  Hebrew means “stranger” or “alien”, and from the perspective of the people who lived in the land of Canaan, Abraham and Sarah, were somewhat the misfits.  They didn’t really belong.  They were strangers.

But this couple understood that everything that this world had to offer was temporary at its best.  Their ultimate citizenship wasn’t here on earth.  They were living for an eternal home and that was what made them willing to live as strangers, as aliens, to not fit into this world and this world system because they had an eternal home for which they were headed.

If we really pay attention to Abraham’s life, it’s a lot like our own.  We have a series of surrenders over the course of our lives.  We surrender because we believe in God.  We believe in His promises.  Each time we come to a point of surrender, we build an altar.  We acknowledge God for who He is, we believe in His promises, and we know that to receive His promises we have to surrender what is keeping us from moving forward.  We leave it there for God to consume.  

I don’t know about you, but the transition into having adult children has not been easy.  At times, they still want and behave like young children.  At other times, I want them to still be young and ‘under my control’.  The advice I give them is from years of experience.  I share my failures and what made me successful in hopes that they will have less failures.  But over and over I hear God telling me to leave them with Him.  It just doesn’t make sense to give up all I have hoped for.  But I have seen it – God has blessed me more than once when I’ve truly surrendered, and left things on the altar, He opens another door.  I know I have to recognize that all those other altars of sacrifice and surrender and faith, each one of those were preparing me for these moments.  And as each child graduated from high school, I had to face the same altar – each time I surrender, I confirm that God is worthy of my trust and He is preparing me to trust Him with bigger surrenders that may occur further down the road.

“Altars speak of sacrifice, of devotion, of surrender of being consumed.  They speak of life that is wholly given up to the One for whom the altar is built.”  Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth

I used to go to our chapel during my lunch hours and pray.  I would visually lay down on the altar in the front of the chapel what I was struggling with letting go of.  It was comforting to know that God would take it in His hands and use it for His glory.

So when you think about it, faith is really the biography of God through my life.  A.W. Tozer says, “Faith is less about what you say you believe and more about how you behave on a consistent basis despite your circumstances.”

So don’t be surprised if God asks you to give up secure surroundings in order to carry out His will.  And as I heard on a program last week, “we need to stamp eternity on our eyeballs.”

 Image result for Hebrews 11:13

Commitment

Words By Roxanna ~ Commit-Trust-Shine

8:57 AM

While God’s heart is most definitely for our sanctification and holiness, his perspective is far different than what I just described. You see, God knows that sanctification doesn’t come about through our efforts. I can in no way sanctify myself because in and of myself I have no holiness. The truth God has for us today is simply this: sanctification comes about by true relationship with our heavenly Father alone. Holiness is the direct result of openly and continually encountering the nature of a perfect, loving, and available God.
If we are going to experience the fruit of righteousness, we must learn to trust God in his plan for our sanctification. We must learn to trust that in encountering him we will experience freedom from our sin and healing for the wounds that drive us to the things of the world.

Psalm 37:5-6 says, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” When we trust God to bring about our righteousness by simply committing our way to him and trusting in him, we engage in a process of sanctification founded on encounters with his loving grace.
Sanctification is not meant to be this heady process of turmoil and striving that we so often experience. While it may be difficult, it is designed to be filled with the continually forgiving and loving heart of our good Father. It is designed to be based on experiencing Jesus that we might become more like him.
Spend time today seeking the heart of your heavenly Father. Commit your ways to him and trust in him. Ask him to reveal his heart for your righteousness. Ask him to guide you into a process of sanctification marked by his grace, love, and nearness. Stop seeing the process of sanctification as a never-ending timeline and instead center it wholly around relationship with your heavenly Father. May you experience righteousness and holiness today as you encounter the perfect nature of Jesus. May your day be marked by peace as you commit your spiritual development to the hands of the Potter. And may you be transformed into the image of Jesus as you engage in the process of sanctification based on relationship with a good, near God.

expectancy

SoulSearching Sunday~Audience Of One

12:00 AM

Sunday, November 4, 2018


Week Forty-four...

Welcome!  We pray that you have all had a precious time worshipping the Lord this morning!  Below you will find some thought provoking questions that will provide you a starting point to your journal writing to complete this week.  We hope that you will find this time soul satisfying!

Our reading this week was Acts 13 - Romans 3:20...

 1. What kind of singing voice do you have? God loves hearing you praise Him regardless of how others would judge your vocal quality. Spend some time vocalizing your praise to God. You may want to write your own song!

 Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. (Acts 16:25)

 2. Write down your own personal testimony. In what significant ways have you seen God work in your life? Today look for opportunities to let others know who it is you worship, and why.

 “Brothers and esteemed fathers, “ Paul said, “listen to me as I offer my defense.” (Acts 22:1)

 3. We can react to an unexpected turn of events either with fear and anger or with trusting expectancy of what God has in store. What big plans do you have for next month, next year, or the next five years? Entrust these plans to God as an act of worship.

 I asked you to come here today so…I could tell you that I am bound with this chain because I believe the the hope of Israel - the Messiah - has already come. (Acts 28:20)




follow

Trust and Follow the Lord {John 20-21}

12:30 AM


Tuesday, October 23, 2018


A friend and I used to always compare how our personalities were “planners”.  We were good at knowing what was going to happen when and where.  After a couple of years, I had to admit to her that I was actually a “wanna be planner”.  I told her that it seems that everything I plan seems to backfire.  It seems that the older I get the more I realize that my husband’s favorite phrase, ‘make a plan, and see God laugh’, is so true. 

These final two chapters in John help us to remember that we can trust and follow the Lord for how and where we serve Him, without being concerned about how He uses others.

It seems like Peter wanted to know what was going to happen to John after Jesus had told Peter to “take care of My sheep”.  Aren’t we all a little curious about what is going to happen in our lives?  This is the second time this fall that I’ve had a conversation with one of my adult children about not worrying so much about their lives.  They seem to want to know everything that is going to happen to them.  Or why their personalities are like they are.  Actually, it’s the third time I’ve had a similar conversation.  Even my dad, now that he’s a single man, has confessed to me that he’s waking up every night worrying about his life now that my mom is gone.

We don’t know whether Peter asked out of curiosity or concern for John or the need to compare himself with John.  But whatever his reason, Jesus in effect replies, “It’s none of your business what I do with John.  Your business is to follow ME!”

Jesus is the Lord of every person and He has authority to determine how each one serves Him.  Jesus bluntly tells Peter, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?  You follow me.”  Jesus determined how Peter would serve Him and when and how Peter would die.  He did the same for John.  He does the same for all who follow Him.  Paul tells us in Romans 12:1 to take our everyday, ordinary life – sleeping, eating, going to work or school, and place it before God as an offering.  We cannot know God’s will until we have first yielded totally to Him, being willing to do whatever He wants us to do with our lives.

The Lord uses the different personalities of each person for His purpose and glory.  Peter and John had very different personalities, but God used them both.  Peter was a natural leader.  He often spoke when he should have held his tongue and thought more carefully before he opened his mouth.  At the Transfiguration, he felt the need to say something, so he suggested building three tabernacles, only to have God say in Luke 9:35, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him”  When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, Peter was the one to protest.  He was a man of action, again, often without thinking carefully first, he whacked off Malchus’ ear without considering that the Roman soldiers could have easily have taken off his head.

John on the other hand, was more reflective and introverted.  Granted, at first Jesus called him and his brother James the sons of thunder (Mark 3:17), but he often referred to himself, as he does in our reading today, as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”  He was close to Jesus in a quieter manner than Peter.  We see these two men’s personalities when they went to the empty tomb.  John stood outside, but Peter brushed by him and went inside.  John saw the grave cloths laying there and believed, but Peter went away wondering what he had seen.  Then, when the risen Jesus provided the miraculous catch of fish, John was the first to recognize Him, but Peter suddenly jumped in the water to get to the shore first.  So they were very different men, but God was pleased to use both men in His service.

God sanctifies our personalities, knocking off the rough edges as we mature in Christ.  He doesn’t change our basic bent.  Introverts grow into godly introverts, extroverts grow into godly extroverts, and both are okay!  Before Paul met Christ, he was a zealous man of purpose, persecuting the church.  After he met Christ, he was a zealous man of purpose, boldly preaching the gospel, even after he had been stoned and imprisoned.  Paul’s dedicated zeal caused him to reject Barnabas’ desire of giving Mark a second chance.  But later Paul mellowed and said that Mark was of use to him for service (2 Timothy 4:11).  So you see, you don’t have to deny your personality to serve the Lord, but you do have to allow Him to build the fruit of the Spirit into your personality as you grow in Him.

We definitely can learn from those who are different than we are, but it is not worthy to compare our lives to theirs.  After the Lord told Peter that he would die a martyr’s death, Peter asked about John, “What about this man?”  It seems the Lord just says to Peter, “It’s none of your business.  Just follow ME!”


 Related image




As I was preparing for this post, I looked back at my notes and I’d like to share them with you all.

Peter was big and bold, always eager to get out there and do things.  Yet, he was quick to forget and deny all he actually knew.

At this point in our reading, the disciples have seen the risen Lord 3 times!

Peter is asked 3 times to feed, take care of, feed.  And yet Peter would die a horrible death.  Being led to “Follow Me” we have to die over and over to ourselves.

I have wanted to see changes in people’s lives, but it hasn’t happened.  We are commanded to go and do as Jesus did.  Take off our outer garments and wash the feet of others.  Think of just one person whom you’ve struggled with; (old boss, former neighbor, a child, brother or sister).  Now, take off your pants and shirt and put on your bathrobe.  Get a tub of water and wash cloth and towel.  Get your favorite soap, you know, the one that makes you feel soft and good.  Now wash their feet.  Don’t’ get up because your next door neighbor is setting next to her.  And now your husband.  Your children.  And that woman who sized you up at the store.  You are here on this earth to follow Jesus and you don’t get to get up until you have washed the feet of everyone He has given you.

That’s what I’ve come to realize.  God wants me to serve a lot of people and it’s not always going to be the way I had planned.

Just like Peter, we may be “natural born” leaders, but we are called to feed and take care and feed Jesus’ sheep.