Category: Hebrews

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No Greater Love

Last evening I joined a few friends for prayer. I am always blessed to join a prayer gathering.

“ I promise that when any two of you on earth agree about something you are praying for, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20 Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, I am there with you.” Matthew 18:19-20 CEV

Knowing the Father is right there with us when we pray is hard to imagine but He said it so it must be true!

Why would He involve Himself in our little prayer meeting? The answer is two-fold. He loves us and He is concerned about those things that concern us.

He cares!

We have been a part of God’s heart since the beginning of time. Once again, that is a hard statement to comprehend but it’s true because God, the Father, told us it is.

“Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven! 4 Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. 5 God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God treated us with undeserved grace because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.” Ephesians 1:3-6 CEV

God is kind and He had Christ choose us before the world began. Before “let there be light” God chose us to be His children. As His children He invites us to come to Him with everything, we have an open-door policy into His throne room.

“ So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:16 CEV

That’s what prayer is – coming bravely with our concerns and needs. He is trustworthy and He will help.

Why?

Because of Jesus – his life, his death, his resurrection. He chose us from heaven, and then He came to earth to bring us to Father. It cost Him His life, but He was willing to lay it down for us all.

“Christ died once for our sins. An innocent person died for those who are guilty. Christ did this to bring you to God, when his body was put to death and his spirit was made alive.” I Peter 3:18 CEV

“ No one can have greater love than to give his life for his friends.” John 15:13 NLV

No greater love!

What more does God need to do to prove His love for us? We were chosen before the foundation of the world to be His children and then He sent His Son to earth to pay the price for our salvation.

No greater love!

Father God, I pray for those reading this short message. Fill their hearts with the wisdom to understand Your great love. Fill them with hope; fill them with peace. Give them confidence to know that we can all come boldly to Your throne and find help in our time of need. We need You every day. We bring our families, our health, our finances, our nation to You. We trust You. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

There is no greater love than this and I am grateful to be a recipient of that love!

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Grateful for Growth

A few weeks ago, I planted four large flowerpots at the front of our offices with petunias. I love gardening and these flowers have such bright colors. They make me smile.

Now each morning before I go inside, I stop at each pot and “dead head” the blooms. They need to be pruned so that new buds can continue to produce. They are an example of daily living to me.

“ Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that does not produce fruit. He also trims every branch that produces fruit to prepare it to produce even more. 3 You have already been prepared to produce more fruit by the teaching I have given you. 4Stay joined to me and I will stay joined to you. No branch can produce fruit alone. It must stay connected to the vine. It is the same with you. You cannot produce fruit alone. You must stay joined to me.

5 “I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I to you, you will produce plenty of fruit. But separated from me you won’t be able to do anything. 6 If you don’t stay joined to me, you will be like a branch that has been thrown out and has dried up. All the dead branches like that are gathered up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 Stay joined together with me, and follow my teachings. If you do this, you can ask for anything you want, and it will be given to you. 8 Show that you are my followers by producing much fruit. This will bring honor to my Father.”

9 “I have loved you as the Father has loved me. Now continue in my love. 10 I have obeyed my Father’s commands, and he continues to love me. In the same way, if you obey my commands, I will continue to love you. 11 I have told you these things so that you can have the true happiness that I have. I want you to be completely happy. 12 This is what I command you: Love each other as I have loved you. ” John 15: 1-12 ERV

Do you see how many times in these few verses Jesus repeats “stay joined to me”? Go back and read it again and let it sink in.

Stay Joined to Me!

When we are joined to Him, we produce beautiful blossoms just like on the petunias. Our fruit, love for one another, brings beauty into the world and brings joy into our lives. There are things that need to be pruned so that we continue to grow in a healthy way.

Stay Joined to Me!

Jesus isn’t separating from us. In fact, we have His promise in Hebrews that He will NEVER, no, NEVER leave us or abandon us.

“Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed—be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” 6 So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently say,

‘The Lord is my Helper [in time of need], I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?’” Hebrews 13:5-6 AMP

We don’t have to be greedy and selfish when we are joined to Him. The vine supplies all we need for a good and healthy and prosperous life.

Never under any circumstances will He desert, abandon, forsake or let us down! Never!

What does your day have in store? There may be a little pruning but it’s for our benefit.

Stay Joined to Him because He’ll never let us down and we can say the Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

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Talking About Jesus

Really my favorite thing to do is talk about Jesus.

My day was hectic, but the bright spot was spending a few minutes talking about Jesus and His goodness. Well, you can’t talk about His goodness without talking about the sacrifice He made for all of us.

“2 Christ is the sacrifice that takes away our sins and the sins of all the world’s people.” I John 2:2 CEV

His sacrifice took away my sins, your sins and yes, the sins of the whole world. No one was left out; no one needs to experience the punishment for sin because Jesus took it for us.

“But Christ offered himself as a sacrifice that is good forever. Now he is sitting at God’s right side, 13 and he will stay there until his enemies are put under his power. 14 By his one sacrifice he has forever set free from sin the people he brings to God.” Hebrews 10:12-14 CEV

Christ willingly offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. That was His life’s mission while He was here on earth. It was His eternal destiny from the beginning of the age. He was born to die.

“The Lord isn’t slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.” II Peter 3:9 CEV

As my friend and I were talking we both said how amazing it is that God not only forgives our sins, but He chooses to forget them, as well. He doesn’t remind us of our sin, in fact, He wants us to be free of a guilty conscience.

“Then he says, ‘I will forget their sins and never again remember the evil they have done.’ 18 And after everything is forgiven, there is no more need for a sacrifice to pay for sins.” Hebrews 10:17-18 ERV

“ Sprinkled with the blood of Christ, our hearts have been made free from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. So come near to God with a sincere heart, full of confidence because of our faith in Christ.” Hebrews 10:22 ERV

As I child, I often sang a hymn without really understanding the meaning. “Calvary Covers It All” seemed to be a theme of our church. Now, that song has such great depth of meaning to me.

“Far dearer than all that the world can impart

Was the message came to my heart;

How that Jesus alone for my sin did atone,

And Calvary covers it all.

Chorus

Calvary covers it all,

My past with its sin and shame;

My guilt and despair

Jesus took on him there

And Calvary covers it all.”

No fear, no condemnation, no guilty conscience. Only forgiveness, confidence and peace. Yes, let’s talk about Jesus and how grateful I am for His everlasting love!

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Starting to Give Thanks

Traditionally, I focus on giving thanks with my November blog posts. This year will be no different.

I would like to encourage you to make a gratitude list, starting today. Write down at least one thing that you are grateful for, more than one is better. Making a list keeps our focus on the good things. It keeps us centered on the blessings that God has given us in the past, is currently doing and will do in our futures.

So, be thankful.

I’m thankful for things that don’t change. The last few days there have been continuous reminders to “fall back”. Now I have to remember what time it is in Houston where my brother lives, in Idaho where my friend is and in California where our son lives…

YUK!

Here in ARIZONA, we don’t change. We are the same in Spring or Fall.

But greater than all that is this:

“Jesus Christ never changes! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Don’t be fooled by any kind of strange teachings.” Hebrews 13:8-9a

There are always New thoughts, New ideas. New doctrines and mantras BUT only one is infallible and perfect.

JESUS NEVER CHANGES!

Can I get a big Amen?

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Anticipation & Expectation

I hope you have been encouraged in your prayer life as we’ve studied the Bible verses on prayer the last few days.

Prayer is not a “genie in a bottle” experience. It’s not even Amazon delivery. It’s better!

Prayer is bigger than that. It is bringing our needs and our heart’s desires to the Father and leaving them in His capable hands. It’s allowing God to move on our behalf; inserting His power into our circumstances.

Sometimes we are tempted to give up or take things into our own hands, trying to make them work out how we think they should. Standing and believing God requires determination and fortitude. Expectation of God’s working; anticipation of how it’s all going to come to pass.

It’s hard to wait but that’s where the excitement of anticipation comes in.

Look at Abraham, he and Sarah waited 25 years to see God’s promise come to pass.

“ The Holy Writings say, ‘I have made you a father of many nations.’ This promise is good because of Who God is. He makes the dead live again. He speaks, and something is made out of nothing. 18 Abraham believed he would be the father of many nations. He had no reason to hope for this, but he had been told, ‘Your children will become many nations.’ 19 Abraham was about one hundred years old. His body was about dead, but his faith in God was not weak when he thought of his body. His faith was not weak when he thought of his wife Sarah being past the age of having children. 20 Abraham did not doubt God’s promise. His faith in God was strong, and he gave thanks to God. 21 He was sure God was able to do what He had promised.” Romans 4:17-21 NLV

I can just imagine the excitement that Sarah felt when she first learned that God had said Abraham would be a father, she would be a mother. She had been barren. Did she start making baby clothes, did she have diapers folded neatly and waiting in a hamper? The anticipation of what God was going to do had to be thrilling.

Years passed and there was no child. Sarah thought she would help God out. Maybe the Lord meant that Abraham would be a father but not that she would be a mother. She did the customary thing, she found a surrogate, her handmaid.

As we stand, waiting to see the answer to our prayers we need double dogged determination not to waiver in our faith and stay focused on God’s infallible word.

When the handmaid gave birth to a son Sarah became jealous and bitter. God protected the handmaiden and her son, forgave Sarah for her intervention in His plan and He reaffirmed His promise.

“Because Sarah had faith, she was able to have a child long after she was past the age to have children. She had faith to believe that God would do what He promised. 12 Abraham was too old to have children. But from this one man came a family with as many in it as the stars in the sky and as many as the sand by the sea.” Hebrews 11:11-12 NLV

A good lesson for us all. God’s plan is better than ours.

The verses above from Romans say that Abraham was strong in faith and gave thanks to God.

A heart filled with thanksgiving is a wonderful booster to our faith. We get up each morning and say “Thank you Lord, I am one day closer to seeing the answer to my prayer.” Personally, I remember two specific instances when Dave and I had to wait over eight years to see the final answer to our prayers. Thanking God for working kept us strong.

“So don’t lose the courage that you had in the past. Your courage will be rewarded richly. 36 You must be patient. After you have done what God wants, you will get what he promised you.” Hebrews 10:35-36 ERV

Anticipate. Expect. Just don’t quit!

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Face the Future with Hope

You know that I start each day with prayer. This morning is no different. Praying for my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren is a large part of my morning prayer time.

I had a praying grandmother. She and my grandfather would spend hours in prayer. It was such an encouragement to know she was praying, daily and sometimes hourly, for me. When I had children of my own, that comforted me in a greater way.

Now I am the matriarch of our family, and I take my responsibility of prayer very serious. Life has changed tremendously over the last 70 plus years. Things my grandmother could never imagine have come into being and I wonder what the future will be like for my grands.

It doesn’t cause me to fear but it does keep me in prayer.

“ I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. ‘I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me. 14 I will let you find me.’ This message is from the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:11-14 ERV

Each generation has had their search for God. There are no spiritual grandchildren. Every person needs to have their own personal relationship with the Lord. The good news is that when we search for the Father, we find Him, and we find the hopeful future that He has planned for us.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has great mercy, and because of his mercy he gave us a new life. This new life brings us a living hope through Jesus Christ’s resurrection from death. 4 Now we wait to receive the blessings God has for his children. These blessings are kept for you in heaven. They cannot be ruined or be destroyed or lose their beauty.” I Peter 1:3-4 ERV

In Christ, we have a living hope. It’s a hope that grows, giving us strength for each day. Great Is Thy Faithfulness, the favorite old hymn, puts it this way.

“Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine with 10,000 beside

Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me”

The Apostle Paul and King David knew this hope long before these words were ever penned.

“ I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 ERV

“It may seem that those who are poor and needy have been forgotten, but God will not forget them. He will not leave them without hope.” Psalm 9:18 ERV

“These two things cannot change: God cannot lie when he says something, and he cannot lie when he makes an oath. So these two things are a great help to us who have come to God for safety. They encourage us to hold on to the hope that is ours. 19 This hope is like an anchor for us. It is strong and sure and keeps us safe.” Hebrews 6:18-19 ERV

As I pray for my family, I also pray for you. I pray that God who gives hope will fill you with joy and peace as you face the future!

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Sincere Prayer

Yesterday a friend reminded me that I need to write a short blurb about the prayer meeting nights we will have this season.

I’ve been thinking about that, even composing some thoughts in my sleep. When I woke this morning, I still hadn’t completely decided on what to share but after my Bible reading the Lord prompted me to focus on sincere prayer.

So, before I share it with them, I will share it with you.

“Everything the Lord does is good. Everything he does shows how loyal he is.
18 The Lord is near to everyone who sincerely calls to him for help. 19 He listens to his followers and does what they want. He answers their prayers and saves them.” Psalm 145:17-19 ERV

Prayer doesn’t need to be lengthy, and it certainly doesn’t need to be filled with Thee’s and Thou’s, but it does need to come from the heart. Our Father does appreciate honestly and sincerity.

“ Without faith no one can please God. Whoever comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who sincerely try to find him.” Hebrews 11:6 ERV

God has given us an open door. His desire is that we come to Him in time of need. He wants us to know that we will find the help we need when we come to His presence.

“We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask God for things (and those things agree with what God wants for us), God cares about what we say. 15 He listens to us every time we ask him. So we know that he gives us whatever we ask from him.” I John 5:14-15 ERV

Prayer is more than just asking for things. Prayer is talking to the Father, getting to know His heart. Sharing our joys and our sorrows. Learning what He wants for us and who He wants us to become. He wants us to know His will.

How do we know His will? Good question. Glad you asked. His will is His word. Every time God made a promise that was His will and He does not lie. I love what Jesus said on the sermon on the Mount. (Remember, we studied that whole sermon verse by verse about a month back.)

“Continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. 8 Yes, whoever continues to ask will receive. Whoever continues to look will find. And whoever continues to knock will have the door opened for them.

9 “Do any of you have a son? If he asked for bread, would you give him a rock? 10 Or if he asked for a fish, would you give him a snake? Of course not! 11 You people are so bad, but you still know how to give good things to your children. So surely your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him.‘ Matthew 7:7-11 ERV

Our heavenly Father desires the very best for us. He knows better than we do, what we need. We can be confident that when we pray and ask for something He will never give us something that will be detrimental to our lives. His gifts are good.

And, to close, prayer must have an element of gratitude. We don’t just come asking but we must come with a grateful heart knowing we will receive.

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have.” Philippians 4:6 ERV

Sincere prayer is a child (us), coming to the Father, asking for help. Thanking Him for all He’s given us and leaving our request in His hands, knowing He will work everything out for our good.

May all our prayers be sincere!

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Followers, Friends, Family

I wish you could sit with me in the mornings and hear the words that the Lord drops into my heart. Although they can’t be heard audibly, they thunder in my soul.

“‘Wash yourselves clean! I hate your filthy deeds. Stop doing wrong 17 and learn to live right.
See that justice is done. Defend widows and orphans and help the oppressed.’

An Invitation from the Lord

18 I, the Lord, invite you to come and talk it over. Your sins are scarlet red, but they will be whiter than snow or wool. 19 If you willingly obey me, the best crops in the land will be yours.” Isaiah 1:16-19 CEV

When the Israelites were delivered from Egypt they had God’s promise, “I will be your God and you will be my people”. (Exodus 6:7, Leviticus 26:12)

But they forgot to serve God and went their own way and served other gods and also their own selfish ambitions. However, God did not forget them. He invited them to come, sit with Him, talk things over and He would forgive their sins and make them clean again. They were followers.

Jesus also had a group of people who were faithful followers and before He died Jesus elevated their relationship to one of friendship.

“14 And you are my friends, if you obey me. 15 Servants don’t know what their master is doing, and so I don’t speak to you as my servants. I speak to you as my friends, and I have told you everything my Father has told me.

16 You did not choose me. I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that will last. Then my Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name. 17 So I command you to love each other.” John 15:14-17 CEV

For three years they had followed Jesus. They had their up’s and down’s; Jesus taught them how to honor the Father. They had seen many miracles. Their time on earth together was coming to an end. Jesus reminded them that they had been chosen, we too have been chosen. He also reminded them that the Father would be attentive to their prayers.

Followers become friends. Friends become family.

“Only those people who are led by God’s Spirit are his children. 15  God’s Spirit doesn’t make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father. 16 God’s Spirit makes us sure that we are his children. 17 His Spirit lets us know that together with Christ we will be given what God has promised. We will also share in the glory of Christ, because we have suffered with him.” Romans 8:14-17 CEV

Family.

We have been invited to become family. Our heavenly Father is just, kind, and good. He is faithful, all-knowing, all-powerful, unconditionally loving. Nothing can separate us from His love. (Romans 8:35)

Christ suffered persecution and rejection. His words were misunderstood, and He was ridiculed for saying that God was His Father. We will experience some of the same because we are His family.

Since we will share some of the same challenges and hardships, we have His promise of help.

“ Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! 16 So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:15-16 CEV

We are family and God, our Father, is always there for us.

Followers, friends, family. I was a follower who became a friend but then I was adopted and now I’m family. Family is the best!

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Are You Able?

God, our heavenly Father, is able!

Able means He has the ability to do or complete the task set before Him. He is able to work on our behalf, but He needs us to work with Him.

“…So work with fear and trembling to discover what it really means to be saved. 13 God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him.” Philippians 2:12-13 CEV

Because He is a loving Father he won’t force Himself on us and He won’t force us to take the benefits He has for us. But if we will allow Him to work in our lives we will see His ability working on our behalf.

“Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.

20 With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. 21 To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:19-21 ERV

When we know God’s love, His power can work within us to bring Him glory.

“18 Because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted, He is able to help and provide immediate assistance to those who are being tempted and exposed to suffering.” Hebrews 2:18 AMP

He is able to help us immediately when we are being tempted because He was also tempted and suffered.

“God is strong and can (is able to) keep you from falling. He can bring you before his glory without any wrong in you and give you great joy. 25 He is the only God, the one who saves us. To him be glory, greatness, power, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord for all time past, now, and forever. Amen.” Jude 24-25 CEV

God is able to keep us! He is able to save us!

“But Jesus will never die, and so he will be a priest forever! 25 He is forever able to save the people he leads to God, because he always lives to speak to God for them.” Hebrews 7:24-25 CEV

When we give God permission to work in our lives, He is able to fulfill His plan which is for our benefit and ultimate good.

“ I will bless you with a future filled with hope—a future of success, not of suffering. 12 You will turn back to me and ask for help, and I will answer your prayers. 13  You will worship me with all your heart, and I will be with you” Jeremiah 29:11-13 CEV

Father, today I give you my availability so that Your abilities may work in me, through me and for me!

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It’s Today

Dave and I spent the afternoon with our 5 year-old granddaughter yesterday. Her birthday is tomorrow but we celebrated a little early.

Out to lunch and then to the pumpkin patch. Playing in the corn pit, feeding the animals, picking out a pumpkin and just being together. A time of celebrating and enjoying “today”.

Life is filled with today moments. Living, trusting, celebrating what God has done and who He has brought into our lives. Making memories.

Living in the present can be a real struggle; the past is always calling us back – back to better times or the opposite, trying to hold us in bondage to our failures. Then there’s the future and its promises and hopes but it too is filled with what if’s.

Living in the present. I know you’ve heard it said before, but it bears repeating. The “present” is a gift from God so we need to unwrap it and cherish it.

We need to make each day count. Not with the spectacular but with the simplicity. Being thankful for the small things, for the ordinary, for the sunrises and sunsets, for hugs and kisses, for sounds of joy and expressions of love.

“Let the name of the Lord be praised now and forever. 3 From dawn until sunset the name of the Lord deserves to be praised. 4 The Lord is far above all of the nations; he is more glorious than the heavens. 5 No one can compare with the Lord our God.” Psalm 113:2-5 CEV

The sun will rise this morning, and it will set again this evening. Those two events are a continual example of God’s faithfulness. He is always faithful even when we take things for granted. He never changes.

“Jesus Christ never changes! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 CEV

His love, mercy, forgiveness, truth, faithfulness, and holiness remain the same. As long as we have a today, those attributes of God continue.

Enjoy today – God’s grace and strength are yours!!

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