Category: Philippians

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How to Wait

Yesterday was a lesson in waiting. It’s a hard lesson to learn.

Dave and I have been planning a trip to visit wonderful friends for months now and yesterday was the day of departure. We had purposely left some chores for the morning because our flight didn’t leave until after 4. We needed something to fill the time, neither one of us wait well.

An oft quoted saying in our home is, “we’re burning daylight”.

Chores were done, showers taken, bags were packed and it was time to head to the airport. We stopped for lunch, using more time. We arrived at the airport, found parking, took the shuttle to the terminal and then we waited.

We waited in line to check in. We were too early, “you’ll need to wait another twenty minutes”. (deep breath) Ok. Made it through check in, bags secured, on to TSA and finally to the gate. More waiting. Finally it was time to board.

Yes! The wait was almost over. I had been texting with friends and family to let them know we had boarded and would soon be taking off. That’s when things went awry. Technical issues with the plane’s communication. A call went in for technical support…we waited. Problem assessed. Work done.

We pulled away from the gate. Hope and excitement rose. Taxied out…problem persisted. We turned around and headed back to the gate. (heart sank)

Hope deferred.

“Hope that is delayed makes you sad…” Proverbs 13:12 ERV

More technicians entered the plane. More work done. More time passed. We finally left the gate and made it into the air, (big smile), two hours late.

“Hope that is delayed makes you sad, but a wish that comes true fills you with joy.” Proverbs 13:12 ERV

So much joy!

But the story isn’t over. When we landed there was more waiting. Our bags took “forever” to arrive. Those of us who had shared the flight were trying hard not to complain about our inconvenienced travel. We were all thankful to be at our destination, safely. Now to see family and friends. Yes, there was joy.

Now in light of what’s going on in the world my wait yesterday was insignificant, I admit. However, it is little things like a delayed flight that can influence our attitude and spoil our day. God wants us to have joy in each day. He wants us to let His peace fill our hearts, even when we wait.

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:6-7 ERV

My hope is no longer delayed. I am going to enjoy these days with my friend. But the next time circumstances cause me to wait, I hope I wait well, with joy and peace.

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Hope for Living

Last night Dave and I were visiting and listening to the radio. We’re not big radio listeners – never have been but the last few days, here at the racetrack, it’s something we’ve started. What station? Glad you asked, KLOVE.

What a great way to start and end each day; one song after another filled with the power of God’s promises and the encouragement of praise.

Without Jesus, we really have no hope. I know what that’s like and being on the other side of that now, I can tell you I never want to go back to that prison again.

“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.” I Peter 1:3 ERV

As Dave and I talked we were reminded of where we’ve been. There have been times that we were desperate – almost hopeless. He was working 100+ hours a week, we had a toddler and a baby on the way. Things were bleak. Another time we had to close the door on our business.

With our heart’s cry of desperation, we said “Lord, we need You. We need You to show us the way out, the way forward. We need Your direction. We need help!”

The Lord gave us two verses back then.

“Christ is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do.” Philippians 4:13 ERV

“ Jesus, our high priest, is able to understand our weaknesses. When Jesus lived on earth, he was tempted in every way. He was tempted in the same ways we are tempted, but he never sinned. 16 With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:15-16 ERV

We’ve had other times when we either forgot to ask the Lord for His leading or have just ventured out to do things on our own and have faced failure and hopelessness, but God has been faithful to pick us up, help us through and bring us to a good place.

“But keep the Lord Christ holy in your hearts. Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have. 16 But answer them in a gentle way with respect…” I Peter 3:15-16 ERV

A song came on the radio right before we were heading to bed. What a powerful message of hope! “In Jesus Name” by Katy Nichole

I speak the name of Jesus over you
In your hurting, in your sorrow
I will ask my God to move
I speak the name ’cause it’s all that I can do
In desperation, I’ll seek Heaven
And pray this for you

[Chorus]
I pray for your healing, that circumstances would change
I pray that the fear inside would flee in Jesus name
I pray that a breakthrough would happen today
I pray miracles over your life in Jesus name
In Jesus name

This is my prayer for you – I speak the name of Jesus over you, over every circumstance, over every fear. I pray that you will have a living hope!

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Unshakable, Immovable Part 2

This morning’s blog will be the conclusion of yesterday’s teaching.

I want everyone to realize that God’s promises are still true. They haven’t lost their power and they aren’t being withheld because we aren’t worthy to receive them. That’s just not the case.

Let’s continue…

But it’s not a given – the promises of God are true, but we have to appropriate them.

We all have electricity in our houses. But if we don’t know to turn on the switch we will sit in the cold and the dark. It’s that simple. Christ paid the bill, the power is flowing, we have to release that power.

2nd reason: There is a very real devil who is working against us. He wants to destroy us and he will if we don’t fight back.

“A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” John 10:10 CEV

When satan came and tempted Jesus, He resisted the devil’s attacks by using Scripture.  We must follow His example.

 “7 God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.8 Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. 9 But you must resist the devil and stay strong in your faith.” I Peter 5:7-9 CEV

3rd reason: We get rebellious and want to do things are own way.   Just like a child who is told not to touch the stove because its hot – if the child reaches up to touch the stove, ignoring the father’s advice, and gets burned that’s not the father’s fault. He didn’t allow it or cause it. It was an act of our will.

“16 Whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble and do all sorts of cruel things.”. James 3:16 CEV

4th reason: We get tired of fighting and give up. Seeing God’s promises come to pass is not for the faint of heart.  The Apostle Paul says it’s a spiritual battle. Don’t be moved away from God’s word, therein is our victory!

“Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places. 13 That is why you need to get God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil, you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.” Ephesians 6:12-13 ERV

Never, ever, are we alone. The Father has promised to never leave us or abandon us.  We might get weary and want to give up but if we ask, God will give us all the strength we need.

“Christ gives me the strength to face anything” Philippians 4:13 CEV

God will not force His protection and blessings on us. We have to believe and receive His promises. There’s nothing the devil wants more than to defeat us and make others think God’s word doesn’t work. If he can deceive, he can defeat.

God’s word has stood the test of time, the very gates of hell cannot prevail against it. When we stand on God’s word, we will be unshakable and immovable!

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Almost Home

Oh, my goodness! Yesterday was a big day – and my body feels it this morning. Let me fill you in.

It has been a fun adventure figuring out where everything goes in the new RV, some of it has gone to donation centers. We are almost settled and yesterday was a big step in getting us there.

All of our married life we have had a king-sized bed. Dave is about 6’3″ and anything smaller just felt cramped. But having that wide of a mattress in the RV bedroom was a struggle for both of us. Yesterday we removed that mattress and replaced it with a queen-sized one. The bigger mattress and memory foam topper had to be hauled out, the bed platform cut down, sawdust vacuumed up, new mattress put in place and the bed made up. Whew!

Once the bedroom was done, we went to work on the garage area. There was an extra bed in there. We pulled that mattress out and turned the bunk into a storage area for fishing poles and other bulky items. I had purchased a rug for the garage floor but before we could put it down, we had to move or remove tubs and totes.

With the rug in place, it was time for a deep breath and a quick once over with the vacuum. Then we could sit down. It’s almost home – clutter removed, things in place and only a couple more items to move it. My body is sore but my heart is happy!

I’m excited for family and friends to come visit our new home; I want to welcome them!

All this got me to thinking about Jesus and heaven. Jesus said:

“There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I wouldn’t tell you this, unless it was true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. 3 After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together.” John 14:2-3 CEV

Jesus is in heaven preparing a place for us – all of us! That’s a whole lot of rooms. I’m wondering, is He almost done? Are the rugs in place and the curtains on the windows? How much longer before He’s finished? I know He wants everything done perfectly because there is no imperfection in all of heaven.

We all probably have some of those we love occupying their place in heaven and I’m sure they would tell us how absolutely perfect it is. But there will be a time when the Father tells Jesus to return to this earth and bring all of His children back to heaven to live there for eternity.

“36 No one knows the day or hour. The angels in heaven don’t know, and the Son himself doesn’t know. Only the Father knows…42 So be on your guard! You don’t know when your Lord will come. ” Matthew 24:36,42 CEV (read Matthew 24)

These are exciting times! I know my grandparents anticipated the return of Jesus in their lifetime, my parents did too. We are just that much closer than they were.

“But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there.” Philippians 3:30 CEV

The final preparations are being made. We’re almost home!

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Dear Friends,

That sounds like the salutation of a letter but it’s the greeting of my heart.

Yesterday I sent a friend a birthday greeting and this morning she replied with “thank you, dear friend”. Dear friend…we haven’t seen each other in years; our face-to-face friendship was only a few years long, but she is a dear friend, truly.

Some people are in our lives only for hours or for days; others grace our lives for months/a few years, while others come and camp in our existence for a lifetime. I have dear friends from all of these, and I even consider some as dear friends whom I have never even met face-to-face.

The Father fills our lives with relationships; it’s His way of sharing His heart. Since God’s love is unconditional – He loves us all the same and He wants us to give that same kind of love to those we meet. He may use us to encourage others and at times He uses them to encourage us.

The Apostle Paul traveled extensively for several years preaching and teaching. Some places he stayed for a few weeks or a season and other places he seemed to stay only a few days. However, the letters he wrote once he left were letters to dear friends. In that day the only way of staying in touch was through letters – no text, emails, Facetime or convenient travel.

“From Paul, Silas, and Timothy. To the church in Thessalonica, the people of God the Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that God will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!

2 We thank God for you and always mention you in our prayers. Each time we pray, 3 we tell God our Father about your faith and loving work and about your firm hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4My dear friends, God loves you, and we know he has chosen you to be his people.” I Thessalonians 1:1-4 CEV

Dear friends, who are they? They are those people whose names come to mind and a smile comes to my face. They are those who, although I haven’t seen in years, I feel a closeness, a bond and a desire to be with again. We’ve shared laughter and tears, plenty and want, struggles and victories, heartbreak and healing. We’ve shared a cup of coffee and a morning blog. We’ve shared life!

“Dear friends, I love you and long to see you. Please keep on being faithful to the Lord. You are my pride and joy.” Philippians 4:1 CEV

So, dear friends, I am praying for you. Speaking God’s word into your hearts and trusting that you will be filled with joy, peace, love, kind deeds and faith.

May you be richly blessed!

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So Good!

I spent a good portion of yesterday in busy work. So much to be done…so little time but the words that I shared with you from Philippians kept going through my heart.

“Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. ”

Those words kept my heart centered and my thoughts focused. Most of my day was spent cleaning out clutter, separating the mundane from the important. With the cleaning, I began purging things from my bookcase. Some books I had read many times and others I have had for years and never read. On the bottom shelf I found my journals and some notebooks of teachings I have done through the years. Next to those were a number of Bibles that I have used over the years, one dated back to 1967.

I took time to read some of the comments I had made in the margins. There were outlines of sermons that were especially meaningful during those years. Most of those Bibles were worn and pages were loose and falling out but the words on the pages were so sweet – as the psalmist says “sweeter than honey in the honeycomb”.

The sweetness of God’s word is even better than a plate of pumpkin pie.

Oh yes, even in my cleaning, my mind was focused on what was truly worthwhile and worthy of praise!

This morning as I woke, the words of a song we sang Sunday in worship, by Bethel Music, was filling my heart and my head.

“You reign above it all, You reign above it all
Over the universe and over every heart
There is no higher name
Jesus, You reign above it all”

Is there anything more praise worthy than that? Jesus reigns in my heart and over the entire universe – nothing is more worthwhile to focus on! Those thoughts are SO GOOD!

“God made heaven and earth; he created the sea  and everything else. God always keeps his word. 7 He gives justice to the poor and food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free
8  and heals blind eyes. He gives a helping hand  to everyone who falls. The Lord loves good people 9 and looks after strangers. He defends the rights of orphans and widows, but destroys the wicked. 10 The Lord God of Zion will rule forever!  Shout praises to the Lord!” Psalm 146:6-10 CEV

The Lord will rule forever! That is such a refreshing promise. Our God, our Father is SO GOOD!

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Peace in the Storm

This morning I sat here staring at the Scriptures on the page before me for a very long time before I began to write. I knew I wanted to write about joy but the words weren’t coming. When that happens I know to sit quietly and wait.

So I did.

“Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.

8 Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. 9 You know the teachings I gave you, and you know what you heard me say and saw me do. So follow my example. And God, who gives peace, will be with you.” Philippians 4:7-9 CEV

” Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise “

Those words are not a suggestion – they are an imperative!

Here is the Apostle Paul’s instruction: don’t ever stop thinking about what is worthwhile and worthy of praise. There is nothing more worthwhile and praise worthy, there is nothing that will bring us more joy, than thinking about the Father’s love and care.

Paul had been beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, left for dead and imprisoned on numerous occasions and this was his instruction on how to stay focused and at peace. Peace that no one can completely understand, peace that will control the way we think and feel.

The storms we face in this life can be devastating without a proper anchor and that anchor for us is found in the Father.

“God cannot tell lies! And so his promises and vows are two things that can never be changed. We have run to God for safety. Now his promises should greatly encourage us to take hold of the hope that is right in front of us. 19 This hope is like a firm and steady anchor for our souls. In fact, hope reaches behind the curtain and into the most holy place.” Hebrews 6:18-19 CEV

The hope that we have in the Father’s promises, His unfailing, unchanging promises, steadies our souls (our mind, will and emotions) because it reaches to the very throne room of heaven. We have God’s promise that when we come to the throne room we will find help there in our times of trouble.

May I encourage you this morning to look beyond the storm – look through the dark clouds – and find the peace that only God can give. We aren’t promised a storm free life but we do have the Father’s promise of peace, even in the midst of it.

” Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise ”

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Never Quit

Once we begin to exercise our praise muscle we find it gets stronger and stronger – just like our biceps or any other muscle we develop. It takes repetition and increased resistance to develop and build a strong attitude of gratitude.

“Always be filled with joy in the Lord. I will say it again. Be filled with joy.

5 Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.

8 Brothers and sisters, continue to think about what is good and worthy of praise. Think about what is true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.” Philippians 4:4-8 ERV

Notice the words emphasized?

Developing joy and a grateful heart isn’t a mindless exercise. No, it takes concentrated effort. And it isn’t a fatalistic approach to life or “whatever happens, happens”. It’s a concerted effort of placing our trust, our complete trust, in the Lord in every situation and letting Him show us how He will bring us through in peace.

The key is to “think about what is good and worthy of praise”. As a young David faced a blaspheming giant, who was intent on killing him, he wasn’t thanking God for the giant. He was thanking God for His faithfulness because the Lord had already helped him kill a lion and a bear so he knew that God would give him the strength he needed to kill the giant.

He was thinking on things that were praise worthy and good!

This morning, thank God for the sunrise. Thank Him that you didn’t bed down on the cold ground last night. Thank Him for the warm coffee in your cup. Giving thanks for little things exercises your praise muscle. Multiple repetitions with small things builds you muscle.

Then you will be able to be thankful for things that get weightier – things like co-workers who are aggravating, Jesus definitely knew about being harassed by jealous co-workers. Or a lingering health issue, instead of worrying or complaining be thankful that you know the Great Physician and that He knows exactly what your body needs and He will give wisdom to your medical doctors.

Always be filled with joy because the Father has promised to never abandon you or leave you alone in any circumstance.

Never stop praising the Lord!

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Pursue Peace

Pursue: to run after, chase after, follow in order to catch or attack, overtake.

Most of the time the word pursue is used in the Bible it is referred to in a military setting. The Egyptians pursued the Israelites as they left Egypt. The Israelites pursued their enemies and overtook them because the Lord was on their side.

Have you ever chased after peace with such fervor?

What kinds of things do you pursue? There have been times I have pursued sleep…too much to do, running low on energy and I chased after a few hours of blissful sleep. We often pursue relationships – building friendships or developing a close tie with a family member who has been distant. Some pursue fitness – healthy body, healthy mind; while others pursue a good reputation.

All of these pursuits are good but they should never take first place in our lives.

This morning I looked up the word pursue in my Bible concordance. I found that there are 98 verses in the King James translation with the word pursue in them. Ninety of them make reference to a military-type pursuit.

“Turn your back on sin; do something good. Embrace peace—don’t let it get away (pursue)!” Psalm 34:14 MSG

That leads me to believe that when we pursue righteousness and peace we should do it with a vengeance, as if our very lives depend on it. Which they do. Many people have health related problems because of stress – the lack of peace.

“ But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this. Pursue a righteous life—a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast (pursue) in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses.” I Timothy 6:11-12 MSG

When we run hard and fast after peace, when we seize it, peace will become the guardian or the sentry who keeps watch over what our minds focus on.

“ Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:6-7 ERV

Many people go out for a morning jog or run. May I encourage you to get your run into today – run after, pursue and overtake peace. Your day will be so much better!

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All I Need

Years ago we attended a monthly gathering of mostly farmers and ranchers. It was a time of Bible Study and general fellowship. It was there that I heard a little praise song for the very first time. That song was engraved in my heart and to this day is my prayer.

He’s all I need,
He’s all I need;
Jesus is all I need.
He’s all I need,
He’s all I need;
Jesus is all I need.

There is nothing in this world that I want more than Jesus.

Oh yes, I have desires and dreams but if having those meant I had to give up my relationship with Jesus I would be a pauper, gladly. The Apostle Paul wrote of the many things he had achieved and gained in life and he said that when it compared them to knowing Jesus, they were all rubbish. Garbage!

“But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless. 8 Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ” Philippians 3:7-8 CEV

Luke, a physician, who traveled with Paul wrote the book of Acts. He was with Paul when he was preaching and teaching in Athens. Athens was a hub of “new thinking” and they had many gods that they worshipped, gods fashioned from stone, gold and silver. They even had an altar to “the unknown god”. Paul began telling them about this god – the God whom Paul and the Christians worshipped. Here is part of the message that Luke recorded:

“and he gives us the power to live, to move, and to be who we are. “We are his children,” just as some of your poets have said. 29 Since we are God’s children, we must not think that he is like an idol made out of gold or silver or stone. He isn’t like anything that humans have thought up and made.” Acts 17:28-29 CEV

In God, as His children, we live – move and have our very being! He’s all we need.

There have been times that I have let other things distract and take priority over my relationship with the Lord; those were unhappy times. I have such peace and contentment now, it’s the peace of God. I hope you know that same peace.

Jesus, is all I need!

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