Category: April2025

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In Complete Control

Today is Palm Sunday. Jesus is making His entrance into Jerusalem and there is so much going on behind the scenes, but Jesus is in complete control.

“He said to them, “Go to the town you can see there. When you enter it, you will find a donkey with her colt. Untie them both, and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks you why you are taking the donkeys, tell them, ‘The Master needs them. He will send them back soon.’” Matthew 21:2-3 ERV

In Jesus’ latest teachings He had angered the religious leaders. They were plotting to have him killed. In fact, at one point they had picked up stones to stone Him and He simply walked away from the crowd in the confusion.

He had told His disciples that he was going to be beaten, tried and crucified. Remember that from my blog a few days back. And now they were headed back to Jerusalem for the celebration of Passover and as he knew, to His death.

“The followers went and did what Jesus told them to do. 7 They brought the mother donkey and the young donkey to him. They covered the donkeys with their coats, and Jesus sat on them. 8 On the way to Jerusalem, many people spread their coats on the road for Jesus. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Some of the people were walking ahead of Jesus. Others were walking behind him. They all shouted,

“Praise to the Son of David!  ‘Welcome! God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Matthew 21:6-9 ERV

If you’ve been around horses or donkeys at all you know this could be a recipe for disaster. Being horse-back in the middle of a crowd, shouting, throwing branches on the ground in front of you, could spook even the gentlest of horses. And for it to be a mare with a young colt by herself, this was sure to unnerve horse and rider.

But Jesus…yes, He was the one who calm the sea and the wind with His words. He was the one who always preached “Don’t be troubled, don’t be afraid, peace be still”.

So, in this situation, He stayed in control and at peace. This ride into Jerusalem had been predicted hundreds of years ago.

“People of Zion, rejoice! People of Jerusalem, shout with joy! Look, your king is coming to you! He is the good king who won the victory, but he is humble. He is riding on a donkey, on a young donkey born from a work animal.” Zechariah 9:9 ERV

Jesus knew every prophecy needed to be fulfilled. This was part of the plan and He was in control.

It may seem like a small detail to you and I, but what it tells me is that whatever God has planned for me I can be at peace, knowing that He is in control and will work out everything for my good.

“ Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. 6 With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way.” Proverbs 3:5-6 ERV

When we let the Father direct and control our lives He will be peace in the midst of chaos.

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Filled with Peace

I was sitting here this morning telling heavenly Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit how much I love them and I was flooded with peace!

I felt like such a little girl being lifted up in my father’s arms and brought to rest on his big broad lap. I was so overtaken by His greatness and compared to my minute abilities. Again, I was overwhelmed with peace by the presence of Almighty God, my Lord and Savior and the Spirit of the Lord.

Many times I am overwhelmed with the thoughts of God’s amazing love and peace.

Things in our daily lives can be chaotic and unsettling but when we focus in on who God is and how much He loves us, it’s like being wrapped in a warm blanket in a comfy chair.

Comfort! Peace! Security!

“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

Our Father wants us to be at peace, to trust Him, to know that He will handle whatever we bring to Him.

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 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 4:6-9 CEV

Here’s to a peace-full day!

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His Name is Jesus

Who occupies my waking thoughts? His name is Jesus!

This morning I’ve been sitting here trying to remember the lyrics for the melody that is running through my head, and I am at a loss. I have done every possible goggle search of combinations of words and still haven’t found the lyrics.

However – that has not stopped me from worshipping the precious name of Jesus. Magnify the matchless name of Jesus!

“Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is coming; and from the seven spirits before his throne; 5 and from Jesus Christ. Jesus is the faithful witness. He is first among all who will be raised from death. He is the ruler of the kings of the earth. Jesus is the one who loves us and has made us free from our sins with his blood sacrifice. 6 He made us his kingdom and priests who serve God his Father. To Jesus be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.” Revelation 1:4-6 ERV

King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Praise the matchless name of Jesus. Forever He shall reign; His name is Jesus! Magnify the precious name of Jesus!

“ She will give birth to a son. You will name him Jesus. Give him that name because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 ERV

“On his robe and on his leg was written this name: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” Revelation 19:16 ERV

Heaven and earth honor and stand silent at the name of Jesus.

“So God raised him up to the most important place and gave him the name that is greater than any other name. 10 God did this so that every person will bow down to honor the name of Jesus. Everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth will bow.” Philippians 2:9-10 ERV

This wonderful King, this wonderful Savior and Lord, His name is Jesus!

“ People insulted him, but he did not insult them back. He suffered, but he did not threaten anyone. No, he let God take care of him. God is the one who judges rightly. 24 Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross. He did this so that we would stop living for sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you were healed. 25 You were like sheep that went the wrong way. But now you have come back to the Shepherd and Protector of your lives.” I Peter 2:23-25 ERV

I will forever praise the name of Jesus!

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Believe The Impossible

Isn’t that the story of Easter? Isn’t that the story of the Christian life?

Are there things in your life that appear to be impossible or nearly impossible to change? Maybe not impossible but highly unlikely?

God has a way of changing the impossible!

“Nothing is impossible for God!” Luke 1:37 CEV

That’s what the angel told Mary. A young woman, a virgin, would conceive a child. Not any child but the Son of God. Impossible!

Not to Mary.

“ Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let this thing you have said happen to me!” Then the angel went away.” Luke 1:38 ERV

She went from asking how this can be done to saying let it happen to me. I’ve learned over the years that part of that changing process begins in me. I have to begin to see things differently and have to get past my own limitations and doubt.

A boy was brought to Jesus who needed to be healed. The father had some doubt. He knew Jesus could do it but he wasn’t sure Jesus would do it for his son.

“Jesus said to the father, ‘Why did you say ‘if you can’”? All things are possible for the one who believes.’ 24 Immediately the father shouted, ‘I do believe. Help me to believe more!'” Mark 9:23-24 ERV

Sometimes we just need to be honest with God, recognize our own weakness and limitation and then say “Help me believe more”.

Our heavenly Father takes great joy in seeing our faith increase as we trust in Him. Peter left the boat and walked on water. Jairus saw his daughter raised from the dead. The leper was restored to health; the blind received sight, and the lame walked.

The birth and the death of Christ are stories of the impossible. Beaten, nailed to a cross, a lifeless body laid in a tomb. And then those words spoken by the angel

“ The angel said to the women, ‘Don’t be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus, the one who was killed on the cross. 6 But he is not here. He has risen from death, as he said he would. Come and see the place where his body was. 7 And go quickly and tell his followers, ‘Jesus has risen from death. He is going into Galilee and will be there before you. You will see him there.’ Then the angel said, “Now I have told you.” Matthew 28:5-7 ERV

The power of God is never restricted by what the world thinks is impossible. Our heart should cry “Help me to believe more”.

With God all things are possible!

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They Didn’t Understand

Do you remember our review of God’s promises from the other day? If not, may I suggest that you go back and review the review.

I say this because it’s important that we understand the message of hope and power that we have been given by Jesus, our Lord. In the verses we look at today, Jesus plainly tells the disciples about his death, burial and resurrection – but they didn’t understand.

“17 Jesus was going to Jerusalem. His twelve followers were with him. While they were walking, he gathered the followers together and spoke to them privately. He said to them, 18 “We are going to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the leading priests and the teachers of the law, and they will say he must die. 19 They will hand him over to the foreigners, who will laugh at him and beat him with whips, and then they will kill him on a cross. But on the third day after his death, he will be raised to life again.” Matthew 20:17-19 ERV

It really couldn’t have been much plainer than that.

Handed over, beaten, killed on a cross, three days after death he will be raised to life again.

Jesus was preparing his disciples for what was coming very soon, really only a matter of days away. But they didn’t understand.

He went on to tell them at the last supper “Jesus said, ‘Don’t be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me.” John 14:1 ERV

“I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am leaving, but I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be happy that I am going back to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. 29 I have told you this now, before it happens. Then when it happens, you will believe.” John 14:27-29 ERV

Why do I say they didn’t understand?

“The women were very afraid. They bowed down with their faces to the ground. The men said to them, “Why are you looking for a living person here? This is a place for dead people. 6 Jesus is not here. He has risen from death. Do you remember what he said in Galilee? 7 He said the Son of Man must be handed over to the control of sinful men, be killed on a cross, and rise from death on the third day.” 8 Then the women remembered what Jesus had said.” Luke 24:5-8 ERV

“But the apostles did not believe what they said. It sounded like nonsense. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb to see. He looked in, but he saw only the cloth that Jesus’ body had been wrapped in. It was just lying there. Peter went away to be alone, wondering what had happened” Luke 24:11-12 ERV

They didn’t understand.

Now, I am not faulting the disciples because we are just as guilty as they are in not understanding God’s instructions and His promises. When He tells us not to worry about anything, ANYTHING, but to pray about everything then why do we worry?

When He says trust in the Lord with all our heart, why do we doubt and wonder? When He tells us He never lies, His word is always true why don’t we hold fast to the promises He has made?

We have the example of the disciples not understanding what God was saying to them to learn from. God is faithful to His word. His promises never fail!

When the Lord began to teach me this, I made Numbers 23:19 my favorite verse in all of Scripture.

“God is not a man; he will not lie. God is not a human being; his decisions will not change. If he says he will do something, then he will do it. If he makes a promise, then he will do what he promised.” Numbers 23:19 ERV

What God says is always true! We need to be confident of that and not be afraid.

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There’s A Lot I Don’t Know

If you have been reading these morning posts for very long you know that I sometimes have a different outlook from those around me. I was sitting here this morning and I realized that I don’t know who the teams are in the final four. I don’t know the winners of last year’s World Series or the Super Bowl.

I don’t understand the rules of soccer or ice hockey. I’m not up on the latest fashions or trends on Wall Street. I don’t know how to make exotic dishes or how to create a stain glass project. I know nothing about golf.

My goodness there is a lot I don’t know!

However, I do know the Creator of the universe. I know the One who sees the sparrows fall and He knows how many hairs I have on my head. I know the One who gave strength to Samson, gave intellect to Adam so he could name all the plants and animals, I know the architect who gave Noah the plans for the ark.

I know the One who gave Solomon his wisdom and the One who took Elijah home to heaven in a chariot. I know the One who cleansed lepers, raised the dead, healed the sick, provided food for the multitudes and the One who turned water into wine.

I don’t need to book an appointment or achieve to a certain status to talk with the One who is CEO of the universe. I call Him daddy and I can run boldly to Him and He never refuses to see me.

I know the Good Shepherd and He knows me by name. He causes me to lie down in green pastures and He leads me through the valley of the shadow of death.

I know the One who loved me enough to leave heaven, take on the form of man, lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death and then rose triumphantly just for me. He made me new!

And I know that I as much as I know Him now, I want to know Him more.

“I want to belong to him. In Christ I am right with God, but my being right does not come from following the law. It comes from God through faith. God uses my faith in Christ to make me right with him. 10 All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him from death. I want to share in his sufferings and be like him even in his death.” Philippians 3:9-10 ERV

I know I can introduce you to Him if you don’t already know Him. His arms are open wide to all who would come to Him!

” Everything and everyone that the Father has given me will come to me, and I won’t turn any of them away. 38 I didn’t come from heaven to do what I want! I came to do what the Father wants me to do. He sent me, 39 and he wants to make certain that none of the ones he has given me will be lost. Instead, he wants me to raise them to life on the last day.” John 6:37-39 CEV

Some may think that I’m not very well informed, but I can tell you with certainty that I KNOW the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and that is more than enough!

“…nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” II Timothy 1:12 KJV

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Immovable

This is a picture of the well-photographed and famous “Haystack” on the Oregon Coast. It’s what I think of when I read the following verses.

“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” I Corinthians 5:57-58

I remember a time when Dave & I had first started doing cowboy ministry. We had been going night and day, and we were facing some pretty heavy personal attacks from people that were very close to us. I can hear myself saying, “We don’t need this! We are serving the Lord and loving Jesus. We can go back to farming alfalfa, we don’t need all this.” And that’s when he looked up at a plaque on the wall and read me the verses above.

I knew it was God and that we were to continue but I was also angry. I wanted to lick my wounds and go off into the corner. I almost threw something at him. And then I repented and told the Lord I had been feeling sorry for myself and that I would let go and let God! I’m glad I learned that lesson then; it has been relived a number of times in my life since.

The Christian life isn’t for whiners. I love the wording in the King James – Be steadfast and immovable, ALWAYS abounding in the work of the Lord.

We run into discouragement when we work “for” the Lord and not “with” him. I’ve worked for the Lord before, and it’s been by my own efforts and for my own purposes. It’s much better when I work with Him and draw on His strength and have His purpose.

To work with Him means to work in faith because it’s faith that pleases God and Jesus said he always pleased His Father. So, James gives us this instruction for standing steadfast.

“If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking. 6 But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. 7-8 If you are that kind of person, you can’t make up your mind, and you surely can’t be trusted. So don’t expect the Lord to give you anything at all.” James 1:5-8 ERV

A few days back I gave you a list of verses, God’s words, to review and make part of your daily living. They are the firm foundation we stand on. They are the foundation that does not collapse in a storm.

“Whoever hears these teachings of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not fall because it was built on rock.

26 “Whoever hears these teachings of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” Matthew 7:24-26 ERV

Steadfast, immovable means we don’t waiver.

Stand with your faith firmly anchored to God and His Word and when life’s storms come you will remain standing. On Christ, the solid rock, I stand. All other ground is sinking sand!

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Our Substitute

Yesterday I took our thoughts from Jesus’ teaching in John 10. He refers to Himself as the shepherd and that He came to give us abundant life in contrast to the thief who is working to steal, kill and destroy.

Jesus goes on further in that chapter to say this, ” “I am the shepherd who cares for the sheep. I know my sheep just as the Father knows me. And my sheep know me just as I know the Father. I give my life for these sheep.” John 10:14-15 ERV

Jesus willingly laid down His life for us!

Yes, He loved us that much. He willingly gave up His life to give us life. When he was dragged before Pilate, He kept quiet and offered no testimony in His defense. If He had, the power of His word would have acquitted Him. What a powerful love!! He became our substitute.

Substitute: Putting a person or thing in the place of another.

“The fact is, it was our suffering he took on himself; he bore our pain. But we thought that God was punishing him, that God was beating him for something he did. 5 But he was being punished for what we did. He was crushed because of our guilt. He took the punishment we deserved, and this brought us peace. We were healed because of his pain. 6 We had all wandered away like sheep. We had gone our own way. And yet the LORD put all our guilt on him.

7 He was treated badly, but he never protested. He said nothing, like a lamb being led away to be killed. He was like a sheep that makes no sound as its wool is being cut off. He never opened his mouth to defend himself. 8 He was taken away by force and judged unfairly. The people of his time did not even notice that he was killed. [b] But he was put to death [c] for the sins of his [d] people. 9 He had done no wrong to anyone. He had never even told a lie. But he was buried among the wicked. His tomb was with the rich.

10 But the LORD was pleased with this humble servant who suffered such pain. [e] Even after giving himself as an offering for sin, he will see his descendants and enjoy a long life. He will succeed in doing what the LORD wanted. 11 After his suffering he will see the light, [f] and he will be satisfied with what he experienced.

The Lord says, ‘My servant, who always does what is right, will make his people right with me; he will take away their sins. 12 For this reason, I will treat him as one of my great people. I will give him the rewards of one who wins in battle, and he will share them with his powerful ones. I will do this because he gave his life for the people. He was considered a criminal, but the truth is, he carried away the sins of many. Now he will stand before me and speak for those who have sinned.” Isaiah 53: 4-12 ERV

The Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, died for you! He gave His sinless pure life as a substitute for your sinful life. He took your place! If you haven’t received Him as your Savior, do so today. There’ll be no one else who has or will love you like Jesus.

If you have accepted your wonderful gift of salvation, then praise Him today for all He has done.

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The Shepherd at the Gate

Jesus was called the Lamb of God because He came to be the sinless sacrifice, the atonement for our sins. He was meek and humbled Himself to death.

Yet the lamb became the Shepherd. He recognized that we were vulnerable as lambs and promised to be our good shepherd.

“Jesus said: I tell you for certain that only thieves and robbers climb over the fence instead of going in through the gate to the sheep pen. 2-3But the gatekeeper opens the gate for the shepherd, and he goes in through it. The sheep know their shepherd’s voice. He calls each of them by name and leads them out. 4When he has led out all of his sheep, he walks in front of them, and they follow, because they know his voice. 5The sheep will not follow strangers. They don’t recognize a stranger’s voice, and they run away. 6Jesus told the people this story. But they did not understand what he was talking about.

7Jesus said: I tell you for certain that I am the gate for the sheep. 8Everyone who came before me was a thief or a robber, and the sheep did not listen to any of them. 9I am the gate. All who come in through me will be saved. Through me they will come and go and find pasture. 10 A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” John 10:1-10 ERV

In this parable Jesus is trying to make his ministry and purpose easy to understand. Since raising sheep was a common profession in that day, Jesus used something they were familiar with to teach his lesson.

At night the sheep were kept in a gated penned for their protection and early each morning the shepherds would come and lead their sheep out to pasture. The sheep had become accustomed to the shepherd’s voice and so when he called, they would follow. They wouldn’t follow someone who would sneak in and lead them astray.

Jesus was telling them that if they spent time with Him, listening to His word and getting to know Him, that they would follow Him and keep His commandments and He would lead them “in green pastures” (Psalm 23).

He also went on to say that He was the gate of the sheep pen. This was the first line of defense in their protection – He would provide for them and keep them safe. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” (Psalm 23)

Jesus said His purpose was to give us life and life more abundantly. He also warned that there is a thief that comes to kill, steal and destroy – that’s the devil. Everything that falls in one of those categories – stealing, killing and destroying – doesn’t come from God.

Those things that bring life, abundance and fullness to life comes from God. “Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing.” James 1:17

Follow the right voice today – He will lead you on the right path and He’ll never leave you or forsake you.

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A Time for Review

Our youngest grandson is going to be taking some standardized tests in the next few days. Classroom time and home time are being used to review information that may be included on the test. It’s being taken very seriously.

This morning, I was reviewing some of my favorite Scripture verses. I realized that these verses are so much a part of my thinking that I quote them without even realizing it. King David said, “Your word I have hid in my heart that I won’t sin against You”.

We will all be faced to difficult situations. Our enemies maybe physical, mental, emotional or spiritual but testing will come. God isn’t the One who tempts or tests; we have a real enemy who tries to defeat us. Jesus is here to give us victory.

Remember when Jesus went to the desert to fast and pray? He was there 40 days, and the devil came to tempt Him three times. Jesus was ready for the test. Each temptation was answered with it is written, it is written, it is written. And in frustration the devil left him alone for a more convenient time.

I’m here today and every day to prepare you for tests that you will be facing. Let’s take a look at the answers to questions.

“So overflowing is his kindness toward us that he took away all our sins through the blood of his Son, by whom we are saved;” Ephesians 1:7 TLB

“Your love is faithful, Lord, and even the clouds in the sky can depend on you. 6 Your decisions are always fair. They are firm like mountains, deep like the sea, and all people and animals are under your care. 7 Your love is a treasure, and everyone finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.” Psalm 36:5-7 CEV

“The Lord will keep you safe from secret traps and deadly diseases. 4 He will spread his wings over you and keep you secure. His faithfulness is like a shield or a city wall.” Psalm 91:3-4 CEV

“The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick, 4  and protects us from death. His kindness and love are a crown on our heads. 5 Each day that we live, he provides for our needs and gives us the strength of a young eagle.” Psalm 103:3-5 CEV

“The Lord gives perfect peace to those whose faith is firm.” Isaiah 26:3 CEV

Only a couple more to share with you – but I want you to see the power and protection that God places over us. He will not abandon us, he will not leave us helpless!

He is faithful and His word is true!

“Our Lord, you keep your word and do everything you say. 14 When someone stumbles or falls, you give a helping hand. 15 Everyone depends on you, and when the time is right, you provide them with food. 16 By your own hand you satisfy the desires of all who live. 17 Our Lord, everything you do is kind and thoughtful, 18 and you are near to everyone whose prayers are sincere.” Psalm 145:13-18 CEV

“4 I am grateful that God always makes it possible for Christ to lead us to victory. God also helps us spread the knowledge about Christ everywhere, and this knowledge is like the smell of perfume. II Corinthians 2:14 CEV

I pray that our arsenal is filled with spiritual ammunition so that when the enemy strikes, the first words out of our mouths are “it is written”. When we make our favorite verses a part of our daily review Christ will lead us to victory!

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