Category: August2022

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A Touch

I’ve started reading through the Gospels again. Since we are supposed to be Christ’s ambassadors on earth, I think it’s important to study his life, the miracles He did and the way He dealt with people. This way I can better emulate Him.

One of my favorite miracles is in Matthew 8. The healing of the leper.

For probably fifteen plus years now I have read and reread this man’s story. The first time I truly read it, I was brought to tears. Oh, I’ve heard the story since I was a child in Sunday School. But there was that one day when it came to life.

Jesus had been preaching on the mountain. Many had come to hear him teach. The whole teaching can be found in Matthew, chapters 5 to 7. He gave an example for prayer, the “Lord’s Prayer”, He gave instruction on character – blessed are the meek, the peacemakers, the righteous, etc. He gave us instruction on how to change our world, we are to be salt and light.

And He gave insight into the Father’s character and how He treats us. Jesus told us to ask to receive, to search and we would find, to knock so that we would see doors open. He went on to say that the Father gives good gifts to His children.

Many were on the mountain with Jesus, listening. As He descended the mountain side He was met by this man, a leper. This man who had heard His teaching, this man was unclean and by Jewish tradition was forbidden to be in close contact with any other human. This man was an outcast and left to rot, literally.

But this man had heard the words of Jesus and it filled his heart with faith. This man ignored the traditions of religion and came to the Savior.
“Jesus came down from the hill, and a large crowd followed him. 2 Then a man sick with leprosy came to him. The man bowed down before Jesus and said, ‘Lord, you have the power to heal me if you want.’ 3 Jesus touched the man. He said, ‘I want to heal you. Be healed!’ Immediately the man was healed from his leprosy.” Matthew 8:1-3 ERV

Jesus also ignored religious traditions and touched this man.

I have no idea how many years it had been since this man felt the touch of another human. How long had it been since anyone had hugged him or kissed his cheek? How he must have longed for someone to simply touch his hand or pat him on the back.

He heard Jesus say “ask and it will be given you” and of all the people on the mountainside that day – he asked and then he received.

That’s what Jesus has done for each one of us who have asked. He has touched us – our lives have been changed. We are no longer ravaged by leprous cells of past sins, no longer an outcast.

Again, the tears are falling. My heart is filled with thanksgiving and the words of a song come to mind:

He touched me, oh He touched me,
And oh the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened and now I know,
He touched me and made me whole

One touch of the Master’s Hand and now we’ve been made whole!

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Time for a Chat

Yesterday we had the opportunity just to sit and chat with new friends. It really touched our hearts.

One of the things that kept entering our conversation was our trust in the Father, even when plans change or don’t go according to the way we thought they should. We talked of times when things caught us by surprise and/or times when we had to adjust and change course. Never once was God surprised or taken back. He has never had a morning when He woke up and said “boy, I didn’t see that coming – I wonder what I should do now”.

No, He always has a plan. God’s plan B is always better than our plan A.

“I was still being held prisoner in the courtyard of the palace guards when the Lord told me: I am the Lord, and I created the whole world. 3 Ask me, and I will tell you things that you don’t know and can’t find out.” Jeremiah 33:1-3 CEV

I can’t imagine being held in a physical prison, but I have been incarcerated both emotionally and financially and those were dark places. However, I was never alone; the Father was there with a plan. Those were times for a Father/daughter chat. I told Him my heart and He told me His.

The blogs of the last few days it seems apparent that the Father is wanting us to remember to talk with Him. Just look at a few of the verses we have covered.

  • “Ask and it will be given, seek and we will find.”
  • “Behold I stand at the door and knock, open it and I will come in and have fellowship with you”
  • “I know the plans that I have for you – plans for a hope and a future”

Now look at these verses:

“ ‘I, the Lord, am the one speaking to you. Come, let’s discuss this. Even if your sins are as dark as red dye, that stain can be removed and you will be as pure as wool that is as white as snow. 19 ‘If you listen to what I say, you will get the good things from this land.'” Isaiah 1:17-19 ERV

“Come, let’s discuss this”, once again here is an invitation to come and talk to the Father.

Sit down with Him and have a chat! He sees things differently than we do and His way of seeing and doing is always right.

“ A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came to give life—life that is full and good.” John 10:10 ERV

Others might see us through our past and all of our mistakes and failures. But God, sees us cleansed through the blood of Jesus. We see insurmountable problems, but He sees us eating the good things in life.

When we talk with our Dad, He’ll sort things out and let us see them from His perspective.

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Showers of Blessing

I slept so well last night and when I woke, later than usual, this morning I asked the Lord what I could share.

Gratitude, praise, thanksgiving – those were the words that came to mind.

We have had rain nearly every day for almost 6 weeks. That’s summer in the mountains! When our campers come, they always comment on how green the mountains and the meadows are. Even now, I look out my window and see a camper who has come to look across a meadow, as the morning fog is rising and take in the beauty of the beginning of the day.

Oh, there are some who want to complain about the afternoon showers and “it would be nice to have ONE day without any rain” but those are also the same ones who complain when we have fire restrictions in place because the forest and meadows are too dry.

It’s better to sing in the rain than grumble in a tent!

“ I will bless the sheep and the places around my hill. I will cause the rains to fall at the right time and will shower them with blessings. 27 And the trees growing in the field will produce their fruit. The earth will give its harvest, so the sheep will be safe on their land. I will break the yokes on them and save them from the power of the people who made them slaves. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 24:26-27 ERV

Shower them with blessings!

Look around you right now. What blessings do you see? Quickly, pick five and thank God for them. He is the One who brings the blessings.

“Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same.” James 1:17 ERV

Ultimately it is the Father who gave you the favor you needed to secure your job. He is the one who blessed you with wisdom and creative ideas. You may have gone to the store and purchased a new item or even the house you live in, but it is gift of the Father’s provision.

“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.” Jeremiahs 29:11-13 ERV

The Father has planned for us to have hope and a good future. When we ask, He listens, when we search, we find. Knowing that fills my heart with gratitude!

Instead of grumbling about the rain, let’s go out and dance as the showers of blessing fall all around us!

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Trust in Time of Trouble

Monday, Monday.

Do you have a smile on your face as you start this day and this week? As a new day dawns the birds are singing, and the hillsides are showing their green and wildflowers are blooming. The sun is about to rise above the mountain to the east and the sky is clear. It is a good day to praise the Lord.

But I also had to stop and consider the opposite start to the day I have just described. What if you woke this morning, having overslept, there’s a stain on your favorite shirt, the car won’t start, your coffeemaker quit and your cell phone died?

Maybe the problems in your path are more serious than the menial annoyances I named above. It could be health issues, a crumbling relationship, financial upset and your company just announced they’re moving to another location and work-from-home is being phased out.

How do you start your day with those issues facing you?

Trust in a Time of Trouble.

“Fig trees may no longer bloom, or vineyards produce grapes; olive trees may be fruitless, and harvest time a failure; sheep pens may be empty, and cattle stalls vacant—18 but I will still celebrate because the Lord God saves me. 19 The Lord gives me strength. He makes my feet as sure as those of a deer, and he helps me stand on the mountains.” Habakkuk 3:17-19 CEV

Being a Christian doesn’t mean we will never have problems, not at all. However, it does mean we have the constant attention of the “Problem Solver”. It is the Lord who comes to our rescue and saves us. He gives us strength and makes us able to stand on the rocky ground of the mountains.

When we trust Him, He takes us to a higher place. A place our adversary can’t reach. Make today a day to stand on the mountain tops!

Thank God for His faithfulness and protection. Trust Him in Time of Trouble!

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Which Box?

Do you have a tendency to compartmentalize your life?

Family, work, health, friends, finances, social activities. Everything has to be kept in its own little box, not touching or interfering with the others, like vegetables on a dinner plate, we don’t let them blend.

Many people do that with the Lord. It’s ok for Him to have their Sunday or days when times are tough, but they aren’t ready to allow Him to permeate each area of their everyday lives.

Yesterday’s blog dealt with opening our heart’s door and letting Jesus in. Welcoming Him in a warmer way than we do with family and friends. Today, we need to look at giving Him full access to every area of our lives.

I found an interesting assessment of the Lord in the book of I Kings. Benhadad, a foreign king, had attacked Ahab, king of Samaria. The Israelites had gone to aid in the fight. King Benhadad was defeated, his officers needed to find a reason for his defeat and this is what they told him.

“King Ben-Hadad’s officers said to him, ‘The gods of Israel are mountain gods. We fought in a mountain area, so the Israelites won. If we fight them on level ground, we will win.'” I Kings 20:23 ERV

God won’t be kept in a box. God won’t be limited. This was the Lord’s reply to their attempt to confine his involvement.

“A man of God came to the king of Israel with this message: ‘The Lord said, “The people of Aram said that I, the Lord, am a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys. So I will let you defeat this great army. Then all of you will know that I am the Lord, wherever you are!’” I Kings 20:28 ERV

The same holds true in our lives.

The Lord wants to show that He is the Lord, wherever we are. God wants to be involved in every aspect of what we do. He has the knowledge, the plan and the power to bring us through in victory. He wants to be Lord over every area of our lives.

“Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him.” Colossians 3:16-17 CEV

Our lives should be completely filled with the message of Christ, letting Him have every area, holding nothing back. Then whatever we say or do will be done to honor Him.

We have all given the Lord limited access in our lives at one time or another. Isn’t it time to let Him have it all? No more putting Him in a box. Let the Lord bring the victory we need in every area.

“Then all of you will know that I am the Lord, wherever you are!”

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Open the Door

The other day I made mention of some verses in Matthew. They are part of Jesus’ sermon on the mount.

“Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8 Everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And the door will be opened for everyone who knocks…11 As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give good things to people who ask.” Matthew 7:7-8, 11 CEV

Jesus said that the Father is ready to give us good things when we ask. He isn’t an evil or angry Father. He’s a good Father and He loves his children. He says ask for what we need, search for the things of value and knock on doors that we need opened.

The image I am using with this morning’s blog is a modern adaptation of several paintings that were done in the early 1900’s. I’m sure you’ve all probably seen one of those. It’s a picture of Jesus standing at the door to home knocking.

The artist based the picture on a verse from the book of Revelation.

“Listen! I am standing and knocking at your door. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will eat together.” Revelation 3:20 CEV

In these verses, Jesus is speaking to Christians who hearts have grown cold. They are people who had a strong relationship with the Lord at one time but life got busy, worries increased, too many cares and distractions and as Jesus said they were now lukewarm in their love for Him.

Here Jesus is repeating the message of knocking, only this time it’s not us doing the knocking but it’s Him.

He spoke those words ” Knock, and the door will be opened for you.”, and now He’s knocking. He is putting His Father’s promise into practice. Jesus doesn’t want to lose relationship with any of those He loves.

He pursues us with a loving heart.

“ Then Jesus told them this story :4 If any of you has 100 sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will you do? Won’t you leave the 99 in the field and go look for the lost sheep until you find it? 5 And when you find it, you will be so glad that you will put it on your shoulder 6 and carry it home. Then you will call in your friends and neighbors and say, “Let’s celebrate! I’ve found my lost sheep.” Matthew 15:3-6 CEV

I, for one, am glad that Jesus came looking for me when I had closed the door to my heart. He didn’t give up on me, He kept knocking on my door until I opened it and our relationship was restored. His love for me had never grown cold even though mine had.

Now, the door is no longer closed. It’s always open to Him and His leading.

If you’ve closed the door to a daily relationship with the Lord I encourage you to open your heart. You’ll find Him knocking, waiting there for you to open the door and He will come in for fellowship.

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Big or Small

Do you remember teaching your children the concepts of big and small? A watermelon is big, an orange is small. An elephant is big, a mouse is small. A bus is big, a VW bug is small.

We taught them how to categorize and distinguish between the two.

The small things you can handle on your own but with the bigger things you need to ask for help. You need to ask for help when learning to mow the lawn, but you can put your shoes on by yourself.

We do that with the issues in life as well. The small things we can handle, no need to ask for help but the bigger issues, the life-changing things, we take time to pray and/or ask others to pray about so that we can get God involved.

What I find interesting is our perception of big or small. What, if anything, is big to God? He is the one who created the universe – He set the planets in orbit and the placed the tides that control the seas. He gave man the wisdom to split the atom and the vision to create a laser beam that could be used in intricate surgeries.

Yesterday I was reading one of my favorite passages in Matthew. It’s Jesus’ teaching of the sermon on the mount. Jesus was talking about the weighty issues of life.

“I tell you not to worry about your life. Don’t worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food or clothing? 26 Look at the birds in the sky! They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren’t you worth much more than birds?

27 Can worry make you live longer? 28 Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work hard to make their clothes. 29  But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn’t as well clothed as one of them. 30 God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. God will surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith?

31 Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” 32 Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all of these. 33 But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.” Matthew 6:25-33 CEV

The things that seem monumental to us, the things that cause us to worry, are commonplace to the Father and He has a plan for taking care of them. He wants us to bring everything to Him.

The birds don’t wake up in a fret each morning wondering if there will be enough bugs or worms. No, they start their day with a song and then head out to find what God has provided.

The flowers don’t have anxiety attacks when producing their beautifully colored petals. They just bask in the sun, take in the moisture and grow.

Big or little?

The Father knows the very number of hairs on our head, now that is the little and He also says He will supply for ALL our needs. That’s big!

He promises that when we seek Him and His ways, “put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well”.

Trust Him. The big and the small – it’s all in His hands!

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What Is Man…

This picture came up in my computer notifications yesterday. I had taken it a year ago.

I remember specifically how awe-struck I was in viewing the evening sky. I sat in my camp chair and watched as the clouds slowly moved, with the darkness embracing them. I had to capture some of the grandeur!

These words came to mind then and now.

“Our Lord and Ruler, your name is wonderful everywhere on earth! You let your glory be seen in the heavens above. 2 With praises from children and from tiny infants, you have built a fortress. It makes your enemies silent, and all who turn against you are left speechless.

3 I often think of the heavens your hands have made, and of the moon and stars you put in place. 4 Then I ask, ‘Why do you care about us humans? Why are you concerned for us weaklings?’ 5 You made us a little lower than you yourself, and you have crowned us with glory and honor.

6 You let us rule everything your hands have made. And you put all of it under our power— 7 the sheep and the cattle, and every wild animal,8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and all ocean creatures.

9 Our Lord and Ruler, your name is wonderful everywhere on earth!” Psalm 8 CEV

I, too, often think about the heavens and the earth and all that the Lord has made and I ask, “who am I that You, Father God, think of me”. God’s word brings my answer:

“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.” Romans 8:15-16 CEV

The Father thinks about us because we are His children. His love is everlasting, His mercy is new every morning, His faithfulness endures to a thousand generations and His grace is sufficient in every situation.

When I see the clouds, or an evening/morning sky filled with beauty my heart is stirred to sing that great, old hymn of the faith.

“Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed

When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook and feel the gentle breeze

Then sings my soul my Saviour God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art?
Then sings my soul my Saviour God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art?”

Let’s ask the question again, “what is man that Thou art mindful of him”? We will probably never understand the depth of His answer to us. His heart says He wants us to know this:

“…Stand firm and be deeply rooted in his love. 18  I pray that you and all God’s people will understand what is called wide or long or high or deep. 19 I want you to know all about Christ’s love, although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is.” Ephesians 3:17-19 CEV

Oh Father, how great Thou art!

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There’s An App for That

Somedays do you feel weak not really able to face the day? Or is it a feeling that you’re unappreciated or undervalued for who you are? If that’s the case, then here’s your answer to end those days of malaise.

Years ago, many, many years ago, a well-learned man put down a plan that has the ability to uplift, encourage and strengthen anyone who will put it into practice.

I guess you could say he wrote a life-changing app before anyone knew what an app was.

” I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. 16 So I never stop being grateful for you, as I mention you in my prayers. 17 I ask the glorious Father and God of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you his Spirit. The Spirit will make you wise and let you understand what it means to know God. 18 My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given to you when God chose you. Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God’s people.

19 I want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us followers. It is the same wonderful power he used 20 when he raised Christ from death and let him sit at his right side in heaven. 21 There Christ rules over all forces, authorities, powers, and rulers. He rules over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well. 22 God has put all things under the power of Christ, and for the good of the church he has made him the head of everything. 23 The church is Christ’s body and is filled with Christ who completely fills everything.” Ephesians 1:15-23 CEV

When we ask the Lord, He will give us understanding of that hope , the power that He has made available to us (raising from the dead power) and what it truly means to be a part of the body of Christ!

This is a bad analogy, but I will use it just the same. Many Christians are like a new smart phone user. Only using their phones to make calls and send a few texts. They don’t know how to use it any more than that…download the apps, take pictures, use the GPS, on-line banking, the language translator, etc.

It’s time to get educated about who you are in Christ.

Utilize what’s been given to us. The data plan is unlimited and we’ll never have a power outage or dropped call. We are Christ’s body and we are filled with all He is.

Download the app. Take advantage of all the Father has programmed into it. He’s designed it perfectly – forgiveness, acceptance, protection, provision, peace, joy, worthiness, abundant life. It’s all at our fingertips.

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What Are You Waiting For?

Every few years the Lord reminds me of my need to be contentedly patient.

Therein lays the struggle. “Contentedly” patient. Patient in the moment of today while still waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promise. If we become so intent on the when of the promise, we lose sight of the now of our walk of faith.

We become impatient and impatience is a destroyer of faith.

When we become impatient, we begin to try to work things out on our own – we wonder if God is ever going to come through – what’s taking sooooooooooo long? Those kinds of thoughts come from doubt and doubt brings fear – fear that it is never going to work out right. Doubt and fear will choke out the promises of God’s word – they can outweigh faith, if we let them. We must stand with confidence in God’s word if we expect to see God’s promises fulfilled.

“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 1:6-8 CEV

Abram followed God from his homeland out into the middle of nowhere because God made him a promise. A promise that he would possess great land and be the father of many nations. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham reiterating the promise that he would be a father of many descendants.

Abraham and his wife, Sarah, had to wait years to see that promise come to pass. They tried to rush the promise, using their own efforts, and it caused real issues of jealousy and bitterness. Their efforts didn’t stop God’s plan.

“God promised Abraham a lot of descendants. And when it all seemed hopeless, Abraham still had faith in God and became the ancestor of many nations. 19  Abraham’s faith never became weak, not even when he was nearly 100 years old. He knew he was almost dead and that his wife Sarah could not have children. 20 But Abraham never doubted or questioned God’s promise. His faith made him strong, and he gave all the credit to God. 21 Abraham was certain that God could do what he had promised.” Romans 4:18-21 CEV

What is it that God has promised you? Don’t give up – don’t fall back. Move forward – continue to follow in obedience what God has put in your heart.

“By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the One who had promised was faithful.” Hebrews 11:11

Keep going. Don’t become impatient. A friend of ours told us once “If God says go North He will provide, if you go South you’ll think you died”.

Follow God and He’ll bring His promises to pass.

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