Category: January2022

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In Time of Need

Yesterday I told you about Daniel and his commitment to prayer. Prayer in its simplest form is just talking to the Lord.

Today I’m going to tell you about another man. A man who listened to God’s word as Jesus spoke and then asked for help. He was putting God’s word into action.

I feel like I have known this man for many years. His story is near and dear to my heart. As Jesus taught, he was standing way off at the bottom of the mountain. He wasn’t with any family or friends. Every word that Jesus spoke had personal meaning to him. Meet my friend, the healed leper.

“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. 4 Then Jesus said to him, ‘Don’t tell anyone about what happened. But go and let the priest look at you. And offer the gift that Moses commanded for people who are made well. This will show everyone that you are healed.’” Matthew 8:1-4 ERV

This man had stood at the bottom of the hill because he was unclean and not allowed to be close to the rest of the fine upstanding people. But he heard Jesus with his heart – not just his ears! He heard Jesus say, “Ask and it shall be given you” and so when Jesus made it down the mountain, he didn’t run away from Jesus he ran too Him, and he asked!

Try to imagine his face? Do you cringe when you see his missing fingers or the flesh that had been eaten away on his ears? Do you see him, do you see his broken heart from being an outcast for so long? Do you know how long it’s been since anyone has hugged him or kissed his diseased cheek?

And now do you see the tears of joy streaming down his cheeks as he hears Jesus words, “I want to heal you. Be healed!” Notice this. Jesus touched him!!! He touched the man who was unclean.

When I read this story I see myself there, I’m the one standing next to him, crying, weeping, rejoicing over his healing. Unashamed I throw my arms around his neck and hug him! What a joy to be able to kiss this man on the cheek and celebrate his healing!!

Oh yes, I’m emotionally invested in this man’s life because I too have felt the hurt of being an outcast. Not being accepted because of my appearance. I too know what it’s like to have a broken heart and to approach Jesus and say will you heal me? And I know the joy, the joy unspeakable, to have Him touch me and say, “you’re healed”.

The Father and the Son won’t force any of their blessings on us. They won’t force us into a relationship, but they wait patiently for us to ask! How many people on the mountain side that day had needs in their lives? How many needed a touch from the Savior? How many walked away empty because they were too ashamed or too proud to ask?

Are you in need of God’s touch? Don’t walk away – ASK and it shall be given unto you!!

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The Power of Prayer

For the last several mornings a bit of my quiet time has had me reflecting on Daniel. When he was a young man, many from the nation of Israel had been taken captive and led away to Babylon.

There he was taken into the king’s palace and groomed to be a royal aid. Daniel remained faithful to the Lord and refused to serve any other gods. The Lord blessed Daniel for his faithfulness. The kings whom Daniel served, recognized his wisdom and promoted him, even over those who were citizens of the land.

The other advisors in the king’s palace were jealous of Daniel and tried to figure out a way to get rid of him. The only flaw they could find in Daniel’s character was his faithfulness to God. The advisor’s had the king draft a law which said anyone praying and worshipping anyone but the king would be sentenced to death in a den of lions. When the king realized he had sealed Daniel’s fate he was filled with remorse. But the law was the law and Daniel was sealed in the lion’s den.

“ So King Darius gave the order. They brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May the God you serve save you!” 17 A big rock was brought and put over the opening of the lions’ den. Then the king used his ring and put his seal on the rock. He also used the rings of his officials and put their seals on the rock. This showed that no one could move that rock and bring Daniel out of the lion’s den.” Daniel 6:16-17 ERV

“The next morning, King Darius got up just as it was getting light and ran to the lions’ den. 20 He was very worried. When he got to the lions’ den, he called to Daniel. He said, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God been able to save you from the lions? You always serve your God.”

21 Daniel answered, “King, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel to save me. The angel closed the lions’ mouths. The lions have not hurt me because my God knows I am innocent. I never did anything wrong to you, King.” Daniel 6:19-22 ERV

Daniel’s crime was prayer. God’s answer was deliverance. It was then and it still is now.

“So be humble under God’s powerful hand. Then he will lift you up when the right time comes. 7 Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you. 8 Control yourselves and be careful! The devil is your enemy, and he goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to attack and eat. 9 Refuse to follow the devil. Stand strong in your faith.” I Peter 5:6-9 ERV

We have an enemy, the devil, and he is “like” a roaring lion, but he won’t defeat us or devour us if we stand our ground and remain faithful to the Lord. I like to say the devil is a toothless lion because Christ defeated him and stripped him of his powers.

“He defeated the rulers and powers of the spiritual world. With the cross he won the victory over them and led them away, as defeated and powerless prisoners for the whole world to see.” Colossians 2:15 ERV

The Lord closed the mouths of the lions for Daniel, and He will do the same for us. We have the power in prayer to resist the devil and he must flee!

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Ouch – That Hurts!

This morning I got up with a sore foot. I’m not sure what caused it but it hurts. As I sat here I rubbed on it and it began to feel better. Good.

A couple more sips of coffee, feet raised with the recliner and faces of friends and family began to come to mind. Some of them are hurting I know, they’ve shared their pain with me. As I lifted them in prayer, I asked the Father to ease their pain.

Just like my foot I wanted to alleviate their discomfort, their heart ache, their pain.

“…But God put the body together and gave more honor to the parts that need it. 25 God did this so that our body would not be divided. God wanted the different parts to care the same for each other. 26 If one part of the body suffers, then all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part is honored, then all the other parts share its honor.

27 All of you together are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of that body.” I Corinthians 12:24-27 ERV

This is how the Father wants us to be when we relate to other Christians, we are all members of the body of Christ.

My head told my hand “Rub your foot, it’s sore and tired, if you rub it for a little while it will feel better” and it did. I saw this as a perfect example of how we are to care for those around us who are hurting.

My foot didn’t ask for help, it was just sore and left unattended I’m sure it would be hurting more and that would make me grumpy. We all have experienced grumpy people and they can be irritating. Maybe we should be asking, “are they hurting, do they need a helping hand”. Coming to their aid with love and compassion may be the best medicine for a hurting soul.

“Help each other with your troubles. When you do this, you are obeying the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 ERV

This morning’s teaching isn’t deep or profound, but I do believe it is a teaching we can all embrace, it’s part of our mandate from Scripture to love one another.

So, from my foot to your heart be on the lookout for hurting people and lend a helping hand!

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Does God Know?

Sometimes I ask that question. Does God know? Does He know when my heart aches and when fear creeps in; does God know that I have concerns over what the future holds?

The answer: of course, He does!

After I finished writing yesterday’s blog, “Not Today”, I read about Joshua. Moses was 120 years old, and he knew he was going to die. Joshua was his God-chosen replacement and would be responsible for leading the Israelites into the land God promised them. The Israelites were not an easy people to lead.

They had a history of complaining, rebellion, and questioning God’s word. These are the people Joshua would lead; this is the group he needed to be united; these are the ones who would be the called to fight and would need to follow orders.

Did God know what He was asking of Joshua? Of course, He did. And this was the Lord’s word of encouragement:

“Be brave and strong! Don’t be afraid of the nations on the other side of the Jordan. The Lord your God will always be at your side, and he will never abandon you.

7 Then Moses called Joshua up in front of the crowd and said: Joshua, be brave and strong as you lead these people into their land. The Lord made a promise long ago to Israel’s ancestors that this land would someday belong to Israel. That time has now come, and you must divide up the land among the people. 8 The Lord will lead you into the land. He will always be with you and help you, so don’t ever be afraid of your enemies.” Deuteronomy 31:6-8 CEV

God knew! He gave Joshua an irrefutable promise! It was unconditional – the Lord will ALWAYS be at your side; He will NEVER abandon you.

Always, Never – it can’t be any more inclusive than that. I’m sure Joshua had his times of doubt, even fear, as he looked at some of the impossible situations they faced but he held on to God’s promises and went forward and the enemy was defeated.

We also have some ALWAYS and NEVER promises, they cover the small insignificant issues in our life as well as the larger ones which are life-threatening.

“I always remember that the Lord is with me. He is here, close by my side, so nothing can defeat me.” Psalm 16:8 ERV

“The Lord is my shepherd. I will always have everything I need.” Psalm 23:1 ERV

“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

“Keep your lives free from the love of money. And be satisfied with what you have. God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never run away from you.” Hebrews 13:5 ERV

“Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all of God’s people.” Ephesians 6:18 ERV

Does God know? Yes. Does He care? Yes. He will always be with us, He will never leave us. That is for certain!

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Not Today!

This morning’s blog came with great emphasis in my heart this morning – no fear, not today!

All through the night a song from Sunday’s worship service kept running through my mind. It was published by Bethel Music, just last year, (I must give credit where credit is due), “No Longer Slaves”.

From my mother’s womb
You have chosen me
Love has called my name
I’ve been born again to a family
Your blood flows through my veins

I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God

Fear can be paralyzing; fear can be demoralizing; it robs the richness of life – an abundant life that Christ came to give us.

“ 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

“ God’s Spirit doesn’t make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control.” II Timothy 1:7 CEV

Every day we are bombarded with fearful reports. “There’s a storm coming; the crime rate is up; the newest COVID cases; inflation; shortage on the grocery store shelves…and the list goes on.

NO!! Not today! I will not be a slave to fear, I am God’s child and He is my protector and my provision.

Not today! I am with the Shepherd and He uses His rod to beat back my enemies!

“I may walk through valleys as dark as death, but I won’t be afraid. You are with me, and your shepherd’s rod makes me feel safe.” Psalm 23:4 CEV

Not today! God is with us; He will protect us!

“Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Don’t tremble with fear. I am your God. I will make you strong, as I protect you with my arm and give you victories.” Isaiah 41:10 CEV

Not today! Christ is in control!

“Don’t be afraid! I am the first, the last, 18 and the living one. I died, but now I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys to death and the world of the dead.” Revelation 1:17-18 CEV

Not today, dear friend – you are God’s child and He has promised to never leave you!!

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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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Thoughts – Pleasing Thoughts

It was windy last night and there was something popping outside. I thought that we had possibly left a storage door open or something of that nature, so I ventured outside to see if I could figure it out.

Everything was buttoned up tight. I came back in, it was 2:30 am and I knew there was no going back to sleep. It was time to pray. I began to meditate on God’s goodness…what a wonderful, comforting and strengthening thing that is to do.

A verse from my childhood Sunday School memorization came to mind.

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, Oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 KJV

I will be honest with you – my thoughts at 2 am were “this is going to be a long day” and if I would have continued to think on that I know by mid-day I would be worn out and somewhat grumpy. Not an acceptable meditation.

So, I opened my Bible to read the entire chapter of Psalm 19. When we ask the Lord to redirect our thoughts, He will.

“The Law of the Lord is perfect, giving new strength to the soul. The Law He has made known is sure, making the child-like wise. 8 The Laws of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The Word of the Lord is pure, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The Lord is always true and right in how He judges. 10 The Word of the Lord is worth more than gold, even more than much fine gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey straight from the comb. 11 And by them Your servant is told to be careful. In obeying them there is great reward.

12 Who can see his own mistakes? Forgive my sins that I do not see. 13 And keep Your servant from sinning by going my own way. Do not let these sins rule over me. Then I will be without blame. And I will not be found guilty of big sins. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing in Your eyes, O Lord, my Rock and the One Who saves me.” Psalm 19:7-14 NLV

I have a choice today – so do you. We can meditate (think on continually) how tired we are, how little sleep we’ve had, how little strength and joy we have, how we are misunderstood and mistreated, or we can choose to make the thoughts of our heart centered on God’s Word.

His word will give us strength and make us wise. His word will give us joy and understanding. His word will never fail but instead will last forever. His word is more valuable than gold and sweeter than honey.

If we insist on going our own way and following our own thinking we can be led astray and possibly into sin – the sin of worry, self-pity, anxiousness and frustration.

We have a choice! I choose to make my thoughts and my words pleasing to the Lord!

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Listen Well

Just yesterday we had two interesting situations occur. Both circumstances involved attentive listening.

First thing in the morning I received a call from a friend. She asked me to speak at a special service. She had originally asked someone else and now they were unable to make it. She told me “I knew I should have asked you from the beginning”. There was no problem, the Lord had already prepared my heart with what to share.

Then later in the morning Dave and I had a situation where we were going to make a major purchase. I stayed home while he went to meet the man who was selling the item we were interested in.

We always want to be good stewards of the money the Lord blesses us with so when Dave left I prayed, “Lord, if this isn’t right let Dave know it in his heart. Keep us from making a mistake.” About ten minutes later Dave called and said he was coming home. The man had called him and said there was an issue he needed to take care of, and Dave would have to come another time. When Dave got home, I told him about my prayer and I felt this was God answer. He did too.

“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. 2-3 But 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.

4 When he has led out all of his sheep, he walks in front of them, and they follow, because they know his voice. 5 The sheep will not follow strangers. They don’t recognize a stranger’s voice, and they run away. 6 Jesus told the people this story. But they did not understand what he was talking about.” John 10:1-6 CEV

If we have ears willing to listen, we will hear the Lord’s voice. He wants to lead us; He wants us to follow Him. He will lead us to “good pastures” and He will protect us from things that could cause us harm.

Do we hear an audible voice? Rarely. But we do have that intuition in our hearts. You know what I’m talking about. How many times have you done something, it’s gone wrong and then you said I knew I shouldn’t have done that? Yes, that intuition can also be called being led by the Spirit.

The Father sent the Holy Spirit to lead and to guide us, to remind us of His word. He is our teacher and our counsellor.

“Jesus said to his disciples: If you love me, you will do as I command. 16 Then I will ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit who will help you and always be with you. 17 The Spirit will show you what is true. The people of this world cannot accept the Spirit, because they don’t see or know him. But you know the Spirit, who is with you and will keep on living in you.” John 14:15-17 CEV

Will we always get it right? No. Will we make mistakes? Most assuredly.

The important thing is to learn from those mistakes and listen better. When we listen for His voice and follow His lead, we’ll never go astray.

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King of All

As I read through the verses in Ephesians 1 again this morning, I had this memory. It was from a scene in the movie, “Titanic”. Maybe you remember it too. Leonardo DeCaprio stood on the bow and yelled out “I am king of the world”.

That’s how I feel when I read verses throughout the New Testament like our final verses today.

“I pray that the great God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ may give you the wisdom of His Spirit. Then you will be able to understand the secrets about Him as you know Him better. 18 I pray that your hearts will be able to understand. I pray that you will know about the hope given by God’s call. I pray that you will see how great the things are that He has promised to those who belong to Him. 19 I pray that you will know how great His power is for those who have put their trust in Him. 20 It is the same power that raised Christ from the dead. This same power put Christ at God’s right side in heaven. 21 This place was given to Christ. It is much greater than any king or leader can have. No one else can have this place of honor and power. No one in this world or in the world to come can have such honor and power. 22 God has put all things under Christ’s power and has made Him to be the head leader over all things of the church. 23 The church is the body of Christ. It is filled by Him Who fills all things everywhere with Himself.” Ephesians 1:17-23 NLV

The power of God that we were discussing yesterday is the authority that Christ has in heaven – authority over ALL things. Nothing or no one has preeminence over Christ. He is ruler of this world and the world to come.

Now here’s what Paul wants us to understand. This authority and power that Christ has makes Him the head of the church, not a religious organization, but the church, those who believe in Christ. We become a collective body with Christ as our head.

As His body, He fills us with Himself – with His power and authority!

“I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth. 10 And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 ERV

We have everything we need because we are complete in Christ!

“May kindness and peace be yours from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness. Jesus was the first to conquer death, and he is the ruler of all earthly kings. Christ loves us, and by his blood he set us free from our sins.6 He lets us rule as kings and serve God his Father as priests. To him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.” Revelation 1:5-6 CEV

The power and authority we have as believers in Christ is not of our own making. It is given to us by God Almighty. Jesus is our example of kingly authority. He never did anything for selfish gain; He never retaliated in anger; He never showed prejudice or favoritism.

He is a just and loving King. “I pray that you will know how great His power is for those who have put their trust in Him”. I pray that you will know this too; that we all will know by experience the great authority and power that God has for us.

He is King of All!

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Learning How To

We watch a lot of YouTube “How To” videos. When Dave needed to know something about the boat motor, replacing the filters on the truck, etc. he would find a video. I watch instruction on cooking something new, tutorials on my new camera and computer and travelogues on places we want to visit.

The thing is we don’t watch them just once. No, we sit down, watch, take in as much information we can and then start our project with cell phone in hand, video queued up, so we always have instruction at our fingertips.

That’s what I feel this prayer of the Apostle Paul’s does for us. Step by step it gives us instruction on “how to” know the power and blessings God has for us in Christ. It’s something we need to read again and again. Words we need to digest for life enriching, life changing growth. I hope you took the time to read it through again yesterday.

“I pray that the great God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ may give you the wisdom of His Spirit. Then you will be able to understand the secrets about Him as you know Him better. 18 I pray that your hearts will be able to understand. I pray that you will know about the hope given by God’s call. I pray that you will see how great the things are that He has promised to those who belong to Him. 19 I pray that you will know how great His power is for those who have put their trust in Him. 20 It is the same power that raised Christ from the dead. This same power put Christ at God’s right side in heaven. 21 This place was given to Christ. It is much greater than any king or leader can have. No one else can have this place of honor and power. No one in this world or in the world to come can have such honor and power. 22 God has put all things under Christ’s power and has made Him to be the head leader over all things of the church. 23 The church is the body of Christ. It is filled by Him Who fills all things everywhere with Himself.” Ephesians 1:17-23 NLV

We’re going to look at a couple items of major importance in this prayer:

  • promised great things to His children
  • know His great power

The Father has promised us great things; joy, peace, forgiveness, healing, salvation, strength, wisdom, protection, provision – great things! One translation records verse 18 this way, “the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God’s people),”. The Father gives us these things, great things, as our inheritance. We are His children and as such He has an inheritance for us.

The next thing Paul prays for us is that we will “know His great power”. Now, this is something that amazes me – the Father’s power is working for me and not against me.

This is the power that He put into practice when He raised Christ from the dead! It’s the same power which transported Jesus from earth back to heaven while His disciples watched his ascension.

This power, this great power of God, is for us who put our trust in Him!!

When we feel powerless in life’s situations His power is available to us, that same power which He used on Christ’s behalf.

“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” Romans 8:11 NLT

Paul prayed this prayer so that we, those of us in Christ, will learn how to know our Father’s great promises and great power. Amen and amen!!

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