Category: June2024

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Cracked or Shattered

For the last few days, the Lord has been reminding me of how He sees sin. (Please don’t quit reading, I think this will be a real encouragement to you.)

You see we often have a tendency to categorize sin. Big sins, little sins. God doesn’t do that. In fact, the first sin in the Garden of Eden wouldn’t rank very high on some people’s scale because it was only pride and something as insignificant as disobedience. Definitely not one of the big sins.

However, God’s perspective is sin is sin. The Apostle James puts it this way:

“One law rules over all other laws. This royal law is found in the Scriptures: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.’ If you obey this law, you are doing right. 9 But if you are treating one person as more important than another, you are sinning. You are guilty of breaking God’s law.

10 You might follow all of God’s law. But if you fail to obey only one command, you are guilty of breaking all the commands in that law.” James 2:8-10 ERV

And Paul, the apostle, tells us that all of us have sinned and fallen short of the mark of God’s standard.

“All have sinned and are not good enough to share God’s divine greatness. 24 They are made right with God by his grace. This is a free gift. They are made right with God by being made free from sin through Jesus Christ.” Romans 3:23-24 ERV

Whatever our sin is, it has separated us from God. However, God provides us with the way of salvation, and He gives it to us as a free gift.

“One man sinned, and so death ruled all people because of that one man. But now some people accept God’s full grace and his great gift of being made right. Surely they will have true life and rule through the one man, Jesus Christ.

18 So that one sin of Adam brought the punishment of death to all people. But in the same way, Christ did something so good that it makes all people right with God. And that brings them true life. 19 One man disobeyed God and many became sinners. But in the same way, one man obeyed God and many will be made right.” Romans 5:17-19 ERV

Jesus gave us strict warning about judging others.

“Give love and mercy the same as your Father gives love and mercy. 37 ‘Don’t judge others, and God will not judge you. Don’t condemn others, and you will not be condemned. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.'” Luke 6:36-38 ERV

A few years back we had a window in our house that had been broken when the weed eater threw up a rock. It was only a small round hole but nonetheless the window was broken. It was just as broken as if it had been shattered.

We need to realize that it isn’t our place to judge, that’s God’s job. Ours is to give others the same love and mercy the Father has given us. We are all guilty of breaking the window of God’s standard. However, we are all invited to receive His free gift of restoration.

Let’s pray for one another from a heart of love and let God fix what is broken.

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Facing Danger

Sometimes when I know a Bible story well, I can reread it casually and not learn a new lesson. However, before I started reading this morning I said “Lord, I want to see your lesson in this story as if it’s the first time I’m reading it”.

Go with me to Daniel, chapter 3.

In Daniel, chapter 2, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that only Daniel could interrupt. It was about the king’s greatest and the subsequent fall of his empire. In his dream the king has seen a great statute with a gold head, which Daniel said was him and his kingdom.

At the beginning of chapter three, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered that golden statute to be crafted and all the subservient nations were commanded to come for its unveiling. The statue was ninety feet high and nine feet wide. The order was given that when the music began to play everyone was to bow down to the statute and worship the king.

Everyone did, except for three young Jewish officials. The king was furious. In fact, the Bible tells us his face was distorted with anger. Since these men were valued advisors the king gave them a second chance.

“Now if you are ready to get down on your knees and worship the object I have made when you hear the sound of the horns and harps and all kinds of music, very well. But if you will not worship, you will be thrown at once into the fire. And what god is able to save you from my hands?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer to this question. 17 If we are thrown into the fire, our God Whom we serve is able to save us from it. And He will save us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the object of gold that you have set up.” Daniel 3:15-18 NLV

At this response the king became more furious and had the furnace heated seven times hotter. He had the men bound and thrown into the fire.

Pause for a moment and put yourself in their shoes. The words they spoke above were not gracious platitudes; they were the words of men who were willing to die for God. They were facing imminent death, but they refused to bow to anyone but God. Into the furnace they went.

“He said, ‘Look! I see four men loose and walking about in the fire without being hurt! And the fourth one looks like a son of the gods (or the Son of God)!'” Daniel 3:25 NLV

This takes me back to Psalm 23 and what King David said there, perhaps these three young Jewish men had read the writings of David:

“ Yes, even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid of anything, because You are with me. You have a walking stick with which to guide and one with which to help. These comfort me. ” Psalm 23:4 NLV

Seeing that these men were not consumed by the fire he ordered them out of the furnace. The Bible says they weren’t singed and they didn’t even smell like smoke. The king realized that the God they served was truly the Almighty God.

“Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. He has sent His angel and saved His servants who put their trust in Him. They changed the king’s word and were ready to give up their lives instead of serving or worshiping any god except their own God. 29 So I now make a law…For there is no other god who is able to save in this way.” Daniel 3:28-29 NLV

I don’t imagine that any of us will face a fiery furnace but what this tells me is that there is no danger that we will face that God will not go through it with us.

Stand Strong – God is able to save!

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A Spoonful of Sugar

Now I realize that isn’t good medical advice. In fact, quite the opposite. Too much sugar can be detrimental to our health but what Mary Poppins was teaching is that life needs more sweetness – and it does.

We had friends over for dinner on Saturday night and we were all so blessed with the food, the visit and the laughter. Everyone remarked on the laughter and the joy. One of the men made the comment that laughter is one of life’s greatest healers – and it is!

I think people need a good spoonful of medicine today, but good old fashioned Bible medicine.

” Happiness is good medicine, but sorrow is a disease.” Proverbs 17:22 ERV

“If you are cheerful, you feel good; if you are sad, you hurt all over.” Proverbs 17:22 CEV

If we allow ourselves to stay focused on the things in our world, or in our lives that are wrong, evil or contrary, we will be overtaken by the dis-ease of sorrow.

Dis-ease. Now there’s an interesting word. The lack of being at ease. When disease strikes our body, our whole system is ill-at-ease.

But a good dose of the medicine of a merry heart will strengthen us and bring us peace.

“Nehemiah said, ‘Go and enjoy the good food and sweet drinks. Give some food and drinks to those who didn’t prepare any food. Today is a special day to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy of the Lord will make you strong.’” Nehemiah 8:10 ERV

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

Look today not at the circumstances but at our God who changes circumstances and be filled with good medicine.

“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

I pray that God will fill your heart with joy and that you will be healed of dis-ease.

On a side note: Dave and I will be on vacation this week in an area that has very weak cell and internet service so I might not be able to post each day. I am praying that your week will be filled with love and laughter! I love you all.

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Never Underestimate the Impossible

Those are the song lyrics that lulled me to sleep. It was a song that topped the charts in 2002. Here are some of the lyrics:

“Unsinkable ships – sink
Unbreakable walls – break
Sometimes the things you think would never happen
Happen just like that
Unbendable steel – bends
If the fury of the wind is unstoppable
I’ve learned to never underestimate
The impossible”

And with that melody still in my heart this morning I began to think about the impossible things in Scripture.

Noah built a boat to shelter his family from the rain, but it had never rained.

Abraham and Sarah had their first child at ages 90 and 100.

Moses talked to a burning bush that was never consumed and parted the Red Sea with his walking stick.

Joshua saw the walls of Jericho fall flat and all he did was walk around the outside wall for seven days.

David killed a giant with a sling shot and a stone.

Daniel used a lion for a pillow.

Mary, a young virgin, gave birth to a son.

5000 people were fed with five small loaves and two fish.

Water was turned to wine.

Peter walked on water.

Lazarus was raised from the dead.

Jesus ascended to heaven.

“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

You may be facing the impossible. Don’t be deterred; don’t be afraid. Believe God and His word.

“Then this message from the Lord came to Jeremiah: 27 “Jeremiah, I am the Lord. I am the God of every person on the earth. You know that nothing is impossible for me.” Jeremiah 32:26-27 ERV

Our Father is a creator of miracles. Nothing is impossible for Him!

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Life Giving Water

The last two nights we have had a couple of short, hard rains. I’m talking blowing wind, big drops, some thunder and lightning, and it’s over. This desert needs the water.

It seems a little early for the monsoons to start but I’m not complaining. Grateful, yes grateful, for the water. We will soon begin to see signs of new life.

When we first returned to Arizona the house we purchased had been neglected. The front and back yards were a mess; a couple of mesquite trees, a few barrel cactus and two ocotillos. The rest was dry wild grass.

It was those two ocotillo that the Lord used to teach me a spiritual lesson.

They looked dead but we decided to start giving them a little bit of water and see what would happen. Each morning, we would run a slow drip of water on them and by the end of that first week they had little leaves beginning to pop out on what had been dry branches. In a few weeks they were covered in new life and bright orange blossoms were beginning to appear on the end of the branches.

We all go through times when our hearts and emotions are dry. We feel brittle and almost dead inside. What we need is the living water that God’s word supplies and just like those ocotillo we will begin to show signs of new life.

“I will pour water for thirsty people, and streams will flow through the desert. I will pour my Spirit on your children, and I will bless your family. 4 They will sprout like grass in the spring and grow like trees by streams of water.” Isaiah 44:3 ERV

I’m so glad that I didn’t prune the Ocotillo thinking it was dead. My pruning would have killed it for sure.

“I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I to you, you will produce plenty of fruit. But separated from me you won’t be able to do anything. 6 If you don’t stay joined to me, you will be like a branch that has been thrown out and has dried up. All the dead branches like that are gathered up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 Stay joined together with me, and follow my teachings. If you do this, you can ask for anything you want, and it will be given to you. 8 Show that you are my followers by producing much fruit. This will bring honor to my Father.” John 15:5-8 ERV

I’m very glad that I’m not responsible for pruning my life or the life of other believers but it’s the Father, the master gardener, who is responsible to prune our lives. He knows when something is dead and He knows exactly where to cut without causing damage. He also knows when all we need is water, the water of His word, and we will flourish once again.

Are you in a dry place?

Let God’s word water your roots and you’ll begin to flourish once again. He is our source of life-giving water.

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Stay Put

Just a bit of a different take on a verse this morning. I don’t think I’ve ever used a clothing accessory in a teaching before but as they say there’s a first time for everything.

Are you familiar with collar stays?

When I was in high school and would iron my dad’s dress shirts it was important to remember to put the collar stays in place when I was finished. I did the same thing for Dave when we were first married. All the nicer dress shirts came with collar stays. They kept a man’s collar for rolling down; they were stiff, rigid and kept the collar looking freshly pressed. It presented a professional image.

Why am I talking about collar stays and how do they apply to today’s teaching?

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.” Isaiah 26:3-4 NKJV

“The Lord gives perfect peace to those whose faith is firm. 4 So always trust the Lord
because he is forever our mighty rock.” Isaiah 26:3-4 CEV

Stayed – rigid, firm, unbending, like a rock.

Last night I was startled awake at midnight. It was so abrupt that my heart was racing and I was shaken. I laid there for a while trying to calm myself and go back to sleep but I was unsuccessful. I got up and came to the couch and laid down here.

I prayed. Then this verse came to mind, and I could hear the Lord speak into my heart, “Kristi, you need to be stayed”. Along with that admonition came the picture of those silly collar stays.

I needed my mind to be stayed. Focused singularly on the Father and His promise to never leave me or abandon me. He promises to be my rock and my hiding place, my ever present help in time of trouble. I have been told to come boldly into His throne room to find help in time of need.

Yes, stayed on His word.

I wasn’t frightened, I didn’t feel as if I was in danger, but my peace had escaped me. It needed to return.

The Lord and talked for a long time and sleep came.

“3  and you refresh my life. You are true to your name, and you lead me along the right paths.” Psalm 23:3 CEV

I hope this was helpful to you today, I know it was for me. I plan to stay put, with my mind on my Almighty God and loving Father.

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Only One Spirit & One Lord

Now you may think that I get up each morning and do a word search so I can find verses in the Bible with the words follow or lead in them, but I don’t. I do pick up my Bible and say, “Father, show me where you want me to read”. This is where I ended up this morning.

“ My friends, you asked me about spiritual gifts. 2 I want you to remember that before you became followers of the Lord, you were led in all the wrong ways by idols that cannot even talk. 3 Now I want you to know that if you are led by God’s Spirit, you will say that Jesus is Lord, and you will never curse Jesus. 4  There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but they all come from the same Spirit. 5 There are different ways to serve the same Lord, 6 and we can each do different things. Yet the same God works in all of us and helps us in everything we do. 7 The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others.” I Corinthians 12:1-7 CEV

Do you remember the story of Winnie the Pooh?

Frankly I remember it more from the cartoons I watched with my children then from reading it or having it read to me but Winnie the Pooh is one of my favorites.

As I became older, I developed a philosophy that every person can be identified as one of the characters in that story, maybe you’ve even heard me say that. Christopher Robin, Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga & Roo. All very different personalities yet they all work together to bring love & understanding to their world and to accomplish their tasks.

God the Father has written our story with purpose and design, Jesus came to show love to all of us and the Holy Spirit is here to lead us each day.

While some of us act like owl with the gift of administration, others have hospitality like Tigger. Pooh is always encouraging, and Rabbit makes sure everyone has a task to do. Piglet and Roo are there to remind us that we should always reassure those who are younger and inexperienced while Kanga provides the nurturing and love that we all need. And Eeyore reminds us that everyone has fears and self-doubts that we need our friends to help us through.

Instead of looking at those around us and either being jealous of their gifts or critical of them it’s important for us to remember that it is God who gives the gifts, and they are not for our benefit but the benefit of others.

“A body is made up of many parts, and each of them has its own use. 5 That’s how it is with us. There are many of us, but we each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another.

6  God has also given each of us different gifts to use. If we can prophesy, we should do it according to the amount of faith we have. 7 If we can serve others, we should serve. If we can teach, we should teach. 8 If we can encourage others, we should encourage them. If we can give, we should be generous. If we are leaders, we should do our best. If we are good to others, we should do it cheerfully.” Romans 12:4-8 CEV

Who will come across our paths today? Some are there to help us grow and others need our help.

Let the Spirit lead!

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Greener Pastures

Living in rural areas it has been my privilege to see bands of sheep grazing in the fields. Sheep have healthy appetites and so they must be moved to new pastures on a regular basis.

“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…9 I 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 everyone would have life, and have it fully. 11  I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep.” John 10:2-11 CEV

It’s a foolish sheep that would want to stay in a pasture once the grass has been grazed off. It’s a good shepherd who knows when it’s time to move to greener pastures. We had a good shepherd to follow.

“You are my hiding place!  You protect me from trouble, and you put songs in my heart because you have saved me. 8 You said to me, ‘I will point out the road that you should follow. I will be your teacher and watch over you.‘” Psalm 32:7-8 CEV

When we follow Christ, we can trust His leading. This morning, my Bible reading took me to the book of Daniel where I saw something in a new light.

“2  The Lord let Nebuchadnezzar capture Jehoiakim…One day the king ordered Ashpenaz, his highest palace official, to choose some young men from the royal family of Judah and from other leading Jewish families. 4 The king said, ‘They must be healthy, handsome, smart, wise, educated, and fit to serve in the royal palace. Teach them how to speak and write our language 5 and give them the same food and wine that I am served. Train them for three years, and then they can become court officials.’

8 Daniel made up his mind to eat and drink only what God had approved for his people to eat. And he asked the king’s chief official for permission not to eat the food and wine served in the royal palace…17 God made the four young men smart and wise. They read a lot of books and became well educated. Daniel could also tell the meaning of dreams and visions.18 At the end of the three-year period set by King Nebuchadnezzar, his chief palace official brought all the young men to him.19 The king interviewed them and discovered that none of the others were as outstanding as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they were given positions in the royal court.” Daniel 1 CEV

Most of us would not think that being taken into captivity was a leading to greener pastures but for Daniel and his friends it was. God elevated them to a place of authority and influence. He gave them favor and they were respected for their wisdom.

Further reading of the book of Daniel reveals multiple times that Daniel’s dependence on God opened the door for the Lord to do miracles and mighty works, prompting the kings he served to declare God’s might and power.

“King Darius then sent this message to all people of every nation and race in the world: ‘Greetings to all of you! 26 I command everyone in my kingdom to worship and honor the God of Daniel. He is the living God, the one who lives forever. His power and his kingdom
will never end. 27 He rescues people and sets them free by working great miracles.” Daniel 6:25-27 CEV

Even when we feel we have been thrown to the lions, if we are trusting God we will see we are in the greener pastures that He has prepared for us. Our focus should always be on following the Good Shepherd; He leads us to an abundant life.

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Learning to Follow

When I started this topic of following, I didn’t realize that I was going to come across so many verses in my daily reading that would reinforce the magnitude of the subject. When this happens, I know the Lord is wanting me grounded in the subject.

Following isn’t a mindless activity; it is a walk of trust and faith.

By following their mothers, ducklings learn to swim, what to eat, where to nest and where to seek safety. I felt like one of those little ducks this morning as I read these verses in Psalm 27.

“You, Lord, are the light that keeps me safe. I am not afraid of anyone. You protect me, and I have no fears…I ask only one thing, Lord: Let me live in your house every day of my life
to see how wonderful you are and to pray in your temple. 5 In times of trouble, Lord, you will protect me. You will hide me in your tent and keep me safe on top of a mighty rock… 11 Teach me to follow, Lord, and lead me on the right path because of my enemies…14 Trust the Lord! Be brave and strong and trust the Lord.” Psalm 27:1,4,5,11,14 CEV

And those are only a few of the verses in that Psalm. Teach me to follow! Those words were written by David, the shepherd and the king. A week ago I heard a sermon about King David and his kindness. It’s a story I am quite familiar with. When I read the words “Let me live in your house every day of my life to see how wonderful you are” that story immediately came to mind.

David and Jonathan had been best friends; they had made a promise to look out for one another and to provide for each other’s families if something happened to them. Jonathan had died and David went looking to see if any of his children were still living. He learned of a son.

“David asked, “Are you Mephibosheth?” “Yes, I am, Your Majesty.”

7 David said, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll be kind to you because Jonathan was your father. I’m going to give you back the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul. Besides that, you will always eat with me at my table…Mephibosheth was lame, but he lived in Jerusalem and ate at David’s table, just like one of David’s own sons.” II Samuel 9:6-7,13 CEV

We learn how to follow the Lord by living with Him. When we live in His house we see His kindness on a daily basis. We see how He provides for those He loves, for those who His Son loves.

Mephibosheth was given all the rights of a son because of who his father was. In his own right, he wasn’t worthy to be at the king’s table. Neither are we. But our place at the table isn’t dependent on what we have done, it is by God’s grace and His unconditional love.

The words of my heart are these – teach me to follow, Lord, I trust you!

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Leave The Past Behind

Part of following Christ is not looking back. We all have things in our past that we regret and would have done differently.

Let’s look at the Apostle Paul’s writings in I Corinthians 11.

“Follow my example, just as I follow the example of Christ.” I Corinthians 11:1 CEV

Paul tells the church at Corinth to follow him in the same way he is following Christ. This is the same man, Saul, who was persecuting the Christians, who stood at the stoning of Stephen, and was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. This is the man, Paul, who met the Lord on the road to Damascus and was converted, the man who learned from the Holy Spirit in the desert the truth in the Scriptures he had memorized many years earlier and who had now been given a mandate from God to share the truth of the Gospel and the good news of grace with the world.

He called himself the chief sinner.

“Christ Jesus our Lord treated me with undeserved grace and has greatly blessed my life with faith and love just like his own. 15 ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.‘ This saying is true, and it can be trusted. I was the worst sinner of all! 16 But since I was worse than anyone else, God had mercy on me and let me be an example of the endless patience of Christ Jesus. He did this so that others would put their faith in Christ and have eternal life.” I Timothy 1:14-16 CEV

He had learned that following Christ would lead him before the most prominent men of his day and that it would also lead him into the depths of the dungeons, leave him in chains, subject him to beatings and stoning and yet in all things cause him to be victorious as he followed Christ.

In all the persecution, he never harbored a grudge. He loved those who persecuted him and ministered to those who held him captive. His imprisonment wasn’t a detriment but instead it became the solitude that allowed him to write over half of the New Testament. His letters were the instruction and encouragement that the Christians needed and life in prison allowed him to focus on his writings and listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

In Paul’s life as a Christian you don’t find complaint but rather find praise; there isn’t a display of weakness but instead God’s ever enduring strength.

“ I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize. 13 My friends, I don’t feel I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. 14 I run toward the goal, so I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done. 15 All of us who are mature should think in this same way. And if any of you think differently, God will make it clear to you.” Philippians 3:12-15 CEV

We all need to follow Paul’s example. Leave the past behind and follow Christ.

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