Category: Confidence

Posted on

A Winner!

Going to talk about exercise for a bit this morning. When we first realize that we “need” to exercise it’s never pleasant. Accepting that we are out of shape and not as healthy as you should be is the first step. When we were kids it was called recess and it was fun but now that we are adults if just seems like work.

The first few days we have a real commitment or at least that’s what we tell ourselves. But then comes day 7 or 8; and it becomes harder to stay committed to the goal. Our muscles hurt, we’re not seeing any results yet, we start making excuses and when we do that we are on your way to failure. I know, I’ve failed many times.

Never once do I ever remember moaning and groaning about going out to recess. There were a number of times that I had to sit on the sidewalk, next to the teacher and miss recess. It was horrible, I wanted to be out playing (ssh, exercising).

Now think back to our childhood days exercise wasn’t a bad word, it was called fun. To be outside with our buddies playing ball, running through the yard playing tag or football. Going hiking to our favorite fishing spot or walking the mile to the swimming pool in the afternoon heat (my personal favorite). It was fun and we were in shape.

Of course you know this is going to have a spiritual correlation.

When we face trials and temptations it is an opportunity to exercise our faith. James tells us to count it joy because we will be developed and end up lacking nothing.

“My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. 3 You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested. 4 But you must learn to endure everything, so that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything.” James 1:2-4 CEV

Facing trials is like building muscle. At first, we see little victories but then to continue to develop a muscle we must increase the weigh, the repetition or both. In walking with the Lord, we’re never left to do this on our own.. We have a great coach who is with us every step. Under His direction and inspiration we come out the winner.

“13 You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations.” I Corinthians 10:13 CEV

Jesus knows what this is all about because He went through every temptation we experience while he was here on earth. Who better to coach us than someone whose been there, done that and emerged as the Champion of Champions!

“We have a great high priest who has gone to live with God in heaven. He is Jesus the Son of God. So let us continue to express our faith in him. 15 Jesus, our high priest, is able to understand our weaknesses. When Jesus lived on earth, he was tempted in every way. He was tempted in the same ways we are tempted, but he never sinned. 16 With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:14-16 ERV

Thank you Lord for coaching me through life and providing all the help I need to develop and finish a winner!

Time for recess!

Posted on

Who Am I?

Some days I have to determine who I need to be. What role requires my attention? Mother, wife, sister, daughter, neighbor, friend. Will I be a quiet listener and observe life around me or will I be an active participant? Will I be self serving or generous and kind? At one point in time I have been all of these and sometimes I have been them all in the same day.

That’s why it’s so important that I start each day in God’s word, reminding myself who He says I am.

Well, this morning I would like to invite you to step into a Bible story and assume a role. You need to choose one of the characters that you indentify with and play the part as we read the verses. The characters; a social outcast, a debutante, an ambitious CFO, a leading CEO and an ambitious type A personality.

Have you chosen your character? Now let’s read the story line.

“Six days before the Passover festival, Jesus went to Bethany. That is where Lazarus lived, the man Jesus raised from death. 2 There they had a dinner for Jesus. Martha served the food, and Lazarus was one of the people eating with Jesus. 3 Mary brought in a pint of expensive perfume made of pure nard. She poured the perfume on Jesus’ feet. Then she wiped his feet with her hair. And the sweet smell from the perfume filled the whole house.

4 Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ followers, was there—the one who would later hand Jesus over to his enemies. Judas said, 5 “That perfume was worth a full year’s pay. It should have been sold, and the money should have been given to the poor people.” 6 But Judas did not really care about the poor. He said this because he was a thief. He was the one who kept the moneybag for the group of followers. And he often stole money from the bag.

7 Jesus answered, “Don’t stop her. It was right for her to save this perfume for today—the day for me to be prepared for burial. 8 You will always have those who are poor with you. But you will not always have me.” John 12:1-8 ERV

Jesus knew all of these people well. Three of them were some of his closest friends and the fourth was one of his inner circle. It’s very encouraging to me that Jesus didn’t choose the polished, the refined, the proper when he chose his disciples and his friends. The people around him were flawed, egotistical and others lacked confidence, common and prone to mistakes.

Let’s look at the characters; social outcast – Jesus, debutante – Mary, CFO – Judas, CEO – Lazarus, and type A – Martha. Do you want to change the one you decided to portray?

A few chapters before this Jesus had talked to Mary about being too busy to sit at his feet and hear his words. We find her doing the same thing here. Busy working when she should have been focused on Jesus and what he was saying, after all, he had just raised her brother from the dead a few days earlier.

Now Mary, an unmarried woman (I assume), she was devoted to Jesus and loved to be close and hear his words. She was thrilled that he had brought her brother back to life and was showing her devotion and worship to the Lord in the most impractical way. She broke a bottle of expensive perfume on Jesus feet and wiped them with her hair. In that day, a woman’s hair was her crowing glory and this showed her complete humility and gratitude. It would also bring her ridicule in the community.

The CEO, Lazarus, sat quietly throughout the dinner. His love and gratitude of his Savior compelled him to open his house for a dinner. A dinner to honor the Son of Man who had given him life.

Our CFO, Judas, one of Jesus disciples was a crook. He hid it well but a crook all the same. His only concern was for financial gain. Jesus knew that Judas would betray him for financial gain. This night his protest was “for the poor”. Oh, it sounded good but he wasn’t concerned for the poor but only for the finances that might have been available to him if the perfume had been sold.

Our social outcast is Jesus. Hated by the elite of society and religion, he continued to do the works that his Father sent him to do. He loved people. He continued to minister healing, forgiveness and restoration to all. It cost Him his life.

Sadly, I have played the role of each of our characters; I have been ambitious for financial gain, an overachiever driven by work and less by worship, a silent but grateful recepient of salvation and a demonstrative admirer who willingly gave up reputation to worship the Lord.

In each and every role that I have played Jesus has been there to love me through it – love me into being who He desires me to be. The key is to identify ourselves, make no excuse for our failings and allow Him to change us, to use us and to empower us by His unconditional love.

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. ” II Corinthians 5:17 CEV

I have a new role to play, I am a new person in Christ. To God be the glory!

Posted on

The Doors Are Open

I grew up in the historic town of Yuma, AZ. Up on the hill, over looking the Colorado River is the Yuma Territorial Prison. It was a famous place in the Old West. It’s made of adobe bricks and iron bars, a horrible place. It has been referred to as the Hell Hole because of the extreme summer temperatures. Men have died in those cells from exposure to the heat.

While we lived in Montana we visited the prison at Deer Lodge. It too was an awful place. The winters there are bitterly cold, just the opposite of the horrible Arizona summers.

Why all this talk of prisons you ask? Not very uplifting or encouraging, not the way you were hoping to start your morning. I wanted you to have an idea of what I see and imagine when I read the different accounts of Peter, Paul, Silas, John and the others in the Bible who were imprisoned for their faith. Often times, they were beaten and chained in dark, damp, dirty cells with no ventilation or sanitary conditions. Imprisoned for nothing more than telling people about Jesus.

That’s where I found myself this morning. I was in prison with Peter.

“About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. 2 He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. 3 When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.) 4 Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. 5 But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.

Please note that last phrase, “The church prayed very earnestly for him”. We, as Christians, should be spending more time praying earnestly for those who are chained to situations and experiences beyond their control. It could be they are held fast by habits or addictions. It’s possible that they are in real prisons, behind real bars. They might be imprisoned to their past, filled with regrets and disappointments. A hospital bed or medical diagnosis may have someone you love chained to fear. In each and every case, we can and should pray earnestly for them.

“6 The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. 7 Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. 8 Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered.”

I love this account of Peter. One of his dear friends had just been beheaded. He was chained and awaiting trial but he was at peace. He was in such a sound sleep that the angel actually had to roust him to wake him.

And how deep was the sleep of the guards? Chains falling off, Peter bumping around finding his shoes and his coat, getting dressed by angel light and the guards didn’t wake up. These were men who were trained to be alert, always on the ready.

“9 So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. 10 They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him.

11 Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!”

Peter was convinced it was all a dream! It wasn’t until he was through the open doors and in the street that he realized the Lord had done a miracle and set him free.

“12 When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer. 13 He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!”

15 “You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.”

Peter heads to the house of a friend. There had been a group of friends praying for him. We know from other times when the Apostles had been sent to prison that they prayed for boldness and protection. I imagine this prayer meeting was similar to those. Here’s Peter, knocking at the gate and they think it’s his ghost.

“16 Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. 17 He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place.” Acts 12:1-17 NLT

They had been praying, however, they were amazed at the result! We probably do that more often than we’d like to admit. We pray about something and then when we see the way the Lord answers our prayer we are amazed.

Our prayers can be used by God. When we pray we should expect to see things change. Prayer isn’t just a religious activity or ritual. Our prayers are powerful. So when the Lord puts someone or something on our heart let’s be quick to pray. We never know what doors will be opened.

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 NLT

Posted on

God Never Sleeps

We came to the Phoenix area yesterday. Spent a few hours in the afternoon with our youngest daughter and our two small grandchildren. Then on to our oldest daughter’s where we spent the night. We’re in Phoenix because I will be speaking at a church luncheon today. What a privilege!

In the middle of all this, we are on baby watch. Our fifth grandchild can be born at any time. Last night Sam and Kristine joined us for an impromptu sleep over. About a year ago I shared a teaching on Mother’s Sleep. You know that sleep mothers have where you never fall into a deep sleep but are always listening for a cry, a call, a cough or a breath. Well, last night I was doing that again. Listening through the night to make sure Sam and Kristine had settled in and were sleeping well.

That’s how the Father is with us. Always attentive, always listening for our call. He never sleeps but is always watching over us.

“He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. 4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel  never slumbers or sleeps. 5 The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.” Psalm 121:3-5 NLT

The attentiveness that we as parents and grandparents show to our children can’t even begin to compare with the Father’s watchfulness to us.

Thank you Father that you never sleep or slumber!

Posted on

In God We Trust

Watching the nightly news can either make you cynical, fearful or it can be an opportunity to build your faith. There seems to be very little truth but instead truth is replaced with speculation, accusation and fabrication. No wonder the Bible says that in the last days men’s hearts will fail them for fear!

“And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. 26 People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. 28 So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” Luke 21:25-28 NLT

We are to put more value and trust in God’s word than that of the news commentators, the financial experts, the medical elite and the military strategists. Trust the one who knows the beginning from the end. Trust the one who knows the number of hairs on your head and sees a sparrow when it falls.

Everyone of us have a Bible in our pocket or our purse; it is small, round and shiny. We should take it out and read it – read it several times each time and remind ourselves “In God We Trust”.

“If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us. 32 He even let his own Son suffer for us. God gave his Son for all of us. So now with Jesus, God will surely give us all things. 33 Who can accuse the people God has chosen? No one! God is the one who makes them right. 34 Who can say that God’s people are guilty? No one! Christ Jesus died for us, but that is not all. He was also raised from death. And now he is at God’s right side, speaking to him for us. 35 Can anything separate us from Christ’s love? Can trouble or problems or persecution separate us from his love? If we have no food or clothes or face danger or even death, will that separate us from his love? 36 As the Scriptures say,

“For you we are in danger of death all the time.
People think we are worth no more than sheep to be killed.”

37 But in all these troubles we have complete victory through God, who has shown his love for us. 38-39 Yes, I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not death, life, angels, or ruling spirits. I am sure that nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us or nothing below us—nothing in the whole created world—will ever be able to separate us from the love God has shown us in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31-39 ERV

There is such an enormous effort being made to silence the teaching of godly principles, Christian morals and faith in Christ. Without God’s word people lose hope, fear prevails and deception runs unchecked. With God’s word we find hope, courage and truth.

Let God’s word be our final authority!

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will not pass away.” Luke 21:33 NLV

In God We Trust!

Posted on

Full of Confidence

I’ve always been an optimist. Never really seen things half empty, have looked at the best in people and the situations that I find myself in. I believe that God the Father and Jesus were/are the ultimate optimists! They see us as new creatures in Christ – we are forgiven, sins blotted out and created in their image.

It is vital to our daily walk with the Lord to see ourselves in the same way as God, the Father, sees us. Without that understanding we will be void of boldness. Look at these verses today and see the fullness that God has blessed us with.

“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

So many battle with insecurity and timidity. These verses are part of Paul’s prayer for the Christians at Colossae and so it is a prayer for us as well. It’s for Christians of every generation and all around the world.

“I want them to be strengthened and joined together with love and to have the full confidence that comes from understanding. I want them to know completely the secret truth that God has made known. That truth is Christ himself.” Colossians 2:2 ERV

“And we have a great priest who rules the house of God. 22 Sprinkled with the blood of Christ, our hearts have been made free from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. So come near to God with a sincere heart, full of confidence because of our faith in Christ. 23 We must hold on to the hope we have, never hesitating to tell people about it. We can trust God to do what he promised.” Hebrews 10:21-23 ERV

God welcomes us into His presence, not as beggars, but as His children. We come to Him with confidence because of what Christ has done on our behalf. We should never be held back by a guilty conscience that focuses on our actions, our sins are forgiven and so we have confidence in His grace and forgiveness.

Abraham was a man who had walked with the Lord for many years. God had blessed him greatly however, there was one promise that God made that hadn’t been fulfilled yet. Abraham waited to see that promise, the birth of his son, fulfilled for twenty-five years. Abraham was confident that God was able to keep His promises and we need to be too.

“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 4:20-21 CEV

We can be fully persuaded, full of confidence, full of faith, full of hope because we are complete in Christ!

Privacy Policy Proudly powered by WordPress