Good Friday – Great Day

I’ve been thinking about the significance of this day and my walk with the Lord. Evaluating where I’ve come from and how much farther I still have to go. A Bible teacher I know puts it this way, “I haven’t arrived yet but I’ve left”. He means that he has started on this journey called the Christian life but he hasn’t arrived at full maturity – that’s how I feel.

In fact I was talking about that very thing with my Mom just last night. I told her that I pray that we all change. She gave me a puzzled look and asked, “you think I need to change?”. I think we all need to change, to grow, to continue to mature in our walk with the Lord. None of us is perfect or will be until we get to heaven. That’s the beauty of our walk with Christ; we are all being changed as we allow the Lord to work in us.

I accepted Christ as my Savior when I was a little girl. I grew up loving the Lord but had little or no victory in my life. Seems the favorite saying of the people in our church was “when we get to heaven all of life’s trials and struggles with be worth it”. That is true but…I was tired of getting my teeth kicked in by those trials. There had to be more to my Christian life than I was experiencing! There had to be.

Let’s take a look at the life of Peter. His life was a wonderful example of how mine had been. He was tempestuous, quick to react (right or wrong), wanting to do big things and failing. He walked on the water and sank; he would minister to the sick and then be stopped by a boy’s seizure; he was ready to take on the whole Roman guard to protect Jesus and then denied knowing Him to a servant girl!

Good Friday was not a great day for Peter. He denied knowing his dearest friend, the man he called Lord.

He was up and down, up and down and no real victory UNTIL the day of Pentecost when he was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. After that day, Peter became faith-filled and fearless. He never looked back and he faced every day with the resolve that he would be a witness of the power of God and nothing would stop him from proclaiming the mighty name of Jesus. Beaten over and over, imprisoned, and persecuted he continued moving forward from one victory to the next.

When I saw this miraculous change in Peter, I said “Lord, this is what I want in my life. I want to live in your power and not my own; I want to be a victorious Christian and not one who is plagued with defeat. I want my life to reflect You and not be overcome by the circumstances.” Thank you Jesus – he heard and answered that prayer. I, like millions of other Christians, received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and became filled with God’s power. That was over thirty-five years ago!

Do I still have struggles – you bet. Do I always handle things right – not always. Do I face discouragement – some days it’s a constant battle. Am I victorious – ABSOLUTELY! Jesus said I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me – He’s my strength, He’s the one who carries me when I feel weak and He’s the reason I will live and declare the works of the Lord.

I don’t read God’s Word and serve Him because it’s the right thing to do. I don’t live my life trying to please Him and get His love; I serve Him and follow His word because He loves me so much that it’s almost unfathomable. My faith is in God and Him alone. In His Word I find victory to overcome the world. Following God’s word isn’t so hard when we realize that He is the One with all the answers. We place our faith in Him and He always brings victory!

“We show our love for God by obeying his commandments, and they are not hard to follow. 4 Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory. 5 No one can defeat the world without having faith in Jesus as the Son of God.” I John 5:3-5 ERV

Good Friday – Peter came to the end of himself when he denied the Lord but just a few days later he met the Savior and received complete forgiveness. Jesus has made the same offer to us – come to the end of yourself, accept My forgiveness and walk in My victory!

The actions of Good Friday open the door to a Great New Day!

Hope & Healing

I’d like to build on what I was writing about yesterday, the Good Shepherd. I know I spent several days on Psalm 23 a few weeks back and I hope you were encouraged to know that the Lord, our Shepherd, takes care of us in every circumstance; beside still waters, in green pastures, confronted by our enemies and in the valley of the shadow of death.

Yesterday we were reacquainted with the fact that our Good Shepherd gives His life for us, his sheep.

Jesus taught his disciples about the Father’s love and diligence when he told the story of the Shepherd that had lost a sheep from His flock. He left the whole band and went searching for the one who had strayed. He searched until He found it and then brought it home to safety. That’s what a good shepherd does.

“Let me ask you this. What would you do if you had a hundred sheep and one of them wandered off? Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go look for the one that had wandered away? 13 I am sure that finding it would make you happier than having the ninety-nine that never wandered off. 14 That’s how it is with your Father in heaven. He doesn’t want any of these little ones to be lost.” Matthew 18:12-14

Did you know that sheep learn to recognize their Shepherd’s voice? Just like dogs, cats, horses, etc. they can remember and recognize familiar sounds. The voice of the Shepherd is comforting, soothing, reassuring. Other noises can create anxiety and fear but Shepherd brings peace. Jesus said that we, as His sheep, will hear His voice and follow Him.

“But the man who takes care of the sheep enters through the gate. He is the shepherd. The man who guards the gate opens the gate for the shepherd. And the sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep, using their names, and he leads them out. He brings all of his sheep out. Then he goes ahead of them and leads them. The sheep follow him, because they know his voice.” John 10:2-5 ERV

It’s important that we listen for the Shepherd’s voice. He is always speaking to us; giving us direction, leading us to a place of rest and refreshing, guiding us through the rough places. I had just been reading these verses on hearing and following the Shepherd yesterday morning when I “heard” the Shepherd’s voice through the words of these verses in Psalms.

“Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble. The Lord protects them  and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity in the land  and rescues them from their enemies. The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health.” Psalm 41:1-3 NLT

Reading those verses I recognized the Shepherd’s voice. He says he will rescue us, protect us, keep us alive and restore us to health. What wonderful promises and reassurance during this difficult time! Is it any wonder why I love reading the Bible so much? Every page contains expressions of the Father’s love and protection.

“Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.” Psalm 25:4-5 NLT

As we listen to the voice of the Shepherd (read His word), and follow Him. He will lead and protect. In Him we have hope and healing.

Keep the Power On

We have two lamps in our home on timer switches. The one in my office comes on at 3:30 each morning. The one in the living room comes on at 4:30. I depend on these lamps – they light the room as I sit at my computer every morning and share my thoughts with you. One illuminates the area around my chair and the adjacent tabletop where I do my Bible reading and the other beams with a warm glow of welcome to the day.

It’s important for me to keep the power on.

Sometimes when we have overnight guests the lamps, inadvertently, get turned off. We try to make sure and tell everyone not to turn them off, “they will go off automatically”. Occasionally those words are forgotten and the lights go out when the last person heads to bed. We sleep the night in peaceful slumber but in the morning, at the anticipated time, there is no light. The lamp has lost its connection with its source of power.

Over the last few weeks I feel that many in our country and around the world have also experienced at power disconnect. Worry and anxiety have caused a power outage. Things have gone black in many hearts and homes. People have begun to stumble and emotions have fallen. It seems there is very little light at the end of the tunnel. It’s up to us to encourage them.

It’s up to us to keep the power on.

“That is why I want you to remember the gift God gave you. God gave you that gift when I laid my hands on you. Now I want you to use that gift and let it grow more and more, like a small flame grows into a fire. The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control.” II Timothy 1:6-7 ERV

We have all been given specific gifts from God; some of us love to help others, some have a deep and enduring compassion, some bring joy, others teach and encourage, while others have an ability to provide strong leadership. Whatever the gift we’ve been given we need to utilize the power, love and self-control that God’s Spirit has placed within us.

Jesus said that we should be lights to the world. God has placed His light within us and its purpose is much like the brilliant beam of a light house. The light that shines from us helps direct others to a place of safety; it guides them through the trouble waters and keeps them off the rocks.

“You are the light that shines for the world to see. You are like a city built on a hill that cannot be hidden. 15 People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 ERV

Even with our social distancing we can still give light to our family, friends and neighbors. Be a beacon of God’s amazing love and comfort. Shine brightly with encouragement and kindness, direct others to the safety and protection that we find in the Lord. Don’t let worry and fear turn off the power.

Keep the power on!

We Need Bigger Buts

We spent most of yesterday in the dermatologist’s office. I knew we would be a while so I took my Bible, a book and my ear buds. There were some video messages I want to catch up on. Two of my favorite Bible teachers, Andrew Wommack and Max Lucado, had sent out short teachings and I really wanted to hear what they had to say.

The one that Max Lucado sent reminded me of a message I have taught many times through the years and so this morning I am sharing it with you.

We need bigger buts!

Yes, you read that right. The word “But” is used to connect ideas that contrast. The world presents us with facts but God’s word gives us truth. Truth can and will alter the way we perceive the facts. That’s why we swear an oath in court to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Let’s look at what the Apostle Paul says about adverse circumstances:

“God once said, “Let light shine out of the darkness!” And this is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts to let us know that his own divine greatness is seen in the face of Christ.

We have this treasure from God, but we are only like clay jars that hold the treasure. This is to show that the amazing power we have is from God, not from us. We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We often don’t know what to do, but we don’t give up. We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed.” II Corinthians 4:6-9 ERV (emphasis mine)

Paul had some pretty big buts in those four verses. The circumstances he faced were life threatening – stoning, ship wreck, beatings, imprisonment, snake bites. BUT he knew God would never abandon him.

*Our world is in the midst of a viral crisis BUT God…heals all my diseases (Ps. 103:3 NLT)

*Finances may be effected BUT My God will use his glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19 ERV)

*Physical strength has come to an end and we don’t think we can go on BUT Christ gives me the strength to face anything. (Philippians 4:13 CEV)

*We’re scared and don’t know what to do BUT God, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you. So trust the Lord always, because in the Lord Yah you have a place of safety forever. (Isaiah 26:3-4 ERV)

There is absolutely nothing that we will face in this life that God hasn’t given us an answer for. This is one time when it’s appropriate to say “does this crisis make my but look big?”.

The bigger, the better!

Word Search Challenge

While we are practicing our social distancing I have a way for us to pass the time. If you’re like me, you are probably tired of sitting on the couch. Don’t want to watch television, have seen enough movies and news.

I really enjoy “hidden object” games. Looking for things that are hidden and then remembering them for the next time you come back to that scene – it’s a real challenge and something I just like to do. But my all time favorite is Word Search. It’s a great way to improve your vocabulary and keep your mind alert. It was also one of my Dad’s favorites.

I also enjoy another kind of word search and I do it every morning.

When I first really got turned on to God’s word I began using it like my own personal hidden message from heaven. My goodness, that’s been over 40 years ago now. I had been raised in church all my life but never really got in and studied the Word for myself. You know, you go to church and listen to the minister or Sunday School teacher and you just accept what they say and never really give much thought to it the rest of the week.

But after we saw God do a miracle and heal our son, we started searching to find out what the Word said to us and how it would impact our daily lives. I remember so clearly sitting down at our kitchen table with our Bibles, a Strong’s concordance and a legal pad. We began to search out different words and how they had been used throughout the Bible. We would read a verse and then the verses before and after to make sure we saw things in their proper context. The search was on!

We asked the Lord for understanding of His Word and He gave it to us. One Scripture that I had always heard took on new meaning. I had always heard the verses “Eye hath not seen or ear heard what has entered into the heart of God and that no one can know God’s thoughts” but in reading, truly searching the Scripture with the Holy Spirit guiding, I found that there was more to that verse than how it had always been quoted.
“We teach wisdom to people who are mature, but the wisdom we teach is not from this world. It is not the wisdom of the rulers of this world, who are losing their power. 7 But we speak God’s secret wisdom that has been hidden from everyone until now. God planned this wisdom for our glory. He planned it before the world began. 8 None of the rulers of this world understood this wisdom. If they had understood it, they would not have killed our great and glorious Lord on a cross. 9 But as the Scriptures say,
“No one has ever seen, no one has ever heard, no one has ever imagined
what God has prepared for those who love him.”
10 But God has shown us these things through the Spirit. The Spirit knows all things. The Spirit even knows the deep secrets of God. 11 It is like this: No one knows the thoughts that another person has. Only the person’s spirit that lives inside knows those thoughts. It is the same with God. No one knows God’s thoughts except God’s Spirit. 12 We received the Spirit that is from God, not the spirit of the world. We received God’s Spirit so that we can know all that God has given us.”
I Corinthians 2:6-12 ERV

What had been left out was the part about the Holy Spirit knowing God’s thoughts and He would give us the ability to KNOW all that God has for us. WOW!!! Talk about Hidden Treasures – we had a whole book of God’s thoughts right before us and all we had to do was search them out.

There is also this written by the prophet Jeremiah “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.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 ERV

Let me encourage you today to start your own “word search”. This one isn’t a game, it’s life, peace and joy. The verse above says we search with all our heart and then King Solomon gave instruction this way “The LORD is the source of wisdom; knowledge and understanding come from his mouth. 7 He gives good advice to honest people and shields those who do what is right. 8 He makes sure that people are treated fairly. He watches over his loyal followers. 9 If you listen to him, you will understand what is just and fair and how to do what is right. 10 You will gain wisdom, and knowledge will bring you joy. 11 Planning ahead will protect you, and understanding will guard you.” Proverbs 2:6-11. ERV

I didn’t have a photographic memory so I would write the verses that really spoke to me on an index card and I kept that in my back pocket until my bundle of verses got too big and then I put them in my purse, glove box and on the tractor so that I always had them close at hand until they were in my heart.

What is your quest? Do you need to search for peace, safety, joy? You’ll find them all in the “word search”. May I suggest you use the Biblegateway.com app? It has a wide variety of translations to make the Bible easier to understand.

God’s word will change your life!

Very Much

Not sure what it was that triggered in my brain yesterday but I got to thinking about this phrase, “I love you very much.”

Does that mean that I didn’t love you as much as I love you now? Or does it mean that if you act differently than I like that I will love you less? If you can’t give me what I need or aren’t considerate of my feelings will I will “fall” out of love with you or love you less?

All of these are things to consider but now consider this, God has never put degrees or conditions on His love for us!

Plain and simple. He loved us when we were sinners; He loved us when we didn’t love Him; His love never fails; He thinks the best of us; He doesn’t hold a grudge. He will never not love us! Even when we reject, ignore, disappoint and deny Him, His love never fails!

He is always willing to say “I love you with my whole heart” and He means it. His love amazes me!

” Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. 5 Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.

8 Love will never end.” I Corinthians 13:4-8 ERV

When things are scary and leave you worried God is there to say “I love you. I will take care of this. You can trust me.”

“God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.” I Peter 5:7 CEV

Father, Thank you for loving me without measure. Show me how to love in that same way.

Choose Joy & Pray

Our President has called today, March 15, as a National Day of Prayer. I whole heartedly concur. Pastors all across our nation will be leading their members in a time of prayer, either in small church gatherings or on-line. What a great way to spend the day!

Last night, we watched our pastor on-line, heard a wonderful message from God’s word and joined in prayer. Today I know I will find myself listening to other pastors and joining my heart with those who are listening.

Over the last few days I have found many places where God’s word encourages us during times of trouble.

“He will protect me when I am in danger.  He will hide me in his tent. He will take me up to his place of safety. If he will help me defeat the enemies around me, I will offer sacrifices in his tent with shouts of joy. I will sing and play songs to honor the Lord.” Psalm 27:5-6 ERV

“The Lord watches over his followers, those who wait for him to show his faithful love.
19 He saves them from death.  He gives them strength when they are hungry. 20 So we will wait for the Lord. He helps us and protects us. 21 He makes us happy.  We trust his holy name. 22 Lord, we worship you, so show your great love for us.” Psalm 33:18-22 ERV

“I went to the Lord for help, and he listened. He saved me from all that I fear. If you look to him for help, he will put a smile on your face. You will have no need to be ashamed. As a poor, helpless man I prayed to the Lord,  and he heard me. He saved me from all my troubles. The Lord’s angel builds a camp around his followers,  and he protects them. Give the Lord a chance to show you how good he is. Great blessings belong to those who depend on him!” Psalm 34:4-8 ERV

Did you notice these words in those verses – Joy – Happy – Smile? When we are trusting God we can have joy in even the worst circumstances. I have one more verse to share with you before I close.

“A cheerful heart is good medicine,  but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Proverbs 17:22 NLT

Today is a good day for taking the medicine of a cheerful heart! Open wide, swallow big and repeat as often as needed. No adverse side effects.

Trust God! Choose Joy! Pray!

My Anchor Holds

What do we do when the seas of life start getting rough? Do we abandon ship? I hope not.

There are so many things that can shake us to the core; dangerous circumstances, loss of a loved one, financial crisis, relationship issues. So many things. Jesus answered each and everyone with the same words, fear not!

He said that to the man whose daughter was at the brink of death. Fear not was his command to his apostles on the stormy sea. He told Peter to go fishing when he needed to get the money to pay Caesar’s taxes. And when He was about to be crucified His command to his disciples was “Don’t worry”!

I once heard a sermon on rattlesnakes. The preacher asked what we would do if someone came to our door with a box of rattlers. The answer, of course, was not to let them in. He went on to say that worry, fear and anxiety are more deadly than that box of snakes. So, when those things come to plague us we shouldn’t let them in.

How do we keep them out; the thoughts of worry and fear?

We put God’s word at the door of our heart and mind and stop those thoughts from entering. We keep focused on God’s promises. Max Lucado, teacher and author, has coined a wonderful phrase, “Because God’s promises are unbreakable our hope is unshakable!”.

Hope!

“God cannot tell lies! And so his promises and vows are two things that can never be changed. We have run to God for safety. Now his promises should greatly encourage us to take hold of the hope that is right in front of us. 19 This hope is like a firm and steady anchor for our souls. In fact, hope reaches behind the curtain and into the most holy place.” Hebrews 6:18-19 CEV

Our hope in God’s promises will be the anchor that we need as we face life’s challenges. None of us are promised a life of only smooth seas and prevailing winds. When the storms come we can be assured that our anchor holds firm and that the One who said “Peace, be still” is right beside us in the boat.

We must find God’s promises and place our anchor there. Our hope in Him will hold us secure.

A Warm Fire

Have you ever been in the desert on a cold clear night? How about in the desert on a hot blazing day? I have found that the desert is a formidable environment, much more so than the cold mountains.

In Montana we faced some -35 degree temperatures in the winter but in Arizona we have lived through many 110+ degree days. Two things were always welcomed, a good shade and a warm fire.

When I read my Bible I put myself in the story and look around at the terrain, the people, the circumstances. Many years ago I was reading in the book of Exodus and there I saw God’s faithfulness. It was right here in this verse.

“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.” Exodus 13:21-22 KJV

Do you see God’s faithfulness? It’s right there in the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire. The one thing you need in the desert in the day time is shade and the thing you really need at night is warmth. God provided both.

God told Moses that His name is I AM. I AM your shade and I AM your warmth. Our loving heavenly Father is in the details. He was also I AM your compass or GPS, “follow the cloud and I will not recalculate”. God had the “cloud” before the internet.

This was a big cloud. He was able to keep all the people covered, over 600,000. He is the same loving God today and He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. We won’t be abandoned physically, emotionally or spiritually. The Lord provides a covering for us in all areas of our life.

“Don’t be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I’m fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6 MSG

Some people get hung up on the “be free from the love of money” aspect of this verse and think that God doesn’t want us to have anything. To the contrary, He wants us focused on Him, He is the giver of every good and perfect gift, He is I AM; so with His promise to never leave us or abandon us we will be well supplied.

The Israelites needed warmth and shade. We may need peace and joy, strength and health, forgiveness and love, prosperity and protection, wisdom and favor. Whatever it is, our God is still the I AM who provides for all our needs.

Stay under the cloud of His provision. It is the shade and warmth we need.

Oceans of Love

Not everyone enjoys celebrating Valentine’s Day. We need to try and make the day a little easier, a little brighter for them.

Some have been betrayed by someone who said they loved them. That kind of betrayal brings a deep kind of hurt. Some have been hurt too many times in life and have no desire to go on. While others have lost the love of their life to death.

I’m sorry, truly sorry, for those who have experienced this kind of pain.

Jesus knows that kind of hurt too. He experienced the worst from those He loved and His heart broke when He lost someone he loved to death. He was betrayed, despised, rejected and abandoned. He experienced these things while in His earthly body so He could be a comfort to us.

“He heals those who have a broken heart. He heals their sorrows. ” Psalm 147:3 NLT

He promises to never leave us, never forsake us! He has promised to heal the broken hearted! If you’re having a hard time with Valentine’s Day, go to Him. Give Jesus your heart and let Him bring healing and wholeness. Then celebrate the day with your forever Valentine.

“The Spirit of the Lord God has taken control of me! The Lord has chosen and sent me to tell the oppressed the good news, to heal the brokenhearted, and to announce freedom for prisoners and captives. 2 This is the year when the Lord God will show kindness to us and punish our enemies. The Lord has sent me to comfort those who mourn” Isaiah 61:1-2 CEV

Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. God’s love is big enough for all of us. It is a deep and wide as the oceans and it will never run dry.

“I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. 18 And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.” Ephesians 3:17-19 ERV

Happy Valentine’s Day!