Friends' Favorites - Don't Forget

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.
Psalm 103:1-2 NLT

I love using sticky notes. I think I may be personally responsible for keeping that company in business. And another whole multi-million dollar industry has been built around teaching us to improve our memory. They instruct us to repeat something several times immediately to get it into our brain - to mentally "write" it down. Say it aloud again and again. Burn it into the brain. Write it down on something we can see throughout the day and we won't lose it.

It seems the older I get, the more I forget. I don't mean to, I don't want to, but I do. If I don't write it down, it's a goner...and I'd better write it down where I can find it. And just in case you don't know this - life is too short to waste money on cheap sticky notes - especially if you expect them to actually stick. How many of us have ever written a number or name or important something on our hand so we didn't forget? You can be relatively certain THAT note won't disappear.

Has God ever done something for you and you've forgotten? We think we won't, but we do. Someone reminds us, "Remember when God did such-and-such for you?" And we reply, "Oh, yeah! I forgot about that..." What are some of the things He has done for us? We have only to look in the next few verses of our text for today. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.

David wrote it down - Let ALL that I am... with my WHOLE heart... Speaking of which, Deuteronomy 6:5-6 tells us, And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Then you know what it says? The Old Testament equivalent to today: verse 7; Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Don't forget!

Prayer:

Father,
We are fearfully and wonderfully made! You are amazing! Science, with all its intelligence and technology, cannot do what You do by speaking Your Words and the world into existence. You are the Creator. We stand amazed. Father, teach us how to love You with  all our heart, with all our soul - which is our mind, will and emotions - and with all our strength. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Please pray

My computer has flashed the blue screen of death, and I am trying to resuscitate it... Please pray that I am successful.

Easy for You to Say

And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
1st John 2:3-6 NLT

Oh, the things we say we love - that song! That color! I love that movie! That TV show! Popcorn! I love the beach! The mountains! Ice cream! I love that guy (an actor or someone else we don't know) or I do NOT love him (or her)! You get the picture. 

What does that love mean? How is it defined? It's not deep. It's not truly meaningful. It doesn't cost anything. It's easy.

It's NOT the love that God has called us to. It's NOT the love by which the world will know that we are Christ followers. It's not world-changing. It doesn't save lives. It doesn't require a personal investment of any kind. It doesn't take time or energy. There's no blood, sweat or tears involved at all.

We are called to love as Christ loved and gave Himself as a ransom for us. It's easy to look a friend or family member in the eye and say that they must walk in love. Yes, that's easy for you to say. It's a whole 'nother story when we are to live our lives as Jesus did. That's real love and it will cost you everything.

Prayer:

Father,
            We pray the words from the old song, "I'm going to live the way You want me to live. I'm going to give until there's just no more to give. I'm going to love, love till there's just no more love. I could never, never outlove You, Lord." We cannot do it without You, Father. Give us Your grace and Your strength to do exactly that. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

A Prosperous Soul

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
3rd John 2

We pray for healing and finances, but how many of us pray for our soul to prosper? Here it is in black and white - the Truth of God's Word. Financial and physical health are conditional to the health and prosperity of our soul.

Understanding this truth should shift our focus to make spiritual growth our priority. In Matthew 6:31-33, Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." [emphasis mine]

This is NOT about gathering wealth and riches... at least, not by the world's standards. However, we will be rich beyond measure when we gather the gold of God's Word.

Spend time in His Word. Help others. Pray. Serve. Give. Forgive. Love. Prosper.

Prayer:

Father,
           Open our eyes to see true wealth, to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also. We want to be found in You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen  

I'd Rather Have Jesus by Selah

Stirred, NOT Shaken

All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their sacred offerings to the Lord.
Exodus 35:21a NLT

Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
Psalm 55:22

In our younger years, my oldest brother, Ron, really liked James Bond movies. It was from one of those films that the phrase, "Shaken, not stirred" became famous. One of those random thoughts; stuck in the back of my mind. When I read our text for today, I was reminded of it, but immediately laughed at how God is so opposite of the world.

From the world's point of view, James Bond has always been portrayed as debonair, resourceful, and somehow always successful in getting the job done. Yet, he doesn't have friends and seems to have no clue how to build and keep a lasting, meaningful relationship. Shaken, not stirred could be his motto in life, not just how he orders a martini.

What I love about God is that He promises we will never be shaken, and He's not a man so He could not and would not lie about it (Numbers 23:19). Even in our deepest, darkest sin, when God reaches out to us - like He did the Israelites after the golden calf fiasco - His love reaches so much deeper that our hearts are stirred. Our spirits are moved. We want to give.

In this life filled with chaos and crazy, I choose God's way - Stirred, NOT Shaken. How about you? 

Prayer:

Father,

         Open our spiritual eyes that we may see Your fingerprints all over our lives. Take what satan meant to shake us and make it an anchor for our soul in You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

The Best Laid Plans...

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
James 4:14-15 NIV

My plan was to go on vacation and while away, re-post some of my favorite previously-written promises. That obviously didn't happen. My sister lives so far out in the country that I knew before I went that my phone wouldn't work because a special booster is needed out there to catch a signal. I didn't think it would be an issue - my sister may live in the country, but she is very much a 21st-Century techie. She has a booster and all the gadgets. However, the main line to connect her was disrupted, so we were literally out of reach - no phone, no computer, no TV. It was eye-opening, to say the least.

We floundered for a few days - not knowing what to do with ourselves. All the plans we had made relied heavily on the computer... which we didn't have. We learned quick, fast and in a hurry just how much we rely on technology. I've heard it said if you want to make God laugh, tell Him what YOUR plans are.

It was a sweet time of being together. We reminisced about times that - looking back - we could so clearly see God's hand of protection and how He preserved our lives. And we rejoiced and gave Him thanks all over again.

We had lunch with a dear saint - a mighty, warrior woman of God - and sat enthralled to hear how God has sustained and strengthened her in the loss of her husband. How much more intimate her relationship with the Lord has become since. The promises being fulfilled of their extended generations who are following Christ and serving in the church.

And we were reminded, just as God assured His people Israel when they were taken into captivity in Babylon, it may not work out the way we planned, but if God is in it, it is GOOD. Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

HIS plans ARE the best laid plans.

Prayer:

Father,

Thank You that Your thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours. Thank You for loving us enough to mess up our finite plans in order to get our attention. Draw our hearts and minds closer to You, Lord. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Vacation Week- Reposting some favorites

Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing.
Luke 10:39-40 NLT

And reading the text, all the "Marthas" groan, collectively. Relax. I'm not here to beat you up or down. I just was thinking this morning of how many conversations I've heard this week that contained the words, "I have to..."

I have to complete this project. I have to get this out the door by... I have to pick up... I have to drop off... I have to go... I have to come in... I have to take... I have to give... I have to... I have to... and all of it with an underlying tone of stress. As if the things that had to be done weren't enough, then there were the...if this happens, then I have to do that... if that happens, then I have to... Sound familiar?

We all do it. subtle satan at his best or worst, depending how you look at it...

In this present time, where we're all trying to be king and queen of the multi-taskers and how much we can get and / or get accomplished, and how we're going to keep it - Jesus' words still hold true. Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.

What do you have to..?

Prayer:

Father,
          I want to sit at Your feet. I want to soak in Your Words. I want to bask in Your presence. I have to! Keep me focused, Father. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

To the "Endth" Degree

He [Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
1st John 2:2 ESV

I know the true expression is actually 'to the nth degree'... meaning to the absolute most. Limitless. Immeasurable. Unfathomable. 

According to www.dictionary.com, the expression 'to the nth degree' comes from mathematics, where to the nth means “to any required power” (n standing for any number). 

When I read our Promise for Today, it hit me on a new level about how wide, how deep Christ's love for us was/IS to be the payment for us - to forgive ALL the sins of the whole world. Think about that. Seriously... the whole world - everyone - for how many years?  And according to Matthew 28:20, ASV, Jesus promised, ...and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.  

To any required power - that's love to the "endth" degree...

Prayer:

Father,

         We pray as Paul prayed for the Ephesians, For this reason I bow my knees to You, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that You would grant us, according to the riches of Your glory, to be strengthened with might through Your Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith; that we, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that we may be filled with all the fullness of You, O God.
            Now to You who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to You be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen.

The Reality

Every person who believes that Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah, is God-begotten. If we love the One who conceives the child, we’ll surely love the child who was conceived. The reality test on whether or not we love God’s children is this: Do we love God? Do we keep his commands? The proof that we love God comes when we keep his commandments and they are not at all troublesome.

1st John 5:1-3 The Message

Every God-begotten person conquers the world’s ways. The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith. The person who wins out over the world’s ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God.

Jesus—the Divine Christ! He experienced a life-giving birth and a death-killing death. Not only birth from the womb, but baptismal birth of His ministry and sacrificial death. And all the while the Spirit is confirming the truth, the reality of God’s presence at Jesus’ baptism and crucifixion, bringing those occasions alive for us. A triple testimony: the Spirit, the Baptism, the Crucifixion. And the three in perfect agreement.

If we take human testimony at face value, how much more should we be reassured when God gives testimony as He does here, testifying concerning His Son? Whoever believes in the Son of God inwardly confirms God’s testimony. Whoever refuses to believe in effect calls God a liar, refusing to believe God’s own testimony regarding His Son.

This is the testimony in essence: God gave us eternal life; the life is in His Son. So, whoever has the Son, has life; whoever rejects the Son, rejects life.

My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God’s Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion. 1st John 5:4-14 The Message.

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for the life, death, burial, and resurrection life of Your Son to redeem us from sin. Thank You for eternal life in You. Confirm Your Truth in us, Lord, and may we share it with the lost and dying world around us. Send a revival, O God, start the work in us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

The Lie

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days;
Deuteronomy 30:19-20a NKJV

I watched a movie the other day about a young woman looking to fulfill her purpose in life. She had a plan. Then she got a job that turned out to be life-changing for her. At first, it was just a job. A means to an end. She didn't even like it all that much. She was just there on her way to being where she wanted to be. But being there every day, being with the people, seeing it all first-hand, she got caught up in all of it and it literally changed her life. She became VERY successful and it changed all the lives she touched, as well.

She worked her way up, fought hard, performed well, moved into a position of importance and travelled the world over. Sounds pretty good, hunh? However, it was not a change for the good. And throughout the course of it, she would say, "I have no choice. I have to work." "I have no choice - she's the boss." "I have no choice - I have to do what she says." All the while, climbing the ladder, feeding the frenzy of her ego and competitiveness and desire to win. "I didn't choose to do that - it's part of my job. I have to. I have no choice." She bought the lie. Hook, line and sinker... and because of it, she lost the truth of her life. She had no true confidant, no one that knew her for herself, let alone loved her for who she was.

There is ALWAYS a choice. God said so. He set it before us. We may not like the consequences or the results of the choices. We may have to choose to do without or choose to not go, or - horror of horrors - make a stand where people will think we're weird or call us a goodie-two-shoes. Luke 6:22 says, What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. Mark 8:36, And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

You have a choice. Choose wisely. Choose Truth. Choose life.

Prayer:

Father,
           We want to choose You. You are our life and the length of our days. We want to love You with all our hearts and all our minds and all our strength. We want to obey You. Be our strength. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Where Are You?

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Isaiah 43:2-3a NLT

Have you ever been lost? Somehow, you got turned around and couldn't remember how you got there? Or you remember exactly how you got there, and you know where you're going, but you forgot just one of the directions - zigged when you should have zagged - so you think, "I have to go back to where I started..."  And you head back. Oh yeah, there's the library. Okay, there's the park. Un hunh, that's the post office. Now, you remember you need to go turn there. And we take note of the landmarks that identify the direction we need to go.

Sometimes, in our Christian walk, we zig when we should have zagged. We get turned around. We wind up in some deep water and are not sure how to get out. I encourage you to look for your landmarks to get your bearings.

See that? That's where God saw my desperation and revealed Himself as my Counselor, my Comforter. Oh yeah - over there is when I was falsely accused and He showed up as my Advocate. And there's the place where I stumbled and fell because I wasn't walking in His footsteps, and I was face down in the muck, head down...ashamed, then He showed up according to Psalm 3:3 and lifted my head. Oh, yeah, I remember now.

Look! There in the distance. There's the Cross. That's my starting place. I know exactly where I am now. I just have to follow the path He set before me to get where I'm supposed to go. No, don't worry about it - there are rest areas strategically placed along the way. Great places to eat and get re-fueled. Wait till you see where we're going!

Prayer:

Father,
Thank You for the landmarks in our lives that help to guide us to You and back to You when we can't seem to find our way. You are a truly awesome God and we worship You! Please give us the oil of the Holy Spirit to keep our lights burning so we can find home. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Does God Listen? Repost by request

"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." 
1st John 5:14

Every day, I get calls and emails and texts asking me if I will pray for or with someone, and yes, I will. It's my privilege and honor to come into agreement with you, in the Name of Jesus, according to His Word.

So, the real question is not will I pray for you but rather do you believe the Word of God? Do you believe it is true? Do you think that Jesus or God would lie to you about ANYTHING? Those are the questions you need answered and settled in your need to settle in your heart. That is what I pray for you. That your faith would rise up and you would truly know that God is always ready to listen. And if you think you've done or are doing something that would impede your prayer life, stop it. Confess it to God, ask forgiveness and for His help in overcoming it... because that's also something that He promised to do!

Prayer:

Father,
          We confess as the dad did in Mark 9, The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” We choose to believe the Truth of Your Word over every circumstance and situation in our lives, just as You promised to us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Let's build our faith according to His Word!
Matthew 21:22........."...whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

Jeremiah 33:3......... "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things..."

John 14:14........ "If you ask anything in my name, I will do it."

John 16:23........ "...whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you."

James 5:16........ "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

Job 22:27...... "You will make your prayer to Him, He will hear you..."

1 John 5:15........ "And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."

John 14:13........ "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

Isaiah 55:11....... "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

John 15:7.......... "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."

Matthew 18:18........ "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Matthew 18:19........ "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven."

John 15:16........ "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you."

Jeremiah 29:12........ "Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you."

Isaiah 65:24........ "It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer, and while they are speaking I will hear."

Psalm 91:15........ "He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him."

John 16:24....... "Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."

Great Gratitude

Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:18-20 NLT

Have you ever been listening to the radio when a song comes on that takes you back to another time and another place? You know exactly where you were and who was there with you and what you were doing and where you were going and what you were wearing. It's amazing, isn't it? Music seems to define and even seal things in our lives. Truly a gift from God.

I've been going through an old hymn book - and I'm finding a treasure trove of old hymns that become as alive to me today as they were when I was a little girl, exuberantly beating the tambourine in time to the music - the words still in my spirit. Singing the slower ones that captured the soul with the dissonant followed by the concordant, writing the harmonies on the heart. 

Some take me back to great memories - Anne Beatty playing all 88 keys and singing in her rich, contralto voice. Others take me back to not so great memories, when the song was the solace for my soul during hard times. But all of them cause me to remember that God was there each and every step of the way, as "Mama" Lutz used to sing, ♪♫ Each step I take...♫♪  because as His Word promises, He will always be there each and every step of the way.

Just so you know, I'm not stuck in a time warp. There are songs on the charts today that speak to my spirit and bring comfort and joy to my soul - but what they all have in common - whether it is Casting Crowns or Chris Tomlin, Mozart or MercyMe, Gaither or GRITS, Jimmie Bratcher or Jars of Clay - is someone wrote them. Those songs that touch your heart - be they praise, passion or an appeal - they were born through someone's walk with the Lord. Seeds sown, watered by tears, producing a harvest. Will you give thanks for that?

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for touching our lives in such ways that we cannot begin to properly express our gratitude. Thank You for providing the words to sing when we cannot find the words to pray. Thank You for never leaving us. Thank You for music and the melodies. We give You all honor, all glory and all praise. In Jesus' Name Amen

How Quickly We Forget

So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.
Deuteronomy 11:18-19 NLT

The past week has been one of remembering for me. Labor Day - originally proclaimed to celebrate the legalization of labor unions and the labor movement. Dad - he'd have turned 99 this week. And tomorrow: 9-11. Seventeen years have passed since America united as a country against the evil atrocities perpetrated against our nation, but how quickly we forget.

We remember those who gave their lives trying to save those who had come under attack. We remember those who spent days and weeks and months trying to dig out from under it all. We remember those who have taken a stand against terrorism and have fought and are fighting for our freedoms. All day tomorrow, there will be conversations that begin with, "I remember what I was doing when I heard..." "I remember I couldn't believe..."

We remember facts, but we don't remember the truths that came of it. What I mean is that when the shock wore off, we were no longer divided across party lines, or state lines, or skin color lines. We were Americans who stood arm in arm and waved our flags, and sang our anthem, and burned candles, and filled all the churches for two whole weeks following 9-11. Oh, the flag waving and anthem singing and burning candles lasted a while longer, but by the third Sunday following 9-11-01, most churches were back to their usual Sunday congregation. And seventeen years later, we're up in arms against each other instead of arm-in-arm with one another. How quickly we forget.

The same happened when Jesus took the bread as recorded in Luke 22:19, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave unto them, saying, This is My body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me. And then later, His body was broken for our sins. We remember the facts, but do we remember the Truth? The atrocities against Him - against God's love personified? Do we remember what it cost Him? He laid His life down for our freedom. He died to save us and to free us from the rubble of our lives.

So many don't remember from seventeen years ago - is it any wonder that 2,000 years later they've forgotten Christ? We MUST remember...

Prayer:

Father,
          Keep the cost of the Cross ever before us, O Lord. Forgive us for taking it lightly, as just a matter of fact. Bind us together by Your love. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Are You Listening?

Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.
Revelation 3:6, 13, 22

The death of Burt Reynolds last week generated a lot of conversation among my peers about that whole era of CB radios, and it reminded me of this one. In the 70's and early 80's, CB radios were THE communication method when travelling on the road. Phrases like, "10-4!' and "What's your 20?" and "You gotchyer ears on?" were as common as today's "Can you hear me now?" 

 If you weren't familiar with the language of the CBers, you might have been able to hear them speak, but you would have had no idea what they were saying. If I told you "Bear Bait's bird dog died and he blew the doors off the City Kitty Kojak with a Kodak and now there's a bear in the air and a full grown bear on his donkey", would you have any idea that I just told you a speeding vehicle with a broken radar detector went flying by a city police officer who had a radar gun and now there's a police helicopter and a state trooper tailing him? No, you wouldn't if you never listened. If you didn't spend any time learning. Not if you weren't in the environment.

It's the same with our Christian walk. How many times did Jesus say, He that has an ear, let him hear... They could all hear Him speak, but were they all understanding? Proverbs 4:7 reads, Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. How do you learn what Christ has to say? You listen. You spend time with Him. You get in HIS environment.

"Come back 10-18? Roger. Cut the coax and quit modulating. Get outta the mud and on the side, greasy side down. In the short short, He'll be coming in wall to wall and treetop tall. Gotchyer ears on?"

Translation: You got anything for us? Yes. Turn off the radio and be quiet. Stop all the noise and distractions and just listen. Stay firmly planted with your feet on the ground. Jesus doesn't stutter. His message is very clear. Are you listening?

Prayer:

Father,
           Make us accomplished linguists, versed well in the language of Heaven, especially Your Throne Room. Cause our receptors to be fully tuned in to You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Younger and Older - By request

So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.
Deuteronomy 11:18-21 NLT

When my kids were little, I used to read to them. And like all kids, they loved it. But what they loved more was the stories I used to tell them about other family members - pieces of the history of their lives. Most every family has them - even if your childhood wasn't Ozzie and Harriet - stories they tell over and over because the kids love to hear them. I love talking about life and how God puts us all together for a reason and a purpose. His stories intertwined in ours.

I used to wonder why it always seemed like it was the older ladies who told the best stories. Now that I am older, I can explain that. When I was a young mother, I just tried to hang in there well enough to get through life and do what I had to do to keep my head above water. And most days seemed like they came in like a flood. I knew God was there and I knew somehow He would see me through because His Word said so.

When I was young and declared, "I've never seen the righteous forsaken or God's seed begging bread." I was declaring it by faith! Now that I am older, when I say the same thing, I am testifying of the proven goodness of God!

When I was young and declared, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." I was declaring it by faith! Now that I am older, when I say the same thing, I am testifying to the authenticity of His Truths! 

You see, I've got many completed stories. It's the history of His Stories completing our stories.

Prayer:

Father,
            Thank You for loving us enough to bring all of us together, as only You can. Bind our hearts and souls together to You with your love, Lord, and bring all things to our remembrance, so that we don't forget anything You have done for us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

A List of Firsts

At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

Genesis 3:7-9

In the world of marketing, if you can get it first; if it's yours exclusively; if it's hand-crafted and/or all-natural, it will fetch a high price. It almost doesn't matter what it is. It's all in the marketing. If I can make you believe it's better, it's healthier, it'll make you smarter, stronger, and you'll live longer, you'll buy it.

For instance, camouflage is big business. Ask Academy or Bass Pro Shops. Do a Google search for 'camouflage clothing' and in less than half-a-second, you get a return of over 1.2 MILLION hits... Funny thing about that is that the camouflage may make us harder to see when we're out hunting, but critters have a keen sense of smell. Let them get a whiff of that human flesh and eyeball you or not, they know you're there.

There are a lot of firsts in the Book of Genesis; after all, it's the book of beginnings. Among them - the first ever, completely organic, hand-stitched, his-and-her camouflage outfits. Want one? Back then, it came at the highest price. Perhaps more so than any other. They paid dearly for it - as has every generation since then - always paying the same high cost. The price never goes down, even though the market is glutted with the sin of disobedience and loss of innocence. And no matter how much we try to cover up and camouflage our sin to try to blend in, sin has its own distinct odor.

There's another first in that same chapter and verse of our text for today. The first recorded game of Hide-N-Seek, and God was IT first. Oh, don't kid yourself. He knew where they were. He knew they'd broken the rules. He knew they cheated and He came looking for them anyway... because He loved us first. And although their first ever, completely organic, hand-stitched, his-and-her camouflage outfits were more than either of them could afford, He paid the price with a first of His own. A great price. He paid dearly...

Prayer:

Father,

         Let us always remember that You came looking for us Not to kill us. Not to condemn us, but to love us. Help us to never try to camouflage who or what we are. We want to walk with clean hands and pure hearts before You, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

A Melody

And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ...
Ephesians 5:18-20 NKJV

When my children were small, I would snuggle them close and sing to them. When they were babies and toddlers, I would rock them and sing them to sleep. And as they got older, when we went anywhere in the car, we would sing. I believe singing while holding my babies taught them that every song can be a love song, and I believe singing together connects people with a language understood only by the heart.

Our text for today is why I believe participatory praise and worship is so important. I've heard people say, "Oh, I don't sing during praise and worship because I just want to hear the praise team or worship leader sing." or "I don't sing during praise and worship because I can't carry a tune and I don't want to distract from anyone else's worship." That's a lie bought and sold from the father of lies to keep us from praising God Almighty.

Let me just say that God doesn't care if you can't carry a tune in a bucket with handles and help! It's not about carrying a tune - it's about making melody in your heart to the Lord. It's about singing Him a new song. it's about O for a thousand tongues to sing praises to my King...There is NO Scripture anywhere in the Bible that says, "Sing a perfect-pitch praise unto the Lord." In Truth, it reads "Make a joyful NOISE..." And it's not always because you feel happy. Some of the greatest hymns and gospel songs were written in the darkest of times.

We're always talking about planting seeds, sowing and reaping. How about cultivating the music of your life? Is there a song in your heart? Do you remember your heart's song? If you will sing it to someone else, they can sing it back to you when you haven't the wherewithal to sing it yourself. Just start humming...Make a melody in your heart.

Prayer:

Father,
Thank You for music! Thank You for ways to express ourselves that we couldn't even begin to do any other way. Hear our songs, Father! Let them be a sweet smelling savor to You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Just Stop

Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus. This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.
1st Timothy 1:14-16 NLT

Have you ever been on a long road trip - so determined to get to where you are going - that you didn't want to stop for a break? You know the trip is long and it will be hard and you've counted the cost and know that you're gonna have to fight your way through to the end. You might pass every rest area in 3 different states before you decide that it's okay to stop for a quick moment. And then after you take the break, you feel so much better and wonder why you didn't stop before...

So often in our walk of faith, we're just like that. We're on this eternal trip - trying to make Heaven. And we become so focused on trying not to sin so we can get there that we wind up being hypnotized by the road. And after awhile, the trip is so long and so hard we dare not, care not to look where we're going or where we've been. We're so consumed with where we are and how to put one foot in front of the other, and yet still want to minister to others about Christ and who and what He is and who and what they can be IN Him, and we forget this one incredible, awe-inspiring, all-consuming Truth - that God the Father sent His only begotten Son to pay the ransom for our sins.

He paid the price in full and bought us back - lock, stock and barrel. There's nothing left owing. No one can come and repossess us for lack of payment or unfulfilled promise of payment or even for back taxes. We have been bought with a great price. Inflation, recession, market crashes, poor decisions by us or by those who we have no control over - nothing can affect or change that Truth. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...and He did exactly what He came to do.

I don't know about you, but sometimes I think we just need to stop. Stop asking, stop begging, stop whining. Just stop. Stop long enough to reflect on the magnitude of what has ALREADY been done for us...and praise Him for it. Take a 10-minute break with me and just praise Him for what He's already done. This is a rest area... Selah...

Prayer:

Father,
             We come to You with praise and thanksgiving for all that You've already done for us. Your Son's life for ours is beyond our comprehension of love, but teach us to walk in it fully and to express it unconditionally toward those You have placed in our lives. Give us the opportunity to share Your Good News. Make the music of the salvation You purchased for us come alive in our hearts and souls. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

The Old Ways

So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better then.
1st Peter 1:14 NLT

The Truth is that obedience has nothing to do with what we 'feel' like doing. Obedience has everything to do with our relationship with God the Father. Do we want to please Him? Yes or no. It's that simple. Truly.

Peter tells us in 2nd Peter 1:3, 5-7, By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life... In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 

Do you recognize the ways of obedience in this passage? Are children born obedient? No, they're not. They're taught to be obedient. Do they always want to be obedient? Some do, some don't, but those who are dutiful have learned the benefits of being so. They choose obedience over impulses, exercising self-control. Obedient children are well-received and find favor. They're welcomed almost everywhere. They enjoy more privileges, both within their families and at school.

Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live. 2nd Peter 1:12-13 NLT 

Do NOT slip back into the old ways.

Prayer:

Father,
           We want to acknowledge You in all we do, think or say. Cause us to hear Your voice in the midst of all that clamors for our attention and walk in first-time obedience to it. We want to live as Your obedient children. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Need to Know

Baffled by what I hear, undone by what I see. Absolutely stunned, horror-stricken, I had hoped for a relaxed evening, but it has turned into a nightmare.
Isaiah 21:3b-4 The Message

Isaiah asked God to let him see what was going to happen. Isaiah thought in knowing, he could prophesy to the people and give hope. But when God granted Isaiah's request, the prophet was overwhelmed. I have lived as a Christian long enough that when I read this Scripture, I can praise God that sometimes the answer is 'No."

Looking back over my life, I can truly give thanks and worship a Holy God who lovingly refused to show me some things ahead of time. I wouldn't have been able to stand it had I known some of it ahead of time. It would have caused me to run in the opposite direction, but when thrust in the midst of it, I turned to the only One I could trust. And now, having lived through it, bearing the fruit of what satan meant for evil, God turned for my good, I am able to see and praise God for His guiding hand on me during those times. Would I have chosen it? No. Absolutely not, but on this side of it, I am eternally grateful for the lessons learned, the wisdom gained, and the capacity for love to be enlarged.

Now, when I think back on all the times I begged God to show me what He was doing; what was going to happen, and He would not, I'm so thankful He's God and I'm not, and He chose not to. What a loving Father, a protective, caring, loving Father. You see, there are things worse than not knowing. I don't have to know it all as long as I know the One who knows it ALL.

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for revealing those things that need to be revealed. Thank You, Father, for every heads-up You provide. Lord, keep us on a need-to-know basis as You define it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Motivation

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
1st Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT

In most product lines - whether manufactured goods or edible or whatever - there are usually multiple choices, and some cost considerably more than their counterparts. Although, some are worth the price; some are not. For instance, I wanted to buy a new pick up truck. There are several I like... in fact, I like 'em a lot! However, I don't like the sticker price and I don't like the cost it will take to run one, either. What I need is transportation and there's nothing wrong with what I drive now, so I'm not willing to pay the price.

We make choices about life based on the same principle. Some choices you make for the long-term goal. Are you going back to work after the baby's born, or will you cut out all the extras? Is it worth not going out as often so you can stay home with your baby that first year? Only you can make that decision. And how about going back to school to get a degree when you're already working full-time and have a busy life? It's gonna be THAT much harder, with that much more to do, and study and tests, etc. But in the long run, it pays off. It is worth the price. Sometimes, it doesn't FEEL like it when you're in the middle of it all, but deep inside, you know it is.

When you choose to follow Jesus and the way He would have you to live, it'll cost ya. The price is high. Sometimes, it costs us more than we figured in friends, job, lifestyle, sometimes even family. In Luke 14, Jesus says, And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’ Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.

Everything. Did you get that? It's going to cost us everything to follow Christ. Are we willing to pay that price? Jesus was willing... and He paid the price. His love for you was His motivation.

Prayer:

Father,
           May everything we say or do and every choice we make be made because You loved us first and paid the price for our sin. Let our love for You and for each other be the direct result of Your love for us. May our motivations be as pure as the Life that paid for ours. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen