Friends' Favorites - Remember the Times

But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.

Deuteronomy 4:9 NLT

I am fascinated with the history of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and struck by the importance of passing down to the generations what God has done. I am reminded of how precious memories become when memories of someone are all we have left. We tell ourselves we'll never forget, but we do. 

We rarely build physical landmarks to remind us of what God did "in that place on that day." But the older I get, the more I think about who will tell the stories of what God has done for us. It's important for our children to know. It's more important for our grandchildren to know. It's most important that we remember and give God the honor and praise that's due to Him!

I have begun to ask the Holy Spirit to bring all things to my remembrance so that I may testify of God's faithfulness to me, to my children and grandchildren. I want to write them down and put them in a binder for easy access to all the generations of my family. I want my heavenly Father to get His proper due and I want the generations to know of His wondrous works in the history of their lives. We must remember the times...

Prayer:

Father,

         We pray Your Word - Take us by the hand. Lead us down the path of Your Truths. Mark the milestones of Your mercy and love, God, and rebuild the ancient landmarks in our lives. Let Your Name and faithfulness be glorified in our generations. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen 

Friends' Favorites - Finding the Balance

“Now build a new cart, and find two cows that have just given birth to calves. Make sure the cows have never been yoked to a cart. Hitch the cows to the cart, but shut their calves away from them in a pen. Put the Ark of the Lord on the cart, and beside it place a chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors you are sending as a guilt offering. Then let the cows go wherever they. If they cross the border of our land and go to Beth-shemesh, we will know it was the Lord who brought this great disaster upon us. If they don’t, we will know it was not his hand that caused the plague. It came simply by chance.”

1st Samuel 6:7-9 NLT

Simply by chance. A coincidence. 

The story behind our text today is that the Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant. Such triumph! At least, that's what they thought until they took the Ark to Ashdod into the temple of their idol Dagon. (See 1st Samuel 5). In the morning, with no one there, the idol had fallen with its face to the ground before the Ark of the Lord. The people were sure it was just a coincidence, so they set the idol back up. The next morning, the same thing had happened, only that time the head and hands had been broken off the idol and were lying in the doorway. 

Keep in mind, the Philistines were not godly - they didn't understand right away. From that point on, when they entered the temple to worship Dagon, they didn't acknowledge that it was a broken, defeated idol per se, they just wouldn't step on the threshold where its head and hands had been. It reminds me of the response we get when we confront someone's unbelief with Truth from the Word and they respond with, "Oh, I know...but it's all good. At least I'm...." 

Well, no. Actually, it's not all good. The point is this. The Philistines were trying to make what is holy conform to a pagan lifestyle, instead of having their pagan lifestyle changed by what is holy.

I'm continually amazed at our seemingly superhuman capacity and ability to accommodate and allow the same thing in our lives today. We want to balance out - and make allowances for - our favorite sin by being "really good" in something else - or worse - by casting stones at someone else's sin. "Well, at least I don't do such-and-such, like so-and-so..."  

Newsflash! We can't balance holy and sin. We can't do enough good to balance out or dilute our sin so that it's palatable to God. 

There is only one way to find balance in our lives between our humanness and holiness. One way. Jesus. 

He hung in the balance for us.

Prayer:

Father,

         Open our eyes of understanding to Your Truth. Reveal to us Your pure definition of living a holy and righteous life before You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen 

Friends' Favorite - Your Whole Heart

The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
1st Samuel 16:7b NLT

Have you ever wondered how different a potential relationship might have been if - instead of judging you by your outward appearance - someone took the time to really know you - who you are on the inside? Here's your opportunity.

John 4:23 NLT tells us, ...the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 

What does it mean to worship in spirit and in truth? As I understand it, Truth is the Word of God, so worshiping God for who He really is as defined in Scripture. That's Truth. What about in spirit? We say our spirit is who we really are inside this body, so to worship Him with everything that's within us? (Psalm 103:1b, And all that is within me, bless his holy name.)

If we're standing in the sanctuary worshiping God (which by the way is NOT the only place or way to worship), but if we are standing there, it could become easy to go through the motions of worship while thinking of sleeping in, or going to lunch, or 'I don't like this song', or "somebody's off-pitch..." Have you ever done that?  And probably no one around you is any wiser... but God is. What IS within me? What am I worshiping Him with? 

People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. You know, the heart. How often have we said something like, "My heart is with you" or "I wish you could hear my heart." Is it our whole heart or only the part that cares for them?

Prayer:

Father, 
          We want to worship You with our whole heart, not just parts. Create in us a right spirit. Give us clean hands and a pure heart so that we may worship You in Spirit and in Truth, no matter Who is looking. In Jesus' Name we pray.

Friends' Favorites - Taste and See

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! 
Psalm 34:8 NLT

Oh, that we would hunger for God! I have had several people in the last week want to challenge the Truth in today's promise. They've experienced terrible loss and heartbreak and can't seem to find the faith to believe that the Lord is good in all of it. I've been in that same place, and all I can do is offer you the comfort of the Truth that God taught me in the midst of those times.

Farfalle is one of my favorite pastas, but I don't want to eat it until it's been in the hot water to soften it and salt's been added. I love Italian tomato sauces, but I don't like chunks of cooked tomato, so into the blender to smooth out the lumps. And I do NOT eat raw meat, so set a fire under it. I don't eat basil or garlic by itself, and bay leaf is actually poisonous if you eat it whole, but adds a delicious flavor to the sauce. All ingredients of one great dish when put together after the proper heat has been applied.

It's a good picture of our lives, too. Sometimes, we're too hard and it takes a lot of hot water and heat to make us soft enough to be palatable to those around us. Sometimes, we're raw and need the heat to cauterize our wounded spirit and to prevent the infection of bitterness in our soul. Sometimes, we don't like what's being added to our lives - it's like salt in a wound! Sometimes, we're sure it will kill us - but the Master knows just the right amount of everything we need and He times it all perfectly. We are His masterpiece and we need to serve Him well.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Prayer:

Father, 
          Open our spiritual palate to appreciate the richness of Your mercy and Your grace in our lives. Continue to season us with Your wisdom. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - What Are You Expecting?

John, meanwhile, had been locked up in prison. When he got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciples to ask, “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?”

Jesus told them, “Go back and tell John what’s going on:
The blind see,
The lame walk,
Lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised,
The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.

Matthew 11:1-5 The Message

John and Jesus were cousins. They grew up together. Sometimes, when people read this passage, they speculate that perhaps John didn't know Jesus was the true Messiah. However, if you remember in chapter 3, Jesus went to John to be baptized and their interchange proves John knew Jesus was the Messiah. So, why was John questioning it now?

Put yourself in John's place. He'd spent his life faithfully preparing the way of the Lord. And there he was, stuck in prison for speaking truth. Sure doesn't seem fair, does it? I mean, if you're living a righteous life - you're the forerunner for the Messiah - you wouldn't think you'd wind up in prison, right?   

But then, so many people who lived in that time missed Him as the Messiah because He didn't arrive as they thought He would. He wasn't what they were expecting.

Jesus knew that John knew the writings of the prophets, so when He quoted Isaiah's prophecy about the blind and the deaf, John would know the prophecy was being fulfilled. It was a blessed assurance for a man wrongly imprisoned. 

We have to admit, we've all questioned God when faced with what we perceive are injustices or unfair situations in our lives. Are we missing Him or doubting Him because our life situations aren't going as we planned? Or do we know the Word well enough to remember that He told us in John 16:33, I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. 

So, what are you expecting? 

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and made The Way back to You. Open our eyes and our hearts to know You in Your glory and in Your Truth. Help us to keep our focus on You and Your Truth and not on life's situations. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - Unrelenting Disappointment

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12 NLT

I heard an evangelist make a simple, but profound statement. He said, "Hope is the soil (or seedbed) where faith can grow." It seemed very simple in delivery, but it pierced my soul. And the more I've thought about it, the more profound it becomes to me. For without hope, what happens to our faith?

In the day-to-day grind of things, life often becomes routine for lots of people. Automatic. Wake up, go to work, come home/run errands, eat, then whatever your nighttime schedule may be - go the gym, pay bills, watch TV, kids do homework or go to sports practice - then go to bed. Get up in the morning and start over.

For others, it's wishing they had a job to go to, worrying about the house, wondering what they'll eat or feed the kids or how they'll pay the bills, then go to bed. And they get up in the morning and it starts over.

For some, it's living with daily pain - physical, emotional, spiritual - until it's all they can do just to get through the day until it's time to go to bed. Then they get up in the morning and it starts over.

And for most, there comes a time when hope seems to dry up and blow away, scattered to the four winds along with whatever dreams they had. The Message interprets hope deferred as unrelenting disappointment. It's depressing just reading that, isn't it? It is a subtle weapon of the enemy of our souls! Without hope, there are no dreams. No faith for the desires of our heart that God has promised to give to those who delight in Him (Psalm 37:4).

We must look to God and seek His presence in our daily lives! If we relegate Him to the back burner of our lives behind everything else (or anything else), we aid the enemy in stealing our hope.

Paul tells us in 1st Timothy 1:1, This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope. And again in chapter 4:10, This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.

If you live in a world of unrelenting disappointment and you're heartsick, come to the Jesus for He is Jehovah Rapha, God our Healer.

Prayer:

Father,
            You are our Savior, our Healer, the One who gives us hope. You are our Peace, our Shelter. Our Rock and Strong Tower. Your banner over us is love! Lord, we want to be in Your presence where there is life. Our hearts declare Your Word, “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - Difficult, Despite the Promise

When Esau was 40 years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. They made life very difficult for Isaac and Rebekah.

Genesis 26:34-35 CEB

In verses 2-5 of this same chapter, God visits Isaac, the son of promise, and reiterates His blessing of Abraham, promising to keep His word with Isaac in regard to all the lands and the number of descendants too many to count and that all the nations of the earth will be blessed because of them. 

Can you imagine if the Lord came down and declared all that to you? Wouldn't you think you were set for life - and all the generations after you? "This is going to be a piece of cake - I got the Promise!" But that's not at all what transpired. By the end of the chapter, the in-laws were already outlaws. Verse 35 - They made life very difficult for Isaac and Rebekah. Their lives were "very difficult"  despite the promise!

How often do we get a word from God and think, "Oh, this is it! Everything's coming up roses now!" but then we find we're dealing with more thorns of life than roses? More fertilizer...  Do we turn against God? Do we get angry with Him? Do we doubt His Word? Do we become UNbelievers?

Let's do a heart check. What was the last thing you heard God speak to your spirit? Do you believe it? Has it happened? If not, do you still believe it? Has your life been difficult despite the promise? Don't give up. Don't stop believing. God is still on the throne and He's working His plan for your life. Trust Him.

Prayer:

Father,

          Bring back to our hearts all that You have spoken to us. Help us to do an honest check of our faith and trust in You. Grow us up in You, Lord. Help us to remain steadfast and immovable, always excelling in the work You've laid before us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - Based on the Evidence

 As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.” But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god.
Acts 28:3-6 NLT

How quickly the people of the island judged Paul to be a murderer, then almost as quickly decided he was a god, based on the 'evidence' in front of them. In both instances, with the so-called proof right before their eyes, they were wrong. 

God had a plan for Paul's life, and it didn't include dying on that island. The circumstances and their opinions didn't determine the outcome because Paul knew - and believed - what God told him was going to happen.

In Psalm 139, David tells us that God formed us in our mother's womb, and every day was planned out before we ever drew our first breath. Does that mean that every sin, every mistake, every mess up we make was already planned for us? No, it doesn't mean that. I believe God has a perfect plan for our lives, but sometimes we don't follow His plan. What happens then? 

I believe God pulls out His potter's wheel and remodels the clay, because of what is written in Jeremiah 18:1-6, The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. Then the Lord gave me this message: “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand."

Oftentimes, people are quick to judge and hand out predictions about our lives, too, based on the evidence of what they see. Even worse, WE are quick to judge ourselves unworthy or incapable of fulfilling God's plan based on what we've done and what we know about ourselves. However, even with what we know, we can be just as wrong about that as the island people were about Paul.

God already knows what's in us. He put it there along with a measure of faith. You remember faith, right? Hebrews 11:1, Faith shows the REALITY of what we hope for; it is the EVIDENCE of things we cannot see. [emphasis mine] 

It is THAT evidence on which our lives should be based. 

Prayer:

Father,
           Open our eyes to see Your Truth as written in Ephesians that we are Your masterpiece. And You created us anew in Christ, so we can do the good things You planned for us long ago. We want to fulfill Your plan. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Friends' Favorites - Instructions

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
John 14:27 NLT

I just keep thinking about the 'fear nots' in relation to the boldness, the confidence that will come as a result of following those words of instruction. If a king or queen gave you or me a directive to do something and backed it up with the promise of any means available in their realm, I sincerely doubt there would be any hesitation. I mean, in a country where "by the king's order" is the top of the pecking order, we'd get it done. We would follow the royal instruction.

The King of kings and Lord of lords has specifically stated that He is GIVING us peace of mind and heart - and we both know the world cannot give us that! (It's not the world's to give - it can't give what it doesn't have.) Then He instructs us, "So don't be troubled or afraid." When this King speaks, it is the authority of God, backed by all of Heaven. Think about that for a little while - really think about it - then answer this question.

How are you at following instructions?

Prayer:

Father,
        Open our hearts and minds to hear and understand the magnitude of what You are telling us. Help us to walk how and where You would have us go. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - Regarding Faith

And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

1st Corinthians 2:4-5 NKJV

It's an incredible time to be alive! There is SO much knowledge available at our fingertips through the Internet! I'm not sure that's always good; however, there are times it is absolutely wonderful! 

There are how-to videos and instruction for just about everything. I once tore apart a washing machine down to its frame and transmission - and at the time, I didn't even know a washing machine had a transmission! That was before smartphones, so I had to keep going back and forth to the computer for instruction because the printer was out of ink! Oh, the irony... And yes, I was able to put it all back together and it worked. I felt like Superwoman!

In that same quest for knowledge, three years ago when I was diagnosed with cancer, I researched everything! I thought knowledge was power, and I still believe that to a certain extent. But there came a time in the treatment process where all the knowledge I had was not enough to bring me peace or to make me feel powerful. In fact, quite the opposite. And there were extremely knowledgeable physicians and specialists on my team - some of the best in the field - but their knowledge was not enough to bring me peace, either. 

It was when I stopped searching for knowledge and turned to the ONLY ONE who actually had the answers - when I stopped Googling and got back to Bible-ing - when my faith in the power of God instead of the wisdom of men became my mainstay that the insurmountable peace I'd had at the beginning of the journey returned to me - mind, body, soul, and spirit. 

Knowledge is good. Wisdom is better. Faith in the Almighty God is best.

Prayer:

Father,

          Many a long night in the course of our lives - as the old song says, You give us peace in the midst of our storm-tossed lives. You are the Anchor. You are the Rock to build our faith upon. You and You alone are ever faithful and faithful forevermore! Keep us ever mindful of Your greatness, O God! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - 100% Sure

God is not a man, so he does not lie.
    He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
    Has he ever promised and not carried it through?
Numbers 23:19 NLT

We have all been let down by someone in our lives, at one point or another. Maybe it wasn't intentional - someone just forgot what he or she promised. But maybe it was on purpose (that hurts more). Maybe it wasn't within the time frame that was expected - that can lead to misunderstandings and might even break a trust. We wouldn't be as quick to trust or believe the next time, would we? Thank God, HE'S not like that!

One of the most basic, foundational Truths that ALL Christians believe is that God does not lie. Would you agree? Our promise today assures us of this very Truth, right? Right?

As I was reading other passages today, I was convicted to the depth of my soul! How many times have I been fearful or afraid to do something that I believed God asked me to do or wanted me to do?!? Afraid of what - people's opinions? Fear of failure? Did God say it? If so, then why didn't I believe it and act on it? 

How many times have I not walked in the measure of faith He supplied to all of us? How many times have I allowed my perception of a situation to determine my actions rather than my faith? How can we be sure?

1st John 4:16-18 tells us, And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

God has told us numerous times to not fear. HE is love. It is HIS perfect love that drives out fear, according to His Word. Of that, we can be 100% sure!

Prayer:

Father,
          As it is written - the words of Your only begotten Son -Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Let the Truth of Your Word pierce our hearts, rightly dividing between soul and spirit. Cause our hearts to cry out as the child's father in Mark 9, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

The Power of Choice

"Oh, thank you, sir!" she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad. 
1st Samuel 1:18 NLT

In spite of Eli's first false assumption about her, piled on top of Peninnah's derision, and the judgment of others regarding her childlessness that hadn't changed - once she gave it to the Lord, Hannah chose to be grateful, rather than continue in being offended.

It hit me like the old hymn, Leave It There... when we bring our burdens to the Lord, we need to leave them there and CHOOSE to believe His Word. CHOOSE to trust Him. CHOOSE to live in God's Truth that He IS sovereign and He has the plan and that ALL the parts of it work together for our good!

♪♫ Leave it there! Leave it there! Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there! If you trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out! Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there! ♪♫ 

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for Your Word to guide us in the hard times. Thank You for the measure of faith that You give to all of us. We choose to trust You. We choose to be grateful. We choose to give thanks IN all things, according to Your Word and not according to our flesh and how we feel... Help us, O Lord! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - Fathomless

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again.
John 14:26-28a NLT

The world is in turmoil - some things so awful we can't bear to think about them. But Jesus told us to not be troubled or afraid. So do we walk by faith in this or by what we see? Jesus left us a gift - peace of mind and spirit. Do we have it?

I love the words of the old hymn "Wonderful Peace". ♪♫ Peace! Peace! Wonderful peace coming down from the Father above! Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray, in fathomless billows of love.♪♫

Fathomless - defined as 'very deep and impossible to measure'. When was the last time you felt peace even remotely close to that? Is it possible? Absolutely! Nothing is impossible through Christ. It's HIS peace that He's given to us. It's ours for the taking. 

Can we even fathom that level of peace? 

Prayer:

Father,
         Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray, in fathomless billows of love. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - To Encourage

 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.
Hebrews 3:12-14 NIV

I want to go on record declaring that I am a believer and follower of Jesus Christ and His gospel. I have a strong faith. I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the standard by which we are to live. I believe that we will live eternally somewhere and that both heaven and hell are real. 

So, I have hope in the Lord. It's hope not born of desperation, but rather of relationship, knowing in Whom I have believed and having been witness to His mighty works and amazing grace. I truly believe that God is good even when I don't understand the dark times. Let the believers say "Amen!"

My brother died four years ago. I can't believe it's been four years because there are days it feels like yesterday. And sometimes, deep in my heart, I am sad beyond words. I feel as though a part of me has died, too, and in a way, it has. Following his death, a part of my heart seems to have gone dormant. But that's okay; it's just a season, a long season, but this too shall pass. Please know that I am not writing this for your sympathy. I am writing to reiterate these truths. Do not confuse my grief with lack of faith. Do not interpret my tears as signs of unbelief.  Here's what I know that I know.  Jesus tells us in John 12:24 that unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. There IS coming a time of rebirth.  I'm no farmer, but I understand many seeds = much harvest. 

My brother, Joe, was an encourager! He was the family cheerleader and story-teller and so funny! I miss him so much, but I will see him again. I know this because it's written in God's Word.

1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT, And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.  

May you be encouraged today.

Prayer:

Father,
          The heavens declare Your glory and I? I can only attempt to echo their praise. Thank You for Your grace and for salvation and for Your mercy, and help us to try to fathom the depth of Your great love...even in the dark times. May the many seeds bring about a great harvest, O God! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

When the Wind Stopped

“Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.
Matthew 14:29-32 NLT

This has always been one of my favorite passages of Scripture. I don't care how many people point out Peter's fear and doubt, I don't see anyone else's name mentioned as going over the side of the boat IN THE STORM and walking on the water. It lends a whole new meaning to "getting your sea legs."

I thought I'd heard this story taught from every angle. I was wrong. My pastor taught on this last night and I heard another pastor's sermon on YouTube this morning that seemed to be the extension of last night's teaching and both were exactly what I needed to hear. I've lived long enough to know that when God repeats something, verily verily I'd better pay close attention.

Just to refresh - In this story of the storm and Peter, verse 24 tells us, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. The waves that Jesus was walking on. The same waves that Peter stepped into when he went over the side of the boat. The point being that the circumstances had not changed. Jesus was there, but the storm was still raging. Jesus bid Peter come and walk to Him and the storm raged on. It didn't stop when Jesus showed up. It didn't stop when Jesus reached down and pulled Peter out of the water. It didn't stop as they were climbing to get into the boat -which was no easy task...  It stopped after they got back into the boat. After...  

Sometimes the circumstances don't change, but I can guarantee you that Jesus is there because His Word promises He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8, Hebrews 13:5). And we know that God works ALL things together for our good. Storms, dark nights, tears. Faith is never strengthened without being tested. When did the wind stop? AFTER the waves, after the dark, after the fear, after he was sinking, after he climbed back up into the boat. Where was Jesus? Right there. Always right there.

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for the encouragement to grow our faith. Thank You for never leaving us. Thank You for Your presence at all times. Remind us to give thanks IN all things. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Olly Olly Oxen Free

Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.
Proverbs 14:4 NLT

When we played "Hide and Seek" as children and the seeker got tired of looking for the hidden, he used to holler, "Olly Olly Oxen Free" which signaled to those still hidden that they could come out of hiding without fear of being tagged "it". Now what that has to do with oxen is anyone's guess. It's one of those phrases that the origin is pure conjecture, but I thought about it today when I read this verse. 

Nobody likes to muck out a stable. However, if you own farm animals, mucking out goes with the territory. If you don't clean up, the animals will become ill and not able to work. The training and care of oxen require hard work and patience, not to mention resources. One working ox will eat about 33-35 pounds of good brush hay each day, plus it needs a feed supplement and an available salt lick, not to mention water, etc. And an ox should be 4 years old before being put to hard work, so you either support it for several years with no return or you pay the premium price.

The principle is loosely similar. In the child's game, the seeker searches for the hidden and gets tired, so he quits. It's easier in the moment to not search even though it means he will remain "it" and alone and nobody wins. Likewise, the stable stays clean if you just don't bother getting the oxen in the first place. However, without them, you don't have a harvest - there is no win.

The Truth is - there is no Olly Olly Oxen Free. There's always an investment. A price to be paid. In the case of salvation, it is free to us but only because Christ paid the price. However, we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) - to bring it to the place of completion. If we don't finish the race, we cannot win. 

Keep searching His Word - He will be found by those who search diligently for Him. And with Him, we win!

Prayer:

Father,
           Reveal Your Word even in the obscure. Speak to us daily for without You we are lost. Open our ears to hear, our hearts to obey and our mind to receive Your wisdom. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - Hit the Dirt

This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.
Luke 8:11-15 NLT

It is my humble opinion that all of us have walked through each stage represented in this passage of Scripture. I believe that is why reading and hearing the Word of God was never intended to be a one-time event. Scripture tells us, Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). The more we hear it, the more our faith grows. The more our faith grows, the more we hear it and begin to embrace the truth of it. The more we embrace the truth of it, the more our hardened hearts our broken up. The rocks get broken down to a size that we can toss away. The soil gets loosened with the washing by the water of the Word and the roots of the thorns of this life can be more easily plucked out of our lives.

Hosea tells us to plant the good seeds of righteousness, and we will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of our hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord... When we do, we will have the good soil in our hearts so that when God's Word comes to us, we will cling to it, and it will produce a harvest in our lives. So... hit the dirt! Plow it up, according to His Word.

Prayer:

Father,
           We want to be the good soil - the honest, good-hearted people who hear Your Word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest. Help us to embrace Your Truth over the facts of our lives. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - What They Think

 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”
Luke 7:39 NLT

Do you think Simon ever entertained the thought that Jesus was the Saviour of the world or was it more of a "He's the latest fad - very popular. I'm sure I can prove what He's not, but just in case He IS something, I can say I hosted a dinner in His honor" kind of thing? Do you think - at that moment - Simon was re-thinking the invitation he had extended to Jesus? The woman was a sinner!

Do you think for one second that Jesus was wondering what His status would be or what it would become in the community based on this - this sinner - touching Him? Do you think He recoiled at the thought? Not on your life! Or hers. Or mine.

What they thought of Him did NOT change who He was or is. For that matter, what WE think/believe of HIM does not change who He is, but by His Grace, it can and will change us. 

I love this story for SO many reasons... but mostly I love this story because Jesus was touchable by the untouchable. What they thought of Jesus at that dinner table, what they thought of HER at that dinner table... none of it mattered to Jesus or to her. His love was REAL and she knew it. 

Too often, we rehearse the history of our lives in terms of unworthy. We know our sins. Too many to count - how could God get past all that? He showed us how. He gave His life for ours. His spotless, sinless, pure and holy life for us... the Word says, "While we were yet sinners..."  (Romans 5:8).

Do you think it was only for Mary? Do you think it's only for someone else - someone who hasn't done what you've done? Simon the Pharisee would think that. He'd have wanted YOU to think that. Remember this. He was wrong back then and he'd be wrong now.

Christ came to be the sacrifice for our sin so that our sins could be forgiven and we could be restored into right relationship with the Father. Lovingly and touchable. We have only to go to Jesus.

It doesn't matter what THEY think about that - what do YOU think?

Prayer:

Father, 
          Create in us a right spirit. Give us clean hands and a pure heart, O God. Thank You for loving us beyond what we can comprehend and thank You for being touchable. Help us to walk resolutely - every thought in obedience to You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen