Friends' Favorites - Lifetime Guarantee

No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.
Joshua 1:5

You probably know the story - Twelve men go to spy out the land - one from each of the tribes of Israel. Did I mention that it was to the Promised Land they were going? Promised...by God.

God Himself said, "I will give it to you." So, twelve men go to check it out. Ten come back and say, "No way, no how, not ever, not now."

Joshua and Caleb stand and say, "We are well able to take the land."

Who did the people believe? They believed the report of the ten. The ten who reported the facts, not the two who reported the Truth. Facts may be true, but God's Word - His Truth - ALWAYS overrides facts when we choose to believe Him. What the ten reported about the land was all true. But Joshua and Caleb reported God's Truth - reported through the eyes of faith in Him. "We are well able to take the land." 

God said He would give them the land. For Joshua and Caleb, strong and courageous, that was enough. As a result, from the original group of Jews (over the age of twenty) who left Egypt, Joshua and Caleb were the only two to enter the Promised Land.

Right before Moses died, God summoned Moses and Joshua to the mountain and laid out the plan. He told them how the people would rebel, but Joshua was to lead them anyway. God told him, (Deuteronomy 31:23), "I will be with you."  Joshua believed His Truth.

Moses delivered the Word of the Lord to the people and instructed them to, Take to heart all the words of warning I have given you today. Pass them on as a command to your children so they will obey every word of these instructions. These instructions are not empty words—they are your life! By obeying them you will enjoy a long life... 

If you read the story in Deuteronomy and in Joshua, you'll find very interesting details. The bottom line - God said it. It's enough. Yes, there will be battles. Yes, there will be trials. Yes, you will have to be brave and courageous. But He said it. He promised. Do what He says and He'll always be with you. Old Testament - New Testament. The Promise is there. Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age... A Lifetime Guarantee.

Prayer:

Father,
         Open our hearts to receive Your Word. Open our ears to hear Your Truth no matter what else we see or hear.  In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen 

Friends' Favorites - An Eye-Opener

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
Romans 12:1 NLT

Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him.
Psalm 37:7a GWT

I'm just going to be gut-level honest. The idea of surrender is foreign to me. I don't like the sound of it. I don't like the idea of it. There is nothing in me that wants to lose... and that's how I have viewed surrender all my life. Until today.

I am still in the process of accepting that I really can't control life. I have the head knowledge of it, but let's just say it hasn't completely transformed my life, as yet... and it all comes down to surrendering. God is so infinitely patient - I don't know how He puts up with me most days. For quite a while now, I have been confronted with the idea of surrender. Just hearing that word in relation to anything in my life makes me want to fight. 

However, this morning, I read two passages of Scripture that I've read so many times before and even journaled on them before, but I saw them in a whole new light today. The first in Luke 5:5, when Peter worked all night fishing and caught nothing. He'd been washing out his nets when Jesus got in and asked him to row out a little so He could speak to the multitudes. Even though Peter was not yet a disciple, he did so. Then when Jesus was done speaking, He told Peter to launch out into the deep and let down his nets. Peter (who we learn later usually speaks and acts without thinking first) states that he'd already fished all night without catching anything, but surrenders and says, "Nevertheless at Your word..." And you know how that story ends.

The second passage which was the most eye-opening for me was Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. I never saw that story as an actual act or choice to surrender. I always saw it as total adherence to following God's will and purpose, but never connected it as a surrender. I don't know why, maybe because I always think of Christ as perfectly aligned with the Father. And yet, there it is, bigger than life, the greatest act of surrender ever recorded! 

Present your bodies a living sacrifice... I don't remember who it was that said, "The problem with a living sacrifice is that it can crawl off the altar, so you may have to re-surrender your life fifty times a day." That's a real eye-opener.

Prayer:

Father,
          Open our eyes to see Your Truth. Open our minds to understand it and open our hearts to embrace it. We want to be holy and acceptable to You, fully surrendered to Your will and Your purpose for our lives. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Overlooking God's Best

His son Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land.
1st Samuel 9:2:

When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!”

1st Samuel 16:6:

And of course, we know Eliab was NOT the Lord’s anointed.

When the people demanded a king - God gave them what they wanted. When the king was chosen for the people, it seems God chose according to man’s standards – most handsome – head and shoulders taller than anyone else. God knew it wouldn't matter what else Saul was or wasn't because he looked good to them. And humans can be flaky when it comes to loyalty - whatever looks good to them. Several chapters later, the people made up songs - "Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten-thousands".

Going back on the timeline, when God chose a king for His people – David was the least likely from Jesse’s house, so much so that his own father didn’t deem him significant enough to call in from the field – until Samuel asked if there were any more. God chose from the tribe of Judah – the praisers, the rulers - because God looks on the heart.

When Samuel went to Jesse’s to find God's choice for king, he took one look at Eliab. Did a once-over and thought that was him… till God said no. However, Samuel did continue looking at all the other brothers using the same criteria - their appearance. Thankfully, Samuel knew the voice of God and spent time in His presence, so he didn’t voice his own opinion. He waited for the Lord to confirm or deny. 

So, how do we come into the presence of God? How do we get close enough to hear Him so we know which way is right? The Word says we come into the Holy of Holies by the Blood of the Lamb, into His presence with singing and worship. All actions that David did in his daily life while working his day job which is why God chose David. All actions that WE need to do in our daily life so that we don’t make assumptions and overlook God’s best for us to choose what looks good to us.

Prayer:

Father,

Open our eyes to see as You see. Open our ears to hear Your voice. Open our minds to receive Your Word with gladness. Open our hearts to hasten to perform Your Word. Let us not overlook what You have chosen for us, for Your way is best. Help us, Lord, to walk in Your way. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen

Friends' Favorite - Just to Be Clear

 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.
1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT

I am writing this out with the hope of helping. I'm no great theologian. I just try to discover the Truth of things based on God's Word. So, this is for those I love who are following Christ, but who have lost or are losing someone they love. 

The Bible does NOT say you won't grieve or that you shouldn't grieve (as some will try to tell you); the Word simply states that we will not grieve like people who have no hope. There IS a difference. Christians aren't superhuman. We aren't perfect. We're forgiven. We're redeemed. We grieve when we lose someone we love, but because of what Christ did, we have hope in this life and for after. 

Prayer:

Father,
          Free us from the deceptive subtleties of the enemy to kill, steal and destroy our lives. Give us a fresh vision of eternity with You. Remind us of the hope we have in You. And please comfort as only You can, the hearts and minds of those who are grieving the loss of loved ones. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - Comforting Thought

He [God] comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 
2nd Corinthians 1:4 NLT

Short and to the point. This is not a ministry of apologetics. I am a firm believer that God does not need nor does He want anyone to apologize for anything He does or anything He allows to touch our lives. 

I most definitely believe that God can and will use everything that happens to us - good or bad - to create and/or strengthen Christ-like character in us... IF we allow Him to work in us. IF we choose to forgive. IF we choose the counsel of His Word over what we want to do in the flesh. 

You've been through a bad time? Did God get you through? Share it! You've been an addict and God delivered you? Share it! You've been abused? Molested? Held captive - literally or spiritually? Lost it all? God healed you and set you free?!? Share it! Or maybe you didn't get healed, but God has given you the grace to walk through it. I can't list everything here - but you get the picture.

God has comforted you and now you are to comfort others with the comfort He gave you!

And if you are NOW going through these things - I can put you in touch with people who have a testimony - those who know the way God will get you through because He did it for them! And I guarantee He will do it for you. That should be a comforting thought!

Prayer:

Father,
          Thank You for always sending someone to light our way with the oil of Your grace and to lighten our load with the comfort of Your Word for us and to us. Thank You, Father, for loving us beyond our expectation and even our ability to comprehend the depth of it. Thank You for every hard place we've ever been in that worked a measure of compassion and grace in us to be able to comfort others. Open our eyes to the opportunities around us to share those comforts to hurting hearts and souls in our sphere of influence and beyond. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - Trustworthy Anchor

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.
Hebrews 16:18-19 NLT

One of our safety moments at work had to do with a man who worked for one of our clients. He had used the required fall protection while climbing on a scaffold structure. He was wearing it properly and he had tied off the anchor as he'd been taught. However, the scaffolding collapsed when he was over water. And although the anchor of his fall protection was securely tied off... it was tied off on the scaffolding that crashed into the water, dragging the worker into the 40-foot depths. He was not rescued in time. 

What went wrong? Two things. One - the structure was not a firm foundation. Two - The man anchored to the wrong structure. They were working under a dock, on scaffolding over the water. He should have been anchored to the dock.

And as I was thinking about it again today, I was reminded how often we do that in our Christian walk. We think we have fall protection, but we're trying to stand on our own, do things our own way, standing on what we've built. We think we're invincible and doing everything right, but the Truth is - unless we are anchoring our souls to what God has established, His firm foundation, we face the same fate... 

Prayer:

Father,
            First, we ask that You comfort the family and friends of the man who lost his life. Provide for them as You have promised in Isaiah 54. Teach us, O God! You alone are our firm foundation. You alone are the Rock on which we can stand and not fall.  Open our eyes to see the Truth of Your ways and the error of our own. Open our hearts to obey You in ALL things. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - Body Building

They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.
Acts 14:21-22 NIV

If you were going to join a gym with the purpose of building your muscles and strengthening your body, who would you listen to - Woody Allen or Dwayne Johnson? My obvious point being that you'd be more likely to listen to someone who actually has muscles and strength, yes? 

Paul was just such a man. He had been stoned and dragged out of the city of Lystra, left for dead just a few verses before today's chosen passage, but he had gotten up and gone right back into the city!

It was Jews from Iconium and Antioch who had incited the crowd in Lystra to attack Paul, and yet, here we find him traveling back through those same cities to strengthen the ones who had been converted to Christ on his previous visit. What a powerful testimony and witness to the new disciples! 

The Message Bible reads, "putting muscle and sinew in the lives of the disciples, urging them to stick with what they had begun to believe and not quit, making it clear to them that it wouldn’t be easy..."  Jesus Himself had said it wouldn't be easy (John 16:33).

If you were in the gym to build muscle and sinew, you would probably hear more than once, No pain - No gain. It's part of Body Building 101. The same is true with Paul. He warns them it's going to be hard. However, Paul takes it to a much higher level - the body he has chosen to strengthen is the Body of Christ. 

That is serious body-building.

Prayer:

Father,
          We want to build the Body and strengthen them with Your Good News. Just like Isaiah said, to strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. We will be able to say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear" because You, O God, are coming to deliver us and save us. Give us divine appointments, in Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - Evidence of Himself

We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.
Acts 14:15c-17 NLT

How often do we turn to the things of this world for comfort? How often do we just want to "veg out" in order to de-stress from the daily grind of our lives? Or try to do or buy something to make us feel good?

If we're seeking it from the world, at best it is fleeting - a momentary fix. The Truth is God Himself has made provision for all of it. The Holy Spirit IS our Comforter - and as part of the Holy Trinity, He is everlasting. Christ left us HIS peace. He even made the stipulation "not as the world gives it" (John 14:27). And as our Scripture for today points out - He never leaves us without evidence of Himself and His goodness!

Prayer:

Father,
          You are a good, good Father! We cannot thank You enough for all the ways You lovingly provide for us. Thank You for the evidence of You and Your goodness in our lives. We want more of You, Lord. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - The Children's Children

But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!
Psalm 103:17-18 NLT

When I was in my late teens and early twenties, my mother used to tell me that I might as well give up and get right with God because I had a praying mother and grandmother. She stood on this promise for today.

This is a promise I have now stood on for many years. It covered my children while they were growing up, and when they were growing and going away. 

It is a promise for my beloved grandchildren, from the youngest to the older ones who are now growing up and growing away. Our time with them is so short. Only a loving God can make sure that it is enough. 

God's Word has stood the test of time. It is relevant for this time and for ALL time because it is alive and powerful (Hebrews 4:12). I trust God to keep them, and for His salvation to guide and guard their hearts and minds. God's salvation extends to all of them - my children and my children's children. 

Prayer:

Father,
          Your grace is sufficient in and for all things. Your salvation is a promise fulfilled through Christ. Thank You for Your Word that we can stand and build our lives on and the lives of our children and our children's children. Teach us to remain faithful and to continue to walk in obedience. No slacking. Their very lives depend on it. In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen

Friends' Favorite - Buried Alive

Some skeptic is sure to ask, “Show me how resurrection works. Give me a diagram; draw me a picture. What does this ‘resurrection body’ look like?” If you look at this question closely, you realize how absurd it is. There are no diagrams for this kind of thing. We do have a parallel experience in gardening. You plant a “dead” seed; soon there is a flourishing plant. There is no visual likeness between seed and plant. You could never guess what a tomato would look like by looking at a tomato seed. What we plant in the soil and what grows out of it don’t look anything alike. The dead body that we bury in the ground and the resurrection body that comes from it will be dramatically different.
1st Corinthians 15:35-42 The Message

Has life ever made you feel like you'd been knocked down and buried in fertilizer... that keeps getting piled on?!? That's how I've been feeling the last few days but today, God reminded me of this Scripture.

What is planted - buried beneath mounds and pounds of fertilizer - and what grows out of it don't look anything alike! Just like you can't tell what a tomato will look like from the seed you plant, there's no telling what we'll look like, either - but the Bible says we shall be like Him!!

Can we give God the praise for that and thank Him even in the fertilizer?!?

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for loving us more than enough to give us what we need rather than what we want. Help us to understand and continue to grow in the process. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - In God's Way

“As I began to speak,” Peter continued, “the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning. Then I thought of the Lord’s words when he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?”
Acts 11:15-17 NLT

Two chapters prior to this passage, we read, Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. Saul of Tarsus asked for and received letters requesting cooperation to arrest any followers of the Way he found in Damascus. 

Saul of Tarsus was both a descendant of Abraham and a Roman citizen. His education of the law was under the tutelage of Rabbi Gamaliel who was a leader in the Jewish Sanhedrin. He had all kinds of "bragging rights". Saul was also a Pharisee - he knew the law and that was the zeal that drove him to persecute Christians. They weren't following God the same way he had been taught, so he was on his way to arrest and bring back to Jerusalem - in chains - anyone who followed the way of Jesus. The story of Saul's Damascus Road conversion adventure to becoming the apostle Paul is a favorite of many (Acts 9:1-22). 

However, as Peter points out in our text for today, how often do we judge another simply because they don't do something the same as we do? They don't do it our way... but then, are we sure our way is God's way?

I wonder how often I have been IN God's way instead of following His way...

Prayer:

Father,
          Forgive us, O God, when we get in Your way rather than follow in Your way. Open our eyes, Lord, to clearly see You and follow You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - Fresh Heart

After spending a considerable time with the Antioch Christians, Paul set off again for Galatia and Phrygia, retracing his old tracks, one town after another, putting fresh heart into the disciples.
Acts 18:23 The Message

Watch any war movie or any series involving a war with heavy fighting and you know about asking for reinforcements. Troops to help bear the burden of fighting against the enemy, to share the load, to provide renewed strength for those who have been fighting all along. To help fight when you can't fight anymore.

Fighting a battle is extremely difficult. It can wear you down. Without reinforcement, you may find yourself slipping. Losing ground. What I am noticing in this time through the Book of Acts are the reinforcements, the helpers. Who is walking alongside of Paul? Which ones are providing sustenance and provision for the mission work? Who is standing with him? Who is taking some of the heat for him? Silas, Timothy, Aquila, Priscilla, Barnabas, Jason, just to name a few. 

And what does Paul do? He pours it back into the believers. New Living reads, visiting and strengthening all the believers. The classic Amplified reads, imparting new strength to them. But I love how The Message reads, putting fresh heart into the disciples.  Disciples - indicating that these aren't slackers. They're disciplined in their walk. Fighting the good fight for their faith.

We must do the same! One more reason why it is vital that we fill up on God's Word - so we can pour into others who need fresh hearts to continue till Jesus comes. Who are you walking with?

Prayer:

Father,
          Give us Your eyes to help us see those who may be languishing. Give us Your wisdom and strength to impart to them. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - Wonders Without Numbers

It is the Lord who created the stars, the Pleiades and Orion. He turns darkness into morning and day into night. He draws up water from the oceans and pours it down as rain on the land. The Lord is his name!
Amos 5:8 NLT

The Book of Amos is said to have been written sometime between 760 and 753BC, making it the first prophetic book written and he's writing about stars that we know and recognize today. 

Do you ever gaze in wonder at the stars? I live near the water and to me, the sky is even more beautiful there. The night sky is magnificent - even to the naked eye - but add a powerful telescope and it's unbelievable!! 

I don't remember what I was reading this morning, but it dawned on me (no pun intended) that the same stars that light my night - the same constellations we point out to our children and grandchildren - are the same stars that Moses saw while tending his father-in-law's sheep on the backside of the mountain. The same stars that David marveled about - the very same ones that Job declared in Job 9:9-10,  He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number.

Somehow, I felt connected to the stories of their lives in a whole, new light! (That pun was intended) J  And the more I thought about it today, the more I wanted to get home and look at the sky. Don't be alarmed. I have no desire to worship the sun, moon or stars, (referred to in Acts 7), but I do have a greater desire to worship the God who created all the wonders without number!

Prayer:

Father,
          What wondrous works! What continuity of a life found in You!  Thank You for Your marvelous wonders! Continue to work in us, O God. May all our inspiration be found only in You! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - Shining Out of the Darkness

Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
Isaiah 58:10 NLT

It's back to school season. Everywhere you look, it's all that's advertised. Lots of charities looking for donations of school supplies, clothes, non-perishables for school lunches, etc. You may have your own family to outfit for school. So what do you do? Some people will skip lunches or give up sodas and use the money to donate to help others. Skip lunch? You mean, like fasting? Yes, if and only if, that's what God is speaking to your heart. 

So let's read what He has to say about fasting in Isaiah 58 (New Living Translation). 

What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting?
Do you really think this will please the Lord?

No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.

Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.

When you strengthen and encourage and provide for someone who has less than you, you are rebuilding. When you help a single parent (mom or dad or grandparent) by providing for their child or children, you are restoring a home. Matthew 5 tells us, Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. James 1:27 reads, Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. 

Christmas isn’t the only season to shine...

Prayer:

Father,
           Open our eyes and our hearts and our wallets to see the opportunities around us that will allow us to shine out of the darkness for Your glory. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen