It’s Holy Week!

For me, and I’m sure many others, it is contemplation week.  A week of heartbreak, grief, and at the same time …joy.  Just to think that thousands of years ago, God knew my name and loved me enough to send His only Son to save me, and you!

Jesus came to earth in human form to start a movement that goes on still today.  He gathered His army, those who would come to know Him very well and would spread His message all around!

Jesus understood why He was there.  He had an assignment and He accepted it willingly.  It wasn’t easy, keep in mind that He was fully human at this time and even prayed in the garden, ⁴² Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done. Luke 22:42 KJV

He had a mission and He would complete it.  No matter the cost, the reward was greater.  By completing His mission, He paid the ultimate price for our sins.

As you contemplate Jesus hanging on the cross, being taunted and tortured until death, remember this.  He did it for YOU.  He did it for ME.  We are so unworthy, but He still paid our price for our forgiveness.  Can you just throw aside a gift like that?  Knowing what it cost Him?  I know I can’t.

Then comes joy in the morning!  I used to think that was a terrible thing to say.  The joy, just as He said, came on the third day.  He arose into eternal life!  He died and came back, showing Himself to many!  He paid the price for us and now would prepare to go sit beside His Father.  And wait for us.

Pray Unceasingly!!

Lois

Dayspring – Via Shawna

 “Then the crowds who went ahead of him and those who followed shouted: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” – Matthew 21:9 CSB

And with those words…Holy Week began. As we begin our Holy Week celebration and head toward Easter Sunday, let’s remember the events leading to Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection and acknowledge their meaning. Reflect upon what happened on Palm Sunday, the Sunday before His crucifixion, when Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem with coats and branches laid at His feet and people praising Him. Those shouting Hosanna, or “save us,” were looking for an earthly warrior to rescue them from the harsh Roman rule.

Today, when we shout Hosanna, we recognize that Jesus came to be our personal Savior, to save us from the penalty of our sins. So, on Palm Sunday, as we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we’re lifting our Hosannas to the only One who can truly save our lives.

The Thursday after Palm Sunday (or Maundy Thursday), Jesus and His disciples met in the upper room to observe the Passover, now known as “The Last Supper.” After washing His disciples’ feet, Jesus held communion with them. He charged His disciples to eat the bread while thinking of His broken body and to drink the wine while thinking of His blood. (Luke 22:19-20)  Imagine how mystified those men must have been until the events of the next day unfolded.

After praying passionately in the Garden of Gethsemane in the late hours of Thursday night into Friday morning, Jesus was then betrayed by Judas and arrested. Over the next few hours, He was abandoned, falsely accused, beaten, mocked and condemned to death. And those who just a few days earlier were hailing Him as their King were suddenly yelling, “Crucify Him!” How many of us have just given up after experiencing only a fraction of the hatred and opposition He endured? Yet knowing what lay ahead of Him, He stood there silently and humbly.

Wearing nothing but a crown of thorns, Christ was hoisted up on a cross to hang in humiliation and endure an excruciatingly painful death. He was the Lamb of God, the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world.

“He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. – 2 Corinthians 5:21 CSB

How great His love for each of us must truly be to have taken the punishment we deserve upon Himself! We’re like tiny grasshoppers compared to Him (Isaiah 40:22), yet He cared enough to do all that for us. This is why we must never forget how awesome His love is!

At 3 p.m. on Good Friday, Jesus breathed His last and died. He was placed in a tomb, which was sealed shut with a large stone and guarded by Roman soldiers.

Although Holy Week ends on Saturday, praise God the story doesn’t end there! On Easter Sunday morning, the stone that sealed the tomb was rolled away, and Jesus was resurrected (John 20). He overcame death so that those who trust in Him could also overcome death and one day live with Him in Heaven for all eternity.

Holy Week is about remembering the only One who is truly holy—Jesus Christ. This week, let’s take time to gratefully remember and keep alive in our hearts what Jesus, the perfect Lamb and the risen Savior, did for us years ago. He came. He died. And He rose again, so we could live in eternity with a loving God who gave His life for us in the greatest way possible.

As we walk through Holy Week, we encourage you to revisit the details of Christ’s crucifixion, death and resurrection. Try reading through Mark 14-16. Take your time this week to read slowly and thoughtfully, as you prayerfully think about each of the events described there and their deep and life-changing meaning for each of us.

Happy Monday!!  This is the day the Lord has made!

As I have mentioned in previous thoughts, the last 15 months or so, with an undetermined amount of time to still come, we have faced loss and hardships that we would never have even thought about a couple of years ago.  When I think back to just 1 year ago, I could say that I didn’t even know anyone who had been stricken with the coronavirus and certainly not been affected personally.

Oh, how a year can change things!  I have lost 1 family member; I was down with it for several weeks and so many people that I know have had it.  Jobs have been lost and isolation has stolen our lives, literally.  There are so many other effects to families, marriages and lives that we may never hear about.

So, in a time like this, what do we do?  Too often, you see the “blame game”.  If he hadn’t done that or she hadn’t said that, my life could’ve/would’ve been different.  But really, is that true?  Possibly, but what if WE take responsibility for our feelings and how we react to external factors?

You say that won’t give you your job back.  You are absolutely right, but it will affect the way you handle it, not only personally, but in your interactions with all of those closest to you.  Could it possibly open up an entirely new door for you?

You say it won’t bring your loved one back.  You are absolutely right, and I am so sorry for your loss.  I pray your loved one was in a relationship with our Lord and is now in a much better place than this world we live in.  If not, I pray you take the opportunity to be sure you are and even become ever more aware of how important it is to share that eternal hope with others.

You say you are afraid of dying.  Refer to the previous paragraph.  When we know our good, good Father, we have no need to be afraid.  Personal disclaimer:  the fact that we aren’t afraid of dying doesn’t release us from the responsibility of taking the best care of ourselves that we can and protecting others.

God is ALWAYS here for us, everyone of us.  He may not answer every prayer the way you want but He sees the bigger plan, the overall picture that we can’t even imagine.  Trust Him.

Pray Unceasingly!!

Lois

Loss. Trauma. Disappointment

YouVersion Devotional

We all go through hardships in life…situations that take us by surprise…circumstances that attempt to keep us awake at night with worry, heartache, or despair.

A natural disaster. An unforeseen betrayal. A sudden illness. Finding out your spouse has been unfaithful and/or wants a divorce. A horrible car accident. Job loss. Loss of a home. Marital and family problems. Extended family and in-law difficulties and conflicts. Blended family challenges. A child’s rebellion. Mental illness (yourself or a loved one). Divorce. Life struggles, difficulties, and PTSD from serving in the military. Assault. Abuse. Rejection. Financial devastation. Disabilities. Keeping your head above water as life tries to drown you.

The list of losses can go on and on…and even though they can be numerous, EACH situation is extremely painful to the one who is going through a heart-shattering situation at the present moment. Sometimes the heartache from a past loss is so deep, that years later, life is still an ongoing struggle.

How can God bring healing in the midst of loss, trauma, and disappointment?  What about after the loss? What about when the event has passed…but you are still struggling with the shattered remnants of the aftermath? Can God truly bring healing and restore a person’s peace and joy? What if your situation never changes? Can you still find the peace and joy, and the ability to live a good life you so desperately crave?

Life can be incredibly painful but God is the final authority in and over our lives. He has the ability to work mightily in our lives…no matter the situation.

The bad news is: there is an enemy who has stolen from you, killed your peace, joy, and life, and attempted to destroy your hope and faith. The good news is: there is a loving God who wants to not only give you life…and bring you back to fully living life…but to also give you life abundantly. The deeper you dive into finding God’s heart and purpose, the greater He brings His ultimate good to the surface in your life. Seek God’s heart through every trauma, disappointment, and loss you face.

1 John 4:4 “Dear children, you belong to God. You have not accepted the teachings of the false prophets. That’s because the One who is in you is more powerful than the one who is in the world.”

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so they can have life. I want them to have it in the fullest possible way.”

Happy Monday!

Maybe you have noticed, as I have, that the rumor mongers are alive and well!  They are very busy with all kinds of rumors, conspiracies, scams and creating fear, everywhere they can.

It really doesn’t matter where you turn, it’s in politics, churches, work environments and even in your personal lives.  If someone you know said it, it must be true.  Unfortunately, it’s a little like the old game we played when I was young, you pass a story down by whispering it to the next person in line until it reaches full circle.  Remember how the end story differed from the beginning story?

That’s a really important lesson.  In the first place, if it doesn’t directly affect you, should you be passing it on at all?  Always keep in mind how many people could be harmed.  It can affect individuals, marriages, churches and even nations.

Everyone‘s searching for the truth these days…Finding it seems ever more difficult.

Who should we trust to tell us the truth?

Whose word should we believe?

How can each of us live a life of truth?

Psalm 119:160 “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.”

Most of us have the ultimate guide to wisdom in our homes, even if it hasn’t been used faithfully.  The Bible is the best resource for answers to most questions.  It is full of wisdom and God’s truth.  Isn’t that what we should be looking for?

Pray Unceasingly!!

Study What’s Real to Detect What Isn’t True – Rick Warren

“Since only your rules can give me wisdom and understanding, no wonder I hate every false teaching.” Psalm 119:104 (TLB)

The only way to really know what’s fake is to know what’s real.

Many people today fall for foolish ideas because they don’t know the truth. And because they don’t know what’s authentic, they can’t spot a lie.

That’s why it is so important to study God’s Word. By knowing biblical truth, you’ll be able to spot false teaching.

The psalmist wrote, “Since only your rules can give me wisdom and understanding, no wonder I hate every false teaching” (Psalm 119:104 TLB).

By the time a typical American student graduates from high school today, he or she will have spent more than 30,000 hours in front of a screen (including video games, tablets, laptops, and TVs).

Any guess how long it takes to read the entire Bible—all 66 books? It takes just 80 hours.

We have the time. The question is, how will we use our time? God gave us his Word to give us the wisdom we need to live a fulfilling and productive life.

Make the most of this awesome gift by making time to study it today and every day.

Happy Monday!

It seems we have been living in a world of upheaval this past year and still now.  Our lives have changed, out of necessity.  There has been loss.  There has been anger and there has been disappointments and, unfortunately, fear of the unknown.

In a time when unity is so important, there have been broken trusts and separation.  In a time when we need our church family, more than ever, even that has been taken away.  Sometimes through the closing down of churches, sometimes sickness, and sometimes just not feeling safe there.  Whatever the cause, the result is the same, separation from the body of Christ.

I recently spoke to a friend of many, many years.  She was brokenhearted because the church she loved, seemed to be coming apart at the seams.  It had split and many people she loved had left the church.  I have been through a church split and I understand exactly what she is going through.

It took some time to rebuild my trust in a church again.  It took a lot of prayer and forgiveness and begging God to restore my faith.  And you know what?  He did.  After a lot of prayer, a question was put on my heart.  “Are you going for them or are you going for HIM”?  Ouch!

I learned some important lessons.  #1 – “Church” isn’t a building, it’s a bunch of imperfect people trying to serve a perfect God.  #2 – When you have imperfect people, they make mistakes.  #3 – I/you are among those imperfect people, I/you make mistakes too.

In trying to find something for her, I came across this article and thought it very fitting for the times we are in.

I pray peace, forgiveness and understanding for you all.

Pray Unceasingly!!

Lois

How to Trust in the Church When It’s Been Broken 

What I’ve learned being part of the messy human experience 

Sherry Surratt 

My husband and I describe ourselves as church junkies. We are those odd people who love to visit churches when we are on vacation. We love experiencing different styles of worship services and delight in the creative approaches we’ve seen in different denominations. We love practical, stirring messages delivered by passionate pastors, and I have to admit to sneaking out of the “tourist only” line at St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice so I could sneak into a Sunday morning worship service, reserved only for church members. Never mind that every word was in Italian and I spoke only English. I had no clue when to sit or stand or how to use the prayer book tucked in the back of the seat in front of me. It didn’t matter. I could feel God’s presence even though I couldn’t understand a word.

I love church. I love the chance to gather with others who love it too and worship a great big God who loves me so incredibly much. Gathering together is inspiring and encouraging. It’s where I’ve formed lifelong relationships and had my most intimate friendship moments. It’s also where I’ve had the deepest moments of pain.

Church is full of imperfect people who mess up and have to deal with self-centeredness and jealousy and evil thoughts every day just like every other human. We can know this in our head, but when we come face-to-face with it right in the church pew, it still catches us by surprise.

Church is full of imperfect people who mess up and have to deal with self-centeredness and jealousy and evil thoughts every day just like every other human.

What is the church? 

In Matthew 16:18 Jesus promised, “I will build my church.” Jesus wasn’t just talking about the bricks or wood that form a church building, but he was talking about building his church of people.

The Greek word that is usually translated church in the Bible comes from the Greek word ekklesia, which, originally, didn’t have any religious connection but referred to a group of people. In Acts 19 we find Paul preaching in Ephesus where a mob formed to protest and stir up trouble. In verse 32, Luke says that “the assembly was in confusion,” and in the original Greek used the word ekklesia. In this passage the town leader demands that proper charges be brought before the “lawful assembly,” again, ekklesia. We can determine from this that the root meaning of the word church has to do with a group of people. The church is ordinary, human people who are imperfect and broken and bring their messy lives right along with them every time they walk through the door. This is what Christ died for. He reminds us in that he didn’t die for a pile of bricks or stone. He died for people—for his church.

And herein lies the rub. The church is a group of people, led by people, and not a single one of us is perfect. We’re a broken bunch who hopefully recognizes our brokenness and acknowledges that Jesus is the only fix. We need to run to him for rebuilding. No matter how long we’ve been in the church, we never reach perfection. Paul reminds us in Philippians that we’ll have to work at it every day. We’ll come face-to-face with our human side every single morning when we wake up, and we’ll fight hatred and bitterness, and self-centeredness, and when we do, we’ll bump up against each other and we’ll get hurt.

When the church causes pain  

Our natural tendency is to steer clear of what hurts us or causes us pain. It’s natural to want to avoid it. So, when we encounter gossip aimed at us or witness hatred or hypocrisy in our fellow churchgoers or even our pastors, it’s natural to think about walking away. But to do this is to separate ourselves from something that God built for us to use for our good.

When I served on staff at a truly wonderful congregation, I experienced a situation that made me think hard about what I really believed about the church. We were planning a women’s event and I was part of the planning team. The woman who was heading up the project was a good friend of mine and a wonderful event planner who invited our opinions. But somehow, I crossed the line during a meeting when I posed a suggestion that she didn’t like. The expression on her face changed and her actions toward me drastically changed thereafter. While I knew her actions were tied to the idea I had suggested, I really didn’t understand what I had done wrong. I tried to talk to her about it, but it was as if I had been cut off. I was bewildered. I thought we were friends. I apologized, but it didn’t help. And not only was she ignoring me as a friend, but her behavior had turned to just plain mean.

The situation was simply proof that we were messy, complicated people trying to follow Christ, but never doing it perfectly.

My first reaction was to get defensive. I claimed they were an immature group of women. That they were two-faced and just pretending to love God and to be nice people.

Fortunately, I didn’t go down this road for too long. In my heart I knew my friend wasn’t a bad person, and this wasn’t a bad group of women. The situation was simply proof that we were messy, complicated people trying to follow Christ, but never doing it perfectly. I’ve learned that when someone in the church hurts my feelings or does something bad, I need to admit the church is full of humans, and I’m one of them.

I also learned to stop pretending painful wounds don’t hurt. The Bible never says other people aren’t going to wound me just because I follow Christ. What the Bible does teach me is that it doesn’t help to just sit in hurt and feel sorry for myself. In fact, God’s Word warns me to not let bitterness set in. This has nothing to do with pretending something didn’t happen. It has everything to do with being honest and admitting when our spirit is crushed and then leaving revenge in the hands of God, who, by the way, does a much better job with it than we ever could. I’ve learned that it’s okay to admit my pain to God and to myself.

Next steps to healing 

Somebody messed up and you got hit by the shrapnel. Maybe it was more than one somebody. Maybe it was your pastor or a whole group of leaders and now you are finding it hard to trust. The bottom line is you were wounded and you have to figure out your next step. What do you do? Here are four steps you can take toward healing.

Put words to the pain and allow tears to soak into your aching heart.

1. Acknowledge your wound and be honest with yourself. 

A great place to start is to admit how much it hurt and begin to deal with it. Writing others off or running away doesn’t accomplish this. Put words to the pain and allow tears to soak into your aching heart. Go directly to the person (and only to that person) who hurt you with an honest attitude of reconciliation and humility. If you need to process your hurt with a trusted friend, avoid gossip at all costs. Talk about the hurt in your heart, not with the intention of forever sitting in it, but saying it, releasing it, and then moving on.

2. Own your part. 

Be honest with yourself and ask, “What’s my part in this?” If the actions had nothing to do with you, as in the case of a trusted leader who did something immoral or illegal, ask yourself if you put unrealistic expectations on their humanness. Did you expect them to be perfect? Now that you know they are not, can you forgive?

As in the case of my friend who turned her back on me, I had to realize that I had probably come off as arrogantly challenging her leadership. Even though she didn’t want to accept my apology, it didn’t release me from my responsibility to say I was sorry. Ask yourself if you made any mistakes with your words, attitudes, or actions. Even if they were unintentional, the words, “I was wrong. Will you forgive me?” go a long way in healing your own soul.

3. Ask God for wisdom. 

Ask God what you should do next. He knows the situation and the motives hidden in the hearts of those involved. He loves you best and is on your side. Give him space and time to answer you. Listen carefully. Be patient.

4. Guard your heart. 

In this process it’s easy for your heart to become hard and bitter. After all, why should you forgive? Why shouldn’t you just quit and walk away? Why should you stick in there and keep trying even when you know they were the one who were wrong? Why shouldn’t you hate them? Choosing to follow God, even when your heart hurts so badly, lets God’s incredible blessings wash over you. He knows. He sees. He alone can determine the motives and intent of others, and he promises that he will be just and fair. But many times, our faithfulness has to come first and then his blessings follow.

Sometimes a change is in order 

It’s incredibly painful, but sometimes you have to make a change. If your trust has been completely shattered and even after following the steps above, you feel in your heart you need to leave your church, make a promise to yourself and to God that you will leave well. Refuse to gossip. Don’t leave angry. Force yourself to acknowledge the good, no matter how small it is. But most importantly, don’t give up. Remind yourself God is good, his church is good, and people are human. Find another place of worship and dive in with an open heart. And then wait for God’s incredible blessings.

Happy Monday!

I have been doing a lot of straight spiritual emails lately.  That’s what God has put on my heart and I try to follow that.

This week, however, we are going to go back to the physical.  Maybe because this is a daily struggle for me and I am really trying to do better, God led me back to this.  This takes me back to the basics of the Daniel Plan.  One of the reasons I love the Daniel Plan so much (6 years for the group) is the fact that it incorporates so much spiritual with the physical.

What we learned in group is that it walks hand in hand.  Anyone can go on a diet.  For true success though, you must change your lifestyle.  It can’t be radical, you still have a life!  It must be sustainable, otherwise you may win in the short term but eventually you will end up right back where you started.  Last, but definitely not least, you are not your BFF, your sister, your daughter or anyone else.  You were created to be unique in every way.  This includes your very distinct metabolism, chemical makeup and lifestyle.  What works for them, isn’t necessarily right for you.

As for me, I want to be and really try to be a good steward of what God has given me, including my body.  That being said, one of the most important things I have learned is that I cannot do it on my own.  I need the power of God walking right along beside me, in everything I do.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 

20 you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.

Pray Unceasingly!!

Lois

God’s Power for Healthy Living: Wellness Devotional & Scripture 1 Corinthians 4:20

BY DALE FLETCHER

Lifestyle Factors and Your Health

By some estimates, approximately 40% of all deaths in the United States are premature (at least 900,000 deaths annually) and are due to unhealthy lifestyle choices such as tobacco use, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, misuse of alcohol and drugs, and accidents. Other contributors to early death include genetic predisposition (30%), social circumstances (15%), poor access to quality health care (10 percent), and environmental exposures (5%). (David Anderson, Ph.D., StayWell Health Management)

So more than any other factor, it’s our lifestyle that causes us to be unhealthy.  Changing old unhealthy habits is not easy but it’s essential if we want to become healthier and live a better quality of life.

God’s Power is Available to You

“God’s way is … an empowered life.” 1 Corinthians 4:20 – The Message

God wants to assist us in living a healthy life and He has given those who believe in Jesus a helper – the Holy Spirit. (John 14:16-17) Just one of many blessings we receive as followers of Christ is that we have God’s power in us to live the kind of life that He wants us to live and this includes the ability to make desired lifestyle changes.

The Bible tells us that the same mighty power that raised Christ from his grave is available to us who believe in Jesus. (Romans 8:11 and Ephesians 1:19-20)

One key to being empowered by God’s Spirit is to recognize that in our own strength we cannot do what we can in God’s strength and power.  We must recognize this and depend on the supernatural power of God to work in us. We must submit and surrender to God and embrace the spiritual truth that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) “When I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)

Your Body is God’s Temple

Because God’s Holy Spirit lives in those of us who have accepted Jesus into our hearts, our bodies are His temple ( 1 Corinthians 3:16)   Therefore, we have a responsibility to care for His temple.  It’s an awesome thing that God’s Spirit in us empowers us to live in such a way that we can care for His temple as a matter of love and worship to God. One beneficial by-product is that by appropriating God’s power, we can live a lifestyle conducive to good health.

My Prayer for You

Like the Apostle Paul, I pray that the “eyes of your heart” might be open and that you are able to understand and appropriate the power that is available to you to make any lifestyle changes you might want to make… all for the glory of God! ( Ephesians 1:18 and Ephesians 3:14-21)