Movin’ On Up

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Movin’ On Up

I attended a Celebration of Life for a dear friend a few days ago.  While I can say, it’s never easy, I can also say there is a world of difference when you know, without a doubt in your mind, that they had given their life to Jesus Christ.  I will be attending another Celebration of Life later this week.  Another dear friend.  A third friend lost her husband just a few short months ago.  I feel, with an absolute certainty that they are all now in the presence of the Lord.  And I know I will see them again!

I grieve for the loss of the families.  I know their loved ones are missed so very much.  I also know that their spouses of many years, have the comfort of knowing that their loved one will suffer no more, EVER!  The pain, the uncertainty, the tears, they’re all gone.  They know that when their loved one took their last breath on this earth, they went into the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!  Oh!  What a glorious promise!

Each of our names are written on the hand of God.  And we all have an appointed time.  It may be many years or it may be tomorrow.  Are you ready?

Still, death remains a mystery to many and we are all in the process of dying.

Ray Pritchard of Keep Believing Ministries says this in the article “What Happens When You Die”:

“If you want the answer in one sentence here it is: What happens after you die depends on what happens before you die. Consider what the Bible says in Hebrews 9:27, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (NKJV). This is an appointment no one will miss. As someone has noted, the statistics on death are appalling. One hundred out of one hundred people will eventually die. We are all terminally ill with a disease called death; we just don’t know when the end will come.”

When Benjamin Franklin was twenty-three years old, he wrote the following epitaph. His words catch the essence of the Christian doctrine of bodily resurrection:

The body of Benjamin Franklin
Printer;
Like the cover of an old book,
Its contents torn out,
And stripped of its lettering and gilding,
Lies here, food for worms.
But the work shall not be wholly lost:
For it will, as he believed, appear once more,
In a new and more elegant edition,
Revised and corrected
By the Author.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 says, “We will be with the Lord forever.” Speaking of his own return, Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3

As Tony Evans says, “Have a good time at my funeral, because I’m not going to be there.”

When my appointed day comes, I pray to “die well”.  I want my loved ones to see Jesus in me throughout, whatever my process may be.  I will pass from death to life eternal.  I’m movin’ on up!

Pray Unceasingly!!

Lois

How Great Thou Art!

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Happy Monday!

I usually get to church early on Sunday morning.  Like others that I know of, I try to make a few minutes to just walk through and pray over the church, the sermon, all of those who make it happen and the congregation.  I pray that not even one bad spirit, germ or anything that can cause harm to our souls or bodies, can enter or remain in this sanctuary!

By this time of day, there is soft music playing in the background and it is like the setting of what is to come.  Yesterday, as I did my little walk through, “How Great Thou Art” happened to be playing.  Just so you know, I cannot walk out on “How Great Thou Art”!  This song stirs every emotion in me and I will hear this song playing in my spirit for the rest of the day!

Yesterday was no exception.  I usually get a little nudge during the week about what I want to write about.  Yesterday, what I kept getting, over and over was “How Great Thou Art”!  The very first verse, in four little lines, provides enough to calm all of the seas of our lives and heal all wounds.  Do we recognize who we are talking about here or do we sometimes start to take Him for granted? If only everyone would hear.

O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder

Lord, you are my God, my creator, the Alpha and Omega and my Savior!  I am in wonder of all you have done, are doing and will continue to do!  From the sunrises that literally take my breath away, to the sunsets that soothe my soul, I am in awe of your glory and majesty!  How Great Thou Art!

Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made

God created the heavens, the seas and the earth.  He created all the lands by separating them with water and mountains.  He created every person in those lands, all according to His purpose, no matter what race that He chose them to be.  He created the angels, even those who turned away from Him.  He didn’t hire a construction crew or DNA specialist.  HE created it all, by His hands.  How Great Thou Art!

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder

Can you count the stars?  Can you even begin to fathom His creation?  Scientists try to explain it away, but we know, because we believe God’s word.  What do you think when you hear the rolling thunder?  God’s bowling alley?  I do think God must have a sense of humor, He has, after all, tolerated our blunders for all of these years.  For me though, it makes the connection between a powerful and familiar sound, like thunder, and the power of God’s spoken word.  How Great Thou Art!!

Thy power throughout the universe displayed

I enjoy a good thunderstorm.  I like to sit on the porch and safely watch and listen.   I know the God who holds me in His loving arms and consoles me, is that powerful!  We see His power all over the world.  Do we actually recognize that power?  My God, How Great Thou Art!

My prayer this week is that we all recognize His power, glory and unconditional love!

Pray Unceasingly!!

Lois

Romans 13

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Romans 13:8-14

New King James Version

Love Your Neighbor

8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” [a]“You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Put on Christ

11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk [b]properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

 

Happy Monday!

I am still reading in Romans and it never ceases to amaze me how the Word of God, from so very long ago, could and should shape and change our lives completely!

As we look around us today and see so much division and hate, just look at how verses 8 through 10 could totally change everything!  Verse 9 says “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”.    This is saying, first off, that we need to love ourselves.  Sometimes, we forget how many people do not love themselves.

There is no doubt in my mind that there are many reasons for this.  The big one though, that probably encompasses all the others, is they have never known the love of Jesus Christ.  If you truly know the love of Jesus, it takes you right back to verses 8 through 10 and culminates in verse 10.  Once you understand you are a child of the one true, most high God, everything changes!

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

 For me, Verses 11 through 14 serve as a reminder.  A reminder that we are loved by God, and we should love like God.  If we finally realize that we don’t have to live any other way, outside His love, then we can finally begin to live in love.  If we have been made new and are living sacrifices, then God’s love should pour from us!

God is love and the spirit of the living God is within us!  Shine your light for the world to see in whatever way God has called us to!

Pray Unceasingly!!

Lois

Seven Days in Utopia

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Happy Monday!

I don’t know what the rest of you do for “stay in” entertainment in this year of the Covid, but I am married to something of a TVholic.  When evening rolls around, he’s ready to watch something.

I have found that a search for “free Christian Movies” on Youtube can bring both good and pretty bad but Seven Days in Utopia was a jackpot!  It is a wonderful, thought provoking movie about a young golf pro.

In searching for something else relating to the movie, I came across this jewel.  It’s pretty long so I am going to let it tell its own story.   I love it and hope you do too.  What will your epitaph say?

Pray Unceasingly!!

Lois

 Seven Days in Utopia – Bury Your Lies (Links of Utopia)

In the story, Johnny (Robert Duval) teaches the young pro powerful lessons about unleashing his true potential as a player and as a human being. Using many settings on and off the course at Utopia, he shares the secrets of a lifetime.

But his final and most important lesson is delivered here at the cemetery.

As Johnny and the young pro ponder the headstone inscriptions, Johnny asked the question that we all must face: “What will your epitaph say?”

What does your life stand for? What do you have inside that will last, even when your casket is lowered into the earth?

In our culture, a high premium is placed on success, achievement and performance.

What controls your life? Is it controlled by a golf score, by a bank account or by what’s written on your business card?

JOHNNY’S WORDS

Let me let you in on a little secret. Life in the end will be measured by significance, not a golf score. Significance will be defined by your character, relationships, values, virtues and faith, not by a golf score.

Years ago, there was a man who spent his life dreaming about the big win, the day he would be heralded as the best. He was defined by what he did, and his livelihood depended upon his performance. He was a passionate man, a contender. He was a fisherman. His name was Simon.

JOHNNY’S STORY

Simon had just finished an awful performance. He had fished all night and caught nothing. He was a talented professional whose livelihood and reputation depended largely on his ability to perform. While he was washing his nets of defeat in the early morning, he began to eavesdrop on the powerful words of a nearby teacher named Jesus. Soon Jesus stopped and looked directly at Simon, asking for his help. The people were crowding in so much that many could not hear him teach. He needed a better pulpit from which to teach so he asked to borrow Simon’s boat. Simon agreed and paddled him out a little from the shore. Jesus continued to teach as the crowd listened intently.

After a while he concluded his teaching. He now turned his focus to Simon as the conversation became very personal between two men. Jesus offered up a direct challenge to Simon. Little did Simon know that this challenge would eventually change his life and alter the course of human history.

I don’t believe that we take into consideration the far-reaching effects that our everyday decisions have on our destiny, the lives of others, or the world as a whole.

Jesus looked Simon square in the eye and said, “Push out into the deep waters and let down your net for a catch.” While all eyes of the crowd were on Simon, he felt the penetrating gaze of Jesus. What would he do?

I’m sure several things ran through Simon’s mind. First, he might have reasoned that he was the fisherman and that he would know more about fishing and where the fish were than Jesus would. Second, the deep waters presented a significant risk to a small boat. Out there the storms come up at a moment’s notice, the waves are big, and the winds are dangerous. Third, this was his boat; he was the captain. He always called the shots. What would it say to the people if he gave in, especially if he failed or got caught in a storm?

It is no different for you. The decision facing you is basically about who is the captain of your ship.

Simon answered the challenge by saying that he had competed hard all night and experienced great failure. In fact, hours of effort had ended in complete futility. Simon, in a move that probably surprised even himself, then said, “However, because you asked, I will.”

It was an act of faith and obedience to the teacher, even though conventional wisdom frowned on taking the small vessel out into the deep, there was something about Jesus that stirred the heart of Simon. His teaching, his countenance, his personal challenge all moved Simon to trust. Little did he know that because the voice of the master came from within the boat, there was ultimately no risk involved in this venture. Jesus was going with him. The real risk was not to go.

Simon paddled out into the deep, a speck on the horizon for those on the shore. He then let down the nets and experienced something he had always dreamed of. He witnessed the greatest success of his career. The success was so overwhelming that he signaled to his partners to help with the catch. They caught so many fish that both boats began to sink.

It was during this dream come true, at the moment of his greatest triumph, that a paradigm shift took place. Simon realized for the first time that he was in the presence of the author of success. This teacher was indeed who he said he was, the son of God.

Simon’s response was one of awe and fear as he fell to his knees among the mess of fish, sensing for the first time in his life that there was a God, and that he was in the boat with God’s Son. When a person has that experience, the Bible says that the scales of unbelief begin to fall from their eyes, and they see for the first time the enormous chasm that exists between a Holy God and a sinful man. Initially, Simon was so overwhelmed that all he could do was beg the teacher to leave.

It was then that Jesus reached out his hand to Simon and said, “Don’t be afraid.”

Not only was the teacher the author of success, He was and is the remover of fear. While life is tough and the prospects of dying someday even tougher; the teacher offered ultimate security in an insecure world. Then Jesus presented a call, which is the same to all of us. “Follow me, and I will make you a fisher of men.”

Jesus gave Simon the offer of a life of significance. Would he take the challenge? Would he follow the call? Or would he stay with the fish seeing them as the path to opportunity and fulfillment?

Like Simon, each of us is at a crossroads. We have a choice.

You have a choice. You can measure your worth in dollars, in golf scores or with some other yardstick that will not endure. Or you can take a different road. On this new road you leave the fear of failure in the dust. Your identity is not tied to a game but to God. You will find your purpose not in a game or score but in a calling that has eternal implications.

The Bible states that this road leads to heaven, and that faith is the fuel that moves us from mile marker to mile marker. The first step is to realize that there is a God and that He is calling you to an adventure. The second step is to ask Him to forgive the sin that has kept you from this road in the past. The third step is to get in the boat with the Master, make Him the captain and push out into the deep waters. He will tell you where to fish. The outcome is in His hands, not yours. The fear of failure will be removed from your performance. Success will no longer be the goal; significance in the process of fishing will hold all the emotions that you have longed for, namely peace, patience, and significance.

If you choose to go down this new road, I want you to do something before you leave this place. I’ve provided a place for you to write down the lies that you have learned along your journey in life, those lies that you have established in your heart even though the weight of them has been crushing your soul.

Next, I want you to write the truths of God’s Word that you have heard today. These truths will set you free and will establish a new calling in your life, one that will begin to rewrite the epitaph of your life. And write down today’s date as the day you began your new life.

Finally, ask God to forgive you for running in the wrong direction. Ask Him to lead you down this new road through faith in His Son. And tell Him that you are ready to follow Him as you give Him the helm of your boat.

REMEMBER: SEE IT, FEEL IT, TRUST IT. SEE HIS FACE, FEEL HIS PRESENCE, AND TRUST HIS LOVE.

In the book, Golf’s Sacred Journey, the unnamed pro wrote down these lies – lies that had kept him from a life of significance.

My golf scores are a reflection of my self-worth.

Failure in golf is failure in life.

Success in golf will bring the fulfillment that I long for.

My calling in life is to play golf.

The opinions of others are paramount in the choices I make.

God is a crutch for the weak.

Tradition is sacred and never to be challenged

Your own list may look similar, or may look entirely different. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is this: That you walk away from those things that trap you in a life that may be filled with success but devoid of significance.

We want to help you do that. As a way of symbolizing your own journey from success to significance, we will print the lies you enter here and personally bury them under the earth in Utopia. Utopia is a real place. We will use a real shovel, and help you say goodbye to those lies forever.

Finally, ask God to forgive you for running in the wrong direction. Ask Him to lead you down this new road through faith in His Son. And tell Him that you are ready to follow Him as you give Him the helm of your boat.

Here’s a prayer that can help you in your journey from success to significance:

God, today I come to You for new life.

I’ve tried to find meaning without giving You the place you deserve in my life. I’ve gone in my own direction without consulting You. Forgive me. Jesus, thank You for loving me so much that You endured a terrible death to pay for my sins. Thank You for forgiving me.

I don’t want to take another step without You. Like Simon invited You, Jesus, into the boat, I invite You into my life. Take charge. Make Your presence real to me. Show me the way of significance. I receive this new life from You. You will be the Captain of my ship in this life. And, when this life is over, I will step into eternity with You.

Amen

 

 

Living Sacrifice

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Happy Monday!

In my Bible readings, I am marching my way through Romans right now.  I don’t really read chapters, in their order or chronologically, I read what calls to me at any given time.  If I do that, I feel like maybe God wants me to hear, see or get a particular message.  I really enjoy Romans because I feel challenged to pull out more of it and then actually live it!

In Chapter 12, it’s hard not to just post the entire chapter!  So… I almost did.  That’s how I feel about this one.

A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Humble Service in the Body of Christ

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

Wow.  As Christians, how do we live into this?  How can we be living sacrifices?

Romans 6:2-4 says:

2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

We are no longer are our own.  We are to be a living sacrifice, available to Christ for His will and His ways.  This is how we live into God’s good and perfect will for our lives.  What an honor and privilege!

Romans 12:9-21 (New International Version)

Love in Action

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[a] Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[b] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Oh, my goodness!  This is what it is to live the Christian life.  We need to find what our spiritual gifts are, the gifts God has given us, then use them to serve others.

Verses 9-21 is a list of how we should live our lives.  Not because we do it out of duty but out of love.  Not a fake, put on love, but a genuine love that will express God’s love for us and ours for Him.   It isn’t always easy and sometimes we want to rebel and just skip on to the good stuff again.  If so, are we a living sacrifice?

Be ready to help when God’s people are in need.  Serve the Lord enthusiastically!  Bless those who persecute you, bless them.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn, and on and on!  This is what it’s like to live your life as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.

Hold fast to what is good and

Pray Unceasingly!!

Lois

 

 

Grace

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Good morning!

I know I talk about grace a lot.  It’s just that we desperately need it, and thankfully, because of a loving, generous Lord, we receive it!

You know what though?  We don’t just need to receive grace, we need to learn to give it too.

There is a lot going on out there these days.  Everywhere we look, there is anger, distrust, sarcasm and pure evil.  It’s hard not to judge but we certainly need to be discerning.  I may not be able to do anything about the evil and other really bad stuff physically, but I can fervently pray.

There is also a lot of misinformation, confusion, pain and ignorance of all things Godly.   So where do we start?  Above all, pray.  Ask for guidance from our heavenly Father who sees and knows all.

You know the saying, “What would Jesus do?”  Well, what would He do?   Many times, in scripture, He will ask what they want.  You know He already knows, but He still asks.  And then He extends a grace like no other.  Can we do the same?

What we do may not compare to the acts of Jesus but it just might be the act that brings someone closer to Him.  If we can extend grace in the midst of adversity and confusion, we take the focus from us and put it on them.  Maybe they feel like someone cares about them and what they feel.

Be ready to answer questions and back your answers up.  Carry a small New Testament with you, you never know when it might come in handy for those questions.

Be ready to listen.  Sometimes, a good ear and closed mouth are priceless.

Be ready to extend grace, as you have received it. Your actions may be what keeps another from the clutches of the evil.  And as always,

Pray Unceasingly!!

Lois

Grace

by Hannah Gies – Alliance Women

I struggle with legalism.

I struggle with pride.

I struggle with wanting everything to look good, whether or not it is on the inside.

But God is constantly pulling me into grace.

Merriam-Webster defines grace as unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification. It’s getting something—Someone—I don’t deserve. Grace is what picked me up from a broken, dirty state of selfishness and restored me.

I was made new in the eyes of God, even when I couldn’t quite see it myself.  Grace is not given just once; it’s received daily.

Grace is the divine assistance I’m given to accomplish anything I face in this life. Grace allows me to let go of my selfishness, and to pursue His Holiness.

“Through [Jesus] we received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of His name among all the nations” (Rom. 1:5, ESV).

“For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:16, ESV).

No matter how much I strive, I didn’t earn grace and I can’t sustain it.

My mistakes aren’t surprises or forks in the road to Jesus.

Ultimately, my mistakes are reminders of how important and costly His grace really is. I am reminded of this in Galatians 3:1–6:

“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? So, again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? So, also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Grace is the divine power, the finished work, the substance of what we believe by faith. I need grace daily, and my God is so faithful to give it when I ask.

The longer I walk with Jesus, the more I realize how costly and miraculous His grace is.

When I’m asked to show grace to others—real, sacrificial grace—I often don’t want to. Everything in me tenses up, and I want to point to all the reasons why it doesn’t make sense.

Then I remember: “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matt. 10:8b).

Jesus, you’re still making me new. What amazing grace!

His Perfect Peace

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Happy Monday!

 As we begin another week, it might be a good time to slow down, take a deep breath and refocus our thoughts.  With everything going on, it isn’t easy to focus on Philippians 4:8

8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Isn’t it just like the enemy to try to steal our peace and joy and leave discord and depression?  Note:  I said “try” to steal it!  We cannot allow him to do it.  If we do, he wins.

I am not saying these things never try to sneak up on me, what I am saying is we have to understand Satan will try his very best to plant these things in our minds and our hearts.  Instead, memorize Philippians 4:8.  Burn it into mind so that nothing negative can get in.

Remember to LOVE, above all, even if they aren’t lovable.  Help those who need help and serve when you can.  And never forget to

Pray Unceasingly!!

Lois

 

His Perfect Peace

by Dawn Rieke

I am pretty sure, like me, you feel bombarded with what is going on all around us- the news of Covid 19, the collapse of the stock market, job loss, and fears for our future. How can we as God’s people keep ourselves in peace during times like these?

His Perfect Peace

Personally, I have been struggling with the fact of how I can bounce around from being at total rest and peace with God one moment and then I listen or watch something the very next moment and the peace begins to dissipate. How can we as God’s people get off this roller coaster wave of emotion?

To every problem there is an answer found in God’s Word. In John 14:27, Jesus declares to His disciples- Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

I believe this verse points us to some truths that we can take hold of right now. The first thing Jesus mentions is that He is both giving and leaving His peace with us. Much like the gift of salvation, Jesus is giving and offering peace, but it is our responsibility to take and accept it as His gift. He leaves His peace with us, so it can stay with us. It is not something we need to try to manufacture ourselves.

The next thing that stands out is that we get the same peace He has, not some other earthly form. Let’s face it, no matter whatever we encounter, it cannot compare to the magnitude of what Jesus went through. So, how did Jesus attain peace while He lived on this earth? He knew peace came from an intimate, dependent relationship with His Father. To grab hold of the peace Jesus has, we must too, cling to our dependency and intimacy with our Father. We cannot allow ourselves to become distracted, we have to stay close to the Father.

A Different Kind Of Peace

Another truth that we can pick up on from this verse is that Jesus offers a peace that is different from the one the world offers. Peace from this world is related to symptoms and is at best temporary.

Let’s take Coronavirus for example. In the world’s system, it says everything will be peaceful and ok again if we solve and get an answer to every issue related to this. There are several problems associated with this line of thinking.

First off, we can only be content in our lives when there is a complete resolution to a problem, we can never have peace in the middle of a storm.

Another drawback to this worldly system of peace is that we are only in a good place momentarily, the minute the next big situation happens, we are back at square one.

So, we see the world’s peace can only come when everything is secure and it is, at best, a situational thing, but the peace that God gives is readily available even in times of chaos and uncertainty. His peace stands firm despite the circumstances around us.

In the final part of this verse, Jesus exhorts us not to allow our hearts to be troubled or to be afraid. He knew that staying in peace was the way to dissipate fear. If we feel our mind resorting to worry, we come back to God asking Him for His perfect peace once again. I want to point out several key verses that give us some tools to keep us in a place of peace.

Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble. (Psalm 119:165)

The tool we can pick up from this verse is that we need to be in His Word. We can only attain this great peace by loving God’s Word and by meditating on it.

Focusing on the Word will dispel our anxious thoughts.

The next tool is to keep our focus on Him, not on the situation.  Isaiah 26:3 tells us, You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon you, because he trusts in you. Where does our mind go when we hear the latest news or information? Does our mind immediately focus on God, who He is, His goodness, and His power, or do we allow fear, worry and anxiety to enter in?

Stay In Prayer

Another great defense we have against fear is to stay in prayer. In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul encourages us-
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

We are to pray thanking God in every situation, because He does not change. He reigns supreme on His throne and He is in control. This prayer will put a guard around our hearts and mind protecting it from worldly influence.

Let’s pray together:

God, we are so thankful that you are our Lord and that you rule over this earth. We ask as your children that you would forgive us for fear and worry. We ask for your supernatural peace to guard our hearts and mind. Help us draw even closer to you in this time and to hear your divine strategies for prayer. We thank you for your divine protection over us as your children. In Jesus’ name. Amen

 

Memorials

/in /by

Happy Monday!

As I was reading Chronicles in my Bible this morning, I kept thinking how hard it could be to read.  It is name after name after name!  I have read it before and was asking myself why?  Why did I return to it again?

And then it hit me.  I read it again because it isn’t just name after name, it is a memorial.  A commemoration of a nation that had basically disappeared. The twelve tribes of Israel, that God purposely chose as His people, were gone.  Some were assimilated and scattered all over.  Some simply didn’t survive.  The reason was relatively simple.  Despite all of God’s warnings, they chose to allow sin to prevail. Some were assimilated and scattered all over.  Some simply didn’t survive.  The reason was relatively simple.  Despite all of God’s warnings, they allowed sin to prevail.  The only way they would be remembered now is through some sort of memorial, in this case, a commemoration of names passed on through the ages and finally recorded in the Holy Bible.

There are memorials scattered throughout history.  Many times, in the Bible, it might be an alter or even a pile of stones.  These were reminders to others not to forget an event.  They were a milestone.  Throughout history they served as a reminder of an accomplishment but sometimes, something that isn’t so good, that needs to be remembered as a lesson to not repeat the same mistakes.

Disclaimer:  My opinion.

Fast forward to our current times.  We are seeing pieces of our history removed, one by one.  Many of these may remind us of a troubled past.  Times that we aren’t proud of.  That being said, if these reminders are removed, how will our children and their children be reminded to teach their children of what should never happen again.  These are lessons learned and history that needs to be passed on to future generations.

I’m going to pass on some examples.  You don’t hear too much about them in school and you see only an occasional reminder of these monumental, historical events.

As early as the 16th century, racism was alive and well and directed against the Native Americans who had lived in North America for centuries already.  In the end, they were killed or moved to reservations out of the white man’s way.  There are few memorials or unbiased history lessons about what took place.  Remember the Trail of Tears?

Another horrific time was the Holocaust.  There are existing memorials and museums, but for how long.  You see very little about it in history classes, yet it had a tremendous effect on history, including in the United States

“The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the World War II genocide of the European Jews. Between 1941 and 1945, across German-occupied Europe, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews, around two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population.” Wikipedia

A significant, tumultuous time in U.S. history was the war with Vietnam.  The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., lists more than 58,300 names of members of the U.S. armed forces who were killed or went missing in action.  I don’t recall my children studying this in history.  Many of the next generation don’t even know about it.

“The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, and in Vietnam as the Resistance War Against America or simply the American War, was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from November 1st, 1955 to the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975.” Wikipedia

China had become communist in 1949 and communists were in control of North Vietnam. The USA was afraid that communism would spread to South Vietnam and then the rest of Asia. It decided to send money, supplies and military advisers to help the South Vietnamese Government.

Today, our memorials are being destroyed.  My question is, as these next generations become adults, will they understand?  Those memorials stand as a reminder of victories, loss, humiliation and a lot of wrongdoing.  How can it be good to erase that history?  Stamp it in your memories so that we never forget and never repeat those same mistakes!

Let us never forget that only as a united nation, Under God, will we survive.  Through division we will be scattered, killed and forgotten.

Pray Unceasingly!!

Lois

 

 

 

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT ME… HOW TO KEEP PERSPECTIVE– Tim Tebow

/in /by

Happy Monday!

 Perhaps we have all gone through a period in our lives where you just can’t get beyond the “me” factor. I know I have.

Life is such a disappointment because my expectations weren’t met.   I will never be a success because someone else got the promotion.  My neighbors got a new car, why couldn’t it have been me?  I want to see this movie, so that’s where we are going!

Sometimes, it really seems insignificant, but when you really take a look at the bigger picture, you see the pattern of it all being about the “me” factor.

What do we see when we look around at our world today?  There is a whole lot of me, me, me!  So where does that leave us?

Matthew 22:36-40 King James Version (KJV)

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

 So… if we love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, and mind, where is our focus?  And then, if we love our neighbor as ourselves, will you really disrespect, ignore and resent their accomplishments?

It’s a funny thing, when we can put other’s needs above our own desires, your entire perspective shifts.  You can be happy for your coworker’s promotion and maybe even find God has bigger plans for you!  You suddenly realize the car you have is reliable and a good choice for you right now.   And was that two hour movie really worth the discord it caused?

We each have a plan for ourselves but God has the perfect plan for us!  We just have to open our hearts and receive it and we will see that not only are we blessed, but all of the people we can help are blessed too.

Pray Unceasingly!!

Lois

 

 IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT ME… HOW TO KEEP PERSPECTIVE – Tim Tebow

When I was at the University of Florida, we were blessed to win a national championship in my freshman year. In my sophomore year, I was blessed to win the Heisman, and during Junior year we were blessed to again win another national championship. During my senior year, our goal was to win another national championship and maybe another Heisman. That would be three out of four national championships, and we may have gone down as one of the best teams in college football history…

That year we had a great year. We went undefeated, 12-0, we were defending national champs and all year long were ranked the number one team in the country. When we got to the SEC Championship game, we played Alabama…and we lost. Everything that we’d been working for fell apart in three hours. It didn’t take away all of our past success, but it did kind of make that year feel wasted…and, to be honest, a piece of it felt worthless and utterly disappointing.

That entire next week was a miserable week for me. Most people who know me know that I’m very competitive, and personally, I think that time, I let it go too far. It affected who I was and it affected my perspective. The weekend after that game, we had the College Football Awards banquet in Orlando, Florida.

I WAS SO ANGRY AND DISAPPOINTED, AND I DIDN’T WANT TO BE THERE. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAD LET A GAME DEFINE ME. 

 In the middle of the banquet, a waitress comes up behind me and taps me on the shoulder and she says, “Hey Tim, there’s a young girl that’s come from Virginia to see you with her family. Is there any way you could come to the back to see her?” I said, “Yeah, of course.” I got up and she starts telling me about this young girl who has underwent some serious health battles. As I’m walking to the back of the room, in comes a young girl named, Kelly Faughnan. Little did I know how much Kelly would impact my life for years to come…

As I walked towards Kelly, I see how hard it is for her to take every single step. Kelly had multiple brain tumors that affected how her entire body works. She was fighting so hard to just take a few steps forward towards me as I walk up to her. When we reached each other, she gave me this great big hug and squeezed with such a strong embrace and then started crying which made me cry, and then her family starts crying and then my family starts crying and no one has even said a word yet.

As Kelly and I started to talk, she began to tell me her story, what she’s been fighting, and how she’s persevering. Immediately, I felt like it was put on my heart to ask her to be my date the next night for the red carpet and the award show, and she said yes, thankfully! The next morning, my uncle took her out to get a nice dress, and then she and I went to dinner, and then after dinner, we went down the red carpet. It was truly an amazing evening we all got to spend with Kelly.

Then the awards show started and I was up for six awards, the most I was up for in any year of my time at Florida, and I was in such a great mood. I was feeling great because when I met Kelly everything changed for me. Because it was the first time in a very long time that I wasn’t focused on me, but I was actually thinking about someone else. My entire perspective changed. The awards show starts, and they announce the first award and I lose. I’m like, “It’s okay. It’s not that big of a deal. Tonight’s about Kelly, no problem.” They announce the next award and I lose. That stings a little bit, it’s all right though. It’s about Kelly. They announce the third award and I lose. Yeah, it stings a little bit. Fourth award and I lose. Fifth award and I lose. At that point, I was getting frustrated. I was starting to go right back to that place where it’s all about me. Everything is about me. It’s all about me. It’s about my legacy. It’s about how people are going to look at me. It’s all about me…

My mom was sitting behind me, and at this point she could tell I was struggling. She leaned up and taps me on the shoulder and she whispers in my ear…

“YOU’VE ALREADY WON TONIGHT. YOU JUST DON’T GET YOUR REWARD UNTIL HEAVEN.”

I remember thinking to myself, what is she talking about?

Today, I can’t even remember what that award was for. During that time, I thought it was crucial for me to win everything, but how incredible it is to have real perspective! It is truly liberating to sit back and think, it’s not all about me. It’s amazing to remember that on that evening in Orlando, Florida, God placed me inside that banquet hall to meet Kelly, to spend such memorable time with her and her family, and to get to know a person who’s fought bigger and harder battles than I ever will and to be motivated by someone like that.

When we change our perspective from focusing on ourselves and shift focus to what really matters like fulfilling the needs of others, everything changes for us. For me, personally, so much has changed since I learned to shift focus. In life, it’s hard to keep perspective because we’ve got a society that tells us it’s all about us. It’s all about fame, fortune, and power. I’m here to tell you that life is not about any of those things at all. Those things are great and you can use them to create change and influence others, but they are not the epitome of success or achievement.

SUCCESS IS NOT ABOUT MONEY, FAME, AND POWER. IT’S ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE YOU CAN MAKE IN SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE.

Grace Is Needed Now More Than Ever

/in /by

Good morning!

Hopefully, this finds you all well and counting those blessings!  Yes, you can find lots of things that don’t seem like blessings, but if you count those, how does it make you feel?  On the other hand, when you count your blessings, you feel much better!

When I count my blessings, God’s grace and forgiveness are always at the top of the list.  But for those two things, I have no doubt that I wouldn’t still be here.

In Christian belief Grace can be defined as the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings. … There was nothing we could do to earn this salvation yourselves.

I am here to tell you, sometimes it is difficult for me to extend grace to some people with all that is going on today.  Then God reminds me that HE had to extend that same grace to me, even though I was undeserving.   There was not one thing that I could do to earn that grace and yet He gave, and continues to give, it freely.  I was no better than a filthy rag but He picked me up, cleaned me off and told me He loved me, despite my past, despite my anger, despite my unloving nature, He still loved me.

Because of His grace, I can worship and serve Him.  Because of His grace, I can put aside my past, my anger and my unloving nature to do my best at extending grace to those that don’t always live up to my expectations.

John 3:16 (NIV) says:

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

 That, my friends, is a whole lot of love, grace and forgiveness!

Pray Unceasingly!!

Lois

 

Grace Is Needed Now More Than Ever

By Rick Warren
“God gives us even more grace, as the Scripture says, ‘God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.’”

James 4:6 (NCV)
To make it through the extraordinary crisis of a pandemic and social unrest, you need to treat yourself and other people the way God treats you: with grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Grace means that God always gives you what you need, not what you deserve. If you got what you deserved, you wouldn’t even be here. “God gives us even more grace, as the Scripture says, ‘God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:6 NCV).

God opposes the prideful and arrogant because they think they can do it all by themselves, apart from God. They don’t think they need God or his grace. They approach life—even life in turmoil—with the mindset, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.”

But when you’re humble and admit that you can’t make it through this situation on your own, God opens the floodgates of heaven. He pours out his grace. And he expects those who have been shown amazing grace to then show that grace to others.

Everybody’s having a tough time right now. To maintain your emotional health, you need to cut yourself some slack and do the same for others. Everybody’s feeling the stress, particularly the millions of people who are out of work and concerned about the future—maybe even about how they will make it to the next day. Be kind. Be gentle. Even the hardest people to love are fighting some kind of battle right now and need your grace.

This will often take a lot of humility. With tensions high, it’s easier right now to return wrong for wrong, give a sharp answer, withhold the benefit of the doubt, and speak before listening.

Your neighbor needs your grace. Your children need your grace. The person you disagree with politically needs your grace. The world is on the defense, and there is nothing that will disarm people more than being given unexpected grace.

God has given you great grace. Go and extend that grace to others so they get a glimpse of what Jesus has done for them.