Category: John

Posted on

Are We Satisfied?

Who was it that decided we should have new year resolutions? Why did the first week of the year become a time of evaluating our level of satisfaction with our personal status quo?

I’m not sure who it was or how it came about but I do know that this is something the Father has designed for us. When we find that we are unsatisfied it’s time for a change, no point in waiting until the first of the year.

What we’re looking at here isn’t a change in careers, lifestyle, locations or social activities. No, it’s a new focus and dependence on the Father and His word. It seems that all of my systematic reading through both the Old & New Testaments this morning brought to the source of true satisfaction.

Read these verses and let them speak for themselves.

“He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”” Psalm 91:15-16 NKJV

“Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. 15 Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good. 16 Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory.” Psalm 90:14-16 NLT

“The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does. 14 The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. 15 The eyes of all look to you in hope;
you give them their food as they need it. 16 When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. 17 The Lord is righteous in everything he does;
he is filled with kindness.” Psalm 145:13-17 NLT

God’s desire is that we be satisfied with Him and in Him. When we place our trust in the Father, letting Him lead and direct the course of our lives we will be satisfied because His will and purpose is for our good.

He is gracious, kind, ready to restore and give hope.

“God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.” Matthew 5: 6 NLT

“I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. ” Luke 6:47-48 NLT

It seems that our world is in the midst of a pandemic – no, not COVID but an outbreak of discontentment and dissatisfaction. It can be as destructive as a tidal wave. But when we have our lives built securely on God’s word we rest on a secure foundation.

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10 NLT

We all need to identify those issues that rob our satisfaction, search God’s word for the solutions and trust Him to bring us to a place of a long and satisfying life.

Posted on

Overwhelmed

Have you ever taken the time to sit quietly and think on God’s goodness? When I do this I am overwhelmed!

We need to contemplate, as the song says, “the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God”!

“I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10 NLT

I heard the testimony of a young evangelist 40 years ago. He had been invited to speak at a gathering during the Jesus movement of the 1970’s. Speaker after speaker stood and gave testimony to God’s saving grace. They told of drugs, homelessness, imprisonment, alcoholism, severely depression. Then it was his turn. The moderator said to him, “Tell us how you got here.” He said I quietly answered, “On the bus.” Everyone laughed.

He then went on to tell the crowd how being raised in a Christian home he had never strayed, but God had kept him, giving him strength to overcome the temptations that so many others had experienced. He said the miracle of being kept from a life of sin was just as great as being delivered out of that lifestyle.

I hear people talk of how God protected and delivered them in dangerous and life-threatening situations. I am so thankful for the miraculous deliverance of my friends and family, but I am just as grateful that Dave and I have driven hundreds of thousands of miles without a “close call” or an accident. That too is miraculous!

The children of Israel saw the miraculous power of God deliver them from Egypt, part the Red Sea, provide food from heaven, and then bring them to the Promised Land that was flowing with milk and honey.

“‘I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build—the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them. 14 ‘So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly.'” Joshua 24:13-14a NLT

Never downplay what seems ordinary when compared to the miraculous. The person who has had a miraculous healing from a life-threatening disease prays for a life of ordinary good health.

The Bible uses the illustration of sheep and the Good Shepherd on several occasions. One story is of a shepherd who went out to find one lost sheep. That sheep needed rescuing; it needed a miracle. However, there were 99 sheep who weren’t lost but had been living under the shepherd’s overwhelming, never-ending, precious loving care.

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” John 10:10 AMPC

“ The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack…Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.” Psalm 23:1, 6 AMPC

We all need to take time to be overwhelmed by the ordinary, everyday, protection and provision of God’s love. It’s miraculous!

Posted on

As We Begin

In the beginning…a New Year, a blank slate, a clean page, a new horizon, a fresh start. How many more clichés can I come up with? You get the point.

Does this year start any differently than those in the past? High expectations are easily replaced by disappointment unless the beginning has a solid foundation.

God is the master of beginnings.

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 KJV

“In the beginning was the one who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God.” John 1:1 CEV

The best way to start this new year is to have God in your beginning! God the Father and His creative power is here to fill your beginning. And God the Son, Jesus, the Word, is here as our example of what life is like when we depend upon the Father.

Oh and one more verse.

“But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you.

27 I give you peace, the kind of peace only I can give. It isn’t like the peace this world can give. So don’t be worried or afraid.” John 14:26-27 CEV

The Holy Spirit comes to remind us of what the Jesus taught us about our relationship with the Father. That relationship will bring us peace and freedom from worry. Our heavenly Father desires for us to be worry free. The angels who announced the birth of Jesus said, “Fear not”. The angel who came to both Mary and Joseph first said, “don’t be afraid”. When the storm came up on the sea and the disciples thought they would drown Jesus said, “fear not”.

When God works in our lives He brings peace, not fear.

What a great way to begin this year and it’s a great way to walk through each day. In the beginning is God and He promises to bring us peace.

Happy New Year!

Posted on

The Gift of Hope

This morning was heart is filled with song!

I like it when my morning starts like that. The last few days have been kind of rough – we came home from vacation with a winter cold. You know the kind with sore throats, achy muscles, congestion and cough. Not quite the backdrop for starting the morning with a song but these are the words and melody that filled my heart:

“There Is Strength In The Name Of The Lord
There Is Power In The Name Of The Lord
There Is Hope In The Name Of The Lord
Blessed Is He Who Comes In The Name Of The Lord”

Oh yes, what a glorious and wonderful way to start the day. When I feel weak the joy of the Lord is my strength!

“Our hope comes from God. May He fill you with joy and peace because of your trust in Him. May your hope grow stronger by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 NLV

God, our Father, the great gift giver, has so many promises that we leave untapped either through our ignorance or our thoughts of unworthiness.

I once heard a pastor give this example: We have been given a great inheritance, but many have been duped by the world’s greatest thief. They have believed a lie, the lie that God’s promises and blessings are for others – those more holy or kind. So they give up their hope.

As the verse above says, God gives us hope and fills us with joy and peace because we trust Him. The Holy Spirit helps our hope grow stronger and stronger.

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” II Peter 1:3-4 NLT

God has given us everything we need for godly living. He has given us great and precious promises. These promises give us victory in this life! My, oh, my!

One thing about our Father is that He is a promise keeper; He has never lied yet.

There is not only hope in the name of the Lord, there is power, strength, joy, peace, provision, protection, forgiveness, healing, restoration, and eternal life.

“ The robber comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I came so they might have life, a great full life.” John 10:10 NLV

So many blessings, so many promises – open the gift of hope and let your lives be filled with joy and peace.

Posted on

Something Went Wrong

Not the words you want to read first thing in the morning.

“Something went wrong, try again later”.

I was trying to access the app on my phone so I could see our boarding passes. We’re headed home today and I had selected our boarding position early so I wouldn’t have to check in yesterday. It would have interrupted the fun day that our granddaughter had planned for us.

So, this morning I tried to open the app to check our boarding passes and was greeted with this message several times. Yikes! But at last, I had success. Now we are set for our return flight with no problems.

I’m so glad that God the Father doesn’t use an app – He’s definitely bigger and greater than that.

“…and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 KJV

The mighty God – THE mighty God – the MIGHTY God – the mighty GOD – THE MIGHTY GOD – no matter where you put the emphasis, it means that HE is greater than I am.

From the beginning, God’s plan was to be involved in the daily lives of those He created. He wanted fellowship. He walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. He spoke with Noah, with Abraham, Samuel, David, Solomon, Ruth, Esther, Daniel, Mary, Joseph and many others. He came personally to dwell with mankind and reveal His nature – His heart – His plan.

The MIGHTY God made an old couple able to bear a child; shut the mouth of hungry lions, brought victory after victory in battle, fed the Israelites with bread from heaven, raised the dead, healed the sick, open the eyes of the blind, walked on water and defeated Satan. His resurrection from death was the ultimate victory.

The Mighty GOD came to live among us, to experience what we experience and to give us the victory. There was no need to “try again later”, His mission was successful, and His victory was unthwarted.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”I John 4:4

“We have a great high priest who has gone to live with God in heaven. He is Jesus the Son of God. So let us continue to express our faith in him. 15 Jesus, our high priest, is able to understand our weaknesses. When Jesus lived on earth, he was tempted in every way. He was tempted in the same ways we are tempted, but he never sinned. 16 With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:14-16

There is NO situation or circumstance in our lives that “the mighty God” can’t handle. No need to try again later. When we give our lives over to Him, we will experience His presence, His peace, His help in our times of trouble.

Unwrap the gift of The Mighty God and experience His strength!

Posted on

A Son Is Given

We just spent four days with our son and his girlfriend, and it’s been wonderful! Yesterday afternoon he took us to the home of our oldest granddaughter and her family. It was the first time we had been in their home. Another wonderful time!

Have you noticed how hard it is to say good-bye after a particularly enjoying visit? Whether they come to our house, or we go to theirs, it’s hard to leave without a tug in our hearts. But they all have lives with their own set of responsibilities, so no visit gets to go on forever.

Now imagine…what if you said good-bye to your Son, for the first time. You had always been together, it was the perfect Father/Son relationship. Never a squabble, always together in perfect harmony and now He was going to leave, and he wouldn’t be returning for years!

“ For to us a Child will be born. To us a Son will be given. And the rule of the nations will be on His shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Teacher, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 NLV

Imagine even further that you were the One who was sending Him away. Sending Him to fulfill His destiny but that destiny would end with His death. God the Father gave us His Son freely.

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18 God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.19 What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world.” II Corinthians 5:17-19 CEV

Many times we look at the events of the Bible through a religious lens and don’t take it personally. However, giving His Son to the earth’s population was a great sacrifice. A sacrifice of love, a sacrifice made freely and without reservation.

A Son was given!

Given for our redemption. The first gift of Christmas was the gift of life, the gift of a redemption, the gift of the Son!

“ Christ became human flesh and lived among us. We saw His shining-greatness. This greatness is given only to a much-loved Son from His Father. He was full of loving-favor and truth.” John 1:14 NLV

Jesus came to show us how to have a loving relationship with the Father.

Unto to us a Son was given!

Posted on

Gift of Humility

Years ago, there was a silly county western song, “Oh Lord, It’s Hard to be Humble”, written and sung by Mac Davis.

“Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble
When you’re perfect in every way
I can’t wait to look in the mirror
‘Cause I get better lookin’ each day”

Humility is something that we have all had to battle at one time or another. Pride takes a variety for forms from self-exaltation to low self-esteem.

Think of Jesus. He was at the creation of the world; heaven was His home. He had the ability to do all things, to rule all things and He came as a baby with no reputation.

Who else had angels filling the sky and announcing their birth? Who else had the wisest men in the known world searching for Him and bringing Him gifts of incalculable value? Who else had an angel appear to His mother for his baby reveal?

“…and His name shall be called “Mighty God”. Isaiah 9:6

I still can’t get my mind around it fully – that Almighty God came in the form of a baby and subjected himself to a human life. Why? Because of His great love. From that love came His desire to see us (mankind) return to our right relationship with the Father.

“The Word became a man and lived among us. We saw his divine greatness—the greatness that belongs to the only Son of the Father. The Word was full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

How many times in a week do we complain when we are asked to do something menial, trivial, beneath us? Clean a toilet, help a co-worker with a mess they’ve made, a job that’s “below” our pay grade…

Do we take the same attitude that Jesus took? What if he had said to Father God, “ya, I’ve thought about it and decided I’m not going to earth. Those people won’t appreciate what I’m doing, they will only expect more. They won’t realize who I really am; some of them will really hate me and spend all their time discrediting me and telling lies about me. No, I don’t need that kind of treatment – I deserve better than that.”

“In your life together, think the way Christ Jesus thought. 6 He was like God in every way, but he did not think that his being equal with God was something to use for his own benefit. 7 Instead, he gave up everything, even his place with God. He accepted the role of a servant, appearing in human form. During his life as a man, 8 he humbled himself by being fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8 CEV

When things get hard to handle and we feel underappreciated, remember Jesus, God’s own son – He left the perfection of heaven to come to earth – “mighty God” and became a servant to all. He gave to us the living gift of humility.

Posted on

Christmas Traditions

Some of you who have been reading my blog for the last few years know that I have a couple of Christmas traditions that will always be a part of my life.

There are the books that sit on my coffee table, the nativity that decorates my living room and the candy canes that sit in a basket at the door and make their way into my purse on each of my outings.

Even though we are in the RV and space is limited the nativity still graces the mantel, the books (we’ll talk about some of those in the next few days) are on the small table in the living room and I keep candy canes in my purse.

All three items tie together and are a part of my Christmas traditions.

Years ago, I mean many years ago, I was introduced to a book, “The Legend of the Candy Cane”. I was on staff at a Calvary Chapel in Encinitas CA when I found it on the shelves of their bookstore. I bought it and the coffee mug that was a part of the set.

Handing out Candy Canes with this little message is a great way to share Jesus at Christmas.

The story is of a candy maker who befriends a little girl while she helps him unpack the merchandise for his new stop. There are gum drops, licorice sticks, butterscotch drops, lemons drops and then there was a new candy she had never seen.

It was a red and white crook, like the kind a shepherd would use. The candy maker told her the crook was for the “Good Shepherd” who came to take care of us all. The white represented the sinless life of Jesus and the red for was the blood He shed to save us. When turned upside down, the crook became a J – the first letter in the shepherd’s name, Jesus.

No photo description available.

“I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and they know me. 15 Just as the Father knows me, I know the Father, and I give up my life for my sheep. ” John 10:14-15 CEV

Christmas is all about sharing the love that Jesus has for us. Giving out candy canes with this little message is just one way I do that.

“ I have not turned away from Your Law, for You Yourself have taught me. 103 How sweet is Your Word to my taste! It is sweeter than honey to my mouth! ” Psalm 119:102-103 NLV

I hope each of us will be an ambassador of the sweet peace of God’s love this season.

Posted on

Christmas Lights

Christmas is a time for remembering and for sharing the joy of times spent together. This morning I will tell you another grandchild story.

Our youngest grandson was just over a year old when his mom and dad came to visit us in Rio Rico. Dave and our son-in-law went out to the desert for an afternoon of shooting while our daughter, grandson and I went to Tubac, an artisan community, to shop.

Every shop we went in was fascinating to Sam. He is so taken with Christmas lights, and he wasn’t disappointed as we went from store to store. He would stare at the pierced metal stars that hung from the ceilings and he loved the “balls” so big and brightly colored. Most of the time I carried him, so his mom was free to look through each shop. We laughed and giggled, and the love and excitement Sam felt. It worked its way into the hearts of the shop keepers and shoppers.

Christmas through the eyes of children. The wonderful, the excitement, the joy!

When I was in high school choir we sang a song, “Christmas Was Meant for Children”, made popular by Sandi Patty

“Christmas was meant for children
Children like you and me
With mistletoe and holly
And toys upon the tree
The stockings by the chimney
And hearts so full of joy
Old Santa’s riding through the snow
For every gift and boy

So ring out the bells from the steeple
For the world in its mantle of white
Let the star in the East that lead us
Shine on your tree tonight
Always remember the infant
Away in a manger to see
For Christmas was made in heaven
For children like you and me

Those stars that captured Sam’s attention were a representation of the bright and shining star that led the wisemen to the Christ child. We place lights on our trees and outside our homes to give the warm glow of joy and love to all who pass by.

Our lives should be lights of love, joy and peace that will attract others to finding Christ. Jesus is our example of a life filled with light.

“Later, Jesus talked to the people again. He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never live in darkness. They will have the light that gives life.” John 8:12 ERV

And then He gave us a command to be light.

“People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:15-16 ERV

Let’s wipe the dust off our bulbs, trim the wick in our lamp, and shine. Shine with Jesus for all the world to see!

Posted on

Great Joy!

Joy.

It can be seen in the faces of little children playing in the sprinklers on a hot day, throwing snowballs on a cold day, giggling while playing with a new puppy. Joy is induced by many different situations.

Great joy.

Experienced by a couple on their wedding day, seen in the face of grandparents at the birth of their first grandchild. The arrival of loved ones. This kind of joy not only comes with smiles and laughter but also with tears of joy. It’s uncontainable!

“but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! ” Luke 2:10-11 NLT

Great joy to all people, not just a few chosen elite, but to all! An uncontainable joy.

God’s message of Good News is for all. Remember what Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that He gave…” Everyone who experiences life on this earth is part of “the world”. This was an entirely new concept to some of the religious rulers of His day. In their eyes there we only two divisions of people, the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews had been God’s chosen people for thousands of years but now, through Christ, the whole world could be adopted by God.

“And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 3:6 NLT

Our joy is very important to the Father. In fact, it is one of the characteristics that the Holy Spirit produces in our lives; the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control.

The angels announced the great joy of Jesus coming and Jesus prayed for that joy to remain in us right before He was crucified. Joy was always forefront in the life of Christ.

“Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are…13 “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them your word…” John 17:11-14 NLT

It’s so easy to become overwhelmed by life’s circumstances. These were some of the final moments of Christ’ life. He was praying for our lives to be filled with joy. How? By staying grounded on His word.

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” John 10:10 AMP

If the thief has stolen your joy, come to the Father and ask for a refill. We are a testimony and light to this world and He wants our lives to reflect His joy, to the full, till it overflows!

Great joy!

Privacy Policy Proudly powered by WordPress