Category: Matthew

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In Case You Wondered

I had a rough time sleeping last night. Leg cramps kept me awake so early this morning I came out to the living room. Walking off the last round of charley horses and waiting for the coffee to finish brewing.

I fell back to sleep and didn’t wake up until 6 a.m. It was good sleep. Thank you Jesus but it means I am late in posting. I decided to share a post with you from about 10 years ago. I hope it encourages your heart.

God is good!

“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand – All other ground is sinking sand.”

What are you trusting in today? Your job, your family, your financial portfolio… When things get shaky you want to make sure you’re standing on a solid foundation.

“Whoever hears these teachings of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not fall because it was built on rock. 26 “Whoever hears these teachings of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. And it fell with a loud crash.” 28 When Jesus finished speaking, the people were amazed at his teaching. 29 He did not teach like their teachers of the law. He taught like someone who has authority.” Matthew 7:24-28

God’s Word is tried and true – It has not failed and it never will. Advisors come and go; new technology is always in flux; markets rise and fall but Jesus Christ is always the same.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:35

My hope, my faith, my trust is in God alone – I will stand on the Rock!!

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Oh My Goodness

When I was a girl I got to watch Shirley Temple movies on television. They were such fun and the story lines were always wholesome. I remember hearing her voice her surprise or excitement with the phrase “Oh my goodness”. This was followed by the cutest expression on her face and twinkle in her eyes.

I think God would like to hear us use that expression a little more often.

Oh my – goodness!

We need to be more mindful of the goodness of God in our lives.

The beauty of the sunset, the coolness of the breeze, flowers in bloom, the majesty of a waterfall. Nature points to the eternal goodness of God. His goodness can also be seen in the touch of a friend’s hand, reassuring us that things will be ok, a miraculous recovery or divine intervention in a dangerous situation.

Oh my – The goodness of God.

“ Don’t be fooled, my dear friends. 17 Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing. 18 He wanted us to be his own special people, and so he sent the true message to give us new birth.” James 1:16-18 CEV

Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father. We are His children, and He provides for us. Long before these words were written by James, Moses gave this instruction to the Israelites while they were still in the desert.

“He brought us to this place and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey! 10 And now, O Lord, I have brought you the first portion of the harvest you have given me from the ground.’ Then place the produce before the Lord your God, and bow to the ground in worship before him. 11 Afterward you may go and celebrate because of all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.” Deuteronomy 26:9-11a NLT

God is a giver of good things. Jesus told us this about the Father’s heart.

“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” Matthew 7:9-11 NLT

Then Jesus said this about himself.

“I am the gate. All who come in through me will be saved. Through me they will come and go and find pasture.10 A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so everyone would have life, and have it fully. 11  I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep.” John 10:9-11 CEV

God, the Father, wants to be involved in every facet of our lives – spirit, soul and body. He wants us to receive His gift of eternal life. He gives us peace and He provides for us as His children.

Oh my! The goodness of God!!

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Good Courage

None of us know what this year of 2025 has in store. There will be challenges, I’m sure of that. There will also be great blessings, I am also sure of that.

“ Praise the Lord because he is good! His faithful love will last forever!” Psalm 118:1 ERV

“Tell the Lord how thankful you are, because he is kind and always merciful.” Psalm 118:1 CEV

Same verse, different translations but the meaning is clear. We are to be thankful because God is always good; His love lasts forever.

So many times throughout the Bible God gives this instruction. Fear not – and it’s often followed by these words, “Be of good courage”.

Good courage. This is courage in God’s ability and not in our own. When we are trusting in His goodness we can face any situation with courage. This is the instruction Joshua received from Moses shortly before Moses died. Joshua had been selected as his successor in leading the Israelites into the promised land.

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it.” Deuteronomy 31:6-7 NKJV

Be strong – in faith. Knowing God’s word gives us that strength. We can trust Him, knowing He will keep His word. God doesn’t lie.

“God is no mere human! He doesn’t tell lies or change his mind. God always keeps his promises.” Numbers 23:19 CEV (written by Moses)

“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living. 14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” Psalm 27:13-14 NKJV (written by King David)

Both of these men faced some of life’s biggest obstacles and greatest challenges. God promised them His goodness and His strength. The promise made in Deuteronomy is used in Hebrews also.

“ Keep your lives free from the love of money. Be happy with what you have. God has said, “I will never leave you or let you be alone.” Hebrews 13:5 NLV

We have a tendency to look at the financial economy of our lives instead of the spiritual. The writer of Hebrews wanted us to see that instead of putting our confidence in money we should be placing it in the One who has promised to never leave us or abandon us.

“ Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” 32 Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all of these. 33 But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.” Matthew 7:31-33 CEV

Now that’s good courage!

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His Goodness

Last year we focused on the love of God during the month of January, this year the Lord has put it on my heart to center our thoughts on the goodness of God.

There is so much around us that isn’t good. There are those who choose to call good evil and evil good.

We who know and follow Christ are called to be ambassadors for Christ, pointing to God’s goodness and grace.

“For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” II Corinthians 5:19-21 NLT

An ambassador is someone who is a representative for a country or government, living in a foreign land. They present the thoughts and intents of their ruler or monarch to those in the land where they reside temporarily. They are backed and supported, in the foreign land, by their king or ruler.

We are Christ’s ambassadors on this earth. Our message is one of reconciliation. We are to bring God’s love, goodness and peace to this land we live in.

“Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” Romans 2:4 NLT

Other translations say that God’s goodness is what will cause people to turn to Him.

Here’s the big question. How will they know about God’s goodness unless we tell them?

” All who call out to the Lord will be saved. 14 How can people have faith in the Lord and ask him to save them, if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear, unless someone tells them?…17 No one can have faith without hearing the message about Christ.” Romans 10:13-17 CEV

We have received a commission – an assignment. We have a purpose.

“Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20 and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.” Matthew 28:19-20 CEV

Join me as an ambassador; let’s take the message of the goodness of God to the people in our world.

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Keep Going

The year is almost over and maybe you are feeling disappointed or discouraged that you didn’t get more done.

You had goals and hopes that have not yet been accomplished, keep going!

Just because the calendar date is about to change it doesn’t mean that you have failed. As long as you are making progress you are succeeding. There are baby steps and giant leaps, both are forward progress.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:9-10

God has a plan for each of us, something that is designed for our personality and is for our benefit. Don’t give up.

If you are weary stop and rest but don’t quit.

“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 ERV

“The Lord is my shepherd. I will always have everything I need. 2 He gives me green pastures to lie in. He leads me by calm pools of water. 3 He restores my strength. He leads me on right paths to show that he is good.” Psalm 23:1-3 ERV

Let the Lord restore you. His strength is sufficient in every situation. He knew how to rest in the midst of a storm.

A number of years ago we were hosts at a campground in the mountains. One day I saw an eagle across the valley, it was circling in the sky. There was a stiff wind. As the eagle circled it was soaring, without effort, on the air’s current. I must have watched for almost 30 minutes. The eagle continued to soar higher and higher until it was covered by the clouds.

“Even young people get tired, then stumble and fall. 31 But those who trust the Lord will find new strength. They will be strong like eagles soaring upward on wings; they will walk and run without getting tired.” Isaiah 40:30-31 CEV

Someone needs to be reminded to keep going. I just got reminded by the Holy Spirit and these verses.

It’s time to soar!

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Seeking the King

Here we are almost to Christmas day. How are you doing with maintaining the peace and the joy of the season?

Frankly, the last several days have been hectic, too much to do and not enough hours in the day. I noticed a weariness creeping in. In fact, two days ago I asked the Lord if it was ok to sleep in. I knew He wouldn’t mind. So, I’ve slept until 4:30 and 5:00 respectively. It was good rest.

I wonder if the wise men who came from the East were weary from their travels.

They had no GPS or Rand-McNally Atlas to guide them. They were led by a star. They didn’t come to the stable and find a baby. Their entourage had traveled a great distance, and some believe it could have taken a year or two to arrive.

“ Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king. After Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. 2 They asked people, “Where is the child who has been born to be the king of the Jews? We saw the star that shows he was born. We saw it rise in the sky in the east and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2 ERV

These men were on a mission. They came to worship the King.

“After the wise men heard the king, they left. They saw the same star they had seen in the east, and they followed it. The star went before them until it stopped above the place where the child was. 10 They were very happy and excited to see the star.

11 The wise men came to the house where the child was with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened the boxes of gifts they had brought for him. They gave him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 But God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they went home to their own country a different way.” Matthew 2:9-12 ERV

Can you imagine how that must have occurred? Mary was home, going about her daily duties. Taking care of the small child, Jesus, possibly preparing a meal for Joseph who would soon be arriving home from work. She hears a commotion out in the street and then a knock at the door. There before her is a caravan and regally dressed men asking about her child.

They entered her home and bowed before her Son, worshipping Him and presenting Him with gifts. It certainly would have caused no small stir in the neighborhood.

Are we as persistent in our search of Jesus as these men from the East? Each day they had one purpose – follow the star. Find the Messiah.

A song was recorded by Sandi Patty in the early 1970’s. The lyrics of the chorus are:

“Come let us worship the King
Jesus the Savior is born
For the Lord will reign over all the earth
Come let us worship the King
Jesus the Savior is born
For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised
Through all the earth
Let us worship the King”

We have this promise from the prophet Jeremiah:

“You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me. ” Jeremiah 29:13 ERV

The best way I know to combat weariness, discouragement and frustration is to search for and worship the King.

“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 ERV

A true sign of a wise man or woman is to search for the King!

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Jesus Came

Growing up our mom always had an Open House at Christmas. We didn’t live around family so she would bake and then invite our friends to just drop in for a while and spend part of their Christmas with us. When I grew up and had a home of my own, I continued the Christmas Open House tradition for many years because I love entertaining and filling our home with the love and laughter of friends.

Christmas can be a lonely and depressing time for some. Missing a loved one, being far from home…so many reasons. Think of that first Christmas night when God’s Son came to earth; separation for both Father and Son.

Now here’s the good news!

“Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us].” Isaiah 7:14 AMP.

Jesus came to those who were often left alone.

The shepherds were all alone in the fields when that first announcement came. The leper was alone in the crowd when Jesus reached out to him and healed him. The prostitute was left alone and uncovered in the presence of Jesus when her accusers slipped away. Zacchaeus was alone in a tree when Jesus invited him to come down. The thief was alone on the cross when Jesus took him to paradise. Mary was alone in the garden when Jesus called her name.

Jesus came. Immanuel, God with us, still comes to the lonely.

“ Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29 AMP

Even when we are by ourselves, we’re not alone! God with us, He has promised to never leave us or forsake us…God with us!

“for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” Hebrews 13:5b AMP

This year if your home is filled with family and friends or quiet and few, remember Jesus came to join you and that’s more than enough reason for a celebration.

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Nothing Is Impossible

I want to tell you this morning that this may not be what you would consider a “Christmas” teaching, but it is exactly the message that Christ came to deliver. I know it will be an encouragement to many who need an answer from the Lord today.

Can you imagine what it was like to be Jesus? People live under the impression that since He was God in flesh that everything went well for Him. He was perfect, right? Yes, that’s true; He experienced everything that we do and He did it all without sin.

“Like a young plant or a root that sprouts in dry ground, the servant grew up obeying the LORD. He wasn’t some handsome king. Nothing about the way he looked made him attractive to us. 3 He was hated and rejected; his life was filled with sorrow and terrible suffering. No one wanted to look at him. We despised him and said, ‘He is a nobody!’” Isaiah 53:2-3 CEV

Isaiah prophesied that He was common looking, unattractive and nothing special as far as physical traits. He wasn’t Charles Atlas; he wouldn’t have been the captain of the football team or even voted most likely to succeed. His own family and disciples didn’t understand Him.

One time He was holding a meeting and his mother and brothers were outside and sent a message to him.

“ Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to talk with you.” 48 answered, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” Matthew 12:47-48 CEV

If they had truly believed Jesus was God’s Son, the Messiah, would they have interrupted his teaching? Or how about the disciples when they became upset with Jesus because the ship they were in was taking on water and about to sink?

“Jesus was in the back of the boat with his head on a pillow, and he was asleep. His disciples woke him and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re about to drown?” 39 Jesus got up and ordered the wind and the waves to be quiet. The wind stopped, and everything was calm.” Mark 4:38-39 CEV

If their faith had really been in Jesus as the Son of God, they should have approached it this way. “Hey, let’s wake Jesus up because He’ll have the answer to our problem. This storm isn’t a surprise to Him. He’ll know what to do.”

I find it encouraging that those who were closest to Jesus had to grow in faith to accept Him for who He said He was, who they knew Him to be. Just like us – when we cry out “Lord, don’t you care I’m about to go under; cancer is about to sink me, the waves of debt are flooding my boat, the storm of rebellious children or a typhoon with my mate is about to capsize me in this ocean? Don’t you care?”

Even when we come to Him in that kind of desperation and fear, He will speak to our storm and say “Peace, be still!” Then He takes time to teach us again – Come boldly to my throne and find help in your time of need.

But then He expects us to accept, by faith, that help is on the way!

In the old Westerns you could always hear the Cavalry bugle before you saw the soldiers. The invitation to come boldly or “to call on me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things” (Jeremiah 33:3) is the sound of the bugle. It’s then our responsibility to “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day” (Exodus 14:13)

Let God be God in your life today. Don’t limit Him by what you see. As the angel told Mary, “with God nothing is impossible”!

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With Us

I woke up several times during the night with these two words “with” and “among” going through my mind.

Last night we had been at a game night, and we were among a large group of people but we were sitting with only two of them. We could hear the conversations of those around us but we could personally interact with the two sitting across the table from us.

Do you know where I’m going with this?

“ All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” Isaiah 7:14 NLT

God is with us.

For thousands of years, God had been among His people revealing His character and His holiness. The occasions when He was with individuals is noteworthy. He was with the three young men who were thrown into the fiery furnace, He was with Daniel in the lions’ den and He was with David as he faced Goliath. He was with Joseph, Abraham, Noah and others.

And now, according to Isaiah’s prophecy, God was making Himself available to be with us through His Son.

“ All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 ‘Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.” Matthew 1:22-24 NLT

We have all been given a personal invitation to be with God. He chose us before the foundation of the world. Christ’s mission was to reconcile us with God.

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” Romans 3:23-24 NLT

“Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.” Colossians 1:22 NLT

“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.” II Corinthians 5:17-18 CEV

Our heavenly Father knew that human efforts were not good enough to bring about reconciliation with Him. In His unconditional love for us He sent Jesus to provide the way for restored relationship.

Every day I am thankful for Immanuel – God with us. He will never leave us alone!

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The Word Became Flesh

My mind is racing this morning – there are so many verses that I have been reading and then stopping to meditate on.

It all started when I was writing in my journal. I use a mechanical pencil and this morning I ran out of lead, so I picked up my pen and wrote in ink. The thought that went through my mind was “these words need to be important because they will be around for a long time”. But the thoughts that came next caught me off guard.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will not pass away.” Luke 21:33 NLV

Jesus spoke those words, but He wasn’t just speaking about the words that he was speaking at that moment, nor was He referring only to the words that had been written by the prophets hundreds of years before. It was more encompassing than that.

“The Word (Christ) was in the beginning. The Word was with God. The Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 He made all things. Nothing was made without Him making it.” John 1:1-3 NLV

Jesus was speaking of himself. He is and was the Word. He will not pass away.

“ 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 ERV

Now, we need to go back to Mary’s encounter with the angel and look at that conversation.

“The angel said to her, “Mary, do not be afraid. You have found favor with God. 31 See! You are to become a mother and have a Son. You are to give Him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great. He will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the place where His early father David sat…38 Then Mary said, “I am willing to be used of the Lord. Let it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel went away from her.” Luke 1:29-38 NLV

The angel said – he delivered the message – the word of God to Mary. Mary wasn’t sure how this could be, but her response was to believe “the word of God” and she became pregnant and gave birth to the One who is called “The Word”.

“And the Word became 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 NKJV

We need to be more mindful of the power of the Word of God. God’s word created a universe, God’s word took on flesh to live among us. God’s word is alive and powerful.

“ Whoever hears these words of Mine and does them, will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain came down. The water came up. The wind blew and hit the house. The house did not fall because it was built on rock.” Matthew 7:24-25 NLV

By God’s word we have new life, a new life that will be able to stand in the storm.

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