Category: Book

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Number One Necessity!

In this social-distancing, stay-at-home lifestyle that we are experiencing I know there has been a lot of watching old movies – or maybe that’s just in our house. This morning one of my old favorites came to mind.

City Slickers.

Mitch, Phil & Ed give an account of their crazy misadverntures – they traveled the world and then they met Curly.
Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is? [holds up one finger] This.
Mitch: Your finger?
Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don’t mean ….
Mitch: But, what is the “one thing?”
Curly: [smiles] That’s what *you* have to find out.

Most people spend their lives searching for the “one thing”. Jesus was asked this same question by a young lawyer. Jesus didn’t tell him “that’s what you have to find out” – Jesus gave him the answer.

“Then one of them, an expert in the Law of Moses, asked Jesus a question to test him. 36 He said, “Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?” 37 Jesus answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and most important command. 39 And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.’ 40 All of the law and the writings of the prophets take their meaning from these two commands.” Matthew 22:35-40 ERV

Loving the Lord with all your heart comes when we realize how very much He loves us. It isn’t something that we really have to work at. Truly knowing that God’s love is unconditional and His mercy endures forever is the foundation of our relationship. When we know, experience and accept God’s love we can return that love and as a result we can love ourselves and those around us.

Loving God becomes our number one necessity!

There was another time when Jesus was teaching in the home of two sisters, Mary and Martha. Martha was very busy making the meal and having things just perfect for the Master. Her sister, Mary, was ignoring the work and listening attentively to Jesus. Martha handled it as long as she could and then she complained.

“The Lord and his disciples were traveling along and came to a village. When they got there, a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat down in front of the Lord and was listening to what he said. 40 Martha was worried about all that had to be done. Finally, she went to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it bother you that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!”

41 The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about so many things, 42 but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 CEV

What is it that has us worried and upset? What is distracting us today?

Let’s experience our “one thing”. As we walk in love with the Lord and His love fills us, we can overflow with love to those around us.

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Stand Tall – Stand Strong

About twenty years back a movie, A Knight’s Tale, was released. It is a movie I enjoy and there is a lesson in that movie that has stuck with me all this time.

An old knight dies and one of his servants takes his place in the jousting tournaments. He has to produce patents of nobility (papers that attest to his noble lineage) in order to complete. His papers are forged. As the story goes, this knight begins winning many of the events and advances to the final games. He is discovered as a fraud and is about to be beheaded when a man steps from the crowd to validate his standing as a true knight. The man removes his hooded cloak and declares “I am the king and as such my words are uncontestable.”

The first time I heard it, that phrase burned in me like a fire! “I am the king and as such my words are uncontestable”. It still does.

Over and over again in the movie, the knight is challenged to produce his patent of nobility. Our daily life makes the same challenge. What college did we go to; what company do we work for; which area of town do we live in…the list of challenges is endless. Those are the external rebuffs to our character. The emotional ones, which we often bring on ourselves, are even more daunting. We deal with feelings of unworthiness and criticism. Satan is referred to as the “accuser of the brethren” however what God says about us exceeds any accusations that he may bring.

We have a King who is willing to attest to our rights and standing. He is Jesus Christ, King of Kings. What He say about me, trumps anything else. His word is uncontestable!!

“The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them. 15 The Spirit that we received is not a spirit that makes us slaves again and causes us to fear. The Spirit that we have makes us God’s chosen children. And with that Spirit we cry out, “ Abba, Father.” Romans 8:14-15 ERV

“So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us.” Romans 8:31 ERV

“But you are his chosen people, the King’s priests. You are a holy nation, people who belong to God. He chose you to tell about the wonderful things he has done. He brought you out of the darkness of sin into his wonderful light.” I Peter 2:9 ERV

“and from Jesus Christ. Jesus is the faithful witness. He is first among all who will be raised from death. He is the ruler of the kings of the earth. Jesus is the one who loves us and has made us free from our sins with his blood sacrifice. 6 He made us his kingdom and priests who serve God his Father. To Jesus be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.” Revelation 1:5-6 ERV

Read the verses above again. Those are our patents of nobility. We walk worthy because the King says we are. His Word is without contestation!

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Welcome the Day

Yesterday morning after I posted the blog, Dave and I headed over to the canyon’s edge for an unobstructed view of the sunrise. It’s amazing to watch the valley floor begin to lighten. The clouds were hanging low over the river, the pastures were green and a golden hue chased away the night’s shadows and welcomed the day.

As the sun rose over the mountains ridge we sat in the truck and thanked our heavenly Father for the beauty of His creation; we thanked Jesus for His sacrifice of death on a cross and we thanked the Holy Spirit for His constant companionship each and every day.

They, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, have an amazing impact in my life each day. Because of what Jesus did on the cross, I am forgiven and have a life that is reconciled to God the Father. The Holy Spirit leads, instructs and gives me guidance from God’s word. My heavenly Father has filled my life with power and purpose.

“For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” II Corinthians 4:6-7 NLT

God the Father has chosen to invest His power in our lives. He doesn’t want us living a defeated, contrary and worrisome existence. He wants our lives to be filled with hope, joy and peace.

“We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. 4 God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.” II Peter 1:3-4 CEV

The beauty of each morning’s sunrise is a testament to God’s faithfulness and power. He lights the world for the day’s activities and He has placed the light of His love in our hearts to be a ray of hope to all we meet.

Welcome the day with light of God’s love!

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See the Sonrise

I hope you will join me this morning for a virtual Easter Sonrise Service. It won’t be a streaming service but I pray that the light that Resurrection Morning will stream into your hearts.

I assume that the disciples sat alone and afraid in their homes honoring the Sabbath following the crucifixion but now it was the first day of the week. What would the days ahead hold for them?

The women had a plan. They would go to the tomb and finish preparing Jesus body for his burial. They left early – about sunrise and headed to the tomb where He had been laid. They were almost at their destination when there was a great earthquake. An angel appeared to roll away the stone from the opening and when the soldiers who were there guarding the tomb saw him they fainted dead away.

The women arrived to this strange scene. They were afraid. The angel spoke to them and told them that Jesus had been raised to life again. He invited them to look inside and see that the tomb was empty and then he gave them the honor of delivering the glorious message to the disciples.

“‘Now hurry! Tell his disciples that he has been raised to life and is on his way to Galilee. Go there, and you will see him. That is what I came to tell you.’ 8 The women were frightened and yet very happy, as they hurried from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples.” Matthew 28:7-8 CEV

This is really special to me. The first ones to preach the message of Jesus’ resurrection were women.

As the women were leaving the garden and heading back to tell the disciples that Jesus was alive, Jesus appeared to Mary in the garden. He called her by name.

“Jesus spoke to her, “Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?” She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, “Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him.” 16 Jesus said, “Mary.” Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” meaning “Teacher!” John 20:15-16 MSG

He called her by name – that impacts me every time I read it. All through His ministry Jesus reached out to them in a personal way. Here in the garden, Jesus appears as the resurrected Son of God, in all His glory, and He hasn’t changed. He is still involving Himself personally into the lives of those who are hurting and afraid.

He called Mary by name. He knows each one of us by name too. He speaks to our hearts on a daily basis, sometimes we’re just too busy to hear Him.

I hope you will take time to listen today. Let Him speak to your heart and calm your fears. Let Him wrap you in His love. Receive forgiveness for your sin and be reconciled to the One Who died for you.

Celebrate Easter at Sonrise! Let Him rise to a place of honor in your heart.

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What Now?

We’ve been living through some dark and stormy times, wondering what’s going to happen next. Maybe you’ve been asking yourself the question “What do I do now?”. Working from home has been good, less traffic when you do go out, shorter lines in the grocery store and more time with family has all been good. However, there is the unanswered question of how much longer this will go on and what do we do now.

Some of you reading this are on the front lines. You are medical personnel; doctors, nurses, lab technicians, urgent care staff and hospital support staff. You are joined by police, fire, ambulance, truck drivers and grocery store teammates who are overworked and under appreciated. You, too, are asking what now?

It’s a place we’ve never been before and hopefully we will never go again. We need to make it through. We need to support and encourage one another.

There’s one other group that I inadvertently left out and they deserve our attention. They are a mixed group; fisherman, tax collectors, housewives, doctors and a some religious zealots. They are grouped together and asking the same question – what now?

They aren’t getting any recognition at all. Their world has been turned upside down and they are in danger of loosing their lives. Right now we find them locked behind closed doors not wanting to step out into the light of day. Maybe you’ve guessed who I’m talking about – these are Jesus disciples.

There’s really nothing written in the Bible about what they were doing the day following the crucifixion. But I can imagine that their world was reeling like a small boat on a stormy sea. Jesus was dead, would they be next? What now? The One they had always turned too in crisis wasn’t there, what now?

Were they too frazzled to remember the instruction Jesus had given them just a couple days before?

“Jesus said to his disciples, “Don’t be worried! Have faith in God and have faith in me.” John 14:1 CEV

His final words before He was arrested are recorded in John 14, 15, 16 and 17. Jesus was preparing them for what was to come. He was also spending time with the Father, in prayer, preparing Himself for what He would go through.

What now?

“I have told you all these things while I am with you. 26 But the Helper will teach you everything and cause you to remember all that I told you. This Helper is the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name.

27 “I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am leaving, but I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be happy that I am going back to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. 29 I have told you this now, before it happens. Then when it happens, you will believe.” John 14:25-29 ERV

This is the answer to our question of what now. This is the instruction Jesus left for us. Don’t be worried, have faith in God. The Holy Spirit has come to be our Helper and Jesus has given us His peace so we don’t have to be troubled and afraid.

On this day before the victory of the resurrection, our answer to the question “what now” is trust God!

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Good Friday – Great Day

I’ve been thinking about the significance of this day and my walk with the Lord. Evaluating where I’ve come from and how much farther I still have to go. A Bible teacher I know puts it this way, “I haven’t arrived yet but I’ve left”. He means that he has started on this journey called the Christian life but he hasn’t arrived at full maturity – that’s how I feel.

In fact I was talking about that very thing with my Mom just last night. I told her that I pray that we all change. She gave me a puzzled look and asked, “you think I need to change?”. I think we all need to change, to grow, to continue to mature in our walk with the Lord. None of us is perfect or will be until we get to heaven. That’s the beauty of our walk with Christ; we are all being changed as we allow the Lord to work in us.

I accepted Christ as my Savior when I was a little girl. I grew up loving the Lord but had little or no victory in my life. Seems the favorite saying of the people in our church was “when we get to heaven all of life’s trials and struggles with be worth it”. That is true but…I was tired of getting my teeth kicked in by those trials. There had to be more to my Christian life than I was experiencing! There had to be.

Let’s take a look at the life of Peter. His life was a wonderful example of how mine had been. He was tempestuous, quick to react (right or wrong), wanting to do big things and failing. He walked on the water and sank; he would minister to the sick and then be stopped by a boy’s seizure; he was ready to take on the whole Roman guard to protect Jesus and then denied knowing Him to a servant girl!

Good Friday was not a great day for Peter. He denied knowing his dearest friend, the man he called Lord.

He was up and down, up and down and no real victory UNTIL the day of Pentecost when he was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. After that day, Peter became faith-filled and fearless. He never looked back and he faced every day with the resolve that he would be a witness of the power of God and nothing would stop him from proclaiming the mighty name of Jesus. Beaten over and over, imprisoned, and persecuted he continued moving forward from one victory to the next.

When I saw this miraculous change in Peter, I said “Lord, this is what I want in my life. I want to live in your power and not my own; I want to be a victorious Christian and not one who is plagued with defeat. I want my life to reflect You and not be overcome by the circumstances.” Thank you Jesus – he heard and answered that prayer. I, like millions of other Christians, received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and became filled with God’s power. That was over thirty-five years ago!

Do I still have struggles – you bet. Do I always handle things right – not always. Do I face discouragement – some days it’s a constant battle. Am I victorious – ABSOLUTELY! Jesus said I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me – He’s my strength, He’s the one who carries me when I feel weak and He’s the reason I will live and declare the works of the Lord.

I don’t read God’s Word and serve Him because it’s the right thing to do. I don’t live my life trying to please Him and get His love; I serve Him and follow His word because He loves me so much that it’s almost unfathomable. My faith is in God and Him alone. In His Word I find victory to overcome the world. Following God’s word isn’t so hard when we realize that He is the One with all the answers. We place our faith in Him and He always brings victory!

“We show our love for God by obeying his commandments, and they are not hard to follow. 4 Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory. 5 No one can defeat the world without having faith in Jesus as the Son of God.” I John 5:3-5 ERV

Good Friday – Peter came to the end of himself when he denied the Lord but just a few days later he met the Savior and received complete forgiveness. Jesus has made the same offer to us – come to the end of yourself, accept My forgiveness and walk in My victory!

The actions of Good Friday open the door to a Great New Day!

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A Watchful Father

We are all familiar with baby monitors – what a great invention! Loving parents can keep watch when their children are sleeping and playing. They can hear the coos, the laughter and the cries. They are ready to run to their children’s aide the moment it’s needed.

Can anything be more reassuring?

This morning as I was viewing the baby monitor I was overwhelmed by a wonderful thought. I was watching to see if my assistance was needed; I was waiting and ready to help. I realized our heavenly Father is doing the same.

We aren’t left alone to struggle and fall without someone being there to help us up, give us a hug and wipe away our tears.

“For because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted (tested and tried), He is able [immediately] to run to the cry of (assist, relieve) those who are being tempted and tested and tried [and who therefore are being exposed to suffering].” Hebrews 2:18 AMPC

Our heavenly Father is watching over us.

“God is our protection and source of strength. He is always ready to help us in times of trouble. 2 So we are not afraid when the earth quakes (or the virus comes)* and the mountains fall into the sea. 3 We are not afraid when the seas become rough and dark  and the mountains tremble. Selah” Psalm 46:1-3 ERV (* added by me for practical application)

There is a song that I grew up hearing on the record player. It conveys our Father’s loving care so adequately, “My Heavenly Father Watches Over Me”. It was written in 1910 but I think it applies so well to what we are going through today.

  1. I trust in God wherever I may be,
    Upon the land, or on the rolling sea,
    For come what may, from day to day,
    My heav’nly Father watches over me.
    • Refrain:
      I trust in God, I know He cares for me;
      On mountain bleak or on the stormy sea;
      Though billows roll, He keeps my soul;
      My heav’nly Father watches over me.
  2. He makes the rose an object of His care,
    He guides the eagle through the pathless air,
    And surely He remembers me;
    My heav’nly Father watches over me.
  3. I trust in God, for, in the lion’s den,
    On battlefield, or in the prison pen,
    Through praise or blame, through flood or flame,
    My heav’nly Father watches over me.
  4. The valley may be dark, the shadows deep,
    But, oh, the Shepherd guards His lonely sheep;
    And through the gloom He’ll lead me home,
    My heav’nly Father watches over me.

Our Father is ready to run to our cry. He is our help in times of trouble. We can trust Him to watch over us every day, in every place. He will never abandon us!

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The Easter Ham

A newly wed bride was preparing ham for their first Easter dinner. She retrieved the 9×13 pan from the cupboard, placed a baking rack in the bottom, removed the ham from the refrigerator and then took a sharp butcher knife from the drawer and cut the butt end from the ham.

Her husband, who was standing there, politely stopped her and asked why she was cutting the end from the ham. The answer was clear, “That’s the way my mother always did it.”. To which he inquired further, “But, why?”. Unsure of the answer the bride called her mother.

“Mom, why do you always cut the end from the Easter ham?” Her mother replied, “Grama always did it that way so I did too.” “But why?” “I’m really not sure.”

So the bride phoned her grandmother. “Grama, why do you always cut off the end of the ham?” Grama thought for a moment and then with a chuckle she told her granddaughter “Sweetheart, it’s because my pan is too short.”

Oh my!

How many times do we do things just because we’ve seen someone else always do it that way? How many things are done out of tradition without a good solid basis and purpose?

“Jesus answered, “You are all hypocrites. Isaiah was right when he wrote these words from God about you: ‘These people honor me with their words, but I am not really important to them. 7 Their worship of me is worthless. The things they teach are only human rules.’ 8 You have stopped following God’s commands, preferring instead the man-made rules you got from others.” 9 Then he said, “You show great skill in avoiding the commands of God so that you can follow your own teachings!…13 So you are teaching that it is not important to do what God said. You think it is more important to follow those traditions you have, which you pass on to others. And you do many things like that.” Mark 7:6-13 ERV

So much in religion is done out of tradition instead of relationship. “That’s the way we’ve always done it”. While we have all this extra time in self-isolation may I suggest that we evaluate our relationship with the Lord. Get to know our Father. What are the things He likes, what brings Him pleasure? He tells us in His word.

The men Jesus was talking about in the verses above were so caught up in their traditions. The number of times they washed their hands and the cups they used were of utmost importance, more important than the way they treated their parents and other people. Their traditions were more important than what God said.

I remember one pastor that I worked with saying: “It is more important that we work with the Lord than for the Lord.” So many times we think we are working for God but the real motivation is for us to look good. When we work with God we’re not concerned about how we appear, we are concerned that what we do brings honor and glory to Him. He’s our sole focus.

Occasionally I have to evaluate the things I’m doing to make sure they honor the Lord.

“God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. That’s why he sent Christ to make us what we are.” Ephesians 2:10 CEV

Let’s not be like that young bride. Let’s establish traditions that glorify and honor the Father!

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Hope & Healing

I’d like to build on what I was writing about yesterday, the Good Shepherd. I know I spent several days on Psalm 23 a few weeks back and I hope you were encouraged to know that the Lord, our Shepherd, takes care of us in every circumstance; beside still waters, in green pastures, confronted by our enemies and in the valley of the shadow of death.

Yesterday we were reacquainted with the fact that our Good Shepherd gives His life for us, his sheep.

Jesus taught his disciples about the Father’s love and diligence when he told the story of the Shepherd that had lost a sheep from His flock. He left the whole band and went searching for the one who had strayed. He searched until He found it and then brought it home to safety. That’s what a good shepherd does.

“Let me ask you this. What would you do if you had a hundred sheep and one of them wandered off? Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go look for the one that had wandered away? 13 I am sure that finding it would make you happier than having the ninety-nine that never wandered off. 14 That’s how it is with your Father in heaven. He doesn’t want any of these little ones to be lost.” Matthew 18:12-14

Did you know that sheep learn to recognize their Shepherd’s voice? Just like dogs, cats, horses, etc. they can remember and recognize familiar sounds. The voice of the Shepherd is comforting, soothing, reassuring. Other noises can create anxiety and fear but Shepherd brings peace. Jesus said that we, as His sheep, will hear His voice and follow Him.

“But the man who takes care of the sheep enters through the gate. He is the shepherd. 3 The man who guards the gate opens the gate for the shepherd. And the sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep, using their names, and he leads them out. 4 He brings all of his sheep out. Then he goes ahead of them and leads them. The sheep follow him, because they know his voice.” John 10:2-5 ERV

It’s important that we listen for the Shepherd’s voice. He is always speaking to us; giving us direction, leading us to a place of rest and refreshing, guiding us through the rough places. I had just been reading these verses on hearing and following the Shepherd yesterday morning when I “heard” the Shepherd’s voice through the words of these verses in Psalms.

“Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble. 2 The Lord protects them  and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity in the land  and rescues them from their enemies. 3 The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health.” Psalm 41:1-3 NLT

Reading those verses I recognized the Shepherd’s voice. He says he will rescue us, protect us, keep us alive and restore us to health. What wonderful promises and reassurance during this difficult time! Is it any wonder why I love reading the Bible so much? Every page contains expressions of the Father’s love and protection.

“Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. 5 Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.” Psalm 25:4-5 NLT

As we listen to the voice of the Shepherd (read His word), and follow Him. He will lead and protect. In Him we have hope and healing.

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The Lamb and The Shepherd

As we enter Easter week so many are focused on the crisis we are going through. That was true in Jesus day as well. He was focused on the events of His week. He came to earth to be our sacrificial lamb. We have His promise of forgiveness and a life-long relationship with our heavenly Father; we must keep our focus on that.

“We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy he could see waiting for him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne. 3 Think about Jesus. He patiently endured the angry insults that sinful people were shouting at him. Think about him so that you won’t get discouraged and stop trying.” Hebrews 12:2-3 ERV

I saw a post on a friend’s FB page “Easter isn’t about the bunny; it’s about the Lamb”! Jesus is called the Lamb of God. He came to be the sinless sacrifice; the atonement for our sins.

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God. He takes away the sins of the world!” John 1:29 ERV

The Lamb of God is also our Good Shepherd. As the Son of God, He recognized that we are vulnerable as lambs and can easily be led astray. He promised to be our Good Shepherd, our protector and provider.

“A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came to give life—life that is full and good. 11 “I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.” John 10:11 ERV

Jesus used this analogy to make his ministry and purpose easy to understand. Raising sheep was a common profession in that day, Jesus used something they were familiar with to teach his lesson. At night the sheep were kept in a gated pen for their protection and early each morning the shepherd would come and lead the sheep out to pasture. The sheep had become accustom to the shepherd’s voice and so when he called, they would follow. They wouldn’t follow someone who would sneak in and try lead them astray.

Jesus was telling them, and us, if they spent time with Him, listening to His word and getting to know Him, they would follow Him and keep His commandments. He would lead them “in green pastures” (Psalm 23).

As I mentioned in a previous blog, Jesus’ mission statement, His purpose, is to give us life and life more abundantly. He warns us that there is a thief who wants to kill, steal and destroy – that’s the devil. Everything that falls in one of those categories – stealing, killing and destroying – doesn’t come from God.

Those things that bring life, abundance and fullness to life comes from God. “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.” James 1:17 ERV

Our Good Shepherd gave His life for us. Let’s keep our focus on Him, following Him and living the life He has provided for us.

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