Category: Romans

Posted on

From Earth to Heaven

There will be many Father’s Day greetings posted in the next few days. This one will be a little different. Join me in sending a Father’s Day greeting to our heavenly Father.

Our heavenly Father is beyond description! His works are marvelous and His love is never ending!!

When I was younger I loved to sing and spent countless hours practicing and memorizing song lyrics. Looking at the morning sky my heart and my head are filled with melody.

” My Father is omnipotent, and that you can´t deny;

A God of might and miracles, ´tis written in the sky.

CHORUS:

It took a miracle to put the stars in place;

It took a miracle to hang the world in space.

But when he saved my soul,

Cleansed and made me whole,

It took a miracle of love and grace.” John W. Peterson

I see my Father’s presence all around me. It’s in the song of the birds, in the beauty of a sunset or a sunrise; it’s in the refreshing of the rain and the colors of the blooms. His love is wrapped in every smile and hug, and His mercy is shown through every act of forgiveness.

I marvel that He cut the canyons and prepared the landscapes for my enjoyment. He knew I would love the panoramic vistas He set before me. He gave me the desert, the mountains and the oceans for my playground.

How I love that He chose me, He adopted me and gave me the privilege to call him Papa Father.

I love that there is nothing in my life that keeps Him from loving me. He knows my past, my present and my future. He knows my successes and my darkest moments. His love is unconditional, each day brings new mercy and His forgiveness is complete. Once for all.

“14 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.” 16 And the Spirit himself speaks to our spirits and makes us sure that we are God’s children.” Romans 8:14-17 ERV

“ So we are made holy because Christ obeyed God and offered himself once for all.” Hebrews 10:10 CEV

 “We know that death no longer has any power over Christ. He died and was raised to life, never again to die. 10 When Christ died, he died for sin once and for all. But now he is alive, and he lives only for God. 11 In the same way, you must think of yourselves as dead to the power of sin. But Christ Jesus has given life to you, and you live for God.” Romans 6:9-11 CEV

From earth to heaven, I lift up my hands in praise of You. Thank you, Papa, for your amazing love. Thank you for adopting me. Thank you. Happy Father’s Day.

Posted on

Restore My Soul

For the last hour I have been reading verses of hurt, hope and healing.

Yesterday, I shared “Good Thoughts”. We especially need those good thoughts of God’s word to get us through the hard days.

“Why am I so sad? Why am I so upset? I tell myself, ‘Wait for God’s help! You will again have a chance to praise him, your God, the one who will save you.’” Psalm 43:5 ERV

Thoughts come rushing in and many times they bring fear and anxiety with them. That’s when we have to take them captive – lock them away like some hardened criminal. Cast them out like rotten and decaying food that is thrown into the dumpster.

“ We live in this world, but we don’t fight our battles in the same way the world does. 4 The weapons we use are not human ones. Our weapons have power from God and can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s arguments, 5 and we tear down every proud idea that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.” II Corinthians 10:3-5 ERV

Our heavenly Father’s plan is for our healing and our restoration.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is on me. The Lord has chosen me to tell good news to the poor and to comfort those who are sad. He sent me to tell the captives and prisoners that they have been set free. 2 He sent me to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show his kindness, when our God will also punish evil people. He has sent me to comfort those who are sad, 3 those in Zion who mourn. I will take away the ashes on their head, and I will give them a crown. I will take away their sadness, and I will give them the oil of happiness. I will take away their sorrow, and I will give them celebration clothes. He sent me to name them ‘Good Trees’ and ‘The Lord’s Wonderful Plant.’” Isaiah 61:1-3 ERV

This is the very message that Jesus said He came to deliver to all who were on the earth. God’s message of comfort and hope.

“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. 4 Even if I walk through a valley as dark as the grave, I will not be afraid of any danger, because you are with me. Your rod and staff comfort me.” Psalm 23:1-4 ERV

In the dark times – as dark as death, we are not alone. He is always with us! He will always be our comfort and our guide. He is our Shepherd, our Good Shepherd.

These verses are not just words on a page. They are the living Word of God. They are filled with all the power of God Himself. Let me leave you with this:

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 NLT

To those who are weary, listen to the Lord’s leading. Lay down in green pastures and let Him restore your soul!

Posted on

Through the Father’s Eyes

Have you ever fallen into the trap of defending yourself? You’ve been misjudged or maligned and you step up quickly in your own defense? Me too! Not a good place to be. But there is something in all of us that desires to be well thought of.

The only opinion we should care about is the Lord’s. In His eyes we are loved unconditionally and He holds us in a place of high regard, He holds us in His heart.

We should not care about man’s opinion, it will distract us from doing what God has called us to do.

“Think of us as servants of Christ who have been given the work of explaining God’s mysterious ways. 2 And since our first duty is to be faithful to the one we work for, 3 it doesn’t matter to me if I am judged by you or even by a court of law. In fact, I don’t judge myself. 4 I don’t know of anything against me, but that doesn’t prove that I am right. The Lord is my judge. 5 So don’t judge anyone until the Lord returns. He will show what is hidden in the dark and what is in everyone’s heart. Then God will be the one who praises each of us.” I Corinthians 4:1-5 CEV

We simply need to be faithful and let the Lord be the judge. Paul was a living example of being judged falsely and still being faithful to his calling. He was beaten, imprisoned, stoned many times and he just kept on preaching.

“So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us. 32 He even let his own Son suffer for us. God gave his Son for all of us. So now with Jesus, God will surely give us all things. 33 Who can accuse the people God has chosen? No one! God is the one who makes them right. 34 Who can say that God’s people are guilty? No one! Christ Jesus died for us, but that is not all. He was also raised from death. And now he is at God’s right side, speaking to him for us.” Romans 8:31-34 ERV

Don’t be derailed by the opinions of others. Keep looking at the Father and you’ll stay on track!

Posted on

Rock Solid Truth

Growing up I would hear preachers say, “God said, I believe it, that settles it”. They were saying this to confirm their faith in the Word of God, however, that saying isn’t quite true.

This is the truth that we see – God said it, that settles it! Whether I believe it or not, God’s word will always be true and perfect.

“ Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.” Romans 12:2 CEV

The world outlook is becoming increasingly dark. Calling good evil and evil good – it’s amazing! So we who are believers in Christ need to stand tall on God’s word!

“The Lord’s teachings are perfect. They give strength to his people. The Lord’s rules can be trusted. They help even the foolish become wise. 8 The Lord’s laws are right. They make people happy. The Lord’s commands are good. They show people the right way to live. 9 Learning respect for the Lord is good. It will last forever. The Lord’s judgments are right. They are completely fair. 10 His teachings are worth more than pure gold. They are sweeter than the best honey dripping from the honeycomb. 11 His teachings warn his servants, and good things come to those who obey them. 12 People cannot see their own mistakes, so don’t let me commit secret sins. 13 Don’t let me do what I know is wrong. Don’t let sin control me. If you help me, I can be pure and free from sin. 14 May my words and thoughts please you. Lord, you are my Rock—the one who rescues me.” Psalm 19:7-14 CEV

Father, Your word is my daily bread. It gives me strength when I am weak. It gives me wisdom when I need answers. It gives me rest when I am weary. It is life giving water to my soul; You are the giver of life. Your word gives me hope for each day and joy to replace my sorrow.

“Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock. 25 Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and winds beat against that house. But it was built on solid rock, and so it did not fall.” Matthew 7:24-25 CEV

Thank you Father that your Word is perfect and trustworthy. It is rock solid truth!

Posted on

Living A Balanced Life

Have you ever been asked to make a list of your personal assets and liabilities? Maybe you’ve applied for a bank loan or were starting a business and so you had to sit down and diligently list everything you owned and everyone you owed. It can be a bit overwhelming to see those two columns staring back at you in black and white.

Reading Romans this morning I came across the Apostle Paul’s list and he got it from Jesus.

He said we should be indebted to LOVE!

Jesus said the same thing when He said that we should love the Lord, our God, first and foremost and then love others as much as we love ourselves.

Working on removing debt from our lives is an admiral and honorable thing but there should always be one debt that stays, the debt to love.

“You should owe nothing to anyone, except that you will always owe love to each other. The person who loves others has done all that the law commands. 9 The law says, “You must not commit adultery, you must not murder anyone, you must not steal, you must not want what belongs to someone else.” All these commands and all other commands are really only one rule: “Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.” 10 Love doesn’t hurt others. So loving is the same as obeying all the law.” Romans 13:8-10 CEV

Love balances on both sides of the spread sheet. It is an asset of the highest order, but it is also a debt, although not a liability.

Who in your life needs your love today? Your spouse, your children, grandchildren, your parents, co-workers, friends, casual acquaintances or a stranger on the street?

Look for opportunities to go into debt today, it will make your life richer!

Posted on

Nothing – Absolutely Nothing

Do you have “one special someone” in your life?

The one who knows your deepest secrets, your biggest fears, your worst failures and loves you still? That one who has been behind you for every success, cheering you on, encouraging you, applauding you, being there at the trophy ceremony to celebrate your victories?

That someone who will never leave and who will always support through thick or thin, good times or bad, that One is none other than our loving heavenly Father.

He loved you before you were born. He loved you when no one else knew your name. He loved you when you failed and disappointed Him and He loved you when you reached the pinnacle of success!

He can do no other. He IS love! He had His Son die for us. That’s who He is and what He does. It’s absolutely amazing to be in relationship with Him!!!!

“But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us.” Romans 5:8 CEV

“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 CEV

God isn’t waiting for us to fail so He can humiliate us or punish us for what we do wrong. He’s always with us – loving us, encouraging us to try, helping us to grow.

If you’ve ever battled with being “good enough” like I have and then come to a realization that there’s nothing that I can do to make God love me less and there is nothing I can do to make God love me more than you know what a wonderful joy (doesn’t even describe) it is to wake up each morning and say, “Father I love you. Jesus, I love you. Holy Spirit, I love you. And then to hear them say back, “We love you too!”

“Who can say that God’s people are guilty? No one! Christ Jesus died for us, but that is not all. He was also raised from death. And now he is at God’s right side, speaking to him for us. 35 Can anything separate us from Christ’s love? Can trouble or problems or persecution separate us from his love? If we have no food or clothes or face danger or even death, will that separate us from his love? 36 As the Scriptures say, ‘For you we are in danger of death all the time. People think we are worth no more than sheep to be killed.’

37 But in all these troubles we have complete victory through God, who has shown his love for us. 38-39 Yes, I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not death, life, angels, or ruling spirits. I am sure that nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us or nothing below us—nothing in the whole created world—will ever be able to separate us from the love God has shown us in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:34-39 CEV

Now that’s a good way to start an ABSOLUTELY wonderful day!!!

Posted on

Hope is the Anchor

Determination — Perserverance — Strength

All three are needed to get through the tough times and come out victorious.

“God cannot tell lies! And so his promises and vows are two things that can never be changed. We have run to God for safety. Now his promises should greatly encourage us to take hold of the hope that is right in front of us. 19  This hope is like a firm and steady anchor for our souls. In fact, hope reaches behind the curtain and into the most holy place.” Hebrews 6:18-19 CEV

I want us to look at a few guys from the Bible who stepped up and came through in victory.

Noah preached the whole time he was building the ark and didn’t have one convert but he kept building.

Abraham was promised a natural born son and he had to wait 25 years to see the promise fulfilled.

Joseph was sold as a slave, spent time in prison, was forgotten and then made it to pharoah’s palace.

Moses led a nation of grumbling and complaining people for 40 years in the wilderness and never made it to the promised land. That should have been about a 3-4 week trip.

Jesus preached, died, rose again to show us that He is the Messiah and still many did not believe.

Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, nearly drown and held in prison but never tried and still he kept preaching.

God, the Father, isn’t willing that any should perish and has offered salvation to all. He hasn’t given up!

Each of the men above had been given a promise by God and that gave them courage to continue. They encouraged themselves with God’s word and used it to fight discouragement.

“There was no hope that Abraham would have children, but Abraham believed God and continued to hope. And that is why he became the father of many nations. As God told him, “You will have many descendants.” 19 Abraham was almost a hundred years old, so he was past the age for having children. Also, Sarah could not have children. Abraham was well aware of this, but his faith in God never became weak. 20 He never doubted that God would do what he promised. He never stopped believing. In fact, he grew stronger in his faith and just praised God.” Romans 4:18-20 ERV

” But the Lord said, ‘My grace is all you need. Only when you are weak can everything be done completely by my power.‘ So I will gladly boast about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can stay in me. 10 Yes, I am glad to have weaknesses if they are for Christ. I am glad to be insulted and have hard times. I am glad when I am persecuted and have problems, because it is when I am weak that I am really strong.” II Corinthians 12:9-10 ERV

I pray that we become like these men and we continue to hope and find that when we are weak we truly are strong because we go forward in a strength that only God can give!

Posted on

Shake Down Cruise in the Desert

Yes, you read that right.

Last summer Dave and I purchased a Jeep and for the past seven months we have been equipping it with all the equipment and gear we need for overlanding. Winches, roof top tent, lift kit, bigger tires, recover boards, camp kitchen, solar generator, refrigerator, etc. You get the picture. We were prepared and ready to go.

And that’s where we’ve been for the last four days – out at the desert lake. We had a marvelous time. We learned so much about our equipment and ourselves. Who says “old people can’t do this”?

This image is of our last night’s sunset. What a wonderful time!

We also learned that some of the items we brought were unnecessary and some of them were ill-suited. Those will be left at home next time and new items will replace them. We found the tent was sturdy and stable even in some pretty heavy wind.

We worked together; we walked, talked, read our books, cooked together and spoke of the future, wondering what else God has in store. It was an amazing time and we are looking forward to our next adventure.

A shaken down cruise is it a lot like living the Word of God.

You have the equipment – your Bible, a good commentary, a heart touching message on the subject. Now, you need to get out in the field or the desert and put it into practice. The equipment does you no good left in the box or packed neatly in the back of the Jeep.

It needs to be used.

There are four verses that are the basis for my daily walk. They are my basic equipment for living.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

“… for whatever is not from faith is sin.” Romans 14:22-23 NKJV

“ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.” Galatians 5:6 NKJV

“Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do. 6 Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. 7 Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. 8 Love never fails!” I Corinthians 13:4-8 CEV

Let’s put this equipment to work.

I want to please God the Father each and every day so I must have faith. Whatever I do that is not done in faith is sin; in order for faith to truly work it must have love as its foundation. To have effective faith I must be walking in love and love is kind, patient, unselfish, not rude or jealous, boastful or proud. Love assumes the best and is supportive, loyal and trusting – it never fails.

My decisions, actions and reactions need to be based on knowing God’s amazing love for me; His character is love and He shares that with me so that I can walk in faith and please Him. Never faith in my own works or abilities but always in His! Then and only then is my day truly successful!

Shakedown cruise complete, equipment tested. Walk in faith and please the Father today!

Posted on

A Sweet Smelling Fragrance

Have you ever walked through a rose garden when it’s in bloom or sat on a bench surrounded by gardenias?

Some years back my mother was living in Dillon, MT where we lived. She had moved into a duplex and right outside the back door was a tall lilac bush. Each time she opened the door to walk out she would be greeted with the smell of lilac. She told me that she remembered being a small girl and smelling lilacs at her home.

That smell, that sweet smell, reminded her of home!

Our sense of smell is very strong – we can smell a favorite food cooking and our mouth will water, even if we have just eaten. Or the smell of vinegar and cleaning products can make us wince.

What type of smell do we emit?

No, I’m not asking if you’ve bathed recently or what type of cologne you wear but I’m asking about your life.

“You may prepare sacrifices to give thanks in any of these three ways. Bring your sacrifice to a priest, and he will take it to the bronze altar. 9 Then, to show that the whole offering belongs to me, the priest will lay part of it on the altar and send it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me. 10 The rest of this sacrifice is for the priests; it is very holy because it was offered to me.” Leviticus 2:8-10 CEV

Offerings of thanksgiving to God were to be a mixture of fine flour, olive oil and incense. And when they were burned by the priest, the offering had a sweet smell that was pleasing to the Lord.

Is our life one with the sweet smell of thanksgiving? Do we spend more time thanking God for His goodness and His love than we do complaining about how things could/should/would be better “if only”? As Christians – Christ like ones – our lives should be an offering that pleases the Father.

“Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. 2 Let love be your guide. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God.” Ephesians 5:1-2 CEV

We are to be like Christ and our lives should be like His, a sacrifice that pleases God. Paul tells us in Romans 12:1-2 that we are to present our bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God. Just as the priests presented the sacrifices to the Lord and it pleased Him, we should offer our lives as a pleasing sacrifice.

And it’s not only the Father who notices that our lives are a sacrifice, those around us will notice too.

“I am grateful that God always makes it possible for Christ to lead us to victory. God also helps us spread the knowledge about Christ everywhere, and this knowledge is like the smell of perfume. 15 In fact, God thinks of us as a perfume that brings Christ to everyone.” II Corinthians 2:14-15 CEV

As we enter this week of Easter I desire that my life “smells sweet” with praise and thanksgiving to the Father and forgiveness and love to those I meet.

Posted on

And the Winner Is…

We all like to win. I was never very athletic so I would cheer from the sidelines, encouraging those who were competing.

But I know now that I am a winner and I’m cheering for you.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT

Those who have gone before us in this life of faith are cheering us on. Their lives are examples of encouragement of what God will do in the lives of common, ordinary people.

Do you realize Jesus considered Himself a winner when He endured the cross?

“In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.” Colossians 2:15 NLT

He did this for all of us.

“ My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” I John 2:1-2 NLT

When our lives are committed to Christ we participate in His victory.

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” I John 5:1-5 NLT

We are destined to be winners – victorious – overcomers.

“ We thank God for the power Christ has given us. He leads us and makes us win in everything. He speaks through us wherever we go. The Good News is like a sweet smell to those who hear it.” II Corinthians 2:14 NLV

God uses us to be a voice for Christ in the world telling the Good News of His love, forgiveness and victory.

“ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Corinthians 15:57 NKJV

“ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39 NKJV

Better than winning the lotto or anything else is the victory we have in Christ. And the winner is…US!

Privacy Policy Proudly powered by WordPress