Category: Encouragement

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Stand Guard

The last couple of days we have seen how David defeated Goliath and how God gave Gideon victory over the enemies of his land…Each of these examples, and there are many more, deal with physical enemies and victories but God’s Word also promises victory in spiritual things.

“Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory.” I John 5:4 CEV

“Children, you belong to God, and you have defeated these enemies. God’s Spirit is in you and is more powerful than the one that is in the world.” I John 4:4 CEV

In both these verses the old King James language says that we are overcomers. With God’s power working through us we have been promised victory. Even if we are relatively young or new to spiritual matters, we can have victory over wickedness. The victory isn’t ours because we are spiritual giants; it all comes from having Christ live in us.

It’s part of our inheritance.

“To end my letter I tell you, be strong in the Lord and in his great power. 11 Wear the full armor of God. Wear God’s armor so that you can fight against the devil’s clever tricks. 12 Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places. 13 That is why you need to get God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil, you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.

14 So stand strong with the belt of truth tied around your waist, and on your chest wear the protection of right living. 15 On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong. 16 And also use the shield of faith with which you can stop all the burning arrows that come from the Evil One. 17 Accept God’s salvation as your helmet. And take the sword of the Spirit—that sword is the teaching of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all of God’s people.” Ephesians 6:10-18 ERV

The armor we put on isn’t of our own making. It’s given to us by God. I remember hearing a man recall his time in Germany after World War II. He was part of the US occupational forces. He was a seventeen-year-old kid and it was his duty to patrol the streets, making sure that nothing illegal was going on. He remarked that he was small in stature and did not command any respect by his appearance. However, when he put on his Army uniform and had that US patch on his shoulder, he represented the US Army and that commanded respect from the forces that had been defeated.

On our own we will fall short but when we are dressed in the armor of God Satan and all his demons tremble.

If we are not winning the battles in our life, we need to check a few vital issues. 1) Do we have our armor on? 2) Are we being obedient to God’s leading or are we trying to fight using our own rules? And 3) Do we know our rights or is Satan cheating us?

Satan tries to trick us into thinking that God’s power will not work for us. He makes a lot of noise to scare us, tells us lies to deceive us and manipulates circumstances to make us think that we are defeated. He wants us to give up. It is at times like that we need to remember the instruction we received from the Apostle Paul to stand. And when we have done that, keep standing.

When we stand we are a representative for God Almighty. We have His authority and power to overcome the enemy!

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One More Thing

Before we leave the story of the prodigal son there’s one more thing to consider. The one who went off and spent all his inheritance wasn’t the only prodigal…

Then one day I realized that I had also been the brother who stayed home. I found myself resentful of some other Christians who had not been as loyal or dedicated as I had been, or at least that was my judgement. They were off running wild, foot loose and fancy free. Just look how God was blessing them – it was irritating.

The one son had taken his inheritance and ran. He came back ashamed and did not feel he had any right to the good things in His Father’s house; he just wanted to be a servant.

The other son had lived in the Father’s house the whole time, but he considered himself to be a slave. He was angry about his living conditions, but he never appropriated what the Father had provided. It is as if he had a million dollars in the bank but never wrote a check.

25-27 “All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day’s work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. He told him, ‘Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast—barbecued beef!—because he has him home safe and sound.’

28-30 “The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t listen. The son said, ‘Look how many years I’ve stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!’

31-32 “His father said, ‘Son, you don’t understand. You’re with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours—but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he’s alive! He was lost, and he’s found!’” Luke 15:11-32 MSG

The Father in the story loved both sons the same. He provided the same inheritance for them. One squandered it and one never used it. The Father wanted both of them to enjoy what He provided.

 Both sons needed to ask the Father’s forgiveness for their attitudes. Both sons had an equal share; they were joint heirs in the Father’s kingdom.

We need to take advantage of what the Father has provided. Not abuse it and not ignore it. We do not deserve the inheritance; we can’t earn it; we receive it because we are sons and our Father loves us!

Our Father has placed a robe on our shoulders and a royal ring on our fingers to show the world that we are His!

The Father is watching for us, waiting for us, to come to Him and receive what He has provided. It’s not based on our merit but on His love. He values all of His children, He loves us all!

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Welcome to the Party

Before I close this chapter and show you another facet that adds to our diamond-like beauty, I know there are some who are reading this that don’t feel you deserve to be included in the inheritance the Father gives to us. I once felt that way too!

Jesus told his disciples about two brothers who would receive an inheritance from their father.

“Then he said, ‘There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, ‘Father, I want right now what’s coming to me.’

12-16 “So the father divided the property between them. It wasn’t long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any…

20-21 “When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: ‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.’

22-24 “But the father wasn’t listening. He was calling to the servants, ‘Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We’re going to feast! We’re going to have a wonderful time! My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!’ And they began to have a wonderful time…

28-30 “The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t listen. The son said, ‘Look how many years I’ve stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!’

31-32 “His father said, ‘Son, you don’t understand. You’re with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours—but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he’s alive! He was lost, and he’s found!’” Luke 15:11-32 MSG

So many times, I have read this story and seen myself as the prodigal son. There was a time in my life that I walked away from the Father. I wanted to do things my own way and did not want to answer to anyone. Eat, drink and be merry.

What I did not know was that the Father was watching every day to see if I would come home. When I did, He came running to greet me – His arms were open wide, and He welcomed me without condemning me. All was forgiven and He threw me a party!

Maybe you feel the same as the younger son. Well, come home and join the party. The Father’s waiting for you!

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Our Inheritance

When I first sat down to write Like A Diamond I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to properly convey the depth of all God has provided for us and the value He sees in each of us.

How can man’s words accurately portray the Father’s heart?

“And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special possession, My peculiar treasure). And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.” Malachi 3:17 AMPC

The verses above are God’s words about us. We are His jewels, His treasure! It’s no wonder that He has blessed us with an amazing inheritance…

Here again let’s look at the legal aspects of our relationship. Joint heirship means an equal share of the inheritance belongs to all who are listed in the will or testament.

Suppose we had been listed in our earthly father’s will as joint heirs with our siblings and part of our inheritance is a parcel of land. None of us would have the power to sell, trade or even build on that land unless the others were in complete agreement. The land belongs to all of us and we each have an equal say.

This is the same relationship that our Father has placed us in with Jesus. If that thought doesn’t thrill us to the bottom of our soul, then we haven’t realized the great truth of this facet of our relationship.

Look at Jesus’ life on earth. He was total man as we are. He laid aside His glory of the Godhead and became like us.

“And now, Father, give me the glory I had with you before the world was made.” John 17:5 ERV

Jesus spoke these words just hours before His death. He was ready to be restored to his previous heavenly glory; His earthly ministry was just about over. He became like us so that He could experience all the same things we do. He not only experienced them, but He came through them victoriously. Then He gave us His victory. Everything He has is ours and all that we have is His. He asks us to give Him our lives so that we can receive His life with all its power.

      “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.” Hebrews 4:15 ERV

Jesus raised the dead, healed the sick, calmed the sea, multiplied the loaves, and caused Satan to flee on every turn. Jesus was in complete control of His circumstances; He mastered the earth and all its elements. He walked in power and authority and exercised the dominion God gave Adam in the garden. He gave His life to reclaim that dominion for us.

This should help us understand Jesus’ own promise that he made to his disciples.

“I can assure you that whoever believes in me will do the same things I have done. And they will do even greater things than I have done, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12 ERV

Jesus defeated Satan in his own realm of authority, the world. It was not until the resurrection that Jesus completely stripped Satan of his power and then He gave that power to us. We are His joint heirs and part of our inheritance includes using the power that comes from Jesus.

“Christ is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do.” Philippians 4:13 ERV

In these especially trying times we need to draw on our inheritance of strength.

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Don’t Get Frazzled

Last night I was listening to a pastor preach. He had a very encouraging word on how to be strong in adverse circumstances. It reminded me of a blog I had written in October 2018. I want to share part of it with you this morning.

Do you know what tensile strength is? And why it’s important?

“Tensile strength is a measurement of the force required to pull something such as rope, wire, or a structural beam to the point where it breaks. The tensile strength of a material is the maximum amount of tensile stress that it can take before failure, for example breaking.”

It’s important to know the tensile strength of a rope, chain or tie down strap that is used  for towing. If someone is stuck in snow or mud and we’re going to try to pull them out, it’s essential that to know how much weight the tow rope can handle.  If it’s not strong enough it will snap before the vehicle is freed from its plight.

But what does all this have to do with us?

If we try to lift a load that is too heavy emotionally or we try to carry it for too long, we come dangerously close to reaching our maximum strength and we can snap.  Ever been to that point? Perhaps you’ve even said “that’s the straw that broke the camel’s back”, “you’re on my last nerve” – I’m done with you, I’m done with this. It’s over. I can’t take anymore!

What a horrible place to be? We weren’t made to carry those types of burdens or handle that kind of stress. That’s why God tells us all throughout His word that He is our strength.

“The Lord is my strength, the reason for my song, because he has saved me. I praise and honor the Lord— he is my God and the God of my ancestors. 3 The Lord is his name, and he is a warrior!” Exodus 15:2-3 CEV

This is part of the song that Moses and the Israelites sang on the other side of the Red Sea. They had fled Egypt in the middle of the night and pharaoh was pursuing them with the armies of Egypt. They came to the Red Sea and the Lord displayed his strength by holding back the waters so the people of Israel could cross on dry ground. When the Egyptians started to follow after them the Lord released the waters and all the Egyptians drown.  They were celebrating God’s strength and saving power.

What the Israelites couldn’t do on their own, the Lord did for them. He will do the same for us.

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The God Who lives forever is the Lord, the One Who made the ends of the earth. He will not become weak or tired. His understanding is too great for us to begin to know. 29 He gives strength to the weak. And He gives power to him who has little strength. 30 Even very young men get tired and become weak and strong young men trip and fall. 31 But they who wait upon the Lord will get new strength. They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weak.” Isaiah 40:28-31 NLV

When we feel like the rope or the cable that is holding our world together is beginning to fray, God is there! He gives strength to us when we become weary. When we come to our end, He is just beginning.

God wants us to lay down our rope or cable and let Him use his.

“I can do all things because Christ gives me the strength.” Philippians 4:13 NLV

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When God When

It seems when it comes to answered prayer we often times have the wrong perspective. We want to see an immediate change in our situations and if we don’t, we become discouraged and began our lament of “When God, when”.

God lives in the now, that happens when you are eternal, having no beginning and no end. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. The events that happened at creation are just as current to the Lord as this morning’s breakfast.

The answer to our prayers, according to the Scripture, comes when we ask.

“Ask and it shall be given you” Matthew 7:7

“Call on Me and I will answer thee” Jeremiah 33:3

“Come boldly to the throne of grace and find help in time of need” Hebrews 4:16

“Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.” Daniel 10:12 NLT

Our part is to ask, to call and to come. God’s part is to give, answer and help. He always does His part! We are the ones who have set up a time table and we often times think that God should respond accordingly.

However, we don’t always receive the answer on our schedule because God’s eternal timing is different from ours but He ALWAYS answers.

“but a thousand years  mean nothing to you! They are merely a day gone by or a few hours in the night.” Psalm 90:4 CEV

I can accurately say that none of us have waited one of God’s days for an answer to prayer.

The year of 2020 is almost over and you may be saying “When God, when”. Trust me when I tell you this. God is working, even when we don’t see it. The Apostle Paul said this to the Christians who lived in the ancient city of Corinth.

“God says, “I heard you at the right time, and I gave you help on the day of salvation.” I tell you that the “right time” is now. The “day of salvation” is now.” II Corinthians 6:2 ERV

Let me encourage you to remain confident, don’t let go of your hope. Trust God! Listen to the Scriptures. God says the right time is now; help is here!

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One More Gift

I hope you had a wonderful celebration yesterday. I pray that it was filled with joy and laughter and the blessing of family and friends.

Today many will be thinking about heading home. If you’re traveling I pray that your journey is safe and uneventful. Today I would like to give you one more gift, a parting gift as it were, – probably not the last gift that you will receive but I hope it is one of the most important.

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27 NLT

There have been times that we have had house guests and when they leave we find a “parting gift”. Most often it is a little note laying on the pillow with words of thanks but there have even been times it was an actual gift as a token of their appreciation. These gestures are totally unexpected and cherished.

None of us know what this next year will hold. Quite honestly none of us know what today will hold and sometimes that can be unnerving. That’s why this gift is so special.

Jesus was getting ready to lay aside His physical earthly life and reclaim His deity and His place in heaven. He had been earth’s guest for over thrity years but He didn’t want to leave us empty handed. He left us a gift.

“The Helper is the Holy Spirit. The Father will send Him in My place. He will teach you everything and help you remember everything I have told you.” John 14:26 NLV

Jesus, in His earthly body, was limited by time and space. He could only be in one place at time. But the Holy Spirit is capable of being omnipresent. He is able to comfort and help people all over the world, all at the same time.

The Holy Spirit is God’s presence evident thoughout the world. He is our comforter, our helper, our intercessor, our instructor, our peace.

We may be parting from loved ones in the upcoming days but there is One who will never part company with us, He is our constant companion. He is the Spirit of God.

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’” John 16:13-15 NLT

May we always be mindful that we are not alone. We have the “Helper” who comes to give us peace.

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Kept in a Bottle

Here we are, the day before Christmas. So much has transpired this year and it may be that you feel like sitting down and having a good cry. It’s ok.

“You have kept record of my days of wandering. You have stored my tears in your bottle
 and counted each of them. 9 When I pray, Lord God, my enemies will retreat, because I know for certain that you are with me.” Psalm 56:8-9 CEV

Our Father has saved each tear we have cried. He knows our heart ache and has been there to give us strength, comfort and victory.

Yesterday we arrived at our campsite and it is so peaceful here. I’ve placed a few Christmas decorations on the shelves and little tables to make it festive and still keep it functionable. One daughter and son-in-law are here too and their trailer looks like a Christmas village. So cute.

After we were set up we walked to their site and a wave of sadness washed over me. I began to cry and that’s when the verse above came to mind. Each tear that I wiped from my cheeks were being kept by my Father. He was with me and I could feel His embrace.

Kept in a bottle. He cares!

He cares about you and for you.

“Hannah was brokenhearted and was crying as she prayed,…”But I do feel miserable and terribly upset. I’ve been praying all this time, telling the Lord about my problems.” 17 Eli replied, “You may go home now and stop worrying. I’m sure the God of Israel will answer your prayer.” I Samuel 1:9-17 CEV

This is the account of a wife who couldn’t have children. She was heart broken and she poured out her sorrow to the Lord in prayer. Eli, the priest, saw her and was going to reprimand her because he thought she was drunk but when he heard her story he spoke words of comfort; hope for her soul that God would answer her prayer.

When we come to the Father with our heart’s deepest needs He gives us comfort and peace.

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” Philippians 4:6-7 CEV

He counts and bottles our tears. He takes our worry and replaces it with peace and our hearts are filled with gratitude for His loving kindness.

May I encourage you today. Give your disappointments and heartaches to the Lord and let Him replace them with joy and peace.

“May you have loving-favor and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:2 NLV

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Enjoy the Journey

Right now Dave and I are getting ready to head out on another adventure. We’ve spent the last couple of days getting everything ready.

The camp site is reserved and the 5th-wheel is packed. I have double checked the list making sure I have all the food and clothing items we think we’ll need. Dave has completed his outside checklist; tires, generators, wood, extra fuel, vehicle maintenance, etc. We’ll be heading out this morning.

There’s an excitement that comes with preparation and even more once we arrive but to be honest I sometimes forget to enjoy the journey. Many times I am still working (on my computer or phone), making sure I have a everything done so that I can enjoy myself once we get there. Dave, on the other hand, takes it all in. “Look at this…did you see that”?

What a wake up call I got this morning when I heard the Lord whisper in my ear “Enjoy the journey, Kristi”.

And then…my thoughts went to Mary.

Did she enjoy the journey? She couldn’t have been all that comfortable; riding a donkey, camping along the way. Were her thoughts so consumed with the arrival at their destination and the arrival of her child that she lost sight of the wonder of the trip? None of us would have blamed her if she did.

“So Joseph left Nazareth, a town in Galilee, and went to the town of Bethlehem in Judea. It was known as the town of David. Joseph went there because he was from the family of David. 5 Joseph registered with Mary because she was engaged to marry him. (She was now pregnant.)” Luke 2:4-5 ERV

As a first-time mother, I imagine she kept all that was happening in her heart. I know I can still recall the last few days of my pregnancies. I remember going to Dairy Queen, grocery shopping, vacuuming the floors and watching Monday night football. It was all part of the journey, part of my childrens’ stories.

Mary had so much to take in. A road trip, a crowded city, searching for a place to stay, labor, the stable surrounding her, the support of Joseph, the birth, the Child and the words of the shepherds. Mary didn’t receive any special treatment; no one other than Mary and Joseph knew that her baby was the Messiah.

“So they went running and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the feeding box. 17 When they saw the baby, they told what the angels said about this child. 18 Everyone was surprised when they heard what the shepherds told them. 19 Mary continued to think about these things, trying to understand them.” Luke 2:16-19 ERV

Her journey wasn’t easy. The way was rough. Friends and family didn’t understand she was the virgin who would give birth to the Saviour. But she had started this journey by being obedient to the Lord and she would finish it with the same resolve.

Are we enjoying our journey or are we only focused on the final destination?

Each day the Lord lays a path before us. We can look at the beauty and opportunity in each day or we can complain about the distractions, interruptions and hardships. The choice is ours!

“My brothers and sisters, think of the various tests you encounter as occasions for joy. 3 After all, you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 Let this endurance complete its work so that you may be fully mature, complete, and lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4 CEB

Let’s make sure we take time to enjoy our journey!

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Follow the Star

According to what I’ve read and heard recently we are supposed to be able to see the Christmas Star this evening. I’m looking forward to it.

I think it’s so interesting that its called the Christmas Star.

The star that the wisemen followed from the East was in the sky more than just a few nights. Their travels took many months and the star was there to guide them all along the way. One of God’s early navigational tools.

We watched a movie a couple months back where a yacht was lost at sea. All the electronics and navigational devices had been damaged and rendered useless. This movie was based on true events and it showed how the woman on the boat used a sextant to chart her course by the placement of the stars.

God has given us so many evidences in nature to remind us of His faithfulness. Tonight we get to see another one. Amazing!

Following that star was an act of faith for those on this divine expedition. What would they have done if three months into their search the star disappeared? Would they have gone home? Would they have camped where they were waiting for it to reappeared? They even assumed that the star was leading them to Jerusalem because that was the capital city and surely the new king would be born there.

“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’…8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem. He said, “Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, come tell me. Then I can go worship him too.”

9 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 2:2-12 ERV

How many times have those around us tried to convince us not to follow our hearts, not to go and do what we felt that God was leading us to do? Or perhaps you have had someone try to misdirect and alter what you knew to be right? Have you ever questioned God’s leading? Have you ever gotten started and then stopped, wondering if you had really been following God’s direction? I have had all these questions and hesitations.

We have been given a wonderful example in this account of the wisemen. Stay the course, don’t be detoured by others’ opinions.

Follow the star – it will lead us to the King!

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