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Proper Focus

About two weeks ago I ordered new glasses. I didn’t think much about it because the optometrist told me my prescription hadn’t really changed. Only a slight difference, he said. I got the new specs on Thursday and I am still adjusting to the clarity I have now. It has certainly been surprising what a small change can do.

A small change in our spiritual sight can bring about big changes too. God’s word has a way of helping us bring things into proper focus.

O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good!! End of sentence, end of paragraph, end of story! To keep our peace and our joy we MUST keep our focus – God is good.

“Never stop praying. 18 Whatever happens, always be thankful. This is how God wants you to live in Christ Jesus. 19 Don’t stop the work of the Holy Spirit.” I Thessalonians 5:17- 19 ERV

Let’s focus on the verses above. It took me a while to understand them. Growing up I would hear verses like this and they would be followed with a comment like “we just never know what God’s going to do so we have to be thankful for whatever it comes our way”.

No!

No, I don’t have to be thankful for the things that our enemy, Satan, sends to destroy me. I don’t have to be thankful for murder, devastation, corruption, health crises or relationships that implode.

But… I do need to be thankful that no matter what comes, I have Jesus in my life and greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. I can be thankful because this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. I can and will be thankful because Jesus said, in this world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

Focus Kristi, focus.

When my life is in Christ Jesus, it doesn’t matter what comes my way, I can give thanks knowing that I won’t be going through it alone. God has sent the Holy Spirit to guide me through victoriously. Yes! I can be thankful and I can be at peace because my mind is stayed or focused on Him and on the truth that He is good!

“You will keep the man in perfect peace whose mind is kept on You, because he trusts in You. 4 Trust in the Lord forever. For the Lord God is a Rock that lasts forever.” Isaiah 26:3-4 NLV

It’s Monday morning – choose to give thanks and keep your heart focused on God and His goodness.

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Happy Dance

Not too many things bring a bigger smile and lots of spontaneous giggles than a group of children dancing. It’s just pure joy and delight!

That’s how I feel this morning. My heart is filled with joy. All night long I would hear myself singing the chorus from a song I remember hearing on the Bill Gaither Gospel Reunions. It was sung by Ivan Parker and then he’d be joined by the whole chorus. Here are the words to the chorus that filled my heart and my head, “When I Get Carried Away”.

“I’m gonna let the glory roll when the roll is called in glory
I’ll get beside of myself when I get beside the king that day
I’m gonna have the time of my life when the time of my life is over
I’m gonna get carried away when I get carried away”

I accepted Christ as my Saviour when I was very young. I remember realizing my need for forgiveness, walking the aisle Sunday night at church and the sweet Christian lady who talked with me to make sure I understood salvation and then prayed with me. At that tender age, I knew Christ had died for me and had forgiven me and I wanted to give Him my life.

Now that I’m older, I’m amazed by God’s goodness, mercy and grace. His unconditional love paid the price of sin for everyone through Jesus sacrifice. Every sin ever committed from the beginning of time until this earth passes away was forgiven in that one act of sacrifice! God had not only forgiven the sins I had committed up to the day I asked Jesus to be my Saviour but He had forgiven everyone of them since that day.

“My children, I am writing this so that you won’t sin. But if you do sin, Jesus Christ always does the right thing, and he will speak to the Father for us. 2 Christ is the sacrifice that takes away our sins and the sins of all the world’s people.” I John 2:1-2 CEV

Whether my sins were great or small, it didnt matter – I still needed a Saviour. The Apostle James wrote that “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offends in one point, he is guilty of all.” James 2:10

It’s a like a picture window; if you throw a rock through it, it’s broken; if you put a beebee through it, it’s still broken. The size of the hole doesn’t matter, the glass is broken. So whether you’re Hilter or a small girl in Yuma, Az, sin is sin and it requires a Saviour and the same sacrifice was necessary for both of us.

Please understand this, we won’t be judged for the right and wrong we do; we are given new life because we accept Jesus’ sacrifice for us. Jesus told his disciples that the Holy Spirit would come and convict us of sin. That sin was not believing in Jesus.

“Let me assure you, it is better for you that I go away. I say this because when I go away I will send the Helper to you. But if I did not go, the Helper would not come. 8 “When the Helper comes, he will show the people of the world how wrong they are about sin, about being right with God, and about judgment. 9 He will prove that they are guilty of sin, because they don’t believe in me.” John 16: 7-9 ERV

God’s love is unconditional. If we are the most base sinner who ever lived or the most self-righteous His love is the same. Each day I realized where I could have been without Jesus and I am so grateful and thankful that I am not without Him and that He chose me, He adopted me and made me a new creation.

I will close this glorious Sunday morning with an example from Jesus himself.

“A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner with him. So Jesus went to the Pharisee’s home and got ready to eat. 37 When a sinful woman in that town found out that Jesus was there, she bought an expensive bottle of perfume. 38 Then she came and stood behind Jesus. She cried and started washing his feet with her tears and drying them with her hair. The woman kissed his feet and poured the perfume on them.
39 The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and said to himself, “If this man really were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him! He would know that she is a sinner.”
40 Jesus said to the Pharisee, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Teacher, what is it?” Simon replied.
41 Jesus told him, “Two people were in debt to a moneylender. One of them owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other owed him fifty. 42 Since neither of them could pay him back, the moneylender said that they didn’t have to pay him anything. Which one of them will like him more?”
43 Simon answered, “I suppose it would be the one who had owed more and didn’t have to pay it back.”
“You are right,” Jesus said.
44 He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Have you noticed this woman? When I came into your home, you didn’t give me any water so I could wash my feet. But she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You didn’t even pour olive oil on my head, but she has poured expensive perfume on my feet. 47 So I tell you that all her sins are forgiven, and that is why she has shown great love. But anyone who has been forgiven for only a little will show only a little love.”
48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 Some other guests started saying to one another, “Who is this who dares to forgive sins?”
50 But Jesus told the woman, “Because of your faith, you are now saved. May God give you peace!” Luke 7:36-50 ERV

I get carried away when I dwell on how much God loves me and the depth of His forgiveness. I invite you to join me in my happy dance this morning, let’s get carried away together!

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Simple Obedience

Am I the only one who struggles with being obedient to simple instructions from time to time? If I am, you might not find this morning’s thoughts apply to you.

When we were little kids we had a myriad of instructions to follow: brush your teeth, clean your plate, bedtime at 8:30 pm, chew with your mouth closed, be home by supper, don’t hit your sister, feed the dog. I can still hear Mom giving these instructions countless times during my childhood; I don’t need her to tell me to brush my teeth or wash my hands and face any longer, I just know to do it. That’s obedience.

As we get older we have a tendency to make obedience relative. We don’t always obey the speed limit because everyone else is passing us like we are standing still. Or what could be wrong with taking a short cut across the lawn even though it’s posted “keep off the grass”? (I know no one would do this, right?) What about those signs that say absolutely no food or drink allowed, those don’t apply to the protein bar in your pocket or purse, do they?

Little disobediences like the ones above harden us to listening too and obeying the instructions we receive from God’s word. We can rationalize away our blessings by our disobedience.

“‘I, the Lord, am the one speaking to you. Come, let’s discuss this. Even if your sins are as dark as red dye, that stain can be removed and you will be as pure as wool that is as white as snow. 19 If you listen to (obey) what I say, you will get the good things from this land.'” Isaiah 1:18-19 ERV

It all started with Adam and Eve in the Garden. Disobedience is a temptation as old as the earth itself. God says something but He has given us a free will. Obedience is up to us. If we truly are God’s children then we should obey what He says. We all know that the Bible tells us to obey our parents so, let’s take this to the next level and obey our heavenly father.

“Children, obey your parents the way the Lord wants, because this is the right thing to do. 2 The command says, “You must respect your father and mother.” This is the first command that has a promise with it. 3 And this is the promise: “Then all will go well with you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3 ERV

I didn’t get up this morning with the intention of writing a blog on obedience. However, while I was reading in John 2 I was caught up in the simple act of obedience of some servants at a wedding. I hadn’t seen this before and I have examined Jesus first miracle at the wedding in Cana many times. (I have actually written a couple other blogs on this miracle, September 2, 2018 and June 27, 2018. You might want to re-read them.)

“There were six large stone waterpots there that were used by the Jews in their washing ceremonies. Each one held about 20 or 30 gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the waterpots with water.’ So they filled them to the top.

8 Then he said to them, ‘Now dip out some water and take it to the man in charge of the feast.’ So they did what he said.” John 2:6-8 ERV

Miracles come from simple acts of obedience. The servants obeyed Jesus instruction to fill some water pots to the brim and then they took the water to the wedding planner. It was water when it went in to the pots and it was water when it came out of the pot. The miracle happened while it was being carried, obediently, to the manager of the wedding.

The Father’s instructions to us are just as elementary as filling water pots. “Don’t worry. Pray always. Love the Lord. Love your neighbor. Be angry and sin not. Don’t complain. Do nothing for vain glory. Don’t be envious. Put God first. Forgive.” With each of these instructions I can hear the Father say “child, obey me”.

Simple obedience.

Here’s the prayer I found myself praying this morning: “Father, I want to be obedient to all you ask me to do. That really is my heart’s desire. But…many times I fail. Forgive me for my failure and remind me to be like the servants – fill the pots, dip out the water and carry it to the place where miracles happen. I chose to be obedient. I am willing. In Jesus name.”

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Where Am I Going? How Do I Get There?

Confusion is not from the Lord. Absolutely not!

He has always done everything in an orderly and well planned fashion. He created light and the dry land before He created the animals and plants. He put the grasses on earth before He created the cows, deer and elk.

He foretold the birth of Jesus thousands of years before the event and when it came time for Jesus’ earthly entry everything was in place. The wise men even followed the information Daniel had written hundreds of years before.

The crucifixion was orchestrated down to the words that were spoken on the cross. Every detail had been foretold and everything came to pass without deviation. God does things orderly. Even now, heaven is being prepared for us. Every desire and detail that will make heaven, heaven, is being fashioned as we live and breathe.

When we look at a situation or circumstance and try to plan our path or gain understanding and our minds are spinning, it’s time to call on the Lord for order and wisdom. From His vantage point He can see the details, the delays and the detours.

“If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking. 6 But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. 7-8 If you are that kind of person, you can’t make up your mind, and you surely can’t be trusted. So don’t expect the Lord to give you anything at all.” James 1:5-8 CEV

Once we’ve asked for wisdom we need to wait for it.

Expect God to show up with a game plan. Don’t become impatient or we will be tossed back and forth in our storm of indecision and misinformation. We can trust God to provide when we ask.

The Apostle Paul says that we battle in our minds, but the way we emerge victorious is to bring every thought “captive”. Rein it in, bring it under control but not a control of our own making, we bring it under the control that comes from knowledge in Christ.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” II Corinthians 10:3-5

So when confusion comes and it does, it’s our duty to cast it down, take it captive and renew our minds to God’s way of thinking.

Ask for wisdom and then be still and listen for God’s voice on the matter.

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Nervous About Change

The last few weeks Dave and I have been making subtle changes around the house. We’re excited but our little Aussie is unimpressed and in fact, it has made her very nervous.

Last Fall when I started working on the book, The Best Gifts of Christmas, I realized that I didn’t have a quiet place to write. The desk was right out in the middle of all that happens in our home. I kept eyeing this big, under-utilized space called the dining room. In the five plus years we have lived in our home the dining room has only been used about 5 or 6 times. Most of our friends and family would rather eat outside on the patio instead of at the dining room table.

I asked Dave if we could sell the table and convert the dining room to an office. He agreed that was a good idea. Neighbors called one day and wanted to know if we would like an antique roll-top desk. Yes! And so the transformation began.

Two weeks ago the dining room table finally sold. Out it went! In came an oak file cabinet, down went a horse hair hide for the rug and Monday we came home with an oak cabinet that we found in Mesa while visiting Kim and Austin.

Tuesday was the day to move end tables, lamps, books from the bedroom bookcase to the office. So much activity. Vacuuming baseboards and corners. Dusting books and arranging shelves. Trading out tables and lamps. Which one looked best where?

But Glory doesn’t like change!

It makes her nervous. She wants things to stay the same. When things get moved around she has to find a new place to lay. Where does she belong? In all the moving, her favorite place becomes the couch, on my lap when I am sitting down. She has to be close – it’s her comfort zone. I think she feels she is going to get left.

Aren’t we like that?

Change can be unsettling. A new job or school. A new neighborhood or town. A new relationship or marriage. Little kids can be unnerved by a new baby. How do we react when we are emotionally and physically uprooted?

“The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control.” II Timothy 1:7 ERV

I think we are a lot like Glory. We need comfort, we need reassurance. We need to be close! Close to the Father. We need to know that we haven’t been left on our own to flounder and find our way. We need a place of security – a place to find love and comfort!

“Protect me, God, because I depend on you..5 Lord, you give me all that I need.
  You support me. You give me my share. 6 My share is wonderful. My inheritance is very beautiful. 7 I praise the Lord because he taught me well. Even at night he put his instructions deep inside my mind. 8 I always remember that the Lord is with me. He is here, close by my side, so nothing can defeat me. 9 So my heart and soul will be very happy. Even my body will live in safety, 10 because you will not leave me in the place of death. You will not let your faithful one rot in the grave. 11 You will teach me the right way to live. Just being with you will bring complete happiness. Being at your right side will make me happy forever.” Psalm 16 ERV

That place of comfort is right next to the Father. When we are in His presence we have fullness of joy. He never wanders off or leaves us alone. There may be times that we wonder where He is but it’s because WE have left Him to do our own thing. If that’s the case, then we need to take a lesson from Glory. Jump on the couch and get close.

“So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:16 CEV

Don’t let change make you nervous. Draw close to the Father and let Him show you the adventures ahead!

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It’s A Glorious Day!

How do I know that today will be a glorious day? I have God’s promise on it! When His word gives us a promise we can believe it.

“I will tell of your greatness, my God and King. I will praise your name forever and ever.
2 I will praise you every day. I will praise your name forever and ever. 3 The Lord is great and deserves all our praise! No one can fully understand his greatness! 4 Each generation will praise you and tell the next generation about the great things you do.” Psalm 145:1-4 ERV

“I will praise you every day.” King David made it his goal to praise the Lord every day. We should too. I remember something that evangelist Oral Roberts used to say. He was known for his saying “something good is going to happen to you this very day”. He lived expecting to see God’s goodness displayed each and every day of his life.

How wonderful!

Obviously King David or Oral Roberts didn’t face the challenges that you and I face each day, right? They didn’t have to deal with aggravating people, physical illness and pain, wayward children, vicious co-workers or financial upset like we do. Really? Of course, they did. But they knew that God watched over them and provided His best for them on a daily basis. So they spent each day in praise.

This morning I was reading about Jesus trial and His crucifixion. The Jewish religious leaders were driven to destroy Jesus and His ministry. Their vendetta was real. They took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor, to get him to pronounce a death sentence but Pilate said he found no fault in Jesus. Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, who ruled the area of Galilee. Herod found no fault with Him either and sent Jesus back to Pilate.

A crowd had gathered by now, knowing that Jesus had been arrested and the religious leaders had incited the people into a frenzy. They were a lynch mob. Pilate tried to release Jesus but the crowd called for his crucifixion. There was nothing good about this day.

But wait…there was! This was the day that God, the Father, had planned. He sent His Son to be our substitute. He took our place and gave His life so that we could live forgiven, in relationship with the Father.

“Around noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until the middle of the afternoon. 45 The sun stopped shining, and the curtain in the temple split down the middle. 46 Jesus shouted, “Father, I put myself in your hands!” Then he died.” Luke 23:44-46 CEV

In only a few days the world would see a victorious Christ rise from the grave! Satan’s defeat would be complete and our lives have been redeemed. All we need to do is receive, as a gift, what Christ did for us on the cross!

A glorious day!

There’s a song that I learned in church many years ago. The lyrics came flooding back this morning as I read the story of the crucifixion in Luke 23.

“One day when Heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin
Dwelt among men, my example is He
Word became flesh and the light shined among us
His glory revealed

Chorus: Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day

One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He
Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree
And took the nails for me

Chorus

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him
From rising again

Chorus

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming
One day the skies with His glories will shine
Wonderful day, my Beloved One bringing
My Savior Jesus is mine

Chorus: Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day!”

It’s a glorious day – a day of hope, joy, forgiveness and peace! Christ has come to fill our lives to the full with a relationship of love that will last for all eternity.

O glorious day!

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Keeping Your Battery Charged

Every morning I pick up my laptop and share what the Lord has put on my heart for that day. After I post, I look at what others have posted overnight, read through emails and then do some research.

Inevitably, I will receive this message. “Power supply at 10%. Plug into power source.” And if I don’t heed the warning, I will get another one in a few minutes telling me I only have 7% of my power and if I ignore that warning the laptop just shuts down.

Yesterday I ignored those warnings with my phone and it shut down completely. I had to plug it in and wait until it was recharged before I could make a couple of calls and receive some texts that were important to me.

Do you ever feel that your battery is running low? Your power is in short supply and you’re about ready to shut down? I’ve been there many times and that weariness is my warning that I’m operating on stored power and need to reconnect to the power supply.

This morning I was reading in Luke. Jesus had just commemorated the Passover with his apostles. They had asked him about which one of them would have a greater position in His kingdom. They were looking to operate on their own power. Jesus warned them that they were going to face some of the biggest tests of their lives and then He led them out to pray.

“Jesus left the city and went to the Mount of Olives. His followers went with him. (He went there often.) He said to his followers, “Pray for strength against temptation.” Luke 22:39-40 ERV

Jesus knew what was coming. He would be arrested, falsely accused, beaten and crucified. He came to pray! He came to draw strength from the Father and He wanted the disciples to do the same.

“Then Jesus went about 50 steps away from them. He knelt down and prayed, 42 ‘Father, if you are willing, please don’t make me drink from this cup. But do what you want, not what I want.’ 43 Then an angel from heaven came to help him. 44 Jesus was full of pain; he struggled hard in prayer. Sweat dripped from his face like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45 When he finished praying, he went to his followers. He found them asleep, worn out from their grieving. 46 Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray for strength against temptation.’” Luke 22:41-46 ERV

Jesus knew they needed to be connected to the power supply, the Holy Spirit. It was essential. All through His ministry Jesus didn’t do any miracles or teaching until He had spent time in prayer and been empowered by the Holy Spirit. He doesn’t want us to attempt anything on our own either.

We need to be connected. After Jesus rose from the grave and before He went back to heaven He gave the disciples one final instruction that would provide them with all the strength they needed.

“You saw these things happen—you are witnesses. You must go and tell people that they must change and turn to God, which will bring them his forgiveness. You must start from Jerusalem and tell this message in my name to the people of all nations. 49 Remember that I will send you the one my Father promised. Stay in the city until you are given that power from heaven.” Luke 24:47-49 ERV

Our mission, should we choose to accept it, is to give testimony of what God has done in our lives. Starting first with those closest to us and spreading out from there. Our family, our friends, neighbors, work mates…

Thank you Father for reminding me that my power is draining and that I have a power source with unlimited supply. I desire to stay plugged in to You today!

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Prayer Priorities

Rising early is what I do – most days. This morning for no reason at all I was awake at 1:30 am and then I lay in bed trying to go back to sleep – that just seemed a little too early to get up. But at 3, I was up – put the dog out, the coffee on, and sat down in my daughter’s rocking chair, for what?

To pray!! To pray for each of you who are reading this. Praying is one of my favorite things to do.

After praising and thanking God for His goodness and His love, I prayed for my family and those I know so well; I prayed for our nation, our leaders and our country. Then I prayed as Paul said in I Corinthians 14:15 “I will pray with my spirit and I will pray with my understanding also”. As I prayed with my spirit, I asked the Lord to minister through me to each person who reads this this morning.

First I prayed, ” Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. ” III John 2, that you prosper spirit, soul and body.

Then I prayed that “God will save you from hidden dangers and from deadly diseases. 4 You can go to him for protection. He will cover you like a bird spreading its wings over its babies. You can trust him to surround and protect you like a shield.” Psalm 91:3-4.

I prayed for you from Proverbs 25:26 “Good people who don’t stand strong against evil are like springs that have been polluted or pools that have turned dirty and muddy.” I pray that you will stand strong and be an influence of godliness in this world that so desperately needs God’s love.

And lastly, also from Proverbs 25:21-22, I prayed “If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat. If they are thirsty, give them some water. 22 This will make them feel the burning pain of shame, and the LORD will reward you for being good to them.”

Your enemies need compassion. This is one of the only ways they are going to see the love of God in their lives. Jesus prayed for those who persecuted him and on the cross He asked the Father to forgive them. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, as he was being stoned to death, prayed that the Father not hold these things to the charge of those who were casting the rocks. Today you may have the opportunity to do something kind for those who have tried to destroy you, ask the Lord to show you how. He loves them too.

This morning I have prayed all of this for you. As you read this, I hope you pray these things for yourself and for others. We can join our prayers together! The great thing about praying scripture verses is that we know we are praying God’s will because His word is His will. He promises that His word will not be void of power or purpose but will accomplish what it was sent to do.

“In the same way, my words leave my mouth, and they don’t come back without results. My words make the things happen that I want to happen. They succeed in doing what I send them to do.” Isaiah 55:11

I feel privileged to pray for you and I thank the Father for blending our hearts together by His Spirit.

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Coming In First!

Don’t you love being first? It is such an honor – being the first to get a phone call or text with really important news – getting the first piece of cake on your birthday – the first dance at your wedding – the first lick of an ice cream cone – the first ride on a motorcycle – the first kiss… I could go on and on.

Most of us will probably never be first in the Olympics or first in the Daytona 500 or first at the NFR but we all celebrate the “first” we have in our lives.

Did you know that the Lord celebrates “first” too? We worship on the first day of the week, the day Jesus was raised from the dead. We bring Him the first of our offerings because He deserves to have first place. And in Exodus we find that there is another first.

“The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Dedicate to me the first-born son of every family and the first-born males of your flocks and herds. These belong to me.” Exodus 13:1-2

When the first is dedicated to the Lord he knows He has the heart of the family. It’s a way of showing honor to the Lord for the blessing of life and the first of the flocks (our livelihood) represents our well-being and prosperity. But there’s more…

“Each year during the month of Abib, celebrate these events in the following way… Then on the seventh day you must explain to your children that you do this because the Lord brought you out of Egypt.

9 This celebration will be like wearing a sign on your hand or on your forehead, because then you will pass on to others the teaching of the Lord, whose mighty power brought you out of Egypt. 10 Celebrate this festival each year at the same time…

12 From then on, you must give him every first-born son from your families and every first-born male from your animals, because these belong to him…
14 In the future your children will ask what this ceremony means. Explain it to them by saying, “The Lord used his mighty power to rescue us from slavery in Egypt…
16 This ceremony will serve the same purpose as a sign on your hand or on your forehead to tell how the Lord’s mighty power rescued us from Egypt.” Exodus 13:1-16 CEV

The dedication of the first-born was a reminder of what the Lord had done for them by delivering them from Egypt.

We too have been delivered from an evil king and the slavery of his rule.

“I pray that you will be grateful to God for letting you have part in what he has promised his people in the kingdom of light. 13 God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who forgives our sins and sets us free.” Colossians 1:12-14 CEV

So celebrate today – Remind your children and yourself that there is One who deserves to be first in all things – your heart, your decisions, your focus!

“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.” Matthew 22:37-38 ERV

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May I Help You?

Each morning it is my duty, a labor of love really, to remind myself to act like Jesus. My first conscious thought is “Father, I love you. Jesus, I love you. Holy Spirit, I love you. Good morning!” and then next I remind myself to think like Jesus and honor Him with my thoughts, my words and my actions.

Sad to say, I’m not successful every morning. Some mornings I just want to go back to sleep or be left to myself. Those are the days that I feel God’s prompting to make the necessary attitude adjustment and honor Him.

“But Jesus called the disciples together and said: You know that foreign rulers like to order their people around. And their great leaders have full power over everyone they rule. 26 But don’t act like them. If you want to be great, you must be the servant of all the others. 27 And if you want to be first, you must be the slave of the rest. 28 The Son of Man did not come to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescue many people.
29 Jesus was followed by a large crowd as he and his disciples were leaving Jericho. 30 Two blind men were sitting beside the road. And when they heard that Jesus was coming their way, they shouted, “Lord and Son of David, have pity on us!” 31 The crowd told them to be quiet, but they shouted even louder, “Lord and Son of David, have pity on us!”
32 When Jesus heard them, he stopped and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They answered, “Lord, we want to see!” 34 Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Right away they could see, and they became his followers.” Matthew 20: 25-34

“The Son of Man did not come to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescue many people.” I remember the first time that verse had an impact on me – I had a house full of people, was preparing for some special meetings at a hotel conference room, had my family responsibilities and my “help” had been called away. I did what any self-respecting woman would do, I started to complain. Not outwardly but from my heart; I grumbled, I murmured and I wanted to kick the dog but that wasn’t acceptable. So I just kept going and when I finally had a few minutes to myself, I picked up my Bible and read the verses above. WOW!!

If Jesus, the Son of God, creator of the universe, said that His role in life was to serve others and not be served, how selfish and self-centered was it of me to be grumbling over my lack of help. As quickly as I could, I said “Lord forgive me and if I have no help at all, let people see Jesus through me.” He did. We had a wonderful weekend of meetings and so many lives were touched.

But now let me take you back to Jesus and what surrounded these verses. Jesus had just been telling his apostles that He was about to be betrayed and would be handed over for his crucifixion. The mother of James and John was in the traveling group this day and asked Jesus, “Well, when you get to your kingdom I want you to have my sons sit by your side”. Even among those closest to Jesus there was a jockeying for position. This made the other ten upset and so that’s why Jesus said that they must be willing to be a servant and not look at being the master.

I love that this exchange is followed by the story of two blind men. Jesus got to live what He preached. He was talking about his death, spending the last few weeks or possibly days with his disciples getting them ready for what was to come and his ministry is interrupted by two blind hecklers calling from the side of the road, “Jesus, hey Jesus!”

When they were told to hush, they yelled louder. Jesus didn’t become upset and ignore them instead he stopped all he was doing to talk with them. “What do you want from me?” “We want to see.” And Jesus restored their sight.

The verses above say that Jesus felt sorry for them but in other translations it says that Jesus had compassion on them, that means he was moved by love, not pity. What he was doing and saying to the disciples was important but the lives of these two men became his top priority. He was moved by love because God IS love. That’s a servants heart, an attitude of “how may I help you”.

Today, we will all have opportunity to serve others or to be caught up in having others serve us. In both cases, it is our responsibility to have “the mind of Christ”. First, we should be grateful and appreciative when we are served, not taking the attitude that of course they should help or do this. Second, we should serve from a loving heart and not out of guilt or an act of responsibility.

We know we’re doing it with the right motive when it brings you joy and not complaint.

Thank you Lord for Your living example of helping others.

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