Category: Relationship

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Oh My, Look at the Time!

That’s what I said to myself when I woke up this morning! I really slept in.

We are all so conscious of time. Appointments, work, school, dinner with friends all require us to look at the clock. But there are other times too – times you can’t find on a clock. Those are the ones I want to talk about this morning.

Look at the time.

Since we are connected through the internet it may be early morning, midday or perhaps you are reading this in the evening but whatever time it is where you are it is time to praise the Lord!

You could be in a time of trouble, a time of fear, good time, dinner time, party time, time of loneliness, time of sickness or time of concern. No matter, it is time to praise the Lord.

Why?

Because He is Lord of all and Lord over all and all who trust in Him will never be ashamed!

Just so you know, all those times listed above – I’ve been there and the thing that ALWAYS brings me through is praise time. Remembering that my heavenly Father is bigger than anything here and that He has a plan for me to prosper and have good success gives me reason to praise.

“I will praise the Lord no matter what happens. I will constantly speak of his glories and grace. 2 I will boast of all his kindness to me. Let all who are discouraged take heart. 3 Let us praise the Lord together and exalt his name.

4 For I cried to him and he answered me! He freed me from all my fears. 5 Others too were radiant at what he did for them. Theirs was no downcast look of rejection! 6 This poor man cried to the Lord—and the Lord heard him and saved him out of his troubles. 7 For the Angel of the Lord guards and rescues all who reverence him.

8 Oh, put God to the test and see how kind he is! See for yourself the way his mercies shower down on all who trust in him. 9 If you belong to the Lord, reverence him; for everyone who does this has everything he needs. 10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those of us who reverence the Lord will never lack any good thing.

11 Sons and daughters, come and listen and let me teach you the importance of trusting and fearing the Lord.” Psalm 34:1-11 TLB

Oh my, look at the time! Look at the timeline of your life and praise the Lord for bringing you to this place.

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An Intimate Courtyard

One of the first group of verses I memorized as a young girl was Psalm 100.

“Earth, sing to the Lord!
2 Be happy as you serve the Lord!
    Come before him with happy songs!
3 Know that the Lord is God.
    He made us, and we belong to him.
    We are his people, the sheep he takes care of.
4 Come through the gates to his Temple giving thanks to him.
    Enter his courtyards with songs of praise.
    Honor him and bless his name.
5 The Lord is good!
    There is no end to his faithful love.
    We can trust him forever and ever! ERV

That’s exactly what I’m doing this morning – being happy and grateful to be in the Father’s courtyard.

When Dave and I did the landscaping at our home in southern Arizona we designed a front courtyard. It was my place to sit and pray; a place to always be thankful for the many blessings the Lord has given us. I miss the courtyard but the praise I always have in my heart.

Another memory I have of my childhood is a song I used to sing, In the Garden:

“I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses

And he walks with me
And he talks with me
And he tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

He speaks and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing…”

There is a relationship that we can share with the Lord that is incomparable to any other. In the joy and in the sorrow, in the struggle and in the rest, we are invited to come into his courtyard, into the pasture of green grass and cool water, into His presence where there is fullness of joy.

“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11 NKJV

There’s a progression here. In Psalm 100 we are told to come through His gates and into His courtyard. Praise and thanksgiving are the ticket to enter. The writer of Hebrews tells us we can come boldly into His throne room.

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

Our heavenly Father is generous and welcoming. He wants to come bravely, He extends His grace and provides us with the help we need.

There’s an intimacy in our relationship with Him. When we come into His courtyard, He meets us there.

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Going Through

This morning I did a search on the word “bridge”. I wanted to share with you some wonderful thoughts about Jesus being our “bridge over troubled waters” (yes, our church youth choir actually sang that when I was in high school). But there is no bridge Scripture.

I got to thinking about times in the Bible when people would have needed a bridge. Crossing the Jordan, The Red Sea, Sea of Galilee. You know what I found – God either parted the water or gave power to walk on it.

You may be looking for a bridge. Looking for something to help you cross a river of circumstances in your life. I want to offer you a new prospective. Instead of looking for a way over, look for a way through.

“Elijah took off his coat, folded it, and hit the water with it. The water separated to the right and to the left. Then Elijah and Elisha crossed the river on dry ground.” II Kings 2:8 ERV

“But now the Lord who created you, O Israel, says: Don’t be afraid, for I have ransomed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. 2 When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, your Savior, the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 43:1-3 TLB

The Father has victory for us if we keep our eyes on Him.

“At once, Jesus said to them, ‘Don’t worry! I am Jesus. Don’t be afraid.’ 28 Peter replied, ‘Lord, if it is really you, tell me to come to you on the water.’ 29 ‘Come on!’ Jesus said. Peter then got out of the boat and started walking on the water toward him.” Matthew 14:27-29 CEV

The first thing you will hear from the Lord is “don’t worry, don’t be afraid”. In other words I can hear Jesus saying, “I’ve got this!” Peter’s problem came when he got his eyes off Jesus and on the circumstances. We must keep our focus and not become distracted from God’s promises.

But if we do get scared, like Peter, we call out for help and Jesus will grab ahold of us and bring us to safety.

“ But Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid! Be strong, and see how the Lord will save you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today, you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you. All you have to do is keep still.’…Then Moses put out his hand over the sea. And the Lord moved the sea all night by a strong east wind. So the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went through the sea on dry land.” Exodus 14:13, 14, 21, 22 NLV

So instead of trying to build a bridge today, keep still, step in and go through with God!

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It’s A Done Deal

This morning I would like us to think about what Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished”.

I know that I have used this Scripture in Colossians on many occasions. It is one of my favorites. It gives insight to what Jesus meant by the statement above.

“God lives fully in Christ. 10 And you are fully grown because you belong to Christ, who is over every power and authority. 11 Christ has also taken away your selfish desires, just as circumcision removes flesh from the body. 12 And when you were baptized, it was the same as being buried with Christ. Then you were raised to life because you had faith in the power of God, who raised Christ from death. 13 You were dead, because you were sinful and were not God’s people. But God let Christ make you alive, when he forgave all our sins.

14 God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross. 15 There Christ defeated all powers and forces. He let the whole world see them being led away as prisoners when he celebrated his victory.” Colossians 2:9-15

Here’s a brief recap of the above. All the fullness of God lives in Christ and since we are in Christ all God’s fullness lives in us. All of His power, faith, love and righteousness are ours – we need to renew our minds to what God has done for us.

By Christ’s death and resurrection, we have been raised to new life and our old sinful nature has been circumcised – it has been cut away. All of our sins have been forgiven and we have been made alive unto God – a new creature, a whole new species of being.

God the Father wiped out all the charges of sin that were against us when He nailed them to the cross and they were blotted out by Jesus blood. I like to think of it as this – He crashed the hard drive and all the evidence of our sin was lost forever!!!

On the cross Jesus defeated all the forces of hell. The picture painted here is of a Roman ruler parading a defeated monarch through the streets of his capital city, naked. He did this to prove to the monarch’s subjects that their king had been defeated completely, humiliated and he was unable to control what was forced upon him.

This is what Jesus did to Satan when He was placed in the tomb. He marched into hell; gather up Satan and paraded him through all the streets of hell – naked – striped of the keys of death, hell and the grave – striped of all his power – to prove that Jesus is Lord!

Oh, my goodness, if you’re not shouting by now – you’re in need of resuscitation!

He did this for you and me. He didn’t have to come to earth to have power over Satan, He had it since the beginning. He came to die and in death defeat Satan for us – we were the ones under his rule. What He did in hell, He did as our substitute and he defeated the devil and sin on our behalf so that we could have the fullness of the Father operating in our lives!

It’s a done deal.

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Good Gifts

We recently celebrated Dave’s birthday with all the kids and grandkids! It was a great time. Love, joy and presents.

They blessed Dave with a new smoker/grill and all the accessories! He was so surprised and thrilled.

Giving gifts to those we love just seems to come naturally. They don’t have to be big and expensive; simple and handmade gifts are meaningful too. It’s the fact that gifts come from the heart that makes them so special.

It’s probably not your birthday today but I have found some wonderful gifts chosen specifically for you.

“Christ gave each one of us a special gift. Everyone received what he wanted to give them. ” Ephesians 4:7 ERV

“Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life.” John 3:16 ERV

“You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God’s gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. 9 It isn’t something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about.” Ephesians 2:8-9 CEV

“ Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing.” James 1:17 CEV

It didn’t take Dave long to begin to tell his friends about what the kids had given him. Yes, he was bragging on them. I think our heavenly Father likes it when we brag about His goodness.

“With all my heart I praise the Lord, and with all that I am I praise his holy name! 2 With all my heart I praise the Lord! I will never forget how kind he has been. 3The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick, 4 and protects us from death. His kindness and love are a crown on our heads.” Psalm 103:1-4 CEV

“…you still know how to give good things to your children. So surely your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him.” Matthew 7:11 ERV

“Grace and peace be given to you more and more, because now you know God and Jesus our Lord. 3 Jesus has the power of God. And his power has given us everything we need to live a life devoted to God. We have these things because we know him. Jesus chose us by his glory and goodness, 4 through which he also gave us the very great and rich gifts that he promised us. With these gifts you can share in being like God. And so you will escape the ruin that comes to people in the world because of the evil things they want.” II Peter 1:2-4 ERV

God’s gifts are called blessings. From the very beginning of time our Father looked for ways to give. He gave Adam and Eve a garden and filled it with all that was good. He gave the people of Israel a promised land filled with good things. He gave His promises and He never breaks His word.

He gave us His Son and a new life. All of these are very good gifts and worth bragging about!

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Locked In

Have you ever had a period of time when you were afraid, really afraid?

Maybe you fought during a military conflict. Maybe you have faced a traumatic life-threatening illness or lived with a loved one who has. It could be that you have had to face severe weather conditions that threatened your life and your home or serve as a first responder.

Then you know the intense fear that the disciples were feeling less than one week after the resurrection of Christ. Life for the followers of the Lord was still very pensive. They huddled together behind locked doors.

They knew the Romans were spreading rumors that they had stolen Jesus body to make it look like He rose from the dead. If pursued by the soldiers the disciples could be killed on the spot. The mob that had rioted and cried “Crucify Him, Crucify Him” was only now beginning to disperse in Jerusalem but who were they among so many.

Living daily with all this apprehension, life was not normal and who knew when or if it ever would be again. This was the life of the disciples and this was their mindset in John 20. We see them first on the day of the resurrection.

” The day was Sunday, and that same evening the followers were together. They had the doors locked because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them. He said, “Peace be with you!” 20 As soon as he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. When the followers saw the Lord, they were very happy.

21 Then Jesus said again, “Peace be with you. It was the Father who sent me, and I am now sending you in the same way.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:19-22 ERV

But not all the disciples were there. Thomas was missing. A week later Jesus appears to them again. They are still behind locked doors and Jesus greeting is the same – peace!

“A week later the followers were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand here in my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

28 Thomas said to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Jesus said to him, “You believe because you see me. Great blessings belong to the people who believe without seeing me!” John 20:26-29 ERV

What is it that has you behind locked doors? What has your focus? Do you feel alone and abandoned? What has robbed your peace? Thomas needed to see the physical before he was willing to believe that Jesus was still there, still in control, still in a place of power.

Jesus words to Thomas are addressed to us, ““You believe because you see me. Great blessings belong to the people who believe without seeing me!” We’re the ones who are in the place of believing without physically seeing.

One week after Easter, I want to encourage you – Be not afraid. Peace be with you, you have been given the Holy Spirit and He is the comforter, the helper, our advocate!

We have Jesus’ word, it does not fail – we are blessed!

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As Long As I Live

Such a definitive phrase – as long as I live. All encompassing. Total commitment.

Those are the words I found this morning in Psalm 146. I am uncertain of the age of the writer of this Psalm, but I do know this, they had encountered first-hand the mercy and goodness of God.

“Shout praises to the Lord!
With all that I am,
    I will shout his praises.
2 I will sing and praise
the Lord God
    as long as I live.

3 You can’t depend on anyone,
    not even a great leader.
4 Once they die and are buried,
that will be the end
    of all their plans.

5 The Lord God of Jacob blesses
everyone who trusts him
    and depends on him.
6 God made heaven and earth;
he created the sea
    and everything else.
God always keeps his word.
7 He gives justice to the poor
    and food to the hungry.

The Lord sets prisoners free
8     and heals blind eyes.
He gives a helping hand
    to everyone who falls.
The Lord loves good people
9     and looks after strangers.
He defends the rights
of orphans and widows,
    but destroys the wicked.

10 The Lord God of Zion
will rule forever!
    Shout praises to the Lord!” Psalm 146 CEV

This is a psalm of blessing, of healing and hope. It’s a psalm of provision and protection. This is a psalm, a song as it were, of the faithfulness of God, not to just one individual but to us all.

It’s for friends and strangers, widows and orphans, the imprisoned and the poor. It’s for everyone.

Everyone!

Join me and the writer of this Psalm and say, “As long as I live I will sing and praise the Lord”.

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Uncontestable

We all learn through repetition. This morning I was reminded of a lesson the Lord has taught me throughout the years and it bears repeating.

Years ago, a movie came out that I watched a number of times, A Knight’s Tale. There was a lesson in that movie that has stuck with me. A knight dies and one of his servants takes his place in the jousting tournaments. He has to produce papers of nobility in order to compete. His papers are forged. As the story goes, this knight begins winning many of the events and advances to the final games. He is discovered as a fraud and about to be beheaded when a man steps from the crowd to validate his standing as a true knight. The man removes his hooded cloak and declares

“I am the king and as such my words are uncontestable.”

Boy, that phrase burned in me like a fire!

As someone who struggled with low self-esteem words like these gave me hope and affirmation. Father God and Jesus Christ, King of Kings, attest to my heritage. What they say about me, trumps anything else. Their word is uncontestable!

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

“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

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

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18 God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.

19 What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace. 20 We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God. 21 Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God.” II Corinthians 5:17-21

Satan is referred to as the “accuser of the brethren” in Revelation 12 however what God says about us supersedes any accusations that he may bring.

Walk free from accusation. Walk in who the King says you are – it is without contestation.

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Great Expectations

As I’m sitting here this morning it’s not yet dawn. The early morning sky is still dark – stars and the moon give light but there is no glow of dawn.

I put myself with the women who are preparing to go to the tomb. They are anxiously waiting. This is the one last act of love they can do for the Messiah, their friend.

As they place the cloth and the spices needed for burial in a basket there are muffled sobs. Tears still flow freely, only to be wiped away with the brush of the hand. The apostles, Peter and John are there also.

Now, it’s while it’s still dark they are off to tend to the Master’s body. On the way they discuss how they will move the stone away from the opening. I’m not sure if they knew the religious leaders had stationed soldiers at the tomb or not.

“It was the first day of the week. Mary Magdalene came to the grave early in the morning while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been pushed away from the grave. 2 She ran to Simon Peter and the other follower whom Jesus loved. She said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the grave. We do not know where they have put Him.’ 3 Then Peter and the other follower went to the grave.” John 20:1-3 NLV

What they had expected to find that morning wasn’t there. Jesus’ body was gone! Had it been stolen? Peter and John left, leaving Mary alone at the tomb with her grief. Everything she expected to do that morning was no longer valid – her last act of love was incomplete.

She sobs!

Then she tells her heartbreaking story to the angels. “He’s been taken away and I don’t know where they have taken Him”. She also repeats it to the man standing in the garden.

What happens next shakes me to my core every time I read it.

“She said to Him, ‘Sir, if you have taken Jesus from here, tell me where you have put Him. I will take Him away.’ 16 Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned around and said to Him, ‘Teacher!'” John 20:15-16 NLV

Jesus called her by name. And when she heard him said it, she knew immediately he was Jesus! 

No longer was she experiencing unfulfilled expectations – no, she was filled with a living hope.

“Mary Magdalene went to the followers and told them, ‘I saw the Lord!'” John 20:18 ERV

In our time of heartache, when all our great expectations have fallen away, we will hear the voice of the Savior, speaking out our name.

There’s no need to stand crying at a tomb of empty dreams. We have a living Savior who calls us by name!

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The Day Was Silent

If you had been a follower of Christ at the time of the crucifixion this day would have been silent.

There was no familiar greeting of friends, no smiles, possibly hugs and sobs and the questions – those haunting questions.

Could I have done something to stop the terrible beating and crucifixion? Are they coming for me next? I’ve spent the last three years following a man who is dead and gone? Where do I go, what do I do?

We know they weren’t prepared for the possibly of a resurrection. In fact, the women were preparing the spices which were a part of a proper burial. They had plans of going to the tomb the next morning.

These were apostles, disciples, family and friends in mourning. The day was silent!

But not so for the religious leaders who had been responsible for Jesus’ arrest, beating and crucifixion.

“The next day, the day after Jesus was killed, the head religious leaders and the proud religious law-keepers gathered together in front of Pilate. 63 They said, “Sir, we remember what that Man Who fooled people said when He was living, ‘After three days I am to rise from the dead.’ 64 Speak the word to have the grave watched for three days. Then His followers cannot come at night and take Him away and say to the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’ The last mistake would be worse than the first.” Matthew 27:62-64 NLV

In their fear, they sent soldiers to the tomb to seal it and guard it. At the tomb there was silence.

In hell there was a battle raging.

“When you were dead in your sins, you were not set free from the sinful things of the world. But God forgave your sins and gave you new life through Christ. 14 We had broken the Law many ways. Those sins were held against us by the Law. That Law had writings which said we were sinners. But now He has destroyed that writing by nailing it to the cross. 15 God took away the power of the leaders of this world and the powers of darkness. He showed them to the world. The battle was won over them through Christ.” Colossians 2:13-15 NLV

Christ fought to free us from the power of sin. He fought for our redemption. He defeated the powers of hell!

“The Law could not make me free from the power of sin and death. It was weak because it had to work with weak human beings. But God sent His own Son. He came to earth in a body of flesh which could be tempted to sin as we in our bodies can be. He gave Himself to take away sin. By doing that, He took away the power sin had over us.” Romans 8:3 NLV

In the silence of that day all hope seemed lost but in reality hope for the salvation of all the world was birthed.

The angels had heralded His birth. The silence reverenced His death.

Let’s take time today to be silent, not in fear, but in gratitude for our great gift of salvation.

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