What blessing are you hoping and waiting for today? It’s time to get serious about the strength of your faith and our willingness to make a full confession of our transgressions. . In a recent Bible study I was asked: “What are you trying to hide from God?” Well, we all chuckled because of course you can’t hide anything from God. But do we truly believe that? Is that how we live out our daily lives? Charles Spurgeon says, “Do not play with sin. Do not confess it as though it were some venial fault that would not have been noticed unless God had been too severe.” . As the apostle Paul says, God cannot be mocked. The Almighty knows our tepid faith. He knows our bold faith. He hears when we rush through a prayer and he hears when we grasp Him tightly and plead honestly with Him. We don’t reward or accept in our own children or friends a tepid or insincere apology so why should God when what we ask of Him is ten-fold? . When we plead to God we lay bare our innermost sins and cleanse them. I like the analogy of a wrestler stripping down to the bare minimum before entering the playing arena. Because when we show we have nothing left to give up, nothing left to weigh us down, that is when God performs His greatest work in us. . So grasp His hand tightly today. Lay out your sins. And plead for His love to envelop you. .
What lies are you fighting right now? Bold faith, trust in God, and knowing His love for you are the weapons against satan’s ever present lies.
1. “The One born of God keeps me safe — the evil one cannot harm me” 1 John 5:18
You are a child of God. A raging battle is going on in the spiritual world for your soul. Knowing that your father is fighting for you and trusting that all things are done for your good gives us strength. Many Christians have issues with the idea of satan. But as I discussed with a fellow Christian, the Bible does not shy away from satan. Jesus had a number of conversations with him. If you are going to accept the blessings from God you need to accept that satan is at work trying to keep those blessings from you.
2. “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” Jer 31:3
The only love that will never fade is the love God has for us. It never wavers, it never decreases. Even if your physical world is not filled with love, we can draw on God’s love to persevere. This is not an easy task. A mom in a struggling marriage, with children who always seem disappointed in her said, “I remember that God loves me but sometimes I just need someone to physically hold me.” Run to the arms of the father. Fully surrender that need to God. He will light the way.
3. “He has rescued me from the darkness and I have redemption and forgiveness of sins.” Col 1:13-14
When we accept Jesus as our savior we throw up the lifeline to rescue us. Notice the word is rescue. If someone doesn’t want to be rescued they can make sure they aren’t. Throw up your hand and grasp His. You will be pulled out of your darkness. I have a Christian friend who had been a drug addict and alcoholic for many years tell me she had a dream of being a fish and a hook dropped down from out of the blue. She bit at it and it hooked her mouth and yanked her out of the sea. The next day she knew she never wanted another drink again in her life. God speaks in so many ways to us, just reach out.
4. “We are God’s handiwork.” Eph 2:10
When women sit around talking you’ll frequently hear us complaining about one body part or another. “I’m too chubby.” “Ugh, my hair.” “I wish my lips were plumper.” But think about it — you are uniquely you. You were created out of tiny DNA pieces that became you! It pains me to see satan’s forces at work taking our little complaints and elevating them to destroying our self-esteem. And worse, convincing people they are a mistake and must chop off body parts or take dangerous drugs to limit natural growth. No matter your height, your hips, your lips, your tomboy nature, your kinky hair, you are you and you are God’s creation. We’d save a lot of money and angst if we accepted that every time we looked in the mirror.
5. “I call you friend.” John 15:15
Boy do I wish I had known this when I was younger. An intimate relationship with Jesus and the Father not only brings us so many blessings but brings joy to the Almighty. He longs for that friendship. He will never stab you in the back. He will never forsake you. He is with you at 7:00 a.m. when your feet hit the floor and at 2:00 p.m. when you find out you were laid off. He’s even with you at 3:00 a.m. when your bills are swirling in your head. Pick up your spiritual cell phone and give Him a call.
6. “And I know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” Rom 8:28
I once heard a funny twist on “why do bad things happen to good people?” Instead, how about “why do good things happen to us bad people?” When we say “bad people” I’d bet most people think, “well, it’s not like I’ve killed someone or stolen a million dollars.” But a pastor asked, “Have you stolen anything at all? Have you ever taken God’s name in vain? Have you not been able to forgive someone? Have you ever coveted something?” In fact, there’s only one truly good person that something bad happened to — Jesus. And Jesus suffered on the cross so that our sins are forgiven. So with that in mind we must be thankful for the good stuff God sends our way and trust that any bad that we encounter God is working out a blessing for us somehow, someway in the end.
7. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up others according to their needs.” Eph 4:29
Yes, yes, we know not to gossip and to be kind to others. But are you gossiping about yourself? Are you unkind to yourself? When we talk to our friends, family and strangers how much do we tear ourselves down with “I’m not good at xy or z.” Or again with the physical degradation of ourselves? That’s not to say we should be boasting. But remember, we ARE God’s creation. So speak in positives. Don’t give the devil a hand up on tearing yourself or other’s down.
8. “As God’s co-worker (fill in the blank).” 2Cor 6:1
We are in this together. The entire story of the planet is built on covenants WITH God. He could’ve just made the animals and plants and wiped his hands on his robes and said, “Looks pretty darn good. Time for a nap.” But no, He made us. He made everything else FOR us. So He expects us to work with Him to tend to the needs of this glorious place. That includes sharing with others His love for His creation.
9. “We have the mind of Christ.” 1Cor 2:16
How often have you finished a prayer with “In Jesus’ name, Amen”? Do you know what it means? It means that Jesus is standing beside you, writing shorthand as you pray. He then takes that prayer to the Father and speaks for you. But the responsibility of a mature Christian is to discern the mind of Christ while speaking that prayer. We know His values and have His desires for us in mind. When we have the mind of Christ we can pray boldly and act boldly because we know that we are aligned with the spirit of God.
10. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22
We can say we know God. We can know God loves us. We can see the blessings and be thankful. We can know the right things to do. But if we don’t go boldly and actually DO the Word of God can we really say we truly know God? We need to obey His Word and leave the consequences to Him. Surrender, trust and receive full blessings.
The backdrop of our lives these last few months has been Covid but our “regular” lives haven’t stopped completely. What other trials have you experienced this year? . On top of quarantine our family is facing cancer. My beloved mother in law has uterine cancer and has been receiving cancer treatments. Then after her 5th treatment she experienced another health emergency and was in the hospital for over a week. This incredibly vital, otherwise healthy, god-centered woman has really taken a hit. But her “down” days still are nothing of what I would expect of myself. She always has at least a glimmer of hope and trust. That’s why she is one of my touchstones. . In John 12:9-11 the Jews were showing up in droves to meet Jesus and the man he had brought back from the dead. Lazarus was a powerful witness to Jesus’ divine authority. But the priests were threatened by this authority and looked to put Lazarus to death — again. There’s so many lessons in this vignette but I was struck with wondering what Lazarus must’ve been thinking. Here he had suffered a horrible illness and died. Then he was raised from the dead and now people wanted to kill him again because he was with Jesus. When was he going to get a break? And yet he stayed confidently with Jesus. . When we are living witnesses of Jesus’ holy authority we are guaranteed to experience trials. When, in His name, we proclaim boldly what God wants for our lives we will be tested. But keeping Jesus firmly at our side will bring us through strengthened and loved. . What are you being tested at today? .
What seeds are you planting lately? Luke 6:43-45 explains that “no good tree bears bad fruit and no bad tree bears good fruit.” . Back in early March we planted our warm weather garden — bell peppers, cilantro, and four tomato plants. My hope at the time was none of them would die in a week. I took extra steps this year and learned more about achieving good fruit. And that basket in the picture is just a small reaping of what we have sown. It’s been a constant tending of the needs of each plant. And a constant battle with pests. But the reward is oh so good! . How many of us take the same care with our spiritual life as we do those things in the physical world? How many of us are struggling even just to tend to our daily lives with loving care? We reap what we sow. We need to pay special care to what we plant in our hearts and minds because even the tiniest seed can reap ten-fold — good or bad. . A healthy relationship with the ultimate farmer— Jesus— guides us and teaches us the right seeds to plant, when to plant them, and how to tend them. Like my desire for a more fruitful garden we need to actively seek out His teaching. . Do you want to be a plot of unused, hard dirt? A weed-filled plot? Or a luscious, fruit filled place in this world that shares their harvest with others? Be bold my friends. Ask for gardening advice today 🍅 .
Are you an “all work and no play” sort of person. Do you know an “all play and no work” person? I just finished studying John 12:1-8 where these issues arose. It’s fascinating how much teaching God puts in 8 sentences. . My “Bible spirit”, Martha, is busy making an amazing dinner for Jesus. Mary, her sister, lets her hair down and rubs very expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet. Meanwhile Lazarus, the famed friend whom Jesus lifted from death, sits as a witness to Jesus’ holy position with God. . All three play an important role in this scene. And yet the disciples question Mary’s action — “Shouldn’t we sell that perfume and give it to the poor?” But Mary, who frequently sat at Jesus’ feet knew what was to happen. She was worshipping Him before His impending death. . Jesus makes it clear there’s a time to worship/celebrate and a time to work. This balance in our daily Christian lives provides us the opportunity for witnessing. How many times have you personally said you don’t have time, even 15 minutes a day, for Bible study? How many times has the opportunity to volunteer at your church come up and you said your calendar is full? How many times have you told a friend or family member you were too busy? How many times have you seen or heard someone in need but you didn’t stop your busy life to help? How many times have you skipped church for something “more important?” . Where have you gone out of balance? And are you taking the time to complete this holy lesson with witnessing His love and His power and His grace?
When I was a kid back in the 70s and 80s cartoons had messages for both children and their parents. It’s why these old Christmas shows like “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” “Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer,” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” still have such a large viewership when the season comes around. In “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” a young Kris Kringle melts the heart of the evil Winter Warlock. The warlock asks Kris how he can change his life and Kris replies, “to just “put one front in front of the other!” And you know what happens next? “Soon you’ll be walkin’ out that door!”
There’s no magic to being bold. Fortunately, Christians do have the strength, truth, and encouragement of God’s love for us to help us in living out our bold steps. There are, however, some reasons why people don’t pursue their dreams and take those steps. According to Amy Morin, author of “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do,” two stumbling blocks are:
Saying “Someday“
Without a timeframe and schedule of steps you are more likely to keep putting off even taking that first step. Wishful thinking didn’t build anyone’s dreams. God doesn’t wish and hope that one day you will open that teen center or even just start studying His Word. If it’s on your heart and it keeps popping up there’s a reason!
When You “Feel Ready”
In Matthew 14: 27-29 Jesus is walking on the water toward the disciples’ boat. Peter says, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Jesus replied, “Come.” Then Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. Notice Jesus didn’t say, “Hey, when you’re ready, come over here.” And Peter didn’t have to sit around mulling it over until he felt just right about it. When Jesus said, “Come,” Peter went.
Our feelings are deceptive. They lean toward all the lies the devil wants to whisper in our ear — you are too old, not talented enough, too poor, too young, or the best one, too busy. If we wait till we “feel ready” rather than stepping out of the boat, stepping into our dreams, and God-given goals we will watch others sail by and wonder “why not me?”
So here’s something scary I did last week to, as they say, “practice what I preach.” I made a phone call. Sounds simple, right? But boy was I putting off that call. In fact, I’ve been putting off that call for about 30 years. I was walking with a friend and we were talking about being bold. I admitted that I was too afraid to actually take the steps to learning how to fly. When I was about 19 years old I took the ground school classes at my community college. But because I didn’t have an extra $2,000 laying around I couldn’t afford the lessons. I am now 55 years old and the dream of flying has never left me. When I see small planes flying over me I think wistfully about being up there with them. So, I put it on my Boldness List. And it kept staring at me. I mean, I’m too old to fly. It’s probably too expensive. I doubt that I’m smart enough to remember everything. I’m not good at math. The ground school class was really hard before. And yet, it’s on my list. So last week after praying about it I finally called a flight school. And God put the right one in front of me — an all women’s flight instructor school. The owner was so excited to hear I’ve had this lifelong dream and we set up a date for an introductory lesson.
And today I took my second step toward my dream — I flew.
What has God asked you to do that, well to be honest, sounds a bit uncomfortable, odd, or just downright crazy? . The Bible is a testament to ordinary people doing extraordinary acts in God’s name. Take Joshua for example. He had to tell his entire army to march around Jericho once a day for six days not speaking a word. On the last day at the sound of a trumpet they were all to shout. And then all the walls would fall down. Think of the work God had to do, not just in Joshua, but in all his priests, his army, and support staff. Without God, most people would’ve revolted. And then think what the Jericho army was witnessing. You would imagine by the second day they would’ve just killed all the Israelites as they marched around. But God was in control. . I once heard a member of a Bible study group ask, “Why doesn’t God speak like that anymore?” My response was, “Maybe we just aren’t listening. More importantly we aren’t obeying.” . What have you pulled back from on your Boldness List? You’re too (fill in the blank). Could it be that God has asked you to obey and you aren’t listening? Or you heard but just haven’t obeyed? Let’s take those steps of trust today and obey. Only then will we receive God’s full complement of gifts.
Did you know that God is mentioned in every single US State constitution? All total, God is mentioned 200 times in these documents. It doesn’t matter which decade the state entered the Union. Yes, even California.
So when someone tries to “tell you their truth” that the United States was not founded by and with God, tighten up your belt of truth, be bold, and with grace give them the gift of education they missed along the way. 🇺🇸🇺🇸
What bold steps have you taken? It’s time to rejoice. It’s time to re-ignite. It’s time to be honest. What steps have you taken toward your bold goals?
As a born “doer,” the Book of James really speaks to me. James writes, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?…As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” For many of you, fulfilling those deeds means having to be bold. And yet something is holding you back from having full faith that God has your back. For others, you have taken the step forward and are experiencing a revitalization.
You may be at a crossroad. I encourage you right now, at this very moment, to say a prayer and take that step forward.
IF YOU HAVE TAKEN BOLD STEPS PLEASE REPLY SO WE CAN CHEER YOU ON! IF YOU NEED ENCOURAGEMENT PLEASE REPLY SO WE CAN PRAY FOR YOU!
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