Tag: John 16

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The Christian Traveler 

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For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

I’m that Christian who had long convinced myself that I could never memorize Bible scripture.  I’m in awe of my friend Betsy who can roll out verses like a pro.  She doesn’t just know them; she uses scripture to comfort, encourage, convict and enlighten as she hikes her Christian path.  It’s what the Bible means by taking up the “sword of the Spirit.” (Eph 6:17).  

Earlier this year I finally understood this analogy.  Without scripture at my fingertips, I was like a soldier going into battle without ammunition.  Or as though I was on a road trip and forgot the most important thing to keep me going – snacks.  Realizing this, I set out to memorize Isaiah 26:3-4 which says, “You keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.  Trust in the LORD God forever for He is an everlasting rock.”  

When my mind strays to worries, fears and all the other things of this world that pull me away from God, I’m slowly using this new weapon as a reminder.  A reminder that perfect peace can only be found in the Lord. 

Last week, we looked at corporately attaining knowledge about our Christian faith to grow in sanctification. Through church participation or group Bible study we gain helpful insight into God’s Word.  Today, we will look at the individual means the Holy Spirit guides us on this holy journey.

Daily, personal Bible reading, whether through reading a book of the Bible, a teaching-style daily devotional, or individual Bible study book, is essential to gaining knowledge of the God we profess to be our King.  Without this, we close off an avenue for the Holy Spirit to work in us.  It’s our “sitting at the feet of Jesus,” learning His ways.

I’ve always recommended to fellow Christian travelers to do their Bible reading in the morning.  While we need to be careful not to become Pharisee-like in our routines, there’s a good reason I recommend this.  

The Right Path

Why do you already do the tasks in your morning routine?  You get cleaned up for the day, get energized and mentally review your daily schedule.  You might even exercise somewhere in all of that.  Keeping physically fit to “make it a great day.”  All that’s wonderful, until you hit rush hour traffic or you get a flat tire.  Or you get a giant project dumped on you that no one else wanted.  Maybe your child suddenly throws up as you’re about to take them to school.  It starts raining and you had a picnic planned.

You know, life happens and it’s only 8:30am.

I mentioned previously that my mom died suddenly last year.  I had just finished my evening prayers when I got the phone call.  Then, just four days later my 85 year old dad was given the news that his 10 year fight with bladder cancer had progressed to something much worse.  My life and my schedule were instantly thrown for a loop.  Each morning I did my studies and turned my schedule over to God. I began memorizing Isaiah 26. The Holy Spirit spoke through His Word encouraging me and teaching me.

On January 7, 2025 one of my devotionals used Genesis 6:22 to remind me of my purpose here on earth: “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.” In other words, live in obedience to His will.

So, before you start your day let’s get our heart, minds and souls fed and strengthened.  Let’s get ourselves aligned on God’s road.  We then set out, wading through burnt toast, coffee spills, traffic, rain, clothing mishaps, annoying people, and lost phones with being tethered to God’s perfect peace.  We are fully stocked with all our favorite road trip snacks.

You may wonder where to start?  That’s really not the problem.  The problem is just starting.  I can recommend, however, reading the book of Mark.  It’s fast paced and gives an overview of Jesus’ ministry.  

Roadside Service

The other daily tether on our journey is prayer.

I heard a great sermon by Tim Keller where he looks at Psalm 1 as our introduction on how to pray.  Verse 2-3 says, “but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.”  He explained how “meditating” is frequently misunderstood to mean gazing at our navel or the ocean.  But what it really means is having a conversation with God.  A two-way conversation.  Talking and listening. God speaks to us through the gift of His living Word, the Bible.

Here’s Dr. Keller’s example of how to mediate on the “law of the Lord” (meaning the entire word of God):

  1. Take a piece of scripture and read it a few times
  2. For 15 minutes or so write down 10 things you observe or learn in that scripture
  3. Circle two or three things that stand out to you or have special meaning to you at that time
  4. Think on those for the remainder of your day while talking with God

I guarantee if you do that a few times a week you will grow in your knowledge of the Lord.  You will see His beautiful promises, His truths, and His expectations for your walk with Christ.  

We don’t need flowery poetry to talk with God.  And God doesn’t need you to speak in tongues (He’s well-versed in whatever language you naturally use!).  You may have heard the Bible verse, “pray without ceasing.” That isn’t something that looks like being a cloistered monk all day.  It means when something good happens, you immediately thank Him.  When you are in a tough spot, ask Him.  When you sin, seek forgiveness and help.  In the morning seek His will, not yours, for the day.  And in the evening review how you saw Him at work in your life.  A constant “roadside assistance service” to our God.  The Holy Spirit is ready and waiting to fill you up with the knowledge and wisdom of God through answered (or even unanswered) prayers.

Friend, do you want to grow closer to God — meaning you are walking the path of sanctification?  If you want what the Bible calls “the mind of Christ,” it’s like any earthly relationship.  You need to get to know Him.  You must spend time with Him.  

Through private, quiet contemplation and study and congregational teaching and worship the Holy Spirit reveals our glorious God.  He holds your hand while you travel through this Christian life.  

I’ve learned a lot about how much God loves us and how to see Him throughout my day these last six months.  I’ve learned on my long drives home from my dad’s house after a day of doctor visits to thank God for all the ways He has helped and strengthened me.  And although I haven’t yet achieved “perfect” peace, I’m at least going in the right direction.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.  John 16:13

This week’s question: What Bible scripture have you memorized that you use often?  Or which scripture would you like to memorize?

Next week: We plunge into seeking the joy of trials. 

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Day 30 In Christ Alone

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“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. Psalm 62:1

Earlier this year I trained to be a discipleship coach for an online ministry.  Anyone who searches the internet using certain, key words may encounter the link which offers a free course called Knowing Jesus.  People from all over the world work through the free  course seeking to grow closer to God through the truth of Christ, the Holy Spirit and the Bible.

I recently had a student who said Jesus was a very obedient servant of God.  While that is true, I told her that limited view of Jesus doesn’t ensure we understand the full holiness and deity of Christ.  I explained to her Jesus was fully man and fully God, a sometimes confusing concept.  I asked if that information was new to her, a self-professed, occasionally attending church Christian.  She replied,  “Yes.”  

That one word actually made me sad.  Sad over how the “church,” meaning we, the body of believers have sometimes failed to make clear the place that Jesus sits in heaven.  How we have failed to loudly celebrate that only Christ can be the one to cleanse us of our sins so we can, with His cloak of purity laden over our shoulders, come before the Father.  And the way churches, fellow believers allow our friends and neighbors to remain in the dark about the love the Trinity has shown all humanity  —  when God humbled Himself to walk among us and give us the message of eternal life.

You see, without seeing Jesus in His rightful Holy position we also can’t look to Him for all hope and strength and peace.  Because no average man can give us that.  No, it takes a King of Kings, a Lord of Lords, a solid cornerstone.  Christ alone.

Jesus, the man, was tender, strong, felt pain, and was ever obedient to His Father.  At the same time, Jesus, the Word in flesh, was sinless, wise, merciful, a healer, a life-giver, prescient, could calm storms, and fill nets and endless food baskets.  But most of all Jesus the Holy One was the required sacrifice for our forgiveness of sins.  

He gave His all for us  He suffered much for us.  He loved tremendously for us.

When this same student mentioned she’s too tired on Sundays to regularly attend church, I told her I too used to think church was just another thing on my to-do list.  But when I realized the amazing gift that He gave us in Christ I was compelled to worship Him in gratitude and submission.  Instead of obligation, church became a soul-filler.  When I lift my hands up to Him in love, He reaches back to me through the Holy Spirit and grabs hold of me.  I know that nothing else in this world can ever pluck me from His hands.  He will never let me go.  He brings us home in victory.

If you don’t have this relationship with Christ, call on Him today.  Give Him your all.  And the Lord of All will give all eternity to you.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the past 30 days of Worship as much as I have!  If you missed any posts, I’ve compiled the entire series here.  Please share with your friends today to support this ministry and help be a light out into the darkness.

To listen to today’s song, click here: In Christ Alone

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Enjoying the Cycle of Life & Death

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I had a dream the other day that I had died.  I didn’t die in the dream; I was already dead.  In the dream, I was aware of my death and now “living” in an idyllic New England-style bay village.  The whole situation seemed a bit quirky and yet normal.  There was the typical mom and pop breakfast and lunch café, an ice cream shop on the corner, and even a small inn with a welcoming lobby bar featuring wine nights.  My death-fellows walked about in full acceptance that this was their final destination.  They were friendly and colorful.  It all was so normal yet I kept saying, “surely this can’t be it?”

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die,” Ecclesiates 3:1-2

Ecclesiastes 3 might be one of the most well-known chapters in the Bible simply because in 1959 singer-songwriter Pete Seeger wrote the song, “Turn Turn” or “To Everything There Is a Season.” Made famous by the 60s band, The Byrds, throughout its lyrics the song repeats eight verses found in chapter 3.  

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, a time to reap that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain that which is to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time of love, and a time of hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."

Seeger’s motivation was to emphasize the last line in King Solomon’s list of cyclical life – peace.  But Solomon’s goal was to remind us again that the world keeps spinning round and round and at times may seem so meaningless.  He reflected on wickedness and judgment – a judgment that would be sought out at each of our deaths.

Death, my friends, comes to us all.  We may want to dance around that truth with familiar colloquialisms such as, “If I die….”  But the truth of death stares us in the face each year when we reflect on the people we have “lost.”  “Lost” as though we don’t know what happened to them or where they went.  Maybe they’re wandering around in some idyllic New England town.  Maybe they are in a fiery furnace.  Or maybe they are “with the Lord.”  

As a Christian, I know there’s two roads to take toward death: 1) the way of the world and sin which leads to terrible judgement and hell or 2) the way of Jesus, leading to the glorious New Eden in which love abounds.  For the non-believer they may have chaos in their mind when they ponder death. If they’re atheists, like my father, they might believe that when we die we just disappear into nothingness. Others might hope for something better — like free ice cream for life, surrounded by Golden Retrievers. Many might imagine a walk up to the “pearly gates,” standing before an angel with a book of “infractions and do-goods” hoping the balance sheet is in their favor. For the atheist or confused, none of what they believe has as solid a foundational truth like the Bible.

For the Christian, we can look at Solomon’s list of “this and that” with comfort.  By trusting in God and His promises, we can seek Him in every circumstance, both the seemingly good and bad.  Because each of the times he lists have an element of both.  

“Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” John 16:6-7

The disciples were facing the truth about life.  We will die.  Jesus was the only one to ever know the exact day and hour.  In that death notice, however, Jesus gave them the preview of the blessing to come – the gift of the Holy Spirit. They still grieved mightily, but when the Holy Spirit descended upon them, they remembered His words and were healed.

Join me this Wednesday for Part Two of Enjoying the Cycle of Life & Death where we discover there are no “ordinary people.” Click here for part two.

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Enjoy Life: From Meaningless to Meaningful

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Ecclesiastes 1 begins in a tale of hopelessness: “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.  “Utterly meaningless!  Everything is meaningless.”  A strange beginning of my journey this year into taking to heart God’s word for me to “Enjoy” wouldn’t you say?  After hearing this guidance from Him in January I took to my Bible to find passages which would be key in supporting my success this year.  I found so many great scriptures such as:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.  You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians  3:23-24

One book, however, kept popping up – King Solomon’s study of the meaningless life – Ecclesiastes.  It’s not a book to tackle lightly.  In fact, when pastors and Bible teachers warn us about taking scripture out of context, I would venture to say two books might come to mind, both the book of Job and Ecclesiastes.  Wisdom is not always easily understood.  It uses metaphors, symbolism, parables, and logic.  Jesus, Himself, was prone to sometimes confusing bouts of wisdom instruction.  The disciples, in John 16, sounded relieved when they say to Jesus, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech.” (Jn 16:29)  

But Ecclesiastes mentions “enjoy” throughout its pages.  In fact, you might say the entire book is figuring out how to enjoy this seemingly repetitive and mundane life.  Is it through knowledge?  Through wealth, food, drink, or other sensual pleasures?  Or maybe through wisdom – something God gifted King Solomon. This book’s sometimes confusing yet, intriguing study of life, drew me in wanting the keys to one of life’s greatest questions.  A question a new friend of mine said she googled just the other day, “What is the meaning of life?”

I hope you join me on this journey during the next 10 or 12 weeks as we let King Solomon’s in-depth look into the “meaningless” life work into our hearts and minds. I want to encourage you to read the entire book during the series. It’s 12 short chapters!  His truth-telling is sometimes raw and a little painful.  However, his honesty serves to strengthen our faith.  As Jesus once so famously admonished His disciples: 

“Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  Matthew 6:25-26

In other words, love God and enjoy your life.

Enjoy Life: from meaningless to meaningful begins Monday, March 4.  Please encourage your friends and family to follow along by having them receive their weekly email post.  Sign up at Emboldened.net. 

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A Time for Everything

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There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.  A time to be born and a time to die.  Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

As a kid living in southern California, I had the opportunity to go to Disneyland a number of times.  Before each visit my brother and I would plan out how to strategically use our tickets – yes, back then we had ticket books for rides.  That’s where the saying, “It’s an E ticket ride” comes from, meaning the best ones.  In the ticket book there’d be loads of A tickets for the kiddie rides and shows.  But only a few, valuable E tickets.  I imagined how much fun I was going to have spinning around the tea cups and travelling through the Haunted Mansion.  But when I got to Disneyland all I could think of was the next ride.  And the next.  When we would leave, I felt a sense of disappointment.  Like I hadn’t really been there at all.  So, I looked forward to the day we could go back and begin the process of yearning for something better around the next bend all over again.

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. Proverb 27:1

That has been a lifelong problem for me – always looking for tomorrow to bring me joy and peace.  It’s also brought me a lot of worry.  And although God wants us to be good stewards of our life, planning and preparing, He doesn’t want our hearts and minds to be absent from today.  Or worse, trapped in the past.  During difficult seasons we can so easily project our life to what we hope it to be or catastrophize our life to what we are worried it will be.  We often also wish we could just go back to the way things were.  Back home, back to a perceived better or safer time.  

On my rides home from the Magic Kingdom, I would wish I could go back.  Go back and relish each ride, each experience to its fullest.   And while I was doing that, I was probably missing out again on what was happening right then and there.  I can only imagine Elijah, a quiet, rugged mountain shepherd on day 50 or 100 or even 200 in Cherith Ravine letting his mind wander back home to Gilead.  Being just a man, he probably once or twice longed for his old way of life where kings and queens weren’t threatening his life.  Where he could pick berries and drink fresh goat milk each day instead of relying on ravens for food.  But God needed him right there, right at that time paying attention.

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15

It’s a hard lesson when we are in pain, suffering through bad news, or being persecuted.  We are admonished to trust in God for tomorrow and not yearn to go backwards to home.  And yet, in the midst of my Cherith I found myself doing just that.

Both my children had returned to their own homes after saying their final goodbyes to their beloved grandmother.  My husband too had returned back to a job that needed his presence.  That next day, after a particularly hard few moments and, to be honest, watching my brother-in-law’s little family gather closely together, I needed to escape.  I felt so alone and incapable of the task of helping shepherd my mother-in-law through her final days.  I took my eyes off the Lord and placed them back on myself.  A phone call home had me crying out to my husband, “I can’t do this.  I’m not strong enough.  I want to come home right now.”

I wanted to go back to before the cancer.  I wanted to envelope myself in my comfortable routine back home.  Fear and loneliness wrapped around me like a heavy blanket.  And then I remembered Elijah.  I looked toward the majesty of the Colorado Rockies and remembered God can do all things.  And He needed me right there, right now.  Not longing for home or better times.  Not worrying about the future. Instead, paying attention to the beautiful moments and lessons He had placed before me for today.

22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. John 16:22

I still will battle looking for the next “better thing” around the corner.  But the time between that search and remembering to enjoy this day has reduced to mere moments as I pull my thoughts back to looking for Jesus right now.  There is a time for everything. To prepare and to sow, to cry and to laugh. To keep and throw away. To mourn and to dance. When we step outside God’s timing we find ourselves at odds with His plan. But when we live in His moments, His seasons, we find ourselves in harmony. That is God’s promised peace.  And that my friends, is exactly where the joy is.