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Day 30 In Christ Alone

July 30, 2024July 25, 2024 krisshetter

^“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

30daysofpraise, Bible, bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian men, christian parenting, Christian women, Faith, god, Jesus, Jesus Follower, politics, prayer, proverbs, religion, Transformation Prayer, Uncategorized, wisdom

Day 29 Good Day

July 29, 2024July 24, 2024 krisshetter

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:1-5

“The Lord bless you and keep you; ²⁵the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; ²⁶the Lordturn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ Numbers 6:24-26

I’ve heard a famous Christian teacher tell audiences this profound truth: “It’s one thing to see a miserable sinner but a miserable Christian is a tragic thing.” While we all, believers and non-believers, have heartbreaking or difficult events in our lives, we have to acknowledge that the majority of our lives run from fun and exciting to dull and average. Yet throughout it all Jesus followers should emulate the apostle Paul and be always searching and living gratefully for God’s ever presence in our lives.

This truth really hit home for me when I read Corrie Ten Boom’s famous book, “The Hiding Place.” Her sister Betsie could find joy in God’s provision even in the darkest moments of a Nazi concentration camp. Corrie, more of a like-mind with me, would roll her eyes when her sister would make joyous declarations such as, “Give thanks in all circumstances. It doesn’t say ‘in pleasant circumstances.’ Fleas are part of this place where God has put us.”

As lights of the Lord reflecting out God’s love and goodness to the world, we need to be especially mindful of our outward attitude and appearance when events go awry in our lives. Showing the world who we trust and who is working for our good. And when events turn to joy we need to give it all up to God in His bountiful mercy and glory.

I first heard this song about having a good day when I was visiting and caring for my two-year old grandson. My daughter had shared with me Owen’s Spotify playlist so we could listen to his pre-school songs in the car. You know, fun stuff like “icky sticky bubble gum” and the “wheels on the bus” played on repeat. When this bright and joyous song came on in the car he exclaimed, “Mommy’s song!” We sang along with vigor.

I asked my daughter about it later that day. She explained they play this song every morning on their way to work and daycare to set the tone for the day. To remember that with God in our lives it can always be a good day. Because while the Lord has blessed us with breath and we acknowledge that the creator of the universe knows our very name, we can have a great day in every single way.

Friend, I once thought this view of life was blind to the realities of the world. Until the scales were taken off my eyes and the truth was revealed. Emmanuel, God with Us, shines His beautiful light on us in all circumstances. So play it loud and sing it like ya mean it. Because today can and will be a good day.

Click here to listen to today’s song: Good Day

Day 27 Great Are You Lord

July 27, 2024July 9, 2024 krisshetter

“My soul glorifies the Lord  and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. Luke 1:46-48

When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.  When anxiety was great within me,your consolation brought me joy.  Psalm 94:18-19

In 2023, Psychotherapist Charlotte Fox Weber wrote an article for CNBC which revealed that, after 10 years of treating patients and being a patient herself, there are nine things humans universally desire in life:

To be loved
To be understood
To have power
To have and give attention
To have freedom
To create
To belong
To win
To connect

Well, I have great news for Dr. Weber and all humanity. Jesus will fulfill all these needs. Our great Lord will love you through all eternity. He knows every single thing about you – and experienced much of it Himself. Not only does He know you so well, He still loves you!

Through Jesus we have power to overcome our fears, anxieties, wrath from man, and more. He removes the chains of sins and calls us sons and daughters of the God Most High.

We become free to experience and create joy in our lives and in those around us. This joy connects us to a community of believers who support you and walk beside side you times of trouble.

And best of all as heirs to the Kingdom we stand in victory. Through His resurrection, Jesus has conquered death and sin. He holds out His hand for you to join Him in this glorious triumph.

He is the giver of all life, of breath, of light and hope. He is the provider of everything for which you long. Reach out to Him and pour out your praise Him today!

Click here to listen to today’s song: Great Are You Lord

Day 26 How He Loves Us

July 26, 2024July 8, 2024 krisshetter

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. ⁴I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. Psalm 63:3-4

Do you love God? Sounds like a simple question and one that could be answered flippantly. But do you really love God? Do you love Him so much that you seek to worship and submit to Him each and every minute of your day?

A friend shared a comment her adult son made to her once. He’s seems to be very angry with God. His biting comment was, “If God is so all-powerful then why does he need your worship?”

How would you answer that?

For me, I realized not too long ago that I hadn’t completely grasped the idea of loving and worshipping God. I prayed thankfulness, petition and repentance. But lacked an expression of love. It led me to ask if I loved God.

Let’s clear up one thing. God doesn’t need our worship. He doesn’t need our love. He doesn’t need anything from us. However, I ask you if you had good and loving parents, do you still love them as you’ve become an adult? If so, then why? Your answer is probably because they did so much for you. They tended to your every need as a child. Fed you, put a roof over your head, taught you, and yes, loved you.

If you didn’t have that sort of up bringing you probably don’t love your parents. You may feel a burden of obligation but love isn’t present. In fact, you may feel the hole where love should be.

Now think about what Jesus has done for you. For a reason which only God knows He chose you. Yes you. You backsliding sinner. He loved you even before you accepted Him as your savior. While you were still in the mud and muck of your sin.

He lowered Himself to being a human and didn’t count His divinity as something to lord over us while He was here. He came to save us from a terrible, painful eternity. Which all of us deserve. Every single one of us.

He went to the cross and died a bloody, humiliating death. To wash you clean before the Father. A brother, a friend, the only God who gave His life for you. That should bring you to tears of love and a desire to worship Him.

His blood and His love cover us and give us a new, beautiful life. How can we not worship a god whose very essence is love? How can we not drop prostrate and sing to all the ways that He loves us?

Click here to listen: How He Loves Us

Day 25 For All My Life

July 25, 2024July 8, 2024 krisshetter

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ³⁵For whoever wants to save their lifewill lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.  Mark 8:34-35

in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight  Proverbs 3:6

I’ll admit that for almost half of my life I relied on one person to resolve all my problems, to quell my fears, and to help me succeed in life. Myself. While I did a decent job of pulling myself up and around by my own boot straps, I also did a bang up job of living a life of stress, anxiety and worry. When I met my husband, he called me the queen of “woulda, coulda, shoulda.”

In other words, I would regret and worry about every single decision I made. If I “fixed it” and it didn’t turn out very good then I was also the one to take much of the blame. I leaned heavily on my own understanding. The burden became unbearable. I put the same pressure on friends, family and acquaintances to take on the same responsibility. When they didn’t, I would look on with annoyance that they weren’t doing life “right.”

That type of living doesn’t keep quality relationships. It definitely doesn’t bring joy and love and goodness.

The study I did this summer on being a slave to Christ (Slave by John MacArthur) has further revealed to me how being owned by Jesus is so much easier than being a slave to a sinful life outside His will. When we let Him take the lead and shine the light on our paths, we can take a deep breath of fresh air. We view troubles, challenges or even failures in a different light.

We may not always see our life with Christ as a straight and beautiful path of goodness. But that’s just the world trying to speak back into us. As long as we have our eyes always on Jesus it doesn’t matter what seems uncertain. The North Star is always where it should be even if the road is a bit squiggly. He will guide you right to Him.

Click here to listen: For All My Life

Day 24 Tremble

July 24, 2024July 21, 2024 krisshetter

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome.  John 1:4-5

For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.  Psalm 36:9

When I was little my brother used to hide under my bed at night and make scary noises. He would reach out and grab any of my body parts that hung over the side. Needless to say, as an adult I am still terrified of the dark. And I never, ever allow my legs or arms to hang off the side of the bed. You would think that after 50 or so years I would have managed to overcome those fears.

But here I am. I never walk my dog after dusk or before dawn by myself. I check the locks on my doors a few times before I go to bed when my husband is out of town. I pray for the peace of God to descend on me so I can sleep. If I get up at night, I still have twinges that something might grab me from under the bed. Of course, some of my fears (not the one where a gremlin grabs my leg) are justified.

Let me just take a moment for a public service announcement – women should never walk alone in the dark, ever. We can’t change that fact no matter how much we’d like to, no matter how unfair it might seem. It’s the result of a fallen, sinful world.

But I digress — thankfully, many of our fears, which so often are about our worries for tomorrow, can be turned over to the Holy One who brings His light to our life. When Jesus shines His light over us, He pushes back against the dark thoughts that can overwhelm us. He overcomes all. Evil trembles at His name. He lavishes us with peace.

The beauty of His light? He wants us to share it for all the world to see. He reminds believers we are the light of the world. It’s our testimonies to our friends, family, neighbors and strangers that passes the light of peace to those in darkness.

Friend, we all have fears. Some silly like ankle grabbing gremlins. Some that may actually keep us safe. But some are because we try and control others or the future. Those can destroy our peace. Lift them up to the God of Light and ask the Holy Spirit to help you not take them back. And then shine the light of overcoming your fear out to others.

Click here to listen to today’s song: Tremble

Day 23 All My Praise

July 23, 2024July 21, 2024 krisshetter

Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ²⁴But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” Luke 5:23-24

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love, according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Psalm 51:1

I recently read about the Free Grace movement which started around the late 1980s. Their basic belief is that you need only to say you believe in Jesus to receive eternal life in the Kingdom of God. No repentance necessary. No change in your ways. You don’t even need to say you “follow” Jesus.

While you can find places in the New Testament where people received salvation from Jesus for believing, one has to ask in the modern world the question of what does “believing” mean?

Your definition of “believing” is important because if you believe Jesus was just a guy who lived a long time ago or a prophet who did some miracles then you won’t believe He forgives our sins and with compassion blots out our transgressions. You might think Jesus had some good life advice that may or may not apply to you. It certainly doesn’t lead you to get on your knees in submission and praise.

If you believe He is God but don’t seek through the Holy Spirit a repentant, changed life then you might find yourself facing a Jesus who says to you: “You say Lord, Lord but I didn’t know you.”

Easy “believism” doesn’t lead to a life of divine-given fruit through our act of acknowledging our sin nature. People Jesus encountered throughout His time here and believed were always told to go and do something. Sin no more, tell someone, worship differently, give up something.

The Lord Jesus wants not just our words, He wants all of us. He expects believers to see Him as the God who reigns over every single aspect of our lives. He wants the repentant not the unrepentant in His Kingdom. And it’s only Him that can forgive and transform. It’s that Jesus that causes us to be thankful, grateful for removing the scales from our eyes so we can see Him clearly.

And for that we should give Him all praise because in the end that’s truly the only thing we can offer back to the God of the Universe.

Click here to listen to today’s song: All My Praise

Day 22 Breathe S&S

July 22, 2024July 21, 2024 krisshetter

Again, Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”²²And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  John 20:22

Then the Lord God formed a manfrom the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,and the man became a living being.  Genesis 2:7

I recently finished the book Slave by John MacArthur with an amazing group of women. It was challenging, convicting and encouraging. He writes that when the King James version of the Bible was created, the word “slave” was softened to “servant” in many places. The ancient concept of slavery had evolved and caused people to become averse and sensitive to the word.

In Greco-Roman times, the average landowner, merchant, trader, politician, etc had their fair share slaves and bondservants. It was expected and universally accepted. Those folks performed every task imaginable for households and businesses including being a doctor, shopkeeper, accountant, farmer, maid and more. It was said that walking the streets of Roman towns you wouldn’t have known the difference between a slave or free person.

Opportunities for a poor person to be able to care for themselves financially were so limited many offered themselves up as slaves so that every need they had would be provided by their owner. As for the average Roman citizen? They were “Caesarians” or slaves to Caesar. Some scholars have proposed that the term “Christian” literally means “slave to Christ.”

When I listen to this song, which feels so much like a love song, I find myself collapsed in total submission to the Master. A slave to Christ. Bought for a hefty price. Loved and cared for by the Creator. A Master whom I never fear will treat me badly or forget about me. This Master has literally given me the breath of life.

Mr. MacArthur points out that we are all slaves to something. I prefer to turn my life over and be desperate for the One who breathed a peace in me that goes beyond any understanding.

Modern, worldly slavery is a terrible human disaster. Traffickers of people have no care for the people they destroy and toss aside. To be a slave to God, however, gives life, a life eternal. Who or what are you desperate to serve each and every day?

Click here to listen to today’s song: Breathe by Shane & Shane

Day 21 Breathe (MCM)

July 21, 2024July 21, 2024 krisshetter

The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:5-7

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Psalm 150:6

What are you most worried about right now? What miracle are you waiting for? What frustrates you today that just won’t go away? Just breathe and praise the Lord.

A pastor I’ve heard a couple times starts out each sermon telling the congregation to first take a deep, deep breath. And slowly let it out. Re-focus on the Lord we came to hear about and worship. That’s the key – we may briefly take a deep breath but who or what do you turn back to? The same worry or fear? It reminds me of the old cartoons I used to watch as a kid. A mouse trying to run away from a cat but stays in one place with his feet moving a hundred miles and hour.

You may have heard that if you say the Hebrew name of God out loud it’s like taking a breath in and blowing it out. Try it – Yah…weh. God is pretty clever. It’s almost as though He wants to be an integral part of our lives. To be our very breath. He is the only God that lives inside His believers!

So, take that deep breath today. Say His name out loud. Praise Him that He is the Lord who provides. The Lord who reminds us He can guard our hearts from stress and thoughts that destroy. Release your burdens and don’t take them back. Praise God!

Click here to listen to today’s song: Breathe by Maverick City Music

Day 20 Nothing Left To Prove

July 20, 2024July 9, 2024 krisshetter

Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. John 21: 25

The Lord is gracious and merciful,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
⁹The Lord is good to all,
    and his mercy is over all that he has made. Psalm 145: 8-9

If the New Testament verse sounds familiar today it’s because John 20 (yesterday) says something similar about the purpose of the Book of John – so people will believe. Today’s verse is slightly different. I love how the apostle John makes a point to say the number of miracles was so numerous the world couldn’t contain all the books written. Imagine how many books there are in the world!

Jesus kept proving over and over to the people He encountered and those that heard of Him that there was something different about this man. As modern day believers we need to grasp that the books in the Bible are just a glimpse of the God of the Universe. They are a taste to show us a few of the million reasons why we should believe and trust in Him.

The Bible is book about one being – God in three persons. Over centuries, He had prophets, kings, and disciples write the biography of Him. There is no other religion that follows a god who wants the people to know them like the God of Abraham, Moses and Isaac. No other god who refuses to let us go. Who sent, in effect, himself to be humbled and suffer and die for His people.

His mercy to all people is revealed as bountiful. He is giving us plenty of time to turn to Him and acknowledge all the miracles He has performed in the past and even today. So that we can live in love with Him for all eternity. How many more reasons do you still need to trust in Him?

Click here to listen to today’s song: Nothing Left To Prove