Tag: Bible

Independence and Freedom

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This coming week, on the 4th of July, America will celebrate what is commonly called its birthday. More formally known as Independence Day, the day commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. This document announced the separation of the 13 colonies from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence states that “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be Free and Independent States.” 

Two beautiful words: free and independent. “Free” is the ability to exercise freedom, the right to act without hindrance. Citizens are able to speak and think freely. “Independence” is to be free from the authority of others. There are many, many countries that do not have the blessings of freedom or independence.

There is one freedom that everyone on earth can share regardless of where they live: freedom in Jesus Christ. Romans 6:7 says, “For the one who has died has been freed from sin.” What does this mean, that one has to die to be free from sin? We have to die to our wants, our desires, our priorities. The verse means that when we put Jesus first in our lives, above ourselves, then we are freed from sin. We will still sin, because we are human, but when we give our lives to Jesus, His precious blood washes us clean from our sin.

Credit: JC

As celebrations occur, may we remember those who live in bondage and fear. Those who are not free and are unable to speak or think freely. May we pray that they would receive the freedom that Jesus offers.

John 8:36, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Secrets to Life – Part Three

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It seems that everyone is looking for the secrets to life to increase happiness, joy, peace, love or to attain some other positive state of mind. Each week, a secret to life has been revealed that is intended to lead you to a more peaceful, love-filled and joyous state of being. This week, the third secret to life is revealed.

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Serve others. Even when you do not want to or you do not feel like serving others. ‘Others’ can be those you live with or they can be complete strangers. ‘Serving’ can be a compliment to a loved one on how helpful or kind they are to you. ‘Serving’ a stranger can be paying for the order of the car behind you in the drive-thru. There are many different ways to serve others.

Why is this a secret to life? It moves the focus from you to another. It reminds us that we are all a part of the same human race on the same planet, all moving toward our individual day to die. Serving others is infectious, you share a compliment, then that person may share a compliment with another and so on. Or in the drive-thru, the person who received the free meal from you may pass that forward and buy the next car’s meal and so on. Serving others results in kindness and the more kindness that exists, the more peace, love and joy there will be for all of us.

Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, thank you for the opportunity to serve others. There are so many ways that I can be a blessing to someone – whether that is a kind word, a smile, sending a card, buying someone’s coffee or many other ways. Please show me today how to serve someone. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

My Scars and the Shame I Carry

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I have scars on each of my wrists, they have been there a long time. When strangers see them, I am sure they judge me. I am sure they have thoughts like, ‘how did they get there’ or ‘it looks like a failed suicide attempt’, and so on. When I see strangers looking at them, I am filled with shame. It is in those moments that I must remind myself that Jesus loves me, no matter what I did in the past or what was done to me – He loves me. Exactly as I am. Messed up past included.

As we celebrate Easter, I thought about the scars that Jesus bore on His body for all people. Every single human on this earth has the chance to be filled with eternal peace, joy and love simply by believing that Jesus died for us. “For God so loved the world that He sent His Son that whoever believes in the Son will have eternal life.” John 3:16 says it all, God loves us so much! All we have to do is believe. Just believe that God loves you, exactly as you are.

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The scars that Jesus has were created out of humanity’s shame and sin, not His. He never did anything to deserve those scars, yet Jesus chose to accept them. While His scars represent a horrible and painful death, they are also beautiful – they saved me and you.

When I look at my scars, I need to remember that not only am I perfectly and completely loved by Jesus, scars and all, but I also need to focus on how He sees my scars. Jesus sees someone who was once in terrible pain and struggling to live, but now has Him. Believing in Jesus does not make life perfect, it never will be perfect here on earth. But believing in Jesus makes life worth living; every day there is a peace and love that cannot be described, no matter what is going on around you. As we come upon Easter, consider the scars that Jesus bears for you. Yes, you. All so that you can know without a doubt that by His wounds, you are healed. Let those words sink in my friend, you are healed.

Happy Easter!

When Jesus is Asleep Part 2

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Luke 8:22-25 says, “One day Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side of the lake.’ So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’ He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ‘Where is your faith?’ he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, ‘Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.’ “

When the storm raged around the boat and the disciples were afraid, they forgot a critical piece of information. Jesus said they were going to the other side of the lake. He did not say they were going to drown or die or maybe they would make it to the other side. He said they were going to the other side. I wonder if the disciples had remembered what Jesus said, would they have been as scared?

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How many times have we been scared and forgotten what God has said?

“The Lord goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear.” Deuteronomy 31:8.

God has promised He will never leave us, nor forsake us. God goes before us and is with us, which is why God commands us “do not fear”. That sounds great, but how do we not fear? We cling to His word, we remember His promises, we remind ourselves that Jesus is with us. We remind ourselves and each other that there is nothing to fear, we have the Savior of the world right here with us.

Let’s pray. Father, please help us to remember that You are right here with us. You go before us and protect us as we come and go. You will never leave us. We thank You for Your promises. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

When Jesus is Asleep Part 1

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Matthew 8:23-27 says that Jesus “. . . got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’ He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!'”

When Jesus fell asleep in the boat and then was awakened by the screaming disciples, He seemed disappointed or maybe exasperated at the disciples for having such little faith.

What if the disciples did not wake Him, but instead clung to Him?  What if when they were scared, they quietly dropped to their knees at His feet or maybe just crawled up next to Him – just to be close to Him? 

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In times of trouble, maybe if we fall to our knees at His feet or just crawl into His arms to be held instead of allowing fear to grip us…whatever little faith we have will grow as we draw closer to Him during the storm. After all, Jesus is right there in the boat riding out the storms of life with us. Let Him hold you, hear Him telling you everything will be okay. Just be held in the loving arms of our Savior. Feel His love.

Keep Fighting

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There is a common phrase that people say, “Keep fighting”.  This phrase is applied to many situations and I am fairly certain you can think of one instance in your life that someone told you to keep fighting.  Sometimes to keep fighting is not the answer. Instead of fighting, consider the many Bible verses that say to “stand firm”.  There are over 30 verses that command us to “stand firm” between the Old and New Testament.  From Moses to Ezra to Job to David to Solomon to Isaiah to Jesus to Paul and more – we are told to “stand firm”. See below for just a few example verses. 

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Exodus 14:13:  “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again’.” 

2 Chronicles 20:17: “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.” 

Psalm 20:8: “They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.” 

Isaiah 7:9  “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.”

Matthew 10:22: “You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” 

Luke 21:19 : “Stand firm, and you will win life.” 

1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you.” 

1 Corinthians 16:13: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

Galatians 5:1: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of sin.”

So how do we stand firm?  2 Corinthians 1:21 says “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.”  The answer is God.  God is how we stand firm. It is not in our own strength, but through our relationship with God that we are able to stand firm.  So don’t just keep fighting in every situation without praying through whether God would have you fight or stand firm. If you feel God is telling you to stand firm, then know and believe God’s promises. There is no need to fight. “The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you.” Deuteronomy 30:1.

Let’s pray. Father, please give us wisdom in our circumstances to know whether you would have us keep fighting or stand firm. Either way, please give us Your strength. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Is It Possible We Are Looking for God in the Wrong Places?

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I am in a season of waiting. I have been praying and occasionally fasting for something since 2008. It is a dream that God put on my heart quite some time ago. I still have faith that He will bring this dream to fruition. I have tested the dream to ensure it is Biblical, of His character and something that would advance the Kingdom of God.

We must objectively assess whether the thing we are pursuing is of us or of God and these are a few ways to complete that assessment. I did not ask for this dream, it just showed up one day deeply engrained into my spirit. When I think about it, I am filled with joy and see how God would be glorified. But it is not a reality.

I cannot tell you how many times I have prayed about it. There have been times where I have asked God to remove the dream if it was not to be fulfilled. It sometimes causes me pain to have a glimpse of what could be and then snap back into reality and recall how long it has been – the waiting, the hoping, the praying.

I tend to ask God to communicate to me in a very obvious way, a way I would not miss. If He is talking, I certainly do not want to miss it. And I can be oblivious at times. But I also wonder if I am looking for God in the wrong places. I tend to think that when He speaks, it will be like a thunder bolt or so obvious that I could never miss it. And sometimes He does communicate with us like that.

Yet, we see how God communicated with Elijah:

“The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?'”
1 Kings 19:11–13 NIV

I am looking for the big, obvious revelation. Whether it is a street sign telling me the next step in my journey or a stranger walking up to me and handing me a quote from God that says “Go do X. Love, God”. And yes, He does talk to us that way sometimes, but I tend to think He speaks to us gently, in whispers.

If every time He spoke, the Earth cracked open around us or a tornado blew through, I think we would all have an issue. Instead, what if He is talking to us in those whispers we hear, also described as a still, small voice? We need to be close to Him and lean in even closer when He speaks. We need to write down what we hear lest we forget. We need to ensure what we heard is Biblical, aligns with God’s character, and advances His Kingdom and His Glory. If so, then we need to do what we hear as soon as we can. This approach opens up an ongoing flow of communication, we grow closer to Him, and we learn more about how He communicates so it becomes easier to hear Him.

Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, we thank You that You speak to us through Your creation, Your Holy Spirit, Your Word and other believers. Help us to hear You better. Help us to look for You where You are and hear You in the whispers. Thank you for loving us and never giving up on us when we miss Your whispers. In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen