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Archive for the ‘Devotional’ Category

Get Comfort-able

Posted in Christian, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on April 22, 2014| Leave a Comment »

 

Growing up, Mom draped comforters over the ends of our beds. It was an extra cover in case we got cold in the night. Weather in Texas can change in a heart beat. When we felt ill, she would wrap us in our comforter and place us on the couch so she could go about her housework and still keep a watchful eye onID-100112567 us. To this day, a comforter symbolizes love, healing, warmth, and security to me. I still keep one at the end of my bed.  And when I am ill, I still snatch it off my bed and migrate to the couch.

Being cozy and warm is like having arms wrapped around you. You feel cocooned in peace and sheltered from the harsh winds of the world. Prayer shawls can have that effect. They make you feel as if you are enveloped in God’s love. Even without my shawl, my prayer time with God often feels that way, no matter if I am praying for someone else or  if I am coming to Him on contrite knees asking forgiveness. I still feel His Holy Spirit hugging me. His presence surrounds me, protects me and loves on me.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,iwho comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 

That is how Paul starts off his second letter to the Corinthian Christians. My brain spun around this verse like a loop-de-loop on a roller coaster. It wove in and out of the clauses in a spiral that didn’t end. If  I wrote that passage today, my editor would have sent it back with so many red marks all over it – over use of the same words, run-on sentences, etc.

Yet, Paul gives us a true golden nugget because his progression is logical. Giving comfort is a non-ending spiral.  Before we can comfort, we have to have been comforted.You cannot share an experience you have never had. And, because we have been comforted, we should now comfort others. Why? Because as Christians, our comforter is the Father of  mercies and God of all comfort. He designed it so that our response to His comfort would be to spread that comfort to others and lead them to Him.

Because I know my Lord forgives my iniquities, I can more easily forgive others. That opens me to being able to provide them comfort, and more importantly, showing them my Lord who is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.

Are your comfort-able to receive God’s mercy and love? Maybe you will feel called to wrap His love around someone else’s shoulders like a comforter this week? Or perhaps, you need to become more comfortable with the idea of allowing someone to wrap His comfort around you. Whichever scenario fits your situation, it’s okay. Grab your comforter, prayer shawl or blankie and snuggle in. Comfort awaits.

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Enter The Gates

Posted in Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 8, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Next Sunday begins the journey through the gates.

ID-100154628 With praises and loud voices we wave palm branches to welcome Jesus into the gates of Jerusalem.

But, within a few days, we watch as his ministry on earth appears to crumble. Plots against him escalate. He and his disciples hide out in an upper room to celebrate the Passover, then pass through the city gates to a mount in a secluded olive grove.

One of them betrays Him,and the rest scatter, denying that they know Him in fear of meeting the same fate as He is to meet as he is dragged through the gates into the courts. The crowds choose a well-known criminal to pardon instread of Jesus and after much flogging and mocking,

He carries his cross through the streets, pass the main city gates and unto a hill. There he is nailed tothe beams of wood, and suffers unto death.

But the story doesn’t end. Unbeknowst to the world, Jesus enters the gates of Hell to conquer the power of Satan — sin and death  — once and for all. He took our sins upon the cross,carried them to Hell, and then built the bridge for us to Heaven.

Then rejoice! The stone is rolled away and He is risen. Now the gates of Heaven are open wide, as Don McClean sung in his wonderful Easter song, as seen through Peter’s eyes, “He’s Alive”.

What gates are in your life right now? Are they opened to Jesus entering through them, or have you closed them, slapped on a heavy lock and stepped away? We face all kinds of gates. Joyful ones like entering into marriage, or going off to college, or having a baby, and maybe entering your financially secure retirement years- is there such a thing now?  Maybe the gates are sorrowful- the last Hospice days of a loved one, the unexpected diagnosis from your doctor, the papers served to tell you your spouse wants to end the marriage. Maybe the are gates of unknown. A job change, moving to a new city, leaving home, entering the mission field abroad.

There is one common denominator in all these scenarios, and the upcoming Holy Week from Palm Sunday through Easter shows that. Whatever the gate is – Jesus is there. Let Him walk through it with you. Gates have no power over Him. So  give thanks and praise His name. Then hold His hand and enter in.


Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Psalm 24:7

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100 :4

 

 

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A Grave Situation

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , , , , on April 1, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Have you ever felt buried? I have. The hole seemed so deep, yet themroeI tried toclimb my way out,the more I kept sinking.Exhausted, physically, emotionally and spititually, I lay as if paralyzed. Stress, job pressures, finances, loss, sorrow, poor self-image – they all were shovels of dirt thrown on top of me, suffocating any positive outlook, trapping my hands to my sides.

But, deep in the beats of my heart still lay the truth of Philippians 4:11-13.  I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be contentx whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry ywhether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

The minister in the movie God’s Not Dead relays this message to a young Muslim turned Christian woman who has been disinherited. Other people in the movie have to face heartaches, devastating illnesses, or rejection by those they love. Yet each of them, through dying to their past find life in Christ. If you haven’t seen this movie, do.

ID-100128625I have heard it said, when you hit rock bottom you begin to realize that Jesus is the Rock. Jesus rose from the grave so He can raise us from ours- not only at the end of the age when He returns for His own, but daily. So many people today are walking dead. They have lost hope. They see no future. They plod through their lives without purpose beyond making money so they can eat and have a roof over their heads.  Maybe they make money on the side to support a habit they think will bring them joy, but it sinks them deeper into the grave of despondency and helplessness

Whatever pits you have dug, whatever graves the world has chucked you in, there is hope. Call on Jesus to reach down and pull you out. He will shake off the dirt and make you clean, filled with hope, peace and strength in all things.

Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I open your graves, and raise you from your graves. O my people, I put my Spirit within you, and you shall live. Ezekiel 37:13-14a.

 

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“Delivery”

Posted in Devotional, tagged , , , , , on March 22, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Two blog  posts  hit my inbox today–  one from an anti-trafficking missionary, another from a writer of devotionals. One in the field, one at a desk. Same message: it can’t be about you.

“Your eyes and heart need to be constantly on Jesus. Not on the circumstance or the evil that you know exists, but the love you know is eternal.” Prayer For Freedom 

“Why would God call, consecrate, and commission us to share our faith, when many believers experience perceived failure and consider it mission: impossible? Often, perception doesn’t reflect reality. Actually, God never asks us to perform a task without empowering and equipping us to accomplish His task.”  Allan Mitchell – Power to Change

There is one thing which will stop the message of the GOSPEL from reaching the ears who need to hear it…my pride. To share the love of ID-10056738Christ, I must not worry about rejection, rolling eyes or retracting footsteps. I am to, when prompted,  share what I know: Jesus loves me and you so much He died to be with us,  He is the one gift we are supposed to re-gift.

Whether that truth comes out in actions, in words, or in a smile, I am not the one giving the gift of Life.  My Lord is, through me. I am just the one who delivers the package. Christ i  s the present that can be clutched to the heart, or left on the table unopened. I may be the first person to offer the gift, or the fiftieth. Each time, it is up to the receiver to accept it, lay it aside, or toss it in the trash,

Lord keep me from focusing more on the method of delivery instead of the gift, which is You. Let me realize I am not the one they are accepting or rejecting, I am only the one You have deemed to be the person who knocks on their door and says, “Delivery.”

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

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It’s all in the clothes

Posted in Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , , on March 18, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Maybe the old saying that “the clothes makes the man” is true.

In my Bible study group, a friend made an analogy. She stated that the police are just normal human beings. They have to eat, they get sleepy, they have a bad day–just like the ID-100174324rest of us. But, put a uniform on them, and they assume an authority that most people obey and respect. People may run to the uniform seeking help. Or, if they feel guilty over something they did, it may make them cower and turn away.

She went on to point out that we Christians are no different. We all have our flaws, our tendency to sin, to be self-orientated. But when we are cloaked in the cloth of the Holy Spirit, we take on the authority of Christ.  “…for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Galatians 3:27

How people react depends on their situation. They may show respect for the wisdom our walk with God represents, and the power of His Spirit growing in us. They may run to us for help, whimpering, “Please pray for me.” Or, they may back away, afraid the Light shining from us will expose their dark secrets. How people perceive them doesn’t stop the police from doing their job, day in and day out.

The analogy goes further. Just as the police officers have to wear their uniforms to do their job, so we must dress in the love of Christ  before we head out to do our job – going into the world to spread the good news of Christ.  And, just as police officers strap on their equipment and weapons which has been assigned to them, so should we strap on the Armour of God (Ephesians 6) before we venture out.

A police officer is trained to always be prepared. Putting on their protective paraphernalia, communication equipment, their identifying uniform, and/or badge is all part of their routine before they go on duty. 

Fellow Christian, is it your routine to do the same?

 

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Dreading It

Posted in Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on March 11, 2014| Leave a Comment »

ID-100231618Today, I have to go to the dentist. Just saying the word raises my blood pressure. My chest tightens a touch…well more than that.

I have a cavern in one tooth. I can feel it with my tongue. Probably it is not more than a pin prick, it just seems that huge. Logic tells me if I don’t go through the pain of the shot, drilling and filling, it will begin to hurt more and more. At first, it maybe just a touch of discomfort. Then, Ice water will make me cringe, and next, hot soup will make me suck air. In a week or so, I will have to down aspirin, dab on anesthetic gels, and toss and turn at night. So, it has to be done.

Sin is that way isn’t it? It may seems small to the world, but to the one who is carrying it, it can be huge. But, the pain of being examined by Christ as He drills in and cleans it out of our lives is not a pleasant thing. But, like filling a cavity, it is necessary. Otherwise, after a while that sin will interfere with everything we do. Like the dentist, Our Lord has to clean out the mess before it can be properly treated. That hurts as well, but only for a while.

I know- if I had brushed my teeth more than once a day, or had not skipped those times I was too tired to floss before bedtime, or not chomped on that taffy, or downed those carbonated drinks… Little slip-ups can accumulate into something very unpleasant to have to handle–like a cavity.

Are not our lives the same way? We are accountable for our actions, and good or bad, they build up. Just as good dental habits make our teeth stronger and protect us against cavities, our good habits protect our souls and make us strong against the attacks of the devil. Whereas the bad habits can eat away at our souls bit by bit. At first we may not notice, but then, uh-oh. There it is. Just try to ignore it for very long.

I have to go to the dentist today. It is only one hour out of my life, and in reality, about 30 seconds of pain. Yet, I dread it. But, deep down I know God will be there to hold my hand and see me through it. Ditto for the sin I need to come to Him about.

I never thought I’d find God in a dentist appointment, but there you go. Where will you find Him today?

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All Night

Posted in Biblical, Devotional, tagged , , , , , , on March 7, 2014| 2 Comments »

I have read the story of the Exodus dozens of times. I have seen the movie with Charlton Hesston. It influenced my mind’s eye of how the parting of the Red Sea happened . . .until I noticed two small words in this passage from Exodus—”all night”.

Exodus 14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. (emphasis mine.)

In the movie, Moses raises his hand and, swoosh, the sea parts just like that. In the Bible, it says it took all night long.

All night the crowd ofID-10015712 refugees stood trapped between a sea they could not cross and the Egyptian army drawing closer to enslave them again.

All night long Moses kept the faith and waited for the wind to do God’s bidding.

I thought, how often do I see the end results of good things and “miracles” in other’s lives and never see the “all night longs” which proceeded them, such as dark times of patiently waiting for God to act while danger drew nearer, the paths seemed blocked or the situation appeared hopeless?

How often is God preparing miracles in the background of my life which have not yet come to fruition because the timing is not right? How many “all night longs” are taking place in my life right now? How many prayers prayed are in the process of being answered, which I cannot yet see?

Oh  me of little faith. Those two little words tucked into a Bible story I have heard all my life convicted me and brought me humbly to my knees.

Where will you find God’s message today?

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I Give Up?

Posted in Devotional, tagged , , , , , , on March 3, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Lent begins on this Wednesday, March 5th. I grew up giving up things for Lent– like sweets, soft drinks, or chewing gum. So I can relate to this story I found online when constructing the bulletins for the Lenten services at the church where I work:

“Some years ago a friend of mine told me that he had urged his children to move beyond giving up candy to giving up some habit of sin that marked their lives. About halfway through Lent he asked the children how they were doing with their Lenten promise. One of his young sons had promised to give up fighting with his bothers and sisters during Lent. When his father asked him how it was going, the boy replied, “I’m doing pretty good, Dad–but  boy, I can’t wait until Easter.”  *
 

Now, as an adult, I realize the purpose of Lent is a whole lot more than just giving up something for 40 plus days. I don’t think it is a coincidence that Christians are called to abstain from some sin in their lives during this time. Experts say it takes 30-50 days to reverse a bad habit. Lent is not the time to just temporarily stop sinning, thinking that after Good Friday we can pick it up again because it is now Easter. No, we are to use this time to discipline ourselves so we can better eradicate it from our lives.True, we should always try to abstain from sinning. But, like dust on furniture, it is funny how sin starts to accumulate if we do not take the time to clean our souls. That requires some contrite, on-our-knees confession prayers to God now and then. That’s the purpose of Lent.

ID-100228429

I am a pretty much a fanatical clean and neat freak, (I know. Right now my close friends and family are rolling their eyes and saying, “You think?”) But, I confess, when I get busy with life I often put off the dusting and vacuuming. After a while, it shows. Dust mites float in the sunlight and land on my TV, computer monitor, the bookshelves, and the table tops. After a while, you can scrawl your name in them. But, if you leave the curtains and blinds drawn, then my house looks fairly picked-up and presentable. I think our lives can be the same way.

So,maybe we can see Lent as a spiritual spring cleaning. When you draw back the curtains and let in the Light of the World, Christ shines on those dust bunnies that have accumulated in our lives and, let’s be honest, the bit of dirt we have tried to shove under the carpets until we can deal with it later. You know, those nagging little whispers of our conscience that tell us we need to make a change in our attitudes and habits.

Jesus, by His death, became our duster. He helps us wipe away our sins, so our souls, which are the dwelling place for His Holy Spirit, can become sparking clean again.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? I Corinthians 6:19

How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!  Hebrews 9:41

This Lent, instead of giving up something, take on this: Let Jesus’ white glove scrape across your life, and where there is some dust of sin settling, let Him help you wipe it clean. Then, confess to Him often, so you can stay clean. Don’t let sin accumulate in your temple! Tell the devil that is one thing you plan to give up.

 
 
 
 
 
*(www.catholic.org/clife/lent/faq.php)

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Clouded View

Posted in Books, Devotional, tagged , , , , , on February 25, 2014| 1 Comment »

Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the
mountain. The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud
covered it six days; and on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the
midst of the cloud.  Exodus 24:14

dreamstime_m_18038487.jpgGod told Moses to wait… and he did. For six days he was encased in a deep fog – he probably couldn’t see his hand in front of his face. Zero visibility. Six days…waiting.

I can relate to Moses’s experience in Exodus 24. There have been times when I have been in a spiritual fog for a while. I’d lost my sense of direction. I couldn’t see where to go. I couldn’t determine if I took a few steps to the left or the right would that plummet me off a cliff? So I didn’t move at all. And it seemed like the fog lasted for an eternity.

It is an eerie feeling when you are waiting on the Lord.  I admit I had waves of anxiousness and doubts. “Why am I here? Why can’t I vision You in my life right now, Lord?” Then, as frustartion mounts, “Why can’t I see a way out of this? What lessons are You trying to teach me?”  And with a trembling lip, “You aren’t mad at me are you?”, as if God was an angry parent who’d put me in time-out.

But, somehow I knew God’s glory was in that cloudiness with me, just as His glory was with Moses.  Which is why I kept praying to Him even though I could not sense His presence.. And eventually, God’s voice led me out of the midst of the clouds. Just as He did with Moses.

We cannot always see God’s working in our lives. But in the meantime. like Moses, we need to wait, watch and worship. God has not abandoned us. He has us where we are for a reason. Trust in that. You can find Him today, even if you can’t find anything else.

 

for more on the In-between times and why God puts us there, consider the Bible Study Between the Window and the Door. Thanks.

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The Manner Worthy

Posted in Books, Devotional, tagged , on February 24, 2014| 2 Comments »

MP900444553[1]     I’ve heard horror stories. I have seen residual pain in the eyes of those who came back from the battle front and told their tale…of how their novel just went through the layered editing process.

My latest baby, Hush in the Storm,  is being dissected, prodded, and critiqued by the editors with Prism Book Group. It is a worthy and necessary process. But, when my content editor emailed me and told me she hoped I had “alligator skin”, my heart crunched in my chest. All week, with fear and trembling, I have emailed my writer friends/prayer warriors to lift me, and my editor, up in prayer. After all, she stated she is doing this for the glory of God, and that is why I wrote it as well. I know her intentions are only to make it the best it can be. I hang on her words that if the publisher accepted it under contract, it must already be good.

Still… a nagging muscle tension has been building up in my shoulders and a slight fog has clouded my brain. I’ve noticed I have to concentrate on inhaling more deeply. My sleep has not been as sound. I hold my breath as I check the emails – has she found anything horrid yet? Is she wondering if this should even be published? How much will she bleed all over my manuscript with her red corrections and comment bubbles?

Then the Lord quietly pops up this verse of the day onto my Smart phone:

I therefore , a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing each other in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesian 4:1-3

I fell to my knees – thank you, Lord Jesus. Contriteness cloaked over my anxieties. God has called me to write- for Him not myself. Once again, I escape from the pride monster  who has been clenching me and chain myself instead to God’s grace, right next to this wonderful editor He has provided..

As she and I journey down this road to make my novel shine for Him, will you pray this off and on for us as well over the next month or so? 

I found God today on my cell phone. Where will He reveal Himself to you?

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