You're not Alone

This past week, with the focus on Labor Day, there were a lot of studies and devotions on how Christians should feel about work.  In fact, timing was perfect in our study of "The Truth Project" (from Focus on the Family), as we watched video lesson #11 on "Labor" the Wednesday before Labor Day weekend.

Through all these studies, it's been brought home to me that 1) work is a privilege and 2) no matter who my employer, I work for God and His glory.  Even with these reminders, it's hard to sit at my desk at times... There are so many other things I'd like to be doing.  There are so many distractions.

Another study that we've been getting into lately is "Not a Fan". My husband heard about this book from a co-worker and, after reading just a portion, ordered the study material.  He was thinking of how/when to introduce it to our small group when we found out that our church is going to be going through it together this fall.

"Not a Fan" poses the question, "Are you a follower of Jesus?" And, a prevalent question from "The Truth Project" is, "Do you really believe that what you really believe is really real?".

There are times in every Christian walk when we ask ourselves these questions.  Doubt creeps in and we find ourselves questioning our faith, our motives, our purpose in life.

So with all these thoughts running through my head, I started thinking, "Wow, we really need to be prayer warriors for our pastors.". I mean, think about it... What would happen if our pastor fell into a slump... If he woke one Sunday morning thinking, "I don't really feel like going to work today.". Or worse, if he started doubting that he was being used of God.  Or even worse yet, started doubting his faith all together?

We need to stand in the gap for our pastors... Holding up their arms, if you will.  (see Exodus 17:9-15 for reference).

Tonight's song?  "You're not Alone" by Meredith Andrews.  It talks about how God is always with us and He is, but sometimes we just need that extra prayer of a like-minded believer.

Here is the chorus:

Faithful and true, Forever,

Oh my love will carry you.

You're not alone, For I am here,

Let me wipe away your every fear.

Oh yeah, My love I've never left your side.

I have seen you through the darkest night, 

Your darkest night,

And I'm the one who's loved you all your life.

My Heart will Sing, No Other Name... Jesus!

As I wake this morning, to face a busy day, the song running through my mind is, "My heart will sing, no other name, Jesus.  Jesus."  So, I looked up the rest of the lyrics and was reminded of the qualities of Jesus and the God we serve.  He is good.  He is love.  He is light and hope.  He is truth, life, peace, and joy.

The song even goes on to say that He is "more than my words could ever say."  Have you recently stopped and tried to describe Jesus?  It reminds me of that sermon (that you can find on YouTube) titled "That's My King" where the pastor says he doesn't know how to describe Him and then goes on for the next five minutes with truths about and titles for Jesus pausing every once in a while to say "and that's MY King!"  But, in the five minutes, that's pretty much the only thing that he repeats as he goes on to list the qualities and titles for our saviour.

So, the chorus to this morning's song says:

"Oh, I'm running to your arms, I'm running to your arms.

The riches of your love will always be enough.

Nothing compares to your embrace.

Light of the world forever reign.

My heart will sing, no other name...

Jesus, Jesus"

My dad has an old birthday card that says that love is when we run into his arms even when his hands are empty.  Although that's so true (of both my earthly dad and my heavenly father), Jesus has so much to give and isn't it refreshing to know that at the end of this busy day... at the end of serving Him... we can run into His arms and feel the warmth of His embrace?

The next time you bow your head in prayer, imagine yourself sitting on Jesus lap as a child, with his arms around you listening to every word you have to say and enjoy the time spent with Him.

He'll go With Me All the Way

Earlier this year, my husband and I read "Grace Walk" by Steve McVey.  So, in light of what we learned through the reading of that book and thinking more of the song running through my head on Saturday, something hit me this morning... following Jesus doesn't mean walking 10 paces behind my master and it doesn't mean being a messenger who merely goes where I'm sent while God stays behind watching from afar.

Did you notice the last verse of the song?:

"He will give me grace and glory,... And go with me, with me all the way."

Here are a few scriptures that go along with what I'm thinking...

Rom. 8:14-15 - For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba!  Father!"

1 Cor. 10:13 - "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

Matt. 28:19-20 - Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

So, what do these scriptures have in common?  God is with us... He won't leave us stranded.  He has given us instructions through His Word and will send us out but He doesn't just send us, He goes with us.

Out in the highways and byways of life,

many are weary and sad.  Carry the sonshine where darkness is rife, 

making the sorrowing glad.

Make me a blessing, Make me a blessing,

Out of my life, may Jesus shine;

Make me a blessing, O Savior I pray,

Make me a blessing to someone today."

Spread some SONshine today.  Remember, if you are a child of the King, He will be with you always.

Where He Leads Me I will Follow

The other day, I was asked how God has been working in my life lately.  Wow, that's a tough one because, actually, I've been struggling.  

Don't get me wrong, I know I've been blessed... I feel that God has answered my every prayer... He has blessed me with 8 (soon to be 9) beautiful grandchildren, children that live for Christ, a husband that is sold out to Christ and who loves me so much, we don't have to worry about every penny when we go to the store and we have plenty of clothes to wear in any given situation, we have a solid roof over our heads and a warm/cool (depending on the need) house to sit comfortably in while we fellowship with friends.... but when I'm asked, "how has God been working in your life?" I know it's not about the blessings.  

And the reason I've been struggling lately is because I don't feel as close to God as I once was.  Here's the thing, I still have my daily devotions and I occasionally read extra scriptures outside the ones in the daily devotional, I pay attention and take notes on Sundays and then, again, during our life group studies but I still don't know what to say.

I've felt this coming on for a while now.  And, it's strange because I started noticing it about the same time that my husband's walk started getting stronger.  I know that I conscientiously backed off because I enjoyed the excitement in his eyes when he shared something "new" from the Bible so, did I back off too much?  I slowed down for him to catch up so that he could be the spiritual leader of our home... something I've prayed for all my life but now that he is that strong man of God, am I still the follower that I once was?

I used to know that peace that is talked about in Phil. 4:7... the peace that supplies inner joy.  Not just happiness, but peace that would cause my heart to sing even when there was chaos and calamity all around.  But was that just a fleeting emotion or was it God's peace and am I no longer feeling it because I've not been following as closely as I once was?

So, then the question led me to think of other things as well... do I not "feel" God working because I haven't been asking Him to work?  I want to follow Him but have I been asking Him to lead me?  This morning, as I pondered these questions, this song started flowing through my memory...

<center>"I can hear my Savior calling,... 'Take thy cross and follow, follow me.'

I'll go with Him thro' the garden, ... I'll go with him, with him all the way.

I'll go with him thro' the judgment, ... I'll go with him, with him all the way.

He will give me grace and glory,... and go with me, with me all the way.

Where He leads me I will follow, Where He leads me I will follow,

Where He leads me I will follow, I'll go with Him, with Him all the way."</center> 

Lord, let me know you as I used to know you.  Work in my life today.  I want to follow You but have not been listening to Your gentle words of guidance.  Open my ears once again and fill my heart with your joy as You have in the past.  

That's What Heaven Will be Like

Yesterday, we said goodbye to our loving pet.  She was with our family for almost 19 years to the day and I remember, vividly, the day she was born.  Jasmine was an example of unconditional love.  She was always happy to see us walk through the door and eager to comfort us when we were sad.  

Some of my favorite memories were the way she would sit on her hind legs with her paws on the low bay window sill, watching the birds and trying to "talk" to them... she would actually make short little mew sounds that sounded like the birds.  And, when our son went to California for a year, she would spend the first few months sniffing, rolling, and sleeping on the floor in front of the TV where she could still smell his shampoo on the carpet... until the last lingering scent was gone.

When I heard she was in so much pain, I was praying that God would ease her pain and comfort our sorrows.  Mid-prayer I thought, "she was a cat... why would God care?"  But then I realized, God didn't just want us to have dominion over the earth and the creatures, He made them for His and our enjoyment as well.  For that matter, I believe there will be animals in heaven... Revelations talks of the lion laying down with the lamb and about horsemen on horses.  So, why not fish and birds, cats, and dogs?

So I woke early this morning with fresh tears and the lyrics of this song migling with the memories of our beloved Jasmine:

"Love without measure
Space without time
Life with no crying
Will one day be mine
Hearts never breaking
Hands that don't fight
Days that don't end with
The darkness of night

The lamb and the lion
Will walk side by side
In a world where freedom, abides..."
                       - Heaven, Michael English -

Be Careful Little Mouth

As children, we're taught not to call each other names.  Again, as Christians, those identified with Christ as joint-heirs, we're taught that we are not to call each other names.  Its hard not to at times.  We all have feelings of anger and some of us are quicker to judge than others.  How many times have you "vented" to a friend or co-worker?  Or "let off steam" to your spouse about a situation at work?

Today I received a new perspective on this type of action... we would never talk bad about someone in front of their spouse, or belittle a child... especially in front of their parent but do we ever stop to think that God is the silent listener to every conversation?  He even knows our thoughts before we speak the words.  And when we talk about ANYone, we are either talking about his bride (the church) or his child (a fellow Christian), or one of His creations.  Wow... that was a sobering thought.

God, please forgive me for my judgemental thoughts, words, and uncaring actions.  Whenever a bemeaning or belittling word would come to mind about someone, remind me that they are precious in your sight and lead me to pray for them rather than belittle them.  Let me show your love to the world around me today.

"Be careful little mouth what you say,
Oh be careful little mouth what you say,
For the Father up above is looking down in love,
So, be careful little mouth, what you say."

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Our God is a Jealous God.  In our Life Group last night, we watched the 4th lesson in "The Truth Project".  If you've never heard of "The Truth Project", it's a DVD series that compares the common world view with the Biblical world view.  The professor, Dr. Del Tackett, asks a lot of profound questions and, using much scripture, explains the answers or at least opens your mind to discovering the answers the Holy Spirit would reveal to you.

Anyway, last night the question was "Who is God" and the name that was discussed the most was El-Qanna (meaning jealous).  Some have asked, if jealousy is a sin, how can God be jealous?  Good question... God isn't jealous as in coveting something he cannot have or selfishly wanting everything that his neighbor possesses, no, He is jealous over our relationship with idols or false gods.  He jealously protects our covenant relationship with Him as a husband would rightfully be jealous of anything that would destroy the bond he has with his wife.

So, bring this down to this morning... I've been reading (or should I say trying to read ) Ezekiel ... it's a tough book to read.  Having finished our study of Romans, I was trying to think what I should study and decided to try to tackle some prophetic books.  You know, some of those books that aren't quoted in Bible Study lessons much and I'm finding out why... it's a tough book to understand.  

However, this morning, a verse popped out that wasn't hard to understand at all.  Ezekiel 8:5-6a says, 

"Then said he unto me, son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north.  So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold, northward of the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.  And he said unto me, son of man, seest thou what they do?  Even the great abominations that the house of Israel do commit here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary?"

Ezekiel was having a vision and the Spirit of God was pointing out that the "worshippers" in the temple were actually worshipping other Gods.  Their abomination was so bad that God left the temple which was supposed to be His dwelling place.

Ok... attitude check... is our worship acceptable to God?  Do we enter into His gates with Thanksgiving and Praise and an expectant heart?  Do we open His Word with anticipation waiting to hear what the Spirit would say?  Or, do we go to church and read our Bible because that is what we are "supposed to do"?  Are we just going through the motions but really thinking of what we're going to do next (either after we get out of church or after we finish reading our daily devotion)?

God is a jealous God... He's looking for an acceptable sacrifice... a living sacrifice.

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face.
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."