Come to the Cross

Scripture
Mark 6:20 - 26
For Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe.  And then when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he use to enjoy listening to him. 

Observation
Herod was afraid of John the Baptist because he knew he was a man sent from God (John 1:6).  He was God's messenger.  John preached a baptism of repentance and forgiveness of sins.  All the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and they were being baptized by John in the Jordan River confessing their sins.  Herod kept John safe and was puzzled and uncertain, even bewildered but gladly listened to John.

Application
The Holy Spirit was at work in the heart of Herod.  He was aware of God's presence in John and was drawn to 'hear him' but did nothing to turn his heart to God and repent of his sins.  John was a man sent from God and walked in obedience to God and was righteous and holy.  God was the One who kept John safe - not Herod.  John's life ended because his days were fulfilled and his mission on earth accomplished.   
The Holy Spirit brings conviction that leads us to repentance but if we reject Him, we end up sinning even more.  Herod's adulterous sin with Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, eventually led him to murder the very man he was 'keeping safe,' who had spoken LIFE and TRUTH to him.  

Prayer 
Father, I pray as your Holy Spirit works in my life and convicts me of sins, that I will turn to You quickly, in total surrender and repentance.  Help me come to the cross of Jesus.  I want to be a do-er of the Word and not just a glad hearer of the Word.  I don't want my ears 'tickled' with the Words of Life, but I want to take them to heart and obey You.  Draw me close to You O God and never let me go.  Forgive me of all my sin and cover me with the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray.  
In Jesus Name, A-men.

Storms of Life

Scripture 
Mark 4:35
On that day, when evening came, He said to them, "Let us go over to the other side."  Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them, just as He was; and other boats were with Him.  and there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.  Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still."  And the wind died down it became perfectly calm.  And He said to them, "Why are you afraid?  Do you still have no faith?"  

Observation
Other boats were with Him as well as the one Jesus was in.  The storm caused the waves to swell and the boats were taking in water!  I wonder how the other boats were doing.  Yet Jesus sleeps in the disciples boat.  Doesn't He care?
Sometimes it seems Jesus sleeps through the 'storms' we experience.  Where is He when we are trying to keep the boat afloat and our heads above the water?  Why are we so timid and unbelieving when we are going through times of trouble?  We know Jesus is with us, but nothing is happening and we feel we are sinking!  Isn't it enough to know He is with us?  Does He have to be doing something like 'bailing' us  out of our predicament for us to believe?   

Application
I hear the Lord saying, "Trust, have faith.  Don't be afraid, I Am with you."  Hush, be still O waves and wind!  Hush be still O my soul because I trust in God and have peace, because He is with me. 

Prayer 
Father, thank You for Your Presence.  May I trust and believe and have faith in You in all life's situations.  I know You are with me and fully aware of every detail that concerns me.  I know sometimes I am afraid when the storm is raging around me . . . calm my fears I pray.  I pray for all those experiencing real life storms today - especially those in harms way on the East Coast of our nation.  May they feel Your Presence and Your Peace as they trust in You and have faith knowing You are there.   
In Jesus Name, 
A-men.

No Fear

Scripture  
John 19:38  After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews... Mark 15:43  Joseph gathered courage and went to Pilate for the body of Jesus.  

Observation  
Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the council, was a secret follower of Jesus because he was fearful of the Jewish leaders.  Would they try to kill him?  What would they say about him if they knew?  What would they do to him?  His family?  Would he lose his reputation?  Although very much afraid,  Joseph 'gathered courage' and went to Pilate and boldly asked him for the body of Jesus that he might give him a decent burial.  

Application  
I am a Christ follower - a disciple of Jesus Christ.  I will shout it from the mountaintops, and sing of His praise quite freely now.  But there were times early on in my walk with Jesus that I was once like Joseph; I was a secret disciple too.  I was afraid of what others would think of me - those who knew the 'old' me.  Why was I afraid to speak up and tell my family, my friends, that 'I'm saved!  I'm forgiven!  I've met Jesus!  I've been baptized with the Holy Spirit of God and He has empowered me to go and tell of all the great things He has done for me!'  But, I was shy, timid, so afraid and hesitant.  Yes, I was a secret disciple too, but no longer. 

So, how do I gather courage?  How do I overcome the horrendous obstacle of fear?  

• I pray.  I ask for courage.  I've learned that God will give me what I need when I need it.  I remember it's ok to be afraid, and I still get a bit scared when I know I'm going to share with someone about Jesus or pray for them.  It's ok to fail too, but I've made a decision to be a life long learner and listener of Jesus and I will obey Him.  
• I recall scripture verses that have helped me when my knees are knocking.  The fear of man is a snare.  God has not given to you a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and a sound mind.  Fear not, for I am with you. When I am weak then He is strong.  Choose you this day who you will serve.  Keep pressing on.  Whatever He says, do it.  

That's what I do when I am afraid.  Bottom line, I trust in Him.  

Prayer  
O God, You are my God and I will ever praise You!  You teach me and show me Your ways and help me to find the words that I could not express otherwise.  You give boldness to this unlearned uneducated vessel and I give You thanks.  I'm amazed by Your great love and embrace the adventures You have prepared for me to walk in each day.  May I bring glory to Your awesome Name.  Show Yourself strong and save many.   In Jesus Name, A-men. 

With God - all things are possible!

Scripture

2 Kings 18:2-3, 5, 6  (2 Chronicles 29:1-2)

Hezekiah was 25 years old when he became king, and he reigned 29 years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.  He did right in the sight of the Lord, according to all the his father David had done. v5 He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel.  

v6 He clung to the Lord and did not depart from following His commandments.  

Observation 

Hezekiah was 25 years old when he became king reigning in Jerusalem for 29 years.  He did right before God - he trusted and clung to the Lord as his 'father' David had done.  His mom, was Abi, daughter of Zechariah.   Hezekiah had good 'influencers' in his life.  His mom, perhaps his grandfather Zechariah, and his 'father', David.  He was trained, instructed, admonished, corrected, and shaped by 'influencers' in his young life preparing him for his reign as King.   Hezekiah learned to trust in God for all things, to cling to Him in all seasons of adversity and of plenty, and to obey God's Word - he took to heart everything that was taught to him.  And so, he did right in the sight of the Lord. 

Application

I want to be a good 'influencer' to my sons & daughters, grandkids, & to all the men, women, youth, & little ones God has blessed me to be around in this season of my life.  

We raised our 4 sons (& my nephew for 5 years), teaching them to love God and listen and obey what He says.  We brought them to church with us, sang songs about Jesus with them, read the Bible to them, & encouraged them to read it when they were old enough to read for themselves.  We tried to be godly examples of what it is to be a Christ follower not just on Sundays but everyday.  We used the BEST 'how to' manual ever written - The Holy Bible.   We loved, trained, taught, corrected our boys the best we knew how including popping them on the 'booty' when they needed it.  We tried to finish our correcting times with love, hugs, and prayers.  Consistency was my biggest challenge, but when you realize parenting is a major responsibility, a gift from God & a huge blessing - then you take it more seriously; and so I worked at being consistent with their upbringing.  It's hard & it takes a lot of work, but well worth it in the end.  Without God, it was impossible, but with God, all things are possible!  

Prayer

Father, there's a whole new generation coming up that need to be loved, trained, & raised to worship You.  I'm available & will do right according to what Your word says in doing my part - leading them to You and helping the parents to raise their offspring to be Christ followers and worshipers.  Thank You for the privilege to serve You in this way.  With You God, all things are possible!  In Jesus Name, A-men.  

'Christ Attitude'

Scripture
Phil 2:5  Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.
Romans 12:3 For through the grace given me, do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.


Observation
Be like Christ!  Die to your own fleshly desires & comforts, and do not think of yourself more highly than you should, but with sound judgment, in faith, use the gifts God has given you to help others.  Speak encouragement, love all people, be available, show affection, be compassionate, work together with a focused purpose, don't be selfish, & develop a servant heart, and smile more - that's a 'Christ Attitude!' and I want it!


Application
What can I do?  Humble myself.  Love, serve, and forgive, and ask God for the Holy Spirit to empower me to live with a 'Christ Attitude' every day, all my life.


Prayer
Father help me to have a 'Christ Attitude' all the time.  May Your Holy Spirit purge those things in me that just don't belong in a Christ follower.  Give me what I need to accomplish all you want me to do and how you want me to be.  In Jesus Name, A-men.

Mothers Day 2012

Happy Mother's Day and special greetings to all of you.  The Bible says that we should 'honor our father and our mother, which is the first commandment with promise: that it may go well with you and you may live long on the earth'.  (Eph.6:2-3)  

Today is a day we honor our mothers.  

* Spend time with your mother while she is still with you, 

* Forgive your mother, even when  . . . (If we have unforgiveness the Lord will show you; even if she is already gone.  Just let it go.  Bring it to God.)  

* Be a blessing today and receive a blessing from the Lord.  

There are many holy women of God in the Bible that we can read about; women that can influence us even today. They are women of God, just like us, that we are . . . becoming.   They were 'homebuilders'.  I want to be a 'homebuilder'.   My sons are all gone - grown with families of their own, but I still want to be a 'homebuilder' - for my husband, for my sons and daughters, and grandkids, and for extended family & friends that come for a visit. The things I do, the words I speak, my attitudes - all reflect whether I am a 'homebuilder' or foolishly tearing down my home.

I want to be adoring and submissive like Sarah, loving and loyal like Mary of Bethany, available and capable like Abigail, becoming and humble like Elizabeth, responsive and constant like Ruth, respectful and self sacrificing like Esther, virtuous and godly like Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ, full of faith like the Syrophoenician woman, and transformed by the Holy Spirit like Mary Magdalene.  

The Bible is full of wonderful stories of ordinary women who became 'women of God'.  This Mother's Day, I pray blessing, comfort, and strength, for each of us who desire to walk with God and become all He has called you to be as holy women of God.  In Jesus Name, A-men.  

Bit O Honey

Scripture
1 Samuel 14:26-27
When the people entered the forest, behold, there was a flow of honey; but no man put his hand to his mouth for the people feared the oath.  But Jonathan had not heard when his father had put the people under oath.  Therefore, he put out the end of the staff that was in his hand to his mouth and his eyes brightened.


Observation
The men of Israel were hard-pressed, distressed and oppressed, weary, hungry, and weak; for King Saul had put the people under oath, cursing anyone who eats food before evening until he had avenged himself on his enemies. 
But when they entered the forest, honey was dripping everywhere.  No one dared touch it - except Jonathan, Saul's son, who hadn't heard the order.  
Oh how tired, weak, hungry, and blurry-eyed Jonathan was!  And behold, there it was, honey everywhere!  He must've thought, 'Ah, Lord, how good You are to me, providing me 'daily sustenance' for this weary warrior.  Thank You Lord for providing for my needs.'  
He took his staff, dipped it in a 'bit o honey' and ate.   So Jonathan tasted, and his eyes brightened!  He could see clearly now, the fog had lifted, his strength returned.  He felt good, strong, and was ready to keep going!  
Oh how much more will our spiritual eyes be brightened, our countenance changed, our inner man strengthened when we partake of 'our daily bread' - the Word of God.  Our spirit will be revived, refreshed, and illuminated by the presence and power of God through that devotional time at His feet and in His Word!


Application
Reading the Bible every day and spending time with the Savior is of utmost importance in my walk with Him.  Gleaning for myself the  precious words God will speak to me through my reading, journaling, and meditations of Him, will renew and revitalize me physically, emotionally, and spiritually.   Other readings are good, but will not do for me what God's Word will do for my growth and well-being. 


Prayer
O taste and see that the Lord is good!  How sweet are Your words to my taste.  Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb!  Father, thank You for daily bread and the sweetness of Your Word to my soul!  You strengthen me, and brighten my eyes with the 'bit o honey' of Your Word.  I can see and think more clearly when I look to You and draw my sustenance from Your Word.  I love You Lord.  I love Your Word.  In Jesus Name, A-men.


Psalm 19:7-10

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;

8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;

9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.