Rejoice, O Barren!

Galatians 4:27

27… “Rejoice, O barren, you who do not bear! Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor…

Barrenness. What a painful and frustrating condition. Yet, in Isaiah 54, God’s Word to those who are experiencing barrenness is to rejoice — “Sing O barren”!

Why? Because in the previous chapter, it tells us that the chastisement for our peace fell upon Jesus. (Isaiah 53:5) The word “peace” here in Hebrew means completeness, soundness, health, safety and provision. In other words, all these benefits are yours today because Jesus has already been punished at the cross for your peace. That is why you can start rejoicing.

So God wants you right now, in whatever area you are barren, to start rejoicing as if the fruit or yield you want to see has already come. He wants you to start thinking, speaking and acting as if the barrenness is no more.

If you are financially barren, start planning for what you would do when your finances increase. I am not saying that you go out and spend recklessly, but start making plans for increase. The time to do this is when you are still in what your natural eyes see as a barren stage.

You may say, “Pastor Prince, you don’t understand, the banks are chasing me!”

God says, “Rejoice because you are well provided for in Christ.” In Christ, you are already blessed with every spiritual blessing, including financial provision. (Ephesians 1:3) “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)

If you are sick, start planning to do what you have not been able to do. Don’t rejoice only when the healing manifests and the pain is no more. Rejoice now in your healing because Jesus has already borne your diseases and carried your pains, and by His stripes you have already been healed. (Isaiah 53:4–5)

Whatever barren situation you are in, rejoice and tell God, “Father, because of the sacrifice of Your Son, I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. You have already given me everything. So I am going to act like it is so and rejoice!”

Thought For The Day

Start thinking, speaking and acting as if your barrenness is no more.

Credit: Joseph Prince

Written by Kachi

Are You Ready For The End?

Luke 22…

This week as I read the verses through the lens of “Loving Like Jesus” I first noticed that Jesus, even though He knew Judas would be the one to betray Him, must have treated Judas the same as all the other disciples because we see in verse 23 that after Jesus said one of them would betray Him

“they began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.”

I also noticed it was Judas who went to the chief priests and officers of the temple guard to betray Jesus and make a deal with them…..all for money. For those of you who have felt “sold-out” or betrayed by a close friend, just realize Jesus understands what you are going through…..He was betrayed, too.

In the beginning of this week’s passage, my heart goes out to Jesus. Here He is trying to tell the disciples that He is the Passover Lamb…that it’s His blood that is going to be poured out for them and what do they do? They get in an argument over who is the greatest! Oh my! After spending 3 years with Jesus they still haven’t gotten that they are to serve rather than be served.

“…But I am among you as one who serves.” verse 27

Little did they know within a few hours all their “greatness” would be revealed as they feared for their lives and ran…..deserting Jesus. (Matt. 26:56)

Let me encourage you with this….if you want to be “great” in the eyes of Jesus, do what He did…..serve others. We are most like Jesus when we serve those God has placed in our lives. The disciples didn’t understand this truth at first, but we don’t have to make that mistake. No job in God’s Kingdom is more important than the other….we all need each other and in order to be the Body of Christ, we all need to serve each other.

Let’s Talk: Share a story about someone serving you and how their act(s) of service has changed your life!

 

Challenge

This week be intentional and thank someone who regularly serves you. Write a note to a family member, bring a surprise “Thank You” treat to that co-worker who always seems to have a helping hand and encouraging word. Give a gift card to the woman who always stays late after Sunday school to help clean up or to the friend who always seems to be there to leading a helping hand just when you need it.

Credit: Angela (Good Morning Girls)

Posted by Kachi

You Can Come Over Anytime

In union with Christ and through our faith in him we have the boldness to go into God's presence with all confidence.

Ephesians 3: 12

God has given us permission to fearlessly, confidently, and bodly draw near to His throne of grace. In fact, we are encouraged in Ephesians 3:12 to approach Him freely.

This means we can go into the presence of God anytime we feel like it. We can go 200 times a day if we want to go, with an "in and out" type of privilege. God doesn't even tell us we have to knock on the door or wait for someone to say, "Come in."

Suppose you have a friend who says, "You know what? You can come over anytime you want to come. You don't even have to knock because you are welcome anytime, day or night. Just come on in!"

Now just think...God is saying that to you, unreservedly, which means you don't have to be careful or hesitate or wonder if you've worn out your welcome. It means even if you make some mistakes or do things you shouldn't do, you can repent of your sins, be cleansed in the blood of Jesus, and go boldly into His presence.

Prayer Starter: Lord, how wonderful it is to be able to enter Your presence anytime. I am so grateful for this privilege, and and thank You for encouraging me to come.

Credit: joyce meyers

Written by Kachi

The Virtuous Life of a Christ-Centered Wife

The three hardest tasks in the world are neither physical feats nor intellectual achievements, but moral acts: to return love for hate, to include the excluded, and to say, "I was wrong." - Sydney J. Harris.Before we get into the study of virtues--before we dig any deeper--let's start out by examining what virtues are, and why they are important to our walk with God.

First and foremost we're saved by grace. There's nothing that we can do to earn our salvation. Salvation has been imputed to us by God through faith in His son, Jesus Christ. The thing is however that those who believe in Jesus, believe He is Lord. Lord of the universe and Lord of our lives.

His wisdom exceeds ours, when it's both comfortable and uncomfortable. On the good days and the bad. Those who love God are willing to give up every selfish ambition and every sinful desire to follow His will.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. - Matthew 16:24

This doesn't mean that we walk perfectly by any means. That's where the grace of God is vital to our faith. We all struggle in this world. We all have good intentions, but our flesh keeps pulling us back.

Have you ever made a decision to do something worthwhile? Maybe you wanted to change a bad habit or incorporate a new one. A few days in, you gave up. Even though you knew that this was a good decision for you, you messed up (again) and you're down on yourself because you're weak. Join the club. It's called humanity. Our flesh is constantly at war with our Spirit and there's an ongoing battle to be won.

The important thing is that every time we fall, we have the opportunity to get back up again and get back in the race.

Leave the sin of the past behind you and focus on the road ahead. And if you fall? Pick yourself up and get back in the race.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:12-14, NIV

While we're going through these virtues, keep this in mind: we aren't perfect, but we're being perfected by faith. We're growing in grace. Learning what areas of our lives God is calling us to, and how to best set our sail.

2 Peter 1 is key to this study. Here we see that we're called to glory and virtue: 

3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And so we see that virtue is something we build on the foundation of our faith. It's about being concerned about right and wrong as we seek to serve God.

I see faith as the driving force behind virtue. Faith powers our decision to change, virtue is the modification of our behavior as we conform our lives to our principles.

Virtue takes effort, values don't.

Values are things that we deem as important. Virtues are characteristics of a person that come about by the way that we live. If we want to be patient, we must exercise patience. If we want to be self-controlled, we must exercise self control. And if we want to be kind, then we must show kindness to others.

The reason that we walk in virtue isn't to earn ourselves brownie points, or to proclaim our goodness to the world. C.S. Lewis wrote, "Don’t shine so others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see Him."

Aspiring to be seen is in direct contrast to virtue which stems from a heart of humility.

I couldn't begin to take credit for the good things I do. It's the Holy Spirit that convicts me in the first place, and God that carries me through. Without Him I wouldn't have any peace, I wouldn't have hope, and I wouldn't have joy. These are merely a few of the ways He equips us for the journey.

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. - Philippians 2:13

Finally, how is virtue different than the fruit of the Spirit? In many ways they are similar because they are both characteristics of a Christ-centered life, but they differ in that one involves effort and the other is the result of that effort.

Virtue is two-fold. It can be defined as a quality or it can be defined as practice and conformity. What we'll be looking at in this study is conforming our lives in accordance with Romans 12: 1-2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God

 

Credit: Darlene Schacht

 

Posted by Kachi

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NONCONFORMITY

Let me tell you, my friends, that the gospel I preach is not of human origin.

12 I did not receive it from any human being, nor did anyone teach it to me. It was Jesus Christ himself who revealed it to me.

Gal1.11-12

In telling the story of his conversion, Paul explains the drastic change he made. Paul became a nonconformist, despite the fact that his nonconformity cost him everything his culture valued.

Our culture pushes us toward uniformity. Wear the right clothes, have the right job, spend money on the right things, and you are acceptable. But, conforming to the world forces us to sacrifice our uniqueness in Christ. Francis Asbury, the first bishop of the Methodist Church in the USA, once prayed, "0 Lord, grant that these brethren may never want to be like other people."

Have you met someone willing to be themselves in the will of God? They face the danger of being criticized by those who value conformity, but they have the ultimate freedom. They are free of slavery to the rules of the culture. They can be who God designed them to be. They can exercise their unique gifts knowing they are in the will of God.

Lead your children to divine nonconformity.

Credit: parentingbydesign

Written by kachi

When the world gets you down… look up!

 

 

Speaking of perseverance…  that is the very thing that Jesus points us to in Luke 21 as He discusses the end times.  Jesus doesn’t shy away from the fact that in this world we will have trouble.  He warns that destruction is coming: first in the end of Jerusalem, and then the end of the world.

War.

Catastrophy.

Heartache.

Deception.

Persecution.

Desolation.

Sounds a lot like what we can find in the news today, huh?  While God has not revealed the specific timing of events in regards to Jesus’ second coming, He does warn us about future events, and teaches us how to persevere in this world while we wait for His return.
 

We have a choice to make.  Will we run and hide, letting the world depress and defeat us?  Or will we persevere and look up, placing our trust in the One who is coming to make all things new (Revelation 21:5)?

Take-aways from Luke Chapter 21:

1.  Don’t be surprised when trouble comes.  Instead, expect it. We live in a fallen world cursed by sin (John 16:33).

2. Stand on the truth of God’s Word.  Watch that you are not deceived (vs. 8).

3. Don’t fear. Make up your mind not to worry… God’s got this (vs. 14)!

4.  Speak up, even in persecution.  God gives words and wisdom (vs. 15).

5. Remember that this world is not our home. Invest in the eternal instead of the temporary (vs. 33).

6. Be ready.  Jesus is coming back. Do you know Him (vs. 36)?

 

Instead of letting the world get us down, let’s look up!

 

Let’s Talk: Out of the six take-aways listed above, which one do you struggle with most? 

 

 

 Challenge:

Evaluate your worldly focus in your every day life: are you letting the negativity in the world bring you down, or are you looking to Jesus for your security and hope?  Make a conscious effort this week to let your light shine in a dark world by changing the direction of a negative “world” conversation towards the hope we have in Christ.

 

 Credit: Whitney (Good Morning Girls)

 

Posted by Kachi

 

 

Boast In God’s Grace For You

1 Corinthians 1:31

31… “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

If someone asks you, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” you would probably tell him, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved,” wouldn’t you?

Well, a rich, young ruler asked Jesus the same question, but instead of telling him to believe in Him, Jesus gave him the law. (Mark 10:17–22)

Jesus saw that the young ruler lived his life taking pride in his ability to keep the law to earn salvation and the favor of God. But because of His love for the man, Jesus had to show him that those who live by the law must realize that their self-efforts cannot save them.

He therefore reminded him, “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery…‘Do not steal... ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” The young ruler showed that his trust was in his law-keeping when he replied, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”

So Jesus had to tell him, “One thing you lack… sell whatever you have and give to the poor…and come…and follow Me.” When the young ruler heard that, he walked away sorrowful.

When we boast of having kept the law, it will always point out something we lack or have failed to obey. The law is so holy and perfect that if we don’t keep even one iota of it, it has no choice but to judge and curse us. (Galatians 3:10) That is what the law was designed to do.

God does not want us to boast in our abilities to keep the law. If we are to have confidence in anything at all, if we are to boast in anything at all, it is in the grace of God. Only His grace can completely keep, save, heal, deliver and bless us.

So let’s not boast in what we have done or are able to do, but boast in His grace for us — that He is our strength, health, favor, provision, wisdom, hope, salvation and glory. That is how we will see ourselves enjoying our inheritance of abundant life!

Thought For The Day

Only His grace, not our works, can save, keep, heal, deliver and bless us.

Credit: Joseph Prince

Posted  by Kachi

The Victory We Have in Jesus

But we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, so that through God's grace he should die for everyone. We see him now crowned with glory and honor because of the death he suffered.

Heb2.9.GNT

The Bible says that Jesus experienced death for us. So you and I do not have to experience eternal death because He has paid the penalty for our sin and given us the gift of eternal life. Now that is something to rejoice about!

Because of Christ's resurrection and victory over death, what happens when you wake up in the morning? I believe that when Christians put their feet on the floor in the morning, hell ought to shake. Demons should tremble when they realize we're up!

That's exactly what will happen when we realize who we are in Christ and understand the authority we have in Him. We are soldiers in the army of God. We have authority in Him!

Jesus has defeated sin and death. Now we need to consistently walk in the authority and victory that He provides for us. Then you will be extremely dangerous to the enemy of God.

Prayer Starter: God, thank You for the victory I have in You. Every day, help me to further understand the price You paid for me, so that I can walk in all the authority and victory that You have for me.

Credit: Joyce Meyers

Written By Kachi

Exercise the Virtue of Self Control and Start Changing Today

 

 The question we should look at is this: If self-control is a fruit of the Spirit, wouldn't it automatically come natural to those who belong to God?

The Bible tells us that those who belong to God have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. (Galatians 5:24) Those who walk in the Spirit walk according to the wisdom they've been given. In other words they make choices day after day to put away sin. With that said, let's praise God for His unfailing grace. Putting down my flesh is a daily process, and I'm no where near completion. 

Putting away sin is more than a decision, it calls for a measure of self-control. Without conviction however, that self-control won't be worth much. The Spirit gives us strength for the journey.

Let me give you an example. During my twenties I started struggling with my weight. I went from a 98 pound bride to a 150 pound 30-something-year-old within ten years. I'm short so the extra bit of weight was uncomfortable and I was into plus-sized clothing. I tried everything to take off the weight, but nothing would stick.

Self-control didn't work. I mean it did for a while, but it never had the long-lasting affect I was looking for.

One day it hit me. The problem? I wasn't convicted. I'd go for about three days controlling my appetite, but the moment the arguments set in (and they always did) I had nothing to fall back on. Aside from the fact that I wanted to lose a few pounds there wasn't any valid reason I could think of for sticking to the plan.

That is until I started to study God's Word. I mean really dig in. After finishing the Bible, I read it again, and again, and again, and again... then I went to the Greek and read that again and again and again. I must have gone through the entire Bible about six-eight times that year. I was hungry for the Word, but more importantly I was convicted.

Scripture after scripture talked about the virtue of self control. It talked about controlling our appetites, about greed, and how our bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost. It talked about crucifying the flesh and anything else that controls you. 

There isn't anything wrong with eating a Twinkie at 2:00 am, but the question to ask yourself is, do you control your appetite or does it control you?

Here's a little wisdom from Paul. He's talking about the freedom we have in Christ:

"Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything. - 1 Corinthians 6:12, NIV

The same could be said about anything in your life. Ask yourself if you're in control, or you're being controlled.

We serve a God Who wants our adoration. He wants our hearts in their entirety. If we are mastered by the things of this world, we're sharing our heart with another.

That deep conviction was life changing for me. I lost 40 pounds and kept if off for over a decade. Day after day, I made wise choices and I kept making wise choices even when the going was tough.

Why I'm overweight now is a combination of two things. One is that I have this crazy medication for my tremors that slows down my body. I'm exhausted most of the time and all I want to do is sleep. Without it I shake--a lot. One year I was exercising every day, the next I was struggling to stay awake.

The other reason--and this is of most importance to me--is that this conviction hasn't been as real to me as it once was. I've let things slip. I know that if I get back to exercising every day that I'll have more energy, and I know that eating better and drinking less caffeine will make a difference too. Like Paul says in Romans 7:15, "For what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I."

This is an area of my life that I need to give up to God. I need to trust His wisdom that says, everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. I need to exercise this area of my life until my Spirit is ruling the flesh. Maybe I can't do everything I used to do, but I definitely can make some changes.

This isn't easy to talk about. It's embarrassing in fact. But the truth is that appetite is a struggle so many of us are wrestling with.

We know what is good, what is right, and what is true, but day after day we follow the lust of the flesh that leads to more junk in the trunk.

The bottom line is that you're not struggling with food. You're struggling with self-control. Your flesh is at war with your Spirit. 
Which one will win? 
The one that you feed. 

As for you skinny girls, you're not off the hook. The same principle applies to each and every one of us, as we struggle with self-control in different areas. If we're not ruled by the Spirit we're being ruled by the flesh.

And so we see that the fruit of self-control is the result of a person who is walking in virtue by making daily decisions to put down the flesh. She's equipped with wisdom, and she's down on her knees in prayer.

A virtuous woman isn't ruled by her passions, she passionately pursues an incomparable God. She is strong because she knows that she can do what she wants, but she chooses to do that which is good.

As I'm writing this, I feel the hand of God gently tug on my heart. He's speaking to me as He's speaking to you.

These words aren't solely for the purpose of writing, but rather that the reader as well as the author will take them to heart, draw closer to Him, exercise virtue, and start changing today.

 

Credit: Darlene Schacht

Posted by Kachi

 

 

Celebrating The Resurrection

All of Christ’s suffering and his death would have been meaningless if he had not risen again. The resurrection completes Christ’s work of salvation. But it is also very practical for our lives.

 

Here are a few things we gain from his resurrection:

 

1. A completed salvation

“[Christ}  was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. Romans 4:25

Through the resurrection God validated our forgiveness and showed to all Christ’s dominion over life and death, heaven and hell, the works of man and our sin.

 

2.  Death defeated

but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 2 Timothy 1:10

We no longer need to fear illness and death. Christ knows what it is like to suffer in our bodies and he has perfect compassion so we are never left without a comforter. Death marks the beginning of life for a Christian because we have been promised a resurrection of our own, one that includes a perfect body and perfect holiness.

 

3. We have been given power to defeat sin

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead now resides in us so that we are able to overcome sin, to resist temptation, to do what is right.

 

4. Power to live a righteous life.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:1-3

Because of the Christ rising from the dead we are raised to a new life. A life that makes it possible for us to live righteously.

 

Credit: Jen Thorn

 

Posted by Kachi

 

Challenge

Many of us have heard the crucifixion and resurrection story a million times and we have lost some of that awe and excitement that we once had.

My challenge for us this week is that we meditate on the resurrection of Jesus pray that God would ignite a fire of awe and excitement regarding the resurrection.

Everyday write down one way the resurrection impacts your daily life.

Looking To Jesus,

Beware of the Scribes (And Watch Yourself)

 

 

Years ago we had “game night” with another couple when the husband called his wife out regarding her attitude about the game. Let’s just say she was not a gracious loser and he addressed it. Awkward!!

Now, maybe he should have done that in private, but nevertheless I imagine that some of the people and disciples of Jesus felt pretty uncomfortable when Jesus called out the Scribes and other religious leaders.

And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, “Beware of the scribes” (Lk 20:45,46a)

Let me say first that it was totally appropriate for Jesus to take these Pharisees to task in public because they were figures of authority whose sins were public and in some cases against the public.

Jesus is on a roll, he confronts their cold hearts, their wrongful interpretation of the scriptures and now their hypocritical lives. And he does this straight to their face. Can you feel the tension crackling in the air?

But it isn’t enough to feel awkward about the situation. And we certainly shouldn’t feel self-righteous. When we read Jesus’ words against the religious we should listen carefully. Perhaps some of these sins are ours as well.

Here are some things that Jesus pointed out regarding the character and behavior of the scribes and pharisees. And maybe even you and me.

1. Pride

“who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues andthe places of honor at feasts” Lk 20:46b

These leaders thought they were untouchable. In their eyes everything they did was awesome and right. They thought everyone should look up to them while they looked down on everyone else.

The Bible has a lot to say about pride. Mainly because it is the root of almost every other sin and is dangerous. Pride causes us to take credit when credit should be given to God. Pride makes us bigger and God smaller. Thomas Watson says that we rob God of his glory and place it on ourselves. He says that “it is a spiritual drunkenness; it flies up like wine into the brain and intoxicates it”, making us behave in ungodly ways.

Chrysostom called pride the “mother of hell.” This may seem harsh but God has some harsh things to say as well.

    Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD;
be assured, he will not go unpunished.
Proverbs 16:5

So do we have our pride under control? Some are proud of their talents, their wealth, their beauty, their fitness, their stuff and their beliefs just to name a few. How about your parenting, your own righteousness?

While pride lives within the heart of everyone we must work hard at beating it down, killing it, and learning humility.

2. Greed

“who devour widows’ houses” Lk 40:47a

These men were suppose to make sure that the widows were protected and provided for. But they were the very guys who were taking advantage of them. They did this by:

“Taking payment from widows for legal aid even though such payments were prohibited, cheating inexperienced widows of their inheritance, living off the hospitality of lonely women, mismanaging widows’ property who had dedicated themselves to service in the temple, and accepting money from the naive elderly in exchange for special prayer.” (Kent Hughes)

This was wicked in the sight of God and Jesus would not be silent.

Greed may be an acceptable “value” in our culture today, but it grieves God and harms others. How far are we willing to go to satisfy our greed? It isn’t always a desire for something bad. If we are greedy for time alone we will push our kids aside. If we are greedy for money and possessions we will go to great lengths to get it even if it means stepping on others or simply being unkind in order to get it. If we are greedy with our time we will often not be very involved at our church or in the lives of others.

3. Hypocrisy

“and for a pretense make long prayers.” Lk 20:47

They desired to look good and for the people to think that they were holy, but prayers like these do not come from a godly heart. They wanted people to think that they had it all together when in reality they were a mess on the inside. Hmmm …. sounds familiar.

Jesus says that “They will receive the greater condemnation.” (vs 47) because they should have known better. They spent their life studying and reading the Torah and teaching the people in the temple.

Luke 12:48 says, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

We have been blessed with the whole word of God, and much will be required of us. BUT there is good news because if we stopped here I would feel depressed. We have not been left alone. We have Christ who has died for our pride, for our greed and for our hypocrisy. He has given us power to overcome and we have the Holy Spirit to help, guide, convict and comfort us.

Yes, God requires much, but he has done all the work for us.

Looking to Jesus,

Credit: Jen Thorn

 

Posted by Kachi

Jesus Extends Grace…And Open Arms

 

 

Shame, guilt, failure…despair

How could he have been so proud and joined the other disciples earlier in the day arguing with them about who would be the greatest…

How could he be so zealous before, willing to protect Jesus to the point of drawing his sword and cutting off the servant of the high priest’s ear… (vs 50)

In Luke 22:33 we see Peter telling Jesus that he was:

“willing to go to prison and even death.”

How could he go from one minute being so confident in himself, his abilities, his commitment and within a few hours, a few changes and a few questions find himself sitting around a fire in the courtyard of the high priest watching Jesus being interrogated from afar? (vs 55)

Hours later, Peter was drowning in the despair of his choices, his actions, his responses…..his lack of bravery.

Ever been there? I know I have. The regret. The poor decision that washes over you as your mind replays the event over and over again, each time etching the memory and the pain a little deeper into your heart.

If only he could have a second chance.

A “do over”.

A chance to make things right.

A chance to make a different decision, a better decision.

Jesus had warned him before it all began…

 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith many not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” -Luke 22:31

Jesus knew before it even happened Peter would deny him 3 times that night, we see this in verse 34, but if you look closer into verse 31 you’ll see two important points…

The first one is that Jesus prayed for Peter (Simon).

“I have prayed for you, Simon (Peter), that your faith may not fail…”

Satan may have wanted to crush Peter, discourage him, make him mess up so badly that he could never rise up again and be the leader God made him to be…but Jesus went before Peter…before he ever denied Him, just like Jesus goes before us and prays on our behalf (John 17:20) He prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail.

Was it shaken? Yes.

Did it falter? You bet.

Was his faith destroyed? No.

Then Jesus brought in the game changer…

“And when you have turned back….”

Peter, you will fail……you will be broken by your choices. You will be riddled with guilt. You will be ashamed by your cowardness…you will fall and not want to get up.

BUT you will.

You will grow from this failure, Peter. You will grow from the pain of your choices and YOU WILL TURN BACK!

And WHEN you do, STRENGTHEN your brothers!

Do you see it? Jesus was already extending grace and forgiveness to Peter before he ever even needed it.

So what about you, friend?

Do you carry a burden that is too much to bare?

Have you had your own “hours” of denying Jesus and now are living in shame and guilt over your past choices?

Have you asked forgiveness?

Have you repented?

If so, then turn back to Jesus and rest in His grace. He freely gives it and it’s ONE SIZE FITS ALL.

 

“He allowed Peter to fail spectacularly so he would finally understand that grace was the key to serving God and his kingdom. Not by his own strength and courage, by only by God’s constant grace and mercy would Peter be able to deliver Jesus’ message to the world…a message that would then be wrapped in the grace and mercy he had come to know so well.”- Sally Clarkson, Ministry of Motherhood

 

Choose today to get up, to brush yourself off….to turn back.

It’s not to late.

Jesus extends grace and open arms.

 

Love God Greatly!

Credit: Angela (good Morning Girls)

Posted by Kachi

Who is Jesus, Really?

 

The terrifying, cruel and wonderful work of Christ, which will rescue us from our own sin and destruction, has begun. He has been betrayed by Judas and denied by Peter. After Christ’s arrest the rest of the disciples ran away to hide.

Christ is taken into custody and the men who are holding him begin to play a cruel game of blind man’s bluff. They blindfolded him, made fun of him, and punched him saying, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” (You can read in the other Gospels that they hit, spit, and slapped him as well – Matt. 26:67,68; Mark 14:65).

In the morning he is taken before the Sanhedrin where all the religious leaders had gathered. The man they had been trying to trap and arrest for 3 long years was finally at their mercy.

During his time with the Sanhedrin three of his titles are mentioned.

The Christ

  “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, Luke 22:67

The word “Christ” and Messiah both mean “anointed one.” One is Hebrew and the other is Greek. Jesus tended to avoid the term “Messiah” because it was a very political term. He had not come to overthrow the government but to overthrow our hearts. It was a dangerous term to use around the Romans. They didn’t really care if he called himself “God” but the term “Messiah” could have made them think he was planning a political rebellion. If the religious leaders could get Jesus to say that he was the Messiah they could hand him over the Romans who would have gladly put him to death.

The Son of Man

    But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” Luke 22:69

This is a title that Jesus chose for himself. It speaks of his humanity, the fact that he was born like all other people and that he would experience death like all humans.(Lk 9:22) But he is also referring to Daniel 7 in which this Son of Man holds all power. This rubbed the Sanhedrin the wrong way because the Son of Man in Daniel 7 was considered to be divine and so they knew exactly what Jesus was getting at.

The Son of God

The leaders now come right out and ask him if he is the Son of God, hoping to catch Jesus in blatant blasphemy. At his birth the angel announced that he would be the “son of the Most High”. At his baptism a voice from heaven said, “This is my son, with whom I am well pleased (Lk 3:22) and again at the transfiguration a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” (Lk. 9:35) and so Jesus finally gives them what they are wanting to hear.

And they all said, “Are You the Son of God, then?” And He said to them, “Yes, I am.” (Lk. 22:70 NASB)

Yes, finally! They had all they needed to arrest Jesus and hopefully they could have him put to death.  They were blinded by their hatred and their hearts were closed to the revelation of God that was standing bruised and disheveled right in front of them.

When reading this account we need to ask ourselves some hard questions.

Who do we say Jesus is? I am sure we would be quick to say, “Oh yes, he is the Son of God who holds all power, the Christ who takes away our sins.” But does what we say we believe show itself in how we live? Or do we look for salvation elsewhere?

Our thinking is sometimes a bit skewed. We trust that only Jesus can pay the penalty for our sins, save our souls and prepare us for heaven and yet we have trouble believing that he can save us from the rest of the things in our lives.

If Jesus can save us from hell then he can surely save us from our sadness, from our impatience and from our anger issues. If he is capable of taking on himself all the wrath of God then he is able to help us become respectful wives and loving mothers. He can strengthen our faith, keep us from falling, give us courage and even fill our life with joy.

Really, the question is not who we say Jesus is, but who he said he is. Jesus has spoken, he has accomplished our salvation. Do we really believe him?

Looking To Jesus,

 

Credit: Jen (women living well)

 

Posted by Kachi

 

Stepping Out In Faith

Over the past 2 years I’ve stepped out in faith and done various things. I’m the type of person that likes to try things out. I’m still doing a few things and some other projects I’ve quit doing. Do I feel like a failure because I quit? No. Not at all.

 

There was one particular thing that I had prayed about. I prayed for a year, and that desire kept building up. Then God opened the door for me to walk through. He gave me confirmation upon confirmation. He provided and did everything for me. It was pretty awesome! 3 months into it, I decided to quit because that desire was no longer there, it quickly evaporated.

 

You know what? God is so good like that. He allows His children to step out in faith and try things, knowing full well that it’s not His will. I was able to get it out of my system and know for sure, without a doubt, that it was not of God. Now, I can stop asking Him about it. lol. I thank God for that opportunity because it taught many things, especially about His love for me. I walked away feeling so free and so encouraged that He gave me that opportunity to try, and He even provided for me abundantly to go through with it. I didn’t feel like a failure when I had quit, I grew much deeper from that experience.

 

All I’m saying is that it’s okay not to hear God’s voice clearly, to make mistakes, or to step out in faith and TRY. It’s all a learning process and we grow from it. Next week, next year, or in 3 years, we will be stepping out in faith and trying and making more mistakes. Through the bad decisions that we make, God will remind us of His love. If God opens a door and allows you to try something for a season, do it! There’s so much to learn. And if you find out that it’s not God’s will, stop, re-examine, and determine if it’s not of God. There’s no shame in that. I’ve done it numerous of times, I’m human. Especially with this ministry, I am constantly learning, you’ll probably be here to see some of the “oopsies” that I might make along the way!
 

In His Love
 

Credit: Janice

 

Posted by Kachi

We Don't Need To Know Everything

              

             

Sounds harsh? It’s simply the truth. Read on and you’ll see why.

The LORD our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all words of this law. Duet. 29:29
Paraphrasing here, there are many things God has already made known to us.

And there are also things that only He knows and probably would never be revealed to us. No one likes to hear that. Therefore, in this season… Trust Him. We do not need to know everything. Wanting and needing to know is a form of control. Why do we want so much control? Then we wouldn’t have to put our faith into action and trust God. I mean, life would be much easier right? God’s not having any of that. There’s no shortcut in Christianity. He wants us to mature spiritually.

2Pet. 1:3-6 tells us by His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. Make every effort to add faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness.

Relinquish control and surrender to God. Don’t complain, worry and take matters into your own hands. Quit striving harder and trust more. Complete trust is when we stop reacting. Either you and I can choose to trust Him or keep taking this test over and over and over again until He wins. After all, His purpose will prevail, Proverbs 19:21.
 
Trusting is obedience. Let’s make sure we pass this test. Be a doer of the Word and not merely being hearers who deceive themselves. James 1:22

Blessings!

Credit: Janice (Gods gracefulness)

Posted by Kachi

Beware: The Bible Is About to Threaten Your Smartphone Focus : Man Shall Not Live by Facebook Alone

Are apps a threat to God-focus? Yes. But it works both ways. Fight fire with fire.

If you are reading your Bible on your computer or your smartphone or your iPad, the presence of the email app and the news apps and the Facebook app threaten every moment to drag your attention away from the word of God.

 

True. Fight that. If your finger offends you, cut it off. Or use any other virtuous violence (Matthew 11:12) that sets you free to rivet your soul on God.

 

But don’t take mainly a defensive posture. Fight fire with fire.

 

Why should we think of the Facebook app threatening the Bible app? Why not the Bible app threatening the Facebook app, and the email app, and the RSS feeder, and the news?

 

Resolve that today you will press the Bible app three times during the day. No five times. Ten times! Maybe you will lose control and become addicted to Bible!

 

Again and again get a two-minute dose of life-giving Food. Man shall not live by Facebook alone.

 

I’m serious. Never has God’s voice been so easily accessible. The ESV app is free. The OliveTree BibleReader app is free. And so are lots of others. Let the Bible threaten your focus. Or better: Let the Bible bring you back to reality over and over during the day

 

Credit: John Piper (Desiring God)

 

Posted by Kachi

Rhythm of Faith: LOVE.

Rhythm of Faith: LOVE.:                           Of these three things, faith, hope and love, the greatest is love.                   What is Love? Love is ...

Jesus Saves

The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10)

Christianity is summed up in these words: Jesus came to seek and save the lost. If we were asked to describe in a sentence the heart of the gospel, there it is.

There is no other news like this. Every other religion says it backwards. Every other religion tells us to seek. We are advised to climb trees like Zacchaeus, to depend upon our own exertion for any hope of ascending to the divine. We are told to bridge the gulf by our effort. If you want salvation, they say, then seek it.

 

In a sense, that is the world — we live in a planet full of seekers. We are, in one way or another, tree-climbers, maneuvering ourselves to gain some advantage, to achieve some perspective, to find personal peace. And then Jesus comes.

We are lost in our own seeking until Jesus comes and says to us, “Hurry and come down” (Luke 19:5). Stop your searching. Stop trying to save yourself. I have come to seek and save the lost.

 

Our exertion is then silenced. All our seeking — our trying to reach the divine on our own — is silenced when we learn that the divine has reached down to us . . . by becoming one of us. Here we are, spinning our wheels in hopes of getting God, and then God, despite our belittling works, comes to get us. That gulf we couldn’t bridge is the burden he takes upon himself.

 

We were lost, sinners who rightly deserve God’s judgment. And Jesus came to take the judgment for us. He suffered in our place on the cross, was dead and buried, and then on the third day was raised to life. He ascended to the Father’s right hand from where he reigns over all. Jesus sought us, and he has saved us, if we trust him. Do you believe this? Do you feel the wonder of this salvation?

Jesus, you are the one who saves, not us. Thank you for rest, for hushing the furious winds of our faithless works. Thank you for stopping the strivings of our souls. Overcome us more and more with the glory of your grace, and make our posture toward others echo this summary of your gospel: “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

---

         

Credit: Jonathan Parnell

Posted by Kachi