Thursday Devotional...11/1/12...Movie Magic Within My Reach

It is official! Halloween is now behind us and the holiday frenzy may begin. I am excited because I am only 22 days away from watching Christmas movies. We have a family tradition of playing “The Christmas Story” movie (the tongue stuck to the flagpole one) in the background while we do Thanksgiving dinner prep work. Then, thanks to the convenience of Netflix, Redbox, and the $5 dollar movie bin at WalMart, I can have my fill of Christmas movies throughout the holidays.

I like the stories where people find connection with others: where family members come home, the soldier finds peace, the teenager finds acceptance, and the guilty finds forgiveness. I am spellbound by the incredible healing power of an invitation, an embrace, or an apology. It is amazing how the evil spells of pain, rejection and isolation are broken by the power of God’s love through the words and actions of others. It is surprising how the smallest action of faith taken by one can affect someone else’s life.

Stories like these in many Christmas movies inspire me to look around to see if there is someone within my reach who would be glad for my extended hand of friendship. I think it is fear of rejection and fear of opening a can of worms that keeps me from reaching out. I don’t like rejection or trouble so why should I risk running into either one?

In Matthew 25:34-40, Jesus is explaining to his disciples what it will be like when the Son of Man comes again and sits on His Holy throne:

“Then the King will say to those on his right (his sheep, believers), ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom.

 It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation.

 And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,

I was thirsty and

you gave me a drink,

I was homeless

and you gave me a room,

I was shivering

and you gave me clothes,

I was sick

and you stopped to visit,

I was in prison and you came to me.’

“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

Dear Lord, please help me to put aside my hesitation about reaching out to others. Please open my eyes to recognize who You would like me to be a friend to: whether a beggar on a corner, a struggling family, a neighbor, or even someone in my own family. Please help me to know how I can show them Your love and mercy in a new way. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

Wednesday Devotional...10/31/12...The Lord Is With You"

                                                            ...HE NEVER LEAVES YOUR SIDE

 

Have you ever experienced times when you were feeling quite discouraged when all you knew to do was crawl up in the Father's lap and let Him hold you. I have had many of those times. What a comfort and peace my Abba Daddy gives me when I rest in His lap and put my head on His chest.

I find great peace and assurance in the scripture out of

Joshua 1:9

"Have I not commanded you?

Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid,

nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God

is with you wherever you go."

Not one second does my Father ever leave my side. He is well aware of what goes on in my life and is committed to take good care of me.

The storms outside will rage, but I can always know that I am safe in my Father's arms as He looks me straight in my eyes letting me know that "everything will be ok."

In His Outrageous Love,
Sandy Billingham

Monday Devotional...HERITAGE...

       ...OF FAMILY AND
                                         AS SERVANTS OF THE LORD

Isaiah 54:17 says

“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper,

and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment

, thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of

the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness

is of me," saith the Lord.

I’ve read that scripture so many times and always migrate to it in times of trouble. But as I was reading it today…these words really stood out to me

“This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord”

I started thinking about the word “Heritage” and what an influential word that is. That word “Heritage” goes on and on and on, generation after generation.

What we do today in word or in deed will be left for a heritage to someone in our life. Our lives tell a story, our lives leave behind a trace of who we were and what we stood for…especially to our children and our grandchildren. 

I look back at my own life and realize that my Grandmother paved the way for so many of her children and her grandchildren. She left us a heritage (an inheritance) that no money could buy. My grandma was a Christian, a very strong “Christian”. My Grandma Henley lived in Oklahoma and my mother and father lived here in California…so I didn’t get to see my grandma very much. But, when she would come to visit us, I knew in my heart what Grandma possessed. She left to me an inherited memory and her testimony of God, an inheritance of great price.

I understand now, that if my Grandma hadn’t stood strong in the faith and carried her cross and the burdens for her loved ones, I would not be where I am and who I am today in the Lord.

With that being said, how much MORE does the Lord leave us as a heritage. He left us his word, his strength, his power, his glory… for this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.

Written by:
Glenna Williamson

FREED SLAVES

devotional for Sunday 10/28/12

Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free...  I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.  Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."  John 8:31-32, 34-36 NIV

While most if not all of us have no idea what it feels like physically to be a slave, we know what it is like spiritually.  All people sin.  So when Jesus says, "everyone who sins", that means everyone who lives and breaths on this earth.  We are all slaves to sin.  There is no way that we can NOT sin - we are forever trapped in sin on our own.  

The great news is that there is a way out of our condition of slavery to sin.  We must "hold to the teaching" of Jesus and "know the truth."  The truth is that Jesus has paid sin's price for us, and that is what sets us free. Because of his great love for us Jesus is the one who gives us freedom from the punishment for sin and helps us to turn from our sinful ways.  We are no longer slaves to sin with Satan as our owner, but rather we are children of God and belong to his family forever.  We are free indeed through Jesus' death on the cross and his glorious resurrection.  By his sacrifice we are saved.

Now, because of this freedom, we have a serious responsibility - to spread this good news to others!

written by Jan Andersen

Thursday Devotional...WELCOME BACK

                                                                               ...and WELCOME HOME

When I first heard the story of the prodigal son I was 11 years old and it ticked me off. I was the oldest child in our family and the most obedient, not perfect mind you, but I looked good. I did lots of right things, but honestly I did them because I liked how doing them made me feel. I enjoyed the praise and compliments. When I heard the story of the disobedient son who claimed his inheritance early, broke his parent’s heart, and then was welcomed back as if he’d done nothing wrong: I was in disbelief!

My first thought was: “That’s not fair.” How come he can get everything he wants, then come back, and the father runs to meet him on the road, puts nice clothes on him (and a ring!) and then calls for a major feast and celebration. My thoughts were very dark and brooding as I pondered “What’s the point of being good, if being bad still gets the same reward?” The next verses show that the prodigal son’s brother felt the same way! Even though the father assures his older son that everything the father has belongs to this son it just never seemed to make sense to me. Then two things happened.

First of all, I got older and my choices and experiences proved that I wasn’t “all that good” after all. Suddenly I could appreciate the prodigal son’s situation as I needed forgiveness myself. Instead of considering the father soft and foolish I was thankful for his mercy and his acceptance of his wayward child.

Second, I was blessed with children. An awareness of the overflowing love of God washed over me as I held my child in my arms. Then I was worried during my second pregnancy that I wouldn’t be able to love this child as much as I loved the first one. Little did I know that a parent’s heart expands with each child. Then I began to truly understand the open and loving arms of the Father for each one of us.

Luke 15:10
In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence

of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

(NASB)

1 Timothy 1:15
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance:

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

 (NIV)

Romans 8:38-39 

For I am convinced that neither

death nor life, neither angels nor demons,

neither the present nor the future,

nor any powers,  neither height nor depth,

nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us

 from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(NIV1984)

Dear Father, thank You for the example of the prodigal’s father as a picture of Your unconditional love for us. I still find selfishness hiding inside of me. Thank You for Your Word that reassures me that I can never fall so far away I can’t get back to You. Please help me to remember all You have forgiven me for so that I may have the courage and loving attitude to extend open arms and a welcome home to everyone You bring across my path. In Your name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

A very cool song by the band Unspoken, titled “Who You Are”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_BLbj5q8_0

10 24 12...Wednesday Devotional..."Be Of Good Cheer"

                                                                    ...for He has overcome the world!

My husband took off work yesterday and we decided to go canoeing. Our canoeing trip started out nice and easy until minutes after getting started we came across an area of thick, grassy, seaweed that covered the lake for several feet. It was quite difficult to move the paddles, but we pressed on and got through it. We canoed in sinc with one another and were totally enjoying our time. We stopped about midway to relax and drink our water to get refreshed.

We took off again and realized the wind was picking up pretty strong and the current became very forceful as we tried to maneuver our canoe. We would paddle forward only to be pushed back a few feet. Never- the- less we did not give up. We paddled hard and heavy and were relentless in getting back to where we began our trip.

Life can be like I described our canoe trip at times. It can be going very smoothly and all of sudden the grassy,seaweed and forceful currents began to hit us head on. We feel discouraged and distraught but we can't give up. We have to keep "paddling" on 'till we reach our destination!

God tells us in John 16:33

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.

In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer,

I have overcome the world."

There is nothing like God's perfect peace that He promises us. He also says we will have tribulation, but we can still be joyful for He has overcome the world. So rest in God's promises my friend each and every day.

In His Radical Love,

Sandy Billingham

Tuesday Devotional...10/23/12...All have sinned

Romans 3:23--

"For all have sinned,

and come short

of the glory of God."

This is the very first verse I learned as a child ,it has such a marvelous message . It tells us that no matter how rich ,or poor, black or white , Jew or Gentile , we all sin . It's because we are human and the flesh is weak . As I used to tell my children , "There was only one perfect child born, and He was nailed to a cross ." What a message it is that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross , for your sins and mine . Through Him we might be saved and spend eternity with Him in heaven . It says in the Bible that as Christians we are joint heirs with Jesus ! That's so hard to wrap my brain around , sinner that I am , as are we all , my Jesus died for me and you and we are joint heirs with Him . It's never to late to declare you are a sinner...that Jesus is Lord and Savior and join the family of God

Submitted by Annie A.

CRADLE TO GRAVE

devotional for Sunday 10/21/12

Even to your old age and gray hairs,  I am he, I am he who will sustain you.  I have made you and I will carry you;  I will sustain you and I will rescue you.  Isaiah 46:4  NIV

God is with us throughout our lives.  He created us.  He knew us even before we were conceived in the womb.  He sustains us throughout our lives. He gives us the strength to move through all our trials and tribulations.  He not only promises to be with us through it all, he also will carry us when we don't have the strength to make it to the other side.  We not only will be in his arms during the difficulties, we will be rescued! Even when it seems in our own eyes that we are not being rescued, God is doing his work for good to occur in our lives.  And whenever we do die, we are still rescued from sin, death and the devil as we join him in heaven.  Our awesome God cares for us from before the time we are born through to our eternal life with him in glory.

Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, you have created us and through your Spirit you continue to sustain and carry us in your strong arms.  Please rescue us from all evil in this world and bring us safely home to rest on your chest in our eternal home with you and your son, Jesus, in whose name we pray.   Amen.

written by Jan Andersen

Saturday Devotional...BALANCE AND....

                                                      ...MISPLACED ATTRACTIONS

Today I was coming home from a nearby town. That town is more rural in a western sense than where I live. There are ranches dotting the landscape beyond where the new housing areas have popped up in recent years. I passed a field not far outside of town where about two hundred cows were grazing. To be honest, I have noticed lately, as I pass fields where cows are found, that they are constantly feeding. Their heads are down as they munch on grass. The only movement is to walk slowly to a nearby patch that has not been chewed to the ground. They seem to amble around mindlessly when they are in motion. Only rarely do you see a line of cows looks as if the herd might have a common purpose. The reason for that seems to be that a leader has started to walk, and the rest have decided to follow her. I doubt that they have any idea where they are going,

This Is their life. They walk slowly, perusing their fields, heads down, intent on their requirements of their lives. This bovine population seems oblivious to anything but these body needs. Don’t get me wrong and please do not think that I am an anti-cow person or that I see no value in cows. After all they are God’s creations put on the earth for a very useful purpose. We derive a lot from our dairy cows. That benefit is obvious. Then there are the beef cows which bless their human co-occupants here on earth with beef for steaks, hamburgers, and the like. I have to admit that I am somewhat of ignorant of the wonders of this particular animal. Some readers may be thinking that it is silly for me to judge their worth by human standards of what is nifty behavior.

Good point! However, as I observed them while driving down that country road I felt like I was having an “aha” moment from God. These animals are fixed on their bodies, and whatever benefit they are to the world is nothing planned or strived for. People can be in some ways the same. We have idols that become more important than anything in life. These drag us away from relating to God in the way we should. To name a few…spending, alcohol, gambling, eating, overbooked schedules, shirking duty and envy of others…just to name a few. When we let these addictions overtake our lives we are no different than the cows. Our attention is also myopic and somewhat mindless.

Dear God,Please aid me to have a balance in all I do today. Let me not shirk the things that I should be doing just to satisfy myself with things that seem to be more fun or more interesting to me. Remind me of the sometimes uninteresting duties of my life, and assist me to find joy completing these tasks. Help me to remember that You are the center of my life. Give me gratitude for the people and things You have blessed me with and a desire to serve You as I complete these mundane tasks.Amen.

Written by
Corinne Mustafa

Friday Devotional...Isaiah 40

Isaiah 40:31

“But they that wait

upon the LORD

shall renew

their strength;

they shall mount

 up with
wings as eagles;

they shall run,
and not be weary;

and they shall walk,

and not faint.”

Recently I’ve had this scripture in Isaiah 40:31 on my heart and when I read it thoroughly… two words were illuminated to me. The words “Mount Up”. For some reason I got a visual of an eagle mounting up to fly, as I thought about the intensity of strength an eagle has in it’s legs to mount up. There are several synonyms for the verb “Mount”

• Accelerate, Build Up, Climb, Enlarge, Escalate, Expand,
• Multiply, Rise, Spread, Swell, Surge, Heighten, Intensify, Crest

What powerful wording God has given us to look to this scripture for strength in our everyday trials of life. If we wait upon the Lord as the word tells us to do….we too shall renew our strength and “Mount Up” with wings as eagles.

I believe before we can have this action/verb in our life, it must start in our mind, we can as the eagle ….gird our minds and “Mount Up”… Rise, Swell, Surge and Crest to heights >> which in turn gives us strength (as legs of an eagle) to sore, to fly, to run and not be weary and walk and not faint. Teach me Lord to wait upon you!

Glenna Williamson

Thursday Devotional...Balancing Life...

                       ...because all work and no play could make Jack a dull boy!

                                              but the opposite can result in a less productive life

 

I had another ‘aha’ moment today. I called home, no answer. Not a problem in our digitally connected society, I dial a cell phone. “Hello?” a deep voice answers that is so much like a man’s but not quite. My son tells me that he is at his favorite coffee shop with friends.

In my head I wanted to tell him to go home and do something important; like homework or laundry. Instead I say, “OK, see you later.”Hanging out with friends is really okay with me. I like to hang out with friends.

Then there is a vivid memory of myself at his age, and I want to tell him, don’t waste time! Don’t make the same mistakes I did. Learn from my experiences and spare yourself some of the hassle and heartache.

Proverbs 6:6-11
(MSG)

You lazy fool, look at an ant.

Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two.

Nobody has to tell it what to do.

All summer it stores up food;

at harvest it stockpiles provisions.

So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing?

How long before you get out of bed?

A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there,

sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next?

Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life,

poverty your permanent houseguest!

 

But then the Word also says this:

Psalm 127:2-3
(NLT)

It is useless for you to work so hard

from early morning until late at night,

anxiously working for food to eat;

for God gives rest to his loved ones.

Children are a gift from the LORD;

they are a reward from him.

Dear Lord, thank You for your loving care of my children. Please help me to set a balanced example between diligent work and trusting rest. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

Wednesday Devotional..."He Rejoices Over Me With Singing"

One of my all time favorite scriptures
is out of Zephaniah 3:17 which says

"The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing."

That whole verse is an over all view of the depth of love that God has for us. He tells us He is with us and mighty to save. It goes on to share how He rejoices over us with great gladness and singing.

Our God is crazy in love with us! He is always thinking of us and admires each of us highly. And He loves to spend time with us and is well pleased with us. That is the kind of "Abba Daddy" that we have.

We truly have the best Dad in the whole, wide world!!

 In His Radical Love,
                                  Sandy Billingham

Extra Devotional...Grow In Grace

In 2 Peter 3:18 it says,

"But grow in the grace and knowledge

 of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To Him be the glory both now and forever."

Daily the Lord desires for His people to grow in His grace and knowlege. The only way we can grow in those areas are by reading His word and spending time with the Father and other believers. Particularly today I wanted to share on the importance of walking in grace.

Recently I heard a teaching on grace. The person brought up the Gary Ridgeway case. Gary is referred to as the Green River serial killer. He shared particularly on the day that the victim's loved ones had a chance to talk to Gary in the courtroom. They each had an opportunity to share their feelings with him and how it had affected them and their families. One by one the the victim's loved ones came forth and spewed out poisonous, hateful words to Gary. Over and over they told him how they hated him and how he had brought so much pain in their lifes. The majority of the people had tremendous bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness towards Gary.

Then one man came forward named Bob. He proceeded to tell Gary that he had forgiven him for what he had done to his loved one. He continued to pour abundant words of grace to Gary. At that time something profound took place. When all the other people had shared with him, he was without remorse and stonefaced. But when Bob begin to share, Gary's lip began to quiver and tears began to roll down his face.

I was taken back by that story. A revelation came to me like no other. It made me think that if each of us would extend that same grace that Bob had given to Gary, lifes would be forever changed. You may be thinking that Gary doesn't deserve that grace. That may be true, but the bottom line is that none of us deserve grace. The Lord so lovingly pours out that grace to us that we are undeserving of.

My prayer is for each of you to allow God's grace to freely flow through you onto others on a daily basis. God's grace will give you great freedom as you grant that grace to others. Unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment will melt and freedom and healing will takes its place. Grow in abundant grace daily!

Blessings,

Sandy Billingham

Tuesday Devotional...YOUR EXIT IS GIVEN....

                                                                    ...IF YOU FOLLOW GOD'S LEADING

1 Corinthians 10:13

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man:

but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able;

but will with the temptation also make a way to escape,
that ye may be able to bear it.

When we are tempted, God will help. He will provide a way out, not to avoid temptation, but to meet it successfully and to stand firm under it. This is testing as permitted and controlled by God to produce sterling character that is a reflection of His own.

God is faithful and will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear and successfully conquer. He challenges us to meet the temptations that spring up before us on the road of life, beat them down, learn the lessons, and move on to receive the crown of life. He promises to be with us every step of the way. We can be confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

submitted by Annie A.



Monday Devotional...Planting and...

                                                                               ...Harvesting and Celebrating

Hosea 10:12

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy;

break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD,

till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

Sow to yourselves in righteousness - Let the seed you sow be of the best kind, and in just measure.

Reap in mercy - By the blessing of God on this ploughing, sowing, and harrowing, you may expect a good crop in harvest.

Break up your fallow ground - Do not be satisfied with a slight furrow; let the land that was fallowed (slightly ploughed) be broken up again with a deep furrow.

For it is time to seek the Lord - This should be immediately done: the season is passing; and if you do not get the seed in the ground, the early rain will be past, and your fields will be unfruitful.

Rain righteousness upon you - God will give you the early rain in due time, and in proper measure. Here are the metaphors, and the application cannot be difficult.. Here are ploughing, fallowing, sowing, harrowing, watering, reaping, threshing, and feeding on the produce of well-directed labor. All may be applied to the human heart, and the work of God upon it. Correction, contrition, conversion, receiving the grace of Christ, bringing forth fruit, etc.

Written by Annie A.

WORSHIP OR WASTE?

Sunday devotional, 10/14/12

Sometimes it is hard to know how best to serve God with our riches.  Have you ever seen a beautiful Cathedral?  They are gorgeous, ornate buildings, both inside and out, built for worshipping God.  But is that wasteful?  Couldn't all that money have been put to better use supporting the poor, the hungry, the abused, or the homeless?  What is the right way to glorify God?  Deciding how to be a good steward isn't always easy.

God wants us to care for those in our midst who need help.  Many verses throughout the Bible tell us to support those who are poor.  God also desires our worship and is pleased when we express our deep devotion by giving our best to glorify him.  He even instructed his people to build a beautiful temple, and to cover the ark of the covenant inside and out with gold.  And when  the woman with the jar of perfume anointed Jesus' feet and people questioned why she would waste something so expensive, Jesus rebuked them:

While [Jesus] was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.  Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume?  It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.  “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.  The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.  She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.  I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”  Mark 14:3-9 NIV

It isn't an "either - or" situation.  Jesus wants us to help the poor and needy.  He also accepts our expressions of thankfulness and the beautiful things we do for him.  Whether it is glorifying or wasteful is not a black or white issue.  It has a lot to do with what our motivations are and what is in our hearts.  We pray that we are able to find a God-pleasing balance in all that we do with what he gives us. 

written by Jan Andersen

Friday Devotional....12/12/12.........Birthday - Birth Day

The month of October is very special to me. All three of my children were born in October. On all three occasions, it rained the day each were born which was a heavenly sign to me, a sign of clear air, a fresh new start….the new start of life.

I started thinking about each of my kids birthdays this month as to me it is my “Birth Day” as well. Because my body a vessel (as their Mother) gave them life but I know that it was God that breathed the breath of life into their little bodies and souls.

That’s what Jesus did for us when we repented of our sins, he breathed the breath of life eternal into our souls. Now we were not only born of the flesh, but of the spirit when we received the Holy Ghost. What a gift, not wrapped in pretty paper, but the gift that only God could give >>> Life, and Life More Abundantly!

Happy Birthday Ronald, Tracy & Randy

Happy Birth Day to me (Mom)

And

Happy New Birth Day to us all…. when Jesus washed our sins away



Written by:
Glenna Williamson