ASCENSION CLOUDS... Sunday

Devotional for 6/1/14

Clouds, generally thought of or represented by white fluffy blobs, can actually display many colors especially at sunrise or sunset. Sometimes they are beautifully painted in reds, oranges, yellows or even purple.  At other times they are billows of ominous gray and black.  They actually are not solid, but only a mass of water droplets or frozen crystals.  Yet at times these misty collections spread the sun's light into a gorgeous fan of golden rays, and at other times they totally obscure the view of that ball of fire in the sky.

Our daily experiences and struggles can be a lot like clouds.  Sometimes our adventures are like beautiful reflections of vibrant colors.  When things are seemingly going well, we may be happily rejoicing in our blessings.  But when our life turns to difficulties and suffering, it can be like the thunderhead storm clouds, dark and threatening, blocking our view of God and his plans for our life.  Yet God is still there, just like the sun behind the clouds.  But God is not just passively hanging out in the heavens.  He is always at work in our lives, even if he seems absent to us. 

The disciples were a lot like us.  They had times when they were very sure about Jesus being the Savior.  Then there were other times they felt lost and despairing, as when Jesus was crucified on the cross.  But God was still with them.  Jesus returned and appeared to them on earth for another 40 days before he ascended into heaven to be with the Father.  As he was taken up into heaven, Jesus was literally hidden from their view by a cloud.  The disciples stood their, looking for him in the sky.  Jesus had told them their job was to be his witnesses, and the angels told them Jesus would return in the same way he left.  So they were to continue living by faith, even though they could no longer see Jesus. Let us also always remember that we walk by faith, not by sight.

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”   After Jesus said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.  They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.  “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”   Acts 1:8-11 (NIV)

written by Jan Andersen

AVAILABILITY...Saturday

5/31/14 

"Not by might nor by power, 

but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty."

 Zechariah 4:6b

     

Jesus is looking for people to go out and do His work.  He's not looking at "capability" but rather "availability."

     Throughout the pages of Scripture we see God accomplishing whatever He wants in spite of the people whom He has chosen.  Many have been reluctant followers and many have been unbelievers whom God has still used as His chosen instruments to accomplish His purposes.

    The same goes for today.  God is looking for willing workers in this world to spread the gospel to all people.  God is not looking for people who are necessarily capable -- He will provide that by the power of His Spirit.  God wants to receive His due glory for what is accomplished and He does this best through those of us who seem the least able to do what He asks.

     When you answer His calling for your life, whatever form that may be in, don't look at yourself and what you think you can handle.  Look to Him.

Written by

Carol Steficek

Pit Dwelling...Friday

5/30/14 

I realized today that one reason I am so good at helping others is because when I am helping someone else, I don’t have to focus on helping myself.  I don’t have to look at the pit that I feel like I am stuck in.  I have this pattern of helping others, currently, I have been helping a friend get paperwork organized for  a legal issue he has going on.   Don’t get me wrong….I LOVE helping others, and will continue to do so, as that is a big part of who I am.  What I need to change about how I help or spend time with others is to make sure that I keep focused on myself and keep helping myself with what it is that I need to do to get myself out of my pit.  I get so involved with other people that I forget to take care of myself and my time with God also slips away.  I know in my head what I need to do, but I have been really bad about following through and honoring myself with my goals that I want to set.  

I need to write about this “pit” in which I am stuck.  God doesn’t want me to be feeling so unhappy in my career life and doesn’t like seeing  me so overwhelmed with my thoughts and sorrow about where I am in my life. At this point I stop taking care of myself.  His desire is for me to live this life with joy, not simply existing day by day, and doing the bare minimum to get through each one of them.

What He wants from me are intentional and specific prayers, asking Him to help me figure out which direction that I want to go in.  He already knows what I need, but, I need to know what that is and need to start by writing it down….researching my options, making a plan, setting goals, following my heart.  I know He will lead me once I get serious about focusing on a direction.  I must do my part to stop this pit dwelling.  I am not doing anyone any good and especially myself by slopping around in my pit.  I love life and I know my Father has great plans headed in my direction, I need to be up and out of this pit, so that I don’t miss my boat, plane or train when it is time for me to shine through and start sharing the joy I have in my heart with other pit dwellers or everyone else that needs a hug from a former “Pit Slopper Arounder”.

Praise the Lord and Pray on!!

Psalm 40:1-3

New International Version (NIV)

¹ I waited patiently for the Lord;
 he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the slimy pit, 

out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,

a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord

 and put their trust in him.

Written by

Kelly Dobyns

Beloved...thursday

5/29/14

...predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself,

according to the good pleasure of His will,

 to the praise of the glory of His grace, 

by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. 
Eph 1:5-6

One of my favorite words from the Bible has become Beloved. It was Father God's infinite affection for Jesus "His Beloved Son".  Beloved can be translated "the one He loves".   Jesus was dearly loved and adored by Father God. He cherished and treasured Him.  We have been accepted into the beloved because of what our Jesus did for us. We now have the good pleasure to enter into that same infinite affection and intimate love of the Father.  We too are His cherished and treasured prize.  We are adored and dearly loved by Father God just as Jesus is. The Son of God was highly regarded by the Father.  We beloved are also highly regarded.  One of the synonyms for regarded is favorite.  We are His favorite!!!

Written by
Kathryn Hanson


Here is a song that talks how we are Beloved and loved by God...

Kari Jobe singing "How He Loves Us"
ENJOY

"Only God Can Satisfy"...Wednesday

5/28/14

Sometimes, possibly,we as Christians may expect our church body to satisfy us in the sermon from the Pastor or the Worship songs or the Sunday School Classes that are being taught. The truth is, all those are wonderful and are needed if we are to grow in the Lord. But the most important ingredient of all, is to be plugged in and connected to our Heavenly Father.

We must set aside time at the feet of Jesus worshiping Him, meditating on His Word and listening for His voice. As we plug in to the Lord we will experience His overflow of satisfaction. He is our full source of everything we need.

His word says in Psalm 16:11 

"Thou wilt shew me the path of life; 

in thy presence is fullness of joy; 

at thy right hand there are pleasures 
for evermore."

It is that intimacy with the Lord that we experience the fullness of joy and bountiful pleasures and contentment. The Body of Christ is then an extension of that growth and maturity and encouragement and strength.

Our Lord will surely show us His path of Life for us as we engage completely in Him and it is then when we will overwhelmingly experience great satisfaction in Christ.

In His Fullness of Joy, 

Sandy Billingham

  

What Can You Imagine?...Tuesday

5/27/14

I was speaking with someone not long ago about the movie “Heaven is for Real”. We started to talk about what Heaven will be like. The person I was conversing with said that he didn’t even know if he wanted to go to Heaven. “I think it will be boring, just standing around all day singing hallelujah”, he explained.

We all have our own ideas as to what Heaven will be like. The Bible does offer a glimpse of what to expect, but leaves much up to the imagination. There will be no more pain, no more tears, no more sickness, etc. However, Scripture also reveals that life in Heaven will definitely not be boring.

God has many wonderful surprises for us in Heaven. 

1 Corinthians 2:9 explains, 

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, 

nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man,
the things which God hath prepared for them that love him”.

It is true that we will be worshiping, but we worship God in many ways. We worship Him when we serve Him. The Scriptures mention that we will be the Lord’s servants, not just on earth, but also in Heaven. It sounds like we will have tasks to perform. However, unlike our earthly jobs, we will do whatever God asks of us willingly. Our jobs will not go unnoticed or unappreciated. To serve the Lord is a great honor. How much more of an honor will it be to serve God in His kingdom?

What do you think heaven will be like? What can you imagine? 

Just to see our Savior’s face will be awesome. Can you imagine it? What will you do when you see Jesus face to face? Will you dance, will you sing, will you bow down before Him, or will you feel bored? It kind of makes our struggles, worries, and fears seem a bit smaller when we think about life on earth being temporary. Our real home is in Heaven, a place perfect beyond imagination. 

Written by
Storm H.

My Adventure in Getting Out Of The Boat...Monday. (Part 1)

5/26/14

I hope you enjoy the following story written by my 22 year old daughter. As she describes her personal challenge to fully trust God, my heart understands her struggle, relates to her fear, her delight and her failure.

"This is my command--be strong and courageous!

 Do not be afraid or discouraged.

For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1:9 NLT

The Adventure (Part 1) by Lizzy Wilkins

So I'm in a boat. I've been here for quite a while and I really like my boat. But sometimes I park the boat and go out to explore the land and houses. Wishing I lived a different kind of life. However, I always end up back in my boat. For food, I fish. I don't really like fishing and I don't have a lot of patience, so I don't do it as much as I should. This means I get pretty hungry sometimes.

After a period of diligently fishing and never going ashore, my BFF came by. I've known Him for forever. He also visits other boats, which gives me hope that I am not the only person living in a boat out here.

"Would you like to know why you are living in a boat?" He asks.

"YES!" I say with excitement. I had been wanting to know for a long time, because it didn't seem fair that I was out here in a boat while other people got to sleep in their comfy houses.

He answers, "It's because you weren't supposed to live in a boat."

I am so thrilled, "I get a house! You're telling me this now!?"

He laughed, "No. You've been living in a boat so that you could become connected to the water and learn the patterns of the waves. So that one day, you could walk on water."

Now I'm thinking He's cray cray. I mean, He walks on water, which is how He visits me and the other boats. But I don't think sleeping in a boat has prepared me to step out of it.

"Don't worry," He says, "I'm going to be right here."

"Okay," I say. To prepare for getting out of the boat I fish for a little while; and eat. Then I climb up on the edge and look down at the waves, at Him. And I Step.

I don't know what I thought would happen, but I actually stood on the waves.

"Hahaha! I'm doing it!" I shouted.

"Yes, you are." He said smiling ear to ear. "Now the key is," He explained, "Just keep looking at me, don't look at the waves, or try to peek in the other boats, just stay focused on me."

"Okay" I say, thinking this is going to be easier than I thought, just keep looking at Him.

We walk for quite a while, when I begin to worry about how I will sleep. But I shook it off because I figured my BFF had me covered and would have me back at my boat in time for bed. So we walked more, and we talked about things we had never talked about, and I laughed in a way I had never laughed. It was as if I had never truly known Him, or like I had been missing out on the greatest parts of Him.

We walked for days, each hour I became hungry and more tired. I didn't say anything; because it appeared to me He never ate, so I just kept walking. But as each hour passed I was getting angrier. Why wasn't he worried about me? Why didn't He ask if I was hungry, or if I wanted to rest?

I snapped, "I'm going home!"

With a face full of concern, He simply asked,  "Why?"

"Because you don't take care of me!" I exclaimed, "You don't care what happens to me! You take me out of my boat and insist that I walk for days, but You never feed me or ask if I want to rest, You just keep going!"

Very calmly he replies, "Well, you kept walking. Why didn't you tell Me you were hungry? Why didn't you ask Me to stop and rest?"

I am frustrated, "Well ...BECAUSE! You should have known!"

"How can I give you what you don't ask for?"

"Ugh! I'm going back."

"You may rest and eat."

"No! You're too late. I want to go back to my boat!"


As I turn away to stomp off, I feel my feet get wet.

"Wait," He calls after me, "Remember, you have to focus on Me."

I look over my shoulder and snap, "Yeah, look where that got me: hungry and tired."

(To be continued)

Written by
Lizzie Wilkins

Posted by
Mary Wilkins

LOOSE LIPS... Sunday

Devotional for 5/25/14

Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, 

but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.  

Proverbs 13:3  NIV

On Memorial Day we pause to give thanks for the sacrifices of the lives of men and women in our armed forces who died while serving our country. There were many different causes for those deaths.  It is particularly sad when their deaths were caused by "friendly fire," or by treasonous behavior, or more subtly by careless talk.

There was a whole series of World War II posters warning about the danger of losing lives if people talked carelessly about military matters with the wrong people.  One well known poster said that loose lips might sink ships.  Another even accused the "talker" of murder.

Harsh words, but they do hold truth.  The same can be said of unbridled talk in human relationships, where gossip and unfounded rumors can destroy those bonds.  The church can also become victim of loose lips when members "air dirty laundry" in public, gossip and share rumors, or just loudly give voice to personal disagreement or dissatisfaction within the hearing of visitors.  Some may feel there is nothing wrong with them saying these things, that it is their right to express their opinion.  But the unintended consequences of this talk can be damaging beyond imagination or repair.  

Let us therefore think before we speak and strive to give God all glory and honor through our words.  Even when we have a personal issue with how something is done or not done, or who is or isn't doing what or with whom, or why something is or isn't like it used to be, etc., we should guard our words.  If we have an issue with something someone does, we should go directly to that person and speak with them in private.  Want something different to be done?  Offer to help develop it or implement it, working together instead of against one another.  Want a better pastor at church? Pray for the one you have, not that he see it your way but that God's will be done and that he be filled with the power of the Spirit.  In church matters let us set aside our personal ideas of what is right or wrong when it comes to matters of practice, not doctrinal teaching, and work together to build the kingdom of heaven in our place of worship and beyond.  

Thankfully, we have a loving and merciful God.  Even when we have "loose lips" that sink fellowships, there is forgiveness. May He help us strive to be better witnesses whenever and wherever we speak.

May the God 

who gives endurance and encouragement 

give you a spirit of unity among yourselves 

as you follow Christ Jesus, 

so that with one heart and mouth you 

may glorify the God and Father 

of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

Romans 15:5-6 (NIV) 

written by 
Jan Andersen

  

   

FAITHFULNESS...Saturday

5/24 /14

"Trust in the Lord and do good; 

dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture."

Psalm 37:3

     God is indeed faithful.  Every morning is new --  the sun comes up again, we enjoy our homes and families.  Most of us have all we can want and need.  The material possessions we possess and think we must have to be happy, most of the world would consider luxuries.

    

 God's faithfulness goes beyond our possessions.  We dwell in a wonder land called the United States of America -- with freedoms most of the world can only dream about.  We also have the freedom to speak, act, and worship as we want.  What a gift to be able to reach on the bookshelf and open God's Word anytime we want to.  In many countries people have to have Bibles smuggled into them or read them in secret for fear of persecution.

     Yes, God indeed is faithful to us.  As believers we should be thanking and praising Him every day for all we are and have.  As one hymn says: "Great is Thy faithfulness."

Written by

Carol Steficek

Living with Serenity...Friday

May 23, 2014

I am teaching myself to slow down – taking time to treasure my surroundings, my people and most of all, my God that has created this beautiful life for me to live.

Ecclesiastes 3:12

New International Version (NIV) 

 I know that there is nothing better for people
than to be happy and to do good while they live.

God wants us to be happy.  He wants us to live a life of serenity.  Sometimes I have done that much better than others.  During the times that I have done it better, have been the times that I have recited the “Serenity Prayer” to myself throughout every day.

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

I grew up with this prayer posted at my grandparent’s house; it has always been a staple of my life.  A few years ago, I was having a particularly hard time with something my son was going through; I just wanted to rescue him from this bad situation he was in. It was causing me anxiety and heartache, as I so badly wanted just to make it all better.  I decided to go to the gym to hopefully relieve some stress over the racing scenarios in my head.  I stopped at the store quickly to get a bottle of water.  Walking through the parking lot I saw something sparkly on the ground.  I started to walk past it, and then something told me to go back and pick it up, and as picked it up and turned it over, I got chills as I realized that it was a cross with the “Serenity Prayer” printed on it.  I knew right then that my son would be okay.  I knew that God was taking care of him, as well as taking care of me with reminding me that I could do nothing to change the situation. What I could do was have peace about it knowing that God was in charge.  I repeated that prayer over and over again as I did my work out on the elliptical machine.  I kept that cross in my car where I would see it every time I get in to go somewhere.  Today, I am reminded that I need to put the cross in my new vehicle.  I have been remembering to recite the prayer in my head, but it always warms my heart and puts a smile on my face to visibly see the prayer in print, and each time I see this cross it reminds me of how He saves us from all things…..even ourselves and our racing minds.

I don’t have the rest of the prayer memorized, but, I want to share it with you. It has amazing words to live by; the life that God planned for each and every one of us.  It is not our job to worry and control, it is just our job to live peacefully as we treasure all the moments we have been given, each and every one of them, day by day; the difficult and the joyous times are all gifts from God.  With His loving grace we will most certainly get through them all!

  

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

if I surrender to His Will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with Him

Forever in the next.

Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

Written by
Kelly Dobyns

"Bride of Christ"...Thursday

5/22/14

Song of Solomon 2:1-4

Bride of Christ you are the Rose of Sharon 

and the Lily of the valleys.

Like a lily among thorns are you 

my love among young women.

Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest 

are you beloved among the young men.

You delight to sit in His shade and His fruit is sweet to your taste.  

Let our God lead you to the banguet hall 

and let His banner over you be LOVE.

Our God's love for His Bride is beyond amazing. He sees your beauty.  Precious bride of Christ it is the power of His love that will change you.  As the Father leads you into the banquet room take a hold of all that He has for you.  In His banquet hall is Peace, Joy, Confidence, No Fear, Strength, Healing, Prosperity, the list goes on and on.  Enter into the presence of His love.  There is no love like the love of our God.

Written by

Kathryn Hansen

 

"A Heart Of Generosity"...Wednesday

5/21/14

 

We have a God who overflows continuously with immense generosity. He does not withhold His generosity from His people. In Him there is no lack. In Christ there is great abundance and the Lord desires to pour out His goodness and abundance and richness upon us.

 

The Lord is teaching me not only is He a generous God, but in Him we too can be generous. Not only can we be generous in giving of our finances, but that can also apply to our time, our prayers our love our material resources and more. We can not do that in our own strength, but we can be generous in the strength of the Lord.

 

I am finding the more we are willing to be generous when He is asking us to do so, the more joy and peace and contentment I am experiencing. It works two-fold. 

In fact in His word it says in Proverbs 11:24  

"One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; 

another withholds what he should give, 

and only suffers want."

 

We are blessed beyond when we flow and walk out of a heart of generosity. His word says we grow richer. I sense that means growing richer in a multitude of ways, and not just financially. I truly believe the Lord will bless us with the richness of Him in every arena of our life.

 

As we walk uprightly with God and give freely and generously onto Him, He will pour out His richness upon us more than we could ever think or imagine!! We serve a great and generous God!!

 

In His Generosity, 

Sandy Billingham

The Beauty That’s in Store...Tuesday

5/20/14

As I am sitting here, waiting on the Lord to give me an idea for today’s devotional, the rain is coming down, reminding me of the many tears I’ve shed, especially in the past few years. I’ve shed tears for my family, for friends, for lost souls, for the world in general; even for myself. Some of my tears have been tears of joy, but mostly tears of pain. I’m sure that I am not the only one who has shed many tears. You can’t help but feel sorrow whenever you turn on the news, open up a newspaper, or pop onto websites like MSN. There are so many stories of heartache; missing airline, capsized fairy, collapsed mine, child abduction, deadly fires and viruses, etc. The list goes on and on.

It is true that we live in troubling times. God warns us that life would not be easy. However, there are many Scripture verses that speak about hope, peace, and victory.

John 16:33 promises, 

“I have said

 these things to you,

 that in me 

you may have peace. 

In the world you 

will have  tribulation. 

But take heart; 

I have overcome the world.”

Psalms 34: 19 reveals, 

“Many are the afflictions  of the righteous, 

but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

Isaiah 42:2 states, 

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; 

and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; 

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, 

and the flame shall not consume you.”

Jesus promises to walk with us during our trials and tribulations, to see us through to the other side.

There is a line from a song sung by Jeremy Camp that is very inspiring. “The beauty that’s in store outweigh life’s sting” Oh, how very true those words are indeed!

Romans 8:18…

”For I consider that the sufferings of this present time 

are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Hold on, but not onto the things of this world. Don’t hold onto things that weigh you down (past hurts, present concerns, etc.). Don’t hold onto things that cause you to stumble (anger, fear, jealousy, etc.). Instead, hold onto our Savior’s hand, hold onto His promises, His grace, and His love.  Give your sorrows over to God. We will enter a time of rest with wonders anew. There will be a day with no more tears and no more suffering. Amen! 

Written by 

Storm H.

Cleaning Out the Fridge.....Monday

I used to like cleaning out the fridge. I would organize and stack and store leftovers and ingredients, planning how to make the most out of what was there. Sometimes there were good surprises, such as enough meat for a casserole or yummy things about which I had forgotten. Then there were the leftovers turned science experiments wasting valuable space and storage containers.

Now I just look at the tumble of layers in my fridge and think, "I better put that on my list." Maybe by the end of the month or the next time I really go grocery shopping, whichever comes first, I will get this place in order.

Then I realized that the condition of my fridge is not really that different from the condition of my mind. I have lots of things stored in there. Some of them are no longer useful. Some things never should have been put in there in the first place. Some things were bad to start with, but have now grown roots and are going to be tough to remove.

Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 ESV

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10 ESV

For as he thinketh within himself, so is he

Proverbs 23:7a ASV

Dear Lord, thank You for reminding me that it is more important to clean out what is inside of me than what is in my house. Please give me the wisdom to recognize and remove the garbage and lies in my mind, please reveal to me any condemnation or guilt I am holding onto, then give me the strength to toss the baggage out that I may live in peace. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by
Mary Wilkins