YOUR LOVE... Sunday

Devotional for 2/1/15

I was filthy, wearing rags and wounded.  I asked for help and they stripped me bare.  I was naked and felt ashamed.  All of me was exposed for you to see.  I tried to hide my most vulnerable parts with only my arms and shaking hands.

Lamentations 1:8 (ESV)  She sinned grievously; therefore she became filthy; all who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns her face away. 

Hebrews 4:13 (ESV) And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 

But you were ever so gentle, cradling me in your arms.  You cleansed me and healed my wounds.  Then you clothed me with your very own robe, as white as a bride's gown.  It was so soft and warm and comforting. 

Ezekiel 16:8 (ESV) ... I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, and you became mine. 

Isaiah 61:10 (NIV) I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. for he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Now I feel clean, warm and dry.  My wounds no longer hurt and are healing so well that I can hardly see where they were.  I feel comfortable and safe and strong.  I am loved by you, whose love and righteousness reaches to the heavens!  

Psalm 71:19-21 (ESV) Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens.  You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?  You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.  You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.  

Psalm 36:5 (NIV)  Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.  Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep.

I thank you dear Lord and Savior for rescuing me from my depths of despair when I was separated from you by my sinfulness.  Though I continue to be an imperfect human, I can trust in you to forgive me, guide and protect me.  Help me to share your unfathomable love with others. Amen

written by Jan Andersen

Song: Your Love Oh Lord - (Psalm 36) - Third Day

NEAR TO GOD... Saturday 1/31/15

Devotional for 1/31/15

"God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us." -- Acts 17:27

     One of the main differences between Christianity and all other religions is that we have a God who is near to us,.  Other religions believe their god is way out there somewhere and they can only gain access to him by meditation and doing things to merit the next life.  They think he created everything and then just left the world and all of us on our own.

     Our Triune God is with us every moment of every day.  Just because we do not 'see' Him, or 'feel' His closeness or 'think' He is close doesn't matter.  Faith is the confirmation of an unseen reality.  It is not based on what we do or don't do.

     God wants us to find Him.  He wants a relationship with each of us.  Christianity isn't a 'religion' -- it's a RELATIONSHIP with our God made possible by Jesus.  The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us through baptism and makes this relationship a reality to us. 

     So the Christian walks through this life walking near to God, not by sight but by faith.  Put your faith in the God who longs to be near you.

                

written by Carol Steficek


Song:  Walk By Faith - Jeremy Camp

Living in Faith... Friday

Devotional for January 30, 2015

I don’t do New Years resolutions, however, this year, after struggling with the same issues within myself for the past couple of years, I decided that 2015 was my year to truly dig in and be honest with myself about some long standing issues, as well as the hormonal issues giving me the ups and downs of the most recent times. I chose “Faith” as my focus to really work on. Last year I had gotten a small tattoo that I would see daily to remind myself to continually have faith. Of course the tattoo is an excellent reminder, but, I still did not truly practice a constant life of faith. The old stubborn habits were still overpowering my thoughts. Knowing something and actually doing something are two completely different things. I love the scripture Colossians 2:7. The normal biblical translation that I read is the NIV, as quoted below:

Colossians 2:7 New International Version (NIV)

7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

However, I was paralleling it with some of the different translations, just for my own knowledge and comparison, and during that time I completely fell in love with the wording in “The Message”, as quoted below:

Colossians 2:7 The Message (MSG)

From the Shadows to the Substance

6-7 My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

I have read this over and over again in the past couple of days, because it just never fails to amaze me how great our God is!! How He knows it all. As I originally read this passage, a warmth came over me of complete calmness, yet, at the same time, such excitement due to the fact that those words were speaking directly to me. This was exactly what I had been doing…..reading, studying, writing…. all things “faith”, however, I was not living in it! When I actually began to LIVE by faith my days became so much better. I am able to see the good instead of the bad, the happy instead of the sad, and the joy instead of the hurt. I can see what I have been blessed with instead of seeing what I wish I had.

Living IN faith truly gives me an abundance of smiles, hugs and gratefulness. So much more than I ever thought I could or would have. Thank you, Father for giving me the heart to see and feel the tremendous beauty of my life here on earth. Amen!!

written by Kelly Dobyns

Song: What Faith Can Do - by Kutless

She’ll Never Break His Heart... Thursday

Devotional for 1/29/15

I’m really starting to enjoy this habit of looking for the little “treasures and pleasures” that God gives us every day. I’m noticing them more and more. I’m also asking God to make me more appreciative of these little things. I know there’s more that He gives me than I’m actually realizing, so I have to ask that He helps me to recognize them.

I’m not the kind of person who looks out the window and says, “Oh look! The sun’s out today!” And just like, I’m in a good mood. I tend to just think about all the chores I need to do. It immediately gets me grumbling. It’s my attitude that needs to change. So, now when something really gets me smiling, I’ll declare it as a gift from God and I’ll try to remember it as often as I can…sometimes for several days until there’s another little pleasure that I can treasure. It’s these things that help my attitude to improve throughout the day.

The latest one that’s been keeping me going for a few days now came to my mind Sunday night while lying in bed drifting off to sleep. God reminded me of something that happened that day, and it made me smile from ear to ear. It felt like such a gift to breathe in such joy at the end of my day. I still smile when I think about it.

You see my 17 year old son has had to go through what many of us go through as a young person…a broken heart. It’s taken several weeks for him to find closure in the matter. The drama began before Thanksgiving, and this last Sunday I finally felt like it was completely over. After weeks of a roller coaster of emotions, there was one last confrontation with the young lady involved. She gave to my son a bag of stuff. There was a sweatshirt he had given to her that she gave back, a letter, and some pictures of him that she gave back as well. It was not an easy thing for him to look through.

Well, he decided to toss out the shirt and the letter (no need to keep dragging this on, after all), and I took the pictures and slipped them under the visor in my car. After just two weeks of enjoying my handsome son looking at me whenever I was driving around, he took them out of my car and gave them to another girl.

Now I’m a little sad that I don’t get to enjoy them anymore. And I wasn’t expecting such a decision on his part. However, he was careful about who he chose to give them to. You see we were all enjoying our lunch after church when he was asked by this other girl if he had found another girlfriend yet. He responded to the question with a “no” answer, and a few minutes later went out to the car and got the photos of himself to give to her. She was very pleased to receive them and asked that he write his name on the back as well as the date they were taken.

He did so and after a few minutes of admiring the pictures of her great grandson, she said, “Thank you.” I then leaned over and told my grandma that those were the pictures he had given to the girl who broke his heart. She smiled at me. Then he put them up on her china cabinet so she can see them all the time.

Now that his broken heart is mending and he’s putting all this drama behind him, he seems like a much happier person. He’s talking more to us (his father and me), wrestling more with his brothers, and thinking more of his future. That definitely makes me smile, but not as much as the sweet gesture he made of giving those pictures to someone very deserving. I think he made a good choice giving them to his great grandmother he calls, GG. I know she’ll never break his heart. And I’m so glad God brought it to my mind. I smile every time I think about it…even while I’m doing all of my chores.

Written by Amie Spruiell  

He Brings Us Up From The Pit!... Wednesday

Devotional for 1/28/15

The Lord is never unaware of what we as His people are going through. He never leaves our side and always hears our heart's cry whatever that may be in our life.

His Word says in Psalm 107:19 "Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses."

He promises us that He will save us from our troubles. He knows just what we need and is faithful to help us. He will not leave us on our own, but gently walks with us through our distresses. He engulfs us with His peace and strength as well.

I am so thankful for the Lord's constant willingness to deliver me out of any situation and bring me up from the pit! What a loving God we serve!

In His Loving Grace,

Sandy Billingham

Be Strong and Courageous...Tuesday

1/27/15

I am going to do something different in the style 

In this Tuesday devotional.
Please watch this entire YouTube video (about 7 minutes)
It has a wonderful lesson to tell us all.
(Please be sure to listen to the end.)

So the first lesson for me is that you cannot judge a book by the usual cover it shows. I am not talking about Malaki here. Now don't get me wrong. I love Simon warts and all, and I have always thought that he had a heart for aspiring performers even though he could be ruthless in his criticism of their foibles. However, he pointed out the characteristic to Malaki that he thought would make this little singer a success. That was the best lesson to this little boy for his whole life.

God guides us much the same way. As we learn the lessons He wants us to learn the difficult things and  there are times when we end up in tears ready to give up. He cones along gently and we somehow pick ourselves up and move on with that life lesson earned. We are able to go back into the contest of life and begin our abandoned song again and finish it. When we do this we are overcomers just as Malaki was that day of his audition. Our reward will be to end up triumphant at the end of our concert.

Have I not commanded you? 

Be strong and courageous. 

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,  

for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9

.

Written by
Corinne Mustafa

When Pieces Don't Fit....Monday

I love working on puzzles. The thrill of the find is very real as I place a piece where it fits. The satisfaction of a picture completed is delightful. But it isn't all fun and games. There have been times when I couldn't figure anything out and no piece fit no matter where I tried it. When I am truly puzzled I take any piece and try it in a small section, no matter the clues that may hint it belongs elsewhere - I try anything to see if I can make it fit. Tedious and slow, this process has little pleasure and rare moments of  success.

I have used this same fall back plan in my life. When I am feeling out of sorts, dissatisfied, empty, heartbroken, or lost I reach out for anything, grabbing the first piece I come to and trying to use it as way to bring myself back together. Sometimes I hint to a loved one that I could really use some attention, call a friend, clean a room, munch on something yummy, watch a happy ending movie, or read a warm and fuzzy book. 

Psychologists call these pieces I reach for "coping mechanisms." Though they can reduce or relieve my stress for a time, they don't resolve my issue. When I am having a heart issue: such as feelings of emptiness, loneliness, loss, or heartache; I know that nothing on the outside can fix my condition on the inside (no matter how many pieces I try to make fit). My struggle is in my mind, and the source of my mind's perspective is my heart.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

 Jeremiah 17:9 ESV

Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart!

 Try me and know my thoughts!

 Psalm 139:23 AMP

God, create a pure heart in me, and renew a right attitude within me.

 Psalm 51:10 ISV

Dear Lord, thank you for using the drama of my life to get my attention and my mind back on You. Please help me to remember that You are fitting the pieces of my life together for my best interest and those around me in just the right way. I pray that I will learn this lesson well. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins




Tenth Avenue North performs "Let It Go"

SIGN OF JONAH... Sunday

Devotional for 1/25/15    (rewritten from a post on 8/4/13)

We are always looking for a sign.   We look for signs of the things to come, whether that be about small things such as predicting the weather, or about major things like what might happen in our lives.  There is an old adage about the color of the sky at sunset and sunrise:  "Red sky at night, sailor's delight.  Red sky at morning, sailor take warning."  Those are some signs people have used to predict the weather for centuries.  Some people look for signs about their own future, like in horoscopes and fortune telling.  We are seldom content to just live in the present.  Sometimes we are just looking for signs to prove something is real, or to show us we are on the right track.  We ask God to give us a sign so that we might know for sure.  We often are not content to just let God know and do what is right.  We have to know and understand everything for ourselves.  We need to make plans and get things ready you know - we need a sign!

Matthew 16:1-4 (ERV)  The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus. They wanted to test Jesus. So they asked Jesus to show them a miracle to prove that he was from God. Jesus answered, "When you people see the sunset, you know what the weather will be. If the sky is red, then you say we will have good weather. And in the morning you watch the sunrise. If the sky is dark and red, then you say that it will be a rainy day. These things are signs of the weather. You see these signs in the sky and you know what they mean. In the same way, you see the things that are happening now. These things are also signs. But you don't know the meaning of these signs. Evil and sinful people are the kind of people that want a miracle for a sign (proof). But those people will have no sign--only the sign of Jonah." Then Jesus left that place and went away.  

The sign of Jonah - he was inside the big fish for 3 days before being "resurrected" from it's belly.  It shows us that even if we run away, God is in control and will put us where we need to be.  It reminds us that when we pray for deliverance, God will deliver.  But most importantly, it was a foreshadowing of Jesus being in the grave three days before rising from the dead, earning our salvation for us.  That is all we really need to know - that God is in control of what happens to us and has saved us.  That is the only sign that is absolutely necessary.  We need to learn to be content knowing that God is in control, not us, and that we need no further signs.  Actually, that is a comforting thought.  We don't need to be the ones in control - God already is!  If only we can remember that when we desire a sign.  Remember the sign of Jonah!

 Jonah 2:1-2  From inside the fish Jonah prayed... "In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.  From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry." 

AMEN!

written by Jan Andersen

NEVER FORSAKEN... Saturday

Devotional for 1/24/15

"I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread." -- Psalm 37:25

     With the decline in the economy since 2008, the high jobless rate, the daily fluctuations in the stock market, the decline of the worth of the American dollar, and the continual rise in prices of everything we buy to live -- it is difficult for most people to face the future with any hope or optimism.

     Yet, God doesn't want us to focus on what we see.  He wants us to focus on Him and His promised provision for us.  God's resources are unlimited.  He has promised to provide for all who trust Him.

     The above verse in Scripture is one of many which tells us that God can and will take care of us.  We just need to listen to His direction for our lives and trust Him.  So cultivate your relationship with God, feed on His Word, and lean on His almighty arms.  He will not forsake you.

written by Carol Steficek


Song: God Is In Control by Twila Paris

GRATEFULNESS... Friday

Devotional for 1/23/15  (repost from 11/22/13)

I love to find gratefulness in each day.  Unfortunately, there has been many a day in which I have had a real challenge finding something that I feel grateful for.  The truth be known….it is all in my attitude!

Ephesians 4:23

“to be made new in the attitude of your minds”

Being a Christian doesn't mean that my life will run perfectly smooth, but, what it does mean is that I am a Princess of the Most High King!!  For that alone I am grateful every moment of every day.

However, during the mud and gunk of daily living; i.e. the job, the bills, the broken furnace, the fear of uncertainty, the medical appointments, the emotions and physical changes of menopause, etc., gratitude gets pushed to the back of my mind.  Then something happens like yesterday, I had my annual physical, which, I did not want go to at all.  When I called to schedule the appointment the day before, I did not expect to get in the next day.  Darn, I wanted to lose twenty pounds, as well as lower my cholesterol and get my blood pressure down.  You know, be perfect.  So, here I am going to the dreaded appointment.  The first thing the Medical Assistant says is that she is always glad to see me, as I am always such a happy person.  Wow, what a blessing that was, as well as an attitude changer.  Then the weigh in was not such a blessing, but, I survived, with a silent promise to myself to lose those twenty pounds before I step foot on that thing again.  (I havenever made that promise in the past.  HA!)

We chatted as she did her job; she gives me another blessing because she remembers details of me and my simple little life.  My doctor comes in, whom I love dearly, but, as I said, I wanted him to see twenty pounds less of me.  So that it is, he saw all of me still clinging onto those twenty pounds, which he has so graciously asked me to work off for a few years now.  He listened with concern to all my little issues and had answers for them all.  My exam was done after a search for the missing light. Anita, he and I all got laughs about that, with the best being that my doctor likes the new lights because they are fun to turn on and off.  I thought that was pretty awesome, with the responsibilities of physician’s life, he had time to find pleasure in a simple thing, as how a light works, and not be angry that he had to go look for one. All in all, I spent over an hour at my appointment with the whole time feeling as I was his only patient.  On top of that, I am so extremely grateful that I will be finally getting help for the headaches that I have suffered from my whole life.

I came out of that appointment with a new attitude, a grateful heart and much hope for a future with a whole lot less head pain.  Praise the Lord!

Psalm 100       A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

¹ Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
²     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
³ Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his^[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Written by

Kelly Dobyns

Song: I Will Not Forget You

One WORD resolution for the year...Thursday

1/22/15

A while back I posted something I had garnered from the Christian Radio Station...KLOVE which pointed out that by the end of the first week of January most people who make the regular resolutions have already fallen off the wagon. This article suggested that perhaps we should pray and ask God to give us one word that will be our word for the entire year...letting the word guide and teach us for 365 days. Quite a few of my friends have done this. Words like HOPE, BELIEVE, HOLD, and RELIANT/SELF-RELIANT are a few of the words that have been chosen. 

I spoke with a friend a few nights ago and she was telling me about a catastrophic mistake that she had in her business. She told me that she was always doing what she wanted to, and sometimes her priorities were not in sync with the reality of necessity. She called that sin, because she was not doing the right thing that would please God. I have been thinking about that. I never thought of such things as sin. Here is how I decided on my word for 2015.

                                              The word SIN keeps coming to my mind

Not as negative as you would think at first consideration.

The Bible has a verse that says

"ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD."

Romans 3:23

We all avoid the things that are bad to do.

For instance most of us would never try to do something
like murdering someone or stealing someone's car.

Sin in this verse is when we do little things 

that we don't think of as sin but as only shortcomings.

The key part is "fall short of the glory of God."

Would Jesus tell a white lie?Would it be okay to be lazy and ignore responsibilities?

Do we have idols that keep us away from those responsibilities...

such as too much of anything 

like the computer or TV, drinking
 gambling or overspending, etc?

There are so may things that we let
come in place of the glory we were created to have.

I want to clean up my act, 

try to do first things first, and not waste so much time.

To strive to always be in the will of God.

So I am going to be more cognizant of the little things that I just excuse in myself as just a bad habit or something that I enjoy and spend time on regardless of my responsibilities.

I want to study my choices in behavior and in all areas and see them through the same lens that God looks at us through.

I would like to invite you to pick the one word that will drive you throughout 2015. I know that God in His complete focus on our lives and needs will lead us to many new understandings and to help the word we choose be a source of learning and improvement in everything we do.

Dear Lord...give us one word to lead us in our growth in love and righteousness in you for this year. Help us to hear your voice and study every thought and leading the word you give us to Your glory.......Amen

Written by 
Corinne Mustafa