BROKEN SAINTS... Sunday

Devotional for 11/1/15  All Saint's Day

Even though we as Christians are referred to as saints in the Bible, sometimes we may just feel utterly broken. We may have great plans for our future, with years of preparation and expense, yet later we seem to have failed. We may wonder if we have gone down the wrong path, or if we are simply cursed. Perhaps we have family issues that we can't seem to manage. Or maybe we have an activity that continually pulls at us and keeps us from doing the "right" things. Possibly we have done what we thought was a great job, yet we were reprimanded or fired for that very thing.  Sometimes, the more we struggle to fix our situations or issues, the worse it becomes until we have sunk so low we feel we can never get back up again. When we feel broken we may feel as though we are worthless and discarded.

Psalm 31:12 NIV  "I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery."

But our Lord and Savior never throws us away. He forgives us and can use us when we are broken. In fact, when we are in our weakest most defeated state, sometimes then we are most useful for his purposes. We learn and grow through our trials. As we turn to him and lean on his strength and power to carry us through, we witness to others of his great mercy. When he heals our wounds and lift us up again, we have a unique perspective and can reach out to other broken souls. No matter how shattered we feel, God still loves us and has use for us. 

2 Corinthians 12:9a NIV “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 

There is beauty in our brokenness. When God puts us back together again, he is like a stained glass artist. Individual shards of colored glass may appear useless and even dangerous, but soldered together in a pleasing pattern by a master at his craft they become a beautiful piece of art. And when God shines forth from within us, it is then that we are most beautiful. Praise God for my brokenness!
2 Corinthians 13:13-14  "All the saints salute you. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."

Dear Father Creator in heaven, We thank you for making us so beautiful, even in our broken state. Help us to see that even in our weakness we are loved and forgiven and can be useful as we shine your light to the world. Use us, your broken saints, to your glory. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

written by Jan Andersen 

YOUR TALENTS...Saturday

 10/31/15

"So I was afraid 
and went out
 and hid your talent
 in the ground.  

See, here is 
what belongs to you." 

Matthew 25;25

   

Some of you will remember the parable of the talents.  The master returned from a trip and was upset with the servant who hid the talent and didn't use it.

    If you take a walk around a cemetery sometime, you'll unknowingly see many people who died without realizing or utilizing their full potentials.  They feared to pursue their dreams.

     


God has given each of us unique talents.  Since we are each "one of a kind," only each of us can use our talents and do what God has meant us to do, be what He has called us to be.

    
 We need to focus not on our limitations but on God's unlimited power and resources.  Do you have unfulfilled dreams?  Don't be afraid and hide.  Pray about them and seek God's will about them.  He will not only direct you, but He'll provide the means to accomplish His will.  We are all fertile ground and we just need to grow our talents so the fruit will become ripe

Written by

Carol Steficek.

Let Go… Let God...Friday

October 30, 2015

Something I am not being hugely successful at right now is letting it go!  I am so obsessed with worry over my future and job situation and the fear of not knowing is literally driving me crazy.  On top of that I am driving myself crazy with trying to do everything….work, look for work and study for an exam.  Then the result of that is headache  upon headache and anxiety like I have never had in my life.  So I tell myself to stop it!!  I know what the answer to this craziness is and it is giving the control to God.  So why is it that I take it all back sometimes within minutes.  Well, I am learning things about myself and maybe that is what I am suppose to pay attention to, however I believe the true growth I need here is to get it through my thick head that I have to let it all go and KEEP it in God’s hands.  He is there just waiting for me to do that.

 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
    he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
    Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
    your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
    give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
    your wine vats will brim over.
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;
    don’t sulk under his loving correction.
It’s the child he loves that God corrects;
    a father’s delight is behind all this.

Proverbs 3:5-12(MSG)

Just look at that scripture of truth.  Seriously, I need to sleep with this under my pillow, and paste it to my body during the day.  Life is so darn easy when we let Him be in control.  No more worries!!  No more headaches!!  No more crazy woman obsessing over her emails and job websites!!  Yay!!  Let God handle it.  I want and need that peace that comes along with leaving it up to Him.  Lord knows, as well as all my people know, that I can’t go on like this. 

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? 

Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. 

I’ll show you how to take a real rest. 

Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. 

Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 

Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Matthew 11:28-30

 (MSG)

Yes, indeed that is me….worn out, exhausted from predicting the future, holding the world on my shoulders.  However, I want what is written above.  I know what it is that I need, and will get when I follow the simple little instruction of keeping my life in God’s hands not my own.  I will get that much needed rest from the unforced rhythms of His grace.  I am going to keep on keeping company with the highest King!!

Thank you most precious Lord for all the gifts you have given me, the blessing of my son not having a blood clot as the doctor was concerned about today, the gift of my dad recovering from knee surgery, the gift of having a job as I am looking for a new one, the gift of so many treasures that you have shown me favor with throughout my whole life.  I feel your peace and hands upon me as I write this to thank you.  With all that I am I will continue to praise you through all the storms and the blessings!!  Amen

Written by

Kelly Dobyns

ONLY WHAT'S DONE FOR CHRIST WILL LAST...Thursday

110/29/15

/12/

I happened to peek out the living room window yesterday at about 5:00 P.M. What I saw in the sky drew me out into the front yard. A magnificent sunset displayed itself in the firmament above me. Layers and layers of thick clouds stretched out in long rows. They were lit up in a golden pink hue which seemed to grow more brilliant as I gazed upon this wonder. The sky provided a crisp blue backdrop and peered through the rows of clouds.

As I stood in awe of God's magnificent handiwork, scriptures welled up from within my soul.

"For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven 

with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, 

and with the trumpet call of God."

 1 Thessalonians 4:16 (NLT) 

"Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see Him - even those who pierced Him." 

Revelation 1:7 (NLT)

"Yes, dear friends, we are already God's children, and we can't even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is. And all who believe this will keep themselves pure, just as Christ is pure."

 1 John 3:2-3 (NLT)

Anxious thoughts of external preparations for the holiday season suddenly fell into perspective. I thanked the Lord for sharing His glorious sunset with me that day, and whispered a prayer. "Please show me what you would have me do in readiness for this Christmas celebration. Help me to see what is important to you and those things which would simply deplete my time, energy, and resources. 

Let me heed the admonition of the UNKNOWN AUTHOR who wrote:

"Two little lines I heard one day,

Traveling along life's busy way;

Bringing conviction to my heart,

And from my mind would not depart;

Only one life, 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last."

Written by

Cathy Friberg

"And He Was Present To Heal Them"...Wednesday

10/28/15    
                  

I am  fully amazed and overwhelmingly grateful that we have a God that is  present to heal.  He  is always there for us, in fact He knows  our every need before we even petition Him, and He is ever  present in  our midst  to heal us. 

Scripture tells us in Luke 5:17 5:1

"Now  it happened on a certain day,  as He was teaching, 

that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, 

who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem.  

And the power of the Lord was present to heal."

As you read further down in that chapter the Lord  heals a man that was paralyzed. He  tells  the paralyzed man, "I  say to you, arise, take up your  bed, and go to your house." He glorified God and away He went. Not only did He glorify God but those around  Him did the same and were all amazed.

Such hope arises in my Spirit  because our God desires that His people be whole. That means physically,mentally, relationally, spiritually, ect.  There is no need  that our God cannot meet.

As our Lord is  present to heal us and fulfills that need, we too, as just the paralytic that was healed, can glorify our Heavenly Father. We too can  be completely amazed of all of His wonderful  and marvelous  works!!

In His Glory, 

Sandy Billingham

It Is Written....Tuesday

10/26/15

Yesterday our pastor was on travel in Africa, and we had our Youth pastor standing in to give our message. He did an amazing job. His message was called "It Is Written." I knew that Jesus had used  this phrase when He was teaching and guiding, but I never thought to much about it. It makes sense...He was quoting scripture. What can be better when we are in the middle of a discussion that has more than one opinion being set forth. Debating is a technique that illuminates the many sides of a topic that is bring discussed. It makes it possible to see the many sides that are often part of a topic.

Sometimes when debating an issue, it often turns out to be true that subjects are not black and white. There are many shades to the beliefs with regard to any topic. Now I am not referring to to the unchanging truths about God, things He has done, and the beliefs we cling to. I believe that there is only one truth about such topics, but  I am not saying a debate is inappropriate. I have to confess that just a few days ago I got into a discussion and became irate. I called the person that I was responding to so harshly and apologized. However debating such a topic is appropriate if it is done with love and respect. I had not planned to write this, but this old saying popped into my mind just now. "You will catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar." So true!

Sometimes our pastor will preach for more than a half hour and then say that all that was just the introduction. We all laugh and know that we have a series starting up. I am not going to write a series here but the above two paragraphs are just the set up for this writing. 

Back to yesterday's sermon. The topic was illustrated by Jesus in the desert early in His ministry. You will remember that satan came to test Him. Satan's hopes were to tempt Jesus successfully to worship him and turn away from His Father. First he asked Jesus to turn the rocks into bread since He had been fasting for 40 days. Jesus was hungry, but He would not do it. Then he asked Jesus to bow down and worship him...he got another negative from Jesus. Then he reminded Jesus that he would be protected by angels if He jumped off the high place, and suggested that He do it,.  Again Jesus rejected this temptation as well. Foiled again satan!

This is where it gets interesting, and gives us a model to follow when a debate we are in gets a bit difficult to deal with. Jesus did not argue with satan: He did not try to convince him that he was wrong: He had a much better weapon. It was a "feather knife" meaning that His weapon was a soft one, that satan could not argue with. Jesus quoted Scripture. (Now satan had done his homework so that he would know truths and know his enemy, Jesus. Satan also knew Scripture, and he knew Jesus.)

Still Jesus did not argue or cajole satan. He started his responses with  

"IT IS WRITTEN...

These verses are from the book of Matthew, Chapter 4. Before Jesus used Scripture to answer satan. The evil one also had a go with it. Jesus was not moved nor impressed. Here are His responses...

5 Jesus answered, It is written:

 "Man shall not live on bread alone, 

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

 7 Jesus answered him, It is also written:

 "Do not put the Lord your God to the test."

10 Jesus said to him,
“Away from me, Satan! 

For it is written: 

‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only."

Those words, It is Written are perfect when one is involved in a debate that is becoming hot or argumentative. What better way to know that you are correct than to quote scripture. This would require you to have hidden The Word in  your heart or that you start on a journey of collecting certain Scripture verses that you can be sure God will give you the opportunity to use.

By 

Corinne Mustafa

It is written:
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, 
correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God 
may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
2 Timothy 3:16-17

Take Up Your Mat and Walk

Take Up Your Mat and Walk

“…”Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!” “

John 5:8b

Many times in my life, before I really knew the power of Christ in my life, I would pray (sort of) for the Lord to change the all of things that I saw as the obstacles to my happiness.

“If only she was nicer to me.” “If only he would just be honest and faithful to me.” “If they could just act right..!” –Then my life would be better. I would have more confidence. I would be successful. I would really be happy! As soon as those people changed, or just left my little part of the world, my whole life would be better.

But even when everything around me changed, I was still seeing the same problems. Or the problems that I had got worse. Why weren’t things better? I was a nice person, when I wanted to be. I worked hard, most of the time and was a pretty obedient daughter. Why did it always seem that everyone else’s lives were happier than mine? Well there were for the bad break-ups and divorces that left many of my friends as single parents. And there were also the sickness, death, job loss and other struggles that I saw around me. Still everybody else was Happy! Weren’t they?

Thankfully, as I learn more about myself through reading and studying God’s Word; I have come to realize that being happy isn’t the point, and like Dorothy in the” Wizard of Oz”, I had always held the key to how my life was lived. I could choose to participate in one of God’s greatest miracles. I could willingly ask Him to change me! And as I felt Him work in me, I began to feel a joy that was far more that I ever imagined.

As I read the many miracles that Christ performed during his time on this earth, there are three things that I saw happening.

1- Someone asked for help.
2- Jesus told them what to do.
3- They obeyed and experienced the miracle!

What are we doing when we ask for the Lord to help us? Do we pray and then sit and wait to see what He will do? Or are we keeping watch and listening for His instructions, so we can obey everything He is telling us to do?

I may never be the woman that I used to think I was supposed to be, but I can become a better woman than I am; as long as I remember that I have to be the one to, pick up my mat and walk!

Written by

Lynda Kinnard 

REFUGE AND STRENGTH... Sunday

Devotional for 10/25/15  (rewritten from 2014)

This weekend our church celebrates the Reformation, commemorating when Martin Luther, a Catholic monk, challenged the status quo in the church. He questioned some long term teachings that were entrenched in the life of the church at that time. It was something with which he had struggled for years. He was not the first to question those things, but he was the first to survive questioning them... others before him had been put to death. It took a lot of prayer and fortitude to stand on the firm foundation of faith in the Word of God over the familiar traditions.

There are times when we also need to make changes that are difficult. Even if we don't believe we are at risk of losing our lives, we resist change or cringe at the thought of rocking the boat. We get comfortable with the old patterns, whether they are healthy or not. Though we may see danger in remaining in the same rut and begin to think about moving in a different direction, we slip back into that old familiar deadly groove. Sometimes the banks of that road are so steep and high that we cannot see what is better beyond them. Sounds are blocked out by the earthen walls of that trench, so we can't hear the promise of something greater. Nor can we smell the flowering trees that will go begging to be harvested later. If only we could climb out of the furrow we've dug for ourselves in the old ways that falsely provide comfort and safety. Eventually we might even become buried alive there as the walls cave in.

The good news is that God is always just over the ridge, ready to pull us out of that rut if we let him. Even if the oceans rise, flooding the road and eroding the earth from under our feet, God will provide a way out for us. Though we may repeatedly try to stand back up on our own only to fall again, we can turn to God for forgiveness and for the power to move forward in his direction. We can stand firm on his foundation. He is our refuge and strength at all times!

Psalm 46:1-3 (NIV) "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." 

Dear Father in heaven, you are our refuge and strength in every moment of every day, even when it feels as if our entire world is crashing down upon us. You will triumph over every evil.  Help us to remain faithful in all circumstances.  Forgive us when we slip up, and set us back on track when needed.  Thank you for that free gift of salvation given us through faith in your son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray.  Amen

written by Jan Andersen 

               

MY SALVATION...Saturday

  10/24/15

"Surely God 

is my salvation; 

I will trust 

and not be afraid.  

The Lord, the Lord, 

is my strength

 and my song; 

he has become my salvation."

Isaiah 12:2

    

      What a wonderful Bible passage!  There are few things we can count on in life.  There are many things today which can cause us to be fearful -- the world situation, the job market, the fluctuating financial situation throughout the whole world.  Then there is what is happening on the personal level -- health concerns, family conflicts, and many other things.

     We certainly cannot trust the promises of the people who govern our country and rule our courts.  So whom can we trust?  God!

     Believers rest in the almighty arms of God.  He has created us, redeemed us through the blood of His Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit fills us with the wisdom needed to walk in this world.  This truly is something to sing about!  Our salvation is sure.

Written by 

Carol Steficek

Failure Can't Keep Us From Him...Friday

10/23/15

Isn't it incredible how one day we can be so on fire, so in love with the Lord, that we can almost see ourselves soaring in His Spirit, and we have the faith to see far into eternity? However, the next day we go splat? When this happened to me, I would get so depressed. I would look around at the world; I'd look around my home; I would try to search my heart. Everywhere I looked I would only find loneliness, darkness and an emptiness I could not explain. There were times I spent days, even months in this pit. I even mastered putting on the "happy face." There was no way I wanted others to see me as I saw myself. They just could not see the failure I saw! I would ask myself, what is wrong with me? I just knew that this only happened to me! This is what I knew.

In Mark 9:2, Jesus reveals Himself to Peter, James and John. At first they see His awesome glory when He shows Himself to them as they have never seen. He is transfigured into something different than they had ever seen Him. It had to be beautiful and completely amazing to them. I can picture them falling to their knees, their mouths wide open with sort of a dumb struck look of astonishment. What a wonder that had to be for them! They were totally on fire for Christ!

A short time later, Jesus reveals himself in yet another way to the disciples. He showed them how deeply distressed and troubled He was. After this, the disciples all hit rock bottom. Their spiritual flames had sizzled out; their spiritual get-up-and-go had got up and left!

What I know now...

We often rise to some new level of spirituality and commit ourselves to a fresh allegiance with our Savior. Then we are bewildered at the depths to which we fall almost the next day. We cannot allow satan to lead us into darkness. We must do whatever it takes to keep our spiritual flame burning! But we also must know, we are not the only ones who fall into these pits. When we do, we just have to look for His hand stretched out, waiting to pull us out of it!!

Therefore we do not lose heart. 

Though outwardly we are wasting away,yet inwardly we are

 being renewed day by day. 
  For our light and momentary troubles                            

are achieving for us
an eternal glory that
far outweighs them all.

So we fix our eyes

not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.

For what is seen is temporary,
               but what is unseen is eternal.

                                                                     
                                                                                    2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Written by 

Terri Baker

    

Remember the Days of Small Things...Thursday

10/22/15 ›

Today will be the first Thursday that we will be sharing the writings of Brother Thomas Ukwute from Nigeria. His writings are very insightful and interesting. He posts his thoughts and ideas on Facebook. They are written in English, but this is a second language for Brother Thomas. His writings will be edited by Jody Ward to make his perceptive conclusions more understandable  to the speakers of American English. We hope you will enjoy reading Brother Thomas' thoughts on scriptures and beliefs.
                                                                                                                         Corinne Mustafa

_________________________________________________________________

“The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house and his hands will also be the ones to finish and complete it. When this happens, then you will recognize and understand that the Lord of Heaven sent me as His messenger to you,” said Zechariah.

“Who despises the day of small things? Who is disappointed because so little progress is being made? Does anyone dare despise this day of inconspicuous beginnings?

But they will be glad when they see Zerubbabel, carrying a plumb line and continuing to build the house. They will rejoice when they see the capstone in his hand.

They are the eyes of the Lord which run to and fro throughout the whole earth.”

Zechariah 4:9-10

Growth is dynamic and takes you from one level of experience to another, from one level of knowledge to another.

But always remember, no matter how big your exploits, do not forget the days of small things. Those days of small beginnings were the days of building the foundation on which your life and future would stand.

It was the time of acquiring needed experience from the various encounters in the dark valley that you went through in the process of growth. Your commitment level then was authentic and your hearts were opened to rebuke and correction. Those valleys, and your response, helped mold your spiritual character and your value systems. That is what has made you who you are today.

Not recalling those days of small things would mean throwing away the key to your value system. Many people who have forgotten the days of their small beginning have lost those very qualities that endeared them to the people around them.

If you draw a line from the day you met Christ to where you are today, how straight will the line be? How straight is your course in terms of your commitment, the level of the fear of God in you and your knowledge of the Lord and His word? Can you say for sure that you are remembering your small beginnings and holding onto those value systems make you different from the ordinary men on the street? Do you retain the lessons of life’s dark valleys that now give you access to the platform you stand on today?

Zechariah said, “ the hand of Zerubbabel had laid the foundation and his hand will finish it.” Those words are so strategic in maintaining the work of the builder and the quality of the materials for the building. Consistent personal growth and consistent effort building the house are needed to be able to pass on to the next generation a church, and a model, that will carry on the preaching of the Gospel without diluting the message.

May the Lord help us to stay on course, no matter what the cost. 

Written by 

Brother Thomas Ukwute

Edited by

Jody Ward

"Iron Sharpens Iron"...Wednesday

10/21/15

 

I love hanging out with God's people on a regular basis. Especially my brothers and sister's in the Lord  that are in the Word often. As I hear them share what God is showing them in the Word it strengthens  and refreshes me. Not only that, but it gives me an even greater desire to draw closer to the Lord.

 

God's Word  says in Proverbs 27:17 

"As iron sharpens iron, 

So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." 

 

That  is exactly what happens as we gather in fellowship  with other believers. As His Word is spoken and declared, God's Spirit rises up within us as we are open to receive. His Word sheds truth in our hearts and we are challenged  to go deeper in our relationship with Him. Our hearts are stirred up and spurred on!

 

That is why it is so important to not forsake meeting with the brethren. We need each other to stay strong in the Lord and to encourage one another. We can pray for each other and speak life and light to our brothers and sisters.

 

I am so very thankful for my friends in Christ. I can be there for them and they as well for me. We can lock arms and stand strong in the Lord and in His mighty power!!

 

In His Word, 

Sandy Billingham