"Our Helper"...Wednesday

11/18/14

 

I am ever mindful and extremely thankful for our Helper the Holy Spirit. There have been many of times that I was not certain of things and the Holy Spirit showed up at that given moment.

 

God's Word tells us in 

John 14:26 

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father
will send in My name ,
He will teach you all things,
 and bring to your remembrance 

all things that I said to you."

 

I truly love that promise from our Heavenly Father. It is a guarantee that the Holy Spirit will be there to give us understanding and clarity of His Word. When we need help in praying, the Holy Spirit will teach us how. When we can't remember certain verses the Holy Spirit will bring them to our remembrance.

 

The Lord knew we were going to need all that extra help and so thankful He provided the Holy Spirit!

 

In His Glorious Love, 

Sandy Billingham

Greater...Tuesday

11/18/14

Please watch this video. Think about the growth and changes from baby to girl to woman and then to old woman. Then please come back and read my thoughts about the aging process.

As I looked through the emerging drawing of child to woman I was really taken at the beauty that women have as they move through the stages of their lives. Unfortunately many do not see it. We second guess ourselves through our lives as to who we are. Little girls who are younger than ten years old worry about whether or not they are fat, do they need a nose job, are they as cute as some other girl in school with them.

The powers that be bring these doubts and insecurities into the spotlight when magazine photos make an eleven year old look fourteen or a seventeen year old wearing makeup that makes her look twenty one. Women try to look older up until a point and then they work on the other side of the coin...trying to look ten years younger then they are. Exercising is healthy thing to do, but, through constant exercise in extreme is not healthy at all, many women do just that. In the process, all we are trying to do is fit ourselves into a cookie cutter version of beauty, coolness, and whatever we desire that might make us feel more comfortable in our own skin, comfortable in our walking boots, and comfortable in our comparison of ourselves to others.

On top of all of that we are also haunted by what people think and say to and about us. We hunger after the approval of people when we should search God's word for what He thinks of us.  This is what is found about what He does and thinks of us in His word...

For you created my inmost being;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.

15 

My frame was not hidden from you

    when I was made in the secret place,

    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Psalm 139:13-15

Heavenly Father...Help me to remember what a wonder You created when You created Your children. Help me to remember that I am Your child and as such I am wondrous. Help me to discount the lies of the enemy when he is trying to undermine my thinking and my positive self image. Remind me of the beauty we have at every age as we grow older. Help me to appreciate myself as the work of art that You created. Amen

Written by 

Corinne Mustafa

Too Much of Anything......Monday

Some are tall and slim, others are wide and solid, many more are thin and flat, but no matter the size and shape, my cookbooks are full of wonderful possibilities. I enjoy how orderly and set they appear sitting on the shelf above my desk. I look through them for ideas of things I want to try one day.

Piled at least 14 inches high at the other end of the shelf is a different collection. Torn from magazines, cut from newspapers, copied from cookbooks, and printed from websites this stack of recipes is dog-eared and watermarked. These are recipes we have tasted. They are only slightly organized, and finding a favorite requires diligent flipping through the assortment.

When I am looking forward at my plans for my life, I see orderliness like the cookbooks standing in a row. When I look back I see a stack of crumpled and stained pages. Some of those pages were successful and I would like a repeat, others were too salty, or too soupy, so I wish I had a do over so I might do it better next time. 

There's a whole lot of plain recipes that appease our tummies most nights. But there are plenty of exceptions. Take basic mashed potatoes and gravy, add turkey and stuffing and it's the best meal of the year. However, if I a gave in to my kid's pleas for more turkey, and made it every week, our holiday meals would lose their specialness. 

Even though I think I would like my life to be like a beautiful holiday cookbook, smooth and orderly, I am beginning to appreciate all of the messy pages that reflect what my life actually is like. I am grateful that God gave me a life with a little bit of everything, instead of the organized and predictable program of my imagination.

There's a chocolate cream pie recipe in that pile of mine that came out so sweet and rich hardly anyone could eat more than a few bites. A reminder that there really is such a thing as too much of a good thing. 

Don’t be obsessed with getting more material things.

Be relaxed with what you have.

Since God assured us,

“I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,”

we can boldly quote,

God is there, ready to help;

I’m fearless no matter what.

Who or what can get to me?

Hebrews 13:5-6 MSG

Dear Lord, thank You for the gift of a messy life. Please help me to remember that one page doesn't define the entire story of my life or anyone else's. Please help me to be kind and compassionate towards everyone you bring across my path. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

One Thing Remains performed by Jesus Culture

KNOCKING... Sunday

Devotional for 11/16/14

Revelation 3:20 (The Voice) "Now pay attention; I am standing at the door and knocking. If any of you hear My voice and open the door, then I will come in to visit with you and to share a meal at your table, and you will be with Me."  Jesus.

God is so gracious!  He doesn't wait for us to come to Him, but instead He comes to us, even when we are sinfully rejecting Him or self-deluded in thinking we are good enough without Him.  Jesus knocks on our door.That knock is sometimes soft and slow, while He patiently awaits our answer.  At other times He is banging with all his might to get our attention, because we are asleep or ignoring Him at the time.  Thankfully He is persistent!  We not only have to hear his knock and recognize it is Him, we also have to open the door to let Him in.  He actually gives us the power to answer that knock and open the door. Then He enters to be with us and eat with us. We share a family meal, an intimate gathering of those He loves, in sharing the forgiveness and salvation He has promised for the faithful.

Thank you Lord, Jesus, for coming to me in my weakness and forgiving me, taking care of me, even helping me to receive your assistance and then supplying my every need!  Help me to share this Good News to others of your love and salvation.  In Your name I pray.  Amen. 

Written by Jan Andersen 

NO COINCIDENCES...Saturday

 11/15/14

"There is a time 

for everything, 

and a season 

for every activity 

under heaven..." 

Ecclesiastes 2:20

      As believers in Jesus Christ, I don't believe there have been any coincidences in my life.  I believe my life is in the hands of a loving God who is always with me.  Living with God I have seen many miracles and incidents which have occurred that I know could have been directed only by His hand.

     I have been saved from near accidents.   I have gone in for car repairs when the warranty was about to expire within three days (which I knew nothing about).  I have tried some herbal remedies for my blood pressure which I researched via the internet with much prayer and found some which work well.  I had the privilege of God giving me back my "miracle prayer dog," Nickolas, after the death of my Mother.  He opened the door for my parish nurse position at the perfect time.  When looking for a church home I have been led to the right one for me.      

In short, God has walked through every step of my life and given me direction.  He knows exactly what I need and when I need it and provides for me.  He is never too late.

  

     What about your life?  Have you ever stopped to analyze the coincidences in your life?  I think if you do, you'll discover that as a believer in Jesus Christ that His hand has been upon you.  There is no such thing as coincidences in a Christian's life, thre are only "God-incidences."

Written by

Carol Steficek

Changes in Me...Friday

November 14, 2014

I have been going through some challenging times, but, I am currently feeling so blessed.  There is so much to be grateful for.  One of those very grateful things is the changes I have seen in my heart.  It is really hard living on this earth, but, there are so many things our Father does that make life such a blessing.

After working at my current company for over ten years I recently had the worst employment review I have ever had in over thirty-five years of working.   I was very hurt by it and am standing up for some of the judgmental things that were said of me. However, I am also taking it with a change of heart and a message from God that it is time for me to move on.  I have been dedicated and given my all to this company and now at this point in my life things are being taken away from me.  In my opinion, a lot of that is because of one particular person having a personality issue with me.

What I can say is Thank you, Jesus for loving me as much as you do.  For doing all that you do for me and not turning your back on me when I don’t act as you would like me to.  I have that with you, Father, and I will never have that from a human on earth, at least not as perfectly as you.

The other positive about this situation is that I was able to open someone else’s eyes to the behaviors of someone else.  And this person was quite surprised at some truths, but, at the same time so understood, and gets it, so therefore shared with me.  I know that with God on my side it had to get to this point so that I could see the love and find the prize He has for me that is yet to come.

 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; 

I will remove from you your heart of stone 

and give you a heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:26

(NIV)

Written by

Kelly Dobyns

We are not made for ordinary lives..Thursday

11/13/14

Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God’s emissaries for keeping order. It is God’s will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you’re a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.

1 Peter 2:15-16

This morning I was in Bible Gateway looking for a specific verse. I knew what I planned to write about. I am late with this devotional because of some issues that went on last night. When I opened the site the verse they had up for the day is the one I have quoted above. (Now I am saving my planned topic for next week.) 

I started to think of the despair that some have about our country. The list of concerns go on and on. The list is not the same for everyone, but I think it is safe to say that we all do have a list, and it is probably pretty long. 



In the midst of it all we forget the admonition in scripture that says we realize that the people in high places would not be there if God had not allowed them to be there. When I think about it I find myself asking Him a loud, "WHY???" Who knows the mind of God and His reasons for what he allows? On verse (not quoted exactly here) reminds us that He is God and we are not. In the Scripture we find that God had (and probably still does have many reasons for the things that happened through out the time man has known Him. One is to teach and train. At times the need to face punishment for our stubborn ways and sin is behind things people have faced. ("RESPECT AUTHORITY" is the wording...first line...second box...sorry it was not easy to read)

I think that what is written here needs no more explanation from me. I could go on and on, but this is a personal thing that is better done by each individual. Take time to spend with God and let Him guide you in your thoughts and prayers today. You may emerge from this pondering knowing you were meant to thrive.

Written by
Corinne Mustafa