The Great Day...Thursday

9/17/15

Our whole story from beginning to end is told in the Bible. It is the story of God's love for his creation and especially the crown of His creation...His people. It is our history from the Garden and from the days of Adam through the Second Coming. The stories in the Bible are like a geneology of our ancestors from the beginning and throughout the Old and New Testaments. The end is still before us, but there are lessons to be learned from Genesis and through the Book of Jude in the New Testament.

We get lessons from the stories and losses of our OT ancestors which show us that all God wanted was fellowship with His creation and to show them His love that is without boundaries. He held no boundaries for us in His love. The entire New Testament is a testimony of God's love and plans for us. After all he had sent is Son to bring us the Good News and there is nothing that is better than that!!

So at the end of the OT there are 400 years of silence until the Birth of the Messiah heralded the beginning of the New Testament...the times of offered salvation from God in spite of the fact that we are still in operation as a difficult and stubborn people. God never has given up nor will He ever give up on us. This is our final time in Creation and Jesus has presented us with the choices that will allow us to be with Him for all eternity. The Book of Jude is an Epistle that precedes the Book of Revelation and offers us the suggestion...

24To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and
to present you before his glorious presence without fault 

and with great joy—25 to the only God our Savior 

be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ 

our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!
Amen.Revelations

Then we open Revelations, the the final book of the Bible, Revelations, which tells the end of out Story with God.  It has dire predictions about the end times. There is much to face and some say the faithful will be raptured away from that challenging time while others say we will face it just like everyone who is alive in those times.  The important thing is to remember, after the last seven years, is that it is the time of Jesus returning to collect His saved ones. We know how it will end for us if we have it right with God. Perhaps there will be trials, but we need not have fear or worry. He will be taking us home.

It is our story as God has been writing it since the Garden.

Written by 

Corinne Mustafa

This is a beautiful song about the wonders of "The Great Day" when the work of Our Story will be completed.

"Angels Watching Over Us"...Wednesday

9/16/15

 

As I was out and about today driving, I came upon quite a scary thing. The car several feet away from me was swerving and turning around and basically all over the road until it finally came to a complete stop. I am not sure what happened, and I don't think the driver of that car totally knew either. He sat there in the middle of the road for awhile, then took off. As he passed me I yelled out to him if he was alright. He quickly said, "I am fine."

 

What I do know is, if I would have been a few feet closer, I could have easily been hit by the movement of the car. I was so very thankful that God was with me and His angels watching over me. Daily I pray protection over myself and family and particularly Psalms 91:11 that says, 

"For He shall give His angels charge over you, 

to keep you in all your ways."

 

I am fully aware that God's angels are watching over us as we trust Him and declare His Word over us. He is ready to perform His Word. Our God is always trustworthy!

 

The best part of all is that we do not have to live in fear. Our  loving God is taking care of us and gives His angels charge over us continuously!  He will forever keep us in all our ways!

 

In His Care, 

Sandy Billingham

Your Mess is Mine...Monday

Grabbing my sunglasses from my purse as I wove my way through the bakery department I steered the cart with one hand trying to avoid shoppers and cookie displays. Some thought at the deli counter had brought tears to my eyes and I could tell I was very likely to have bright red eyes and nose from the pressure of unshed tears. Now I was actually crying behind the privacy of the sunglasses. Lovely dark sunglasses that provided protection but made it difficult for me to find which gallon of milk I wanted.

My sensitivity level is always high on 9/11. I learned to respect anniversaries such as D-Day and the Attack on Pearl Harbor. But I and everyone of a certain age joined those of national heartbreaking experience when we lived through that terrible Tuesday in 2001.

So when I borrowed my daughter's car and listened to the song below, I appreciated more than ever the artist's description of a loving relationship and how when we are committed to someone their struggle matters to us. When we choose to love and accept the other person right where they are at: their mess becomes our mess.

To me this message explains how millions of us who have no personal connection or loss in one of the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, or the field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania were yet shaken and broken hearted and still grieve over the memory of that day. 

The beauty of someone loving another person enough to embrace the whole package, mess and all, reflects the love of God. 

But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us,

 by the fact that while we were still sinners,

 Christ died for us.

 Romans 5:8 AMP

So we have come to know and to believe

 the love that God has for us.

 God is love,

 and whoever abides in love abides in God,

 and God abides in him.

 1 John 4:16 ESV

Dear Lord, thank You for being aware of us and loving us before we ever became aware of You. Please help us to love You, and to love our neighbors, near and far, known and unknown, as much as we love ourselves (see Luke 10:27). In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

Vance Joy performs "Mess Is Mine"

You Have a Purpose...Tuesday

9/15/15

        And we know what happens to us is working for our good                     

 if we love God and are fitting into His plans.                                                    

                                        Romans 8:28

Some days it just seems as if I go around in circles not knowing whether I am coming or going. On other blessed days I have already planned ahead and go to sleep with my day already planned. On these days I jump up, ready to greet the day. I get on with whatever it is with no problem.

I think part of the problem is that there is so much to do with so little time, so I get scattered. At times like this a list helps me keep focused. I totally agree with the graphic that if I am alive then there is a purpose for my life. It is my job to discover it. Please think about this truth and spend some time pondering its meaning for you.

Sometimes we reach adulthood knowing what we want to do with our lives, and it becomes a straight shot. However, I have heard of many people who end up in their career by falling into it. They could start off with a plan to be a chemist and begin to move in that direction. A summer job finds them working in a camp with developmentally disabled children, and find that they are skilled at relating to the children. They love the work and see that they have a talent for it. Their purpose is found in a serendipity occurrence at what was only a summer job.

Sometimes a career change in mid life brings someone to the real purpose God had for them. When the person thinks about it he or she realizes that every experience leading up to it has been a preparation to reach the wonderful new calling.

In The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren gives a list of five purposes for which we are created...

• #1: You Were Planned for God's Pleasure (Worship)
• #2: You Were Formed for God's Family (Fellowship)
• #3: You Were Created to Become Like Christ (Discipleship)
• #4: You Were Shaped for Serving God (Ministry)
• #5: You Were Made for a Mission (Mission)
  
  Whether you are just starting out or mid way in your work life, you want to be living according to His purposes for you. Rick Warrens list sheds a light that will help you discover if you following the plans He had when He created you. 

Written by

Corinne Mustafa

SHADES OF GRAY... Sunday

Devotional for 9/13/15

Are shades of gray a good or a bad thing?  This is not in reference to a recent erotic romance novel.  In counseling or cognitive therapies, black or white thinking (all or nothing thinking) is considered a cognitive distortion, an unrealistic thought process.  It is when someone thinks in absolutes and is unable to see the middle ground, the gray areas.  Someone might exaggerate how they feel if they only express it in extremes of black or white thinking. Seeing the "shades of gray" in between is considered more healthy and truthful.  Instead of thinking that someone either loves you or hates you, it allows you to see that someone may like you, even when they disagree with you.  Black or white thinking also can refer to seeing issues as having a definite yes/no or right/wrong answer rather than seeing gray areas or that issues may lack clear borders.  Or it can mean thinking that there are only two answers to a problem that may have many possible solutions. When a person can see the gray areas, it gives more depth, just like in a pencil sketch that has multiple shades rather than only black lines on white paper.  These examples show how shades of gray can be positive.

But sometimes black and white are not negative.  Having definite boundaries can be comforting, guiding a person to a more desirable outcome. Gray areas in terms of rules can be confusing.  God's Word gives us some very concrete black and white tenets.  One of those is that ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  But even when we are totally separated from God in our shortcomings, he offers us one solution.  He forgives us when we believe that Jesus died on the cross in our place in order that we might live eternally with him in heaven.  There are no shades of gray in this area.

Dear Father in heaven, forgive me when I think I can get away with thinking in shades of gray when it comes to my sinfulness.  Help me to remember that I am not perfect and cannot work my way into your heart, because you already put me there.  I can never come to you except through faith in your son, Jesus Christ, which your Holy Spirit has given me the power to believe.  Thank you for the free gift of forgiveness and salvation.  Help me to point others to the "one way" to you.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

written by Jan Andersen

I WILL KEEP YOU...Saturday

9/12/15                                                         

"I am with you and will watch 

over you wherever you go,

 and I will bring you back to this land. 

I will not leave you until I have done 

what I have promised you."  

Genesis 28:15

    

         What a wonderful promise to Jacob.  What a wonderful promise to us as God's children.

    

     Sometimes we are apprehensive about new adventures whether it is a new job, a new home, travel, or whatever.  We don't know what to expect and we often don't feel in control so this brings anxiety along with a certain element of excitement. Remembering this promise of God should give us peace and assurance.

      

      God's promises do not depend upon how we feel.  God's promises are a continuing reality because of who He is.  They do not depend upon us.

     

       God does not give us this promise only for special occasions or new seasons in our life.  He gives this assurance to us on a daily basis as we go about our routine in life.  He promises never to leave us no matter what happens. 

     

       Take heart as you live today -- God will surely keep you.

Written by

Carol Steficek

We are not made for ordinary lives..Friday

9/11/15

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