What and Who Are You?...Tuesday

10/20/15

When we look at the world we see an old enemy putting on a new face. There has been bigotry and abuse from the beginning of time. Here are a few examples of people who faced intolerance at various times in the history of the world...

• Native Americans
• Irish and Italian immigrants in the late 1800's
• Black Americans
• Mentally challenged people       
          ....the list goes on and on. 

For some the injustices still are carried on against them. 

The most rampant areas of bias that leads to cruel behavior is religion against religion. We see it in the Middle East where Moslem sects are against each other. Moslems hate the Jews and Christians. In this country it was not acceptable to many to be Catholic. My father's family did not like us because we were Catholic, and made life miserable for my parents and me.

We heard about horror of the massacre in an Oregon college. Nine people were killed by someone who was mentally unwell. The real horror of that story was what he said to his victims before he shot them. He would ask them if they were Christian, and then he shot them. They did not try to hide the fact that they were Christian. They died for their beliefs...for Jesus, and that makes them martyrs who are now with Him.

What would you do if you were faced with making a decision to hide your Christianity or to profess it? Would you deny your beliefs in fear. Or would profess who and what you are with joy...regardless of the outcome.

When I think of being faced with this situation I find it pretty scary. Most of us will never have to deal with having to choose to declare or deny.

Lord, 

Please give courage to anyone who finds himself/herself in a situation where a choice must be made about who and what they are. Give them the wisdom and courage to tell the truth about you in their life.

Amen

Written by

Corinne Mustafa

  

Not Enough Time...Monday

10/19/15

"Look at your neighbor and tell them, 'You need to lighten up!"

Laughter could be heard all over the sanctuary as people followed the pastor's directions. My daughter and I didn't say the words, we just smiled at each other both of us knowing we have a tendency to take things a little too seriously.

When you see life as one long to do list, it is more work to take a break and do something fun, than it is to just keep working. No matter how many studies show that it is important to have balance, even when you have experienced the benefits of that balance-change is hard.

There are two traps that keep me from 'lightening up'. First is that I don't have enough time, and the second, is 'I will take a break as soon as this is done'. Except, 'this' slides right into the next item and things are never done.

On Thursday, my daughters invited me to go do something fun with them on Saturday. I said I would like to go, but I would have to see. Then on Saturday, I asked if they could wait while I just did one more thing. They were very patient with me but I could tell they could see through me. Although I realized what I was doing, 'delaying fun', I kept doing it.

Finally we went and had a wonderful time. On the drive home I thanked God for the example my girls were setting for me in fun and work balance. I really can see that the work and routine of the week can be more bearable when you having something pleasant ahead of you.

Pile your troubles on God’s shoulders—

    he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out.

He’ll never let good people

    topple into ruin.

Psalm 55:22 MSG

Dear Lord, thank You for bearing with me as I take life and responsibilities too seriously. I do know that I can not add even an hour to my life. Please help me to see all of the reminders around me that You are a loving and caring God. I choose to stop trusting in my own strength to get things done as if I can actually make anything of the utmost importance happen. Please forgive me for the pride and fear that keep me striving. In Jesus name, amen.

PS: Pastor Steve's very next phrase, after we told each other to lighten up?

"Lightening up is not an excuse to be lazy." Again with the whole balance thing!!

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

Love Take Me Over by Steven Curtis Chapman

JOYFUL NOISE... Sunday

Devotional for 10/18/15

Singing in the Bible is also referred to as making a joyful noise to the Lord. Many of the Psalms say to sing to God, serving him with gladness, thanksgiving, rejoicing and praise.  Some of us love to sing, and sometimes people even love to hear us make that "joyful noise"!  Singing in church is a form of our praise and worship.  When we praise God, we are telling others how great He is.  When we worship God, we are telling God how grateful we are for his love and mercy for us and for the forgiveness He has given us through the sacrifice of his Son.  

We can sing to God even when we are going through difficult times.  It not only serves to show him our gratitude in all things (which is worship), but it also can serve as a witness to others (which is praise).  Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God when they were thrown into prison, making a great witness to the other prisoners and to the prison guard.  Singing spiritual songs can also lift our own spirits when we are troubled, as the words can soothe our own aching hearts.

However, the most beautiful thing the Bible teaches us about singing is that even God sings - and he is singing to us!  

Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)  The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing.  

This verse is so full of comfort!  It says all these things: God is with us - always.  God is mighty and saves us - no matter what we  have done.  God takes great delight in us - He is happy with us despite our sinfulness. God will quiet us with his love - we are comforted in his reassuring arms.  And God rejoices over us with singing - He makes a joyful noise even to us, his dear children! 

Dear Lord in heaven, we are ever so grateful for all that you have done for us. We especially sing your praises for your forgiveness of our shortcomings, your support and guidance through rough times, and all of your wonderful blessings, especially the gift of eternal life in heaven with you.  Help us to make a joyful noise unto you in all circumstances, providing a witness to others, and lifting our spirits as we rest in your loving arms.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

written by Jan Andersen

WRESTLING EVIL...Saturday

10/17/15

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, 

against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world 

and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." 

Ephesians 6:12 

     The church doesn't talk much about Satan these days, even though the world is pointing to his increasing power against the Christian faith and all that is good and just in life.

     Many people don't recognize Satan as a real person but think he is just a "concept" of evil.  Even many Christians don't know that he is a fallen angel and is spoken of as the "angel of light."  His task is to lead us away from the true God and His Word by making other belief systems and things of this world look good.

     He is deceitful in every way and is the father of lies.  The worst part is that everything he does present to mankind he knows is not the truth.  He just wants us to all fall away from God and end up in hell with him.

     Satan fight his battles in your mind.  He wants you to think negative thoughts, be depressor anxious.  He want you to be unsuccessful in life thinking you can't do things.  He wants you to wallow in self-pity or in things which are bad for you.  He want you to be overcome by addictions.  He wants to make your life miserable.

     The only way we can counteract Satan's many avenues of attack on our lives is to counter everything He tells us with the truth of God's Word.  When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan he came back against every temptation with "It is written."  He then quoted Scripture to Satan.  Satan was defeated. 

    

We can defeat Satan in every area of our lives in which we're being attacked also.  We must know the Word of God.  It must be written upon our hearts.  We must have it continually in our minds.  You can't wrestle evil and win without a weapon.  Take the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. 

Written by 

Carol Steficek 

     

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize...Frida

October 16, 2015

Discipline in a
Long-Distance Race

12 1-3 Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

Hebrews 12:1-3
 (MSG)

Boy, have I really wanted to just give up over the past couple of years with my struggle of not knowing what to do, being hurt, but, at the same time still staying in my comfort zone, miserably so, but, stopped by fear of the unknown and changes that will have to take place.

I have never been a disciplined person, and I like that about myself, being able to kind of be free with my time, however, always still complete what needs to be done.  I realize right now that I AM disciplined, much more than I ever thought that I was.  Through the most difficult few years of my life I have stuck to the biggest prize of my life.  I have kept my eyes on the Lord.

There have been many times I haven’t been happy with His timing and I have also felt like He had abandoned me, but, through it all….in my heart I knew He was truly there for me looking out for my best interest.  He will always be with me…never to leave or forsake me.  For that I am so very, very blessed and full of gratitude.

18-20 Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20

(MSG)

We all are completely filled with His love; with that knowledge and keeping our eyes on the prize we will get through all of this life.  I am living proof that without His love and my eyes on Him, I would not be able to walk through this door every day with a happy heart and share my love to the people that have not done the same for me.  I really love being an example of the life possible when we have God.  Thank you, Father for keeping me alive in your love.  Amen!

Written by 

Kelly Dobyns

Our Light Can Still Shine...Thursday

10/15/15

Life can be a series of falls for any number of reasons. It is the human experience. We learn to walk and we fall down. This goes on and on...the fall off the bicycle, the inline roller skates, off a sled in the snow. These are some of the physical short comings that cause us to fall. Most of the time we just get up, and ten minutes later we forget that we have fallen

There are emotional, judgement errors, and spiritual causes of  tumbles. They are more serious and have more lasting effects. They are harder to let go. These are the things that our enemy uses to torment us and to make us loose hope. The time we cheated on a test and got caught, when we got distracted at the pool when we were watching our little sister and she drowned, or when we turned away from God for letting this happen are just three examples or this kind of fall.  

The point that should be considered is that it is never too late, in spite of these catastrophic plunges ...physical. emotional, judgmental, or spiritual do not have to be the undoing of our value as a  worthwhile person.

Consider Joni Erikson Tada whose fall into a pool left her completely paralized. She did not just shut down and give up. She has written books, and to paint with a brush in her mouth. This is how we can continue to let our light shine in spite of all our falls.

It is possible to let your light shine regardless of the plummets of life when you fall but our God is always there to redeem us and make a lighthouse out of our lives if let Him in to work with us.

Written by
Corinne Mustafa

"Your Word"...Wednesday

10/13/15

As I was spending time with the Lord this morning the verse out of Psalm 119:105 came to my mind. Here is what is says;

 "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

As I ponder that verse and asked the Lord what that means, there were several things that came to mind.

His Word literally directs and guides our steps throughout the days and nights of our life. His light shines ever bright upon our paths so we can clearly know the right way to go.

There have been many times I have struggled as to the right decision to make over different circumstances. It was not until I sought out the Lord's counsel as to what to do, did I have a true peace about what steps to take.

The Lord will direct our life and decisions as we cry out for His perfect will. God will give us clarity and remove all confusion as we keep our focus on Him and trust Him as to what the next step is.

I am ever so grateful that God's Word lights the way for my future as I surrender my life fully in His hands. 

In Christ there is no darkness but only His shining light that is ever so bright!

In His Light, 

Sandy Billingham