27 June 2014 “A Rich Full Life”

Matthew 16:25
“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake you will save it.”

If I insist on my expectations and entitlements or things going a certain way for me to have a rich full life, I won’t have a rich full life. But I know where I can get a rich full life...

In John 10:10 Jesus said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” I have noticed that trying to get a rich and satisfying life from circumstances or people steals my joy and kills my will. So it sounds like insisting on and getting caught up in all of those things serves the Enemy’s purpose, and, ironically, I won’t have what I think those things will give me.

But Jesus gives me a rich and satisfying life! 

Doing more crunches to impress people with rock hard abs only leads to shame and self-loathing on the days I don’t do them. But NOTHING about Jesus leads to shame. And Jesus never provides guilt and shame. In fact, he takes them away! The following two verses say so:

1 John 1:9
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
And 1 John 3:20
Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings...

There’s nothing wrong with doing crunches, but if my joy is solely dependent upon my body type, my diet, my marriage, or my job... If I try and make a rich full life for myself out of these things, out of anything but Jesus, I will absolutely (and ironically) NOT have a rich full life. I will only know cycles of joy mixed with lots of disappointment. 

But NO ONE has ever been disappointed for putting all of their hope, all of their trust, all of their lives in Jesus’ hands.

Psalm 25:3
No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced.

Dear Lord Jesus,
I want the rich and satisfying life that only comes from you and your love for me - not from what I do or what I have or what I think I want. You truly do not disappoint. I love all of the joy and peace in my heart that is the direct result of having a relationship with you. I am not looking to anything else today to give me joy. People and circumstances disappoint me, but YOU NEVER do. Help me not get caught in the trap of entitlements and expectations that do indeed steal, kill and destroy real joy. I love you and I thank you and I pray in your name. Amen.

20 June 2014 Parenting 101
Ephesians 6:4
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.”

Basic Parenting 101. God’s instruction manual for parenting is only one verse long. Everything we need to know about parenting is tucked away inside two little sentences.

Parenting isn’t about exerting authority, it’s about discipleship. Of course we can lord over our children and prove how powerful we are over them, but that’s a given. They’re smaller and dumber than we are and have absolutely no resources of their own. Treating them harshly because they can’t read our minds, think like we do, and contribute better doesn’t make any sense. They need to be shown and taught these things - and sometimes multiple times. That’s how God parents me. Of course he’s bigger, stronger, and smarter than I am. But he doesn’t need to prove it by how he treats me though; it’s a given fact. 

Jesus said, “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets (Matthew 7:12).” I want God to be full of grace, mercy, and compassion towards me (as he is described in Psalm 103:8) because of how weak I am compared to him. If I appreciate being treated this way by HIM, I should treat the ones I have authority over the very same way. Do unto others...

God forgives me when I repent and doesn’t require me to relive it ever again. When my children have asked forgiveness for something, I need to forgive and forget. They don’t need layers of punishment to coincide with when I drag it up again. They need a fresh start because I do too. Sometimes multiple fresh starts in one day are required!

Bring them up with the discipline... There’s a huge difference between discipline and punishment. According to the way God parents, punishment is only reserved for those who refuse the discipline. (Romans 2:5) It’s not a parents job to go straight to a punishment for every infraction. For instance, if someone has left their toys out, asking them to pick up after themselves is proper discipline.  But a child who refuses the discipline will then need a little spanking or a privilege taken away (punishment).

Hebrews 12:5
My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you.

Correcting our children is our job. Teaching them how to live correctly in comparison to God’s Word is the discipline they need. And hooray for those who simply accept discipline when it comes!

... And instruction that comes from the Lord... Teaching our kids to obey and follow Jesus is the best parenting tool available on the whole planet. They will obey us because in doing so they are obeying God. (Ephesians 6:1)

Colossians 3:23
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Psalm 127:3 tells us that children are a gift and a reward from the Lord. We instinctively take care of precious gifts. The peal necklace my dad bought my mom years ago still lives in a velvet bag when she’s not wearing it because that’s how you treat a pearl necklace. How much more so should I treat my children, little humans who are going to grow up and affect other humans, properly?

Dear God,
Thank you so much for Abigail, Josiah, Gracie, and Benjamin. I love them so much. I love who they are becoming because your Word is true. Disciplining them is the best way to parent. Each one of them has been a joy and a privilege to parent because your way of parenting works. We don’t struggle with the common issues of some of our counterparts because our kids know YOU for themselves. And we have instructed them from the beginning as you so have instructed us. They accept discipline, and that makes my heart so glad. I love you and thank you so much that trusting you and parenting them YOUR way really has worked and has brought us so much joy! And I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

17 June 2014 “My Dwelling Place”
Psalm 68:5
His name is the Lord— rejoice in his presence! Father to the fatherless, defender of widows— this is God, whose dwelling is holy.

James 1:27 is a New Testament passage teaching from the Old Testament passage of Psalm 68:5. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. God is our Protector and Defender; he is incorruptible,  and he wants us to be like him.

There is no worse situation for anyone than to find themselves fatherless or widowed. To have no protection or to be utterly defenseless promotes hopeless and is really dangerous and frightening.  And God wants the people who can’t take care of themselves to be taken care of. Literally.

This also illustrates so perfectly what God has done for everyone spiritually. There is nothing we can do to make up for our sinful nature. Trying harder usually means failing faster. BUT! When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:6-8)

All people are utterly helpless to save themselves from the punishment we deserve for the things we do and say. Thankfully, helping the utterly helpless is completely and totally exactly who God is!

Pure religion in sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you...  Protecting and defending people who are helpless is the work God wants us to do. And refusing to let the world corrupt you is who God wants me to be.

This is God, whose dwelling is holy... God’s dwelling is holy - a clean, unpolluted, uncorrupted place. Where I situate myself, what I surround myself with, what I think about, and who I spend time with influences my dwelling place. 

And I choose to dwell with him - my Protector and my Defender.

Dear God,
I am so thankful that your heart is fond of the helpless. You are  my Father, Protector, and Defender. You have literally given me no worries. Help me to keep my heart and my entire self holy by refusing to be corrupted and influenced by the way the world thinks. I pray for you to be my sole source of influence today. I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

12 June 2014 “There’s No Excuse”
Psalm 19:1-2
The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.

The New Testament pastors use Old Testament passages for their sermon notes.
In Romans 1:20 Paul writes,
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

So if creation makes God’s existence so obvious, why are there so many who won’t acknowledge him? I think it’s interesting to note that even in the times when everyone acknowledged the existence of God, the Enemy infiltrates minds to conclude that even though God exists, he is up to no good. Eve, a woman who literally walked with God, was seduced to this notion by the simple phrase, “Did God really say...” And she believed the lie that God, who had given her everything, was holding back something good from her. (Genesis 3)

That’s what the Enemy still does today. Since so many people find it easy and acceptable to betray all logic and common sense when they look at creation and conclude there is no God, they decide that even if there is that he must be up to no good since there is suffering in the world.

But who put the suffering there? Not God. No, it is the very Enemy who tricks people into thinking God is up to no good. Ironic, isn’t it?

(Then God is up to no good because he doesn’t do anything about the suffering is the next argument. But God sent Jesus. (John 3:16-17) And if everyone followed Jesus there would literally be no suffering in the world. Free choice, people. But this is all another topic for another time.)

What I’d like to focus on is this: 2 Corinthians 4:4
Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. 

Satan blinds minds.

He blinds minds so much that they literally can’t see the truth in front of their faces. The skies display (God’s) craftsmanship. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities, but blinded people can’t see, can they? And God-critics have allowed the Enemy to blind them.

Here’s the rest of what Pastor Paul teaches from Romans 1 (verses 18-32)...
But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols...So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires...Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.




-Suppress the truth by their wickedness...If we acknowledge God, we acknowledge that we are not in charge, and we want to be in charge.

-Claiming to be wise...Making up another scenario of how the world was created is anti-wise.

-They traded the truth about God for a lie...Does that make them wise? No.

-Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness...THAT is why there is suffering in the world.

-They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy...Ironically, they want these things for themselves (understanding, faithfulness, and mercy), but God invented them, and you can’t have them without him!

-Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too...It’s not enough for them not to believe, they are angry and intolerant of those who do (Bill Maher much?).




They have no excuse for not knowing God...Except for this excuse: They just don’t want to know him.




Dear God,

I thank you for how easy you make your presence known so that even the simplest of minds like mine can understand and know you. I’m so thankful it doesn’t require an advanced degree or competency in complex theoretical mathematics or anything like that to discover you. You do not hide. Anyone anywhere at anytime can look outside their widow and know that there is a Creator who created. We know that we are not in charge by what we can visibly see. And there is nothing wrong with that. I pray for the people I know who know you and think you’re not good, and I pray for the people I know who betray their own common sense in order to not know you. You obviously desire everyone to have a relationship with you by how easily you make it for us to see you in creation. I pray they wouldn’t be blinded by the Enemy any longer. And I thank you for your amazing presence in my life. I love you and praise you and pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

11 June 2014 “Just Know”
Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.

John the Baptist sends his disciples to Jesus to inquire about his status as Messiah...

“Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?’”
At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. Then he told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.  And tell him, ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.’” (Luke 7:20-23)

Jesus sends a report of miracles to John without giving John a personal miracle. It’s because John already believes. When Jesus heals people it’s visible proof of his invisible power to forgive sins. (Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’?  So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” - Luke 5:23-24)

The Apostle Paul says that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers. (1 Corinthians 14:22)  Prophecy is telling about Jesus; and those who believe in him don’t need proof of who he is. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed...(John 20:29)

God blesses those who do not turn away...
Blessed are those who have not seen...

And You must follow me is Jesus’ response to Peter’s inquiry about how the disciple John is going to die after Jesus revealed how Peter is going to die (John 21:22). Jesus essentially is telling him not to worry about John; it’s not a contest, there are no comparisons to be made. Believers believe regardless.

What I am gathering from all this information is this: I Believe in Jesus. I Believe everything about him. I Believe who he is and what’s he’s done. He doesn’t have to prove himself to me. He is a man who died who did not stay dead. What other reason than eye-witness accounts could spark such an incredible international religious movement? I don’t need Jesus to do for me what is required for unbelievers. John the Baptist is a Believer. Peter is a Believer. I am a Believer. I don’t need proof. I know who Jesus is. Blessed are those who do not turn away. Blessed are those who believe without seeing. Blessed are those who follow... because we already know!

Be still and know...

Just know.



Dear Lord Jesus,

I know who you are. I love you and appreciate you and do not require you to prove yourself to me in any with miracles. You bless those who believe in you, and you bless those who do not turn away from you. And my life is proof of that. I am so richly blessed in so many ways and best of all rescued from every possible thing. I love you and thank you and praise you for who you are. And I pray in your name, amen.

9 June 2014 “Treasure Hunters”
Matthew 7:17
But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

Only a few ever find it... That means that a lot of people who think they’re Christians because they live in America or acting like Christians because they go to church really aren’t Christians.

The road is difficult... Someone might genuinely start out with the intention to sincerely follow Jesus, but they get captured by their own desires or impatient because of their own expectations. Jesus says in Luke 7:23, “God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.” So that means it is possible for people to turn away from him if we want to, and some certainly will.

Only a few ever find it... This makes me think of treasure and treasure hunters. There is a very small group of people whose profession is professional treasure hunter. They make Discovery Chanel shows about them.  They sell all they have to buy equipment to help them find buried or sunken treasure. They don’t keep regular business hours or lead normal lives. The possibility of finding something precious motivates them to keep going even when they reach a dead end. Only a handful of people live this way and and even smaller percentage of that actually hit it big. A committed treasure seeker will spend their entire life never giving up on what they believe is out there.

Likewise, those who give up everything to follow Jesus (including their expectations on what their life should look like) are assured and promised real treasure. And I’m not just talking about the gift of eternal life (John 3:16). I find treasure every day: peace in my heart where there should be panic, joy in my heart when I should be upset, and hope in my heart when there’s no proof of change. These are miracles, blessings, presents (whatever you want to call them) from God every day for those who love and trust him. Few will find them because they are more concerned with God fixing everything to our liking now. But blessed is the one who doesn’t turn away. Blessed right now - even if circumstances don’t change. Unfortunately, few have the heart of a treasure hunter.




The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it! (Matthew 13:44-46)




Dear God,

I want it! I want all that is included with following you. I don’t want to live like everyone else so that I don’t have to live like everyone else! Thank you for blessing me with your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. Thank you for preparing a home for me right now so we can be together forever like you promise in your Word. That is worth giving up all my self-entitlements and preferences for, and I don’t ever want to be one of the ones who loses patience for and loses sight of all you’ve done. You are great and greatly to be praised and most deserving to be followed every day. I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

5 June 2014 “Paul’s Conclusions”
1 Thessalonians 5:11
So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

My husband and I have noticed that every time a significant interruption occurs in our life it is usually followed by opportunities to share with and encourage someone else in what they’re experiencing. 

The Apostle Paul, a seasoned Follower, experienced many troubles in his lifetime. He goes so far as to list them so that other Believers would know that his encouragement is trustworthy indeed!

2 Corinthians 11:23-27
I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.  I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

And the one man who endured all of these things reaches the following conclusions:

• (God’s) grace is all you need. (God’s) power works best in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
• So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.   (2Corinthians 12:9-10)
• I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:12-13)

And these conclusions are the encouragement I need I when I have troubles And Paul’s trustworthy firsthand conclusions should be the encouragement I offer others in order to build up their faith as well.




Jesus said plainly in John 16:33 - Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.




We all are going to have troubles. And sharing freely how Jesus overcomes them for us encourages others and builds them up in their faith. And this is what Believers are instructed to do.




Dear God,

Thank you for the people in my life who speak your wisdom and your truth to me by their own experience. Thank you for Paul’s words encouraging us all. Help me to be an encouragement to  others. And thank you for proving to me time and time again that this encouragement is real. Anyone anywhere can take my word for it, as I have seen firsthand, that your grace IS all I need. You do make me strong when I should be utterly weak. And I certainly can do all things because YOU give me the strength to endure and to overcome all the time. Thank you so much! I am not making this up; you really do these things for those who trust in you, and I am so very thankful! I love you and praise you and desire to be an encouragement today. And I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

4 June 2014 "Doom and Gloom"
1 Chronicles 29:11
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.

This looks like the text that the monks tied on to the end of The Lord’s Prayer centuries ago... “For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen.”

We adore you as the one who is over all things... This truth is very important to focus on as I read the news headlines this morning. This morning’s headlines, by the way, are full of doom and gloom. There was not one positive story in the bunch. 

There was one news headline from the Associated Press about making embryos from 3 people is not deemed as unsafe. Someone will go ahead with this science. Sounds like Jesus is coming back soon because Jesus warned in Matthew 24:37 that it will be like it was in Noah’s day. And in Noah’s day there was a weird breed of people, nephilites, roaming around. An embryo made from three different people sounds like a weird breed to me. 

Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 24:38-39: In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. 

More actual headlines from today:

• (From CBS News) Women having plastic surgery on hands for better engagement ring ‘selfies’  (sounds like enjoying weddings)
• (From International Business Times) Godfather of Ecstasy dies at age 88 after 4,000 ‘trips’ (sounds like enjoying parties)
• (From cnsnews.com) 1 in 5 Children Live in Poverty in U.S. (sounds like 4 out of 5 families are enjoying food, banquets, and not sharing with the needy)

That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes... And that is the way it is right now on June 4, 2014. So, I’m guessing he could come today!

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, THE VICTORY, and the majesty... I could read the news this morning and get really depressed, but I’m not. None of these headlines has any power over the One I put all of my hope and trust in. And none of these headlines is scarier than what will happen to those who do not recognize their need for repentance of their sins and the forgiveness of Jesus. (See Revelation 21:8)

No one listened to Noah back in the day. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away... And people aren’t realizing what is going on right now either.

Dear God,
I can see the signs of the times in the Times right now. The news headlines could overwhelm me were it not for the fact that YOU are the One who is over ALL things. And it is you I trust. I do not put my hope in the perpetuation of national stability caused by a strong family unit. And I do not trust in the escapist mentality of the perpetual partier, nor in the charity of man. I trust in you! And I look forward to the return of your Son. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen!

2 June 2014 “Eagerly Waiting”
Hebrews 9:28
...So also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.

The first time Jesus came, he clearly expressed his purpose for being here: For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)

He didn’t come here 2000 years ago to judge and exact punishment, but to save us all (who would believe in him) from the judgment and punishment that is to come. He didn’t walk around zapping people for their thoughts and actions during his ministry here. No, he forgave with genuine affection, and he healed with his own two hands. And he told his friends how much he looks forward to being with us again...

Matthew 26:29
I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

John 14:3
I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.


These are beautiful words that make me feel special. He is going to bring salvation to me! That means he will deliver me from harm, ruin, and loss. And he isn’t just going to rescue me and then move on to some other project. He is going to be with me.




I have had a lot of friends come in and out of my life over the years. I know what it feels like to have someone not want to be with me anymore. And, I must say, it is a very good, warm and inviting feeling to know that I mean so much to the most important One - the Person who only truly matters.




...To all who are eagerly waiting for him... That’s me!




Lord Jesus,

Thank you for making us friends by your sacrifice and forgiveness, mercy, grace, and love. I am so thankful that my salvation and my PRIZE is YOU! This morning I am looking forward to the day when I get to see you and hug you and drink with you and be where YOU are. I love you so much and my heart is so full of thankfulness and joy over the fact that you love me and want to be with me! Amen!