​26 July 2021
Faith is Evidence
Hebrews 11:1
Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.

The one major knock on Christianity over the centuries is that what we believe can’t be proven. But faith is evidence according to scripture AND everywhere else in life!

Physics, Thermodynamics, and Natural Order are so reliable and structured that scientists put the words “Laws of” in front of each of them. But the ones who labeled them did not create them, so who did? It takes a lot of faith to believe there is no one responsible for the intricate structure and order in the universe.

Faith involves hope & is used as evidence. Godless people don’t consider faith in God as evidence for his existence because HE is not what they hope for.

The godless hope God doesn’t exist, so their faith they use as evidence for what they believe is based on their hopes & how they want things to be. Ironically, their “facts” about how the world began can be dismantled simply by the idea of God’s existence. God’s existence can’t be dismantled by their evidence at all. Isn’t that interesting?

Hebrews 11:3
By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

We know how the world began because faith is evidence. And even the ungodly have to admit that because they use their faith as evidence it all the time.

Dear God,
Thank you for plaining telling us in your Word how the world began. Thank you that it is simple to understand and trustworthy & provides confident hope for me to trust in you in all things. I love you and pray in your Son’s name, according to your good will. Amen.

3 May 2021 The ME in the Equation
Galatians 2:20-21NLT
My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless... 

My expectations need to go. I can’t let my heart rely on my health or my bank account or my relationships or the country going back to “normal” in order to have joy, contentment and fulfillment. I will only find those things by living life by trusting in God. I can prepare all I want, but I actually treat the grace of God as meaningless when I become a control freak over others or obsess about what I can’t control. 

Why would He ever say Give all your cares to me because I care about you OR Come to me with your burdens and I’ll exchange it for rest if simultaneously I’m supposed to hold on to my cares and burdens? (See 1 Peter 5:7 & Matthew 11:28-30.)

Yesterday at church, Rob said, “ Joy is related to us dropping our baggage and checklists and expectations and receiving God’s grace.”

God will give me what I need, and he will help me endure, he will fill my heart, he will provide for me. Not ME and God. Just God. The reason many Believers don’t know this truth is because they still have the ME in the equation. 

Dear God,
Help me have only YOU in all of my equations today. You are my constant and reliable, unfailing factor, and I appreciate you so much. Thank you for helping me be content and not undone by people, money, health, or circumstances. Help me live my life today by trusting in the One who loves me and gave HIS LIFE for ME! And I pray in his name according to your good will, amen.

​28 April 2021
1 Peter 5:14-17 Voluntary Hall Monitors
If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. 15 If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. 16 But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!

Rob was teaching from this passage on Sunday, and the last item on the list in verse 15 really caught my attention. “Prying into other people’s affairs” ranks with murder & stealing for things NOT to do. Interesting.

Perhaps that’s why our nation is so divided right now. Half the people want to be left alone and the other half wants to pry into our affairs. It really is a nuisance. 

The Word of God never changes with the times & one of the best verses for daily living is and always will be from 1 Thessalonians 4...
Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others. (v.11-12)

Imagine a society where we mind our own business. It’s a dying concept, especially with social media, which I am using right now to post this. (smiley face) But truly, as a Believer, I would like to allow others to be instructed by the Holy Spirit without butting in. It’s scary, especially when people I love, or people I see underthinking a situation, are not doing something how I would do it. But I don’t want to be like half the nation that meddles. Like Rob said on Sunday, “being a voluntary Hall Monitor is exhausting.”

And it’s exhausting because God gives no one the strength for that job because that job is already filled by the Holy Spirit. 

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. (Galatians 5:16) And apparently, our sinful nature is dying to tell others what to do and “pry into their affairs.”

Dear God,
Thank you for your Holy Spirit helping me to lead a quiet life and mind my own business. I pray that you will protect me and my family from meddlers and help me not to fall into the trap of being one. Thank you for your instruction and your grace to all who love and trust you. Amen.

​27 April 2021
Wow! I’ve hardly posted at all this year!
I have no reason except for being overwhelmed and astonished at today’s ever fast paced changing culture that my head spins daily. Time to get back to business.

Titus 2:11-12 (NIV)
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age...

This verse is perfect for the fast pace changing culture that makes my head spin. The amount of people readily and mindlessly embracing Cancel Culture is truly astonishing and mesmerizing isn’t it? It’s because the culture rejects God, and God is full of grace, therefore the culture rejects grace. That’s crazy because who doesn’t love and appreciate GRACE?!

God has given his grace to everyone – even the ones who don’t recognize it or appreciate it. And His grace is our instructor. When we look back at all the stupid things we say and do, we value grace as offers opportunity to have a do-over, grow and change – learn self-control and be able to live “upright” lives. If there is no grace, these things can’t happen.

I remember watching a interview of George W. Bush before he was elected president, and the interviewer was trying to discount him because he used to be an alcoholic. It didn’t work. Bush simply owned his former behavior and since that interview took place pre-cancel-culture-era the topic didn’t affect his election at all. 

The idea of being held accountable as an adult for what you did decades ago is insane. And yet Cancel Culture now prevails against many politicians, athletes and businessmen. I prefer grace. I don’t want to be remembered for my mistakes; I can’t udo any of them and neither can anyone else.

No one can make up for their mistakes. That’s why Jesus came! That’s what grace is; it’s Jesus. He took the punishment for my guilt and shame – past, present & future – and every morning lets me live in newness. (Of course there are consequences people live in for their actions, but I’m not talking about that.) I’m talking about the war we are constantly in that Paul mentions...
And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Romans 7:18-25)
... And how the grace of Jesus is the solution for our behavior – NOT a society that drudges and shuns.

Dear God,
Thank you for you unending GRACE! Thank you for your Son. I pray for our god-forsaking mistaken society that does not embrace grace and forgiveness at all. I thank you that this culture nor any other can undo what you have done for me and for all who love and trust you and believe in your Son, in whose name I pray. Amen.

8 March 2021
Hebrews 3:8 The Ingredients
... don't harden your hearts... 

Having a “hard heart” is a common phrase in scripture, and Christians use this phrase a lot too. But does anyone know the definition of a hard heart or the ingredients for getting one? Many Believers assume a hard heart is just someone who is stubborn or angry or defiant. These are true and accurate adjectives of a hard heart. But how did that heart get that way?

1 John 1:9-10 has the answer. Here is the definition of a hard heart:  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. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

A person with no place in their heart for God’s Word has a hard heart, and God’s Word is that we are sinners, and the Good News of God’s Word is that Jesus came to forgive sinners!

A hard heart belongs to the person who doesn't confess sin (this is rooted in pride) and/or claims they don't sin at all (also rooted in pride).  We understand this from our own relationships. There is nothing more frustrating than dealing with a person who has clearly wronged you and claims they haven't. Or how a false apology (I'm sorry YOU were offended) is really not apology at all. These are actions by a person with a hard heart. A person who never admits fault has a hard heart. 

Jesus says it like this: “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” (Mark 2:17)

So, if I want to NOT have a hard heart, then swallow my pride, confess my sin and seek forgiveness often, quickly and without stipulation. Jesus paid the price for every offense for all of time to free me from my self-entitled obligation to “collect.” This is actually very freeing and the ingredients I’m looking for – ingredients for a soft heart.

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for giving me a new, clean, soft heart that is good. Help me confess my sin so pride will not settle into my heart. Thank you that I can freely forgive others because you have freely forgiven me. Thank you that I do not have the burden of collecting debts from people who’ve wronged me, for you paid that tab in full! Help my heart to be full of you today. I love you and thank you and pray in your name, amen.

3 March 2021
Hebrews 12:12 Get a Grip
So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.

This is God’s definition of perseverance. Everyone understands what taking a “new grip” means. It means you haven’t opened that jar yet, try again.

It is easy to not persevere, especially now. I am very, very, very, very frustrated at the inconsistent and arbitrary response to disease lately. We are approaching one year of a very restrictive and unfriendly lifestyle based on the concept that what’s going around is contagious and we can’t all go to the hospital at once – then that turned into shut everything down until there’s a cure. What?

The Bible has a plan for everything, and the plan for illnesses is to quarantine the sick. (See Leviticus 13) We should persevere together and make sure people can earn a living, first graders learn how to read, and grandparents get their snuggles. Instead, we all are persevering alone. Today I am so frustrated that perfectly good twenty year olds can’t get jobs or dates or legitimate degrees. How many people feel like I do right now: What’s the point? Why did I bother waking up? Today is just as stupid as yesterday.

So take a new grip with your tired hands... Ok.

Have you never heard?
    Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
    No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
29 He gives power to the weak
    and strength to the powerless.
30 Even youths will become weak and tired,
    and young men will fall in exhaustion.
31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
    They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
    They will walk and not faint.. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

I’m not waiting for a cure. I am waiting on the Lord.

Dear God,
Ok. I am persevering today with you. You give me strength and patience to deal with insane leaders and ridiculous experts. Thank you for being with me. I love you and thank you. Amen.

​1 February 2021
Temporary Residence
1 Peter 1:17
So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.”  

When my husband and I got married, we signed a lease for 6 months at our first apartment. I was very excited to use all of our new appliances, dishes & towels – all the stuff we browsed through at The Broadway and registered for was now in our place! It was great. But I didn’t dig in and make that place ours. We didn’t hang pictures, keep junk we weren’t using, or even get too much furniture because that dwelling was temporary. You don’t want to hang a picture only to cover up the nail hole a few months later to get your cleaning deposit back. I even kept all the boxes the dishes and kitchen gadgets came in because I knew we’d be packing and moving soon. We were temporary residents. 

Now we’ve been in our current home for 23 years. I’m very comfortable here. Nothing is in storage; all our stuff is here. The walls have the paint we like, we’ve remodeled the kitchen, and there’s pictures and art work everywhere (lots of nail holes!). I like it. There’s no move out date, and we’ve raised 4 kids here. This house is full of memories. Our first place is not. In fact, I can barely remember it. 

Jesus has a real forever home for me. And this 23 year old dwelling is going to pale in comparison. Two decades is nothing in comparison to eternity. And get this... I already belong there! I won’t have to unpack, settle in, spruce up & fix things to make it feel like home. It is home already. I’m glad, I’m eager, I’m so thankful.

Just as I didn’t bother messing with making that 6 month lease place my own space, the space of my heart should not be filled with things that aren’t going to last. Pursuing whatever it is that seems so important at the time isn’t a wise use of time; it’s the same as storing up a bunch of junk and settling in making permanent holes in the walls of my heart. 

Jesus said this:
Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. (Luke 12:33-34)

What’s treasures in heaven? 
Things that are eternal.

The Holy Spirit is eternal. The house of my heart should be full of the evidence of his presence. (See Galatians 5:22-23) The Word of God is eternal. (See Psalm 119:89) The house of my heart should know it inside and out. And people. People are eternal. (See Ecclesiastes 12:7) If I only have time today to either clean my 23 year old house or disciple my 14 year old, I choose the 14 year old. I hope I choose taking a minute to talk to the person who strikes up a conversation in the line at the store instead of putting my head down hoping the checkout lady is fast. What if it’s an opportunity to share Jesus with someone? I hope it’s obvious that I’m a Child of God everywhere I go, so that it might give some unbeliever something to think about while they’re trying to go to sleep at night. What if they call out to the Lord? 

So shopping, cleaning, sculpted abs, getting ahead at work, too much phone time or me time, or a speedy checkout can’t occupy the most space in my heart; those things are not going to be with me in my forever home. But the Holy Spirt, the Word of God, and people sure will.

Dear God,
It feels like I’m in a hurry all the time; for why? It certainly isn’t from you. Help me not to fall into the trap of storing up a bunch of junk and settling in making permanent holes in the walls of my heart. I didn’t do that for a temporary lease, and I don’t want to live that way for a temporary life on earth. I am eager and excited and thankful for what you have in store for me for forever. I love you and thank you for being all I need. And I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

Every home has a to-do list; here’s the one for my heart:
Read the Word.
Live today by being instructed by the Holy Spirit.
Encourage people.

​11 December 2020
God Most Certainly Does Not
1 John 4:15-16 NLT
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

Rob was teaching on Wednesday night about how God’s love isn’t like any love we are used to experiencing. Human relationships are typically based on a currency of affection; do well & feel loved, mess up and get shunned. It’s natural for us to take these traits of love and apply God’s love, but we shouldn’t because his love isn’t comparable to currency of affection at all.

God simply gives us his love, and we live in it (v.16) He doesn’t love us more when we’re having a “good” day. We love ourselves more when we’re having a good day. We are disappointed by ourselves more when we have a “bad” day. But God is loving us wholly and completely on both kinds of days. Attributing our own approval of ourselves is meaningless and unnecessary, because the Believer simply is invited to live in God’s love all the time.

I confidently believe that God loves me equally on my good days and bad days. Romans 5:8 reminds us that while we were still sinners he gave us what we did not earn or deserve. As a Believer it is contradictory to concoct the notion that when I fail & mess up he loves me less. Maybe a spouse, parent, teacher or myself would, but God most certainly does not.

Dear God,
Thank you for loving me all the time regardless if I think I have my act together today or not. You are always teaching, instructing, blessing and providing and therefore always loving me all day long. Thank you. Help me be more like you and not use love as currency but genuinely love people for who they are and because you love them. I love YOU and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

​9 December 2020
It Always Has
1 Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud...

We were visiting family in another state recently and their slogans on all the billboards regarding the pandemic are not like the ones we have here where I live. First of all, the only slogans that need to be on billboards in any state right now should simply read: “Stay home when if you’re feeling sick” and “Wash your hands.” That’s it. 

But anyway, some genius in marketing somewhere came up with adding the phrase “Be kind” with a picture of a heart following the wear a mask picture and social distance arrows we are all accustomed to seeing now. Be kind? Really? We’ll never see that in CA; they are flat out rude here is why. But southern hospitality states are adding the words be kind to all their posters about the virus.

So, what they’re saying is that covering my face and staying away from people is now a sign of kindness. Wow.

It doesn’t matter how a person lands politically, socially or emotionally regarding the COVID. God is the one who invented kindness, and that makes him the authority on what kindness is.

God also did this – He gave us his Holy Spirit. And what does the Holy Spirit do? The Holy Spirit teaches and reminds us of everything Jesus ever said or did (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit is my instructor. He guides me into all truth (John 16:13). And the Holy Spirit convicts us about sin (John 16:8). This means that as a Believer, if wearing a mask were the kind thing to do, I would be prompted by the Holy Spirit to confidently promote mask wearing. Furthermore, the fact that there is no mask wearing burden on my heart at all assures me that is actually not the way to show kindness. If this were the way of kindness, God in all his wisdom and goodness surely would let me know through the power of his Holy Spirit present in my heart.

The world simply has no answers for what’s going on, so they resort to inventing and manipulating. The Holy Spirit has been instructing my heart before the virus, will instruct me during the virus and after. He always has. The world will invent arbitrary righteousness before the virus, during the virus, and after. It always has.

Dear God,
If wearing a mask stopped the virus, the cases would not be going up because everyone is certainly wearing them now. Show us how to live wisely during this time of mass deception and destructive illness. Thank you for your Holy Spirit who teaches and instructs me all the time. Thank you for telling us to brace ourselves for trouble ahead of time. A horrible virus that no one is immune to certainly qualifies as trouble, sorrow and tribulation. Thank you that you always provide, protect, intervene, heal, sustain, comfort and instruct. These are things you have always done for all the past global and personal problems humans face. Help Believers today to not fall into the trap that you’re all of a sudden not going to do those things for us right now. You most certainly are. You are great and greatly to be praised and I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

​24 November 2020
1 Peter 1:3-4 NLT 
Real Real Estate
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 

The Believer clings to all God has promised... 
Eternal Life – John 3:16
Being like Jesus – 1 John 3:2
No more death, sickness or tears – Revelation 21:4
Being in HIS presence – John 14:3
Our REAL Home – Hebrews 11:13-16

The moment we believe we are not whisked away into all of these things. We joined the team, partnering with God to be a witness and example so that many can not only hear the Good News but see it through the testimony we show as we live our lives with Jesus. How will anyone be saved if there’s no one to tell?

For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”
(Romans 10:13-15)

So all God’s promises are kept safe for us. If we receive them now they would not be beyond the reach of change and decay, because that’s what happens to stuff on earth – lots of change and lots of decay. I’m glad my “priceless inheritance” is secure. Anyone would be. Lots of people invest in lots of real estate to provide an inheritance one day for their families. That’s nice, but not beyond the reach of the change and decay of the financial market. Our Real Estate, the estate of our Inheritance from God, is in heaven. And, yes, I am excited and thankful God keeps his precious promises safe for me!

PS. I did steal the Real Estate part from Rob’s message on November 18th. (wink emoji)
Watch it here.

Dear God,
Thank you for keeping me safe, and thank you for keeping the things you have for me safe! Help me to be your partner in sharing the Good News, and thank you for your proven faithfulness that allows me to wait with eager hope for the things to come. I love you, and I love your ways. And I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Something to Think About:
What am I usually eager for? How do I prepare for what I am anticipating? Will I ask Jesus to help me eagerly anticipate my real life with him over getting caught up in what’s going on now?