by Jennifer Hoyt
Have you ever said... “Well, I know what the scripture says in the Bible, BUT…I just don’t agree with it”? If you’ve said the above, believe me, you’re not alone. I’m sure there are plenty of scriptures that rub us the wrong way for our myriad of pet reasons. It’s okay to struggle to understand, or even to 'like,' a scriptural truth, but unfortunately, there is a sobering reality we need to recognize when deciding how to respond. You see, if the response that comes out is to bow up and say “I don’t agree”, then as harsh as it sounds, that response is not only sin; it’s deadly. It was this same mentality that said—I know what God saaaaid about that tree in the middle of the garden, buuut... He must be lying about the benefits of its fruit. Any mentality that exalts itself above God’s word, spoken or written, is trouble. The mentality that says, God might’ve said (fill in the blank), but I don’t agree with it and so I will not follow it—is straight from hell and means we are coming into agreement with Satan’s lies. Proverbs 14:12-16 KJV There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Even in laughter, the heart is sorrowful; And the end of that mirth is heaviness. The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: And a good man shall be satisfied from himself. This verse highlights something we all know deep down in our hearts, there is no genuine happiness in turning to our own ways. Sin may seem pleasant for a season, but it never lasts. Eventually, the reality of where we are before God sets in and our hearts betray us. You see, a defiant and self-directed path is identified in scripture as backsliding. Proverbs is a warning to good people that this mentality comes from our attempt to take satisfaction from, and be filled by self, instead of God. Some of us are probably thinking “oh good, this doesn’t apply” to me, others are thinking “oh man, I really don’t want to face this”. I get it, but if we want to seek the truth, we need to do so honestly. So let’s take a deep breath, and jump in to explore this with some practical examples: I know what God said about forgiveness in the Bible, but you don’t understand what this person did to me. This one is all too common. We all struggle with it at some point. If we try to justify it though, instead of repent of it, that’s when we find ourselves in trouble. You see, according to Matthew 6:14-15, a person who doesn't forgive others will not be forgiven by God. Yikes, I need forgiveness from God, don’t you? I know what the Bible says about tithing, but I believe churches shouldn't be run like businesses because humanity is wicked. We ignore the fact that in Malachi 3:10 it says that tithing is the one time in scripture God encourages us to test Him through our obedience. I know what God said about divorce, but no one has tried living with my spouse. We ignore the word when it tells us that marriage is an important relationship God uses to sanctify His bride (that’s us) Matthew 19:8-9. I know what God said about adultery, but I think this other person is my soulmate and the spark isn’t there anymore with my spouse. We come up with every reason to excuse so many verses, including Exodus 20:14. “You shall not commit adultery.” I know what God said about sex before marriage and remaining pure, but people probably wrote that based on the times back then. Why should three hundred-year-old dead guys from a different culture dictate how I live my life now? We conveniently forget that the men who wrote the Bible simply transcribed the inspired word of God, as it says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. The word of a God that is the same, yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 Before I tackle this next part, please note: Nothing that I will write here negates our duty to love people regardless of their sin. “I know what the Bible says about homosexuality, but love is just love, right? If two people love each other, God is the author of love, end of story.” In our ‘tolerance’ we conveniently gloss over 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. It says, “do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” The approach that fails to warn, is not love, no matter how hard we try to convince ourselves that it is. I know what God says in the Bible about God creating Male and Female, buuut, today there are: women, men, non-binary, transgender and let’s not forget: agender, cisgender, gender fluid, gender queer, intersex, and nonconforming. I mean, we can’t leave out this entire group of people that have never felt right in their body, can we? Perhaps God made a mistake? Or maybe it’s just fine with God for people to express themselves how they feel. Culture has changed. We insist, as we desperately distance ourselves from the call, to not conform to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. I know what God said about fear, anxiety, worry, gossip, stealing, obeying my parents, loving my neighbor as myself, lying, drugs, idolatry, and not accepting His forgiveness, healing, grace, and direction (and on) BUT… I could write the longest blog post ever seen (and possibly get run out of town for everyone I’ve offended) if I tried to cover all the areas where our sinful heart tries to dilute the word of God. Is it any wonder that in Matthew 7:13-14 it says: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Only a few find it!! Read that again. Next time you go to church, look around. Only a few find it!! Think about all the people you know in the world—only a few find it!! Which gate do you intend to enter? If you’ve been reading along, lips pursed in grim distaste, just waiting for that moment when I hit your pet, I know what God said BUT… so that you can shut me down. Perhaps you're thinking that maybe I had too much caffeine today because clearly I’m wound up and spicy. Let me share with you why this is important, as though that last scripture that says broad is the gate to destruction and only a few find the road that leads to life isn’t terrifying enough. James 1:14-15 says: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then, when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. When we see the word lust, we think only in terms of sexual, but it really just means desire. In fact, other translations say, “we are drawn away by the desires within our heart.” What happens next? When we are tempted with the desires that exist within our heart, (Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?), and we mix our agreement with that temptation, it results in sin. See sin is a lot like the conception of a baby. You need the sperm (the idea or desire) and the egg (our agreement with that idea). That’s why temptation alone isn’t sin. It’s when we get into agreement with the idea/desire that it becomes our little sin baby. And when sin is finished, it brings forth death. Suddenly, we see the problem we face. Either we believe God loves us and His word for us is good, or we don’t, but the truth we find in the gospel isn’t a fence we can straddle. The death spoken of here might not be physical, but even more grievous, is when that death is spiritual. For those of us who want to quote John 10:28, which says that God gives us eternal life and no one can pluck them out of my hand—I have this news for you: It never said you couldn’t walk away, so why chance it? In Revelations, there is a warning to a church it calls lukewarm. In that warning, God says he will spit them out of His mouth. I’m going to leave you with these last two things: Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’… Who does it say enters the kingdom of heaven, BUT… (notice that God also has a BUT), only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. If you are hearing the word of God today—do not harden your heart like they did in the rebellion (Hebrews 3:7-8). Repent. Repent of deciding that you know better and allow God’s word to be the plumb line for your life. The thing you measure yourself against. Not just the things that feel good or the things that you agree with, but Proverbs 3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil. I once heard a powerful sermon given by a baptist preacher who said: “Some of you have designed your view of God around your worldview. And then you cry and complain that God never answers your prayers and it's almost as if He doesn’t exist. News flash: That god doesn’t exist. You made him up! Any God that is defined by your worldview isn’t God. God is in the business of defining your worldview—not the other way around.” The good news is that God warns you of these things not because there is no hope, but because there is! We have the opportunity to repent, turn from our sin, and God will not only forgive us and heal us, he will welcome us with open arms and transform us by the renewing of our minds. We serve a loving God and because He loves us; He directs and corrects us. All scripture is profitable… we have to choose if we want to profit from it spiritually. It’s worth it. By Rebecca Vickery
Not every moment is a mountaintop moment. Mountaintop moments, you feel the light of the Lord on your face, your faith is revived, renewed, restored, and you leave with a glow. These are the high times, the times in which we soak in the rays of the Son. Mountaintop moments matter. They are important. But maybe what happens in the Valley is more so. I have seen more valleys than mountains in recent years. The moments I have come to know His presence in the midst of my deepest hurt, I have found to be even more precious than mountaintop moments. God is faithful in the valley. His peace is so perfect and healing. His presence is a balm to my soul when nothing else will remedy or satisfy. He is a refuge, a safe harbor, a strong tower; all the things He has promised to be. We can lose sight of this when our lives are full of so many distractions. Good distractions. Bad distractions. They all pull away our eyes from the One who loves so fully. I have known people who walked away from the Lord in the times of hardship. Life is hard enough, how could I do it without His presence? How could I walk away from the One who will never walk away from me? The last year has been on of the most physically challenging years of my life. I’m not sure how much longer my frail flesh could have held on without a diagnosis, and finally treatment. But treatment itself has stretched my threshold for pain and discomfort. When I didn’t know there could be more pain, there it was surprising me with more. Catching up with a close friend on the brokenness and sorrows contained within the year, we spoke of the faithfulness of God throughout it. We connected over a verse that has ministered to both of our hearts over the years. After the people around Jesus got upset with him for sharing some hard truths, some of them decided they weren’t going to follow Jesus anymore. “Jesus turned to his disciples and asked them, “Do you want to leave me too?” Peter responds, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You alone have the words of eternal life.”” John 6:67-68 My friend expressed that this has been his anchor verse for all these years. It has been the same for me. When times have been tough, as Jesus said that they would be, I have held firm to the Anchor of my soul. Not the anchor of a boat that may or may not hold firm, but to Jesus. And to my Daddy. My Abba. For he has not given us a spirit to be slave again to fear, but his Spirit, by which I may cry Abba (Daddy), Father. (Romans 8:15) He is a Heavenly Father who is perfect beyond even the best that our earthly fathers could provide. He wants to be in our presence, or more importantly, He wants us to be in His. This may be a stretch for some of us who have fathers who are less than perfect or even absent. But imagine the most perfect father in the world. Perhaps he is a composite of all the tv dads that you’ve seen and thought, that’s what a good dad looks like. Our heavenly Father is better. He is abounding in love. He is patient. He is slow to anger. He is long suffering. And He quiets us with his singing. Sometimes I ponder this verse and I say, “Lord, I want to hear you.” I want to have my heart so inclined to my Father’s love that I can hear him singing. Even as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I have pressed deeper into my relationship with the Lord. My reliance on God has increased my trust. Every time I choose to trust Him, he continues to show his faithfulness. “Lord of Hosts, you’re with us, with us in the fire, with us as a shelter, with us in the storm, You will lead us through the fiercest battle. Oh, where else would we go but with the Lord of hosts?” (Shane and Shane, Lord of Hosts) Lord, where else would I go? You alone have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God. Mountaintop or valley low, He is with us. And He is good. by Judy Merchant
I have heard the simple metaphor that makes the distinction between sympathy and empathy. Where sympathy is standing on the shore and throwing a life ring out to the person who is struggling in the water. Every decent human being would do that ( at least I would hope). It’s automatic, almost flowing out of our adrenaline. Empathy however is much more of a risk. Empathy is diving into the water and thrashing around in the cold choppy waves with that person to bring them to safety. Not everyone does that. It’s rare enough that the people who do jump in are called heroes. Hero is a term that I’ve heard our family described as. Honestly it never sits well with me when it is spoken. Though spoken with best intentions I find myself immediately deflecting the statement and praying for humility for myself and my family. God uses our family, our community to reach those in the water who need someone to come alongside them and help them to find solid ground again. I truly believe this is the calling on our lives, on our family unit. Reflecting upon our sermon series of LoVermont I am able to draw on many connections between reaching our neighbors and caring for those directly around us. James 1:27 states “Religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Children and families in foster care are in distress. Their entire worlds are flipped upside down and suddenly everything they knew is turned on end. I truly can’t imagine the feelings that engulf these families. Here is where our family comes in. We become the hands and feet of Jesus caring for these children and parents; sowing seeds along the way. Sometimes there are success stories, sometimes those seeds land on fertile ground. Sometimes they do not. God is in control. 2 Corinthians 5:7 states ``For we live by faith, not by sight.`` We try to live everyday showing these families unconditional love. To shower them with the love of Christ. To be quite honest with you, most days it truly is a thankless job. We pray everyday that God will equip us for what's ahead. Most of the time although we play an intricate part in helping these families find solid footing again they often retreat away from us. Leaving us with only memories and hope that someday we may see them again. Hope that we have pointed them toward the love and acceptance of Jesus. Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” My thoughts are all over the place while writing this. I apologize. My desire to share is rooted in the connections our family has personally had with this particular sermon series. We truly believe that God has called us to help in this way. That for while these children are here in our home we are to love them and cherish them as the blessings from God that they truly are. Some hurt more than others when they leave but all occupy spaces not only in the hearts of our family but the hearts of those around us who walk together with us to help raise these children and support their families in the name of Jesus. My prayer is that these children will feel the love and acceptance of Jesus while they are with us and that somewhere in their hearts they will store up those treasured moments and lean into them as they travel their paths and know that they were and are loved unconditionally by the most high. Amen by Mary Spence
Isaiah-9-6 NIV[6] For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. As I sit here basking in the glow of my Christmas tree sipping coffee with my purring cat warming my lap I find myself reflecting on how different Christmas is for me now. I have two grown children who no longer live at home. They have blessed us with four beautiful grandchildren. We celebrate Christmas on a different day than the actual day so my grandkids can enjoy the day at home. When mine were growing up we spent too many years racing here and there trying to please everyone and see each of our parents. I don't want that for them. However its different at my house on Christmas now. If you are feeling this too let me assure you that different isn't bad. I've had time to reflect on the reason for the season. I've been able to enjoy relaxed time with my church family, my child who is still at home and my husband. I've reflected on the new year approaching. I've decided to approach this new year as a fresh start. I have a new perspective this year. As I've aged I have found God becoming more and more the center of my life. I think first of Him when I wake up and last of Him before sleep. I've learned that I am His favored one. That His love for me has a depth and width that I will never understand. And as I walk through hard stuff today I know that I am not alone. God is with me in every single minute. I've been blessed in so many ways. This is a year of renewal for me. So if you are also experiencing different this year, I encourage you to look around. Spend time with your Father. Read the word. Embrace a chancevto move closer to God. Look for the reason for the season. He is all around you. Thank you father, For loving me deeply and unconditionally. I am so grateful for the opportunity every day to try again. That no matter what you will never stop loving me. I am thankful that you are teaching me each day to rely upon you alone, for my safety, my joy and my peace. If it comes from you nothing can shake it; not disappointment or loss or pain. Nothing. I love you Lord, with all that is within me and I am grateful. Amen By Mary Spence
Advent is the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas in December. During this time, we celebrate the anticipation of the birth of Jesus. Each week a candle is lit to remind us of the arrival of Christ here on earth to walk among us. Hope, Joy, Peace and Love are the 4 weeks leading up to the final candle, the Christ candle. As I have been thinking about Advent this year, I am finding that Mary comes to mind frequently. God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, [27] to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. [28] The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” A young woman just on the verge of beginning her life as an adult, Mary was engaged to Joseph, soon to be married. And suddenly an angel appeared to her and revealed she would give birth to the Messiah. [29] Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. [30] But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. [31] You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. [32] He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, [33] and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” [34] My first thought, I'm embarrassed to say would have been, "what will everyone think?" Her parents, her fiancée... her neighbors and friends. But Mary's response was [38] “I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. I Imagine the next few months for Mary are quite difficult. Reading about Joseph's response to the news of this miracle, I again think about Mary. Watching her betrothed decide how he will respond... Will he cast her aside in shame? Refuse to marry her based on this claim she makes to be carrying the Savior? In it all she relies on the word she has from God and depends on Him to make a way. She is not struggling and striving or defending her honor, but leaning on God and letting his will be done through it all. I am sure Mary needed no confirmation, however when she travels to visit her cousin Elizabeth, she is greeted by Elizabeth and her baby John. [41] When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. [42] In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! This is one of my favorite parts of the story! That John recognized Jesus in the womb, its just amazing! From the rest of the story that plays out in Luke she gives birth to the Messiah in a stable. What more humble beginning could there be? Surrounded by the sounds and smells of the animals, she laid Him in the manger. It had not been an easy journey, yet here He was, the Savior of the world, a tiny little baby. Do you see hope.. the ability of Mary to be in these circumstances yet fulfilled God's plan for her to carry and birth this little one who would save us all from sin. Can you see the joy, the joy she must have experienced after so many months of struggle to finally hold that tiny baby with her husband who demonstrated great faith and courage in marrying and caring for her against what common sense must have told him.. Peace.. Imagine the muffled sounds of the stable, animals shifting, chewing. The warmth of the bodies, gathered together. The knowledge that this tiny one was going to save the world. Love.. . Can you see the love weaved throughout this story from the moment that angel appeared to the special delivery that quiet night? My prayer today for us: Heavenly Father, Thank you for that gift. The greatest gift of all. A Savior who was delivered in a stable that would walk among us, live as one of us and eventually die, crucified, to free us from our sin and draw us into relationship with you. May we have the strength and faith that Mary had as she walked through the miracle of delivering a Savior. Let us know that you have a plan. That we can rest in the knowledge that we don't have to know or understand it all. That faith in you is enough to carry us through dark days. That you will deliver us and through it all we are never alone. In Jesus holy name. Amen by Jennifer Hoyt
Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is kept on You, because he trusts in You. Do you feel like you're swimming in a holiday ocean of overwhelm without a life vest? Everything from navigating tricky familial relationships and perhaps juggling those triggering feelings of loss or seasonal sadness? Maybe sprinkle in the financial worries doing a merry dance in your head, and the marathon of food prep that could make Gordon Ramsay sweat. Oh, and let's not forget the extra work hours to afford all those gifts that keep the family smiling. Welcome to the end-of-year chaos! It's the season of juggling a gazillion things while trying to remember to keep yourself focused on the reason for the season. I mean, who thought November and December could turn into a real-life action movie where you're the lead character just trying to survive the holiday hustle? So, where do you even start when it comes to finding and resting in God’s peace in the midst of the overwhelm of real life? Sometimes peace feels elusive, like trying to figure out which strand of Christmas lights is causing the whole string to go wonky. The three words I'm about to mention might initially sound like a hard pass. They tend to raise eyebrows and go against our natural instincts. But, surprise, they're actually the secret code to discovering peace. You might want to brace yourself: Surrender, perspective, and trust. Hang in here with me. Take a deep breath and remember what is says in Romans 8:31 if God is before us who or what can be against us? The initial baby step in surrender involves releasing our death grip on control. Proverbs 16:3-4 reminds us, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. The Lord works out everything to its proper end.” Surrender can often feel daunting and challenging. How do we release our grasp on the illusion of control? It's primarily a mental shift. The simple truth is, we aren't in control, though we may believe we are. Moreover, we have a powerful enemy who is influencing us with false ideologies, compelling us to shoulder it alone. Yet by embracing a renewed perspective, (be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind), we can welcome God's plans, trusting they'll always surpass our own. An executive friend of mine once shared an inspiring holiday testimony. Faced with an overwhelming to-do list—over six hours of work, household chores, meal preparation for her family and expected guests, gift wrapping, and an upcoming church prayer session—she felt the pressure mounting. Anticipating a late-night work session and possibly missing her prayer time, she paused in the overwhelm to pray herself. In an instant, a plan unfolded in her mind, gifted by the Holy Spirit. She swiftly attended to household tasks, fed her family, and headed for prayer. Returning home, she began her work, bracing herself for a long night. To her shock and immense relief, what would have usually consumed six hours barely took forty-five minutes. It was nothing short of a miracle—a testament to God’s grace, not just His unmerited favor, but His enabling power allowing her to achieve what He called her to."Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30). My friend’s example taught me so much. When she felt overwhelmed, her first step was to shift her focus from the natural to the supernatural by praying. It’s seems easy, but often, getting out of our own head is the hardest thing to do. She didn't attempt to navigate it alone; instead, surrendering control and seeking God's guidance, she transformed her perspective. Trusting in Jesus, she relinquished her burdens and found peace and confidence through the Holy Spirit's guidance on what to accomplish and how to proceed. As she set aside her own efforts and embraced God's, she experienced His grace—His divine empowerment—in every task. In Isaiah 26:3, God pledges perfect peace to those who anchor their minds in Him, placing their trust steadfastly. Amidst the holiday bustle, grief and stress, you're not navigating the chaos alone. The pressures, and apprehensions of this festive whirlwind are things we all face. Yet, amidst it all, here's the assurance: God's got this—and God's got you! The question is - will you let Him? Remember: Hebrews 4:11 urges us to earnestly seek God's rest, achieved through surrender, perspective, and trust. Genuine rest emerges when we lay down our burdens and embrace His. Matthew 11:30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” If you’re struggling, start by seeking Him. Take a moment and commit your way to the Lord, so that He can direct your path. We can do all things through His strength - even holiday chaos. By Rebecca Vickery
When Adam and Eve were created, he formed them out of the dust. When Ezekiel saw the valley of dry bones, God had Ezekiel cry out to the dry bones, “I will make breath enter you, and you will come alive.” And God did as He had said, and breathed life into the valley of dry bones awakening a mighty army. Ephesians says that God can do immeasurably more than we can ask or even imagine. I know these things. I believe God can provide, transform, and bring dead things to life. Yet, I can lose perspective and look at situations or relationships as being hopeless. I have stored up a wealth of anxiety in a pit in my stomach. The pit of despair so to speak (for you Princess Bride fans). I have known first hand the physical effects of worry. Recently I have asked the Lord to help me know what it means to give him my worries. I have identified some of the big ones and given them to His care. This is a thing that is worrying me. Please take care of this and I want to leave it with you. For the things that persist, relationships that continue to challenge, I might need to surrender again and again. This is troubling my heart again. Please take care of it. Please release its hold on my heart. In doing this, something has become evident. My circumstances haven’t become less stressful, but I’m snapping and snipping at those closest to me much less. When I start snipping, becoming prickly, I recognize it and take it to the Lord. “Why am I feeling so anxious?” Or like David says, “why are downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?” After which, He will sometimes show me what’s bothering me, and I’ll surrender that to Him. The next step after processing this with God is so important. When I have been prickly with those around me because of my own stress, or fear, or worry, I need to apologize and make amends for my behavior. Sooner rather than later. My children are a typical spill zone for my anxiety, so I frequently have to apologize to them. I’m working on being present with them instead of fixing my mind on an agenda that is seldom going to go to plan. My life is chaotic, even in the best of times, but walking and TALKING with God in the midst of it, I can have peace in spite of my circumstances. One week while intentionally giving my worries to God, I noticed some interruptions to my normal routines. My brain has been less stuck in the ruts that have been carved by past worries. Jesse recently spoke about how our worries can block us from bearing witness to the extravagant love of God. How frequently have I allowed my prickly bits to be held onto so tight that I have been less loving. Less patient. Less gracious. Less Him. More me. Yet. As I have surrendered, I have seen Him demonstrate His extravagant love to me. And I’ve been allowed to be used to demonstrate a part of that love to others. The Lord loves me. He loves me with an everlasting love. I can settle into this rut. This is a carving out that I can stay in. If instead of worry, the Lord can carve out channels of love in my brain and alter the way I think about the world, he can change the way that I view others. If I stay in the channel of that love, it can change the way I view myself. What could happen if I truly learned how to see me the way that God sees me? Lord, make me a channel for your love. Help me give up the things that I hold onto so tightly. Allow me to believe that you love me unconditionally. Help me to be rooted and established in your love. Give me power with all the Lord’s people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that I may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Help me to be love to a people who so desperately need it. From those closest to me, to those I run into in my daily life. Help me not to be a stumbling block for others in my weakness, but to surrender my worries to you so that I don’t end up pushing people away from you in my own distress. Dig Deeper: Hang out in Ephesians 3:14-21. Meditate on what it means to be loved by God. By Joyce Pelletier
Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Recently, I was able to reconnect with an old friend from when we started our journey with Jesus in 1975. Martha and Dan lived less that a half a mile from us. I don’t remember how we first met. I do recall that we had an instant friendship. We attended a Marriage Encounter Weekend as did Martha and Dan. This weekend was a weekend for couples to reconnect with each other by means of letter writing to each other. Maurice and I were so blessed by this weekend’s dynamics. I had just made a commitment to follow Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. My life started to change so fast and the benefits of living the life with God was amazing to experience what God was doing in our lives. Martha and Dan were part of this experience. We lived in the same neighborhood, they had one daughter at the time and soon they welcomed a new son, Jimmy. They asked us to be Godparents to Jimmy. It was our first encounter for this role. Over the years, we spent many gatherings together until in 1979, we moved to So Woodstock, VT. We soon, lost touch with them. Years passed and Jimmy ended up in the military and I tried to reconnect with him, more to encourage him on this role in the armed forces. I never received any response back. Years later Martha and Dan had many more children and they ended up divorced and we lost total contact with them. My last contact was about 20 years ago, when Dan called and wondered why we didn’t try to contact Jimmy. I told him I had written to him, but never received a response. He was somewhat angry because he wanted to know why we didn’t try to contact him and find out where Jimmy was. Truth be told, we didn’t know where Dan was, so we were in the same boat. Our phone call ended rather abruptly. I wasn’t angry, just disappointed and bewildered that he didn’t understand or accept my answers. A few weeks ago, Dan found a way to contact us. He called and left a message and because it was on my land line, which I rarely used or checked messages, I came across it and returned his call. We talked for about forty-five minutes. The conversation was all different. He was no longer angry. We shared openly back and forth and started emailing, where we could share more. We found we all learned a lot in life and had similar encounters with Jesus. Acts tells us that the new believers rallied together and became church family. Our early journey was like that. Dan and I shared what that meant to us and after recognizing the importance of having a church family. We tried for years to find that church family. The moment we walked into Daybreak in 2008 we knew we found us in the middle of ‘church’ family. It’s been a long road from Springfield, but I’m so grateful that God never gave up on us, neither will we give upon Him. What is God’s Telephone Number? By Joyce Pelletier Jeremiah 33:2-3 This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it – the Lord is his name. “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Simple! Call to me and I will answer! (The ‘Call to’ simply means, we don’t need a phone. He still hears us!) That’s what the Father says. I heard way back this question, “What is God’s telephone number?” Have you ever heard that before? I have heard it many times and in our culture of Cell Phones, we don’t need a phone, just the Bible. I recall many nights of restlessness and no sleep. When I finally get up to break up the monotony, take out His Word and spend time reflecting, praying and then return to bed, and sleep comes. What a blessing! Every time, it works. It’s amazing how the Word at 3 in the morning, He knows what’s on my heart. His Words calms the storm going on inside of me, and next thing I know I’m waking up, refreshed with even just a couple of hours of sleep. We hear this from many Christians. We come to realize when it happens to you, what a gift! “It’s Real!” How does God take care of all our needs? I am one, out of gazillions of people. Yet, he knows exactly where I am at and what I need and provides it when it fits into his plan. I’m a thinker! I am comforted when God chooses to spend quality time with Him. When I focus on Him something wonderful happens. When I choose to focus on Him and not my fears or worries, peace is restored. After service one Sunday, we decided to go to the Waterbury Flea Market. I let out a huge grumble and said to myself, “I don’t want to go! I despise driving where I’m not familiar with the roads and today’s traffic with aggressive drivers everywhere you go, it makes me less favorable to drive. I detest Interstate driving, as well.” I got in the car and prayed, “God protect us on our journey.” As we drove along the state road, no need to get on the Interstate, it’s shorter to go on the state road. I started to notice on the road, greenery that is rare this time of year. Usually we have draught like weather, but not this year. It was a pleasant drive and I told Maurice, “Remember when we wanted to drive across America? Well, with my driving state roads and barely hitting the speed limit, we would really get to see the country with me driving.” Somehow saying that I realized, the sermon I just heard a couple of hours before was all about focusing on God and not our challenges and struggles. Last week was a similar word. That it’s all about Worshiping God on our journey, instead of fretting every step of the way. It turned out to be a lovely journey and we were safe, because God is safe.I often realize that when I really grasp the message we get each week, a few things are going on here. 1. I need not fret! 2. I need to focus on God! 3. I know God is paying attention, because he often shows me where I am at, whether I like it or not. 4. Responding to such an amazing God, who knows my name, my heart, my fears, my woes, what more do I need to rely on. 5. Worshiping God brings back peace and joy and wonderment for such a God who loves me, NO MATTER WHAT! His Word tells us so. Our lives are inspired by the Holy Spirit. There is nothing more we need to know. Matthew 6:33-34 “But, seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each days has enough trouble of its own. By Mary Spence "Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” Matthew 13:5-9 In the parables Jesus teaches about seeds and relates the soil of our heart. He tells us that some seeds are cast on rocky hard soil. The hard soil gets that way through years of sitting in the baking sun, it is filled with rock. Much like a heart that has endured years of harsh treatment, hard times and drought. It has been walked on and trampled; years of lacking and lovelessness. No one has cared for this soil in a very long time. The soil filled with thorns and brambles is like a heart that has had to defend itself against attack. Cruel words and actions have produced defensive, angry responses. No one wants to go into this thorny briar patch. It could result in bruising and bleeding. There might even be even ticks in this territory. Not merely hardened, this heart seeks to defend itself always, even when it is not truly under attack. A percieved attack will result in an angry, hurtful response. This soil produces injury to those who love it. However some hearts are well cared for soil. Watered regularly with the word. Warm from the glow of a living relationship with the Lord. Lovingly fertilized and tilled. The weeds removed and cast away. Here is the good news: there is hope! Hope for the hard soil, the thorny briar patch too. For the hardened rocky heart; the word of the Lord is Iike water for the thirsty ground. The tender care He has for us is medicine for that hard unloved heart. If you can let Him in, He can heal those hurts, fill the empty spaces and till the old injuries in to bring forth soft good soil buried deep down in that heart. For in the thorny briar patch heart, there is a love that does not depend on you or your actions. He loves you right where you are, in that tangled up briar patch. With a love that you can't earn, love that doesn't injure or wound when you least expect it. Unlike the relationships you have known in your past, it is gentle, kind and unending. It is a love that you may not have experienced before and may not understand. He truly wants His best for you. Unlike human love you may have experienced in the past, this love is for you as He created you. Not for when you measure up or meet some out of reach standard of goodness, but right now, right here. Just as you are. He loves all of us, even the ones who don't yet know Him. No matter where you have been or who you have been there is a place for you at His table. He will not let you go. |
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