Tag: encouragement in God

Translated

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“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13).

Ah, my friends, a mighty move took place at the moment of salvation. Physically, your position and status of life may not look different, but spiritually, you were translated. You were taken from where you were and placed in a better position. You were taken from the power of darkness and delivered to the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Who you were identified as before no longer exists spiritually. While in this world there may be remnants, consequences, or residual effects from the previous walk, but in the spirit, we are free. In this new life, those identification markers do not exist. The things that bound you or tried to attach themselves to you are subdued under the power of God because now you are His. Now, you breathe the breath of each day differently. Now, your walking and thinking patterns do not follow those previous footsteps. Now, there is freshness. Now, you are a member of a new family. Now, you are a part of a kingdom that will never fail, nor will it ever fade. Eternally, you have been translated there.

Now, our souls are happy. Now, even if it doesn’t seem so conditionally, our spirits have been liberated to new life. Now, because of what He has done, we cannot help but “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (Colossians 1:12).

The move has taken place. And thanks be to the Lord Jesus Christ “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14), has secured this translation for us.

Text Free Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

It’s A Miracle!

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“This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.” John 2:11

It’s a miracle! That is a word many use loosely, leaving the true meaning in the abstract form or a watered-down version of the true power that reigns within it.

When discussing the word “miracle,” what comes to mind? Do you think of something extraordinary? Something that makes you do a double-take? Something that makes you scratch your head in amazement and wonder?

While we may have those reactions to certain things in life, a true miracle is something heavenly hand-crafted. It is something where you know if it had not been for God’s divine intervention, His holy touch, the outcome of what you were hoping and praying for would have been totally different. 

The wedding in Cana became an event that forever displayed the nature of a true miracle (John 2:1-12). This event showed Jesus transforming the structure of one thing and completely making it something else. There is absolutely no way, outside of supernatural means, you can put plain water into clay or stone pots and draw out red wine. It just cannot be done. Even if one adds other elements to the water, it still would only produce something similar in taste and color, but not the real thing.

The only element Jesus used was His miracle-working power from heaven. The Bible explicitly tells us that nothing was in the pots but fresh water filled to the brim by the servants. That’s it. But Jesus, seeing the need that was in front of Him, stepped in, and divinely altered what they had into what was needed.  

We don’t know how He did it, but if it could be explained so easily then I would have to question if it was a miracle at all. 

As stated above, miracles leave you with no doubt who has worked in this situation or touched this life. Miracles ask for us to just accept what we have witnessed to be true, knowing that God has done something wonderful that cannot be explained according to our finite wisdom and understanding.  

When Jesus performed miracles, people marveled and were amazed. They praised God. And a host of other varied reactions, but not once have I seen them take Him to the side and say, “Explain to me how you did that?”  

Do you think the widow of Nain demanded of Jesus to know how He raised her son from the dead (Luke 7:11-16)? No, she just joyfully accepted it. Her son was alive again! And that was all that mattered. How about the Centurion whose servant was healed (Luke 7:1-10)? No, he just accepted it and took Jesus at His word. 

The same reaction came from those who were delivered from evil spirits, those who were blind, mute, or lame, and then made whole – they all accepted the healing, accepted the miracle, and did not demand to know how He did it. They knew it was a miracle!    

When God visits and miracles flow, lives are dramatically touched, changed, and healed for the better, and more than any thought possible. Miracles were real, alive, and true in the Bible-era days – and today, God can still work a miracle in your life. Just believe.  

“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23).

That’s a miracle!

“The Beginning of Jesus’ Miracles”

“The Great Acts of the LORD”

“I say to You, Arise!”

“Raising Lazarus”

Text Free Image by Larisa Koshkina from Pixabay

The Way of Peace

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It is not unusual for me to readjust my route when driving.  Sometimes, I will purposely take myself off the main thoroughfare to drive down nearby side streets and back roads, even if it means adding a few extra minutes to my commute.

Why?  To maintain my peace.  Sometimes I don’t want to deal with the congestion and contentions of the popular route.  I just want to drive home in an environment of less stress.

Stress is definitely at the top of many conversations.  The world we live in is so hurried and demanding, that living like it wants us to live is almost unrealistic.  Then, we throw in the relationships we are attached to, with their congestion and contentions, and we can get almost overwhelmed from maintaining them, let alone, finding peace in them.

Let’s talk about peace.

Before I go further into how to maintain the way of peace in your life, there’s something we need to know.  The Bible gives us a very clear command to persevere in peace but is also realistic in the fact that every relationship may not spawn peace.  It says, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men,” (Romans 12:18). 

The words “if” and “possible” let us know that no matter how much you try, there may be others in the equation who opt not for peace.  That’s why Paul further explains, “as much as lieth in you.”  You can only do you and answer for you.  We cannot control the actions of others, but we can control our own actions.

If we are serious about learning how to deal with contentious people and situations and maintain a gentle, peaceful spirit, there are things we can try to incorporate into our lives today to foster the way of peace.

You don’t have to attend every argument that comes your way.

In 2 Timothy 2 it says, “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men… in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves…” (vv. 24, 25).  In truth, disagreements and opposition will come.  Sometimes contentions will arise but that doesn’t mean we have to feed into it.

I’m new to the sourdough-making process and one thing I have learned is if you don’t properly feed your starter it won’t grow.  Strife cannot continue to grow if you do not feed it.  And yes, this will require a certain amount of self-control at times.  The wisdom we find in Proverbs tells us, “A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife,” (Proverbs 15:18).  How we respond can either add fuel to the fire or snuff out the flames, it can help or hurt.  So, we must be prayerful about how we allocate our response or even if we are to respond at all.  While we cannot avoid every disagreement, and some things will need an answer, we must be sure that what is before us and what we are being drawn into is actually something that needs for us to attend.

Let love operate.

Proverbs 10:12 tells us, “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins,” a truth that Peter echoes in 1 Peter 4:8.  When, not if, we encounter wrongs, what is our immediate reaction?  Is it to vent and billboard the offense all over town or instead of being reactive to defend and justify ourselves, do we choose to be proactive and approach the situation with control and a sound heart of love?

Often, we forget the frailty of humanity.  Not only have we been wronged, but in our lives, there have been times when we have wronged others.  And if the shoe were on the other foot, we would not want our mistakes plastered on a wall for the whole world to see.

This is a great fallacy with the rise of social media.  People expose people, not only between individuals but for the whole world to see.  That kind of hurt is hard to come back from.  What should have been handled as private business (see Matthew 18:15) under the premise of love, now has other voices and opinions in the mix.

Only under certain circumstances do others need to be included (see Matthew 18:16, 17), and even then, as much as possible, is it to be done in a controlled and loving way: “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends,” (Proverbs 17:9). 

Remember Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13:

“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” (vv. 4-7)

Choosing to operate in love will foster peace in our own lives.

Be still and know God. 

The psalmist encourages us to, “Be still, and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10).  When a storm threatened the ship, and the disciples were afraid, Jesus woke and spoke, “Peace, be still,” (Mark 4:39).

Remember that phrase we discussed earlier, “As much as lieth with you?”  Even if you have chosen to refuse the invitation to the argument, and even if you have sought diligently to operate in love in the handling of the matter, sometimes that still will not bring the solution of peace you were looking for.  What do you do then?

You still yourself before God and find your peace in Him and not in whether the circumstances are reaching the conclusion you thought they should.

Jesus shut the mouth of the storm with a word of peace.  And we can shut down some stuff too when we get still and get with God who is to be the center of our peace.

In a world of noise, busyness, and chaos, the word stillness can be a beautiful respite from their loud demands.  It beckons us to draw near to the quiet place of our confidence found in God alone.

Above all else, when everything around us fails, God does not.  It is in Him we find our hope and consolation.  We have peace in Him even if things on the outside do not seem to be working out right.

“Know that I am God.”  There is so much in that statement alone, but one thing I want to point out is that the stillness we referred to earlier is not passive.  Here we see, that for us to “know” God, there must be an active pursuit of Him.  We are not sitting with our arms crossed and inactive.  No, we are drawing nearer to Him, to know Him, to pursue Him.

Concerning the way of peace, the closer we get to God the more peace we will find, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace,” (1 Corinthians 14:33).  The more we draw nearer to understanding just who He is, the magnanimous impact of Him overshadows everything else.

Yahweh.  The LORD.  “I AM THAT I AM.”  When we still ourselves before the truth of Him, we soon develop an intuitive knowing and trust that we cannot find anywhere else, and it covers us with a cloak of peace – comforting you and strengthening you to maintain your peace in the middle of your storm.  It lets you know that not only do you not fight in this alone, but there are instances where you don’t have to fight at all because I choose to let the winds howl and the waves crash while I sit still in the peace of who God is in my life.  That is my response, and no further response is needed – for God is my peace. 

Counter to our culture, peace does not have to be elusive.  But we will have to do some things to maintain the way of peace in our lives.  “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another,” (Romans 14:19).  And remember:

“Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.” Mark 9:50

And,

“The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.” Psalm 29:11

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Make God’s Word Louder!

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With arms loaded with bags, I walk toward my car in the grocery store parking lot.  I have been jumping about from store to store all day and the exhaustion is wearing on me.  Daily tasks, daily chores, and daily work – we all have them.  Life does not allow us to be sedentary.  So, off we go on the adventure and calling of the day’s demands.

Carrying my bags, I approached the car when a gentle reminder of God’s presence appeared to me.  There, bouncing about underneath, a little sparrow getting on with his day reminds me of the sovereign and omniscient hand of the Lord in my life.  The thought of Him that knows the life of that little sparrow knows me also, even to the point that all the hairs on my head are numbered, fills me with encouragement.

Jesus, Himself, tells us, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31). 

Yet, many awake to experience news that shatters and devastates their day.  And in the middle of it all, fear tries to have a voice.  Through uncertain and unsettling times, fear tries to magnify itself. 

But I want to encourage you today, no matter how many bags of stuff you are carrying and no matter how hard the work of life before you may be, make God’s Word louder!  If there was ever a time when we needed to drown out the world’s noise and build ourselves even more in the Word of God, that time is now!

God’s Word contains the perfect recipe for a well-ordered life, with its challenges and successes.  Our response and reaction to the times we live in are found in the perfect truth written in those pages.  It is always right and always true, not only for the days in which it was physically written but for today as well.  God’s Word never goes out of style.  The psalmist said, “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever” (Psalm 119:160). 

What that means for us is it is never faulty (Psalm 33:4) and it will never fail (Joshua 23:14; 1 Kings 8:56). 

So, Jesus speaks comfort in the Word against the chaos around, and He speaks faith and strength against fear.  His word can build you up (Acts 20:32), encourage you, and save you if you let it (James 1:21).  Paul taught, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” (Colossians 3:16).  Fill yourself with more of Him.  The more we are filled with the Word, the less room we have in our being for junk.  A healthy Christian fills his/her appetite with the good, nourishing power of the Word of God: “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16). 

Friend, make God’s Word louder in your life.  One surefire way to do that is to get it into your heart richly, overflowing His joy, truth, peace, and comfort in your life. 

Here are some promises of assurance to store in your heart and turn up the volume of your faith today to make God’s Word louder against all the other noise you hear:

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” – Isaiah 41:10

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.  Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:” – Isaiah 26:3, 4

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.  It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” – Proverbs 3:5-8

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31

Who indeed?  Friend, there are so many written promises God has deposited and inspired in His Word that I cannot possibly write them all here.  But if you desire more, and I hope that you do, just read the Word, for the whole of His Holy Book speaks of Him and His promises both now and forever.

His Word is speaking louder against the troubles we see.  It is saying, that He is with us and that we don’t have to be afraid: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). Believe it.

It’s in You!

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When God puts a gift, a seed of talent in you, whether you feel particularly inspired or not, the gift in you demands to be heard, noticed, and shared with the world.

It’s just like that.  In each of us there dwell the possibilities that He knows you can do something with it.

We are good ground and from it we want to bear much fruit. The world needs what grows from the soil of you.

“You, my friend, are the soil to His good gift and it must grow.”

Contrastingly Beautiful | Appreciating the Differences of Spiritual Gifts

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“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” 1 Corinthians 12:7

There is a beautiful thing in the body of Christ called diversity. And yes, when we hear that word typically our minds are drawn to the notion of race, ethnicity, background, and the like. Believe me, those things DO make the body of Christ uniquely beautiful, and we will see the full culmination of that when we get to heaven.

But to help usher people toward that goal of reaching those heavenly doors, and to teach, assist, and encourage the saints along the way, variety in the form of spiritual gifts are very vital.

Working together in unison with His Spirit and one another for Kingdom purposes means that one does not have to shoulder the weight of every gift upon oneself. Rather, as doctors are in areas of specific studies, there are special areas endowed with special abilities from high. The beauty is, as a community of believers we have all the gifts of His Spirit in operation to benefit the body as a whole, lacking nothing, regardless of who is the one carrying the gift.

Spiritual gifts are never to be the source of contention and division. Every gift, regardless of the name or manifestation you attach to it, comes from the same Spirit, the same Lord, the same God (1 Corinthians 12:4-6).

It’s not about who gets to do what, or who is recognized for this and that, or whose gift seems to be “greatest.” It is all about what are we doing with what God gave us? How are we pooling our resources to help people and to help further increase His Kingdom?

First Peter 4:10, 11 instructs us, saying, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

This means all gifts given are with the purpose that we “minister” or serve one another with the end result “that God in all things may be glorified.”

This is a concept Paul had to explain to the Corinthian church, who allowed divisiveness to enter over the topic of spiritual giftings. Paul explained to the church the different varieties of gifts, the value of all gifts given, and their intended purpose, which was for the benefit of all (read 1 Corinthians 12:1-11).

In 1 Corinthians 12:7, he wrote, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal”, reiterating the way the Spirit manifests or reveals His working through individuals by their gifting is to “profit withal.” The advancement of God’s business, and the church as a whole, should benefit from what He has blessed inside each of us.

We are a part of His plan to make a difference in the lives of others. Each of us has something special within us that is never meant to be buried, hidden, or kept for ourselves. One should not want to go through life without the world benefiting from that spiritual treasure inside you. Take the bold approach and unearth it. Put it out there for all to partake in.

And whatever you do, don’t use it as some sort of measuring rod to compare with others. We have different gifts for a reason. Where I am strong, I can do my part to help minister to those around me.

Where I am weak, I cannot not only lean upon another, but I can help send others who have needs to be fulfilled in that direction to get the specific help they need.

Doing this makes us good stewards of the gifts. This is beautiful, because hand in hand, and heart with heart, like Nehemiah and the people building the wall, we are all working in unison together on our individual part to build up and finish the work (Nehemiah 3-4).

You, my friend, are gifted, and your gift is needed in this work. Let us not fight or become discouraged over the gifts but let us build together using them.

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Don’t Lose Heart

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DON’T LOSE HEART. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO AN ETERNAL REWARD! Daily, we may face challenges. Daily, there may be uprisings against our faith. But daily, we are renewed by His strength, power, and grace. The promise before us is greater than the trials in front of us.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” –2 Corinthians 4:16-18

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God, You Are the One I Seek

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“Let us continue to go and pray before the LORD, and seek the LORD of hosts,” Zechariah 8:21, NKJV.

Hope can be found at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of each prayer. Never give up on seeking God. Never feel like you can’t approach Him in prayer. Take every burden, every question of life, and every situation continually to His throne.

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We Will Get There!

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“But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.  And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.” Acts 27:14-15, Read Acts 27

Tempest-tossed and storm-worn.  The waves of this world crash about us, around us, and sometimes within us.  What do we do?

When we did not heed proper directions, but sailed the course that we thought was right.  What do we do?

When considerable time has passed and many days have been spent in the dark, and the helps that we use is no help at all, what do we do?

Our Euroclydon may not be wind-driven, but it is just as opposing and just as fierce as if we were upon that boat drifting at the mercy of the raging waters.  We try to redirect.  We try to fight our way through, but we can’t seem to catch the way on our own. 

In our own power, we run, strike the sail, and even try to lighten the ship.  Everything we try is to no avail but then God steps in to send a word.

For Paul, it was through an angel.  For us, it can come through a preacher, a friend, a song, or from the authority of His Holy Word itself. 

Belief sets in and courage is awakened in the storm. 

Soundings are then made – let’s see how deep this goes.  Anchors are dropped to hold her steady from the motion of the raging seas.  The day comes, and while we may not recognize the place where we are, the morning light shows us the safety of the land ahead. 

Raise the anchors and commit to moving ahead! The shoreline is coming close and if we persevere, we will get there. 

Don’t give up, dear one.  And stop trying to do it on your own or figure it out on your own.  We will never see our whole life from the perspective that God sees it, so we must let it drive forward in faith (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Friends, we have all had storms to ride out or weather through, but our God is faithful to His promises.  If He declared we will get there, we will get there.  Even if tempests, storms, disruptions, and brokenness is the route, we will get there. 

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Help Me to Always See My Jesus

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“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith . . .” Hebrews 12:2

Lord, help me to keep my focus trained upon You all the days of my life.  Through difficulties and times of joy, there is no sight more beautiful to behold than the Savior who loves me and is for me.  In times of sadness, His strength, understanding, and compassion holds me and comfort me amid the troubles I see.  In times of gladness, I can enjoy my day because Your Word says, “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart” (Psalm 32:11). 

No matter what disposition or state I may be in, help me always to see my Jesus.  Help me to see the words He chose to speak and the actions He carried out before men.

Help me see how He cared and loved and how His total devotion to God marked the way before Him. 

When I see Jesus, help me to really see the life You want to live out in me. 

Looking unto Jesus

there are so many things

I can see.

Mostly, looking unto Jesus

helps me understand

what His life should

look like in me.

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