Posts

Posted on

Surrendered and Spirit Strong

Today’s Scripture Passage:

Galatians 5:22-25

Key Verse:

A person without self-control
    is like a city with broken-down walls. Proverbs 25:28 (NLT)

The ability to control another is only a mirage.

mirage noun

something that appears real or possible but is not in fact so.

Oxford Dictionaries · Bing Translator

I have learned but must be reminded…

I cannot control anything but myself!

You cannot control anything but yourself!

control

the power to influence or direct people’s behavior or the course of events.

 Oxford Dictionaries · Bing Translator

I have learned but must be reminded…

I cannot control myself without help!

You cannot control yourself without help!

Will power is not enough!

Imagine you’re driving in a downpour of rain. You grip the steering wheel with white knuckled hands against heavy winds forcing you toward the center line. Sooner or later exhaustion takes over and you’re jerked into oncoming traffic. This is the struggle of will power.

That’s why Jesus gives ALL of His followers a Helper!

Our Helper’s name is Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit teaches, counsels, and reminds us of what we’ve already learned from Jesus about belonging to Him and being His follower.

Holy Spirit is our Helper whenever we do not understand, are unsure of, or forget the way of Jesus.

Holy Spirit helps us control our thoughts, our words, and our actions.

Many will seek to manipulate, deceive, and bully us into doing their will, but…

No matter how limited our choices, the choice is still ours to make.

Even when every choice leads in a way we don’t want to go, the choice is still ours to make.

We’re always free to choose what’s right.

To believe anything else is to be deceived.

Today’s verse reminds us a city without walls is vulnerable to attack from the enemy, and a life lived without self-control makes us vulnerable to attack from our enemy. Our enemy prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Our enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. He’s the enemy of every Jesus-follower. Our accuser who wants us to live in the shame and condemnation of our old identity. Our enemy who wants us to forget our identity is in Jesus!

His name is Satan; and long ago, he refused to surrender his will to the Lordship of Jesus. Now, he wants us to do the same. He wants us separated from Jesus and vulnerable. He wants us to be distracted, discouraged, and defeated. He cannot rob us of our eternity, but he will do everything possible to turn our eyes from Jesus.

I have learned but must be reminded…

Self-control comes from Holy Spirit.

Self-control is only one of Holy Spirit’s nine characteristics; they’re called the fruit of the Spirit.

fruit

what is produced

can be taken from; seized, plucked, to take for oneself

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible – Greek Dictionary

Like fruit on a tree, Holy Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Holy Spirit’s fruit is ours to seize, pluck, take for ourselves.

I have learned but must be reminded…

The only thing I can control is myself, and self-control comes from my Helper, Holy Spirit.

Seizing Spirit self-control gives me (and you) strength to surrender to the way of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, while living faithful to Jesus and His way.

I have learned but must be reminded…

I am Spirit strong when I am surrendered to the way of Jesus.

LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!

Digging Deeper:

John 10:10, John 14:16-17 & 26, Romans 8:1-2, 1 Corinthians 2;15-16, Ephesians 6:10-18, 1 Peter 2:10 & 1 Peter 5:8,

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Posted on

Easy to Bear Yokes Come with Light Burdens

Today’s Scripture Passage:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

Today is our last look at Matthew 11:28-30, and our focus is on the yoke.

Quick Review…

Two weeks ago: Belonging to Jesus. He purchased us with His life, death, burial, and resurrection. (For more about belonging to Jesus, check out the link in green at the bottom of this post.)

Last week: Learning to Trust Jesus. Jesus teaches us to trust Him by being present, providing for our needs, and protecting us from harm. Trust in Jesus frees us from anxiety and fear.

Today: Jesus said, “For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

An animal begins wearing yokes long before being required to do any work.

In the beginning, the animal only wears the yoke while learning to trust the farmer and his ways. The animal does no work.

People often measure their value by their accomplishments.

Belonging to Jesus and learning to follow His lead is not about accomplishments; it’s about relationship.

One animal will wear many different yokes during his lifetime.

Yokes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and weights. Yokes change as the animal grows and matures. Some yokes are single and some are double. Some are used in multiples of two and create a team. These pairings are chosen specifically for the work the farmer has for each animal to do.

People tend to struggle with change.

Jesus makes sure each yoke is individually fitted to us and the work He’s preparing us to do.

Change shows us Jesus is trustworthy, and our relationship with Him matures. We see Jesus using change to prepare us for what’s next.

A yoke, no matter how well fitted, will create pain for the animal who resists the leading of the farmer.

The same is true in our relationship with Jesus.

Resisting His yoke and His way for us invites pain and hardship to become our companions.

We’re choosing a yoke hard to bear when we refuse to wear the yoke Jesus has for us.

We’re heaping heavy burdens on top of what He’s created us to do when we seek validation of our value in works.

We’re exchanging His rest for the illusion of control.

Wait! Let’s save control for next week.

Between Now and Then…

1 Take time to just enjoy belonging to Jesus and being loved by Him.

2 Write a thank you note to Jesus.

3 Sing a song of praise to Jesus…or two or three or more.

LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Fun Facts:

This is one of the many great sites I found while researching “My yoke.” I didn’t even know there were living history farms, but I’m so glad there are! Training New Oxen (lhf.org)

Posted on

Teaching Us To Live Our Life Tethered By Trust

Today’s Scripture Passage:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

Last week, we learned the rest Jesus gives us comes with a yoke. His yoke!

We also found out His yoke is only for those who belong to Him; those He paid with His own life to save.

His purchase was done not to possess us but rescue us. His motive was love, and comes with the security of belonging.

Belonging is only the beginning of our relationship with Jesus.

Remember us talking about the farmer and his yoke last week?

We put Jesus in the role of the farmer and ourselves in the role of the farmer’s ox. We did this to help us connect the message to us as Jesus-followers today.

Imagine yourself as the newly purchased animal. You’re a rescue. You belong to Jesus, but you don’t really know Him. You know what He’s done for you, but you don’t really have any intimate knowledge of Him and His ways…yet.

That’s what today’s portion of these verses is all about!

Jesus said, ” Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Let reminds us there’s a choice to be made.

let VERB

not prevent or forbid; allow.

oxford dictionaries – Bing Translator

There are a lot of choices to be made in our relationship with Jesus. Choices come with belonging to Jesus. Having choices is worth celebrating!

We all know someone who hurts themself (and others) with their choices. They refuse to listen and learn. They say things like, “You can’t tell me what to do!” or “That might work for you, but I’m not you.”

In 1 Corinthians, Paul wrote, “All things are permissable, but not all things are beneficial.”

This is speaking to those times when we hurt ourselves (or others) with our choices. Freedom in it’s truest sense is the ability to choose what is beneficial all the time. But how do we know what’s beneficial?

There’s only One Person who truly knows what the good and right choice is for all involved and at all times; His name is Jesus, God in the flesh!

But, if we’re honest, we often struggle over choosing right.

There are usually one of three reasons we struggle with choosing what’s right.

1…It’s not how we’ve always done it.

2…It’s not what we want to do.

3…We don’t trust the one telling us what’s right.

For some of us, it takes years before we’ll trust another person and believe they really have our best interest at heart. There are all sorts of valid reasons why we struggle with trusting others, but the truth is this…

Jesus always knows what’s right. Jesus is trustworthy. Jesus genuninely loves me (and you). Jesus always knows and wants what is most beneficial for us.

Okay, back to what Jesus was talking about in today’s verse.

A newly purchased yoke animal belongs to the farmer immediately, but doesn’t trust the farmer immediately.

Are you ready for this?

The good farmer knows the animal won’t trust him before he even makes the purchase.

Yes! He knows the animal doesn’t trust him. What does he do? He spends the entire first portion of their relationship caring for his new animal himself. He teaches the animal to trust him. He spends time with him, protects him, provides for his needs, uses a gentle touch, and speaks to him with kindness. He is patient and yet firm.

Over time, the animal learns to trust the farmer and recognize his voice. The animal willingly follows his directions and without hesitation; he trusts the farmer will not do anything to harm him. What’s the result of all this teaching?

The farmer has tethered his animal to him with trust.

tether VERB

tie (an animal) with a rope or chain so as to restrict its movement.

oxford dictionaries – Bing Translator

The animal’s trust in the farmer prevents him from wandering into harm’s way.

Do you see the spiritual parallel?

Isn’t it wonderful and exciting?

Our Jesus is trustworthy! He knows us. He understands our struggle to trust, but He is willing to teach us – if we will let Him.

We’ve been purchased and positioned for a purpose which requires training in trust. Will we let Jesus teach us to trust Him? If so, we will be refreshed!

Next week we’re going to take a look at how the farmer introduces his animals to his yoke while teaching them to trust him.

Between Now and Then…

1 Take time to evaluate your willingness to let Jesus teach you to trust Him.

2 Be honest about the times you struggle to follow Jesus, and admit those struggles indicate a lingering lack of trust.

3 Confess your struggles to Jesus. Ask Him to forgive you and remove anything hindering your ability to learn from Him.

LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!

Digging Deeper:

Deuteronomy 31:8, Psalm 46:1, Proverbs 3:5-6, Philippians 4:19, Hebrews 3:18-19 & 1 Peter 5:7

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Posted on

Embracing Your Relationship: Bought to Belong

Today’s Scripture Passage:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you.”

What? Wearing a yoke doesn’t sound like rest! Nor does it sound refreshing. Jesus said He would give us rest, and now He’s telling us to take His yoke and put it on?

I’ve spent weeks researching yokes. I found plenty of information about yokes, but I still felt like I was missing something. I needed to understand why Jesus used the words “My yoke.”

I got a WOW of an answer.

The people listening to Jesus that day would’ve understood what I didn’t. You see, I always pictured Jesus in the yoke with me (or you) every time I read those word. But Jesus wasn’t inviting us to yoke with Him!

I’ve learned there are three clear steps of progression in the relationship between a farmer and his ox.

Please don’t be offended, but to see the spiritual parallel, we need to picture Jesus as the farmer and ourselves as the ox.

1) the relationship begins when the farmer buys the ox.

2) the relationship develops as trust is built.

3) the relationship matures as yokes are introduced.

Today we’ll focus on how the relationship begins.

You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. 

1 Corinthians 6:19b-20a (NLT)

Jesus paid for us with His blood!

We all sin and we all owe a debt for our sin. Death is the price and Jesus paid that price in full. He died in our place! (You can learn more about this by using the link in green at the bottom of the post.)

So, what’s the relationship between us and Jesus?

We belong to Him!

But belonging is only the beginning. Next week we’ll look at step two in the relationship–Building Trust!

Between Now and Then…

1 Take time this week to consider the high price Jesus paid for you.

2 Tell Jesus how you feel about belonging to Him. Does it fill you with fear, resentment, gratitude, something else?

3 Do something special to celebrate your relationship with Jesus.

LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!

Digging Deeper:

John 3: 3-17, Romans 3:23, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Peter 2:2-3

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Posted on

The Promise in The Invitation

Today’s Scripture Passage:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

This series of posts has been progressive. Why am I using the same Scripture Passage each week. I’m aspiring to do more than know the words of these verses. I want to grow in my understanding of what these words mean and how they apply to me.

I have decided I will no longer settle for receiving only a portion of what my Father has for me. How about you?

Quick recap…

Week 1: Jesus said, “Let Me Teach You.”

Week 2: Jesus said, “Come To Me.”

Week 3: Jesus was speaking to “All Who are Weary and Carry Heavy Burdens.”

This Week: Jesus’ Promise.

Look what Jesus says…“Come to Me, and

I will give you rest.“

Jesus promised to give us REST.

REST

to refresh

Strong’s Concordance and Greek Dictionary of the New Testament

Jesus promised, when we come to Him, we will be REFRESHED.

Did you notice the prefix re in the word refresh?

re- prefix

again : anew

Merriam Webster Online Dictionary

fresh  adjective

having its original qualities unimpaired

Merriam Webster Online Dictionary

This is about Jesus making us fresh again!

This is about Jesus renewing our abilities!

Why?

So we can do all the good works we were created to do in Christ Jesus!

So we will not grow weary and give up!

Next week we’re going to take our first step into the process of receiving the rest Jesus has for us.

Between Now and Then…

1 Take time this week to think about all the areas of your life where you want and/or need rest; places you need Jesus to make you fresh again.

2 Talk to Jesus about those places and your need for Him to refresh you.

3 Ask Jesus to prepare your heart and mind for the process of receiving the rest only He can give.

LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!

Digging Deeper:

2 Corinthians 5:17-19, Galatians 6:9, & Ephesians 2:10 & 3:14-20

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Posted on

Weary? Want to Drop It All and Run?

Today’s Scripture Passage:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

Last week we looked at Jesus’ invitation, but who was He talking to when He said “Come to Me”?

“ALL of you who are weary.”

weary  adjective

1: exhausted in strength, endurance, vigor, or freshness

Miriam Webster online dictionary

Does weary describe you?

If so, Jesus is speaking to you!

“ALL of you who carry heavy burdens.”

carry  verb

1: to support and take from one place to another

Miriam Webter online thesaurus

What are you carrying?

burden  noun

1a: something that is carried : LOAD

b: DUTY, 

RESPONSIBILITY

Miriam Webster online dictionary

Are your burdens heavy?

If so, Jesus is speaking to you!

Next week we’re going to look at Jesus’ promise to all who accept His invitation to come to Him.

Between Now and Then…

1 Take time to make a list of the things you are currently carrying. These should include physical, emotional, and spiritual burdens.

2 Take Jesus up on His invitation. Go to Him. Take your list of burdens with you. Ask Him to show you which things on your list are ones He has given you to carry and which ones He did not.

3 Listen and be alert for His answer.

LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!

Digging Deeper:

Psalm 34:1-3 & 1 Peter 5:7

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Posted on

It’s an Invitation; Not a Command!

Today’s Scripture Passage:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

Yes, this is the same Scripture passage we used last week. We’re going to camp here for a while. Why? There’s a lot of meat to chew in these three verses, so let’s slow down, take little bites, and chew each one well before swallowing.

Last week we looked at, “Let me teach you,” and I’ve spent this week asking why I needed Him to point this out to me. He knows I read His word every day.

I’m glad He answered, but I didn’t like the answer. Turns out I’ve allowed myself to develop a bad habit.

Yes, I read my Bible, but somewhere along the way I let reading His word become more about gaining Bible knowledge than being with Jesus.

I let myself forget reading God’s word is only the starting point for spending my day with Him.

Learning from Jesus is not about me reading my Bible. It’s about spending my days allowing Him to show me how to apply and practice what He tells me in His word.

Living the life He’s given me means being with Him and learning from Him. Being aware of Him throughout the entirety of my day, and imitating Him.

I think that’s why Jesus started His invitation with these words, “Come to Me.”

Jesus wants to be our Teacher, but we must come to Him first. It’s about more than Him imparting knowledge. It’s about us wanting to learn from Him. It’s about Him sharing His thoughts and ways with us and us spending our days practicing what He shares.

No one has ever learned to walk because their parents handed them a how-to manual or gave them a lecture on how to walk. In fact, that’s outright silliness!

So why would we think learning to walk with Jesus is only about reading our Bible and listening to others tell us what they learned from Jesus?

We learn to walk by watching others walk. We learn to walk by practicing what we see others doing when they walk. Mastery doesn’t come to us overnight, but with continual practice. We gradually move from being toddlers to walkers.

If we want to learn to live and walk like Jesus, we must spend our days with Jesus. We must practice being aware of Him and His ways and imitating Him. Only then, will we learn to live and walk like Jesus!

We practice our way to mastery.

Practice requires perseverance and patience.

BE AWARE!

Sometimes things happen and the pain creates unintentional compensation and even more pain. For example, my knee was injured several years ago. I went to the doctor and was told it would heal on it’s own. A year later it was not better; it was actually unbearably painful by that time.

Why am I telling you this? I spent months in physical therapy where I was taught how to walk…again! I had compensated for the pain in my right knee until the entire right side of my body was out of alignment. Can anyone say ouch?!

I had practiced walking incorrectly for over a year and my body had to be retrained. This has taught me something important. Even long time Jesus-followers can find themselves needing to learn how to walk…again. A hurt, a loss, anxiety, and disappointment can be a pain which leads to a compensation which leads to us being out of alignment in our walk with our Savior.

Let’s stop there. I’ll see you next week. We’re going to take a closer look at the people Jesus is talking to in these verses. Until then…

1-Take time to notice how aware you are of Jesus throughout the entirety of your day.

2-Honestly assess your walk with Jesus. Are you already a Jesus-follower? If not, He’s calling you to Come to Him. Are you are a Jesus-follower? If so, He’s calling you to Come to Him.

3-Ask Him to show you clearly what it is He wants you to see of Him and begin practicing. Don’t stop when you fall. He’s got you by the hand. Just keep practicing!

LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!

Digging Deeper:

Psalm 37:24, Ephesians 5:1

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Posted on

New Year and New Lessons

Today’s Scripture Passage:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

I’ve read these verses so many times over the years, but there were four little words Jesus spoke deeper into my heart this week. Read what He said.

“Let Me teach you.”

Jesus – Matthew 11:29 (NLT)

Doesn’t that tug at your heart? I don’t know why I never noticed it before, but I felt like I could actually hear Him imploring me to LET HIM TEACH ME.

I’ve spent some time confessing those times I’ve purposely resisted learning from Him – lessons I knew would require a change I didn’t want to make, so I skipped them. Yes, I know how awful that sounds (I almost deleted it).

I truly believe Jesus has only my best interest at heart, so…

I’ve asked Him to make me willing to learn what He wants to teach me.

LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Posted on

JOY TO THE WORLD…THE LORD HAS COME!!!

Today’s Scripture Passage:

John 1:1-14

Key Verse:

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.  John 3:16-18 (NLT)

I know, it’s Christmas Eve and you have things to do!

Thank you taking the time to spend a few minutes with me.

This is a wonderful season of celebration for all Jesus-followers. Why?

Jesus is THE Christ of Christmas!

He’s the Messiah, the Christ, promised long ago.

The ONE by whom all mankind can be saved.

He saves us from eternal separation from God, our Creator.

Jesus is Immanuel.

He’s God with us in the flesh!

God came to earth as a baby, lived his life without ever committing a sin, willingly died a gruesome death, was buried in a borrowed tomb, and was resurrected to life again on the third day.

He did all of this because He loves us.

FYI: We sin because we’re sinners, and our sin separates us from the Holy God who created us. But He loves us so much, He chose to make the first move toward reconciliation. That just means He made a way for our relationship with Him to be restored.

Jesus is living in heaven right now! He’s preparing a place for everyone who chooses to believe in Him and become Jesus-followers.

It sounds too simple, right?!

Just choose to believe and follow Jesus and your eternity is forever changed.

Or maybe you’re thinking it sounds too hard to give up your own way of living and follow Jesus.

Well, there’s more Good News!

The moment we choose to believe in Jesus, His Holy Spirit comes to live in us. He is our Helper! He helps us understand what we read in our Bibles about who God is and who we are as Jesus-followers. He opens our eyes to the choices we didn’t see we could make before; choices that seemed unavailable before we were Jesus-followers.

How many times have you said, “I didn’t have a choice.”?

Jesus-followers have choices!

It’s one of the many benefits of being a follower.

It’s part of our freedom in Jesus.

We’re freed from living a life of conformity. We’re freed from following our own emotions or the ways of this world when we become Jesus-followers.

Yes, it takes practice to live in freedom. I’m learning it’s best to pause and pray every time I find myself thinking there’s only one choice. In fact, I’m learning I must practice the pause and pray way of living in every circumstance. Why?

Even good things are not always God’s best thing for me to have or do or be.

Wait! We’ll save that truth for another time. For now, I’ll just say…

Merry Christmas!

May your celebration of Christ overflow with all the joy that comes with belonging to Jesus!

Digging Deeper:

Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9-13,

This is a link to a message explaining the chain reaction we experience when we choose to live a life of trusting Jesus. Sunday 9am Service 12/20 Trust Me Week 3 – YouTube

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Here’s a link to Mary Did You Know sung by Pentatonix. It was one of my Daddy’s favorite Christmas songs. Enjoy! pentatonix mary did you know – Bing

Not all members of Pentatonix are Jesus-followers, but they sing a lot of Christmas songs. Would you join me in praying for them to come to know, trust, and follow the Christ of Christmas they sing about in their songs?

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Posted on

Love, Lights, Action!

Today’s Scripture Passage:

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT)

We’ve all experienced that moment when we first turned off the light and we couldn’t see. That moment when we must give our eyes time to adjust to the darkness. How does that happen? Our pupils expand to allow more light to enter our eyes.

Our pupils are designed to regulate the amount of light entering our eyes.

What happens when we go from darkness to light? Our expanded pupils allow too much light into our eyes and creates a glare. Glare blocks our ability to see clearly.

This is the same thing that happens to us, and others, when the light of Jesus first shines into the dark places of our lives.

Sad truth? The brighter the light of Jesus is in us, the greater the possibility those who don’t know Him will either avoid us or lash out against His light in us.

Even worse, this also happens among those of us who are Jesus-followers. I’m talking about those times when our thought processes lead to words and choices that don’t fully align with what God’s word says is right. I can be offended by the light of Jesus in others when it challenges the way I think, speak, and act. I’ve even caught myself trying to defend those choices!

Moses wore a veil after he spent time in the presence of the LORD. Wearing the veil was for the benefit of the people. Moses didn’t totally cover the LORD’s light; he just exposed them to a gentler dose of light!

Okay, we’re back to where we started. It was Moses’ exposure to the Light of the LORD that caused his countenance to shine so brightly. The same is true for us.

Our continual exposure to the Light of Jesus makes our lives shine brightly.

Walking by Holy Spirit and living our lives according to God’s word exposes the dark places in our lives to His light.

Time spent in God’s word transforms the way we think about God, others, and ourselves, and transforms our choices.

Transformed by the saving love of Jesus and His word, we become lights whose actions help others see and praise our heavenly Father.

LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!

Digging Deeper:

Exodus 34:29-35 & Mark 4:21-22

This links you to a wonderful work written by Robert Boyd Munger in 1951. Microsoft Word – 2010-06-22 My Heart Christs Home – Final.doc (usna.edu)

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Light and dark adaptation in human eye | Fun Science

error: Content is protected !!