The Vine and Branches

Preparing For Lifes Battles

2014-04-04T07:23:00.001-07:00

Joshua 7:10-12 NIV

In Joshua 7 the Israelites were going through a hard time...one of those times when they thought for sure they would win the battle, but instead they were defeated, and discouraged. The end result being, Joshua and the elders of the camp, laying on their faces crying out to God. Let's pick up the reading in vs 10...

The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.

First off, I want to make sure to point out that Israel was going to fight this battle, the sin in their camp, was not the reason for the battle. However, the sin in their camp, kept them from victory!

We all have battles we will face. God has promised to be with us, and to fight for us. But there is one thing we tend to do, that causes us to loose the battle. That one thing is sin. You see when we choose to disobey God, we forfeit God's help in the battle.

Our pastor has been talking about repentance, and what it really is. Repentance is deep godly sorrow for what you have done, confessing that sin, and then turning in the opposite direction, no longer continuing in your sin.

We all sin, make mistakes, but when we choose to continue in them, and not truly repent, we are sure to be defeated in the battles of life.

I encourage you today, to ask the Lord to search your heart and mind, to show you where there is sin in your life. God is faithful, and He will show you where the sin is, just as He did to the Israelites.

The battles of life are tough, we need God's helping hand, so let us prepare ourselves for battle by making sure we are in right standing with our great defender.

God is faithful to forgive our sins, by His grace and mercy, then He immediately steps into our situation to fight for us.

God is so good!

Step Out In Faith!

2014-03-06T13:12:00.001-08:00

Do you have a dream, an idea or just something you need to do, but for whatever reason, you keep finding ways to postpone and put it off? Are you waiting for a better time, when you are better equipped, or when you have more time? Maybe, just maybe, God has given you that idea, dream, or task for a reason.

There is a time and place for waiting, especially if God has spoken clearly asking you to wait, then to move forward without God would be a huge mistake.

But there are times, when God has not asked us to wait... He speaks a dream or idea into our hearts, He gives us an assignment or task to do, and we make the decision out of doubt, fear, or uncertainty, to hold off, to wait. If that is you today, I encourage you to choose today to obey, to do what you know you should do.

God knows our hearts, He knows our abilities and He knows best... it may not make since to our way of thinking, but God's plans are for good... and His thoughts are not our thoughts, His ways are not our ways...

One thing I have learned over the years, is that if God asks you to do it, then He will see you through it... bringing about great blessings in your life, when you step out in faith and trust Him.

Listen to this promise and step out in faith today!

"Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert."

Isaiah 43:18-19

Great is the Lord

2014-02-13T09:39:00.001-08:00

Great is the Lord, and worthy of glory. Great is the Lord and worthy of praise. I lift up my voice, I lift up my voice. Great is the Lord! Great is the Lord!

This song is playing over and over again in my head and heart this morning. The greatness of God is so far beyond anything we can fathom. I am so amazed and humbled by the fact that God, even in all His greatness, loves me, and thinks about me continually. Nothing I have ever done makes me worthy of His love, and there is nothing I could ever do to earn it... yet His love never fails, never stops. His love continues on, even for all eternity. What an amazing thing to be loved like that.

God, I am so amazed by the love you have poured out on my life. I look back over the years and I can see how you have always been there, always holding me in your hands, always loving me. There is only one response I can give to this kind of love... to love you with all of my heart, soul, and mind. Thank you for your goodness, faithfulness, and never ending love. I love you, Lord!

God's Perfect Design

2014-01-18T09:22:00.000-08:00

God's Perfect Design

I found myself thinking this morning as I was blowing my hair dry, about self image. Sometimes we put too much stock in what others say or think about us... sometimes we put too much stock in what we think they think. I know, how it is, to feel like you will never be a beauty queen. I've had moments in my life, okay more than moments.. more like years of my life, when I thought no one could possibly find me beautiful. I allowed those thoughts to cause me to believe that I really wasn't beautiful.

Over the past ten years or so, God has been so faithful to point me to some very great truths, from His Word, that speak to us (me) on a deep level about the lies I allowed myself to believe for so long.

Here is a list of some scriptures that have changed my focus and helped me to see things from God's eyes, I hope it touches you and maybe helps you to see yourself as He sees you too!

Psalm 139:13-15

13 "For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth."

This scripture tells us that God created us, pieced us together, He chose our hair, eyes, and body, but more than that, He created us with a style, personality, likes, dislikes, quirks and all.

Genesis 1:31

31 "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day."

God didn't make mistakes when He first created the world. He looked at all He had made and saw that it was good. And God didn't make mistakes when He made you! God looks at you, His precious and dearly loved creation, and once again He says, "It is good, very good!"

Ephesians 2:10

10 "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Just think about this verse for a minute... you are God's handiwork. God created the heaven's and the Earth, yet when He talks of His handiwork, He thinks of you. Not only that, but this verse also tells us, He has prepared great things for you before you were ever born.

Such an incedible thought... God loves us and made us the way we are for a reason and a purpose. I encourage you to stop thinking of what others think and start listening to what God says, when we see through His eyes, we will realize that we really were made to shine!

God truly loves us! God is so good!

Iceberg

2014-01-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

Iceberg

For the past few months, our church has been having "Encounter Services" every Wednesday evening. These have been amazing times of coming together in prayer, seeking God, and asking for Him to do great things in our lives and the lives of those in the city of Salem.

Here are the four main points of prayer we've continued to pray for:

Boldness in speaking the Word
Healings
Signs and Wonders (Miracles)
Move of God, the lost saved

These points are found in the lives of the new testament church in Acts 4:29-31

29 "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly."

I am so excited about what God is doing already, but even more excited about what He is going to do! As I've spent time praying and studying God's Word, over and over again, I've come across scriptures that speak so clearly on the power of prayer. Here is just one example:

Psalm 6:8-10
"Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity;

For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
The Lord has heard my supplication;

The Lord will receive my prayer.
Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled;

Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly."

In my study bible, the commentary at the bottom of the page, says this about these verses...

"Vs 7, 8 - As vultures gather around a wounded prey, so enemies gather to rejoice over the calamities of the struggling and take advantage of any weakness.
Vs 9, 10 - Prayer is seen as the prescription that not only heals the body, but strengthens the weakened soul, so that the villains are the ones who become greatly troubled and must flee."

Isn't that incredible!?!?! When we pray, it not only brings about healing in a physical way, but also heals our mental and emotional pains and issues. Then to top it off, after bringing about healing, prayer has the power to make those who oppress us - our enemies - cower and run.

Promises, like the one from Psalms 6:8-10, are great reminders of just how great God is and how important prayer is in our lives. I had this thought the other day, while reflecting on our "Encounter Services" and it was just so powerful!!

"Even though I know that God has done some great things, I fully expect that we have only begun to touch the tip of the iceberg"

and then the Holy Spirit corrected my thought,

"No, you can only see the iceberg in the distance, you aren't even touching the tip of it yet!!"

I am so excited about what God has in store...let's keep pressing in, praying and seeking God...

God is so good!

The Not-so-Super-Mom

2014-01-03T07:00:00.001-08:00

The Not-so-Super-Mom

Last night I was laying in bed trying to sleep, but I was so wide a wake. My mind was running 100 miles per hour...thinking of all the stuff I did, or didn't do, and what I should have gotten done, during the day. In the the midst of my mind's running through the day, I started to think about what type of parent I am, and what my girls will turn out like. I know how I want them to turn out, but I also know that I in and of myself am in no way able to get them to the place where I want to see them. I make mistakes, huge ones, over and over again. How am I, in the craziness of this world, supposed to somehow keep my girls on the right path, and protect them from all the evil that surrounds us? As I lay there pondering all these things, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and I'd like to share it with you today.

Daughter, you aren't good enough, you can't protect them from the evil in this world. You are not all knowing, ever-present, or all powerful. You, daughter, are not perfect, you are human, you make mistakes.

But, I know your limits, I know your heart and your love for your children; and I love them more than you are even capable of, and I love you. Don't fret that you can't be with them everyday to protect them and guide them, because I Am! I Am able! I Am all knowing! I Am ever-present! I Am all powerful! I will uphold you and help you to be the best parent you can be, and when you can't go any further, where you stop, I will make up the distance. In your weakness I Am strong...trust your little children to Me. I will be with them, I will guide them and protect them. Trust them to Me!

As I laid there and these words washed over me, I felt a sweet sense of peace and hope.

The pressure is off.

I don't have to be super-mom!

I can just trust in the Lord...He has got this.

Let these words sink in...

Think about it for a few minutes...

God. has. got. this.

You don't have to do it on your own, in fact it is pretty much impossible to do it on your own...

Trust Him.

God is so good!

5 Promises To Look Forward To In 2014

2013-12-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

5 Promises To Look Forward To In 2014

The Lord your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

1. God will be in with you, in your midst!

2. God (the Mighty One) will save you!

3. God will rejoice over you with gladness!

4. God will bring you peace, He will quiet you with His amazing, never changing, all encompassing, love!

5. God will rejoice over you with singing! Some versions say "with loud singing" just imagine that - God singing loudly, His heart full of gladness and love all over YOU!

I hope no matter the circumstances you are faced with in the coming year, you will lift your cries, your songs, your heart, your everything, up to God. Welcome Him into your life; to be your Savior, Redeemer, friend, comforter, help, guide, and joy...He is waiting for you to simply ask Him to come!

God is good!!! I am so thankful for all He's done in 2013, and can't wait to see all He has planned for us in 2014!!

Be abundantly blessed my friends!!

Happy New Years!

Merry Christmas!

2013-12-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

This year as we looked forward to Christmas, we decided to do something different...instead of just counting down the days with our normal advent calendar, we chose to have fun while learning 25 names of God. So I made up little tags and hung them over the fireplace. Each tag had the date, the days left till Christmas, and a name of God. Each day of December we've turned over a new tag to learn another name of God.

I have to say, I didn't realize the impact this simple new advent calendar would have on us. As the days progressed we learned and discussed different characteristics of our Heavenly Father, and daily we've been reminded of the greatest gift ever given. This year, Christmas has more meaning, because for 25 days, we've been celebrating the true reason for the season!

There have been days when I would turn the tag over, and be overwhelmed with the love and goodness of our God. God is so good to us, we don't deserve it, we did nothing to earn it, and we can do nothing to change God's love for us...His love and goodness are a part of who He is. When you look over this list, you will see that God truly is our everything, all we need is found in HIM!

Date Name of God Days Till Christmas

December 1st - Jehovah-Saboath: The Lord of Hosts 24

December 2nd - Jehovah-Shammah: The Lord is There 23

December 3rd - Jehovah-Rohi: The Lord our Shepherd 22

December 4th - Jehovah-Tsidkenu: The Lord our Righteousness 21

December 5th - Jehovah Elohim: LORD God 20

December 6th - Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord our Peace 19

December 7th - Jehovah-M'keddesh: The Lord Who Sanctifies 18
December 8th - Jehovah-Nissi: The Lord our Banner 17

December 9th - Jehovah-Rophe: The Lord Who Heals 16

December 10th - Jehovah-Jireh: The Lord will Provide 15

December 11th - Jehovah-Lord: Yahweh - God's Covenant Name 14

December 12th - Adoni: Master 13

December 13th - El Shaddai: God Almighty 12

December 14th - Tsur: God Our rock 11

December 15th - El-Gibhor: Mighty God 10

December 16th - El-Berith: God of the Covenant 09

December 17th - El-Olam: Everlasting God 08

December 18th - Eyaluth: Strength 07

December 19th - Magen: Shield 06

December 20th - Palet: Deliverer 05

December 21st - Melekh: King 04

December 22nd - Tsaddiq: Righteous One 03

December 23rd - Gaol: Redeemer 02

December 24th - Yeshua: Savior 01

December 25th - Emmanuel: God with us!! Merry Christmas!!

Just Wait!!

2013-12-08T17:49:00.001-08:00

Just Wait!!

We pray, asking God to step into our circumstances, to lead us in the way we should go, and to do the miraculous when it seems impossible.

But after we've prayed, what do we do?

If you're like me, you tend to try to figure things out while you wait for God to step in. But I have realized lately that when the answer we expect doesn't come about right away, or it is not what we were hoping for...trying to figure it out while we wait for God's plan and timing only hinders things. If God is asking you to wait...then just wait! There is no requirement that you know exactly how things are going to go...or that you figure out the answer and then present it to God. God already has the answer, and when we try to help we are like a three year old who spilled milk and tried to clean it up with the whole basket of clean towels, making more work than is necessary, instead of going to mommy to let mommy take care of it with just a couple paper towels.

I read a scripture this week in Joshua that just hit me.

Joshua 3:5

"Joshua told the people, 'Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'"

When we've prayed and asked God for His guidance, protection, miraculous hand, a healing or whatever we may need...we need to follow Joshua's instructions. Instead of trying to do it on our own, we need to make sure we are right with God, confessing our sins, our disbelief, our temptations to try to figure it out on our own, and we need to prepare ourselves to receive what God has in store...because God will do amazing things among us!!

The Desires of the Heart

2013-11-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

The Desires of the Heart

As I was talking to the Lord about a situation we are dealing with, where plans just aren't going the way we'd hoped, the Holy Spirit showed me some things that just really hit me right where I needed it. So I thought I'd share them with you...

When we delight ourselves in the Lord...not only does He give us the desires of our heart, but the desires of our heart come from our delight in the Lord. Or to say it another way... When we delight in the Lord, God creates in us the "desires of our heart" - the very desires of our heart stem from our delight in HIM...then God grants us the desire of our heart, because they not only are our desires, they are God's desires...they align with His heart!!

"Delight yourself also in the Lord,

And He shall give you the desires of your heart."

(Psalm 36:4)

The desires of our hearts, guides us as we make plans for the future (these are big picture plans). However, it is required that we truly lean on and depend on the Lord, staying close to God...because not only do our desires come from our delight in Him, but we can't be lead by Him (in the fine details) if we are far from Him. We must delight in Him and then continually remain close to Him to allow Him to lead us in each and every step we take.

"A man’s heart plans his way,

But the Lord directs his steps"

(Proverbs 16:9)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct[ your paths."

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

Our God is more than able. There is nothing impossible with God. But He requires that we are dependent on Him. Sometimes things look impossible for one reason, that reason is that God wants to step in and do the impossible, so that we will see how great and powerful He truly is.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think,

according to the power that works in us,"

(Ephesians 3:20)

"But Jesus looked at them and said to them,

'With men this is impossible,

but with God all things are possible.'”

(Matthew 19:26)

When things look impossible...that is when God says,

"With man, this is impossible, but for the great I AM, all things are possible!"

GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!

Blown Away!!

2013-11-14T12:31:00.000-08:00

Blown Away!

Have you ever just been blown away with how God orchestrates things? Here is my latest mind blowing experience with the goodness of God...

I started the Chronological Bible reading plan from www.youversion.com at the beginning of the year.
Approximately 8 weeks ago I joined a small group ladies Bible study, working through the Beth Moore Bible Study entitled, "A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place".
And just 17 days ago, I decided to start another Bible reading plan from www.youversion.com called "Psalms and Proverbs in 31 days".

So to sum it up...

A year long bible reading plan, a 31 day bible reading plan, and a 10 week workbook bible study...all started at different times and all focused on different goals.

Here is the awesome part...today the ladies bible study referenced at least 3 scriptures that I just read in my other bible reading plans! God orchestrated all these Bible studies to all work hand in hand, there is no way I could have planned it out any better!

It is incredible to me that God would desire to, or even take the time to, orchestrate and coordinate the timing of three different studies, so that I could see His goodness in just one more way?

So humbled and blessed by God's continual goodness...I am totally in awe right now!!

Sweet Dreams!

2013-11-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

Sweet Dreams!

There are times when my dear hubby has to travel for work. I do not, DO NOT do well when he is gone. Last time he was gone for just one night, I ended up sleeping in the recliner, with a couple lights on throughout the house. I've always struggled with fear, and it seems to quadruple when JC is gone. I have many stories of times when JC was gone (I'll save them for another post!), and how God settled my fears and showed me that my protection and shelter is in Him and Him alone. Every time, God has been faithful, but in my human weakness, I tend to fear over and over again. Here in the next couple months my hubby will be traveling once again for just a few nights, and once again God has shown Himself to be so faithful!! As I've been spending time in my daily devotions, over last few days, reading the Word and praying...God has lead me to read many different scriptures that all speak of our safety and shelter being in God and God alone, but more than that, He has lead me to scriptures that specifically speak of sleeping in peace and protection, without fear.

I wrote down a list of these scriptures for me to reference when those fears try to come in...and I thought I'd share it with you. I am so thankful for these scriptures, that give us promises of peace, protection, and safety.

Psalm 3:5

I lay down and slept,

yet I woke up in safety,
for the Lord was watching over me.

Psalm 4:8
In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

Psalm 34:7
For the angel of the Lord is a guard;
he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

Proverbs 3:24
When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

God is sooooo good!!

When My Heart is Overwhelmed

2013-10-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

When My Heart is Overwhelmed

Psalm 61:2-4

"From the end of the earth I will cry to you,

When my heart is overwhelmed;

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For you have been a shelter for me,

A strong tower from my enemy.

I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;

I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.

Selah"

This scripture is just so good! God is a rock, a shelter, a strong tower, and we can trust in Him to continually protect us under the shelter of His wings. What a great promise of protection!! It is also a great prayer to pray in those times when we feel overwhelmed. Our hearts get overwhelmed by so many things in this life, but no matter what it is that is overwhelming us, we can cry out to God to lead us to the rock, shelter, and protection that can only found in Him.

God is so good!!

Are You Ready???

2013-10-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

Are You Ready???

This morning as I am studying from the book of Revelations, and I read about all that will take place at the end of the world...I have an urgency to ask one question.

Are You Ready?? Ready to stand before the Holy God of Heaven?

God loves each one of us. He wants us to know Him and have a personal relationship with Him. God could make the things written in the book of Revelations happen whenever He wants...But He is waiting. Why? Because, He is patient, He wants to give everyone a chance to turn from their wicked ways, and have a personal relationship with Him.

The Bible tells is in Romans 3:23, that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". And in Ephesians 2:8&9, it says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

In other words, this is saying that no one is good enough. We cannot go through life trying to do it on our own, we all need a savior!

In Romans 6:23, we see that, "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

All of us have sinned (made mistakes) just as Romans 3:23 says; and just as Romans 6:23 says, the wages or penalty for sin is death. But the good news is that God made a way for us!

Look at Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." and John 3:16, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Someone had to pay our debt, so God sent His own Son to set us free. Jesus has paid it all; as a gift for us, for you and for me! All we have to do is receive that gift! It 's there, we just have to accept it. God will not force us to take it...we have to willingly accept the gift of salvation...and here is how to do it:

Romans 10:9-13
"If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture says, 'whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

So to sum it up:
We need to confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead.

If you realize today, that you don't have a personal, everyday, walking hand in hand with God, relationship. And you want to begin that kind of close relationship with God today...I encourage you to pray this simple prayer. Basically we are doing just what the above scriptures say, we are believing and confessing our belief.

God, I am a sinner, and I know that I cannot save myself. I believe that You sent Your Son to pay the price for me. And I thank you for making a way for me, when there was no other way.

I believe what You say in Your Word; that Jesus Christ came to earth and lived a perfect life, so that He could die in my place and pay my debts, and I also believe that it didn't end there...three days later He rose from the dead conquering death, and setting me free.

Today, I want to start my personal relationship with You! Lord, I ask you to forgive me of my sins, and make me a new person. Lead me as I start out on a new path and help me as I strive to live everyday in a way that shows Your love to the world around me.

I love you Lord!

In Jesus Name I pray, Amen!

If you just prayed that prayer, I want you to know that you are now a part of the Family of God...and that there is a huge celebration going on in Heaven, over YOU! God loves you so much, never ever, forget that!! I encourage you to find a local group of believers, let them know that you are a new Christian, and get plugged in...study God's Word daily on your own, and with your local church...ask God to teach you! God is so good!! I am so excited to know that you are now walking with Him!!

Hidden By His Hand

2013-10-08T14:31:00.000-07:00

Hidden By His Hand

Over the last few weeks I've been walking through a great Bible Study with a small group of ladies from my church. While there has been many things I've thought of sharing, from this study, on here with you...I've struggled with what to write. Then this morning, Beth Moore said something that just blew me away, it was so powerful! And I knew I had to share it, today!

The study title is "A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place" By Beth Moore, this study requires a lot of studying/homework and then has an hour video to watch each week...but it is so worth the time and investment!

Anyway, today's study was out of Exodus 33 and the whole lesson was great! But the part I want to share was almost the last line Beth said in the video. In chapter 33, Moses is meeting with God. God tells Moses that He (God) would fulfill His promise to the Israelites and let them go into the promised land, with an angel that would go before them, they could enjoy all the milk and honey they desired, BUT God would not go in with them, His presence would not be a part of their lives any longer because of the sins (mistakes) the Israelites had made. Moses realizes that to go on without God would be a huge mistake and loss...so he pleads with God to go with them or not send them into the land at all. God agrees, to go into the promise land with them, because Moses found grace in God's sight. Now we are to vs 18, read with me please!

18 And he (Moses) said, “Please, show me Your glory.”
19 Then He (God) said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”
20 But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”
21 And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock.
22 So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.
23 Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

God showed Moses His glory, but to protect Moses from being killed by the full glory of seeing God's face, God hid Moses in the cleft of the rock and covered him with His hand. Here is the point Beth made that was so powerful!!

Darkness may not always be evil - it could be the Lord's hand covering us in the cleft of the rock and soon He will remove His hand and we will see His glory!!

I don't know about you, but I had never thought of darkness in this way...Psalms 91:1 says, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Shadows can be dark...shadows can be scary...what a reassuring thought that sometimes the shadow or darkness is God's protection!!

God is so good!!!

Amazing Grace

2013-09-20T14:00:00.001-07:00

Amazing Grace

Today as I was listening to worship music, the old song Amazing Grace came on...as I sang along suddenly verse three stuck out, as if suddenly someone directed a spot light at it. These words are so incredibly powerful!!

"Through many dangers, toils and snares

I have already come;

'Tis grace that brought me safe thus far

And grace will lead me home."

As I sang these words, suddenly I could see how God through His "amazing grace" had brought me through everything up till now. Some of the "dangers, toils and snares" I know about...I can recall them like they just happened yesterday, some of them were yesterday! But there are even more "dangers, toils and snares" I don't have a clue about. Those things that Satan tried to use to bring about harm, only to have God shield me and protect me, without me even knowing about it. Or those time when Satan set traps to make me fall, and God saw them and redirected my steps. Times when maybe I didn't understand why I had to go the long way about an issue, but God knew the long way was the best way. And just as God has been faithful to lead, guide and protect me for the last 30 years, I know without a doubt that He will be faithful to lead, guide and protect me until I finally walk those streets of gold and see my Jesus face to face!!

God is so good!!

He's Pleading For You!

2013-09-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Romans 8:34
34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Here are the definitions I found for t

he word intersession:

1. an act or instance of interceding.

2. an interposing or pleading on behalf of another person.

3. a prayer to God on behalf of another.

Jesus Christ

the only begotten Son of God, who died and then rose again on the third day, and ascended into heaven, He is seated at the right hand of God...this same Jesus intercedes for us! What an amazing thought! No matter what is going on in this world we live in, no matter the situations we face...there is hope because we have the very Son of God pleading on our behalf! WOW!

God is so good!!

Watchmen

2013-09-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Watchmen

Ezekiel 33:1-7

This passage of scripture jumped off the page to me when I read it this morning. God says some pretty strong words to Ezekiel, words that, I believe, apply to us as Christians today...

God tells Ezekiel that God has placed Ezekiel as the "watchman" over Israel. It was Ezekiel's responsibility to hear from God and take the Lord's message to the Israelites. In Ezekiel's case, the message was one of repentance and warning of things to come if they didn't repent. If Ezekiel shared that message with the people, and the people didn't listen, then they made their decision and it is on them. But here is the catch...If Ezekiel decided he didn't want to share the message, when the people continued in their sins (because they hadn't heard the message), Ezekiel was the one who took the blame.

So how does this apply to us??

We are called to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, to share the good news, to proclaim the good things God has done. Acts 1:8 says,

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

*Witness means to bear witness; testify; give or afford evidence.*

We are to be witnesses, we are to share, testify and give evidence of the Gospel.

As believers, we know the truth, we know that Jesus is the only way to be saved...the only way to eternal life in Heaven. (John 3:16, Romans 3:23) We know that without a personal relationship with Jesus, the only option is eternal torment in hell.

So, since we have a very important message that is a matter of life and death; we also have a responsibility to share that message. If we choose to keep quiet, if we keep the good news to ourselves, then we become responsible, just as Ezekiel was responsible!

My goal is not to cause you to feel like you've failed if you haven't shared. But I do believe that it is an important job that we all have, and I don't want to be the one responsible because I chose to keep quiet when God asked me to speak! I am sure there have been times when I could have shared, but I chose not to. I think it is safe to say that we all have kept silent at some point! So, when we fail to obey, we need to remember, that God is gracious and forgiving.

We are "watchmen", let's not keep silent, let's share the truth of the gospel whenever we have opportunity!

We know and serve such a gracious, compassionate, merciful, and awesome God...

Let's not keep Him to ourselves!!!

Our Pastor shared some thoughts on sharing the gospel last Sunday and what he said made so much sense! I encourage you to listen to the full message Here!

Psalm 121

2013-09-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Psalm 121

God the Help of Those Who Seek Him

A song of Ascents

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills-

From whence comes my help?

My help come from the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;

The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;

He shall preserve your soul.

The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in

From this time forth and even forever more."

Here is a great promise, a promise of shelter, 24 hour protection...God will not fall asleep on the job, God will protect, preserve, and help us. I love the last part of this chapter...

"The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in

From this time forth and even forever more."

This promise of 24 hour protection will not end...it is not just for a short time, it is from this time forward until eternity!! I am so thankful today, for this reminder, that we can always trust that God is watching over us, and protecting us.

God is so good!!

Jesus Wept.

2013-08-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

Jesus Wept.

In the story of Lazarus (John 11:28-44), the women are all gathered together, moaning and weeping and mourning the loss of Lazarus. And when Jesus arrives on the scene, and sees Mary and the Jews with her weeping, "He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled" (vs 33) Then Jesus asked to see where Lazarus was laid, and they replied, "Lord, come and see." (vs 34) and "Jesus wept."(vs 35)

There is something special to me about this verse. "Jesus wept!" Can you picture that? Can you imagine Jesus weeping? His dear friend is dead. His other dear friends are suffering because of the loss of their brother. And Jesus wept!

Jesus knew that in just a short time, He would call Lazarus forth from the grave, and Lazarus would come back to life. Jesus knew how the story would end, the good things coming soon. But when His friends were mourning, Jesus wept with them. Why? Why would He weep when He knew that Lazarus would come back to life? Jesus wept for His friends, the ones living, the ones grieving, Jesus wept for Mary and Martha. Because Jesus loved them and had compassion on them.

I believe that just as Jesus wept for Mary and Martha, Jesus weeps for us too. Jesus knows the future, the good things coming...but when we go through hard times and we find ourselves weeping, Jesus weeps with us! Why? Because Jesus loves us. Because Jesus has compassion on us. In our time of loss, in our struggles, in our brokenness, Jesus comes on the scene, and He weeps with us.

In verse 38 it says, "Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb." After weeping with Mary and Martha, Jesus went to the place of their sadness. The source of their pain and He did something incredible!!

In vs 39, He asked for the stone to be removed and Mary speaks up and says, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." Many times we do the same thing...Jesus comes to the place of our pain, our suffering, and He ask us to "remove the stone" or open the door so He can have access to that area in our life, and we are quick to come up with a reason not to remove that stone..."But Lord, there will be a stench!" "But Lord, it hurts too much!" But Lord, it's too bad" "But Lord, _________!"fill in the blank with whatever excuse we can find.

Jesus' response to us is very similar to what He said to Mary..."Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" In other words, If you just have faith, if you just believe, you will see the glory of God!

Once the stone was removed, Jesus prays, and then cried in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth! and Lazarus came out of the tomb bound with grave clothes...and Jesus said "Loose him, and let him go!" When we remove the stone, open the door and allow Christ access to those dark, hurting places of our lives, He calls out to us and brings us back to life. The areas where we struggle with losses, hurts, sins, or failures, become new with just the sound of His voice. Then as we struggle with the baggage left over, our "grave clothes" wrapped about us...Jesus says, "Loose him and let him go!" and Jesus does what He does so well, He sets us free!!

I don't know what your situation is, what area in your life you find yourself weeping, or hurting, or struggling...but Jesus knows, and Jesus is weeping with you, loving you, and asking you to remove the stone, open the door, and allow Him to bring new life to those dark corners of your heart and life. Will you remove the stone today?? Will you give Him access??

Let's Pray!

Heavenly Father, we thank You that You love us! Even though we fail and fall, though we are broken and scarred, though we make mistakes and mess things up so quickly...You still love us! You weep with us, You see our mess, our pain and our failure, and You are moved with compassion. We are so thankful!
Today we choose to open the door, to roll the stone away and give You full access to those areas of our lives that are so hurt, broken, sinful and just plain stinky! No more excuses, no more holding back, today, Lord we give those areas to You, and ask You to bring about new life and set us free from the "grave clothes" that entangle us. Thank You Jesus for your love and forgiveness. We love you, Lord!

In Jesus Name, AMEN

Keep The Faith!!

2013-08-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Habakkuk 3:17-19

A Hymn of Faith

17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,

Nor fruit be on the vines;

Though the labor of the olive may fail,

And the fields yield no food;

Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,

And there be no herd in the stalls-

18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19 The LORD God is my strength;

He will make my feet like deer's feet,

And He will make me walk on my high hills.

As we go through life we all go through rough places or times...Habakkuk was going through one of those rough times, when he wrote these verses. Israel was under attack...and when he cried out to the Lord for help, God informed him that the Chaldeans, "A bitter and hasty nation" would come and overtake Israel. As you might imagine, this was not what Habakkuk was wanting to hear...but the Lord told him to write out the vision and wait for it's fulfillment, for "the just shall live by his faith". In other words, God is saying, though it may be a long time before you see these things come about, keep watching, keep believing, keep your faith, because "the just shall live by his faith" - If you lose your faith, you surely won't make it!!

Habakkuk's was afraid when he heard all that God was telling him. Chapter 3:2 "O LORD, I have heard Your speech and was afraid;" But in the following verses Habakkuk reminds himself of the glory and power of God. After 15 verses of remembering the greatness and fullness of God...Habakkuk suddenly is filled with "A Hymn of Faith" And wrote out verses 17-19.

What can we learn from this?

God always has a plan, and though we may not always like it, God will get us through the rough places if we keep our faith!!

When the circumstances around us cause fear to rise in our hearts, we need to remind ourselves, of the God we serve, and turn fear into faith.

When we turn fear into faith...we will find the Joy of the Lord, and God will be our strength to get us through the rough spots in life.

I am so glad we serve a living, powerful, merciful and loving God!!

God is good!!

Life Lessons

2013-08-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Life Lessons

Here I am about to turn the big 3 0 in a few months, and though I realize I still have much to learn, and many things left in my to do list...I also realize that there are so many lessons I have already learned.

So here is a list:

Banging your head on the counter from a hard sneeze, hurts really bad.
Breaking your toe while doing the chicken dance, also hurts really bad.
Being made fun of, hurts worse than either of the previous two things.
The pain of loss, never quite goes away.
Life is hard!
When we hurt, God brings us comfort.
When we are broken, God is our healer.
When we are down and out, God lifts us up and draws us close.
When we deal with loss, God becomes our strength, carrying us when we can't walk.
When life is hard, God is our shield, our protection in every storm.
God is good!
God's love is so amazing, unfathomable, bigger and better than anything we know.
God is the creator of the universe, He holds everything together; Yet He also knows the very number of hairs on our heads.
God wants to have an everyday, every situation, walking together, personal relationship - with us.
We were created to love and praise God.
When we put God first in our lives, everything else will fall into place.
No matter where we are, what we've done, how good or bad life seems...We all need Jesus!

I am sure I could put many more things down on this list, however, you don't really want to read that long of a post, and I think I've covered most of the important things already! :)

God Is So Good!!

"Help Me Find It"

2013-07-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

"Help Me Find It"

There are times in life when you know what you want, you have an idea of how things will probably go, but you don't know the whens, wheres, whats, and hows, of it all. It is in times like these when we tend to try to figure things out and make things happen on our own.

I have trouble with this! Especially when I know what the end goal is, but do not know how everything is going to go. More often than not, it is because half of the things that need to take place for the goal to happen, are completely out of my hands.

But one thing I've come to know, is that the best thing we can do, when we don't know what to do, is call on Jesus!

God has a plan for us!

God will work everything out for our good if we are loving and serving Him.

That is a promise, and God is always faithful to uphold His end of the deal, when we uphold ours!

So where does that leave us?

It leaves us with one important job.

Loving, serving, trusting, and leaning on Jesus.

As I was driving down the road the other day, praying for guidance and wisdom, I heard this song. While I am sure I've heard it before, I'm not sure that I've paid much attention to the lyrics. But I found that this song echoed the cry of my heart, giving me words for the thoughts and feeling I held inside.

If you find yourself searching, trying to figure things out, I hope you will listen to these words, and make them a prayer over your life for today, tomorrow and everyday to come!

Standing In The Threshold!

2013-07-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Standing In The Threshold

Over the past month I've been trying to not only read my daily portion of scripture, but to adjust my schedule, and truly spend time with the Lord...waiting on Him, praising Him, and allowing Him to speak to me. I've found that life gets crazy. We all tend to be way too busy!! And all too often, we let the stuff on the to do list crowd out our time with God. It easily becomes just another thing on the list, something we mark off and feel good about.

As I've taken more time to spend with the Lord, I've come to realize that every minute spent with Him is so precious. Even just a few moments in God's presence will have a huge impact on your life. The sons of Korah, wrote a Psalm that says it so well!!

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand [anywhere else]; I would rather be a doorkeeper and stand at the threshold in the house of my God than to dwell [at ease] in the tents of wickedness.

Psalm 84:10

Time with God, is time well spent! You may feel like it isn't making a huge difference at the moment. However, when you take time to get into His presence (into His courts), The power and glory of the Lord will make a huge difference in your life. Your life will be changed even with the smallest touch of God's presence...the glory and all encompassing power of God, is still so amazing even if you're only standing in the threshold.

Part of my inspiration to start placing more of a priority on spending time with the Lord, is from a great book called, "Secrets of The Secret Place", written by Bob Sorge. Bob makes a statement about our time with the Lord, that I find so inspiring and true:

"I never consider time invested in the secret place to be wasteful;

and even if it is, I gladly waste it upon my Lord!" -Bob Sorge

Even when there seems to be a thousand other things pulling at us, needing our attention...spending time with the Lord is always a great investment, with huge rewards!!

Today I encourage you to find time, make time, do whatever you have to do...to spend time with Jesus!

Creator, Redeemer, Lover, and Friend...God is good!!

2013-07-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

Creator, Redeemer, Lover, and Friend...God is so good!!

God is faithful!

God always follows through.

God's love never changes!

There is nothing we can do to make Him love us less.

There is nothing we can do to make Him love us more.

His love for us is constant!!

All of God's promise (and there are a lot of them) are sure!

He never fails, He will never give up on us!

God is bigger than anything we can imagine.

Greater than anything we can ever comprehend.

And yet He loves each of us with a love that is so powerful...He sent His son to die for us.

So that we could walk with Him and have a personal relationship with Him everyday.

The God who holds the universe in His hands, wants to walk through each and everyday with us!

Every circumstance.

Every trial.

Through the valley and up on the hill top.

Wherever we find ourselves, we can know that God is right there with us.

God is waiting for us to turn to Him and include Him in all we do.

GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!

The Vine and Branches

Preparing For Lifes Battles

Step Out In Faith!

Great is the Lord

God's Perfect Design

God's Perfect Design

God truly loves us! God is so good!

Iceberg

Iceberg

God is so good!

The Not-so-Super-Mom

The Not-so-Super-Mom

God is so good!

5 Promises To Look Forward To In 2014

5 Promises To Look Forward To In 2014

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Just Wait!!

Just Wait!!

The Desires of the Heart

The Desires of the Heart

Blown Away!!

Blown Away!

Sweet Dreams!

Sweet Dreams!

God is sooooo good!!

When My Heart is Overwhelmed

When My Heart is Overwhelmed

God is so good!!

Are You Ready???

Are You Ready???

Hidden By His Hand

Hidden By His Hand

Darkness may not always be evil - it could be the Lord's hand covering us in the cleft of the rock and soon He will remove His hand and we will see His glory!!

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace

God is so good!!

He's Pleading For You!

Romans 8:3434 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Watchmen

Watchmen

Ezekiel 33:1-7

Psalm 121

Jesus Wept.

Jesus Wept.

Keep The Faith!!

Life Lessons

Life Lessons

God Is So Good!!

"Help Me Find It"

Standing In The Threshold!

Creator, Redeemer, Lover, and Friend...God is good!!

Romans 8:34
34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.