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Missions

Matthew 28:18-20 says “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

This scripture is known as the “Great Commission.”  As God’s children, we have a wonderful opportunity to obey that command!

Matthew 24:14 says, “And this gospel of the Kkngdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

Do you realize what that involves?  It means that God has chosen to use His people to tell others about Him…that’s missions!  He requires obedience as His people do His work all over the world.  He also depends on His people to pray and give to support missions.  If you are already involved in missions, thank you for your dedication.  If you are not yet involved, I encourage you to find a church or missions group that will help you determine your spiritual gifts from God, develop them, and use your uniqueness to obey Him and help others in His name!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for choosing us to be Your children!  Give us the desire to tell Your story and to share in Your mission.  May that desire become a fire in us, fed only by Your love! Amen

Fully Rely On God

I had the precious privilege of watching a bird build a nest on my front porch this past spring.  As time went on, the bird laid eggs in the nest.  As the eggs hatched the momma bird worked very hard feeding these baby birds.   

I was really in awe of how many trips the momma bird made back and forth in order to provide for her babies.  (Did you know that a baby bird eats a worm whole?...Just a little something I learned as I watched!)

Watching these birds reminded me of scriptures about birds in the Bible.

Matthew 10:29-31

“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?  And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.  But the very hairs on your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”  

Jesus assures His disciples that they can trust God's sovereignty in their lives.  In my research, I learned that sparrows were the cheapest commodity sold in the markets (as food for the poor). Yet as worthless as sparrows were to people, God watched over them. How much more can we be assured that nothing happens to us when God is not looking?  
Ps 121:4  assures us that “He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”

Matthew 6:26

“Look at the birds in the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?”

Here we are reminded once again that God provides for His children and we are to Fully Rely on God! (Remember those F.R.O.G. bracelets we use to wear?)

Mirror, Mirror - Part 2

I met my husband in June of 2001.  During that summer we had lots of fun playing on the river.  I knew immediately he was my “Mr. Right”.  He proposed 5 months later and we were married 3 months after that!  Dating him for 8 months before marriage, I thought I knew everything about him!  Needless to say, I didn’t.  The more time we spend together, the more I learn exactly what makes my husband tick.

For example…I NEVER use the phrase “you NEED to” instead I say “have you thought about”.  (You NEED to call your mother.  Vs  Have you thought about calling your mother?) “Need” seems like I am giving him a command.  “Have you thought” makes it sound like an idea.  It took a few years of marriage to learn this.

On the other hand…He has learned that when I say “Are you going to wear that?”  It really means you should wear something nicer!  HA!  Glad he figured that out!

Wow!  The more time you spend with someone, the more you learn about them.

It is the same with Christ.  There is no crash course on learning the character of God.  Unless we truly seek Him, striving to learn His every way, spending time with Him, we will have a distorted view of Him.  Only when we know Him can we reflect Him.  And let me promise you that once your relationship with Christ becomes extraordinary, you will never want it to go back to ordinary!  Do yourself a favor and passionately pursue the God who has the power to create the universe by His spoken words.

Mirror, Mirror

Mirrors…they can be a good thing, you know like when you have just lost a lot of weight or when you leave the salon.  They can also be very depressing, like when you are going through postpartum and nothing in your closet fits!

But what exactly is a mirror?  Webster says a mirror is an object that reflects.

Let’s ponder this, as Christian what are we to mirror or reflect?

Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

This leads me to believe that since we were created in the image of God, we are to reflect Him.  Now the question is HOW?  How do we reflect Christ?

Ephesians 1:17  says “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.”

To reflect Christ, we must know Christ.  To know Christ, we must spend time with Him in His Word.  Every time we read His word, we should ask God to reveal Himself to us and believe that He will.

The disciples made the knowledge of God a priority.  They spent time with Him.  The revelation of who God is will enable us to become mighty instruments in the hand of God.   

As we reflect Christ, God will be able to use us to reach others. 

Decide now to make the pursuit of God a passion.  Choose to know God and make Him known!

Are we there yet?

Are we there yet?  These are the words I heard over and over as my family and I traveled.  My four year old did not grasp the idea of traveling and time.  As I encouraged him to take a nap and it would make the ride seem shorter, he closed his eyes and then opened saying, “ok, I took a nap, now are we there?”

Isn’t this the way our prayer life sometimes is?  We close our eyes and pray and then open them expecting to magically have our way?

“Please heal Susie.” She is still sick

“Please send me a new job.”  You are still at the old one.

“Please help me make a decision.”  You still don’t know what to do.

Why is it that we assume our prayers should be answered in our time and in our way?  Isn’t God the creator of the universe?  Isn’t He the one we trust with our lives?  Doesn’t He know best?

If you are waiting for God to answer a prayer, take heart!  Know that if you are walking in obedience to Him, your times are in His hands.

Psalm 31:4-5a “But as for me, I trust in you O Lord; I say You are my God.  My times are in your hand.”

Before the foundation of the world was laid, He chose you to be His child (Eph 1:4).  Not only did He choose you, He created a plan and purpose for your life (John 15:16).  Allow God’s plan to develop in your life.  He knows you and wants the best for you.  

God longs for you and me to come into that place where we desire His will, His plan, and His purpose in our lives.

Are you there yet?

Feeling blah??

The snooze button was pressed again this morning.  Being up and down with a baby at night doesn’t exactly make for a good night’s sleep.  Finally dragging myself out of bed, I shower with no time to wash my hair.  The clip goes in, makeup on…and now the chore of finding something to wear.   Obviously, I’m not feeling as beautiful as my husband keeps telling me I am.   Isn’t that what husbands are taught to do…say whatever they need to in order to make you feel better?

How about you?  Do you ever have days where you are feeling blah?  Maybe you think if I just had a new hair cut, a pedicure or a new outfit.

Well, guess what the King says about you?  He says, I am enthralled with your beauty!(Psalms 45:11)  That’s right ENTHRALLED - another translation says DESIRES.    That should put a smile on your face!  It doesn’t matter if you feel like a maid, a referee, or a slave today…you are first and foremost a daughter of the King and He thinks you are beautiful!  SO…act like it!  When people ask why you are so joyful, tell them!

Decisions, Decisions

To press snooze or not?

  Cook breakfast or grab it on the go? 

Dress pants or jeans? 

Stick to your diet or eat the cake?  

We are faced with many decisions every day.  Most of the time, they are so simple we don’t even realize we are choosing.  But what happens when we are faced with a life changing decision? 

To move or stay where you are?

To change jobs or keep the one you have?

To marry or stay single?

My husband and I were recently faced with a decision to make.  Knowing that God should be our first “go-to”, we both committed to pray.  As I searched Scripture for answers I was led to John 16:13b.

“… He(the Holy Spirit) will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak…”

The verse immediately reminded me of John 10. 

“My sheep hear My voice and they follow Me.”

I have Good News for you!  If you are a child of God, you too can hear His voice.  Take time to spend with Him.  Allow Him to guide you and give you a peace about your decisions.  Peace is the presence of the Lord.  It comes when we adjust our lives to the will of God.

1.     Listen to God

2.    Obey

3.    Claim your peace

He longs to lead you through the life He has planned out for you!