Let's Delight in God's Word - Video Post

What is your favorite passage of Scripture?

There is Freedom in Boundaries - Video Post

 

 

 

 

How have you experienced greater freedom by living within the boundaries outlined in God's Word?

 

Please share your comments below:

 

 



Biblical Resolutions

Are you planning to make resolutions this New Year's Day? Why not base them on some of the declarations that are recorded in Scripture? Check out these biblical resolutions.

1. Resolve to Inquire of the Lord.
   King Jehoshaphat was told that a vast army was coming to make war against him and his country of Judah. But before he ever rallied his troops or formulated a battle plan, "Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah" (2 Chronicles 20:3). The people gathered together and Jehoshaphat prayed earnestly before the entire group. He ended his prayer by declaring to the Lord, "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you" (2 Chronicles 20:12).
   
   Undoubtedly the year ahead will, for many of us, bring about situations for which we have no answers. Regardless what struggles lie ahead, we can take comfort in the fact that our God sees our need (Genesis 16:13), hears our cries (1 John 5:14), and knows us intimately (Psalm 139:1). He is never caught by surprise or left without a plan. When we don't know what to do or where to step, we can resolve to inquire of the Lord and fix our eyes upon him as Jehoshaphat did.
   
2. Resolve to Guard my Mouth from Sin.
   This second resolution is a challenging one. In Psalm 17:3, King David resolved that his mouth would not sin. Can you think of any words you said this past year that you wish you could take back? Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:29, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." It is a lofty goal, but even if we fail from time to time, just imagine the impact we can have on the people around us if we will strive to say only those words that build up or benefit others.
   
3. Resolve to Guard my Purity.
   The Old Testament prophet Daniel resolved to keep himself pure. When Daniel made that resolution, he was surrounded by a culture that was replete with idol worship and completely opposed to the standards of the God of Israel. "But Daniel resolved not to defile himself" (Daniel 1:8).
   
   Sadly, our society is growing more and more opposed to the standards outlined in God's Word. We're bombarded by images on our televisions or movie screens that threaten to desensitize us to evil, immorality, and violence. But Paul warned us in Romans 12:2 not to "conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." We are called to be distinctive and committed to purity. We can't always control our culture, but like Daniel, we don't have to allow our culture to control us.
   
4. Resolve to Keep Jesus as my Primary Focus.
   The final resolution is my favorite. The Apostle Paul resolved to keep his focus on Jesus. As Paul reflected upon his ministry in the city of Corinth, he said, "For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2 AMP). It was Paul's passion to wholeheartedly keep his focus on being acquainted with, displaying the knowledge of, and being conscious of our glorious Savior. What greater resolution could there be?
   
   So I challenge you to join me in making these four New Year's Resolutions. Consider displaying them where you will see them often. Pray daily and confess when you fail. It is my prayer that you have a blessed and resolute 2015.
   
   -Mindy
   
   
   First appeared in Today's Christian Woman: http://www.todayschristianwoman/articles/2010/january/thebestresolutions.html
   And Proverbs 31 Ministries, Every Day Live: http://p31everydaylife.blogspot.com/2010/01/biblical-resolutions.html
   

God is the Divine Planner

When are you most likely to forgo prayer for planning?

Please share your comments.

Inspiring After-Effects

“[Moses] persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.”
Hebrews 11:27 (NIV)

Have you ever been exasperated and felt ready to quit? That’s how Moses felt when he found out the Israelites had been worshiping a golden calf while he was on a mountain, talking with God. The legendary leader was so angry, he threw the stone tablets upon which were written the Ten Commandments, smashing them to pieces at the base of Mount Sinai.

Moses was exhausted and frustrated by the burden of leading God’s people and He was hungry for a deeper understanding of God’s power and goodness.  In Exodus 33:18, Moses boldly asked the Lord, “Now show me your glory.” In other words, Moses desired to know God more fully. He wanted to experience more of God’s presence than he had encountered before. God graciously granted His passionate servant's request. He said, 

"There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back, but my face must not been seen” (Exodus 33:21-23).

I’d like to suggest that God’s phrasing actually illustrates the way we see His active presence manifested today. We don’t see God’s glorious presence revealed before He acts. Just as Moses only was allowed to see God’s back, we only see the after-effects of His glory.

You don’t see Him thundering down from heaven before you get the cancer diagnosis. You see the after-effects of His glory when you come through the treatments and hear the words, “cancer free.” His work on your wayward son’s heart may not be visible to you for years, but you recognize the after-effects of His active presence when your boy quietly walks through the doors of your church sanctuary one Sunday and slips into the seat beside you. You don’t see the light of His presence shining in your daughter’s dorm room as you fearfully pray for God to somehow supply the funds for her college education. You see the after-effects of His glory as she walks across a stage sporting her cap and gown and receives her diploma. You don’t see God’s active presence heading in your direction; you see “His back,” the after-effects of our Lord’s extraordinary glory.

When you feel frustrated and want to quit, ask God to show you His glory, as Moses did. Ask Him to make His active presence more real to you. Then be sure to share the after-effects of His glory with fellow followers of Christ. It is glimpses of His awe inspiring glory that enable us to persevere as Moses did and fulfill our God-given purposes.

Let's encourage one another through whatever struggles we are facing today. What after-effects of our Lord’s active presence are evident in your life?

Adapted from Eyewitnessto Glory: Moses, Discerning God’s Active Presence (Chattanooga, TN; AMG Publishers, 2014),129.

You Are a Woman of God - Video Post

My newest bible study, Eyewitness to Glory: Moses - Discerning God's Active Presence, released just last week and I'm excited to share a little teaching from the study with you by video blog post today.

Dear Sisters-in-Christ, it does not matter what has happened in your past or what credentials you carry (or lack!), by virtue of your relationship with the Son of God, you can be remembered as a woman of God.

Embrace your new identity in Christ. He adores you. He died for you. He has equipped and anointed and empowered you. You are a spirit-filled woman of God and He intends to reveal His glory to the world through you!

I can't wait to see what He has planned. Please let me know how He manifests His active presence in and through you, Dear One, by posting a comment. I will celebrate with you.

With love,
Mindy



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Encouragement for Times of Loss

Today I want to share a devotion from my friend Wayne Hastings' new book, The Way Back from Loss: Reassembling the Pieces of a Broken Life, published by Howard Books. 

Through this sixty day devotional, Wayne provides a step-by-step path through the sometimes paralyzing confusion and frightening uncertainty of loss. The readings and quotes lead a wounded soul into the loving arms of the only One who truly understands your journey and knows the course of your future. 

"Hope Floats" (devotional number 39) is my personal favorite. Wayne says, "Hope doesn't sink us into the black hole of worry and angst; it floats. It keeps our head above water." 

Here's the devotion in its entirety.

Hope Floats

“The vision of His glory gives hope to those deluded by the importance of society by revealing our citizenship is not of this world.”^[i] —Anne Graham Lotz

Today’s Verse: “Through [Christ] . . . we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:2–5 NKJV)

We can never underestimate the value of hope as we go through difficult situations. We can look at all that’s happening to us or around us and feel hopeless, or we can choose to be people who are full of hope in spite of what is happening, what others are saying, or how we’re feeling.

Unfortunately we spend too much of our lives thinking. We agitate, cogitate, and worry. We suppose that if we think about something long enough, something will automatically happen or eventually change. It often doesn’t because we are so quick to worry about things that are totally out of our direct control.

Hope is far better. It’s the positive expectation that something good is going to happen to us. We don’t need to think about it—simply expect it. Instead of trying to think things through, we can hope on purpose.

Hope doesn’t sink us into the black hole of worry and angst; it floats. It keeps our head above water. It leads to joy and, as Paul reminds us in today’s verse, it doesn’t disappoint.

So, what if we don’t see what we’re hoping for? The answer is maybe we’re hoping for the wrong things.

Our hope shouldn’t be in things, or our own planned outcomes. Our hope needs to rest in God—who He is and what He has promised. Our hope needs to rest on a foundation that:

•   God loves us.

•   God has a plan for us.

•   God will never leave us.

•   God sent His Son to die for us.

•   God works all things out for our good.

Tough circumstances don’t simply disappear, but we can experience God through it all. There is eternal value in this day. We need to approach it with a hope based on who God is and what He has promised. We must stop overthinking things, give our minds and hearts to God, and float on His life-saving hope.

INSIGHT: Develop an attitude of expectancy and hope based on who God is and what He has promised.

PRAYER: Ask God to help you hope on purpose. Ask Him to help you take any thoughts of hopelessness captive to Him and erase them with His promises. Thank Him that He wants you to live in joy and for helping you grow in your faith.

LIFE CHOICES:

•   Study Psalms 30:5; 144:1 and Zechariah 9:12. What are the promises found in these verses? What does it mean to you to be a “prisoner of hope”?

•   Understand that you need to make a decision to be happy, rejoice, and have hope. It won’t simply come upon you; you need to take hold of hope on purpose. The Enemy doesn’t care about your things or your feelings. He wants your joy. It’s up to you to hold fast to your hope and renew it daily.

•   Discover how hope releases joy. Look up scriptures that clearly show you God’s promises to bring you hope and joy. Don’t settle for “I’ll be happy when . . . ” thinking, but rather focus on His hope for you today.

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^[i] Anne Graham Lotz, The Vision of HIs Glory, (Nashville, Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1996, 1997, 2009), 54