I recently had the privilege of honoring and celebrating a dear friend of mine who turned 91.
As we gathered
faith in God but her walk with
In my life, I recognized how
God.
of
desperately I needed to be
she
more rooted in the Father’s
When
hardship
times
occurred,
persevered – knowing God
love.
would work out the details
transition happening around
within her life.
me that, at times, I was
moments brought tears to our eyes while others made
Our faith in God cannot rest on whether or not we see
overwhelmed.
us laugh.
Him
us.
whether or not He was there.
Hebrews
At times, He seemed so
around the kitchen table, we listened to her stories about her
life.
Some
of
the
Yet, as she
working
around
There was so much
moments
I
There were questioned
looked around the room, she
This is not faith.
looked into each of our eyes
11:1 defines faith as the
silent to me.
and said this one thing, “It
substance of things hoped
moments I needed to know,
doesn’t matter what you go
for, the evidence of things
no matter what, “God is
through, just know that He is
not seen” (NKJV). Things
always in control.”
always in control.”
hoped for are realizing and recognizing the love of the
In my quiet time with the
I do not believe one could come to that conclusion without having lived a life that revealed these truths to
Father within your life.
God
Lord, He reminded me of
utterly
Esther, the young Jewish girl
convinced of His love for us.
who was summoned into the
the heart.
When we are secure in His
king’s court.
love, we rest in Him.
she had known it, was no
Her life is a
testimony not only of her
wants
us
to
be
It was in those
Her life, as
Although, she did
of inadequacy and inferiority.
God doing a mighty work
not understand the magnitude of the call on her
You need to see yourself as qualified because this is how
within our hearts.
life, God did.
God sees you.
longer.
We need to
You need to
In closing, I want to share one last verse: Consider it
realize there are going to be seasons we simply endure and will not understand the
step out – knowing that, no
‘whys’ within our lives, but
in control.
God does.
You see, God
asking some of you to let go
trials of many kinds, because
took her heartaches and hardships and used it for His
of things, but you are fearful
you know that the testing of your faith produces
glory and honor.
battling with feeling insecure
She was
matter what, God is always
of
I believe God is
doing
so.
You’re
pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face
perseverance.
Let
You need to
perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature
would
rest in the identity He has
and complete, not lacking
become queen. God then
given to you, not what you
used her position to save
have obtained through your
many lives.
own means.
not
just
concubine;
some
Jewish
she
Here’s the
beauty behind Esther’s story. When you read about Esther,
and displaced.
Release to
Him what He is asking of you and know that, no matter
it is the only book in the Bible
what,
that never mentions God.
control.
Yet, her life reflected her
you God is asking to be a
faith in Him.
Why? I believe
Esther knew deep within her heart that, no matter what, “God is always in control.” Just like my precious friend, Esther’s faith in God was reflected in her walk with Him.
God
is
always
in
There are some of
voice for Him, but you are reluctant to do so because of how others may respond to
anything
(NIV
–
James
1:2-4). God uses the trials in our lives to produce perseverance within our hearts because, in the end, we will lack nothing.
He
wants us to be strong and mature in Him. God desires
you. You are fearful of being
that our hearts be secure in His love and our lives a reflection of our faith in Him
rejected.
to
because, no matter what, we
realize – you did not choose
know that God is in control.
You
need
God, but He has chosen you for such a time as this.
You
need to speak up – knowing I believe God is asking many of you to step out in a new
that, no matter what, God is
direction with Him, and you
in control.
are terrified. You are dealing
In the most trying times of
with feelings
our lives, we will often find
Rest in God’s amazing love and know, without a shadow of a doubt, He is always in control! In Him, ~Rev. Melisa Pearce
They represent a new time, a new step... it is part of the endurance. "As long as the earth endures..." as we just read.
It's absolutely part of the process, the circle of life. They
represent a new time, a new step... it is part of the endurance. "As long as the earth endures..." as we just read. It's absolutely part of the process, the circle of life. Change is inevitable! Yet, in all that changes around us and in us, there is one consistent that never changes: "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17, NIV) Let’s look at the unchanging character of God: "God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" (Numbers 23:19, NIV) "But you remain the same, and your years will never end." (Psalm 102:27, NIV) "I the Lord do not change…" (Malachi 3:6, NIV) When we are in a changing season, Who should we cling to? uncomfortable and some folks uneasy. future!
Why?
Change makes most people
It's because of the uncertainty about the
When we are 'uncertain about the future', Who should we rely on through the
change? Yes, God, for He does not change! When we are placed in a new season, or a new place, we must trust God to get us through that uncertainty or that 'unknown way.' When God led His servants in the past, did He map out their direction completely; or did He ask them to move along step by step?
We know the complete beginning and end were
not given to the servants as they obeyed God.
We know they had to step out in faith,
believing God would provide for them along the way.
We have to do the same thing – Trust
God – in our changes, and allow Him to mark the path before us...to "mark the seasons."
Has God called us to the same thing, forever? We know the answer to that is “No!” go!!
We are strengthened as we grow and as we
We change and shift as we walk into the new path. Change is an opportunity to allow
the Lord to blossom and produce in a person something new and never before established. If we are never confident enough to step into new things, we won't grow. the same place, doing the same thing!
We will be at
There will be no expansion, no growth in the gifts
within us. We will become stagnant. Through the years, on occasions, I have been asked to minister in different capacities that were new to me, and as a result of stepping out I have seen the growth and abilities God has given me. I couldn't have seen them,if I didn't step out and trust God to stretch me! There are gifts inside of you; EXPANSION is upon you! why.
Why? God is upon you! That's
The GOD OF THE EXPANSE, Who created the heavens and the earth, is making
you grow...For He (the Light) is upon you...His Light reaches into hearts, into areas to dispel the darkness.
His Light shines into our fear of the unknown...
When God said, "Let there be light," He was saying, "Let there be growth”, because without light there is no growth.
Let the Light push out the darkness! Let the Light shine upon your heart and reveal the dark places, so that the Light dispels the darkness and allows growth to take place.
Let there be an EXPANSE between.. ”And God said, "Let there be a vault (an EXPANSE) between the waters to separate water from water." (Genesis 1:6, NIV) "God called the vault (the EXPANSE) ‘sky’…"
(Genesis 1:8, NIV)
There is EXPANSION in YOU – as wide and as high as the sky!
The text note in my Bible
describes 'the expanse' as the atmosphere...Well, atmosphere was created to bring change, to produce...to separate...to mark seasons! In the natural, when seasons change, the atmosphere changes!. In the Spirit, when the atmosphere changes, it produces changes within our season...or our seasons in God.
We
are created to bring about His change upon this earth and in our lives!
What season are you in? "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…" (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NIV) What are you doing, Lord? "Since a king's word is supreme, who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’" (Ecclesiastes 8:4, NIV) Have you ever asked the Lord that question? I HAVE! But let us be mindful that, -"Whoever obeys His command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure. For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter…”
(Ecclesiastes 8:5-6, NIV)
If you sense a season of change embrace it and obey the King. Your heart will know the proper time!
Embracing Change With You, ~Mary Beth Pecora
What is the greatest need facing our world today? Security from terrorists? Solving world hunger? Clean water for all? Economic, political or social stability? Solving ‘climate change?’ I believe the greatest need of our world never makes the list of any polls and isn’t even on the radar for the vast majority of people. The greatest need facing the Church, our nation and the world, and the greatest need of all of us as individuals – has been, is now and always will be – to be consumed by ‘the fear of the Lord.’ God’s Word to us today is the same as it was to the people of Israel, as recorded in the book of Deuteronomy: …what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (ESV – Deuteronomy 10:12) What does it really mean to ‘fear the Lord,’ and why is that so important? According to Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary, it
means
‘…a holy awe or reverence of God and his laws, which springs from a just view and real love of the divine character, leading the subjects of it to
hate
shun every thing that can offend such being, and inclining them to aim
and
a holy
at perfect
obedience.’ To ‘fear the Lord’ means to honor Him and have a reverent God is: to alone
is
awe
acknowledge God; that
Sovereign and worthy
of Who that He He is of
worship and obedience.
(Continue.........)
our
It’s recognizing that God sees all and knows all; that His ways are so much higher than the ways of man and that He should be feared because He holds the power to send people to eternal glory or judgment. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. (ESV – 1st Chronicles 29:11) Fearing God includes such a reverential respect for the Person of God and His holy character that you recognize that His will and His ways are perfect, which leads you to be for what He is for and against what He is against. The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil… (ESV – Proverbs 8:13) To ‘fear the Lord’ includes fearing the wrath of a holy God Who hates sin and is going to bring eternal judgment upon those who refuse to repent and put their trust in the atoning work of Jesus, Who died on the cross on their behalf. Fearing God means taking Him at His Word – knowing that it is impossible for Him to lie – trusting that He will accomplish everything that He says He will do. The root of the crisis we are in is that we live in a generation that, by and large, does not know the Word of the Lord or what He requires and the consequences of disobedience. It is imperative that we know what God’s Word says, and that we obey it. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you [the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me.
And since you have forgotten the law
of your God, I also will forget your children. (ESV – Hosea 4:6) In a world where most people are living meaningless lives and questioning their purpose, God gives vital instruction:
…Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. (ESV – Ecclesiastes 12:13) When we fear God – love, honor, respect and adore Him – we desire to obey His commandments.
And when we obey Him, we do not need to fear His punishment or the
wrath that is to come upon all those who are disobedient and unrepentant. Over and over, Scripture records blessings for nations (and individuals) that fear God and punishment for those that do not. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! (ESV – Psalm 33:12) America was preeminent in the world and experienced the gracious hand of God’s blessings, when we feared Him and depended upon His grace and mercy to sustain us. I remember when most families attended Church together and had a family altar time, when the Bible and the Ten Commandments were taught in our public schools and school days opened with Christ-centered prayer. The removal of prayer (1963) and the Ten Commandments (1980) from America’s public schools paved the way for the spirit of lawlessness that abounds in today’s public square. We now live in a nation that embraces that which God calls ‘evil’ and spurns that which God calls ‘good’ (Isaiah 5:20)! And we are under God’s judgment for forgetting Him! Like the Israelites who were promised blessings if they feared and obeyed God and curses if they disobeyed Him (Deuteronomy 28), we too can be assured that we’ll receive blessings if we fear God and curses if we fear anything other than Him. Oswald Chambers wisely said, “The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.”
Jesus’ words ought to penetrate our hearts, especially as we witness the persecution of our brothers and sisters across the globe: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (NIV – Matthew 10:28) So, how is the ‘fear of the Lord’ obtained? 1) By hearing God’s Word. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (ESV – Romans 10:17)
Are you daily in His Word, listening to what the Spirit of God is saying to you through Scripture? Do you obey His Word?
2) By asking God to fill you with the ‘fear of the Lord.’ "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (ESV – Matthew 7:7)
Have you asked to be consumed by the ‘fear of the Lord?’ You can ask Him now!
How can you help others to have the ‘fear of the Lord?’ 1) By sharing with them the truth of Who God is, as revealed in His Word and through the Person of Jesus Christ.
Are you regularly sharing the Gospel with others? Or are you allowing the ‘fear of man’ to keep you silent? Ask God to give you His love for others and boldness to share the Gospel.
2) By praying for them!
You can know you are praying God’s will when you ask Him to consume the people for whom you are praying with the ‘fear of the Lord.’
May God pour out on us and our children and their children ‘the fear of the Lord?’ And lead us to walk in the ways of God for the glory of His Great Name! Julie Van Gorp, President – True View Ministries
Matthew 25:31-46 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.
All the nations will be gathered before him, and
he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”
Jesus concludes with one final parable. on judgment.
The parable of the sheep and goats was a teaching
The separation of sheep from the goats was a representation of how believers
and nonbelievers would be separated from one another.
It only would be the believers of
Jesus Christ who would inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus expounded on how those in heaven would receive rewards for their acts of love and service towards others without the thought of receiving a reward. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Culture promotes self-centeredness with emphasis on expectation of what we will receive in return.
However, God desires for our acts of service to be done out of love.
us operating out of love to meet the needs of His people. operating through us to attend to the hurting, lost and needy.
God wants
It is never about us but God When we serve out of love,
it demonstrates our love for God. Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.
Everyone who loves has
been born of God and knows God (NIV – 1 John 4:7). Have you shown God’s love to others without expecting remuneration? need around you.
There are many in
Ask God to show you how you can express His love to them.
It may
require you giving of your time, or it may require you giving some of your resources to help another.
Are you willing to demonstrate the love of God no matter how He asks you?
Here are a few S.I.M.P.L.E. tips on how to obtain the peace that God so freely gives to us, let’s look to His Word. 1. Pray:
That’s where we can always go for direction!
God’s Word tells us to go to Him with our requests, in prayer, and His peace will
guard our hearts and minds.
What a beautiful thing!
the name of Jesus, thanking Him for His peace.
I’d like to encourage you to call upon It’s yours for the taking.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV) 2. Aim for a Steadfast Mind: naturally, but it can be done. God.
Having a mind steadfast on God may not come easily or His Word reminds us to fix our eyes and our thoughts on
When an anxious thought or feeling tries to sneak in, stop them!
of what is true, and know what’s true, by spending time reading your Bible. to pray.
Remind yourself Take a moment
When our mind is focused on Him and His truth, it’s harder for things that are
not from Him to take hold. You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you (Isaiah 26:3, NIV). 3. Trust: Do we trust that God will take care of any problem that’s weighing on our mind? Do we believe that He’ll make a way when it seems impossible? Make an intentional effort to put your trust in Him.
Same as above, take time to pray, even if you have to pray for
Him to increase your trust.
Remind yourself of His truth.
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. (Isaiah 26:3, NIV) I pray that you’ll experience His peace on a regular basis.
When fear, doubt and anxiety
try to take hold – pray and aim for a steadfast mind and trust in God. His peace is yours for the taking! ~Katie Cline