Pearl Harbor…Time to Remember their Sacrifice

December 7, 2023 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Today is the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor – December 7, 1941. It began 82 years ago at 7:55 am. If you have visited the Memorial over the sunken Arizona where the sailors are still entombed, you are sobered by their sacrifice. War is a terrible thing yet through it men rise to honor and sacrifice for their fellow men. Over 2,400 were killed and 1,000 wounded that day. The most causalities occurred on the USS Arizona as it was hit 4 times by Japanese bombers. A piece of trivia- 37 confirmed pairs or trios of brothers were assigned to the Arizona and this battle cost 62 of these 77 men their lives and 23 sets of brothers died. I can’t imagine the grief those families suffered all in one day. President Franklin D. Roosevelt described it as “a date that will live in infamy.” Just like September 11, 2001 will live on in our minds so should December 7th.

Say a prayer of gratitude today for the sacrifices of the men who died this day so long ago and for the men and women who continue to sacrifice their lives, time, talents and family time for our freedom.

Seeking to honor their sacrifice and service.

Linda

Unshakable with God!

April 20, 2023April 20, 2023 nofearlindaLeave a comment

After telling us to not be afraid in Isaiah 54:4-5, the Lord explains the brief punishment the Israelites will suffer. It may have seemed to them that God was abandoning or turning His back on them. Isaiah 54:7-9

“For a brief moment I abandoned you,
    but with great compassion I will take you back.
⁸In a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while.
    But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”
    says the Lord, your Redeemer. ⁹“Just as I swore in the time of Noah
    that I would never again let a flood cover the earth,
so now I swear
    that I will never again be angry and punish you.

It may seem to you too, that you are being abandoned, and are not loved and cared for by God. But God promises that He loves us with an everlasting love. He makes promises to us that He alone can and will keep. God keeps all of His promises! See how God concludes this conversation in verse 10.

“For the mountains may move
    and the hills disappear,
but even then my faithful love for you will remain.
    My covenant of blessing will never be broken,”
    says the Lord, who has mercy on you.”

God promises no matter how things appear His faithful love remains placed upon us. His word and His new covenant through Jesus will not be broken. He always has love and mercy for us.

What do we know about God’s love and mercy? His Love– In Ephesians 6:16-18 Paul explains God’s love to the Ephesian Christians, “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. ¹⁷Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. ¹⁸And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.” Psalm 23:6 by King David, “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” From Daniel in Daniel 9:4, “I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands.” His Mercy– It is God’s decision who will receive His mercy. Romans 9:15-16 explains God’s position. “For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” ¹⁶So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.” Mercy and love are part of God’s character, attributes of His, Psalm 86:15 “But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” We can ask God for His mercy. David repeatedly asks God for mercy as in Psalm 25:16 “Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress.” In Daniel 9:8, Daniel pleads for mercy for the nation of Israel who were in captivity in Babylon, “O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy.” Paul explains in Ephesians 2:4-5 how God’s mercy towards us led to our salvation, “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, ⁵that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)’

Isaiah 54:10 is a verse we can claim and hold onto in our lives. No matter what is happening around us we can count on God’s love and mercy. He delivers on His promises!

Linda

Happy 4th with A Promise

July 4, 2022July 4, 2022 nofearlindaLeave a comment

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I thought this promise was appropriate for the week of the Fourth of July. Enjoy the holiday and cherish your freedoms. Happy 4th!!

John 8:31-32, 36

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’…’So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed,’”

Promise: God promises freedom, truth and discipleship in Christ

Where and when do you feel truly free? As Americans, we pride ourselves on our independence, self-initiative and having freedoms to claim and practice in our daily lives. As we know our freedoms are defined and limited by the society in which we live. Sometimes we agree with these limitations and sometimes we don’t. We struggle each day to survive and maintain our freedoms within our family, neighborhoods and society.

The freedom that God promises is dependent upon Christ not us. We need to believe and accept the true freedom and then live a life dependent upon God. We need to accept the truth that God provides in His Word and the truth of who Jesus is and what He did for us on the cross. We need to accept our place in His family and take up the job of living for Him as His disciple. Working for God’s truth in our world will bring greater freedom than anything we think we can obtain or receive here on Earth. So do as Jesus commands, accept His freedom in faith and be free indeed!

Live free today in Jesus,

Linda

Here is a fun fact I found on the Internet this morning about our flag. I did not know what the colors represented.

Between 1777 and 1960, the shape and design of the American flag changed several times before arriving at the present form. The 13 alternating red and white stripes represent the 13 original colonies. Talking about colors, red stands for hardiness and valor; white symbolizes purity and innocence; and blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice. Food for thought- does our nation still represent these colors? If not, what can I do to stand for valor, live purely and persevere for what is right? Pray, pray and pray for our nation and our leaders and lean on Jesus in our own lives.

Christ Alone, His Righteousness for me

November 3, 2021 nofearlindaLeave a comment

This morning I was studying about the righteousness of God made manifest in Jesus the Son. Then Psalm 7:17 jumped out at me as I was reviewing passages on giving thanks. “I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness,
and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.”

What greater reason do we have to give thanks than that we stand on His righteousness and not our own? The Bible tells us in Romans 3:10 “None is righteous, no, not one;” We are all born sinners. You only need to look at yourself and you will realize that every day you cannot do everything right, say everything correctly, hurt no one, be kind at all times, etc. It is not possible. But, Jesus tells us that in Him all things are possible. Having His Holy Spirit within us, empowers us to live rightly for Him. I love the way Titus explains this in 2:11-13 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, ¹²training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” Through Christ alone we obtain our right standing with God. Paul writes in Philippians 3:8-10 “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,”

Knowing then that our right standing before God is all because of Christ and His sacrifice on the cross, shouldn’t that lead us to thankfulness? Without Christ, we are condemned, lost and would be eternally separated from God. Thank you Jesus! Due to your righteousness, I am healed, loved, freed from the power of sin, saved, cherished as God’s child, cared for, protected, provided for, and blessed. The list of what Jesus has done for me is endless! May these facts cause us to be living in thanks to Him. Giving Him praise and honor for all He has done and will do! May the words of Psalm 7:17 be on your lips today in praise.

“I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness,
and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.” Psalm 7:17

Linda

Reflection: Hope, What a Year!

December 31, 2020 nofearlindaLeave a comment

This last day of 2020 is filled with Hope for the future. Hope that the Pandemic that has plagued the world this year will soon end. Hope that the vaccine will protect us from the Corona Virus. Hope that the economy will recover. Hope that our world will again be open to travel. Hope that our lives will again begin to intertwine with others face to face. Providentially, the Word God gave me for this year was HOPE. I have seen it manifested in my life more and more as the year progressed. The scriptures I claimed this year were Psalm 71:14 “But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more”, Psalm 119:147 “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. and Psalm 39:7 ““And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.”

As I began the year, my reasons for choosing Hope were based on the eternal hope I know I have in Jesus. The hope I have that His Word anchors me in both the good times and in those that are difficult. His hope gives me confidence and joy in living each day. As the year continued, I saw the great need for His Hope in my life to ward off the fears of isolation, desperation, confinement, loneliness and boredom. He led me so that I was able to learn and grow in spite of all the confusion and helplessness I was feeling. I learned new ways to connect with others, the value and need I have to be connected and how to function together with others without being physically with them. I am eternally grateful for the Hope I have in Jesus that sustains and leads me. The lessons God taught me about His Hope caused my faith to grow and increased my assurance that His Word is true in every way.

What word will you ask God for in 2021? In 2019 my word was Trust. I saw my need for trust in God grow through the events of that year and the truth of God being Trustworthy. As I look toward 2021, God has been saying to me that my joy is in Him. So this next year I am convinced that JOY is my word for 2021. May God lead you as you reflect upon His Goodness, Patience, Love and Mercy as you end 2020 and look into 2021 with a HOPE that only Jesus can give!

Linda

God’s Word is Worthy of Reading!

September 11, 2020 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Each week we, the believers who attend Crossroads Church in Concord, CA, have a selection from God’s Word to meditate upon. We have been going through the book of Deuteronomy for quite some time now as it is a long book, and we only take a few verses at at time. I was thunderstruck by the passage this week.

Deuteronomy 31:9-13 “⁹So Moses wrote this entire body of instruction in a book and gave it to the priests, who carried the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, and to the elders of Israel. ¹⁰Then Moses gave them this command: “At the end of every seventh year, the Year of Release, during the Festival of Shelters, ¹¹you must read this Book of Instruction to all the people of Israel when they assemble before the Lord your God at the place he chooses. ¹²Call them all together—men, women, children, and the foreigners living in your towns—so they may hear this Book of Instruction and learn to fear the Lord your God and carefully obey all the terms of these instructions. ¹³Do this so that your children who have not known these instructions will hear them and will learn to fear the Lord your God. Do this as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.”

How many of us read God’s Word, all of it at least every 7 years? Do we share it with our families? God has a specific purpose for us reading His Word faithfully- to teach us about Himself and to pass on our love for God to the next generation. In my opinion, that is something we, all believers, have not done faithfully and now our world is lacking in the knowledge of who God is and why we should trust in Him alone.

Let us pray for our nation and ourselves that we will be found faithful in reading and studying His Word and telling those around us about the truths contained therein. To thrive in this sin-filled world, we must look to Jesus and His Word to walk in victory and light.

Linda

P.S. Need a Bible Study? send me a note and I’ll tell you of opportunities to study with many online groups. We no longer need to live in the same city or country!

No need to worry- We are SECURE in Him!

June 18, 2020 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Ephesians 1:13-14 holds wonderful truths for us to cling to that give us assurance of the hope and faith we have in Christ. “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”

The truths of this passages are many. I now have His Holy Spirit living within me through faith in Jesus affirming, testifying and guaranteeing my inheritance in Him. These truths are confirmed other places in scripture as well.

Indwelling Holy Spirit testifying and affirming: Romans 8:16 “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” Romans 5:5 “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” 1 Thessalonians 4:8 “Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.” We can be assured that His Spirit is real and lives within us.

Holy Spirit guaranteeing: 2 Corinthians 5:5 “Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” Hebrews 6:17 “Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.” God gives us His word that His indwelling Holy Spirit guarantees our belonging to Him and our future with Him -heirs of His promises.

A tangible inheritance in Jesus: 1 Peter 1:4 “and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,” Colossians 3:24 “since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Our inheritance is kept safe in heaven, a reward waiting for us for living a life of faith that brings glory to Jesus.

As you review these precious truths today. Which ones resonate with your spirit and give you peace? Claim God’s promises today! He has an inheritance for us, He gives us His Holy Spirit when we believe in Jesus and His Holy Spirit affirms and testify with our spirits so we can be assured of His love, a future with Him and His saving grace. Praise God for His wonderful provision for us. He knows we, as finite beings, need assurances and He graciously gives us all we need. Thank you Lord Jesus.

Linda

Love, Hope and a Redemptive Plan = Jesus our Savior!

June 12, 2020 nofearlindaLeave a comment

I love the message of truth given in Ephesians 1:4-10. I can be encouraged by God’s love, the redemption plan made perfect in Christ and the hope I now have in Him. Here it is in the Message translation for ease in understanding,

“Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. ^7-10Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.”

God had a long range plan to redeem us. It was not a spur of the moment decision. In Genesis 1:26, God decided to create man, a thinking living being in His image, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,” After giving Adam and Eve the directive to not eat of the tree of good and evil, Eve bowed to temptation from Satan and ate giving some to Adam too. God had anticipated this as He created man with free will and planned for a way to restore men and women into relation ship with Him. Genesis 3:15 gives the first prophecy of Jesus coming to counter Satan’s dominion over the desires of man. “I’m declaring war between you and the Woman, between your offspring and hers. He’ll wound your head, you’ll wound his heel.” Jesus would be born into this world and give hope to mankind through His sacrifice.

Why would God do this? His motivation was and is LOVE. He loves His creation and desires to have a relationship with us. John 3:16-18 says, “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.”

Does this give you HOPE? Hebrews 3:6 speaks of this hope we now have in Christ. “but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.” I also love Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

romans 5 2 The Word is filled with references to God’s plan of redemption and the restoration of His relationship with mankind from Genesis to Revelation. The story of God’s love for us, His desire to bring us back to Him is why Jesus came. All these things give me Hope and I pray they do the same for you as you meditate on Jesus, God’s love and His desire to be in relationship with you.

Linda

Faith- does it really matter?

June 5, 2020 nofearlinda1 Comment

As we all struggle with the racism that has surfaced yet again in America, we need to seriously ask ourselves if faith matters. People are carrying signs that say “Black Lives Matter” which is so true- as all people matter. We are all precious and made in God’s image. The question I am pondering is does ‘faith matter’? If it indeed does, how is it manifesting itself in your life?

As Christians we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and God is working within us. That should make a difference in the way we see our world and the people, animals and the creation that make up our world. We should be concerned about our life and the lives of others. Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; make and female he created them.” He created all of us and our faith brings God into us. Our faith in God allows us to work and live for Him. Many of God’s attributes are for Him alone- only He is Incomprehensible, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Sovereign and Almighty. However, many of God’s attributes are characteristics that He desires us to emulate.

ephesians-3-17 If we want to be more and more like Jesus, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to develop those characteristics within us. He desires that we are kind, loving faithful, thankful, show goodness, gentleness, joy and experience His peace. If we are to mature in faith, the actual term is sanctification, the we need to work our our faith and live it. It does matter – it matters to God and it matters to me. Jeremiah 9:24 tell us what pleases God, “But let him who boast boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” Through faith we can know God, and w can act in ways that bring Him glory and us good.

Just like ‘black lives matter’, so faith matters. It matters to you and to me. We need to humble ourselves and be open to God’s leading in our lives. When Solomon was dedicating the temple in Jerusalem, God promised a way to return to Him and save their land should they veer off course. “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Let us pray for our nation and humble ourselves seeking to do as Jesus would when dealing with others… Faith in God and Love are the ways to peace. Faith matters, let the light of Christ shine in and through you today.

Linda

Amazed by the Empty Tomb, what about you?

April 21, 2020 nofearlindaLeave a comment

The post resurrection appearances began at the empty tomb. This fact occurs in each of the 4 gospels and 3 of the gospels include the appearance of a heavenly being interacting with the grieving followers of Jesus. Since Jesus had been hastily buried due to the need to have him buried before sundown, as it was the beginning of the Sabbath and no one could be buried on the Sabbath, His body was not properly prepared with spices. It was wrapped but not fully treated. The women, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went to the tomb with spices intending to anoint Jesus’ body. The gospel accounts say it was very early in the morning as they walked and talked on the way to the garden tomb. They were concerned about how they were going to get the stone in front of the tomb removed so they could enter to anoint Jesus’ body. When they arrived this was the scene:

^“And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. ⁵And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. ⁶And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” ⁸And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” Mark 16:4-8

The angel, who appeared to be a young man, told them not to be afraid as he had good news about Jesus. He encouraged them to look and see that Jesus was not there. He also told them to go and tell the others Jesus had risen and they would see Him again. The women rushed off to tell the disciples. John describes their reactions in John 20:3-8. “So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. ⁴Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. ⁶Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, ⁷and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. ⁸Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;”

Can you even imagine their joy, surprise, awe, fear or confusion over experiencing the empty tomb, the angel, the clothes that had been wrapped around Jesus’ body that lay neatly folded? The disciples saw and believed. How about you? Do you see the things God does in your life, the unusual happenings, the providential circumstances that can only be explained as God’s hand? Do these things register with you that God loves and cares for you? God has a plan for your life just as He did for these disciples. He wanted them to encounter the living God, the resurrected Jesus, and experience His transforming power in their lives.

he-has-risen May you encounter the Living Jesus and His transforming power today.