One can only travel for so long, then you yearn for the familiarity of home.  I enjoyed my month in Greece and will be processing all that I learned and encountered for years to come, but it felt good to sleep in my own bed, enjoy TV in English and to cook my own food.  I was meditating this morning on our eternal home and how we will feel when we get there.  Psalm 84:10-12 gives us a glimpse of how very rich our eternal home will be.

“Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.  I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.  For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor ; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trust in you.”

If I enjoy coming back to my earthly home, how much more will I enjoy my heavenly home?  It will be a splendid and holy place where God is forever present.  He will provide the purity, light and protection in my heavenly home.  He will treat me with love and honor.  What a glorious place and time await me.  For now my job is to be in my earthly home and cling to His promises, walk in His ways and trust in Him.

Do you live with a sense of anticipation for your heavenly home?  I am anticipating its splendor but am content to live here walking with Him each day.  Knowing our heavenly home awaits us, gives us hope and courage for the challenges we face each day.  Thank you Lord for the assurance of such a wonderful place that awaits us in you. Amen

Home is where your heart is now and in the future.

Linda

I came upon this beautiful Greek Othodox church in my wanderings around Athens this week.  I’m missing my home church as we are celebrating 40 years of fellowship.  Jesus told us in   Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”  My church looks nothing like this one yet it is just as beautiful. It is the heart and faith of those who worship our Lord and Savior that make a church. If you do not have a church home -go in search of one today. There you will find solice, support and genuine fellowship with other believers.  Happy 40th Anniversary to Crossroads!!

Linda

Psalm 121:1-8 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. This portion scripture came to mind the day we visited Meteora. What a powerful and amazing Gid we serve. He encourages us to look up and behold his help, majesty and power. Look and see… Don’t you agree?

Linda

After visiting the site of Lydia’s conversion, we went a short way to the ancient ruins of Phillipi. Impressive stone work from both Greek and Roman times. These ruins contained the jail site where the locals imprisoned Paul and Silas for casting out a demonic spirit from a slave girl that would fortune tell for her master and earn money. Angered by his sudden financial loss, the owner stirred up the crowds against them. During the night there was an earthquake freeing them from their chains. The jailer drew his sword to kill himself thinking the prisoners had escaped. Paul reassured him that they were still there. Then the jailer rushed in:

Acts 16 Acts 16:28-32 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 

Paul’s response to the jailer was so simple, yet so profound. Faith in Jesus is all that is required for salvation. That simple message is true today as well. Thank Jesus for your salvation. It is a gift of freedom. Allow him to break the chains that bind you today. 

Living without chains,

Linda

My long awaited trip to Greece has arrived! Yesterday we visited Neopolis or present day Kavala where Paul and Silas first set foot on Macedonian soil. Then on to Phillipi where he met Lydia, the first Christian convert in Greece. She was baptized in the river just outside of the village.      

Acts 16:13-15 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us. 

My thoughts drifted to where I was when I first realized who Jesus was and my own need for a savior. I can only imagine the realization relief Lydia must have felt as she encountered the spirit of the living God in her heart as Paul spoke about Jesus. Start your day with a prayer of thanks for knowing Jesus. If you don’t know him, pray for him to make himself known to you today. 

Blessings from Greece,

Linda

As we ponder the significance of 9/11 today, what comes to your mind?  This is the 15th year anniversary of that tragic attack on the twin towers in NY and the Pentagon.  Many of those alive today have no memory of that horrific day and those terrifying events.  The same could be said for December 7th and the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Both bring extreme sadness at the unnecessary loss of innocent lives, the aftermath of the events and their impact on families, the nation and our way of life.  A great sense of invasion and insecurity looms in my mind.

As I looked back, just a year ago on 9/11 my new book, Promises for Dynamic Living arrived.  The arrival of a new book you’ve written is a momentous time for an author.  At the heart of this book is hope and security.  God’s Word provides us with an anchor for our souls in Christ and redemption though His work on the cross.   This morning in church, my pastor quoted 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.  That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”  What hope we have in Christ! He fulfilled all the promises in the Bible about himself and all questions about redemption are Yes in Him.  We do not need to fear for our future as it is guaranteed by Christ himself.

So what of 9/11 and those fears and insecurities?  Turn them over to Jesus and depend upon Him in all things.  We can cling to Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”    Nahum 1:7  “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in him.”  Isaiah 26:3-4 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.  Trust in the Lord forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.”  John 14:27  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”    I pray one of these verses gives you added hope in Jesus today.

Living in a troubled world with HOPE,

Linda

A study in God’s Word that will bring you hope and assurance for living in a troubled world.  Available on Amazon or at Certa Publishing.

I came across this quote today by Billy Graham.  Being such a well know man of God, you would not associate discouragement with him on a regular basis.   I love his humble thoughts and acknowledgement of his utter dependence upon God.   What about you?  How do you fare when you are discouraged?  Do you turn to God?

Isaiah 12:2 “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.”    Discouragement is not a sin but what we allow discouragement do with our minds and actions can lead to sin.  But I would further say that discouragement is a sin if it lingers in your mind.  It is a by product of not trusting God to fully meet your needs and direct your path.  Don’t allow discouragement a foothold in your life.    Do not listen to your own defeating self-talk.  Claim God’s promises over your problems and leave them at His feet.

Here are some promises to claim over and for your discouraged heart:

Deuteronomy 31:6   “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” 

Matthew 17:19-20 “Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, Why couldn’t we drive it out? (It refers to a demonic spirit living inside a boy in verses 14-18.)  He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith, I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there” and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you.'”

Feeling discouraged? Claim God’s promises over your life and send that discouragement away!  It is a tool of Satan and we must rebuke it and claim God’s power in our lives.  There is power in the Word!

Blessings today as you move above any discouragement you are experiencing.

Linda

I think most people want to think of themselves as generous whether they actually are or not.  Scripture tells us that God desires that generosity be a part of our character and that it will come from Him.  A result of being ‘in Christ’ and having the Holy Spirit indwell us will be a spirit of generosity that will be evident in our lives.   There are benefits to having generosity be a part of our character.  Psalm 112:5 “God will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conduct his affairs with justice”.  Proverbs 11:25 “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes other will himself be refreshed” and Proverbs 22:9 “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.”  Paul describes the Macedonian believers in 2 Corinthians 8:1-2 “And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.  Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.”  Even though they were ‘poor’ monetarily and under great persecution, they could be and were generous.  Their generosity came from a great thankfulness that they had for the salvation and grace that God had shown them in sending Jesus.  Jesus is the root of our generosity.  He is the one who gave it all for us that we might know Him and have a relationship with God.    Through and by God’s grace we can be and are made generous if our hearts are willing .  2 Corinthians 9:11 puts it this way, “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”  God gives us the resources to practice generosity and that generosity should lead us to giving thanks to God from which everything comes.

Do you see Jesus as the source of your generosity?  Or is your generosity driven by self  and a desire to ‘look good’ to others?  Those things done in the name of Jesus will bear great fruit for Him and for you.  Look to God, use His resources and glorify Him with your giving.  He will create in you a spirit of generosity that will well up and spill over into all areas of your life.

Linda

In Psalm 51 David, the psalmist, begs God to create a clean heart within him through His mercy and love.  Why did David desire a clean heart and why should we?  David knew that sin comes between God and man.  It blocks our access to the creator as God cannot tolerate sin.  In the Old Testament they had to offer blood sacrifices to atone for their sins.  Even then, the atonement was incomplete and had to be offered over and over again.  Since Jesus came and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, He died once for all our sins- past, present and future.  Jesus was the perfect, sinless sacrifice.  Hebrews 7:27 “Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people.  He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.”

Look to David’s example and desire a clean heart.  James 5:16 puts it this way “There fore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”   2 Timothy 2:21 “Therefore, if anyone cleans himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.”    Confess and then step out as a powerful witness, prayer warrior and one who is ready for every good work!

I want to be a prayer warrior, how about you?

Linda

I have been meditating on this question and answer for some weeks.  Writing about humility seems a daunting task.  Here is what the Holy Spirit revealed to me during my study.

I decided I needed to get a firm understanding of what humility is.  According to Webster, humility is the state of being humble which is showing awareness of one’s defects or shortcomings, not being proud, being modest or unpretentious.  In searching scripture for references to humble, I found a pattern of benefits God promises to bestow on the humble person.  Jesus is our example to follow as Matthew 11:29 Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.”   As a Christian striving to be more and more like Jesus, humility should be a high priority for us.  Colossians 3:12 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. “

Humility is a high calling of every Christian and helps us reflect our Lord and Savior to the world.  But, what is in it for us?  I was shocked to learn that the calling to humility is laden with benefits from God.  He wants us to emulate His Son and be humble. God provides us with motivation to strive in that direction.   The first benefit of humility that I discovered is salvation.   Psalm 149:4  “For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.”   Next, wisdom.  Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace , but with humility comes wisdom.”  Then, guidance and teaching.  Psalm 25:9 “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.”   Also, grace or unmerited favor from God.  Proverbs 3:34 “He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble.”  Plus, esteem.  Isaiah 66:2b “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.”  Lastly,  exaltation from God.  Matthew 18:4  “Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ” Matthew 23:12 “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.   What a list of benefits God promises to the one who strives for humility. God promises those that are humble- salvation, wisdom, guidance, teaching, grace, esteem and exaltation!   God knows that humility is not easy and will take constant walking with Him, being obedient and submissive to His will so the rewards are incredible and only ones our Lord could give us.  Humility has eternal value for our character.

On the flip side of this, one scripture sticks in my mind.  James 4:6  “But he gives more grace.  That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'”  Who in their right mind would want to oppose Almighty God?  Holding onto our pride and walking pridefully puts us in opposition to Sovereign God.  That’s not a place I want to be!

So as you consider humility and pride today, what is your goal?  Are you striving to align yourself with God, walk in His ways and seeking to follow Jesus’ example?  Or are you rooted in pride, living for yourself and what you can achieve?    I pray that the list of benefits I discovered in God’s Word will encourage and motivate you today to seek more than ever to walk in humility.

Blessings,

Linda    

Loved these quotes I found

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