Tag: Christ

Freedom -Available in Christ Alone

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We all long to be free- in body and spirit. We know in reality that we cannot be truly free from the obligations to our society and family.  Jesus offers us freedom of spirit regardless of where we are and no matter the circumstances!

John 8:31-32, 36 “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Promises: God promises freedom, truth and discipleship through Christ.

Where and when do you feel truly free? As Americans, we pride ourselves on our independence, self-initiative and love having freedoms to claim and practice it 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 Jesus promises is dependent upon Him and not us. We just need to believe in faith and accept the true freedom to live a life dependent upon God. We need to accept the truth of God’s Word and who Jesus is and what He did for us on the cross in faith. We need to accept that we are part of God’s family and Jesus wants us working for Him as His disciples. 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 and accept His freedom and be free indeed.

What we know from these verses: faith in Jesus means holding to His teaching, God is truth and His Word is truth, knowing Christ brings truth into our lives, God gives freedom through faith in Jesus.

Lenten Reflections: Am I experiencing God’s freedom from sin in my life or am I still feeling bound by sin? What truths have I discovered about God in His Word?

Being free from the power of sin allows one to focus on Jesus and be one who tells and teaches others about Jesus. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I am free from the power of sin and death and ready to live by His truths.

Linda

Related verses: Psalm 31:5, Isaiah 55:7, Luke 14:26-27, John 3:16-17, John 14:6, Romans 8:1-2, Galatians 5:1, Revelation 1:4-5.

Alignment is a Good Thing!

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What has God promised as a result of our having faith in Jesus? What can we expect from prayer? Today’s promise answers both of these questions definitively.

1 John 5:13-15 “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

Promise: God promises that faith in Jesus gives us eternal life and that anything we ask, according to His will, He will grant us.

When you pray do you give God a wants or needs list? This verse reminds us that God has a perfect plan, and that we need to seek to align ourselves with His plan not our own. True alignment with God’s will produces results in the form of answered prayer. Jesus was our example as he prayed in Matthew 6:9-10 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ” And again in Matthew 26:39 “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” As hard as it may seem, to produce results for God, we must seek His will not our own. God promises His will brings the very best to us.

What we know from these verses: faith in Jesus gives eternal life, God is accessible, God has a plan for my life in His will, God is sovereign over all things, God wants me to align myself with His perfect will.

Lenten Reflections: Where am I needing God’s will in my life instead of my own? How am I doing in trusting His will for my life?

Eternal life is God’s promise for our faith in Jesus. It begins as soon as we accept Jesus into our lives. The indwelling Holy Spirit begins working on our character and will to make us more and more like Jesus. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can spend eternity with Christ, approach God in prayer and seek to be in alignment with Him each day.

Linda

Related Verses: John 3:16-17, John 4:13-14, Matthew 7:7, Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:27, Romans 12:2, Romans 3:23, Romans 5:8

Presence and Purpose -Always with God

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How are you about seeing things through to the very end? In today’s promise God promises He will always see us to the end and be with us. He has a mission and purpose for us to fulfill as we walk with Him towards the end.

Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Promise: God promises to be always with us until the very end as we go about His work.

Have you ever started a project and then lost heart or got side tracked or laid aside your goal for what you thought was a better one? All those actions and feelings are products of our sinful nature and provided by Satan. He wants us defeated, unfinished, losing heart and getting sidetracked. All those are not from God as He promises success if we walk with Him. We can trust HIm to do as He says and keep His promises. Does it give you hope and encouragement that God is always with you and has important work for you to do in telling others about Jesus? He gives us His indwelling Holy Spirit to help us accomplish His tasks and assurance of His presence with us 24/7. For me, knowing God is always with me allows me to meet each day with optimism and look for God given opportunities to speak about Him with others. Maybe it will a full conversation or maybe a simple smile or hello, but showing God’s love to others by reflecting the character of Jesus is our work and purpose.

What we can know from these verses: God commands us to tell others about Jesus, God empowers us to witness for Him through His Holy Spirit, God is with me 24/7, God’s plans are eternal, God will see us through life, God desires that I teach and tell others, our time for telling others is limited and will end.

Lenten Reflections: Are you looking for opportunities in your day to reflect Jesus? Who could you teach about Jesus?

Feel God’s presence today and be encouraged. He has work for you, a purpose for your life. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I have purpose and His presence assuring and encouraging me to speak to others about Him.

Linda

Related Verses: Numbers 23:19, Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 66:16, Psalm 139:7-10, Romans 8:16, 2 Timothy 2:2.

The Way to Life

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Today’s promise is an essential one as it contrasts a life without Christ to one with Christ.

1 John 5:11-12  “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

We live in an age of tolerance and it is not thought to be polite, proper or loving to say there is only one way to God. Many would espouse the idea that there are many pathways to God. God’s Word does not allow for tolerance of other ways or the idea of multiple ways to reach a relationship with God. God specially says that Jesus is the only way to Him and that is through faith in Jesus. Knowing Jesus is the only way to have a relationship with God, have your sins forgiven, to be able to go to heaven and to have an eternal life with God. It is imperative that we stand firm on this basic truth for true salvation demands it.

What we know from these verses: Faith in Jesus results in eternal life and a relationship with God, not believing in Jesus brings death, Jesus is God’s Son who He sent to save us and redeem us from sin.

Lenten Reflections: Do you know Jesus and believe He is the way to God? Are you tolerating talk of many pathways to God or are you taking a stand on God’s Word?

As we can see from our verses, not accepting Jesus as the way to God and embracing faith in Him leads to death. Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Without the work of Jesus we are lost in our sin and definitely not headed for eternal life with Him. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know God, be forgiven and will be able to spend eternity with Him. Be sure you know Him.

Linda

Related Verses: Jonah 2:8-9, John 3:16-18, John 14:, Acts 4:12, Romans 6:23

For the way to salvation- 1 John 1:8-10, John 3:16, John 14:6, John 1:12-13

Such Comfort and Assurance – Homeward Bound!

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My post from Sunday, the 3rd Sunday of Lent, was about our eternal home. This is something promised to us by Christ. Today’s scripture adds details that are significant to each of us as we look forward to our home in heaven with Christ. Revelation 21:3-4.

 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place  of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Promises: God promises that one day we will live with Him and those things that have caused us tears like pain and death will no longer exist.

I can’t imagine living a world where pain and sorrow do not exist. There would be no more death, accidents, disease, anger, hatred, wars, greed, envy, evil, or selfish ambition. Wow! That will certainly be a place to look forward to, however, that is not the most important feature of this new home. It will be a place where we live in constant communion with God. We get a glimpse of this when we read the Genesis account of the Garden of Eden. There Adam and Eve walked with God, talked and lived in perfect harmony with Him. Our finite minds cannot even grasp a world without evil, but God promises it will come in His time. I hope that knowing a bit about our eternal home will bring a smile to your lips and hope to your heart. Be encouraged today as you ponder what God had in store for our future with Him.

What we know from these verses: God desires that I be with Him and He with me, God has a future planned where I will be with Him eternally, God knows the things in my life that cause me tears and suffering, sin causes pain in our lives and our home with Him will be a ‘sin free’ enviornment!

Lenten Reflections: What excites you the most about your future home in heaven? How can you know for sure you are going there? (Faith in Jesus is required- John 3:16, 1 John 1:9, John 11:25.)

We need to trust God for the future and walk believing in His Word. God keeps His promises and will deliver us to our heavenly home. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can be assured of a heavenly home that will be a joyous place with Him!

Linda

Related Verses: Leviticus 26:11-12, Isaiah 25:8, Ezekiel 37:27-28, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Revelation 7:17.

Need a Plan for Peace- Try Prayer

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I love the promise for today. It is so meaningful and uplifting to me and is filled with God’s assurance and love. Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Promise: God promises that prayer will relieve anxiety and bring His peace that guards both our hearts and our minds in Christ.

These verses lay out a plan for relief from the anxieties that plague our lives and gives us a plan of action. When I’m feeling worried or stressed, the best way to get my mind off of the problem is to be busy doing something. God knows this and gives us a plan for doing here which is to be praying with a thankful heart. We are to tell him about our problems and desires and leave these with Him. The result will be His peace and protection through the work of the Holy Spirit within our lives. Being thankful reminds us of who is in control and who is sovereign in all circumstances. Leaving our worries at Jesus’ feet reminds us of His great power and omniscience. We serve a sovereign Lord that cares for us and wants us to live a life free from anxiety and have a heart that is focused on Him. His peace both guards our hearts and our minds and frees us. The fears of worries are enslaving and He wants us free to serve Him. The resulting freedom = peace from God.

What we can know from these verses: God hears and answers our prayers, my heart attitude and mindset are important when talking with God, God desires peace for me, God’s peace is beyond imagining, a heavenly place of mind, God’s peace is internal and can happen even when life seems in turmoil.

Lenten reflections: Where am I needing God’s peace in my life? What worries or anxieties can I relinquish to God today in exchange for His peace?

Just reading these verses seems to calm my mind and heart when I’m in turmoil. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can have peace of mind and heart through Jesus.

Linda

Related verses: Isaiah 26:3-4, Isaiah 48:17-18, John 14:26-27, Colossians 3:15-17, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Hebrews 4:16, Hebrews 7:25.

God Preserves

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Today’s promise comes from Psalm 31:23-24. It holds both promises and a warning- a cautionary note from God.

Love the Lord, all you his saints!
    The Lord preserves the faithful
    but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
    all you who wait for the Lord!

Promise: God promises to preserve those who faithfully follow Him and chastise those who act pridefully.

The world present us with constantly changing circumstances. The life of one who follows Jesus requires strength and courage; it is not for the fainthearted! God promises that He will be preserve us as we wait upon Him and strive to follow His ways. He promises to look out for those who belong to Him and even calls us saints! This does not mean we will not have challenges or heartbreaks, but that we will be preserved. The best verse I can think of for this is John 10:27-29 “ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” We are protected through our faith in Christ. No one, nothing, can take us away from God once we are His. Once committed to Jesus, we cannot lose our salvation as no one can snatch us out of the Father’s hand! He preserves us and our salvation is safe. Our eternal life is secure!! Another verse that helps us see this is Ephesians 1:13 “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,” We are sealed though the power of the Holy Spirit.

God’s caution about being prideful is shown through multiple examples in the Bible. 2 Chronicles 26 tells us about King Uzziah who became prideful before God, 2 Chronicles 32 tells us about Hezekiah’s prideful actions that almost cut his life short until he repented. Daniel 4 tells of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon who admired all he had built  “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you,” He then lost his kingdom and spent 7 years roaming the woods like an animal until he repented. Only then was he restored to health and power. Proverbs 16:18 puts it this way, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.’

What we can know from these verses: God is worthy of my love and praise, God is committed to preserving me for eternity, God hates pride/arrogance, God supports those who wait upon Him with courage and strength.

Lenten Reflection: Do I truly believe that you belong to Jesus? If in doubt, pray and ask God for assurance of His promise that you are sealed and preserved for all eternity. Do you suffer bouts of pride or arrogance? Be quick to repent and acknowledge God as your Father and provider.

Knowing the Lord loves you and has your back for all eternity is a great comfort in this hectic and often evil world. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can live with assurance of God’s faithfulness and His safeguarding of my salvation.

Linda

Related Verses: Psalm 145:3, John 10:27-29, Ephesians 1:13, Proverbs 16:18, 1 John 2:16-17, Psalm 97:10, Romans 1:7.

Peace and Strength, Available from God

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What do you do when you are troubled? How do you find assurance and peace? In our chaotic world with wars, rumors of wars, famine, geopolitics and unsettling circumstances all around us, there seems to be no place with or for peace. David lived in such a time as he was pursued by his enemy King Saul for 10+ years. Saul was jealous of David and wanted him gone! David found peace in the assurances of the Lord and comfort from God’s faithful promise that he would be king. God held his future, and David leaned into and depended upon God.

Psalm 29:10-11 The Lord rules over the floodwaters.
    The Lord reigns as king forever.
11 The Lord gives his people strength.
    The Lord blesses them with peace.

Promise: God promises strength and peace to His people.

David knew that God was sovereign and in control of the world around him. He trusted him for his future and the circumstances of his life. He took God at his word that he would provide the strength David needed to face and oppose Saul, lead his people and fight the battles before him. What about your strength? Do you seem to run out of strength to face the hard things in your life? Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:19 “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Christ is the source of all strength and He will provide. In Isaiah 40:29 God assures us, “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.” God is the source of all strength and it is to be ours through Jesus who gives us the strength we need. We need to ask Him for His strength when we are feeling weak. He will provide what we need to meet the challenges we face.

David also took God at his word and relied upon Him for peace. Not peace from his enemies, but internal peace knowing that all was in God’s hands and under His control. Do you know that peace? It transcends our world and is from within. Jesus spoke of this peace in John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” Jesus knew we are prone to worry and would struggle with the circumstances of our lives. He did not want us to live in turmoil or to be afraid! Jesus wanted us to see his peace as a blessing to our lives. It is a blessing that provides hope and assurance and rest in Him.

What we can know from these verses: God our source of strength, God’s peace is a blessing to us when we receive it, God cares about me, God wants me to be secure and resting in His peace.

Lenten reflections: How am I doing at accepting and reflecting God’s peace in my life? Is He winning or am I succumbing to the pressures and worries of the world? Have I asked God to give me strength instead of trying to do all things on my own?

I pray that you will look to Jesus as the source of your strength and peace. He had promised to provide them both. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can trust Him to provide peace and strength in my life as He has promised!

Related verses: Isaiah 40:29, Philippians 4:19, 2 Timothy 4:17, John 14:27, Jon 16:33, Romans 5:1, Psalm 102:27-28, Psalm 62:1-2.

Linda

Here is the entire Psalm 29. Honor the Lord, you heavenly beings;
    honor the Lord for his glory and strength.
2 Honor the Lord for the glory of his name.
    Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

3 The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea.
    The God of glory thunders.
    The Lord thunders over the mighty sea.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord splits the mighty cedars;
    the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf;
    he makes Mount Hermon leap like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord strikes
    with bolts of lightning.
8 The voice of the Lord makes the barren wilderness quake;
    the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks
    and strips the forests bare.
In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”

10 The Lord rules over the floodwaters.
    The Lord reigns as king forever.
11 The Lord gives his people strength.
    The Lord blesses them with peace.

Feeling desperate? “Come to me,”-God

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Do you ever feel that nobody cares what is happening to you or will take time to listens to your emotional distress? Do you feel there is no one to help you in your time of need? All of us feel that way from time to time in varying degrees, but what do you do about it??? The Bible gives us hope as God promises to be that someone for each of us. David wrote in Psalm 34 about just those feelings and knew where to turn for help, comfort and understanding.

Psalm 34:17-18 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit.

Promise: God promises to hear our cries for help, deliver us from troubles, comfort us when we are brokenhearted and revive us when our spirits are crushed.

I take great comfort in this promise as it is rooted in God’s love. His love can find us and bring restoration. God desires to help those who love Him and He is committed to us. He wants to deliver us, as many times we are caught in the consequences of our own sins. I have experienced God’s deliverance in these times by a lessening of the severity of the consequences. I recognized His hand in my life and the circumstances and thanked Him for His help. It did not take away the consequence, but showed me how much worse it could have been without His help. When I have needed comfort, I have been overwhelmed by the way God uses others to come alongside me and put an arm around me or provide me exactly what I need. We may think we are alone, but God uses others in our lives to do His work. I need to keep that in mind when I feel nudged to help a brother or sister, call or write a note. The Holy Spirit is within us and can minister to others through us. When my spirits have been crushed, God has lifted and pointed me in a new direction. It was not instantaneous but little by little He revived and renewed me. I claim His promise from Joel 2:25a “I will restore to you the years  that the swarming locust has eaten,” I have definitely felt His restorative powers in my life. It is not the same as it was before I was crushed but new and different- restored! Praise God! Experiencing God’s love in these tangible ways deepens and confirms our faith. I confirms how much He loves and cares for us.

What we can know from these verses: God is accessible- He hears and listens, God is merciful and tenderhearted, God cares about me and my troubles, God can and does uplift and restore.

Lenten Reflection: Where have I felt God’s comfort, help or restoration in my life that I need to thank Him for His expressions of love towards me? Who is God nudging me to minister to in His name?

Related verses: 1 John 5:14-15, Psalm 103:8, Nahum 1:7, Joel 2:25, Isaiah 40:30-31, Psalm 90:1-2.

May you take strength from this promise in Psalm knowing God truly cares for you and will uphold and restore you if you will turn to Him. The key here is we have to humble ourselves and turn to Him for help. Because Christ died on the cross and rose again, we can come to Him in confidence knowing He will be there for us!
Linda

Lent 2025, Promises

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As I was praying about what to write on during our 6 week Lenten journey, God impressed upon me that He keeps His promises and not knowing His promises means you are are lacking something vital that God intends you to have! I decided to blog each day on a different promise that God has for us in His Word. The promises will come from both the Old and New Testament as He has been in the promise giving and keeping business since the beginning of creation.

In my book, Promises for Dynamic Living, I wrote the following in the forward. It seemed a very appropriate reminder of why we need to know and claim His promises. “In studying God’s promises I have seen a completeness to God’s Word and how He has woven it together to confirm, assure, and build us up to be the men and women He desires. His Word in us glorifies Him, and He longs for us to study and know Him. When I work with young people, I try to teach them that God’s Word, on the pages of our Bible, holds the same power as the spoken word of God, which brought the world into existence. There is power in His Word and He desires that we know His Word and claim it in our lives.

I am so encouraged because the depth of God’s promises span throughout the entire Bible. God’s promises are not just limited to those things given to us by Christ. God has been in the promise-making business from the very beginning of His relationship with man. He knows us and knows that we need assurance of who He is and what He will do in, and through our lives. I pray that you will find promises in both the Old and New Testaments to enrich your walk with the Lord and that it brings you assurance of His loving character. May His promises remove, any and all doubts you are experiencing. Claiming His promises in your life will dispel doubts and fear. It will lead you on the pathway towards assurance and HOPE in Christ.”

Are you feeling doubts about the future from the circumstances that surround you? Are you anxious about your finances or health issues? Studying God’s promises is guaranteed to reassure and uplift. If this is what you need. Join me for the next six weeks and be ready for joy and hope to invade your life!

Walking with His promises this Lenten Season!

Linda