Total Hope, where do you find it?

January 17, 2020 nofearlindaLeave a comment

These first few weeks of 2020 I have been looking into HOPE as it is my chosen word for the year. I saw survival hope in Psalm 71:14 “But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.”, Hope in God’s Word, Psalm 119:114 “You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.”, Hope in God’s steadfast Love, Psalm 33:18 “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,”, Hope in the future, Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” and daily Hope for living, Lamentations 3:21-23 ” But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Today’s verse helps me to see that God is my Total Hope, Psalm 62:5-7 “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
⁶He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
⁷On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God.”

I love the truth of these words written by the psalmist David so long ago. They are truths confirmed throughout scripture. My hope comes from God alone. He is the one who stands by me and holds me in times of distress and trouble Psalm 107:13 “they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.” God is so strong and mighty, so sure and complete that He cannot be shaken, Hebrews 12:28 “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe. He gave me salvation through faith in Jesus, Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”. God alone is working in my life to mold and shape me into the person He desires me to be and shares His glorious attributes with me, Romans 5:3-5 “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” He is the holder of my salvation and sent the Holy Spirit as my guarantee, 2 Corinthians 1:22 “and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

Do these truths about God alone give you Hope for surviving, loving, learning and leaning on the truth of His Word, for looking into the future and for daily living? God is my total Hope and that Hope is in Him alone. He is and has all the hope I need. “Thank you Jesus for bringing God’s Hope to me.”

May you grab hold of His Hope today and be uplifted and strengthened.

Linda

Righteousness = God, what about us?

December 11, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

As you read today’s scripture taken from Luke 1:68-75 showing Zachariah’s praise song to God, be mindful of God’s Righteous character. Here is the definition of God’s righteousness-see how it fits with all God did and will do. Righteous God: God is right in all He does. He has always been right and always will be right. All of His words and actions are right. All of His plans are right. God has no sin and is positively perfect. God never lies. He is fair, just and faithful in all he does. We never need wonder if God is right, so we can trust God when we do not understand.

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has visited and redeemed his people.
⁶⁹He has sent us a mighty Savior
    from the royal line of his servant David,
⁷⁰just as he promised
    through his holy prophets long ago.
⁷¹Now we will be saved from our enemies
    and from all who hate us.
⁷²He has been merciful to our ancestors
    by remembering his sacred covenant—
⁷³the covenant he swore with an oath
    to our ancestor Abraham.
⁷⁴We have been rescued from our enemies
    so we can serve God without fear,
⁷⁵in holiness and righteousness
    for as long as we live.

The people of Israel could count upon God to keep His promises, treat them with mercy, never leave or forsake them to their enemies and guide them in a walk that is good all the days of their lives. They knew their God was righteous in all ways.

Do you know Zachariah’s Righteous God? Through Jesus we can know God more fully and see His Holy Spirit working within us. Romans 3:10 says, ““None is righteous, no, not one;” Without Jesus we are lost and doomed to death because of our sinful nature. We cannot get ourselves clean enough for Holy God. Paul explains the solution to this dilemma in Philippians 3:8-9 “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 ⁹and 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.”

Give thanks today for our Righteous God who loves and desires the best for us. He desires we seek Him and walk each day in His ways. He desires that we grow in righteousness through faith in Jesus. Blessings as you meditate on the Righteousness of God and your own ‘rightness’ with God through your faith in Christ Jesus.

Linda

Abounding in Thanksgiving….is that you?

November 26, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

What causes you to be thankful? There are lots of sights, things and people that bring a smile to our faces, but what gives you the most gratitude in your heart? God’s Word gives us the ultimate reason to give thanks in Colossians 2:6-7^“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Paul was teaching the Colossians that the freedom they have in Christ will cause them to be grounded and not easily swayed by the world. They will be able to live full lives because God lives within them and empowers them to live for Him. By faith in Jesus they can walk with Him daily. Paul explained to them, and us, that the result of an empowered and indwelt life would be thankfulness. Having Christ with you 24/7, guiding, protecting, building you up, and loving you would result in great thanksgiving.

Is that true of you? Do you live with thankfulness in your heart because of what Jesus did and continues to do in and through your life? Ask yourself-am I abounding in thankfulness? Abounding means having thanks in great quantity, being rich in thankfulness, being filled, teeming with thanks. If you are struggling to abound in thanks, think on a few of the things Christ did and is doing for you: He provided the way for my salvation from God’s wrath through His death on the cross, calls me a member of His family, gave me eternal life, is accessible to me 24/7, will never leave me nor forsake me, gave me citizenship in heaven, intercedes for me before the Father, gave me His Holy Spirit to indwell me, and He promises a life that is full, abundant and rich in love. Take a minute today to thank Him for being the reason for your abundant and abounding thankfulness. He is worthy.

Linda

The 5 W’s of Pentecost…Let them speak to you today!

June 9, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Who was there? Scripture tells us in Acts chapters 1 and 2 that the disciples and many other Jews from every nation were gathered together.

What? The arrival of the promised power from heaven that would empower them to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

When? Pentecost was 50 days after the Passover. It was called the Feast of Weeks in the Old Testament. It was 10 days after Jesus’ Ascension into heaven.

Where? Jesus told them to go and wait for the helper that would come. They returned to Jerusalem after Jesus’ Ascension just as He commanded.

Acts 2:2-4 describes to us vividly the arrival of the Holy Spirit. “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Peter stood and preached to the gathered crowd and told them that this outpouring from heaven was from God. He quoted the Old Testament prophet Joel in Acts 2:17 “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” The arrival of the Holy Spirit was dramatic- tongues of fire- and noisy- as a strong wind and filled with many languages. It was a surprise arrival yet it had been expected. Jesus told them to go and wait, so they knew something or someone was coming. In John 15:15-17, 25-26, Jesus had promised them the Holy Spirit would come. “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-the Spirit of truth. And all this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Also in Luke 24:48-49 Jesus told them of the coming power and place, “You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Why was this necessary? When I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, His Holy Spirit came to dwell within me. This Spirit that arrived on tongues of fire and with a great sound lives within me. He empowers me to live a godly life and to speak to others about Jesus and His salvation. 1 John 4:4 puts it this way, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is great than the one who is in the world.” Romans 8:16 “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ” 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

How do you answer your own 5 W’s about the Holy Spirit? Who is the Holy Spirit to you? What are you allowing God to do with this Holy Spirit that lives within you? Where are you walking in obedience and listening to His Word? When are you stepping out in faith to tell others about Jesus? Why is the Holy Spirit necessary in your life? Jesus wanted the disciples, and us too, to use the power the Father sent to do the work of telling others and living for Him. Will you begin today by allowing God’s Holy Spirit living within you to lead you to live for Him in a mighty way that will bring Him honor and glory?

Praising Him this Pentecost Sunday,

Linda

Are you in the crowd? Why did Jesus come to you?

June 4, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

There is one other post-resurrection appearance I want to think about as we wait for Pentecost. Paul recounts to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 the appearances between Christ’s purposeful death and resurrection and His ascension back into heaven. “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,(Christ died and rose again with purpose foretold in scripture)⁵and that he appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to the twelve. ⁶Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.⁷Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. ⁸Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” (Paul is referring to his encounter with Jesus on the Road to Damascus that happened sometime later.)

Have you ever wondered about the large gathering of 500 that saw Jesus? What was His purpose? In each post-resurrection appearance, Jesus purposefully met with those who needed to see Him most- the grieving Mary, the doubting Thomas, the guilt ridden Peter and the unbelieving disciples. What could have been His reason for appearing to 500? Perhaps He wanted those who did not know Him as intimately as the disciples to experience His love and power first hand? Perhaps He wanted to make known the reality that He was alive and they could carry on. Perhaps He wanted to comfort, ignite, give hope, …. Seeing Him again, knowing the reality of His death on the cross, knowing He had been buried and was alive for them to see must have been eyeopening, challenging, fearsome, awesome, unbelievable….. One can only imagine what it must have been like to see Jesus.

Today as you think about this, try to picture yourself as one of the 500. We have an advantage as we have His indwelling Holy Spirit within us to convict us and bear witness to our faith. We do not need to see Him to believe. Jesus addressed this issue in John 20:29 as He spoke to Thomas. “Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Faith is a blessing from God. Thank Him today for your ability to believe even though you were not there with the 500. You can know that He loves, cares for you and is with you always.

Linda

Ascension Day- up He goes!

May 30, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

40 days after the resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven. His ascension is recorded in Mark, Luke and the book of Acts. It took place on a mountain top in the vicinity of Bethany according to Luke 24:50-51 “And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. ⁵¹While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.” Mark also adds in Jesus’ destination after His ascension, Mark 16:19 “So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” In the book of Acts, Luke, the author, gives us a more complete picture of this event. Acts 1:9-11 “And after He said these things, He was caught up as they looked on, and a cloud took Him up out of their sight. ¹⁰While they were looking intently into the sky as He was going, two men in white clothing suddenly stood beside them, ¹¹who said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This [same] Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will return in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

The disciples who were focused on where Jesus went and the angels assured them that Jesus will return in the same way He left. Jesus had lovingly told them that He would send a helper to guide and empower them in His absence. Acts 1:7-8 “He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority. ⁸But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.” Jesus wanted His followers to be about telling others of the kingdom and the good news of the salvation and forgiveness available to each one though Jesus. The promised Holy Spirit would come upon them in just 10 days at Pentecost and then the truth of Christ and His work would revolutionize the world!

Are you anticipating the return of Christ? Be encouraged with these words from 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Are you telling others about your Savior as you wait? Be encouraged by Peter’s words: 1 Peter 3:15 “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,” Be ready to tell others of your HOPE in Jesus!

Have a blessed Ascension Day, and may our prayer be, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus”.

Linda

Equipped, God’s methods bring the greatest results!

April 16, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, I have been equipped to do His work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” God has given us the whole of scripture, His divine Word, so that in it and through it we can be equipped for anything He calls us to do for Him. The author of Hebrews was also aware of this equipping that comes through Jesus. He closed his letter assuring the readers that God equips so that His will will be accomplished. Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, ²¹equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Knowing that God equips when He calls you to do something for Him gives me great comfort. We do not need to feel we are capable in ourselves but our reliance needs to be upon Him, His Word, His powerful indwelling Holy Spirit and His great resources. God will see that His work and will is accomplished. Job 42:2 ““I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” We can rest in the promise given in Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” We can be certain that God’s work will be done and nothing in heaven or earth can stop it. We can also be certain that when He calls us to do His work we can do it because He will equip, empower and provide all we need to see it through.

Linda

Suggestion: are you struggling with something you think God is calling you to do, are you doubting if you have the time, energy, knowledge, etc. to do this? Pray, look into God’s Word and ask Him if this calling is from Him. If you feel His answer is yes, then let go and let God equip and transform you so that His will is accomplished. It is a matter of trust and faith. You will be surprised by the growth and results when God is in charge of the equipping.

Are you sure God is listening?

April 12, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, I have access to God in prayer. The Bible is filled with believers’ prayers to God. David, Job, Solomon, Daniel and the list goes on and on as they called upon God and were assured that He heard their prayers. Jesus prayed and was heard by the Father and, he often sought a solitary place to spend time with His Father to gain strength and commune with Him. Since Jesus died on the cross, believers have an internal connection through the Holy Spirit with Him. Here are a few scripture for you to meditate upon today as you consider your prayer life and connection to Him.

Ephesians 2:13, 17-18 ” But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” “He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.¹⁸For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” His Holy Spirit brings us near to Him, thank you Jesus!

Ephesian 3:12 “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” We can seek Him boldly with confidence because of Jesus, thank you Jesus!

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” We can come before Him knowing He will treat us with grace and mercy, thank you Jesus!

Hebrews 7:25 “Therefore he is able to save completely, those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” I can know that I am whole in Him and I am humbled by the truth that Jesus prays for me, thank you Jesus!

James 4:8a “Come near to God and he will come near to you. ” Access to God is made possible by Jesus as His Holy Spirit helps draw us closer to Him, thank you Jesus!

I pray these verses assure you that as a believer you have access to God in prayer, can approach Him with confidence, know that Jesus will intercede for you before the Father and that He desires that we come and draw near to Him. Pray boldly with confidence, Jesus is with you.

Linda

Suggestion: pray today with confidence, assurance and hope that God will hear your prayers and draw near to you! Then, live like you believe it!

What’s your fragrance like?

April 9, 2019 nofearlinda1 Comment

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I have the aroma of Christ about me. Paul wanted the Ephesians, and us too, to think about the effect we have on others when we are around them. You can tell if someone bathes regularly, uses special soap or shampoo or is wearing a fragrance, but you can also smell one who does not bathe regularly, who ate garlic or onions recently or who is wearing an offensive fragrance. Paul says we have the ‘smell’ of Christ. “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-16a This is a sobering thought that to other believers or those who are open to Christ we the aroma of Christ. This aroma is pleasing to God and reminds them of life and brings knowledge of Christ to them. However, to the unbeliever the aroma of Christ and His presence in our life through His indwelling Holy Spirit smells of death, condemnation and judgement.

Today as we consider our presence in the lives of others, let us ask ourselves, Do I have the aroma of Christ about me? Can others smell His presence in my life? How strong or weak is my fragrance? If you think you are only fragrant enough for God to smell you, spend some time in His Word or in prayer or with other Christians or in worship or listening to Christian music. All of those will strengthen your fragrance towards God and others.

Linda

Suggestion: spend some time today in a fragrance a building activity- in the Word, prayer, worship, fellowship or listening to Christian music. Remember your presence speaks to others.

Rescued and Redeemed for Eternity Thank you Jesus!

April 4, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, I have been rescued from Satan’s domain and transferred into the kingdom of Christ. These truths are stated by Paul in his letter to the Colossians. He opens the letter with thanksgiving and prayer for the state that all believers find themselves in because of Christ. Colossians 1:13 “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin.” Our state of being before knowing Christ is one of eternal darkness and sin. Romans 3:23 tells us “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Our sin separates us from God and Jesus tell us that He is the light in John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Without Jesus we are dead in our sins and trapped in darkness. Following Him bring us into the light, truth and knowledge of God. Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, a man who was seeking to know if Jesus was the Messiah. In John 3:5 Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Jesus went on to explain we have 2 births. The first is our physical birth given by our mothers and then our spiritual birth that is given by God’s Spirit when we accept Jesus as our Savior. In John 3:16 Jesus tells Nicodemus why God sent him, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Eternal life in His kingdom is ours when we believe in Jesus. He further explains the difference between His light and darkness of the world. John 3:19 “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” Jesus wanted Nicodemus and you and me, to know and understand that being apart from Him is darkness, sin and condemnation. With Jesus there is light, love, hope and eternal life. He has indeed rescued us from the domain of darkness ruled over by Satan and brought us into His light and His kingdom to be with Him forever. His death on the cross and resurrection made this possible. Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice on my behalf to rescue me from the fate of death and condemnation.

Linda

Suggestion: Spend some time in prayer thanking Jesus for your salvation and eternal home with Him. Remember in prayer someone you know who does not know Jesus and pray that they will come to know Him.We can be assured that Jesus wants everyone to know and come to Him. 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”