3rd Sunday of Lent, Continuing our Lenten journey

March 24, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Psalm 121 is known as a song of ascent. These were psalms thought to have been used in annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem. The city is on hills in Judea and the trip towards Jerusalem is always referred to as going ‘up to Jerusalem’. Journey with me this morning using Psalm 121 and get a new, higher view of God, as we continue our Lenten pilgrimage to the cross.

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
²My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

³He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
⁶The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.

⁷The Lord will keep you from all evil;
    he will keep your life.
⁸The Lord will keep
    your going out and your coming in
    from this time forth and forevermore.

Have a blessed Sunday as you worship our Lord.

Linda

Suggestion: Read this psalm again sometime today and pause after verse 2 and thank God for His help in a situation you faced this last week. After verse 5 as you thank God for your protection this last week from any disasters that might have befallen you. After verse 8 for the future care and hope He provides now and for eternity.

Saved by Jesus! Amazing and True!

March 23, 2019March 29, 2019 nofearlinda1 Comment

Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, I have a Savior. A savior is by definition is one who saves. Jesus saved me from sin. Romans 6:23  “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus saved me so I could know God personally. Psalm 91:14-16 describes this relationship with God and what God will do because I love and trust in Jesus. “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;  I will protect him, because he knows my name.
¹⁵When he calls to me, I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble;
    I will rescue him and honor him.
¹⁶With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

One of my favorite passages that explains how and why Jesus is my Savior is Titus 3:4-7. Titus was a young convert of Paul and did missionary work with him after his imprisonment in Rome. They went to Crete together to spread the word about Jesus. In his letter to Titus, Paul explains the truth about Jesus, His gracious mercy in coming, His cleansing and renewing of our lives with His Holy Spirit and His marvelous grace.

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Truly, there is no Savior other than our Lord Jesus. Let us join Mary today in saying, “and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,” Luke 1:47

Linda

Suggestion: We know Jesus saved us from sin but what did He save you to? Think of at least 5 things that you can do now because you are saved by Jesus and have a relationship with God. (Hint- I can pray and know He will answer, I can ….) When you finish your list- offer it up to God with Praise and Thanksgiving in Jesus’ Name.

Do you call Jesus your friend? Count me in!

March 19, 2019March 29, 2019 nofearlinda1 Comment

Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, I have a friend in Jesus. I love the old hymn, “What a friend I have in Jesus”. The lyrics speak of our friend Jesus bearing all our sins and griefs and our privileged of taking our problems to Him in prayer. Jesus called us His friends in John 15:14-15 “You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” Being called a friend of Jesus means we follow His Word and walk beside Him in our daily life. He is right there to help us when we stumble, give a word of comfort or be our companion. By following His pathway we are no longer just like a hired servant or one who receives orders but a friend to be confided in, helped and taught. He also promises to reveal what He knows about God the Father to us. A few verses later in John 15:18 Jesus warns us that being called His friend will put us in a position to be hated by others. “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” He also speaks of this in Matthew 10:22 “and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” I love the promise Jesus gives at the end of the Matthew verse. Standing with Jesus and enduring the derision and persecution that the unbelieving world places upon us because we proclaim Him, will bring a great reward.

Where do you need Jesus to be your friend today? Reach out to Him in prayer and let Him know of your thoughts, hopes and struggles. Read His Word with confidence and hope as if expecting a word from a friend, the Bible is God’s love letter to us.

Linda

Suggestion: Spend some time with your friend Jesus today. Go for a prayer praise walk with Jesus. Talk with Him as you walk along and praise Him for His provision and the glory you see along the way. Can’t get out? Just gaze out a window and spend time journeying with Jesus in prayer.

Here is a country version of the old hymn- What a friend we have in Jesus.

Dearly Loved, that’s me!

March 13, 2019March 29, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, I have the Father’s love. Knowing you are loved gives power, affirmation, hope and joy. Knowing you are love by God the Father fills us with confidence, hope, security, and comfort. Scripture speaks frequently of God’s love for us. Jesus was talking to the disciples about God’s love and his imminent return to the Father shortly before His death in John 16:27-28. “For the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. ²⁸Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father.” Jesus said I am dearly loved by God because of my love for Him. God loves that I love Jesus! When you think about one of your loved ones, aren’t there things you really love about them. Maybe it is the way they smile, maybe that they always hug you so tightly or say loving things to you for no reason except that they love you. This little portion of scripture gives us a glimpse into God’s character and love. He loves us dearly- not a little bit of love but a special love that is close to His heart. The motivation for this dear love is because I love His son. Isn’t that like a good Father? As earthly mothers and fathers, we love the kids that love our kids. We cherish them and want our kids to associate with them. Being a good Father, God loves and cherishes us with a special love because we love Jesus. What a privileged and heart warming thought to ponder today!

Linda

Suggestion: Think about your love for Jesus. How has He brought you to faith, and provided you with hope, joy, security and comfort. Know that the things you love about Jesus makes God the Father love you even more.

I have the keys to a home in heaven. Thank you Jesus.

March 12, 2019March 29, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I have a place in heaven. I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about my eternal home in heaven because I’m usually so preoccupied with life in the here and now that it seems distant. However, the older I get the more I have pondered what this home will be like and who will be there with me. I realize now the urgency for telling others about Jesus and His saving power, so that they will not be left behind.

Today’s scripture comes from John 14. It is a familiar passage about the home Jesus is preparing for us and gives us great hope. I like the extra meaning the Amplified version John-14-2 gives John 14:1-4 ““Do not let your heart be troubled (afraid, cowardly). Believe[confidently] in God and trust in Him, [have faith, hold on to it, rely on it, keep going and] believe also in Me.²In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you.³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and I will take you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also.⁴And [to the place] where I am going, you know the way.” We are not to be afraid because through faith in Jesus we know that He is preparing our eternal home and that He will come get us when the time is right.

Another passage in Ephesians reassures us that through faith in Jesus and because of God’s great love for us, we will be seated with Christ. It is truly by God’s grace, His unmerited favor, that He made such a place for us, as we did nothing to earn the riches we will receive. Ephesians 2:4-7 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,⁷so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

In our eternal home will have a place of honor that is prepared for us by Christ himself, and we will be with Him for eternity. My finite mind can only try to imagine such provision, but I know I only need to believe in Jesus and His saving work on the cross for it to be mine.

Linda

Suggestion: Give some thought to heaven today and make a list of at least 5 things you know about it. Need some help- read Revelation 21 or go back and reread today’s passages. They are filled with promises about our heavenly home. Hint- one of my favorites is Revelation 21:4

Given by Christ, Righteousness. Thank you Jesus.

March 11, 2019March 29, 2019 nofearlinda1 Comment

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I have Christ’s righteousness. Christ was a man while on earth, pure, holy, without sin, filled with integrity, virtuous in behavior, humble and the list could continue. Most importantly He was sinless and therefore in right standing with God the Father. God cannot look upon sin so unless we are pure and holy we cannot be in a relationship with Him. By saying, “I have Christ’s righteousness” I am proclaiming that I am in right standing with God. I can know and communicate with Holy God. Romans 5:19 and 2 Corinthians 5:21 explain how this happened for us through Christ’s work on the cross. Romans 5:19 “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners (that was Adam), so also through the obedience of the one man (Christ) the many will be made righteous.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Through faith in Christ, I can have His Righteousness and come into a relationship with Almighty God. Without Christ, we have no way get rid of our sin. We can never do enough good works. We can never clean ourselves up enough to come before God. Ephesians 2:8-9 puts it this way,“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast.” What a precious gift Christ’s righteousness is to me!

How do we process this for Lent? Recognizing that our position before God is totally dependent upon Jesus and His redeeming work on the cross and resurrection from the dead should give us pause and create in us a sense of gratitude and humility.

Prayer: Thank you Jesus that through faith in your work on the cross I am able to come before You in prayer, study Your word with understanding and be indwelt by your Holy Spirit. Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice on my behalf. Amen.

Linda

Suggestion for today: Pray David’s prayer from Psalm 51: 10,12 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Sometime today, instead of taking credit for something good you are doing or did – give the praise to God. Have a willing spirit that desires to please Him. Acknowledge Him with your thoughts- He knows your heart and spirit.

Hope, now and for eternity. Thank you Jesus.

March 8, 2019March 29, 2019 nofearlinda1 Comment

Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, I have hope. Lent it a time of reflection and I was thinking what life would be like if Jesus had not come. I would be dead in my sins without hope. I would face eternal punishment because there would be no way to approach holy God. Jesus’ death on the cross changed all that. Praise God! Thank you Jesus! Here are some verses to offer up in praise for the work of our Savior.

Psalm 62:5 “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.”

Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ²Through 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.”

1 Peter 1:21 “who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

Because Jesus came, died and rose again, I can have hope for a life lived by faith today and a hope of future glory. That is a blessed hope! Thank you Jesus.

Linda

Suggestion: Today as you consider the hope you have in Jesus, express to someone something you are hopeful about and why. It could be as simple as “I hope you have a good day” to “I am hopeful because of Jesus.” Show someone you possess hope. If they ask you why you have hope then you can explain, as today you have the answer! Jesus.

Faith, perseverance and blessing all rolled into 1!

February 26, 2019 nofearlinda1 Comment

James 1:12 is one of my favorite promises of blessings God has for me. “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

There are several truths embedded in this verse: God rewards steadfastness (perseverance, persistence, stubborn allegiance), There will be trials in life, God is always watching to see how we fare during our life trials, Our reward is eternal in nature and Our faith in God shows Him our love for Him. The Bible has a lot to say about perseverance and how it builds character. James addresses this earlier in this chapter. James 1:2-4 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,³for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.⁴And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Trying circumstances and people that God brings our way build our character for God and bring joy! We know that God is omniscient and watches all that we do. He is there in the nitty-gritty places in life protecting and guiding. 1 Corinthians 10:13 gives us the assurance that His watchful eye is always upon us and He knows what we can bear. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” Our reward is eternal in nature and is received through faith in Jesus. Colossians 3:23-24 puts it this way “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,²⁴knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” 1 Peter 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,” Lastly, our faith shows our love for God. Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” But Ephesians 5:2 and John 3:16 remind us that God loved us first. Ephesians 5:2 “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

joyce meyer quote 2 If you are in the midst of a trial today, take James 1:12 to heart and be assured that Jesus is there with you, God is watching and your stand in faith will bear eternal rewards.

Linda

From Sin to Blessing because of Jesus

February 22, 2019 nofearlinda4 Comments

Paul makes a case for the blessed man in Romans. He is talking about the blessed state of a man who has faith. He is blessed by God because of his faith and trust in Him and the man did or does nothing to earn that blessedness. It is a gift from God through Jesus. Paul quotes David’s words from Psalm 32 in Romans 4:6-8.

⁶just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

⁷“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
⁸blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

Our blessedness comes from God and has nothing to do with our ‘works’ as it is all God working in us. Only God can forgive sin and through Jesus’ shed blood God covers our sins. He does not count our sins against us! Now that is blessedness! The believer is mightily blessed by God through his faith and trust in God. Jesus’ work on the cross eradicates our sin and presents us whole and blameless before Almighty God.

Thank you Jesus for your work on my behalf!

May you have a blessed day as you consider your privileged position before God- pure, blameless and saved from eternal destruction through your faith in Jesus the Son.

Linda

Blessed Assurance- Salvation is #1

January 22, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

When we think about blessings and what it means to be blessed, one of the first things that comes into the mind of the believer is salvation. Truly being spared the wrath of God in judgement and being able to live with Him forever in heaven is a BIG blessing. ps32 Scripture tell us exactly that in Psalm 32:1-2.

Blessed is the one
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.
²Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord does not count against them
    and in whose spirit is no deceit.

We are spared from the wrath of God (God’s anger over sin) because Jesus came, died on the cross and rose again so that we could be reconciled to God. (Romans 5:10-12) His blood provides the atonement for our sins as He covers us so that when God looks at the believer He sees Jesus’ atoning blood not our sin. ^“God gave Christ as a sacrifice to pay for sins through the spilling of his blood. So God forgives the sins of those who have faith. God did all this to prove that he does what is right. He is a God of mercy.” Romans 3:25 We are forgiven and God promises to not hold our sins against us. I love these verses in Micah about God, His forgiveness and the fact that He casts my sins into the depths of the sea. Praise God once confessed, our sins are gone forever! Micah 7:8-10

Lord, who is a God like you?
    You forgive sin.
You forgive your people
    when they do what is wrong.
You don’t stay angry forever.
    Instead, you take delight in showing
    your faithful love to them.
¹⁹Once again you will show loving concern for us.
    You will completely wipe out
    the evil things we’ve done.
You will throw all our sins
    into the bottom of the sea.

How blessed am I? Because of Jesus and His sacrifice, God forgives my sin and casts it into the depths of the sea. Because of Jesus, I can continue to walk with Him each day and have His light to shine for others. 1 John 1:6-7 puts it this way. “Suppose we say that we share life with God but still walk in the darkness. Then we are lying. We are not living out the truth. ⁷But suppose we walk in the light, just as he is in the light. Then we share life with one another. And the blood of Jesus, his Son, makes us pure from all sin.”

May your day be filled with joy as you reflect on your treasured state of being- forgiven, all your sins are gone out of God’s sight forever, you are able to walk with Jesus in His light each day and saved for eternity. Now there are eternal blessings we can count upon!