Happy Friday

When You Feel Like You're Not Enough

By Renee Swope

 

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" (John 8:12 NIV)

I had that awful yucky feeling of not being enough ... not smart enough or good enough. For weeks I felt inadequate and incompetent about everything–from the way I parented to the way I served God in ministry to the way I organized my time and my life.

I had begged God to take away my feelings of insecurity. Though He didn't answer the way I hoped, He showed me what I needed to see in the most unexpected way.

One afternoon, I was putting on make-up in my bathroom when I noticed a huge nine-foot shadow on the wall behind me. And as I stood there looking at the humongous shadow, it dawned on me: all of my insecurities were creating a huge shadow over my soul–a shadow of doubt.

That day in my bathroom, I came to two important realizations. First, I could only see the shadow when I turned away from the light. And second, I was creating the shadow by blocking the light from the wall.

Shadows are created all around us when something blocks light, and so it is with the shadow of doubt.

When we focus our thoughts on ourselves and how inadequate we feel, or what others think about us and how we're performing, we cast a shadow of doubt in our minds by blocking the light of God's Truth in our hearts.

But we were not designed to block the light. We were created to live in the Light by focusing on what God thinks about us instead of what we think about ourselves.

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12b NIV) When we follow Jesus closely and completely in our thoughts, turning away from doubts and lies, we can find lasting security and confidence in Him.

That afternoon, I realized my self-doubt wasn't going to just go away. I had to purposefully shift my focus from my feelings of inadequacy to God's promises of His all-sufficiency and grace in my life.

I had to choose to focus on truth {the Light} so I could exchange my feelings of low self-confidence with lasting "God-fidence."

Feeling paralyzed and stuck in a place of insecurity is not where God intends for us to live. When Jesus spoke to the people in John 8:12, He called them out of darkness.

Now He's calling you - to step of out of the shadows of doubt so that you can become the God-fident women He created you to be. A woman whose assurance and soul-security is found in what He says and thinks about her.

And, the next time you feel your heart dwelling in the shadow of self-doubt, ask God to replace your lack of self-confidence with lasting soul-confidence as you turn towards the Light and focus your thoughts on His truths:

When you feel inadequate, God says: You are CHOSEN. "'You are my witnesses,' declares the Lord, 'and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.'" (Isa. 43:10a NIV)

When you feel unstable, God says: You are ABLE. "The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights." (Hab. 3:19 NIV)

When you feel unworthy, God says: You are PRECIOUS and LOVED. "... you are precious and honored in my sight, and ... I love you." (Isa. 43:4a NIV)

Dear Lord, You say I am a chosen woman, a royal priest, a holy daughter, a woman belonging to You. Help me believe that and live beyond the shadows of my doubts as I follow and focus on the Light of Your truth today. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Happy Thursday

God is at work in our lives

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied. It is easy to get discouraged when things are going badly.

But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. When we are in the point of asking, "God, how can you do this to me?" we can find the answer in prayer. Like Job we need to turn to God and speak to Him. Let us recommend ourselves to God for His mercy and compassion. We may not understand what's happening to us right now, but let us believe God knows what is best for us. Helen Steiner Rice once said, "Whenever we are troubled, and when everything goes wrong, it is just God working in us to make our spirits strong." Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground--it just may be a smoke signal that summons The Grace of God.

Happy Wednesday

SEEK THE LORD NOT RELIGIOUS PLACES

“This is what the Lord says to the house of Israel: ‘Seek me and live; do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba. For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.’ Seek the Lord and live, or he will sweep through the house of Joseph like a fire; it will devour, and Bethel will have no one to quench it” (Amos 5: 4-6 NIV).

The Israelites loved religious activities. They had many places consecrated for religious services (places like Bethel, Gilgal, Beersheba, not to talk of Jerusalem), and they were ready to travel many kilometers to these places to perform religious activities in these consecrated places. However, they were not ready to be in right standing with God. They were not really seeking Him. Therefore, God warned them not to rely on their religious activities or religious places, but that they should rather seek Him if they want to live. He promised to destroy all the religious places and even send them to exile if they do not repent.

It is interesting that there are many religious places today – prayer mountains, camp grounds, churches, mosques, and the likes. These places of worship are full to the brim on Sundays and other worship times with many so-called men of God leading them, but the religious activities of most of these people do not correspond to their right standing with God they claim they are serving. Many of these people are just paying lip service to God. They are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. They are only going to these religious places for their ulterior selfish motives. In fact, our society is getting worse every day. While the Samaritan woman was trying to argue about the right religious place with Jesus Christ, He declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.... Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:21-24 NIV).

Why are you going to religious places? Are you really seeking God there or you are just performing religious activities probably because of what you can get from God? Genuinely seek God if you want Him to really bless you.

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Happy Tuesday

LIVE ABOVE BOARD

“Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right” (1 Samuel 12:3 NIV).

It really saddens me to hear the news about the conviction of David Yonggi Cho, the founder of Yoido Full Gospel Church, Seoul, South Korea (that is considered as the world's largest megachurch). Cho was convicted of embezzling $12 million in church funds. He was sentenced to three years in prison and was also fined $5 million. This message is not intended to ridicule the more the revered man of God, neither is it an avenue for antagonists of Christianity to oppose it. Rather, it is intended to serve as a warning to every Christian (and even non-Christian) to do everything in his/her capacity to live above board wherever he/she finds him/herself.

Samuel (in the Bible) could boldly challenge the people of Israel to mention if in any way he had done anything wrongly against anyone. The people testified that he had lived above board when he was discharging his duties as a priest, prophet and the judge of Israel (see 1 Samuel 12:1-5). Samuel had the privilege of misusing his position to his own advantage, but he did not do so. Daniel as a captive was privileged to find himself in a place of authority in a foreign land. The Bible records about him that he “...distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, ‘We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God’” (Daniel 6:3-5 NIV).

Samuel was a religious leader while Daniel was a political appointee. Both of them lived above board. How many of our religious/spiritual leaders today (not to talk of political leaders/appointees) are living above board? If an investigative panel is constituted today to investigate you, will you not be found wanting? Before you raise an accusing finger at David Yonggi Cho or anybody for any wrong doing, firstly examine yourself. Nobody on earth is perfect. Nevertheless, do everything in your capacity to live above board.

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

Prayer Point: Pray that you will be able to live above board in all your endeavours.

Happy Monday

The power of God upon you by the Holy Spirit

Sumner Wemp

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me" Acts 1:8. How urgent it is that we are "filled" with, controlled by the Holy Spirit and "walking in the Spirit" so we too can see a "demonstration of the Holy Spirit and power" 1 Corinthians 2:4-5.

 

"Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God" Matthew 22:29. God wants us and expects us to know the "power of God" in our life and ministry. "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God" 1 Corinthians 2:4-5. Our preaching and teaching and reaching the lost must not be with "enticing words of man's wisdom" or it comes to naught. Sad to say it but too much ministry is just man's wisdom. You and I must crave and cry out for a "demonstration of the power of God." "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of love and a sound mind" 2 Timothy 1:7. We have no excuse. "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost" 1 Thessalonians 1:5. Here is the key to soul winning power, Acts 1:8 "And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit unto Galilee, and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about" Luke 4:14. If Jesus walked and worked and witnessed in the "power of the Spirit" how much more do we need to walk , work and witness in the power of the Spirit. Don't leave home without Him and without that power.

 

"And they were astonished at his doctrine for his word was with power:" Luke 4:32. Oh, my soul, how we need to teach and preach and reach the lost with "the power of God," and bless God, people will be "astonished" and come running to hear us Luke 5:1. Do people walk into your church and sense the power of God there? Do people see the conviction and conversion of lost people through the power of God in the service and sermon? We must not make excuses but let people see a demonstration of the power of God where scores of people are going to heaven instead of hell because of your people, your preaching and the presence of the power of God. It is the best way to fill your church. Look at the memory verse. God expects us to know the power of God.”

 

MEMORIZE: “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God” Matthew 22:29

Happy Sunday

You Can be Changed by the Holy Spirit, for Good and God

Sumner Wemp

“It is God who works in you both to will (desire) and to do of His good pleasure” Philippians 2:13

 

"But we all with open face beholding as in a glass (a mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory (step by step, "little by little") even as by the Spirit of the Lord" 2 Corinthians 3:18. Some have projected a onetime experience of the “baptism of the Spirit” as the ultimate experience of a believer and that you will be transformed beyond measure. I am sorry but that is not in the Bible. Every believer is baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ or he is not “in Christ”, not saved. Make sense?

 

We are to be changed from glory to glory. God's ultimate goal is to make us "just like Jesus." "Beloved, now are we the sons of God (not maybe we will be, or we hope we will be a son of God, saved) (but “NOW are we the sons of God) and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when He shall appear we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as he is" 1 John 3:2. (My life verse) Everything we do, every verse is to make us more like Jesus. The ultimate is that “we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.” At this very moment I almost fell on my face and worshipped Him. I did burst into tears. Can you imagine, we are going to see HIM as HE IS. In all of His glory. To me, that is the greatest and highest point of the whole Bible and all of life. The passion of all of our lives ought to be that we shall see HIM and we will be like HIM. Excuse me if you think I am over doing it, but my dear wife, Celeste, is up there and she has seen Him as He is, in all of His glory. WELL GLORY! We all know we still have a ways to go but I will ask the same question as Jesus, “Why call ye me Lord, Lord and do not the things which I say?” Luke 6:46. One of the most unexplainable to me is the “forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching” Hebrews 10:25. If just one person reading this would repent and return to their first works, it would make every moment spent on this book, worth it all.

 

The degree to which we are "changed" is determined by how much we "behold the glory of God" in the Word of God! "Be Balanced, Brother, Be Balanced." Here are six "P's" of the Christian life. We are to Proceed to church regularly, Hebrews 10:24, "Pray without ceasing" 1 Thessalonians 5:16, "Preach the gospel to every creature" Mark 16:15. (This is not for preachers only but for every believer. Make sense?) Present our offerings, Matthew 6:1-4. Prepare to meet Thy God" Amos 4:12, And Peer Into the face of Jesus daily and deliberately! When Moses beheld the glory of God on the mountain he came down and “his face did shine” Exodus 34:29, 35. As we behold the glory of God in the word of God we too will be changed into the glory of God. The truth and tragedy is that most of us do not spend enough time beholding the glory of God in the word of God to be so changed. You and I may need to change our priorities so we spend much more time beholding the glory of God in the Word of God! Make sense? This is absolutely essential.

 

MEMORIZE: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is” Hebrews 10:25.

Happy Saturday

You have been anointed by the Holy Spirit

Sumner Wemp

As when Jesus anointed people's eyes to open their eyesight so they could see, 1 John 2:27 indicates this anointing is to open our spiritual eyesight to see the truths in the word of God. It is not wrong at all to be taught by men and women of God but what a thrill, beyond imagination, is in store for us to have God, the Holy Spirit, to teach us wonderful truths out of God’s Word. At 88 years of age, I am still seeing fresh things out of the Word of God. What a tragedy so many Christians do not depend on and take advantage to be taught by the Holy Spirit but many remain babes in Christ all their lives. STOP IT. Get out your Bible, confess your sin of watching TV but not reading the Bible and read the Gospel of John. Ask God to show you precious and promising truths. “Seek ye first the kingdom (promises) of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you Matthew 6:33. Stop being robbed by the devil himself. Make sense?

 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised" Luke 4:18. Don't miss this! "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power" Acts 10:38. If the MAN, Christ Jesus, did what He did in the power of the Holy Spirit, how much more must we. Every believer has this same anointing. If we will only "be filled", be controlled by and "walk in the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18 and Galatians 5:16) so He can flow though us “as living waters" to minister with our gifts in the same power! "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon thee and ye shalt be witnesses unto me" Acts 1:8. Folks, we have the power of the Holy Spirit abiding in us. You have the power of God abiding in you. There is no excuse why EVERY born again Christian does not win dozens of people to Christ so these people go to heaven instead of hell just as you will because someone obeyed God and shared the gospel with you. Make sense?

 

“The harvest is plenteous but the laborers are few” Matthew 9:37. Obey God and have the thrill of your life to see someone saved and going to heaven instead of hell because YOU gave them the gospel Then Jesus said, "I have given them thy word" John 17:14. O that we might be able to say that! 

 

MEMORIZE: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel” Luke 4:!8

Happy Friday

Thought for Today

"Someone who sees grace as permission to sin has missed grace entirely. Mercy understood is holiness desired." - Max Lucado


First Words - First Light
Rev. Kerry S. Doyal [Edited]

How fitting. God's first recorded words in the Holy Scriptures are: "Let there be light" (Gen. 1:3). As we embark on a New Year, we do well to turn to the light, let our light shine, walk in the light and worship Him who is the light.

Let us, in concerted effort with and in subordination to God, work to dispel darkness and disperse light. God saw & still sees light as good. Fellowship with Him - who is the light - separates us from darkness. On this new day of a new creation of a new year, let us purpose to be people of light.

Genesis 1:3-5 (NIV): "And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning-the first day."

Ephesians 5:8 (NIV): "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

See John 1:1-10; Ephesians 4:17-24; 5:8-14; Matthew 5:13-16; 1 John 1:4-10

Happy Thursday

Unmixing Our Motives

Amy Carroll

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." Philippians 2:5 (NIV 1984)

I'll never forget when mixed motives almost killed my true calling. Soon after accepting a leadership position in the women's ministry of my church, a friend on the team came up to me. "Oh! We forgot to tell you," she said with a grin. "You're in charge of the annual women's conference."

Despite the surprise, I loved every minute of organizing the event. But as I interacted with our guest speaker, envy began to wind itself around my heart. If it could have spoken aloud, it would have said, "I want THAT!"

I wanted her platform.

I wanted her eloquence.

I wanted her audience.

I wanted her cute outfit.

Fortunately, I recognized these "wants" as signs of covetousness rather than signs of my calling. I knew God had called me to be the women's ministry director during that season—not to speak. And each time I desired what that speaker had, it took my focus off what God had for me.

So I asked God to kill the weed of envy that was choking the life from my calling to lead women. I asked Him to purify my motives and steer my heart to the women He had called me to serve.

It's so easy for wrong motives to creep in to our hearts. You might not want to be a speaker, but maybe you're the mom who dresses her children to impress others. Or maybe you're the employee who takes charge of the room to show your boss your readiness for the next step up.

There's nothing wrong with cute children or promotions, but so many times our motives trip us up. Instead of being pure, our motives get mixed with other things that sully the outcome—emotionalism, pride, and strong personal preferences are just a few.

Several years after my prayer to remove my "speaker envy," God started whispering to me about speaking as I prayed and read the Word. My first reaction was to think, "There's that old, nasty envy again. God, purify my heart!"

But this time was different. As I unpacked my motives, I realized God had really changed my heart. He'd refined my motives to just one, and that was to obey Him.

Philippians 2:5 states our ideal position: "Your attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus" (NIV 1984). Our one motive should be to follow Him and become more like Him. That's the motive that should supersede and reign over any others. How do we practically live that out?

I think the clue is in the following verses. "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness" (Philippians 2:6-7, NIV 1984).

Our focus has to be on becoming nothing. Nothing is not our status or worth. We are always holy and dearly loved children of the King.

Nothing is to be our chosen position as a servant.

How does this look in everyday life? Jesus is our perfect example. He is everything: the Lord of lords and the King of kings. He is so incredibly powerful and important that Colossians 1:16 says "all things were created by him and for him" (NIV 1984). Despite His exalted position, Jesus showed the purity of His motives toward us by giving up all He had.

As I've thought about how to imitate Jesus in my motives, I ask myself two questions when making choices:

• Does this put me or others first?
• Is this a choice to be more or to be nothing?

These two questions expose any twisted motives and bring me back to my chosen position of nothing. Day by day, my motives are refined. It's a painful process sometimes, but it's a good process that ultimately produces pure motives with divine outcomes.

Lord God, You are the only One with uncontaminated motives. I confess mine are often mixed with pride, emotion, or personal opinion. Please purify my heart. Forgive me, un-mix my motives, and help me move forward with a pure heart. Amen.

Happy Wednesday

ReunitedMicca Campbell

"After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NIV)

When my husband died, a part of me died too. Pain and fear surrounded me during those dark days. I ached inside and felt so lost, empty, and alone. I missed him terribly.

At times, my need for his comforting touch was so strong it would play tricks on my mind. Once, I saw a man who resembled my husband driving a red truck just like Porter's. I followed that truck for miles. As my heart pounded with hope, nothing else mattered more in that moment than catching up to the truck. I was willing to drive to the ends of the earth if necessary.

When I finally caught up with him at a red light and our eyes met, my fantasy ended with a devastating halt. It was as if a cruel joke had been played on me. Weakened by the truth, I pulled into a nearby parking lot, lay across the seat of my car, and wept. As the sun set, the temperature inside the car cooled. Sitting up, I wiped my face, zipped up my coat, and headed for home—without my husband.

There was a great sense of loss, thinking I'd never see Porter again. Maybe you can relate and have experienced grief too? If so, you may be encouraged by this truth: for those who love and know the Lord, parting is only temporary. It's not really goodbye, but see-you-later.

The apostle Paul assured the Thessalonians of this truth.

"The dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever" (1 Thessalonians 4:16b-17 NIV).

That assurance is for us too. There are three words in Paul's statement that provide hope, comfort, and assurance for the broken-hearted: we, together, and them.

We (people on earth) who are still alive will be caught up together (two parties meeting) with them (those who are in heaven).

These words of reunion indicate that God's children never have to experience permanent separation. That's good news! One day you and I will be reunited with our loved ones who believed in Jesus while on Earth. What a glorious day that will be.

Once I really took hold of this truth, my heart settled. Though I still walked through days of missing my husband, the firm grip sadness had on me lost its strangling hold.

Now, grief no longer burdens my heart. I have hope in God's promise that one day I'll be reunited with Porter, my two grandmothers, and my grandfathers. Holding on to that hope has eased death's sting and filled my heart with anticipation.

Even in grief there is hope. For those who accept the Lord as their Savior, death is not goodbye. It's simply see-you-later.

Dear Lord, thank You for communicating to us words of a glorious reunion one day. Thank You that death is not the end. When my grief runs deep, remind my heart to hope in Your truth. I will see my loved ones again. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Happy Tuesday

LonelyAmy Carroll

"Suppose someone falls down. Then his friend can help him up. But suppose the man who falls down doesn't have anyone to help him up. Then feel sorry for him!" Ecclesiastes 4:10 (NIRV)

Lonely. It's not a word I thought I'd ever use to describe myself, but that's how I felt.

For many years after a hard move I felt alone.

Close friends had always been a part of my life, and the absence of intimate friendships left me feeling sore-hearted. I longed to have someone to meet for coffee or help me expend some of my many daily words on the phone. It would have been wonderful to have a woman who would both listen and share.

Over time, I made new friends and re-established older friendships, and most days I feel connected and content. But I still remember what it felt like to be lonely. Recently, I read a study published by the American Sociological Review that cited statistics that showed half of Americans only have two close friends. And one out of four Americans say they don't have any close friends.

Not a single one. That's a lot of lonely hearts.

Why should we care? Scripture tells us in Ecclesiastes 4:10 that our friends are our helpers. When times get tough, they can help us navigate through them. "Suppose someone falls down. Then his friend can help him up. But suppose the man who falls down doesn't have anyone to help him up. Then feel sorry for him!" (NIRV)

So how can we be part of the solution, to help guarantee no one falls down without having a friend to pick them up?

If you're lonely ...
During my lonely days I told myself this over and over: When you don't have a friend, BE the friend to others that you would like to have.

"Amy," I'd say ...

• "Would you love a friend who takes time to show that she cares by picking up the phone and asking about your day? Then pick up the phone and ask about someone's day."

• "Would you love a friend who keeps confidences and is trustworthy? Then be trustworthy."

• "Would you love a friend who asks you to go the movies or for a walk? Then ask someone to go along when you do these things."

It's easier to stay isolated sometimes than to reach out, especially if you've been hurt or disappointed many times. I know too well. But I want to encourage you to reach out, show love and care about others.

God taught me so many things during my loneliness. I learned to be more dependent on Him. I learned to appreciate the friendship of my family more. I took a hard look at some things that weren't so wonderful about myself and worked to change them.

During lonely times of life, be intentional about connecting to God and others. There's so much to be learned in these times.

If you're not lonely ...
Think about your neighborhood, church, or an organization you are part of. If there are 40 women there, 10 of them feel like they don't have even one friend. Could God be calling you to be that friend?

Look for ways to open your circle of friends to new people. Watch for that woman at church sitting by herself, the co-worker who eats lunch alone, or the neighbor who never seems to be invited.

Reach out today to be part of one less life feeling lonely.

Dear Lord, You are the friend who is closer than a brother or sister. In this time of loneliness and seeming friendlessness, show me how precious friendship with You can be. Please teach me everything I need to learn in this phase of life. Would You also prepare a friend for me and prepare me to be a trusted, valued friend? In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Happy Monday

Your Thought for Today
 Man's way leads to a hopeless end! 

God's way leads to an endless hope! 
 "A Pardon Is Not a Pardon Unless it Is Accepted"
(Author Unknown) [Edited]
 There was a young man caught and found guilty of murder many decades ago, and sentenced to death. His mother and father loved him with all their hearts, and they appealed to everyone they met for leniency for their son. Without any results they finally appealed to the Governor of their state for a lesser sentence, but to everyone's surprise the Governor granted this young man a full pardon.
 A pardon is a document that essentially erases a crime, making it as if it never happened. The pardon was sent to the prisoner, with instructions to release him from prison. When the Warden told the young man about the pardon, he became angry and said, "I'm guilty, I murdered another human being and I want to die."
 "But," the Warden replied, "I have your pardon in my hand!" No matter how the Warden pleaded, the prisoner kept demanding to die. Not knowing what to do, the Warden appealed to the Judge, to help him know what to do. The Judge said, "A pardon is not a pardon unless it is accepted!"
 So, the young man was executed. He had been completely forgiven for his sins against humanity, and for his other most grievous crimes. So why did he die? Because a pardon is not a pardon unless it is accepted!
 Jesus died in the place of every human being, who by their sins against God were deserving of the death penalty. Every human being who would ever live has been granted an unconditional pardon from God. But the catch is that you must WANT the pardon; you must see the need for the pardon and desire to have it! The pardon from God came when Jesus Christ, God's son, died on the cross for your sins. To accept the pardon means that you must believe that Jesus did this for you (He did what you could not do) and to accept Him therefore as your Savior and ask Him to be Lord of your life.
 Remember, A PARDON IS NOT A PARDON UNLESS IT IS ACCEPTED.

Happy Sunday

The Things We Do For LoveRenee Swope

"What a person desires is unfailing love ..." Proverbs 19:22a (NIV)

I had everything I wanted yet felt empty and confused.

My life was full of relationships and accomplishments I'd worked hard to gain, but none could fill or fulfill me.

Frustrated by my aching emptiness, tears streamed down my face as I thought about the guy I dated through high school and college. Our future plans had crumbled under the pressure of me expecting him to be all I needed. I had been crazy about him — a little too crazy.

I'll never forget the time a friend mentioned my ex-boyfriend was heading to our hometown for the weekend. We worked near each other, so Friday afternoon I parked by his office and waited for him to leave.

We both "happened" to be at the same fast food restaurant, at the same time and bumped into each other. After getting my order, I got in my car and followed behind him, hoping he'd see me, realize he couldn't live without me and signal to pull over so we could talk.

Seriously, what was I thinking? As you can guess, he never stopped. I was hopeless and humiliated.

A few weeks later, I was taking a walk around my college campus. My eyes drifted to the buildings, dorms and other landmarks of memories. Suddenly my mind filled with a collage of faces, reminding me of my efforts to win the approval of advisors, friends and professors — hoping their affirmation could fill my emptiness.

Although I was graduating soon, had a few great job offers and achieved success in many ways, my heart still felt restless. And I couldn't help but wonder: Why was all that I had never enough?

A thought rushed through my soul, stringing together two words I had never put next to each other. I sensed God answering me.

Renee, all you have ever wanted is unconditional love.

Unconditional love? I didn't know there was such a thing. Then God whispered into my soul: You'll never find the love you long for in anyone or anything but Me. I AM the unconditional love you're looking for.

The thought of God loving me without any conditions was inconceivable, yet something deep in my soul told me it was true. I'd been looking for love that didn't have to be earned. Love I didn't have to fear losing.

Honestly, it was hard to see how God's love could fill the emptiness in my heart. It took time, but I came to understand that God created me with that need for fulfillment so He could meet it.

Our key verse, Proverbs 19:22a, says, "What a person desires is unfailing love."

The word "desire" comes from the Hebrew word ta'avah, which means: to greatly long for, deeply desire or crave. Interestingly, unfailing love is mentioned over 30 times in the Bible, and not once is it attributed to a person. It is only attributed to God.

God gave us a desire for unfailing love because He knew it would lead us back to Him.

His love draws us to Him. Only we can stop God from reaching the deep and hidden parts within us that need Him most.

Will you invite Jesus to look into your heart today so He can show you what, who and where you might be looking to be filled and fulfilled? Then ask Him to fill and fulfill you with the promise and reality of His unfailing love instead.

Jesus, help me stop searching for fulfillment in anything or anyone but You. Will You satisfy me with Your unfailing love and help me depend on You to meet my deepest desires and needs. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Happy Friday & Saturday

The Day I Almost Gave UpLeah DiPascal

"The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry for help ... The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is near the broken hearted; He saves those crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:15-18 (HCSB)

I gripped the steering wheel of my car and stared at the hospital emergency doors. My heart pounded furiously, like a time bomb waiting to explode. The pressure in my head was almost unbearable. The invisible weight on my chest felt like someone dropped a sledgehammer on me.

Thoughts raced through my mind. I wanted to scream but could barely breathe a whisper. I just sat there lonely, afraid, shattered and completely empty inside.

Should I check myself into the hospital?

What if they admit me in the psychiatric ward and won't let me go home?

Who will take care of my children?

Will my husband still love me?

What if my friends find out?

Reaching for my phone, panic rushed over me like a tidal wave. A pool of tears cascaded down my face, as I cried, Jesus, please help me!

Sitting in my car, unable to move, I continued to pray and ask God questions like, How did I get here? I'm a Christian for heaven's sake! Things like this just don't happen to Christian women – or do they? I feel like such a failure.

Looking back now, I can see how years of worry and stress had brought me to that day.

Concerns about my family's finances kept me up most nights. Stress over a high-pressured job caused erratic panic attacks. Worry about my children's health created knots in my stomach. Struggling to help my aging parents resulted in midnight crying sessions.

My concerns consumed me. Worrying became an addiction, demanding my ongoing attention. I was trying to "hold it all together" on the outside, but on the inside, a sea of doubt and fear haunted me.

Maybe you're in a similar place. Have the stresses of life caught up with you too? Are you worried about your finances, health, marriage, job or kids? Do you wonder if anyone sees your pain or even cares? If you're brave enough to cry out for help, will anyone rescue you?

In today's verse, we are reminded we do have a Rescuer:

"The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry for help ... the righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is near the broken hearted; He saves those crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:15-18).

God sees you and hears your cries for help, even when no one else does. He knows your heartache. He sees your pain. If your heart is broken and you feel crushed from all sides, God promises to be close to you. Though you may not see Him with you physical eyes, He is there.

God rescued me that day in the hospital parking lot. After several hours of prayer, God calmed my heart and I called my husband. I reached out to close friends for help, and the healing started. Although I wanted an instant miracle, it took time, but God never left my side. He gently mended my broken heart and renewed my mind through His Word. He guided me along a journey that led to true freedom, for which I am forever grateful.

Has the stress of life taken its toll, causing you to feel afraid, lonely or ready to give up? Is your heart broken today? Let God rescue you, friend. He is ready. He is willing. He is able.

Dear Lord, it feels like my life is falling part. I desperately need You to rescue me. Thank You for hearing my cries and for delivering me from my troubles. Even when I am hidden from others, You see me, Lord. Thank You saving me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Happy Thursday

“The difference between Christianity and every other faith in the world is that all other religions are about man trying to reach up to God. Christianity is about God reaching down to man.”

Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus 

When we think of religion, what comes to  mind—a set of rules, regulations and obligations, or a deep and intimate relationship with God?

Religion is information about our God, our Lord.  The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods: Relationship with our Lord, our God.   The kind of intense bond that no outside force can break.   It's a deep-down peace we will never experience except through loving our God, our Lord.

Jesus practiced a relationship with His Father and then offered that to us. The Jews offered religion.  Walking softly in condemning the religion of the Jews as the religion the Jews practiced was the religion that God had given them. It wasn't religion itself that was the problem. It was something else, something that makes the offer of a relationship with God appealing in contrast to what seemed like the empty rigors of religion and ritual. Today when planting a seed in someone, seems this is a big drawback.  "No, it's not like that," we say, "not all those rules, all those do's and don'ts, all that religion. This is a relationship."  Christianity does have rules, it does have do's and don'ts. It is a religion. But it was never meant to be just information, and that's where this slogan touches on truth.   A man knows his wife well not just because he can rattle off a series of facts about her (even a stranger can do that), but because he's deeply acquainted with her person on a day to day basis. Yet even so, there have been periods in the history of the church when true knowledge of God has given way to mere information about Him.  We must have peace with God before we can have the peace of God, and there's a profound difference.

Yes, Christianity is a religion, but it's true religion. True religion produces right relationship to God which leads to right experience and right intimate relationship with God.

Happy Wednesday

Lord, I Need Your HelpRenee Swope

"In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help." (Psalm 18:6 NIV)

One evening after an intense "discussion," my husband, J. J., told me that no matter what he did or how hard he tried, it was never enough for me. He was right. I constantly found fault with him as a husband and as a dad.

But when he implied that I was impossible to please ... well, that sent my already-out-of-control emotions reeling. I grabbed my coat and stormed out the front door. Hot tears streamed down my cheeks as I replayed our conversation in my head.

I was determined to figure out what J. J.'s problem was and get Jesus to fix him. So I started filing complaints against my husband in what you might call a prayer. And I finally heard myself—all the ugliness, all the anger. That's when I realized, I need help. I needed God to help me figure out how—after seven years of a happy marriage—we had gotten to this ugly place.

Instead of just crying, I found myself crying out to God for help.

King David was much better at this than I was that day. He had a habit of crying out to God for help when he was in distress. One Bible scholar notes that the phrase, "'In my distress' refers, most probably, not to any particular case, but rather indicates [David's] general habit of mind, that when he was in deep distress and danger he had uniformly called upon the Lord, and had found him ready to help."*

That night, when I stopped talking and started listening, I sensed God showing me I wanted J. J. to make up for all the ways my dad had fallen short as a father to me and as a husband to my mom. Years as a child in a broken home with a broken heart had led to a significant sense of loss and deep disappointment. Yet, up to that point, I had never grieved the happily-ever-after that I longed for but didn't have.

My unfulfilled hopes had become bitter expectations. I became controlling and critical, thinking that if I could get J. J. to be the husband and dad I wanted him to be, maybe my broken dreams could be put back together. But I was wrong. Instead of expecting my husband to make up for my losses, I needed to cry out to God with my hurts and call on Him for help.

Are there hurts that hold you hostage? Expectations no one could really ever meet? Need some help today? I know I do. And I know God is there, waiting for us to cry out to Him.

As I continued to process what had happened in my childhood and how it affected my marriage, I learned to ask God for help through each step of my healing journey. It took time, prayer, and courage, but God was my very present help.

By the way, I'm crazy about my husband. And so very thankful for that day several years ago when I finally asked the Lord for help.

Dear Lord, I need Your help, especially with _______________. Please show me where to start and be my help each step of the way. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Happy Tuesday

A Remedy for LonelinessVan Walton

"... those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed." Proverbs 11:25 (NLT)

I've spent much of my life as the new kid on the block. My daddy's job took him to numerous foreign countries, so I grew up living in far-away and strange places. When we returned "home" to put down permanent roots in the United States, I felt like a lonely outsider.

This nomadic childhood followed me into my adult life as my husband's career moved us cross-country many times.

As the newcomer in school, women's Bible studies, and jobs, I experienced not having friends, being excluded, and feeling different.

Though these isolating seasons were tough, something wonderful grew out of them: my relationship with God. Spending time with Him, I gained a new perspective on loneliness while reading Scripture. One verse in particular stood out to me: "... those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed" (Proverbs 11:25).

Reading this challenged me. Rather than cast responsibility on others to reach out to me, I could reach out to them. By doing so, I found I could bless them and revive myself! It took some time, but over the years I've discovered several key elements to living out this verse: learn to be a good friend, intentionally include others, and develop an interest in diversity.

Last year during the annual family night at the school where I teach, I spotted a mother sitting alone in a large room. God nudged me, and I knew what to do. I wasn't surprised she was by herself, because as I drew closer, I recognized her as the mother of one of our international students.

We definitely had our differences: a gap in our ages, language barriers that made us struggle to understand each other, and our different cultures. But we persevered and after a while we found common ground. She admitted to being lonely as a stranger in a foreign country. That I understood. Also, we were women, wives, mothers, friends. Most importantly we had a common faith.

That night, I gained a new friend.

We began to meet regularly. She told me about her recent conversion to Christianity and asked lots of questions. She had a few friends, like her, who had come to the United States to expose their children to an American education. These women also wondered about Christianity, the Bible, and Jesus. Could they join us?

We began huddling once a week around God's Word, talking about the creation, King David, and grace.

School ended. Summer started. They flew home. We promised to resume our studies this fall.

As this new season begins, I'm anticipating our weekly meetings; I miss my new friends and the happiness and laughter they bring.

Loneliness, if left unchecked, can lead to isolation, which may produce weariness, sadness and discouragement. This is not God's plan for our lives. He has called us to live in community, reaching out to others, serving, comforting, and fellowshipping.

Let me encourage you to be aware of others–in your neighborhood, your children's school, your church. Ask God to lead you to other women who are lonely. We long to be included, to feel like we belong, to have caring friends. One of the best ways to do this is to refresh someone else! You'll never experience that woman's amazing friendship, or be revived by her, until you reach out and invite her into your life.

Father God, You are a friend to the stranger, the wanderer, the lonely. Forgive me for sitting in my comfort zone and ignoring those around me who long for community. Remind me to practice hospitality, not just with my friends but with outsiders also. In Jesus' Name, Amen.