Shipwrecked/Make the Right Choices

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28 (KJV)

I’d read the book of Acts before and honestly, it fell dull and familiar as I read again. But when I came to chapter nine, something new jumped out at me. I began to see the word “rejection,” although it was not in written form. Perhaps I saw what I was feeling that day—rejected.
I was reading at the part of the story where Saul, a murderer, had just been transformed into Paul, a disciple of Christ. Even though Paul was a changed person, many rejected him because of his past reputation and lifestyle. Have you ever felt that way. maybe alone and rejected.
Not only that, but as Paul became fully devoted to serving Christ—sacrificing his education, his life, and remaining single so he could better serve the Lord—he was falsely accused, thrown into prison more than once and shipwrecked on several occasions. Doesn’t that seem odd for a man called of God? Wouldn’t God’s favor protect him from such adversity?
I thought about the 30 years that I had suffered with arthritis.At times it was so severe I was unable to do life and ministry. I had felt rejected by God. It didn’t make sense. Here we were  serving Him in more ways than I could count. Then, without warning, strong winds came and ushered what felt like a storm into my life. This happened more than once. Clouds hung overhead and before I knew it, I felt “shipwrecked.” Have you felt shipwrecked?

 Maybe you’ve been rejected by family, friends, and co-workers. Or you’ve been falsely accused. Maybe you’re imprisoned by finances, or being blown around by the consequences of someone else’s sin?
It seems so unfair. You’ve tried to live right. You walk in obedience the best you can. You take God at His Word and trust in His promises. Shouldn’t faith like this call for smooth sailing, instead of stormy, shipwrecking seas?

If we follow Paul’s journey, we find God working through the rejection, the trials, the prison time, and the shipwrecks. Paul shared the gospel with the Pharisees through his rejection and imprisonment. People saw God’s power at work when Paul survived the storms, when the snake bite didn’t kill him, and when the jail shook—opening doors and loosing chains. Paul after his conversion started making the right choices. We must learn to make the right choices.
Paul didn’t let his circumstances wreck him with a sense of rejection. He didn’t allow self-pity and doubt to overtake him. Instead, we see in Acts 16:22-31 that after being stripped, beaten, severely flogged, thrown in the inner cell of a prison and his feet in stocks, Paul prayed and sang hymns to God. Paul made the right choice of praising the Lord and trusting in Him. The power of God came in such a way that the prison guard begged Paul to tell him, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” He replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus” (vs. 30b-31, NIV).

God kept His promise to work all things together for the good of this man who loved Him and was called according to His purposes. As Paul depended on God and trusted His faithfulness in the midst of his adversity, many witnessed God’s power and believed. This can also happen in our life as we move forward everyday, trusting and believing.
 God doesn’t waste our pain, our rejection or our “shipwrecks.” He uses them to bring about His plan—to position us so that others can see His transforming power at work in our lives and believe in the living God. We must learn to make the right choices so we can follow the Lord.

We must chose to rise from the wreckage, like Paul, so that our lives will give testimony that draws others to  Jesus. Today I will no longer sit on the sidelines of life full of self-pity. I choose to rise, pray and praise, so that God can position me to shine for His glory, and so that others will believe.

Dear Lord, forgive me for wallowing in self-pity and rejection. I trust that You see the bigger picture. I believe there is a purpose for my pain. Strengthen me to rise from my ashes so that others will see You are my help and my salvation. Let me trust only in you and nothing else.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Trusting Gods Given

What has God given you that you need to take hold of—even if it doesn't look like it from where you're standing? Freedom in finances? A healed relationship? A better marriage? A job in an unstable market? A dream He's whispered to your heart? Can you move forward in worship and trust, counting on the fact that it has been given to you already? Focusing on what lies ahead and not what's happening now?

How many times have we had God give us something in our heart that has not manifested yet. It could be any of the above. But then things around us do not go the way we want and we lose sight of what God wants. God sometimes has to take us around the barn many times to get our attention. I know for me personally that has happened many times.

As I think back over my life I wonder what God must think when I keep making the same mistakes. I leave the trust of God and venture out on my own and miseably fail. God has reasons for all he allows in our life. As the scripture says below, God has already GIVEN us all the above. We as Christ Followers just need to learn to walk it out. We need to put our TRUST totally in the Lord. Do not look backward but to move ahead.

Today let us step out in Faith and look only to Him. Let us shout For the Lord has Given us All!!!!


"The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army,
‘Shout! For the LORD has given you the city!'"
Joshua 6:16 (NIV)

Secret Gems

You have been permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others have not. To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them. That is why I tell these stories, because people see what I do, but they don’t really see. They hear what I say, but they don’t really hear, and they don’t understand." (Matthew 13:11-13, NLT)

Have you ever asked yourself what this might mean? You have been permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven. I love secrets, don't you? What secrets do you think God gives us? The word says if we ask in his name he will give us the desires of our hearts. Is not knowing the secrets a desire?

I think if we ask Jesus to help us he will show us ALL the secrets of Heaven. If we are truly believers and Christ Followers Jesus will reveal anything we ask and we truly believe in.

God never hides truth from sincere seekers. In fact, He came to earth in the person of Jesus to ensure that we'd learn His secrets and understand His ways. Our task is to open ourselves—ears, eyes, and heart—and listen intently to Him. To concentrate and apply ourselves to the process of prayerfully reading the Bible

As we go forth today let us keep asking Him to reveal what he has for us and for our families.

May you Be Blessed as you venture into this day with Jesus

What will people think?

"When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?'"
Mark 2:16 (NIV 2010)

At a function recently two choices faced me. Both concerned where to sit. Not that big of a deal, really. But it was. That day, I had to choose between where I felt most comfortable sitting, and where Jesus wanted me to sit. They weren't the same.
Normally when in this situation, I would look for a friend, or at least a friendly face. That day, except for a few family members who were surrounded by people, strangers faced me in every corner. My choice was between strangers who looked like me, and those who didn't.
It's not that they really looked like me, they just seemed like me on the surface – traditionally dressed, about my age, and talking about things I might talk about. Then there was the group outside on the back patio. I knew who they were, and they weren't like me. Their lifestyle choices were far from mine. Were they sitting outside because they didn't "fit" with the inside group? No one would have intentionally snubbed them, but they sat apart nonetheless.

Plate in hand, I stood beside the buffet table weighing my options. And I asked myself, "Where would Jesus sit?" Would He choose to sit inside with those like Him? Or would He be outside with those whose choices revealed a heart far from God? The answer was obvious; I headed for the back door.
"May I sit with you?" I asked. Smiles and nods greeted me. Immediately someone jumped to grab a chair, another introduced himself, and I was drawn into the lively conversation. The next hour flew by as we chatted and laughed about vacations, movies and community happenings.

They could have judged me for being obviously different from them, but they didn't. For that moment in time, they welcomed me into their group. As we parted ways, my mind imagined Jesus intentionally choosing to hang out with those shunned by the religious types. They welcomed His presence. In spending time with those far from God, He created quite a stir.

I can imagine a disciple or two trying to warn Jesus about the dangers of hanging out with "sinners." Perhaps they thought Him naive, or simply unwise. "What will people think?" some might have said. "Will others trust what we have to say after they see us having dinner with them?"
But Jesus didn't worry about what others thought. He didn't worry about His reputation being sullied by His choice of friends. Instead, He went out of His way to show acceptance and love to those who needed Him.
That's how I want to be. My choice of where to sit should expand beyond an hour at a reception – it should be a lifestyle of reaching out to those who need to know Jesus. Whether at church, at work,  morning, or  wherever we are at  there will be people far from God.
Each time I have a choice, the questions will be the same: Will I gravitate towards the known? Or where Jesus might go?

This reminds me of a time 20 years ago when we took a sort of unsavory character into our home. He now is walking with Christ and lives at a Ministry that ministers to others who were like him. Lonely and feeling unloved. We still talk and feel a love for one another that is uncanny. It only comes from above. Thank You Lord.

We are called to be set apart in many ways; we don't live like the world lives. But Jesus also said we are to be a light. In my experience, lighting a candle in a well-lit room doesn't make much of a difference. A candle in the dark, however, changes the scene dramatically.
So the next time we have a choice of where to sit, let's think about Jesus and go where He would choose.

Dear Lord, thank You for loving this broken and hurting world. You've asked me to do the same. Forgive me for those times I've chosen the safe route. I know those times have been based in fear, and concern for myself. Help me to be a woman who trusts You enough with her reputation that she's willing to sit where Jesus would sit. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Persistent in the Lord

Everyday for the last 3 weeks this silly little bird plus a few others have tried to get in our reflective window. I thought how silly was this bird. But God spoke to me this morning and said, this bird is not silly just persistent. I thought to myself, if we were this persistent in our serving how blessed we could be.

Hebrews 11:6 says:  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

It takes hard work and persistence to reach our goals. Whether they be in our work life or our church life. Lots of trials and tribulations will get in the way. Financial, health issues, work issues, people. You name it, something will certainly get in our way. Through persistence with the Lord we will come out on the other side.

It is hard work to do Gods work. But with him inside us the Lord will give us strength and joy for everything that comes our way.

When I think of that little bird everyday there are a couple teachings I could come up with. But persistence and determination to be like Paul is what the Lord laid on my heart for tonight. When we become weary and we all will let us remember the words of Paul.

Philippians 3:12-14    New American Standard

 ¹²Not that I have already ^(A)obtained it or have already ^(B)become perfect, but I press on so that I may ^(C)lay hold of that for which also I ^(D)was laid hold of by ^(E)Christ Jesus.

 ¹³Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: ^(F)forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

 ¹⁴I ^(G)press on toward the goal for the prize of the ^(H)upward call of God in ^(I)Christ Jesus.