Tag: Faith

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Jesus – Redeemer

Jesus – Redeemer

Job had a personal relationship with the Redeemer.  Though Job had lost much, he never lost hope in God.  He had the assurance that no matter what happened to him on earth one day he would be united with Christ in Heaven.

Job had no idea why his life was falling apart.  His faith in Christ was firm and he was confident that his Redeemer would deliver him.  He believed in a living Redeemer and looked forward for the blessed hope that and the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13).

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Used by God by Angey Nelson

Happy December 20th! I hope everyone is feeling blessed and happy from the weekend! This week’s devo is “Used by God” written by Angey Nelson!  Have you ever felt USED?? This is a devo that you need to read! It was a help to me! I hope you have the best of the best weeks ever!

USED by God – Angey Nelson

When Mary said to the angel, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word,” do you think she really knew what she was getting herself into? I’m sure she grew up learning that a virgin would bring forth the Messiah, but do you really think she realized what was ahead for her? Afterall, she was facing ridicule, false accusation, and the possibility of being stoned to death. Not to mention the ultimate sacrifice….  the Son she would carry in her body would be crucified for sins He never committed. If you ask me, Mary was just being USED.

In human terms, being USED is not something to be desired. Use: to take or consume from a limited supply; to exploit in order to gain advantage.

May 2015 o July 2016 was a time of great loss for our family. In that short period, I miscarried two children, my Dad died of a brain tumor, and our Pastor died of a heart attack. Through it all, we felt the presence of the Lord more than ever before. Just a couple months later, my husband felt burdened of the Lord to take a big step in our life of ministry. After much prayer, fasting, and counsel, we proceeded ahead by faith on the path that God had shown him. Without going into detail, I will say that the loneliness and pain of the next year was even harder than what we had just come through. In truth, I felt USED… by friends, by coworkers, by strangers, and even…. by God. 

 

There, I said it! As much as I tried to ignore it, I knew that bitterness (believing that God got it wrong) was trying to take root. Why would God so clearly lead my husband to do something that He knew would not take place? Why would He purposely put us into a situation that seemed to only have a hurtful outcome? If you ask me, we were just USED.

 

Deep down, I knew that if my thoughts were true, then Romans 8:28 was a lie. If I was right about God USING me, then every verse that says He loves me, holds me, strengthens me, was wrong. So, I asked the Lord for help; He took me to Mary.

 

Yes, Mary was USED by God but in such a way that the angels declared, “Glory to God in the highest.” God’s kind of USED isn’t the same as mine. Mary wasn’t a doormat that God walked over or a rag that He USED and then threw away. Rather, God needed Mary to be USED as His vessel for His purpose. Did she decline because it was too much to bear? Did she say, “I didn’t sign up for this”? No, Mary became like a vase that is USED to hold beautiful flowers; it isn’t the vase that is important, but that the flowers are lifted up and magnified.

 

Recently I heard a preacher say something like this, “When you hear an offertory played at church, do you think, ‘Wow! That sure is a great piano.’ No! It’s the pianist that is awesome!” A piano isn’t anything but wood and strings until it gets USED. I decided that if I get USED and someone sees how awesome God is, then amen! Isn’t that what life is supposed to be about?! If God chooses to USE me, then it is my job to see that He gets all the glory.

 

You know, since that difficult time, God has grown our church in such an amazing way! We have seen Him do marvelous things we never thought possible in the lives of our family and teen group. Glory to God in the highest! Let God USE your life for His glory.

 

https://www.sappsolutely.com/devotions/used-by-god-angey-nelson

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Jesus – High Priest

Jesus – High Priest

Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

 

Levitical priests had to be holy men of God, but they also had to make sure their hearts and lives were cleansed before offering sacrifices on behalf of others. .

Because Jesus is ”holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26), He is the only one who could possibly approach the heavenly throne on behalf of others as He is. Jesus is rightly called the High Priest.

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Jesus – Good Shepherd

Jesus – Good Shepherd

John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

 

A shepherd is one who tends sheep. The duties of a shepherd can be quite cumbersome at times. He must keep a careful watch over his flock at all times. In fact, shepherds are often subjected to great peril, sometimes even sacrificing their lives for their sheep.

 

Similarly, Jesus was born to be our Good Shepherd, willingly sacrificing His life for ours. He came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10; Matthew 20:28). In declaring that He is the Good Shepherd, He speaks of laying down his life for his sheep (John 10:15-18).

 

 

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Jesus – Firstborn

Jesus – Firstborn

Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

 

Christ was born in the image of God – a vision of the Father in human form. Begotten is defined as ‘brought into existence by or as if by a parent’. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. 

 

Before all creation or any creature was made, Jesus existed. All things were made by Him (John 1:3) – absolutely everything.

 

The emphasis in this passage is on the preeminence of Christ. He should have first place in our hearts and lives. We need to let go of everything that hinders us from glorifying Christ.

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How Thirsty Are You? – Debbie Netterville

Happy December ! I hope everyone had a GREAT weekend serving Jesus!

This week’s devo is “How Thirsty Are You?” written by Debbie Netterville!  Please take the time to read as she shares her heart with us today! I pray you have a blessed week.

How Thirsty Are You? – Debbie Netterville

In August we were in Burlington, Iowa helping a church with Bible Handouts. Saturday night we went out to eat with the pastor and his family. In the middle of the night I woke up and began throwing up. Up and down all night. We thought it was food poisoning. I was unable to go to church all day. I continued throwing up and unable to keep anything down. This lasted a couple more days and I was beginning to get weak. Scott decided we needed to go to the ER. You know how long it takes waiting in the ER. When they finally called my name, they took blood and gave me some meds for nausea.

We spent another day in Burlington, but I was still weak and unable to keep anything down. We decided we wanted to head home to Bourbonnais, Illinois where our home church is and some of our family. We wanted to have family in case we needed help. Wednesday, we drove from Burlington to Bourbonnais, about a 4-hour drive. It was long and miserable for me.

When I would wake up in the morning, I would be so hungry. I could even feel the hunger pangs. I would eat yogurt, applesauce, oatmeal, drink water, 7UP and Pedialyte. I was still unable to keep anything down. I knew I was getting weaker. So again off to the ER in Kankakee. I think it was Friday evening when we went and spent 7 hours waiting. I was so miserable. So again blood work but this time they took x-rays. When they got the results it was not good news.

In fact, they said I was a very sick woman. I thought “oh no”. I had a double hernia with a bowel obstruction. That explains why I was not able to hold anything down. It was around 7:00 am on Saturday when they admitted me to the hospital. I was not allowed to have ANYTHING, no food, drink or even ice chips.

Family and friends were asking “why they didn’t figure it out in Burlington?” I said, “because God allowed us to get home where I could have my family and church family with us.”

Here is when the “thirst” really began. They gave me a “green lollipop”, (that is what I  called it.) A green sponge on a stick that I could dip in a glass of water and then just wet my lips.  The doctor wanted to wait a couple of days to see if I could hold anything down. On Monday  they started giving me some soft foods, but I was throwing up again. My doctor said I needed to  have surgery, so they scheduled it for Tuesday. After surgery I could have some ice chips with  my “green lollipop”. By this time the ice chips were GREAT! But still barely quenching my  “thirst”

As I laid there thinking how thirsty I was I began thinking about “How much do I thirst  after God’s Word?

I remember when I first got saved and how I longed to read my Bible. I was thirsting  after His Word. How exciting it was to find help from the scriptures. It was a thirsting that

looked forward to every day. “O God, thou art my God early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth  for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is:” Ps. 63:

Do we really thirst after the scriptures? “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst  after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matt. 5:6 As we read our Bibles our cup gets filled  and we can continue on. We empty ourselves, then we go right back to our source

I remember both times before my cancer surgeries, the first thing I did was open my  Bible to try to quench the thirsting of my soul. I needed to get my cup full of His Word to get me  through my cancer journey. “…I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal  thee: …” II Kings 20:5 This was the verse the Lord gave me for my 1st cancer journey. The next  verse for my 2nd journey was “…This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that  the Son of God might be glorified thereby.:” John 11:4

Our physical thirst and spiritual thirst are totally different. But as I would take my “green  lollipop” dip it in water and rub my lips I would think of how thirsty I was for a drink of cold  water. Then to get my mind off my physical thirst, I would open my Bible to fill my cup with His  Word. I needed Him more than anything

How thirsty are you? We need to be drinking daily from His word! “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst: but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14.

https://www.sappsolutely.com/devotions/how-thirsty-are-you-debbie-netterville

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Jesus – Bright and Morning Star

Revelation 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. 

Jesus sent His angels to testify in the churches so that they could spread the word to the world. Hence, we should be joyfully sharing the Good News to the world around us.

Jesus gave himself the names “the root of David” and “the bright and morning star”.  How can these being opposite of each other be compared to Christ?

A root is deep in the ground where it’s not seen while a star shines brightly in the heavens. The root signifies His humanity while the star signifies His deity. The root connects Him to the lineage of David; the star declares that He is the brightest of His Father’s glory and will be the One who puts a final end to the darkened world.

Looking forward to His glorious appearing!

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Christmas Joy by Tiffany Moore

Happy Monday! 2 MORE DAYS of November!!! Time is flying by! This week’s devo is “Christmas Joy” written by Tiffany Moore! Please take the time to read as she shares her heart with us today! I hope you have the BEST week ever!!!!

Christmas Joy – Tiffany Moore

Do you ever watch those cheesy Christmas movies? I love them! At some point, every movie seems to have a family decorating a beautiful Christmas tree with twinkling lights. Then, you see that loving family singing Christmas carols and drinking hot chocolate with a fire blazing behind them. Have you ever contrasted that with how decorating your house for Christmas really goes? First, you clean your house because it is nearly impossible once all the Christmas knick knacks get put up. Then, you have to go to the storage shed or attic hoping to be able to locate red and green boxes and totes. Then, you drag them to your living room. If you have an artificial tree (even a brand new one that you got on clearance the prior year), you might let it air out on the porch so no mama rodents and her offspring come inside with it (yucky true story.) Then, you will probably scratch your arms all up while assembling and fluffing the tree because you don’t have on long sleeves. You might even have to pause during all of this multiple times and remind your children that some ornaments will shatter if you drop them. You might answer what feels like a million questions from your children about the decorations through which they are pilfering. Can you say tiring?! Where are the Christmas carols? Where is the sweet family drinking hot cocoa and the blazing fire? At my house, it does not look like a Hallmark movie! Oftentimes, reality DOES NOT equal Hallmark fantasy. You might get discouraged that your life does not resemble that perfect “Christmas Moment.”

There are several things that can steal your joy: comparison, anxiety, discontentedness, grief, pain and busyness. It is so easy to get caught up in what is going on in your life that you realize you are just “going through the motions.” The Christmas season becomes another item on your “to-do” list. It’s not fun or even special. It’s definitely not sweet like a movie! Comparing your life to those around you (or even a movie), being discontented, feeling anxious about events, physically, hurting, losing a loved one and just being so busy can overwhelm and overshadow the enjoyment of your holiday season. Sometimes, we have to purposefully focus on having JOY during the holidays. He wants you to have joy. In fact, the Bible says in 1 John 1:4 that our “joy may be full.” Living miserably or without joy during any time of the year is not what we are supposed to do. To ensure you don’t lose your joy this Christmas, you need to remember what JOY means.

J- Jesus

Christmas is about Jesus coming to earth as a baby to save us from our sins. It’s not about having perfectly decorated tree or having all your presents wrapped in the same trendy paper. It’s not about the parties or caroling. It’s about remembering and recognizing Jesus. He came to earth so we can go to Heaven. He’s the reason for the entire season.

O- Others

Christmas is about sharing Jesus with others. Yes, we do that some by all the activities we do during this time of year. However, if we will keep our eyes focused on Jesus and the goal of sharing His love with others, we will have more JOY. So, as you’re making cookies, wrapping presents, or even decorating your Sunday School classroom, don’t forget to share Jesus with those around you.

Y- You

Christmas is not about you. 😊 However, it is a wonderful time of year to refocus your spiritual life. It is a good time to put more energy in your relationship with Jesus. Renew your relationship with God by maybe reading your Bible more instead of binge-watching holiday movies (gasp!) Truly reflect on the goodness of God in your family’s life this past year. Thank Him by reorganizing your priorities each day to start the day with Him in prayer.Having JOY in this Christmas season is your choice. Lower your expectations of “Hallmark movie perfection” and just focus on Jesus, the Reason for the season. There is a little chorus that might help you when you start to lose JOY this Christmas. It is sung to the tune of Jingle Bells.

J-O-Y, J-O-Y

Having JOY means

Put Jesus first,

Yourself last and

Others in between!

https://www.sappsolutely.com/devotions/christmas-joy-tiffany-moore

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Count Your Blessings

As we observe this Thanksgiving day, let us not only remember the Pilgrims who made the treacherous journey seeking to find a new home in order to worship freely, but also remember to thank God for His many blessings in our lives. May we count them one by one that we may remember what He has done!

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Happy Monday! I can hardly believe it’s Thanksgiving week!!

I apologize for the lateness of this post. I accidentally popped my left arm out of place over the weekend and was in excruciating pain. I got sidetracked trying to get an appointment with my chiropractor.

Thankfully, my chiropractor was willing to fit me in this morning to get this taken care of. I am now ordered to take it easy over the next several days to allow my shoulder time to heal. Then I will start exercises as I am able to strengthen the muscles and ligaments to prevent any more dislocations or subluxations in the future. I am looking forward to spending time with family.

This week’s devo is “How Well Do You Know Ed?” written by Jan Neill!

Please take the time to read as she wants to encourage US today! I hope that you have an absolutely amazing week!!!

How Well Do You Know Ed? – Jan Neill

In Joshua we find that the 2 ½ tribes of Israel had completed the task of fighting with the other tribes to subdue the land- and were returning to ‘their’ side of Jordon. Not the Promised Land God had provided but their choice (whole new discussion on this one- later) but where they asked to stay.

Upon crossing over they stopped to build an alter for reflection, and remembrance. Joshua 22:34 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God.

I don’t know about you, but I often can be caught in the “God answers prayer for the deserving, staff, preachers, pastors wives, … and on it goes, but He isn’t as interested in my, my life, my needs as those IMPORTANT People, the Bible College crowd,.etc. (insert lie of the Devil that is whispered in your ear.)

We all need more ED… we need to make memorials, alters and remembrances of WHEN GOD did more than meet our needs, wants , and how He made ways we cannot see. In this world we are so bombarded with all the reasons that God, cant- won’t – or could use as reasons to NOT hear and care for His children. Our children, and grandchildren will live in a world that will continue to challenge who God is and that He is sovereign, mighty, holy, loving… all the attributes we KNOW about God, but can easily forget when the blows and challenges of the world constantly beat us up.

Who / what are the Ed’s in your life that when hard times come, and it seems the answers you pray for are delayed, that you can look to and remember .. several years ago after having been diagnosed with stage 2 type 2 melanoma, I can still tell you to this day the spot on the freeway where I surrendered my will to God for my health, and successful treatment and surgery, I can tell of begging God to save my then lost husband and provide me a Godly mate and a Christian home, and on and on the list goes.

We have a new member of the family this year and as I’m thinking of pulling out old pictures to share with her to show her the family, our history, who these people were that are so important to our history and who made a difference, as we move toward Thanksgiving and thinking about being thankful, grateful and blessed…. Perhaps it’s a great time to reflect on Ed, and maybe even share with our families the alters that God has made for and with us… ”That in times to come these shall not be forgotten.”

https://www.sappsolutely.com/devotions/how-well-do-you-know-ed-jan-neill

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