As we walk daily in our faith and face issues in our lives, we must always remember that the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, protect, strengthen and call you as His child. Because of the true grace of God and by standing firm in it, we are able to face tomorrow.
“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.” John 13:34-35 (MSG) Her name was Deborah. I would never have met her if my mother's health had not declined to the point that she was falling regularly. After Mom had been hospitalized for two days for"failure to thrive" which had been decided upon by the emergency room doctor, we were told by the hospitalist that they could not keep her for that reason and she would be discharged. My father was beside himself with worry because taking her home meant more middle of the night falls and visits by the fire department and EMT's to pick her up and check her over for any injury. So (and if you know me this won't surprise you) I refused to take her home which did not please the doctor trying to discharge her. Because of my refusal, however, he got her into an in-patient rehab program to help her gain strength. And her roommate just happened to be Deborah. Deborah was a fifty something year old black Apostolic preacher. The first time I met her she was lying in her bed watching football, which she loved, with her Bible, which she loved even more, open upon her lap. As Dad chatted with Mom, I struck up a conversation with Deborah. She was more than eager to tell me about her grandchildren and to produce pictures of them from her purse. Most of all though, she wanted to know if I loved the Lord. I found out that she was in the rehab because she had a massive stroke. One that should have killed her instantly but didn't. She had to learn to walk again but her speech was fine and she had no paralysis. She was a living miracle! I can't remember all we talked about but when it was time to leave and Mom was telling us what we needed to bring her during our next visit, I asked Deborah if there was anything she needed. She was dumbfounded that I would ask but when I assured her I was serious, she meekly asked for some socks because she couldn't get her feet warm. In the years following our initial meeting, we stayed connected through phone calls and letters. She loved to write and get letters! When my Dad passed away, and then my Mom, she was heartbroken. She loved them though she only knew them from the rehab facility and through me. And, God bless her sweet heart, she loved me. She also felt like I was a part of her family so she felt comfortable letting me know when she was short on money or needed Bibles for her prison ministry. I was glad to help her out as I could. My husband and I had our ministry at the retirement facility and the money donated to us was used to help people in need, so we helped her. At first she only asked occasionally, but later she asked in every letter and every phone call. When we moved to Georgia, we no longer had our ministry, therefore we had no donations and were unable to assist Deborah financially. I felt so awful for having to say no each time, that eventually I let her letters and calls go unanswered and, after a time, they stopped coming. She had always said she was afraid she would run me off and though I promised her I would never let that happen, I did. I tell you this because recently she was on my mind so I "googled" her. Sadly, I found that she passed away in April of this year. She passed without me telling her how much I loved her and allowing her any other chances to love me. I let my fear of telling her I couldn't send her money take away the last times that I would have a chance to tell her how much I appreciated her. She always said I was her angel and she was very sincere. And she was always so grateful when we helped her. She really had next to nothing and her health kept her isolated in her home. Friendships are gifts. Some last forever, some eventually dissolve because of distance or as a result of friends growing apart, some are very toxic and need to be ended, but others, like this one, end for reasons that could be alleviated with honesty and communication. The two greatest commandments, according to Jesus, are to love God and to love each other. We only have a limited time to love each other on this earth. I know she is in Heaven now and knows the greatest love of all and one day I will get to see her again, ask her forgiveness and hug her for eternity. May you have a blessed week.
Matthew 7:13-14 New Living Translation (NLT) The Narrow Gate 13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell[a] is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. Footnotes: 7:13 Greek The road that leads to destruction.
Revelation 5:13 New Living Translation (NLT) 13 And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: “Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.”
1 Chronicles 29:10-12 New Living Translation (NLT) David’s Prayer of Praise 10 Then David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly: “O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel,[a] may you be praised forever and ever! 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. 12 Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.
Luke 1:67-80 New Living Translation (NLT) Zechariah’s Prophecy 67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy: 68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. 69 He has sent us a mighty Savior[a] from the royal line of his servant David, 70 just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. 71 Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. 72 He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant— 73 the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. 74 We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. 76 “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. 77 You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. 78 Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,[b] 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” 80 John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel. Footnotes: 1:69 Greek has raised up a horn of salvation for us. 1:78 Or the Morning Light from Heaven is about to visit us.
Psalm 18:1-3 New Living Translation (NLT) Psalm 18 For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang: 1 I love you, Lord; you are my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. 3 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.
Luke 12:8-10 New Living Translation (NLT) 8 “I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man[a] will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels. 9 But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels. 10 Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Footnotes: 12:8 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
Mothers and doctors alike will tell you the secrets of having good health and extol the virtues of living a healthy lifestyle. In order to have a healthy spirit, we must be equally vigilant in building a healthy Christian lifestyle. It begins with getting plenty of spiritual rest that brings us peace and comfort in the face of turmoil which we experience daily in our lives. Competing interests, deadlines, schedules and a host of other priorities will take us away from looking after our spiritual health and cause us to have a weakened spirit which will be susceptible to temptation, disobedience and spiritual complacency. In Matthew 14, after Jesus fed the 5,000 people with five loaves and 2 fish, he went up into the hills to pray alone. Jesus often left his disciples and the crowds to be alone in order to pray and focus his thoughts upon his Heavenly Father without interruption. Using his example, we need to do the same thing. We must put aside, even for a few minutes, the daily grind of work and the demands of family to pray and focus our attention on the Father. It is too easy with smartphones, the internet and our other digital gadgets to lose sight of the Lord and His will in our lives. The noise of life will drown out the whispers of His voice and that of the Holy Spirit. Think about how easy it is to be distracted. More and more people are injured or killed in accidents while driving and texting. We can easily become engrossed in one activity while not paying attention to the most important ones. When we do that, we may suffer as a result of it. In studies, doctors and scientists are finding that the human brain, although so very complex, is really not designed to be a multitasking computer. It prefers to concentrate on one thing at a time. One study pointed out that it takes an average of twenty minutes for an individual to return to a task when he or she was interrupted. When a person’s concentration is broken, it is difficult to just pick up right where he or she left off. When I write the Sunday Praise and Worship messages for our ministry website, I go to my study alone to carefully concentrate on the message and allow God’s words to flow into my heart and then into my mind so that I can write them down. Before I start typing, I am alone in prayer and focus completely on God and ask for His words to come into my heart so that I may share them with His children. If I were to write these messages sitting in a noisy coffee shop or fast food restaurant, I would easily be distracted and may fail to receive God’s complete message. Solitude is important when it comes to spiritual rest. It, like physical rest for the body, allows the spirit to take time away from stress and find its “happy place”. Doctors will tell their patients that it is so very important to get plenty of rest in order to maintain a healthy body. Rest allows the body to recuperate and prepare for the rigors of the next day. It helps clear the mind of clutter and allows it to calm down and find peace. Our spirits need the same time to recuperate from spiritual warfare and the demands placed on them. Each day we face temptation and stress that may cause us to falter in our faith and lose sight of the Lord and His importance in our lives. We need to find our “spiritual happy place” and make sure that we spend quality time resting in God’s presence. It starts with having a place completely dedicated to having spiritual rest. Every home or apartment has a room that is devoted to one thing, sleep, called the bedroom. The average individual, depending on their age, sleeps from seven to ten hours a day. We spend millions of dollars annually on new beds, pillows and blinds to make sure that we are able to sleep soundly and comfortably each night. Studies have also indicated that short naps are equally as important to refresh the mind. Just like our physical bodies, we need a place that is dedicated to our spiritual rest. It should be a quiet place for us to be alone so that we can pray and be in the presence of the Lord without interruption. Some people use a spare room or even a closet to isolate themselves from the disruptions that accompany their busy lives. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus provides us with specific directions on how we are to pray. Let us look at Matthew 6. “5 When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” When you have your private, spirit-resting moments with the Lord, you should do it in a quiet place and away from others. This is a moment devoted to the Lord and should not be open to others. When my wife and I led our congregation in prayer at Lakeline Oaks Retirement Community in Cedar Park, Texas, our Sunday service concluded with a moment of prayer and reflection. I called it the most important time in the service, because it was that quiet, dedicated moment for our faith family to go to the Lord in prayer. Each had their own needs and fears that cluttered their mind. By offering this moment of silent prayer, each could call upon the Lord in their own way and just talk with Him. They did not need a pastor, minister or chaplain to lead or direct their prayers. Their words came from their hearts. Many were weary and burdened with medical, financial or other problems. This one moment was “the moment” to lay them down at God’s throne and receive rest. Jesus, later in Matthew, tells us that we can find rest for our souls in him. Let us look at Matthew 11. “28 Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.’” By going to Jesus in prayer, we find that special moment with our Savior and Lord. It is through him and him alone that we can go to the Father and he will take on our burdens, cares and worries. In him, we will find peace and rest. Paul, in Philippians 4, tells us, “6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Once again, we see that God will provide us with peace and rest for our spirits when we live in Christ Jesus. I know all of this is easier said than done. I know that some are already thinking to themselves that it is so very easy for some to do this daily, but they don’t have the busy schedule I do. If you just have a few minutes to seek out the Lord in prayer, you will soon find that your life will be the better for it. Fitness trainers will always say the same to their clients, “You have to make time.” This is no different. You must set aside time for prayer and spiritual reflection. Once you start doing this, you will definitely see a change in your attitude and your spirit will soar like that of an eagle. You will find your spiritual and physical strength renewed so that you are no longer weary from the burdens of life. When we allow the burdens of this life to get between ourselves and the Lord, we experience loneliness and unbearable sorrows. We feel isolated and feel that God no longer cares. That is so far from the truth. God cares for and loves His children immensely. He wants to have a special relationship with each of His children, but it must begin with prayer. We must seek Him out daily and rest in His grace so that we are prepared to deal with the trials and troubles we face. Let us look back at Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us that we should not worry about our daily needs. God knows what we need and will provide. “31 So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” He also tells us that worrying about everything will not gain us anything and will not add a single moment to our lives. Doctors will tell you that worrying and having a pessimistic outlook on life will lead to shortening your physical life. Worrying will only cause you more grief and cause you to lose focus on the Lord. At that point, we give our problems more importance and begin to forget to pray or we try to deal with the problems ourselves. Learn to put aside your problems for a moment and seek out the Lord in quiet prayer and reflection. Find that private space in your home or apartment where you can go to spend time with the Lord without interruption. When you do that, you truly will find a “far, far better rest than you have ever known” and can stand firm in His grace. May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace. ~ Numbers 6:24-26 New Living Translation (NLT)
Romans 10:5-13 New Living Translation (NLT) Salvation Is for Everyone 5 For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.[a] 6 But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). 7 And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” 8 In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.”[b] And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”[c] 12 Jew and Gentile[d] are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[e] Footnotes: 10:5 See Lev 18:5. 10:6-8 Deut 30:12-14. 10:11 Isa 28:16 (Greek version). 10:12 Greek and Greek. 10:13 Joel 2:32.
Exodus 3:14-15 New Living Translation (NLT) 14 God replied to Moses, “I am who i am.[a] Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh,[b] the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations. Footnotes: 3:14 Or I will be what i will be. 3:15 Yahweh (also in 3:16) is a transliteration of the proper name YHWH that is sometimes rendered “Jehovah”; in this translation it is usually rendered “the Lord” (note the use of small capitals).
Jeremiah 33:6-9 New Living Translation (NLT) 6 “Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem’s wounds and give it prosperity and true peace. 7 I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel and rebuild their towns. 8 I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion. 9 Then this city will bring me joy, glory, and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for them.
1 John 1:5-7 New Living Translation (NLT) Living in the Light 5 This is the message we heard from Jesus[a] and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. Footnotes: 1:5 Greek from him.
John 8:12 New Living Translation (NLT) Jesus, the Light of the World 12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
1 Timothy 4:6-10 New Living Translation (NLT) A Good Servant of Christ Jesus 6 If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters,[a] Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed. 7 Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. 8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” 9 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. 10 This is why we work hard and continue to struggle,[b] for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers. Footnotes: 4:6 Greek brothers. 4:10 Some manuscripts read continue to suffer.
Exodus 19:3-6 New Living Translation (NLT) 3 Then Moses climbed the mountain to appear before God. The Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “Give these instructions to the family of Jacob; announce it to the descendants of Israel: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. 6 And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.”
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT)
In the area in which I live, the women have formed a Facebook page. Here they share pictures or family events, ask for recommendations, seek information about road accidents or crimes and talk about good or bad experiences with businesses in the area. Recently, as I was looking through the postings, I saw a story from a lady about a disappointing experience at a local restaurant. From what she shared, it was easy for me to sympathize with how she felt about what had happened and I would have assumed that she would have had a lot of support from the many members that responded. However, I was wrong. I'm not sure what it is within us that leads us to feel that we need to give advice or viewpoints that are unnecessary. As I read through the replies I was horrified by the criticisms expressed, not of what had occurred at the restaurant, but of this poor lady's feelings. For some reason, some of these city sisters had felt it their duty to inform her that she was wrong for expressing how this incident had affected her. As I write this I am remembering innumerable times that I have witnessed or experienced hurt feelings because of how people treat one another. Rather than seeking to understand or just support each other, we assume that our own viewpoint is the correct one and therefore we must make it known with no regard for the repercussions. Yes, we need to stand for biblical truth but we must first examine our own motives then be compassionate and kind in how we respond. Too many times we share without taking time to make sure that what we say or do is Christ-like in nature, or even in line with what scripture would teach. Kindness is lacking in this world today. As everyone strives to "look out for number one" those around us fall by the wayside with lasting wounds left by the barbs of our words and actions. Harshness and violence fill the news each day because mankind is losing respect for the sanctity of life. Beliefs and viewpoints clash and love and compassion are absent. As Christians, we need to be the first to exercise the golden rule. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" should be in our minds at all times, not just times of conflict. The Lord has given us wise guidance in how to handle our interactions with others. We need to love and support one another and be the calming influence in a society that has forgotten what it is like to care for our fellow human beings. Each day brings countless opportunities for kindness. Whether in person or online, let's be the ones to exhibit attitudes of understanding and compassion. I'm not asking anyone to deny their beliefs. I don't want to do that either. All I ask is that we take the time to pray over what we say and do and how we react before we hurt anyone. From the bottom of my heart, I wish you a blessed week.
Our great nation has been in existence for 242 years. I remember when I was 11 years old and celebrated America's bicentennial. At that time, our nation celebrated 200 years of freedom and enjoyed the liberties secured not only for our previous generations but also for ourselves and our posterity. As you celebrate the birth of our great nation today, please take time to reflect on its many achievements and those who worked so hard to mold our nation into "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Many years ago, the celebrated comedian, Red Skelton, in a brief yet poignant speech, summed up not only his feelings but also the feelings of an entire nation regarding how we should feel when we say the Pledge of Alliance. Listen careful to his words and truly think about them today and everyday.
Ephesians 2:14-16 New Living Translation (NLT) 14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
Her name was Deborah. I would never have met her if my mother's health had not declined to the point that she was falling regularly. After Mom had been hospitalized for two days for"failure to thrive" which had been decided upon by the emergency room doctor, we were told by the hospitalist that they could not keep her for that reason and she would be discharged. My father was beside himself with worry because taking her home meant more middle of the night falls and visits by the fire department and EMT's to pick her up and check her over for any injury. So (and if you know me this won't surprise you) I refused to take her home which did not please the doctor trying to discharge her. Because of my refusal, however, he got her into an in-patient rehab program to help her gain strength. And her roommate just happened to be Deborah. 
