face them with confidence

So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”

- Hebrews 13:6 (NLT)

 

Confidence is a trait that people seek in others.

Employers look for confident employees, parents want teachers for their children to be confident in their ability to teach and teachers enjoy students that are confident in themselves.

People look for confidence in their friends and partners.
But what about confidence in ourselves? 

How can we be confident in what happens today?

What is our assurance for tomorrow?

How do we show confidence?

Sanctus Real released a song in 2018 called Confidence, check out these lyrics: 
I'm not a warrior, I'm too afraid to lose

I feel unqualified for what you're callin' me to

But Lord with your strength, I've got no excuse

'Cause broken people are exactly who you use

So give me faith like Daniel in the lion's den

Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness

Give me a heart like David, Lord be my defense

So I can face my giants with confidence

You took a shepherd boy and made him a King

So I'm gonna trust you and give you everything

I'll be a conqueror 'cause you fight for me

I'll be a champion claiming your victory

...

I'm gonna sing and shout and shake the walls

I won't stop until I see 'em fall

Gonna stand up, step out when you call

Jesus, Jesus

I'm gonna sing and shout and shake the walls

I won't stop until I see 'em fall

Gonna stand up, step out when you call

Jesus

Give me faith like Daniel in the lion's den

Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness

Give me a heart like David, Lord be my defense

So I can face my giants with confidence, yeah

...

I'll face my giants with confidence

We should seek to find our confidence in the Lord, He is there for us every step of the way!

He assures us that we can count on Him and that we should not be afraid of the future.

Fear will not be our master because our future, our destiny, our eternity rest in the hands of the eternal Lord.

The worst that man can do is to send me home to my Lord.

I’m confident, are you?

 

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yes!

For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.

- 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NLT)

 

Have you ever been at a location where a sports event is being viewed and the favored team does something good and the entire area swells with joyful screams of “yes!”?

When you’re a diehard football fan and your team makes it to the super bowl and gets that first touchdown, you scream “yes!” quite loudly. 
Or how about if you are participating in a heated round of trivia and you just won the game? 
That resounding “yes” is a promised fulfilled – your team scoring the winning touchdown, or that final answer put you ahead in points, proving that all is glorious. 
Darrell Evans released the song “Trading My Sorrows (Yes Lord) in 1998, take a moment to read the lyrics (bonus points if you can sing them!): 
I'm trading my sorrow

I'm trading my shame

I'm laying it down for the joy of the Lord

I'm trading my sickness

I'm trading my pain

I'm laying it down for the joy of the Lord

Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes, yes Lord

Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes, yes Lord

Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes, yes Lord, Amen

Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes, yes Lord

Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes, yes Lord

Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes, yes Lord, Amen

Though sorrow may last for the night

Joy comes with the morning
Dude. 
God’s promises fulfilled. 

Yes, Lord, AMEN!!

 

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lead on

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

- Hebrews 13:7 (NIV)

 

I used to watch the news every morning, but as I get older it is getting harder to watch. 
The morals and values of the people of this nation are slipping further and further from where God wants us to be. 
Our teachers, our police, our church leadership, our elected leaders, the people in positions of authority need our prayers.

We need to pray that they are great leaders and that they emphasize three things: 

1) they teach others the word of God;

2) they live as great examples for others; and

3) they have observable faith.

Obviously, our culture will not tolerate someone flat out professing Christianity in a high office role (I find that very sad) but remember that God puts each of us in positions of influence.

We have influence with our children, our friends, our work acquaintances, and our neighbors.

What kind of spiritual leadership are we showing them?

Pray for our leaders, God knows what He is doing.

 

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prove it

God has shown His love to us by sending His only Son into the world. God did this so we might have life through Christ.

- 1 John 4:9 (NLV)

 

I can distinctly remember many times growing up and hearing the words “prove it”. 
Most of the time it was kids trying to “one-up” each other – “oh, you can do 40 push ups? Prove it!” 
As I got older it was a little riskier “oh, you can get your car to 115mph? Prove it!” 
Even as adults “you can do this job better than me? Prove it!” 

Sometimes it frustrates me that people cannot simply believe what they are being told, but the must have it proven to them.

God loves you.

Prove it?

Look what He did.

For you.

That should be proof enough.

 

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just thinking

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.

- Romans 8:5 (NLT)

 

This one is hard. 
There are so many things that are considered sin, some so tiny people forget that it is sin. 
When the restaurant puts in an extra bag of fries, and you say nothing. 

When UPS/FedEx/DHL drops off a package and you open it then realize it was not your package, but you say nothing. 
When you see a handsome guy or gal and you start thinking about things you shouldn’t.

When the person in front of you drops money and you pick it up without saying anything.

When you give a fake excuse as a reason to get out of doing something. 
Little white lies, lies of omission, thoughts of an unkind deed. 
Sin. 

When these are the only things a person thinks about - that person is not in touch with God.

When we let our hearts and minds be filled with the Holy Spirit, the thoughts of sin are not in focus any longer. 
We open our minds instead to the things that please God. 
What are you thinking? 

 

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make the right choice

I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me.

- Psalm 119:30 (NKJV)

 

We all have choices in life, sometimes we make good choices and other times, maybe not so good.

Our choices can be as simple as what to have for breakfast or as difficult as taking a new job. 
Weighing all the options can be challenging, we have all seen the cartoon with the little devil on one shoulder and the little angel on the other, telling us which is the better choice.

I don’t know about you, but my little devil voice can be pretty convincing sometimes, leading me to believe the wrong option is the right option.

Sometimes we contemplate straying from His path, even when our hearts know where we need to be.

Choose the way of truth, set your heart on Him.

 

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look out

Look after each other so that not one of you will fail to find God’s best blessings. Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives.

- Hebrews 12:15 (TLB)

 

The words that stand out the most to me from this verse are “watch out that no bitterness takes root among you”. 
Guilty. 
I have let bitterness change the direction of my life on more than one occasion. 
The Message translation offers this perspective on today’s verse: 
Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise, you’ll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God’s generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time. Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God’s lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God’s blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.
By then it was too late.
Often, we are left with nothing but regret because it’s too late. 
Watch out for each other – don’t let bitterness destroy what God has made. 

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have faith

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well” — but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

- James 2:14-17 (NLT)

I’ve known many people who profess to be Christians, who claim to be good and know Jesus, but in reality, they are far from having true faith.

I know of people that go to church every week and put a significant amount of money in the offering plate but do nothing else to show their faith.

You can’t buy your way into Heaven.

I have seen the “God won’t ask” poem a million times, and I think it is worth repeating:

God won't ask what kind of car you drove, but will ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.

God won't ask the square footage of your house, but will ask how many people you welcomed into your home

God won't ask about the fancy clothes you had in your closet, but will ask how many of those clothes helped the needy.

God won't ask about your social status, but will ask what kind of class you displayed.

God won't ask how many material possessions you had, but will ask if they dictated your life.

God won't ask what your highest salary was, but will ask if you compromised your character to obtain that salary.

God won't ask how much overtime you worked, but will ask if you worked overtime for your family and loved ones.

God won't ask how many promotions you received, but will ask how you promoted others.

God won't ask what your job title was, but will ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

God won't ask what you did to help yourself, but will ask what you did to help others.

God won't ask how many friends you had, but will ask how many people to whom you were a true friend.

God won't ask what you did to protect your rights, but will ask what you did to protect the rights of others.

God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, but will ask how you treated your neighbors.

God won't ask about the color of your skin, but will ask about the content of your character.

God won't ask how many times your deeds matched your words, but will ask how many times it didn't.

Again, you can’t buy your way into Heaven.

What good is it then, to claim that you have faith, if you really do nothing with it?

 

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we must go on

May the Lord fill your hearts with God’s love. May Christ give you the strength to go on.

- 2 Thessalonians 3:5 (NIRV)

 

Sometimes life is hard, we get lost and just want to throw in the towel and give up. 
We must go on. 
These days we have all sorts of devices to get us where we are going.

We have maps that give use verbal directions right in the palms of our hands.

We have cars, trucks and motorcycles with built in navigation systems that can take us from point A to point B using the best possible route.

But if we deviate from that path even a little (Siri never accounts for fuel stops or bathroom breaks) out handy assistant immediately begins recalculating to get us back on the right path. 

It’s too bad that we don’t had GPS for our hearts and a Biblical Siri that could tell us to make a U-turn as soon as possible.

Yet we do.

We have prayer and Bible studies, we have spiritual leaders and pastors, and we have our Bibles.

We can ask the Lord to guide us.

If we give our hearts to God, we get His love in return.

Stay strong my friends, may the Lord be your GPS!

 

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invisible

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

- Romans 1:20 (NLT)

 

I have often said that if something keeps coming to your mind that it is important. 
Recently the idea of being able to see the unseen has come to mind a lot. 
There are several verses in the Bible about believing in what we do not see, including this one. 
I have many friends that don’t believe in God, I don’t love them less, in fact, I may love them more.

I look around me and I see miracles, from a blade of grass to the brightest star in the sky, to me this is clearly God, but to others it is not.

In my opinion, God is not invisible. 
From my point of view, God is loving and forgiving, not judgmental and cold. 
Humans by nature go through life making mistakes, but God forgives, there is no mistake that is too big for God. 
God may be invisible to some, but to me He is very real, and very visible.  

 

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shameful

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

- Romans 1:16 (NKJV)

 

I just finished a class “History of World Christianity”, it was a very interesting class. 
Dating back to the days that Jesus walked the earth, the class covered the challenges and persecution that Christians endured. 
You would think that humanity would have made progress in the two thousand plus years since the death of Christ, but we haven’t. 
Persecution still exists, there are still countries where talking about Jesus can result in your execution. 
There are still places in the good old U.S.A. where discussing religion is a scandal. 
It's sad that we have to hide who we are for fear of retaliation. 
I send my “daily bread” out via email and posts of various social media platforms. 
This very email could cost me my job if it fell into the hands of someone that doesn’t believe and that someone was vindictive enough to raise enough fuss to get me fired. 
I am still not ashamed, the God I believe in loves everyone, even those who do not love Him.

These days we are not supposed to talk about God or our faith.

People want us to be ashamed they view us as stupid, insensitive, judgmental, and hypocritical.

Do not be ashamed; be joyous and generous with this incredible gift that we have received.

According to the Bible, we are obligated to share His word with “both the wise and the foolish”.

That means, if you already know His word, I am sharing it to remind you and if you don’t know His word, I am sharing to introduce you.

 

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I’m hiding

No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.

- 1 John 4:12 (NKJV)

 

Peek-a-boo, I see you!! 
Little kids and cats, they both have an innocent belief that if they can’t see you, you can’t see them.

No one that is living on Earth today has seen God.

Because of this fact, there is a story of a college professor trying to prove that there is no God.

The professor begins by asking the students if they could see the trees, the grass, the sky, of course the students could see these things.

The professor asked if they could see God, which the students replied no, the could not.

The professor summarized then, that if no one could see God, he simply was not real.

A student proceeded to give the professor a series of “can you see” type questions, to which the answers were always simply “yes”, until the student asked if the professor could see his own brain.

The professor, a bit taken aback, replied with no, I cannot see my brain, to which the student replied that if no one could see his brain, the professor must not have one.

While this is a cute story, many people truly cannot believe in a God they cannot see.

All they need to do is open their eyes.  

When we follow God, He can be seen in our homes and in our words, His love is recognizable in our lives.

When we love those around us, when they love us back, when we choose to be loving instead of petty, unforgiving, critical, and harsh, God's presence, power, and perfection are revealed in us!

Be loving so we can all see God.

 

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let’s eat

So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together.

- 1 Corinthians 11:33 (NIV)

 

Who doesn’t love to eat?  
Food is always better with friends and family though. 
Most of the time my meals are on a TV tray either in front of the TV or beside my computer, sometimes though instead of eating in the living room with the TV on, my husband and I set the table and have a sit-down dinner.. 
I do cherish the times that my family is gathered together and we are at the table. 
It doesn’t have to be blood relation, some of my “family” is the family I have chosen, like my CMA chapter, or other amazing friends.
Sitting around the table, sharing a meal and some of the best conversations. 
Make memories.

Eat together.

 

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distress

Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.

- Isaiah 33:2 (NIV)

 

There is some secular music that I really like. 
Simon and Garfunkel released “Bridge over Troubled Water” in 1970, here are a few of the lyrics: 
When you're weary

Feeling small

When tears are in your eyes

I'll dry them all

I'm on your side

Oh, when times get rough

And friends just can't be found

… Like a bridge over troubled water

I will lay me down

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will lay me down

… When you're down and out

When you're on the street

When evening falls so hard

I will comfort you

I'll take your part

Oh, when darkness comes

And pain is all around

…

… Sail on silver girl

Sail on by

Your time has come to shine

All your dreams are on their way

See how they shine

Oh, if you need a friend

I'm sailing right behind

… Like a bridge over troubled water

I will ease your mind

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will ease your mind
An article in American Songwriter about a year ago talked about the meaning behind this song, it was actually inspired by and old southern gospel song (1959 “Oh Mary Don’t You Weep” by Swan Silvertones).

The line “Like a bridge over troubled water” is a metaphor for someone living through a trying time in their life, and “I will lay me down” references the sacrifices and perseverance as they find a way through difficulty.

God is our salvation in times of distress, our bridge over troubled water.

We are so lucky.

 

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I deserve this

The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.

- Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NLT)

 

We live in a very entitled world today - and I am not just talking about the younger generation - it seems like everyone is only in it for themselves.

I see a lot of “what are you going to do for me” attitude going on, people forget that we should do things for others.

How often do we do things “half-heartedly”? 
We can usually tell when someone doesn’t really mean what they say or doesn’t want to do something but feels obligated to do it anyway.

Even if we can’t tell, God always can.

As we go through life we are going to come across a lot of circumstances that may harden our hearts and we simply cannot allow that to happen because once our hearts turn deceitful against our friends, family, God and even our own selves, it becomes increasingly difficult to turn back to God.

And if God is rewarding man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve, there are going to be a lot of people disappointed in what they receive.

Where is your heart?

Do a regular heart check on yourself, make sure your heart really is in the right place.

Because where your heart is, for real, shows the world who you are.

We might be able to fool others, but we can’t fool God, He sees our real heart.

 

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sheep and goats

All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.

- Matthew 25:32 (NKJV)

 

I have a bunch of friends that have goats. 
Personally, I feel like they are terrifying creatures. 
I think it is their eyes, but they just freak me out. 
Sheep are cute, but they have a bad reputation for being kind of dumb, when in reality they are very intelligent. 
I have heard that a sheep will do some dumb things, like getting stuck in a fence and they push forward until they kill themselves rather than take a single step backwards and no longer be caught.  
I often wondered then, if sheep are dumb, why are followers of Jesus referred to as sheep? 
Why is the Lord referred to as a Shepherd? 
Sheep are compassionate, they have a strong flocking instinct, so they stick together and protect one another. 
Goats on the other hand are hard-hearted and stubborn, they see something they want and will go after it, no matter the cost. 
This verse tells us that on the day of judgement that we will be separated, the ones who find salvation and the ones that will be sent to damnation. 
I’m reminded of Henry Ossawa Tanner’s painting “The Good Shepherd”,  the imagery of a shepherd that would lay down his life for his sheep. 
Isn’t that exactly what Jesus did? 

Which group will you be in?

 

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love me tender

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

- John 15:9 (NKJV)

 

For you Elvis fans, I apologize, today’s verse is not about Elvis (although I agree, he had an amazing voice). 
The dictionary definition of the verb abide is to accept or act in accordance with or be able to tolerate.

With that definition in mind, let’s reword that verse: 
As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; accept  My love. 
As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; act in accordance with My love.

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you;tolerate My love.

How can we look any further for the perfect love that we can find in Jesus?

God loves us. 
Jesus loves us. 
We can live in this love every single day. 
I don’t know about you, but there is no place I’d rather be. 

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clouds

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

- Revelation 1:7 (NKJV)

 

I have always loved the clouds. 
If you look at my camera roll on my phone you will see many pictures of clouds in different forms. 
According to the World Meteorological Organization, more than 100 types of clouds exist, but the many variations can be grouped into one of ten basic types. 
I aways called the scary ones storm clouds, dark clouds, or eerie clouds, and the happy clouds are flat, fluffy, or wavy – shows how much I know. 
As children and even now as adults we look at clouds to see what shapes we can find.  
Did you ever think that someday you might see Jesus in those clouds? 
There are eight verses in the Bible about clouds and Jesus, most indicate that He will come back “with the clouds”. 
It is a very real possibility that someday you’ll be looking for the cat shaped clouds in the sky and see Jesus making His triumphant return.  
 

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We don’t need a thing

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

- 1 Corinthians 1:9 (NKJV)

 

I did not understand this verse when I first read it. 
It seems simple enough, God is faithful, God calls us to fellowship by way of His Son. 
But there is something missing. 
Check out The Message : Just think—you don’t need a thing, you’ve got it all! All God’s gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that.

Never forget that; and we don’t need a thing; and God’s gifts are there. 
And most importantly. you are never alone, God is beside us every step of the way. 
It makes a lot more sense now – we need God. 
And God is there for us. 
How lucky are we? 

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Independence Day

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
- Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

 

Today America celebrates its 247th birthday!

After the thirteen colonies claimed their independence from England, the founding fathers signed this declaration on July 4, 1776.

Fun facts:

The stars and stripes on the American flag represent the 50 states and original 13 colonies, respectively.

The story of the red, white and blue is that the colors represent purity and innocence (white), hardiness and valor (red), and vigilance, perseverance and justice (blue).

July 4th is a great celebration of freedom in the United States, a celebration of the freedom from British rule, tyranny and taxes, a freedom that was given to us in order to live responsibly.

I would be remiss if I did not point out here that freedom is not free – thank you to all Veterans for fighting for our great country.

Thank you to Jesus, for setting us free from sin.

We have been set free to serve God and share in His grace eternally, and we need to make certain that we do not use our “freedom” as an excuse to do anything that we want – that is not what it is about!

The freedom that Christ gives is best expressed when we serve each other humbly in love.

So celebrate with fireworks and picnics, but also celebrate by finding ways to serve others well, which is true freedom being expressed.

One more thing - a song. 

In 1984 Lee Greenwood released "God Bless The U.S.A., it still brings tears to my eyes.

If tomorrow all the things were gone

I worked for all my life

And I had to start again

With just my children and my wife

I thank my lucky stars

To be living here today

'Cause the flag still stands for freedom

And they can't take that away

And I'm proud to be an American

Where at least I know I'm free

And I won't forget the men who died

Who gave that right to me

And I'd gladly stand up next to you

And defend Her still today

'Cause there ain't no doubt

I love this land

God Bless the U.S.A.

From the lakes of Minnesota

To the hills of Tennessee

Across the plains of Texas

From sea to shining sea

From Detroit down to Houston

And New York to L.A.

Where's pride in every American heart

And it's time we stand and say

That I'm proud to be an American

Where at least I know I'm free

And I won't forget the men who died

Who gave that right to me

And I'd gladly stand up next to you

And defend Her still today

'Cause there ain't no doubt

I love this land

God Bless the U.S.A.

Happy 4th of July!

 

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