Without Joy, what do you have?

“Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
(Nehemiah 8:10)

Do not sorrow.
Why?
Because the joy of the Lord is your strength.
What is the joy?
Joy is a personal ongoing love-filled relationship with Jesus Christ.
And this is my strength how?
You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

Without Christ, without the joy:
You can do nothing. You are aimless, disobedient.

 You follow a path of selfishness that you believe is realistic and true and deserving.

 You are self-centered. Whatever makes you happy is all that is important.

 You look at your life and your loved ones from your perspective.

 You do not seek restoration because you see nothing that needs to be restored.

 You look elsewhere for completeness. You cannot find it with your spouse so you find someone else who will provide pleasure for a moment. When the pleasure has died, you move on.

There is no love.

 You believe love is not enough to keep you committed to the one you professed in marriage to love until death do you part.

Without Christ, without the joy:

 How you feel at the moment is all that is important. It is all about you. No one else.

 You develop a taste for alcohol. It feels good going down and it removes inhibitions.

 You do not have a care in the world. If it feels good, do it.

 “This is me. This is who I am.”

 You don’t care what others think of you. But worse than that, you don’t care what you think of yourself.

 You will do whatever it takes to make you happy.

 You will destroy your life, the lives of your children, your spouse

 You will hit rock bottom. At some point you will reach a place where you can’t go any further in the hole you have dug for yourself.

Perhaps then,
You will look up and seek the God you refuse to acknowledge.

 You will cry out for mercy and accept the eternal gift of JOY He offers.

      1. Recognize sin

 “Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your loving kindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.” (Psalm 51:1-2)

    2. Confess sin
“I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah” (Psalm 32:5)

.  3. Receive forgiveness
“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.” (Psalm 32:1-2)

.   4. Experience joy
“Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” (Psalm 32:11)

(c) Cathy Orrick Luders

June 18, 2014

Defeating Selfishness in Your Marriage

I came across this article by Dennis and Barbara Rainey. Click here to go to the Website or read it below.

Maintaining harmony in marriage has been difficult since Adam and Eve. Two people trying to go their own selfish, separate ways can never hope to experience the oneness of marriage as God intended. The prophet Isaiah portrayed the problem accurately more than 2,500 years ago when he described basic human selfishness like this: “All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6).

Selfishness is possibly the most dangerous threat to oneness in marriage. It affects how we talk to each other, how we divide responsibilities in the home, how we resolve conflicts, and even how we spend our time. Men stubbornly ignore the needs of their wives. They prefer fishing or hunting or playing golf, or even spending an extra hour or two at the office. I once met a pastor who frequented Christian bookstores and libraries for the sole purpose of avoiding his wife. And I have counseled women who spend countless hours shopping, not for their families but to avoid responsibilities at home and to gratify themselves.
Just how do we avoid reaping the bitter fruit of selfishness in a marriage?

Surrender is the key In our first years of marriage I (Dennis) was more than a bit selfish. After being single for 25 years, I was skilled at looking out for my own needs. But when I took Barbara as my wife, I assumed a new responsibility — loving Barbara as Christ loved the church. That demanded death to self, but my “self” didn’t want to “die.”

After we were married, it didn’t take Barbara long to learn about my genuine 14-carat tendency to be lazy, which was closely linked to my enjoyment of television. I thought Saturdays were mine to thoroughly enjoy as I pleased. Following the pattern I’d learned from my dad, I would get soft drinks and chips, crawl into my chair, and settle down to watch hours of baseball, football, tennis, golf — it didn’t matter what the sport. I just wanted to become a giant amoeba, a blob of molecules with flat brain waves mesmerized by hours of boob tube gazing. What was wrong with this picture? Barbara needed my help in doing tasks and running errands.

Marriage offers a tremendous opportunity to do something about selfishness.

Someone may say, “There is no hope; I can’t get him to change,” or “What’s the use? She’ll never be any different.” Barbara and I know there is hope because we learned to apply a plan that is bigger than human self-centeredness. Through principles taught in Scripture, we have learned how to set aside our selfish interests for the good of each other as well as for the profit of our marriage.

Willing to be last We have seen the Bible’s plan work in our lives, and we’re still seeing it work daily. Barbara hasn’t changed me nor have I changed her. God has changed both of us.

The answer for ending selfishness is found in Jesus and His teachings. He showed us that instead of wanting to be first, we must be willing to be last.

Instead of wanting to be served, we must serve. Instead of trying to save our lives, we must lose them. We must love our neighbors (our spouses) as much as we love ourselves. In short, if we want to defeat selfishness, we must give up, give in, and give all.

If we live our lives for ourselves, thinking only of our selfish desires and interests, in the end God gives us exactly what we want: ourselves.
Marriage provides the opportunity to live life for someone else and to avoid this terrible conclusion: “All I’ve got is me. I can’t depend on anyone else.”

The parable of the porcupines What we need the most is to be in a relationship with another person who accepts us as we are and doesn’t reject us. But the closer I get to Barbara, the more she becomes aware of who I really am and the possibility of her rejecting me grows even greater.

A well-known story catches the pain of the human dilemma when it compares relating to each other to the predicament of two porcupines freezing in the winter cold. Shivering in the frigid air, the two porcupines move closer together to share body heat and warmth. But then their sharp spines and quills prick each other painfully and they move apart, victims once more of the bitter cold around them.

Soon they feel they must come together once more, or freeze to death. But their quills cause too much pain and they have to part again.

Many marriages are just like that. We can’t stand the cold (isolation from each other) but we desperately need to learn how to live with the sharp barbs and quills that are part of coming together in oneness.

The key to dealing with the barbs and quills that come from selfishness is learning you have to depend on someone else because you have no other choice.

To experience oneness, you must give up your will for the will of another. But to do this, you must first give up your will to Christ, and then you will find it possible to give up your will for that of your spouse.

Unless you can give up your will and learn to depend on each other, selfishness will disable or destroy your marriage as you face the difficulties that are bound to occur.

Be Strong In The Lord

This morning before Bible study when I was cleaning Bandy bunny’s hutch the title of a song came to me, “Be Strong In The Lord.” I had a little trouble finding the words, so this might be a bit mixed up, but it gets the point across I believe.

verse 1:
Be strong in the Lord
and be of good courage
Your mighty Defender is always the same
Mount up with wings as the eagle ascending
Victory is sure when you call on His name.

verse 2:
So put on the armor the Lord has provided
And place your defense in His unfailing care
Trust Him for He will be with you in battle
Lighting your path to avoid every snare

verse 3:
Be strong in the Lord
and be of good courage
Your mighty Commander
will vanquish the foe
Fear not the battle
for the victory is always His
He will protect you wherever you go.

chorus:
Be strong
Be strong
Be strong in the Lord
and be of good courage
for He is your guide.

Be strong
Be strong
Be strong in the Lord
And rejoice for the victory is yours 

The Scripture for these words of wisdom can be found in Ephesians 6:10-11 – “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (New International Version)

Today’s devotional reading took me to Micah 6-8 in the Old Testament, which reads: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly (or prudently, carefully, obediently) with your God.”

Stay on the high road with Me, the Lord tells us
Do not listen to the voices of others
who try to divert or take away your attention to MeDo not travel the low road that leads to ruin

but follow the path I have chosen for you.

You will know the path, the way
when you follow Me
For I AM The Way
and The Life
and The Truth
(John 14:6)

 Come to Me My Son, My Daughter
Spend time with Me
Trust Me

I will strengthen you
I will bring you nourishment and provide rest
I will bring you through the desert loneliness and depressing low valleys
I am with you always
(Matthew 28:20)

Do not keep My word hidden in a drawer or on a shelf
Open Me.
Read, study, listen
Know My commandments
Remember My promises.

Come To Me in the stillness of your day

Talk to Me. Tell Me your desires,  your needs, your pain.
I know you, but it is good for you to talk to Me.
It is good for you to listen to My responses.

Be strong. Through Me you can do all things.

 Do not fear what men can do to you.
Remember,  I have overcome the world.
Satan may think he has the upper hand, but I rule.
I AM The Almighty God. I AM.

 Do not forget.

Allow Me to lead you My Child. Under My leadership, My guidance, you will never go astray. Be obedient to Me and Trust Me.

 Seek Me out everywhere you are, everywhere you go, for every circumstance, every situation.

 Do not be afraid of the enemy, for he /she is everywhere.

 Be strong in My Name.

Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen  you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 45:5: “I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me.”

Isaiah 58:11: “The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”

2 Thessalonians 3:3: “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”   

Job 42:2: “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

1 John 4:4: “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

(c) Cathy Orrick Luders

June 16, 2014

Being a Dad

Today is June 15 - Father’s Day. Pastors across the country probably delivered a  Father’s Day message to their congregations. My husband has been doing an eight-week study on Crowns at a small church in northeast Iowa where he is filling in until the congregation, with God’s guidance, finds a new man to be their under shepherd. 

In today’s message,  “Gray Hair is a Special Crown ” (Proverbs 17:6), Jim noted three points for which we should thank God for:

1.    Fathers who love us

2.    Fathers who labor for us

3.    Fathers who lead us

       I.          Fathers who love us
 A father’s love is demonstrated by their devotion.
  
 *A father’s love and acceptance should not rest upon the child’s performance.  
 -- All of us do foolish things in the process of growing up … remember the prodigal son and how the father embraced the wayward son upon his return home.      (Luke 15:11-24)

*One of the greatest ways a father can demonstrate his love and devotion for his children is to spend time with them.
 -- Time spent with your children will mean more to them than you can imagine.
 -- The lack of a father’s attention can result in irreparable harm to his children.

Together time can mean a lot to both of you. It can be a learning  experience, but an enjoyable time doing daddy/son or daddy/daughter things, just the two of you. You will come to understand your child’s needs better and you children will look forward to spending time with daddy. Time spent with your children needs to be a high priority.

 No matter the age, kids need to feel their fathers (and mothers) truly care about them … that it’s not just words – but action.

Do not allow fear take root in your heart and prevent you from doing what God desires of you. When we walk with God, when we pray, when we read and study the Holy Bible, when we are still and listen to what God has to say, when we obey His instructions, when we believe, when we Trust, He will show us the way to go every time, all the time. God will never lead you astray.

Satan is the one who does that. If you profess to be a Christian and you are a dad, step out in faith, believing God will steer you along the right road. He will never take you down the wrong path. Your thoughts .. thoughts Satan puts into your mind, are destructive. Do not listen to him.

Turn from Satan and turn to  God.  

Remember what Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:23 (New Living Translation) – “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap for me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

 A father’s love is demonstrated by their discipline.
    *The Bible tells us discipline is instructional.
       “He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly. (Proverbs 13:24)

     II.          Fathers who labor for us

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8)

 -- It is not only working outside the home for monetary gain, but also within the home. It is not demeaning nor is it just woman’s work to do laundry, make beds, wash dishes, go shopping, make meals. If it seems drudgery, figure out a way to make it a fun time for you and your children. Your children look up to you. Give them the best example for them to follow.

1.    Fathers who lead us
-- Whether you know it or not,  you are instructing your children – not merely by what you say, but by how you say it. Be careful your words don’t come across in a critical or belittling tone.
--  Your children not only need to hear what you say, but how you say it and how you live and act.

 Keep God No. 1. Your family will be in excellent hands when you allow God to guide you.

A poem, “Watch Your Step,” author unknown, says this:

“Father there’s a call for you; watch your step!
Little eyes see all you do; what your step!
Little feet go Daddy’s way Follow you from day to day,
Lead O Lead them not astray; watch your step!

Walk the safe and narrow way; watch your step!
Let the children hear you pray; watch your step!
Would your ways of wisdom teach;
With God’s truth their young hearts reach?
Then be faithful, I beseech; watch your step!

Father, near your journey’s end; watch your step!
Let the Savior be your friend; watch your step!
He will guide your feet aright,
To the land of pure delight;
Would you walk with Him in white?
Watch your step!”

.

Be compassionate
Be consistent
Be cooperative
Be committed
Be courageous

 (c) Cathy Orrick Luders

June 15, 2014

Do you know ... Jesus is Everything you need!

You say you want to know God. You think head knowledge is all you need. What more could there be? Truly knowing God comes from the heart. It is much more than attending church services and halfheartedly listening to the sermon.  Although you may not know what you are hearing, what it means, how you are supposed to digest it and what you are to do with the information,  God is knocking.  At the door of your heart, the Lord Jesus knocks, desiring you to invite Him into your life. A positive response from you will get you started on the path of knowing God, knowing Jesus. You alone must take the step.  No one else can take it for you. It is your choice.

When Jesus knocks …
·       Do you step out on faith and enter into a relationship with Him
or
·       Do you step back and decide you know all the answers and are doing just fine by yourself?

Perhaps you know you’re not doing fine and you don’t know the answers, but … something is holding you back. Satan …

The darkness will keep you centered on yourself.  No one else matters but you. Your spouse doesn’t matter. Your children don’t matter. Your friends don’t matter. Your self-respect doesn’t matter.

Satan discredits everything that is good and true and right.  His goal is  to deceive you any and every direction he possibly can, by first getting you to listen to the lie, then to dwell on it and believe it, and then finally act on the lie.


Once we’ve listened to one lie and thought about it and then acted on it,  we fall prey time after time to one falsehood after another, never really believing the truth, because we’re very unsure what the truth is.  It’s a sad state of affairs when we can’t differentiate between what is a lie and what is the truth,  between what Satan suggests and deceives you into thinking  is true and what God knows to be true.

Think about this lie – God doesn’t love me.  You feel God doesn’t love you, just like you feel  your husband or wife doesn’t love you.  You don’t really know that  to be true, but because you feel it is true, it must be. And if that is true, it must equally be true that God won’t forgive you for all your mistakes, for all your sins.  How can God possibly love or forgive someone who is  so unlovable, so filled with sin.

But God does love us. God loved us (and loves us still) so much He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to become the once and for all time sin offering. Jesus died for us. Not just some of us, but all of us. Some of us accepted His gift of salvation and are sinners set free, while a great majority of us refuse to accept, remaining sinners still imprisoned.

Jesus came down from heaven to become human, to become just like you and me, to show us how to live in freedom instead of bondage to our feelings and thoughts and emotions.

 Let me share with you how to become a Christian …  a believer in Christ, a child of the Most Holy One.

·       ADMIT to God you have sinned.
Recognize you are separated from God because of your sins.  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
Acknowledge your sin.    “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.” (Romans 6:23)
Ask His forgiveness and turn from that sin (called Repentance). “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but shall have eternal life.”  (John 3:16)  “But God demonstrated His love for us in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

·       BELIEVE Jesus died for your sins.
When you believe Jesus died for you, you receive God’s gift of forgiveness from sin and a new life.  You accept Christ into your life and turn your life over to His direction and control. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life.” (John 3:36) “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

·       CONFESS  that Jesus is Savior and Lord.
Tell the world that you believe in Jesus. “If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it with your mouth that you confess, and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)

You can’t have both worlds … you may want both, but a choice has to be made. You may not believe that to be so, but it is. You either follow what is right or you follow what is wrong. It is not a sometime thing. Yes we all make mistakes … we do not always do what what is right, but our mindset is to follow the right path, not the wrong one. You cannot move from one place to another, depending on your mood for the moment. Struggles will be wherever you live. If you want any kind of calmness to your hectic life, you need Jesus. He is The One you need most of all. Without Him, everything around you will continue to fall apart and bring destruction.

Satan works overtime to keep you frustrated, angry, exhausted, overwhelmed, discouraged, defeated, depressed, ashamed, uptight, unstable, insecure, lonely, fearful and even suicidal. His goal is to prevent you from overcoming every negative, to keep you spiraling down, down, down.  

Other  lies Satan prompts you to believe -- I can’t help the way I am. I have my rights.  I should not have to live with unfulfilled longings.  I can sin and get away with it.   My sin isn’t really that bad.  God can’t forgive what I have done.  I am not fully responsible for my actions and reactions.

We all have choices we make.  It is up to each one of us to accept personal responsibility for our own choices, attitudes and behavior. It is not someone else’s responsibility. We think we are the victim and the problems we face are because of other people and outside circumstances, but truth be told, it is ourselves who is often to blame. We can change. Through the power of God’s Spirit we can break free from the negative chains of our past. You cannot sin and continue to get away with it. You may think you can, but you will discover God’s judgment upon you.  Your sin is just as bad as my sin or another’s. Your sin of having an affair is just as sinful as another’s sin of viewing pornography on the Web.

Have you forgotten your marriage vows? Did you say them without thinking about them? Did they go in one ear and out the other with barely a thought about what they meant?
The man and the woman each repeat after the minister … promising to love and cherish each other,  to honor and sustain each other in sickness as in health, in poverty as in wealth, in the bad that may darken your days, in the good that may light your ways, to be true to each other in all things until death do you part.  The ring symbolizes your commitment to each other. Do  the vows mean nothing? Is it just gobblygook?

 Satan prompts us to believe more and more lies. The more we listen, the more we believe and act. The circle is unending. But we don’t have to believe these lies. We can get off the merry-go-round and refuse to accept Satan telling us:  My spouse is supposed to serve me. I’ve got to take the initiative or nothing will get done.  We are not responsible for how our children turn out.  If I feel something, it must be true. I can’t control my emotions.  If my circumstances were different, I would be different.   I shouldn’t have to suffer.   My circumstances will never change – this will go on forever.   I  just can’t take any more.   It’s all about me.

Take for example Satan’s thought: “If my circumstances were different, I would be different.” If we are not happy with our present circumstances, we are not likely to be happy in a different set of circumstances. We may think we would be, but in the long run, we find out we are as discontent as before. Nothing has changed. We still think we deserve better, deserve happiness, and so we find ourselves continually in a state of motion – back and forth.

 Jesus is the answer every time to every problem. We all need Him. Jesus is the first step to every problem you and I face. He is the second step and the third step. He is every step to every problem. He is the answer for you and for me, for everyone of us.

Trials will come at your with a fierceness. Circumstances will change.
Death will happen. It is a part of life and there is nothing we ourselves can do about it. We do not physically live forever.

No matter what is thrown at us,  we need Jesus first and foremost.
Without Him, we cannot be the person He desires us to be.
Without Him, we are proud and selfish and preoccupied with personal feelings and thoughts.

This all became very clear to me when reading James 2:1, which says, “Do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.”  The word partiality jumped out at me. It’s like sitting on the fence, wavering between what is right and true and what is wrong and false. We shouldn’t waver, because we can’t do both. You can’t claim to be a born-again believer and do things contradictory to what the Lord commands. You are being partial  -  you either give yourself wholeheartedly  to Jesus for Him to mold and perfect or you are true only to yourself and your wants, your needs, your desires. It is your call.

God’s desire is for you not to be spiritually dead – to  receive His free gift of salvation and to live under His guidance.

“For as the body without the spirits is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:26)

Jesus will take care of you. He can transform, cleanse us from our selfish ways, but we must come to Him first. He will take care of you when you have sought His help. Turn where you are to the one who has the answers.

It is natural for us to want to fix things in ourselves and in others, but we really have no power to fix. Again, we think we do. We think our suggestions, our ultimatums will accomplish what we think is best for ourselves and for another. But what we want and see as reasonable, is not necessarily what God wants. And it is God’s will that will ultimately be accomplished.
Our best is to seek God first, to pray without ceasing that His will be done. His will is for your good, your best always, at all times. God yearns to help you, but He will not if you do not ask.

“For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion  and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”  (James 3:16-17)

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. … Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4: 7-8a, 10)

God gives us time to repent, but He doesn’t give us forever. When we continue to put it off, in time judgment will come and then we wonder why? Why indeed? We are given the way to go, but we refuse. It is our choices that bring our ultimate demise.

“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of truth there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin, but a fearful expectation of judgment.”
(Hebrews 10:26-27 English Standard version)

Christians are as much susceptible to sin as unbelievers and  God is grieved when darkness overcomes us and dims the light of His grace.  Jesus is stronger than Satan. We must always seek Him. If we do not look to Him for our everything, Satan has gained a foothold in our lives and he will seek ever harder  to bring us down to the lowest level. We must return our focus to Jesus.

All day long we are to remember God, but that is not the easiest thing to do when irritations develop and we end up responding negatively to those very things that irritate us. We know what we are to do, but doing it often fails, because of our sin nature. Our nature is to do bad, not good. Our nature is to be selfish and self-centered, not loving to all we come in contact. Our nature is to react in the moment, not think about it and formulate a better response.

The battle rages
As on a field
But in your mind
Good and Evil fight
for control.

God is
the ultimate winner
He is true and just
and righteous
But Satan and His followers
do their utmost
to bring you down so so low
you’ll just give in, give up.

God threw Satan
out of heaven
You too can throw him
out of your life.

Turn to God
Cry out to Him
He hears your cries
He mourns your decisions
He is the answer
He cares for you
He loves you
He sent His Son
for you, to die in your place
Turn to God.
Trust in God.

There is nothing
gained
when its Satan
we trust.
He will never build us up
He will tear you down
at every step.
He will continue to tell you
sinning is okay, rebellion is good.
Satan is in opposition
to everything God is and does.

Satan is a deceiver.
You believe you deserve better
because Satan has said to you:
“There is nothing wrong with two-timing”
“There is nothing wrong with affairs”
“There is nothing wrong with sex before marriage or extramarital  sex”
“There is nothing wrong with drinking and getting drunk”
“There is nothing wrong with depleting your life savings”

When you are lonely and forlorn and get to thinking about past things, Satan enters your mind and takes over, planting seeds of doubt into every good thought you once had. Satan is out to destroy you.  God will lift you up. God will embrace you, surround you with His love. God will show you how to cope with the pitfalls of life. God is Good. Satan is Evil. It is your choice. I pray you will desire the good and seek the good.

by Cathy Orrick Luders

June 6-13, 2014

Love is supreme

The Lord’s Presence is everywhere
Some are not aware of Him walking about to and fro
Of His eyes seeking, watching here and there and everywhere
Shame hits them and they hide, but the Lord sees them
Why do we hide? Who do we hide from? Why are we ashamed?

What is joy?

What is peace?
What do you seek
What have you found
Are you content
What are you missing
What do you want
When will satisfaction  or contentment be yours?
How far on your path will you travel
before you discover a route far better,
not of your own making, but of God?
When will you see the blessings that surround you
When will you waken in the morning and ask, “What do you have today for me Lord?”
When will you allow the Lord to guide your every step,
to give you strength in the midst of a storm,
to provide a place of quiet rest in the midst of chaos and upheaval?
When will you see that what you are is far more important than what feel you need ?

You think your house is messy, too cluttered –  but would you be satisfied if all was clean and in its place?

Is your life still messy? …  does only more frustration and discouragement
come at you and you are disenchanted and you think there must be more than this …  somewhere.
But another place will not be better, except perhaps for a brief moment, but not in the long run,  as the same pocket of woe will come upon you and you will be lost.

Come to the Father – the Holy One. Believe Jesus is the Son of God who came to die for you, who set you free from your sins, We are all sinners.

Believe and accept and begin a new journey with Him at the helm of the driver’s seat.
Remove yourself from behind the wheel and let God show you where and when and how and why.

Such a small step – hear, listen, take that step of faith and begin a new life of brighter tomorrows and todays .

Get out of the doldrums.

Don’t let the mess in the various rooms of your house  become more important than you, more important than your marriage, more important than your children, more important than a relationship with Jesus.  Don’t determine if things were just so, you would be happy.  

Perfection will not bring happiness. More of something will not make for better.

Only Jesus can provide. Only He can give you all that you need.  Come to Him. See the need for Him.

Oh Dear Lord,  show them.
When you hear, listen. When He says do, do.

I pray Lord, show them the way and bring your drifting children back to you, closer to you, in continual communication with you.

See the need.
God loves you so much.
Let His love, the love that brought you together, be your guide for building and rebuilding your life.

Remember what Love is

Kindness
Acceptance
Ongoing, forging ahead, pursuing
Patient
Compassionate
Building up of another
Thinking good thoughts
Seeking the best in another
Merciful,  gentle
Forgiving
Thankful
Embraces each new day
Faithful
Secure
Intently listens with our ears, our eyes, our heart
Hopeful
Joyful
Trusting
Endures

Helps to carry another’s burdens
Rejoices in the truth

And remember too, what Love is NOT
It is not envious
It is not provoked
It is not rude
It does not hold grudges
It does not devalue and destroy ourselves or another
It is not spiteful
It is not harmful

It does not desire what belongs to another
It does not lie to ourselves or to another
It does not respond negatively
It is not deceitful
It does not argue and dispute endlessly
It  does not murmur against another
It does not continually complain
It does not hinder the personal growth of another

It does not show resentment
It does not judge another
It is not abstract

LOVE IS REAL

God became human to show us the way. He is our best example.
Copy and paste the following to read further:
 http://still-small-voice-of-god.blogspot.com/2012/06/god-became-human-being-to-show-us-way.html

Anxiety is our only reward when we go from problem to problem and leave God out of the picture.  Our stomachs are tied in knots as we struggle to fix. If only we would remember God is present. He is always present, but we must remember He is able and available. Until we remember and call out to Him, He will not intervene.

When we turn to the Lord, the load is lighter. The problems still exist, the circumstances surrounding are still there, but when we ask the Lord for help, for guidance, the burden is easier to manage.

He is in our midst
But many do not see Him, acknowledge Him, remember Him
We go about with our personal to-do list
and when problems arise
we look for ways to counter-attack

Often anxiety gets the best of us
and instead of remaining calm and rational,
we are frustrated and irritated
Angry at another and every event that drives us down a path of ill content.

If only our reach extended to The Almighty
who stands silent and waiting

Waiting for us to come
to stay
and to return ….
again  and again
for more of His supreme Love. 

(c) Cathy Orrick Luders, May 24-25, 2014

Be pleasing to God, not man

"Taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one." (Ephesians 6:16)

"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." (James 4:6-8a)

It is not for man's pleasing comments God's called ones come to proclaim His word before others.
If the Lord is pleased, if He is honored and glorified by what is said and done in His name that alone is what is important and what counts above all.

We are held accountable before God for the words we use and the actions we take. When our walk with the Lord is close and personal, He will convict us, He will discipline us, He will correct us and He also will encourage us to press on.

God is our judge, our authority. Our allegiance belongs to Him, not to any other.

(c) by Cathy Orrick Luders, May 15, 2014

Find Joy in His Presence - Abide in Him alone

Life. Snuffed out. Can’t comprehend. Wish to explain. No words to do so. A sad state to be.

The best is to carry on, press on, persevere, continue, hold tight, hold fast to the hand of God who lifts you up to higher ground, a higher plane than you have been.

A bookmark I have … Jesus is the Song – Of Life, Of Joy, Of Love … leaves me with much to ponder.  Jesus is the Song. Jesus is the Life. Jesus is the Joy. Jesus is the Love. What destroys that song, that life, that joy,  that love …

John 10:10 tells us “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.”

The thief, Satan, Sin steals our joy, kills our body, destroys our soul.

John 10:10 also tells us that Jesus came so that we may have life, and that we may have it more abundantly.

Jesus’ resurrection destroyed Satan.  

Yet for all Jesus did for us, do we have abundant life?  Are we living our lives in total communication with and total obedience to the Lord? I venture to say we are not. It isn't an easy task. There are many followers of Christ who seek the abundant life, but self-things get in the way of nearly every activity that comes along.

“Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)  

 “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)

“For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)

When we become aware of our disobedience to the Lord, when God’s commandments convict us, we weep and mourn and are ashamed. But if we confess our wrongful deeds, if we turn away from them and turn to the Lord, there is no need to weep or mourn.

Do not weep
Do not mourn
Celebrate
Remember
Today is Holy
It is the Lord’s Day.

The word of God has the power to convict – to convert – to revive.

I’m thinking a large percentage of us who are believers need to be revived.  We've been convicted and are continually convicted, IF we are in His word, IF we fellowship daily with Him. And we've been converted. But over time we may become like stale bread. Kind of yucky, no flavor, discolored, ready for the trash bin. We've taken a step or two back, we've listened to the complaints of man and forgotten what God has taught us in His Word, forgotten His commandments. 

“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15)

We must seek His voice
We must listen to His voice
We must hear His voice
We must discuss everything with the Lord
We must not harden our hearts
We must be revived

Problems are a given
Every day something new will be on the horizon
Do not keep it to yourself
Do not determine you alone can handle whatever comes
Only God can equip you for every task you encounter.
Only God can keep you from floundering, from drowning.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)

The Lord is with us. We need not fear the evil that hangs out on every street corner, within our minds and even sitting on church pews.  Jesus did defeat Satan through His death and resurrection. There is no reason for us to weep and be sorrowful. With Jesus’ resurrection, our sorrow and anguish at His death is reason for joy. Jesus has overcome the world. Can we do any less? His strength is in us.

Trouble is here and more trouble is coming
But the rejection we receive
and the sorrow we feel
will not last.
We bear our cross every day
Jesus overcame the world,
defeated Satan,
and we can too,
when it is to Him we cling.

Jesus will equip us.
We must not give in
to the evilness that invades
Jesus guaranteed adversity
would be present
He guaranteed He would be with us
every step of the way
If we would only ask.
Ask, seek, believe, trust, rest.

Have we failed to ask
Do we refuse to seek
Do we not really believe
Is trust too hard
Does rest come only when exhausted

“You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away; Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. … For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, Fear not, I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:9b-10, 13)

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

Loneliness
comes
We struggle how to escape it
But are overcome
by the destruction
and the dissension
around us.
Our emotions
run in paths that do not connect
Right, left, forward, backward
We think we know
what we need
But if that is so,
Why do we not seek it?
Perhaps we really don’t know.
Loneliness.

In Lamentations 1, it is written,
“How lonely sits the city that was full of people. How like a widow is she.”

Like a widow --
weeps bitterly in the night
none to comfort
finds no rest
desolate, rejected
adversaries rule – become the master
and the lonely one
has become their slave
The enemies prosper

Who is the enemy?

The Lord allows events
to come into our lives.
He guaranteed pain and trials
He has said He will strengthen us
He will help us
He will hold our right hand
He has said, “Fear not!”

Yet we fear.

The enemy --
is it everything and everyone against God?
negativity?
is it fellow Christians
who think they help when pointing out perceived errors
when they really hinder?
is it family who tire of being there and doing?
is it our thoughts, hidden from all except the Lord?

The enemy prospers
We are cornered on all sides
by our sins
real and imagined

The Lord said He would go before us,
and behind us and would walk beside us.
Yet we feel chained,
held captive by the world
and its turmoils.
We cannot find rest
Our strength vanishes

We are mocked, scorned on every side
Where are you God?
Why do you inflict me so?
You are to be my comforter,
yet I am not comforted
I seek restoration
yet find none

The enemy prevails
I am in distress, troubled
I find no peace
I perceive my end is near.

Come into My presence
He says
Do not dwell
in your own muddied thoughts
Join hearts with fellow believers
It is a blessing to be among them
and with MeI bring you peace. 

Peace is not found in the world around you
Why do you insist on viewing the world
as having the answer to all your questions
and concerns?

I sought you out.
I called you to be Mine,
to share the gospel to all,
to go wherever I sent you.
I provided fellowship for you --
through and in Me
and through others
I also have called to come.

Your struggles do not define you.
They should not define you.
Reach out – ask for prayer
to overcome the burdens you carry.
Meet regularly --
not just so you can minister to others,
but that you too can be ministered to.

Our failures highlight our need, our dependence on God. We cannot live a mistake-free life. When we think we can, we fall prey to the sin of pride. We open ourselves to another sin – the sin of self-reliance when we refuse to take all of our problems to the Lord and instead think we should be able to deal with them ourselves. God desires us to come to Him for everything, all of our problems, all of our struggles.

It is not just when life seems to flow well that we should thank Him. He deserves our praise all the time. Even with bumps on the road, we should thank Him. The praise we offer up to Him releases us from the negative focus and transfers our focus onto Him. Not easy to do. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. But the things we learn, the growing we do.

The thief – the enemy – Satan – Sin is dangerous, deadly, destructive.

I am a child of God. I don’t have to sin. I have been set free from sin. By God’s grace and through Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, I can experience victory over sin – I can walk in consistent victory over sin.

“And He said, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14)

His Presence…. His Presence brings us joy. His Presence brings us rest. His Presence brings us love. His Presence brings us life. His Presence brings us hope. His Presence brings us peace. Jesus is the Song of all and to find it, we need only abide in His Presence always and at all times.

Jesus says to us in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all you who labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Why do we not come or not return or not stay connected? Why do we not believe and not trust? What has happened to our faith? Why do we harden our hearts, disobey the voice of God? Why do we reject His promises? Why do we now say no when we have been saying yes? Why have we given up?  

"I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

by Cathy Orrick Luders

For what reason do you enter God's House?

Acts 15 discusses conflict over circumcision, with many believing Gentile Christians should be circumcised to be saved and also must keep the law of Moses. But Peter said God knows the heart and acknowledges them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He did the Jewish Christians.

When you enter God's House, the building that houses the church body -- its members and its visitors,

• Do you come to worship the Living Lord, giving praise and honor and glory to His name?
• Do you come to listen / hear what the Lord may be saying to you personally and how it applies to you? 
• Do you come to thank Him for all you receive? 

or

Do you come to find fault ....
with the order of service
the music
the preacher

For what reason do you enter God's House?

Conflicts arise within the church. They are as evident today as they were in Biblical times. 

But God is still on His Throne. And it is to Him we owe our allegiance, our loyalty, our obedience, our focus, our Trust. 

Not man.

God alone.

"The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe."  (Proverbs 29:25)

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life,and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

He is ALL we need

God's Word tells us in Hebrews 12:1-2 to "lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." 

Are we running with endurance? or are we stuck in that spot where everything changed and we didn't know what to do, what direction to take. 

Are we allowing our circumstances - whatever they may be - to define us? 

We are always surrounded by circumstances, events that come into our lives and force us to rethink things. 

Has the rethinking caused us to lose sight of where our focus should be? Has the rethinking only brought confusion and plenty of it?  

Our focus should be on the Lord Jesus. When we begin our day thinking of the Lord and have Him on our mind throughout the day, our countenance is brighter and we are surer of the right steps to take on that day's journey. 

But unfortunately, we don't always do what we should. We do what we think. And we already know thinking can get us into trouble. 

We give in to our frustrations. 

We need the Lord. He's the one who guides us. He will make our steps steady and sure, so we won't stumble. 

Look up. Be careful. Remove the burdensome load you are carrying. Give it to Jesus. Look to Jesus. Keep your focus on Him. He is all we need. 

Waiting and Acting on His Promise

After He rose from the dead, Jesus spoke to the disciples:
"...Wait for the Promise of the Father, which you have heard from Me..." (Acts 1:4)

Wait.

"You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

After 40 days, Jesus "while they watched, was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight and they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up." (Acts 1:9-10)

They waited.
First for the Promise Jesus had spoken of -- to receive power and to be witnesses
Second for His return
Third for the Holy Spirit to come upon them

We wait too.
We have this promise
We receive the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior,
who gives us the power to be witnesses

We too look steadfastly toward the heavens for His return.

The disciples and many others waited -- Together as one in prayer.
Ten days, long days, endless days.

And then it was Pentecost, a Jewish observance, celebration, but of special significance for these new believers.

"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting ... and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:2-4)

They waited.
They received.
They remembered Jesus' words to them:
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them  in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)

And so they went forth.

And we ...
we go forth too, making disciples,  baptizing, teaching them, remembering The Lord's mighty power and unconditional love is with us always.

Ignorance is not bliss

"I know that you did it in ignorance .... But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."  (Acts 3: 17, 19)

Those who continue to live ignorant of The Truth will one day find themselves in eternal torment. There will not be an opportunity to turn away from your sins and turn to Jesus. If you are searching now, don't wait, don't stay ignorant. Ask questions. Find answers. Time is fleeting.

I Heard The Voice of Jesus Say (Kingsfold) - Audrey Assad (+playlist)

)

Trust Him

God desires us to trust Him. We often say we do, but when it comes right down to it, it is questionable.

A bow broke on my glasses. I went through all the questions of how to get it fixed … and then I remembered --

God knows my need. God knows I need my glasses to read and to work. God knows.
What have I to worry about? He knows. He will take care of it. It won’t be too late, but right on time.

He said He would. Remembering what He has said is important, but then we need to act on it.

He said He would and I believed.

That is Trust.

You live one place. You want to live elsewhere. You want a house. You look and search, you find. You think this could work, and then almost immediately, you start thinking of all the negatives -- There’s no basement, It costs too much, It’s further away from work, There’s not enough time to pack, We have too much stuff.

The negatives crop up all the time. There is no end in sight of all that is wrong or could be wrong  or might be wrong.

But there are positives too -- closer to schools, closer to shopping, closer to playgrounds,
It has a big yard, It is more private.

And a chance to trust God.

Even if you are not yet a believer, chances to trust God are at every turn and the more we learn to trust Him, to believe in His promises, the more we will know Him.

He hears your request, He helps you find, He makes it work for you, He knows what you need.

Of course we don’t see the big picture. We think the time is too soon or it’s too late or we should wait.

God knows what we need always. He is the one who sets things in motion, who arranges things to best suit His plan for us. Of course we do have to keep our focus on Him.

We think everything moves according to our personal timetable, but it does not.

My husband, Jim, likes to teach Bible Study. He usually fills in for another in an adult Sunday School class when they are gone. But this time, no. In late December, another
was asked – 13 weeks and it wasn’t going to be Jim. He was disappointed. He didn't understand why.

But God saw the bigger picture. He knew what was coming and He knew Jim would be needed. God knew a pastor in Dunkerton, north of Cedar Rapids, would take his own life.  He knew Jim would be the one asked to help lead the congregation through the troubled times ahead. God knew Jim was the right person for such a time as this. But Jim didn't know any of this at the time. He had to wait for God to reveal it to him. He had to trust.

God called Jim to preach many years ago. He called him too into the hospice ministry.

God knows everything.

We know He is able. We know there is much we cannot do. We think we can do anything, but without Christ living in us and through us, the strength we have is very weak.

God is our strength. And it is Him we Trust.