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Thirty five years ago, I had a toddler on my hip, a wall phone wedged...

Have you ever been called a “gift” because of who you are and what you give to others?

Second Corinthians 9:15 describes Jesus as a gift. “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.”

Why would Paul refer to Jesus as an indescribable gift? Jesus is a gift because He gives us salvation as Ephesians 2:8 explains. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;”

Why would Paul use the word indescribable in reference to Christ? Because there are no human words that can portray the awfulness of hell from which He rescued us nor the heights and delights of heaven to which He delivered us. Not until heaven will we fully grasp the gift of salvation.

In the meantime, God’s gift of Christ is already being unwrapped day by day as He extends grace, mercy, forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit to us to be our guide, helper, and comforter.

As we read and meditate on each of God the Father’s, Son’s, and Spirit’s attributes, we more fully appreciate the indescribable gift we have in Christ and our salvation.

Who do you know who could use this indescribable gift? Will you tell them all you have, love, and appreciate about the Lord Jesus? It is when they see in you and hear you speak of Him and the gift He is to you that they will yearn to also have the indescribable gift.

Thank You, Heavenly Father and Jesus, God’s INDESCRIBABLE GIFT. Help us be messengers of Your gift to others.

Happy Mother’s Day! We hope all you mothers, grandmothers, and mother figures have a blessed and love-filled day! 

Do you know a mom or someone else in your life who needs to hear about God’s indescribable gift of Jesus? Send them this link: “Meet Jesus…Experience His Grace.”

Have you ever let something spoil in the refrigerator? You meant to eat it, but didn’t. Later, you discovered the leftovers, opened the lid, and whew – it stunk! It had perished. It was ruined.

Not so with God, His seed, and word. He is imperishable as 1 Peter 1:23 points out, “for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.”

The Greek word for imperishable in reference to God is aphthartos and means uncorrupted, not liable to corruption or decay.

What a contrast between God’s seed that is imperishable and Adam’s seed that is corrupted and perishable.

Peter is not the only apostle who wrote about the imperishable nature of God and of believers inheriting His nature.

In 1 Corinthians 15:50, Paul wrote, “Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable;” continuing in verse 53, “For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

The great news is that the imperishable uncorrupted Christ is in believers. We’re indwelt by the imperishable Jesus through the living and enduring word of God. Hallelujah!

Lord Jesus, we worship You, the IMPERISHABLE One. Thank You for making it possible for us to be born of Your imperishable, uncorrupted seed. We love and praise You!

Believers will inherit Christ’s imperishable nature, but we can also live by His divine nature while we’re here on this earth. Want to learn how? Grab a copy of Debbie’s 2 Peter Bible study, Living by the Divine Nature Instead of Our Fallen Nature, HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts by going HERE.

Have you ever wondered if the word “judgment” is used in reference to believers? Peter answers that question. “If you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;” 1 Peter 1:17.

Although we are not saved by works, God judges the way believers conduct ourselves after we are saved. What does that look like?

• We fervently love one another from the heart, 1:22.
• We put aside all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander, 2:1.
• We proclaim the excellencies of Christ, 2:9.
• We keep our behavior excellent, 2:12.
• We follow in Christ’s steps, 2:21.
• We are harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and
  humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult,
  but giving a blessing instead, 3:8-9.
• We keep our tongue from evil and lies, 3:10.
• We turn away from evil and do good; seeking peace, 3:11.
• We keep a good conscience, 3:16.
• We live for the will of God, 4:2.
• We live in the Spirit according to the will of God, 4:6.
• We’re hospitable to one another without complaint, 4:9.
• We use the gift God’s given us to serve one another, 4:10.
• We cast all our anxiety on God, knowing He cares for us, 5:7.
• We resist the devil, firm in our faith, 5:9.

If you, like me, are convicted about one or more of the above, remember God loves you and we can confess our sins, assured He forgives us. We can walk more intentionally by His Spirit.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being an IMPARTIAL JUDGE who calls us to walk in newness of life through Christ’s empowerment. We love and worship You.

Would you like to do a more in-depth study of 1 Peter? Grab a copy of Debbie’s 1 Peter Bible study, Experiencing Grace and Peace in Cultural Chaos, HERE. The study includes free accompanying videos and podcasts, which can be accessed HERE. 

Have you been battling something and you’re tired? If so, we do well to remember that as believers we don’t stand alone. Exodus 17:8-15 records how we can come alongside each other and under the banner of the Lord, defeat the enemy.

“Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.’ So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed.

But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sunset. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Moses built an altar and named it The Lord Is My Banner; and he said, ‘The Lord has sworn; the Lord will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.’”

In this passage, we learn that the Israelites won the battle as long as they could see Moses’s staff which represented God’s presence and power with them. What can we learn from this account?

It is important to station ourselves with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, lift one another in prayer, and keep our eyes on Christ. God is our banner. It is His presence and power that will defeat the enemy.

Heavenly Father, JEHOVAH-NISSI, our banner, thank You for Your presence and power; that we do not stand against the enemy in our own strength. Thank You for the community of believers with whom we can lift Your name high.

Are you looking for some more encouragement and Biblical teachings? Listen to Debbie’s podcasts on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify!

Things aren’t always what they seem. And just because things appear one way in a moment of time, it doesn’t mean they’ll stay that way. Case in point: Jesus. If we’d been in Jerusalem when Jesus was hanging on the cross we might have concluded, “Jesus failed.” However, what appeared to be Jesus’ lowest moment was in fact God’s highest plan being accomplished. Three days after Jesus’ death on the cross, God raised Him. So the moment was really, “Jesus accomplished His mission and is now at the right hand of God having died for our sins and opened the way to salvation and eternal life.”

Isaiah 52:13 prophesied that God’s plan and Jesus would be successful. “Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.”

The Isaiah passage prophesied Jesus would be a suffering servant, lifted up on the cross for our sins.

Hebrews 12:2 gives us the rest of the story. Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Jesus is high and lifted up, this time not in shame, but high and lifted up to a place of glory at the right hand of God.

What is Jesus doing in this place of exaltation? Among many things, interceding for us as Hebrews 7:25 states. “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

Jesus, high and lifted up on the cross, paid our sin debt. Jesus, high and lifted up to the right hand of God is interceding for us.

Jesus, HIGH AND LIFTED UP, greatly exalted, we thank You and worship You.

NOTE to Moms (or anyone who has a mom or loves a mom): Hey Mom, we can sometimes (or often) feel like a failure. God knows how many times we fail and cry out to Him for forgiveness, strength, “overs,” wisdom, protection for our children, and that they will come to know Him as Savior and Lord. If you can relate, I encourage you to get my book, “The Plan A Mom in a Plan B World.” (A different book from The Plan A WOMAN in a Plan B World.) I had mom friends of all ages/stages share personal stories that will encourage you and provide practical/spiritual tips. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter make it a great resource for mom groups as well. Grab a copy for Mother’s Day while it’s on sale!

PS: If you aren’t getting my monthly Kidz Time devotional activity for your kids to watch, get it here and spread the word. It’s free and it’s fun! Subscribe & it’ll be delivered to your inbox monthly. A great Saturday morning or rest time activity.

Have you spent much time considering what it would have been like to have been Joseph when he was engaged to Mary? Of course, most shocking would be that your fiancé is going to have a son before the two of you came together physically. Even more shocking would be the news that your fiancé is going to become pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

Before Joseph could ask a question, he was told, “you will name Him Jesus.” Did he dare protest that he had planned to name his firstborn son after himself? The explanation that the name “Jesus” was selected was because he would “save His people” would no doubt have caused his heart to race. “Save our people?” That thought is a good one, but before he could process all he was being told he was given more information. The angelic messenger continued, “…from their sins.”

No doubt, Joseph wanted to blurt out, “Save people from their sins? Only God can do that.”

And that is exactly what Jesus did. Mary bore God’s Son, as Matthew 1:23 records, “‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us.’”

You can’t get more “with us” than to be born through Mary’s body to live among us and die for us.

Yes, it’s good to contemplate how the angel’s announcement impacted Joseph, but it is also good to contemplate the impact of the angel’s announcement for us.

Lord Jesus, Immanuel, we praise You. You’re not a God who is far removed nor have you left us to die in our sins. Rather, You came from heaven to earth, IMMANUEL, to be with us. Thank You, Lord Jesus.

Do you know someone who needs to be reminded today that God is with us? Scroll down and click on “Forward to a Friend” to share this blog post.

“If only I can exercise and eat right….” “If only I could drink from the fountain of youth.” Have you heard people say either in their pursuit to put off dying? People long to be immortal. But why? The reason is because it’s in the human heart to want to live. We’re wired that way as Ecclesiastes 3:11 states, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

God has “set eternity in the human heart.” It makes sense because we were created in God’s image and He is immortal, as 1 Timothy 6:15-16 explains. “He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.”

What does it mean that Jesus is immortal? The Greek word in this passage is athanasia and means deathlessness, undying. Jesus is immortal and has set the desire for immortality in our hearts. But how can we mortals become immortal?

We must go to Jesus and acknowledge that He alone is the source of life. We must confess our sins and drink deeply from Him, the Fountain of Life, as John 4:14 tells us. “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” Yes, we must drink from Jesus rather than the fictitious “Fountain of Youth.”

Have you drunk from the wellspring of eternal life Jesus offers? If so, who do you know who needs to drink also from Him?

IMMORTAL Lord Jesus, we praise you and thank You for giving us immortality. Use us to share the good news with others.

Want to learn more about the living water offered by Jesus, the Fountain of Life, in John 4? Watch Debbie’s teaching on John 4 HERE or listen to it HERE. 

“I wish I could see God.”

Have you ever said those words or wished you could ask God for His opinion on a particular subject?

If so, look at Jesus. Study His time on earth. Pay attention to His teachings. Why? Because Colossians 1:15 says Jesus is the image of the invisible God. The word “image” in this verse comes from a Greek word that means an exact replica, representation, or ‘picture’ of an original.” In other words, Jesus is the picture of His Father, of God. No doubt, you’ve seen a child and said, “They look and act just like their mother or father.” That is the case with Jesus and His Father, God.

Jesus is “spitting image” of God. What is the difference between them? Nothing. When we read about Jesus in the Bible and listen to His words, we are looking at God and listening to His words.

If it has been a while since you’ve read Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, read it slowly and carefully. Listen as if you were sitting with Jesus and He was talking directly to you. Consider if you think and live like He says we are to live. Why? Jesus is telling us how to live like children of our Heavenly Father.

Read, take to heart, the words of Jesus, the image of the invisible God.

Lord Jesus, IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD, quicken us to do more than read Your words. Imprint them on our hearts and minds so we live like children of Your Father.

Would you like to learn more about Jesus being the image of the invisible God? Watch this video clip where Debbie teaches about how Jesus said He and the Father are one.