Beyond Ourselves Podcast
God of All the Earth
Are you familiar with the concept of “one world government”? What do you think about it? Would it work? Who would rule it?
Philosopher Dante Alighieri supported it. Philosopher Thomas Hobbes opposed it on the basis that humans are innately morally corrupt. Attempts by the League of Nations and United Nations to maintain international peace and security have failed.
Jesus referred to Satan as “the ruler of this world” in John 14:30 and Satan maintained he was when he offered the world to Jesus in Matthew 4:8-9. One only needs to look around at the violence in our world to see what Satan’s rule looks like.
So where do we stand? Has God forgotten us? No. Isaiah 54:5 assures us, “For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the Lord of hosts; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of All the Earth.” This prophetic assurance to the nation of Israel extends to believers who have been grafted into the vine of Christ.
Although Satan has temporary rule of the earth, his reign is term limited. (See Revelation 20.) In addition, all who turn from Satan to Jesus are immediately born into a new kingdom, Christ’s kingdom, of love, peace, and joy. His reign begins with the believer’s salvation.
When Christ, God of All the Earth, returns, He will establish the utopia for which our soul yearns. Have you entered into His kingdom by rejecting Satan’s rule and confessing Jesus as Lord and King? Are you telling others about the two gods and their kingdoms; warning and telling them the good news?
GOD of ALL the EARTH, we can’t wait for You to come and reign over the world. Thank You for giving us a glimpse of Your peace through the Holy Spirit’s reign in our hearts.
Want to learn more about the end times, Bible prophecy, and Christ’s return? Watch or listen to Debbie’s teachings on the end times HERE. You can also purchase a copy of the End Times: What You Should Know, What You Can Do Bible Study HERE.
God Himself Will…for You
Do you sometimes wish you were stronger in your convictions and more consistent in your walk with Christ? Do you ever wonder how God could love and forgive you? The answer to our questions is summed up in one word: grace.
First Peter 5:10 explains: “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”
The God of All Grace, who gave His Son to die for our sins, the God of All Grace who ransomed us, the God of All Grace who transferred us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His beloved Son, that same God of all Grace will perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish us. Praise Him! He hasn’t saved and forgotten us. Rather, “God Himself will perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” Personalize that grace-filled promise and say it out loud:
God Himself will perfect me, confirm me, strengthen me, and establish me. The God of all grace has forgiven my sin through Jesus’ sacrificial death.
Glory in the grace God has extended to you. Celebrate Christ’s resurrection – proof that God, who called us to His eternal glory in Christ, will by grace, complete what He began in us. Praise the God of all grace.
GOD of all GRACE, I love and praise you. Thank You for calling me to eternal glory in Christ. Jesus, thank You for sacrificing Your life so I can live eternally in Your glorious presence. Thank You, GOD OF ALL GRACE, for perfecting, confirming, strengthening, and establishing me in Christ Jesus. I love You!
Would you like to experience more grace and peace? Check out Debbie’s Bible study, “Experiencing Grace and Peace in Cultural Chaos” by clicking HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts by clicking HERE.
So What’s Jesus Up to?
Around Easter, Christians focus on the weeks prior to Jesus’ crucifixion.
Resurrection morning, we celebrate that death couldn’t keep Jesus in the grave.
But, where is Jesus now and what is He doing?
Hebrews 6:20 tells us where Jesus is. “Jesus has entered as a forerunner (in heaven) for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Jesus is in heaven and He’s praying for us.
How do we know He’s in heaven?
He told His disciples before His crucifixion that He had come down from heaven to earth and He was returning to heaven.
People saw Jesus rise from the earth and ascend through the clouds into heaven.
Angels assured those watching Jesus rise in the air that what they thought they saw, they truly saw.
Yes, it’s true. If an airplane can defy gravity and ascend beyond our sight into the clouds, we need not question if Christ ascended into heaven.
All is well, friends. Christ, our forerunner, has gone ahead of us to heaven. He made it safely there. We will, too, where we’ll be united with loved ones and the Lord forever.
Lord Jesus, FORERUNNER, thank You for safely seeing believers into heaven’s glory.
Want to learn more about Jesus’ ascension into heaven? Debbie spoke about it in her teaching on Acts 1. Watch by clicking HERE.
Unwrap It!
Gifts! Who doesn’t like to receive a gift?
Presents wrapped with brightly colored paper and bows.
A gift tag with your name on it.
Someone holding a gift and offering, “Take it. I bought it for you.”
As difficult as it may be for us to understand, this is what God the Father and Christ offer us – the gift of salvation. It can only be received, not earned or bought.
Romans 6:23 explains, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Yes, in spite of our sin, the Lord offers us the “free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Did it cost Him? Yes. It cost our Heavenly Father His only begotten Son’s life. It cost Jesus pain, humiliation, suffering, and death.
When we open God’s gift of eternal life the first thing we see is forgiveness, which gives us such joy and freedom. Then we see the gift of His Holy Spirit and are overwhelmed.
Included in the gift of eternal life is heaven, eternity, glory, peace, joy, and so much more!
Each day we realize there’s more of God’s gift to unwrap. The Gift Giver smiles as our eyes light up in joyful praise.
Lord God, thank You for being GIVING and for the incredible GIFT of eternal life. We love and praise You.
Our mission at Hill Country Ministries is to spread the Word and love of Jesus. We want others to know Christ and receive the gift of eternal life. Help us by sharing 365 Days of Praise using the social media icons, below, or by forwarding to a friend through email. You can also help by subscribing to Debbie’s YouTube channel. Having more subscribers allows us to reach more viewers.
Could You Use Some Gentleness to Pass to Others?
When you think of Jesus, do you think of Him as being gentle?
In Matthew 11:29, it’s one of the ways He describes Himself. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
What does Christ mean when He says He is gentle? The Greek word for gentle is defined as mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness. I once heard it defined as “power under control.”
Although I don’t fully understand this great combination of attributes, I see them in my husband. Keith has great strength of character, yet he stoops down to pick a tiny flower amidst a field of grass in order to gently hand it to me on our walks.
Christ, while holding infinite power, has a gentle heart toward us.
Jesus tells us to walk closely with Him and learn from Him.
Who in your circle of friends or family needs to see Christ’s gentleness in you? To the degree we walk closely to Christ we’ll be able to walk in gentleness with others.
Lord Jesus, You are strong yet GENTLE. Help us walk by Your Spirit and show gentleness to others as You do with us.
God has so many wonderful attributes that we can praise Him for! The Prayers of My Heart prayer journal is a great way to record your praises and prayers. Grab a copy HERE while it’s on sale!
Firstborn From the Dead
Some time ago I went to a funeral where we celebrated the life of a dear woman who went to be with the Lord. Why were we able to celebrate her life even though we were sad she was no longer with us? We could celebrate her life because we knew she was with Christ, who Colossians 1:18 describes as “the beginning, the Firstborn from the Dead.”
Firstborn from the Dead. How can Jesus be called that? Didn’t He resurrect people to life? Weren’t the graves opened and people rose when Jesus died on the cross and the veil in the temple was torn?
Yes, Jesus raised people from the dead and yes, the tombs were opened and people raised when He died. However, those who had been resurrected died again. Jesus is called the firstborn from the dead because He was the first to rise in a resurrection body, never to die again.
In Revelation 1:4-5, John also referred to Jesus as the firstborn of the dead. “Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.”
Later, in Revelation 1:12-20, John saw the resurrected Lord. He heard Jesus speak. As a result, John “fell at His feet like a dead man” so shocking it was to see Jesus in glory.
The Firstborn from the Dead is alive and well as you will be when you join Him in glory.
Lord Jesus, we praise You, the FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD and thank You that we, too, will be alive forever.
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You Look A Lot Like Our Heavenly Father
Have you ever needed someone to extend mercy to you? You did something wrong, thoughtless, or perhaps careless. You felt bad and desired forgiveness. You asked to be forgiven. What if their heart was hardened and they said no? And how horrible it would be if our Heavenly Father refused to forgive us.
Quite the opposite, 2 Corinthians 1:3 tells us that God is the Father of Mercies. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the FATHER OF MERCIES and God of all comfort.”
Mercy flows from our Father. It’s His nature. He is the original transmitter of mercy. So when you go to a Christian sister or brother and ask forgiveness and they extend mercy, they are a reflection of their Father – the Father of Mercies.
The good news doesn’t stop with God being a transmitter of mercy and our Christian brothers and sisters being transmitters of mercy. The good news is we can be transmitters of mercy also, reflections of our Father.
In today’s culture, it can be easy sometimes for a person to be offended. They may hold grudges and not want to forgive or extend mercy. However, what a precious opportunity it is for believers to show mercy as our Heavenly Father does. Let’s make it a point to do this well.
FATHER of MERCIES, thank You for extending mercy to us. May we be quick to extend mercy to others and reflect well on You.
We’d love to have you join us for our April Bible study on the End Times! Click HERE for more information and to register.
If you’re not able to make the April study and would like to purchase the Bible study to do on your own, you can purchase it HERE. The study includes free accompanying videos and podcasts, which you can access HERE.
The Source of Illumination
Our nation and world are going through what some call a dark time.
What can believers do?
We can shine brightly with the love, hope, and truth of our Lord, whom James 1:17 describes as the Father of Lights.
The prince of darkness, Satan, wants us to stumble in the darkness. But James points to our hope. “Every good thing is given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”
Commentary Charles Ryrie explains this reference to the Lord means “God is the source of all light – physical, intellectual, moral, and spiritual – and He does not change.” 1
Rather than physically, intellectually, morally or spiritually stumble, we can pray with our heart, mind, soul, and spirit.
We can walk through our day in the light of the Father of Lights. We can spread His light to others. Will we?
FATHER OF LIGHTS, illumine our heart, mind, soul, and spirit with Your Light so we walk as children of Light and spread Your Light to others.
1 Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update (Chicago: Moody Press, 2008).
Want to learn more about living a victorious Christian life? Watch Debbie’s teaching on Acts 28 : The 7 Characteristics of People Who Are More than Conquerors.
Exalted
The news that singer-songwriter Taylor Swift surpassed Elvis Presley as the solo artist with the most weeks atop the Billboard 200 Chart exalted her to new heights in 2023. Her exalted position is not guaranteed. Only the Lord God’s is, as He tells us in Psalm 46:10. “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
“The Lord is exalted in the earth and also above the heaven and earth,” Psalm 148:13.
The Lord is exalted above other gods. “For You are the Lord Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods,” Psalm 97:9
What about Jesus? Acts 5:31 tells us, “He is the One whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”
Although the Lord is highly exalted, Psalm 138:6 encourages us that “though the Lord is exalted, yet He regards the lowly.”
How amazing our exalted Lord is! What should be our response? Nehemiah 9:5 tells us. “Arise, bless the Lord your God forever and ever! O may Your glorious name be blessed and exalted above all blessing and praise!”
Our Lord is highly exalted above all yet regards the lowly. Will you humbly exalt and bless His glorious name; praising Him for regarding you?
EXALTED Lord, we praise You, bless Your glorious name, and thank You for regarding us.
Do you commute to work and want to listen to some encouraging teachings by Debbie while you drive? Let her podcasts on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify help you set your mind on Christ before you start your day!
Comfort in Dire Moments
During the peak of the 2021 Covid pandemic, someone shared with me the following regarding the dire conditions many faced.
“Make no mistake. When loved ones are removed from your home by ambulance because the virus has hit them hard, you are not going to be able to sit by their hospital bed and hold their hand. You are not going to be able to pop in at 7:00 pm during visiting hours. They are going to have no one other than exhausted and brave hospital staff to see them through days or weeks. During that time, they will be completely alone. Imagine that person is someone you love dearly. Because it is a reality for many.”
Disconcerting? Absolutely. Dire? Yes! What is our hope in dire times? Is there any hope? Yes, we who have placed our faith in Jesus have the assurance that in even the direst of times, our Eternal Father is with us. (Isaiah 9:6)
Bible scholar and commentator Charles Ryrie explains that Eternal Father means “Messiah is eternally a Father to His people, guarding, supplying, and caring for their needs.” 1 There could be no greater comfort in dire situations.
Do you have a relationship with the Eternal Father through Jesus Christ? If so, with whom might you share Him?
ETERNAL FATHER, in the best of times and in the direst of times, thank You for being with us. Embolden us to share the assurance we have in You with others.
1 Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update (Chicago: Moody Press, 2008).
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