Beyond Ourselves Podcast
Heaven to Mankind, Here’s Comfort
When Simeon, anointed by the Holy Spirit, saw the infant Jesus at Christ's presentation in the temple, he knew He was seeing the long awaited Messiah. Jesus is the Consolation of Israel, but He is also the Consolation for any person who turns to Him for salvation.
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Where is Our Faith in God’s Commands
We talk about it. We sing about it. But, how much of it do we have? What am I talking about? Faith. We place our faith in the person of Jesus Christ and that He substituted His body on the cross in place of ours. We stand at a distance and say, “Whew! That’s great. I didn’t have to go through the scourging and crucifixion. Thank You, Jesus. I believe.” But when God says to exercise our faith in regard to cutting off our sin we say, “No way. Can’t do.” He says to exercise our faith and forgive as He forgive us and we say, “No way. Not gonna do.” He says to lay aside our old self and put on the new self-made in the image of Christ Jesus, and we stand there with folded arms. If we really had faith that God “calls into being that which doesn’t exist,” as Romans 4:17 states, then we would obey His commands, trusting that they lead to the promised abundant life. So the question is, where is our faith?
Lord Jesus, You CALL INTO BEING THAT WHICH DOES NOT EXIST. Where is our faith in your daily commands?
Could You Use Some Compassion?
Could you use some compassion? Has life been brutal? Does it seem like everything is going wrong? Are you trying your best but it never seems to be enough? Are you on a treadmill of bad habits that you’re trying to break and can’t? Do you feel like a failure? If you’ve ever felt one of those ways then you know how our soul longs for compassion in the midst of those times. Exodus 34:6 is an incredible word from God if you could use some compassion today. It says, “Then the Lord passed by in front of him (Moses) and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, COMPASSIONATE and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.” Those are refreshing words to hear at any time. But do you know when God expressed His compassion? It was on Moses’s second trek up Mount Sinai to do a “redo” of the Ten Commandments since he had angrily shattered the first tablets when he found the Israelites worshipping the golden calf. Yes, God called Moses back up the mountain and showed him compassion. Our Heavenly Father is compassionate. Go to Him. Call on Him.
Heavenly Father, thank You for deeply loving us, forgiving us, and being COMPASSIONATE toward us. Help us gratefully receive Your compassionate and walk in it rather than cling to desperation and loneliness.
If You’re Disappointed
THANK YOU for YOUR PRAYERS for my speaking engagement at LIFT AZ. The women were amazing and God is faithful!
Are you disappointed? If so, in what? Or, are you disappointed in a person? Or, are you disappointed in yourself? God understands disappointment. Lots of things can cause us to feel let down. Sometimes our disappointment is because we have unrealistic expectations about others. I write about that in The Plan A Woman in a Plan B World. Other times, our disappointments are valid. No one is perfect, including us. First Peter 2:6 is encouraging because God wants us to know that there’s something He’s provided that will never disappoint us: our faith in Jesus. “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a PRECIOUS CORNERSTONE, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.” Look around and consider what you’re building your expectations on. If it’s a dollar amount, a certain house, a perfect spouse, perfect children, a perfect friendship, job, or even you being perfect, then you will experience disappointment at times. But if you build your expectations on Jesus and your life on His teachings, you will not be disappointed. It’s our choice. Live disappointed or build our life on Christ.
Lord Jesus, You are the PRECIOUS CORNERSTONE on whom we can build our lives and not be disappointed. Thank YOU!
What to Do when Life doesn’t go according to plan: GET It HERE.
Let the Carpenter Rebuild Your Life from the Inside Out
Have you ever looked at your life, job, or a relationship, and felt discouraged or hopeless? Have you ever said, “I don’t see any way things can get better?” Or, have you thought, “My best years are over”? If you have had any of those thoughts, be encouraged. Hebrews 3:4 tells us that God is “the builder of all things.” In other words, God is the one who engineered the heavens. God is the brain behind chromosomes. Jesus built His church from a small number of men and women. If God can build the heavens, our bodies, and recreate us at our spiritual birth, we can look to Him, the Builder of All Things. Ask Him to fill you with His Spirit of glory. Ask the Carpenter to renew and remodel you from the inside out.
Jesus, Builder of All Things, You are our Savior Carpenter. You took nails that were meant for us on Your holy body so You could build us into a kingdom of priests. Where we’ve fallen, reconstruct us into holy vessels who bring You glory.
Ready or Not, He’s Coming
Did you play Hide and Seek when you were a child? The familiar, “Ready or not, here I come” warns the person who is hiding to be ready. Revelation 1:5-7 is the opposite of child’s play. It is a serious warning that Jesus is coming and we need to be ready. “Behold, HE IS COMING with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.” “Amen” means there’s no discussing it. It’s happening. We will either be ready for Christ’s appearing because we’ve repented of our sins and been forgiven or Jesus will come and find us in our sin and shame. If you’re not ready for Christ, respond to His gift of salvation today. Read John 3:16, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:8-11. Confess Jesus as Lord. Repent of your sins. Receive His gift of cleansing you and His gift of the Holy Spirit. Today is your opportunity. Prepare to meet Jesus. He’s coming.
LORD JESUS, COMING KING, we believe that as You came once to earth you are coming again. Thank You for Your gift of salvation. Stir the hearts of the unsaved to realize that ready or not, You are coming. Stir our hearts to tell others about Your gift of salvation.
There’s No One Like the Comforter
Thank you for praying for God’s anointing on my speaking on, “Becoming a Leader of Passion and Power” at LIFT Arizona; that women’s ministry leaders would be encouraged, inspired, and equipped as they lead in their respective ministries.
On a cold winter evening nothing feels as cozy as snuggling in bed under the warmth of a soft comforter. The fact is, though, no blanket compares with who 2 Corinthians 1:3 describes as the God of All Comfort. Yes, when a person’s crisp tongue chills us to the core or the howling wind of despair blows through our heart, it is the God of all comfort who comforts us like no one else. The Greek word for comfort means “to call to one’s side, speak to, in the way of exhortation, console, teach.” How incredible that God gives every believer the gift of His presence through the Holy Spirit. Our Comforter is an abiding presence who will never wear out, never become threadbare, and never leave us. The more we cover our lives with His teachings, the more we’ll know the warmth of His presence.
Adapted from Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion, page 67.
LORD, You are the God of all COMFORT! Thank You for the blessing of Your presence!
Check Your Closet Again
Have you ever thought about God in relation to your clothing? It’s an odd question, I know. But the Bible says that in addition to God’s many character traits that He is a clothier. A clothier is a person who makes, sells, or deals in clothes or cloth, and God fits that description from Genesis when He clothed Adam and Eve with animal skins to Revelation where our God clothes us in “fine linen, white and clean.” There’s an additional way our Heavenly Father clothes us. He clothes our innermost being. Galatians 3:27 describes believers as being “clothed with Christ.” Think about that. God could provide no finer clothing than for us to sport Christ’s righteousness. So, the next time you start to say, “I don’t have anything to wear,” remember…you do!
Lord God, we praise You for being our CLOTHIER, for covering us with Christ’s righteousness so we are not ashamed before You.
Check Out this Privilege
Isn’t it amazing that it is often human nature to reject what is good and gravitate toward that which is bad? Although it’s sad, it’s true. Peter calls believers to realize that the One people reject when they turn away from Christ “is choice and precious in the sight of God.” (1 Peter 2:4) The Greek words, “choice and precious,” mean that God appointed Jesus to the most exalted office conceivable.* He is held in honor and prized by His Father.** Continue reading in 1 Peter 2:5 and your heart can’t help but be warmed. Jesus is a choice and precious living stone and we are also living stones, being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood. For what purpose? “To offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Oh my. So often we sacrifice for things on earth that are here today and gone tomorrow. But to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God. That is our privileged calling, my friend.
CHOICE AND PRECIOUS Savior, we love You and praise You! Center our eyes and sacrifices on You.
If We’re Smart…
Sheep. It’s been said they’re not the smartest animal in the world. That’s why they benefit from having a shepherd; someone to watch over them and care for them. In relation to God, we’re not always the smartest. That’s why we benefit from having a Shepherd of our soul; someone to watch over us and care for us. Matthew 9:36 records that our Shepherd, “Seeing the people, felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Mark 6:34 further explains, “…He began to teach them many things.” What is Jesus, the Chief Shepherd’s, (1 Peter 5:4 ) response to seeing us be distressed and dispirited? He teaches us what to do and how to live. Of all the voices vying for our attention, Jesus’s voice is the One we’re to follow. The Bible is His voice on paper. If we’re smart, we’ll read and follow His teachings.
Thank You, JESUS, CHIEF SHEPHERD of our souls, for looking on us with eyes of compassion and for teaching us.