Beyond Ourselves Podcast
Let’s Get This Right
Have you ever considered that because Christ paid for your sins you are worthy of heaven? Say that a few times to yourself and let it sink in. “I am worthy of heaven!” Believers are found worthy of heaven ONLY because Christ is worthy and exchanged His righteousness for our sin. He gave us His righteousness. Colossians 1:10 reminds us of the implication – “so that YOU will walk in a manner WORTHYof the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” In other words, we’re to walk in a manner worthy of or “suitably” for our Lord. We may have a hazy understanding of what it means to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, but we know what it means to be suitable. A child who puts on dirty clothes for school is told to put on something suitable, something clean for school. In the same manner, we are to walk worthily (suitably) of the Lord. Let’s get this right!
Lord, thank You for making us worthy of Your presence and of heaven. Help us walk worthily of You!
Excerpt from If God is In Control, Why Am I a Basket Case?
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What Jesus Looks Like
Do you wonder what Jesus looks like? If so, Revelation 19:13 tells us this about God’s gift to us, “His name is called THE WORD of GOD.” In other words, the Bible, God’s inspired WORD, is a collection of descriptions of Christ’s countenance, power, and thoughts. Every day, you and I’ve looked at a different facet of God – that He is wonderful, powerful, infinite, majestic, holy, kind, patient, forgiving, merciful, and on. I’ve loved my time with you this year as we’ve shared our mornings, days, or evenings – depending on when you open this email. It’s sent from me to you in love with this in mind – that we grasp a better, fuller appreciation of who our LORD is. Why? So we can more fully love and follow close after His heart. Thank you to those who have given a donation to help my non-profit ministry with the daily costs of funding 365 Days of Praise. We’re now partners in getting these daily truths into city homes, rural farmhouses, Pakistan villages, and India ministries – those who then forward them to those in their sphere of influence. You’re the best, and I love ministering with you. God bless you and Happy New Year!
Lord Jesus Christ, we praise You, living, breathing, WORD of GOD.
If You’re Wondering What to Do About Something
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Are you at your wit’s end? Do you need someone to talk to; someone who can help you sort out your problems and worries? God understands. Our Heavenly Father is the original COUNSELOR. And, Isaiah 9:6 says this about Jesus. “For a child will be born to us, … And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” In other words, our Heavenly Father and Jesus are Wonderful Counselors who are available to counsel and guide us. They will listen. They will answer. Talk to God, then do as they counsel. A great place to record what God counsels you to do is in Prayers of My Heart Journal. It is proven by research that the very act of writing helps record it on our brains so we’re more likely to follow up on it. You can order Prayers of My Heart at www.debbietaylorwilliams.com or your favorite book store. Make 2019 your best year by following God’s Wonderful Counsel. ORDER HERE.
LORD, You are the WONDERFUL COUNSELOR. Increase our sensitivity to Your Voice. Help us take seriously Your counsel and do it.
Who Can You Believe?
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Do you ever wonder who you can believe? One person says one thing and another claims the opposite. Yes, it can sometimes be difficult to know who to believe, but not in the case of Jesus’s words. Revelation 1:5 describes Jesus Christ as “the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood-” Jesus is a faithful witness. A witness of what? He witnessed to us about heaven, His Father, about angels, crowns of righteousness awaiting believers, resurrection bodies, thrones, powers, kingdoms, the judgment seat, forgiveness, redemption, His Father’s house, and about Satan. Jesus testified about the fact that Abraham, Noah, Moses, and Jonah were real people and the Old Testament is true. Our confidence in the Bible and its teachings solidly rests on Christ because He is a faithful witness to us that they are true.
Lord Jesus, we praise You, the faithful WITNESS! Thank You for the confidence we have in the Bible and You because of Your word.
Our GIFT to YOU: Prayers of My Heart Journal with any donation of $20 or more. WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING about PRAYERS OF MY HEART JOURNAL.
Jesus is Coming!
Have you been in awe of the magnificent beauty of the moon? The moon – IS – something that exists. The moon – WAS – created by God in eternity past. The moon WILL BE in our tomorrows. We see the moon appear in different phases, but it is still one moon. It existed in times past. It exists today. And, it will exist in our tomorrows. So why would we doubt that Christ is the LORD WHO WAS the CREATOR and WHO IS self-existent in heaven and in our presence, and WHO IS TO COME? On December 25, we celebrate the LORD who came in the appearance of a BABY. But, as Revelation 1:4 says CHRIST is not only “HE is WHO IS and WHO WAS,” He is the LORD “WHO IS TO COME…” again from heaven one day. Jesus is coming again! Will we be ready to meet HIS MAJESTY? Have a blessed Christmas!
Lord, WHO IS, WHO WAS, AND WHO IS TO COME, help us worship You not only with our lips, but with our daily lives.
“Grace to you and peace, from Him WHO IS and WHO WAS and WHO IS TO COME…”
Choose the Right One to Please
Do you ever feel like you can’t please anyone? Or, can’t please everyone? Hi! I’m Debbie Taylor Williams. It’s normal to want to please those we love. However, we’re wise to realize we can’t please everyone just like Jesus didn’t please everyone. So how do we prioritize who we please? We follow Jesus’s example. In John 8:29 He explained for whom He was living and making it His priority to please: His Heavenly Father. “He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.”
If you’re in a quandary about how to live so that you at least please your Heavenly Father, follow Jesus’s lead.
Jesus used Scripture to stand against temptation. We can do that.
Jesus reached out to others in love. We can do that.
Jesus prayed before making decisions. We can do that.
Jesus followed His Father’s leading rather than acting on His own impulses and initiative. We can do that.
There is no one more worthy for us to live to please than our Heavenly Father, and we can do that.
Heavenly Father, as Jesus was well-pleasing to You, help us please You.
Running Low on Cash
“How much money do you make?” In our materialistic society, people often place value on the almighty dollar instead of the almighty Lord. But, Isaiah 33:6 speaks to what we should value: having a wealth of salvation, a wealth of wisdom, and a wealth of knowledge. He reminds us that a healthy fear of the Lord is the greatest treasure. Jesus echos Isaiah’s understanding of what true wealth is in Matthew 6:19-21 when He says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Christ’s command causes us to stop and ponder. According to Jesus where are we storing up treasures – on earth or heaven. In other words, where is our heart most focused – on getting possessions that won’t go to heaven? Or, are we most focused on treasures we’re placing in eternity?
Lord, You are a WEALTH of salvation, wisdom and knowledge. Set our hearts on treasures that count for eternity.
“And He will be the stability of your times,
A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge;
The fear of the Lord is his treasure.”
It’s NOT TOO LATE! Give those on your Christmas list the gift that will keep on giving all year: Prayers of My Heart prayer journal; where they can record their daily gratitudes to God.
Do You Hear Him
Have you ever done a study on the “voice” of God? In Isaiah 30:30, the literal translation is “VOICE OF MAJESTY.” How does God speaks to us? He speaks through His majestic creation that He is glorious and a God of order and unlimited imagination. God’s voice goes out to us through the Bible, the most wise and beautifully written work of all time. God speaks to us in Christ, that He is sacrificial and loving; willing to forgive us and reconcile us. God’s voice calls to us in our innermost thoughts warning us of the danger of straying into sin and calling us to walk the path of righteousness. God’s voice calls to our hearts, but the noise of the world often drowns Him out. But, if we willingly, purposefully choose to slip out of our beds in the mornings and quietly meet with Him – just the two of us, we hear Him. He speaks. His voice encourages our weary souls. His voice comforts us that although we’ve sinned, He forgives us. His voice encourages us that we can start again. His voice whispers, “Take this course of action…” And, if we take His words seriously and even write down and follow through on what He tells us, we find He whispers more. Isaiah 30:30 says, “And the Lord will cause His VOICE OF AUTHORITY to be heard.” Are we listening?
Voice of Authority, Voice of Majesty, let us hear You. We trust in You.
Born a Warrior King
As the celebration of the birth of Christ nears each year, we focus on the babe in the manger. But, that babe was born a Prince with a kingdom to defend. That babe was born with an angelic army at His beacon call. That babe was born a “WARRIOR” King as Isaiah 42:13 foretells, “The Lord will go forth like a WARRIOR, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies.” The babe stormed hell and freed us through His death on the cross. The babe is victor over the devil and his demonic army. The babe is returning to earth as Warrior King. With whom will you share the good news?
Lord, we praise You, WARRIOR King from on high.
8 Ways to Keep the Spectacular in Christmas
Does all the commercialism surrounding Christmas bother you? Do you want to keep your heart and your family’s heart focused on the true meaning of Christmas? It’s possible. How? Focus your conversation, music, decorations, and stories on the spectacular of Christmas rather than the fake. Why? You’ll be reminded of the amazement of what our Heavenly Father did in sending Jesus to save us. You’ll spark the imagination and wonder of Christmas. You’ll build traditions of the true meaning of Christmas that you and your family will carry forever.
Does focusing on the true spiritual meaning of Christ mass mean that we ditz the culture around us? Not at all. Rather, it means we live with joy and lights of the spectacular.
Choose to Focus on the Spectacular in the Following 8 Ways
Today’s children are bombarded with Santa Claus, reindeer, and elf on a shelf. While they may be fun for the imagination, there are true, more spectacular imaginations on which they can think and get excited.
Elf On a Shelf
Fake: Santa sends Elf on a shelf from the North Pole to watch our children to see if they’re being naughty or nice. That’s rather ominous and scary. “Big brother” watching to catch our children being bad.
Spectacular: Our Heavenly Father sends angels from heaven to watch over our children and guard them. How lovely and true for our children and us to think on.
Tip: Place angels on the shelf.
Reindeer
Fake: Santa’s reindeer fly once a year on Christmas Eve. Movies typically depict a traumatic concern if they’re going to make it.
Spectacular: God’s angels fly between heaven and earth continually with everlasting power and majestic glory fighting evil and victoriously guiding our way.
Tip: Watch Christian movies on the birth of Christ and glorious, musical angelic announcement to the shepherds.
Gifts
Fake: Santa brings gifts once a year. There’s stress if he’ll get the right, longed for gift.
Spectacular: God gives us the gift of Jesus’s birth, life, forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, gifts of the Spirit, eternal life, and heaven. He gives us the daily gifts of life, the beauty of the sky, the sun, water, food, life, and one another. He’s gloriously faithful and generous to give us all these gifts.
Tip: Open your eyes and others to God’s gifts all around us. It’s proven that people who keep a gratitude journal are more optimistic about life. They’re mindful of God’s daily gifts. Prayers of My Heart journal has a Month at a Glance section where you and your family can record something for which you’re thankful each day. By daily being mindful of God’s gifts, you and your family will live a more optimistic life. An attitude of gratitude rather than stressing over what you don’t have is one of the greatest gifts God gives us.
Candy Canes
Fake: They mark the way to Santa’s workshop
Spectacular: Staffs symbolize the shepherds to whom the angels announced Jesus’s birth.
Tip: Hang candy canes on the Christmas tree. Read Luke 2:8-16.
Christmas Music
Fake: “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”
Spectacular: “Joy to the World, the Lord Has Come”
Tip: Listen to Christian Christmas music and play songs that are filled with the true meaning of Christmas.
Christmas Stories
Fake: “Twas the Night Before Christmas”
Spectacular: “Jesus Birth in Bethlehem”
Tip: Read the Christmas story in Luke 2:1-14 at bedtime and help the family memorize it. My mother helped me memorize it as a child and it lives in my heart. Give your family this gift by memorizing a few verses at a time and adding more verses each year. Read or recite it Christmas morning.
Star
Fake: Guides Santa
Spectacular: Guides the wise men
Tip: Read Matthew 2:1-2. Decorate the Christmas tree with stars.
Christmas Plays
Fake: Santa’s workshop, elves, and reindeer costumes
Spectacular: The nativity, shepherds, and angel costumes
Tip: If you have children or grandchildren, make simple costumes out of pillow cases and scarves. Cotton ball sheep costumes and a baby doll Jesus in a blanket covered box are easy props. This is fun for children, and by acting out the Christmas story, they seal the true meaning of Christmas in their heart.
This year, give your family a spectacular Christmas. Does it mean you ignore or refuse all the secular? No. But it does mean you have the choice and the power to choose how you decorate your house and which books, movies, and songs you make the emphasis. I pray you and your family have a spectacular Christmas.