Beyond Ourselves Podcast

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 not 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 of sin 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.

Register for END TIMES: What You Should Know, What You Can Do. 5 week, FREE study by email. Begins March 1.

One blanket. Two blankets. Three blankets. Four. Keith and I sat in front of the fire trying to get warm. The winter storm had brought a temperature of 3 degrees that the weatherman said, “feels like minus 11.” If only we had power and water. We had neither. The winter storm continued and we couldn’t get down our icy driveway to get to our adult children’s homes.  If you’ve lived in an area affected by a winter storm you know how devastating the cold can be. Especially if you run out of wood, which happened to us. We couldn’t complain, though. We had a comforter. A comforter that we may have taken for granted becomes deeply appreciated in a winter storm. So, too, is a spiritual Comforter when we’re experiencing life’s storms. Second Corinthians 1:3 describes the as Lord 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, or we are experiencing a literal storm, the God of all Comfort comforts us like none other. Why?  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 blanket our lives with His teachings, the more we’ll know the warmth of His abiding presence.

 Adapted from Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion, page 67.

Sweet friends, you are in my prayers as you suffer through life’s storms.

Heavenly Father, You are the God of all COMFORT! Please comfort all who are suffering. Give them Your wisdom. Bring resources to help them. Strengthen them as only You can. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Register for END TIMES: What You Should Know, What You Can Do. 5 week, FREE study by email. Begins March 1.

More than ever before, I am convinced of God’s eternal love and plan as I delve into our study, End Times: What You Should Know, What You Can Do. Join me! You’ll be so glad you did. Even if you’re in another study and don’t have time right now to do the study, go ahead and register so I’ll know to email it to you. Then you’ll have it for when you’re ready. It’s FREE! Sign up HERE.

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 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. 

PS: No doubt, you’ve heard about rewards in heaven, right? Have you ever thought, “I don’t need rewards. Heaven is reward enough?” I’ll be honest, before preparing for our study of End Times: What You Should Know, What You Can Do, I’d had similar thoughts. Now? I’ve changed my mind. I’ll be sharing important scriptures on this topic in our study. If you haven’t signed up for this FREE email study, sign up today!  Read, watch, study at your convenience. Learn more here. This is important information all believers should know.

Isn’t it amazing that our human nature often rejects what is good and gravitates toward what is bad? Although it’s sad, it’s true. Peter calls believers to realize that the person 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 believers 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 temporal. But to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God? That is a privileged calling and it is ours,  my friend.

CHOICE AND PRECIOUS Savior, we love You and praise You. Focus our eyes on You and our time and energy on eternal rather than earthly, passing things.  

This is RIGHT IN KEEPING with Session 5 of “END TIMES: What You Should Know, What You Can Do” – The Rewards for Faithful Living. Have you registered yet for this FREE study I’ll email to you beginning March 1? 

*Choice, **Precious

God continues to spread the Word and love of Jesus!. If you haven’t liked our Ministry Page, please do HERE. Why? Because every time you LIKE and share these devotionals, you help us reach people for Christ. 

If someone were to ask you what makes your life, marriage, family, career, and friendships work well, what would you say? Are you successful because you’re a hard worker?  Are you successful because you’re conscientious? Or, perhaps a good listener?  It’s an important question. A more important question, though, is what makes your life, marriage, family, career, friendships work to the glory of God? Why is that an important question? Because if we are a Christian, 1 Corinthians 10:31 says that everything we do is to be to the glory of God.

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Acts 4:11 reinforces this fact by saying Jesus is the stone that was rejected, but who became the CHIEF CORNERSTONE.” In other words, we’re to build our lives on Christ in such a way that our life brings Him glory. If that’s not happening, we can begin today. We can draw closer to Jesus.

Have you ever given your best effort at something, but failed? On the other hand, have you ever experienced great success? It’s normal to want to win.  In keeping with that, Isaiah 19:20  has encouraging news for Christians.

It will become a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Champion, and He will deliver them.

Jesus is the proclaimed Savior and Champion not only for the Jews but for all who call on Him for salvation. If you’ve repented of sin and confessed Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you will be one of the myriads in heaven and during the Millennial Kingdom on earth following the Great Tribulation. Yes, we are returning from heaven with Christ to earth at the end of the 7 year Great Tribulation. We are with Christ when He takes over the world and rules from Jerusalem. Don’t think for a minute that our national or world situation is under the ultimate control of anyone but Christ. If you’d like to learn more about what the Bible tells us is ahead, join me for End Times: What You Should Know, What You Can Do. It’s free and will be delivered to your inbox. Begins March 1. Do at your own pace.

LORD, You are the CHAMPION over all. We can’t wait to see the witness of the display of Your glory and reign. We love You. 

A few years ago, my morning started off peacefully. 5:30 am with God has a tendency to do that. After my quiet time and while scanning emails and news stories, however, I almost came to the conclusion that I’d unknowingly had Covid or might have gotten Covid the day before or maybe two days before. Or maybe I shouldn’t get the vaccine in case I had unknowingly had Covid recently because someone told me you could get really sick if you didn’t wait 3 months to get the vaccine after having it. I had no idea if that was true. However, after reading the article that listed 98 SYMPTOMS of Covid, I began to wonder if I had it. My eyes had been a little red one day last week and that was one of the symptoms. I had dismissed the redness as allergies, but you never know. Okay, I think you get my point. Everyone could probably identify as having had one of 98 symptoms of anything and go into a frenzy if they are the worrying type, which thank goodness I’m not. However, understandably, Covid has caused an increase in anxiety in our nation and world and if not because of Covid, you may have stressed over politics or any number of other issues. It is normal to feel anxious when our loved ones are ill or when family or financial problems arise.  What’s important for us to remember in stressful times is that Jesus is with us and cares for us. He doesn’t want us to go crazy with worry. He wants us to cast all our anxiety on Him as 1 Peter 5:7 clearly states. Yes, just like a person casts a fishing line into the water, we can cast our anxiety on Jesus knowing that He cares for us and will see us through every day. If you’re feeling anxious, cast your anxiety on Him right now.  Tell Him your anxious thoughts. He loves you, is listening, and He is ever present to comfort you. By the way, did you know that your prayers ascend to God as a fragrant offering? That information along with a lot of other wonderful truths is in the book of Revelation, which is why I hope you’ll join me for my study, “End Times:  What You Should Know, What You Can Do.” Learn how you can participate by email. 

Jesus, thank You for being a CARING LORD on whom we can cast our anxiety! Comfort all those who are suffering. Bring healing and strength to caregivers. We love You and thank You for caring for us.