Beyond Ourselves Podcast

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I know, I know, I know. We sing about Jesus’s resurrection from the dead. But is it ever hard for you to get your mind around the fact He was raised from the dead?  Do you ever stop and ponder if you believe what you do because you were raised that way or if it’s own conviction?  When Jesus said the words in John 11:25, “‘I am the RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,’” He was talking to a woman who was saying with her mouth she believed but who wasn’t anticipating that Jesus would raise her deceased brother. Jesus is patient with us just as He was with Martha. If you’re struggling to believe and have questions, that means you’re seeking to understand, which is good. Jesus will help you find Him. Keep seeking. He’s a prayer away.

Lord, You are the RESURRECTION and the LIFE. We profess our faith with thanksgiving.

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Do you think God expects you to be superman or super woman? Here’s some good news. God doesn’t expect us to keep going and going and going without rest. God doesn’t expect us to be like an energizer bunny. He knows that we will become depleted and that we need restoration. Psalm 23:3 says, “He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Sure,  Red bull drinks and other highly caffeinated drinks may give a temporary kick or a burst of energy. But, it’s the daily refreshment in God’s presence that provides ongoing restoration to our souls. When your battery is running low, find your Bible, not your cape. It’s in God’s presence you’ll experience the restoration you for which you long.

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When we ask someone, “How are you doing,” a typical reply is, “Good.” But sometimes, when we’re sitting across the kitchen table with a family member or friend, they’ll confide, “I’m exhausted.” Or, “I’m worried.” What causes us to be exhausted or worried? Lots of things. Lack of sleep. Caring for little ones, family, or aging parents. Work deadlines. Stress. Physical or financial problems. Deep within, we long for not only physical rest, but also soul rest. Without it, our minds wander to the worst case scenarios. Without soul rest, our spirits are agitated. Without soul rest, our emotions are on a roller coaster of highs and lows. What encouragement can we offer as we sip our coffee and chat? The reminder that the place to go for soul rest is Christ. Reading the news can tie us in knots. Reading the Bible quiets us. Complaining to one another can further agitate us. Pouring our worries to our Heavenly Father brings peace. In Jeremiah 50:6 God describes Himself as a RESTING PLACE. When we feel like we’re “losing it,” we can go to our RESTING PLACE and find rest for our souls.

Lord, we praise You, our RESTING PLACE!

“My people have become lost sheep;
Their shepherds have led them astray.
They have made them turn aside on the mountains;
They have gone along from mountain to hill
And have forgotten their RESTING PLACE.”

Jeremiah 50:6

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Lord Jesus, You are our RESCUER! We love You! We thank You! We praise You! 

“He RESCUED US from the DOMAIN of DARKNESS, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” Colossians 1:13

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Are the storms in your life overwhelming you…perhaps literally? Whether the storms are literal or metaphorical, fear can flood our emotions. Pains of regret can beat like rain on our heart. Worry can flood our mind.  But God doesn’t want us to stay overwhelmed, drowning in fear, worry, and guilt. That’s why He’s present. That’s why He offers Himself. Just as rescue helicopters offer a way of escape to flooded victims, God offers His help and strength. He’s our REFUGE. The Hebrew word, “REFUGE,” means shelter from danger or falsehood.  The more closely we stay under God’s arm of Biblical truth, the more protected we are from the enemies’ lies. Psalm 46:1 reminds us that God is our REFUGE, a very present help in trouble.

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Are you looking for peace and happiness? Do you want a better life? Only one person, our REDEEMER, has the holiness, the wholeness, the power, and grace to be our all in all. As Colossians 1:13-14 says to rescue us from the domain of darkness and transfer us to the kingdom of His beloved son. He’s the one who is able to rescue us from the sin and heartache of this world and to take us to the holy heights of heaven. So, we look to the cross. We look to the resurrected Lord. We look to the Bible. We look to the skies. And, we know … that as He kept His Word to come to us once for salvation, He’ll return to redeem us out of this world and take us to our eternal home. Our redemption is closer today than it was yesterday. Smile.

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Have you ever wished you had eyes in the back of your head? I could have used eyes in the back of my head when our children were little. Eyes in the back of my head would be comforting at the airport when walking to my car at night after a speaking engagement. What do we mean by “eyes in the back of our head”? It speaks to our desire to be safe and to be able to sense what’s happening that we can’t see. How comforting to know that just as God was a rear guard to the Israelites when they escaped Egypt, and Isaiah 52:12 describes God as a rear guard to the Israelites in the new kingdom, Jesus is a rear guard to us today. He watches over us. We’ll not know until heaven how many ways and times He’s protected us from evil. The Lord is our rear guard. We can thank Him, and we can pay attention to His still quiet voice. 

Lord, thank You for being our REAR GUARD and for all the ways You watch over us and protect us. How comforting to know You’ve got our back.

Record God’s names and titles in Prayers of My Heart prayer journal so you’ll have a keepsake of all 365.

“… the Lord will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your REAR GUARD.” Isaiah 52:12

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Did you see the movie, Ransom? Mel Gibson played the role of the father of the son who was kidnapped. There was no way the kidnapped son could free himself. The kidnappers demanded that the father pay a certain price, a ransom, to get his son back. That’s what our Father did for us. We were captives in sin. But our Heavenly Father gave Jesus as the RANSOM to pay for our freedom. Was it only our Father’s idea? No. First Timothy 2:6 says that Jesus was in one accord with the Father. He gave Himself as a ransom for all of us so we could be reunited to our Heavenly Father. How do we become free of sin’s dominion? We say yes to the outstretched nail scarred hand of Jesus who has come to save us.

Lord Jesus, we praise You, our RANSOM, our LORD. 

“…Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a RANSOM for all,” 1 Timothy 2:6

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TIP: How to Pray for Unbelievers

Death. It seems so final. I’d been prepared for my mother’s death. She’d been ill a long time. But the casket. The cemetery. I broke down weeping. Some family members whispered. “Certainly Debbie should have been prepared.” After all, I’d cared for mama her last years. But it didn’t matter. It still seemed so final. So what does Jesus want us to know and what did He prove when He called Lazarus’s name and raised him from the dead? Death isn’t final. Jesus describes death as sleep. For instance, I hear my husband’s voice, “Debbie, wake up!” and I wake from earthly sleep. In John 5:25,  Jesus said believers will hear His voice and wake from sleeping death to living in His eternal presence. Better words could never be said. Who do we need to share them with?

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HAPPENING NOW:  I’M IN Las Vegas, leading my P.R.A.Y. with Passion Conference. It’s been almost a year since Stephen Paddock opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers in Las Vegas; killing 58 people and injuring 851 in the deadliest mass shooting committed by an individual in the US. PLEASE PRAY for an outpouring of GOD’S SPIRIT, for healing, recommitments, salvations, and safety. THANK YOU.

Are you concerned with how our world seems to be getting darker? Religious persecution, disease, abuse, terrorists at home and abroad, moral decline, and political shenanigans contribute to the anxiety and depression we may feel. In the midst of discouraging days, what can believers do? We can keep our eyes on Jesus, who Hebrews 1:3 describes as the radiance of God’s glory.  The word “radiance” is only used 5 times in the Bible and in each of those, refers to God. Commentator Vines defines God’s “radiance” as “shining forth, of a light coming from a luminous body.” Isn’t that exciting? Even when things around us are dark, God isn’t. One sweet, glorious day, we’ll join those who have glimpsed God’s radiance. We’ll fall on our faces as they did; overwhelmed by what our eyes see. The day is coming when we go to Jesus or when He returns through the clouds. Keep watching and living for Him!

Heavenly Father, our hearts are overwhelmed as we read the accounts of those who have had glimpses of You.  We can’t imagine what it will be like to see Your glory. We praise You now and forever. 

 “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature,…” Hebrews 1:3