Beyond Ourselves
Help is On the Way
“Help is on the way.” It’s all I could think to say as I grabbed my purse and headed to my car. She needed to hear those words. She needed to know that help was on the way…the kind of tangible help that is needed when we’re at our wit’s end and we don’t know how much more we can take.
And so, God wants us to know that He is our help. Psalm 46:1 assures us, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Could you use some help from God today? Perhaps you need wisdom about a decision. James 1:5 says ask God for it. He is your help.
Could you use something “good” in your life? If so, James 1:17 reminds us that every “good” thing is from above. God is your help.
Are you anxious and long for peace? God is your help. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us that you can pray and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
You may be in a situation where you are despairing. Psalm 43:5 tells us once again that God is our help. “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.”
Yes, God is our help. Unlike my friend who had to wait for me to arrive in order to help her, we can experience the Lord’s present help no matter our situation. We need only call on Him. Will you call on Him today?
Lord, we praise You, our present HELP and help of our countenance.
Today is the National Day of Prayer. Would you like to learn how to pray more purposefully and live more passionately for Christ? Grab a copy of Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion.
Your Inheritance
Have you ever been the recipient of an inheritance? Perhaps a parent or grandparent died and left you money. Perhaps a loved one is still alive but has told you that you are the heir to their estate; or perhaps a joint heir with a sibling.
Genesis 15:2 is the first time in the Bible that heirship is mentioned. Abram responded to God’s promise of a great reward by asking what good it would do since he was childless and had no heir with whom to leave God’s reward. God assured Abram that he would have an heir and descendants; great in number as the stars in the sky.
In the New Testament, Jesus told a parable about vine-growers who wanted to kill the heir to a vineyard; foretelling His death. Luke 20:9-16
Hebrews 1:1-2 builds on Jesus’ words. “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.”
Jesus is heir to God’s world and universe, of all things. What’s additionally amazing is that God appointed believers to be fellow heirs with Christ. “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirits that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him,” Romans 8:16-17.
No doubt, our hearts will soar when our eyes feast on our inheritance in heaven.
Lord, we praise You for appointing Jesus as the HEIR OF ALL THINGS and that we will see His glory when we reign with Him.
Tomorrow is the National Day of Prayer. As you prepare your heart, check out this Bible study playlist on YouTube: Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion.
It’s True – Nobody’s Perfect
Have you ever defended your bad behavior by saying, “Nobody’s perfect“? Or has someone ever said to you, “Nobody’s perfect” in defense of something they’ve done wrong? It’s a common response because it’s true. Nobody is perfect except Jesus. However, and this is big, our imperfections aren’t excuses to stay as we are. Rather they’re signals for areas where we need to look to Jesus for His example and empowerment to change.
For instance, during the Sermon on the Mount after Jesus’ teachings on anger, lust, enemies, retaliation and more, Jesus doesn’t say, “Heh everyone, give yourself a break. Nobody’s perfect.” Instead, He says, “Your Heavenly Father is perfect. You’re to be perfect,” Matthew 5:48.
Rather than Jesus letting us off the hook, He sees the potential for us to be transformed into His likeness through the provision of His Holy Spirit.
It requires we be intentional about knowing Christ’s teachings, being filled with His Spirit and power, and confessing and repenting when we sin. So while it is true that nobody is perfect, it is not an excuse. The believer’s hope and joy is knowing we are being perfected and will one day be perfect as our Lord is perfect.
Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus, You are PERFECT. Thank You for the gift of Your Spirit who transforms us into Your image as we walk by the Holy Spirit.
Would you like to learn more about walking by the Holy Spirit? Listen to these free podcast teachings: “Listen UP! 31 Points Every Christian Should Know About the Holy Spirit.”
When You Cry Out, He’ll Hear
Do you have children or have you ever babysat? Think for a moment to a time when a child cried for you. Maybe they were in their crib. Or perhaps you heard a thud, then the cry of a toddler who had fallen. What happened at the moment they cried out? Their voice “came into your ears.”
I love the way that just as a child’s cry “comes into our ears,” the psalmist, David, worded that our cries “come into God’s ears.”
Second Samuel 22:7 says, “In my distress, I called upon the Lord. Yes, I cried to my God, and from His temple, He heard my voice, and my cry for help came into His ears.”
Yes, just as we can hear a child’s cry even if we’re in another part of the house, so God hears our cry from His temple. Our cries to God reach His ears.
Our Heavenly Father is a HEARING GOD, not a deaf God. What will you cry out to Him about today?
Loving Father who HEARS us, thank You for listening to and answering our cries. We love You.
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How Can We Not…
On February 28, 2002, God healed my mother. Bernice Ruth Taylor went to be with the Lord. No longer did she suffer the physical ailments that had ravaged her body. She was ready to be with Jesus. She took off her oxygen mask, smiled at us, and after we verbalized our love for one another, she closed her eyes.
However, none of us were prepared for the next moment. Mama’s eyes flew open and she startled us with, “boo!” I’ll never know how long she’d planned that dramatic moment or if it was a spur-of-the-moment idea. Regardless, she made her point. She wasn’t scared. She was, in fact, excited. Her attitude reflected Jeremiah 17:14 which says, “Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be saved, for You are my praise.”
My mother knew Jesus was her HEALER and that she was on her way to Him for her complete, ultimate healing. With that, she closed her eyes a final time on earth and opened them in heaven…fully healed. How can we not praise Him? Jesus is our hope. He is our healer. On this, we need to focus in these difficult days.
Lord God, You are our HEALER. We praise You!
Jesus demonstrates His healing power in John 5 when He told a man who had been ill for 38 years to pick up his pallet, walk, and sin no more. Watch Debbie’s teaching on John 5 HERE or listen to it HERE.
It’s a Head Thing
I recently heard a television anchor report on a well-known religious leader whose viewpoint on a moral issue was contrary to the Bible. She then invited viewers to weigh in. “Let us know what you think. You can Twitter if you agree or disagree.” As she continued with the next story, my mind lingered on her words. Does she not know that our opinion or even religious leaders’ opinions are not what matters, but rather Jesus’ stance?
In Ephesians 1:22, Paul clearly states, “And He (our Heavenly Father) put all things in subjection under His (Jesus’) feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church.”
We have seen in Scripture how Jesus is head of man, head of the church, head over all rule and authority. Paul now with a broad sweep of his pen summarizes that Jesus is head over all things.
It concerns me when churches and denominations vote their opinion rather than stand with Biblical teachings. Does it concern you, too?
LORD JESUS, HEAD OVER ALL THINGS, we confess our nation is drifting from You. Yet, some churches are also drifting from You and following cultural trends. Raise up strong, committed Christians who speak truth as recorded in Your Word and submit to You as being HEAD OVER ALL THINGS.
Do you ever wonder if we’re in the end times? Would you like to learn more about the signs of the end times? Grab a copy of End Times: What You Should Know, What You Can Do Bible Study HERE. Access the free accompanying videos and podcasts HERE.
Why You Can Stop Worrying
Do you worry about where our nation is headed? Although evil may temporarily prevail, the Bible tells us the end of the story, and it’s a good ending. God prevails. Colossians 2:10 tells us Christ is not only the head of a believer and head over the church, He is HEAD OVER ALL RULE AND AUTHORITY. “and in Him (Christ) you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority…”
Isn’t that exciting? One day every knee will bow before Him.
Examples of people humbling themselves before the Lord who is the head over all rule and authority are found throughout the Bible. Just such a case is King Nebuchadnezzar, who prided himself in his power. Listen to his testimony after God humbled him.
“But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation,” Daniel 4:34.
Jesus is head over all rule and authority. Do you acknowledge Him as such and therefore have an uplifted countenance knowing the end of Bible? Is there someone you could encourage with the reminder that in spite of the moral decline and turning away from God, that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus is Lord?
Lord Jesus, thank You that You are HEAD OVER ALL RULE AND AUTHORITY! Use us to speak of our confidence in You and Your reign.
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Hard Work, No Joy
Have you ever worked hard for what you thought was for Christ but you experienced little joy? As a matter of fact, you felt agitated as you worked? If and when that happens, it helps to step back and consider if what we’re doing is an assignment from Christ and if we’re doing it in His power. Or, are we doing something we decided was a good idea and we’re pushing through in our own strength.
Why is this important? Just as Christ is the head of every man, 1 Corinthians 11:3, He is Head of the church, His body, which he metaphorically describes in 1 Corinthians 12 as some members being the eye and some the feet.
Writing to the church in Colossians 1:18, Paul states Christ is “head of the body, the church, and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.”
Christ is the head of every man. Christ is the head of the church.
When we do the work Christ assigns us it may be challenging and difficult, but we will also experience Christ’s joy. Matthew 25:23
How joyful are you in your service to the Lord?
Lord Jesus, we praise You, HEAD OF THE CHURCH and life of the body of believers. May our words and actions be an extension of Your will, strength, and power.
Would you like to better be able to discern the voice of the Lord to ensure that you’re walking in His will? Listen to Debbie’s teaching, “How to Discern the Voice of God,” on Podbean or YouTube.
Follow Your Head
Are you careful to read the words of the Bible in the context of the verse and chapter? Why is that important? If we take words out of context, the message can come across completely different than intended.
An example is in 1 Corinthians 11:1 where the apostle Paul tells believers to imitate him. If we stop short of the rest of the verse, Paul might come across as arrogant. However, Paul goes on to say, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am imitating Christ.”
Why should we imitate Christ? Paul answers that question in verse 3, explaining, “I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man,….”
Speaking metaphorically, Paul says Christ is our “head.” As a body without a head is dead, so we are dead apart from Christ. He is our life.
Another important emphasis of Christ being our head is that just as a head sits at the top of our body, over our body, Christ as our head is over us; supreme, master, Lord.
If we want to be a faithful imitator of Christ, our Head, we must learn and submit to Him and His ways. We must pray and follow His lead.
Can we say as Paul, that we are imitators of Christ, our Head? If not, let’s begin today.
Lord Jesus, HEAD OF EVERY MAN, convict us where we need to submit to Your headship. Fill us with Your Spirit so we bring glory to You.
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Beyond Our Comprehension
Did you know that God distinguishes between when we unintentionally sin and when we intentionally sin? Yes, He notices. In Leviticus 4:1-2 the Lord spoke to Moses and said, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If a person sins unintentionally in any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and commits any of them, if the anointed priest sins so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer to the Lord a bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.”
In these verses we see several important points. First, the Lord has spoken regarding sin. Sin, intentional or not intentional, is doing what the Lord has commanded us not to do. Second, the person who sins is guilty before the Lord. Third, the penalty for a guilty sentence is death. Fourth, in God’s mercy, rather than the death sentence being carried out on the sinner, a bull took the guilty person’s sentence of death.
The Old Testament sacrificial system pointed toward the day in which Christ would die on the cross as a once for all guilt offering for our sin.
Isaiah 53:10 explains God’s love which is beyond our comprehension. “But the Lord was pleased to crush Him (Jesus), putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a GUILT OFFERING…” The “if He would” was answered when Christ laid down His life so that we might be sin free, guilt free. What a wonderful Lord.
Heavenly Father and Jesus, we praise You for paying our sin debt by Jesus becoming a GUILT OFFERING in our place. Your love is beyond our comprehension.
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