Beyond Ourselves

“If only I can exercise and eat right….” “If only I could drink from the fountain of youth.” Have you heard people say either in their pursuit to put off dying? People long to be immortal. But why? The reason is because it’s in the human heart to want to live. We’re wired that way as Ecclesiastes 3:11 states, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

God has “set eternity in the human heart.” It makes sense because we were created in God’s image and He is immortal, as 1 Timothy 6:15-16 explains. “He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.”

What does it mean that Jesus is immortal? The Greek word in this passage is athanasia and means deathlessness, undying. Jesus is immortal and has set the desire for immortality in our hearts. But how can we mortals become immortal?

We must go to Jesus and acknowledge that He alone is the source of life. We must confess our sins and drink deeply from Him, the Fountain of Life, as John 4:14 tells us. “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” Yes, we must drink from Jesus rather than the fictitious “Fountain of Youth.”

Have you drunk from the wellspring of eternal life Jesus offers? If so, who do you know who needs to drink also from Him?

IMMORTAL Lord Jesus, we praise you and thank You for giving us immortality. Use us to share the good news with others.

Want to learn more about the living water offered by Jesus, the Fountain of Life, in John 4? Watch Debbie’s teaching on John 4 HERE or listen to it HERE. 

“I wish I could see God.”

Have you ever said those words or wished you could ask God for His opinion on a particular subject?

If so, look at Jesus. Study His time on earth. Pay attention to His teachings. Why? Because Colossians 1:15 says Jesus is the image of the invisible God. The word “image” in this verse comes from a Greek word that means an exact replica, representation, or ‘picture’ of an original.” In other words, Jesus is the picture of His Father, of God. No doubt, you’ve seen a child and said, “They look and act just like their mother or father.” That is the case with Jesus and His Father, God.

Jesus is “spitting image” of God. What is the difference between them? Nothing. When we read about Jesus in the Bible and listen to His words, we are looking at God and listening to His words.

If it has been a while since you’ve read Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, read it slowly and carefully. Listen as if you were sitting with Jesus and He was talking directly to you. Consider if you think and live like He says we are to live. Why? Jesus is telling us how to live like children of our Heavenly Father.

Read, take to heart, the words of Jesus, the image of the invisible God.

Lord Jesus, IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD, quicken us to do more than read Your words. Imprint them on our hearts and minds so we live like children of Your Father.

Would you like to learn more about Jesus being the image of the invisible God? Watch this video clip where Debbie teaches about how Jesus said He and the Father are one. 

Have you ever been with a person whose convictions changed with the culture? Perhaps they started their Christian walk by believing in Jesus and who He said He was, Lord and Savior. But along the way and through the years they drifted. Christ’s teachings weren’t fresh in their minds. Social friends influenced their thinking. Instead of Jesus being Lord, He became one of many teachers who pointed the way to heaven. Instead of the Bible being the authoritative word of God, it became an outdated book filled with symbolism and not relevant to today’s culture.

The truth is, God, not the culture, is reliable. The Bible is the revelation of His character, which is unchanging as Hebrews 13:8 clearly affirms. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

What difference does it make for you that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever?

It means that what the Lord called holy yesterday is holy today and will be holy tomorrow. What He called sin yesterday is sin today and is sin tomorrow. And most important, the grace God extended yesterday is the grace He extends today and extends tomorrow.

It means that when cultural debates about moral issues arise, we don’t have to be confused or compromise. We speak the truth in love and stand on the solid foundation of the Word of God, Jesus, and the Bible. We follow and serve an unchanging, immutable God.

Lord Jesus, we praise You, IMMUTABLE, unchanging Lord God!

Our mission at Hill Country Ministries is to spread the Word and love of Jesus. We want others to know Christ and receive the gift of eternal life. Help us by sharing 365 Days of Praise using the social media icons, below, or by forwarding to a friend through email. You can also help by subscribing to Debbie’s podcast and YouTube channel. Having more subscribers allows us to reach more listeners and viewers.

King David was deceived. He thought his sin of adultery and murder was hidden; no one would find out about it. But sin isn’t a kind bedfellow. Psalm 32:3-4 records how it affected David. “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night, Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.” Notice that David said, “Your hand.” He knew God knew and God’s hand was heavy on him.

But what happened when David acknowledged his sin and confessed it to the Lord? We find the answer in Psalm 32:5. “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord; and You forgave the guilt of my sin.’”

What advice does David give us in Psalm 32:6? “Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found.” David discovered that instead of attempting to hide his sin and himself from God, it was better to make God His hiding place. “You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance,” Psalm 32:7.

There may be times when we, like David, think we can hide our sin from God. But the truth is, we can’t. He sees us and even knows our thoughts. Yet even while we are in our sin, He invites us to a place of forgiveness – Himself. Today we can choose to stop trying to hide our sin. We can turn to God and humbly repent of our sin and confess, “You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble.” We can experience “songs of deliverance.”

Lord, how sweet to know You as our HIDING PLACE who preserves us from trouble and surrounds us with songs of deliverance. Thank You. We praise You.

Repentance is the way to come clean with God and enter into His forgiveness. To learn more about repentance, watch Debbie’s teaching on it HERE.

“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. 

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.”

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.

Would you like to grow in your faith? Discover the many resources on our website that can help you. In addition to our books and Bible studies, we offer several free resources, including podcasts, video teachings, listening guides, and more!

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. 

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.