Laugh in the face of a fool today!

Dear Friends-

Today's Word is so good, I'm going to limit my commentary.

Use the enemy as a footstool today. Fools are harmless to the children of God. Laugh in the face of wickedness and praise God for the glory.

Have a blessed and victorious day,

K.

Psalm 37 1-22

A David Psalm

^{1 -2} Don't bother your head with braggarts or wish you could succeed like the wicked.
In no time they'll shrivel like grass clippings
and wilt like cut flowers in the sun.

^{3 -4} Get insurance with God and do a good deed,
settle down and stick to your last.
Keep company with God,
get in on the best.

^{5 -6} Open up before God, keep nothing back;
he'll do whatever needs to be done:
He'll validate your life in the clear light of day
and stamp you with approval at high noon.

⁷ Quiet down before God,
be prayerful before him.
Don't bother with those who climb the ladder,
who elbow their way to the top.

^{8 -9} Bridle your anger, trash your wrath,
cool your pipes—it only makes things worse.
Before long the crooks will be bankrupt;
God-investors will soon own the store.

^{10 -11} Before you know it, the wicked will have had it;
you'll stare at his once famous place and—nothing!
Down-to-earth people will move in and take over,
relishing a huge bonanza.

^{12 -13} Bad guys have it in for the good guys,
obsessed with doing them in.
But God isn't losing any sleep; to him
they're a joke with no punch line.

^{14 -15} Bullies brandish their swords,
pull back on their bows with a flourish.
They're out to beat up on the harmless,
or mug that nice man out walking his dog.
A banana peel lands them flat on their faces—
slapstick figures in a moral circus.

^{16 -17} Less is more and more is less.
One righteous will outclass fifty wicked,
For the wicked are moral weaklings
but the righteous are God-strong.

^{18 -19} God keeps track of the decent folk;
what they do won't soon be forgotten.
In hard times, they'll hold their heads high;
when the shelves are bare, they'll be full.

²⁰ God-despisers have had it;
God's enemies are finished—
Stripped bare like vineyards at harvest time,
vanished like smoke in thin air.

^{21 -22} Wicked borrows and never returns;
Righteous gives and gives.
Generous gets it all in the end;
Stingy is cut off at the pass.

Your dreams aren't dead!

Dear friends-

Just when you think dreams are dead, the Lord has a plan of victory. He can breathe life back into those dreams and desires.

 

When everyone tells you you're a fool, hold onto that marriage (or, if appropriate, walk away).  Keep striving to break into that new career or start that new business.  No matter how tight your finances or schedule looks, you can go back to school.  Simply rely on the Lord's promises not today's circumstances.

 

If the Lord can raise Lazarus from the dead, surely a new job isn't that hard for Him.  Pray+ faith based action= success.

 

Stay blessed friends!

K.

 

 

Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead - Bible Story Summary

Scripture Reference:

John 11:1-45

Story Summary:

Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha, were friends of Jesus. When Lazarus fell ill, his sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." When Jesus heard the news, he waited two more days before going to Lazarus' hometown of Bethany. Jesus knew that he would do a great miracle for God's glory and, therefore, he was not in a hurry.

When Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had already been dead and in the tomb for four days. When Martha discovered that Jesus was on his way, she went out to meet him. "Lord," she said, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

Jesus told Martha, "Your brother will rise again." But Martha thought he was talking about the final resurrection of the dead.

Then Jesus said these important words: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

Martha then went and told Mary that Jesus wanted to see her. Jesus had not yet entered the village, most likely to avoid stirring up the crowd and calling attention to himself. The town of Bethany was not far from Jerusalem where the Jewish leaders were plotting against Jesus.

When Mary met Jesus she was grieving with strong emotion over her brother's death. The Jews with her were also weeping and mourning. Deeply moved by their grief, Jesus wept with them.

Jesus then went to the tomb of Lazarus with Mary, Martha and the rest of the mourners. There he asked them to remove the stone that covered the hillside burial place. Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed to his Father, closing with these words: "Lazarus, come out!" When Lazarus came out of the tomb, Jesus told the people to remove his grave clothes.

As a result of this incredible miracle, many people put their faith in Jesus.

Points of Interest from the Story:

• Jesus also raised from dead, Jairus' daughter (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:41-42; Luke 8:52-56) and a widow's son (Luke 7:11-15).

Others who were raised from the dead in the Bible: 
In 1 Kings 17:22 Elijah raised a boy from the dead. 
In 2 Kings 4:34-35 Elisha raised a boy from the dead. 
In 2 Kings 13:20-21 Elisha's bones raised a man from the dead. 
In Acts 9:40-41 Peter raised a woman from the dead. 
In Acts 20:9-20 Paul raised a man from the dead.

• Through the raising of Lazarus, Jesus showed the disciples, and the world, that he had power over death. Many believed that Jesus was the Son of God and they put their faith in him after seeing this miracle. It is absolutely essential to our faith as Christians that we believe in the resurrection from the dead.

• In this story of Lazarus, Jesus speaks one of the most powerful messages ever: "Whoever believes in me, Jesus Christ, receives spiritual life that even physical death can never take away."

• Jesus revealed his compassion for people through a genuine display of emotion. Even though he knew that Lazarus would live, he was still moved to weep with the ones he loved. Jesus cared about their sorrow. He was not timid to show emotion and we should not be ashamed to express our true feelings to God. Like Martha and Mary, we can be transparent with God because he cares for us.

• Jesus waited to travel to Bethany because he knew already that Lazarus would be dead and that he would perform an amazing miracle there, for the glory of God. Many times we wait for the Lord in the midst of a terrible situation and wonder why he doesn't respond more quickly. Often God allows our situation to go from bad to worse because he's planning to do something powerful and wonderful; he has a purpose that will bring even greater glory to God.

Questions for Reflection:

Are you in a difficult trial? Do you feel like God is delaying much too long to answer your need? Do you trust God even in the delay? Remember the story of Lazarus. Your situation could not be any worse than his! Trust that God must have a purpose for your trial, and that he will bring glory to himself through it.

There's only one thing you need to do today...

Dear Friends-
The only message I want to share is that the Lord is still in the miracle making business- HALLELUJAH! Cast your cares without complaining but follow them up with praise.

Praise the Lord and always remember..."when the praises go up, the blessings come down". No matter how you feel, find a way to praise God. You may be going through difficulty but there's always domething to be thankful for.

Stay blessed and keep blessing the Lord!
K.

Psalm 34
1 I bless God every chance I get; my lungs expand with his praise. 2 I live and breathe God; if things aren't going well, hear this and be happy: 3 Join me in spreading the news; together let's get the word out. 4 God met me more than halfway, he freed me from my anxious fears. 5 Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him. 6 When I was desperate, I called out, and God got me out of a tight spot. 7 God's angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray. 8 Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him. 9 Worship God if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness. 10 Young lions on the prowl get hungry, but God-seekers are full of God. 11 Come, children, listen closely; I'll give you a lesson in God worship. 12 Who out there has a lust for life? Can't wait each day to come upon beauty? 13 Guard your tongue from profanity, and no more lying through your teeth. 14 Turn your back on sin; do something good. Embrace peace—don't let it get away! 15 God keeps an eye on his friends, his ears pick up every moan and groan. 16 God won't put up with rebels; he'll cull them from the pack. 17 Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you. 18 If your heart is broken, you'll find God right there; if you're kicked in the gut, he'll help you catch your breath. 19 Disciples so often get into trouble; still, God is there every time. 20 He's your bodyguard, shielding every bone; not even a finger gets broken. 21 The wicked commit slow suicide; they waste their lives hating the good. 22 God pays for each slave's freedom; no one who runs to him loses out.

A double message today- Peace and victory in the midst of despair.

Dear Friends-
Today's message was inspired by the news of a dear friend who suffered a devastating loss yesterday. For those of us who are in the season of loss, be reminded that the Lord's promise of victory still remains. I pray for your comfort and your peace during these difficult times. If you're not sure where to go or what to do to find peace, start with prayer and grab your bible.
The Word is filled with assurance that, with faith, you will overcome your circumstances.

In the meantime, remain blessed and encouraged.
K.

Phillipians 4
6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.


A Word from Joel Osteen
Victory Through Him
"Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37 AMP).

No matter what challenges you may be facing today—at work, home, in your health or in your relationships, God promises that even in the middle of "all these things", you can have victory. How? Victory starts in your heart and mind. Victory starts with peace that passes understanding. That means that you can have peace when it doesn't make sense to have peace. When the rest of the world is full of anxiety and worry, you can live in peace.
Victory "amid all these things" also means that you can have joy deep down in your soul. You can have so much joy that you can't even explain why you have it! It's supernatural. It's joy unspeakable and full of His glory and power. When you begin to dwell on God's promise of victory, something will change on the inside of you.

You may have felt like you were losing ground five minutes ago, but right now you can take hold of the victory He's promised. Open your heart to Him and receive the joy and peace He longs to give you. Remember, the joy of the Lord is your strength, and as you embrace His joy, you'll be empowered to rise above your challenges so you can move forward into the victory He has for you!
Prayer
Father in heaven, thank You for Your promise of victory! Thank You for Your peace during the storms of life. Fill me with Your joy and strength as I put my trust in You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Focus on loving God!

Dear Friends-
Today's word is a word of encouragement. No matter how difficult the winter, spring represents new beginnings and new hope. Let the sun refresh you and the Word of God renew your energy. Shake off all of the "stuff" that's going on and get refocused on new goals. Don't waste time trying to salvage the old; reshift your focus on loving God and accepting the new plans He has for your lives.

Have a great weekend!
K.

Psalm 33

1 -3 Good people, cheer God! Right-living people sound best when praising. Use guitars to reinforce your Hallelujahs! Play his praise on a grand piano! Invent your own new song to him; give him a trumpet fanfare. 4 -5 For God's Word is solid to the core; everything he makes is sound inside and out. He loves it when everything fits, when his world is in plumb-line true. Earth is drenched in God's affectionate satisfaction. 6 -7 The skies were made by God's command; he breathed the word and the stars popped out. He scooped Sea into his jug, put Ocean in his keg. 8 -9 Earth-creatures, bow before God; world-dwellers—down on your knees! Here's why: he spoke and there it was, in place the moment he said so. 10 -12 God takes the wind out of Babel pretense, he shoots down the world's power-schemes. God's plan for the world stands up, all his designs are made to last. Blessed is the country with God for God; blessed are the people he's put in his will. 13 -15 From high in the skies God looks around, he sees all Adam's brood. From where he sits he overlooks all us earth-dwellers. He has shaped each person in turn; now he watches everything we do. 16 -17 No king succeeds with a big army alone, no warrior wins by brute strength. Horsepower is not the answer; no one gets by on muscle alone.
18 -19 Watch this: God's eye is on those who respect him, the ones who are looking for his love. He's ready to come to their rescue in bad times; in lean times he keeps body and soul together. 20 -22 We're depending on God; he's everything we need. What's more, our hearts brim with joy since we've taken for our own his holy name. Love us, God, with all you've got— that's what we're depending on.

The Blessing of a Break

Dear Friends-
I was so blessed by Joel Osteen' s message today that I decided to share it with you. I pray that each of you will cast your cares on the Lord and that your burdens will lighten. Pastor Osteen calls this "The Anointing of Ease", I call it "the Blessing of a Break". It's time we all had one!

Stay Blessed,
K.

The Anointing of Ease
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE
“For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light”(Matthew 11:30 NLT).

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and VictoriaWe all go through seasons that are more difficult than others; seasons where we're working hard but not making much progress. Maybe in a relationship you're doing your best, but it still seems stagnate. Sometimes, there are seasons in our finances where it's one struggle after another. If we're not careful, we'll lose our enthusiasm and think, "This is just the way life is. Life is just hard."
Yes, there are seasons when we have to stand strong and do the right thing even though it's difficult; but don't make the mistake of settling there and thinking that's the way it's always going to be. Jesus said, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." There is something called the anointing of ease that can change everything! When you step into this anointing, the things that used to be difficult will suddenly become easy. Things you used to struggle with won't be a struggle anymore. God gives you a supernatural grace–a favor–that lightens the load and takes the pressure off. You part is to stay in faith, keep believing, and keep hoping. No matter how difficult things may seem, stand strong because His anointing of ease will carry you through! A

PRAYER FOR TODAY Father in heaven, thank You for the anointing of ease. Today, I cast my cares on You knowing that You care for me. I ask for Your supernatural anointing to remove every burden and destroy every yoke of bondage in my life. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

What is the heavenly reward for faith? An assignment

Hello Dear Friends!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Holy Week and a blessed Resurrection Sunday with their families.
Today's message is based on my scripture reading for today. Hebrews 11 was interesteing for me because, like many, I have been focusing my faith on the earthly reward that I hoped to receive by being obedient. We're always told that if we simply have faith, our troubles will work out for the best- God's best.
Even though this is true, we're not always encouraged to think about the heavenly reward for faith. What does that even mean?

Read Hebrews 11 and think about what the means "heavenly reward" to you. Think about others and the times that you witnessed them receiving an earthly reward. What do you believe their heavenly reward was? How can we use those examples to increase our own faith and obedience?

Think about it and feel free to share your thoughts with me.
In the meantime, have a blessed week.
K.

Hebrews 11
Faith in What We Don't See
1 -2The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.
3By faith, we see the world called into existence by God's word, what we see created by what we don't see.
4By an act of faith, Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. It was what he believed, not what he brought, that made the difference. That's what God noticed and approved as righteous. After all these centuries, that belief continues to catch our notice.
5 -6By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. "They looked all over and couldn't find him because God had taken him." We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken "he pleased God." It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.
7By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn't see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God.
8 -10By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God's call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God.
11 -12By faith, barren Sarah was able to become pregnant, old woman as she was at the time, because she believed the One who made a promise would do what he said. That's how it happened that from one man's dead and shriveled loins there are now people numbering into the millions.
13 -16Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. But they were after a far better country than that—heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them.
17 -19By faith, Abraham, at the time of testing, offered Isaac back to God. Acting in faith, he was as ready to return the promised son, his only son, as he had been to receive him—and this after he had already been told, "Your descendants shall come from Isaac." Abraham figured that if God wanted to, he could raise the dead. In a sense, that's what happened when he received Isaac back, alive from off the altar.
20By an act of faith, Isaac reached into the future as he blessed Jacob and Esau.
21By an act of faith, Jacob on his deathbed blessed each of Joseph's sons in turn, blessing them with God's blessing, not his own—as he bowed worshipfully upon his staff.
22By an act of faith, Joseph, while dying, prophesied the exodus of Israel, and made arrangements for his own burial.
23By an act of faith, Moses' parents hid him away for three months after his birth. They saw the child's beauty, and they braved the king's decree.
24 -28By faith, Moses, when grown, refused the privileges of the Egyptian royal house. He chose a hard life with God's people rather than an opportunistic soft life of sin with the oppressors. He valued suffering in the Messiah's camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff. By an act of faith, he turned his heel on Egypt, indifferent to the king's blind rage. He had his eye on the One no eye can see, and kept right on going. By an act of faith, he kept the Passover Feast and sprinkled Passover blood on each house so that the destroyer of the firstborn wouldn't touch them.
29By an act of faith, Israel walked through the Red Sea on dry ground. The Egyptians tried it and drowned.
30By faith, the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho for seven days, and the walls fell flat.
31By an act of faith, Rahab, the Jericho harlot, welcomed the spies and escaped the destruction that came on those who refused to trust God.
32 -38I could go on and on, but I've run out of time. There are so many more— Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets....Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. They were protected from lions, fires, and sword thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. Women received their loved ones back from the dead. There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring something better: resurrection. Others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless—the world didn't deserve them!—making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world.
39 -40Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours.

The New Covenant symbolizes new hope!

Dear Friends-
I wish you the hope, peace, and joy that faith provides. Today is a reminder that in Christ all things are possible.

Have a blessed and wonderful Easter,
K.

Hebrew 8
7 If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. 8 But when God found fault with the people, he said:
“The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 9 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I turned my back on them, says the Lord. 10 But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,[c] says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives,[d] saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already. 12 And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”[e]
13 When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.

Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All

1 The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. 2 If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.
3 But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. 4 For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 That is why, when Christ[a] came into the world, he said to God,
“You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. 6 You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. 7 Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God— as is written about me in the Scriptures.’”[b]
8 First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). 9 Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. 10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
11 Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 13 There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. 14 For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says,
16 “This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day,[c] says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”[d]
17 Then he says,
“I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.”[e]
18 And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.

A Call to Persevere
19 And so, dear brothers and sisters,[f] we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death,[g] Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
26 Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. 27 There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. 28 For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. 30 For we know the one who said,
“I will take revenge. I will pay them back.”[h]
He also said,
“The Lord will judge his own people.”[i]
31 It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32 Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ.[j] Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. 34 You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.
35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.
37 “For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. 38 And my righteous ones will live by faith.[k] But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”[l]
39 But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.

What's the point of being a Christian?

Dear Friends-
Today's message is lengthy but it is important.
Today's Word is parallel to the story of Easter. It is the entire point of being a Christian.

If we don't have faith in God's promises, we will never have "rest". If we constantly work and worry because we do not trust, what's the point of being a Christian?Decide today what you will do. If you know that God created all and controls all, what more do you believe you can do?

Decide today to grow up and become a more mature Christian. Let's accept the fact that we will suffer and be disappointed at times; let's also accept that life won't always be easy. Once we understand that Christianity won't help us escape hardship, maybe we can view it differently.
What's the point of being a Christian? Delve into the Word and see. But please, move forward today and understand what it's not.

Stay blessed!
K.

Hebrews 4
When the Promises Are Mixed with Faith
1 -3For as long, then, as that promise of resting in him pulls us on to God's goal for us, we need to be careful that we're not disqualified. We received the same promises as those people in the wilderness, but the promises didn't do them a bit of good because they didn't receive the promises with faith. If we believe, though, we'll experience that state of resting. But not if we don't have faith. Remember that God said, Exasperated, I vowed, "They'll never get where they're going, never be able to sit down and rest."
3 -7God made that vow, even though he'd finished his part before the foundation of the world. Somewhere it's written, "God rested the seventh day, having completed his work," but in this other text he says, "They'll never be able to sit down and rest." So this promise has not yet been fulfilled. Those earlier ones never did get to the place of rest because they were disobedient. God keeps renewing the promise and setting the date as today, just as he did in David's psalm, centuries later than the original invitation: Today, please listen, don't turn a deaf ear . . .
8 -11And so this is still a live promise. It wasn't canceled at the time of Joshua; otherwise, God wouldn't keep renewing the appointment for "today." The promise of "arrival" and "rest" is still there for God's people. God himself is at rest. And at the end of the journey we'll surely rest with God. So let's keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest, not drop out through some sort of disobedience.
12 -13God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word. We can't get away from it—no matter what.
The High Priest Who Cried Out in Pain

14 -16Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.
Hebrews 51 -3Every high priest selected to represent men and women before God and offer sacrifices for their sins should be able to deal gently with their failings, since he knows what it's like from his own experience. But that also means that he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as the peoples'.
4 -6No one elects himself to this honored position. He's called to it by God, as Aaron was. Neither did Christ presume to set himself up as high priest, but was set apart by the One who said to him, "You're my Son; today I celebrate you!" In another place God declares, "You're a priest forever in the royal order of Melchizedek."
7 -10While he lived on earth, anticipating death, Jesus cried out in pain and wept in sorrow as he offered up priestly prayers to God. Because he honored God, God answered him. Though he was God's Son, he learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered, just as we do. Then, having arrived at the full stature of his maturity and having been announced by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who believingly obey him.
Re-Crucifying Jesus

11 -14I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you've picked up this bad habit of not listening. By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one—baby's milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago! Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God's ways; solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong.
Hebrews 61 -3So come on, let's leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on "salvation by self-help" and turning in trust toward God; baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. God helping us, we'll stay true to all that. But there's so much more. Let's get on with it!
4 -8Once people have seen the light, gotten a taste of heaven and been part of the work of the Holy Spirit, once they've personally experienced the sheer goodness of God's Word and the powers breaking in on us—if then they turn their backs on it, washing their hands of the whole thing, well, they can't start over as if nothing happened. That's impossible. Why, they've re-crucified Jesus! They've repudiated him in public! Parched ground that soaks up the rain and then produces an abundance of carrots and corn for its gardener gets God's "Well done!" But if it produces weeds and thistles, it's more likely to get cussed out. Fields like that are burned, not harvested.
9 -12I'm sure that won't happen to you, friends. I have better things in mind for you—salvation things! God doesn't miss anything. He knows perfectly well all the love you've shown him by helping needy Christians, and that you keep at it. And now I want each of you to extend that same intensity toward a full-bodied hope, and keep at it till the finish. Don't drag your feet. Be like those who stay the course with committed faith and then get everything promised to them.
God Gave His Word

13 -18When God made his promise to Abraham, he backed it to the hilt, putting his own reputation on the line. He said, "I promise that I'll bless you with everything I have—bless and bless and bless!" Abraham stuck it out and got everything that had been promised to him. When people make promises, they guarantee them by appeal to some authority above them so that if there is any question that they'll make good on the promise, the authority will back them up. When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee—God can't break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable.
18 -20We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek.

A slippery slope to disbelief...

Dear Friends-
Today's message is far more powerful and timly than anything I've read over the past few weeks. If you, or anyone you know, is going through difficulty, and their faith is fading, please share this Word with them.
During this time, our faith is most under attack. Pray for each other and pray for yourselves.

Persevere!
K.

Hebrews 3 (The Message Bible)
The Centerpiece of All We Believe
1 -6So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights, take a good hard look at Jesus. He's the centerpiece of everything we believe, faithful in everything God gave him to do. Moses was also faithful, but Jesus gets far more honor. A builder is more valuable than a building any day. Every house has a builder, but the Builder behind them all is God. Moses did a good job in God's house, but it was all servant work, getting things ready for what was to come. Christ as Son is in charge of the house.
6 -11Now, if we can only keep a firm grip on this bold confidence, we're the house! That's why the Holy Spirit says, Today, please listen; don't turn a deaf ear as in "the bitter uprising," that time of wilderness testing! Even though they watched me at work for forty years, your ancestors refused to let me do it my way; over and over they tried my patience. And I was provoked, oh, so provoked! I said, "They'll never keep their minds on God; they refuse to walk down my road." Exasperated, I vowed, "They'll never get where they're going, never be able to sit down and rest."
12 -14So watch your step, friends. Make sure there's no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God. For as long as it's still God's Today, keep each other on your toes so sin doesn't slow down your reflexes. If we can only keep our grip on the sure thing we started out with, we're in this with Christ for the long haul.
These words keep ringing in our ears: Today, please listen; don't turn a deaf ear as in the bitter uprising. 15 -19For who were the people who turned a deaf ear? Weren't they the very ones Moses led out of Egypt? And who was God provoked with for forty years? Wasn't it those who turned a deaf ear and ended up corpses in the wilderness? And when he swore that they'd never get where they were going, wasn't he talking to the ones who turned a deaf ear? They never got there because they never listened, never believed.

Grace in the everyday!

Hello Dear Friends-
I hope this email finds you all well.
I've been away at a conference for the last few days but I kept you all in my thoughts. As we enjoy Holy Week, I wanted to share a message about grace in the face of everyday struggles. Let's use this time to reconnect with God and receive His blessings through our obedience. It can be hard to connect when you feel "out of sorts" but it's during these times when we need Him most for a refreshed spirit.

Stay blessed Dear Friends!
K.

"AS MUCH AS IN YOU"
ROMANS 12:17, 18

17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. (Romans 12:17, 18)

If you are like most of us, it can be a hard thing not to respond to what is said and done to us. Many times, people, once they hear of your faith in Christ, or how you are trying to live right before God, will provoke and test you. Sometimes you will be successful in ignoring their taunts. But then there are those days in which we may be lacking in energy and are not as in tune with our spiritual side. It is then that we definitely need a boost of grace and God's Spirit.

When we fail to exhibit the qualities of our faith, and we have those moments of responding in a fleshly manner, don't be discouraged. Confess your faults before the Lord and press on. Our lives are in His hands and no one shall be able to separate us from His love. Let us tap into the power that lies within us that we can love as Christ loves us.

Prayer: Father, As we struggle with the pressures of everyday life, we ask for the grace and peace that we need to be overcomers through you. Forgive us of our shortcomings and failings and strengthen us to press on. In Jesus' name, amen.