Israel, A World of Firsts – Delores Topliff

Posted on September 14, 2023 by dtopliff

For me, my first trip to Israel was an amazing assortment of first-time discoveries. I kept finding myself in settings that were 3-D living reenactments of Bible scenes, from shepherds striding in front of their flocks of sheep, to camel herds galloping across deserts, to robed men trotting fast riding donkeys about half their size. We don’t need to visit Israel to have our faith refreshed and be made more real, but those scenes blessed me.

My favorite true sheep story is from W. Phillip Keller’s A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. He shares that if a young lead ram won’t follow the shepherd and consistently goes astray, the shepherd eventually breaks one of the young ram’s legs and then carries it across his own chest in a sling for six weeks until the leg heals. The ram senses the shepherd’s daily care and his every breath and heartbeat. When the leg heals, the shepherd puts the young ram down, and from that point on, wherever the shepherd goes, the youngster follows right at his heels and never strays again. That makes the animal a valuable and trustworthy lead ram.

Even if we endure painful discipline or drastic measures in our life training, every relationship outcome is worth it to keep us on track to best follow Him and win the prize. (See photo below of this summer’s Isanti, Minnesota County Fair.)

23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

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Fear of Death by James R. Coggins

Posted on September 13, 2023 by jrcoggins

Quite a number of years ago, I talked with my mother, who was then a senior citizen, about the reality of death. “Oh,” she said. “I’m not worried about that. I came to terms with death in 1948” (that is, about 40 years earlier). She did not elaborate, but that was about the time her mother died and the time her first child was born.

It is true that many people are “all their lives…held in slavery by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2:15). People often seek ways to “stay young.” They might avoid talking or thinking about certain subjects, avoid doing certain things, avoid living life to the full. In seeking to be free from the inescapable, inevitable reality of death, they live their whole lives in the bondage of the fear of death. Their fear saps their energy and immobilizes them. They spend their whole lives struggling under a heavy burden of fear. What a joy it would be for them to be free of that fear!

Fortunately, while death is inevitable, fear of death is not. My mother was living proof of that. We are all going to die. There is no question about that. Yet fear of death need not enslave us. Hebrews 2 says what my mother experienced—that Jesus can free us from the fear of death. How? First, He suffered death in solidarity with humanity and will be with us through death, whenever it comes. In the dark valley of death, we will not be alone. Second, because Jesus died and was resurrected (overcoming the evil one, who has the power of death: Hebrews 2:14), we can be assured that He will also resurrect those who put their trust in Him. Third, because He has been to heaven and knows what awaits us there, He can assure us that our ultimate future there will be very good, far better than here. Those who put their trust in Jesus can indeed be free, no longer enslaved by the fear of death.   

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Seeing God’s Design by Nancy J. Farrier

Posted on September 11, 2023 by Nancy J. Farrier
Photo by Matthijs van Heerikhuize on Unsplash

I have been fascinated lately with looking for God and the evidence of Him in my everyday life. It’s hard to imagine His handiwork in the millipede I saw on my walk but it is there. (Similar to the one pictured above.) I don’t want to be a person who misses God by taking everything for granted. I want Him to be at the forefront of my mind all the time. I want to have a heart pure enough to see God.

One of the things I’ve noticed lately is the symmetry in the world around us, something I’ve often missed or overlooked. 

For instance, a butterfly’s wings, or the veins on a leaf, a snowflake, a starfish, or even the halves of the human body. These all indicate God has a purpose in His design. The artistry of His creation is beyond anything man can make or even dream up—and we have some amazing artists.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9 (NKJV)

There are so many examples of God’s handiwork all around us, but we are often too distracted or busy to take the time to look. It’s not just in the spectacular such as sunrises and sunsets, but in the formation of rocks, the majesty of trees, the expanse of the heavens, and the grains of sand on a beach. 

“The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows His handiwork.” Psalm 19:1 (NKJV)

Being aware of nature and our world can show us God’s power and majesty. The heat of the sun, the intensity of a thunderstorm, or the force of a strong wind, can remind us of who God is, especially when we consider Him as creator of this world we live in. 

“It is [God] who made the earth by his power, 

who established the world by his wisdom, 

and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. 

When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, 

and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. 

He makes lightning for the rain, 

and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.” Jeremiah 10:12-13 (ESV)

Sometimes we have to look hard or in a different way to see the true beauty of God’s creation. Take the millipede I pictured above. It was about 6 to 7 inches long and about as big around as my pinky. Not a thing of beauty. Not much symmetry to be seen in that picture.

But when that millipede was touched, it curled up and this amazing symmetry came through. I had to stop and marvel at how God would take even a creature of such seeming insignificance and bestow beauty on it. (picture below)

I’d like to challenge each of us to consider the world around us this week. Take time to really look at God’s creation, especially the small things we normally overlook. Can you see Him? Can you see His artistry? 

If you’re really brave, you can even look in a mirror and see God’s handiwork displayed in the person looking back at you. 

Strive to be pure in heart. Look for God everywhere.

“Blessed are the pure in heart,

For they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8 (NKJV)

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And Even More Famous Coggins Quotations by James R. Coggins

Posted on September 6, 2023 by jrcoggins

After a writer is dead, some anonymous scholar often collects the best quotes from all of his written works, reducing his laboriously written tomes to a few sound bites. A while back, I decided to save this anonymous scholar some work and compile quotations from my writings myself. I soon realized that I had many very important things to say. Here is the third compilation of nuggets of my enduring wisdom.

“It is a cold and cheerless place with stone walls, iron bars, and steel doors, the beds are hard and uncomfortable, the meals are often cold and unpalatable, consumed in a tense atmosphere, and the place is full of the noise of metal grating on metal, clanging keys, inmates groaning, cussing, and shouting, guards shouting and ordering, and the PA system squawking announcements, but it is not all hopeless as there are health services, counseling programs, libraries, educational opportunities, chapels, chaplains, and worship services, as well as visits, not only by friends, family members, and lawyers, but also by well-meaning volunteers, many of them Christians there to befriend the prisoners, and so it is true that some inmates do see the light and eventually turn their lives around, while others only become hardened, more knowledgeable about crime, and more connected to the criminal underworld during their incarceration, all of which is a clear demonstration that some prison sentences are too long.”

“If there were no disasters in the world, we would have no use for adjectives such as ‘unmitigated.’”

“The free time you have after retirement is the time that people expect you to give them for free.”

“Jesus embraced lepers, but He did not reassure them that they were fine as they were and did not need to be healed of their leprosy.”

“It was a dark and stormy knight, a swarthy man from southern Italy with unruly jet black hair and piercing black eyes that revealed a fierce and unpredictable temper.”

“I don’t go to car races. If I want to watch cars driving too fast on a crowded road and smashing into each other, I can go to the nearest commuter highway. There I can watch it for free. I can even join in if I want.”

“Morning had broken, and shards of light were scattered across the floor.”

“A sports fan is a guy who skips work to watch a big game and then complains that the players on his favorite team are a bunch of lazy bums who never ‘give a hundred and ten percent.’”

“I never suspected that my desire for change could create a problem for someone else.”

“I have aged like a fine whine.”

“I have a face for radio and a voice for print.”

“The Christian church is not a massive beast of an organization, although some misguided Christians have attempted to make it so. It is not an elephant lumbering over the landscape. Such a beast would be too easy to stop by putting a single bullet through its brain. Rather, the Christian church is an army of ants, scurrying in different directions and connecting and reconnecting in numerous ways.”

“I was having trouble finding pajamas, so I bought a track suit to wear at night. I call it my ‘night sweats.’”

“When you are not in a hurry, all of the lights are green.”

“Do you remember when there were fast food restaurants which would serve food quickly at an affordable price?”

“The busy older man planted less parsley, sage, and rosemary in his garden because what he really needed was more thyme.”

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Do you have a secret place?

Posted on September 5, 2023 by Author Mary Alford

Several years back, the movie, War Room came out. The movie featured drug salesman Tony and his wife Elizabeth who is a real estate agent. Outwardly, they appeared successful, with a beautiful daughter. But behind the scenes, their marriage was troubled. Tony was obsessed with work, verbally abusive at home, and considering cheating on Elizabeth.

Elizabeth helps an elderly woman, Miss Clara, to sell her house. Miss Clara sees Elizabeth is troubled and suggests that Elizabeth fight for their marriage by praying for Tony. Miss Clara shows Elizabeth a special closet she has dedicated to praying, which she calls her “War Room”; as she puts it, “in order to stand up and fight the enemy, you need to get on your knees and pray.”

As Elizabeth begins to pray for Tony, slowly, over time, her relationship with him changes and they find their way back to each other. It was a great movie that I was reminded of again recently when I read a page in my devotional, Walking with God, by David Jeremiah.

The question asked in the devotional was do you have a secret place where you go and pray for those you love for the things that are troubling you, or simply give praise to God?

Having a secret place to go and pray comes from Matthew 6:5-6

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you”

 A secret place or room is where we go to meet with God and strengthen our relationship.

There is absolutely nothing more important than our relationship with God. He wants to have a close relationship with us no matter what is going on in our lives.

Staying close to God protects us from Satan’s attacks. It keeps us from being vulnerable from outside influences that can take our focus off God.

It’s where we pour out our heart to God.

A place where we can tell God everything that’s troubling us and wait for Him to answer.

It’s where we put on the whole armor of God.

We exchange our weak fleshly weapons for the whole armor of God that will prepare us for the battles that are ahead of us.  

Do you have a prayer room?

A secret place where you go and close out the world’s distractions, draw closer to God, and listen for His answers?

I confess I don’t have a secret place yet, but in reading Dr. Jeremiah’s devotional, I see the value in creating one and I plan on setting up one in my closet. It won’t be anything fancy, just a place to go and talk to God and know that He is there with me. Always.  

Many blessings dear friends!

Mary

http://www.maryalford.net   

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One Wrong Turn by Julie Arduini

Posted on September 1, 2023 by juliearduini

Earlier this week I had a day full of local driving. The area is under construction and this part of town isn’t one I drive often.

Our daughter was at a campus apartment for a ministry meeting and when she finished, I was wrapping up my church event. I told my husband it would be no trouble for me to pick her up.

Well, I thought it would be no trouble!

Due to construction, the lot I use to meet her was closed. She texted several streets to take and I’d be at an alternate lot entrance. Sounds easy but I need a street address/number to plug in my GPS or I’m lost. Add night driving and I rely on my CarPlay map to read the street signs better than the actual ones.

My daughter could not come up with an actual address.

I took a wrong turn and suddenly the vibrant campus part of the city turned into a road with a great history, but also, one in a part of town where violence is known and strangers are not welcome with open arms. To get out of it, I chose a turn that ended up being a dead end where I had to back down. There were people watching me, and I could tell they weren’t sure what I was up to any more than I knew what they were doing.

It took finding a central location with a street address I could plug in to make getting my daughter a success. Once home I got thinking about the extra excursion I didn’t plan on. One wrong turn and things changed, quickly. Although I wasn’t in danger, it’s an area that can be trouble, especially at night.

Isn’t that like life and our choices? How many obituaries have you read where the class valedictorian overdosed? How about the solid married couple where isolation creeps in, an affair starts, and the couple is divorcing?

—Julie Arduini

My husband is very kind when he tells me he doesn’t worry about me because “you’re such a strong woman of faith.” Thing is, I never want to ride on that label. I’m tempted like anyone else. I could veer off the straight path and find trouble fast. I’ve watched it, and those wrong turns affect everyone. And that sweet whisper that says how amazing that choice would be never shares the dire consequences.

Just like finding my daughter, I want to stay plugged in (the Bible) and stay in that central location (the will of God) for success. Even in the construction mess and night I was able to locate her with ease.

If you’ve made choices that have you in a bad place, you can get out of there. Go to God. I promise His arms are open and He’s ready and willing to forgive and make your path straight. You need to make the turn.

I hope you do!

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WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW THE WAY

Posted on August 31, 2023 by Patricia Bradley

Jaffa, Israel

It was our first full day in Israel, and Delores Topliff and I had driven from Jaffa to Tel Aviv to pick up another rental car. That way we would have four people in each car as we toured Israel.

For some reason I had picked up a touch of laryngitis on the flight from the US to Israel. When we left the hostel my voice was raspy, but I could talk. By the time we picked up the car, I was down to a squeak. Which shouldn’t be a problem since we had GPS to direct us back to the hostel.

Except somehow our GPS had gotten stuck in Hebrew. Not only was the map in Hebrew, the voice was as well. The only thing we had that I recognized at all were the arrows pointing which way to turn. We had no idea where we were going…and I because I had no voice, I couldn’t tell Delores, who was driving, which way the arrows showed to turn.

So…I held the phone up and showed her the map in heavy traffic…just as a police cruiser pulled beside us. Even after Delores tried to explain why she was looking at the phone, the officer still dressed us down, asking if we “texted back home in England?” (evidently he thought we were from England). She replied no, and that we wouldn’t do it again.

Thankfully he didn’t haul us to the local police station and instead let us off with a warning, and with prayer, we actually did make it back without getting lost again or a getting a ticket.

Looking back, this reminds me of Thomas in John 14. Here’s how the Message (MSG) puts it: Don’t let this rattle you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I’m taking.”

 Thomas tells him, “Master, we have no idea where you’re going. How do you expect us to know the road?”

This was Jesus’ answer: “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!”

As long as we’re connected to the Son, we’ll never be lost.

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Jesus and Angels by James R. Coggins

Posted on August 30, 2023 by jrcoggins
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Hebrews 1:1-2:4 is another Bible passage where our preconceived ideas have limited our understanding. Hebrews 1 starts by saying, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (verses 1-2). What the writer of Hebrews was saying is that God’s revelation in Jesus is greater than God’s revelation through the Old Testament prophets, that the New Testament is a fuller revelation than the Old Testament, that Jesus is superior to Moses and the other prophets. This is essentially the message of the entire book of Hebrews.

Then, in Hebrews 1:4-14, the writer used quotations from the Old Testament to demonstrate that Jesus is “much superior to the angels” (Hebrews 1:4). This is obviously true, but why the change in topic? Was worship of angels a big problem in the first century? Not really. The people then may have had less interest in angelic beings than many modern people do.

The answer is that there is not necessarily a change in topic at all. To understand Hebrews 1, we must understand what the Bible means by “angels.” If we think of cherubs with fluffy wings, we miss the point. There are descriptions of winged creatures surrounding God’s throne in the Bible (and the ark of the covenant in the inner temple), but they are called cherubim (keruwb) and seraphim (saraph). The word for “angel” in the Bible is malak in Hebrew and aggelos in Greek. Both words mean “messenger.” These messengers are both human and heavenly beings, the latter often having human form—God spoke“at many times and in various ways” (Hebrews 1:1)—but the point is that they are simply messengers of God, not God Himself. The writer of Hebrews was telling his readers that God spoke in the past through Moses and David and the prophets, and those were true and important messages. However, the writer went on to point to various Old Testament verses that refer to God’s Son, who rules in heaven with God. The writer was telling his Jewish readers that Jesus was not just another prophet in the long line of prophets. Jesus is, in fact, God. God’s Old Testament messengers (Moses, the prophets, heavenly beings) gave the Law and the prophecies (the Old Testament)—and they were “binding” (Hebrews 2:2)—but in the New Testament God is speaking directly to human beings through Jesus.

The natural meaning of Hebrews, then, is that the revelation of Jesus is superior to the revelation delivered by the former messengers, both the Old Testament prophets and heavenly beings. The former message was delivered through an intermediary, but the New Testament message was delivered by God Himself, by Jesus. Furthermore, the “messengers,” both human and heavenly, were just servants. Jesus is God, who created the universe (Hebrews 1:2,10), who brought salvation to humanity (Hebrews 1:3, 2:3), and who now rules in heaven at God’s right hand (Hebrews 1:2-3).

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God’s Angels, Part III by Peggy Webb

Posted on August 29, 2023 by Vicki Hinze

Every Sunday, I come home from church blessed and filled with joy by the little angels I teach, God’s children. Hank and Nat are two of my youngest, both adorable, enthusiastic, music-loving children. Hank has an impish grin and an equally impish sense of humor. Precocious Nat has dimples and loves nothing better than donning bumblebee wings and flying off on the antique horse Pete to wherever her big imagination takes her.

Every opportunity he gets, Hank dashes to the toy chest to grab a small plastic guitar and sing his version of his favorite songs. Deep and Wide used to come out “Dee and wi” but has now progressed to recognizable snatches of the actual song. He listens intently to all music, including the songs performed by the choir. His favorite choral song is Step into the Water.His grandmother tells the story of how he jumped into a mud puddle she had told him was off limits—and got by with it because he grinned at her and sang, “Step into the water!” Nobody can resist his smile and his unbounded enthusiasm!

Natalie loves wearing sparkly shoes and fancy dresses, and if you ask her to lead the children in a song, she marches to the corner of the room and belts out one of the many songs in her repertoire. This little songbird superstar-in-the-making does not remain still, either. She’s into the song, moving her tiny feet and pointing her forefingers to her dimples when she sings, “If you’re happy and you know it, then your smile will surely show it…” She mesmerizes all of us, particularly Hank who inches ever closer to her, fascinated and smiling. 

Both Hank and Nat, as young as they are, sit obediently in their little chairs, listening to stories from the Children’s Bible. They particularly love it when I do voices. A big, thundery one for Goliath. Deep, growly ones for the Bible’s other villains. Nat usually sits patiently through the entire story because she’s eager to get to the craft part of the class where she gets to use colors, glue, and as many stick-on glittery pieces as she can get her tiny hands on.

Hank sometimes has busy-boy things on his mind, particularly the front of the Children’s Bible which pictures animals going two-by-two into the ark. Long before he could talk, he loved to climb into my lap or lean against my knee, take my one of my fingers in his little hand and point it to an animal. I would pause in the Bible story, turn to him and say, “Lion. Grrr,” then go on with the story. There were usually several more pauses where I had to name the other animals and make up sounds for them. No matter what I did, he was delighted and rewarded me with the sweetest little smile this side of Heaven.

My co-teacher Donna and I consider our class a success if we can teach the children that Jesus loves them and that they love Him, too.  “Who loves Jesus?” I’ll ask them, and they all raise their hands and shout, “Me! Me!” Donna and I do this often so that thinking of God becomes second nature to them. 

We’re doing a study of Moses now, and I always start the lesson by saying, “Who are we studying?” Sometimes one of my six-year-olds will answer “Moses.” But I will hear all these other little angels shouting, “Jesus!” or “God!” 

My answer to all of them is, “You are right! The answer is always God. He is always there. Everywhere. All the time.”  

God is good.

Peggy Webb

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Keeping My Eyes on God by Tara Randel

Posted on August 28, 2023 by tararandel

Today’s post is going to be short and sweet. Somewhere in my daily travels I was exposed to Covid, which I am just getting over. In the early days, I laid on the couch and watched a lot of television. Let me say, the news did not do much to make me feel better. And about a week in, my television just stopped working. Out of the blue. Weird?

Maybe not.

This morning, I was reading Psalms. There are certain passages I’ve highlighted over the years and as I reread them, it made me realize that while news goes on around me, I don’t need to be negatively affected by local or world events. God’s Word reminds me why my eyes and spirit should be focused on Him. Being away from the daily hubbub has been a good way to reset, spend time with God, and renew my hope for the future.

I hope these scriptures encourage you today.

I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. Psalm 16:11

Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, for my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 25:4-5

The Lord is my strength and shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28:7

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  Psalm 46:10

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress. My God, in whom I trust.”  Psalm 91:1-2

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.  Psalm 105:4

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.  Psalm 145:18

I find strength in God’s Word. While I might not be physically strong right now, I can take comfort knowing that my God is always there for me. Just like He is for you.

Tara Randel is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author. Family values, a bit of mystery and of course, love and romance, are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Look for a list of her Harlequin Heartwarming romance novels on her website at www.tararandel.com. Like her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TaraRandelBooks. Sign up for Tara’s Newsletter.

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Cougar Attack by James R. Coggins

Posted on August 23, 2023 by jrcoggins

What you see in the accompanying photo is clear evidence of a cougar attack. It was painful, and the outcome could have been far worse.

Of course, as we all know, clear evidence can be misleading.

The reality is something more mundane. But a large feline was involved.

I was upstairs, and my wife called me down to the kitchen to help her with some household task. Probably to use my superhuman strength to twist the lid off a jar. Like a good husband, I rushed to her aid. Unknown to me, our cat followed me down the stairs. Just as I reached the bottom, the cat scooted between my feet and turned to rub against my leg. I stumbled, instinctively threw up my hands, and drove my forearm into the corner of the kitchen doorway. It bounced off as I continued forward and hit two more times before I regained my balance.

It was painful, and the outcome could have been far worse. I could have fallen forward, smashed my head into the corner of the doorway, and crushed my skull. Not a very glorious way to shuffle off this mortal coil.

You have to admit heroically fighting off a cougar attack makes a better story. After all, among other things, I am a novelist, and I write fiction. Or, as novelist W.O. Mitchell often said, his job was to tell lies.

On the other hand, it might be easier for readers to identify with the actual story. A lot of them have cats, and it is likely that some of them are as klutzy as I am. Not many of them have had to fight off a cougar attack.

I guess it all depends on how well you tell the story.

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Finding Contentment!

Posted on August 22, 2023 by Author Mary Alford

Are you content? I heard this question posed in conversation the other day and it got me to thinking. What does it mean to be content?

Contentment isn’t being happy. It doesn’t come from buying a new car, or house, or getting a promotion at work. It’s usually described as being satisfied in all circumstances in life, regardless of what’s happening. It’s not about having everything you want, and perhaps it may not be about having everything you need. But it is about knowing that God will walk with you always, no matter what the circumstances might be.

Philippians 4:11-13 says, Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

We all know it’s easy to be content when things are going smoothly and there are no big decisions on the horizon, but how hard is it to say, “I’m content” when it feels as if everything is falling apart? When it appears God is silent, when we pray. When the decisions we face can affect those we love, whether it be a new job, a move, or a health issue.

In All Things Be Grateful. . .

Keep close to God through everything. It’s okay to pour out what you’re feeling to God.   

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6–7

Keep Your Focus on Jesus. . .

No matter how deep the waters of fear and discontentment get, don’t take your focus off Jesus.

John 16:33 says, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on Earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Shut Out The Fear And The Voices Around You And Listen. . .

It’s okay to seek advice from those around us who we trust, but the ultimate authority on what is best for us is God. Listen for His answer.

Psalm 5:3 says, In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.   

We all go through those moments when our life feels as if it’s completely unraveling, and it’s hard to find contentment. In those moments, I try to look back on my life and see all the times past where I felt this way and I see how God worked a way out perfectly, even when I didn’t see a way.  

Being content when things aren’t going well isn’t easy, but if we wait and pray and listen for God to respond, at just the right time, He will.

Many blessings dear friends!

Mary

http://www.maryalford.net   

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Life Changing Choices by Nancy J. Farrier

Posted on August 21, 2023 by Nancy J. Farrier

Many years ago, before I became a Christian, I went through a very difficult time. My husband died in a car accident, and I was trying to navigate life with a toddler and on my own. 

I had been seeing a counselor for a short time and after our final session, as I was leaving the building, I stopped at the head of some stairs and looked down the hallway to an open room. There were people gathered there. They were doing some sort of meditation, not a service of prayer, but someone leading them, directing their thoughts.

They looked so peaceful, something I’d been struggling with. As I stood there, watching, I had the strangest feeling I was at the cusp of a change in my life. In that moment, I knew I had two clear choices. I could go to that room to see about joining in, or I could walk down the stairs and leave the building to go back to the life I was living.

It wasn’t an easy choice. Although I was learning to cope, I was lonely and still hurting. And those people looked so content.

Yet, deep inside, I somehow knew I should not go down that hallway to that room. In that moment of time, there were two forces warring within me and I didn’t understand why.

The book of Job gives us a clear picture of how much Satan wants to disrupt our lives and turn us away from God. 

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?”

So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” Job 1:6-7

You probably know the story of how God allows Satan to afflict Job, who is a blameless and upright man. Thus begins a trial for Job with God and Satan each wanting his surrender. Through everything, Job stayed true to God, saying, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Job 13:15a

There are many times in life when we are tested, maybe not with the severity of Job’s testing, but any trial seems harsh. It is important that we carefully consider the choices we’re faced with and choose wisely. It isn’t always easy.

That day, as I stood at the top of that stairway, I knew the choice I made would determine how the rest of my life played out. I can’t explain it, but that feeling was very strong. I turned my back on that classroom, walked down the stairs and never regretted that choice.

What I didn’t realize that was that God and Satan were fighting for me, each wanting me to choose them. After leaving, I spent the next few months struggling with decisions and how to live my life, finally coming to the point where I surrendered my life to Christ.

That was the best choice I have ever made.

How about you? Have you chosen Christ? Is Satan trying to influence you to choose Him? Consider these words from Deuteronomy and choose life:

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them,I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live…”Deuteronomy 30:15-19

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The Real Apple by Julie Arduini

Posted on August 18, 2023 by juliearduini

I’ve blogged here long enough that it wouldn’t surprise me if I’ve tackled this subject before. It came up again recently, and it certainly isn’t a theme I’ve mastered. I thought I’d share in case it encourages you.

Not long ago I was talking to a woman who has an adult child who is traveling. The adult child isn’t fresh out of college, or even in the stage of raising kids. The adult child is an empty nester and a grandmother. The woman I was talking to asked for traveling prayers, which of course I obliged.

We both then discussed how easy it is to worry, no matter how old our kids are. This month our youngest turns 20, and the oldest turns 40. I have more concerns now for their welfare than I ever did when they were babies. Worry? Absolutely. I’m guilty, and the other mom admitted no matter how perfect God’s track record is with her family, worry is still an issue.

It was then I shared that the real sin in the Garden of Eden wasn’t biting the apple. Sure, God said don’t touch it, and Eve did. The sin started when Eve didn’t think God was enough.

Those are apples I feast on every day.

Like that other mom, God’s track record is perfect. He wants what’s best for those I love, so why would I ever worry? But I do. And when I worry, I know the core (see what I did there) issue is I don’t think God is enough.

Ugh.

Here’s the good news. God doesn’t limit our confessions. No matter how many times we go to Him, and how many times it’s the same exact thing I’m surrendering to Him, He will listen. He will forgive. He will show us the way. Our job is to follow Him.

The worst thing we could do is isolate ourselves out of shame. That’s exactly what the real defeated one wants. He doesn’t have the resources God does, so he has to be creative. Making you hide out of shame is a score for him. Don’t let him have a skirmish. Walk in victory.

With adult children, I struggle. Are they on the right path? What will be their provision? Will they go this way, or what way? I could stay up night after night fretting about them. Sometimes I do. But today can be our day when we draw a line and say no more.

God is enough.

Say it out loud.

God IS enough.

GOD IS ENOUGH!

No matter what you are facing, He is enough. He wants to show you the plan for your life. Don’t be afraid, don’t wait, and don’t worry.

And ignore all hissing that attempts to tell you otherwise.

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Multiplied Bread

Posted on August 17, 2023 by dtopliff
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I was an volunteer Bible College teacher with little income. Cindy, my traveling companion, had an accounting job with reliable income. It complicated our travels that we reached Tiberias on Thursday evening before Friday Sabbath/Shabbat. To stretch funds but enjoy the scenery, we bought one-way tickets on a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. Jewish buses don’t run on the Sabbath. We would walk along the other side until sunset when life resumed and Jewish buses ran again.

The boat’s other passengers were a Dutch-Reformed church members from California. Their Arab Christian guide was alarmed when Cindy and I handed him one-way tickets.

He frowned. “How will you return? What is your plan?”

“We’ll be fine,” I insisted. “We’ll walk and explore the other side until sundown and then ride a Jewish bus.”

He didn’t like my idea. “We’re six hundred feet below sea level. You’ll get sunstroke.” He approached the tour group’s pastor.

That pastor came to us. “Here’s our itinerary. We’ll drive com- around the lake to see all the major sites, then drive to Lebanon’s border and past the Golan Heights. We’ll return to Tiberias by dark and drop you where you need to go.” He studied our faces. “Would you like to join us?”

The minimum cost for such tours was $50 US. Cindy had funds; I didn’t.

“That sounds wonderful, but what would you need to charge us?” I asked.

His blue eyes twinkled. “Could you each give one smile?”

We stopped at Tabgha, another significant place in Jesus’s life and ministry on the Sea of Galilee’s northwestern shore.

Next, we climbed the Mount of Beatitudes above it where five thousand men, women, and children gathered to hear Jesus teach and stayed for three days because they were hungry for more than food. There, Jesus used little to make much, multiplying five loaves and two fishes to feed them. Some translations say they didn’t nibble but ate all they wanted, and the disciples still gathered twelve baskets full. We joined the California pastor and his group on that same hillside overlooking the same sea.

He had reserved a private area and distributed Bibles for us to read from Matthew 5. My verse was Chapter 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled and abundantly satisfied.”

I sensed the Jesus standing among us, His arm sweeping around the countryside, inviting us to take in the view, saying, “Welcome to my land. This is My home. Enjoy. Let me show you around.”

He seemed joyful and personable, His voice warm. My throat constricted. While reading my verse, I uncharacteristically burst into tears, overwhelmed by such caring love in this place so central to His ministry as He fulfilled His name Emmanuel, God with us. He was the powerful historic Jesus yet fully present to meet our current needs.

That day was another divine appointment. I take thorough notes to share with those who can’t come on trips with me because such moments are not to be forgotten. I’m also blessed to stay in touch with many people there.

My newest book, A Traveling Grandma’s Guide to Israel: Adventures, Wit, and Wisdom just went live on Amazon Kindle here https://amzn.to/446gY3G and for pre-order in print. Look for an audio version later.

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