TRADE IN “I CAN’T!” FOR “I AM HELPING ME!”

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

Can you identify?

·      I can’t get up early or stay up late to have quiet time with God. I need more sleep than most.

·      I can’t make my mind stop worrying. I’m wired anxious.

·      I can’t share my faith with strangers. I don’t have the gift of evangelism.

·      I can’t practice hospitality. My home is too small, I’m too busy, and I can’t cook.

·      I can’t ________________________________________________.

Standing on holy ground, Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God, yet he wasn’t a bit timid to make excuses for how he couldn’t obey God (Exodus 3, 4).

Moses said, “I can’t!” God said, “I AM!” “I AM WHO I AM. This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation” (Exodus 3:14-15).

Before we come down too hard on Moses, let’s be frank. The guy was right. On his own, he couldn’t do what God was asking him to do. None of us can. We need I AM! We need His Son, His Spirit, His Word, His power, His help, His strength, His wisdom, His guidance, His timing, His resources, His people, to do what He calls us to do.  His grace is sufficient. His power is perfect in our weakness.

Billy Sunday said, “An excuse is the skin of a reason stuffed with a lie.” We can make all kinds of excuses for ignoring God’s whispers and commands. I’m too busy, I don’t feel like it, it’ll be awkward, I don’t know where to start, it’s too difficult, costly, and more. Moses had his own set of excuses and God’s anger burned against him. The good news is that God didn’t give up on Moses and He won’t give up on us either.

Think on I AM’s promise as you turn from your “I can’t” to God’s call. He says to you and me: do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).

Think on it: On an index card write an “I can’t” that you’ve spent most of your life believing. On the opposite side write, “I can do everything through I AM who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

Faith sees the opportunities while unbelief sees the obstacles. Are you arguing with God about something He wants you to do?

Warren W. Wiersbe

grace and peace,

Lenae        

Trade in Grumbling for Gratitude

At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”

John 6:41

The classic game show, Let’s Make a Deal, is centered on deals offered by the host to select studio audience participants. The traders weigh the offer in hand to an unknown prize behind one of three curtains. Sometimes it’s a trade up. Sometimes it’s an unwanted prize like a junked car. Always there’s the draw that the deal behind the curtain is better than what they possess right now.

There’s nothing new under the sun. In John 6 the people were pursuing their deal breaker: bread. On a mountainside located on the far shore of the Sea of Galilee Jesus fed 5,000 with five small barley loaves and two fish. After they had eaten, they envisioned what they hoped was behind curtain number one: a king who would give them their fill of bread and other physical advantages.

Jesus knew their motives and withdrew from the crowds. The next day they tracked Him down on the opposite side of the sea. They were hungry for more bread and benefits. They craved what didn’t satisfy. Jesus offered them something infinitely better.

He revealed what was behind the next curtain. I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day (v. 35, 40).

Here’s the deal. You can have temporal bread or living bread. You can eat physical bread like manna and yet die or you can eat the bread from heaven and live forever.

Their response? They grumbled! They were offended. Many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.

Think about it. How many times has God’s best gift been right in front of us like Jesus’ physical presence was to these Jews, and we’ve grumbled instead of receiving it with gratitude, we walked away instead of giving thanks?

What elusive deal are you and I chasing that we think will make life better than it is right now? May the cry of our heart not be for more bread, money, time, recognition, success, fame, or _____________________ whatever you’re chasing. May the cry of our heart be, “Just give me Jesus!”

Think on it: What is the last thing you grumbled about? Will you trade it in for gratitude today? If so, how?

Give me, Jesus. Give me, Jesus. You can have all this world, just give me Jesus.

African-American Spiritual

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1O_Jf_fdkI

grace and peace,

Lenae        

Are you on Pinterest?

Are you on Pinterest? Do you have a GEMS board that the rest of us could follow? First CRC Lynden has a Pinterest board they're willing to share and they would love to see your ideas! Search for First CRC GEMS to follow them and feel free to share your Pinterest boards in the comments here for others to follow. Search for Julie DeJong Ball on Pinterest in order to follow my GEMS board as well!

Thanks to First CRC - Lynden for getting the ball rolling on sharing our pins!

Passion Week

Dear Sisters in Jesus,

Be blessed on Passion Week. May the blood of Jesus whisper His peace to our souls and may our thoughts be fixed on Jesus who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).

 Let’s think together on our theme, Think Right: Win the Fight!

Passion Week Thoughts

            It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

John 13:1

It was just before the Passover Feast and Jesus’ mind must have been set on the cross. When our minds get set on something, we can tend to be self-absorbed, tuning everyone else out and becoming fixated on the thing that looms before us.

Not Jesus. Knowing He would be betrayed, deserted, persecuted, and put to death on a cross, His thoughts were not on self, but on others. He now showed them the full extent of his love (John 13:1).

Jesus showed the full extent of His love by humbling Himself and washing the feet of His disciples. He said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15).

Passion Week Thought: Who will you serve this week?

Jesus showed the full extent of His love by sharing the truth of who He is. He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Passion Week Thought: Who will you clearly communicate the Gospel message with this week?

Jesus showed the full extent of His love by praying for Himself, His disciples, and future believers. He prayed, “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name–the name you gave me–so that they may be one as we are one” (John 17:11).

Passion Week Thought: What will be your prayer focus this week?

Jesus showed the full extent of His love by forgiving His persecutors. He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

Passion Week Thought: Who do you need to forgive this week?

Jesus showed the full extent of His love by dying on the cross. Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit (John 19:30).

Passion Week Thought: How will you express gratitude to your Savior this week for His finished work on the cross?

Think on it: Read and reread the account of Passion Week in each of the Gospels. Let Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection fill each waking thought.

May the mind of Christ, my Savior,

Live in me from day to day,

By His love and power controlling

All I do and say.

Katie B. Wilkinson

 

grace and peace,

Lenae

Do you see individuals or interruptions?

THINK ABOUT INTERRUPTIONS

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

What best describes your personality?

a.     Go with the flow. Life is an adventure; I thoughtlessly roll wherever it takes me.

b.     Highly structured. You can set your watch by my habits and routine.

c.      Interruptible. I have a plan for the day, but if I experience divine appointments, I adjust my day and follow His leading.

There are our natural tendencies to the way we think through our days and respond to the unexpected and then there’s God’s way, so beautifully and rightly demonstrated in Jesus’ example.

From a human perspective, Jesus was interrupted often, especially at mealtime. In Mark 3 when Jesus and His disciples entered a home, a loud crowd gathered and they were not even able to eat (Mark 3:20). His family heard about what must’ve become a regular pattern to His days, and they were concerned. They wanted to take charge of Him, and said, “He is out of his mind” (Mark 3:21).

Jesus didn’t share their mindset. He saw individuals, not interruptions. He understood that God’s divine appointments must trump lists and lunch plans. He called the people to Himself and spoke to them (Mark 3:23).

On a different occasion, The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:30-31).

Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Can you almost feel your muscles relax as you think of climbing into a boat with Jesus for some peace? “Finally!” you think. “It’s about time I get some me time!” You’ve worked hard, you reported to Jesus all that you accomplished, and you’re eager for some needed R&R. But when your boat docks you discover that the crowds have moved into your space and schedule. From a human perspective, it looks like an interruption. Through Jesus’ eyes, it’s a divine appointment. He sees people who are like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus had compassion on them, taught them, and at the end of the day, rather then sending them home hungry, He fed all 5,000 with five loaves and two fish (Mark 6:32-42).

No matter what our personality, God wants our thoughts about our time and to-do lists to walk in step with the Spirit instead of our rigid thinking about personal time entitlement.

Think on it: What right thinking thoughts can you choose when “interruptions” come your way today?

To paraphrase C. S. Lewis, there is not a square inch of our lives that is not claimed by God and counterclaimed by ourselves. If we believe God is sovereign, however, we will see all of life as mission and be led to submit the square inches we otherwise hold so tightly to the Maker of inches and hands.

Jared Wilson

grace and peace,

Lenae

God is for YOU!

EVERYTHING IS AGAINST ME!

Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin.

Everything is against me!”

Genesis 42:36

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31

There are days when things seem stacked against us, are there not? Computers crash. Clients rant. Babies teethe. Appliances break. Calls drop. Dinner burns. Friends disappoint. Storms surge.

Even our thoughts can rack havoc against us: You can’t do this. You’re not who people think you are. Do you really think you can make a difference? Look around. It’s hopeless! You’re hopeless! You’ll never change. Quit now; it’s not worth it.

When circumstances and the chatter in your head, come against you, don’t retreat. Remember! Remember the One who is for you! God is for us! (Romans 8:31)

Have stinkin’ thinkin’ self-doubt? Go to the One who is for you! He promises that you can do all things in His strength (Philippians 4:13).

Is shame threatening to sink you? Focus on your Savior, Advocate and Redeemer. He is for you! There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

Does the image in your mirror sicken you? Think on your Maker who is for you and formed you! He says, “You are my masterpiece. I made you fearfully and wonderfully” (Psalm 139:14).

Are obstacles and opposition draining your desire to do good? Consider Him who is for you! He endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:3).

Has discouragement beat you down? Look up! God is on your side in every situation! Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:21-23).

When life feels like it’s against you, remember that feelings are not facts. God is for you! Stand confident in His care. Put on His armor. Claim His promises with conviction. I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39). Thanks be to God!

Think on it: What feels against you today? Memorize Romans 8:31 and trade in feelings for facts. God is for you!

Emotions don’t tell the truth. Just because you have a feeling about something doesn’t make it a reality.

Joyce Meyer

grace and peace,

Lenae         

This is a big one, ladies!

SELF TALK

The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his (her) life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

James 3:6

For most of my life I’ve read the James chapter 3 “Taming the Tongue” passage with the focus on what my tongue has the potential to do in the lives of others. Like a bit in the mouth of a horse or a tiny rudder on a massive ship, our tongues can steer people toward Jesus or away from Him. Our tongues can set the world on fire for Jesus or destroy like fire when we gossip, lie, swear, brag, exaggerate, complain, manipulate, and mislead. The tiny tongue is a massive weapon of destruction or a tender instrument of healing and an arsenal of truth.

That was the primary Communications 101 lesson I gathered from James 3 until the theme, Think Right: Win the Fight! Now I’ve come to fully understand that what’s true for what we speak to others, also holds true for what we speak to ourselves.

Your and my steady stream of self-talk has the potential to steer us toward Jesus or away from Him. It can set our hearts on fire as we speak His promises and focus on His presence, or it can destroy us when we lie to ourselves to cover up guilt and shame, when we are proud and consider ourselves and our choices better than our neighbors, or when we grumble in our spirits about mornings, long lines, and short weekends.

The words we speak to ourselves today set the course for all our tomorrows. Do you want to know what your life will look like 5, 10, 20 years from now? Don’t look in the mirror. Look in your thought closet. The words you speak to yourself are the bit and rudder that are steering you to the woman you will become.

The way we use our tongues, whether talking to ourselves or to others, demonstrates who we are and to Whom we belong. Our words align us with God or the father of lies. We know what it is to talk out of both sides of our mouth, don’t we? Sometimes our words are right, true, and pleasing to God. Other times we use the language of the enemy – speaking words that destroy and devour.

James says that this must not be! Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers (and sisters!) this should not be (v. 10). It shouldn’t be, but we know it is! What do we do? Outside of Christ, we can’t do a thing. We are incapable of perfect obedience. We need Christ. And when we cry out to Him, He will answer and help.

Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Think on it: What is the speech pattern of your self-talk? Ask Jesus for His power to speak Philippians 4:8 words to your soul. 

The things we think about, focus on, and surround ourselves with will shape who we become.

Author Unknown

grace and peace,

Lenae