God's Truth

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31


Have you ever been in a discussion when suddenly your blood pressure skyrockets, and the worst version of you begs to come out?

It’s hard when someone else does things out of our control, yanking our emotions into a bad place.

Yet I can decide whether or not to give them the power to control these emotions. When I react by yelling or making a snappy comeback, I basically transfer my power to that other person. When I’m void of power, I’m void of self-control.

Now, when I say “my power,” I really mean God’s power working in me. When I react according to God’s truths, I feel that power. When I react in a way that’s contrary to His truths, I’m powerless.

When God’s truth seeps into my mind, my heart accomplishes good things that help me display self-control.

- Lysa TerKeurst, Proverbs 31 Ministries

What If.....

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

What if we lived in the absolute assurance of God’s love?

I had a conversation with a mom whose eldest daughter is 30 and has never had a boyfriend. She sat with her mom and tearfully said, “Why can’t I find anyone to love me? What’s wrong with me?”

I remember being the only one of my friends without a boyfriend and feeling that same hurt.

But here’s the thing I wish I had known then … I must process this hurt through the filter of God’s love, not the tangled pieces of my heart.

When I process things through my heart, the outcome is, “If God loves me so much, why would He let this happen?”

Instead, when I process things through the filter of God’s love, the outcome is, “God loves me so much, therefore, I can trust why He is allowing this to happen.”

- Lysa TerKeurst - Proverbs 31 Ministries

Trust Me

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."   Ephesians 4:31

TRUST ME with every fiber of your being! What I can accomplish in and through you is proportional to how much you depend on Me. One aspect of this is the degree to which you trust me in a crisis or major decision. Some people fail miserably here, while others are at their best in tough times. Another aspect is even more telling: the constancy of your trust in me. People who rely on Me in the midst of adversity may forget about Me when life is flowing smoothly. Difficult times can jolt you into awareness of your need for Me, whereas smooth sailing can lull you into the stupor of self-sufficiency.

I care as much about your tiny trust-steps through daily life as about your dramatic leaps of faith. You may think that no one notices, but the One who is always beside you sees everything - and rejoices. Consistently trusting in Me is vital to flourishing in My Presence.

"Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace In His Presence"

Change

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

I want God’s Word to change me.

Of course I can go to Bible study and amen every point made, but if I don’t apply it to my life I won’t be changed.

That’s because inspiration and information without personal application will never amount to transformation.

Romans 12:2 reminds us to be “transformed” by the renewing of our minds. That renewing isn’t a brief spiritual inspiration that comes from brushing up against the truth. It is a heart softened by God’s truth and a life transformed by the application of His truth.

What’s a truth from God’s word that you’ve been challenged to live recently? I’m determined that today is my day for living that truth.

Lysa TerKeurst, Proverbs 31 Ministries.

When You Can't See The Road Ahead

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians 4:31


I’m not much of a Monday person, but this particular Monday morning, I found myself disliking that dreaded day even more than usual.

Shortly after waking up from a restless night’s sleep, my thoughts drifted toward what the upcoming week might hold. I felt a sense of dread sink into my heart and soon found myself wishing it were already Friday.

Most people long for Friday because it means the beginning of the weekend; however I knew that if the week were over, I would no longer have to worry about what challenges it might bring. If it were Friday, I would already have encountered them, faced them and made some progress in dealing with them.

Yet, the fact remained: It was only Monday.

As anxiety set in, God pricked my heart, reminding me I could either let my anxious thoughts control me throughout the week, or I could choose to be in control of them instead. I could worry myself into a frenzy or ask for His peace to fill my heart. I was blind to what was ahead, but knew God had a crystal-clear view.

In Mark chapter 10, a blind man named Bartimaeus sat beside the road — as he normally did — when he heard a commotion. He soon discovered the large crowd of people following Jesus. And they were all headed his way.

Bartimaeus had no idea what was going to happen. Having no sight, he could have felt threatened and anxious, fearful the crowd might trample him. He could have been concerned he’d be unnoticed and overlooked, yet again. Instead, he focused on what he could see with his heart rather than what he was unable to see with his eyes.

He excitedly began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:47b, NIV)

When the people yelled at him to be quiet, he refused and continued to shout, saying, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10: 48b)

His shouting pricked Jesus’ ears.

Jesus stood still, and asked someone to bring the blind man to him. The Bible says Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up and headed straight toward Jesus. (Mark 10:50)

I love that. The blind man threw aside anything that might hinder his running, jumped up all on his own and blindly ran to Jesus.

He ran solely ahead by faith, not by sight — unafraid of falling or bumping into things, nor fearing what might be ahead of him, simply because He heard Jesus’ voice and knew He was there.

Bartimaeus’ eyes caused him to live without sight, but his heart allowed him to live by faith. That small act of blind faith changed his life forever.

As I lay in my bed pondering this sweet story God brought to mind, my heart began to calm. My inability to “see” the upcoming week did not have to hinder my ability to run forward in faith. I could follow Jesus’ voice in blind faith too, if I chose to believe He would watch over my every step, much like He did for the blind man.

I prayed for the strength to live by faith even when I couldn’t see what was ahead. I committed to trust Jesus with all the things He could see coming but I could not.

We can always choose to follow Jesus’ voice, rather than let our blindness keep us paralyzed in anxiousness and pessimism. Just like the blind man, when we choose to follow Jesus’ voice instead of our eyes, our faith can be life-changing, helping us discover peace and blessing.

Lord, help me have the courage to move through my circumstances each day with blind faith and peace instead of worrying about what I cannot yet see. Open my spiritual eyes to see what You want me to see and hear what You want me hear, while helping me trust You more. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

From the website Proverbs 31 Ministries - Tracy Miles

My Thoughts.....

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from me, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

MY THOUGHTS are not your thoughts; neither are your ways My ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways and thoughts higher than yours. Remember who I AM when you spend time with me. Marvel at the wonder of being able to commune with the King of the universe - any time, any place. Never take this amazing privilege for granted!

Though I am vastly higher and greater than you, I am training you to think My thoughts. As you spend time in My Presence, My thoughts gradually form in your mind. My Spirit is the Director of this process. Sometimes He brings Bible verses to mind. Sometimes He enables you to hear Me "speak" directly to you. These communications strengthen you and prepare you for whatever is before you on your life-path. Take time to listen to My voice. Through your sacrifice of precious time, I bless you far more than you dare to ask.

"Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace In His Presence"

Do Not Be Surprised......

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

DO NOT BE SURPRISED by the fiery attacks on your mind. When you struggle to find Me and to live in My Peace, don't let discouragement set in. You are engaged in massive spiritual warfare. The evil one abhors your closeness to Me, and his demonic underlings are determined to destroy our intimacy. When you find yourself in the thick of battle, call upon My Name: "Jesus, help me!" At that instant, the battle becomes Mine; your role is simply to trust Me as I fight for you.

My Name, properly used, has unlimited Power to bless and protect. At the end of time, every knee will bow (in heaven, on earth, and under the earth), when My Name is proclaimed. People who have used "Jesus" as a shoddy swear word will fall down in terror on that awesome day. But all those who have drawn near Me through trustingly uttering My Name will be filled with inexpressible and glorious Joy. This is your great hope, as you await My return.

"Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace In My Presence"

Problems Are A Part Of Life

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

PROBLEMS ARE A PART OF LIFE. They are inescapable: woven into the very fabric of this fallen world. You tend to go into problem-solving mode all too readily, acting as if you have the capacity to fix everything. This is a habitual response, so automatic that it bypasses your conscious thinking. Not only does this habit frustrate you, it also distances you from Me.

Do not let fixing things be your top priority. You are ever so limited in your capacity to correct all that is wrong in the world around you. Don't weigh yourself down with responsibilities that are not your own. Instead, make your relationship with me your primary concern. Talk with Me about whatever is on your mind, seeking My perspective on the situation. Rather than trying to fix everything that comes to your attention, ask Me to show you what is truly important. Remember that you are en route to heaven, and let your problems fade in the Light of eternity.

"Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace In His Presence"

Satan's Plan Against You

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from me, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

“For everything in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — comes not from the Father but from the world.” 1 John 2:16 (NIV)

Something I pray on a regular basis is that God will give me a keen awareness of the enemy’s plans and schemes against me. I want to be able to recognize his traps and avoid them.

I believe part of His answer came one day as I studied the story of Satan tempting Eve in Genesis 3 and our key verse: “For everything in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:16).

As I compared these passages, I had a serious epiphany about how Satan goes after us. These verses outline Satan’s 3-pronged plan of attack on our hearts. And it’s the same plan we see him using while tempting Jesus in the desert in Matthew 4:1-11! A fact that tells me while the enemy may be powerful, he’s also predictable.

Let’s take a closer look at Satan’s plan as revealed in Eve’s story and Jesus’ story:

1. Make them crave some sort of physical gratification to the point they become preoccupied with it. Be it sex, drugs, alcohol or food.

Satan tempted Eve with fruit, which “was good for food” (Genesis 3:6b, NIV).

Satan tempted Jesus while on a fast with bread.

Satan tempts us with whatever physical stimulation we are too preoccupied by — be it taste, smell, sound, touch or sight. These things are good within the boundaries where God meant for them to be enjoyed. But venture outside God’s intention for them, and they become an attempt to try and get our needs met outside the will of God.

2. Make them want to acquire things to the point they bow down to the god of materialism. Keep them distracted by making their eyes lust after the shiny things of the world.

Satan tempted Eve by drawing her attention to what was, “pleasing to the eye” (Genesis 3:6c, NIV).

Satan showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world and told Him that He could have it all.

Satan flashes the newer, bigger and seemingly better things of this world in front of us, trying to lure us into thinking we must have it. “This will make me fulfilled. This will make me happy.” And then it wears out, breaks down, gets old and reveals just how temporary every material thing is.

3. Make them boastful about what they have or do. Keep them distracted and obsessed with their status and significance. Choke the life out of them using the tentacles of their own pride.

Satan tempted Eve by promising an increased awareness which would make her become more like God.

Satan tempted Jesus by telling Him to throw Himself off the highest point of the temple, and then command the angels to save Him. This would impress everyone watching and certainly raise Jesus’ status and significance.

Likewise, Satan tempts us to try and elevate ourselves over others. We wrongly think we have to become something the world calls worthy. This creates a need within our flesh to have people notice us, commend us, revere us and stroke our pride. We then dare to boast about all we are.

Oh sweet readers, this is where we must stop and remind ourselves that we don’t have to be held hostage by Satan. We are onto him and his schemes. And his power over us is nothing compared to the freeing promises of God.

There was a huge difference between Eve’s response to Satan and Jesus’ response to Satan. Eve dialoged with Satan and allowed him to weave his tangled web of justifications. Jesus on the other hand, immediately quoted truth. With every temptation, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy as He answered, “It is written …” and He shut Satan down with the truth of God.

What will our response be?

It’s our choice.

Satan has no power over us except what we allow. Moment by moment, decision by decision, step by step — will we operate in God’s all-powerful truth or allow Satan to entangle us in his lies?

- Lysa TerKeurst, Proverbs 31 Ministries.