Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 6, 2020

What Kind of Love Is This?

“’For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,’ says the Lord, who has mercy on you.” Isaiah 54:10 (NLT)
 

Faithful. Steadfast (ESV). Unfailing (NIV). These are the words the Bible uses to describe the love God has for us, the love God promises will never end. How can we know what those words even mean?

“BFFs—Best Friends Forever,” we declare to our childhood friend … until she moves away or finds another, better best friend. A father promises his unending love for his daughter … until he abandons the family. A boyfriend proclaims his eternal love … until he becomes bored and rejects his girlfriend. A husband vows his love and devotion to his new bride … until the relationship becomes more work than he anticipated.

With so much rejection and disillusionment, how can we understand God’s faithful, steadfast, unfailing love for us? He stirs it into our very souls. He causes our hearts to hunger for it. He creates a need for love in us that can only be met with His perfect, unconditional love. We may have been let down in our search for love in the past, but God is the only One whose covenant with us will never be broken as our key verse declares.

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” Romans 8:38 (NLT) His love is constant. His love is dependable.
“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.” Ephesians 3:18 (NLT) His love is boundless.

“For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17 (NLT) God has proved His perfect love for us through the sacrifice of His own Son for our salvation.

“See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is who we are!” 1 John 3:1a (NLT) God has adopted us as His own. He chooses us again and again.

Let’s embrace the Lord’s love for us—a love defined by God’s Word, not by our emotions or past experiences.

“Thank You, Lord, that no matter what today may bring, Your love for us is faithful, steadfast, unfailing. We choose to rest in the certainty of Your unbroken covenant with us.”

For His Glory

Tammy Randlett (http://staletoast.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Love

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 5, 2020

Cherishing What’s Important

“The unfolding of Your (God’s) words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.” Psalm 119:130 (ESV)

Ever have one of those Mondays that really makes your head spin? Like nothing is going right and everything is urgent. Overwhelming comes quick. And right in the midst of one of those head spins, I stretched out my hands to release a little stress and went into my crazy dance. When my eyes saw my hand, I realized my diamond was missing. The prongs were intact but my beautiful heart shaped diamond was nowhere to be found. So crazy Monday took a backseat.

Panic mode shifted to high gear. While I was spinning my wheels and getting nowhere, my co-worker started looking in my purse, my work tote and around my office. We scavenged through my trash cans. Nothing shiny rising to the surface. We retraced my steps. My friend went in one direction and I headed to the women’s restroom. Digging through the trash can to see if my diamond got hooked in the paper towels. Nothing shiny to be found. I headed to the stall and got down on my knees carefully scouring the floor. Next to the dark grey tile edging the wall, I finally saw a sparkle and yes it was my heart diamond. My heart beat finally slowed, my breathing settled back to calm – what was lost was now found.

Wonder if we ever search for God the way I did for my diamond? Now I know God isn’t missing, but sometimes we totally forget He is even there. Often we allow the craziness of our days to override His presence. Too many days, we slip into survival mode when what we really need is to lean into His power and strength. Sometimes, we simply need to still our hearts and minds so we can dig in deeper to understand His truth. Wouldn’t it be great if we grabbed a friend by the hand and together we devoured the scriptures? Maybe we could even unplug from all the distractions long enough for God to have our undivided attention.

Sounds amazing and totally possible if we chose to value time with God over all the rest. Clinging to His every word. Resting in His calming wisdom. Cherishing what’s truly important. Radiating a true inner beauty as we are transformed in His presence. Now that sweet friend is the best sparkle of all.

“Father You find great pleasure in revealing Yourself to us. Give us a deep desire to know You more and more each day.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 2, 2020

When The Storm Rages – God Is Our Refuge

“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2 (ESV)

Like a large barricade, a gathering of trees plummeted in front of my sister, Faye’s house. Her home was in the eye of Hurricane Michael as it ravaged through Panama City. Text messages flooded our phones, as she sent family “I love yous” before cell service was extinguished. And when the 150 mile per hour winds ended and moved up through the north, the terrain left behind was unrecognizable. Rescue workers couldn’t even see my sister’s house because the trees had barricaded them in. Her husband and mother-in-law braving the storm with her.

Devastation everywhere, no power, military food, humid hot conditions – I think you get the picture. But nestled right in the midst of these hard places and challenges those in my sister’s home escaped safely. How could that be? Nothing short of a miracle – a sweet protection from our God. You see those trees covering up their home created a barricade to the front of the house protecting them from the raging winds. No windows were broken and the roof didn’t collapsed. They were held scared yet safely in the palm of His hands – isn’t that just like our God!

Don’t know dear one what storm you are facing or what devastation has swept over your life. Can’t say I’ve walked in your shoes, but I have worn out my own. And with each step, every movement I have found my God to be faithful and true. A mighty fortress and an indestructible shield. Despite pain, tears and fearful moments God has proven to be my rock. Just like the barricade shielding my sister from a raging hurricane, God provided a refuge – a safe place in the eye of my personal storms. And you know what if you put your faith, hope and trust in Him, God will be your rock, deliverer and shield.

Praising God today for lives spared and for trees tumbling around to form a barrier from raging winds. Beyond belief, miraculous deliverer – that’s the One you want to cling to every day of your life.

“Father, you take my breath away at the very thought of Your hands protecting those we love. Grateful for Your divine fortress shielding us in our storms.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 1, 2020

Living A Fruity Life

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5: 22-23

Times are dark. And, frankly, it seems like people are getting uglier. I’m not talking in terms of aesthetics (although, I for one, have succumbed to 24/7 stretchy pants and mascara-less eyes most days). I mean ugly in terms of attitude and disposition. Now, we all know divisiveness is growing—it’s palpable due to, well, everything that’s going on. But in addition to the side-taking and lack of civil discourse, there seems to be a general malcontent, dare I say, crankiness.

Just go to the grocery store and you’ll see angry eyes above masked faces. Or while driving, you can experience a bit more aggression on the road. Sometimes, all I have to do is look in the mirror to find it. What about you?

As Christians, though, we are called to live differently—regardless of the circumstances around us. We are to shine our light in the darkness, to add salt in a bland (and tasteless) world. We’re supposed to stand out and not give in to the cultural mood du jour. We are called to be fruity.

Let me quickly break down Galatians 5:22-23…but I pray that we also dig into the associated verses and discern how we can embody each characteristic as we walk through our days.

  1. Love. This kind of love is a choice—agape. It’s not a feeling or passing desire. (1 John 3:16-17; John 15:13; Romans 5:8)
  2. Joy. This is happiness based on unchanging divine promises and eternal spiritual realties. As believers in Jesus Christ, it’s already ours, in all circumstances. Joy is an undercurrent. (1 Peter 1:8; John 16:20-22; Romans 14:17; Philippians 4:4)
  3. Peace.  This is an inner-calm because we are saved. Life will throw all kinds of junk at us, but we can be “anxious for nothing” because God is in control. (John 14:27; Romans 8:28; Philippians 4:6-9)
  4. Patience. This is the ability to endure conflicts and injuries inflicted by others. It’s the acceptance of irritating and painful situations. (Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:12; 1 Timothy 1:15-16)
  5. Kindness. This is a desire to treat others as our Lord treats us—with grace and mercy. It’s a genuine concern for others. (Matthew 11:28-29; Matthew 19:13-14; 2 Timothy 2:24)
  6. Goodness. Commanded of us, this is acting with moral and spiritual excellence—walking with the righteousness that has been bestowed on us by Jesus. (Romans 6:10; 2 Thessalonians 1:11)
  7. Faithfulness. This is loyalty and trustworthiness—to family, friends, employers. (Lamentations 3:22; Philippians 2:7-9; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; Revelation 2:10)
  8. Gentleness. This is a humble attitude of quiet submission. It’s the lack of desire for retribution when wronged (ouch). It’s surrender to the will of God. (Colossians 3”12; James 1:21; Ephesians 4:2)
  9. Self-control. This is restraint. It’s putting a muzzle on our passions and appetites to engage in worldly pursuits that bring holy ramifications. (1 Corinthians 9:25; Proverbs 25:27-28; Titus 2:11-12)

“Lord, when I surrendered to You, I received the Holy Spirit to empower me to live differently than the world. Help me to walk a fruit-filled life.”

 

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 30, 2020

Choosing To Hear Well

“Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” Mark 4:9 (NIV)

Selective hearing is a condition that many people seem to suffer from. Through selective hearing, one can choose what he or she hears, thus responding to only the things to which he or she chooses to respond and act upon.

There are seven accounts in Scripture of times when the Lord Jesus finished a story by saying, “whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” The Lord knew humankind tends to be selective in their hearing, especially when the topic in discussion is addressing something they don’t necessarily wish to hear. I know, I am guilty of this.

I remember times when I was a young girl and my mother would give me specific directions on things she expected from me and I, very nonchalantly, would ignore her directions because they would entail work on my part. After all, what young girl would choose to stay home cleaning, folding laundry or setting the table while her friends were outside playing? And what about the rest of the family? In my case, I had three siblings, so I thought that it would be very unfair for me to be working while my siblings could be out doing whatever it was that they were doing.

Because I would choose to be the boss of me, my own little conscience, and disregard the directions given by my mom, I would end the day with my backside throbbing from the whipping of a leather belt that I absolutely learned to hate.

I learned long ago that selective hearing, if used wisely, can be a good tool. However, a disregard for the authority giving the directions can end up costing a price we, sometimes, regret having to pay.

God speaks to us all the time. He speaks through His word, through other people, and in so many other ways. If we allow our ears to hear Him, we will be blessed abundantly and will not live with the regret of knowing we could have listened when we didn’t.

“Sweet Lord Jesus: Your voice reaches us in ways no one else can. Please help us to choose to hear and to obey.”

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 29, 2020

For Such A Time As This

“Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”  Esther 4:14

Do we trust God—really trust Him?

We make our plans and plots. We say, “Oh, this is what I’ll be doing for the next year,” or “I’ll do this, and then this…”

My friends can attest to my proclamations through the years—especially when we plan to move homes…again. I’ll say, “No, really, this one is our forever home!” See, my friends and family have, for the past 27 or so years, had to write my addresses in pencil (even as I argue otherwise). Even before I met my husband at age 27, I moved several times after I finished graduate school—including across the country. Since we were married in 1994, we’ve had 15 addresses, across three states. And with each home, I’ve declared, “This is it! No more moves.”

The Lord, however, always seems to have other plans for us. There have been times when we could look around and see glimpses of God’s hand in motion, so the “why” of that season is somewhat understood. But other times, when the Lord has directed our path, it’s only well after the fact (or a season of years) that we can look back and understand it was clearly “for such a time as this.” One example is us suddenly leaving a Colorado town and home we loved to move to a more northern, not-so-lovely town we actually always despised when visiting family…in retrospect, it was not so random, as our son had been born in that part of the state, and he was waiting for us to adopt him to be his forever family.

So, amid my plans (or, admittedly, sometimes after my plan-making), I’m always reminded of parallel verses in the Old and New Testament that slap me upside the head with God’s Truth: We can establish our short- and long-term game, but the Lord determines our steps—His will is going to prevail, regardless of what our planner may say. Tomorrow is unknown, let alone next year (Proverbs 16:9; James 4:13-15).

My point? The Lord will always move us (spiritually and sometimes geographically) for His glory and our good if we are obedient and trust Him. (Romans 8:28). We have to trust that each step—even if it’s nebulous to us—is purposeful in God’s Big Plan.

So, what’s going on in your life right now? An illness? Forced career change? A completely unanticipated move across the country? Maybe you can look around and currently see the miracles along the way, directing your decisions. Maybe, like in Joshua (chapter 3), all you know is that God is telling you to take a single step of faith before anything else—even the very next step—is revealed. (And, often, that first step is terrifying.) Either way, His purpose and plan for you are, indeed, for such a time as this.

Friends, trust Him. He knows you and loves you. So, step out in obedience and faith. If not today or tomorrow or this side of heaven, someday we will see and understand this season. And we’ll see the good and the glory in it all.

“Lord, I trust You. Show me the next step and help me to be obedient. All I long for is to glorify You in it all.”

 

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Ministry

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Living, Success, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 24, 2020

Praise You, Lord

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth”   Psalm 34:1

Yes, life is crazy right now for everyone. I mean, all of us will always have a bit of insanity going at any given time—family drama, job stuff, financial challenges, health worries. And, of course, in this moment of history, we have a greater divisiveness in our nation than I’ve known in my five decades of life. Not to mention, being in the midst of a global health situation with a tumult of confusing voices on every side, shouting to prove their “truth” on how to best handle it.

I think we can all agree: Life is hard.

But, as believers, we can embrace a perspective in all things that is different from the world. We can look for the praise.

Friends, the Lord is with us—He will not leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). When we are obedient to His Word, trust Him, and remain surrendered to the Holy Spirit, God is faithful to reveal His presence and His will (Proverbs 3:5-6). The Bible tells us that God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). But just as we need the light at our feet, I believe we need to hold up the lamp all around us as well, looking to the left, right, and up. This is how we illuminate the blessings—and find the praise.

Let’s be intentional about holding our life—moment by moment—up to the light. Let’s look around at the little things throughout the day to recognize the Lord’s Hand in them. And in the big things (good, great, bad, or downright ugly), let’s be washed over by God’s grace and mercy in it…because, again, He is in it.

I can be a bit hard-headed and, as I may have mentioned a time or two, somewhat of a control freak. So, sometimes I actually have to look behind me for the praise. In fact, that’s where my gaze—and praise—has been in recent days: responding to the still small voice saying, “Child, look at what I’ve been accomplishing on your behalf.” As I’ve been focused on doing and box-checking, my precious Lord has been blessing me. There are events, for instance, about which I’ve been frustrated that have resolved…I was relieved, but now—in looking back at the situation—I see that God’s timing is what I needed. Not what I wanted.

So, as I sit here and give God glory because I can see how He’s has been putting my current life-puzzle in place, I am reminded to also look in the present for praise.

 

“Lord, I do praise You in the big and little blessings. I trust You—help me trust You more. I believe You—help my unbelief. Let me seek You—and find You—in the moments of my day.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Gratitude, Hope, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 23, 2020

Following After Him

“I am the good shepherd…” John 10:11 (NLT)

On a trip of a lifetime to Israel while walking down a country dirt road outside of town, she stopped to observe three shepherds tending their sheep in a field. Curious she sat on the side of the dirt road watching as the shepherds exchanged pleasantries then stopped to converse for several minutes. While the men were talking, she noticed the sheep converged and intermingled into one big herd.

Wondering how the shepherds and the sheep would recognize what sheep goes with what shepherd, this lady, a believer in Jesus recalls John 10:27 “My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” She thinks just maybe she will see this Bible verse lived out literally right in front of her eyes. Fascinated, she waits and after a few minutes of conversation the shepherds say their goodbyes. Then the shepherds call out in their distinct voices and in a mesmerizing sight the sheep start bleating separating into three herds and follow behind “their” shepherd.

You may have been abandoned by someone important in your life. Someone who turned their back on you and you have asked the question…why? The good Shepherd wants to be that person you can have a close, intimate relationship with. He wants to be the One to pick-up His little lamb that feels rejected and raise you as His own. Filling any emptiness and voids with love and nurturing. The trustworthy Shepherd whose voice will lead you down paths of righteousness will never lead you astray or make you wander. He cares and provides…protects and guards His sheep as only a good Shepherd would.

The Shepherd’s voice is unique in communicating with His sheep. When you hear His still, small voice whispering love languages of the heart, you can be confident in following after Him.

“Father, thank You that Your voice is unmistakable and trustworthy to follow leading us to green pastures.”

For His Glory

Kim Lacey Schock (www.KimLaceySchock.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 22, 2020

Circle of Friends

 

“Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter, so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven…”  Daniel 2:17-18

The Old Testament Book of Daniel is pretty exciting. Even if you haven’t read it through, you’re probably familiar with at least a couple of its action-packed events. There’s the time Daniel’s buddies were thrown into the fiery furnace after refusing to bow down to an idol, confident that God would rescue them—and even if He didn’t, they still would not worship any other God. (I won’t tell you what happens, but you can read about it in chapter 3.) Then there’s the famous lion’s den saga—another nail-biter found in chapter 6—when a group of the king’s advisors set up Daniel to get rid of the pesky do-gooder.

But at the beginning of this book, tucked away in chapter 2, there are a couple lines that speak to the importance of reaching out to our friends for prayer support. Here, the king has a disturbing dream that he wants interpreted. He asks all his magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers to help, but he refused to tell them the actual dream itself. They needed to reveal his dream and its meaning. When none of them could, the king decided to kill them all (well, cut into pieces, to be exact). Because Dan and his friends were among the king’s counselors, they were on the literal chopping block as well.

So once Daniel heard about the king’s decision, he went home and shared the matter with his friends. The Lord had already shown Himself to be merciful and powerful to this group of faithful young men, blessing and protecting them after the Babylonians took them captive. They knew the power of prayer. And although Daniel knew that he could go to the Lord on his own with his request, he chose instead to share the matter with his buddies.

When we reach out to others with the “matters” of our life and ask them for prayer, there is a multifaceted result as beautiful and precious as a diamond. First, we benefit from a shared burden (Gal 6:2). Of course, the ultimate Load-bearer is Jesus Himself—He tells us to give Him our burdens (Matthew 11:28-30). But when we lean on our brothers and sisters in Christ, our weight is shared, and thereby lightened.

Second, we grow in love for one another. Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). He’s encouraging us to look at others through the perspective that God sees us: as sinners in need of grace, mercy, and a Savior. Praying for others helps us move forward in this endeavor.

Finally, we are being obedient to God’s Word. From Job (42:1) to James (5:16) to Paul (1 Tim 2:1, Ephesians 6:18, Col 1:9)) to Jesus Himself (Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:28, Luke 22:32), we are called to pray and intercede for others. It is a step of obedience that brings us closer to our Lord as we spend time with Him. Plus, when we lift up others in prayer, our fellowship with the Lord becomes a little less about us.

“Lord, thank You for my brothers and sisters who lift me up and share my burdens. Let me be a faithful load-bearer to others as well.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Hope, Prayer, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 21, 2020

Confident Of His Ability

“For He (God) remembered His holy promises given to His servant Abraham.  He brought out His people with rejoicing.  His chosen ones with shouts of joy.”  Psalm 105:42 (NIV)

Ever find yourself searching for the one thing you need right now but can’t seem to remember where you put it? If you’re like me, you always put it in a certain place so you can find it only to become totally frustrated when you forget where that place is. We search diligently convinced we know exactly where we put this one thing we need. We become aggravated when our attempts to find send us on an endless scavenger hunt. And when we come up empty handed, we simply give up.

With all the techno advances we have it’s easy to see why my brain eases into forgetfulness. Need to call mom – my cell phone has all my contact numbers. Got a doctor’s appointment, my goggle calendar is synced to my phone and remembers my schedule. Quick trip to the grocery store and my list app reveals what I need. Easy to understand why my mind has a short memory stick when I’m not the one remembering.

Love these sweet words from the Psalmist totally confident of His God’s ability to remember. God doesn’t need Goggle or an app to trigger His memory bank. Etched in His mind are the Holy promises He makes to His people. He never forgets a single word, He never reneges on His promises and He is our forever covenant keeper.

Can’t say I know anyone else who does exactly what He says always. Don’t remember a time when someone fulfilled every promise. But I can see God’s echos of remembrance and faithfulness throughout scripture. Every rainbow shouts, “I remember you and I will not destroy all living creatures again.” Each story unfolding whispers, “I am the keeper of my covenant with my people forever.” Every miracle resonates with God’s goodness and loving kindness proclaiming, “You are my chosen ones; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Beautiful truths we can cling to. Honest words reverberating in our hearts. Trustworthy promises always kept. This is who our God is – our forever covenant keeper – we can believe in Him completely without reservation. A promise keeper who never forgets or backs out making good on His every word from generation to generation.

“Father, we can rest confidently trusting in You to always remember us. We will never be forgotten or forsaken. You are our faithful, true and Holy God whose love endures forever.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

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