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

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 18, 2020

Who’s Really Watching Us

“You (God) know when I sit down and when I rise up; You discern my thoughts from afar.  You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.” Psalm 139:2-3 (ESV)

If you’re an avid people watcher, you simply enjoy sitting in the Food Court at the mall and observing people who go by.  Perhaps wondering what they are buying, who they are shopping with or the dynamics of their conversation.  But people watching isn’t limited to malls – parks, hospital waiting rooms – anywhere there’s people interacting with life, we can be people entertained.

What’s really intriguing to me is when people are on Zoom meetings and forget their camera is on recording their every move.  I’ve watched people play with their glasses, attempt to fluff their hair, and multi-task.  But the funniest is when they get up and walk out of the meeting as if we didn’t notice.  Or better yet, exhibiting crazy deep thought facial expressions which turn the most boring meetings into quite a circus.  Wish I could say I never fell prey to any of the funniest moments on Zoom, but I’ve had my share and you probably have too.

Keeping it real here but we simply forget the camera is on us.  Sounds a lot like the way we view our lives.  The little white lie which never hurt anyone.  The compromises we slide into when we think no one is looking. The thoughts we’d never speak.  The motives projected covering up our real agenda. The tweets and posts which make us seem like “sweet Bible study girls” when we know the truth that happens when no one else is looking.

When life is hard or filled with injustices, we love and cling to the God who sees all.  However, when we are choosing things other than right living, we attempt to hide what we don’t want Him or others to see. One thing we can guarantee is whatever is hidden always rises to the surface eventually.

Truth is our lives are under a proverbial lens – our God sees all.  We can hide from others, but we can’t hide from Him. Its our natural tendency to seek cover (Genesis 3:8).  Adam and Eve realized real quick that hiding wasn’t an option, but forgiveness was.  While there are definite consequences for our actions, God’s desire is for restoration and redemption.  Romans 8:1 reminds us there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus.  His death on the cross covers all our past, present and future sins; however, our goal should never be to step outside the realms of His will.

Every day is an opportunity to seek right living…doing the things which please our God.  Honoring Him with our choices even when we know others are not looking.  Walking in the freedom found in a life disciplined and obedient to the word of God.

“Father, we will never achieve perfection on this earth, but we can strive to keep a short account of sin and walk blamelessly in step with You.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 17, 2020

Profitable

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

How can we really be sure what’s right and wrong? How can we know God’s will for our lives—the moment-by-moment guidance and the big-picture direction and purpose? How can we be prepared and equipped walk in a way that is pleasing to God?

God gives us everything we need in the Bible. Scripture has the answers—all Scripture. Not just the pullout quotes that look nice on coffee mugs. Not just the hope-filled promises, but also the upsetting warnings.

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul succinctly describes how the Word accomplishes our equipping for life’s journey. Many translations of 2 Timothy 3:16 use the word “profitable” for “useful.” I actually like the implications here. Useful is good, certainly. Things that are useful connote practicality and purposefulness. But profitable…this goes a step or two beyond utilitarian to fruitful, advantageous, rewarding, and favorable. Profitable takes us beyond the pragmatism to the worthwhile gain.

So, what’s this secret sauce from Paul when it comes to God’s Word—the “insider information” to boost the bottom line of life? It’s really very simple. The Bible tells us all: “Don’t do that. Do this instead. And keep on doing it.”

Very simple, yes. Far from easy.

But, it’s all in there! Relationship and marital advice, parenting tools, insights on the type of friends to have (and to run from), leadership traits, organizational administration, how to communicate effectively…the list is endless. From Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21, we are given scientific facts in biology, astronomy, archeology, etc. (some of which are being newly corroborated even today). The Psalms relate to our everyday struggles and frustrations, while reminding us of God’s sovereignty in it all. The Proverbs provide very practical wisdom that, when followed, save us from a lot of grief. From all the New Testament writers, we get to see relatable human frailty and failure along with Holy-Spirit led victories. We learn how to keep on moving forward toward our eternity in the light of our salvation. And we can rest in the fact that will take a few steps forward and a couple steps back—but at least we’re going in the right direction.

And, most importantly, every one of the 66 books point to a single underlying theme: Jesus— our Lord, Savior, Friend, Anchor, Strength, Judge, King. Because it is knowing Jesus and accepting who He is and what He’s done on our behalf that, well…that’s the most profitable thing of all.

“Your Word is life, Lord. And we are so privileged to have this instruction manual from Your very breath! Help us delight in the Bible more than anything else.”

For His Glory,

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 16, 2020

Beautiful Feet

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”  Isaiah 52:7 (NIV)

I love shoes. Also, I think it is somewhat safe for me to say that most girls have a platonic relationship with footwear. Shoes come in so many styles and colors that if one is not careful, she may end up like Joseph and his coat of many colors, except in a shoe collection version. And by the way, shoes can serve as the perfect icebreaker at times.

I am from Brazil and Brazilian women absolutely l-o-v-e their high heels! Also, being the frugal señorita that I am, I constantly hunt for bargains so I can keep on adding to my collection that got depleted after a severe ankle break led to a sad conversation with my surgeon and his staff back in the fall of 2014. According to them, I would likely never get into high heels again! Fast forward two years and lo and behold, the much appreciated, fervent, frequent, powerful and effective prayer of many righteous folks (James 5:16) went straight from their lips into God’s ears and here I am, back in my heels!

Nonetheless, there is way more to me than the shoes that I wear. I am human, and above all else, I am a child of God. And I strive to be salt and light in this world. I will use anything and everything – including shoes – as an icebreaker to start a conversation with others, especially if that conversation might comfort them and show them God’s love, or ultimately lead to prayer for their salvation.

What’s your favorite icebreaker? Is it a favorite, colorful outfit? A purse? A pair of shoes? Jewelry? It doesn’t really matter what it is. What truly matters is that wherever you plant your feet, wherever you stay a while, that you use that opportunity to show others how beautiful God is.

“Lord, thank You for helping us be creative with our time and resources to help brighten someone else’s day.”

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Love, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 15, 2020

Trusting God Through Fear

“When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me” Psalm 56:3-4

These verses from David, as he was on the run from King Saul’s murderous pursuit, may seem contradictory at first glance. He basically says, “When I’m afraid, I won’t be afraid.” Huh?

Let’s start with the comforting thought that even David—a man after God’s own heart—uses the word “when” here. He acknowledges that he has been, is, and will be afraid. This from a man who killed bears and lions as a young shepherd boy, took down a giant with a stone and slingshot, and victoriously battled enemy after enemy throughout his life. David didn’t seem to be afraid of very much.

In the context of this Psalm, though, the current king, Saul, wants David dead because he knows David will take his throne. As Saul and his armies are chasing him, David feels the heat. He knows he’s just one step ahead of Saul, and he hears the word on the street—the lies about him, the traps being set for him, the oppression, the eagerness for his demise.

And he is afraid.

But, because he has trusted the Lord throughout his life, because he knows and loves God’s word, David has a solid foundation on which he can stand. He has experienced the fact that God is for him (v 9). The Lord has protected him and delivered him in the past (v13), so David knows that God’s promises to him are true. Moreover, in verse 8, David describes how God has walked with him through his wanderings and trials, collecting his tears through sorrow and pain.

And he’s still afraid—and that’s OK! In fact, the seemingly contradictory part in verse 4—“I shall not be afraid”—is not saying that David won’t experience fear. David’s saying that when he is afraid, he’ll use it as a prompt to recall, “I trust You, Lord, and trust Your word!” He is saying, “In my fear, I don’t have to be afraid.” (I picture him hiding out, perhaps in one of his many on-the-run cave dwellings, shaking in his sandals and repeating to himself in prayer, “I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid.”)

What a great reminder for us all. In this life, we all have battles and trials (John 16:33). We may, like David, even have people twisting our words and setting traps for us—eager for our downfall. And although we may not have someone pursuing our very life, every believer has a real enemy of our soul who wants us to live in discouragement, distress, and fear.

But God. God is praiseworthy, faithful, true. His word is trustworthy. We need to look back on His blessings and recall how He’s carried us through previous storms. Let’s recognize that we have not shed a single tear that God has not caught and collected. And, by putting our faith in Jesus, we can also look ahead to His promise of eternal hope. Regardless of how daunting our circumstances are today, our ultimate future as believers is fear-free.

“Lord, when I am afraid, I will trust in You…and I will stand firm on the foundation of Your truth—Your Word—to recall that You have a hold on me. What can mere man—or Satan—do to me?”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

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