Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 10, 2017

I Am Not My Own

“Our only power and success comes from God.” 2 Corinthians 3:5 (NIV)

I love writing notes and cards to friends filled with fun, colorful confetti, which flies out in a million pieces once the envelope is opened. The apostle Paul, like me, sent many letters in his lifetime. He had a lot of zeal for God’s word, and his zeal was evident in his letters to the different churches where he ministered. He encouraged and admonished them to do better and be better than they were the day before, when they did not know the Lord.

Paul lived during a time when trade business was performed in the streets and most business negotiations were sealed by a handshake. He was concerned that people would be too hung up on the technicalities of writing and receiving letters of recommendations on behalf of one another. He feared they would forget that they should be concerned about being in tune with God’s word and teachings in such a manner that people would “read” them without needing a piece of paper with a signature to recommend and accept them.

As I read this text, I asked myself, “What message am I passing on to those who cross paths with me in life?” “Am I being true to the God whom I serve by justly depicting Him with my lifestyle, my words, and my actions?” “Am I a good letter of recommendation on behalf of the Almighty God?”

I pray that I will never forget whose I am, versus who I am. Who I am, in the scheme of things is of infinitesimal importance compared to who God is and how I represent His kingdom to the world.

“Lord, You are the Great I Am. You are my all in all. Please forgive me when I forget that without You I am nothing. I need You, Lord.”

For His Glory

Luska Suzano
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Love, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 9, 2017

Walking in Humility

“God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.” Matthew 5:5 (NLT)

John the Baptist was a bit different. He wore camel hair clothes with a leather belt. His diet consisted of locusts and wild honey, and he lived in the wilderness. He denounced the religious establishment. He once called the Pharisees and Sadducees (religious leaders) a “brood of snakes” while throwing down the gauntlet: “’Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.’” (Matthew 3:8)

John was also meek.

Meek? When we think of meekness, we might not picture a man like John. In our key verse, those who are humble (or meek) are those who are willing to view themselves as they really are and submit to God and His Word.

John had reason to be proud. An angel announced his birth, proclaiming that John would have the “spirit and power of Elijah” as he prepared the way for the coming of the long-awaited Messiah. However, when given the opportunity to brag of his place in the kingdom of God, John responded to queries about his identity with this statement: “’I’m not even worthy to be his [Jesus’] slave and untie the straps of his sandal.’” (John 1:27)
John recognized himself for what he really was—“a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Clear the way for the LORD’s coming!’” He submitted himself to God and His Word as he spoke the truth with boldness and clarity.

Do we have to live on the outskirts of society or eat locusts and honey in order to possess humility? How can we realize who we really are? “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36 NLT) Jesus is our Good Shepherd (John 10:11 NLT), Who sacrifices His life for us. Without Him, we are lost sheep.

Will we choose to submit to God and His Word? Which door will we open? Door #1: We can take pride in ourselves and our accomplishments. Our reward is superficial praise and temporary adoration. Door #2: We can submit to God, seeking His will, obeying His commands, and praising Him along the way. Our reward is inheriting the whole earth. I choose door #2. I’m with John.

“Lord, I recognize that without You I am a lost sheep. I choose to submit myself to You and Your Word in everything I do.”

 

For His Glory

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

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Posted in Attitude, Faith, Gratitude, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 8, 2017

Restoring The Music of My Soul

“The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my victory.” Psalm 118:14 (NLT)

Classical music extraordinaire like Beethoven, Mozart and Bach, composers that lived during the “classical music period,” who left a legacy of classical masterpiece compositions. Musical geniuses scripting well-crafted music into art with just the right notes, chords and arrangements. Elaborate musical symphonies still marveled, revered and applauded to this very day.

Life is a masterpiece composition; and more importantly YOUR life. Constructed not by mere human hands, but the Maestro of the rhythm and rhyme of life. The Master of your life Who before the foundation of the world crafted an exquisite symphony written with your name as the title; just for your heart, soul and mind. In your very beginning, in secret, forming you note by note and string by string. Charting your life as lyrics sung from a worship hymnal.

Life’s trials to triumphs sketch the chords for your testimony composing a symphony created by the greatest Conductor. When broken and discarded instruments are surrendered to the Luthier’s (/loodeer/) loving and skillful hands; your previously poor performance transposes to a symphony that is music to the ear. The Composer takes your tears and scripts musical notes comprising a beautiful harmony singing praises to God’s faithfulness. A melody only you and your Father will know the verses to. Do not allow humankind or the evil one to destroy the hymn written from your teardrops; your Melodist will not permit your tune to end on a sour note. Sing your anthem of restoration with hums of joy and shouts of praise with an ending finale and a standing ovation directed to the greatest Composer of your life.

“Father, in Your hands, I become an accomplished medley with in sync heartbeats between the sheet music of my life and You the Songsmith. You have taken my silent life by the world’s standard and made it a supernatural opus. Thank you for restoring the music of my life to an alluring sound drawing others to a rhapsody of Your praise.”

 

For His Glory,

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

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 7, 2017

Navigating Life Before Good Goes Bad

“Whoever gives thought to the Word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.” Proverbs 16:20 (ESV)

Despite the absence of Thanksgiving in July, I wanted a turkey dinner last week.  Unthawed my bird.  Marinated my bird.  Can’t wait to eat my bird – yum!

Exhausted from a busy day, I pulled into my driveway and anticipated the wonderful aroma of turkey.  One step inside and I knew something wasn’t right.  Perhaps it was the garbage bag I had forgotten to take out in the morning.   Couldn’t quite pinpoint it so I proceeded to fix all my sides while my turkey cooled.  Table set, I took one bite before placing the turkey on the platter and it wasn’t delish.  In fact my good turkey had gone bad. Not sure what happened, but there was no way, I was serving this perfectly browned bird to my family.  Looked good but definitely bad.

Ever experienced those moments when life presented you with what looked good, seemed perfect but ended up bad?  Perhaps it was your ideal job that wasn’t great after all.  Maybe it was an opportunity that matched your skills perfectly, but ended up stealing away all your time. Perhaps it was a good choice like exercise that ultimately became an obsession.  Maybe it was the ideal friendship  that ended up leading us down a path of compromises.  Get the picture – not all good is good for us if we allow bad to seep in.

Love laying it all down at His feet and seeking His direction before good becomes bad.  Love the way scripture reminds us that best is always His choice for us.  Love the way He tenderly grabs our attention so we can avoid bad.

Next time we’re tempted, let’s cling to His truth even when good appears to be perfect. Let’s treasure those moments when God says no despite our overwhelming desire for yes.  Let’s promise to hold out and wait rather than pursue what we desire.  Let’s simply trust His plan so we won’t regret our own.

“Father, help us to lean in close and listen for Your guidance despite our perceived good.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 4, 2017

Totally Devoted

“You shall have no other gods before me.”  Exodus 20:3 (NIV)

While I have no ancient idol statues perched on my shelves – I’d have to admit there have been idols that have surfaced in my life.  Busyness, exercise, perfectionism….do I really need to go on.  Don’t think so. You may have experienced some of these too or perhaps you have your own personal list.  Regardless, idols just creep in and consume our attention; we don’t even recognize them at first.  Usually they disguise themselves as good things, but before we know it, we’re obsessed with them. Distracted, we find our attention shifting further and further away from the One true God.

When God says no other gods before Him – He means it – no need for interpretation here.  So why do we attempt to lift up others, things, or ourselves in our pursuits as if He wasn’t enough. It is really no surprise that God would give this commandment first because everything else hinges on those words.  We can’t receive His power, strength, or wisdom apart from giving Him first place in our lives.

So what imposters are taking us away from the One God that truly satisfies?  What would cause us to even look or consider placing anything above Him? The Giver of life, Sustainer of our souls and Redeemer of our hearts has earned the right to be our First Love.  Yet the visible, tangible things in front of us often lure us away.

Real question are we willing to tear down those things we have erected? How do we let them go so there is nothing else standing in the way?  It’s elementary – yet its crucial.  If we want to serve Him, enjoy Him and glorify Him then we’ve got to place God higher than anything or anyone else in our lives. Total devotion is what He desires; it’s what He requires. And when we remove all the rest, we will find that He is more than enough for all that we need.

“Father, When we are willing to surrender everything, we finally realize that You alone are worthy of our devotion.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 3, 2017

Sometimes Our Neighbor Is Someone We Never Saw Before Or Will Ever See Again

“But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:29 (NIV)

Back in the late 1990’s, I had a 50-mile commute to work, from Ann Arbor, MI, where our family resided, to Detroit, MI, where my office was. The ride to and from work would take at least one hour, because we would get into busy traffic in and out of the city. Once in Detroit, I had 10-minute walk to and from an arena that charged patrons by the day.

In the winter time, when the days would get darker earlier, I would try and walk really fast to my car, for safety reasons. One winter evening as I exited the front entrance of the Comerica Tower, where my office was housed on the 28th floor, I heard the sound of something being hit and tire screeches at the traffic light. To my dismay, the vehicle that hit that “something” did not stop, and instead, accelerated and left the scene. I immediately ran to that light, and there, in the middle of the road, where visibility was low due to melted snow, lay a man.  He was in a nice suit, with his briefcase containing his laptop computer lying several feet from him. That business man was conscious, but unable to get up. People were not stopping.

“Lord, what do I do?” I had never received any training for directing traffic, but on that evening, I did in my long, red winter coat. I had to make sure that man did not get hit yet again! I began shouting to people passing by to dial 911 – even if they did not stop. I also kept talking to the man, to keep him conscious. Eventually, I heard police and firetruck sirens, and official help came to the rescue, taking over from there.

One day, a long time ago, a man was severely beaten in his journey from Jerusalem to Jericho. He lay there for a good bit, while people passed by, not stopping. One man, however, stopped and helped him and made sure he lived. On that cold winter night in Detroit, I was the Samaritan in the life of a man I never saw again. I was late getting home that evening, but by God’s glory, my neighbor did not perish.

“Lord, please help us to never become insensitive to the needs of our neighbors.”

 

For His Glory

Luska Suzano
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Love, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 2, 2017

The Way Through

“God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 (NLT)

A young bride loses the life she was carrying along with the dream of birthing a child of her own. A man nearing his retirement loses his brother—his best friend—to a heart attack. Now how will he fill the void during lunchtime every day? A son is left caring for the shell of a man that his father once was. Dementia stripped away all that was Dad. Parents drift through the days seeing the child they lost to a devastating accident in every room of the house, in the expressions on the faces of the child’s siblings, wondering how to cope.

A businessman dresses in a suit and tie he’s worn for the better part of 40 years only to sit on a bench, clueless as to what to do with his days of sudden unemployment. Who will hire him so near to his golden years? A single mom struggles to fill her children’s bellies while her own heart is drained of hope after her husband walked out on the family. How will they survive without a steady income?

No matter what the circumstances, we all have reason to mourn. Our reason to mourn may be caused by an accident or our outright rebellion. “Heaven is the joy of our Lord; a mountain of joy, to which our way is through a vale of tears.” (Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible)

Our source of mourning may be different, but our path is the same—“through a vale of tears.” What does the path through the mourning look like? It is paved in complete dependence on God. The guardrails are constructed of pure repentance and humility. Directional signs on the path remind of His unending mercy and grace.

An ironclad promise: God will comfort us. As we seek God in our mourning, the Holy Spirit guides us on our way, promising the true comfort that comes not from the well-meaning words of friends and family, but the closeness of Christ. Will you seek Him in your mourning?

“Lord, we come to You with our mourning, knowing that You alone offer the comfort we desperately crave.”

For His Glory

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

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 1, 2017

Running Far With Jesus

“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die.” I Kings 19:4a (NKJV)

Interpreting individualized car tags can be fun and challenging. On the way to work this morning one read ‘I Run Far.’ Ok, inquiring minds want to know how far, where, why?   Physical running can be enjoyable and therapeutic; however, for some people ‘running away’ seems to be the only option to flee life’s challenges.

We find this example in I Kings Chapters 18-19.   Chapter 18 finds Elijah celebrating God magnificently proving Himself, but then inconsequentially Chapter 19 finds him running ‘far away.’  Why?  Because Jezebel, a very wicked queen, had received word that God had tremendously used Elijah.  Irritated she threatened his life.  Fear and doubt gripped this mighty man of God so ferociously he felt his only option was to run – far away.   Not only did he run away, he refused to eat, drink, or rest resulting in depression and inevitably praying to die!

How many times does God use us beyond our human ability and without warning we find ourselves like Elijah – fearfully doubting God.  The truth is we can’t run from ourselves.  Though Elijah’s faith was challenged, God met his physical needs and is ultimately found encouraging Elijah in a still small voice.

What are you running from today?  A broken marriage, fear of the unknown, failure, etc.?  Listen to God’s voice.  Running away is not an option – ‘running far’ with Jesus is.  He is your personal cheerleader!

“Dear Jesus, please teach my heart to run to You not away from You.”

For His Glory

Patsy Sanders
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | July 31, 2017

Moving Away From What Doesn’t Serve Us Well

“Of those men who went to spy out the land, only Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive.” Numbers 14:38 (ESV)

 

Twelve courageous men, one from every tribe of Israel, embarked on the assignment of a lifetime. Their job was go into the Promised Land and check it out.  To go ahead and observe.  To study the people.  To learn about the land and vegetation.  To find out what the enemy was like.   To see if the land was fertile or unproductive. To bring back to the people the fruit of the land.   And they followed  Moses’ instructions exactly covering approximately 240 miles.  Exploring every inch, making mental notes of everything they saw and gathering pomegranates, figs and grapes.

Forty days later, the twelve returned.  “Here is some of the fruit from the land,” they exclaimed.  “We went into the land where you sent us and it is flowing with milk and honey.”  The peoples’ hearts were encouraged, but then they heard the devastating news – the people were strong and their cities well protected.  Paralyzed with fear, the Israelites doubted God’s provision and longed for their perceived safety in Egypt.  Bondage appeared better than conquering new territory with God.

Isn’t that just like us?   Freedom can be a scary place when the abundant life appears to be an elusive dream.   Confusion, fear and the frustration of moving away from what we used to be can appear overwhelming if we zero in on the enemy.  Doubt can overtake us if we listen to the wrong voices and become paralyzed with the fear of moving away from the very things that haven’t serve us well.

Love the way Joshua and Caleb chose to stand apart from the other ten.  Love the way they encouraged the people and reminded them of God’s promises.  Love the way God honored them – the only two out of  twelve who experienced the greater glory found in trusting Him completely.

Sweet friends let’s be among those who don’t give up, cower or complain.  Let’s be Joshua and Caleb encouraging others to leave the familiarity of perceived safe and embark on a journey toward freedom. Let’s cheer them on, walk beside them and remind them of God’s amazing love and grace. Let’s never lose sight of God’s power and strength to overcome and fulfill His promises.

“Father, You empower Your people to be victorious over sin leaving behind what doesn’t serve us well. Teach us to seek the greater glory found in trusting You alone.”

 

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | July 28, 2017

When Love Overrides Critique

“Now we ask you, brothers, to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you, and to regard them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.”  I Thessalonians 5:12-13 (HCSB)

 

Critique is something we definitely don’t like to get.  We’re usually hard enough on “us” that we don’t really want to hear anyone else’s list.  We’re typically uncomfortable being confronted with our own “not so great moments” that we don’t need them highlighted by anyone else.  We’re so terribly sensitive about our “weaknesses” that we don’t see any reason to share them. Keeping it real  – we avoid critique of self – it’s just simply too painful.

 

Wonder why not critiquing  “us” makes it perfectly okay to critique someone else?  Attend an event, gathering or church service and critique enters center stage.  As if someone handed us a checklist when we entered the room, we feel inclined or “led” to evaluate whether it met our expectations.  We analyze the speaker from head to toe.  We decide if the music is too loud, too much or not enough.  We find fault in the acoustics, parking, etc. and express our disapproval on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all our world to see.

 

Quite unbalanced wouldn’t you say?   We avoid critique, yet we have no trouble scrutinizing others.  We flip the scales to our advantage and overlook the impact our view could have on others.  We disregard the hard work, sacrifice and sweet offerings of those who serve, teach and minister for the sake of what we would have done differently.

 

Love these sweet words in I Thessalonians that remind us to encourage one another.  Never does Paul mention the need to critique or investigate with the intent to put down our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we don’t understand what is being said or we are unsure then we should definitely consult God’s word and ask Him to lead us to truth.  However, that’s not what Paul is talking about in these verses.  The key word here is found “in those who lead you in the Lord.”   When others are leading us in the Lord, they are leading us in the right direction.  So sweet friends, the next time we are tempted to give our perspective wouldn’t we be wise instead to pray for, encourage and show appreciation to those who are serving the body of Christ.

 

“Father, You are overjoyed when Your children are at peace with one another truly reflecting You heart for all the world to see.”

 

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Attitude, Gratitude, Love, Wisdom

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