Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 6, 2014

Sovereignty’s Reign

MP900400219[1]“O Sovereign LORD, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do?”  Deuteronomy 3:24 (NIV)

 God’s sovereignty doesn’t move out the moment our bad news moves in.  But it sure does feel like it.What we dreaded and hoped against lands us face down and sovereignty seems to scatter.  How could God, what has God, and of course why would God – questions surrounded in doubts and fears. The dreaded diagnosis that shatters our hearts and the immediate chaos leaves no room for sovereignty.  Yet sitting with one who awakes from surgery and hears the word “cancer,”  I realize that God doesn’t walk away when the dread settles in.  Instead, we gather and pray and He fills her room.  We remember, rehearse and recall His perfect orchestration of our bad circumstances.  We see how He intervened and moved her name up the list rather than landed her in the waiting room.    We search out the questions and unwrap the sections we can’t explain – how God so perfectly protected, lined up and initiated every person in that operating room.  Mysteries of His divine intervention lift spirits and engage hope deep where disillusionment longs to reside.  My sweet friend dressed in hospital gown surrounded by white walls outshines the most beautiful flowers sitting on the shelf. Her spirit is strong, her God is real and we who came to encourage are inspired deep.  God’s sovereignty reigns big and large even in the midst of tears mingled with praise.  And we sit, rehearse, hold and pray because the One who planned it all shouts loud and clear – I’ve got this.

“Father , help us to lean, rest and cling to You confident that You will take our bad moments and weave them into shouts of hope.”

For His Glory

 Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 5, 2014

Victory Awaits on the Other Side

cb devo mar5“…he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake.” Matthew 8:18b (NLT)

 We’re all familiar with the story in Matthew 8: 23-27. Jesus and His disciples get in a boat and head to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  A sudden and terrible storm comes up with breaking waves that threaten to sink the boat. Obliviously, Jesus is not worried because He is in the boat sleeping. The disciples are terrified and wake Jesus asking him to save them. The disciples are scared for their lives, afraid they’re going to drown. Jesus asked why they are so afraid then states, “you have so little faith!” Jesus stands up and rebukes the wind and waves.  All becomes calm leaving the disciples in awe and probably scratching their heads.

 How many of us miss Jesus’ prior instruction in verse 18? Jesus instructs the disciples “…cross to the other side…” When Jesus says you are going to the other side make no mistake about it, you ARE going to the other side!  There’s no storm of life, scheme of man, or obstacle of the Oppressor going to stop what the Lord says will happen. When we are in the middle of the lake of life and our boats are being tossed about, the winds are swirling and the waves are crashing. Stand strong and courageous. You may have lost your oars, your boat may be full of water and the winds taking you in the opposite direction. Stay calm having the faith to rebuke the fiercest storm. Our Father is taking us to the other side.

 The storms of life have no other choice but be still, be calm and step aside and get out of our way because God says we’re going to the other side where our victory awaits.

 “Father, how sweet to ride out the storms of life with You by our side.”

 For His Glory

 Kim Lacey Schock
TRBC Mountain Blend

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

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 4, 2014

It’s Critical That We Stop Loving

MP900443687[1]“Do not love the world or anything in the world If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not of them. 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. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:15-17 (NIV)

 This time of year, most people are focused on love. You know, with Valentine’s Day in February and weddings in the Spring.  I know the song goes “What the world needs now is love, sweet love…It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of”, and I know we need more love (I mean, we really, really, really do).

 But, here’s the thing: We know the will of the Father includes love (as in the greatest commandment of loving God and the second greatest commandment of loving others from Matthew 22). But, I am afraid we have shoved aside this kind of love for love of the world. We care less about doing what God expects of us and more about what we can get. After all, how many of us look to our houses, closets, bank accounts, jewelry boxes, driveways, and careers to let us know that we are successful. And we haven’t even gotten to the issues surrounding pride, envy, substance abuse, sex, and the list goes on.

 In order to really love, we have to stop loving the world and the desires of the flesh, and replace that with a Godly love. An agape love for God and others. This love matters. This love has eternal consequences. The other junk? Well, as the old saying goes, I’ve never seen a U-Haul behind a hearse.

 “Dear Lord, I don’t want to love the world or the things of the world. I want to love you and others. Help me, Jesus.”


For His Glory

 Laurel Shaler (www.drlaurelshaler.com)
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Attitude, Hope, Spiritual Living, Success

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 3, 2014

Giving God All The Glory

cb devo mar3“I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”  Isaiah 42:8 (KJV)

 Did you know that God says He is a jealous God?  When we try to take His glory He becomes jealous (Exodus 34:14). God doesn’t become jealous because someone has something He wants or needs. (Exodus 20:4-5)  God is jealous when someone gives to another something that rightly belongs to Him.  In Exodus,  people were making idols and worshiping them rather than giving God what belonged to Him. Do you know that we can make our children idols?  When we put them before God, have them on a pedestal, become proud of them and take the credit when they are raised right – forgetting that it is God’s grace that has kept them. It is God who has watched over and protected them.  Another way of taking glory from God is by taking credit for ministry God has entrusted to us.  Boasting about what we do in the name of Jesus. Focusing the attention on us rather than God.  Another instance is when God heals us, and we start thinking it was because we were more spiritual and then we judge others who haven’t been healed.  We start thinking it was because of our good merits that God healed us.  We must always, always give God the glory.  If we don’t, we fall under the sin of pride.  When we talk about what God has done in our lives, we should humbly point to the One who has made it happen.  We must glorify God with our gifts and talents knowing that God is the giver of the gifts.

 “Lord, may You be glorified in everything I say and do.  May I always give You the honor, praise and glory.  May I not provoke You to jealousy. May You keep me from falling from spiritual pride.”

 

For His Glory

 Linda Reyes Shepherd
TRBC Mountain Blend

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Posted in Spiritual Living, Success, Wisdom, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 28, 2014

Firm In The Lord’s Strength

Bible“My brothers and sisters, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord’s strength. I love you and long for you. Dear friends, you are my joy and my crown.” Philippians 4:1 (NIRV)

 As we mature in the Lord and learn his Word, we will receive His strength and become empowered by the Holy Spirit. God wants us to stand firm and not be moved by the trials of life. We cannot do this if we are relying on our own strength. Times of discouragement will come, but God doesn’t want us to stay defeated. If we do, we will become faint in heart, grow weary and continue to stay discouraged.  Ultimately, we won’t be standing firm. God, however, wants to revitalize us, (re-energize us) through His Word. It is wonderful to know that whatever we are going through in life, we can face it with God’s strength because God is on our side. Confidently, we can rest in Him because God is the one who empowers us. He is the one that gives us the keys to live a victorious life through Christ Jesus. Ephesians 3:17 reminds us that Christ lives within us enabling us to build a strong unmovable foundation of love that runs deep.  We won’t be easily offended and moved by others’ unkind words or actions, if we are rooted and grounded in love. Is our foundation cracking? God’s Word will give us a solid foundation and  provide special armor enabling us to stand firm regardless of the battle (Ephesians 6:13-17).

 “Lord, I choose not to wallow in self-pity or discouragement. I choose your Word to make me strong. I choose to be rooted and grounded in love. Thank You for Your strength that keeps me firm, planted, and rooted in You.”

 For His Glory

 Linda Reyes Shepherd
TRBC Mountain Blend

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Success, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 27, 2014

Cultivating Growth

cb dev feb 27“I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.” I Chronicles 29:17 (NIV)

 No one likes them.  Most people dread them.  And if we could, we’d probably avoid them.  And when it’s over, we sigh a breath of relief.  So why do “tests” have such a huge impact on us?  Could it be the unknown results?  A hush hovers when prayers are offered for one who is undergoing health tests.  Wonder if it’s the lack of preparation?  Cramming for a final test leaves us regretting procrastination.  Perhaps our dread of tests stems from our avoidance to discover what we really know.  Whatever the reason, just the mention of the word “test,” and we envision the worst.   But when God mentions the word “test,” He envisions the best.   Designed to cultivate growth, deepen faith and enlarge our trust each struggle has the potential to stretch us out of the norm.  What we do and how we respond in those moments of testing reveal where we are in our relationship with God.  And sometimes, the honesty of our shallow self-dependency hits us square in the face.  Sometimes, we sink in the mire of testing and cave in as spiritual immaturity rises to the surface.  But then there are those exhilarating moments when we emerge stronger, empowered and more in love with God than we’ve ever been before.  The secret – simply seeking, leaning, trusting, and walking in sync with Him even when our world caves around us.  When we yield to what He is working in our lives then we will truly be amazed as God steals our breath away.

 “Father, how sweet to trust You in the tests of life and experience the joy of complete surrender to Your will.”

 For His Glory

 Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 26, 2014

Caring More About Our Insides Than Our Outsides

Beautiful young woman looking in the mirror “The Lord does not look at things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7b (NIV)

 

There was recently some controversy about a doll being on the cover of a well-known magazine. While I am not impacted by the doll’s place in the magazine, I won’t be looking at this type of magazine anyway. I am not worried about comparing myself to a doll, but I refuse to put myself in a position where I may wind up comparing myself to women who don’t represent reality or the overwhelming majority of women (even if they are air brushed). The fact is, we all have things we like about our bodies and areas we wish we could change. Looking at others who we perceive as “perfect” leads us down a path of unnecessary negative thoughts and feelings. And while I applaud all of us for working on improving our outer appearance (within reason), we should not place our self-worth in what we see in the mirror or in what society tells us we should look like. If we do, we will never live up to the unrealistic expectations placed upon us. And none of us need to put ourselves in a position where we will wind up failing and feeling bad about ourselves. Remember, man looks on the outside, but God looks on the heart. Maybe it’s time we invest more on our insides.  Or at least as much time as we invest in our outsides.

  “Dear Lord, thank You for loving me no matter what. Please help me to focus more on my heart than I do about my appearance.”

 For His Glory,

 Laurel Shaler (www.drlaurelshaler.com)
TRBC Coffee Break

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Gratitude, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 25, 2014

Making The Best of Our Days

devo mar 18“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 (KJV)

 Ever think of living our best each day for God? Living in such a way as if it were our last day on earth. Ever wonder when your last day on earth will be? We all have wondered when we will die and how long we will live. Our time on earth is like a vapor, and we must prepare for eternity. When we do our best and use our gifts and talents God has given us, we are redeeming the time He has given us. We must also pray that we walk in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

If we received word from our doctor that we had x amount of months to live, how would we change? What goals would we set? What would we accomplish in that little time we had? How would our love walk be? What would we stop doing that wasn’t pleasing God? What things would we start doing that we had procrastinated for so long? Would there be anybody or many that we had to forgive? We must learn to number our days and apply our hearts to wisdom. We must live wisely in order to make right decisions. Perhaps we know someone who already has x amount of months, perhaps weeks to live. We never know if this year we might be the ones to receive that report or a loved one. The things of this earth will pass away, but the things we do for God will last forever. What kind of a legacy do we want to leave?

 “Lord, help me to learn how to number my days and apply my heart to wisdom.”

 For His Glory

 Linda Reyes Shepherd
TRBC Mountain Blend

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 24, 2014

A Way of Escape

MP900438647[1]“All this I will give you (Jesus), he said, if you will bow down and worship me (Satan).”  Matthew 4:9 (NIV)

 Hunger always leaves us seeking.   You know like in the middle of the night when tummy growls and your search for sweetness overwhelms you.  Or midday when stress robs our energy and hunger screams loud.  Or stretching and reaching, we begin our day starved and empty from the lack of yesterday.  Desperation loves to reign where hunger and lack camouflage plenty.  And if we’re not careful, we’ll bow down to hunger and worship the falseness of more.

 What are we hungry for?  A quick fix to soothe the ache of emptiness?  A flashy demonstration of what we can do to quench our insecurities?  A wide open canvas – everything we ever dreamed of – easily within our grasp? And the price tag – simply bow down and worship “me.”  Hunger now cleverly disguised as control, power and position.  Standing at the top, the love of His life  – the world staring back –  the reason He came. Jesus listening, hearing the beckoning call to compromise for the sake of it all.  And His resounding answer – “It is written.”  Jesus met the temptation to satisfy, press the limits and seek His own agenda with the words of His Father.  His desperate, hungry places were feasting on the food of the Father’s will.  What appeared to be all that Jesus could have ever wanted was simply a mirage created by the one whose hunger couldn’t be quenched.  An illusion designed to steal away the reason He came.  How are we handling our hunger – with compromise or conviction?

 “Father, empower us to resist the enticement to take what You have promised into our own hands.  Help us to know Your words and use them in moments of weakness.  Thank You for making a way of escape that leads to abundant life.”

 For His Glory

 Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Faith, Freedom, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 21, 2014

On Guard

cb devo feb21“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  Ephesians 6:11-12; 17 (NIV)

 Ever feel like we’re in a daily battle with unseen forces, and we have to be on guard and prepared for the attacks? God gives us specific pieces of armor enabling us to defend against the devil’s attacks. Recently, I was reminded how important a couple of pieces of armor are. First,  the helmet of salvation is what identifies us as Christians and soldiers of God. By believing Christ died for our sins and rose again is the first step of being properly prepared for battle.

 Another key piece is the Sword of the Spirit.  Anytime we pick up a sword, we are doing so to defend ourselves. Spending time in God’s word daily gives us ammunition to rebuke the schemes of the devil. It allows us to know God’s truth and how the devil is trying to lead us astray. The devil knows the scriptures and will twist things to fit his plans. In any battle there is always one that leads the troops and gives the orders. We have to know the voice of God, our leader in battle, by being in constant communication through scripture and prayer.

 “Dear God, How thankful we are that you give us what we need on a daily basis to be fully prepared to defend ourselves from the enemy. Help us never to be too busy to not properly put on the armor of God and to make sure our Sword of the Spirit is ready at all times.”

 For His Glory

 Katrina Redman
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Spiritual Living, Success, Wisdom

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