Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 13, 2013

Follow Me….to Jesus

clipwalk“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”    Matthew 28:19 (NIV)

Taking down a 250 year old tree wasn’t an easy task, but what became more challenging was the hive of bees embedded within the tree for years.  As my husband and his brothers tackled the task, the rest of us watched at a distance.  And might I add a safe distance.  Using smoke and a trained beekeeper, we discovered that when the Queen Bee came out, the rest swarmed right behind her.  Like soldiers marching with their leader, the bees were committed to following the Queen even if it meant leaving their hive behind – that’s true loyalty.  Wonder if we have anyone following us?  Now I’m definitely not advocating striving for Queen or idol status.  Rather as devoted followers of Christ are we living in a way that others would be impassioned to follow Him?  Would they want to follow us as we are following hard after Christ with all our heart, mind, and soul?   I don’t know about you, but there are many times when I doubt my ability to even lead myself, and the very thought of someone else walking in my footsteps is scary.  You know what, the disciples felt the same way.  Even after seeing, talking, touching and worshipping the Risen Christ, some of those eleven still doubted.    How sweet of Christ to meet them (and us) with their doubts and yet proclaim, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.”    Sweet friends , we’ve been commissioned to go out into our world and make disciples – now let’s give them a reason to follow us as we follow Christ.

“Father, every day we are presented with opportunities to influence our world – help our loyalty and devotion to You to draw others to follow in our footsteps.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

Leave a Comment

Posted in Encouragement, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 12, 2013

A Brand New You For Him

Woman Enjoying the Sun“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

 

The Apostle Paul went from persecuting Christians to becoming a strong advocate for Christ.   He was one of the best teachers and equippers to followers of Jesus. What a change!!!  In my family, I watched my mother, who once was a medium in Spiritism and spent years devoted to the occult, desperately search for something supernatural to happen in her life.  God’s unending mercies delivered my mom from the power of darkness and brought her into His kingdom. Now she spends her retirement years devoted to the Gospel and shares her story with others so they might become free from the things that hold them captive.  So thankful for that change!! 

 

Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we have to reinvent who we are because the “old us” will not cut it anymore. In the workplace, we may have to get training for a different job.  If a spouse walks out, we have to learn to do things differently. If mother nature sends inclement weather and we lose our homes, we may have to adjust to being in a shelter or living with friends. The list is endless. Nevertheless, the word of God is filled with promises.  If we trust Him, we will be okay.  If we have faith, He will see us through. And if we yield to Him, He will change us FOR THE BETTER.

 

As the pendulum of life takes another swing, leave your worries at the feet of the One who matters most, the One who can change your circumstances and turn you into someone whom you may even like better.

 

“Lord, change can be scary sometimes. The unknown can be a dreaded place if we don’t have the assurance that You are there. Please help us to trust You to mold us according to Your will. Turn us into vessels that matter to You.”

 

For His Glory

 

Luska Suzano
TRBC Coffee Break

Leave a Comment

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

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 11, 2013

The Perfect Parent

M“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness!” I John 1:9 (KJV)

 

Mother reached into the oven to pull out the rack, losing her grip. A “bad” word flew out of her mouth.  I was stunned, my mom never did that! I had tried the same word only a few days before, and the soap in my mouth reinforced the behavior she was hoping for: I would never say it again!

 

Without a doubt, we are not perfect parents, grandparents or guardians! Our children hurt us, break our hearts, or anger us. Facing a confrontation, I discussed several scenarios with my daughter.  With much more wisdom than her age she remarked, “Mom, be prepared to have every horrible thing you ever did brought up—it will be an attempt to divert the problem [from the sinner]!” She was right, and I knew it. We beat ourselves up, second guess our parenting, and examine every wrong past action when a child turns from God’s grace. Our sins march like soldiers across our memory, telling us we are a terrible parent. God spoke so clearly through this crisis: “I am a perfect parent, My child. Have you sinned? Does that make My parenting bad?” I knew it did not. If God Himself, the Perfect Parent, has children who willfully sin, how much more will we who are truly sinners?  Take comfort in this, as I am. Keep loving your child, and let God take control. It is His responsibility to convict, chastise, reprove, rebuke, and grant repentance. It is only ours to love, pray and allow God to be God.

 

“Dearest Father, truly You are a perfect parent and I am not! You are God, and I am not! I see so dimly, while You see all. Take our families, our loved ones, and our hearts, Lord, and work Your perfect will in each case, for Your glory—and Yours alone!”

 

For His Glory

 

Sandy Day
TRBC Mountain Blend

 

Leave a Comment

Posted in Hope, Mercy, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 10, 2013

Optimistic Faith

A Middle Eastern woman lying down reading “Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, He is not afraid of bad news;   his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.His heart is steady; he will not be afraid.” Psalm 112: 1a, 7-8a (ESV)

We can choose to be positive, optimistic,  and full of faith when our hearts are secure in the Lord.  Fear can come and go, but we don’t have to remain in it. If we fear the Lord, we will allow his Word to renew our minds and keep us grounded in faith so that we don’t allow our feelings to rule. The Bible calls those that fear the Lord happy. They have learned to respect God’s commandments and reverence God. When our heart is firm, we are not going to waver in our faith. When we walk around with a positive attitude people will draw to us because we are allowing Jesus to rule in our hearts.  Here are some scriptures to keep us positive and full of faith:

 

1. With God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)

2. Jesus prunes us so we will be even more productive for God. (John 15:2)

3. God’s discipline is good because it means I share in His holiness. (Hebrews 12:10)

4. I display a new nature because I am a new person, created in God’s likeness. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

5. Nothing can separate us from God’s love. (Romans 8:39)

6. God satisfies me and fills me with good things. (Psalm 107:9)

7. God’s words are health to my whole body. (Psalm 119:50)

8. God is for me so no one can ever be against me. (Romans 8:31)

 

“Lord, thank you for your Word that keeps me optimistic and full of faith. I choose to encourage others by my attitude and the life that I live and words of faith that I speak.”

 

For His Glory

 

Linda Reyes Shepherd
TRBC Mountain Blend

 

Leave a Comment

Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 9, 2013

Living Well Grace

Daisies on Piano“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Acts 20:24 (NIV)

I remember praying for dying grace when my sweet Dad was taking his final breaths.  We stroked his tired, dry hands.  We encircled him – our family of few.  And in the end, it was us who needed living well grace to carry on without him.  Death evokes remembrance, and life –  well it evokes perpetual time. Put offs for tomorrow.  Let it slide to the bottom of the list grace that forever surfaces when I’ve missed the mark.  Some days it’s grace that pushes my feet across the floor and out the door to face the world.  Every day it’s grace that kisses my cheek when I first awake.  And the amazing, incredible truth is His grace will never run out. God’s grace – my undeserved favor – covers all of my breaths from birth into eternity.  Where do you need grace today?  Or perhaps it was yesterday that absorbed forgiving grace – a past of mistakes and regrets – we’ve all ventured that path. Or perhaps tomorrow  we’ll need extending grace to reach outside of ourselves and offer a do-over to one we know doesn’t deserve it (just like us).  The one thing about grace is it can’t truly be defined with simple words or phrases.  Grace is too large to fill our everyday words – there are no limits, no boundaries, and no shortage of God’s grace.  So, lay your head down to sleep tonight and know that His amazing grace covers all of you.

“Father, how sweet to sing of Your grace, to dance in Your grace and be drenched in Your grace – it’s what we were created to do.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

Leave a Comment

Posted in Encouragement, Gratitude, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 6, 2013

Leaving Our Hurts Behind

MP900444039[1]“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:18 (KJV)

 Ever struggled to let go of a past offense?  Recently I was talking with someone who had been very hurt. They couldn’t let go of the offense; their peace and joy was gone.  They cringed even at the name of the person that had offended them.  Justifying their hurt, the person’s pain eventually evolved into bitterness.  

 When there is a root of bitterness,we cannot truly love others.  The love flow stops, and we cannot love with the love of God as long as we are holding on to grudges.   Instead of trusting God with the situation, we end up taking it upon ourselves to get even.  If we could only forgive and pray for those who have hurt us then we could truly learn to love with the love of God.  We cannot do this in our own power; however, we must ask God to fill us with His Spirit so that we can forgive.  Only as we are filled with His Spirit can we truly do this because forgiveness is a supernatural act.  God can and will do it through us if we pray and take steps to stop talking about our offenses.  The more we feed into them, the more bitter we will become.  We must give it to God instead of talking about it. Take it to the Lord in prayer, don’t take it to someone else. Inner joy and peace will be your reward, but the choice is yours.

 

“Lord I choose not to carry any grudges.  I choose to love my neighbor as myself.  I choose to keep my joy and my peace.  I forgive anyone who has offended me.”

 

For His Glory

 

Linda Shepherd
TRBC Mountain Blend

 

1 Comment

Posted in Hope, Love, Mercy, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 5, 2013

Child of God

cb devo sept 5“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” 1 John 3:2 (NIV)

 

On a couple of occasions, I have heard the word “Christian”   used like an adjective. Sometimes people are judge based on a person’s viewpoint of what a Christian should be. If we’ve accepted Christ as our Savior, we’re more than Christians – we’re  children of God.  As His children we go through the same stages our own children do; disobedience, defiance, and lots of drama – not quite the ideal perfection.

 

On the other hand being a child of God has some of the same blessings our own children receive; unconditional love, acceptance, forgiveness, and being taken care of. I am thankful that no matter how much we mess up, God is always right there to forgive us and forget the wrongs. Until the day Christ appears and we are like Him, we can keep trying to live our lives reflecting Christ. We are human with an old sinful nature and will still have days when we fail. That’s where the grace of God comes in and gives us a fresh start after repentance.

 

“Father, How thankful we are to be a child of God and have Your grace and love. Help us to live as Your children each day and be mindful of times that we aren’t. Through repentance, forgiveness, and grace may we learn from each misstep we take.”

 

For His Glory

 

Katrina Redman
TRBC Coffee Break

Leave a Comment

Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 4, 2013

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall…..

Beautiful young woman looking in the mirror“Search me O God and know my heart, try me and know my anxieties.”  Psalm 139:23 (NIV)

Tortured – that’s how a celebrity described her body – she feels literally tortured by her body.  Why?  She is still carrying baby weight only a few months after giving birth. How do I know that?  It was the cover story on a magazine I glimpsed at Target.  Wonder how many new moms have seen that article and chose to feel tortured by the normal state of their body?   Now I know that tabloids can’t be relied on as a true source of info, but let’s admit it girls we often fall into the trap of viewing ourselves in agony.  Why?  Because what we desire and what we want isn’t reflected in the mirror or on the scales.  And in our weakest moments, we can start to believe those tabloids that determine our value based on our looks.  We can start to digest and chew on the image of those models that project perfection. We can recharge our self-talk to self-defeating words that lure us down a lonely path.

How do we describe our bodies?  Wonder what God is thinking when He hears those words?  Wonder if His heart breaks or if He is pleased?  Psalm 139 is God’s love letter to His girls – declaring how precious we are in His sight. Do we remember that God hears our thoughts?  Have we forgotten how precious His thoughts are of us?  Do we need help drowning out what the world offers?  If so, then start your day with Psalm 139.   Allow His words to open your eyes to the secret of real beauty – not the illusion of a perfect 10.

“Father, you took me from nothing and formed me in the secret place.  Amazing and wonderful are the works of Your hands.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

Leave a Comment

Posted in Attitude, Gratitude, Hope, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 3, 2013

His Blessings

MP910220848[1]“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” Ephesians 2:4 (NKJV)

“Count your blessings, name them one by one!” On how I needed to be reminded of this wonderful hymn by J. Oatman, Jr.  One morning my first cry out to God was, “God! Please, I need some miracles today! Please help me be aware of Your blessings to me! Show me You love me, O Lord!”   A few seconds later, I realized this is the day I was to have had a biopsy – which is now over – it’s done! The sun is shining, and the weather is cool and invigorating. I ate a fruit breakfast which was so tasty.  I realized God had indeed started opening my eyes to count my blessings! I need some big ones as well, but I know His love surrounds me. During my devotions, He reminded me that His faithfulness is with us constantly – even when/if we are unfaithful, He still will be faithful! What a marvelous truth!

Let’s be “intentional” about looking for ways He is saying “I love you, dear child.” Don’t ever cast off His care with “What if…” and risk missing out on the ways He is sending us His love. We want a trustworthy God; we have a trustworthy God, now let’s show our thanks!

“Oh, Father, thank You for letting me know within one hour just a little of how much You love me. I’m the most insignificant of Your creatures, but You still love me! I feel, like Isaiah, to be a person of “unclean lips” because I complain so much; give me strength, please, to guide and take captive my thoughts, to Your glory! I love You, Lord! Thank you for the cross!”

For His Glory

Sandy Day
TRBC Mountain Blend

 

Leave a Comment

Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Gratitude

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 2, 2013

Keep Reaching

cb devo sept 2“Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;” Isaiah 59:1 (ESV)

The father and son pictured above are my middle son, André, and his boy, Jayden, 3.5 years old. The picture was taken during the wedding reception for my youngest son, Lukas, and his new bride, Jessica. André’s wife, Liz was the official wedding photographer, and she captured this special moment.  Jayden  needed some one-on-one time with his daddy right then and there on the dance floor, minutes before it was swarmed by guests eager to burn the calories they ingested during dinner.   It was evident to me that from Andre’s 6’2” stature, he had to bring himself down to his little boy’s height to get the hug and kiss Jayden was trying to give him. As for little Jayden, he stretched his little body as much as he could so he could reach his daddy’s neck. 

At times, I have felt like little Jayden in this picture, so thirsty for my Father’s embrace, that I felt every fiber in my body stretching in order to reach out.  I’ve been anxious that perhaps He wouldn’t be able to hear me, let alone notice that I needed His undivided attention. no matter whether a hundred people around me stopped to see what I was doing or even judge my actions. BUT the awesomeness of our God is such that He does not measure His love for us based on our actions, our circumstances, nor the place where we are at the moment.  Instead, God is loving, caring, and attentive to EVERY ONE of our needs. Despite the loudness that may be deafening to our human ears, God hears our plea.

“Father, life can be tough and the road sometimes gets treacherous filled with seemingly insurmountable obstacles, but you are greater than ALL those things together.   Your arm is not too short to save nor Your ear too dull to hear.”

For His Glory

Luska Suzano

TRBC Coffee Break

 

 

2 Comments

Posted in Encouragement, Gratitude, Hope

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Categories