Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 29, 2011

Committing To God’s Plans

 “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.”  Proverbs 16:3(TNIV)

Have you had certain plans in life that just never worked out? I mean they were good plans like serving in ministry or going on a mission’s trip; however, things just kept popping up and getting in the way. When we made those plans did we seek God’s counsel? Did we ask Him if this is the path He wants us to take? Sometimes those roadblocks that keep interrupting “our” plans are God’s way of redirecting us.

I had made plans in my heart about going on a missions trip, but it wasn’t anything I really sat down and prayed over with God. Now as deadlines for the trip are coming closer God is showing me the mission field He has for me is closer to home. Eventually in God’s timing I’ll go on the mission trip, but for now I’m committing myself to God’s plans. Wisdom comes from taking the time to step back and really see if our plans have come from God or our own desires. We should embrace and commit ourselves to God’s plans instead of being discouraged that we can’t do what we want. I can guarantee God has a huge blessing in store and it starts with one step in His direction.

“Dear God, Help us to be thankful for the disruption of our plans and to see the greater purpose of Your plan. Thank You for the peace that comes when we surrender our plans and commit to Yours.”

For His Glory,

Katrina Redman
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 28, 2011

Which Reward Will You Choose

“He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”   Hebrews 11:6b  (KJV)

Why is it that prayer and seeking after God feels so challenging, but seeking after our own ambitions comes so easily?  And how is it that we can get lost in a good book (or even Facebook)…but not God’s Book?  In a day where “right” often takes a back seat to “right now,” it seems we must work harder than ever to seek after God.  When resting requires a remote rather than extra time in God’s presence, we need discipline to look beyond the promise of the here and now.

This task will take more than just discipline and determination.  It will require great faith.  Perhaps that is one of the reasons why God placed the promise of this passage in the midst of the greatest faith chapter in scripture.  We can assume that God planted this invitation smack-dab in the center of this rolling biography of faithful saints because He knew that seeking Him with diligence would require great faith.  How else are we to resist the promises of temporal rewards while waiting for the rewards of the Lord?  After all, who naturally waits for a “hoped for promise” when a tangible reward is more easily gained?   To experience the abundant life of John 10:10, we will have to leap and “drive hard” toward God’s presence.   He who has promised is faithful and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him!

“Father, forgive us for the times we allowed you to become a casual afterthought.  Infuse us with a desire and capacity to pursue you diligently.  Grant us the faith to resist the distractions and temptations that might lead us from your presence.”

For His Glory

Claudia Dempsey
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 27, 2011

Sweet Forgiveness

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9 (NIV)

As  a child, I broke something of my moms.  Looking at all those pieces on the floor, I thought if I stared hard enough I could meld it together.  So I did the next best thing, I hid in our tree house.  When mom called us in for the evening, I trudged down the ladder.  Stepping into the house, I saw all the broken pieces on the counter.  Mom never said anything.  We went through our night rituals and still not one word was said.  I felt horrible.  When mom kissed me goodnight, she asked if I needed to tell her anything.   Looking away, I shook my head no.  The door closed, and I breathed a sigh of relief.  Could I have gotten away with it?

Unable to sleep, I cried because I didn’t want my mom to be upset with me.  About 3 am, I walked to my parents’ bedroom and told Mom what I did.  I was so sorry I broke one of her favorite things. She hugged me, told me it was alright and loved me.

Don’t we sometimes do this with God?  We mess up, and we are afraid to go to Him and confess our sins in fear He might discipline us.  Sometimes we pull away or go hide in our tree house worrying what will happen.  We are so lucky that we can receive God’s mercy and grace, but we must be the ones willing to come forward and be cleansed.

“Heavenly Father, Thank you for loving me even when I mess up.  I am so glad that I can come to You and confess what I’ve done and You will still love me and use me.”

For His Glory

Melissa Tucker
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Freedom, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 26, 2011

God’s Waiting Room

“Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.”  Psalms 27:14 (NAS)

Try to relax.  Go for a walk.  Take a nap.  Come back when you have other symptoms – advice our daughter received at the hospital last week.   Hoping to meet her daughter that day only indicated it was false labor, and she was instructed to go home and wait.    Disappointing to say the least.

How many times do God’s children spend long intervals in His waiting room?  Waiting to have a child, to get a job, for God to provide that special need, to see a child return to God, for a mate, etc.  Waiting requires strength and endurance to ‘hold on’ no matter the cost.

The Bible describes faith as the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen.    Being in His ‘waiting room’ places our hope and trust in the unseen acknowledging God is in control.  Nothing can be done to speed up God’s timetable, change His course of action, or undo His perfect plan.  As difficult as it may be to accept, God is sovereign.

Are you waiting?  Don’t lose hope.  Eventually our daughter gave birth and God’s little angel entered this world.   Every child of God can be confident He will come through, His blessings are always worth the wait, and He never disappoints His children.

“Dear Father, please give me patience and endurance, as I trust You with every aspect of my life.”

For His Glory

Patsy Sanders
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 23, 2011

Renew My Spirit

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 (NASB)

Yesterday, I was going about my business when a preacher on the radio nabbed my attention.   He told the story of the servant who was forgiven a huge debt, but then refused to forgive a man who owed him very little (Matthew 18:22-35).  “Uh-oh”, I thought, as I felt a familiar “twinge” in my conscience.  Then came the part of the story where the sinful man was handed over to the torturers until he repaid the last penny.  In my own heart, I realized the Holy Spirit was convicting me about what it means to have a clean heart—a heart with no unforgiveness lurking in the crevices, and no bitterness filling up cracks in its foundation.   It was time for me to ask God to create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me…

Oh Lord—if you could be but a shield about me!  The lifter of my head

Help me to forgive, though my heart is hardened

Lay down pure gold in the foundations of my temple

Carve out Your beauty in my heart of stone

Refine with fire the dust from which You created me

Let my heart’s one desire be that which You desire

Your humble will, in place of my wicked one

Your grace, in place of my judgment

Your passion for love, in place of my selfishness in life

In doing so, create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a right spirit within me!

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Posted in Freedom, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 22, 2011

Finishing God’s Way

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” Judges 6:15 (NIV)

When God asks us to do a task we see as impossible doubt can psych us out before we attempt the task. Recently, I started running and training for a 5k. I was doing really well until I had an injury to my foot.  Determined to run the race, I had to plan out times that I was going to walk since my injury couldn’t handle the hills. Even during training, I put those limitations into my work out.  Instead of turning the situation over to God and letting Him give me the strength to overcome the obstacles, I psyched myself out.

When God told Gideon to save Israel, he quickly pointed out his weak points. No matter how much faith he wanted to have in God,  Gideon was consumed with doubts. God proved to Gideon that putting the doubts aside and being obedient to His commands would enable Gideon to accomplish the task. And it would be accomplished in an astonishing way that only God could orchestrate. My journey with the 5k also had results that could only be achieved in a “God sized” victory. I not only ran the race, but finished in a time I could never have imagined. I beat my best training time that had MY limitations built in by 5 minutes. When God gives you a task, be obedient and remember He already has the finish planned out.

 “Dear God, I am thankful that You don’t let our excuses hinder Your plans. Give us the strength to be faithful, obedient, and willing to let You push us further than we could ever imagine.’

For His Glory,

Katrina Redman
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Attitude, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 21, 2011

Redeeming Best

“This is what the Lord says – your Redeemer the Holy One of Israel:  I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.”  Isaiah 48:17 (NIV)

Tiny fingers hitting a hot stove slither away in pain.  One cookie too many and tiny stomachs wish they’d listened.  A wayward teenager lingering too long at a party forfeits her future for the sake of imitation love .  A range of pain simple and complex all indicators that life experiences seek to teach us. From the cradle to eternity, God desires to lead us in the direction of the “best.”  So why is it we resist His tender leading when we have no reason to doubt His outrageous love?  A subtle inner voice echos a familiar chorus.  Eve heard it in the garden.  Jesus heard it in the wilderness.  And we hear “we’ve been cheated, there’s something more and we’ve got to reach for it ourselves.”  Doubt and disillusionment fills our lessons rather than enlightenment, wisdom and understanding.  Why would a loving God allow this to happen?  Why would He bring us this far only to watch our world collapse around us?  Questions searching for an answer that can only be found in the One who teaches us what is “Best.”  We see immediate; He sees long term. We see heartache; He sees wholeness. We see unfulfilled dreams; He sees the big picture.  Trusting God and surrendering our hearts isn’t always easy, but it does guarantee we will not be disappointed when He directs our steps.

“Father, You are the Giver of life – the One who has planned out each of my days.  I know I can trust You to do what’s best.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 20, 2011

Vulnerable

“For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.”   II Corinthians 5:4 (ESV)

Open to moral attack, criticism and temptation defines vulnerable – a word God has been placing on my heart all week.  It all started at my annual mammogram on Monday.  Anyone who has had one knows the feeling from sitting in the Waiting Room with others adorned in your beautiful gown as your shirt to the actual procedure. Some of us have been so lucky that we get to have ultrasounds or others anxiously await for a biopsy.  There you are vulnerable and exposed.  Tuesday the word kept racing thru my head.  God reminded me of just how vulnerable we are here on earth and how we need to protect our minds, eyes, hearts, and ears from the things of the world.   We need to be in constant remembrance that we are vulnerable and not absorb the influences of the world around us. We are here to be a shining reflection of God’s love to others and actively spreading His word to those we meet.  We are commanded to be in the world but not of the world.  We are here for a short time, how are we going to use our vulnerability for His glory today?

 

“Father, thank You for the reminder that I am vulnerable.  I need You to protect me and guide me in Your will not the worlds.  Show me Your path so I may shine for You.

Debbie Struble
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Uncategorized, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 19, 2011

How Job Learned To See

 “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.”  Job 42:5 (NIV)

Well-known for his staunch belief in God, Job suffered indescribable hardships.  One of his most commendable traits was that he never denied his belief in God; even when he experienced great pain, loss and despair.  God did not run to Job’s side to comfort him, alleviate his pain or answer his many nagging questions.  Our mighty God, who proclaims to be “near to the brokenhearted,” (Ps 34:18) chose instead “not to draw near” to His suffering servant so he might come to “see & know” God rather than just believe He exists.

Rather than responding to our urgent S.O.S. signals and prayers of desperation, God often chooses to veil His glory and remain silent so that we can gain something greater than our healing…an insight into the power and grandeur of our mighty Savior.  Consequently, God may often withhold what we desire most because there is more at stake than an answer to prayer.  However, God’s silence is never an indicator of neglect.  Despite our dark nights and painful seasons, we can trust that the same God who laid the foundations of the earth is near and does care, even when we feel as though He has left us alone.  And although we do not always understand His ways, it may just be that He is postponing his work on the external aspects of our lives so that a far greater work can be accomplished internally.

“Father, please help us to trust in You, even when we cannot see You, make sense of our hardships or even feel Your presence.  As Job learned, help us to trust that you are all-powerful, purposeful and worthy of our trust.”

 
For His Glory

Claudia Dempsey
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 16, 2011

Pure Worship

 “Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?”  Job 10b (NIV)

Uplifted hands reaching when the body can no longer stand.  A heart searching for the heart of God when life is ending.  It’s a picture I witnessed in church.  A child of God knowing their days are running out with a longing of heaven in their eyes.  The strain to worship.  The desire to stand but unable to lift oneself up.  I was mesmerized as we sang: “I believe that You’re my Healer, I believe You are all I need.”  I wondered what God saw.  Was His hand outstretched ready for the moment when one of His children came home?  Was God’s heart beating with anticipation knowing this one would be dancing on streets of gold.  I wondered what God saw in me.  Was my worship pure, unashamed and sacrificial?  It was a question that rained on my soul drenching my spirit.  This year has been one of challenges and disappointments as I’ve fought hard to glorify God even in the midst of darkness.  Was God pleased in my worship like this one who knew he was close to kissing the face of God?  Glorifying God when life didn’t measure up.  Lifting our hands, stretching and reaching to the only One who can satisfy the longings of our souls.  Forgetting anyone else is in the room, just us and God, in sync total unity – unquenchable worshippers.  There will definitely be days when our worship has sunk to the depths of despair, but God will always be faithful to outstretch His hand.

“Father, how I praise the thought of You captivated by my worship. Ignite my heart to forever praise Your name.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Worship

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