Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 7, 2024

A Beautiful Mind

“Search me O God and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts.”  Psalm 139:23 (ESV)

What does one do on a rainy Sunday afternoon? Well, to be honest I could think of lots of things to enjoy like watching a movie while nibbling on popcorn, reading a book or meeting up with a friend at Starbucks. None of those made my list – instead, I cleaned out our storage room or better known as the junk room. You know, it’s the place where everything lands when you have no place to put them, i.e., extra paper towels, gift bags, light bulbs. I think you get the picture. Needless to say, our junk room had gotten pretty junky. This summer girl will not spend time inside while the sun is shining.

Two hours later plus a lot of persistence landed me a clean, tidy room and no stumbling over boxes on the floor. Amazing how much stuff accumulates so fast. A bag full of trash discarded and two bags of books out of the house  – loving my clean space – just hoping I keep it that way.

How did such a mess happen? It’s simple – laziness and carelessness overrode neat and tidy. Basically, excuses for not putting things away that needed to be put away or throwing out what needed to be trashed.

Don’t know about you, but our minds can often land in this place of sheer clutter and messiness. Lots of thoughts run rampant between our ears every moment of every day. Our brains are a three pound universe that processes 70,000 thoughts each day using 100 billion neurons that connect at more than 500 trillion points through synapses that travel 300 miles/hour (Cleveland Clinic). And that, sweet friends makes my head really spin.

What thoughts are roaming through our minds today?

Doubt and deception are two key tools our enemy loves to swirl in our minds. Doubts about our worth and value. Doubts about God’s promises, faithfulness and goodness. Doubts centered around God’s word. Doubts about the giftings God purposed for our lives. Deception about the consequences of sin. Deception zeroed in on the lies of Satan disguised as truth concealing his true agenda to kill, steal and destroy.

Sweet friends that’s just two of the enemy’s tactics to seize and manipulate our attention. Negativity, worry, jealousy, rehearsals of injustices, envy, strife, hatred, fear….the list is endless. All those thoughts running wild making connections and influencing decisions in ways we never thought we would. Broken records on repeat.

While the enemy seeks to destroy, our God seeks to renew and re-route (Romans 12:2). By strategically creating new thought patterns centered on the word of God, we can bring our thoughts under the submission of what glorifies God(Colossians 3:2). By surrendering to the Spirit’s leading, we can resist our tendencies to allow random, unhealthy thoughts to run wild (I Corinthians 3:16). By filling our minds with thoughts of our mighty God, we will be victorious and experience His amazing peace (Isaiah 26:3, Romans 8:6).

Sweet friends let’s not be the ones who allow anything to fill our minds. Let’s not be lazy or careless. Let’s not settle for old thoughts that have never served us well. Our God made us in His image with a beautifully created mind designed to glorify Him – let’s not allow the world’s thinking to cloud or distort His amazing work in us.

“Father, when unhealthy thoughts begin to swirl in my mind help me to shift my focus upward and trust in Your peace over all things in my life.”

 

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Freedom, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 4, 2024

Whispers…Praying To The Father

“…..be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12b (ESV)

Standing near the back of the room, I heard the whispers of Jesus girls praying to the Father. It was the sweetest, most precious moment. The soft hush, the held hands, the arms locked and circled together. Heads bowed. Hands raised. Mouths praising, worshipping, speaking, asking – absolutely priceless. After the craziness of a work day, a refreshing aroma from those sitting at the feet of Jesus together – seeing hope ignited.

Love the way prayer can happen anywhere at any time. Love the ease of open hearts calling out to the One who can change us from the inside out. Love the open invitation to come just as we are tired, lonely, wounded, hopeless and rejected. Love the whispers that cry out in faith, trusting without sight and releasing heavy burdens.

Don’t know why we seem to make prayer so complicated when Jesus simply says, Come. No special formula or perfect words just hearts eager to hear, listen and share. Simple conversations. Jesus girls telling Him about all our trials, joys, excitement and fears. Releasing yesterdays and grabbing hope for tomorrows. Asking for the second, third and fourth time….waiting in expectation. Venting what He already knows and has seen yet confident He’s listening again and again.

Can’t imagine the joy expressed when God hears our whispers. When He sees us coming together praying for each other. The hum of voices in total sync, perfect harmony lifting one another up must bring much pleasure to our God. Wonder, if like me, He stands back in awe and breathlessly takes in the beauty of His girls locking arms in prayer?

“Father, thank You for giving me just a glimpse of how precious prayer is in Your sight. May we never neglect the invitation to talk with You.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Prayer, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 3, 2024

Feasting On His Daily Bread

devp july26“In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken;” Genesis 3:19a (NKJV)

 A few years ago, I took my mom back to the old ‘home place’ where she was born. As we drove the ruts of the dirt road, she pointed in excitement: “That’s where Dad sowed corn, and I chopped weeds from the time I was five!” She had no brothers, so she worked the farm. I could imagine her young body sweating in the heat, doing a job she probably hated, yet loyal as any soldier to her father, whom she adored.

 Bread was earned, truly, by the sweat of the brow – nothing came easy to farmers.  This morning, I have the ease and comforts of home, yet I arose and felt “blah!” Getting my coffee, I wanted to sit for a few minutes until the caffeine awakened my brain. But I love my Father dearly, and knew I needed to start the day with Him, reading my Bible and praying. Some days that is so hard! We want to take a break—and then it hits us! Jesus said of Himself that He is the Bread of Life. We are disciplining ourselves to get our “daily bread” by the sweat of our face. No, it’s not a physical sweat, but the discipline yields crops in our lives because we sought Jesus first. It never—even after 40 years—is a habit, but always a discipline! So tomorrow morning, ask the Lord to give you “this day your daily Bread!”

 

“Holy Father, You alone are the Bread of Life! We need to seek You early, as the Word says, just as we break our night’s fast with food. Please give us discipline in our lives that we will find You when we have sought You with all our heart! Bless our efforts to stay in touch with You throughout the day, dearest Lord!”

 

For His Glory

 

Sandy Day
TRBC Women’s Life

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

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 2, 2024

Love Isn’t Selfish

“Love isn’t selfish.” 1 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV)

I was recently talking with someone who is coming up on a special date regarding their son’s death. Their eyes filled with tears as they talked about their son and how much they miss him. I appreciated their honesty and vulnerability with me. And I understood where they were coming from. But then, just as they started to share their heart – they stopped. The next words they uttered were – “I shouldn’t say that it’s selfish to miss him and want him back, because he’s in a better place.”

While there’s truth in the fact our saved loved ones who are deceased are in a better place, it’s not selfish for us to miss them. Shutting down our emotions will not help us process our grief. People often throw around the phrase “I love you to death.” But if their loved ended in death, then grief would be easy. What makes grief so difficult to process is the simple fact that your heart still loves the person who has been taken from you. You miss the relationship, the conversations, the hugs, their voice, their little quirky ways. Your heart doesn’t stop loving them just because they’ve been removed from your life. You’re left with all these emotions for the person, but they’re not here to share them with.

Grief is a lifelong process of learning how to handle the emotions regarding the person you are missing.

If you’ve spent any time reading the Bible, then you know God loves people and He values relationships. He values them so much that relationships will be the only thing that will continue in Heaven. The fact that there will be accountability for our life lived on this earth stands as proof we will be ourselves in eternity.

Scripture tells us that “Jesus wept” when he heard of the news of the death of his friend Lazarus. The tears that Jesus shed were an outward sign of the love He felt for his friend and the family grieving.

Grief is the cost of loving someone. 1 Corinthians 13:5 states “love isn’t selfish”. It’s not selfish to miss the ones you love. Until we take our last breath on this earth, we will miss our loved ones. We will grieve them.
Our sovereign God is in control of everything. We can find comfort knowing that the same sovereign God is the same One who has experienced the pain we face daily.

By holding onto our hope of our future reunion with them, we can find healthy ways to grieve the rest of our days.

“Father, we thank you that you are not aloof from our loss, our pain, and our sense of anger. You value relationships and we ask that you hear our hearts’ cry as we grieve the loved ones no longer with us.”

For His Glory

Laura Holmes (www.EphraimMinistries.org)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Hope, Love, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 1, 2024

It’s A Bloodbath

“But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7

The Bible makes it very clear: We’re all sinners (Romans 3:23). In fact, we’re not sinners because we sin…we sin because we’re sinners. If you don’t want to take this truth from God’s Word, just watch a toddler for, say, five minutes. No one has to teach them to lie, be selfish, or lash out with verbal or physical retribution when things aren’t going exactly how they want it. And whether or not you are a follower of Christ, you know that you know this is accurate—God reveals Himself and His law by His creation and our conscience (Romans 1:18-20).

In this sin, we are separated from God. There is a chasm that we humans—throughout history and in every corner of the globe—have tried to make our way across. Every world religion puts forth a plan of action to accomplish this—there is work to be done, sacrifices to be made, even money to be paid. Sin makes us filthy in God’s eyes, so we do everything we can to wash ourselves clean enough for His holy presence. It’s so very exhausting…and it’s never enough. We step out of the bath and fall immediately into another mud puddle.

Oh, but God and His grace! Through Jesus Christ, we don’t have to “do” to span that unspannable chasm. Jesus lived the perfect life we could not live, took the wrath of God meant for us, died the death we deserve, and rose again in victory—extending to us both the forgiveness of sin and giving us the righteousness of Christ Himself. We are made clean.

Think about this mind-blowing truth for a minute. We cannot wash ourselves clean—not through good works or penance or payment. We could bathe in clean hot water for days, so to speak, only to come out just as filthy (and really pruney). Friend, only the blood of Jesus can accomplish what we cannot…only by this bloodbath can we be washed as white as snow and reconciled with God (Isaiah 1:18; Psalm 51:7; Revelation 7:14).

In 1876, Robert Lowry penned a hymn called “Nothing but the Blood” that eloquently expresses this Gospel truth…and the magnificence of this bloodbath. (There are 6 verses and the refrain, but here are just a few.)

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain:
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

“Heavenly Father, thank You for making a way back into Your presence through the precious blood of Jesus—the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Thank You that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, not by our efforts.”

For His Glory

 

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Gratitude, Mercy

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 30, 2024

When Wait Invites His Glory

“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him to the soul who seeks Him.” Lamentations 3:25 (ESV)

The expectation of awesome is so worth the wait. If only we could see that in the moment. To fully remember that the present day is not all there is – so much more lies ahead. The wedding date engraved on invitations. The anticipated arrival of a newborn. The dream job years down the road. All moments when life unveils what we so hoped for making the now totally worth it.

None of us enjoys waiting. Even the simplest of waits irritates our fast-paced lifestyle. Delay isn’t a mode we like to entertain. So how does one live in the now when all we’ve hoped for seems so far away and unattainable? How do we hold onto hope in the wait and not lose heart?

God’s faithfulness frames the lives of those who chose to wait, and the reading of their life stories inspires us to not let go either:

Moses was instructed by God to come up on the mountain and wait for the Lord to give him the ten commandments (Exodus 24:12).

Ruth was told by her mother-in-law to wait to see if Boaz would be her kinsman redeemer (Ruth 3:18).

God answered Habakkuk’s plea for intervention with the writing of a vision that would seem slow, yet he was instructed to wait for it – it will surely come. (Habakkuk 2:3)

Simeon, a righteous and devout man waited and longed for the arrival of the Messiah (Luke 2:25).

And we wait for a new heaven and new earth -our eternal home (2 Peter 3:13).

Yes, sweet friends wait is hard but spiritual growth and dependence on our God revolutionizes our gaze from what we want to what pleases Him. The faithfulness of our God in fulfilling His promises strategically at just the right moment is documented throughout scripture. We don’t have to wonder or doubt if He will transform our wait into something far greater than we could have ever imagined. The reward is worth it.

So if we find ourselves in a season of delay and postponement let’s keep holding on to the hope we have in God. Let’s resist the urge to manipulate circumstances to ease our discomfort. Let’s remember who our God is, how He interacted with His people throughout the pages of scripture and stand confidently on the solid rock of His reputation and love.

“Father, I so want to please You in the wait – to rest, grow and be strengthened knowing You are doing what is best.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 27, 2024

Altar of Grace

“In him (Jesus) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. Ephesians 1:7 (NIV)

Have you ever wondered why there were so many shepherds in scripture? Maybe it was because lambs were in high demand. Innocent creatures lain bleeding upon an altar because of our need to be cleansed.

I’ve often wondered what church would look like today if we had no mediator – no advocate. What if we had to purchase a lamb and walk down that aisle entrusting our pastor to intercede on our behalf. As the blood would spill on the ground would we finally realize the price tag of our sin? Would it be enough to transform our hearts and quicken our spirits? Unfortunately, some of us would find ourselves piling up credit card debt to the shepherds to cover the price of our sin. Desperately lost and in need of a Savior, we would walk that path too often.

Eclipsing the pain of the cross, Christ saw the bigger picture in His suffering – redemption to the world. Was His death justified? No. Did He deserve it? No. Was it fair? No. Was it God’s divine plan? Yes. Was God glorified through it? Yes. Without pain, suffering and anguish we would not have free access to the Father; the gap between God and man would still exist.

Our malls aren’t bombarded with shepherds making a quick sale on Saturday night. Our sin debt has been paid in full, and we can gather at His feet without the intervention of anyone else. We’re privileged, treasured and welcomed – maybe it’s time we realized He is enough to transform our hearts.

“Father, Your gift of salvation is freely available to all who come seeking forgiveness.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Freedom, Gratitude, Mercy, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 26, 2024

We Need Jesus

“They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Acts 16:31 (NIV)

When we read Genesis 1, also titled “The Beginning,” we can see how God organized everything He created with much detail, care, love and reflective of Who He is. Nothing created by God was below par. And as He created each one, He was pleased with what He saw. I wonder if when He created mankind He purposely wired us to be a complicated being, but the reality seems to be that mankind is far more complicated than any other species under the sun.

From the beginning of time, there were situations when we clearly could see man’s craftiness, lack of truth, and selfishness. Look at Adam and Eve, for example. Man and woman in a garden plentiful of what they needed and the one thing they were told not to touch or eat from, they could not withhold from leaving alone. Woman listened to serpent, ate fruit and shared it with the man, who blamed his actions on the woman; and it was downhill from then. Their offspring, Cain and Abel were supposedly good boys, but when Cain was tested by God for not being recognized as bringing the best of his first fruits to the altar, eaten by jealousy, he tricked and slayed his brother and then pretended not to know what happened to him.

King David’s daughter was raped by her half-brother, who was then killed by their brother for raping her.  Joseph, the cocky boy with a coat of many colors, was thrown in a pit and sold by his brothers. Samson, who got tricked by the woman he chose for his wife, Delilah, lost all the power he had been given by God at birth. And on and on it goes.

By now, you are probably wondering what my point in all of this is. Well, I will tell you: we are all faulty and susceptible to sin and to actions that do not glorify God.  This, my friends, is reason enough to recognize that we need a Savior. We need redemption. And He is right there, ready to rescue you and me. His name? Jesus Christ.

“Lord Jesus, we need You, we so desperately need You.”

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 25, 2024

Is Jesus Really Enough

Jesus answered, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  John 14:6(NIV)

My son earns his living sharing an amazing product that is so beneficial to so many. It is one of those things that you don’t know that you need, until you need it. It is such a blessing to know people are being helped for their future, but they have to believe that to invest in it. It is one of those products that simply sells itself. My son gets to share it with folks, they realize their need, they want to be prepared, and they decide it is worth their time and money. So they act on it.

I have listened to him talk about this and how he has the best job in the world because he gets to talk with people and there’s no pressure. Just presenting the information in an honest, clear, and friendly way allows people to see the benefits and most decide it’s worth it. My son has said, “I know how valuable it is. My job is to share the opportunity, it is their job to see if they want it.”

Every time he talks, I cannot help but think about Jesus. I am absolutely convinced that if we told people about Jesus in an honest, clear and friendly way, people would see who He is and many would decide He is worth their time and energy. Jesus “sells” Himself. We don’t need to add to Him, make Him seem better than He is, attach any strings if people chose Him, or take it personally if people don’t.

If we could clear away the cobwebs of church life, prejudices and presumptions, and our own sins, and just share Jesus and who He really is, I believe so many would realize He is exactly what they’re looking for!

What are some things we are looking for and how does Jesus fill that need?

  1. Someone to love us-John 3:16  Is there anyone else Who has given their very life for any of us?
  2. Someone to see us-Psalm 138:1-2  He knows our very thoughts!
  3. Someone to care about us-Romans 8:34  Jesus prays for us and knows our needs!
  4. Someone to give us insight and wisdom-John 14:6  Jesus is Truth-To know Him is to know Truth.
  5. Someone to talk to-1 John 1:3   We get to fellowship (hang out) with Jesus 24/7! He is there any time we need or want Him!
  6. Stability in our life now and in the future-Psalm 62:2 He is our rock, and we cannot be shaken.
  7. A plan for our life-Jeremiah 29:11 He has a plan for all of us. We are not here by  mistake.
  8. A plan for the future-1 John 5:14 We can KNOW we will live forever in Heaven with Jesus. We can KNOW we have eternal life.

Jesus truly is everything we could ever want or need.

“Heavenly Father, Help us to see Jesus for all He truly is without anything blocking our view. Thank you for the precious gift of your Son.”

 

For His Glory

 

Terrie Tollerson
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Mercy

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 24, 2024

Thru The Lens of Lies

“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:4

It’s so easy to look around at our culture and shake our heads in disbelief at the utter depravity, chaos, and decay. Although, we shouldn’t be too surprised, as there was ample corruption and wickedness throughout time and Christendom—see, for example, Romans 1:24-32. But today seems different, doesn’t it? Internet-driven pervasiveness. There is 24/7 news (and its ridiculously fast cycle of turnover to keep us not thinking about anything too long or deeply) and ubiquitous social media platforms, which allow us to see and know detailed happenings from around the globe—even though they have no value for our lives other than to distract and generate intense anxiety, angst, and anger. Oh yeah, our socials also let us scrutinize other people’s filtered lives (and faces) at nauseum, amping up the condemning hiss in our ears telling us how less-than our own lives and faces and bodies are.

Oh, friend, please hear me. As followers of Jesus Christ, transformed by grace through faith, we must see unsaved people in this fallen world for what they are: Lost and lied to. The god of this world—Satan—is the father of lies (John 8:44). He and his minions know their time is short. So, they are lying on every level of society, in every corner of the earth, convincing people to focus on self—their own satisfaction, comfort, fame. He knows that these paths only lead to destruction—that’s his point, purpose, and hope! From power-lusting world leaders serving as puppets of mass destruction, to the would-be-beautiful 62-year-old woman at the grocery store whose face is utterly deformed from countless “I-must-look-like-a-filter” injections-gone-wrong, to the teenager who is convinced that cutting off her breasts is the key to ok-ness, to the drug or alcohol or porn addict who is shackled to scratching an unattainable itch…it’s all the same. See, the enemy of your soul doesn’t care how he gets you. He’ll use whatever lie will work to bait your hook. And his tackle box is overflowing with all kinds of colorful and deadly lures these days.

As believers, we worship weekly (or more), singing praise to the God who saved us and listening (hopefully) to a gospel-centered message. We recall with gratitude how we were pulled from the pigsty into the arms of Jesus. And yes, we pray for the lost to be saved. But then we walk out of church and turn on the news or scroll Instagram to immediately get ticked off at leaders, news anchors, and “Karens” out there…and we somehow forget: They are lost! They are responding exactly as lost people would to the lies of the enemy! They are—just as we once were—the walking dead (Ephesians 2:1-10).

Oh, sweet friend, you and I must change our filter when looking around at the brokenness. We must recognize the poisonous lies for what they are and remember from whom they originate. And we must replace our own responsive judgments, anger, and contempt with grace, mercy, and love. Most importantly, we must share the Truth—the Good News of the gospel. The only way to be truly satisfied and at peace is to surrender all to Jesus Christ—He is the Truth. Someone once broke through the lies we were believing and living “by giving us reason for their hope” (1 Peter 3:15). So, how can we now stand in judgment of those who haven’t yet heard? How can we leave them in their pigsty?

“Lord, forgive me for judging the lostness and brokenness of this world as if I were never lost and broken. May I truly view others through the grace of my salvation and Your desire for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). May I be the conduit of Your Truth.”
 For His Glory

 

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Mercy, Spiritual Living

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