Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 26, 2024

What Must I Do?

“A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Luke 18:18

“What must I do?” Isn’t this the cry of us all? Being good enough. Doing enough good. The general consensus of our day (and of humanity throughout history) is that we just have to reach that “good-over-bad” tipping point. But it’s always set against our own standards, so it’s all relative, isn’t it? (“I’m not a murderer.” Or, “I’m not as bad as Hitler.” Or even, “My neighbor is a lot worse than I am.”) So, we do and work and climb toward eternal reward.

That’s why life is so exhausting—all that doing. Religious systems around the world put forth gigantic to-do lists so that their followers can climb their way to the respective definitions of heaven. All these paths (and the self-subscribed ones) involve our own efforts to earn our spot. But how will we know? What “standard” are we pursuing? Friend, the standard is perfection. To bask in eternity with our Creator—the perfect, infinitely holy God—He demands complete righteousness. Not “more good than bad”—but only right and good. Not one lie or mean thought or stolen minute. So, can any of us ever do enough to accomplish this?

When the rich young ruler approached Jesus with the question at hand (Luke 18:18-27; Matthew 19:16-26; Mark 10:17-27), Jesus responded by laying out the law to the man (which the man knew well). But Jesus didn’t do this to confirm that rule-following was the way to go. No! Jesus was emphasizing that it is impossible to perfectly keep the standards of God—despite the fact that the man claimed to do so. (Oh, how self-righteous and self-deceived he was…and we are.) What was the action step Jesus gave the man instead? Jesus told him, “Follow Me.” No to-do list…just the surrender of self and his accompanying self-righteousness. (Note: Jesus instructed the ruler to sell all he had, give it to the poor, and follow Him. But Jesus was proving the point that the ruler wanted to do life his own way and hold onto the false belief that eternal life was his to earn himself.)

See, this question asked by the ruler—and by each one of us—is the wrong question. It’s not, “What must I do?” but “What must be done?” Because of sin, we are all born into this world separated from God. Reconciliation with God (the way to eternal life) is more costly than we could ever pay (or do) in a thousand lifetimes. (Now you get why reincarnation is a thing!) But Jesus paid the price—He did what we could not do—and made the way. And it is a gift (Romans 4:4-5). Grace (getting what we don’t deserve).

Good Friday is almost here…let’s look at the thieves on the cross hanging next to Jesus. One of these (very bad) men believed Jesus was who He said He was. This man put his faith in the King of kings. And Jesus promised he’d be with Him in Paradise on that very day (Luke 23:43). What did that guy do? Go to church? Tithe? Serve on a mission trip? No! He believed—he surrendered to the King.

So, as Easter morning dawns (the most magnificent celebration in the history of humanity), do you recognize Jesus for who He is and what He did on your behalf? Do you believe it? And more importantly, have you surrendered to Him your will, your work, your self-obtained righteousness? Will you take the path of the thief—and not the rich young ruler—and follow Him as Lord and Savior? Let this Easter be the time when you stop asking, “What must I do” and rest in the glorious assurance that it’s been done on your behalf—“it is finished” (John 19:30).

“Lord, I cannot fathom the price You paid for me. You didn’t just take the penalty I deserve and owe, but You also exchanged Your righteousness for my unrighteousness, making a way for me to spend eternity with You in heaven. It is not what I could ever do…it’s what You’ve done. Thank You!

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Mercy

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 25, 2024

When God’s Plan Unfolds

“And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” John 14:3-4 (ESV)

Nothing worse than feeling left alone. We’ve probably all experienced moments when someone failed to tell us they were leaving, and we’re left behind. Did they simply forget? Perhaps we miscommunicated about how we were getting home. Would they come back to get us? As those crazy thoughts run wild in our minds, abandonment takes center stage – they simply left without us.

Being left doesn’t just regulate itself to rides home or failed pickups. Relationships we value and cherish often come in and out of our lives. People move. Jobs change. Schedules alter our social plans. Difficult conflicts destroy even the closest of friends. Illness sidelines us. Separation and divorce scream “we’re left alone.” And the loss of a loved one we thought would always be present in our lives leaves us overcome with grief.

Wonder if these were thoughts the disciples felt as Jesus prepared them for His departure? This group of men had abandoned everything to follow the Savior. They left jobs, families – whatever it took to walk with Jesus for three amazing years. And now, they found themselves hearing the difficult words, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now.” Words uttered from One who had just washed their feet and shared a meal with them. Words following the abrupt departure of one of the twelve. Life was changing. Jesus was leaving, and they would be left behind.

But sweet friends He was not abandoning them – Jesus was going ahead so He could prepare a place for those who believe in Him. They were not forgotten, overlooked or dismissed. Right in the midst of His darkest hours, Jesus made sure they knew He was not leaving them as orphans (John 14:18). His words echo the assurance of His love and the promise of the Holy Spirit who would come to comfort, lead and guide them. “Let not your heart be troubled,” resounds from His lips. “Don’t be afraid,” fills the silence. Jesus was leaving, but one day He would return and take all those who put their faith and trust in Him to live forever in the presence of God.

So what was so difficult and hard to imagine was God’s perfect plan unfolding right before their eyes. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

“Father, abandonment was never on Your mind – extravagant love flowed from the lips of Your Son reminding us we are never alone.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 22, 2024

When Warnings Are Ignored

“And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice and had commanded him concerning this thing that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the Lord commanded.” I Kings 11:9-11 (ESV)

“Don’t” is the proverbial word attached to almost everything. If the doctor gives us a prescription it comes along with a label telling us what not to do – don’t drive when taking this medication or don’t take it on an empty stomach. Buy a new appliance and the directions scripted in the tiniest writing tell us to not use abrasive cleaners or make sure you don’t overload a circuit. All warnings are intended to be followed with one goal in mind – to prevent injury or adverse reactions.

Sprinkled through the pages of scripture, God clearly outlines His warnings. Words to pay attention to. Commands to obey and not disregard. Red flags to watch for and alarms that should keep us from moving in the wrong direction. Signals to caution our actions and reminders to be on guard. All perfectly designed to prevent and protect us from the devastation found when we ignore His words.

At a pivotal time in Solomon’s life when he should have been celebrating all God had accomplished, his heart ran after other gods. God had answered Solomon’s sincere prayer for wisdom, understanding and discernment. His wisdom far surpassed all the people and other nations who knew of Solomon’s knowledge. God blessed him with great wealth – something he never asked for and right in the midst of all those blessings, Solomon disregarded God’s warning. He built quite a dynasty for himself with mighty war horses, grand possessions,700 wives and 300 concubines from other nations. I Kings 11 reminds us of God’s warnings to Solomon twice, and yet he didn’t keep God’s commands which ultimately resulted in a divided kingdom.

Kind of puts warnings in a different light doesn’t it? No one wants to experience the deep regret and sorrow of sin. Choosing to obey God’s commands ushers in joy filled blessings, and His warnings are specifically designed to protect us from the adverse reaction sin births. However, God will never force our obedience – the choice is up to us.

“Father, You lovingly caution, warn and teach us about the dangers of sin. Help us to lean into Your wisdom and choose to obey Your commands.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Success

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 21, 2024

We Are Son Flowers, Rooted In His Love

“Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life.”  Colossians 2:7 (NIV)

I am fascinated by flowers. I love their colors, shapes, and some other characteristics about them, like those big, yellow flowers called sunflowers. Have you ever been to a sunflower field? If so, you probably noticed that the flowers seem to shift positions, according to the location of the sun. I have read those sunflowers need the sun, and they will face the sun to get the growth hormones they need to be strong.

And here is where my favorite part of the story comes!!! If you remember me saying this before (or maybe you don’t), I am a girl who l-o-v-e-s an analogy. So, thinking about sunflowers, I couldn’t help but think that we, Christians, are just like sunflowers. We are Son flowers (giggle). We, who have the Lord in our hearts and lives, experience His joy and His peace. We also need the Lord each and every day we live, so we can be strong against the attack of the enemy in our lives. The more we look to the Son, the more empowered we are by Him to grow in His stature, to be nurtured by His love, to imitate His actions (to live in His likeness), and to bless those who are observing us day in and day out, just like I often stop and observe (and photograph) flowers.

We are called to be imitators of Christ, to live like Him. He is our role model. He is our guide and our deliverer. He is our provider, our healer, our ever-present help in trouble. He is the reason we live. He is our light and our source.

Of course, there will be times of extreme drought, and when those droughts do come, we must remember that He is the rain provider. And when the storms come, we must remember that He is the Lord who quiets the storm. He is our balance, our equilibrium.

If we live like the sunflower, the Son will always give us what we need to thrive. Look to Him and live.

“Dear Lord, thank You for guiding us in our daily path.”

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 20, 2024

Restoration’s Gift

“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?  Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else?”  Roman 8:31&32 (NLT)

She holds on to the phone waiting for the call that never comes. She determines she must not matter. Another waits by the window sure that he said he’d stop by today. Moved down the list again, she never was a priority. A stranger in her own house, there but unnoticed, nothing special about her. No cries, no arguments, no resistance but somewhere in the depth of her soul is edged a pit that labels her unlovable, damaged and unwanted. And her heavenly Father cries.

Our Father in heaven has given a remarkable responsibility to each earthly father. His assignment is to love and nurture his children into the full will of God. Through compassion and instruction, love and kind discipline, wisdom and patience the father is to lead his children from infancy to adulthood preparing them physically, emotionally and spiritually to blaze paths of light in the world and illuminate Jesus in its darkness. Many fathers strive towards this task. What happens when they don’t?

The unassuming girl sees her father as distant, unavailable and uncaring. For starters. How she sees her earthly father is how she sees her heavenly Father. And of equally tragic consequences, she believes her heavenly Father views her just as her earthly father. I didn’t matter to my earthly father so I must not matter to my heavenly Father. And the sin is passed to the third and fourth generations.

Fortunately, the Lord’s compassion is greater than his curse. And so, sweet daughter of the Most High God, without even knowing you, I can assure you of this:  your heavenly Father longs to hold you close; to protect you, to be near always. He desires to give you the love for which you hunger. He delights to give you every good gift that you’ve inherited for which Jesus died. He thinks of you always. You have great worth, great purpose. He sees you as beautiful. Cherished. Valued. Favored. And you know what? I am too.

“Heavenly Father, thank You for healing the broken places of my heart that only You can heal. Jesus, thank You for enduring death and the cross so that what was withheld can be restored. I love You, my Abba, Father”

For His Glory

Kathryn Hayman
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Gratitude, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 19, 2024

The Word

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.” John 1:1-3

Words. I love them. In fact, I make my living by them, choosing the just-right nouns, verbs, and adjectives (with proper syntax, diction, and grammar) to craft engaging narratives on behalf of my clients—from landscapers and lawyers to computer makers and chemical companies. Words allow for the expression of, well, anything and everything. In all languages, words let us share new (or renewed/recycled) ideas, emotions (good or bad), and perceptions. Understanding is almost impossible without words. Think about when a child begins speaking, and the immense parental relief that comes when said child can communicate his or her wants and needs. Words connect us to one another, creating bonds of community, friendship, and love.

Words give body, so to speak, to invisible thoughts and concepts, making them real to others.

Have you ever considered how these basic language facts are ultimately fulfilled in Jesus? It’s so very cool! The Person of Jesus, in His incarnation as fully God and fully man, gave body to the invisible God, making Himself real to mankind by His own humanity (mind-blown emoji here). In his gospel, John said it straight up: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). The Apostle Paul, who wasn’t with the Lord during His earthly ministry, but encountered Him post-resurrection for a direction-changing confrontation, says it this way (italics mine):

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:15-17).

Since the creation of Adam and Eve, God has made Himself known to humanity. First and foremost, He reveals Himself through Creation itself (Romans 1:20)—the heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). Just stand in awe of any sunrise or sunset. And until the first Christmas, God also revealed Himself to His people in several different ways, from dreams and visions to angels and the Angel of God (which are thought to be pre-incarnate appearances of Jesus, called Christophanies). Most importantly, all the Law and prophets point to Jesus—and Jesus Himself declared to be the fulfillment of these (Matthew 5:17). Jesus Christ, the Word, is the literal embodiment of God, the second Person of the Trinity. The author of Hebrews crafted a beautiful summary:

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power.” Hebrews 1:1-3a.

Yes, Jesus is the Word of God (Revelation 19:13). He is the expression of, well, everything. In all languages around the world. Understanding this world—its good, bad, ugly, and magnificent—is impossible without Him. Jesus is the only Way for us to connect with God, and He forges heart-knitted bonds between believers.

So, let me ask you this: Do you know this Word? Is Jesus the foundation of your life’s vocabulary? If not, pick up His dictionary—the Bible—and experience for yourself, from Genesis to Revelation, the Alpha and Omega.

“Jesus, our limited minds cannot grasp Your nature and magnitude. But we can trust that You are who You say You are—the Word of God, the Alpha and Omega, Emmanuel. Thank you for revealing Yourself to us.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 18, 2024

The One Who Fights For Us

“The Lord your God who is going before you will fight for you as He did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes and in the wilderness.  There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”  Deuteronomy 1:30:31(ESV)

Don’t know about you, but I never envisioned myself as much of a warrior.  No shiny armor adorning this girl. I’m more of a peacemaker – let’s settle this and not fight it out.  An aggressor, I’m definitely not. But sweet friends there are battles we face when we must stand and face the challenge.  Moments when we must press through – whether it’s a spiritual battle, physical strain, emotional attack – giving up isn’t an option.

Oh how I love the words Moses gave to the Children of Israel – crystal clear profound truths nestled in those verses in Deuteronomy 1. Eye witness reminders of the mighty power of our God and the tenderness of His heart evidenced by His actions. And just in case, we are like the Children of Israel and tend to forget here are some key battle points:

Who is fighting for us – the Lord God – we are not alone. Our mighty Warrior God is waging war on the injustices in our lives, the impossibilities in our lives and the unending trials we can’t navigate. We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus – the battle belongs to Him (2 Chronicles 20:15,17)

Where do we focus – on God’s past victories in our lives.  Replaying the reel of what He has done reassures us God can do exceedingly, abundantly more than we imagined.  We are eyewitnesses to the miracles He has birthed all around us and with our gaze fixed on Him, we won’t lose sight of His plan for our current struggles.

Who do we trust – our Heavenly Father who lovingly carries us when we can’t move ourselves.  Nestled close to His heart, we rest in His arms  – our forever PromiseKeeper. God’s character is our firm foundation anchoring us even against our strongest opponent. We can lean in and confidently know He is sovereignly in control.

Don’t know about you ladies, but my soul is strengthened, my heart encouraged and my thoughts are surrounded by His peace. No person or thing can stand against the wisdom and power of our God. All the way, we cling to His power, faithfulness and love to birth victory in us in the midst of life’s battles!!  That’s right, the real victory is how God transforms us in and through the battle.  Our lives will never be the same because we have seen with our own eyes His victory on our behalf.

“Father, we are loved, victorious and protected by your loving arms!  Life is filled with many battles and what joy it is to know You are by our side fighting for us and carrying us.  Trusting You to navigate us through any battles we face this week. “

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Faith, Freedom, Hope, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 15, 2024

Why Love

“No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us and His love has been perfected in us.”  I John 4:12 (ESV)

Absolutely love this quote from Max Lucado: “Every person you see was created by God to be His image and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. High IQ or low standing, first string or cut from the squad – doesn’t matter. Every human being is God’s idea, and He has no bad ideas.”

Wow, this quote really hits home especially when we think of those people who are challenging to work with, those people in our lives who push our buttons and those people we don’t even know who bump into our happy. From the nicest to the cruelest, we all started out the same – a human being created in God’s image.

Convicts me to the core – do I treat others with dignity and respect even if they are my biggest irritation? Had to really dig deep on that one. Work or ministry is one of those places where we are forced into community with lots of different personalities, egos, backgrounds, etc. Makes it ever so easy to excuse myself away from the respect issue. However, God doesn’t release me that easily. Throughout scripture He instructs us to love others  – yes even those created in His image who are difficult, irritating and rude. Now loving others doesn’t mean we accept disrespectful behavior, abuse, etc. It simply means we realize they were created in God’s image, and we respond with respect by speaking truth in love.

So easy to say – hard to put into practice. Recently, I was faced with a situation where I could have ignored a person who was struggling to get something done – did I mention their personality drives me crazy? This individual needed help in figuring out what was going wrong – I knew what was going wrong. It was so tempting to simply let them struggle, but God kept bringing me back to the “love others” factor. While it was hard, I surrendered to God’s desire rather than treating them the way I desired. One victory propels another – I won’t get this right all the time, but it definitely reminded me it’s truly not about that person or me – it’s about honoring God by loving those created in His image.

Sweet friends, is there a person in your path who is challenging? One way we can grow God’s love in our hearts is to plant prayer seeds for that individual. Yes, you got it! Simply praying for the one pushing those buttons helps us see the person from God’s perspective. One prayer at a time, we will witness a change within us as those love seeds blossom and flourish. Let’s determine to glorify God by respecting and loving others the way God intended.

“Father thank You for challenging us in our interactions with others. Thank You for reminding us that we are all created in Your image. Help us as we navigate another week to pause before we react to others whether they are a co-worker, spouse, family or strangers. And enable us to treat them with respect and dignity.”

 

For His Glory

 

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Hope, Love, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 14, 2024

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” I John 3:18 (NIV)

Remember the ‘ole saying, ‘actions speak louder than words?’ There are special people who fall into a silent category when actions do speak louder than words – caregivers. Any normal day would consist of routines, financial decisions, doctor office visits, tried patience, long lonely days, and physical and emotional exhaustion. Describe anyone you may know?

Ever consider Mary was Jesus’ caregiver during his short earthly existence? She was present at his birth, death, and multiple times in between. Do you think she became irritated, drained physically, and at times ready to throw in the towel? Of course she did, but she also knew it was all for a purpose – far exceeding her ability to comprehend.

Caregivers, you are not alone. For over eleven years, my personal life revolved around caring for my 95 year old mother. She was blind, confined to her bed or wheelchair, had severely impaired hearing, and dementia. When this journey began a really good friend offered an important word of wisdom: find humor. For example, on my mother’s 95th birthday, she informed me she was 25 and sang Happy Birthday to herself. Laughing and having a good time there was no need to correct her – she was happy! I felt God kissing me on the cheek – His sweet way of encouraging my heart; He is with me every step of the way. God was with Mary every step of her journey, and Jesus became the Savior of the world.

Perhaps this Spring bless an unnoticed caregiver – your actions will speak louder than any words – because all too often none are adequate. Blessings are adorned in varied ornate packaging – all they need is to be unwrapped!

“Dear Father, please bless those who unselfishly care for others and use me to bless them.”

For His Glory

Patsy Sanders
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 13, 2024

Daughters, Princesses & Peacemakers

“God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” Matthew 5:9 (NLT)

It was only the first day of school. We were all hungry. We were tired and cranky. One of my sons struggled with an assignment he did not understand. He was so overwhelmed that tears welled up, threatening to overflow. My other son’s computer was not allowing him access to the website for his online classes. He was already feeling the pressure of completing a much larger workload this year. Now his stress level soared even higher as he considered an entire day wasted as we tried in vain to fix his computer.

Tempers flared. Cutting remarks flew across the kitchen. Eyes glared. Every innocent gesture was taken as an act of war. Inconsiderate slights were considered aggressive attacks. I tried my best to calm the situation. Issues with school and technology are never worth damaging a relationship. I worked (more accurately, I fought) for peace in our home that day.

Our key verse tells us that “God blesses those who work for peace.” Is my attempt to make peace between brothers what the Bible is referring to here? The original Greek word means far more. Interestingly, this particular Greek word is only found in this context, in this verse. The literal translation “peacemaker” is someone who has received the peace of God through the gospel. She then spreads this good news of peace with others. Though attempting to make peace between brothers is a necessary act in order to restore the sanity of the mother, this peace speaks of reconciliation with God.

When we spread the gospel of peace with others, we are called “children of God.” We wear the righteousness of God. God loves and cherishes us as a Father. We are children of the King of kings and Lord of lords. May we, as daughters and princesses, extend that love and peace to all others. Let’s not keep the peace we have experienced to ourselves.

Who do you need to spread the good news of the peace of God with today?

“Lord, we thank You for the peace we have received through salvation. Open up doors for us to share that peace with others.”

For His Glory

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

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

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