Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | January 15, 2024

Waiting For God’s Instructions Serves Us Well

“Then God spoke to Noah, saying, “Go out of the ark you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you.”  Genesis 8:15-16 ((NKJV)

Tight spaces are definitely not my fave; I love wide open spaces with plenty of room to move and breathe. Probably one of the reasons I so enjoy being outdoors.  Confinement just doesn’t suit me, and when I say those words my mind automatically tracks back to early Covid months when living within the confines of our homes was where we landed.  Going to work meant settling into my home office which was only feet away from my living room and kitchen.  Ending my day equaled simply exchanging one space for another. Don’t know about you, but I am so thankful we are no longer in that lane.

Confinement reminds me of Noah and his family riding out the flood when restraint took on a totally different narrative. Despite its enormous size (510’ long, 85’ wide and 51’ high), the ark housed a lot of stuff:  Noah, his wife, three sons, their wives, food and lots of animals.  Recent studies estimate the total land and flying animals that Noah and his family cared for to be 6,744 animals (Ark Encounter). And did I mention that they lived inside that ark for more than a year?

Don’t know about you, but I would have been so anxious to get out of that ark the very moment the rains stopped; however, the water prevailed on the earth for 150 days (Genesis 7:24).  Just because the rain stopped didn’t mean it was safe to leave the ark – the effects of the storm still surrounded them.  Takes a lot of discipline and patience to ride out a season of waiting.

Absolutely love Noah’s wisdom in sending out a raven and a dove to see if the waters had receded.  The second time he sent out the dove, the dove returned with an olive leaf in her mouth.  The third time the dove didn’t return anymore so Noah removed the covering of the ark and saw the ground was dry.  Just keeping it real here – this is definitely when I would have abandoned ship.  All evidence indicated it was safe to leave. I just have to wonder if Noah had a deep longing to touch that ground and run totally free from the confines of the ark. If he did, Noah chose instead to wait…to patiently wait until God told him to go out of the ark.

Too many times, we probably find ourselves resisting wait and running full speed ahead instead of following God’s timetable.  Even when it appears we are safe, equipped and ready to move forward, we would be wise to follow Noah’s example and wait for God’s instruction.

We can glean lots of lessons from Noah’s deep faith demonstrated in obeying the voice of God to build an ark when rain had never touched the earth.  What strength and resilience it must have taken for Noah who was over 500 years of age to embark on building this “big boat.”  What divine organization to gather the animals and stock the ark with food.  What a glorious surrender to trust God’s plan even if he didn’t understand it. What incredible restraint to remain, stay and resist leaving the ark until God said, “Go out of the ark.”  Noah, a man seen and described by God as righteous before his generation.  Sweet friends, may God see the same in us – godly women walking, living and speaking rightly before our God waiting for His daily instruction.

“Father, this world will offer us many distractions and attempts to pursue life on our terms.  Help us to lean in close to You and follow Your voice instead of our own.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | January 12, 2024

About Our Choices

“Do not be misled. Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)

Most of the time, it doesn’t bother me to sit in my car at the end of my driveway and wait for traffic to ease up before I cross to the opposite side of the road to get in the flow with the cars that are traveling in the same direction as me. It is the times when I am leaving home five minutes later than usual to go to work in the mornings that stress me a little bit. Why? Because everyone is traveling at the school speed limit under close watch of sheriff officials and no one thinks of letting the car waiting on the sidewalk (mine) to cross the lanes, to have the right of way.

I was thinking about this situation today after I was reminded that months ago I got home to find an entourage of police and emergency officials on my sidewalk. Two vehicles had collided and made their way into the trees that separated my front yard from the sidewalk. Had there been pedestrians walking on that sidewalk or children playing in the yard, some more serious damage would have occurred.

My mind goes on alert immediately as I move my vehicle from its stationary spot in my driveway and closer to the road. Just one minute bad move or poor decision on my part, and someone or something might end up in the repair zone.

The Bible speaks to us about the dangers of associating with people who do not have the same moral character (flow) as we do. It is similar to the danger of placing a spoiled apple in a bowl of good apples and allowing that bad apple to rot the rest of the fruit.

Just as we must be watchful for traffic coming against us on the road, we must also watch for people who are not serving a higher purpose in our lives and in fact, are diverting us from the path that leads to blessings. Likewise, we must warn those who are in danger of suffering such a disillusion themselves.

“Lord, sometimes life forces us to swim against the flow in order for us to learn to be strong. During those times, Lord, please help us to focus on You.”

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | January 11, 2024

Finding Beauty In The Winters of Life

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

The other day, I was folding a week’s worth of laundry after sickness had hit our home. I felt behind on everything in life, thus I wasn’t bent to focus on anything except the overwhelmingly dull view of my catch-up schedule. As I formed my piles of clean shirts and pants, movement caught my eye outside my window.

In my rusty-colored woods, I saw a red-tailed hawk being chased by a crow. It landed on a tall branch. As I fixed my eyes on the beautiful bird that I only get to see occasionally, I noticed more movement below it: a white-tailed deer with a russet-colored coat. I then watched in awe and a little bit of dismay when the brazen crow circled the majestic hawk and clipped the hawk’s wing with his beak. In my woods that seemed to be only a dismal brown smudge of winter with a slush of melting snow on the side, rather than the vibrant green of spring and summer, there was more wonder and beauty to behold than first met the eye. I never would have seen any of this, if I hadn’t looked up from what my eyes had landed on (that huge pile of overdue laundry) with my overwhelm.

There’s something to be seen in the brown days of winter. It may blend in because of how it’s colored to be camouflaged into the vista before you. You really have to watch during those times. You have to be willing to pay attention, to watch, and to listen. In the stillness of melting snow, you have to let your senses come alive to see what is moving before your very eyes.

My experience that day was, of course, an analogy to the winters of life. Sometimes it’s hard to see the good or the beauty when our hearts are overwhelmed by cold seasons. We long for warmth and wonder in those times, but sometimes all our eyes can focus on is the bare branches. If we look up, though, we can choose to focus our eyes on the ever-present beauty of Christ. He is the One who paints what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable into our world even when what’s seen doesn’t look like any of those things.

This is what the author of Hebrews means when he instructs us to fix “our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross” (12:2). It’s what Paul encourages us to do by taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). And it’s where he urges us to shift our gaze as we purpose to “fix our eyes on what is unseen, rather than what is seen” (2 Corinthians 4:18).

Maybe you or someone you know is in a “winter season” of life. Remember, even if the view right in front of your eyes is uncomely, the Lord comes to every season with something beautiful for you to behold: Himself. When you look to Jesus, He will guide you through every season of life and tenderly shift your gaze from what’s right before you to what’s above you.

“Lord, Help us shift our gaze from what is seen to what is unseen. Change the perspectives of our lives by reminding us to look to You.”

For His Glory

Emily P. Meyer (www.emilypmeyer.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | January 10, 2024

Sweet As Honey

“Then he said to me, ‘Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.’ So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.” Ezekiel 3:3

How many times do we read a verse in the Bible, agree with it and then move on? The psalmist in Psalm 34:8 tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good. In other words, we need to internalize it. Take it in deep down.

Recently in my personal Bible study, I read 2 Timothy 2:8 “Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach.” (NLT). Something in that verse caught my attention.  Why would Paul describe the gospel, the good news, as Jesus being a descendant of David and being raised from the dead? What happened to dying for our sins, being buried, seated at the right hand of God, etc.? To go deep down, I needed to find out what was happening in Ephesus, which is where Timothy was at the time.

Turns out that in Ephesus, Timothy was dealing with false teachers who were introducing several different heresies in the church; one of which was that Jesus was not the God-Man.  Paul was describing Jesus as a man who was descended from King David; a God would not be descended from a human. At the same time, he described him as being raised from the dead; a mere mortal could not raise himself from the dead and that makes Jesus God.  The Holy Spirit prompted Paul to use those two specific phrases to help Timothy combat the lies being told within the church.

By going deep and tasting the scripture, the application for my life changed from needing to remember that Jesus Christ is the Good News to praising God that Jesus is the God-Man who gave me salvation as no other could do. By tasting the scripture, my soul filled with adoration and brought me closer in my relationship with Jesus.

Sometimes tasting the scripture will be sweet as honey, but it can also turn the stomach sour according to Revelation 10:9. Sometimes, when we taste the scripture, it will point out changes that we need to make in our lives. Either way, we will be nourished as only God can do.

“Father, thank you for giving us your Word. Help us to rely on the Holy Spirit to understand what we read and to apply it to our lives. May your word lead us in a deeper relationship with You.”

For His Glory

Renee Nebergall Pearison
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | January 9, 2024

Speak Grace

“Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for edification according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”  Ephesians 4:29

If you’re looking for a particular book of the Bible to dive into this new year, I highly suggest Ephesians. You can literally spend months lingering over, meditating on, praying about, and—definitely applying—these amazing, inspiring, convicting words from the Apostle Paul. (I love this book so much—chapter 2:1-10 in particular—that its meaning is now illustrated in a large new tattoo on my right upper arm.)

For now, let’s talk about talk. Paul, among other writers of the New Testament, has a lot to say about the words that come out of our mouths as believers. At salvation (the moment at which we surrender to Jesus as our Lord and Savior), we are made new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). By God’s amazing grace, our old sinful nature is gone…but, we are still living in our old fleshy selves, in a fallen and broken world that is currently managed by our enemy, Satan. So, we spend our lives of grace growing in our likeness of Christ. We renew our minds (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23; Philippians 4:8), and we—through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us—lay aside/put away some things and put on other things.

This is where our words come into play. In verse 29 of Ephesians 4, Paul shoots straight: “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” Let’s break this down.

When Paul uses “unwholesome word”, think rotten, spoiled food. (I know we’ve all experienced taking off the lid of some Tupperware stuck way in the back of the fridge and immediately being slapped in the face with a terrible stench of spoiled whatever-it-is-because-you-can’t-tell-anymore. Yup, it’s just like that.) When we talk to or about others in a way that is bitter, slandering, untrue, or unkind, it’s like speaking with a rotten stink. But Paul doesn’t leave us with what not to do.

We are to speak words that are good for edification. In other words, words that encourage, uplift, instruct…even when we are corrective, we’re to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). And our words are “according to the need of the moment”—fitting the occasion, as the ESV says. That means we have to think about where we are and who we’re with, being highly intentional before our thoughts reach our tongues. Plus, our talk is to extend grace to those listening to us. This is key. See, we’re saved by grace—a gift given freely, unable to be earned! And our lives are sustained by grace, moment by moment, as we are on our way Home. The grace given to us by the Lord must be our standard—the measuring stick by which we assess our words before they leave our mouths. When we speak, brothers and sisters, let’s speak grace.

[Paul goes on in chapter 4, verses 31 and 32 (and the next chapter, for that matter) to describe more ways we talk and walk out our faith, so go check it out for yourself!]

“Lord, as a new creation in Christ, may I, through the power of the Holy Spirit living in me, speak only life and truth and grace to others to reveal Your amazing grace to a dark world.

For His Glory

 

Julianne Winkler Smith (Encouraged by grace books)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | January 8, 2024

God’s Creative Order

“O Lord how manifold are Your works!  In wisdom You have made them all.  The earth is full of Your possessions.”  Psalm 104 (NKJV)

Don’t know if you are like me or not, but as January 1 rolls in I sense a great need to declutter. Absolutely love the holidays yet my house often gets neglected for the pursuit of fun evenings out, family gatherings, church celebrations, shopping, etc.  Disorder always seems to reign high even when the last holiday decoration is packed away.  Perfect reason why I have an overwhelming desire to reign in chaos and return to my pre-holiday life.  Could be my obsession with minimalist podcasts, but disorder and chaos never serve me well.

Turning chaos into order isn’t just a minimalist idea it actually is a God idea.  From the very beginning, God took what was void (empty), formless and created it into the beautiful world we enjoy today. This word create isn’t just someone making something – in the Hebrew it is bara which refers only to divine activity.  No one could ever create in a way that Yahweh divinely creates.  And the verb form of bara also conveys the idea of ordering or determining function. God’s creative work brought proper order and function setting perfect boundaries into place.  The earth fully satisfied with the fruit of God’s works and full of His glorious possessions (Psalm 104:13, 24).

Now that sweet friends is exactly how God creates beauty and glory out of our empty lives.  We were created with a deep longing that only He can satisfy, and God specializes in filling the void stirring within us. Oh there’s lots of things we may seek to occupy what our souls long for, but the temporary satisfaction will always leave us more hollow and barren than we ever imagined. The reality of our meaningless pursuits showcases the desperate need of our hearts.

Our Heavenly Father promises eternal satisfaction. Sweet longings filled in abundance and overflowing.  His divine creative work in us exceeds our dreams.  From the moment we place our faith and trust in God, He redeems our story and brings our lives back into proper order.  Our barren places come back to life flourishing in His presence conveying the good works He planned in advance for us – we are His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10, Psalm 57:2).

Sweet friends as we travel through another year, we can easily fill our days with lots of activities, good things not necessarily bad.  We can attempt to stuff those empty places in our soul with people pleasing, performance,  rituals, etc.  However, if we truly desire to experience the beauty God longs to birth within us then we must strategically welcome His invitation to gather at His feet, dive deep into His Word and embrace His bara (divine creative) work in our hearts.  And the end result will be a glorious filling of our God which always satisfies.

“Father, our lives are full yet empty.  Our thoughts are distracted and often consumed with lesser things than what serves us well.  We desperately need Your order over our chaos.  Perfect our boundaries and teach us to be satisfied in You alone.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | January 5, 2024

Left Behind

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (ESV)

Filled with terror they ran to the airport. Climbing over the walls, pushing through security, clinging to the airplanes.  Desperate to leave the city. Their government was crumbling, and they didn’t want to be left behind.

It sounds like a post-apocalyptic movie.  But many of us watched it happen in real life just over a  year ago in Afghanistan.  As I watched the people begging for help, I couldn’t stop thinking how it was a perfect example of what Earth will be like after the rapture.

Imagine the horrific scene of chaos that will unfold as millions of people suddenly disappear into thin air. The mayhem that follows will result in crumbling governments worldwide.  Thus, creating a need for a new one world government.

To create a sense of stability a new leader will emerge. (Revelation 13:1) The anti-Christ will control the world’s economy.   Everyone will have to be marked on the right hand or the forehead with the name or number of the beast, if they want to buy or sell anything.

Those left behind after the rapture will be desperate to provide for themselves and their children.  The words from the anti-Christ and false prophet will sound “pleasing to the ear.” (2 Timothy 4).  But those who receive the mark of the beast will be cast into the lake of fire. (Rev. 14:9-11)

No one knows what the new year holds for us. The only thing we can count on – Jesus is coming and the day is drawing closer!

While we’re called to pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-4) we are also cautioned to remember that no authority is greater than God. (Romans 13:1) Jesus is the only ruler that we can truly trust in.  He’s the only one that carries our burdens – “and the government shall be upon His shoulders.” (Isaiah 9:6)

Whatever goals/resolutions you may have created for the new year –make sure that you have taken time to ask Jesus into your heart.  You can have someone pray with you or you can do it from the privacy of your home.  It’s a simple and sincere conversation between you and Jesus.

One day the trumpet will sound and just like that, those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior will be caught away to heaven with Him. Don’t be left behind.

“Jesus, we thank you for salvation, we put our hope in you today – this world is not our home.”

 

For His Glory,

Laura Holmes  www.ephraimministries.org
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | January 4, 2024

Clearing Out Clutter

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21 (HCSB)

I was a bit fearful as we began the study, Breathe: Making Room for Sabbath…if you saw my closets and calendar, you would understand why. I was certain God would use this study to call me to get serious about clearing out the clutter and ordering my priorities.

Would he ask me to tackle the closets first, or would He be more concerned about the overcrowding that had crept into my schedule? As I leaned in to hear Him, He startled me with His loving whisper. Clear out the clutter in your heart. Seriously, God? Have you seen my closets? Do you see how busy I have become? I have some real work to do…

Unconvinced my heart was the project God wanted us to tackle, I set aside Breathe and turned to my daily devotional, New Morning Mercies. Running to something else when confronted with something uncomfortable. Surprisingly my breath was taken away by these words: “You and I don’t need to be rescued from the idols around us, we need to be rescued from our idolatrous hearts.” The scripture reference was Ezekiel 20, where the word Sabbath is used six times. Thank you, Lord, for your gentle confirmation.

Opening my heart to Him, God began showing me what needed to go. Hurts I was holding on to, fear of rejection and failure that was holding me back, good things—friendships, work, marriage, the perfect pair of shoes—that I had made into ultimate things (idols); wanting them to meet needs that only Jesus can meet. Lesser things taking up space in my heart. Space I want to reclaim so that I can love Him and others better.

So, I will work at this…cleaning out the clutter of my heart. Maybe I’ll get to the closets, too…

“Thank you, Lord, that you know us better than we know ourselves. Give us the wisdom and courage to get rid of everything that cannot be used to bring You glory.”

 

For His Glory

Ann Skalaski (www.shifting-sand.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | January 3, 2024

Who Is God?

“O, taste and see that the Lord is good” – Psalm 34:8

If you have friends and loved ones who have not yet received Jesus as their Savior, it may be their image of God that’s stopping them.

For instance, those who are atheists think of Him as a fictional character that Christians use as a crutch to get them through life. On the opposite end of the scale, others think He is all love. He is someone to reward us with good things, and if He doesn’t come through on their terms, they can’t understand it. They believe that such a God must not be worth committing to because there’s nothing in it for them.

Still others see Him as a God of judgment, an old man with a long, gray beard, a huge set of rules and a big stick to keep people in line. Who would want to commit to a God like that?

Are any of those ideas correct? No! The truth of the matter is that God is a multi-faceted deity worth getting to know. Besides being infinite, unchanging, all-powerful, omnipresent, and all-knowing, He has a personality. He is eager for us to get to know Him, and he has gone to extraordinary lengths to make Himself knowable.

Among His other attributes, He is gracious and willing to forgive. He is loving and will see that His children have what is best for them, although that may conflict with what they want. He is faithful and keeps His promises, like the promise to see to our needs, bless us with spiritual blessings, and make a place for us in Heaven. He promises to teach us great and wonderful things we don’t know. And He is wise. Unlike the idols that people have created for themselves over the millennia, He doesn’t sit on a shelf. He promises to give us wisdom if we ask for it.

Did you ever wish you had a superhero that could help you through life? Here is the ultimate superhero, the God who created you, who loves you deeply, and who has your best interest at heart. Here is the God who watches over you, who knows the past, present, and future, and is capable of bending circumstances to His will. Who needs a mere superhero when we have such a God?

“Father, we thank You for wanting to reveal Yourself to us, that You want us to experience Your love and mercy. We bow in awe to worship you. Help us to know You better.”

For His Glory

Cherie Harbridge Williams (www.cherieharbridgewilliams.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Wisdom, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | January 2, 2024

A Bedazzled Life

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10b

Back in the 1980s (best decade ever, just saying), there was a trendy little crafting tool called The Beddazzler. It allowed you to add rhinestones and metallics to your clothes, belts, purses, etc., creating a uniquely sparkly ensemble. The commercials promised the ability to turn your “$8 jeans into a pair worth $50!” (Wait, $8 jeans? Again, best decade ever.) And although I love most things 80s, this sparkly sensation was not something I embraced personally.

Why talk Bedazzle? Well, I was just attending a conference at our church with the visiting pastor from Africa who was teaching for three nights on 1 Corinthians 15:58. (You read that correctly: three evenings of study on one verse—it was amazing.) During the final night, I was captivated by an offhand word he used to describe a life lavishly serving the Lord. He was talking about how fulfilling it is to labor for Christ, and he noted the joy, peace, and sparkle it brings.

Upon salvation, every believer understands the amazing love that Jesus has extended to us through His death and resurrection. Because it is a gift of grace through faith, the new life we receive cannot be earned. In fact, salvation is followed by living a life of surrender and obedience to God because of His love for us—and we respond to demonstrate our love for Him, not to show Him we’re good enough for it. And our service to Him results in joy!

This service is not done in vain (as the Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15 and also in Philippians 2), because we receive amazing, abundant blessings. We experience blessings in the here and now—just think about the joy you have bringing a meal to a family, counseling a brother or sister, or sharing the Gospel with others. Even when we may not see fruit right away, we feel rewarded by the Lord!

The New Testament writers share often that we will be rewarded in heaven for our righteous labors on earth. On his deathbed, the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy that he is looking forward to his crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:6-8). Even Jesus taught that when we serve others in need, we’re actually serving Him—and our rewards are waiting (Matthew 25:34-40).

Joy comes with salvation—through our blessings and God’s daily miracles, through our experienced and anticipated rewards for service, and even through our trials and storms of life. And this joy of the Lord should bedazzle our everyday lives. We have the opportunity—the responsibility—to live a joy-filled life so that other people will see our sparkle and ask, “How can I be Bedazzled too?”

“Lord, restore to me the joy of my salvation (Psalm 51:12), so I live a sparkly life that attracts others.”

 

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

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