Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 4, 2024

Beautiful

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)

Several years ago, my grandsons Jayden, 5, and A.J., 4, were shopping with their mom Liz on the day before her birthday. The little lads were informing every person in the store that it was their mama’s birthday and they needed to tell her she was beautiful. Their actions were making Liz blush as complete strangers walked up to her and told her she was beautiful and wished her a happy birthday. At the same time, it made her feel very special, because it was an action started by her children, out of their love for her.

I once read in TRBC’s Family Time devotional that “friends of God tell their friends about God,” (p. 13). When I read that, I tried to imagine how God must feel when He receives the praise and worship of His children, which originate out of their love for Him!

After God parted the waters for the Israelites to cross the Red Sea, Moses and the Israelites sang to the Lord. Prophetess Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand and led the women in music and dancing (Exodus 15). King David praised God with his harp since the time he was a boy. When he was really excited about a victory, he and the entire company of Israel were in a parade, singing at the top of their lungs, and playing mandolins, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals! (2 Samuel 6)

We mustn’t forget that others are always watching us. Our God is awesome; He is still in the miracle business, and He loves His children. The question for us, then, is, “how are we showing others His love?”

The little incident with Liz and the boys reminds me of Jesus’ words, “from the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise” (Matthew 21:16). In their own way, my grandsons knew how to brighten their mama’s day. I hope that my words and actions will do the same for my Lord Jesus.

“Lord, You are beautiful and more precious than silver or gold. Your love is unconditional and never-ending. My lips praise Your name.”

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

 

Leave a Comment

Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Love

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 3, 2024

The Great I Am

“I Am…” Exodus 3:14

At the burning bush in Exodus 3, God reveals His name to Moses as “I am,” from the Hebrew  root ה.ו.י, which is “being.” The name YHWH derives from the Arabic term for love, desire or passion. Since the beginning, YHWH never had vowels; so it was never Yahweh as normally written or seen in today’s society.

Pronouncing YHWH is simply a breath! Yes…breathing! From the beginning of time, each breath mankind, you and I, take is YHWH. Try this exercise…breathe in (inhale) is YH, breathe out (exhale) is WH. Brilliant! In God’s sovereignty, our very breathing alone declares the name of God. Each and every breathe in and breathe out…YHWH! Without getting too deep into the process of respiration, rest assured all living organisms…humans, plants and animals breathe oxygen. Therefore, all creation testifies to the name of the Lord (Rom. 1:20).

Imagine when we breathe in taking “YH” deep into our lungs knowing the Almighty is encircling our very beings then breathing out “WH” declaring it’s because of YHWH we have our very life (Job 33:14). From the moment of creation, every Christian declaring the goodness of God, every agnostic who is searching and every atheist who doesn’t believe…breathes the same, even if unaware, in testifying to God. There is a mighty God, and His name is YHWH. Quite frankly, how can we take breathing for granted anymore? With each breath, we are made aware of the great I Am!

Our every breath is a simplistic way of realizing God has left NOTHING to chance! For the hurting…He mends. For the lonely…He’s with you. For the abandoned…you’re His. For the lost…He finds. For the weak…He’s strong. For the sick…He’s Healer. For the confused…He’s peace. For the penniless…He’s Provider. For the sinner…you’re forgiven!

Nothing has been left for chance!

“Father, You are the all knowing I Am. You have left no one or our situations to chance. We may suffer for a while, but we’re confident because of Your great love and mercy joy comes one dawning morning.”

 

For His Glory

 

Kim Lacey Shock (www.KimLaceySchock.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

Leave a Comment

Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 2, 2024

No Neutral Ground

“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

Easter. For some, it is a day of colored egg hunts and baskets full of jellybeans and chocolate bunnies. For others, it means a day off of work. Plenty of people acknowledge it’s a “holiday” of some sort, but don’t give it much thought at all. In fact, going back to school or work after the weekend, you may hear, “Did you have a nice Easter?” But this is generally asked as a pleasantry. The Easter holiday is culturally neutral.

For believers, though, Easter commemorates the most important event in history—in all eternity. It is the hinge on which our faith rests. Jesus, fully Man and fully God, paid the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross in our place. Then, on the third day—Easter Sunday—He rose again in victory over death. In His conquering of both sin and death, we can trust Him as our Savior, surrendering to His Lordship. We believe that by His work—not our own—we are reconciled to God, to be resurrected with Christ (John 6:40; 11:25; Romans 8:11). And as the Apostle Paul wrote, if Jesus has not been raised from the dead, our faith is worthless, and we are to be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:12-19).

No neutrality here. Either Jesus is who He says He is—and Easter’s celebration of Resurrection Day is valid…or Jesus was a liar (or crazy), and we’re just as deluded. The niceties of “Happy Easter” become really strange when you think about it. If it’s true, we must be extraordinarily elated over the New Life in the Risen Christ! If it’s not, it’s just plain coo-coo, so it shouldn’t really be a “thing” at all.

There’s a very famous quote from C. S. Lewis (from a 1942 speech and published in Mere Christianity in 1952) that addresses this topic:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

No neutral ground.

Among all His own claims to be God and the Messiah (John 8:58; 10:30; 14:6; Mark 14:61-62—to list just a few), Jesus said Himself, “The one who is not with Me is against Me.” In other words, no neutrality. No, “Jesus was a good teacher” (which you hear a lot from church people and atheists alike). No, “Jesus is Way-Shower” (per the Unity Church, for instance). No, “Jesus is a created being and the brother of Lucifer” (Mormonism). And no, “Jesus is one of many gurus/prophets who can show us how we can realize our oneness with God—to be like God” (Hinduism…and even some current “little gods” false teachers).

Friend, we either believe Jesus is the Second Person of the Triune God, Emmanuel, and Savior of the world…or He is not. Is Easter a day for dress-up and bunnies? Or is it a celebration of the Risen Christ, conqueror of sin and death? We must choose a side. The battle is heating up…so, are you for Him or against Him?

“Heavenly Father, the enemy hisses so many lies—in so many ways—to confuse people and keep them from knowing the Truth of Jesus Christ. Lord, open the eyes of the blind, lift the veils of lies, and reveal that there is only One Way back to You.”

 

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

Leave a Comment

Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 29, 2024

Jesus Knew

 

“Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” John 13:1 (ESV)

Nothing sweeter than spending quality time with my besties.  Despite several delayed attempts for us to steal some time away for the beach, Fall  didn’t disappoint.  Great weather, awesome friends – what more could a girl ask for?

The gift of friendship is a treasured jewel – in a world full of tweets, posts and less face to face interactions, we long for conversations and meals gathered around the table. Laughter filling the air.  Silence at just the right moments.  And the wisdom to know what to say and how to say it.  Chatting into the late hours of the morning.  Shopping until we drop exhausted.  Doing life together never felt better.

Your tribe, peeps, besties – whatever you call those you allow to draw close to your inner circle – it’s a trusted space reserved for those who love us to the end.

Jesus’ tribe of 12  – His inner circle – was comprised of doubters, tax collectors, fishermen, etc.  Ordinary men who left it all behind to follow Him.  Jesus knew them intimately, taught them, laughed with them and walked countless miles down dusty roads with His twelve.   Wouldn’t you have loved to hear some of those conversations as they gathered around a cozy fire? Three years full of miracles, lessons and closeness with the very Son of God.

John 13 unveils the riveting truth, Jesus’ time on earth was coming to a close.  His purpose would take on new heights as He suffered and died for our sins.  Betrayed by one of His closest and abandoned by all in his darkest hour.  Yet two pivotal words were nestled in these verses – Jesus knew.  Yes, He knew the clock was ticking and His days were fleeting on this earth.  Yes, He knew the one (Judas) who would sell Him out and the fleeing sandaled feet of His tribe scattering in fear when He needed them the most.

Jesus knew yet He lavishly laid aside His garments, lowered Himself, took a towel and washed the feet of His tribe.  A tender moment confusing to those whose dirty feet were touched and cleansed.  A final lesson in servanthood:

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater that his master nor is he who is sent greater that his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him,  If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” John 13:14-17

Sweet friends, we are blessed indeed if we follow Jesus’ example – knowing, yet loving and serving until the very end.

“Father, the ultimate expression of Your love for this world culminated on the cross. Your sacrificial love compels us to do the same – give our all for the sake of others.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

 

Leave a Comment

Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Love

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 28, 2024

Easter – God’s Redemption Song

“After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and He sat at the right hand of God.” Mark 16:19 (NIV)

One Easter season, our church did a series on Christ’s last week on earth, which was titled “One Week to Live.” In this series, we heard about the Last Supper and the conversations that took place there and then; how the event was not a festive one, and how the word “last” really meant what it said, the last meal the disciples ate with the Lord Jesus while He was on the earth.

As the Omniscient being that He was, Jesus already knew the events that would take place after that last meal with His disciples. He knew one of them was going to betray Him, which would ultimately cost Him His life, and that a couple of others would deny ever knowing Him. Those men were His best friends! They were the ones with whom Jesus spent the majority of His time. They, who knew Him best, were soon to place Him in the category of criminal deserving of a cross. Yet, there He sat, sharing His last meal with them.

If we can learn anything from Jesus, we can learn that forgiveness is far better than vengeance. Forgiving those men and all those Roman soldiers who mistreated Him and hung Him on the cross allowed Jesus to fulfill the Father’s plan for Him without having to ask His Father to change anything that could show favoritism on God’s part towards Him. The Father had to watch His only Son die on the cross and the Son submitted to that plan so that humanity would get a chance at redemption.

Easter is a great time to think about Jesus’ sacrifice for us. What happened three days later, when He rose from the tomb and ascended to the Father to prepare a place for His children, is far more important and memorable than all the chocolate one could buy.

“Dear Lord Jesus: Easter is so far more than candy and chocolate, or bunnies. Easter is about forgiveness, redemption, and life. Thank You for showing us that the Father honors our obedience.”

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

 

Leave a Comment

Posted in Faith, Hope, Love, Mercy, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 27, 2024

His Precious Blood

“…Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.” 1 Cor. 5:7 (NLT)

In Exodus chapter 12, God promised when He saw the blood of the lamb on the doorframes of a home, He would pass over sparing that family the plague of killing the firstborn sons and firstborn male animals in the land of Egypt. This disaster would be the LAST and FINAL plague needed for Pharaoh to surrender to the demand of God to let His people go. After 430 years of slavery, God’s people would finally know what it was like to be delivered from bondage, released from long days of unrealistic, hard manual labor and to experience freedom from the chains that had them bound.

In the original Passover, those Israelites sacrificing a lamb signified they would be spared God’s judgment…His promise in verse 13, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you…”

Some 1,500 years after the Israelite’s liberation from Pharaoh’s captivity, Paul used the same term to describe Christ as the sacrificial Passover Lamb. He knew the events in Exodus foreshadowed the coming sacrifice of Jesus when he penned “…Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us” in 1 Corinthians.

The Israelites needed a lamb without blemish to cover their homes to save them from death. Both stories parallel, nothing has changed, even now 2000 years later, humanity still needs a spotless Lamb to save us from the grave. Jesus became the spotless sacrificial Lamb. He took the place of the blood from bulls, goats and fowl. He became the LAST and FINAL sacrifice good for all time.

Passover recognizes the defeat over death, the empty tomb and the victorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior. Easter celebrates the new covenant; the better, perfect promise not chiseled in stone, but written with the precious blood of the Lamb.

“Father, it’s Your unselfish love that freed Your people in Exodus and the same love throughout the span of time that continues saving us. Your shed blood is still covering our sins, freeing the captives and saving the lost.”

For His Glory

Kim Lacey Schock (www.kimlaceyschock.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

Leave a Comment

Posted in Faith, Hope, Love, Mercy

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

Leave a Comment

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

 

Leave a Comment

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

Leave a Comment

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

 

Leave a Comment

Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Categories