Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 9, 2023

Creation’s Praise

“The mountains and the hills will break into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”  Isaiah 55:12

How often are you in the quiet—especially outdoors? Do you ever escape the constant din of the city and suburban life (cars, trucks, trains, lawn equipment, construction work)? Many of us don’t even realize that there even is an urban soundtrack until we’re not in the midst of it anymore.

But, whether it’s to the beach, the mountains, or the middle of a cornfield, we need to get away from the noise of man and take time to bask in God’s amazing creation. Now, quieting our life from the onslaught of social media, news, headphone-streamed music, etc., is vital as well—we must be still and know God (Psalm 46:10). But this is something different. This is about hushing the noise to hear the praises of Creation itself to the God who designed it all and spoke it into existence.

Start at sunrise and listen to the birds as they wake up with praise on their lips (well, beaks). Turn your attention to the trees. As the wind blows through the branches, you’ll hear the leaves applaud and cheer on their Creator. And then there’s the ocean (sans the screams of delighted children and various speakers blaring everything from country music to rap). Each wave that mounts up then crashes to the shore is a roar of acclaim to the Lord. Can you hear it?

What about the myriad flowers? Gardenias, jasmine, magnolia, roses—to name just a few. Not only do they burst forth in intricate beauty, but their distinct fragrances give testimony to God’s love and generous grace. From the hummingbird’s miraculous movements to the heavenly host throughout the universe, the Lord is being magnified through every detail of His workmanship.

The question is, do you stop to glorify Him along with Creation? Take some time today to experience the joyful worship that’s all around you…and join the chorus of praise.

Let’s pray this Psalm together in praise of our Creator God:

”Praise the Lord! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters that are above the heavens! They are to praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded, and they were created. Praise the Lord from the earth, Sea monsters, and all the ocean depths; Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; Mountains and all hills; Fruit trees and all cedars; Animals and all cattle; Crawling things and winged fowl…They are to praise the name of the Lord, For His name alone is exalted; His majesty is above earth and heaven. (Psalm 148)”

 

For His Glory,

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Living, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 8, 2023

Equipped To Win The Battle

“Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, but I do not swerve from your testimonies.” Psalm 119:157

My sister, Faye, is an avid lover of animals.  She has been known to bring her car to a screeching halt so a squirrel or turtle can cross the road safely.  While that may be a bit extreme, we’ve probably all swerved to miss a leaping deer or debris on the road.  Strategically attempting to avoid an accident, we deviate from our course in the name of safety.

While swerving can definitely protect us when faced with unknown obstacles in our path, it’s never the right choice when it comes to God’s truth.  Turning aside to the left or right, moving away from or fleeing what we know is true never serves us well.

Real question is how does swerve evolve, especially when we thought we were grounded?

We’ve probably all claimed our determined stance when it comes to the wisdom of God’s word. Yet, every little compromise, every rationale, every moment of peer pressure has the potential to deviate us from His truth.  And the times when we find ourselves the most vulnerable are when we are under attack.

Satan is the great accuser, and he loves to create doubt and confusion.  Why?  Because he knows the power and truth found in God’s word.  He also knows the word of God is one of our greatest weapons against him; Jesus proved that when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness.  No brainer here – if Satan can get us to swerve away from God’s truth then he knows our effectiveness to share the gospel and grow in our faith fades as well.

I personally have never felt persecution for my faith like many of our brothers and sisters in the Lord on foreign soil.  Brave, bold and courageous followers of Jesus who lay down their lives for the sake of the gospel.  Yet, I do know the influence of emotional and physical attacks which can overwhelm us. Growing up during a time when my pastor was taking a strong stand against moral decline, I often was faced with teasing and ridicule from classmates in school. End result, I would go home feeling sad and defeated because of what I believed.

Fast forward to adulthood, I’ve battled the attacks of our enemy as he uses people and situations to manipulate his plans.  Generating disunity and divisions.  Attempting to discredit the character of our God.  Twisting solid truths into seemingly convincing wiser thoughts which can land us full of confusion and doubt.

Love the Psalmist’s words “I do not swerve from your testimonies.”  Unshakeable, unmovable.  A solid place to land in the face of persecution and adversity.  When accusations seek to slay us and what we believe, we can cling to the truths of God’s word – armed for battle against our enemy.  When our souls are overwhelmed and justice appears to fade into the night, we can trust our God to fight the battle for us.  Leaning on our God, combating our enemy with His words and standing strong positions us to win. And like the Psalmist, we too can proclaim “We are not swerving from your testimonies.”

“Father, fill our hearts with Your words so we are equipped to win the battles of this world without losing our faith and trust in You.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Freedom, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 5, 2023

A Strong Foundation

“The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.” Proverbs 14:1 (NIV)

A hammer and nails we will not find in our designer purse but building, constructing, reinforcing and repairing are on the agenda. Erecting a barrier, condemning the space and blocking grace are often favored rather than building a relationship. Perhaps there’s a bridge of forgiveness to be extended, but ending that relationship seems sweeter. Navigating a new design to an old pattern – wow that’s just too much work.
You see, we are great purchasers of new when old is no longer appealing. But what happens when the exchange involves people?

A little Construction 101 reminds us that a house is only as stable, strong and unshakeable as its foundation. Same principle applies in relationships. A weak foundation is easily disturbed and the crumbling underneath is devastating. If we are not careful we will tear down, cast aside and discard a priceless treasure. It takes supernatural strength to repair, re-construct, reinforce and repair lives dangling by a thread. But isn’t that where God found us? Isn’t that where God empowers us?

Relationships built upon the rock of grace reflect a strong foundation – a wise woman. I love the way Proverbs challenges us to build up our relationships, our home and our work environment. It’s the Restorer, Redeemer and Reconciler inviting us to react and live wisely. It’s the Sovereign One compelling us to weigh the cost of foolish emotions that tear down and destroy. How we long to be wise women whose houses and relationships are built daily upon the truths of God’s word.

“Father, I am so thankful that You build up my life with Your wisdom and grace. How I need You to navigate all the relationships in my life.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 4, 2023

Knowing Your Adversary

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,  against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness,  against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 ( ESV)

I was caught up in the beauty of the crashing waves coming at me, completely lost in the moment.  So caught up that I forgot about the undertow.  Causing me to lose my footing and left me struggling to recover.

An undertow is when waves break along the ocean shore. Once that occurs, gravity pulls backwards and the water (and sand beneath your feet) is sucked right back into the ocean.

An undertow can be dangerous. If the water going back into the ocean is strong it can knock you down with another wave swooping in before you can recover.

I was so focused on what I could see, I forgot about what was going on underneath the surface.

That is what Paul was trying to teach the church in Ephesus that their adversary is not the people in their lives -it’s not what they can see on the surface.  It’s what is happening underneath (in the spiritual realm).

In other words, your enemy isn’t the woman from church who doesn’t speak to you in passing or smile at you the way you think she should. Most likely, that lady has her own troubles on her mind.

Our adversary is Satan and the spiritual forces of evil that do his bidding.

But to the woman who has heard messages of rejection and struggles with insecurity – the enemy knowing that is your area of weakness; will hit you harder there hoping to get a reaction.

Meaning he will feed you messages of insecurity from the past that will trigger feelings that will cause you to react in the present based on a past feeling.  Essentially pulling you backwards into a dangerous emotional undertow.

Your enemy can’t read your thoughts ladies, but he’s been studying you for years; and he knows which feelings to push to reduce you to a fit of tears and rage.

By knowing who your adversary is – you will know how to battle him.

And ladies, we are in a spiritual battle for our souls and the souls of those we love.

The best weapon against our adversary is the word of God – “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul”. (Hebrews 4:12, ESV)

We must know the Word and speak its’ truth back to ourselves when the enemy attacks.  Understanding that feelings and behaviors are a direct result of the thoughts going through our minds.

The more you speak truth to yourself, the stronger you’ll become in managing the emotional undertows of life.

“Father thank you for the weapons of warfare you’ve given us to battle our adversary.  Teach us to use the Word to cut through the lies the enemy feeds us.”

For His Glory

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

 

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

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 2, 2023

Numbing Deception

“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. “ 2 Timothy 3:1-4

As I traveled on a brief trip to see my stepmom (and chilled out—literally and figuratively—during long layovers in Newark and Detroit, which were odd mid-destinations between Jacksonville and Dulles), I devoured “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury (©1953). You likely read this short novel in high school, but probably don’t recall its profound literary connotations—and its dystopian reality certainly didn’t parallel that era as much as it does today. In fact, the intense relevance kind of messed with my head a bit, as I observe our current self-serving pleasure culture in relation to the decades-old warnings of authors like Bradbury and Orwell (see “Animal Farm” and “1984” as examples).

In this novel, society had deteriorated (or advanced, depending on one’s perspective) to passive happiness-seeking. Critical thinking—or any pondering at all—had been deemed a bad thing. The powers-that-be constantly fed people meaningless input and commercials through four-wall always-on screens and always-in earbuds (sounds eerily familiar). Over time, people didn’t want to waste time reading books, so classics and modern works were summarized to a couple of pages, then reduced to a column, then minimized to a line or two—dare I say “280 characters” in today’s vernacular. People became seemingly “well read” and informed, although it was all a delusion. But even that nugget of insight was too much for individualized evaluation, so the entire concept of books became a thing of the past (and illegal), replaced by mind-numbing input of the system.

But the spiritual implications of “Fahrenheit 451” also struck me as quite weighty. See, even the attention span of today’s Christians has deteriorated. We want to be entertained at church, told how awesome we are and how great life can be. We certainly don’t want to be convicted in any way—the darkness in our life is just fine without the light of truth shining in on it. Instead of God’s Word being taught, line by line, with context and application, Christians want good soundbites. A verse sprinkled in here or there that aligns with the pulpit Ted-talk du jour, and modern churchgoers deem themselves “well-versed” in the Bible. No thinking or pondering needed. And when God says something we don’t like, we simply toss it out as “irrelevant to modern culture”—it interferes with our happiness and pleasure, so no thanks.

Then, suddenly (but not-so-suddenly), God’s Word is completely irrelevant. So is God. Stadiums full of people are lulled into thinking all is well from the mouth of a wolf clothed in a toothy white smile.

Friend, do not be deceived. The Bible is not only as relevant today as it was when God-inspired men wrote it, it is essential. Following God’s Word is not about limiting our happiness, but rather about ensuring our safety, satisfaction, and joy. Let’s not give in to watery, meaningless Sunday messages, cutting and pasting to make the Bible reflect the world. Find a church that stands firmly on God’s Word, shedding Light into an ever-present darkness. And open your own Bible. Don’t know where to start? Genesis 1:1 is a great place: “In the beginning, God…”

“Heavenly Father, as the enemy’s time runs short, strengthen the pastors, teachers, and churches that hold fast to Your Truth, proclaiming the whole Word. Open the eyes of men and women who are being deceived from wolf-occupied pulpits.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 1, 2023

Choosing Well Even When Faced With Fear

“She (Anna) did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.” Luke 2:37b (ESV)

Have to admit it is easier to give up than to press through. Yes, we’ve all been there when trials, challenges and uncertainties totally left us caving into fears. Moments when the chapters we would have never written unfold right before our eyes. Tough days often leave us feeling powerless and vulnerable in the wake of the unknowns. The white flag of surrender (giving up) feels sweeter than the pursuit of victory.

What does it take for you to give up – cave in and not fight through? We all have our perceived limits of what we can endure, but in the wake of such days do we attempt to let go or hold on tight to our Mighty God?

Anna was a prophetess who enjoyed the wonder of seven years of marriage with her man. What she thought would last forever evaporated way too soon and she (now a widow) found herself faced with a decision. The same decision we often face. On the brink of sorrow, disappointment and uncertainty will we remain faithful to our God or quietly bow out?
Easy out is to allow our challenges to overwhelm us, depress us and empty us until we see no alternative. More convenient to just live in self pity recounting the good ole days rather than clamoring for hope. Perhaps we’ve all been there when life just didn’t deliver what we expected and staying the course was simply too painful.

Anna could have easily regulated herself to a grief-filled life. She could have dismissed herself in the days when mourning rushes in like a mighty wave, but she didn’t. This bold, courageous woman chose instead to hold on to her God who was greater than her sorrow. Anna spent her life devoted to her God worshipping, fasting and praying in the temple the rest of her life. And the sweetest blessing ever, she got to meet the Christ child – isn’t that just like our God to reward those who faithfully serve Him?

Lots of things can happen which could convince us things will never get better. We have a choice – we can either trust our God for the unknowns or we can simply exist caving into the fears. We can keep serving faithfully or we can give up. The choice is up to each of us – let’s choose well. Let’s claim God’s promises and zero in on His character – the Overcomer – nothing is too hard for Him!

“Father, we can get lost in the media and statistics facing us right now. Help us to act wisely, take precautions and live in victory knowing You are still in control.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 28, 2023

When Repeats Can Be Scary

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts” Psalm 28:7a (ESV)

Who doesn’t love a good repeat – you know like the happy ending we see in someone else’s life resurface in our own? Gotta admit, I thrive in the midst of familiar, but there’s not a lot of trusting going on if we’re banking on God duplicating their story in ours. Easy to get lost when we are looking for the perfect formula to solve our challenges. Crazy to limit God to only one version of resolve when we would miss out on His best for us.

Maybe you’ve found yourself there – expecting God to react, respond and do the same for you that He did for someone else. Or perhaps, you don’t want the repeat performance. You watch as marriages crumble around you and fear for your own. Similarities start to create confusing dynamics if we zero in on one person’s story and draw conclusions that repeat is about to happen. Perhaps you’re watching friends going through devastating life crisis with health, finances or prodigals and you’re sitting on the edge of your seat just waiting for repeat to knock on your door.

Our story is unique to us and unfolds one chapter at a time. No boring read. No absent characters. We are engaged in our own personal bestseller. Fear will raise its ugly head from time to time, but we don’t have to live paralyzed that a repeated event will touch our lives. While we can certainly learn from other’s experiences and gain valuable insight, we don’t have to walk on eggshells expecting the worst to resurface.

Too much is at stake for repeat performances. God has a strategic plan in place and He knows exactly how all the pieces will fit together. The outcome – well that’s a matter of trusting what we don’t see – sounds like faith to me. Rather than relying on the conclusion of another’s story, we lean in close to God’s character knowing that He loves us, fights for us, strengthens us and is fully capable of meeting all of our needs.

“Father, Your Word sustains us when fear and doubt creep in. Grateful that we are never alone regardless of what the next chapter unfolds.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 27, 2023

Believing For My Neighbor

“Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” Colossians 1:11-12 (NIV)

I am always in awe of God and the amazing things He does. Salvation is definitely one of those things, and in my view, the most important of all. Take the apostle Paul, for example. Before he encountered the risen Lord Jesus on his trip to Damascus, the man previously known as Saul was an arrogant man who utilized his authority and power to persecute Christians.

After experiencing Jesus in his life, Paul went through a 180-degree change in his life. But not only that – he wanted to make sure that he made Jesus known to all, so he set himself as a mentor and leader to others who would, in turn, become mentors and leaders themselves. What a wonderful way to describe new life in Jesus Christ!

As a leader and mentor, Paul also became an encourager of new Christians. As a follower of Christ, he endured great adversities, yet, in all his letters, Paul would encourage, motivate and incite his mentees to keep their faith, to persevere,  to keep on learning and teaching, and most of all, to keep on shining their light brighter and brighter into a world filled with darkness.

Paul’s words to the Colossians assured them they would be covered in prayer, so that they’d be strengthened with all might.   This reminder about the importance of giving thanks to the Father propelled me to remind my own mentees that they are important to God and that through prayer, they, like the Colossians, can achieve all the goodness that springs up from the Throne of God.

“Dear Jesus: thank You for being a leader and mentor to us. As Your followers, we desire to be encouragers to our neighbor, so that they, too, remain in You and experience strength and endurance throughout their lives.”

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Prayer

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 26, 2023

Swashbucklers In The Lord’s Army

“He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge, his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.”  Psalm 91:4 (ESV)

I love that passage of scripture. It speaks of God’s protection for His children. We need that in these uncertain times.  “His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.”  Who needs shields and bucklers but soldiers?  We need armor when He sends us out daily to confront the enemy.

There is a difference between shields and bucklers. A shield in Old Testament times was made of metal or leather, large enough to hide behind and take refuge from the flaming arrows and lances of the enemy.  In the Old Testament books about the kings, you can read about the gold shields of King David and King Solomon.  Imagine an army lined up for battle, standing behind polished gold shields, edge to edge.  The sun’s reflection could have blinded the enemy!  Even better, God’s faithfulness is our shield.

A buckler is much smaller and lighter, usually metal and no more than sixteen to eighteen inches in diameter.  A gold buckler would have weighed about seven and half pounds.  It was held by a strap on the back, leaving the other hand free for hand-to-hand combat.  That’s where the war gets down and dirty.

Did you know that ‘buckler’ is the basis for the word ‘swashbuckler?’ Decades ago, swashbuckler movies were all the rage.  Some recent characters that come to mind are Zorro, Iron Man and Captain Jack Sparrow, colorful characters who fought bravely and even recklessly.  Some of us are called to be swashbucklers for the Lord. Many, like the Apostle Paul and Martin Luther, have been fighting the good fight through the centuries.

Within memory, I can name Billy Graham, Jerry Falwell, Sr., and my friend Fred Morrissette, who for decades has traveled quietly to remote places on the globe, risking dangers and disease to set up Bible schools for indigent pastors and lay people. He now has thousands of small, active Bible schools worldwide led by native pastors and lay people.  He now has thousands of small, active Bible schools worldwide led by native pastors who have graduated from his training program.  I think of Fred as the Rambo of missionaries. Thank God there are many like him, working quietly and single-mindedly with the heart of a swashbuckler.

I may never be called to be a swashbuckler, but I have already been called to stand firm in the Lord’s army, protected by His faithfulness.  I’ll bet you have, too.  We can be grateful for the armor He provides.

“Dear Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness which is our protection.  Help us bravely go out as soldiers when You give the call, working under Your shield and buckler.”

For His Glory

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

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

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 25, 2023

In Significance

“When I see Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have established; What is man that You remember him.  And the son of man that You care for him?  Yet You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You crown him with glory and majesty!”  Psalm 8:3-5

The title of this devotional is a play on words from Psalm 8 – it’s a dichotomy in David’s mind that he shares openly with the Lord in his written prayers.  And it’s so beautiful.

See, all we have to do is open our eyes to Creation to witness God’s glory. The jaws of believers and unbelievers alike drop in awe as the setting sun paints the sky vibrant pinks.  Or, when walking by a jasmine bush or magnolia tree, we’re stopped in our tracks at the magnificent scent suddenly transforming the air around us.  Then there are the stars that fill the universe, and the sun and the moon, which are perfectly situated to bring life to the Earth – the tiniest shift would bring swift devastation to everything.  Even the bees testify in their miraculous hive structure given to them by the Architect of Everything.

And, amid all this amazement and glory, there we stand.  All of humanity. In all our frailty and smallness in comparison to God’s vast Creation. As David writes, “What is man that You (God) remember him and care for him?”

It’s certainly easy to think that way..but, dear friend, it is not so. David quickly follows up his initial observation:  God made man with great glory and significance.  We are created in His very image (Genesis 1:27; Ephesians 4:24) and He put us over all of the rest of Creation (Genesis 1:26). We are fearfully and wonderfully made, knit together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-16).  You and I live because we have the very breath of God in our lungs (Genesis 2:7)!  And unlike every other created thing, God gave us a conscience, eternity written in our hearts. He also gave us the ability to choose.  We choose good or evil, love or hate, self or God.

Most vital to the proof of our significance to God is this:  God showed His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ – the second Person of God Himself, made Man – died for us, that we may be reconciled with God for eternity.  Adam and Eve initially had a perfect union with God.  In their freedom to choose obedient love, they chose pride instead, severing that idyllic relationship. And so, we, too, are separated.  But God, to restore that union, gave His Son, Jesus, to pay the price for our sins and claim victory over death on our behalf.  Even the angels are in awe as they witness salvation – partying it up with every proclamation of surrender (Luke 15:10).

Friend, that is how significant you are to God.  Yes, all of Creation boasts about God, putting His glory on display for everyone to see.  But He is ultimately glorified when you and I acknowledge His amazing love for us, claiming Him as Savior and Lord…and choosing to surrender to His grace and mercy.

“Lord humanity is not equal with the dolphins, owls and birds –we have been created in Your image, to walk and talk with You. I pray for those who need to recognize their significance in You.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Gratitude, Hope

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