Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 13, 2022

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 Israelite’s 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

 

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Posted in Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 12, 2022

Nothing Less Than 100%

“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

When you were growing up, did you like school—I mean the academic part? (The whole social structure, cliques, jocks-versus-nerds thing aside for now.) As for me, whether in second grade or during senior year, I loved learning…class lessons, homework, projects, papers, and tests. It was also very important to me to do really well. (I can say the same about my parents—seeing A’s on my report cards was always the expectation…hence, my perfectionist tendencies.)

Depending on where you grew up, getting an A on a test meant earning at least 90% of the potential points. At many schools (until recent years) an A was 94-100, so it was even a bit more challenging to attain. Regardless, achieving that top mark is always a great accomplishment. And a report card displaying “straight A’s” is certainly worth celebrating. That being said, it’s highly unlikely—dare I say, impossible—that any straight-A student achieved complete perfection on every single lesson, project, test, etc. through the semester. No one can be that academically perfect.

And no one can live a flawless life either—one where not a single thought, word, or action ever goes against the moral laws and standards of our Holy God. Even unbelievers who tend to believe they’re “good enough to get into heaven” will admit they’ve lied or stolen something at least once in their life. We all sin and fall short of God’s holy perfection (Romans 3:23). But to be in the glorious presence of the Lord, nothing but total perfection will do! No percentage range or grade curves there. Only faultlessness.

You may be panicking right now, thinking, “But that’s terrible! How can I get to heaven (to live eternally with God) if He requires me to be perfect? Why would a good God do that?!”

Friend, God is Good—He made a way for you and me! Because He loves us so much, He sent His Son, Jesus, to take on the flesh of man. Fully man and fully God, Jesus lived a completely perfect life, never offending the Father in thought, word, or action—although He was tempted in every way we are (Hebrews 4:15). Then, Jesus took the penalty we deserve, paying the price for our sin and trading His righteousness for ours (2 Corinthians 5:21). What does this mean for us? When we accept the free gift of grace extended to us by Jesus, a Great Exchange is made: He takes our sin, and we get His perfection. Now, don’t misunderstand, once saved, we’re not suddenly going to stop sinning while we’re on this earth—perfect living is still impossible. But from God’s vantagepoint, because of His Son’s sacrifice, He looks upon us as if we’ve never sinned. This is grace. And in this glorious spiritual perfection, we get to spend forever with Him.

When you believe and surrender to Jesus Christ, your life’s proverbial final term paper will be marked 100%. And you don’t even have to work for it.

“Lord, I cannot be perfect—but You were. You lived a perfect life on my behalf and died the death I deserved, so I can live forever with You. Thank you!”

For His Glory

Julianne Winker Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Faith, Freedom, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 8, 2022

Carving In Margin For Rest

“Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day, you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.” Exodus 34:21 (ESV)

Ever feel like you’re just trying to stay ahead of the game, but the game is going faster than you dare imagine? Most days can feel like that – from sun up to sundown. Amazes me the speed of 24 hours, and the tasks that just keep getting carried over. I’m a planner kind of girl so I love checking things off my list even if I just added them a few minutes ago. Frustrating to hit Friday and the reality of what never was tackled is staring me in the face on Monday morning. To be totally honest that list can haunt me all weekend – releasing margin for catchup robs me of peace.

Love this sweet reminder from the One who knows how to carve in margin for rest. In awe of the example God set before us with creation – six days of creating and one day of rest. The One who holds it all together challenges us to let it go, to take on His yoke which is light and embrace margin for rest.

Wish it were ever so simple to release agendas, lists and busy. Ever find yourself in that trap – desiring rest yet resisting still?

Plowing time and harvest were busy seasons for farmers. No Walmart or Target around the corner. Critical times to plow, plant and tend the fields. Doing the next thing from sun up to sundown – maximizing daylight to the fullest. And when the crops come in, you can’t just ignore harvesting, picking and storing up for tomorrow.

Yet God commands and invites us to a better way – a day of rest. Right in the midst of crazy, chaotic and endless lists, He knows rest soothes the soul, rejuvenates our spirit and clarifies our mind. Pulling away gives us a clearer perspective – a God perspective – trusting His agenda and His plans. Even when urgent seeks to steal away still, we can resist the tendency to cast aside rest. Awesome moments without a list and totally free to relax, reflect and receive the sweetness of His presence.

Won’t you join me? Carve in white space for rest. Resist the urge to keep doing. Enjoy a prayer walk. Read a great book. Remove distractions. And when Monday comes, we’ll be amazed how much gets done.

“Father, You have set the pace now help us to obey and receive the blessings of rest.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 6, 2022

Even If

“But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” – Daniel 3:18

I long to have the “even if” faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They boldly told King Nebuchadnezzar that the God they served was able to deliver them from the fiery furnace, but even if He did not, they would worship only Him.

I also proclaim that I will only worship Jesus. But sometimes when things heat up, when life gets hard and I don’t see God doing what I think He should be doing, my heart drifts. Instead of walking through the fire, knowing Jesus is by my side, I choose to take things into my own hands…trying to fix the problem and bowing down to the god of self-sufficiency. Sometimes when I am wounded by a friend, rather than trusting that Jesus knows my pain and is able to comfort me, I try to ease my pain by bowing to the god of self-righteousness. When I have real needs that have not yet been met, rather than patiently trusting in His provision, I bow down to fear and worry. In these, and countless other ways, I choose to worship lesser gods.

But, praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who can rescue me from myself! I pray that He will create in me a pure heart…a heart that will turn to Him in times of trouble, a heart that would rather perish in the fire than serve or worship any god other than Jesus.

“Lord, only you can rescue me from my idol-making heart. I pray that in every circumstance you will remind me that you are more than enough, so that I will choose to worship only you.”

For His Glory

Ann Skalaski
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 5, 2022

The Need For Deeds

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

The heated theological dispute of faith alone versus faith-plus-works has been raging for centuries—even millennia. In fact, this very topic is why Martin Luther launched the Reformation just over 500 years ago. But God’s Word is clear: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). As for me, I will rest in this undeniable Truth.

That being said, we believers are actually not to literally rest! Once saved by grace, we are called to respond to our salvation with good works—to demonstrate our faith so others can recognize we are Christians. In fact, the very next verse from the Apostle Paul in Ephesians says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). This topic is a big theme in the book of James as well—a book that some point to on the “do-to-be-saved” side of the argument. But James simply exhorts that our faith justifies us to God (He sees/knows our heart), but we cannot be justified to men without deeds. In other words, if you tell me you’re saved but nothing at all changes about your life, then there remains the question of your true salvation.

When we truly surrender to Jesus Christ, we are a new creation—the old nature has passed away and a new has come (2 Corinthians 5:16). Our desire, as directed by the Holy Spirit living in us upon our profession of faith, is to glorify God through our actions. We want to walk in obedience because Jesus paid the price for our sin…not so that we can earn our way to heaven. By doing good works and bearing fruit, we please God and grow in our faith (Colossians 1:9-12). During His ministry on earth, Jesus also taught that true believers would be known by their fruit (Matthew 7:15-20).

Don’t get me wrong, friend, once we surrender to Christ, we will not be perfect or always do the right thing. In this fallen world, we will be in constant battle with our unredeemed flesh, the world system, and the enemy of the soul—Satan. Until we are fully glorified with a new body (woohoo!), either when Jesus calls us home or He returns, we must continue to pursue holiness. And we do this by studying—and obeying—God’s Word and spending time with the Lord.

Salvation is not the end game of our life on earth. If it were, as soon as we were saved, the Lord would snatch us up to heaven! Once saved, we must do. We are to be salt and light—to demonstrate God’s amazing love and grace to others so that they see our good works and give glory to God (Matthew 5:13-16).

“Lord, let my deeds give You glory and point others to You, as I live a life of love in response to Your love for me.”

For His Glory,

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Freedom, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 4, 2022

The Elusive Search

“But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.” Romans 5:15 (ESV)

Love the elusive search for the perfect gift. Yes, this past week I headed out to the store to find a special birthday present. Now, this wasn’t your ordinary celebration – it was a big one for a sweet friend – which means I wasn’t settling for just anything. Bet you know too that finding the perfect gift is harder than it seems. But that didn’t deter me – I just kept driving, searching and shopping until the mission was accomplished.

Positively sure my friend will love her present. Convinced she will appreciate all my effort and determination to celebrate her. After all, you gotta celebrate the big numbers.

Got me thinking – how diligently do I  seek and search for opportunities to share the most amazing gift. The perfect gift I’ve had for most of my lifetime. The one real gift guaranteed to last throughout eternity.

What’s the perfect, most amazing gift ever?

It’s the gift of believing, following and loving Jesus. It’s the sweetness of His presence even on days when we totally forget about Him. It’s the sheer joy of knowing our sins have been forgiven and cast into the depths of the ocean. It’s the wonder of Jesus’ incredible love surrounding us. It’s His amazing grace covering all of us. It’s the simple pleasure of knowing we are His, held close to His heart forever.

The list is endless. Best gift to share with others, yet I hate to admit I often fall short in sharing this gift. Distractions. Fear. Busyness. Intimidation. Bet you could add a few things to this ever-growing list too. Lots of excuses and reasons. None of which are welcomed by the One who told us to go to all the world and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 16:15).

So sweet friends this is where we land – a beautiful Savior who gave His life for us – entrusting us with His story. Beckoning us to tell the good news – we can be forgiven of our sins. We can live for all eternity in a home He has prepared for us. We can endure the trials of this world with Jesus by our side. He will be the friend who never leaves or forsakes us. And Jesus longs for us to seize opportunities to share His love with others.

No gimmicks or tricks. Just simple truth – God loved us so much that He willingly gave His only Son (Jesus) so that whoever believes in Him wouldn’t perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). If you’ve never opened this most amazing gift sweet friend, I’m praying you will. Don’t’ settle for less. Place your faith and trust in Him. Confess your sins and surrender your heart to the One who loves you more than you dared imagine. And then, join me in telling His story to our world –  He’s the best gift ever.

“Father, forgive us for failing to seize every chance to tell Your story with those we meet. Rid us of excuses and help us share the best gift found in You alone.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 1, 2022

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 empty stomach.  Buy a new appliance and the directions scripted in the tiniest writing tells 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 chose to obey Your commands.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Freedom, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Success, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 31, 2022

Keep Calm & Trust God

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” Psalm 37:7 (NIV)

The past couple of years has been tough for millions of people around the globe. We have all seen how a virus can afflict multitudes of people at once, despite their geographic location around the globe. We have lived through a pandemic. We trusted the Lord to be our guide and to help us to keep on moving, especially when we had zero ideas about what to do because we realized from the beginning we cannot fix the damage on our own.

We, humans, are not very good about exercising patience when things are not going our way; we are not very good about standing still when lives are being affected and everything around us seems to be crumbling down in a domino effect.

When something hurts, we cry; when something breaks, we complain; when something stops working, we whine. Oftentimes, we need someone or something to blame for our demise, so we blurt out words and we scream; we do anything but quiet ourselves down so that we can hear God speaking to us. We panic, and we forget to trust His guidance.

When Jesus felt struggles coming on the horizon, He would find a quiet place where He could talk to the Father in prayer. He could have allowed His humanity to take over and tell His followers to run for their lives. Can you picture what kind of chaos that would have created if He acted based on His feelings and emotions like we so often do? But, instead, Jesus would go into a quiet garden, kneel before the Lord and pray. He would seek His Father’s guidance and strength. Even facing what was about to come, like an arduous walk through the streets of Jerusalem dragging a wooden cross upon which He knew He would hang, Jesus chose to be still and wait patiently for His Father. He kept calm, and He trusted.

Friends, God has a plan for you and me. He will see us through the trials He allows us to endure. There is nothing we have to face in this life that we will go about doing alone because He is ready to walk it with us. Let’s keep calm and trust Him.

“Dear God: there is nothing better in the world than to know You are right beside us. We surrender to You all that we cannot handle on our own.”

 

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 29, 2022

God’s Will, Not Mine

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” Proverbs 19:21

I live in Florida—and I absolutely love it. But if you had told me just two years ago that I’d be moving to the Sunshine State, I would have laughed and said that you’re out of your mind. See, we’d just recently left North Carolina to make our “rest-of-our-lives” home in the mountains of Virginia. That being said, in the 15 years we spent in North Carolina, each of the three residences we owned in that place was also “we’re-not-moving-again” homes. And then (moving backward in time) there was that 1920 bungalow in Loveland, CO, the 1890 Victorian in Colorado Springs, and the new construction “dream” home we built in Richmond, Virginia before that. You guessed it; each one had been our “forever” home—because that was our plan.

Yeah, I don’t say that anymore. I “hope” we don’t move again, but in my long (and often arduous and incredible) sanctification journey as a Christ-follower, I’ve come to the settled understanding of “Your will, not mine, Lord.”

And this learning is not just related to geographical moves. As believers, we must recognize that the ideal place to be is in God’s will—no matter the aspect of our life. His will is always going to be for our ultimate good and His deserved glory. Even if it doesn’t feel like it all the time.

Think about Joseph in the Old Testament. This godly, truth-following boy was sold into slavery by his brothers only to be (after his own arduous and incredible journey) elevated to second in command in all of Egypt. When he finally came face to face with his brothers, he reflected the grace of God and told them, “What you meant for evil, the Lord meant for good.” (It’s an AMAZING saga, and you can read all about it in Genesis, chapters 37-50.) His obedience led him to a desert pit and later to prison. But following God’s will also brought Joseph big-time good…and God was big-time glorified. And friend, there are so many testimonies like this in the Bible! Even Jesus exemplified “Your will, not mine” obedience when He prayed in the garden before submitting to the Cross (Luke 22:42; Matthew 26:42). And the Christian goal is to be more like Him, right?

When it comes to obeying God’s will, you may think, “Well, how do I know what God’s will is for me?” That’s actually an easy answer: His Word is His will. Start there. The more obedient we are to His Word, the clearer and easier it is to know and do His will. And it becomes a true joy to do so! “I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). Then, simply ask Him for His will for you. As believers, we have the Holy Spirit as our live-in counselor! Now, God may not give us a big picture path from the start, but He’ll definitely give us the first step. Then, we must obediently take that step.

I clearly professed that it was my will that many of 15 addresses in four states were my forever homes. But I am grateful that when the Lord had other plans, we obeyed. (In these and other things!) Friend, choose to stay in God’s will. I promise (and so does He), it’s the best place to be.

“Lord, let me pray, talk, and live like Jesus, surrendering daily to Your will…for my good and Your glory.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Success, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 25, 2022

Navigating Non-Negotiables

“Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in You.” Psalm 86:2 (NIV)

Wonder if we have any non-negotiables in our lives? You know like things we just won’t change. Or maybe it’s things we just won’t do. Perhaps it’s a standard we won’t compromise or a discipline we’re not willing to cast aside.

Non-negotiables can be bad, or they can be good. Being stubborn and demanding our way will definitely make us a friend to be avoided. Being prideful and choosing only certain tasks will eventually limit our possibilities for growth. Standing firm in our convictions will absolutely set us apart from the crowd. And maintaining our priorities will position us for the best rather than simply good enough.

So, where are we hovering in our non-negotiables? Do we do things the same way we always did or are we adventurous and willing to follow God’s lead? Change invites growth and flexibility. Learning to approach a situation differently takes courage. Accepting another view of a situation can enable us to extend grace rather than cast judgment.

Are we resisting some non-negotiables because we would have to leave the gray areas for the pursuit of holiness? Might it involve choosing to look different instead of blending into the crowd? Respect is earned even if others don’t agree when we choose to stick to our values. Maintaining integrity is crucial if we want to be influencers in a world where instability reigns.

Flip through the pages of scripture and we will find people who chose their non-negotiables carefully. Joseph’s guarded heart, Job’s protected eyes and Esther’s brave convictions positioned them to reap the rewards of good non-negotiables. Praying Jesus finds us there too – unashamed of what we believe. Standing firm not caving in. Leaving comfort for God’s best even if means releasing our defaults. Maintaining integrity even in the face of extreme temptation. Making the right choices even if it’s not trendy. Placing unshakeable trust in the One who rewards those who diligently seek Him and walk in His ways.

“Father, You have given us the gift of choice – help us to lean into Your wisdom and reap the rewards of a life lived with integrity.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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

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