Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 3, 2022

Wishing For More

“Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them.” Luke 9:16 (NIV)

I don’t know about you, but often I find myself wishing for more. More time in the day to do the things I need to do plus the things I want to do. More financial security, so I never have to worry about the future. More space in my home for entertaining. I have a closet full of clothes, but I want more so that I always have just the right thing to wear for every occasion. And don’t we all find ourselves longing for more peace…in the world, our country, our families and sometimes even in our churches? We want more when what we have doesn’t seem like enough.

Jesus, when faced with the very real problem of not having enough food to feed a hungry crowd of over five thousand, gave us the prescription for this dilemma. With just five loaves and two fish, looking up to heaven, He gave thanks.

This simple formula helps us in two ways. First, looking up to heaven helps us distinguish between real needs and those things we desire. When my focus is on Christ, it is easier for me to see this. God promises to meet my needs so if it is a genuine need, I can rest in His promise. In the same way He provided manna, quail and water for the Israelites in the wilderness, He will meet my needs and yours. Secondly, when we give thanks for what we already have to the One who is the giver of all things, our gratitude and trust increases. When our trust increases, we can accept that what God doesn’t provide, we don’t really need.

Throughout Scripture God promises to care for our needs. In Matthew 6, Jesus says: “ …do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Sweet friends, we can trust God to meet our needs…even when what we have doesn’t seem like enough.

“Lord, we all know that sense of longing for more. When it comes, gently remind us to look up to heaven and give thanks for what we already have, trusting that You love us and will meet our every need.”

For His Glory

Ann Skalaski
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | March 1, 2022

3D Faith

“You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2: 18)

Over the past two years, we’ve all had a lot of two-dimensional interactions. I don’t know about you, but I’m on video meetings every single day—some days I could have up to five or six! That’s a lot of screen time, and it doesn’t even include my actual work! So, whenever I do get to interact with clients or teammates in real life, I always joke about how nice it is to see them in “3D” (three versus two dimensions). It’s the way we’re meant to live!

I’m currently studying the book of James in the Bible. And it struck me that we, as believers in Jesus Christ, must have “3D faith.” Let me explain.

See, in this powerful (and convicting) book, James talks about three different types of faith. First there is one-dimensional faith—or dead faith—which is all head knowledge. People with this type of faith know their Bible stories, and they may even talk a good talk about theology. But that’s all there is. All talk, but no walk. In fact, you may see these people at church on Sunday…but their behavior the rest of the week does not reflect their “Christian” label.

Next is two-dimensional faith, or demonic faith. This type of faith is head knowledge plus an emotional reaction. As James illustrates, even the demons have this kind of faith. If these fallen angels could sit around a Bible-trivia table, they would win every round. They believe in God—they were there when He created everything. Just read the gospel accounts of Jesus’s ministry, and you’ll see that the demons recognized Jesus as Son of God and Judge. They believe, as James says, and they shudder (James 2:19)! They know God, they acknowledge His power, and they have an emotional response…but they do not love Him or surrender to Him.

Finally, there is three-dimensional faith—or dynamic faith. This is authentic, saving faith, encompassing head knowledge, emotional understanding, and obedient action. Going beyond words and feelings, this kind of faith involves the will, choosing to live in line with God’s Truth…loving God with all we are, and extending that love to our neighbor. In his letter, James also emphasizes that 3D faith is the only way we can demonstrate our faith to the world. See, only God can truly know our saving faith—it is He who justifies us and declares us righteous through the work of His Son on the cross. But there’s no way for our brothers and sisters, or the dying world around us, to know our faith (or even know what it means to have faith), unless we show them.

So, what kind of faith do you have? Are you currently living with a one-dimensional or a two-dimensional faith? Or have you fully surrendered your mind, heart, and will to Jesus, walking out your faith in steadfast obedience to the One who surrendered it all for you? Friend, embrace 3D faith today—it’s the way we’re meant to live.

“Lord, reveal to me if my faith is just lip-service. I surrender my will to You today—help me demonstrate my faith and give light to a dark world.”

 

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 28, 2022

Extinguishing The Spread

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.”  Romans 6:12

I didn’t think I’d ever used so much Lysol and disinfectant.  When my husband tested positive for covid right before Christmas, I became the germ police going behind everything he touched and wiping it down.  Hand towels were tucked away and paper towels were on the counter.  My hands were raw from all the wiping down, and the smell of Lysol was starting to get to my sinuses.  Never realized how many things we touch in a 24 hour period…..so much more than I could keep up with. And of course all my germ police work was in vain…I still got sick.

Unfortunately germs aren’t the only thing that spread.  Don’t know if you’ve ever found yourself in this place, but entertaining sin is just too close.  One of our greatest deceptions is often found in our perceived self-resilience to not sin.  You got it friend – we simply think “we’d never do ___________.”

How does this entertaining happen?  Quite gradually.  We surround our inner circle with those who either don’t believe in God or have a loose view of sin.  We make little compromises because no one is looking right?  We allow our gaze to desire what we know we shouldn’t have (we retain 80% of what we see).  Longings focused in the wrong direction eventually lead us down the same wrong path. Zeroing in on our world versus having an eternal perspective shifts our feet from a firm foundation to shaky territory.

Not exactly where we want land is it?

Most believers probably don’t sit down and strategize how their going to sin.  Quite the opposite, we often think we are stronger, more resilient than the sin we entertain.  We all have our weaknesses – sins that so easily weigh us down, sins we cling to so closely, and temptations we have an ongoing battle against.

If we really want to glorify God with our lives then we must build a strong defense against the sins which seek to devour us.  We must guard our inner circle by cultivating godly friendships.    We must be diligent in not getting absorbed into the influences around us.  Our 24/7 is full of visual stimuli aimed at drawing us further and further away from God.  The enemy works overtime to kill, steal and destroy the testimony of those who proclaim Jesus as Savior (John 10:10)

Sweet friend, Satan never has the final say.  As believers, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to resist and defeat our enemy (James 4:7).  Simple truth here, we can’t lower our guard for even a second.   Diligence and awareness is crucial.  Ephesians 6:10:10 reminds us that our strength is in the Lord.  By activating the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-18), we will be able to stand against and defeat Satan. Now that’s a battle plan guaranteed to extinguish the overwhelming spread of sin in our lives.

“Father, thank You for equipping us and giving us the perfect battle plan against the enemy – Your word + prayer = victory!”

For His Glory

 

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 23, 2022

It All Belongs To God

“For in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.” (2 Corinthians 8:1-2, ESV)

For most of my life, it seems that the Lord was always “testing” me to give out of my leanness.

Going back about thirty years – I can remember times I would literally have five dollars left for gas in my vehicle for the whole week. After being obedient in paying tithes. And giving to others as the Lord led. I would often find myself laying hands on my car at the beginning of the week.  Asking the Lord to bless those five dollars and to make it last in my gas tank until the next payday.

In those years, I drove a white two-door Honda.  It didn’t have heat for the winter or air for the summer. It did have a hole in the floorboard in the back.  One in which my son lost a flip-flop through on the way to church.  Instead of driving a car with a payment, we chose to get a car that we could pay cash for.

I got laughed at a lot about my old clunker of a car in those days.  But we were at church every Sunday morning/night, every Wednesday night and pretty much anytime there was something going on.  It looked rough but it provided the need.

One summer, I remember the Lord placing this burden on my heart for some children.  I was burdened with the task of ensuring they went to the church’s summer camp.  Even if we could come up with the money to pay for them, transportation was a whole other thing.  Our little church didn’t have a bus.

Not wanting to miss out on the privilege of giving to others; we rented an SUV for the month so my husband could easily transport all the kids to the various camps throughout the month and back home. My husband took off a month (without pay) so he could work at the campground.  Memories that are worth more than gold to him now.

We looked so foolish to many back people back then. We were living without certain things that people said you needed to make you happy.  Yet God’s grace overflowed in our lives with joy that had nothing to do with material possessions.

People have often asked me how I could so easily trust the Lord with some of the painful valleys I’ve had to walk through in recent years. I think back to those years.  We gave our time and what little money we had as God led.  He was growing my faith all those years ago, as a result of me trusting him then, I am now “rich in faith” (James 2:5)

“Father, it all belongs to You.  Thank You for blessing us in abundant ways when we give to others.”

For His Glory,

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

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 22, 2022

Immeasurable

“Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.” Psalm 36:5 (NLT)

Regardless of the family members who may surround you at home (whether it’s one person or 10), or the friends whom you hang out with every weekend, or even those Monday-through-Friday coworkers that can be categorized as close buddies, do you ever just feel alone and unloved? It’s like there’s a definitive limit to the love, care, and concern that these people (as limited humans) have for you…and you’ve somehow hit it. It’s totally illogical to feel discarded and even abandoned when you’re literally surrounded, but I’m pretty sure we’ve all felt this way at some point.

But God. This little—yet powerful—phrase got me thinking about all the promises in the Bible about the limitless love, compassion, mercy, and forgiveness God has for us. Now, when the writers of both the Old and New Testaments tried to describe just how immeasurable God’s love is for us, they used what they knew to be absolutely incalculable to them: natural elements. Today, a quick Google search can tell us that the deepest part of the ocean, called the Challenger Deep, has been measured to be about 36,000 feet—or 7 miles—deep. Similarly, a few key clicks later, we’d learn that between Earth and the edge of the observable universe there are 46 billion light-years (whatever that means).

But thousands of years ago, when those Holy-Spirit-inspired men needed to record the vastness of God’s love, they didn’t have Google. The boundless sky’s height and unfathomable ocean’s depth were perfect descriptors. And, although modern science may have (sort of) calculated these distances, we can still take great comfort in the Bible’s depiction of our amazing God. Here’s just a glimpse…

How much does God love us? “Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds” (Psalm 36:5); But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Will the Lord ever forsake us? “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8); “Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you” (Isaiah 49:15).

How merciful is God? “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23); “For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him” (Psalm 103:11).

Can we really be forgiven? “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12); “You will again have compassion on us; You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19).

Let me ask again, how much does God love you, friend? “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). If you haven’t accepted this free gift of grace, of God’s immeasurable love, why not do so right now?

 

“Lord, if just one is reading this who doesn’t know Your amazing grace, mercy, and love, let them surrender their way for Yours, exchanging their sin for Your perfect righteousness.”

 

For His Glory

 

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Love

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 21, 2022

God’s Divine Perspective

“The Lord’s plans stand firm forever. His intentions can never be shaken.”  Psalm 33:11 (ESV)

Call me old school, but I love my (paper) planner which occupies the same spot on my desk each week.  Without it I’d be totally lost.  And this pen and paper routine starts on Sunday night as I lay out my schedule and work for the upcoming Monday – Friday.  Meetings highlighted.  Birthdays etched in red.  Endless lists of things I plan to do strategically on specific days. Weekly verses to encourage and empower me as each day unfolds.

Now to all those non-planners out there, I know you’re thinking, “is she crazy?”  Sometimes I’m tempted to think the same. Us planners find great satisfaction in marking tasks off our list.  We’ve even been known to add something we’ve just done (which didn’t make the list) for the simple pleasure of marking it off.  Yes we’re a little crazy, but  we do get a lot accomplished.

Despite all our planning, marking, writing and scheduling, life happens.  Meetings get rescheduled.  The urgent in the moment trumps our perfectly written list. Bottom line, our best thought out plans are never guaranteed. Whatever we desire, scheme, plan or write doesn’t always happen exactly the way we want it to happen.

There’s a really great reason why our plans are often derailed – it’s called divine perspective.  Our limited view gives us a narrow angle – a fragmented snapshot.  We only glimpse the outcome through our eyes and usually don’t consider the bigger picture or anyone else involved.

For the believer, it should be quite simple.   If we truly trust God’s infinite wisdom and sovereignty then our derailed plans will be less about us and more about Him.  What disappoints frustrates or leaves us overcome with analysis will be better served if we acknowledge God’s ways are much higher than our own.  He ultimately is the One who directs our steps  (Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 19:21) – if it’s His will then no one can intervene or alter His plans.

Sweet friends, Psalm 33 offers us great encouragement for those moments when our plans dissolve, when we miss out on an opportunity or we doubt His purposes.    Love the psalmist words echoing the character of our God whose plans for us stand firm forever – that’s a really long time.  His intentions for us can never be shaken – even if they temporarily appear derailed.  Our God is righteous, faithful, just, and His steadfast love is everlasting.  What seems stalled, forgotten or overlooked can be dramatically changed in a moment.  Our God who spoke the whole world into existence is fully capable of orchestrating what serves us best.

“Father, if we could only glimpse our world through your eyes, we would see how perfectly You align all things to accomplish Your purposes.  Help us to trust in Your divine perspective rather than zero in on what we want.”

 

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 18, 2022

Whiter Than Snow

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7 (ESV)

Clean out the fridge. Sweets eliminated. Clothes to the Goodwill. Closet clean. Papers shredded. Ready for Tax Season. It’s the acts of a new year. Getting rid of stuff that accumulates or attempts to sabotage our resolutions. Putting away the past and pushing forward to the new. Dumping excess in exchange for simpler less complicated.

Wonder if we need anything cleaned out of our personal lives? What do we need to eliminate emotionally? Is there anything cluttering up our minds? What has crept in while we were busy or distracted? Maybe it’s time we got rid of the stuff that hasn’t served us well. The very things we are holding onto may be the exact things that God wants us to release, eliminate and put away.

Facing the reality of what needs to be changed takes honesty and courage. If we want revival in our hearts and the lives of those around us, then we must humbly admit what needs changing and confessing. It so easy to slide into a new year with the anticipation of new, better and great – but if we remain the same as 2018, we will only reap the same.

Personal revival only comes after deep cleansing. Love the tender mercies of God and welcome His grace in our places that need His washing. Cherish the tears that lead to repentance and the sorrows that drive sin away. Love the arms spread wide drawing us close to His heart filled with compassion. Clinging to the joy restored when whiter than snow covers us. Singing His praises in the breaking of another dawn knowing new, better and great awaits those who obey God’s commands.

“Sweet Jesus, You have covered all our sins so that we can experience the freedom of walking in your truth and grace – we praise Your holy name!”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 17, 2022

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 Attitude, Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Living, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 16, 2022

Love Languages of God

“As we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18, ESV)

Throughout the month of February, it’s common to see red and pink hearts throughout the stores wherever you go.  The stores strategically place them on their displays to prompt you to buy something for people you love. But buying a gift isn’t the only way to show someone you love them.

If you’ve ever heard of Gary Chapman, then you know he has written numerous books about love languages. He’s broken them down into 5 basic love languages for adults and children.

While I love to receive pretty packages, all wrapped up in bows; I am much more drawn to quality time with the ones I love.  When it’s time to do something with the extended family, I go all out in the hospitality area.  I want everyone to feel comfortable and loved.  I want them to  relax and enjoy themselves.  It’s how I show my love, but it also fills my love tank to have everyone together laughing and smiling.  That memory will last much longer than the gift. In fact, I will have that memory with me in eternity, but I won’t have the gift.

Nothing in this world will last.  Jewelry will tarnish, flowers will wither, even our bodies will age and deteriorate in time.

When we’re on this earth looking at things through our physical eyes, sometimes we get caught up in what we have and what we don’t have in comparison to others.  We may take hold of the lie that “we’re not loved” simply because our lives don’t look like someone else’s.

Romans 5:8 reminds us that we should never doubt that God loves us, no matter what our past may hold.

He’s given us thousands of verses (words of affirmation) stating things like “you are beautifully and wonderfully made”.  (Psalm 139:13,14)

Are you spending quality time with him – turning off the phone and other distractions and spending time in His Word (that’s how he speaks to us).  When was the last time you had a heartfelt (sincere) discussion with God?  That’s what prayer really is, just talking with God -about the things that are on your heart.  Communication is essential for any relationship.

God lavishes us with gifts on this earth even though it won’t last.  But the best gifts are yet to come.  Heaven and earth no longer separated by sin will be united.  We will live in perfect, immortal bodies on a new earth that will last throughout eternity.

“Jesus, help us to live by faith and not by our sight.  Your love for us goes deeper than we can see in this life.”

For His Glory

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

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Love

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | February 15, 2022

Unthreatened

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

Have you ever been threatened? Most likely, every one of us has been in a situation where we have, either physically or mentally. Maybe it was a verbal confrontation in a store or a workplace clash. Perhaps an impending hurricane or tornado. Regardless of the circumstances, humans tend to react to threats (real or perceived) in one of three ways: we fight, flee, or freeze.

When it comes to each of us individually, our responses differ depending on a multitude of factors. Some of us are generally “freezers”—we’ve sadly learned from a very early age that the best thing to do is stand still and “play possum” in hopes the threat will go away. Others of us are super-scrappy fighters, because self-protection has been imperative (“if we don’t protect ourselves, no one else will”). Of course, running away as fast as possible, either literally or emotionally, is a popular go-to reaction for a lot of us. Obviously, we don’t always choose the same response, but there’s typically a general pattern.

But of all the potential threats, there are three universal ones that all people must face—believers and unbelievers alike: moral law founded on the Truth of God’s Word; death; and eternal life.

Let’s start with the law. When God first called out His special people, He gave them the Law in the form of the Ten Commandments. And, from the beginning, the Jews (and all people) could not keep them. Even so, the Pharisees (Jewish leaders) continued to add law after law, rule after rule, making it exponentially more difficult to keep it. When Jesus came on the human scene, He boiled all of God’s law into two simple commands: Love God with all you are and love others. And although it’s just two items, we, as fallen humans, cannot meet God’s high standard of perfection. Not one of us.

You’ve heard there are two certainties in life: death and taxes. Not everyone pays what they owe the government…but we all will face our last breath on earth. We can stay as healthy as possible and even try to ensure our face doesn’t match our birthday count, but the death rate remains at 100%.

Finally, there’s life after death. The spirit of every human being is eternal. Our bodies decay and die (someday to be glorified), but to be absent from the body is to be in the presence of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). This face-to-face meeting, friend, will either be a joy-filled experience or one of terrible judgment.

So, how will you face these three threats? Will you freeze, ignoring reality? Will you run away, embracing the world and the lies propagated by its ruler, the devil? Or will you stand up and face the Truth, “fighting” for your soul’s victory? The law threatens us—it’s unattainable. Death threatens us—it’s unavoidable. Hell threatens us—it’s unimaginable. But Jesus. He came to earth to fulfill the Law and trade His righteousness for our sin. He conquered death and reconciled us to God, so we can live forever with Him. Friend, please trust in Him today—He has conquered every threat.

“Lord, thank you for conquering sin and death, removing the threat of an eternity of suffering.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

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