Have we done the same thing with Jesus Christ and the greatest sacrifice ever? His death bought our eternal freedom — if we accept it. As much as we are indebted to our military men and women who have given their lives to defend us, shouldn’t we be even more grateful to the One who gave His life to define us – as new creatures, no longer enslaved to sin?  It is His sacrifice that enables us to look with hope to the day when we’ll be reunited in heaven with all believers who made the ultimate sacrifice for our earthly freedoms.

Let us be sure to give those who sacrificed so much for us the honor due them. Military men and women we should remember with our gratitude and love. Jesus Christ we should remember with our gratitude and lives.  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

Have a blessed Memorial Day as we remember together.

So Justin went back out to tell his friends, but quickly got caught up in a heated battle of King of the Hill on top of the monkey bars — totally forgetting about lunch. As his friends got hungry, they went home to ask their own moms for lunch leaving Justin to come in by himself. Surprised, his mom asked, “Where are your friends? Didn’t you tell them to come in for lunch? Immediately, Justin knew he’d dropped the ball.

And sometimes, so do we. Many of us know the good news that the penalty for our sin was paid on the cross by Jesus’ so now we are living in the joyful, abundant new life promised through His resurrection. Yet we can still get caught up in our own pursuits. Sometimes we, too, are so distracted by our own struggles to become King of the Hill that we forget to tell our friends what Jesus has done for us.

Why is it important to tell our friends? Well, if they don’t understand that Jesus paid the price for their sin, if they don’t invite Him to lead them in their new life, then they will miss out on way more than lunch! They’ll miss out on the heavenly banquet — a joyous celebration that will go on forever. I don’t want to see Jesus in heaven and have Him ask me, “Where are your friends? Didn’t you tell them?” How about you?

Verses to Ponder:

John 1:41 — The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).

Mark 16:15 — He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”

How like the snow is the miracle of God forgiving our sins through Jesus Christ. Like the falling snow, Jesus’ trials, scourging and sacrifice on the cross took hours. Yet at the moment we wake up to new life in Him by faith in that sacrifice, suddenly God sees us covered in a pristine layer of pure, dazzling white — the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Like the footprints covered by the snow, Jesus’ perfect life and perfect sacrifice cover yesterday’s dingy sins. And when the morning of new life by faith in Jesus dawns for each individual, God the Father sees each of us as beautiful to look upon because we bear the righteous image of His obedient and beloved Son.

It’s January, 2010. Have you put on the dazzling white covering of Jesus’ righteousness by believing that His death on the cross is for you and your sins? Who in your life needs to hear that a fresh start, a sparkling snow-covered morning awaits them if they will put their trust in Jesus and allow His purity to transform their lives?

Scripture to ponder…
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” — from Isaiah 1:18

I thought the season in which we celebrate the birth of Christ would be a good time to share what new work He has been doing in my life — thus the lapse in devotionals from Life-Changing Words. God has called me to share His Word with women through  an international Bible study called Bible Study Fellowship.  (www.BSFinternational.org) This involves studying a Bible passage, preparing weekly training meetings for our leaders and weekly  lectures for our ladies. It is a joy and a privilege, as well as a huge responsibility. I always want to be diligent to handle God’s Word with care.

So what does this mean to Life-Changing Words? With 3 studies published, I have decided not to write another one this year so I can focus on learning this new responsibility. (All studies are still available to your families at www.Life-ChangingWords.com.) Much of my creative energy has gone into preparing lectures lately and I am still learning to balance BSF and family responsibilities — which is why there has been a lapse in monthly online devotionals. I hope to soon have a system where I can get them up and running again!

So in short, the Life-Changing Words haven’t gone away, most of them are just being spoken at BSF on Monday nights. I believe that this is all part of God’s plan and preparation for whatever lies ahead — and I remain willing to serve Him in any way He calls.

Total availability and obedience is is the spirit in which Jesus Christ came to earth as a baby. This is the spirit with which His children serve Him best. May your Christmas celebration be filled with His Presence!

Passing  on His Grace,
Cheryl

Disappointment isn’t only for the birds. In a broken world, we humans often end up saying, “I can’t believe it,” too. I can’t believe they fired me. I can’t believe he’d destroy our marriage. I can’t believe it’s cancer. Sometimes life sticks us with old tire rubber, too.

But what I didn’t tell you about that bird is that he lives in a place of abundance, a large wooded area I pass daily where his next meal is never more than a swoop or two away. Oh, the next meal may not come in exactly the form he wants. He may get rabbit instead of squirrel, but God always has the right thing prepared for him.

The same is true for us. If we’ve chosen to follow Jesus as Savior, we live in a place of abundance, too. He always has the right thing prepared for us. God does provide faithfully for His children. The next job may not be exactly what we envisioned. The marriage may have to undergo counseling and transformation. And even if the cancer is unbeatable, God promises His children the perfect joy of heaven. There’s no doubt about it. We live in a broken world. Sometimes it’s rabbit instead of squirrel. But even if God’s only provision in a moment of trial is His Presence, it is — after all — the Presence of the God who loved us enough to die for us so that we might be with Him forever. We can trust Him when He says, “My grace is sufficient.”

The next time you find yourself stuck with tire rubber, I hope you are filled to overflowing with His Presence!

VERSES TO PONDER…

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.  Matthew 10:29-31

Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish will give him a snake? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him?  Matthew 7:9-11

And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
1 Peter 5:10

Broken lives, while not always so obvious, are often just as painful as that tooth. Poor choices, bad habits and outright mistakes tear apart our relationships. Cruel words wound us and others deeply. Shattered relationships and dreams rend our hearts. Yet like the jagged tooth, these are just symptoms of a balance problem; the true cause of a crumbling life is an off-kilter relationship with God. (He is to be first in our lives, with everything else second.)

The good news is God’s office is always open and He can fix anything. Like Rebekah’s tooth, the fixing process isn’t always fun, but the results are wondeful and well worth it! The broken tooth was made hole, even stronger than it was before because of the dentist’s special bonding material. (Just like God’s supernatural power and love heals and strengthens our lives.) The black driveway grime was polished away leaving a sparkling, white tooth. (Just like spending time in God’s Presence and Word slowly polishes away sin and dysfunction, leaving a brighter life that can reflect His love to the world.) The end result for Rebekah was a more beautiful smile than before the tooth was broken. (She had already had one front tooth longer than the other from a previous Leap Frog incident and the dentist fixed that, too!) God can have the same amazing effect on our lives — and offer us the exciting promise of spending forever with Him in the perfection of Heaven, too.

Where are you broken and when will you sit in God’s chair (through prayer) to ask Him to fix it? When will you give Him permission to do whatever it takes to make you whole, strong and more beautiful — and then cooperate in the process?

By faith in the name of Jesus this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see. (Acts 3:16)

Dear Friends,

Please understand that, though God is able to to heal every physical ailment, He does not always choose to. He knows what it takes in every life to create a heart totally devoted to Him — which, since He is amazing, Almighty God is what He deserves. God knows and wants what is best for each of us, so He is right in being more concerned with our closeness to Him than our merely having a life of ease and comfort.

A more beautiful smile than before!

Procrastinating the next set  in my Monday morning exercise routine, I looked out the window into a crystal blue sky. Suddenly a brilliant flash grabbed my attention. It wasn’t a star, but a bird! This bird in flight actually appeared to sparkle against the backdrop of a clear, blue daytime sky. The phrase from Philippians 2:15 about “shining like the stars” came to mind.

I’ve often focused on “without complaining or arguing” in that verse (as is fitting given my slight bend toward impatience.) Today the words that hit me were, “Do everything.” It doesn’t say, “Do grand things.” It doesn’t say, “Do important things.” God’s Word tells us, “Do everything” in a way that He can use to make us shine like the stars.

That bird wasn’t becoming President, curing cancer, preaching a great sermon or doing anything else spectacular. It was doing what birds were made to do — fly. How ordinary. It was our extraordinary God Who had ordained the sun’s exact position, the trajectory and timing of my glance and the complete lack of clouds to obscure my vision.

God doesn’t necessarily ask us to do spectacular things either. Maybe if we just do the ordinary things He made us to do and then rely on Him to orchestrate surrounding variables, we will shine like the stars, too. By the way, that bird wasn’t creating light, just reflecting it. God doesn’t ask us to glow with our own glory, but to reflect His. Now, if God can make that bird sparkle against a brilliant, daytime sky, how much more can He cause us who are made in His image to radiate His glory against the backdrop of a dark world?

What has God made you to do?

And what ordinary thing is God asking you to do in a way that He can use to shine His glory?

What happens when a 6 ft, 185-pound 16 year old (Ben) and a 4-ft-something, 75-pound 9 year old (we’ll call him Little Joe) try to occupy the same space on a ski slope simultaneously? Read on…Ben was slaloming back and forth down the icy hill, nearing the bottom. Out of nowhere — and out of control — came Little Joe. He was barreling across on a collision course with Ben, who was suddenly faced with the impossibility of stopping on ice. In a split second, Ben had to choose: self-preservation or self-sacrifice. He made his choice, changed his own course and crashed straight into a bank of ice. Glasses shattered. Bones broke. Blood flowed. Ben was laid on a stretcher and taken down the hill. Little Joe was oblivious. Whether or not he knew what had transpired, he continued on at breakneck speed to his final destination — paying no attention to the sacrifice that had just been made on his behalf. At the end of the day, Ben was left bruised, swollen, in pain and with a broken nose. For days his eye was swollen completely shut. For weeks he dealt with pain. Today he still bears a scar. Ben put his own life on the line for Little Joe, whom he didn’t even know.

Thankfully this did not turn out to be the ultimate sacrifice. But there was One 2,000 years ago who did make the ultimate sacrifice. In a moment of agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus Christ had that same choice: self-preservation or self-sacrifice. As perfect man and perfect God, He was the only One in all eternity who could fully pay the price with His life for the sins of mankind. Without His sacrifice, His human body would be spared, but all humanity would be forever condemned to suffering and separation from a loving God. With His sacrifice, His own flesh would be torn, but so would the temple curtain that symbolically separated the people from the Presence of God.

Jesus chose to lay down His life for us. He, too, was bruised and bloody — left nailed to a cross. After His death, His scarred and swollen body was taken down the hill of Golgotha and laid in a tomb. A few mourned His death, but many — like Little Joe — hurried on to wherever they were going, paying little attention to the sacrifice that had just been made on their behalf.

Yet the story doesn’t end there. Three days after Jesus died, He proved His deity and His power over death — appearing to over 500 people in a new glorified body. He was alive! His one sacrifice was accepted for the sins of all. His death made a way to God the Father for all who accept it today. This is why we can say,”HAPPY Easter!”

Have you embraced this great Love who laid down His life for you? Or are you hurrying about your busy schedule paying little attention to the sacrifice that has been made on your behalf?

Easter is a wonderful time to decide to love Jesus back for loving us first. He loved us with all His life. He only asks us to love Him with all our heart.

HAPPY EASTER!

It’s the same for us, if we choose to plant our lives firmly on the Rock of Jesus Christ and His Word. We’re surrounded by bad weeds in the world, but sit on the rock of God’s Word each morning and we can see  more clearly thoughout our day. We, too, will see sources of spiritual nourishment — opportunities for fellowship, applications of God’s Word, moments of prayer or experiences of His Presence — that build us up to face the day. Standing high atop the rock we, too, are better equipped to watch for predators desiring to thwart the work to which  God calls us and take appropriate evasive action.

God puts the Rock there — available to all of us. That wise old bird was taking time in his morning to sit still in the Presence of the Rock. How often have I been so intent on flying off into the busyness of my day that I acted like a birdbrain and refused to take time to sit still in the Presence of the Rock?

Verses to Ponder:

Be still and know that I am God… (Psalm 46:10)

Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than the birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? (Luke 12:24-25)

When answers don’t come quickly and it seems like I’m repeatedly heaping piles of prayer on with no results, maybe I’m focused on the wrong wheelbarrow. Am I praying for someone else to change to suit me? Am I more focused on filling their wheelbarrow than mine? What I must remember is that my prayers fill my wheelbarrow. I am the one my prayers are most likely to change. And that’s as it should be.

As Oswald Chambers puts it, “Take care lest you play the hypocrite by spending all your time trying to get others right before you worship God yourself.” As we pray let’s be willing to be changed. Am I praying for a friend to come to know Jesus as Savior? Perhaps prayer will change me so that my increasingly Christlike behavior will draw this dear one to the Lord. Am I praying that some annoying person will stop irritating me? Perhaps ongoing, humble prayer will change me into someone who is so in awe of what God has done for me, that I am no longer bothered by another’s annoyances or by not having every creature comfort on the planet.

James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” Effective to do what? Effective for God’s purposes, not our own. Oh, He is gracious to plant in us godly desires as we follow Him and then give us the desires of our hearts, but He is also merciful to refrain from giving us desires misaligned with His will and our good.

Perhaps the way it works is this: day after day we load onto our wheelbarrow shovels full of prayer. The process makes us spiritually strong as we persevere. Then one day, when the wheelbarrow is full to overflowing, God allows it to tip. As its contents spill out upon us, they cover the old self we needed to leave behind and a new creature of faith peeks out from the mound like a Spring daffodil.

The prayer of a righteous man is indeed powerful and effective.