Are You A Solar Light?

Spring is finally here after such a terribly long winter. Now, when I walk through the garden department of my local store, I see flowers, lawn furniture, grills, and decorations to put in the landscape. All so tempting! One thing that caught my eye is the solar lights that can be stuck in the ground, and with no electricity, but just the sun, they will give off a glow when it gets dark! What a nice idea, especially by my porch steps. It would help someone not to trip on the steps. Looking at these made me think of another parallel that comes from the Bible.
Isaiah 60:1-3 says "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and the thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and the kings to the brightness of your dawn."
I like that verse. It reminds me that because I am a child of Jesus, I am receiving His Light. The world around me doesn't have that special Light. Those that don't know Him live in darkness (evil). Jesus came to be the Light and He is the Light of the world (Matthew 5:14). When I read and study the Scriptures, I receive from Him Light and understanding. Psalm 119:105 says "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." And what am I supposed to do with all that light?
Let it shine!! Like the solar light, I absorb all the Light from Jesus and the Word, and then I can shine it on to others who need His Light in this dark world we live in. I'm not to hide it under a bushel or keep it to myself. It is meant to be shared.
I hope this has been an inspiration to you. The next time you are with someone who needs Jesus or who needs encouragement, shine His light on him. Share it with him. It may keep him from tripping and hurting himself on those difficult steps in life!

My Name Is Written on His Heart

The Bible is filled with verses proclaiming the deep love that God has for us, and I love to sit down in a quiet place and spend some time reading it. I love my Jesus and always feel comforted, reassured and at peace when I spend time with Him.

Recently, I came upon a verse in Revelation (1:13) which describes the appearance of Jesus to John in the Isle of Patmos, which is in the Mediterranean area. John had been a disciple of Jesus and knew Him very well. The time in this setting is around 95AD, about 60 years after Jesus was crucified, rose again from the tomb, and had ascended into heaven. John was about to receive a revelation by Jesus Christ concerning events that would happen in the last days, which incidently, is in our near future. John sees Jesus wearing a robe and He has a golden sash around his chest. In curiosity, I decided to research this in a commentary (The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible) to see what this meant. I was amazed!! Let me quote: "This particular sash was something like the chestpiece of the high priest on which the names of his people were engraved. The sash or chestpiece covered the heart. This symbolized that Christ holds His people and His church ever so close to His heart. They are all engraved upon the chestpiece of His heart and held ever so dear by Him."

That means He has my name engraved over His heart! What love! I knew He loves me...the Bible tells me so! But to read this, I really feel loved!!

This is how God showed His love among us:

He sent His one and only Son into the world

that we might live through Him.

This is love: not that we loved God,

but that He loved us and sent His Son

as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. -1 John 4:9-10

It feels so good to be reminded of His love for me. And to think He has my name written on His heart! I hope your name is there too!

Do You Hear Me Now?

There's a popular commercial for cell phone receptions, where a guy is walking around with his phone, asking, "Do you hear me now?" Kind of cute, but it has a greater meaning to us who are seeking God's guidance as we walk in this world.
The world beckons us with all its might...popularity, beauty, riches, the fast life, self-centered values. And if we don't or aren't able to measure up to these "values", we can feel dejected and rejected. So unfortunate, since this doesn't have to be if we listen to the right voice.
After Jesus ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit was sent and to this day, indwells in people who have given their hearts to Jesus. His purpose is to communicate what God is wanting us to hear, and to help us to live the way God intended us to live. His way leads to countless blessings.
To hear God's voice in you, you have to really seek Him. Get in His Word, and spend time in prayer. There's a wonderful Bible study from Priscilla Shirer called Discerning the Voice of God, and she offers wonderful words of wisdom to enable a believer to really hear God!
Here is a prayer that I love and I want to share it with you:

Lord, heighten my spiritual senses to

see that which is not visible

hear that which is not audible

sense that which is not tangible

believe that which is unbelievable

Teach me to sort through

the noises of this world to

hear and discern Your powerful,

wonderful, pure, precious voice.

Speak, my Lord, I am listening!



Honoring Him at Christmas

I have noticed that there are many ways that people express their greetings during the Christmas season. Some say Merry Christmas, some say Happy Holidays, and some say Season's Greetings. When you browse through the greeting cards at the store, there are usually these different categories.
I've always believed that this time of year was about the birth of Jesus Christ, and therefore, Christmas was the only way to identify it. But we are now finding ourselves living in a different world than the one I grew up in, and now there are other names that people want to call it.
Now, why is this? Are there by any chance people out there who don't recognize Christ, and they don't want to give Him the honor that He deserves? Are there people out there who are walking the fence and don't want to offend anyone who doesn't believe in Him? Which one are you?
The Bible has several verses that talk about acknowleging Jesus, and I would like to share them with you. Matthew 10:32-33 says "Whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns Me before men, I will disown him before My Father in heaven."
Luke 12:8 tells us "I tell you, whoever acknowledges Me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God." Wow! And wait, there's one more! 1 John 4:3 tells us "But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."
Please know that we are indeed in the endtimes before the coming of Christ again, and Satan is working overtime to cause people to stray away from the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life there ever was, and that is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. God tells us not to put any other gods before Him. Even people who mean well, who attend church, who call themselves Christians, and are kind to others, can be deceived.
But take note: 1 John 4:4 tells us "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them (the spirits of the antichrist), because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. To continue: "They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us..." 1 John 4:5-6
So, my point is this: If you are truly a follower of Jesus Christ, then be careful the next time you give this season's greetings. Merry Christmas gives honor to our precious Lord and Savior. The other greetings are for the world.
Merry Christmas Everyone!!

The Power of Encouragement

Not long ago, someone I know visited a church on his vacation. The sanctuary was filled with people of all ages, and the service was pleasant. He went home, and soon afterwards, he felt the prodding of the Lord to send the pastor a note of encouragement. He looked up the address of the church and wrote it on a piece of paper. But because he was busy that day, he put the piece of paper on his desk, with the intention to deal with that later.

Another week or so went by, and he came across that piece of paper with the church's address written on it. He looked at it, sighed, and wondered if he should actually write that pastor, or ignore the prodding that he  thought he had felt a few weeks before. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he felt that he should go ahead with his first thoughts. He took out a pen, found another piece of paper, and started to write. He basically told the pastor that he had visited recently, enjoyed the service, and felt that he (the pastor) needed some encouragement. He ensured the pastor that he was doing a good job, and that the Lord would continue to use him in a mighty way. Then he wrote a check out and sent that also with the letter.

A week went by, and this person received a letter back from the pastor. It was a thank you note. The pastor shared how depressed he had been feeling and wondered if he was making any impact at all in his congregation. Apparently, he had been receiving a few complaints, because he wrote that when he saw the handwriting through the envelope, he was expecting more bad news. And when he read the letter of encouragement and saw the check made out for him and his wife, he said he almost fell off his chair! He truly felt lifted up and renewed because of that note of encouragement. It arrived at just the right time.

It was no accident that the man visited this church. It was no accident that he felt the Lord's prodding to encourage this pastor. And it was no accident that it arrived in the pastor's hands at that time. God's timing is always perfect.

Are we doing our part? Are we listening to the gentle prodding of the Lord? He sees all things and cares about what we all go through. And He uses people to reach out to others who need encouragement, love, and the reason to hang on. And to keep going.

Let's do our part. Let's respond to that gentle voice of God. And not put it off. Someone out there needs the power of encouragement.

Keep My Light Burning

I came across a verse in the Bible recently that spoke to me loudly:

"You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning.

My GOD turns my darkness into light."

Psalm 18:28

I was in the midst of a time where I felt out of sorts, out of sinc, and

out of tune with God. Don't get me wrong. I love Him and know He

loves me. I trust in Him and know He is in control of things. But still,

there was a heaviness, almost a darkness, that was over me.

Have you ever felt this? You have a head knowledge of

what the Word says, but it's not sinking in to your heart. You're

not feeling it. You think you're alone.

Thankfully, as this verse reminded me, I have a great, LOVING GOD

who knows what I am going through, and He will not let me wander

 away or let me down. I may not be able to minister to my soul,

but He can...and He does! He can help me when I cannot

help myself. He turns my darkness into light.

Thank you, my Precious LORD!!

Did You R.S.V.P.?

I heard recently of a prominent singer who sang at a large, well-to-do wedding. She and her husband arrived at the reception hall, and as they were waiting in line, she could see ahead of her into a large, gorgeous banquet room. Tables were beautifully set up with fancy hor'doerves, music was playing, and the room was decorated with flowers and tiny white lights, while the people were congregating and chatting. She couldn't wait to enjoy the reception.
When it was their turn, they were met by the host, who asked them their names. She was surprised he didn't know. After all, she was a well-known singer and had just sang at the wedding. He looked at the list, and checked it again, but couldn't find their names on it. They were asked to leave. She was quite upset and tried to explain, but the more she tried, the more firm the host became. Soon, he had them ushered to the service elevator, which took them down to the parking garage.
She began to sob. How could this have happened? Then she remembered. She told her husband she had been so busy that she had forgotten to send in the RSVP. She wasn't concerned because she assumed that because she was the singer in the wedding, it wasn't necessary. She had ignored the request, and had to face the consequences.
This makes me wonder how many people ignore Jesus' gift of salvation and invitation to heaven, but don't respond. They get too busy living their lives and think they'll have time later on to 'send it in'. They assume that their service in the church will be good enough. Or being a good person will be good enough. But when the time comes, they are not admitted into the Grand Banquet Hall of the King Himself. It will be too late.
Like the people in Noah's day who ignored the warnings of not living for the Almighty God, they chose their own way. When the day of the flood of floods came, the door of the ark closed, and they were not allowed in. It was too late. And they were destroyed.
Don't let that happen to you! We don't know when our last day will come. Or when the day of rapture will come. But we need to be ready and prepared. We need to send in our RSVP.
Mine has already been sent. Has yours?