10/7/20 10/7/20

Devotion Walk By Faith NOT Fear

It is so much easier to follow that which we can see or hear or read. But as Christ followers, though there can be many Christian mentors, we need to remember they are all but pale, fallible copies of the real thing.

Feeling alone can be scary. That's when we need to center our focus not on ME, but on He who died for you and me. Our focus first, last, and always needs to be on our Savior, on testing all by His Word and prayer. If we're afraid to stand up for our faith, we deny our Savior.

With Him we do not need to be afraid for he doesn't let us go.

Deuteronomy 31:6, 8 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD your God goes with you; he will not fail you, nor forsake you. ...And the LORD goes before you; he will be with you, he will not fail you, neither forsake you: fear not, neither be dismayed.

We do not need to live in fear when we make Jesus the center of our lives. He is our comfort and refuge as we follow Him.

10/5/20 10/5/20

Devotion God's Principles Don't Change

Deuteronomy 29:9 Keep therefore the words of this covenant <contract/promise>, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.

Moses was addressing the Israelites. If they followed God's principles, clearly laid out, and served Him alone, God promised fulfillment and success. If they didn't, they would lose His protection and favor.

God hasn't changed. His Word doesn't change. God has promised abundant life to all who follow and serve Him.

Colossians 3:5-6 (GW) Therefore, put to death whatever is worldly in you: your sexual sin, perversion, passion, lust, and greed (which is the same thing as worshiping wealth). It is because of these sins that God's anger comes on those who refuse to obey him.

Like the Israelites we have a choice, follow God to blessing or turn away and lose the peace that only comes through Him. What will we choose?

9/29/20 9/29/20

Devotion. How to Be a Good Person

We like to think we're basically good people. We're not. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” —Romans 3:23.

All. Not some, but all of us make bad decisions and choices that hurt ourselves and others. All. Without Jesus inside we don't even understand what good is. We certainly can't understand love because God is the embodiment of love.

Without God in Christ, we can't even know either goodness or love. Everything we do will come with an agenda and sometimes not-so-altruistic motivation. If we truly wish to do good and be good, we need to learn love from the one who loves us best because He made us--Jesus Christ.

We begin to reflect on what and with whom we spend our time. How much time do I spend communicating with Jesus each day? How much time do I spend each week, each day, reading, studying, meditating, and even memorizing God's Word?

Becoming a ‟good” person starts with becoming a ‟Godly” person and that starts with a daily walk with Christ Jesus. What steps will I take today to start this journey?

Help me Lord not to think I am good without You. Help me, instead, to allow You to show me how to be the Godly person You want me to be. Amen.

9/27/20 9/27/20

Devotion Fighting for Truth

The world seems to be going to “hell in a hand- basket” as one saying goes. It does seem anti-life, anti-family, anti-everything good and righteous is taking over the culture, the schools, and the government.

But this is not the time to give up or to give in. This is the time to recognize we're fighting a spiritual battle with opponents using both willing and duped participants. We're fighting very real darkness and evil.

Ephesians 6:12-13 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

We need to fight not with fury and reciprocal evil, but with knowledge of God's Word, His truth, integrity, righteousness, and grace. To fight, we must stay in close fellowship with Jesus, know His Word, and live for Him in a way that makes a difference to those around us.

The only way to fight evil is to fight it in God's way, with faith in his Word, with His truth—and with His love.

Ephesians 6:14-16 Stand therefore, wrap truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness; on your feet wear the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, take the shield of faith, whereby you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

9/16/20 9/16/20

Devotion. Empty Inside? Make Life Count

Ecclesiastes 12:13 (KJV) Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

After trying everything the world had to offer, power, prestige, wealth beyond our imagination, sex, accomplishments in building, shipping, even literary and philosophical pursuits, and more, the wisest man who ever lived summed it all up as superficial and worthless.

In the end, he came to the truth. The meaning of life is to follow and serve God. Solomon tried it all and found it empty.

Lord, help me learn from Solomon's bad choices and not follow His path of bad choices. Help me, instead, follow You and make my life count for something today.

Deuteronomy 13:4 You shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and you shall serve him, and cling unto him.

8/5/20 8/5/20

Devotion Live Brave and Bold

For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Do not therefore be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;... --II Timothy 1:7-8

Want to be brave and bold? Ask Jesus to take control. There is no fear in love, because God is love. So, when we fear, we're trusting, depending upon ourselves, our experiences, our rationalizations, our intellect and not on Christ or His power within.

Help me, Jesus, stand against fear and chose to trust You and connect with you--even if I do so one baby step at a time.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. —Philippians 4:6-7 NASB

6/30/20 6/30/20

Blog Politics Freedom—historical context

Read: I Peter 2:13-17

As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.--I Peter 2:16 (KJV)

Fireworks boom in the ears and marvel the eyes as they spread colorful displays high in the night sky. For all the buildup and excitement, not to mention money spent on fireworks for Independence Day, how many of us sit down with our children or grandchildren to teach them, and to remind ourselves, what it is we celebrate on July 4th and why this celebration is so important?

Do our children and grandchildren understand the struggle the Americans had against an autocratic king across the ocean who refused to grant basic liberties accorded to other British citizens, while continually finding ways to raise taxes--on almost everything?

Do they understand that many of our founding fathers, the ones most committed to making sure Americans were treated with dignity, lost property, lost their money, and lost loved ones in a war they believed critical to freedom?

Do our children and grandchildren know aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins who have gone to war to preserve a nation of freedom--some even paying with their lives? What of families, wives, mothers, and children, who lost loved ones far across the ocean in foreign lands?

Do they understand the true cost of growing up in America?

These days, schools don’t often teach history without spin and revision. It is up to us as parents and grandparents to pass on the faith and freedom that is the basis of America. If they do not know, if they aren’t taught the actual history, if they take their freedom of faith for granted, they will lose freedom and the right to worship.

It is already happening. America’s freedom started with men and women recognizing the true source of freedom--Jesus Christ. We need to pass on this faith as well.

Do I?

Thank you Jesus that, despite all the problems, I am privileged to live in America. Help me not take either my faith or my freedom for granted. Help me pass these concepts on to a new generation. Amen.

Meditations:
Monday: John 8:32
Tuesday: Galatians 5:1
Wednesday: Galatians 6:13-14
Thursday: Romans 6:7-8
Friday: Romans 6:22-23
Saturday: Romans 8:20-21

From Listen? Who Me?
(c) 2018 Carolyn R Scheidies

5/21/20 5/21/20

Devotion Poetry My Center

God meant us for peace and prosperity
Of mind and soul,
Forgiveness found
Only in the death of He
Who gave His life at Calvary
For all who come, accept and live
For Christ

Will I kneel,
Have the mind of Christ
Know His love
Have His mind inside;

Or will I be blinded by ignorance
Rationalization,
Tradition
Daily living for myself?
In the business of life,

Will I choose to give Him
The best of my time and all I am and find...
Living for Him instead of Me
When He is my center,
I am truly free.

I Thessalonians 5:21-22 (KJV) Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.

5/13/20 5/13/20

Devotion Giving Up Control?

God’s path to His blessing isn’t a blanket “It’s Ok.” He requires each of us to come and acknowledge His Lordship. It is letting go and letting Him take control of our lives, something most of us find very difficult to do.

Jesus isn’t simply a “Get out of trouble card,” when we goof up. Sin isn’t a popular word, but it is the definition of what we do when we make choices that harm ourselves and/or others. Do we lie, cheat, steal, even in minor ways? Do we hurt others with our words, assumptions, innuendoes, and gossip?

Do we go our way, shutting God out of our lives, maybe even, while claiming to follow Him? He is our creator, Lord, and Savior. He is so much more than we want to accept. But, until we do so, we remain outside His comfort, protection and peace.

Am I willing to let go, give Him access to clean me up from the inside out, and to follow Him wherever He leads? Do I truly know Him, His will, His way? Am I ready to deepen my relationship with Him through regular communication and by studying His Word?

Until I am, how can I claim to either know or follow Him? Yet, He is still here, waiting for you and me to ask, to bow, allow Him in to forgive and set free.

1 John 1:9 (ESV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

5/7/20 5/7/20

Devotion Afraid to Share Your Faith?

Psalms 96:2 (ESV)2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.

How often do we share our faith and God’s Good News with those with whom we have contact? Why or why not? Embarrassment? Fear? Lack of confidence?

Do we really believe the simple message that Jesus gives life and hope and peace to those who come to Him? Do we believe without Christ we perish, that we need Jesus?

Actions follow beliefs or we don’t truly believe. Who needs to know God’s love today?

Help me Jesus not be afraid to share You with family, friends, co-workers and those who need to know your salvation, comfort, hope, and peace. Amen.

By Carolyn R Scheidies
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4/14/20 4/14/20

Devotions Not my Way, But His--and Lives in Freefall

We have a tendency to “bend” God's principles to fit what we want to do. But for us, as for the Israelites, God makes it clear that if we want His blessings, we must not add or take away from His Word.

Deuteronomy 4:1-2 Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers gives you. You shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish ought from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

We need to obey in His way, His timing and with a willing heart. We can only do this if we are daily communicating with Him through prayer and meditating on His Word.

Help me, Jesus, not to try to fit You into my life choices, but that my life will reflect a heart that knows and follows You. Amen.

Deuteronomy 4:6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

4/9/20 4/9/20

Devotions Don’t Let fear Keep You From Sharing God’s Good News

Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever puts his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

As Jim stepped into the backyard, he noticed his neighbor Dave muttering as he bent over his lawn mower. "Need a hand?"

Dave glanced up, the frown on his face forbidding. "Blasted machine! Wouldn't you know the warranty just expired."

Opening the gate between their yards, Jim took a look. "I've had experience with this brand."

As they began to work on the machine, Dave opened up about a problem in his life. Jim thought, I know Christ would help, but...I don't want him to think I'm weird." He said nothing.

Six months later Dave divorced his wife, sold the house and moved away. Jim lost his opportunity to make a difference in Dave's life. We have become so sensitive to what others think of us, so used to focusing on how we feel, how others might view us, that we lose what life is all about.

As Rick Warren says in the Purpose Driven Life, "It's not about me!"

God promises provision and protection. He has a host of promises He wants to fulfill in our lives--if we focus, not on what others think, not on our feelings, but on Jesus Christ. He asks us to be other centered, thinking how we might help others. For we are safe only in Christ.

Maybe Dave would have thought Jim strange. But just maybe a word from Jim might have planted a seed that would have turned Dave's life around.

Lord Jesus, forgive me for the many times I have let what others think keep me from standing up for you and being a witness of your grace. Please help me focus not on fear, but to stand on my faith. Amen.

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4/8/20 4/8/20

Devotion The Key to Wisdom

The fear of the Lord is where wisdom begins, and knowing holiness demonstrates understanding. Proverbs 9:10 ISV

Wisdom is centered not in human law or ancient writings, though some wisdom can be found here. Experience also helps us on the journey to wisdom. While all these offer a certain knowledge, the deepest wisdom keys in on one central action—choice.

We choose whom we listen to and who and what we follow. If wisdom begins with God, then true wisdom comes from getting to know this God who created the world and us—you and me. If we truly wish to become wise, we need to read God's Word, meditate on His Word and develop a relationship with God's Son—Jesus Christ. It is in following Him to righteousness, holiness, truth that we truly gain wisdom.

What better time to begin to follow Jesus than at Easter that celebrates the One who rose from the grave to offer us new life and hope in Him. That is the wisest choice of all.

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3/30/20 3/30/20

Blog Jesus Values Each Life—Do I?

Our society has gone from valuing the individual to valuing what each individual can contribute. The further our culture moves away from its Judeo-Christian foundation, the more it tends to devalue human life.

After all, as evolutionists point out, we are merely the product of evolutionary processes with little or no intrinsic value. Some even question whether a human is of more value than a horse or a cow or an endangered tree.

But this nation, and this people, was founded on the belief that we do matter; that God created a world in which every human life has meaning, and each person, regardless of size, age, or physical abilities, has the right to be alive and free.

Over the last couple of decades, human life has become more and more expendable. The news media has reported stories of parents killing their own handicapped children instead of loving and caring for them as long as they live. Others have taken the life of another when they considered the person to be suffering too much. Still others have taken their own life when they could not face life without all their abilities. Life itself seems to be of little value.

What would have happened if these people had given up or society decided they weren’t worth keeping alive and decided for them?

A husband and wife with serious health problems are expecting another child, yet three of their four children also have serious health problems. Today, many would have suggested abortion for this latest pregnancy. But, if that baby had been aborted, generations would never have been inspired by the music of composer Ludwig von Beethoven.

What about a poor, thirteen-year-old black child carrying the product of rape? Surely, this baby should be aborted. What possible future would there be for this child? The future was Ethel Waters who inspired millions by her story, her acting and her blues and gospel music, which included “Stormy Weather” and “His Eye is on the Sparrow.”

Polio paralyzed Walt Davis when he was nine years old. If his parents had decided his “quality of life” meant they should let him die, he never would have become the Olympic high jump champion in 1952, inspiring many.

Often, it is those who have risen above almost insurmountable odds that give us the greatest encouragement and provide motivation to live life to the fullest.

Often it is someone who cares about another with a disability that has led to scientific breakthroughs that end up benefiting any number of people.

Only a people that cares and protects the most vulnerable citizens, will continue to grow because they understand the fundamental truth of being a human—compassion.

Each person is unique and special and should be treated with dignity and worth--regardless of age, location, or health. It is time we stop playing God and realize we don’t know what the future holds for any one of us. It is time we protect the most vulnerable among us by, once more, valuing each human life.

Easter is all about the intrinsic value of life. Jesus believed each of us is so valuable that He came to earth, lived, allowed Himself to be tortured and murdered for us, and rose again to offer us new life. What a different perspective faith in Jesus offers. How can we not follow the One who created and loved us so much He died for you and me?

Happy Easter!

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3/26/20 3/26/20

Blog Prayer Not About ME!

Just about everyone prays at some point. But praying can feel awkward, even for those who believe. However, when we say we don't want to be forced to pray, at any given time or in front of others, if we consider prayer a burden, we've missed the point.

The point is, prayer should never be a burden because prayer isn't about us, about me or you. First, second and always, prayer is a privilege. It is powerful communication with the Creator of the Universe, our Lord and Savior, a privilege that should bring a sense of awe and wonder that we have a right to come before Him. It is a privilege that changes lives, starting with our own. Prayer has positive benefits for the whole person--mentally, emotionally and physically as well as spiritually.

Prayer should bring us to our knees in honor, worship and gratitude. Refusing to bring our worship and petitions before God with others present denies our prayers the power they can have when we join together with others in prayer. We all know there is strength in numbers. It is no different in the spiritual realm. In fact, Matthew 18:20 reads, “Where two or three have come together in my name, I am there among them.” (God's Word version)

When prayer makes us uncomfortable, we need to make sure our hearts and lives are right before God. Sometimes our prayer needs to simply be one of submission, confession and repentance, before one of worship, praise or petition.

No one can force us to pray, and there is a time to speak and a time for silence. But, if we are right before Him, to keep silent, because of our comfort level alone, puts the focus where it doesn't belong--on us, robs God of the praises of His people and withholds blessing as well as a full measure of the power of His presence from those praying.

Prayer isn't about ME but about HE who makes me whole. Prayer is foremost a privilege--not an act of comfort or convenience. God says come and shows us how.

In this manner, therefore, pray:Our Father in heaven,Hallowed be Your name.Your kingdom come.Your will be doneOn earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our debts,As we forgive our debtors.And do not lead us into temptation,But deliver us from the evil one.For Yours is the kingdom and the powerand the glory forever. Amen.Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV

Prayer changes us, changes families and nations. Maybe it is time to set aside time to pray—alone, with family, even via video at this time.

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