Tag Archives: TRUTH

Coffees & Chats

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I’d love nothing more than to sit face to face with you and have a chat over a coffee, but we will just have to pretend. So grab a coffee, pull up a chair, and let’s chat!

Do you know we can’t catch God off guard? We never stump Him, surprise Him, shock Him. We can’t knock Him off His throne bewildered or flabbergasted. God doesn’t get His “knickers in a twist” nor is He flustered. He isn’t taken aback, perplexed or rattled. These are not His attributes. They never were & they never will be. God isn’t sent reeling by anything. He doesn’t have knee-jerk reactions or roller-coaster emotions. He is God. He is steady. He is the Rock. Never changing. Faithful. Immovable. He knows all, sees all, hears all. He is prepared.

There isn’t anything that He doesn’t already comprehend, although He Himself is incomprehensible. He is not confounded by the wise, yet He confounds the wise. He is not shaken, yet He shakes the heavens & the earth. He is not stumped or left speechless, although He leaves us awe-struck and without words to describe His greatness & His goodness. He is mighty. He is ready. He is prepared.

He is prepared for everything we could throw at Him. Our thoughts, our questions, our expectations, our high & lofty ideas, our discouragement & disappointment. Our passion, our confusion, our temptation, our pride, our insecurities. Every emotion, every feeling. He’s not dazed or repulsed. He can’t be …. Because He is LOVE. His arms are always open. His eyes are always on us. His thoughts are always for us. He is prepared.

He is prepared for us. Waiting. Longing. Searching. Looking. Listening. Full of compassion, righteousness, justice. Pure. True. Merciful. He is prepared for all that lies ahead in life & in death. Today & tomorrow. He never changes. He is prepared.

And He PREPARES: for those who love Him.

•“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” 1 Corinthians 2:9

•He prepared good works for us to walk in. Ephesians 2:10

•He prepared a kingdom Matthew 25:34

•He prepared a city Hebrews 11:16

•He prepared a table for us, right before our enemies! Psalm 23

•“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent (this body), is destroyed, WE HAVE A BUILDING FROM GOD, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens … Now He who has PREPARED us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.” 2 Corinthians 5:1 & 5

When we begin to understand that God is prepared, our trust, our hope, our faith will increase. It will not be misplaced, put in man, a system, or an organization, but rightly placed in the ONE who is awesome and excellent. The One Who is the great King over all the earth. Who reigns above the nations & sits on His holy throne. Our eyes, our perspective, our focus will begin to shift & We will exalt Him above the noise of this world, the media, the politics, the news, the reports, the statistics, all that is seen & all that is said. He is above it all. when we come into agreement with that truth, then our worry, fears, anxiety, confusion, the noise, will begin to fade into the background. we will stand in the inheritance, the position that He has already prepared for us right here on earth, right NOW ….. a position of faith, of steadiness, of strength, of hope, of courage. He Himself is prepared, He has prepared for us in the eternal & in the here & now. For those who love Him, it is a place of glorious, enriching inheritance. A place of peace. It’s already prepared!

Air Traffic

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Photo cred: Emily Hoelscher

Today we are surrounded by so many voices. People sharing their opinions and views about pretty much anything and everything, whether we ask for it or not. I call this “air traffic” – so many voices filling the air (and airwaves) with perspectives and thoughts that they become overwhelming, overpowering and intimidating causing a “traffic jam” in our hearts and minds. This doesn’t leave much room for our own thoughts, feelings, views and ideas to come through. Whether we are bombarded by these voices through social media, youtube, podcasts, our favorite influencer or face to face with friends or family, an overload can cause confusion and hinder us from actually knowing what we really think or feel, unless we stop the traffic and actually take the time to think about it. 

BUT WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?

It was not much different when Jesus walked the earth, although the “air traffic” traveled much slower in those days, people still had something to say. Some things were true and worth listening to and some were not. Seems there was a whole lot being said about Jesus and who He really was. In Mark 8:27-30 Jesus asked his disciples who others thought He was, and they answered that many thought He was a great man, “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; and still others say you are one of the prophets.” Jesus then looked them in the eyes and asked them, “But who do YOU say I am?”

It was a very important question. A question He asked His disciples.

It is still a very important question. A question that He asks us.

A question we need to ask ourselves.

I love that Jesus asked questions. He got people thinking. Thinking for themselves. Jesus asked them what others thought about Him, butJesus He didn’t leave it at that. He didn’t just want to know who others thought He was. He wanted to know who His disciples, His friends, thought He was. And He wanted THEM to know what they thought. He wanted them to declare it. Amazing how saying something out loud makes it just so much more real. It can certainly make us stop and think about how we are really feeling or what we are thinking. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. It was important for the disciples to know where they were at in their own relationship with Jesus, their Friend, their Master and their, soon-to-be, Savior. 

Jesus didn’t want His disciples, the ones whom He loved, to be swayed by, tainted by, or hindered by what others thought. He didn’t want His relationship with them and their relationship with Him to be based on or leaning on what others said. He didn’t want them stuck there, only seeing Him through eyes with limited vision, or hearing through ears limited by other people’s filters. So Jesus asks them, “BUT, who do YOU say I am?”

We can listen to many podcasts, sermons, and teachings from great people, incredible influencers, on what they say and believe about Jesus, yet not know what we actually believe.  We can quote and repost beautiful little sayings from others sharing their views and perspectives of Jesus, yet our own views still be so limited and shallow. We can continue to live our relationship with Jesus based on insights gained by others and be deceived thinking that we have depth in our own relationship with Him. While it’s fine listening and learning from others, studying and reading views, thoughts, insights that others have recorded, written, published, and posted, we cannot stop there. We can most certainly glean from them and even get stirred up, impassioned and encouraged in our relationship with the Lord, but if that is all we base it on, it will always be much less than what we were created to have with Him. If we are only satisfied with an influencer, a pastor, a friend feeding us what is on the Bible menu, or only rely on them to share their personal experiences and opinions of Jesus instead of digging in for ourselves, then we fall short of ALL He wants to show us, teach us, and reveal to us. We cheat ourselves and settle for the little crumbs of who Jesus is and all He has to offer us as our personal Savior. 

Meanwhile, Jesus is stopping the air traffic and asking us, “BUT WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?” Jesus wants to reveal Himself to each of us personally. He loves to know us deeply and teach us deep things, mysteries about Himself and all that He is doing. He wants us to know Him and to grasp hold of the truth that we are known by Him. He wants us to find our own revelations, form our own thoughts, allow Him to speak to and touch our hearts, to bring depth to our relationship with Him. He wants us to have eyes that SEE and ears that HEAR who He is personally. For you. For me. He is an ever- present and personal Lord. He wants to capture OUR hearts, our vision, our thoughts and give us opportunity to own our faith, experience His goodness, and encounter His love. What better time than now to stop and allow Him to clear the traffic away and respond as He asks us this question. And hopefully we, just like Peter, can exclaim for ourselves …. “YOU ARE THE CHRIST!” Because as we declare it, foundations are built, our hearts are strengthened, our heads are lifted, and our eyes are opened, to allow Him to show each one of us, as unique individuals, even more of WHO HE REALLY IS! 

Practical application:

Press in today. Read the Scriptures for yourself. Talk to Him. Ask Him the questions. Wait on Him to answer. Listen. Write it down …. Who do you say He is?

Then spend time thanking Him and praising Him for what He reveals to your heart. 

His Crossed a Chasm For The Sake of The Cross

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Jesus crossed a chasm for you and me.

He crossed the expanse between heaven and earth. God became flesh.

He overcame in the wilderness, He walked the dusty roads, and He crossed the stormy seas. He walked on them. He spoke to them and He calmed them.

He taught in the fields and fed thousands. He ate at the tables of sinners.

He shared and laughed with people in their homes, on the streets, by the well, on the shores.

From home to home. Town to town. City to city.

Each place bringing Him closer to the hill of Golgotha.

The CROSS.

The path was always leading Him to that hill, the hill where He would be crucified.

He knew what was coming, yet He stayed the course.

What lay ahead for Him did not deter Him from seeing those He would encounter on His way.

His eyes met with the eyes of those for whom He’d give His life. Some would love Him and follow Him. Some would betray Him and curse Him. Some would have ears to hear His Father’s heart and eyes to see His Father’s love. Some would close their hearts, their ears, their eyes and turn away with bitterness, hatred, and denial.

He still went to the cross for each of them.

All along His journey He healed, He taught, He delivered, He spoke, He forgave, He saved.

And as He approached the garden outside of where He knew He would be crucified, He prayed and He wept.

And then carried His cross up that hill, wounded for our sins, beaten for our burdens, whipped for our wrongs, crushed for our iniquities, stripped for our shame.

He bled. He cried out. He died. For the joy that was set before Him, you and me, He endured!

He went into the grave so WE could be brought out of our own.

His love didn’t stop there though.He crossed that chasm once again as he did His greatest work in secret.

Beyond the tomb when all was dark, when others thought all was lost and hope was gone, Jesus was still at work. It was in that place, between the crucifixion and the resurrection that Jesus conquered sin and death.

HE ROSE AGAIN!

HE LIVES!

He did it all for us.

He came. And He is coming again.

For me. For you. ❤️

Happy Easter Week

Finding Yourself, By Denying Yourself

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In our search to understand who we are, we must walk in discernment & supernatural wisdom, as to not fall for finding our identity in a counterfeit formula or way.

If anything tells us that who we are is now static & unable to be anything different, then it is not truth. We are told biblically that we have the renewing of our minds, we are being transformed into the image of God, we can go from glory to glory, we are bearers of Christ’s image, becoming more like Him and new creations in Him. We are called to die to self, deny self, lay down self, just as Christ did for each of us. The danger is that we become lovers of self, self-absorbed, self-focused, instead of fixing our eyes on Christ.

If we begin to find our identity in any other book, belief, system or person other than the Word of God and in God Himself, we will never be fully satisfied or ever feel fully loved. We are not told to find ourselves, figure ourselves out, understand ourselves, know ourselves. We are called to find God, know God, seek God, trust God, confess God, believe God. We are also called to love others, bless others, give to others, heal others, forgive others. We are told to love ourselves, but that can only truly be done as we get to KNOW GOD and His love. Read the word. The more we discover God, the more we discover ourselves – not the other way around.

Food for thought:

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. II Corinthians 3:18

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Mark 8:35

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Ignite the Light

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I have this phrase running through my head recently …. “IGNITE THE LIGHT”!

A scripture that has helped me in along my journey with the Lord is Psalm 119:105 “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” His Word, His truths, His promises, His message, His Son who is the Word made flesh, is what brings light to my path. It illuminates the road I am called to walk on, each step. It is what leads me in righteousness and holiness. His Word gives direction, wisdom and peace. Through it I am able to take the next step – whether that is towards a deeper relationship with Him, help in a relationship with someone else, with a job, a ministry, finances, freedom, healing, wholeness, understanding, every decision I need to make …. I am encouraged that He will be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. The whole thing may not be lit up, so I don’t necessarily know what miles down the road looks like, nor what is even around the corner. But it does mean that the next step He is asking me to take, I can trust He will show it to me, and walk it with me. This promise means that as I go to His word, it will illuminate any darkness in my life, any sin that holds me back, any fear that would parlalyze me, and give me just enough light to help me step out into the unknown with even the littlest amount of faith I have.

I continued to read more in Psalm 119, the absolute longest Psalm in the Bible, but so full of treasure and wisdom and hope. Verse 30 grabbed my heart. “The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.” This comes with an invitation. The invitation is to you and to me, to open the door. To give entrance to His Word. To give it room in our lives. We have the power to open the door of our hearts and let His Word flood in. It is our free will to choose, and the choice is powerful The choice is critical. Yet the choice is simple once you have tasted the Word and promises of the Lord and His faithfulness. It is like honey to the lips. A wellspring to the soul. And truly a light that brings hope, security, and blessing. The beautiful thing is that it also brings understanding, just the right amount that we need for that moment, for that decision, for that next step.

We must IGNITE THE LIGHT. Go to the Word. Get in His Word. Even if it’s one verse at a time. Write it out. Speak it out. Sing it out. Shout it out. Put it on your bathroom mirror. Put it on your fridge. Put it on your dashboard. Put it on your screensaver. Now is the time. The Word is our sword. Our most powerful weapon that we have been given. It gives light. It gives strength. It gives understanding. It gives hope. It gives courage. The Word of God.

Because He is the Word, it represents who He is …. Active. Powerful. Living. Truth. It exudes love because He is LOVE. It exudes hope, because He is HOPE. It exudes Light, because He is LIGHT. Let Him in. Give HIs Word entrance to your heart. Activate it. Ignite it. IGINITE the LIGHT!

His Joy Becomes Mine

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The Path of Joy

When life gets hard
When I am feeling down
When the wrestle is real
When my shoulders feel heavy
When my knees are feeble
When I’m feeling unsteady
When joy is hard to find

I look to my Savior.
I don’t have to strive
I don’t have to pretend
I don’t have to muster up strength
I don’t have to put on an act
I can be real with where I’m at

Because
It’s HIS JOY that STRENGTHENS ME
It’s HIS JOY that CARRIES ME
It’s HIS JOY that LIFTS ME
It’s HIS JOY that wins the wrestle, lifts the load, relieves the heaviness, clears the fog, and steadies my feet on the path.


THE JOY OF THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH.
He has plenty of it. And as I focus on this truth, I am reminded that I AM THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM AS HE ENDURED THE CROSS. WE ARE HIS JOY.

And then, I begin to feel His delight, His joy over me. It covers me. His love covers me. And we walk down the path, towards wholeness & healing together, hand in hand – Me being real and Him pouring out His very REAL LOVE & STRENGTH.
He leads. I follow. Down the pathway to JOY.

No Plan, No problem

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May His footsteps be your pathway

Jesus said “Follow me.”
He didn’t ask the disciples for a five year plan. He didn’t even give them a plan. He didn’t hold tryouts. He didn’t campaign. He didn’t give a job description. He didn’t lay out His vision. But boy did He have a vision!
•••••••••
There were no blueprints or graphs or flowcharts. There were no steps 1, 2, or 3, only that first step they took when He said, “FOLLOW ME.” No timelines or time clocks. He gave no agenda, no mission statement, no to do list, no lesson plan. But Jesus had a plan …. It was to do exactly what His Father told Him to do and to lead & teach those who chose to follow, in the same way. For He was The Way.
•••••••••
He still is TODAY. He is still calling, beckoning, inviting each of us daily, saying, “FOLLOW ME”!
It’s okay to not see the whole picture or know the whole plan, He does. And it’s bigger and better than we can imagine. A great one. One that gives you a future and a hope. His vision is set on eternity and He wants you to be there with Him. He can show you. One step at a time.
•••••••••••
“Righteousness will go before Him, And shall make His footsteps our pathway.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭85:13‬