Remember Me…

This past week I lost two people in my life. One was a mother of two young children and the other a friend and encourager. As a reviewed their lives simultaneously there were definite characteristics that they both shared in common.

1. Both were called home suddenly and without warning.
2. They were faithful servants content to be “hidden heroes”
3. They served willingly in quietness and without needing all the frills and fanfare.
4. Both were dedicated to ministry and family above wealth and belongings.
5. Each exhibited in their own way a genuine love for God.

I could keep going on and on, but I will stop here and ask myself and you… How will we be remembered? More than ever I want to be remembered for serving my Lord, being there for others and pointing people to Christ. At times in my life, I have stated those goals, but to be honest I did not necessarily mean it. Today, I want to mean it and work towards showing it. Oh, to be remembered for what I have done for Christ and not just a list of jobs and accomplishments.

How about you? What can and will be said about you? How do you want to be remembered?

LDJ

I believe, but……
I wish I could tell you the number of times I have heard these words. Yeah, but….
In the course of counseling, as I endeavor to draw a person’s attention to the One True God, to the Sovereign One, to the heart and character of Jesus Christ, usually I will get acknowledgement and agreement only to be followed with, ‘but….’
Let me give you just a few examples:
I know God is faithful, but I’m afraid I’ll get cancer.
I know God is sovereign, but my husband won’t change.
I know God is good, but I don’t understand why this person had to die.
I know God is love, but I can’t love her.
I know God is forgiving, but I have been too hurt.
I know God can do all things, but what if he doesn’t choose to.
I know God can heal, but what if my mother dies.
You get the picture. Every one of those statements of faith is nullified as soon as we say “but….”The moment we say ‘but’ we have taken our eyes off of Jesus and put them on our situation.
I want to challenge you; every time you hear yourself adding BUT to the end of a statement of truth…stop!! Do not negate the truth by adding “but”. Just stop. Leave the truth stand alone.

I believe.
Diane

Nibbled Into Being Lost

Recently, I had a much longed for time of fellowship with someone. At one time she and I had been much closer in our friendship. Yet somehow time had passed and friendship erosion had taken place.

We spoke about it when we met and both identified some of the little things that -over time- have led us to make those almost indiscernible baby steps backwards and away from each other. We saw the gradual path that we had wandered down as our friendship was nibbled away.

We acknowledged that first and foremost the drifting away was, for us, sin. Why? Because…in all those microscopic incidents that we stored up as offenses, we were thinking more of ourselves and much to willing to think the worst of each other. In other words, the law of love was not working in our own hearts and lives. Ah, but that is another subject for another Victory Call for another day.

Today my focus for us to glean from is the nibbling process that we employ and thus, find ourselves lost and drifting. Not only do we drift from our earthly relationships with friends and family but from the one relationship that sustains us, gives us life, keeps us safe, secure, and most of all, found righteous before a Holy God.

The title expression came from a devotional I often read. The author was referring to cows and how they regularly manage to wander off and get lost. Let me explain it to you.
This is what he wrote:

“Ask a rancher how a cow gets lost, and chances are he will reply, ‘Well, the cow starts nibbling on a tuft of green grass, and when it finishes, it looks ahead to the next tuft of green grass and starts nibbling on that one, and then it nibbles on a tuft of green grass right next to the hole in the fence. It then sees another tuft of green grass on the other side of the fence, so it nibbles on that one and then goes on to the next tuft. The next thing you know the cow has nibbled itself into being lost.”1

Pretty interesting, isn’t it? I thought so and as I read it my time with my friend came to mind, so I shared it with you in the hope that you would take a look at 2 things.

1. Your relationship with God through Christ
2. The relationships that you have with other people

Are you close to home? Rather are you close to God? Are your relationships with the people in your life up to par? Is there anyone whom you have wandered away from, or backed away from? Is there a bad feeling you have harbored that has led to one bad thought, and then another, and another until suddenly, you look up from “yourself” and realize, you can no longer see or feel the depth of relationship you once had -with God or with people.?

Dear one, these are questions that I sincerely hope you take the time to share with God. You may be able to trust yourself with the truth, but I know me and I know my flesh will always look for a way out of anything that may cause me pain.

But our Father, He is faithful to tell us the truth about ourselves every single time. He wants what’s best for us for one reason -that we live life in such a way as to bring glory and honor to His name. He has a plan for you. He has one for me. And I don’t want to leave this earth one foot shy of victory because I allowed bad feelings and stinky feelings to nibble at my heart and cause me to wander far from Him and Home. I don’t want to be guilty of forgetting, that love (1 Corinthians 13) is the more excellent thing.

Stephanie 🙂

1. Mark H. Creech, “The Right Frame of Mind. How did Mainline Churches Get This Way?” August 25, 2003. Agape Press

All of us have a tendency, some more than others, to be critical. We often excuse it by saying….”I am perceptive” or “I have insight” or “I can size a person, situation or circumstance very quickly”….thus I can express what I think and feel.

The Word of God has some things to say about the tongue (that member of the body that does the criticism). In James 1:26, “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridle not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” KJV

It is good to take inventory of your tongue…..if it is a problem confess it to Him. Then ask for His control over that tiny member that can cause so much trouble….Satan loves to use it, but God wants and can control it….this is up to you….a decision of your will. Will you allow Him to do that?

Criticism
Questions:
C — What would Christ say regarding…..the
person, situation or circumstance?

R — What was my response….to the person, situation
or circumstance?
reaction or response?

I — Am I critical so that I may look better in the
eyes of others?

T — Is My tongue one of a critical nature?

I — Am I afraid that my self image will be hurt, thus
putting others down and elevating
myself?
C —How can I be critical of others when there are stones in my life?
I — Am I insecure and become critical of individuals, situations, and circumstances, thus looking for areas where I can be praised?

Z — Do I zero in on the non-essentials of situations,
circumstances and others ?

E —Do I evaluate/judge situations, circumstances and
others unjustly/unfairly?

If this area is a problem in your life….remember God wants to take control of every aspect of your life….that includes our tongue. James 3rd chapter.

b. shoppy

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle…” Psalm 32:8-9

Stubborn as a mule.
God has promised guidance to His children. Too often we don’t like where He’s taking us and we dig in our heels. Often in counseling, a person will explain their situation and talk all around a problem until it is apparent to me that they already know the answer to the problem. They come to me hoping there is a different answer because they don’t like the one they have.
Perhaps you are more prone to rebellion, a spirit of refusal to do what God has guided you to do. I’ve been there. At the time I knew it was rebellion, in that moment I wanted what I wanted more than I wanted what God wanted.
God does not force us, He guides us, implores us, woos us and empowers us to follow His guidance. He delights when we follow willingly.

Is there any area of your life that you are being stubborn as a mule?

Diane

What’s next?

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Psalm 32:8

There are times in life when with all sincerity, we don’t know what the right thing to do is. We end up in a quandary, not wanting to do the wrong thing but not entirely certain which avenue is right and which is wrong. Ever feel like that?
It is times like this that we need to remind ourselves that God sees all and knows all. He has promised to lead and guide us. The scriptures are full of verses promising God’s guidance. Here is just a sampling:

Exodus 13:21, “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.”

Psalm 48:14, “For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide Even to death.

Psalm 73:24, “You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory.”

Psalm 139:10, “Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.”

Isaiah 58:11, “The LORD will guide you continually”

Isn’t there peace in knowing that God guides you today? Are you listening?

Diane

Given Time to Repent
And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.
Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. Revelation 2:21-22

HE gave her time to repent and she did not…
Repent (meaning to STOP and turn from your wrong behavior and go the right way, yes, to be sorrowful but to STOP! even if you aren’t sorry… STOP).
Adultery hurts the entire family; the person committing the adultery; their spouse, their children, their friends and family members.
As a believer it grieves the Holy Spirit when we give ourselves over to the lust of the flesh. It starts when we believe the lies of the enemy: that it will make things better… that it offers an escape from the pain… that it is our destiny… our real “soul mate”… or simply because it feels good… beautiful… understood… wanted and loved.
God’s word reveals it for what it really is; sin. “You shall not commit adultery.” Exodus 20:14

I was recently in the mall and overheard a man on his cell phone telling, I assumed his wife, that is was ok with him if she left as long as their son wasn’t affected by it. Talk about being deceived! Who was he kidding?
Another incident occurred the other night when I heard of a man who was in the mist of a crisis and needed a friend to talk to. His wife was suspected of having an affair and he was devastated. I was upset to hear it. I know what it is to be hurt by someone I love and I know what it is to be the source of pain for someone I am supposed to love. Please hear me and don’t be deceived, God will not be mocked.
None of us is above being caught up in this sin and its disastrous fall out.

May I be blunt? …are you having an affair? Are you “just” thinking about it? Are you viewing pornography? Let’s be honest. An affair can be sexual contact, intercourse, or deep emotional intimacy without physical contact outside of your own marriage.

STOP NOW-TODAY-THIS VERY MINUTE.

Whatever the circumstances are, it’s wrong. If you need help please contact us at Victory Call. There are those here on staff that you can confidentially reach out to. These devotionals are meant to help you walk in Victory through the power of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 4:13 says: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Do you believe that? I believe God may be giving someone this time to repent. Could it be you?

Dina

Heart Surgery

Why is it that many of us are so afraid of change? Change is a part of life: times change, people change, situations change. It is certain that throughout our lives change will be a part of our daily living. Some changes we make, others we have no control over. We must either seek God’s help through it, readjust our lives, or our lives will become totally unmanageable and out of line of God’s will. I find the most difficult change of all is the change that must occur within each of our hearts. There is real pain when God says it’s time again for heart surgery.
Just like the highways in New Jersey, our hearts are always under construction. God is forever showing us another area that needs to change. It’s so much easier to look at our family, friends or even our enemies and see how they need to change. But Psalm 139:23-24 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way of everlasting.” It seems pretty evident that I need to stop looking at how others need to change and look at my own heart. But OUCH it hurts!
Sometimes in the midst of the pain of change we want to run back to the way we were. At least we know how to do “whatever” that behavior is. We want to go back to whatever is familiar, even if it’s wrong or painful and displeasing to God. At least we know how to do it, or how it works. We’ve practiced it over and over; we’re experts at doing it our way. We don’t focus our eyes on our promised land.
We’re no different than the Israelites when God brought them out of slavery. The Pharaoh’s mighty army was right behind them. The Red Sea was directly in front of them. The people cried out to Moses, Ex. 14:11-12, “…Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?…It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” Can you imagine? They wanted to go back to slavery! They couldn’t see past the current pain and fear to remember the promises of God and the Promised Land that was there waiting for them. That’s us….it’s too hard we say. It’s too painful. It’s too scary. So we want to just quit.
We forget that God will not leave us or forsake us. He is right there all along the way, ready to see us through, waiting for us to cry out. God is the one who changes us. Phil. 1:6 says that we can be confident “that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” We don’t have the power to change ourselves. It’s God who began the new work in our hearts and it’s His power that will bring change to completion.
We can take the steps forward, even if it is slowly, knowing God is there. It’s so much better than running back to the way we were, where this is no victory, certain pain and the displeasure of God.
So are you ready for the Great Physician to do a little heart surgery? It may hurt, but the reward is immeasurable.

Mary Ann

Recently, life has taken some twists and turns that have placed several of my friends and acquaintances in extreme circumstances and deep trials. As I have walked alongside of them during these times I have tried to encourage them that their suffering has not gone unnoticed and indeed that God grieves along with them. He weeps even as they weep. If we, being human, are touched by the suffering of others, how much more our Heavenly Father is touched by their suffering.
After all, Jesus wept at the death of his friend Lazarus and the grief of his sisters. “Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to Him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, ‘See how He loved him.'” (John 11:33-36) Since Jesus is God with skin on – “who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person” (Heb 1:3)-and since we were created in the image of God “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Gen 1:27) -it seems reasonable that God feels.
I recently came across the following quote:
“Jesus lived for one purpose alone: to do the will of His Father. Yet He still felt.
Jesus is the precise image of His Father, who also feels. God is holy and righteous. Our salvation necessitates a cross; our poor decisions necessitate chastisement. The refusal of the lost to believe necessitates judgment. But God still feels. Beloved, God still feels.”1

The next time you are wondering what God is thinking about your trials, your abuse, your suffering – remember His heart feels deeply.
What a great God we have that He sees all the evil and suffering in the world at once, and yet is not consumed.
Thank you Jesus for stretching our finite minds a little more.

Diane
1 Beth Moore, Beloved Disciple: The Life and Ministry of John, LifeWay Press, Nashville, TN, 2002

Have you ever misplaced your?

-glasses
-car keys
-watch
-important document

In searching for such items we have misplaced, whether it be in drawers, on counters or other areas, when we locate them there is immediate relief!

The Psalmist speaks of allowing God to SEARCH our hearts. Psalm 139:23-24:

“SEARCH me, oh God, and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me.” KJV The NASV says: “know my anxious thoughts and see if there be any hurtful way in me.” (these may be subtle)

Confess and name those areas He finds. I John 1:9 “If we confess (name them) He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”

Allow God, the Holy Spirit, to shine His light and SEARCH your heart today…looking in all the “nooks and crannies.” Then it’s up to you to take action as I John 1:9 tells us.

betsy shoppy