Rock or Sand?

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Kate

~James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

What will happen when you are tried for your life and what you did with it? I was tried on April 1st, 1980. That is the day when in my heart I stood before God, my Judge, and admitted to Him that I was a sinner in need of salvation. I accepted Christ’s perfect work on the cross, His death, His burial and His resurrection. In return, Christ’s blood covers my sin and I am now a child of the King!

Christ is now my Advocate, my perfect Attorney, and I am no longer on trial for my sins because He has paid the price for my punishment.

On that wonderful day, I earned the crown of life, which Christ promised to me now that I love Him. I thought I loved Him before my salvation but I did not know Him.

It reminded me of the parable that Jesus preached:

~Matthew 7:21-27 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.) And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Notice the underscored portion of this text. Many will tell Jesus that they prophesied in His name, cast out devils, and done many wonderful works in His name. However, Jesus says they are workers of iniquity! One must ask himself who these people are and why they are not good enough to enter Heaven!

They appeared to do the right things, however, those things were obviously not good enough.

The verses afterward talk about the person who builds his house on the rock! The rock is not a church or a person but is in fact Jesus Christ:

~1 Corinthians 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

~Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

How does one build his house on the Rock? The Word is revealed to us at the hour of our salvation. God sees to it:

~Romans 10:8-13 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

It is not joining a particular church – it is not keeping rules and laws. God says in verse 8 that the word is nigh to us – He puts it in our hearts (the desire). That is faith – when we believe the Gospel sincerely, and confess it with our mouths, then we are saved. The Scripture says that whosoever (that means me) calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It is not a little prayer-ette, but a sincere calling upon the God of salvation!

When this is done, then your house (your faith) is built on the Rock, Jesus Christ, and your faith is solid!

Was Blind But Now I See

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Kate

~Psalm 19:8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

What are cataracts? According to Webster, cataracts are:

A clouding of the lens of the eye or of its surrounding transparent membrane that obstructs the passage of light.

If I was too look at today’s picture above on a bright sunny day, it would be easy to see through the trees for hundreds of feet. However, on a foggy day, my vision is clouded. It’s much like having cataracts. Both my parents had cataracts and had to have surgery. Once the patches were removed, they saw so clearly

Do you have spiritual cataracts? When you are discouraged, your spiritual eyes become clouded. Why do I say that? If you suffer from discouragement, look at your Bible reading life. ARE you reading?? Chances are you are not because you do not feel motivated to read. Cataracts are progressive. One does not develop them overnight. In fact, many times one does not know that they even have them until their vision is really clouded. It’s the same with your spiritual eyes, dear friend. You allow discouragement to come in bit by bit and then deep discouragement has arrived! What’s the remedy?

~Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Confess your sin before God and tell Him you’ve failed and have allowed your spiritual eyes to become clouded. Ask Him to create in you a clean heart and to renew your spirit! What is the result of such a prayer?

~Psalm 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

God will restore your spiritual sight as well as your joy. Don’t you love that? Noah Webster defines the word “uphold” as: To support; to sustain; to keep from falling or slipping. The Lord will keep you from falling and slipping with His free spirit! How? If you stay in the Word and allow the Word to cleanse you from the inside out, the Lord will clean your heart, renew your spirit and restore your joy, and will keep you from falling!

Oh Christian, isn’t that a beautiful picture of the love of our Heavenly Father? Won’t you put aside your blinded vision? You can – with the Lord’s help.

Exceeding Great and Precious Promises

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Kate

~2 Pet 1:4-9 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make [you that ye shall] neither [be] barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

There’s so much spiritual meat in these verses! We could spend days sitting on these and still walk away lacking

Peter starts out these verses by telling us that we have great and precious promises. We have the ability, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to partake in Christ’s divine nature – meaning that we have that ability to say no to sin because we no longer have sin as our master, but Christ! \o/ Praise the Lord, amen?

Peter continues in verse 5 to tell us that if we give ALL diligence to the Spirit’s fruit in our lives, we will abound (verse 7) and be fruitful in the knowledge of Christ! Christian lady, can you imagine what benefit this would be to you as you raise your children? Can you imagine the hurdles you would avoid in your marriage? The Lord says that if the fruit of verses 5 through 7 abound in you (are at work), you will not be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ! That’s powerful stuff, ladies! I honestly believe that the Proverbs 31 wife abounded in these fruit, don’t you? How else could she be so “perfect”? I always felt as though I was lacking when I compared myself to her. But now I know why! I need to abound in these fruit!!!! \o/ Thank You, Lord.

Practice makes perfect I’m thinking of writing these fruit on a Post-It Note at my desk, on my bathroom mirror, or anywhere that my eyes rest on. This will help me to be mindful of these fruit as I go about my day. If I see them, chances are I will be more aware of practicing them Here’s what I made up for myself

Today’s Ponderings – I’m Slipping!

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Kate

~Matthew 14:30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

Many times I am like Peter. I want so badly to do the right thing and follow the Lord only to find myself doubting. I set my eyes on the circumstances and take my eyes off Him. How miserably I fail when I do this. I shouldn’t judge Peter too harshly as I am no different. The Lord, in His mercy, looked on Peter as he was sinking and crying out. Christ’s mercy was shown in immediate action as He stretched out His hand and caught Peter.

~Matt 14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth [his] hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Oh what a mercifully compassionate Saviour we serve! He holds us up when we are ready to fall. He knows that we won’t always keep our eyes fixed on Him and His mercy prevails! How grateful I am!!

~Psalm 94:18 When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.

Today’s Ponderings – Trust

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Kate

~Psalm 112:7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.

Oh Lord, may my heart be so fixed that I do not hesitate to trust in You when the billows of life are raging!

Haven’t you ever seen a Christian who is old in “the faith” as he goes through a trial? He’s steady … he glorifies the Lord … his faith is not shaken. He reached this point in his Christian walk because his faith rested in the Lord’s care. This Christian knows that despite the storm, his Shepherd is ever vigilant. This Christian knows that what he understands about this particular trial is only a limited view … from one piece of the pie, if you will. But his God sees all and knows the outcome! The Lord directs the Christian when his heart is fixed on Him.

~Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Bible Journal – Storms of Life

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Kate

~Matthew 14:23-32 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. (23) But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. (24) And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. (25) And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. (26) But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. (27) And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. ( 28 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. (29) But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. (30) And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? (31) And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. (32)

What a great account relating to the storms of life this is! Some are so great that we need to step back and think things out. It is then that we need to exercise our faith in the Lord as we try to figure things out.

Peter found himself in this situation. He started out well, but life’s circumstances got in the way and doubt crept in. Am I so different? Absolutely not! I have been guilty of this as well. As a result though, I have come to realize that God was right there with me and there was no need to fear. I cannot point a finger at Peter because I have so been there! Haven’t you? Peter saw the Lord and wanted to join Him on the water. I can just picture myself in this same scenario. Had I seen Jesus Christ walking toward me on the water during a horrible storm, I think I would have been excited to see Him there! I think I would have wanted to be right there by His side because I would have known that it was the safest place to be.

Peter was the only one willing to exercise his faith. The Scriptures do not show any of the others willing to walk on the water. With the storm still raging about him, Peter had enough faith to make that first step out onto the waters. Peter loved the Lord and must have known that Jesus was greater than the storm itself. He started out well. He had enough of that faith to get him started. I have heard it said that many Christians start out well but they do not end well. I surely do not want to be counted in that latter number. I want to finish well in my service for the Lord!

Peter’s faith was strong enough to make that first step onto the water. Just think about it… he was alone in this! Yes, Peter started out well. I have been in those shoes. In my early years as a new believer, I would start out in a trial and I would exercise my faith and believe that God would bring me through it.

But let’s see what happened next to Peter. The moment he saw the huge waves about him and the storm raging, he became afraid! It stands to reason that Peter could only see the waves because he took his eyes of Jesus. Had he kept his eyes focused on Jesus, the waves would not have been the center of his concentration and, therefore, seemed so terrifying. Instead Peter would have seen the joy in Jesus’ eyes because His child was trusting in Him. He would have been encouraged to continue on.

However, before we point a finger at Peter and boast of our own strength, could we actually have done any better? Have we done any better during our own trials? I know that I have failed miserably in this same area. I began my trial knowing the Lord would take care of me. However, the moment the fire was turned up a little, I took my eyes off the Lord and turned them upon my husband or a friend to help me through.

I love how this account ends. In desperation and fear, Peter cried out to Jesus and immediately Jesus rescued him (verse 31). Jesus didn’t wait for Peter to go down for the third time. Christ responded at Peter’s first cry. How many times have I waited to cry to the Father to help me? I can’t even count them all. Instead, I depended on others to comfort me during my trial when I could have gotten the perfect solace from my Heavenly Father! When we learn to turn to the Lord right away, we keep ourselves from getting discouraged because we have received His goodness and His grace.

God has given us these examples in Scriptures so that we may use them to teach us. As we read this beautiful depiction of man’s weakness and God’s grace, it should minister to us and teach us how to exercise our faith in God. When a trial comes our way, cry to God first. We need to allow the Lord to minister to us during our trials. God will respond but we must hear Him. Many times we allow ourselves to be distracted and we miss His still small voice; or we overlook a path that He has set before us and we choose the wrong one. However, if we listen intently – if we follow God’s direction, it builds our faith. God may use others, He may use His Word, He may use the Pastor as he preaches his message. But the bottom line is that God will respond when we cry out to Him.

How blessed we are to have such a compassionate God to serve! We are not alone in our trials. In the footprints of life, we will see God’s footprints ahead of us; or we will see His footprints beside us; and at times He will be carrying us. But we will never see our own footprints all alone. He will never give us a burden so heavy that we cannot carry it.

~Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The picture above was taken by Carol Meyers and used here with her permission. She has traveled to some of the most beautiful places in the world and has captured so many pictures which depict peace and tranquility. Thank you, Carol, for allowing me this opportunity to use your work!

Thought for the Day – Lifestyles

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Kate

~Matthew 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

What do you concentrate on when you are by yourself? Do you worry about the stock market? Do you think about how much month will be left at the end of your paycheck? Do you worry about the sickness you have and how you will make it one more day? Do you worry about your children? Whatever it is that you think about when you are alone, will more than likely tell you what kind of lifestyle you are living.

Our lifestyle usually reflects what is in our hearts. What kind of lifestyle do people see you living? Does your faith in Christ reflect in your daily walk? Yes, faith is definitely a lifestyle. (2 Cor. 5:17) Christians are new creatures and their “old” lifestyle is to be done away with. Others can see the difference between the former and the present.

When the storms of life appear, do people witness you fretting or witness you resting in the Father’s care? Or do you “inwardly” run around in circles and wonder if anyone out there cares?

~Matthew 14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

We are a child of the King, oh Christian! Our Heavenly Father has us in the palm of His hand. (John 10:29) He is quite aware of what we are going through and He never sleeps. (Psalm 121:4) He will catch us when we fall – He will help us when we need it (Hebrews 13:5) – He will carry us when we can’t press on even one more step! I love the poem “Footprints in the Sand”! There have been many times where God has had to carry me – and He did!

(Psalm 37:7a) Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself …

Thought for the Day – Sinking

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Kate

Tumultuous Waves

~Matthew 14:25-32 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

How many times have we been on fire for the Lord and willing to go to any lengths to serve Him? Then, the minute the turbulent storms of life appear, we take our eyes off the Saviour, and we see our circumstances. Fear sets in and we begin to sink.

I’ve often wondered what would have happened to Peter had he not looked around to see the storm around him but had focused on Christ instead. Would Peter and Jesus have walked on the water to the ship to meet up with the others? Instead, he began to sink and cried out for Jesus to save him. The Word says that Jesus immediately stretched out His hand and caught Peter. Jesus asked him why he had doubted?

What a lesson for me to learn! As I go through my storms in life, I will feel as though I am sinking and all alone when I take my eyes off Christ and place them on my circumstances. Thank You, Lord, for giving me the peace that You will immediately stretch forth Your hand and catch me!! What comfort this brings to me!

Thought for the Day – Heart’s Condition

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Kate

And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. 52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. 53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. 54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. 55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. 56 And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done. Luke 8:51-56

What stood out to me in today’s text was what happened to those who were scorning the Lord. Do you see it? The Lord put them all out – they missed out on the blessing of what was to come. Remember, these were the same people who were bewailing the maiden’s death. Usually, people who are in mourning are more “open” to spiritual matters but these people were not. Their hearts were hardened.

What can we learn from today’s text? I’ve often wondered how many blessings I’ve missed out on because of my lack of faith. I’m sure it’s more than I care to know about. But a scorner is someone who denies the opportunity for salvation. (Proverbs 19:29)

We see many “either/or” opportunities in the Scriptures. God’s word does present us with situations that are either back or white, righteous or unrighteous, etc. For example, the saved and unsaved are compared to wheat and tares (Matthew 13:40); believers and unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14); Heaven or Hell (Luke 16:23, Matthew 25:41).

All these examples lead to a choice which must be made by each and everyone of us.

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: Deuteronomy 30:19

He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Matthew 12:30

Each day I make a choice – whether to say no to sin or to say yes. The born-again believer has the choice to say no because he has the power to resist temptation. (I Corinthians 10:13) The unbeliever, however, cannot say no to sin because he does not possess the Holy Spirit of a Holy God. (Romans 6:14)

To the unbeliever, however, the only choice left to make on this earth is whether or not to accept Jesus Christ as the only way to Heaven.

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:10-12

Your heart’s condition will determine what choice you make. Are you a scorner – one whom Christ will “put out” and cast into the Lake of Fire at the Great Judgment? Or are you one who will have faith and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31)? It’s a choice based on the condition of your heart!

Thought for the Day – As the Storm Passes By

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Kate

But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. 24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him. Luke 8:23-25 (KJV)

How many times have you heard a message or read a devotional on this topic? Until we, individually, go through a time of testing of our faith, we read or listen with ears of indifference. I speak from experience, I’m sad to say. For example, we know of someone who is going through a testing and we claim this verse for them! But because we have not been through such a severe testing, we really do not claim the verse for us! I hope that makes sense to you, reader.

Good examples of today’s text in modern-day terms are the recent tumultuous storms which hit the South and the Midwest. If you are one of those who did experience these storms, you will be able to place yourself right smack in the middle of today’s text! In fact, what if Christ had been right there in the flesh while you were fretting. I’m sure it felt as though He was asleep while you were going through the storms! What if Christ turned around and made the floods disappear or the tornadoes vanish in your presence? Luke 8:25 says that the Lord commanded the winds and water! Now, don’t these verses mean a whole lot more to you since you personally experienced nature’s fury? Sure it does – you can picture it in your mind’s eye quite vividly!I’ve been through a flood in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1983 – it was a very scary event in my life. I was a new believer in the Lord Jesus at the time. He used this tragedy to draw me closer to Him – I learned to trust in His care. What about those who have notbeen through a natural phenomenon such as this?

With this in mind, where are you today, dear friend? Are you being tested? Are there storms in your life where the winds are fiercely blowing and the water’s waves are beating against you? Are you crying out to God, “Lord, save me!”? Does everything in life seem to be falling apart at the seams? Is your life’s “boat” filling with water and it seems as though you’re sinking? Dear one, you are not alone! This statement may not bring you comfort but let this statement bring you comfort: This same Jesus who calmed the storm in the Book of Luke WILL calm your storm!

In today’s text, we see that the sailors were in “jeopardy” and yet Christ was asleep on the ship. (Luke 8:23) We can interpret this in two ways. (1) Christ is the Creator and, therefore, knew that His creation would not, in fact could not, overtake the Creator. (Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:16, Revelation 4:11) (2) Christ wanted to give His disciples an opportunity to prove their faith in Him: He asked them, “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25) Obviously, these same disciples had been walking with Him and had witnessed the miracles Christ had performed. They had a foundation because they were eye witnesses to incredible events. I think our faith is proven when we are tested, don’t you? We can witness real life blessings from the Lord but through trials and afflictions, we are (or should be) more tender to God’s word and we glean from its wisdom. (Psalm 119:71) Either way you look at these verses, both are a blessing!

This same Lord and Saviour is still there, like a true friend! (Exodus 33:11, 2 Chronicles 20:7, Proverbs 18:24, Proverbs 22:11, Song of Solomon 5:16, James 2:23) This same Jesus, who stilled the winds and waters, can still your storms. This same Jesus, is your Friend and loves you! I came across a great quote (author unknown), “Jesus may not calm the storm but he will calm the sailors in the midst of the storm.” How very true! (Psalm 55:16-23, 1 Peter 1:7, 1 Peter 4:12)

Yes, dear one, you may be going through the worst storm of your life but the same Shepherd who calmed the storm for his disciple is there for your storm as well. (1 Peter 5:7) Whether He removes the circumstances or calms your troubled spirit during the trial, you can trust Him through it all. I love the hymn below – the words are so powerful and express the very heart of this author! I pray you are blessed and that your storm be stilled or your spirit calmed as you go through whatever trial you are experiencing!

Till the Storm Passes By
Words and Music by Mosie Lister
copyright 1958

In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face,
While the storm howls above me, and there’s no hiding place.
‘Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.

Chorus
Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more,
Till the clouds roll forever from the sky;
Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.

Many times Satan whispered, “There is no need to try,
For there’s no end of sorrow, there’s no hope by and by”
But I know Thou art with me, and tomorrow I’ll rise
Where the storms never darken the skies.

When the long night has ended and the storms come no more,
Let me stand in Thy presence on the bright peaceful shore;
In that land where the tempest, never comes, Lord, may I
Dwell with Thee when the storm passes by.

Maranatha!

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Ps. 119:105

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