The Joy of Christmas!

ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER, INC.

“Therefore encourage one another and build

each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

I Thessalonians 5:11

December 1, 2015

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Those two words bring joy to our hearts when we speak or hear them spoken.  Christmas…..the time of year that we are reminded of just how very much God loves us.  Psalm 103:11 says, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him.”  But God didn’t just tell us in Psalm 103 how much He loves us.  He proved that “love is an action” when He left His sinless, perfect domain in Heaven and came down to our sin filled, imperfect world on this earth and took on the form of a man.  When Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem so long ago, God delivered the message in person that “…He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”  I John 4:10

I loved this Jesus pin when I first saw it.  It encompasses so much of who Jesus is and what He has done for us.  I find it to be a reminder to us that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16.  It is my prayer, that this Jesus pin reminds you of just how much God loves you, who you are in Christ and what your future holds when you have Jesus in your life.

Yellow – Light:   “Jesus is the light of the world.” John 9:5; “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.”  John 15:9

Black – Sin:   “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”  Romans 3:23

Purple – Repentance:  “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…”  Acts 3:19

Red – Jesus shed blood:  “…the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin.”  I John 1:7

White – Purity:  “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;”   Isaiah 1:18

Blue – Baptism:  “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  Acts 2:38

Green – New Life:  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone, the new is here.”  II Corinthians 5:17

JESUS – “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2:9-12

I encourage you today to embrace Jesus.

Remember who He is;

Remember all that He has done;

Remember all that He is going to do;

Remember to share Him with others;

and then most importantly,

Remember that it is all for YOU!

I Want A Lifesaver!

I had a craving the other day for a Lifesaver.  Remember those…..the hard candy in the shape of a circle, with a hole in the middle?  The idea, as I understand it, is that the hole in the middle keeps you from choking if you swallow the lifesaver, thus the candy itself saves your life.  Walla…..the name Lifesaver!

Ok…..so I went looking for a lifesaver at my local big box store.  I looked in the candy section in the check-out aisles…..no lifesavers…I looked in the candy section…no lifesavers…I looked in the snack section...no lifesavers!  I began to get frustrated…..I wanted a Lifesaver!  LOL!

And then, in my frustration, God spoke to me.  He told me that “Jesus is my Lifesaver.  That unlike my experience of having a hard time   trying to find a Lifesaver, I would never have a hard time finding Jesus; because Jesus would always be there for me.” 

God’s reinforces that very fact over and over and over again in His Word:

“And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:20b

“Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous!  Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

“I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5b

“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you.”  Deuteronomy 31:6

 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever…”  John 14:16

“As I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.” Joshua 1: 5

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:38

“Nevertheless, I am continually with you…”  Psalm 73:23

How comforting…..no matter what is happening in my life...Jesus is with me!  All the time.  Day in and day out.  Through the good and the bad.  Jesus is with me!  Jesus is my Lifesaver!

When I was drowning in myself, God put Jesus in my life to save me from myself. I am so thankful for that!  Life doesn’t depend on me anymore.  Jesus is with me every day and is in control.  I don’t have to be in control, worry, panic, suffer through loneliness, make decisions on my own, be afraid…..because Jesus is right beside me…..He is my Lifesaver!

Do you know Someone who is…

drowning in themselves…..

who is trying to get through this life on their own power…..

who is living a life full of turmoil..…

who is lonely and needs a Lifesaver?

  Jesus can be their Lifesaver!

You can be the one to tell them about Jesus, our Lifesaver.  

You may be the only person in their life that knows about Jesus our Lifesaver.

Encouraging you today to talk to everyone you know about Jesus, our Lifesaver.  

Removing The Mud

My hometown was recently hit by torrential rain, which caused massive flooding across the city and county.  The maintenance workers for the city did everything they could to hold back the floodwaters.  They put sand bags around buildings, closed the movable dikes and built temporary dikes to hold back the floodwaters.  Unfortunately, even with all the maintenance workers efforts, our city and county experienced flooding in many areas, damaging homes as well as crops. 

Dirt dumped along a road to make a temporary dike.

One of the places that flooded was one of the golf courses that my husband manages.  The morning the water began to rise, my husband received a phone call warning him of the impending flood.  He immediately went to the golf course and, along with some of his workers, began to move the electric golf carts to higher ground to keep them out of the floodwaters.  As the water rose, we prayed.  As we prayed, we saw God grant us mercy.  The water did not cover the cart batteries, thus they were undamaged, and the floodwaters stopped less than 6 inches from going into the clubhouse door where our merchandise was.  

Looking down the road to the entrance of the Clubhouse.

Directly behind the fence line you can see the door to the clubhouse.

As the floodwaters receded, we could see and smell that the golf course was a BIG mess.  There was mud everywhere, river mud that contained all kinds of smells and dead fish.  Not only was there mud everywhere, but the floodwaters had killed the grass on the golf course.  Everything the mud had touched was a BIG mess.

Mud covers the bushes and fence along the golf course.

Dead grass covered with mud on the golf course.

The mud needs to be removed before new grass can grow.

As my husband and I watched the floodwaters recede and the maintenance workers begin the process of cleaning up and removing the mud, I began to think about how sin in my life can be as damaging as the flood and can make me a BIG mess.  I thought that, just like the mud needs to be removed from the grass so that new grass can grow, sin needs to be cleaned up and removed from my life so that my faith and relationship with God can grow.

Our city is making a BIG effort and is bringing in

their BIG equipment to clean up the mud from the flood.

Like the maintenance workers who dumped the dirt along the river to fight the floodwaters, I can fight the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin in my life.  Or, I can be like my husband, who listened to the warning and took action.  I can listen to the Holy Spirit’s warning about sin in my life and take action to remove it.  As my city used their BIG equipment to clean up the mud, I can use the BIG equipment that God has given me to clean up sin in my life; confession of sin, acceptance of God’s forgiveness, the Bible and prayer

And, like my city who will move past the damage of this flood and be clean, I also can move past the damage that sin  brings to  my life and be clean, living a holy and righteous life, so that God can be glorified through me.

Confessing and saying no to sin,

 results in a guilt free life

that is filled with peace and joy.

“If we confess our sins, God is faithful and

just and will forgive us our sins and purify

us from all unrighteousness.”  I John 1:9

Encouraging You today to enjoy the guilt-free life that God has designed for you to live.

Just Around The Corner

On a recent road trip, I had to stop and ask for directions.  The person I asked gave me very specific directions.  Unfortunately, when I was being told the directions, I became distracted and didn't hear them in their entirety.  Instead of asking the person to repeat the directions, I thought that I had heard enough and that I wold be able to figure it out myself from what I had heard.  So, I thanked the person giving me the directions and started off in the direction I had been told to go.

Well, what I thought was just going to be a short drive, turned out to be a very long drive and I began to question myself as to whether or not I was going in the right direction.  After quite some time, I decided to stop and ask for directions again.  When i did, I was told, "It's just around the corner".

Sure enough...my destination was "just around the corner".  If I had kept going just one more minute, I would have reached my destination without having to stop and ask for directions again.  If I had not become distracted when I was being told the directions the first time, I would have reached my destination without all the frustration that I experienced.

As I thought about how I had been distracted from listening to the directions and then how my destination had been "just around the corner", I began to think about how the enemy distracts us from God’s destination for us that so many times is, “just around the corner.”  So many times we get distracted and take our “eyes off of Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2-3) and allow ourselves to miss our destination that is “just around the corner.”  So many times we get caught up in ourselves and forget that God is in control and we fail to embrace His Word that says, “for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  Isaiah 55:8. 

Matthew 4 tells of the enemy’s attempt to  distract  Jesus;   “Then  Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.  The tempter came to Him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’”  Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”   Then the devil took Him to the holy city and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple.  “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:  “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”  Jesus answered him, ‘It is also written:  Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’  Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.  “All this I will give you,” He said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”   Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”  Then the devil left Him, and angels came and attended him.

Every time the devil tried to distract Jesus, Jesus quoted scripture and did not allow Himself to be distracted.  Jesus knew that God’s plan for His life was “just around the corner” and He stood His ground against the devil’s schemes by keeping His focus on God and quoting scripture.

God has given us that same ability to keep our focus by following Jesus’ example and fixing our eyes on Him, using scripture as our weapon and  “putting on the whole armor of God, so that we can stand against the schemes of the devil.”  (Ephesians 6:11)

And so,

I encourage you today to not give up…..

what you are waiting for may be

“just around the corner”.

I encourage you today to not allow

the enemy to distract you,

but

“fix your eyes on Jesus”

and

“wear the full armor of God”

so

that you will have the endurance to get

“just around that corner”

to the place of God’s perfect will for your life.

Don’t give up…..Keep going!

Keep your focus on Jesus and read your Bible.

God may have something amazing for you…..

“just around the corner.”

Throw Me A Dinner Roll Please!

A friend and I were recently traveling from Arizona to Indiana and we stopped at Lambert's Cafe' to eat dinner.  Apparently, Lambert's does not want anyone to leave their cafe' hungry so they offer all you can eat appetizers, dinner rolls and soft drinks.  The waiters at Lambert's have an unusual way of serving their dinner rolls.  If you want a dinner roll, all you have to do is put your arm up in the air and the waiter will throw a dinner roll across the dining room to you.  If you are hungry before your meal, they serve you unlimited friend okra, fried potatoes, macaroni & tomatoes and the dinner rolls along with unlimited soft drinks.  When you leave Lambert's Cafe, your stomach is satisfied.

While we were eating our meal and continually having our pates filled up by our "Appetizer Waiter" and "The Throwing Roll Man", my friend said, "All this food reminds me of God.  Just like my plate here is always full, with God, my plate is always full."

My friend is not rich by the world's standards and she endures many struggles in life, but she understands that having a personal relationship with God is what makes her plate full.  She understands that having a full plate from God is a blessing and is a much greater reward than any reward the world would give her.

Even though it was a fun and unusual place to eat, I am so glad that I don't eat this way every day.  But I am glad that, because I am in a personal relationship with Jesus, just like my friend, Jesus fills my plate every day.  He is all I need.  Through reading His Word, I know that all His resources in life are always there for me to take hold of.  He knows my every need and is always there for me.   Philippians 4:19 says, "And my God shall meet all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  

And then, after we finished eating, we had these two boxes of leftovers.........

Having so many leftovers reminded me of II Corinthians 9:8 which says, "And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."  And, "Jesus said, 'I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.'"  God will supply all your needs and more if you will let Him.

Like me, I know that you probably don't eat this way every day either.  But, like me, I pray that you have experienced the abundance that comes from a personal relationship with Jesus and allow Him to be all you need, meet all your needs and bring you life in abundance.

As You Fill Yourself

With the Word of God,

May the Grace and Peace of God

Be Yours in Abundance

and

May Your Plate Always Be Full!

Encouraging You Today In Christ!

"I Will Always Love You"

While I was driving and listening to music the other day, the song “I Will Always Love You”, sung by Whitney Houston came on the radio.  I have always loved Whitney’s voice; she had one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard.  And because of that beautiful voice, she had everything she ever wanted…..in the physical realm anyway.  As a famous singer, she sold over 86 million albums which gave her fame and fortune.  That fame and fortune opened the door for her to become an actress, which produced even more fame and fortune for her.  In the world’s eyes, Whitney Houston had arrived…..she had it all…..all she ever needed or wanted.  

It seems that she should have been on top of the world…..she should have achieved the happiness that we all desire in life…..she should have been filled with joy and peace knowing that she had everything she could have ever wanted.  But when you read her biography, it doesn’t appear that she had that happiness, joy and peace that everyone desires.  Even though she had “arrived” by the world’s standards, she struggled.  

She struggled with cocaine, alcohol and prescription drugs.  This struggle robbed her of the happiness, joy and peace that she should have had with the life she had obtained through her fame and fortune.  This struggle ultimately robbed her of her life, as she succumbed to an early death at age 48 in 2012; a death that was fueled by her drug and alcohol abuse. Whitney Houston lost everything that she had worked so hard to obtain because she lost her focus.  Her focus turned away from her career and turned to drugs and alcohol. 

As I listened to her sing that day, I began to think about her life.  I thought about how she “had it all” but was so unhappy that she had to turn to drugs and alcohol.  She had every material possession she could ever want, but those material possessions were not enough to bring her sustaining happiness, joy and peace.  

The Bible says that our happiness, joy and peace come when we put on focus on our relationship with God.  “Happy is the man that fears (God) always).”  Proverbs 28:14. 3   “…those who trust the Lord will be joyful.”  Proverbs 16:20.“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you (God).”  Isaiah 26:3 

After thinking about Whitney Houston’s life, I had to ask myself, “Where is my focus?  Am I looking for happiness, joy and peace in the world or I am looking for it in my relationship with God through my personal relationship with Jesus?  Are material possessions my priority or is my personal relationship with Jesus my priority?” 

If you are struggling with life…with drugs…with alcohol…with looking to material possessions to find your happiness, joy and peace…..I encourage you today to turn your focus to Jesus.  Invest in your personal relationship with Him on a daily basis by reading and memorizing The Word, “casting your cares on Him because He cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7), praying and “trusting Him with all your heart.” (Proverbs 3:5)

If your focus is on Jesus and the world doesn’t look quite so appealing to you anymore, I rejoice with you!  I rejoice with you as your desire for material possessions, fame and fortune grow smaller and your relationship with Jesus grows bigger.  I rejoice with you as your happiness, joy and peace that sustains you through all situations becomes the norm instead of the “sought after”.  I rejoice with you!

As missionaries, I know that it is difficult to sacrifice those material possessions that bring comfort into our world.  I recently read the book, “The Hole In Our Gospel” by Richard Stearns, President of World Vision.  In his book he gave a very clear picture of the material possession sacrifice that missionaries go through to be in the field ministering to their brothers and sisters in Christ.  I was so encouraged and inspired by reading his story of God’s call on his life.  I so appreciated that he was willing to tell his story so that others could be encouraged through his walk with our Lord.

And so, today, I want to encourage you to “Keep going for Jesus.”  God sees your sacrifice.  He says in Hebrews 6:10-12 “God is not unjust.  He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them.  We want you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized.  We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”

Encouraging you today in your walk with Christ and praying for you.

God Bless You As You Live For Christ!