Sep 26 2019
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Want more Strength?

By Sodwana Bay

Want More Persevere(ability)? Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour—1 Peter 5:8 The ability to persevere—to remain strong and steadfast in the face of difficulties and delays and distractions—is a fundamental skill, necessary for any man choosing to devote himself to our King, Jesus Christ. He showed us how in the wilderness and against the temptations that followed (Matthew 4:1-11). Like him, we too must bear up against the pressures of the world, and not only for a while, but until the very end of our days. Though any one trial or temptation may be short lived, there’s always something out there capable of our destruction. Preparedness is paramount. You see, when we’re unprepared and trouble comes (at work, in our relationships, our finances, our health) it takes us down: into anxiety, anger, bitterness, despondency, depression, isolation. When we’re unprepared and temptations come (material, carnal, moral) they too take us down: away from God and into sin. Compounding our lack of preparedness, the enemy is always quick with interference and misinformation. “You won’t make it.” “This’ll be long and difficult . . . too long, too difficult for you.” “You’re alone, forgotten.” “You won’t have strength enough to persevere.” “You should just give-up/give-in now, and avoid the grief of waiting, just to give later.” Okay, so what do we do? Perseverance isn’t innate; it’s learned. All of us can do it if we train. So, brother, manufacture some pressure and train yourself. Push your limits, physically, mentally, spiritually: climb a tough summit; tackle a hike of many miles; fast for a period of days; turn devices off and embrace quiet and solitude and prayer for an uncomfortable period. Remember, God designed you for perseverance. So, by training, you’ll simply learn what you’re made of (plus you’ll expose the lies of the enemy). It doesn’t take much to learn a whole lot about yourself.      

Aug 27 2019
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DauA Psalm 91 Life

By Sodwana Bay

TODAY’S BIBLE VERSE He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Psalms 91:4   Issues of the day begin to crowd my mind as I sit in my chair, trying to decide what to write. Will there be an economic collapse or boom? Will upcoming congressional decisions mean change for the better or the worse? Will there be war? Will there be another terrorist attack in our country? Then on a personal level: will I be able to lose the weight I want to lose this year? Will I get my first book published? Will I move forward financially? What will it be like being a grandfather? Just one of these questions can lead us down the road of fear and anxiety if we allow it. Put them all together and we have a mountain of uncertainty. Many people are fearful and panicked because of these questions, including many Christians. They are asking, “Is there hope? Can I survive? What, if anything can I do?” Yes, there is hope in God! In the Bible, God promises, “Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent.” (Psalm 91:9-10, AMPC) God also states in Psalm 91 that He will cover you; He will give angels charge over you, no pestilence (no disease), no sudden death, nor any evil shall befall you. And the list goes on. The key to these promises is found in verse 14, “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness — trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never].” (Psalm 91:14, AMPC) As you determine with your mind to love God and set your heart to do so, you take the first turn of the key for the promises of God found in Psalm 91. Many of you have taken that first turn of the key by accepting Jesus Christ into your heart. For those who have not, there is no better time than now. The next turn of the key is equally important. It is getting to know God with personal knowledge of His mercy, love, and kindness. It is discovering who God is, and not just by reading the Bible and praying. This happens two ways. First, meditate; don’t just read the Bible, but think about what you are reading. According to Webster’s Dictionary, meditate is “to engage in contemplation or reflection; to focus one’s thoughts on; reflect on or ponder over.” In other words, take time to think about what you are reading. In our fast-paced society, we scan more than we read. Take time with the Bible; stop and ask, “What does this mean? How does this apply to my life?” Ask the Lord to help you understand and to teach you. Don’t scan it and walk away saying, “I’ve done my Bible reading for the day,” and check it off of that never-ending To-Do List. Secondly, it happens by making time for God, spending time with Him. Remember, God created man to spend time with Him. An example of this is in the Bible. “And out of the ground the Lord God formed every [wild] beast and living creature of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever Adam called every living creature, that was its name.” (Genesis 2:19, AMPC) God would create an animal, and then bring it to Adam to name. God was interested to see what name would be given. I imagine there was some discussion of the creature’s design and purpose between God and Adam. This took time. Also in Genesis, “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day … But the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you?” (Genesis 3:8-9, AMPC) This shows God coming to spend time with Adam and Eve. This was not unusual for Adam and Eve. They even knew the sound of God walking and would go out to meet and spend time with God. This is what God wants, for us to know Him. This is why Jesus came to earth so that a way would open for man to be able to spend time with God and know him again. Set aside time every day to get to know Father God better. Sit and listen for His voice. Get to know His presence. Have personal knowledge and relationship with God. This will unlock all the promises in Psalm 91 and much more will become yours. It will not matter what happens, good or bad, for you will be hidden in God’s presence and protection. Copyright © 2012 Richard Spangler, used by permission.

Aug 26 2019
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Why I Know We’ll Be Happy in Heaven

By Sodwana Bay

Our Heavenly Father enjoys blessing His children. This is evident on earth and will be more so in Heaven. Much to my mother’s chagrin, I loved blue jeans and climbing trees. I’d shimmy up the trunk of a tall pine the neighborhood boy couldn’t reach without standing on his bicycle. My trees were forts, castles in the clouds, and hothouses for daydreaming. My arms and legs no longer scale trees or swing from branches. But I still feel the magic when I peek through leafy limbs. Our kitchen sits over our garage. The crepe myrtle growing beside our garage spreads its lovely branches in front of a bank of casement windows. When I look out from my kitchen table, my heart smiles. I’m living in a heated and air-conditioned treehouse. I wasn’t thinking about how much I enjoyed the view from trees when we picked out our house plan or when we planted the crepe myrtle. But God remembered. Our round kitchen table, which doubles as my workstation, reminds me of happy times around my grandmother’s kitchen table. Max, my brilliant standard poodle, ties me to Pepper, another lost treasure from my childhood. Jesus said, “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” John 14:2-3 (NLT) When I recognized how God had restored these long-lost pleasures in my earthly dwelling, I got excited. How much more will my heavenly home be filled with special touches that show God’s intimate knowledge of me? What deeper joys await us in heaven? Not only does this help us face our own death, but it also softens the grief we feel when we lose a loved one. When our daughter graduated from university, she wanted to live in French-speaking Switzerland. Mixed emotions swirled inside of me when she secured a job there. I rejoiced with her that her dream was coming true. But tears seeped out of my eyes when, after our final hugs, she turned to go through airport security. I wasn’t sure when I’d see her again. When we lose a loved one, we grieve. We know how much we’ll miss them. But when we remember they will be living the biggest dream of their lives, we can also rejoice for them. Heaven will be better than all of our childhood daydreams combined. The landscape will beat any treetop view. And the air will be honeysuckle sweet. “… No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT) In what ways has God granted you the desires of your heart? How does that boost your hope for heaven? Copyright © May 2018 Debbie W. Wilson, used by permission.

Aug 01 2019
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How do I know?

By Sodwana Bay

How the Heck Do We Know? . . . show me a sign that it is you who speak with me—Judges 6:17 “That was God . . .” “I felt God nudging me . . .” “I got the sense that God wants me to . . .” We hear words like these. Sometimes we say them ourselves. But, how do we know it’s God? Well, rarely can we ever know conclusively; there’s mystery with God. There are times when we intuitively just know, down deep somewhere. And, often, this “just knowing” is enough. Other times, though, things are less clear and we must ask: Was that you, God? Or was that just me? In those situations, we need to be able to recognize his voice—to identify it. Fortunately, his voice is unique—whether it comes through his still, small voice or through the words of others. It’s something we can come to recognize. So, what we need to learn is to identify the unique characteristics. We do that by reading Scripture. Fortunately, not all methods of hearing God are equal. Scripture, the method by which we hear his voice indirectly through the Biblical authors, sits above all others in importance and authority. As such, we have something against which we can run tests. On a practical level, therefore, when we try to hear God by any other method, we simply need ask ourselves whether what we think we’ve heard fits within the principles set forth in Scripture. Indeed, that’s exactly what we are listening for when we listen for his voice—thoughts and words that fit within the principles of the Bible—not thoughts, nor words, by contrast, that contradict or add to Scripture. Okay, so what do we do? Are you spending enough time reading Scripture, brother? Do you have a reading plan? If not, get one going, today. Do it with friends. For if you come to know him in Scripture, you’ll begin to identify God’s voice in other places too.  

Jul 22 2019
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Verse of the Day: 1 Peter 5:5

By Sodwana Bay

Be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” — 1 Peter 5:5 Thoughts on Today’s Verse…. The word “submissive” is often positive or negative based on its relationship to us personally. It’s nice having someone serve us submissively, but serving someone else submissively is hard work. Unfortunately, we are selfish way too much of the time. But God is at work in direct opposition to anyone who is full of pride and unwilling to serve others, especially if those “others” are older believers! Whether it’s easy to wear the clothes our Father demands or not, we are to intentionally clothe ourselves with humility! My Prayer… Father, thank you so much for the great heroes of faith listed in Scripture. Thank you for those other heroes of faith who have shared their examples and lives with me. Bless them with strength and health. And Father, please use me to bless and to serve all of your children, especially those who have lived many years in faithful service to you and your Kingdom. Because of the grace of Jesus, and in his name I pray. Amen.

Jul 04 2019
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Verse of the Day – Galatians 5:13

By Sodwana Bay

It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then? Galatians 5:13 MSG