Tag: #devotions

Battling a Legion Like A Headwind

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
Ever work
hard all day until you’re exhausted? Maybe you’ve been in charge of a
particular ministry/event at your church and you’ve been pouring out everything
you’ve got all weekend long. You’re flat out drained. 
I’ve been
there, too. 
So has
Jesus. 
Yes, Jesus
knew exhaustion. He was fully God but also fully human. All that walking caused
his legs to ache, maybe he even suffered from a Charlie Horse. His dirty feet
throbbed. And His human body needed rest.  
After
touching multitudes (thousands), healing, speaking, hugging, drying tears He
told His disciples they were going to the other side of the lake. I imagine him
climbing into the boat, barely able to hold his dark eyes open as He stumbled
down below and collapsed, head against the wall, it felt so good to sit…to
rest. And in an instant, His mouth may have dropped open as He breathed
in…out…in…out. Sweet rest. 
But
then…
“A
terrific storm came up suddenly on the lake. Water poured in, and they were
about to capsize. They woke Jesus: “Master, Master, we’re going to
drown!”” Luke 8:23-24 MSG
Jesus
could have shooed them away with words like, “I’m too tired. We’ll be
fine. Let me have five more minutes.”
But He
didn’t. Instead…
“Getting
to his feet, he told the wind, “Silence!” and the waves, “Quiet down!” They did
it. The lake became smooth as glass.” Luke 8:24 MSG
Imagine a
storm so great suddenly taking place. Why? Out of the blue? 
Because
they were going to the other side. On the other side of the lake was a legion
of demons inside a man. A legion of demons who wanted to keep control of the
man, and the territory they’d claimed at theirs. 
Is
it possible the headwinds, and storm came from the “other side” from
the enemy? I believe it is. Jesus shut it down. Immediately. 
And
on water as smooth as glass, they crossed over. 
Here’s
where it gets completely cool. Okay, rebuking a storm and it obeying is cool,
too, but check this out.
“And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a
certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no
clothes,[b] nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  When
he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said,
“What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not
torment me!” For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the
man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with
chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into
the wilderness.” Luke 8:27-29 NKJV
The
word for torment in the Greek
is bazanizo. It means,
“to question by applying torture” “to be harassed,
distressed” but it also means, “of those who at sea are struggling
with a head wind.” 
Here
comes the Son of the Most High God. The demons immediately know and recognize
Jesus, and they fear! They know their time is short and they aren’t ready to
go. But they’ve been inside this man for so long…binding him in chains,
forcing him to live in dark, empty, dead places (the tombs), they’ve kept him
naked (filled with shame) and have driven him mad, completely out of his
mind. 
And
they wanted to continue. 
Thus
the wild storm on the sea. A headwind according to the dictionary (dot)com is
“a wind opposed to the course of a moving object, especially an aircraft
or other vehicle.” “A wind blowing directly against the course of
moving object, especially an aircraft or ship.” 
Jesus
was on the move. Heading in the direction of a man who needed to be put into
his right mind, released from dead, empty places, given his dignity back, and
freed from his own torment. The enemy tried to blow against/oppose that moving
course.
But
Jesus shut that down. “Silence! Quiet down!”
And instead of being blown back, Jesus Himself became
the HEAD WIND! “I beg you, do not torment me!” Do not
change my course! Do not oppose me! Do not vex and distress me!”
Unlike
the enemy, Jesus did not fail. The legion of demons had no choice but to obey.
 When the people came out to see what had happened, they found the man
sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind. He wanted to go with
Jesus, but He told him to stay, to go home. Imagine how many people came to
believe in Christ because they saw this man who had been a wild animal,
drastically changed. 
Maybe
you feel like you’re being blown away or opposed by a raging headwind. Know
this: Jesus can’t be stopped. Nothing detours Him from getting to you. He can
heal every part of you and give you back your dignity. 
He’s
the only unstoppable headwind. 

I Wonder If He is Using the Same Wind…

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Welcome back, everyone! Today we are wrapping up our
Princess Bride series. I hope it’s been as much fun for you as it has for me. Who
knows, maybe I’ll come back in January for three extra bonus devotionals! We’ll
see.

Today’s clip could go in any number of ways, as they are
heading toward the Cliffs of Insanity! Ever felt like you’re destination stop
is careening into the same place? I know I have.
Let’s watch the clip first! 

A pretty short clip. But packed with a lot of good stuff.
One of my favorite lines (out of so many favorite lines) is Inigo’s right here.
“Wonder if he’s using the same wind we are using.”
Vizzini says, “Whoever is he is he’s too late.”
Out of nowhere, this man (Westley) begins tracking them
down. Why? He’s after his true love and no one, NO ONE, is going to stop him
from getting to her. He has every intention of saving her from death, from the
clutches of the enemy.
“This is how much God
loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so
that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and
lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point
an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put
the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who
refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without
knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the
one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.” John 3:16 MSG
That’s some serious love. That’s some serious rescuing. But
look at how much time passed from Genesis Chapter 3, when sin entered the world
and the curse came into place until Christ came and died.
It was a looooooooooooooooooong stretch of time.
In this clip, Inigo wonders if they are using the same wind.
As time seems to be running out for them, but the ship behind (Westley!) is
gaining.
Waiting is hard.
Wherever your destination is, whatever you’re working toward…time
is involved.
But God is never late. He can use the same wind to move
fast, while slowing you down at the same time. That’s God!
Time is never fleeting in God’s kingdom. Time is always
moving toward something. “Then the time came to pass.” “It came time for…”

“Use
all your skill to put me together; I wait to see your finished product.” Psalm 25:21 MSG

God is
not bound by time. But He uses it.
We live in a “now” culture. Fast food. Self-check out so we
don’t have to stand in line. We text and expect immediate responses and when we
don’t get them, we wonder if we’ve lost a friend!  We can Google anything and have information at
our fingertips in a flash.  There’s an
app for everything.
Except for God.
God is not an app. He moves at a pace He feels best for what
is going on in our lives. It can be frustrating, disappointing, and
aggravating.
Or it can be joyful, peaceful, hopeful.
My choice. Your choice. We can learn. Mature. Grow. Lean.
Trust. Acknowledge. Pray. Study. Hope.
And when time comes to pass. When His timing is perfected.
It won’t be late. It’ll be the sweetest. We’ll have no regrets.
The answer yes. He is using the same wind we are using. He
controls it. Because He’s sovereign.
And the answer is no. He’s never, ever too late.
You may feel like you’re lost to the Cliffs of Insanity, but
I assure you, you are not.
Thank you for joining me for this SIX WEEK series! If you’ve
missed any, you can catch up!
Is This a Kissing Book?
Never a Need to Doubt
The Fire Swamp
Never Go Against a Sicilian
Hello, My Name is Inigo Montoya

What
do you do when you’re anxious over waiting?


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Hello, My Name is Inigo Montoya…

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 
 Well, we’re getting close to the end, aren’t we? Thank you
so much for sticking with the series. I could go on forever with this! But I
won’t.
 
If you want to catch up, you can do it:
 
 
Is This a Kissing Book?
Never a Need to Doubt
The Fire Swamp
Never Go Against a Sicilian!
 
Now, let’s watch the clip first. DISCLAIMER:
There is a unsavory word involved here. 
 

A little back story, Inigo Montoya lost his
father to the six-fingered man. Murdered. Brutally. The rest of his life he’s
sworn revenge on this man who he believes destroyed his life. He’s a master fencer. And of course, because
he wants revenge, Vizinni has promised him what he wants most…IF he’ll do something
for him: help kidnap and kill the princess.
 
Things don’t go as planned, though. That’s life,
huh? And after Vizinni dies, Inigo is found at “the beginning” sitting in front
of his house, drunk, and carrying on because things just haven’t turned out his
way. The six-fingered man is lost to him. He has no reason to live.
 
But he remembers someone who was stronger, smarter, and more skilled than him. A man of honor. Westley. He knows he can’t go on without his help. Oh, sure, he thinks he’s going to help him with revenge. But Westley, who destroyed the man manipulating
Inigo, has something else in mind for him. He sees potential in Inigo.  (He’s going to make him ruler over a ship–okay it’s piracy but just go with the analogy here.)
 
Now, in this clip we see him getting his revenge
and he does indeed succeed (that rhymed, anybody wanna a peanut!) But it came
with a terrible fight. And he could have been killed, he was certainly injured.
 
“Do not
avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is
written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.”  Romans 12:19 NET
 
I understand hurt. I understand pain. I
understand unfairness. I’m in no way saying those who have been victimized
shouldn’t feel angry or want justice. But I am saying that we have to give that
anger and that hope for justice in our case to God. Or we’ll grow bitter, like
Inigo.
 
Nothing escapes God’s eye. Even when it looks like
someone is going to get away with their crime on earth, they won’t get away
with it after this temporary life. That is guaranteed.
I’m saying that we waste our time on revenge.
Inigo had no wife, children or really many friends. The giant. And of course in
the end, Westley. But not Vizzini. He was using him for his own purposes.
 
The same way our enemy tries to use us. He takes
our pain and twists us into confusion, distracts us from truth, and fuels our
bitterness with his own false truth. LIES. He’s a liar.
But God sees in us something we may not. He sees
in us things others may not. We are not used up. We are not worthless. We
matter to God. We are valuable.
 
Oh we may be broken. But God is a FIXER. A
MENDER. And He wants to heal us. So we can become the person He already knows
us to be.
 
He is our Defender. Even when it feels like He’s
dropped the ball. He hasn’t. Westley himself says to Buttercup, “Life is pain,
Highness. Anyone who says differently, is selling something.”
 
Jesus said, “I have told you these things so
that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but
take courage—I have conquered the world.” John 16:33 NET
We have trouble. People have freewill and with
that comes their choices to hurt. To abuse. 
To murder. To steal.
 
But we also have the freedom to choose
differently. To choose hope. Life abundant. To get better. To be healed. To move
past the pain. To move into a purpose and destiny that will glorify God and
help others who may have been hurt in the same way.
 
 “There’s more to come: We
continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because
we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that
patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever
God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling
shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold
everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!” Romans
5:3 MSG
 
Oh what we miss out on, when we focus on the
pain and revenge. When we carry grudges and unforgiveness.
 
I don’t know about you, but I want God’s best. I
don’t want to miss out on all the good. I already know there’s a lot of bad.

Join me next Monday for I Wonder If He is Using the Same Wind

What are you focusing on?

 

photocredit/wikipedia

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Through the FIRE Swamp!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
Hey everyone! We’re halfway through our Princess Bride series! I hope you’re enjoying yourself. If you
haven’t read the first two, you can catch them by clicking on the titles below:
Is This aKissing Book?
Never aNeed to Doubt
Now, we’re ready. Let’s watch the clip first! 

Ah the Fire Swamp! A frightening place to be, but a place
they must go through. Ever feel like you’ve been navigating through a Fire
Swamp? I know I have. One thing after another. Unexpected calamity. A huge
medical bill. A devastation in the family. You can insert your Fire Swamp Fears
______ here.
Buttercup feels overwhelmed. Things look dim. And then after
all that, she falls into lightning sand. Ever felt like you’re drowning in
quicksand?
Thankfully, we never have to drown. Like Buttercup, we have
a rescuer.
I love that old hymn, “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less.”
Than what? Jesus’ blood and righteousness. When darkness
veils His lovely face, I rest in His unchanging grace…

On
Christ the solid rock I stand…all other ground is…
Sinking sand.
Just when she thought she was in sinking sand, she was
rescued. And just when she caught her breath, another kind of evil came at her.
R.O.U. S. Ever feel like you have unusual-sized problems?
Giants? Yeah. Me too. But Westley gives her hope and comfort.
Buttercup says, “We’ll never succeed. We may as well die
here.”  Ever felt like throwing in the
towel and giving up?
Don’t!

“So we
must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we
don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9 HCSB
Westley comforts her and gives her some confidence to face
the next battle. “No. No. We have already succeeded…” They know what to look for. And he leads her on.

“No,
despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who
loved us.” Romans 8:37 NLT
Then he takes what the enemy meant for evil, the flame spurt
i.e. fiery darts, and uses it against him. He works everything out for good for
Buttercup.
And God will do the same for you!

“And we
know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love
God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 NLT

If you
had to go up against one of the three, which would you choose and why? Flame
spurts, lightning sand, or R.O.U.S.? 


Next Monday, join me for Never Go Against a Sicilian. 

photocredit/wikipedia

Never a Need to Doubt!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Welcome everyone to our second part in The Princess Bride
series. If you missed week 1, you can check it out HERE.


Here is the moment of truth. Buttercup has believed Westley
wasn’t who he said he was. But as he fell, she heard those familiar words
spoken to her.
As you wish…
And down the hill she follows her true love who she thought
was dead.
First off, let’s watch the clip! 

 I love this small clip of conversation. He’s alive and she
can do more than move! She can fly.

“He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote;
he’s near. We live and move in him, can’t get away from him!” Acts
17:28 MSG
Westley had been there the whole time rescuing Buttercup,
but she refused to see him. I bet if she’d really looked, she’d have recognized
his eyes. Now, I admit, Westley was playing a bit of hide and seek but all for
the purpose of testing his beloved. “Did you miss me? Did you think about me?
Have you fallen out of love with me?”
God often tests our hearts as well.

“the refining pot is for silver and the
furnace for gold, But the Lord tests the hearts.” Proverbs 17:3 NKJV
“I told you I would always come for you…Death cannot stop
true love, all it can do it is delay it awhile.”
Ever felt like God was far off? Uncaring? Unloving? You’ve
wondered where he’s gone? Especially when you’re living in the pits, with
heartache. Or in an out of control situation? Buttercup was grieved because she
thought her love had died. She was now being forced into a marriage and there
was no way out. Buttercup had lost all hope. In fact, she was contemplating
suicide and even attempted it (until once again Westley saved her)
He was there when she needed it. It was never too late.
Might have felt like it to her, but it wasn’t!
God has not abandoned you. He is not dead! He’s near.
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8 NKJV
Buttercup realizes just how near and real Westley is, and
she says, “I will never doubt again.”
To which he responds, “There will never be a need.”
Friends, you have no need to doubt your First Love. He’s
mighty to save. Mighty to rescue. He’s close. So very close. Feel His presence,
His embrace to your heart.
And know. You need never doubt again.

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***Join me next Monday as we venture into the FIRE SWAMP!

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Why do you think it’s so easy to doubt? 

photocredit:Wikipedia

Is This A Kissing Book?

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

 Welcome friends! Today is the launch of the new 6-week
series using The Princess Bride to
teach us some life applications and biblical principles.

If you haven’t seen this movie (and why haven’t you?), you
should. But it won’t affect anything other than you’ll see clips to a movie
that you should have already watched.

Without further ado, let’s watch the clip first, shall we?
Is this a kissing book? I think we go into reading the Bible
with a lot of misconceptions. I’ve talked about this before. (But I don’t like
the Bible!) You can read it HERE. But the Bible is very much like The Princess
Bride.
Next clip!

The Bible is all about a great adventure. It’s about One who
loves so much, He fights, saves, redeems and would even (and does!) sacrifice His
own life for the ones He loves. It’s a special book. One that helps the sick become well. It takes our minds off our suffering and onto Jesus. We pass it down from generation to generation. It’s ripe with battles, fencing, fighting, torture, giants,
monsters, escapes, miracles…all for true love.


Doesn’t sound too bad, huh? 

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his
one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by
believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.” John 3:16 MSG


I think it’s important to have this in mind when cracking
open the Word of God. Every page. Every chapter is about Jesus and the GREAT
PLAN to keep us from the enemy’s clutches. Like Prince Humperdinck, the enemy
doesn’t actually care about us or love us. He’s a deceiver. A schemer. And his
plan is to kill us, given a chance.

BUT…

That’s not God’s plan. God’s plan is that we live. And
abundantly.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have
come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” John 10:10 NET
The Bible doesn’t have to be dry toast. It’s all about
attitude and perspective when you read it. I think we’ll discover that a
kissing book isn’t too bad after all.

Next Monday join me for Never
a Need to Doubt!  

What’s your favorite biblical story? Why?

photo credit: wikipedia

Sneak Peek Upcoming Series!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Hey friends! I’ve missed you, and I’ll be back October 6th with a brand new 6-week series. 

I can’t wait to share some biblical life applications using one of my favorite movies of all times! 

The Princess Bride! Here’s a sneak peek at some things we’ll be covering. Classic scenes. Don’t miss out on the Monday morning series. It’s guaranteed to be fun and to bring some hope into your life’s circumstances. 

Our God is great!

See you next Monday. 

Have you watched The Princess Bride? What’s your favorite scene!

#1 Way to Sleep Peacefully

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
“In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul.” Psalm 94:19
I quote this verse often. To myself. To others. It’s a deep,
ministering scripture, and a reminder where to focus during hard times.
But I’ve never dug any further into the passage. Until last
week.
“Anxieties” translates into disquieting thoughts. Ever had
any of those? The kind that keeps you tossing and turning throughout the night.
Preoccupied during the day. They grow like mountain before your very eyes.
Me too.
Let’s look at “comforts” in the Hebrew. It comes from the
root word “nacham” which means to console, to have compassion on.

“Through the Lord’s
mercies we are not consumed,
because 
His compassions fail not.”
Lamentations 3:22
In other words: In the middle of all my mountainous
disquieting thoughts, causing me great anxiety, I know that your compassions
that fail not will console me. Because you, O LORD, are merciful. They are new
every morning.
What is this consoling, this compassion like? What does it
do? It delights the soul. I think of delight and words such as joy, happiness,
smiles, sunshine, strength, dancing…they come to mind. What comes to your mind?
It’s interesting however, what that word “delight” actually means in the Hebrew.
It’s the word “sha’a’” and get this! It means, “to be
smeared over, to be blinded, to smear eyes shut, overspread.”
When all the disquieting thoughts swell like Everest, we
should slip into His Word, into His Presence and let Him smear our eyes shut,
through His tender compassion. Let Him overspread us. As moms to young babies.
Gingerly, coating them with creamy, soothing, sweet-smelling baby lotion
creating a calming effect. We generally do it before bedtime to ease them into
a sweet and peaceful rest.
Disquieting thoughts do not give us rest. We need Jesus to
smear us with His love. His mercy, and His compassion.
It’s an experience.
He says in Revelation 3:18, “…anoint your eyes with eye salve,
that you may see.”
We need Him to smear our eyes shut so the mountain, our
circumstances, our crisis fades away. Until we’re blinded.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
2 Corinthians 5:7
Love the Message version:
If God hadn’t been there for me,

    I never would have made it.
The minute I said, “I’m slipping, I’m falling,”
    your love, God, took hold and held me fast.
When I was upset and beside myself,
    you calmed me down and cheered me up.

Maybe you’re beside yourself right now. Move over, let Jesus
get beside you and smear you over with love and compassion that fails not.
You’ll be blinded, yet see more clearly than ever before!

Can you
think of a time God consoled you and helped you get through a difficult time?
What scripture verses or songs (or both) helped soothe you?


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Show me the…

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 “I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, “Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I’ll handle the works department.”
Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.” James 2:18 MSG
Were you thinking “money?” Show me the money. Nope. Faith and Works, my friend.
 It’s Sunday morning, the super moon is still bright and beautiful and clear as the sun rises. I’m sitting on my patio studying and admiring God’s handiwork. Thinking on the above verse.
I believe we are saved by grace through our faith. It’s a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8)
And I believe our faith will produce fruit i.e. good works. 
Jesus Himself said every good tree bears fruit. (Matthew 7:18)
James also tells us to be not just hearers of the word. But doers. To humbly receive the implanted word. I love the word implanted. It’s there, deep. Love for God, love for His precious word develops us to grow in maturity and in love. Out of that love, we will want to serve. To follow Christ. In other words: Good works, that God has prepared for each one of us beforehand will become reality. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to perform those good works. 
It’s a labor of love. One that is not done in vain. For God’s purposes and His word never return void, but accomplish all of His intended purposes.
Works motivated by our faith can best be described with the passion of Song of Songs/Solomon.
First, we see the lovely Shulamite woman knows to whom she belongs. She knows that He desires her. Longs for her.–her love, her company, her embrace.
“I am my beloved’s, And his desire is toward me.” Song of Solomon 7:10 
Out of her great love for Him, and even more so, His great love for her she also desires to be with Him. To go where He goes, to do what He does. She’s a doer. Of the Word. (For the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God John 1:1, 14)
“Come, my beloved,

Let us go forth to the field;
Let us lodge in the villages.

12 

Let us get up early to the vineyards;
Let us see if the vine has budded,
Whether the grape blossoms are open,
And the pomegranates are in bloom.
There I will give you my love.

13 

The mandrakes give off a fragrance,
And at our gates are pleasant fruits,
All manner, new and old,
Which I have laid up for you, my beloved.”

He calls. She answers.
They go to the field. “Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are alreadywhite for harvest!” John 4:35
They lodge in the in the villages. They aren’t staying inside with walls of their church. They’re getting their hands dirty–outside. In the villages. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…” Matthew 28:19
They don’t waste time. They’re up early. It’s a priority. People matter. Unsaved souls matter. New Christians with no spiritual training matter.

They’re looking for that fruit! Together they are growing a beautiful orchard. They are caring for their newly planted vineyards, seeing that buds are blooming and growing. Good fruit. Are they blossoming? 
“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me—and I in him—bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing. John 15:5
It’s in doing. It’s in the good works. It’s in fulfilling God’s purpose and obeying His commands we show Him our love. “The person who has my commandments and obeys them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him.”John 14:21
The glorious result gives off a beautiful fragrance, it grows with every person that comes to Christ and grows in His grace. “In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life…” 2 Corinthians 2:14 MSG
It is not exclusive to any ethnic group, socio-economic background, or age. It is for “all manner.” It is our response out of love for our Beloved. “But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.” Romans 3:22-24 MSG (emphasis mine)
Beloved, don’t just be hearers of the Word. Be doers. Let your love for Christ and His love for you fan a flame that burdens you to action. Let faith motivate you to fulfill all that God has for you. His desire is toward you, lovely one. 

***You still have a chance to enter Donna Pyle’s prize package to celebrate the launch of her newest Bible study, Quenched. Click HERE to enter! 

*** I’d love for you to sign up for my newsletter, The Patched In. Click on the “sign up” at the top right corner of the page. It will only take a few seconds! I won’t spam you or give your email address to anyone. 

Can You Be Brave?

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Life gets stressful, doesn’t it? For all of us. Social Media has put us in an age where we can create perfect lives with perfect homes and families. No worries. No disappointments. Life is as great as they want you to think it is. 

But it’s not. 

Because we all have moments of crisis. We all have issues. Even the giants we put in glass houses. We all have moments of doubt and fear. 

Last week I had a meltdown. A lot of things piled up on me and it seemed to all hit at one time. I’m not out of the woods or issues yet, but I’m feeling better today. More courageous. I have friends who are praying for me continuously and I steeped in a few verses that spoke into my emotional world at that moment. I read them over and over. I read them aloud. 

And I LET them minister to me. 

I hope they minister to you. I know sometimes scriptures can feel like someone offering a platitude. I get that. Sometimes, just sitting with a friend and sharing a cup of tea or coffee and crying or not, or talking or not, is the ticket. 

Sometimes a friend speaking a scripture to me doesn’t feel as good as just reading one on my own. (Not that that was the case last week. It was a friend’s scripture that spoke and then led me to some others.) But sometimes…sometimes.

”But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from
ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but
not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not
destroyed;…” 2 Corinthians 4: 7-9
“…but those who hope in the LORD will renew
their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow
weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or
sword?” Romans 8:35
“Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and
courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.” Psalm 27:14
“My enemies, do not gloat over me! Though I have
fallen, I will get up. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.”  Micah
7:8

 Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. When it’s all said and done, I’ll stand. Oh yes I will.  For you, O Lord, make me brave. 

What about you?