Who Do You Think You Are?

“Who Do You Think You Are?” Watching the program and seeing famous people find out their roots, past skeletons and good news, makes me all the more interested in my own ancestors. Some branches of my family are easily found and bring much good news. Other branches not so much. From the Indian great grandparent who walked the Trail of Tears to Daniel Boone who married into the family, there is much available. But my father’s family tree is amazingly elusive. Beyond my great grandfather I can find very little. It makes me wonder and want to know so much more.

I especially get excited when there is mention of a family Bible or a preacher in the tree. At least I know someone who had a walk of faith.  Just like the title of the show asks, we all want to know something about those who have gone before us. For my husband, he was especially blessed with great grandparents and five generations of living relatives. I’m not so fortunate as my grandparents were gone before I was born.

For the believer, genealogy is incredibly important as well.  We are very fortunate people for our godly spiritual genealogy is written in the Bible. Scripture plainly states the blood line of Jesus’s mother and tells as well the spiritual genealogy of the One Who was born to die for us. Pretty exciting stuff to read the names in that family tree. To start with Adam and Eve, the fleshly line, who for the momentary decision to disobey eternally changed the world. Then to see the spiritual lineage of the Son of Godand read what it means to be In Christ…this line of Christ has spiritually given redemption and eternal life for all mankind. When a person is born again, they are automatically adopted into the line of Christ.

The enemy of our soul will taunt us, “Who do you think you are?” He wants us to live under the assumption that all of our genealogy is flawed, simply of the flesh, damned and unforgiven. He wants us to believe that we are destined to remain in a long line of unredeemed people. He also wants us to think that we’re so flawed that we are weak, unable, have no virtue and worthless.  If Adam and Eve were our only ancestors this would be oh so very true.  Satan knows our name but calls us by our mistakes, our failures, our sin.

The lover of our soul will encourage us, “Listen to who you are!”  “Open My book of genealogy and find the incredible story of you.”  God will show you, if you let Him, that you were born to die, but destined to live. That you were born with an incurable disease but because of His incredible decision you have been healed of sin’s sickness unto death. He will go on to lead you through the hall of fame as you learn to live by faith, following your spiritual ancestors in Hebrews 11.  The Lord knows your sin but calls you by name – you are His.

Oh beloved, have you been dwelling on the wrong family tree? Even the best of trees are slated to be cut down and cast into the furnace. But God, your spiritual Father, your heavenly Redeemer has purchased you as His own and has given you life everlasting! Not only that, He’s given you a reason to be forgiven, a reason to forgive all who have done wrong to you and a reason to live in blessings of who you are In Christ. In Christ changes everything. In Christ moves your ancestral curse to a blessing.  In Christ gives you new life, faith and wisdom, power and love.

God loves you and He’s for you and that’s worth being adopted into the Royal Family and letting Christ live through you all the way to heaven.

I Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

1 Peter 1:23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.

John 3:3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

Galatians 3:26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ

2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

God Will Mend it and Give You a Ministry for Him

She called our office looking for help. The garbage men had delivered her monthly supply of  trash bags, which are in a large roll.  The only problem was that they threw it into her yard and broke off a shrub at its base! Would it grow again? Was it ruined? What would happen? Should she pull it up and discard it? Replace it?

I forwarded her call to one of our agents. With knowledge of horticulture she was able to answer the woman’s questions and give her hope.  If we had no agents with knowledge none of us would be able to help.  I could have forwarded her call to the agent who knows about cooking and canning, but that would not have helped.

Unless there is knowledge to impart, there’s no need to speak with someone else. If we only speak with folks who know nothing more than we do, we’ll all be in the same boat. If we think we know so much that we don’t need to ask anyone else, we’ll be up a creek without a paddle. 

The agent in my office could have said no to the call. “Tell her I’m busy trying to learn more, read more, seek more. I don’t have time to help.” 

But taking the chance and answering the call not only helps the caller, it helps the receiver of the call. If we take the chance and let God use us to impart knowledge we will also learn in the process. We will grow in faith, fellowship and love.

People have lots of issues. Some of them are far more serious than a broken branch on a small shrub. But they’re looking for answers.  They need help. They need relief. They want to be able to look beyond their brokenness.  They want to recover and thrive again. They want to produce new fruit, flower in faith and shine the glory of their Maker.

For every believer, we are gifted with a spiritual education to receive. This education goes on throughout our lives. We don’t get our “diploma” until we arrive in heaven, but we should be learning truth to live out in our own lives. And as we learn we should be asking God to use us to impart His Truth into the lives of others. We’re not learning for ourselves – that would be self-centered. Rather we are learning to share – and that’s God-centered.

Oh beloved, God knows the brokenness you’ve experienced. He knows the things that have been thrown at you.  They may have been intentional or unintentional but they hurt all the same. Whether from a stranger or a loved one, the pain is agonizing. There is no hope for recovery, redemption or regeneration on your own. Until you stretch out your life to the One Who has Rivers of living water.  If you will let God heal your hurts and grow you in your faith He will then use you to help others.  God will indeed use your former brokenness to impart to others His redemption, His reparation, His restoration.

Run to the Lord this morning and give Him your brokenness – everything – your hurts, your disappointments, your fears, your anger, your unforgiveness, your discouragement…And watch as He not only repairs your life, He will make it all new! Why would He do this? Because He loves you and He’s for you and that’s all that really matters.

Revelation 21:5 And He Who is seated on the throne said, See! I make all things new. Also He said, Record this, for these sayings are faithful (accurate, incorruptible, and trustworthy) and true (genuine). AMP

Psalm 103:1-2 Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things He does for me.

Psalm 23:3 He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake. AMP

Psalm 96:2 Sing to the Lord; praise His name. Each day proclaim the good news that He saves.

1 Corinthians 9:23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.

Good News in Spite of the Headlines

My brother visited us again over the week-end. We had a wonderful visit! We laughed and reminisced and watched old and new movies. We ate and fellowshipped and napped! I even watched a basketball game with him!

One thing my brother enjoys is watching news. He has his favorite channel and we watched that some. It didn’t take long to realize that most of the news is pretty negative about the future of our country and its economy. No one has real answers for what plagues us. For a country that espouses government of the people, by the people and for the people we are surely far from that these days.

There is much going on that brings chills to my heart and I’m sure many of you feel the same way. More and more rules are being written and less and less freedoms are being protected.  The news paints a bleak picture, even among the more conservative groups.  Each group says they have the answer and yet none of it sounds like a good prospect for the average citizen. More taxes, more laws, and less liberty. That scenario equals something I don’t even want to think of.  I found that by only watching a couple of hours of news that I was becoming more discouraged, worried, frustrated and insecure.

What is our hope for change?  Where can we go? Who has the answer? Who do we look to for help?

There is hope! There is help! There is an answer! While we can’t fix all the woes of the world in a day, we can begin with ourselves. In God’s Word is everything we need! We must go back to His Word and live by His precepts! We must return to the God of our childhood! We must fall on our faces before the Only One who can do anything!

Oh beloved, today is the day to call upon the Name of the Lord! You woke up this morning so that’s proof that God has a plan for your life! He is all you will ever need for living on this planet and for living in the light! Run to His Word quickly while there is still time and take it all in – find your reason for living, your way to live, your hope for redemption, your strength in the hardships, your manna in the wilderness, your shelter in the storm, your deliverance from captivity, your water from the rock, your light in the darkness, your help when you feel completely helpless and more! 

Trust Him today and give Him your whole heart, for His Name is Faithful and True. He loves you and He’s for you and that’s the very best news!

Job 42:2 I know that You can do all things, and that no thought or purpose of Yours can be restrained or thwarted.

Revelation 19:11 After that I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse [appeared]! The One Who was riding it is called Faithful (Trustworthy, Loyal, Incorruptible, Steady) and True, and He passes judgment and wages war in righteousness (holiness, justice, and uprightness). Amplified

Hebrews 12:28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping Him with holy fear and awe.

Deuteronomy 4:7 For what great nation has a god as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on Him?

Psalm 91:2 This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him

Hard Places? Trust Him!

As I woke up from election night I looked at Danny’s minister’s license and ordination papers in their frames on the wall.  I recall many years of seeking God and following His plan. Along the way there were always people trying to tell Danny what to do and how to do it. But Danny always listened to God. And when God led him to be ordained it was right.

Those papers belong to Danny and they are a symbol of his walk with God.  They are also a symbol of God’s work in Danny’s life.  He is ordained to preach the Gospel.  Nowhere in those papers will you see that Danny is ordained to call elections, participate in campaigns, or sell motorcycles. His role is preacher, teacher, leader of the Gospel. Nothing else, nothing less, nothing more.

This election has some of us reeling.  The signs of the times are plainly written on the walls of history and are being written anew in our futures. Neither Danny nor I crusaded for either candidate, even though we had our druthers.  But that’s not our focus, that’s not our platform.

The Gospel is our only Hope. The Gospel is our only pledge. Though the walls of my home will eventually crumble, and those papers may be lost, the call to preach the Gospel will be there always. I pray this morning as you begin to pick up the pieces of whatever you are going through, that you always remember that Christ is in you and that He is your hope of glory. Share Christ, share love, share Truth. For we are His speakers to a lost and dying world.  We are His standard to a nation and a world that wants to bury the Truth of the Gospel.

Oh beloved, Run to His Word this morning and find His Truth and live it! Learn it well for you will never walk in the light of His Word unless you take it in! Study to be sanctioned of God. Let His Word be your certificate on the wall of your heart so that no matter what comes you will be able to stand - In Christ alone. His love for you will carry you through the good times and the bad, the pleasant places and the hard spots, the joys and the sorrows.  As long as you live in the light of His Word you will be safe regardless of your circumstances or whoever is elected because you will be able to say He’s on your side. And absolutely without a shadow of a doubt this is truly, truly  all that really matters.

Galatians 1:11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning.

Matthew 24:14  And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.

Luke 22:35  Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out to preach the Good News and you did not have money, a traveler’s bag, or an extra pair of sandals, did you need anything?” “No,” they replied.

Ephesians 3:7  By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving Him by spreading this Good News.

Romans 1:16  For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.

1 Corinthians 1:17  For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.

Philippians 1:27 [ Live as Citizens of Heaven ] Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.

1 Peter 1:23  for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

There are many phrases popular among Christians and non Christians alike. One of the best is “God helps those who help themselves”. The quote originated with Benjamin Franklin who believed in God but that God did not intervene in earth's affairs, so all responsibility was incumbent upon people.

Somehow we equate improving our situation by our own self efforts with God and thus begins a long stint of trying to please Him by being good enough, working hard enough or being strong enough. Not only do we try to please Him this way, we try to make ourselves better this way. None of this works.   So finally, we find ourselves winded, worn out and weary.  Or we find ourselves in a trial and wonder how we got there with “God, what did I do wrong?’ hanging on our lips…

This thing called faith starts and ends with Christ! We find ourselves utterly empty of anything good, able or authentic. We call on the One Who is Excellent, Capable and Genuine and we ask Him to come in and change things for us. We admit we’re unable.  We find that He doesn’t want to just change “things” for us – He wants to change us!

Oh beloved, are you wondering how you’ll ever make it? You’ve tried. You’ve begged. You’ve worked. You’ve managed. You hate for anyone to know that you aren’t going to make it on your own. Maybe it’s time to let Christ in. To your situation… your trial… your problem… your failure… your life....  He’ll take what you can’t do a thing with and make it beautiful for His glory and your good!  This is the Good News everyone’s waiting for! He loves you and He’s for you and He has a marvelous plan for your life! Now that’s worth thanking Him for!!!

Psalm 34:2 I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are helpless take heart.

Psalm 70:5 But as for me, I am poor and needy; please hurry to my aid, O God. You are my helper and my savior; O LORD, do not delay.

Matthew 9:36 When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Romans 5:6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.

John 15:5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.