Simple Thoughts

Driving anywhere, on a train or bus, walking. Many forms of transportation will bring billboards into your line of sight. What is their message? Food, law firm, car dealership. Some bring a message you can relate to. You may even write down the company’s name and phone number. Others, you read and decide it is not important to you and you disregard. However, either way, the billboard did its job and got your attention.

If you call yourself a Christian, you have to ask yourself, “If I am a billboard for God, what message am I communicating for God?” Some billboards look like the world, sound like the world, act like the world so your message is a worldly one. You bring attention to self, to promote your opinions and God is nowhere to be found in your message.

Other billboards talk about God, sound good when read, but the message is not very clear. Not wanting to offend, the message waters down God’s word and mixes it with worldly wisdom.

Of course, one billboard will stand up to criticism, to nay-sayers, because this billboard is immersed in God’s word, speaks in love, walks humbly in service to God and points to Another, rather than self.

If you say you are a Christian, review the billboard message you are communicating to the world. Be the billboard that shines the light on Jesus. His message is timeless, appropriate, enduring. His message is life, forgiveness, mercy. His message calls us to Him and that is a billboard worth proclaiming.

2 Corinthians 5:20: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

Gall bladder surgery. Hurricane. Traveling north. It has been a month since getting on our bikes and riding trails. Oh, how we missed exploring, finding quaint downtowns, and just enjoying being outside.

What are you missing today? Life has interrupted a favorite activity, a peaceful moment. Sometimes, you need to take that hiatus. Sometimes, you don’t need to return to the old, but discover something new, fresh, unexpected.

Let God calm you and bring you peace in your downtime and allow God to lead and direct when His timing says, “Go!”

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

Dorothy was correct, “There’s no place like home!” But what does that look like to you today? If you just survived hurricane Ian, then home may look very different. It might be the few things you could grab or salvage before it took your house. It may be in a friend’s home, a hotel room or an RV. But wherever you find yourself, if you are surrounded by family or friends, you are home.

We have been gone for 11 days. We left before the storm hit for a trip north with family. Each night with family, where I laid my head to rest, I was home. Lodging in hotels along the way did their best to feel “homey” but when we pulled into our driveway at the end of the trip, I was thankful to be home.

When we come to the end of our journey here on earth, where is your eternal home? If you are a Christian, having trusted in the saving faith of Jesus Christ, then heaven bound you are. Jesus told us before He left this orb, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ” (John 14:1-4)

So, while you wander this earth and find a place to call home, remember Jesus is calling you today to secure your final destination. Trust His promises today.

Hebrews 13:14 “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.”

Victory in Jesus (verse 3) I heard about a mansion he has built for me in glory,
And I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea;
About the angels singing and the old redemption story,
And some sweet day I’ll sing up there the song of victory.

When a trial is upon you, when a storm is brewing, to whom do you turn? If it is job related, probably a mentor. If it is relational, a friend, family member or pastor. I recently had gall bladder surgery. Of course, I spoke to family members who already had the surgery, a sister who is a nurse, and of course, the surgeon who explained the procedure to me.

Leading up to the surgery and the day of, I was praying, reading scripture, talking with God, which brought peace to my anxious heart. What a blessing, as I am lying in the bed, the 2 nurses who would be with me in the O.R. were talking about prayer. I turned and introduced them to my pastor husband and we all joined hands in prayer. So thankful to be surrounded by Christians in the O.R. , knowing they would be there with me. I thanked God for their Christian witness.

In our daily walk, we too, are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. Re-read the heroes of the faith in the book of Hebrews, chapter 11. It will remind you that you are not alone. By faith. By faith. By faith. They pleased God. It is by faith we come to God in the first place. It is by faith we believe God, serve Him, worship Him and live for Him. We believe God’s promises, even when we cannot see it. By faith, we still believe. We, like them, “believe in a better life after the resurrection.” Hebrews 11:35b

So, today, let us submit to God’s authority. Let us throw off the sin that trips us up and run with endurance the race God has set before us. (Hebrews 12:1b) Let God’s word strengthen you as you go throughout your day. Be strong and courageous in your Christian walk. You are not alone. There are others you do not know, whom you may have not yet encountered, but they are there, too, living a life of faith.

Thank you, Lord, for a beautiful, sunny, hot September morning. Riding bikes with a thankful heart. Thank you, Lord, for Your beautiful creation to get out and enjoy. Thank you for the ability to ride a bicycle. Thank you, Lord, for the shade that cooled us down!

What are you facing today? Upcoming surgery, job search, stormy relationships, illness? “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Let us pause in our worries, our anxieties and praise God. When we look around and look up, God is always worthy of our praise. Find something to be thankful for today and give thanks to God.

Isaiah 25: 1, 4 “Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago… You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.”

Psalm 100: “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving  and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

If you have angered a hive, you know a swarm will come after you. If you live in Florida, you have experienced driving through a swarm of love bugs.

As a Christian, have your doubts, fears, stresses swarmed your heart, where you are unable to see? To stand? To clear away? Waving your magical faith wand won’t clear them away. Coming to God in prayer, confessing, renouncing and believing will. Does it happen overnight? Sometimes. Other times, it takes patience, it takes faith, it takes understanding that God has the power. Under your control, my control, we are weak. When we submit to God and truly believe that all power and authority is His, in heaven and on earth, the swarm fades and we clearly see a path to God. He can hold all our doubts, stresses and fears. Nothing is going to overwhelm Him. He already knows. Take time today to re-acquaint yourself with the One true, holy, sovereign God, the Creator of all things. Allow His power to work in you, through you, and for you. “To God be the glory forever and ever! Amen.” (Galatians 1:5)

Did you just break into song? Think of Elsa as she lets herself be the person she was born to be. Building a castle of ice, amazed at the beauty she has created. She feels free.

As Christians, we too, can have that same freedom. When we confess our sins, repent of our sinful ways, and leave them at the cross, we are free. Free to live for Christ. Free to live the life He desires for us. So, come to the cross this morning. Lay down the sins. Let them go. Be forgiven and live for Christ today!

Hebrews 12: 1b-2a “let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.

Galatians 5:24 “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there.”

Who doesn’t love a free ticket! To the movies. A theme park. On a plane. There is no catch. It is being offered out of kindness, a perk, a thank you.

I recently read the following quote: “From the millisecond you believed Jesus forgave you, you didn’t just get a ticket to heaven, but a whole new identity.” (Matt McMillen) I’ve heard young people say, “Yes. I want to go to heaven.” So, believe these scriptures, get baptized, and you are good to go.

Confessing your sins and believing in His atoning sacrifice is where faith begins. The redeemed Christian, however, is not content to stay here. Learning more about your Savior means reading your bible, attending church, serving others. Your life is transformed from the inside out. You are slowly putting self on a shelf and living for Christ. Your old life is just that- old, in the past, dead! You are a new creation with new desires, new attitudes, new want to’s.

Is it free? Yes! Is there a cost? Yes! Is it worth it? Absolutely!

Galatians 5:24 “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Things that make you go “hmmm!” Cause you to pause. Stop.

I work out in my garage on specific days so I am used to seeing bugs. It is what it is. Thankful to be able to “go” to the gym, just steps away. This morning, in the middle of a cardio block, out jumps Mr. Frog! I pause the workout. Try to shoo him away. I am now standing, just watching where he goes. Eventually, he climbs on some weights so I can calmly finish the cardio.

Yes, this is probably silly to many of you, but we all have interruptions in our daily routine. Do we allow the interruption to upset us? Can we calmly assess the situation, take care of it and move on with our day?

Thank you, Lord, for the unexpected this morning. Because of the frog interrupting my workout, I was able to pause, focus on You, Lord, and write this morning’s blog!

Charis: a Greek word, meaning grace. Grace, the unmerited favor of God.*

Charis Coffee Co, in Manteo, North Carolina, has a wonderful ministry. Not only do they serve delicious coffees and teas, they play positive, uplifting Christian music, offer a quiet respite from the heat and touristy traffic of the area. My favorite, though, is the prayer wall they offer to all who walk through their doors.

What a blessing to be able to sit down, write out a prayer request, and have some quiet time with God. I watched many people taking pictures, like I did, who may have never seen the power of prayer in action or who want to implement something like this upon returning home.

In today’s world, where there is stress, relational issues, differing opinions not respected, it is nice to know a small coffee company, in a small tourist town, is a beacon of light to come to God, to lay their burdens here. I pray the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, continues in this place as it ministers to the weary and burdened traveler.

Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

* gotquestions.org (your questions/biblical answers)