Trust Him

Do you ever feel like God has forgotten you?

Like everyone else receives answers to their prayers, except you? Know that God hears every prayer, even before it's spoken. And that even before we ask, He answers.

So, why have you not received your answer? Is it because you have done something wrong, or is God wanting to see you suffer for awhile?

Admittedly, there can be many reasons that answers to prayer have not been received. But sometimes, no answer from the Lord can be an answer in itself, as the Lord wishes us to be still and trust Him.

After doing all that we know to do to receive His answer to our prayers, we can rest in His word:

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."
Psalm 46:9-11

Until He comes...

marcy

Hold On

When I was a little girl, one of my fondest memories was the day that my family visited a local amusement park, and went through its Fun House.

As we made our way through its mazes, we came to a large room. In the center of this room was a large, round, spinning wooden disk. The object was to get on the disk and not get thrown off, as it started spinning faster and faster.

I was about to get on the disk with my Dad, who was going to hold me, when a Sailor from our Navy, who was there at the same time, said that he would hold on to me. My Dad said, "ok," and we all climbed onto that disk. I sat on the Sailor's lap, and he wrapped his arm around me tight, and held onto the disk with the other arm. The disk then started to spin...faster and faster it went, until everything around us became a blur.

One by one, I saw my family members get thrown from the disk, and slide across the polished wooden floor! Finally, my Dad flew off the disk too...as the momentum became too much for him. But the Sailor held on to me...he wouldn't let go, and we rode that disk until it finally slowed down and stopped. It was so much fun, to know that we had conquered the disk, and it had not thrown us off!

Life can be like this. Sometimes it seems to spin us faster and faster, as we hang on as best we can, coming so close to being thrown off. But the Lord is like that Sailor...if we let Him hold us tight, He won't let go...as life spins.

Hold on to Jesus, and He will hold on to you. I promise you, He won't let go.

Until He comes...

marcy

Get Out of the Boat

In Matthew 14:22-32 we see the scene unfolding:

It was night, there was a storm...the disciples were alone in the boat...but, where was Jesus?

They must have thought, "Why would He leave us alone like this?"

Suddenly they saw an apparition coming towards them...it looked like Jesus, but it couldn't be...He was walking on the raging waters of the storm!

Peter wanted to believe that it was Him, and asked Him to call him out of the boat so that he could walk on the water too.

Jesus called to him, and Peter started walking on the water just like Jesus! Peter must have been thrilled as he defied the laws of nature, focusing his eyes upon Jesus.

But then...Peter's natural mind started thinking as he looked around..."Wait a minute, what am I doing? Water can't support me, I'm going to fall right into this water...and it's storming, I'm going to drown!"

As he took his eyes off of Jesus, and looked around at his circumstances in the natural realm, he started sinking.

But he had just enough faith left to call out to Jesus to save him. And so Jesus pulled him up, and holding on to Jesus, together they walked on the water back to the boat.

You and I are in that "boat" of this life. Being in the boat may seem safer than the storms raging around it, but in reality it isn't. It can sink at any time.

Jesus calls us to use our faith and get out of that boat...and to walk on the water of the supernatural with Him. Even though it may look scary, in reality it's the safest place you can be....

because that's where Jesus is!

Get out of the boat...
and into the miraculous, with Him...He won't let you sink.


until He returns...

marcy

It Is Finished!

As Jesus hung on the cross that day...between life and death, He fought an unseen battle. People jeered at Him, mourned and wept bitterly at His fate, and tempted Him to save Himself. And yet...He chose of His own free will, to suffer and die.

He experienced excrutiating pain, anguish, rejection, thirst, and felt that God had forsaken Him. But still He remained. He knew that the stakes were high...the fate of all mankind was hanging on that cross with Him. He could not fail.

When His body could stand no more...He spoke the words "IT IS FINISHED," and died.

At that very instant, the battle was won. Jesus had conquered death, hell, and the grave. He had paid the price, and a bridge between man and his God was again formed...that bridge was Jesus...who had become the sinless, spotless Passover lamb, to take away the sins of the world.

In the courtroom of Heaven, Satan was declared guilty of murdering an innocent Man...and was sentenced to eternal damnation. That sentence will soon be carried out, and Jesus will assume His rightful position as Ruler of this earth.

Man could not come close to God because of his sin. All of our righteousness was as "filthy rags" to the Lord. Man had to spill the blood of animals to try and cover his sins.

God longed to again come close to His creation, MAN...but because of sin, nothing would accomplish this except the shedding of the innocent blood of His only begotten Son, Jesus.

Jesus was offered as the ULTIMATE sacrifice...once and for all.

Do you realize that if you had been the only person needing His sacrifice, He would have done it for you alone? That's how important you are to Him!

How important is HE to you? Is He the center of your life? Or are other things crowding Him out? Possessions...worldly pleasures...friends who do not know the Lord, and have a different "agenda" for life (which doesn't include Jesus)...a busy life that crowds Him out...and on and on? He gave His ALL for us, but yet our ALL may only give Him a fraction of our life, or leave Him out completely.

What will you do when you gaze upon His face, and look into the piercing, innocent, all-knowing eyes of our Savior? I promise you, that day WILL come. Will you be ashamed...or will you look back at Him with love and adoration, and know that you gave your ALL for Him?

Just as the crowd chose between Jesus and Barrabas, now is the time for you to choose. What is most important in your life, Jesus (the One who gave His life for you), or the world? It's all up to you...

The war has already been fought and won, and Jesus Christ is Lord.

IT IS FINISHED.

Until He comes...

marcy

Joy

Joy...

What is joy?

Well, it goes beyond happiness. The dictionary defines it as probably being akin to a greek word, which means to rejoice.

What causes such an emotion in human beings...to reach beyond mere happiness to rejoicing?

I believe that the Lord has "hardwired" us human beings to experience joy the most, when we reach out and help another person in need.

Have you ever given food to the hungry, clothing to anyone who was cold, or money to someone in dire need? If so, then you know the joy and satisfaction that you felt afterward.

Giving is so important to the Lord, that the Bible admonishes us to do so as Christians:

Luke 6:38
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

But wait? What's this? It is saying that the Lord will bless us for giving? Men shall then give to us? Yes!

So then this thing of giving takes on a whole new twist. Do you have a need? Then give to help someone else...and then the Lord will see that your need is taken care of also. You may give not only because another is in need, but also out of your own need. I know that it's difficult to give when you are in need also...but the Lord has set up this principle, I believe, to test the hearts of His children. Will they let go of what they have to help another, when their own need is also so important?

What would happen in this world if every person looked for a need, and then gave of their own resources to fill that need? I guarantee you that every need would be filled...and joy would fill each and every heart.

Give it a try...what have you got to lose...except your heavy heart...and perhaps your own need!

until He returns...

marcy

A Brand New Year

We are entering a brand new year. A clean slate upon which either God, or we can write.

I don’t know about you, but when I try to write upon that empty slate, I wind up making a mess of things! How much better that God would write upon it.

Who knows the mysteries that lie ahead of us? Our Lord does. He is in the future, waiting for us there. We can rest assured that no matter what is ahead, He will cause it to be for our good…if we trust Him.

I wish you a year of blessings that you cannot contain; healings; love, peace & joy;
and most of all, a deeper relationship with our Lord and Savior…Jesus Christ.

Could 2009 be the year of our Lord’s return? Time will tell.
If not, we must continue to reach the lost…and work while we still can.

marcy

The Perfect Christmas

One of the most memorable Christmases in my life, was the one I spent with family in Colorado years back.

Christmas Eve was spent attending a candlelight service, where my niece sang "Sweet Little Jesus Child" accapella. It was very moving. Outside, the snow was gently falling.

On Christmas Day, as we sat in the diningroom eating Christmas dinner, we were treated to the site of a herd of deer strolling across

the yard outside. It was a "picture postcard" perfect Christmas!

As I remember that particular Christmas, my thoughts come back to the reality of the present...to the many people who are hungry, without a job, and don't know where the presents for their children this Christmas will come from.

The Lord has called each and every one of us to reach out to them. Yes, times are hard right now...but the Lord does not dismiss His calling to us to help the needy because of this. We are to give, and He says that if someone asks for our coat, we are to even give them our cloak also.

Have you opened your eyes to the needs around you lately? I promise you...there are many, if you will but look.

As you reach out in love to those in need...they will not only see your kindness, but they will see JESUS in you.

marcy