In honor of Joe Stephens...

Wow..yesterday was quite a day. We lost a good friend of many years in a tragic accident. He was a Truck Driver, a cowboy, a redneck (LOL!) but above all a great guy. So many people will miss him that I can't even begin to explain!! We as a community of friends, family & coworkers are DEVASTATED at this, our first fatality at the company my husband works for.

This "Band of Brothers" as I lovingly and humorously call these drivers stick together like glue. This loss is just unfathomable for anyone who doesn't drive a truck or haul a tanker. I won't even try to express the pain the family is in at this time.

But even in the midst of such a tragedy, God is ever present.

He carries us through the most difficult time times in our lives, healing our pain and grief, comforting our sorrows, helping us to continue on.

Psalm 73:23-26

23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

Litmus Test

February 24, 2011

VERSE:
Remember how you were when you didn't know God, led from one phony god to another, never knowing what you were doing, just doing it because everybody else did it? It's different in this life. God wants us to use our intelligence, to seek to understand as well as we can. For instance, by using your heads, you know perfectly well that the Spirit of God would never prompt anyone to say "Jesus be damned!" Nor would anyone be inclined to say "Jesus is Master!" without the insight of the Holy Spirit.
-- 1 Corinthians 12:2-3

THOUGHT:
In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit spoke through human writers to give us some absolute, bottom line, truth. When the Holy Spirit lives inside people, they are not going to curse Jesus. Instead, the Holy Spirit impels them to confess Jesus as Lord and Master -- not only as Lord and Master of all creation, but also the Lord and Master to whom they yield their hearts! Through Jesus' resurrection from the dead, the Holy Spirit declared Jesus Christ our Lord as the powerful Son of God (Rom. 1:4).

PRAYER:
Almighty God, I confess that I believe that Jesus Christ is your Son, my Lord and Savior. I yield my heart to Jesus and pray that my life reflects his character and compassion. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart always be guided by your Holy Spirit and lead me to confess the glory and grace that I have found in my Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, in whose name I pray. Amen.

~SpiritFire! from www.HEARTLIGHT.org~
~Randa~

1st Thessalonians 1:1-10

Bible Study Lesson:
1st Thessalonians 1:1-10:
Background: Acts 17:1-9 gives an account of the Church at Thessalonians.

Q. What are the three distinct characteristics, Paul remembers about the Church?

*Work produced by faith (1 Th 1:3)

*Labor prompted by love (1 Th 1:3)
*Endurance inspired by Hope (1 Th 1:3)
*Faith, Love and Hope are unseen characteristics. Paul here uses three classic phrases to describe the life of a witnessing Christian.
*He does not mention ‘work, labor and endurance’ only or ‘faith, love and hope’.
*Your true christian qualities should be demonstrated by your actions.
*We are ‘Saved by Faith Alone’, but not by ‘Faith that is Alone’.
*Work alone without faith can not save you.
*Labor without a true motivation is useless.
*People have different intentions or motivations, it is very important to check real motives behind actions.
*Paul in chapter 1 and 2, describes how the Church of Thessalonians displayed these characteristics and what were the impact of their behavior.

(Also check, 7 Conditions of Christian Discipleship)

Q. How did the Gospel come to them and How did they respond? (1 Th 1:4-6)

*The Gospel came not only as mere man’s words, but with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.
*They became imitators of Paul and God.
*They welcomed the Gospel with joy.
*They turned to the true and living God from idols.
*They endured severe sufferings for it.
*They became the model for all believers around Macedonia and Achaia.
*Their faith became known everywhere.
*Others testified about their faith and their reception of apostles.

Reflection and Bible Lessons:

*Does our faith produce good works?
*How do people around you think of you?
*How do believers around you think of you?
*Do people testify about your faith and actions? (Mat 5:16)
*What are your motives behind your work or labor in Christ?

~www.bibleseo.com~
~Randa~

United in the Spirit

VERSE:
Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
-- Ephesians 4:3 nlt


THOUGHT:
When we open the book of Acts, we hear Jesus promise to send the Holy Spirit to empower the early disciples as they go to all nations to share the good news of Jesus. In addition, we see the Holy Spirit at work to break down every barrier -- geographical,cultural, racial, economic, political, and social -- to make the people who come to Jesus into one new people. As Paul reflects on the great grace of God he has talked about in Ephesians chapters 1-3, he now challenges Jesus' followers to make every effort to keep what the Holy Spirit and the grace of God had worked to create: a people united by the Holy Spirit and held together with
the bond of peace. He wanted them to "wage peace"! He wanted them to be peace-makers, and not just "peace-wanters." This can happen only when we allow the Spirit to control our hearts and we
earnestly and diligently strive to be united through the Spirit as God's children.

PRAYER:
Father, please forgive me. I've been selfish, impatient, and harsh to some of your children. I haven't been committed to "waging peace" with the same passion as I have sought to get my own way and protect my own position. Please help me as I try to mend relationships and re-establish fellowship with others that I've alienated. Please help me as I seek to have your Spirit take
control of my heart and exert more effort to live in peace with your children. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SpiritFire! from HEARTLIGHT

~Randa~

What happened in the Garden of Gethsemane?

Question: "What happened in the Garden of Gethsemane?"

Answer: The garden at Gethsemane, literally “oil-press,” is located on a slope of the Mount of Olives just across the Kidron Valley from Jerusalem. A garden of ancient olive trees stands there to this day. Jesus frequently went to Gethsemane with His disciples to pray (John 18:2). The most famous events at Gethsemane occurred on the night before His crucifixion when Jesus was betrayed. Each of the Gospel writers describes the events of that night with slight variations, so reading the four accounts (Matthew 26:36-56, Mark 14:32-52, Luke 22:40-53 and John 18:1-11) will give an accurate picture of that momentous night in its entirety.

As the evening began, after Jesus and His disciples had celebrated the Passover, they came to the Garden. At some point, Jesus took three of them—Peter, James and John— to a place separated from the rest. Here Jesus asked them to watch with Him and pray so they would not fall into temptation (Matthew 26:41), but they fell asleep. Twice Jesus had to wake them and remind them to pray so that they would not fall into temptation. This was especially poignant because Peter did indeed fall into temptation later that very night when three times he denied even knowing Jesus. Jesus moved a little way from the three men to pray, and twice he asked His Father to remove the cup of wrath He was about to drink, but each time He submitted to the Father’s will. He was “exceedingly sorrowful unto death,” but God sent an angel from heaven to strengthen Him (Luke 22:43).

After this, Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, arrived with a “multitude” of soldiers, high priests, Pharisees, and servants to arrest Jesus. Judas identified Him by the prearranged signal of a kiss which he gave to Jesus. Trying to protect Jesus, Peter took a sword and attacked a man named Malthus, the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Jesus rebuked Peter and miraculously healed the man’s ear. It’s surprising that witnessing this amazing miracle of healing had no effect on the multitude. Neither were they shaken by His awesome display of power as described in John 18:5-6, where either at the majesty of His looks, or at the power of His words, or both, they became like dead men, falling to the ground. Nevertheless, they arrested Him and took Him to Pontius Pilate, while the disciples scattered in fear for their lives.

The events that occurred in the Garden of Gethsemane have reverberated down through the centuries. The passion Jesus displayed on that momentous night has been depicted in music, books, and films for centuries. From the 16th century, when Bach wrote two magnificent oratorios based on the gospel accounts of Matthew and John, to the present day with the film “The Passion of the Christ,” the story of this extraordinary night has been told again and again. Even our language has been affected by these events, giving us such phrases as “he who lives by the sword dies by the sword” (Matthew 26:52); “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38); and “sweating drops of blood” (Luke 22:44). Of course, the most important impact of this night was the willingness of our Savior to die on the cross in our place in order to pay the penalty for our sins. God “made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

~www.gotquestions.org~
~Randa~


Recommended Resources: Jesus: The Greatest Life of All by Charles Swindoll.

Salt of the Earth: Matthew 5:13-16
Posted By Bible SEO On October 10, 2010 (9:03 pm) In Gospel of Matthew Studies, New Testament Studies
Bible Study Passage:

Matthew 5:13-16
Use of Salt in Bible

*Salt was used for seasoning and preserving food. (as today)

*Salt was found in great abundance on the shore of the dead sea.

*Salt was used as an antiseptic in medicine. (Ezekiel 16:4)

*Salt was used in the offerings of all kinds. Lev 2:13: “Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings. Add Salt to all your offerings.” Every sacrifice was offered with salt as a symbol of preservation. Salt in this context symbolizes external preservation. Numbers 18:19: “It has an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord for both you and your offspring.”

*Sometimes captured city were sowed with Salt to insure utter desolation of the place. (Judge 9:45)

*Covenant of Salt: In Palestine and surrounding countries, salt was used to make covenants. To eat of a person’s salt is regarded as a token of amity and loyalty, and brings one under his protection. The covenant of salt picturizes the everlasting friendship between God and his people.

*NT, salt is used to describe wholesome character and speech. Col 4:6 “Let your conversations be always full of grace, seasoned with Salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

Jesus’ use of Salt in Parables
Jesus uses the parable of salt three times in the Gospels. In Matthew, it follows after the beatitudes. In Mark 9:42-50, It follows after the teaching to remove anything that causes you to sin. In Luke 14: 25-34, It follows after the teaching of the cost of discipleship.

Salt of the Earth
Matthew 5:13 – “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.”
There can be many possible implications of “loosing the saltiness”. It can be implied for “falling away from faith”. Jesus in his very early ministry, clearly mentioned the cost of following him. He was not to be taken lightly. He reminded his followers that you can be the “salt of the earth” or the “covenant that God made with men.” But if you lose the very essence of salt, then there is nothing that can be done. There is no middle ground here. Something that appears to be salt but lack the very nature of salt is a useless thing. It is no longer good for anything. In the same way, someone who appears to be the follower of Christ but lacks or looses the very nature and essence of Christ is good for nothing.

I found this interesting ... hope you do as well!
~Randa~

More Bible Study Lessons:
Article taken from Bible Study Lessons | Free Inductive Study Guide, Topics & Tools - http://bibleseo.com
URL to article: http://bibleseo.com/matthew/salt-earth-matthew-51316

Vitally Empowering

Vitally Empowering
February 12, 2011

VERSE:
Samuel took his flask of oil and anointed him [David], with his brothers standing around watching. The Spirit of God entered David like a rush of wind, God vitally empowering him for the rest of his life.

THOUGHT:
Throughout the Old Testament, God's Spirit would come on leaders for a time and empower them in special ways. David was led and empowered by the Spirit for his whole life, although his sinful time with Bathsheba made him question whether God would remove the Spirit and his leadership because of his sin (Ps. 51:10-11). The remarkable thing about the Holy Spirit under the new covenant is that the Holy Spirit comes upon all Jesus' true followers: men and
women, young and old, leaders or followers (Acts 2:1-39; 5:32; Rom. 8:9). We have this "vitally empowering" gift living inside us, to guide us, convict us, empower us, equip us, intercede for us, and transform us. What a precious gift!

PRAYER:
Thank you, Father, for such an incredible gift as the Holy Spirit. As I continue on this year-long journey to learn more about your Spirit, I want to yield my life fully to the influence of the Spirit. I want to reflect Jesus more completely. I want to honor you more perfectly. I ask that this "vitally empowering" presence of your Spirit do what needs to be done in me to honor you. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

~SpiritFire! from HEARTLIGHT~
(www.heartlight.org)
~Randa~

Who's on FIRE?

"Feeling solid cause I've finally
Got my feet on the ground now
You rescued me with gravity
I was upside down
(down)

I've got a fire in my eyes
I'm burning brighter than the sunlight
You orchestrated my escape
Now I'm awake
I feel alive for the first time
You ignite the fire in my eyes

Used to live my life locked up
Inside a room with no doors
(before)
You found a window, You broke it
And now I wont be contained anymore

I've got a fire in my eyes
I'm burning brighter than the sunlight
You orchestrated my escape
Now I'm awake
I feel alive for the first time
You ignite the fire in my eyes

Oh, I know You are the reason I can breathe
Oh, I know You are the reason I am free

I've got a fire in my eyes
I'm burning brighter than the sunlight
You orchestrated my escape
Now I'm awake
I feel alive for the first time
You ignite the fire in my eyes"

~Fire in my Eyes by Fireflight~

9But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak anymore in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, afire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.

Talk about being on fire for GOD! That's the pure power of God's truth at work, right?! Jeremiah faced ridicule and taunts over speaking God's message but there had to be a freedom once he gave that message out. A peace or release if you will. Today, we are called to also be on FIRE for God spreading the good news of Jesus to the world. We face taunts and ridicule as well at times unfortunately. Never let it get you down! God gives us freedom and strength to proclaim His grace and mercy. Always stand and be a warrior! Always share the grace of God and the sacrifice of Jesus with others because we never know when the seeds we plant will be harvested. Let those who have ears hear and those who have eyes see! Every good thing comes from God so let us proclaim it on high! ~Randa~

Unfailing Love...

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

That He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

~ David Crowder Band~

I just LOVE this song don't you? How amazing is this love that the Creator has for us? As most who know me already know, I really dig my music! I mean it's like feeling God's arms around me & Him speaking right in my ear! THIS song really speaks VOLUMES to me, hopefully to you as well! I really enjoy taking a closer look at the lyrics to see what's going on...

"When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are, And how great Your affections are for me."

WOW! If I focus on God, nothing else matters! No struggles at work, no fighting with someone who just doesn't see things your way ... Oh and better yet, WHAT would happen if we LOVED each other like He loves us?? Yea, i know ... pretty tall order there for most folks really. But in reality that's exactly what we should do. So tomorrow, or even tonight, LOVE someone..really and truly LOVE someone that is outside of your box of who deserves it. Make your own little world population MANY instead of population one! ~Randa~

Looking up...

So I'm driving in from work a few days ago and I see a spectacular site! Below the clouds, it's gray, dark and gloomy. There was a barrage of snow flurries coming at the vehicle. Yet, as I shifted my focus up a bit there was the most magnificent cascade of sun rays I've seen in awhile! Just waterfalls of sun rays spilling out...BEAUTIFUL! That got me to thinking. Everyday we face a mess, a barrage of flurries in our faces, and we get bogged down in the gray mess around us...forgetting to look up. 

If  we could only LOOK UP for a moment it might change our perspective on that mess of flurries attacking us everyday. The Bible teaches us to find our peace by keeping our hearts and minds focused on Heavenly things...God and His grace.Do you remember the story of Jesus sleeping in the stern of the boat as He and the disciples crossed the sea of Galilee? The disciples must have tried to control the boat themselves, as they were experienced fisherman. Probably getting panicky for fear of drowning and death I would think. But isn't fear the absence of faith? Jesus gets up and rebukes the storm saying "Quiet, Be still." and says to the the disciples "You of little faith! Why are you so afraid?" Maybe we should put our focus where it needs to be...where the cascades of beauty and magnificence roll out like a waterfall of peace to envelope us.

 So instead of being consumed by all the negativity around us and the trouble we are facing day to day let us focus on how GREAT our God is! How blessed we are if He NEVER does another thing but send Jesus as the atoning sacrifice for all? Chew on that thought for a moment. All good things come from God  and we cannot possibly FATHOM how intricately He works in each of our lives.

Let us be more grateful for what we have, kinder than necessary to each other and lead the lost to the ONE TRUE GOD! Forget the flurries in your life and find the joy God intends for YOU!

~Randa~

(photo credit: David McNew/Getty Images)