February 7 ~ II Thessalonians 2:15-17
So, friends, take a firm stand, feet on the ground and head high. Keep a tight grip on what you were taught, whether in personal conversation or by our letter. May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
The last days of January were sad ones for my pastor, Bro. David Bush, as his brother Richard lost a battle with leukemia. The same week, my former pastor, Bro. John Miles, lost his mother after she succumbed to a lengthy hospital stay for a variety of issues that compromised her health. Both men and their family members have expressed in recent days how grateful they are for the love, prayers and support of the many who know and love them – and even some who don’t. They have been strengthened and encouraged by the kind words and deeds of others. This has helped them to keep their feet on the ground and hold their heads high.
I want us to stop and remember that death is no respecter of persons. Grief does not escape members of the clergy or others in ministry. Just because you are a pastor doesn’t mean you won’t suffer pain and heartache when your loved ones pass away. Ministers are human, too… and we tend to forget that things that happen to us in everyday life happen to them, as well.
So instead of looking at your pastor – or your Sunday School teacher or your friend who you consider to be a strong faith-filled Christian – and expecting him/her to live above grief and heartache and pain, remember what we have been taught. Reach out to them in love and surprise them with gifts of unending help and confidence. Help them to understand that you are supporting them in their grieving process – or whatever stressful situation they may be enduring. Remind them of the promises of God that THEY continually share with YOU. Make them feel like a “real person” – a child of God on an equal plane with everyone else, and deserving of compassion and encouragement.
God didn’t call us to minister only to the unchurched or the unbelievers. Look around your “Spiritual family” and see who needs your help today. Strengthening the body of Christ will have far-reaching effects. Try it and see for yourself how this can enliven your speech and invigorate your work for the Lord!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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February 6 ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21
Don't suppress the Spirit, and don't stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don't be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what's good. Throw out anything tainted with evil.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
There was a time in my life when I would have never raised my hands in worship. Even if I wanted to – I would restrain myself for fear of being ridiculed by others – or at least risking a dirty look from someone! When I was a little girl, there was a church up the street from our house that held worship services several nights each week. In the summertime, when our windows were open, you could hear the people whooping and hollering – and we called them “holy rollers.” They were definitely not suppressing the Spirit… and now I understand that my judgmental description of them was, in essence, an attempt to stifle them. They very well may have been hearing from the Holy Spirit and raising their hands and shouting in a way I wanted to - but wouldn’t. The difference was that they did not suppress the Spirit or stifle Him – and many of us do just that!
On the other hand, I have encountered “Spiritual” people who have some pretty far-out ideas about God and His word. They interpret the Bible in such a way as to say that we should only study the King James version, or that women should never cut their hair. They get hung up on one person or one particular scripture, and they build their entire faith and Spiritual life around this. We have to guard ourselves against becoming caught up in such things – against being gullible.
I’ve told you before that www.snopes.com is one of my favorite websites. I go there to check out anything I receive on e-mail that sounds a little fishy. This website helps me to keep from being gullible. And that’s a good thing! For things of a Spiritual nature, I consult God’s word – my Bible. I may read the same passages in several translations before I hear the answer, but I trust God to show me what is right and true – and to keep me from falling into evil traps and “Spiritual falsehoods.”
I’m not saying we need to all start shouting and raising our hands and speaking in tongues. But we must not stifle the Holy Spirit – in ourselves or others – by making judgments, or by suppressing ourselves if the Spirit moves us in that manner. At the same time, we must stay awake and alert – and informed - so that we are not gullible or compromised in our faith. Check out everything, and keep only what’s good. Throw out anything tainted with evil. This is sound advice we can all use.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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February 5 ~ 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13
May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
You know how sometimes after a big football victory, the team will douse the coach with a huge cooler of Gatorade? The icy liquid pours and splashes onto the coach as a symbol of the joy and enthusiasm of the team – and how much they care for him at that moment! I don’t know about you, but if someone doused me with cold sticky Gatorade like that, I would be infused with strength - as adrenaline rushed through my body!
So imagine Jesus pouring love and strength and purity onto you just like that big cooler of Gatorade – except this love and strength and purity is warm and soothing and soaks into your pores and nourishes your soul. You feel confident and energized from the inside, and it overflows to those in your presence. That’s how your Christian living should be. You should have so much of Jesus poured onto you – and into you – that it overflows and splashes on others.
Life as a Christian is better than winning a football game… being on God’s team is a much bigger victory! Jesus’ love for you is better than any cooler of Gatorade or ice water. May Jesus douse you with His strength, purity and confidence, and may His love fill you and splash over onto others.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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February 4 ~ Colossians 2:6-7
My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Have you ever known someone who seemed to be a “professional student?” This person had gone to school so long it seemed as if they he/she was afraid to step on out into the world and put their education to work – literally! Or maybe there was a comfort level in being a student and sponging off of Mom and Dad!
Sometimes in our Christian life, we are like this. We love Jesus… we have invited Him into our heart. We go to church, we read the Bible and attend studies and prayer groups. But we can’t share our faith with anyone else. We can’t seem to “put our faith into action!” It’s not that we are bad persons… but we are stuck!
The time has come for us to share our gift of Jesus with others. The time has come to reach out to people… to do random acts of kindness… to be bold in our witness and speak up when opportunities arise and tell others how God has blessed us… to offer a helping hand, or even a smile to someone who needs one. The time has come for us to live for Jesus so that others see Him in us – and want Him for themselves. School IS out… it’s time to get to work!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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February 3 ~ Colossians 1:22-23
You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God's side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don't walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Mess - just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Some studies show that children who were forced to attend church often turn into teenagers and young adults who refuse to go at all. I know from my own experience working with junior/senior high/college students that many told me in their high school years, “I’m just coming because my parents make me. When I turn 18, you won’t see me here any more.” And it was difficult to get those in college to come to church functions or a Sunday School class. I won’t say all of them had turned their backs on God, but there was more than one who said, “Christianity – this ‘God thing’ - is not for me.”
I’ve met teens and adults who have told me that they do not believe in God… or they once believed, but now they are not sure. Some feel that as long as they are a “good person,” God will surely not abandon THEM! Others have told me, “God really never did anything for me. I’m not sure He even exists. I’m going to do things MY way for a change!” When I hear these things, I try to smile and bite my tongue. Because in my own way, I’ve done and said the same things. Oh, maybe I didn’t say God doesn’t exist, but I treated Him like He didn’t. I tried things my way and stayed away from anything related to church activities. I picked and chose when I would serve – and how – and I suited MY needs and desires, not GOD’s.
And then, purely by God’s grace, I caught a glimpse of the Cross – and what Jesus had done – for ME! I saw how He had suffered, bled and died so that I could LIVE – not just in Heaven for all Eternity (which would be more than enough), but also in this earthly lifetime. I saw how God loved me enough to send Jesus – to give His only Son – His very best – for ME! And all I had heard and read about God since I was a child began to come to life – and I wanted to know more – to read more – to hear more of God’s word preached and taught. I wanted to live for Him and WITH Him – each and every day.
It is so easy to get distracted and pulled off track by the things of this world. There are plenty of tools in the devil’s arsenal to pull us away from God. If you have gotten distracted, this is your chance to come back over to God’s side. Today can be the day that you turn your back on the things that pulled you away and return to Him… laying yourself before Jesus at the foot of the Cross. He will take you back in a heartbeat and help you to stay grounded and steady. But the first step is totally yours. Will you take it?
©2008 Debbie Robus
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February 2 ~ Colossians 1:9-12
Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven't stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you'll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul - not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Have you ever been through something that was difficult, and you wondered, “When will this ever end?” Many things we do are hard but have an end result… training for a marathon, studying for a college degree, recovery and rehab after an illness or injury, working on a big project like writing a book or planning a wedding. The bigger struggles come with things like a long-term illness, an abusive relationship, slavery, world hunger, homelessness. These are the sorts of things that seem to have no end in sight and require Supernatural strength to endure.
I am thankful that I am not involved in a “big struggle” these days. I am not enslaved, homeless, or abused. But I have helped to care for loved ones who suffered through terminal illness and wondered how we would all get through it. I’ve wondered how – and when – we would find joy again. Thankfully I didn’t question IF it would happen… but I did ask how and when. And just as the scripture promises, God did make me strong enough for the journey – and He did bring joy to my life again. What He has done for me, He will most certainly do for you and others.
I don’t know what your “long haul” is – or even if you have one right now. But no matter where you are in life these days – long trips or short – God is with you. He will give you the grit and strength to make it through them. He will take you all the way to joy, brightness and beauty. Stick it out, with God on your side. Stay attuned to His will, and He will give you all you need for each day.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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February 1 ~ Philippians 4:1
My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such pride. Don't waver. Stay on track, steady in God.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Have you ever bought something at the grocery store that was supposedly in a resealable package? You know… some cookies and snack crackers come like that… with a sticky tab. As you roll the package down from the top, that tab is supposed to stick and hold the package together and keep your snacks fresh. We all know that these sticky tabs don’t stay sticky very long. The upside is that the snack probably doesn’t last long either, so it’s all good.
God loves us so much. He wants the very best for us – the "freshest product" at all times. In order for us to be at our best – and to receive the very best from God – we have to stay on track. We have to stick to it. Our "sticky tab" has to be a whole lot better than the one on those cookies and snack crackers.
So how are you doing? Are you steady and consistent in your walk with God? Are you doing everything you can to keep His Spirit sealed and fresh within you? Is your Christian living the kind that will last long enough to even need a "freshness seal?" I challenge you to check yourself and see how you are doing. Make any changes necessary to be the very "freshest" quality Christian you can – and do all you can to see that your "Spiritual integrity seal" continues to stick!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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