July 31 ~ Psalm 119:41-48
41-48 Let your love, GOD, shape my life
with salvation, exactly as you promised;
Then I'll be able to stand up to mockery
because I trusted your Word.
Don't ever deprive me of truth, not ever—
your commandments are what I depend on.
Oh, I'll guard with my life what you've revealed to me,
guard it now, guard it ever;
And I'll stride freely through wide open spaces
as I look for your truth and your wisdom;
Then I'll tell the world what I find,
speak out boldly in public, unembarrassed.
I cherish your commandments—oh, how I love them!—
relishing every fragment of your counsel.
(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.)
I am ashamed to admit this, but as a teenager and young adult, I was not bold about professing my faith. It was something I sort of mumbled and muttered under my breath. Why would I do this? Because I will tell you, I was ridiculed and labeled a “holy roller” and “Jesus freak” and the worst of all – “prude” – by my peers, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t want to be “Miss Goody Two Shoes.” I didn’t want to be teacher’s pet – in public school OR Sunday School. I wanted to fit in with others, so I didn’t stand up for my faith.
I can proudly say that today I see so many more teenagers and young adults who DO openly express their faith and how God has blessed their lives, and I am so grateful. And I am pedaling hard and fast to make up for lost time by doing all I can now to share with as many others as I can how God has blessed me. I still believe I could do more, but I feel I grow more bold every day.
And when you think about it, why WOULDN’T we be bold in proclaiming our love and loyalty to Someone Who has done EVERYTHING for us? There is plenty of God’s love to go around, so why would we hoard it for ourselves? I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and more than that, I want everyone I meet to get in on their portion of it!
My husband and I have been watching DVDs of an old mini-series, ROOTS, which traces the story of one family from the birth of Kunta Kinte in Africa through his capture as a slave and delivery to America, where he was sold to a plantation owner, to the birth and life of several generations of descendents. Kunta Kinte wanted so desperately to be free and tried more than once to escape, and ultimately, the master cut off his foot to stop his efforts. Three generations and two plantations later, the Civil War ended slavery, and Kunta Kinte’s descendents were free. But they didn’t know what to do with their freedom. They had no means of support away from the plantation, and the plantation owner found a loophole to keep them indebted to him and working the fields.
I am thankful that my freedom in Christ means something, and I am not trapped in a loophole of being free in Christ but timid about sharing His message with others – for whatever reason(s). That is not true freedom and amounts to walking around with your Spiritual "foot" removed. Now I am mature enough to realize that it is a privilege and an honor to be ridiculed in God’s name. I can stand up to mockery and pressure. I am leaning on the arms of Jesus, and His love is more than enough to sustain me – the freedom of a life in Him is all I could ask for and then some. I am trying hard to let go and let God’s love shape every corner of my life these days and be truly free in Him. Who is shaping yours – has Jesus set YOU free?
©2008 Debbie Robus
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July 30 ~ Psalm 68:5
Father of orphans, champion of widows, is God in his holy house. God makes homes for the homeless, leads prisoners to freedom, but leaves rebels to rot in hell.
(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.)
Unless you have lived in a vacuum, you have seen at least one television show or movie about someone who stood before a judge in a court of law and was sentenced to jail. Sometimes, we learned later that the person who went to jail was truly innocent. But… he/she had no choice in the matter once all legal avenues were exhausted. The sentence was issued, and the time was served.
Isn’t it wonderful to know that we have a choice? Isn’t it amazing to realize we can choose whether to be a prisoner of sin and Satan – and ultimately hell – or we can choose LIFE in CHRIST and freedom – and eternity in Heaven.
The choice truly IS ours… and we still have a chance to make it. But there WILL come a day when the opportunity to choose will be removed… then it will be too late, and God will toss those who did not choose him into hell for all eternity. Now, given the two options, why on earth would you waste another day trapped in a prison of sin and destined for an eternity in hell? When you can choose the freedom of a life filled with God’s Holy Spirit, ear-marked for an eternity in Heaven with Him, isn’t the real choice pretty clear? God is in His holy house – are you with Him?
©2008 Debbie Robus
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July 29 ~ Psalm 34:22
God pays for each slave's freedom; no one who runs to him loses out.
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.
I admit...I am hopelessly hooked on HGTV. I also watch a lot of Food Network and TLC. Okay, so I also watch Project Runway and Shear Genius! I need a 12-step program, I think! My take is that it is better than much of what is on network television, and I haven’t watched a soap opera in years now, so that is a plus. But I do enjoy the “drama” of some of the competition, like Shear Genius and Design Star. While each of the contestants is talented and creative, there will ultimately be only one winner at the end of the series of challenges. Someone will lose, and in the words of Heidi Klum on Project Runway when someone is elminated, “You’re out. Auf Wiedersehen!”
I am so grateful that God pays for my freedom – that in the Spiritual version of Design Star, we are each and every one a star – a winner! No one who participates in God’s challenges loses. He recognizes each of us as a wonderful, talented, creative being who belongs to Him, and He will choose each of us – if only we choose Him first.
So keep your picture on God’s wall. Choose him, be the best you can be in every task He gives you, and go Home to Heaven some day a true winner for all eternity.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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July 28 ~ 1 Timothy 2:4-7
4-7 He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we've learned: that there's one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us - Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.
(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.)
As I read this passage, I was suddenly struck by the thought that you and I should be praying for Oprah Winfrey and others like her. “Why?” you might ask. There are several reasons, but here’s my take… for every person who follows the up and coming evangelists who are proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ, there are probably two or three people who watch Oprah every day and hang on her every idea and opinion. If we could convince HER to proclaim the sovereignty of God, imagine the impact!
If we could get Miley Cyrus to sing contemporary Christian music at her concerts, we would win countless young girls (and probably some young boys) to the Kingdom of heaven. If celebrity endorsements were not so effective, major corporations would not clamor for them. So why couldn’t these same celebrities be effective in an endorsement of the Gospel?
Yes, as Paul writes in Timothy, the Good News will get out – and it IS happening. And developments in technologies such as the Internet and satellite transmissions have greatly aided efforts to reach unbelievers around the world. But we can do so much more. And a grassroots endorsement from YOU can make a difference in your own community. You don’t know who may be influenced by YOUR opinion, so why not take a chance and share about what God has done for you with those you encounter? Why not serve others in the name of Jesus in your community and watch the ripple effect of that witness. Why not take advantage of e-mail correspondence with family and friends across the country (or even the globe!) to mention how God is working in your life? Think outside the box! Be the creative person God has formed and work on ways to share simple faith and plain truth of God’s power, His grace, His mercy, with as many as you can.
In the words of John Wesley, let’s “do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can!” And let’s pray that celebrities like Oprah, Miley, and others will find Jesus Christ for themselves, if they haven’t already, and carry out Wesley’s challenge, as well.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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July 27 ~ 2 Peter 2:17
There's nothing to these people—they're dried-up fountains, storm-scattered clouds, headed for a black hole in hell. They are loudmouths, full of hot air, but still they're dangerous. Men and women who have recently escaped from a deviant life are most susceptible to their brand of seduction. They promise these newcomers freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, for if they're addicted to corruption—and they are—they're enslaved.
(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.)
This passage refers to false teachers or prophets – they are still among us. Probably the kind you might encounter are those who tell you that “God understands” when you sin, and it’s okay. You’ve been “saved” so you are “safe” – you won’t go to hell for your actions. OR… they tell you that “God told me this or that,” so it’s okay, as in the child molester who tells a child “God told me it was okay for us to do this,” or the husband who abuses his wife because he feels it is “God’s will” that he literally rule his household with his fists.
Then there are those in the entertainment industry who sing and act and perform about a myriad of sins, and then thank God at the Oscars/Grammys/Emmys or do an album of Christmas hymns for the season or go on some entertainment television show or talk show and discuss how God has blessed them and they are so grateful. Are they really? Or is it just “good business” to credit God when convenient?
Talk show hosts like Oprah Winfrey want us to take an online class to find ourselves – and the “god” that is within each of us. She’s got a secret – and the “secret” is that you can be your own god – you can heal yourself! Years ago, I was intrigued by the teachings of Oprah’s friend, Marian Williamson. She is a self-proclaimed “minister” and she has written several books, some of which are based on another book called A Course in Miracles. I have read most of her books, and she makes just enough “good” points to draw you in and keep you reading, but her biggest point is that YOU can become your own healer (mentally and physically). Her philosophy is very much akin to Oprah’s “you can be your own god” ideas. And I am here to tell you, there is only ONE GOD and HE is our Great Healer!
Do not be fooled. Do not get swept up in other belief systems and false prophets. If you are not thoroughly grounded in daily Bible reading and study, don’t even open these types of “self-help” books to try and become informed and enlightened to their “take” on things. You will find yourself trapped in a world of confusion and misinformation. God has set you free! Focus on HIM and HIM ALONE! And ask God to keep you on track – and to give you wisdom to recognize false teaching when you encounter it.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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July 26 ~ 1 Peter 2:13
Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God's emissaries for keeping order. It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you're a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.
(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.)
I still remember the first time “my candidate” for President of the United States did not get elected to office. I was devastated. How would the country survive the Presidency of the other guy? After all, he was, in my opinion, the lesser candidate… if not downright inept. What would become of us? It’s not like I could move to a foreign country to live… nor would I want to do that! So, I had to learn to live within the confines of our democratic process – and the election of someone for whom I had not voted.
This has happened to me more than once in the years since, and each time, while I have “gone down kicking and screaming” so to speak, I have survived. I have to admit I have griped and grumbled along the way sometimes, but I would never be rude or disrespectful. I do not forward unkind e-mails, and I certainly do not send anything to anyone without thoroughly checking the facts first. I am appalled at intelligent, highly respected Christians who are sending out erroneous information about our current candidates. I am disgusted, frankly, with their accusations, their lack of concern for checking for facts, and their use of their “position” as a respected Christian servant to motivate others to subscribe to their beliefs.
We clearly see here that this is not Biblical. This is not sound behavior. This is not loving your neighbor as yourself or treating others with dignity. This is not respecting your government – or the democratic process our forefathers fought so hard to design – and countless men and women have fought to preserve.
I encourage you to “take the high road” this election year and in all elections to come. Double-check your facts before sharing any information. Pay attention, be informed and educated about the candidates, and prayerfully consider your choice. Promise yourself – and God – that you will not engage in spewing venom or being disrespectful or undignified toward anyone, including politicians. If you love God and keep His commandments, you must keep this one just as the others. Remember this passage and make the Master proud.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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July 25 ~ Colossians 1:13-14
13-14 God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He's set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.
(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.)
On October 14, 1987, a two-year-old girl named Jessica McClure fell into an abandoned well in a back yard in Midland, Texas. It took rescue workers 58 hours to remove the baby from pipe, which had a diameter of 8 inches. She had fallen to a depth of 22 feet. A new technology, called “water cutting” was used to drill through rock and create another shaft alongside the well shaft itself and make an opening for pulling her to safety. Fresh air was pumped to the baby, along with a tube filled with warm air to prevent hypothermia. Through the miracle of cable television, the whole world watched, waited and prayed for this tiny child. The first estimates were that she would be free in a matter of hours, but as the time dragged on, everyone came to know “Baby Jessica” and every detail of the rescue, and this child truly became “Everybody’s Baby.” The well was covered with a welded metal cap, so that no one else would ever again fall into that hole.
As wonderful and miraculous as this story is, it pales in comparison to God’s rescue of us from the pit of our sins. He orchestrated every detail – planned for each step. He nurtured us with “air” and “warmth” and answered prayers. The news media may not be alerted – the world may not be watching on TV (although remember, people ARE watching!) – so it’s up to US to report the biggest rescue story ever! We may not be “Everybody’s Baby,” but we are GOD’s baby – HE has rescued us from the pit of sin, and set us truly free forever. The “well” has been welded shut – covered in the blood of Jesus, and you can never fall into its depths again. You are FREE! Tell EVERYONE the GREAT NEWS!!! And thank God for His wondrous grace and mercy.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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July 24 ~ Ephesians 3:11-13
11-13 All this is proceeding along lines planned all along by God and then executed in Christ Jesus. When we trust in him, we're free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go. So don't let my present trouble on your behalf get you down. Be proud!
(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 Apostle Paul was imprisoned when he wrote this letter to the Ephesians, and yet he talks of the freedom of serving Christ Jesus, which is what got him thrown in jail! Now, hopefully we won’t be thrown in jail for proclaiming our faith in Jesus. But sometimes, we trap ourselves in fear – of what others will think or say… of losing our friends, mates, boyfriends/girlfriends… maybe even fear of losing our jobs.
But Paul is telling us that GOD is in charge. He will make a way for you. If you are bold in your faith and proudly claim Jesus as your Savior. If you stand up for Christian morals and refuse to lie for your boss and lose your job, God will help you get another – maybe a BETTER one. If you refuse to party with your friends or be around them when they are drinking or doing drugs, and they ditch you, God will give you new Christian friendships. If your spouse or boyfriend or girlfriend leaves you because you insist on going to church on Sundays and spending time in Bible study and prayer when they feel you should spend that time doing something with them, God will help you deal with the loneliness.
Can I tell you something? Scary as it seemed at the time, I have yet to surrender anything in my life to God that He didn’t handle for me and even give me something better in its place! NEVER! So whatever is holding you back today… whatever is keeping you trapped and anything less than completely free in Jesus Christ… let it go. Boldly profess your faith in God and your love and loyalty to Him. Then hang on to your hat… the ride is going to be amazing!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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July 23 ~ Ephesians 1:7-10
7-10 Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.
(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.)
In John Grisham’s The Broker, the main character is a broker who made some illegal deals and ended up in prison. Suddenly he finds himself pardoned by the President, whose term has almost ended. The broker is free to leave prison… BUT, he is whisked away by operatives of the CIA to a foreign country, given a new name, and coached to live as an Italian by the name of Marco. He is told not to make friends – that others are watching, and it could be a matter of life or death. He is told to stick pretty much to himself and to leave as small a “footprint” or trail as possible.
Does this sound like freedom to you? It doesn’t to me! I am so glad that when I surrendered my life to Christ, ALL of my sins were forgiven… all of my past was scattered “as far as the East is from the West.” I have a new life in Christ, but I don’t have to look over my shoulder, I don’t have to change my name and learn a new language. I don’t have “time” I have to do to pay off the rest of my debt. I am FREE – 100% totally in the clear – Jesus Christ “did my time” with His very blood on the cross.
When you think about it, how can we not be grateful? How can we not want to spend every possible minute loving and serving a Master who would do this for us? He bought and paid for our abundant freedom… God planned everything to the last little detail so that we could have this life. What can we do to show our gratitude?
©2008 Debbie Robus
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July 22 ~ Galatians 5:19
It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom.
(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.)
Go back and read the list of results in this passage that come from living a life of selfishness and always wanting your own way. Then think of people you know who have some of these issues. Paranoid loneliness – that’s So-and-so. A brutal temper – yep, that’s You-Know-Who! Uncontrolled and uncontrollable additions – that describes What’s-His-Name perfectly!
Now, think about that person in terms of Christian living. Does he/she have a solid relationship with God? Is his/her prayer life consistent? Does he/she spend much time – if any – in Bible study? Does this person ever come to church or hang out with fellow Christians? Do you see a pattern here?
When I hear someone say they can’t seem to get a handle on something – be it a personal relationship, direction in their life and/or career, or their finances, my first thought is, how are they doing Spiritually? Because you see, I believe that keeping God first – working on our relationship with Him and how to serve HIM well – is the key to solving any other issues we have. Surrendering our “self” to God results in more freedom than we could ever hope for or even imagine! Don’t waste another minute of your life being trapped in the prison that results from living life on your own terms. Complete surrender to God truly IS the first step to real and lasting freedom, so get started today. You’ll be so glad you did!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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