January 28 ~ Ephesians 6:13-18
Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops 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.)
Have you ever heard someone say, “I don’t need any help! I can do it myself!” When it comes to being consistent in our life as a Christian, we see clearly in this scripture that we can NOT do it ourselves. Notice it says we need a weapon! That is because Satan is a very, very formidable opponent. And let me tell you, he will not be one bit happy about you living for Jesus! The stronger you become in your Christian walk, the harder the devil will fight to win you back to his side.
So take a long, hard look at this passage. Be prepared. Take all the help you can get. Study God’s word. Keep your eyes open and pray hard. And help your brother and sister in Christ to do the same thing. You may wonder, “If it’s so hard, why bother?” Let me tell you, every struggle you endure for Christ will be worth it. There will be hard times, but there will be amazingly wonderful rewards… and the ultimate reward will be spending eternity in heaven. It won’t get any better than running into Jesus’ arms some day. Meanwhile, each earthly step toward our heavenly home will bring its own rewards and blessings.Be prepared, keep your eyes open – and keep the faith – and God will help you stay on your feet!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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January 27 ~ Ephesians 4:14-16
No prolonged infancies among us, please. We'll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love - like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.
(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.)
Are you a “babe in the woods” in your faith? For far too long… maybe even 30 years or better… this described me. I knew just enough scripture and hymns to feel smug in my faith. I went to church often and was a “good person.” I prayed and occasionally read my Bible. But I didn’t produce much fruit… and honestly, I didn’t understand God’s power to sustain me in times of need – or His love for me in sending Jesus Christ. In many ways, I was a pretty easy mark for the devil because of my lax attitude. For the longest, I didn’t get that Jesus’ very breath and blood flow through me and nourish me each day. THAT is powerful… and empowering!
Where are you in your walk? Are you in tune with the Holy Spirit? Do you feel Jesus’ breath and blood flowing through you? Is He the source of everything you do? I encourage you to stop today and re-examine your situation. Look for time in your day to read the Bible and pray – or to read the words of a good Christian author as God uses him/her to speak to your current needs. Visit with a strong Christian friend and see what you can learn from him/her. Listen to some good Christian music. In other words, feed upon the word of God through His word and the words He gives fellow believers for you. Grow in your faith. Don’t stay a “baby Christian.” Don’t be an easy mark for the devil. Grow up, recognize the truth, share it with others, and feel Christ nourishing you each day.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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January 26 ~ Galatians 6:9-10
So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.
(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 felt you were spreading yourself too thinly? We all get overloaded at times, but one of the easiest – and worst – places for this is in church work and/or ministry. There are so many needs, and sometimes we feel “called” to share in meeting all of them. There is the food drive, the shoe drive, the children’s after-school program, youth night, Sunday night Bible study, Monday morning Bible study, choir, church supper, answering the phone in the office – and you’ve not even left the parking lot! The Christian Health Center needs volunteers, along with Cleburne County Cares, the Humane Society, and the Hospital Auxiliary. Countless charities need your money, this charity or that needs your help in soliciting donations, and friends and family need visits, food, and encouragement for a myriad of reasons. And we still haven’t left town and considered true “community outreach” or global missions!
Whew! No wonder we are fatigued from “doing good!” I think the message of this passage is this… “Slow down! Take a good look around your own backyard. Who in your immediate circle needs you?” If we don’t take care of the needs of those closest to us and nurture them, then how will we ever build a strong group of Christians to minister to others as the circle widens? We’ve all heard the saying, “Charity begins at home.” Well, so does ministry!
So look around your immediate circle and your own backyard today, and see where needs can be met. If you have time and energy to expand beyond that a little, go for it! God will show you how far to venture in your efforts. And if you keep at it, He will harvest a good crop from them. Ask God where HE wants you to serve, and then get to work!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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January 25 ~ Galatians 5:1
Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.
(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.)
January 20th, Barack Obama took the oath of office as the 44th President of the United States and became the first African-American to do so. That night, he slept in the White House - built by slaves - and only a few yards from where many of them slept each night in huts on the White House grounds. I’m sure most of them never dreamed that some day a man with African roots like theirs would be leading the free world and living in the house they had helped to build. It has taken a long, long time to remove the harnesses of slavery in this country – and even today, I don’t believe they are completely gone in some circles.
I know that many people – of all colors – feel bonds of slavery to something or someone, even today. But the GOOD NEWS is that ALL of us are free in Christ Jesus! All of us were slaves to the devil before Christ came to save us, but save us He did! Now we can live a free life in Him. We don’t ever have to be slaves to sin or the devil again, and that is wonderful news.
I am sure that many people have endured their suffering and hardship in slavery to man by holding onto the promises of freedom in Jesus. Imagine all of the slaves who toiled in faith that SOME DAY things would be different and freedom would come. We don’t have to wait for freedom through Christ Jesus. With God all things ARE possible. Freedom from man’s bondage may take centuries, but freedom from the devil comes in an instant – the moment we ask Jesus to live in our hearts and be the Lord of our life. So take YOUR stand! Give your harness of slavery to Christ and life a free life in Him. He will take care of everything else.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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January 24 ~ 2 Corinthians 5:15
Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own.
(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 1975, my husband and I sat with our family in the end zone at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, surrounded by Texas A&M Aggie fans. I can tell you that the outset of that game was anything but pleasant. Texas A&M was undefeated and destined for a berth in the Cotton Bowl. Arkansas won the game 31-6, and we savored the victory while the A&M fans sat in stunned silence.
We all like to be winners, and we all like to feel included. Sitting on a bench in an end zone filled with gloating opponents doesn’t make you feel included – or like a winner! The good news is that we are ALL winners with Jesus. We are all included. There are no losers. The opponent (Satan) has been defeated, and nobody else has to be on his team. One man came to earth and died for EVERYONE. We can all celebrate at the end. Nobody has to sit in stunned silence. And we all get to go to the biggest “bowl game” of all time… Heaven!
Belonging to Jesus changes everything and colors my approach to each and every day. I can’t imagine being on the outside and looking in… but I know there are those who do. It doesn’t have to be that way. What Jesus did for you and me, He will surely do for those who don’t yet believe. It says so in this passage… “He included everyone in his death…” Our job is to get this word out to everyone we meet, so that they can join us. We’re all in the same boat with Jesus… and there is still room for others! Where are you sitting?
©2008 Debbie Robus
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January 23 ~ 2 Corinthians 1:20-22
Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God's Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge - a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete.
(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 signed something that had to be witnessed or notarized? The witnesses and notary public must sign and/or stamp the document, attesting that they saw you sign the paper. They are affirming you… stating that indeed, YOU signed where you said you signed. Their signature and/or notary seal are vital to the authenticity and validity of the document!
Jesus authorized and validated us with His very blood. His death on the cross and resurrection three days later were the “stamp” and seal on our sins, removing any record of them forever. His crucifixion and resurrection also signaled the beginning of our new life in Him.
If the notary and witnesses signed a document and we failed to sign, it would not be valid. It takes BOTH to create a legal and binding statement. In the same way, God’s “Yes” requires our “Yes” to complete the agreement. Our salvation is not guaranteed because Jesus says He will vouch for us (cover our sins). We have to do our part. We have to say, “Yes, I ask for forgiveness. Yes, I will follow You all the days of my life.” And we have to mean it! God’s “Yes” and our “Yes” together create a sure thing in Christ. His eternal pledge becomes our guarantee of life with Him on earth AND in heaven.So where do you stand today? Have you given your “Yes” to God? Has He stamped you with His eternal pledge? Is your future a sure thing in Christ?
©2008 Debbie Robus
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January 22 ~ 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Keep your eyes open, hold tight to your convictions, give it all you've got, be resolute, and love without stopping.
(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 NIV translates this verse as, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.” Sometimes, we get so caught up in the routine of daily life that we forget to stay alert. We drop our guard, and sometimes we are unloving – and unlovely!
Surely as we are bombarded on all sides by stressful situations, demands of work and family and “keeping all of the balls in the air,” it is easy to say, “I think I will skip my Bible study today,” or to cut our prayers short. We find reasons to miss everything from church services to committee meetings. We sign up for small groups and special events with the greatest of intentions, and then we find ourselves to weary or too busy to attend. We meet people in the store and whiz by them shouting, “Hi! How are you?” but not waiting for the answer, because we are “on the run” to get to our next event.
“But this is life!” I hear you saying. And you are right… and it’s a life that is rich with openings for the devil to make headway. When we drop our guard, he goes to work. The moments when we are too stressed or busy to make time for God is the when we need to find EXTRA time for Him. When we are so busy we don’t have time to share God’s love with others – or we reduce even our conversation with family members and/or spouses to a grunt and a grumble – Satan rolls up his sleeves and gets to work! When we laugh at an off-color joke or ignore a racial slur, or we turn away as someone behaves in a manner that isn’t Christ-like, we are not only unloving in our behavior, but we are compromising our convictions.
In Matthew 11:29-30, Jesus says "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (MSG) Jesus has promised He will never give us more than we can handle with His help. So be bold in your faith, keep on guard, rest in His grace, love without stopping, and LIVE in Him. Be strong, stay faithful, love always, and give all you’ve got for Jesus!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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