March 11, 2010

Melting!

"He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow." Psalm 147:16-18

I know it has been a long, long winter for many. But the Lord has seen fit to bless my part of the country with some warmer weather lately. I have seen on the news where other parts of the country are starting to thaw, also. It's been so encouraging to finally see patches of my yard that I haven't seen since last October!

It may have been a long, long winter in your life this year, too. But just as the Lord sends the warm breezes to thaw the ground and melt the snow, so He sends His Word to stir up the breezes of love and respect in families torn apart by the enemy's attacks. He causes the healing waters of forgiveness and mercy to flow as He prepares another family to bloom once again in His grace.

"…for the Mighty One has done great things for me-holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm..." Luke 1:49-51a

"Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed." Psalm 112:1-2

You and your praying parent stand at the very forefront of a battle for your family. You are the first responders; the first defense. Your prayers are the weapons you wield against the enemy's pull on your family. Satan may be piling cold upon cold and frost upon frost and storm upon storm, but there is nothing he can do that can withstand the warmth of the Son. There is no winter so long that it is not followed by a spring. There is no heart so frozen that the Lord cannot melt it. There is no circumstance so big that He cannot overcome if you will continue to have faith.

"He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20

The Lord sees the mountains of circumstances in your life. He knows about the cold and the dark in the life of the one you pray for. His ears have heard your prayers and His eyes have seen your tears. When everything and everyone is ready, He will send the gentle breeze to warm the hardest heart and melt the biggest mountain. Little by little that mountain of cold will become a river of love and forgiveness. Little by little the frozen heart will warm to the Words of our Savior. Step by step, the parent you pray for will find his or her way back to the Lord and back to the loving arms of a praying family.

"See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared." Exodus 23:20

"Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD: 'The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.'" Psalm 102:18-20

Can you continue to have faith and pray that the Lord will melt the mountains in your life? Can you believe that no matter how cold or dark the winter, there is always a spring? Can you believe that nothing or no one can hide for long from the warmth of the Son?

"Lord, we pray that the petitions of your children will rise like incense to Your ears. We pray that You will stir up the gentle breeze of love in our families and send Your healing waters of forgiveness. We pray that the warmth of Your love will fill our hearts and the hearts of the ones we pray for. Thank You, Lord that hard hearts are melting and that the ones we pray for are finding their way back to You and back to the families that love them and pray for them. In the precious name of Your Son Jesus, we pray. Amen."

God Bless,
Kim, standing in Nebraska
http://rejoiceministries.org/Kim.html
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061
http://rejoiceministries.org  

February 17, 2010

Keep Building! -

"Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." Psalm 127:1

We have several Habitat for Humanity homes here in my city. These are houses built by volunteers to provide a place to call home for those who have never had that. I remember watching one go up every day as I drove to work. It always amazed me what could be accomplished when people worked together. Those volunteers were there every day. In the hot sun, or the stinging wind, or the cold rain. Whatever circumstance was thrown at them that day, they were there.

What do you suppose would have happened if those volunteers just laid down their tools and walked away? What if they said, "This is too hard," or "The sun is too hot," or "The rain is too cold?" The home would never have been built and a family would never have a place to call their own.

What do you suppose would happen if you laid down your tools and walked away from praying and trusting and believing for your family to be made whole again? What do you think would happen if you said, "This is too hard" or "The circumstances are too big?" If you want your home rebuilt on the solid rock of Jesus Christ, you gotta do the work.

"'If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.'" 2 Chronicles 20:9

"But I call to God, and the LORD saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me." Psalm 55:16-18

As I watched that house being built, I noted how many volunteers were there working. Each had a specialized job to do - maybe nailing boards, or setting shingles, or working on the landscape. It took all of them working together to build that home. What if each one had said, "Oh, they don't need me. Let someone else do the work?" What if one day nobody showed up to work because they were waiting for others to do it? The work would never have been completed.

What if you decide that God doesn't need you praying for your family? What if you decide that your work or your part isn't that important? What if you decide to let others do the work and nobody shows up? If we don't pray for them, who will? The Lord hears the prayers of each and every one of us. They rise like incense to His ears and they please Him and make Him glad.

"From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth- he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do." Psalm 33:13-15

We are God's workmen here on Earth; building a house in His name, being vigilant for the enemy in the watchtowers, standing guard against the devil's schemes. Our prayers are the wall, our God is our fortress, our trust is our strength. Your prayers are the building materials that the Lord will use to rebuild and restore what the enemy has torn down. If you provide the materials, the Lord will build the house.

"But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD. 'Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the LORD, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the LORD Almighty." Haggai 2:4

"But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded." 2 Chronicles 15:7

God Bless,
Kim, standing in Nebraska
http://rejoiceministries.org/Kim.html  
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061
http://rejoiceministries.org  

February 5, 2010

Chores!

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24

Do you have a list of chores that you are responsible for every week? Maybe it's to set the table, or take out the garbage, or help make supper. Maybe it's to watch your little brother or sister while mom works or to make sure your bed is made and your room is picked up. Maybe it's your job to scoop the snow when God gives us the kind of winter He has this year.   :)

Do you grumble and complain about your chores? Do you sometimes think it isn't fair that you have to do all these things; things that dad or mom used to do when they were around? Things that you don't want to do? We all have some sort of work to do and it's this work that makes our lives and the lives of those around us run more smoothly.

What do you think would happen if you didn't do your chores? Maybe the house would start to stink because you didn't want to take the garbage out this week. Maybe you couldn't get to school or to the grocery store (or the video store) if you decided not to scoop the driveway. Maybe your little brother or sister could get lost or even hurt if you decided not to watch them. Whatever chore or work it is that God has asked us to do, we need to do it joyfully.

"The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand." Deuteronomy 28:12a (NKJV)

"May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge." Ruth 2:12 (NASB)

I have a small card on my desk at home that says, "Work as unto the Lord." When I see my driveway with five feet of snow piled on it, I look at that card and say, "As unto the Lord." When the yard needs to be mowed and the flower garden weeded, I remember…as unto the Lord. When I'm standing at the sink washing a pile of dishes, I tell myself…as unto the Lord. These are my chores and the work that God has given me to do in this season of my life and I will do it as unto the Lord.

God gives each of us special work to do. He knows our talents and He has given us our gifts. He wants us to use these gifts for His glory and His kingdom. I know you are shaking your head at me right about now and wondering what cleaning the litter box has to do with God's kingdom. Well, it is your way of helping your family to run more smoothly and for everybody's lives to go a little easier and it pleases the Lord when you give of yourselves to help others.

"But now, O LORD, You are our Father. We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand." Isaiah 64:8 (NASB)

If we look at our "chores" as a way to please the Lord, then we can do them joyfully. Don't want to take out the garbage? Do it because mom or dad needs you to and obedience to your parents pleases the Lord. Don't want to watch your brother or sister? Be a friend to them and guide them because a loving family pleases the Lord. Don't want to fold the laundry or help with the dishes? Do it because helping others pleases the Lord. You may not be smiling when you do it, but God is.

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us- yes, establish the work of our hands." Psalm 90:17

"As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." Ephesians 6:6b-7 (NLT)

God Bless,
Kim, standing in Nebraska
http://rejoiceministries.org/Kim.html  
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061
http://rejoiceministries.org  

January 19, 2010

 Right on Time

"This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed." Habakkuk 2:3 (NLT)

This past year our school board decided to decrease the passing time between classes in order to gain a little extra teaching time at school. Those who were used to the longer time really had to scramble to make it from one end of the school to the other before the tardy bell. There were a lot of late students for a while but eventually they got used to it. Now most students are right on time - not a minute early or a minute late.

Your parents, you, me - we all serve and pray to a God who is always right on time. As Charlyne often quotes, "God's delays are not God's denials." There are blessings He has stored up for us in the heavenlies and He wants everything to be ready to bring about His best blessings. Why settle for something good when He has something miraculous in store for us?

"And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!" Isaiah 30:18 (AMP)

I know that it sometimes seems like this waiting time will never end. Sometimes it seems like we are not all being treated fairly. It's like when you are at the doctor's office and see patients who came in after you get to go in ahead of you. But you don't know what those circumstances are. They might be seeing a different doctor or just be going in for some lab work or (gulp!) a shot. Whatever the circumstances, it is always right on time.

It's this way with the Lord. Some of us feel we have spent way too much time in God's waiting room and don't understand why this is taking so long. Some of us might visit the front desk time and again, checking on our status. Or some might even give up and walk out and say, "It's not that important." But it IS important. It is important for you and for your parent and especially for the one you pray for. Your prayers, your parent's prayers, the prayers of thousands of others who are standing and believing for a healed and whole family - they are all important to God. He hears and He answers and He is always right on time.

Look at the story of the miracle God worked as His people came to the Red Sea. They were backed up against it - with the sea on one side and Pharaoh's army on the other. The people were frightened, confused, and tired but God kept them waiting. All through the darkness, they waited. All through that long night, they waited as "the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land." (Exodus 14:21b)

They waited for their miracle. The Lord delivered. He made a way for them through the Red Sea.

This is the same God who watches over and delivers you and your family. He will part that Red Sea. He will deliver what He has promised. He will make a way through any circumstance or any hard heart or any proud words. We just have to wait for Him.

"Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today...The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14:13-14

God is always patient with us. We need to be patient with God and allow Him to be patient with the ones we pray for, too. Use this wait time to strengthen and deepen your relationship with Jesus. Let the Lord continue to work in your life and in your mom or dad's life as you wait for Him to get everything ready. The best is yet to come.

"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9

"Yet I am confident I will see the LORD's goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD." Psalm 27:13-14 (NLT)

God Bless,
Kim, standing in Nebraska
http://rejoiceministries.org/Kim.html  
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061
http://rejoiceministries.org

January 2, 2010

New Things

"Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful." Revelation 21:5 (NKJV)

Another Christmas has come and gone. Another holiday season is over. Another year is beginning. Did you get some new things for Christmas? Are these new things still so important to you? I'm guessing some of you don't even know where some of your new things are right now. But God knows where His "new things" are. God's new things are you and me and your mom and your dad and your brother or sister or aunt or uncle or friend. God's new things are those of us who believe and trust and hope.

No matter what the season brought for you, because of Jesus, God has a new thing planned. He told us in His Word that He makes all things new. Notice the use of the word "new" here. He didn't say he would cover up our lives with a thin whitewash of "goodness"; with words not felt in our hearts; with light dimmed by circumstances; with hope tossed up and down by life. No. He promised that we would be new from the inside out.

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ."                        2 Corinthians 5:17-18a (NLT)

"But-'When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.'" Titus 3:4-5 (NLT)

This season we celebrated the greatest gift ever given to us - reconciliation to God through Jesus. This gift is what makes us new from the inside out. This gift is what gives us the promise of eternal life. This gift is what helps us to hang onto our hope when the winds of life blow us here and there. This gift is given to us and promised to the ones we pray for. Did your mom or dad get this special gift this Christmas? If so, praise the Lord. If not, keep praying. Our prayers are powerful and effective. God promises this, too.

"And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven." James 5:16

A new year and a new decade are beginning. We can spend our lives looking back at the past, saying "if only," wishing we could do things differently, regretting our mistakes or being angry at our circumstances. But what good does that do? We can't change the past but we CAN make a new future. We can continue to stand in the gap and pray for the ones we love. We can let our Jesus light shine even more brightly this new year. We can trust that God is in control of everything - the big and the small, the important and not so important, the good and what we think is the bad. We have a Savior who wants to do new things for us and new things for the ones we pray for. He has some wonderful plans for our families in this new year. Because He is the Lord who makes all things new.

"See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you." Isaiah 42:9

"And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known. I will make darkness into light before them and make uneven places into a plain. These things I have determined to do [for them]; and I will not leave them forsaken." Isaiah 42:16 (Amp)

God Bless,
Kim, standing in Nebraska
http://rejoiceministries.org/Kim.html  
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061
http://rejoiceministries.org