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Reveal Day 8 Sudden Peace

December 16, 2020 by Amy Krigbaum Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 1:26-38
Matthew 1:18-25
Luke 2:8-14

Reveal, Day 8

Quiet. Tranquil. Calm.

Pandemic.
Riots.
Murder Hornets.
Politics.

When I think of the word “peace,” I think of its absence in the past year.

For the first time in my life, I can actually say that pretty much the whole world understands what the person next door is going through.
Chaos has been the shared experience of 2020.

But chaos is not new;
the world has been in chaos since man’s first sin.
(Genesis 3:1-24)

Fear follows closely on the heels of chaos as we struggle to navigate this broken world in which we live. Fear of the unknown. Fear of disease. Fear of man.

Yet, the Bible urges us to live unafraid:

“Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For the Lord your God is the one who will go with you; He will not leave you or abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

We do not need to fear the unknown, disease, or man.
God has already gone before us.
No amount of chaos surprises Him.

I know. It sounds impossible. During this chaos of Covid-19, I personally allowed the news and the opinions or dire predictions of others to spiral me into panic.

Is it safe to leave the house?
Should I start doing grocery pickup?
Should I order everything online and just have it brought to the house?
What about staying home?
Should I go to church?
Is it ok to see family?
What if I want to go to the park? Is that ok?
Will I die?
What if . . . ? What if . . . ? What if . . . ?

But God.

Peace.

Uttering simple words, “but God,” brought sudden peace to my heart, just as He promised in John 16:33.

“I have told you these things so that in me, you may have peace.
You will have suffering in this world.
Be courageous! I have overcome the world.”

The world wants peace.
The world wants no disease, no hate, no chaos, but true peace will never happen here.
Yet, in our hearts, we long for a kind of peace the world cannot give; it’s only found in God.

As we step into the Christmas season, we hear stories of Mary and Joseph and the night Jesus was born.

Was the world at peace?
No.

God was silent for hundreds of years. Israel was under Roman rule. The corrupt religious leaders oppressed the people. Israel awaited the promised Messiah, the One whom God said would bring peace. They were expecting a peace in the world, a peace of circumstance. No more chaos, disease, or corrupt leaders. They could not foresee or understand Jesus would bring peace with God, a peace transcending circumstance.

When Mary was approached by Gabriel, the world around her was full of chaos. The angel’s announcement certainly brought confusion, possibly threatening her one source of earthly stability, her engagement to Joseph and the secure future it promised.

But the angel said, “Do not be afraid.”

And in the midst of chaos, sudden peace.

Like Mary, Joseph lived in a world of chaos but was secure in their relationship. Until Mary told him the news she was expecting a baby. (Matthew 1:18-25)
Confusion. Hurt. Questions.
The law said, “Divorce her,”

but the angel said, “Do not be afraid.”

And in the midst of chaos, sudden peace.

The shepherds took refuge in a quiet, hillside night from the chaos of the city during census. Shepherds were lowly in society, the people no one cared about, yet they were the first to learn of Jesus’ birth! The angel’s proclamation sparks immediate fear (Luke 2:8-14),

but then he says, “Do not be afraid.”

And in the midst of chaos, sudden peace.

Each person in the Christmas story experienced fear.
Fear on the outside, fear on the inside.
They each felt the ache for peace.
Peace in the world and peace in their hearts.
“Do not be afraid.”

Peace.

When Jesus was born, the chaos of the world did not end. Yet each person in the story found peace. It was a peace inside, a peace in their hearts.

Desperation for peace in the world’s circumstances is an outward need, reflecting our desperate need for spiritual peace. In the midst of the chaos, we can still have peace inside if we search for the One who IS peace and GIVES peace. The same Jesus who calmed the storm on the waves by simply speaking, “Peace! Be still.” (Matthew 4:35-41) When we seek Him in chaos, He speaks, “Peace! Be still!” to the storm raging within us.

We may not see a physical change.
The diagnosis doesn’t change.
The people around us may not have a new attitude.

We change.
His peace, which passes all understanding, is inside us, calming our hearts.
(Philippians 4:6-7)

We hear God speak simple words, “Do not be afraid.”

And in the midst of chaos, sudden peace.

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Worship VII Day 5 Lower Still

October 30, 2020 by Melodye Reeves 1 Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 53:2-3
Matthew 11:28-30
John 13:12-16
Philippians 2:5-8
Hebrews 2:14-18

Worship VII, Day 5

For years, I stood in church services and wrestled with my conscience.

Am I singing lyrics I sincerely believe?
Are my motives sincere?

Oh, what grace I have discovered as I sought the Lord with these concerns!

In our songs as believers, we address three audiences: ourselves, others, and God.
Sometimes, we are reminding our own souls of Who God is. (Psalm 103:1-2)
Other times, we join in song with, and to, each other as we sing truth. (Ephesians 5:18-21)
Most importantly, we lift our spirits and songs directly to God in awestruck wonder. (Psalm 92:1-4)

Though we may not always “feel” the words, God takes our imperfect praise and uses it to reveal Himself to us.

As I considered the lyrics to Lower Still, my heart could barely contain my angst mixed with glorious praise.

“Look, He’s covered in dirt
The blood of His mother has mixed with the Earth
And she’s just a child who’s throbbing in pain
From the terror of birth by the light of a cave
Now they’ve laid that small baby
Where creatures come eat
Like a meal for the swine who have no clue that He
Is still holding together the world that they see
They don’t know just how low He has to go
Lower still”

The sight of a young mother laying her newborn child in a feeding trough intended for the animal’ food is likely unimaginable to us. The irony of the humble surroundings of Christ’s birth is much more significant when we understand this baby was God in the flesh.

The child’s mother, Mary, submitted to her God (Luke 1:46-49), despite her limited understanding. Did Mary realize her son’s humble beginning would set the trend of His life? That Jesus would become her Savior?

Just as obediently, the omniscient Son of God, humbled Himself and came to earth in human form (Hebrews 2:14-18), knowingly embracing a sacrificial life on the dusty planet He’d created. How do we comprehend a Father sending His Son to the agonies of earth and leaving the glories of Heaven? For, as we follow Jesus’ story, we learn He would go even lower than a feeding trough.

“Look now He’s kneeling He’s washin’ their feet
Though they’re all filthy fishermen, traitors and thieves
Now He’s pouring His heart out and they’re fallin’ asleep
But He has to go lower still”

Unable to grasp this level of humility, Simon Peter initially refused Jesus’ invitation to wash his feet. (John 13:6-8) He didn’t realize Jesus was demonstrating why He had come.

Although we don’t know much about Jesus’ life between His boyhood and His manhood, the apostle Paul wrote to the believers at Philippi, describing Jesus’ heart. It would be difficult to find a better example of Jesus’ humble depths than Paul’s words in Philippians 2.

God in Jesus “emptied Himself.” That’s low!
He took upon Himself “the likeness of humanity.” That’s lower!
In this human condition, Christ humbled Himself “to the point of death — even death on a cross.” Lower still.

Commentators help us imagine why the apostles would have been gripped by death on a cross, in comparing it to the barbaric way many Jews died during the Nazi regime. Stripped of their belongings, clothing, and dignity, millions were led to gas chambers to die an agonizing death. Crucifixion was THIS kind of death. And Jesus went willingly. Author and pastor, Trevin Wax, explained, “The Creator was slain by His creation. The Shepherd was slain by His sheep. The Creator of life submitted to death.”

Even lower He went.

“There is greater love to show
Hands to the plow
Further down now
Blood must flow

All these steps are personal
All His shame is ransom
Oh do you see, do you see just how low, he has come
Do you see it now?
No one takes from him
What he freely gives away
Beat in his face
Tear the skin off his back
Lower still, lower still
Strip off his clothes
Make him crawl through the streets
Lower still, lower still
Hang him like meat
On a criminal’s tree
Lower still, lower still
Bury his corpse in the Earth
Like a seed, like a seed, like a seed
Lower still, lower still

Lower still, lower still…”

But God! (Romans 5:6-8)
Christ was lowered into a borrowed tomb, then rose out of it
that we may be lowered and raised with Him!
Christ went low so our songs could rise:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

“The Earth explodes
She cannot hold Him!
And all therein is placed beneath Him
And death itself no longer reigns
It cannot keep the ones He gave himself to save
And as the universe shatters the darkness dissolves
He alone will be honored
We will bathe in His splendor
As all heads bow lower still
All heads bow lower still.”

Paul reminds us Christ died and returned to life. And one day every knee will bow lower still to the risen and reigning Christ. (Romans 14:9-11) May we choose now to fall honestly and humbly at the feet of Jesus, to bow our heads and hearts lower still, and discover His glorious grace.

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Calling Day 12 The Lens Of Truth: Digging Deeper

October 20, 2020 by Melodye Reeves Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out The Lens Of Truth!

The Questions

1) Who are the disobedient mentioned in verse 6 and how are the saints to proactively stay connected?

2) How did the Ephesians, to whom Paul is writing, move from darkness to light? (verse 7)

3) Once a person is walking in the light, what is the public evidence? (verse 9)

Ephesians 5:6-14

6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. 7 Therefore, do not become their partners. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light— 9 for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth— 10 testing what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. 13 Everything exposed by the light is made visible, 14 for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Original Intent

1) Who are the disobedient mentioned in verse 6 and how are the saints to proactively stay connected?
At the beginning of Chapter 5, Paul continues his thought from Chapter 4. He wants his reader to understand the importance of their relationships with each other and with those outside the Church. Scripture makes it clear that those who consistently walk in disobedience (those living outside of God’s grace), have intentionally rejected God’s forgiveness. (Romans 1:18-28) Forgiveness is God’s answer to the impossible state of reality for all humanity, we are insufficient to save ourselves. We see from the creation story that God created humans with a freedom that allowed them to choose obedience or disobedience. That freedom sadly exposed mankind’s unwillingness to choose rightly. Adam and Eve found themselves deceived by an empty argument from the source of all disobedience, pride. (Genesis 1-3) In the Old Testament, the Psalmist reviewed the disobedience in Israel’s history. (Psalm 78) In the New Testament, the apostles reminded the people of their rebellion against God (Acts 3, Acts 7). Had the very first man and woman refrained from approaching the one tree God had forbidden, they could have continued their sweet fellowship with their Creator. In this section of his letter, Paul encourages the saints to remain distanced from the message and lifestyle of the rebellious. This intentional choice demonstrates, and promotes, obedience to Christ over self.

2) How did the Ephesians, to whom Paul is writing, move from darkness to light? (verse 7)
Note the wording in verse 8. Paul not only says the saints were once in darkness, he says they were darkness. This “darkness” is not simply a place without light. It is the condition of all men apart from Christ. (studylight.org) Every heart not regenerated by the light of Christ is utterly dark. The prophet Isaiah said that everyone stumbles in their darkness. (Isaiah 59:9-10) Light necessarily shines on the rebellious and disobedient heart, revealing the need for forgiveness. As “dearly loved children of God” (Ephesians 5:1), the believers were to walk in the love and light of Christ. The only good thing about darkness is that light is seen so clearly! The letter to the Ephesians emphasizes Paul’s desire for them to recognize God’s “goodness, righteousness and truth.” (verse 9) When light and darkness are in the same space, light wins. The recipients of Paul’s letter had come into the light only though God’s gracious revelation to them. God’s light shone in and on their dark hearts. The exposure to sinfulness produces repentance that leads to “speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:19-20)

3) Once a person is walking in the light, what is the public evidence? (verse 9)
In the original Greek, the words that speak of the previous darkness reveal a forceful impact. As darkness itself, they were “utterly sunk in ignorance of Divine things, [and] wholly lost in the evils accompanying such ignorance.” (Expositor’s Greek Testament) But God! If two words were used to be the subtitle of Ephesians, it could be these! Though the English word “but” is supplied in Ephesians 2:4 for clarity, it perfectly translates the message of Paul in the letter. Multiple times, he compares who the saints at Ephesus previously were with who they now are. The God of light has shone His mercy in the darkness since the days of Noah. (Genesis 7:23-8:1)The urgency of Paul to proclaim this message of transformation from dark to light is found in his letters to the Romans and the Corinthians. (Romans 5:6-11, 1 Corinthians 1:26-27) How glorious and radical is the light that shines in, on, and through the darkness. “The completeness of the change [from dark to light] is evidenced in that they were so possessed and penetrated by that truth, that they could be described not simply as enlightened but as themselves now light.” (Expositor’s Greek Testament) Being light is evidenced through our obedience. Paul speaks in the remaining chapter (Ephesians 6:1-23) of how we are to shine our light in marriage, family life and in the church.

Everyday Application

1) Who are the disobedient mentioned in verse 6 and how are the saints to proactively stay connected?
Genesis pronounces that human beings were “hardwired to be good creatures who live in a good world created by a good God for the purpose of expanding this goodness to the ends of the earth.” (Terry Evans, upi.org) But Satan took advantage of the atmosphere of freedom in the Garden of Eden. It is in the very same environment of suspicion and skepticism that we are led to be disobedient rebels today. Just like the people Paul was writing to, we are prone to wander away from following God wholeheartedly. Even as believers in Jesus, our human nature is still fighting within us as the enemy uses it against us often. (Romans 6:12-16) If we keep ourselves too close to those who are recklessly denying God’s judgment to come, we may find ourselves listening to, and believing, their shameful lies. It is in these situations we are tempted to succumb to a wrong way of thinking about our obedience. We begin to believe those trapped in darkness who tell us that God’s way is restrictive or unnecessary. The forbidden fruit we read about in Genesis 3 becomes more desirable. If we continue to stand too close to the tree, we are setting ourselves up for disillusionment and ultimately disobedience.

2) How did the Ephesians, to whom Paul is writing, move from darkness to light? (verse 7)
Darkness is uncomfortable, dangerous, and scary. So, why are so many people staying there? Because they have been convinced by the prince of darkness (Ephesians 2:1-2), the father of lies (John 8:43-44), that obedience to God is keeping us from something. The devil is continuing to use his stealth against humanity. He thrives in bringing confusion and chaos. (2 Corinthians 2:9-11) God is good and does good. Satan is evil and does evil. God is light and brings light. Satan is darkness and brings darkness. This is why we feast on God’s words. That is why we avoid those who desire to cause us to doubt the goodness and mercy of God. It is in the light that we see so clearly who God is and who we are! “This is the message we have heard from Him: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him. If we say, ‘We have fellowship with Him,” and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7)

3) Once a person is walking in the light, what is the public evidence? (verse 9)
The evidence that we are walking in the light is our witness. We give witness to our transformed heart and life by our words, our obedience, and our love for others. Once we have been transformed from darkness to light, we are to shine in the dark places everywhere we go. There is just something about a woman who consistently walks with Jesus through prayer and Bible study. She lights up a room like no one else can! Oh sister, I encourage you to study the Word so you deeply know Jesus, that you might become an ever-brighter reflection in this scary, dark world. The way to be the light is to wake from apathy and drudgery and celebrate the Light!
“There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” (John 1:6-9) It’s not Christmas yet, but let’s worship Him and share the good news:
Noel, Noel!
Come and see what God has done.
Noel, Noel!
The story of amazing love!
The light of the world, given for us.
Noel.
(Lyrics by Chris Tomlin & Matt Redman)

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Redeemed Day 1 Once Upon A Time

June 22, 2020 by Sara Colquhoun 4 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ruth 1:1-5
Judges 2:16-23
Isaiah 43:1-7

Redeemed, Day 1

My first wedding anniversary was nothing like I expected.

Just 365 days prior, I was running to my car with sparklers all around, looking forward to the rest of my life with my beloved.

Fast forward a year, my husband and I went out to dinner and headed back to our new home . . . my parents’ house.

You see, the first six months of marriage were great. We were living on our own, taking weekend getaway trips, and learning more about each other.

But then, we hit bumps.

We got pregnant, and at twelve weeks, lost our first baby.

Then, my husband got hurt on the job, causing him to be out of work and both of us to rely on my income alone. We learned he needed surgery, which would further delay his return to work.

Our plans for moving to a condo closer to the city disappeared just as fast as they’d come, and before I knew it, I was crying on the phone with my mom and dad, asking if we could put our stuff in storage and move in with them. It was all we could afford.

I don’t know about your marriage preparations, but we did not cover this scenario in premarital counseling. “What to do if you have to move back home” was not one of the weekly sessions.

Yet there we were.

Our happily ever after went from bliss to desperation in a heartbeat.

We went from independence
to living with my parents,
my brother,
my sister,
my brother-in-law,
my niece,
and three dogs.
Talk about a full house.

Our newly-tested faith was still in the wrestling stage as we dealt with the loss of our baby and mourned the life we’d imagined.

We were lost.

I wish I could tell you everything got better quickly, but this is a place of gracious truth.

We got pregnant later that summer and, after six weeks of hospitalized bed rest, we were blessed with our daughter. We brought her home to my parents’, and were able to move out a few months later. Hope began flickering to life as circumstances improved.

But darkness invaded the fledgling light as our marriage took a turn for the worse. I became afraid that redemption of our love and future might never take place. What should have been a joyous time with our newborn daughter was tainted with death and depression.

Death of what my marriage was supposed to be.
Overwhelming depression as I tried to pick up pieces of our very broken home.

My life was not supposed to be like this.

And neither was Naomi’s.

You see, once upon a time, Naomi had it all.
She was married and had two sons approaching adulthood.
I can imagine at this point in her life, she looked forward to her sons’ marriages and grandchildren in the near future.

But one day, her husband died.
And years later, her sons died, too.

From full house to empty within a decade.

Naomi’s story is touched with death and depression.
So much like my own story . . . and perhaps yours, as well?

Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, had moved their family to Moab during years of famine in Israel. What they believed was the right choice to provide for their family ended up being a death sentence.

Dreams of being a grandma, gone.
Dreams of growing old with her love, gone.
Dreams of having her family together, gone.
Dreams of financial security, gone.

Naomi’s life, on paper, was ruined.

She was a widow, beyond childbearing years, and most likely could not perform the physical labor necessary to provide for herself and her surviving daughters-in-law.

Her story could have stopped here. She could have stayed in Moab, empty, and waited to die.

But God.
God was moving in the heart of Ruth, Naomi’s daughter-in-law.
And did I mention Boaz? He will be joining us soon.
Finally, while Naomi couldn’t perceive it, He was continuing to work out His plan for the redemption of all mankind through the life of one frail, hurting, dejected woman.

What could have been the end was only the beginning.

As we journey through the book of Ruth, I want to encourage you. Just like Naomi, my story did not just stop.

When your world is all hurt and emptiness and death and depression, your story does not just stop.

The redemption woven into my personal years of famine would take hours to tell. There is life, love, joy, and a testimony that could only come from God Himself. My husband and I, with Christ in our midst, are walking forward with true freedom and joy at the way He’s written our story, and this summer we are celebrating six years of marriage.

I encourage you to dig into this Journey Theme over the next three weeks.
Naomi and Ruth’s story is only the beginning.
Let’s see how our redeeming God is at work in their lives, and in our own.

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