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Eden Day 15 Curse To Cure

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 3
Romans 5:12-21
Galatians 3:10-14
1 Corinthians 15

Eden, Day 15

Have you ever started a new book or series of shows, and before the first chapter or episode is over, you are hooked? As the story continues, you envision where the plot will go.

Then, out of nowhere comes a plot twist, and you are left wondering what in the world is happening! You MUST know, so you frantically skim future chapters or episode descriptions to grasp how the writers will redeem this awful thing.

We can do the same thing with the Bible. We may be reading in Genesis for our Journey Study today, but we can flip all the way to Revelation to learn how the story ends. Spoiler alert – Jesus wins!!! We can read other Bible books along the way to see how God has been masterfully weaving together all the details of history.

Each Journey Study in this Eden Theme has been an episode in God’s award-winning story.  Today’s installment is another emotional rollercoaster. (Genesis 3) The juicy fruit that once looked so delicious has fallen from Eve’s hand, dropped to the ground as the first man and woman realized their sin. The knowledge of good and evil left an awful taste in their mouths, and they hid in shame, cowering in fear. Still, God pursued them, graciously seeking them out in His goodness and love. Adam and Eve rebelled, but rather than turn His back on them, God set His redemptive plan in motion.

God wasn’t scrambling, trying to haphazardly repair the shattered pieces of His creation. No, if we look ahead to Ephesians 1:3-10, we see that before we were ever lost in sin, God knew the exact way we would be found. Restoration would come through the blood of His one and only Son, Jesus.

Yes, blood.
The payment for sin is death. (Romans 6:23)
In Genesis 3:21, we read, “The LORD God made clothing from skins for the man and his wife, and He clothed them.”

We could easily skim over this one line, but it holds so much significance. An animal was killed, its blood shed so its hide could cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness and shame. In the same way, Jesus would one day come in human flesh and take on the penalty of all sin for all time. His blood shed on the cross satisfied God’s just wrath; His holiness and perfection covered our sin. Through His death, Jesus would extend to us the free gift of eternal life. (Ephesians 2:1-10)

Unless Jesus would sacrifice Himself, there would be eternal separation between God and man. God sent Adam and Eve out of the Garden, to live out their days under the curse of their sin. (Genesis 3:22-24) This curse continues still, every man and woman born after Adam entering the world is separated from God, dead in our sin. (Romans 5:12-21)

But we are NOT without hope.

Let’s rewind to the scene where God is calling out for Adam and Eve. (Genesis 3:8-19) An eerie darkness has crept into the Garden, and slowly Adam and Eve come out from behind the bushes to face their Creator. The serpent is there too, for despite his craftiness, he cannot escape the consequences of his deception. We listen as God doles out curses, first to the serpent, then to Eve, and finally to Adam. In the midst of this heart-wrenching chapter, we find the most beautiful promise.

In the ashes of despair, God plants a seed of hope:

“I will put hostility between you [Satan] and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed [Jesus!].
He [Jesus!] will strike your [Satan] head,
And you [Satan] will strike His [Jesus] heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

With the hope of a coming Messiah, but no exact timeline, every generation after Adam would wait in eager anticipation for this promised One to deliver them from the curse of sin and death.

Satan, not knowing who would deliver the crushing blow to his head, determined to thwart God’s plan of salvation. He honed his skills, cunningly deceiving anyone who would listen as he whispered lies, stirred up doubt, and cast fear. (John 8:44; John 10:10; Ephesians 6:11-12; 1 Peter 5:8)

From Genesis to the opening chapters of the New Testament, this spiritual warfare raged on until FINALLY God’s timing is full and Jesus is born! (Galatians 4:4)

Jesus was God in flesh. (Colossians 1:19-23; John 1:1-18)
In taking on human form, He became a second Adam.

Whereas Adam’s (and Eve’s) sin resulted in physical and spiritual death for all mankind, Jesus’ death and resurrection would result in eternal life for all who believe in Him. (Hebrews 2:14-18)

This was God’s plan all along!!!! Jesus Himself would become the Cure for the curse. (Galatians 3:10-14) He willingly shed His blood, covering our sins with His righteousness and making it possible for us to stand before God justified and forgiven, free from all condemnation!! (Romans 8:1)

Every chain of sin, broken!
Our broken relationship with God, restored.
God’s promise, fulfilled.

Now, as we wait for Jesus to return, we live in light of that final victory!
The trumpet will sound, and all those who have died in Christ will be raised to new life, clothed with new eternal bodies, and joined together with God once more, just as God intended in Eden!!! (1 Corinthians 15; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

I can’t wait for THAT episode to release!

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Eden Day 9 Temptation Tactics: Digging Deeper

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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 Temptation Tactics!

The Questions

1) What does Paul mean by his questions in verse 1 and what is his motivation in asking?

2) What does “buried with Christ by baptism into death” and “raised from the dead” mean in verse 4?

3) Does Paul mean that once a person is in Christ they will never sin again? (verses 6-11)

Romans 6:1-15

What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? 2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7 since a person who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, 9 because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. 10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. 13 And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. 14 For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.

15 What then? Should we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Absolutely not!

Original Intent

1) What does Paul mean by his questions in verse 1 and what is his motivation in asking?
In the preceding chapter, Paul reminded his audience of the consequences of sin through Adam’s rebellion and the gift of redemption in Jesus’ sacrifice. (Romans 5:12-21) He then shifted to asking his readers if they should continue to sin in order that grace may multiply to them in forgiveness through Christ. Paul wants his readers to reflect carefully on their everyday choices. Does Christ’s sacrifice allow them a free pass to continue sinning? Paul quickly answers his own question with a definitive, “Absolutely Not!”. (verse 2) He continued by reminding them that once they have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, the believer is “dead to sin” and alive to Christ. Jesus died an excruciatingly painful death to pay the penalty of death and separation from God, which all of us deserve; this radical sacrifice speaks to the seriousness of sin. His resurrection does not minimize the gravity of sin and its deadly consequences. Paul’s intention is to remind them of this.

2) What does “buried with Christ by baptism into death” and “raised from the dead” mean in verse 4?
In Paul’s day, baptism meant immersion in water as was instituted by John the Baptizer. This meant they were completely covered, or buried, in water resembling Christ’s death and burial. Just as Jesus died for the consequence of sin, those who are baptized are symbolically buried along with Christ. Rather than burial in the ground, it’s a burial using water. The Roman believers to whom Paul was writing knew this meant their old, sinful ways were dead and buried with Christ and a new creation was now born through the resurrection of Jesus from the grave. When they were raised out of the water, it symbolized freedom from the penalty of death for their sin. They were now rebirthed (John 3:3-6), having moved from death to life, raised with Christ to walk in the newness of His resurrected life by the power of His Spirit alive inside every believer. While baptism doesn’t save us, it’s generally the first act of obedience for a new Christ-follower who has given themselves to Him. Baptism is the outward symbol of an internal reality; it publicly declares Jesus’ blood now covers all sin and the new believer no longer looks like their former selves. (Galatians 3:27)

3) Does Paul mean that once a person is in Christ they will never sin again? (verses 6-11)
Paul speaks a great deal about believers being dead to sin, especially in the first several chapters of Romans. However, he is not saying that once a person is in Christ they will never sin again. Verse 14 provides clarity when he writes, “sin will not rule” meaning it doesn’t have the final say and we aren’t owned by it as believers in Jesus, but learning to submit our new selves to the rule of Christ is practiced and learned over an entire lifetime. Paul alludes to this “training to be like Christ” in verses 12-13 when using language like “do not let sin” and “do not offer any part [of your mortal body] to sin”. (emphasis mine) Our flesh will still desire to sin when we are lured away from Christ by temptation, and at times, we will decide to choose sin and offer ourselves to sin instead of to Christ. Paul passionately reminded his readers they are not controlled by their sinful selves and former pattern of living. Christ lives in them through His Holy Spirit who helps them discern what is sinful and what is not and leads them to make choices that honor the new life we have been given in Jesus!

Everyday Application

1) What does Paul mean by his questions in verse 1 and what is his motivation in asking?
Paul’s question regarding sin and grace should cause us to stop and contemplate our own approach to sin. The obvious answer is no, we should not sin more so Christ’s grace can be poured out on us. Justifying our sin proves a callous understanding of the offensiveness of sin and the immense sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. Charles Spurgeon speaks of this when he said, “If Christ has died for my sin, I cannot rifle with the evil that killed my best friend.” We deserved death for our sin, but Jesus paid the price with His life. The reward of redemption back to God is a gift we could never earn on our own for God, in all His holiness, cannot be in the presence of sin. The NLT Study Bible says, “The availability of God’s mercy must not become an excuse for careless living and moral laxness.” We do not earn the right to sin more in order to gain more grace. There is no excuse for sin for the believer. On the contrary, when we accept Jesus as our Savior from sin, we become a new creation and our old self is dead along with our old desires to keep on sinning. (Colossians 3:3-4). As we grow in our relationship with Christ, His Spirit shapes us to look more like Him and less like our sinful selves. We will never be free from the pull of sin’s alluring temptation until the day we are finally with Jesus in eternity, but our desire to give into sin lessens as we grow closer to God.

2) What does “buried with Christ by baptism into death” and “raised from the dead” mean in verse 4?
Just as the early believers’ sin nature became spiritually dead and was buried and then were raised from the dead with a new Christ-nature, so are we! The moment we accept Jesus, we become a new creation, one that belongs to Him. Our sin is paid for and our lives are covered by the blood of Jesus. He has paid the price for our sin and we no longer live bound by a sin nature that desires to follow cravings that oppose God and His character. Jesus broke the chains of bondage and freed all who believe in Him. Early believers practiced full immersion baptism which follows the example of Jesus’ baptism by John. (Matthew 3:13-17) Many believers today still practice full immersion baptism as a symbol of their faith in Jesus. When we choose to do so, we are following the model of Christ, and putting on display that we have surrendered to Jesus. Our lives are no longer ruled by Sin for we have been buried with Christ in the grave, and been raised with Him from the dead to live the rest of our days as a new creation. As Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me! The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” When we know our old sinful self has been put to death, we are motivated to resist sin and allow our lives to be transformed through the Holy Spirit.

3) Does Paul mean that once a person is in Christ they will never sin again? (verses 6-11)
By no means do these verses mean we will never sin again, even as devoted Christ-followers! But when we do choose sin, the Spirit blessedly convicts us, and we are grieved for how we’ve rebelled against God who sacrificially saved us. John’s letters remind us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) As Paul adamantly penned, “you are not under law but under grace.” (verse 14) As we wait for the return of Christ, we’re surrounded by a sinful, fallen world; temptation to sin abounds and sometimes we sin. However, we can be encouraged that with the Holy Spirit living in us, He will grow us to look less like our old sinful selves and more like Christ. Consider keeping a prayer journal as a way of marking where you are now spiritually; as you grow over time with Jesus, you will be able to look back and see how He has continued to shape you to be like Him! As believers we will sin less the closer to walk with Christ, but the battle against sin remains. Paul addresses this in Romans 7:14-25 where he writes of the inner struggle against sin, “For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do.” Sisters, we will sin after accepting Jesus until the day we die or He returns, but resist the urge to use His forgiveness as an excuse to sin! Instead, let’s allow Jesus to change our heart desires to long for Him more than our sin. When we do sin, let’s be quick to accept the conviction of the Spirit, ask forgiveness, and be restored in our relationship with God!

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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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Wilderness Day 13 Bitter Places

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ruth 1:1-22
Exodus 15:22-16:8
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Revelation 21:1-5

Wilderness, Day 13

As Naomi entered Bethlehem, her heart was breaking. The sight of the familiar streets cast her mind back to happier times when she had walked them with her husband, her sons playing alongside.

How joyful and carefree they had been! But then, everything had changed . . .

First, a severe famine had forced them to leave Bethlehem. (Ruth 1) It hadn’t been easy to leave their homeland, but they had settled in Moab and been happy. At least they had one another.

But then Naomi’s husband, Elimilech, had died, followed around ten years later by not just one, but both of her sons. They had left as a family of four. Now as Naomi returned, alone, the sense of loss was overwhelming.

Sadly, loss is something we all encounter at some point. It may be the tragic death of loved ones, as with Naomi, but there are other losses – divorce, life-changing illness, redundancy, loss of a friendship . . .

The last couple of years have brought so much loss for us all due to the pandemic. We’ve grieved the loss of celebrations with family and friends, cancellations of long-anticipated plans, the loss of “normal” in gathering and traveling, all of which we once took for granted.

Sometimes, even “smaller” losses hit us hard.

In Naomi’s case, the devastating losses were so overwhelming they affected her whole sense of identity. As her old friends greeted her on her return to Bethlehem, her bitterness poured out.

“‘Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara,’ she answered, ‘for the Almighty has made me very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has opposed me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?’” (Ruth 1:20-21)

Several years earlier, as the Israelites travelled through the wilderness, they found themselves in a similar place of bitterness. (Exodus 15:22-27) After three days of searching for water, they finally found some, only to discover it was too bitter to drink. Just as Naomi identified herself by her bitterness, the Israelites identified the place by its bitterness, naming it Marah.

While God miraculously removed the bitterness from the water, the bitterness in the Israelites’ hearts remained. They continued their journey, complaining about the lack of food, even looking back fondly to their days of slavery in Egypt. (Exodus 16:1-8)

Their bitterness blinded them to the reality of God’s provision. They had recently witnessed the Red Sea parting before them, enabling them to escape the Egyptians, and they had personally known God’s presence leading them every step of the way!

Similarly, Naomi’s bitterness blinds her to the truth that she is not alone. God has not brought her back empty. Her faithful daughter-in-law, Ruth, is beside her, and although Naomi has unquestionably suffered devastating losses, it is not the end of her story. God still has a good plan for her.

In Naomi’s return to Bethlehem, we see a glimmer of hope. On hearing God has blessed His people in Israel by providing food once again for “the Lord had paid attention to His people’s need,” (Ruth 1:6) she chooses to go home. It is a physical return, but perhaps it is also the beginning of a spiritual return, of turning back to God, of turning toward hope in His promises and His goodness, even in the midst of loss.

What about our response in our times of loss? Do we become stuck in the wilderness of bitterness and isolation, or do we turn back to God? Do we choose to return to “Bethlehem” and remember that, in Jesus, God entered our pain and suffering to deal with sin and brokenness and offer us hope?

A few weeks ago, I attended the funeral of a friend’s husband. It was a tragic loss; he was a wonderful, godly man who seemed to have been taken far too soon, leaving behind a wife, four children, one grandchild and another on the way. There was great sorrow, of course, and a huge sense of loss, but not a trace of bitterness.

Instead, the whole service was a beautiful testimony to God’s faithfulness and presence even in the midst of loss, and it expressed a determination to hold onto Him and His hope.

One of the readings was from 1 Thessalonians 4, which encourages followers of Jesus that we do not “grieve like the rest, who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13)

We will grieve, and we will experience loss of various kinds, but, in Jesus, we always have hope. Ours is an unshakable hope that comes from knowing Him as He walks with us through loss and reminds us that, no matter what losses we face, they are not the end of our story.

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Wilderness Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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The GT Weekend! ~ Advent Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Most people don’t think of kings as servants. The Jews surely were looking for a king with authority and powerful army to rescue them from Roman oppression. This was their idea of the promised Messiah. Monday’s Journey Study showed us how Jesus, the true Messiah, came, not as a Roman-conquering-king, but as a humble servant. Indeed, He was and is, a king, in fact the King of Kings, but he didn’t come to defeat the Romans. He came to defeat the darkness of sin and death. He was the infant Messiah born to bring Truth and Light into the world. Journal about your salvation experience as if you were telling a friend about it. Share how Jesus is your light, and how He came to conquer your sin. Scripture teaches us to be Christlike, what are some ways you can practice humility as He modeled? Ponder how viewing Jesus as a humble servant changes your perspective of Advent as you prepare for Christmas. How can you better anticipate the light and truth ushered in by the birth of Jesus because of what you’ve learned about Him in Scripture? If you feel ambitious this weekend, revisit Week Three from the Journey Theme, If as it digs into Jesus as Victorious King.

2) In Deuteronomy 28:1-26, Moses lays out the benefits of obedience to God and the consequences of disobedience. Our midweek Journey Study pointed out that the Israelites seemed to choose sin instead of obedience. Have you ever judged them as you read the Old Testament? I’m guilty of it. But don’t we do the same thing? Think back on times when you have chosen sin over obedience. Did the consequences echo those described in Deuteronomy 28:15-26? You can also visit Glimmers Day 6 Journey Study for more on the sin cycle and Jesus as our rescuer. Prophets were sent to help the people know, and hopefully obey, God’s Word. One thing they consistently presented was the prophecy of the coming Messiah. From Hosea to Malachi, Jesus is consistently mentioned as the solution to sin and death. On this side of the birth of Jesus, we lose some of the awe and wonder of who the Messiah was and is. Pick one or more of the minor prophets and record how their prophetic work helps you recapture the true sense of who Jesus is. What is one thing you can do each day to lean into the wonder of the coming Messiah?

3) Can you imagine doing the same thing over and over in order to be forgiven, but knowing that forgiveness would never be permanent? That’s exactly what the Israelites had been doing with sacrifices. As Lesley showed us on Friday, the Messiah would be a once-for-all sacrifice granting permanent forgiveness. How does meditating on this reality help you understand the depths of the Messiah’s love for you? Being the ultimate final sacrifice means defeating sin and death’s darkness. What shoots the darkness? Light. Jesus was, and is, that eternally powerful light. Because Jesus, our Messiah, is God, no darkness can eclipse Him and therefore, when we have accepted Him as our Savior, the darkness cannot overcome us either. Jesus came, and His light conquered the darkness. In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” Who knows this world is still full of darkness? Record some areas you are personally aware of that need the light of Jesus. Write a prayer asking Jesus to shine His light there. How can you be part of shining that light?

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Isaiah 9:6-7 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end.  He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.

Prayer Journal
Father God, as this Advent season begins, help me to feel the anticipation the Israelites felt, waiting for the Messiah. But having the benefit of knowing how He arrived, and how His birth was ultimately the source of my salvation, may I also anticipate His return. God, I am always baffled as to why You love me enough to send Jesus to take on a human body so that He could reconcile me to You. I am eternally grateful for Jesus, and I pray that I can avoid the sin cycle the Israelites followed. Instead, help me to choose obedience. Help me anticipate Jesus’ return and all that will mean for myself and the Church. While I wait, help me shine the light of Jesus on others so that they too can leave darkness behind.

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Worship VII Day 8 By Faith

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Hebrews 11:1-12:2
Luke 17:5-6
2 Corinthians 5:7
Philippians 3:12-14

Worship VII, Day 8

As my friend appeared amidst the crowd of other runners, I could see she was struggling. She was around twenty miles into her marathon, and exhaustion was kicking in.

As she came closer, we began cheering! She looked up, and her face brightened. She stopped to chat for a few minutes, and, spurred on by our encouragement, she ran on with fresh energy.

The next day she told us she had been on the verge of giving up, but knowing we were there, cheering her on, had given her the strength she needed to finish the race.

This is the imagery of Hebrews 11 in describing a “large cloud of witnesses” cheering on the believer in Jesus. The Christian life is described as a race requiring endurance, and we all need support to keep going at times. I love how both Hebrews 11 and the song “By Faith” provide us with encouragement by pointing us to the lives of believers in Jesus who have gone before us.

As we glance through the list of Old Testament characters in Hebrews 11, we see inspiring acts of faith, radical obedience, willingness to follow God into the unknown, hope in the seemingly impossible, and courageous choices to do what is right rather than what is easy.

We also see some of the amazing results of those acts of faith. By faith, seas part, walls fall, kingdoms are overthrown, and seemingly impossible promises come true.

It seems the key to faith is steadfast focus on the One who cannot be seen.
“Faith is the reality of what is hoped for,
the proof of what is not seen.”
(Hebrews 11:1)

Each of these people walked daily in faith because they steadfastly looked beyond their present circumstances to the certainty of coming Hope. Instead of being fixated on the here-and-now, they “confidently looked forward to a city with eternal foundations… a heavenly homeland.” (Hebrews 11:10, 16 NLT)

In times of war, famine, persecution, slavery, and various other challenges of life, they found hope by focusing on God and His promises.

“By faith the prophets saw a day
When the longed-for Messiah would appear,
With the power to break the chains of sin and death
And rise triumphant from the grave.”

While it’s inspiring to read these examples of faith, it can also feel daunting. We read, “without faith, it is impossible to please God,” (Hebrews 11:6) and it’s easy to wonder if our faith is enough. How can we possibly measure up to these great heroes?

It’s important to remember that, despite their faith, none of these people were perfect. Abraham had amazing faith, but he also had his moments of doubt. Gideon was fearful. Samson was impulsive and reckless. Each of these “heroes” were flawed and sinful, but because God worked in their faith, they “gained strength in their weakness.” (Hebrews 11:34) Their stories aren’t about them; rather they tell of the mightiness of God!

“By faith we see the hand of God…
…In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness.”

The work of faith does not all depend on our faith,
but on God’s faithfulness to us.

This is astounding!

It is not about how much faith we have, but Whom our faith is in. Even faith the size of a mustard seed has great power if placed solely in Jesus. (Luke 17:6)

Hebrews 11 tells how faith gives no guarantee of an easy life, reassuring us that trouble and suffering are not evidence of absent faith.

While many faithful heroes saw God working through their faith, sometimes in miraculous ways, for others the results were drastically different as they “experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated.” (Hebrews 11:36-37)

Despite the trials they faced, they persevered by trusting their God while He carried them through. Their faith may not have led to earthly rewards, but they knew the finish line made every difficulty worth it!

Hebrews 12:1-2 urges us to let these examples encourage and spur us onward in our own journey of faith, always remembering it isn’t in our strength we are called to finish the race, but by keeping our eyes on Jesus, “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”

“We will stand as children of the promise
We will fix our eyes on Him, our soul’s reward
Till the race is finished and the work is done,
We’ll walk by faith and not by sight.”

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

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Calling Day 11 The Lens Of Truth

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 5:6-14
Psalm 36:5-12
John 12:44-50
1 Peter 1:13-25
Revelation 6:12-17

Calling, Day 11

A dear friend gave my daughter a delightful pair of purple sunglasses a few weeks ago. She is absolutely smitten with them. Plastic jewels and gems adorn the frames, and they are larger than her last pair, so they fit her better. The tint of the lenses is rather dark, but she feels like such a big girl when she’s wearing them, she’ll insist she can see just fine, thank you very much.

It’s no rare occasion to find her twirling in the sunlight streaming through my front window, wearing those purple, sparkly sunglasses. There’s a shift in her gait when she puts them on; it’s obvious she just feels different.

Take a breath, Christian. We’re going deeper, fast.

Paul’s exhortation to the Ephesians about light versus darkness is an object lesson about delivering truth in love, to say the least. (Ephesians 5:6-14) He didn’t mince words about the dangers to followers of Christ who live in the world. If anything, he underscored the arduous reality of a life surrendered to Christ. He spoke the unpopular truth that those who are disobedient to God will face His wrath. He called out the Ephesians and warned them against even partnering with those who do not obey God. Furthermore, Paul exhorted the church in Ephesus to not only remove themselves from any association with those who do not obey God, but to actually expose their deeds of darkness.

Are you squirming? I am. Talk about high challenge. Not only were the believers at Ephesus not to associate with those who do not follow God, but they were to actually expose the dark deeds of those who were enemies of the Lord.

“Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. Therefore, do not become their partners.” (Ephesians 5:6-7)

Paul’s words were concise and deliberate. They slice through potential internal or external argument, explanation, and even current cultural caution with razor-sharp, Spirit-led acumen. His challenge left no question about the gravity of their, and our, calling.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth – testing what is pleasing to the Lord. Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.” (Ephesians 5:8-11)

His words were filled with truth, but do you recognize what they aren’t filled with? Accusation, or condemnation. No, these words were delivered in love. Make no mistake; there is a high challenge here, but there is equipping and invitation here, too. Paul extended a hand to the believers at Ephesus when he called them out of popular culture and up into Kingdom culture as he reminded them Whose they were.

He’s inviting us, too.

Christian, does any part of Paul’s challenge indicate we have a call on our lives to blend in with the rest of the world, or to value what is valued by those who do not follow our Father? Further, what do you think might be one of the most effective ways the enemy intends to quiet the hands and feet and voice of Jesus on earth today? 

Might it be to keep them so occupied with the day to day things,
and the big, overwhelming cultural things,
and the general state of the world things,
and their very feelings, that they forget they are merely temporary citizens here?

Exhale.

It’s time for each of us to be honest with the God we serve.

Is it possible we have been looking at the world, and our lives, through a darkened worldly perspective? We have been going through the motions of a Christian walk, but is it merely an accompaniment to our worldly life?

Beloved, what drives you?
Are you ruled by your feelings, or by your Father?
Are you more vested in the things the world holds dear, or the things of your Father’s Kingdom?

Hard questions. Typing them wrecks me, too. But we have to ask them. Daily. And more importantly, we have to answer them.

Because this is what Paul’s words mean. 

We are called to be children of light. Just like my daughter needed to take off her sunglasses to see clearly, we are called to remove every darkened lens which affects our judgement. To test all beliefs with the discernment He gives. To speak the truth, and illuminate the dark deeds of the enemy, and to point always to our Father. We are called to be a royal priesthood, a holy nation. A peculiar, set-apart people. (1 Peter 2:9) This world is not our home. We reside here, for a time, as God has ordained, but this life is but a breath.
Paul’s words are true, and they are for us today. 

There is a God in heaven, and in us, if we have given our lives to Him. He will fulfill all He has said He will fulfill, and He has called us to carry His Kingdom throughout all the earth.

Christian, take off your shades and walk in the light!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Calling Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Calling Day 10 The Jesus Life

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 4:17-5:5
Colossians 3:12-17
Psalm 1:1-3

Calling, Day 10

What are some of your family traditions? Do you vacation at the same time in the same place every year? Do you have a unique way of celebrating birthdays? What marks your family as a unit, a team? What are your values?

Every family has certain characteristics setting it apart from other families. Each is unique in its own way, and the family of God is no different.

When we decide to follow Jesus, we make the decision to leave behind past ways of thinking, believing, and behaving. We become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) We join a new family, and adopt a new set of values along with a new identity. We are called to leave our former way of selfish living and, instead, take on the character of our adoptive Father, with our thoughts and actions reflecting Christ’s.

But how?
How do we develop the mind of Christ? 

Our culture loves self-help books. Whether we need to better manage our time, money, business, or diet, we can find many resources to help us succeed. While we might run across a few tips, lasting change requires more. We all know the motivation bought by those helpful tricks will wane after a few weeks, because our hearts and minds remain untouched.

In contrast, Jesus calls us to a radically transformed life, beginning with our inner selves. (Ephesians 3:16) Lifelong change will only grow from a renewed mind and transformed spirit.

True change, working from the inside out, will, in turn,
display the power of Jesus to a watching world.

I love preschoolers! Their hunger for learning and amazement with the simplest of concepts inspires me to approach life with wonder. One experiment I’ve loved performing with them is to place a white flower into a vase of water tinted with food coloring. After a day or two, the children note the flower petals are no longer white, but have become the same color as the tinted water.

Simple experiments teach the most profound lessons in life. Just as the flowers take on the color of the water in which they are placed, so we must be careful what we allow into our minds. God has graciously given us His Words, contained in the Bible, to show us how He expects us to live and why those expectations are necessary.

For example, we are told to treat each other with compassion, to encourage each other, to forgive each other just as God has forgiven us. (Ephesians 4:32) We can fake all of those behaviors to a point. Occasionally, we can force the action, much like a child who has been told to apologize turns with contempt to the one he’s wronged and mumbles an insincere “sorry.” Empty words have been spoken, but no heart change or reconciliation has taken place.

This heart change is only possible as we saturate our minds and hearts with God’s Word and by spending time in His presence through prayer. Colossians 3:16 encourages us to “dwell richly” in the Word of Christ and live together in unity. The more time we spend with Him, the more we develop the mind of Christ, and our actions will reveal His character.

The world today needs hope. As followers of Jesus, we possess that hope and are directed to share it with the doubting world. (Romans 15:13)

What are we showing the world? 

Are we showing love in our treatment of those who don’t know Jesus, and each other as brothers and sisters?
Are we known for building each other up, or are we tearing each other down over disagreements?
Are we forgiving, letting past offenses stay behind, as Christ has done for us?
Do we strive to mend broken relationships, believing the best in each other, or do we gossip to create further division?

In full transparency, I am guilty. 

This passage has wrecked me the past few weeks as I have wrestled with some attitudes which do not honor God or represent His character well. I am thankful we serve a Father who is generous in forgiveness, and continues to welcome me back into His arms. He listens to my apology and, with full knowledge I will certainly mess up again, He still chooses to love me and partner with me on His mission.

Sisters, shall we embrace this Jesus life?
Like my preschoolers’ flower and the tree described in Psalm 1, let’s deeply root ourselves in our Father through prayer, study of His Word, the exhortation and encouragement of fellow believers, and authentic repentance and reconciliation. As we are transformed from within, we will bear fruit in season, inviting the lost around us to join us on this journey, the Jesus life.

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Calling Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Calling Day 6 For This Reason

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 3:1-21
Ephesians 2:1-22
1 Peter 3:13-22

Calling, Day 6

For this reason.
These are the first three words in Ephesians 3.

Lean in, sisters. Paul is about to explain the motivation driving his life of incredibly challenging, incredibly impactful kingdom work.

What propelled him to get up after each beating?
What kept him going after shipwrecks?
What urged him to declare the Gospel with the same vigor he once used to attack the church?

For this reason.

Paul knew his why. And that made all the difference.

We discover Paul’s why by reading Ephesians 2. Read it aloud as if you were having a conversation with Paul, keeping in mind the passion saturating his words; this would not be a dull, emotionless speech!

Dear sisters, we share in Paul’s why:

We, too, were dead in our sins until God made us alive with Christ through grace, by faith.

We, too, were once far away from God, but have been lovingly brought near through Christ, who is our peace. (Ephesians 2:13-14) Upon His foundation, we too, together with all believers, are being built into God’s holy temple. (Ephesians 2:19-21)

For this reason, we, like Paul, can experience a similar desire to bow before the Lord, to humble ourselves at the awareness of all Christ has done for us. In this moment, overwhelmed with revelation of the mysterious love of our Father (Ephesians 3:1-7), the busyness and strife of the world around us fade away. The incessant cries for “Now and Must Do!” are wonderfully replaced with an eternal, holy urgency. This life shall pass away and we are assured we will spend eternity with Christ.
For this reason, we live with holy abandon!

But what about our co-workers, our neighbors, or the barista at our favorite coffee shop?

How can we share the good news,
the call from death to life,
and the Father’s heart longing to draw them near?

Are we willing to sacrifice our own comfort, or finances, or status
to invite the lost of our dying world into peace with God?

Paul told the church in Ephesus to not be discouraged over his afflictions on their behalf; he understood how his suffering would further God’s mission of sharing Jesus with the Gentiles.

Sharing the gospel will not be without sacrifice. It may be in the form of intense persecution, as Christians in some countries are currently experiencing. It may look like someone’s laughter after hearing the gospel. It could be a harsh “no” when asked to talk about Jesus. It might even just be the inconvenience of obedience when the Lord nudges us to hold the door for someone several steps behind us.

Regardless of what each day may bring, I desire to live with Paul’s boldness in pursuit of Christ and sharing Him with those around me. I want to trust so deeply in the Lord that even my levels of joy and peace in Him declare His goodness.

For this reason, I echo Paul’s prayer in verses 14-21, with an intense expectancy for the Lord to respond.
Will you join me, sisters?

Oh Lord, teach us to share the gift of the gospel with those around us. Strengthen us with power in our hearts through Your Spirit. Dwell within us and teach us how to love those around us. Help us comprehend Your love, which surpasses simple knowledge. 

Lord, You truly are able to do beyond what we can ask or imagine. May we live our lives for You and Your glory. Solidify our “why” within us and help us invite others to meet you wherever we go. 

Amen. 

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Calling Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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The GT Weekend! ~ Here Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Think about those moments when you have been utterly caught off guard by the Holy One. You are living your mundane, breathing in and out, and suddenly, you realize it, He Is Here. He is speaking. He is calling. He knows your name, your face, and your story. Pause to reflect on how you have most recently encountered the God of the Universe. It probably wasn’t angels singing and a heavenly message delivered with swirls of light, but be assured, if you haven’t heard from the Lord lately, it’s not because He doesn’t want to speak to you. Draw near Him with a humble heart, bring all you have, offer it up, and let His Spirit speak to your heart through His powerful Word!

2)  “I have no room for another” was Herod’s mantra. His perspective on Bethlehem and the coming Messiah gives me chills as I recede into the light of wanting to find myself at the manger with the shepherds. But, am I being honest? Can I find myself here as well, in the cold-hearted, clenched-fisted heart of King Herod? I am learning to love my Savior more every day, but I would be flat-out lying to you if I said there aren’t places where I throw my own gauntlet at the wall and scream in defiance, “I have no room for another!”. I want my way, apart from Christ, at various moments and in various seasons. Do you? Pray through some of those areas, as I do the same. May the true King soften our hearts and teach us to love Him most!

3)  It’s easy to forget Simeon’s role in the Christmas story. Jesus is only 8 earth days old, yet the Timeless One had pre-determined to encounter one man in the temple that day. One man who had waited his entire life for God to prove faithful to His Word. Here, in the waiting, do you see your face in this mirror held up by Simeon? One glimpse, only a few moments, after waiting a lifetime, but it was more than enough because Simeon saw the faithfulness of God towards himself, and all peoples. Chances are pretty good that you’re waiting on something this Christmas. A relationship to heal, finances to turn around, a diagnosis to shift, a heavy sadness to lift, an ache to be filled. And oh, here we wait with Simeon. Turn your eyes of faith to the Timeless One who sees and knows and satisfies in His way and His time. Turn over your waiting to the One who waits for you to lean into Him!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Micah 7:7 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

But as for me, I will look to the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me.

Prayer Journal
The shepherds waited. The Jews waited. Simeon waited. Mary and Joseph waited. Even the angels waited for this moment in time when You would announce Your arrival and bring hope that would last. Lord, let me not scoff the waiting. Remind my feeble faith to trust. Surely, You who drew the poorest and the most outcast in close as You announced the arrival of Your Son, will not overlook my wait. Teach me to come near, to trust, to wait because I know You hear.

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music