May you know the reality of your position in Christ, which is to be seated with the FatherFrom which you can experience a life of joy and peace, living in the favor of GodEnjoying fellowship with the Creator as friend to friendUntil we actually get to see Him face to faceMay you learn to rest in in this relationship, no longer struggling to qualifyBut instead, learning to abide, since you are already qualified through JesusNo longer working or straining, but instead enjoying the fellowshipForever with Him, the Keeper of our heart
Saturday, May 24, 2025
Sunday’s Blessing – 05/25/2025 – Week of Ascension
Sunday, May 18, 2025
Sunday’s Blessing – 05/18/2025
Sunday’s Blessing – 05/18/2025
For the past few weeks I’ve been talking about sabbath. There is “The Sabbath”, as mentioned in the Ten Commandments, and then there is just sabbath. They mean the same thing; one is just more formal than the other. The root meaning of sabbath is “suspension.” God “suspended” His creation on the seventh day in Genesis. This was the original sabbath. Later in The Law, The Sabbath was implemented as part of the requirements for being in covenant with the Father.
Jesus came and fulfilled all the law and the prophets had spoken, but did not do away with sabbath. Instead, He became our sabbath. He became our rest. He caused us for the first time to be able to live a “suspended” life; a state of being able to respond to the Holy Spirit. When music reaches a suspended chord, our ears almost demand a resolution. When watching a show, the build suspense to keep you pulled into the story, then bring the resolution by solving the conflict which created the suspense.
In this same way, God has introduced “suspension” in us so we will remain aware of His presence and keep us moving toward the purpose for which we were created. Never lose a sense of awe for the Father, or a sense of being drawn by the Holy Spirit, or a sense of wonder in seeking Christ.
Now for today’s blessing:
May you never consider the Christian life mundaneBut instead maintain a yearning for resolve in each dayRemaining suspended, aware, awaiting the direction of the SpiritAnd faithful to place you feet as the Light of God directs youMay you spend sabbath moments considering all God has beenTo only grow in your understanding of what He isAnd propel you forward into all He wants to be in youSo you may be the ambassador for the Kingdom in your world
Saturday, May 10, 2025
Sunday's Blessing – 05/11/2025 – Mother's Day – The Christian Sabbath
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:1-7 (ESV)
One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” Luke 8:22-25 (ESV)
They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. Mark 9:30-32 (ESV)
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4 (ESV)
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. Romans 8:1-5 (ESV)
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. 1 Peter 3:18-22 (ESV)
May the Lord grant you complete understanding of the Rest available in ChristNot a period of natural sleep, but a spiritual "pause" from any feelings of requirementsSo you may relate to your Father with complete transparency, with joy and acceptanceKnowing that you are loved without limits by the God without limitsMay you return from these moments of "suspension" refreshed and encouragedSo you can "be" to the praise of His glory, not "do" the works of obligationFor others to see and hear the voice of the Spirit in your words and your countenanceAs you walk out the reflection of your Lord while being "finished" until the day of His returnMay you keep your mind and heart fixed on your position in ChristSeated next to the Father, firmly in the grasp of His love and kept by His powerWhere nothing can remove you from this place ... NOTHING!And live at rest in Him
Saturday, May 3, 2025
Sunday’s Blessing – 05/04/2025 – The Sabbath
And God spoke all these words, saying,I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.1. You shall have no other gods before me.2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.6. You shall not murder.7. You shall not commit adultery.8. You shall not steal.9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s. Exodus 20:1-17 (ESV)
And the Lord said to Moses, “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’” Exodus 31:12-17 (ESV)
Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. Deuteronomy 5:12-15 (ESV)
May the Lord of the Sabbath grant you peace and restSo you may find strength for tomorrowIn order to be a testimony of God’s grace and mercyBy your ability to rest in your trust of the FatherMay you learn from the Lord to work when it’s time and rest when it’s timeSo you may complete the necessary things in your lifeAnd find the courage to rest, even in the midst of turmoil or chaosUntil you are confident that God’s rest is the best place to liveMay you receive a sabbath mindset which will become your path in pursuit of GodBecause God is a God of process, set in motion by HimselfWhen He created the world and everything in it in six days, then He restedShowing you how to establish things in the beginning and not fear the outcomeAnd Rest
Sunday, April 27, 2025
Sunday’s Blessing – 04/27/2025 – The Rest of God
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. Genesis 2:1-3 (ESV)
After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:28-30 (ESV)
May you come to experience the rest of GodAs you become identified with Christ in His death, burial, resurrection, and ascensionNow take your rest as you are seated with Him in heavenly placesFar above all rule, authority, power, and dominion in this world and the one to comeMay you find in living from this place of rest abundant peaceA peace beyond anything you can imagine ever being possibleA peace which keeps our hearts and mind as we focus on our fellowship with the FatherFull of grace and mercy because of all Jesus finished in His life, death, and eternal rule with God
Saturday, April 19, 2025
Crucifixion (not Convenience) - an excerpt from The Call to Worship - The Life of Every Believer by Dudley M. Harris
The Call to Worship
Crucifixion – to destroy the power of the flesh – sacrifice
Convenience – something conducive to comfort – selfish
Chapter 3 – Crucifixion (not Convenience)
I believe we have things backwards in the American church. We make becoming a Christian convenient, but then crucify those in the Church for wrong behavior. “Getting saved” has been reduced to a handshake and a card rather than being identified with Christ in His crucifixion, burial, resurrection, ascension, and seating at the right hand of Father, then the infilling of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent to help us. While it is true that we do not have to die physically to atone for our sins (we would not be an acceptable sacrifice anyway) we are called to be “crucified with Christ.”
Galatians 2:20 (ESV)
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Salvation is more than a prayer. It is an exchange; my life for that of Jesus. It is a surrender of my will. We take on His Call. There is pain and suffering in our soul as we go to war with the person we have been up to the point of our encounter with the Holy Spirit.
Being “born again” is instantaneous. Our spirit is recreated by the Holy Spirit. We become a new creation, what the Greek word κτίσις describes as “a species of being that has never existed before.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (κτίσις). The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Everything from that point forward is “the saving of our soul”, the process of being conformed to the image of Christ. The writer of Hebrews (whom I believe to be Paul) put it like this.
Hebrews 10:36-39 (ESV)
For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
The saving of one’s soul is not convenient. It requires a complete change of priorities, plans, and pursuits; or at the very least, a change in motives for all of these. Becoming a Christian does not mean a change of occupation, spouse, or geography. What does change is the requirement that we now represent Christ in all of these. In our work we no longer cheat our employer, employees, or our clients. In our marriage we now love our spouse with the love of God, unselfishly giving them our affection. We sacrifice our will for that of the Holy Spirit, who now leads us by His still, small voice.
Lest you draw the wrong conclusion, please know that there is nothing we can do to earn salvation. You cannot be good enough. You cannot purchase this salvation. You cannot rely on the family name. The only way into this New Covenant relationship with your Creator is by the provision made through Christ.
There is only one way to receive the New Life that is available in Christ. You must be born again.
John 3:3-6 (ESV)
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
The moment we are willing to admit that we cannot save ourselves is the beginning of salvation. When we ask God to save us we must be willing to identify with Christ is every way: His death (we must die to self), His burial (old things pass away), His resurrection (new things come), His ascension (we begin the process of renewing our mind to His ways which are higher than ours), His seating at the right hand of Father (we take on the authority we have in the Kingdom of God), and His sending the Holy Spirit (we receive the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit).
It’s not convenient to become a Christian. As I mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, the American church seems to have reversed the process. Instead of judging the new Christian we should pray for them, disciple them, encourage them, celebrate life with them, and worship our Savior and our Lord with them. We seem ready to extend grace to the lost, but require law-keeping of the Christian. How we must frustrate our Lord. Grace is for the lost, but it is even more so for the Believer. Let’s find a way to do better than this. If we are truly crucified with Christ then we need to respond to others, inside and outside the Church, with the love of God. Let’s answer The Call to worship and be crucified with Him.
Friday, April 18, 2025
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” (ESV)
May you experience a complete resurrection through Christ, the Risen SaviorSo you can walk in the life He purchased for you with His own deathSo in turn, you can lay down your life for othersBeing poured out as a sacrifice of praise to the glory of GodMay you comprehend the lengths God went through to bring you back to lifeFrom the Garden when man sinned and became separated from GodThen passed on that spiritual death to everyone after AdamBut ended when Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice to redeem you from deathMay you be refreshed by the depths of God’s loveDemonstrated by Christ who became an example for usLead by the Holy Spirit and empowered to do only what the Father commandedYou now live a life full of the blessings of GodMay the resurrection of Jesus be evident in your lifeBy reflecting the glory of God in the earthSpeaking the good news of salvation, redemption, and restorationTurning others back to the Father, full of grace and truth
Friday, April 11, 2025
Sunday’s Blessing – 04/13/2025 – Palm Sunday – I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (ESV)
May you experience the joy of welcoming Messiah with shouts of HosannaWhich means, “Save now”, knowing that He hears and respondsSo that you may walk out your destiny with assurance that God is with youJust as He was with JesusMay you rejoice as Jesus enters your life, bringing hope and peaceSo you may live each day in fellowship with the FatherLiving in unfettered relationship with HimAs you walk with Him, and commune face to face as friend with friendMay you keep the reality of God’s presence in your consciousnessAlways aware that He’s closer than the air you breatheAnd more real than the ground upon which you standAnd your future is sealed in HimMay you find ways to include others in your journeySharing with them the hope you have found in ChristAllowing them to see the Kingdom of God in youAnd bringing them into the Kingdom with you
Saturday, April 5, 2025
Sunday’s Blessing – 04/06/2025 – 5th Sunday of Lent – I AM the Vine
Friday, March 28, 2025
Sunday’s Blessing – 03/30/2025 – 4th Sunday of Lent – I AM the Good Shepherd
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.(ESV)
May you find peace, joy, and love from the Good ShepherdBy allowing Him to provide nourishment, replenishment, and securityLearning submission to His care, which brings complete restLetting us see what life at the right hand of the Father looks likeMay you learn the art of shepherding wellSo you may lead your friends, family, coworkers, and acquaintancesInto the same care which you have received from the Good ShepherdAllowing them to exist in a painfully cruel world, yet with joy and peaceMay you always find ways to keep yourself in remembranceBy utilizing prescribed times like Lent, Passover, or the Lord’s TableOr other ways which fit your temperament like reading, journaling, etc.Praying always, which is our communion with Him
Saturday, March 22, 2025
Sunday’s Blessing – 03/23/2025 – 3rd Sunday of Lent – I AM the Door
Saturday, March 15, 2025
Sunday’s Blessing – 03/16/2025 – 2nd Sunday of Lent – I AM the Light of the World
Saturday, March 8, 2025
Sunday’s Blessing – 03/09/2025 – 1st Sunday of Lent – I AM the Bread of Life
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (ESV)
May you find your sustenance in the true Bread of Life as you spend time fastingSo you may learn to recognize the smell of Bread from HeavenAnd be filled with the nourishment obtained through the Words of LifeUntil you are sober and strong in the Spirit as He leads youMay you find all that pursuing Christ brings into your lifeWhich is, first of all, an abundant life (zoe – the God kind of life)And includes every aspect of your existenceSpirit, Soul, and Body – all overflowing with God’s goodnessMay you realize the purpose of Jesus being the Bread of LifeSo you, being made in His image, might become a source of nourishmentHelping others find their way back to the FatherBy feasting on the life-giving Truth found in you
Friday, February 28, 2025
Sunday’s Blessing – 03/02/2025
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30 (ESV)
May you come to know the amazing power exerted by God when He saved you
“and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” Ephesians 1:19-21 (ESV)
And may you become fully aware that this same power is what brought you into the Kingdom
“And when you were dead in the trespasses and sins.” Ephesians 2:1 (ESV)
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” Ephesians 2:4-6 (ESV)
So that you would be fully equipped to be an ambassador for the Kingdom of GodAnd be a mirror to shine the perfect love of Christ into your worldMay you hear the same words of the Father He declared over JesusAs He speaks them to you today, “This is my beloved son/daughter”And He adds, “In whom I am well pleased.”Because He has made you acceptable in His sightMay you never feel the urge to back up from the strength God has givenSo you may be as bold as a lion, declaring the goodness of GodBut also maintain the humility of the lambBy loving with the love of the Father, the compassion of Christ, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit
Saturday, February 22, 2025
Sunday’s Blessing – 02/23/2025
May you experience the overshadowing of GodSo you may receive all He has to place in your heartWhich includes purposes, plans, and pursuitsResulting in a life well-lived, enjoying the peace and joy He bringsMay you be overwhelmed by the presence of GodSo you will be transfigured (made to be what God intended)To be witnesses of God’s love, grace, and mercyTo your world – your family, friends, and neighborsMay you willingly submit to the Spirit’s baptismWhich results in our reconciliation to GodSo we may live as sons/daughtersEnjoying life fully alive to Him
Saturday, February 15, 2025
Sunday’s Blessing – 02/16/2025
May you find a way to give voice to that which God has placed in youSo you may be someone else’s “present help in times of trouble”For nothing you have experienced has been for naughtAnd the Spirit’s direction to you can be a lighthouse for othersMay you remember, like God commanded of Israel, all that He has done in youBy rehearsing them regularly as you share your testimony (this word is so misunderstood)Not from a pulpit, but in real conversations with family, friends, and acquaintancesAnd in doing so, spare them much heartache and grief by giving them hopeMay you never underestimate the impact you have on othersFor they watch when you are not aware of their view in the midst of your crisisAnd they see/hear the actions/words you speak in the midst of pressureWhich God can use as “harvest reaped in due season” in their lifeBe thankful for God’s grace and mercy for your own lifeWhich will keep you from hardening your heartSo your tenderness toward the Spirit’s voiceWill keep His words from going unnoticed
Saturday, February 8, 2025
Sunday’s Blessing – 02/09/2025 – Valentine’s Week
May you experience the pure love of the Father (agape – selfless, unconditional)So you may in turn show it to othersBecause you are His workmanship, created for good worksSent to manifest God’s love in your worldMay you find language to express your feelings properly to othersSo they may understand how much you care for themSparking in them a reciprocity which can grow into something beautifulBe it a friendship or lifetime relationshipMay you draw strength from and increase your capacity for true loveBy pressing into your relationship with the FatherDrawing His love-life into yours to overwhelm and wash away any hurtsSo that only your healed, made-whole self remainsMay you begin to reap a harvest of true loveAs you allow relational seeds to be planted in this new heartCreated by the softening of grace and forgivenessSo that you become a flourishing life-giving fragrant bouquet of love