Hello, My Name is…God’s Workmanship

For we are His workmanship,

Created in Christ Jesus for good works,

Which God prepared beforehand

That we should walk in them.

Eph. 2:10

When we do good works for God, whether it is helping a friend with a need, providing food for the homeless, or listening to someone who is hurting, it was all God’s idea from the beginning. He planned for us to be His workmanship—to be the hands and feet of Jesus—to minister to those who are in need. I love that God has given us His gifts to minister in creative ways. We have purpose in our lives because God gave us purpose!

I love Psalm 139:14 that says, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” We are not random beings that came up out of the muck and mire; He knit us together, personally with love and gave us purpose, a reason to love Him and serve Him and in doing so, serve others and love others as He does.

How are you living out His workmanship in your life?

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for making us Your Workmanship; thank you for giving us purpose not only for this life, but for eternity as well. I pray that we would use the gifts you have given us to bless others and to lead them into relationship with you.

In Jesus Name,

Amen! 😊

Launch out into the Deep

When He had stopped speaking,

He said to Simon, “Launch out

Int the deep and let down your

Nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4)

Simon had been fishing all night and had not caught a thing; he must have been so tired, frustrated, and discouraged, and yet Jesus told him to launch out into the deep—where the fish are—and drop his nets for a catch. You might notice that Jesus didn’t say, “You might catch something.” If you read the story, you will find that Simon did what Jesus told him to do. You might take note that Jesus didn’t ask Simon to launch out, but told him, nicely I’m sure, to do it. When they obeyed they received more than they could have ever asked. Obedience equals blessings.

          What does it mean for us to launch out into the deep? It means that we go where Jesus tells us to go—to those places where we might not otherwise go, where there are fish (people ready for the catching), to hear the word of God and be transformed.

          I have to wonder as I read this also, that launching out into the deep also means that go deeper in our relationship with Jesus as we spend time in prayer—going to those uncomfortable places in prayer that call us into a place of transparency with Jesus. Maybe it’s going deeper in His word—not just reading the words but asking Him to speak those words into our hearts so we can be transformed. When we are willing to launch out into deep places with Jesus, He will fill our nets with blessings, with love unimaginable, with abundant life, faith, strength, power, hope, and joy, just to name a few.

          Are you willing and ready to launch out? Have you tried this before and got distracted, just didn’t understand, or just didn’t feel it? Jesus doesn’t ask us to feel it; He tells us to launch out and put our nets for a catch.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you, Jesus, for giving us the ability to launch out and let down our nets for a catch—at your word so that we may catch others for Your kingdom, or catch blessings and deeper relationship with You. Lord Jesus, please give us the desire to get into our boats each day and launch out into the deep for You.

In Jesus Name, Amen!

Pressing into Jesus—the Living Word

One day as Jesus was preaching

on the shore of the Sea of Galilee,

great crowds pressed in on Him to

listen to the word of God. (Luke 5:10)

I can only imagine what it would have been like to be there, pressing in to see Jesus and hear Him preach, to speak the living word of God. The crowd must have been so hungry to receive His word that transforms lives. How often have I been that hungry to press into Him to receive His word—to really ingest it, and let it work in my spirit to work and transform my life? I wonder how far the crowd had traveled to see Him and to hear Him. How far are we willing to go to get close to Him—to spend that time in prayer and time in His word? Do we get up early to spend time with Him? Do we intentionally carve out time in our day to spend time with Him, not to just give Jesus our laundry list of wants and needs, but to take time to hear what He has to say to us? I have caught myself numerous times just talking to Him in the morning, spilling out my thoughts, concerns, requests, and yes sometimes praises and thanksgivings to Him, and realized later that I didn’t give Him time to talk to me—to speak into my Spirit. When I read His word, I have to be purposeful about listening to what He is saying to me—and when I don’t—it’s just something I can do to check off my list of “To do’s” for the day. It is when I pray and ask the Lord to speak into my heart from His word that I sense His presence and know that He and I have met together—communed together and He ministers to my heart and transforms an area that I often didn’t know needed to be transformed. There is power and transformation in pressing into Jesus!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you Lord for giving us your word that lives in us, transforms us, cleanses us, corrects us, comforts us, empowers us to walk in Your way.

In Jesus Name, Amen!

Walk in Relationship with God

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (Psalm 23:1 NKJV)

            When I first met my husband, we spent all day with each other, most of the time. We took time to get to know each other intimately; we learned each other’s likes and dislikes, what it was like to grow up in our families—the family dynamics and how they worked. We discovered we both suffered from tension at home and our maternal grandparents’ homes were peaceful, safe havens. We spent a little more than two years together before we married and have since grown even closer in our relationship because we continue to communicate with each other, spend time together, serve each other, and just love each other.

            Abiding in relationship with Jesus is the same; we spend time with Him, get to know Him—through prayer and through His word. We get to know who He is and who He is in our lives. Psalm 23 provides some insight about God’s personality and role in our lives.

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul; He leads in me in

The paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow

Of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me;

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Surely grace and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. (Psalm 23:1-6)

            Psalm 23 is a picture of how Jesus cares for us—His sheep, if you will. He loves us, cares for us, protects us, guides, and yes, sometimes disciplines us to keep us on the path of righteousness with Him. Jesus tells us in John 10:7-9, “I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find good pasture.” The Lord will guide us to good pasture that is free from harm. In verse 11 Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.”  Jesus gives us everything we need—good pasture and protection, and above all His life for us! With Jesus as our Shepherd, we shall not be in want of anything of this world; in other words, we don’t need the things of this world to satisfy us, when Jesus provides satisfaction beyond our expectations.

            Over the past 3 decades my husband has proven to be a wonderful source of love, comfort, joy, and provision, just to name a few, but it is Jesus who is my Shepherd and the One whom I turn to for all my needs. It is Jesus who sustains my life, spirit, and soul.

How is your relationship with God? Are you seeking Him for all of your needs? Ask Him to be your Shepherd to guide you where He wants you to go.

God’s Word is Purposeful

For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,

and do not return there, but water the earth, and make

  it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower

and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes

forth from My mouth; It shall not return void, but it

shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper

in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)

          God’s word has purpose! Nothing in God’s economy is wasted! We might wonder if we haven’t wasted our time witnessing God’s word to someone who just refuses to accept it, to receive it, and to walk in it. You have not wasted your time; God’s word does not come back void—empty. That person we spent time on, God is working on; we plant God’s seed and watch to see what He will do with it. Some seeds take longer to germinate than others do. I love that God’s word does not come back void of power, love, strength, authority, wisdom, or encouragement, just to name a few. What God purposes through His word will be fruitful.

          Because God’s word is eternal and has purpose, it is powerful! Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Amplified).

          When we read and abide in God’s word, when we let it penetrate our spirit, it does a miraculous work, through the power of the Holy Spirit—it transforms us. It convicts us, comforts us, compels us, and reaches into the recesses of our spirit as only the Holy Spirit and God’s word can do.

Take Every Thought Captive

For the weapons of our warfare

Are not carnal, but mighty in God

For casting down arguments and every

High thing that exalts itself against the knowledge

Of God, bringing every thought into captivity

To the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor. 10:4-5) 

           We are told in Genesis 3:1 that the “serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made.”  He was so crafty in fact that he caused Adam and Eve to doubt God’s word by saying in response to Eve’s comment that God told them they could eat of any tree in the Garden except for the middle of the garden they were not to eat or they would surely die; “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:3-5).  The serpent caused them to doubt the truth of God’s word, and in this case that He was holding back good things from them.

          That same serpent, the devil is still alive and active today causing us to doubt God’s word—His truth. Satan will speak words of doubt about our identity in Christ, and as of late, he may try to cause confusion about our gender identity. Moreover, he may try to cast a shadow of doubt over our faith and salvation. But we are not to be a victim to his deceitful doubts.

          Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:5 that we have a weapon—not physical but spiritual, that we can use to counteract the attack of the enemy. Paul tells us to take captive every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. That means we do not allow any thoughts that are not of Jesus Christ to take our minds captive and make us obedient to them. NO! We are to take those thoughts and if do not align with what God’s word says, then we send them packing. We do not allow those thoughts to impact our physical, emotional, or spiritual life! Do not be afraid to tell the devil NO! If you are concerned that you’re not equipped to face the enemy alone, trust me when I tell you, you are NOT alone! I love what 1 John 4:4 tells us about this. “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because HE who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Satan is outnumbered and he knows it! If you resist him, he must flee from you! (James 4:7).  James also tells us to “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (v.8).  How do you draw near to God? Spend time in prayer and in His word. A friend of mine says, sit in the word (of God) until it sits in you. Let it settle down in the depths of your spirit and meditate on it—let it marinade in your soul. His word is a mighty sword against our enemy the devil! Take those thoughts captive then and make them obedient to Christ—to His word—to His truth!

Immanuel: God with us Personally

by

Susan Montgomery

III. Immanuel: God CAN BE “with us” PERSONALLY.

When we receive Jesus Christ personally as our Lord & Savior, then God is not only “with US”! Jesus (GOD) is literally “in us” when we are saved.

Paul tells us in 2 Cor. 4:7 says, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” Not only is He Immanuel, God with us, He is the treasure in our hearts that we received when we asked Him to come in and dine with us and we would dine or commune with Him.

Jesus promises not only to be with each of us—all of us now, but to the end.  God tells the Israelites in Deuteronomy 31:8, “The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. And Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:20, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  And Jesus does not break His promises!

Psalm 138:7-10 says this about God’s presence:

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.”

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus this year, let’s read over the Christmas story again in awe of the miracle of Jesus’ birth and His role of Immanuel in our lives. Immanuel, God with us!

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for being Immanuel God with us; thank you for never leaving nor forsaking us. Thank you that you came to set us free–that you came so that we could see you through Jesus. Thank you that you came so that we could be more like you and draw closer to you. I pray that this Christmas we would truly sense Your presence and that we would seek you more earnestly as we walk with you.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Immanuel: God with us Literally

by

Susan Montgomery

II. Immanuel: God was “with us” LITERALLY

But not only was the coming of this “Immanuel” baby “symbolic” of how God is “with us” in this world, but it was also literally true: GOD was literally “with us” when Jesus came to earth. This was GOD. Jesus, God the Son, was “equal with God” in heaven, and He emptied Himself to come to earth. But He was GOD with us! Paul tells us in Philippians 2:5-8, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself to the point of death of the cross.”  Did you catch all of that—He became like us, with physical weaknesses but completely divine.

John 1:14 says this about Jesus: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” I love the way the Message puts it: “The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish.” Jesus truly is Immanuel, God with us!

I recently watched the movie, The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever which tells the story of the Herdman kids — the roughest family in town, who take over the church’s Christmas pageant because they heard they gave out snacks. They didn’t know anything about the Christmas story, so the pageant director tried to explain it to them. When she got to the part where there was no room for them in the inn, one of the girls loudly exclaimed: “Not even for Jesus?! They didn’t have room for Jesus?!” She was shocked that here was Jesus—God incarnate, and no one made room for Him.

Isn’t it interesting that we have heard the Christmas story in the Bible probably most of our lives to the point where it doesn’t shock us anymore. We take it for granted, and we shouldn’t! It should shock us to know that they didn’t have a place for Jesus to be born. Could we have done better with Jesus? How do we do with Him now? He is always with us, but are we always with Him? Are we always walking with Him, or do we lag behind or try and run ahead, trying figure out a “better” or “safer route?”  I recently saw something on Facebook that said, “Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus.”

Have you made room for Jesus in your inn?

Immanuel God with us as the World

by

Susan Montgomery

Immanuel: God with Us!

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, buying gifts, decorating, baking, and all other preparations we make, we all need to be reminded in the busyness of the season that not only is Jesus the reason for the season, but that He is with us in each season of our lives. He is with us in our seasons of joy, of sorrow, of trouble and chaotic and in those times of rest. I was thinking this morning about God’s presence in my life when I wasn’t really seeking God, but He was seeking me. God always provided a Christian friend for me, to encourage me, to minister to me, to teach me and guide me, and to love me. When God called me into ministry, He prepared the way and the people to minister to my heart. He provided ministry roles or jobs for me to prepare me for where I am now. I have known His presence more times than I can count.  When you think back on  your life, think about all the times Jesus was with you and is with you today. Jesus is Immanuel God with us as a world, He with us literally, and He is with us personally.

I. Immanuel: God is “with us” as a WORLD.

In that lowly stable, that very special night in Bethlehem, Jesus was born, not just as any baby, but as our Redeemer—our Savior, our Deliverer! In fact, Jesus means “The Lord Saves.” He was also given the name, Immanuel-which translated means God with us.  Our God is a very with us God. He is not only with us personally and individually, but with us as a world—with all of us, all the time, throughout time. He was with the shepherds that night that Jesus was born, sending angels to proclaim to them the Good News of Jesus’, the Messiah’s birth.  He was with Joseph and Mary as they traveled and even when they could not get a room at the inn but gave birth to His only begotten Son in a stable surrounded by animals. He was with the wise men as they saw the star in the east and followed it to come and worship the newborn King, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords.  Why does God choose to be with us? Psalm 8:4 says, “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you visit him?” I think most of us know John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God loves us—us! Sinners who need a Savior that need Him to be with us, Immanuel.