May 13, 2018 - Memory Verse

Focus this week on 

ASSURANCE

Because of the LORD’s great love 

we are not consumed, 

for his compassions never fail. 

They are new every morning; 

great is your faithfulness. ‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3:22-23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Because of God’s undying love for us, we are victorious every day. 

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I’m stronger now

Saturday, May 12, 2018

August 2013

by Maggie

After the big storm devastated everything, I was a mess. I was cold, wet, hungry, afraid, and homeless. My smoothskins had vanished. I had nothing. I was nothing. 

Then in my most vulnerable state they captured me and put me in a cage. Oh, these smoothskins were kind enough, but it was all quite terrifying. Cages. Unfamiliar places. Strange smells. Relocation. Uncertainty. Hopelessness. 

Just when I thought life couldn’t get any harder, I was shipped further away from home to a foreign land. All hopes of seeing my smoothskins again were dashed. They would never be able to find me. 

Then She came into my life. She took me in. She nurtured me. She sheltered me. She loved me. And slowly I began to recover. Little by little I began to blossom in Her care. And now I am home and She is Alpha.  

There’s a tree beside our house that has beautiful flowers on it. I have watched them grow from small little balls to great huge white blooms and then, in time, to fade and fall away. I can relate to that tree.  I have blossomed into a beautiful creature here. And I expect that, one day, I, too, will begin to fade and will fall away. I’m beginning to see the signs even now. And I sense the same in my Buddy. Together we are old. 

As I reflect on it all, I see that I was devastated but not demolished. I was lost but She found me. And now life is good. 

(Maggie came to Kentucky in November of 2005 after she was displaced in August by Hurricane Katrina. She was rescued in the gulf coast of Mississippi — the Magnolia State —  and transported eventually to Kentucky. She has shown us what resilience and fortitude are all about. She is our Steel Magnolia.)

Victory: Struck Down But Not Destroyed

Friday, May 11, 2018

We are afflicted in every way but not crushed;
we are perplexed but not in despair;
we are persecuted but not abandoned;
we are struck down but not destroyed.
II Corinthians 4:8-9

Have you ever been struck down because of your faith? Perhaps you may never have experienced physical blows but what about verbal or emotional ones? Jesus experienced them all.

When he was arrested, Jesus' best friends delivered an emotional blow by deserting him. Peter denied even knowing him. The people in the court conjured up all kinds of lies against him. And he was even beaten to within an inch of his life. 

Satan thought he was getting the upper hand that day when he saw Jesus nailed to the cross and lifted up to his eventual death. He struck him down all right. Little did Satan know, though, that Jesus was not destroyed!

Up from the grave he arose,

With a mighty triumph o'er his foes;

He arose a Victor from the dark domain,

And he lives forever with his saints to reign.

He arose! He arose!

Hallelujah, Christ arose!

by Robert Lowry (1826-1899)

Lord, no matter how we are struck down today, help us to look to you for encouragement. We claim your victory over Satan and know that you will never allow us to be destroyed. Jesus is the perfect example. Thank you.

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Victory: Persecuted But Not Abandoned

Thursday, May 10, 2018

We are afflicted in every way but not crushed;
we are perplexed but not in despair;
we are persecuted but not abandoned;
we are struck down but not destroyed.
II Corinthians 4:8-9

Have you ever been persecuted for your faith? Like the young man in the movie, "God's Not Dead," did a know-it-all professor challenge what you believe? Have you had an employer reprimand you for speaking about your Lord?

What about Andrew Brunson, the Christian American pastor who has been imprisoned in Turkey since October 2016? Although he is accused of being involved with a terrorist group, it is because of his faith in Jesus Christ that he has been targeted. I can't begin to imagine the conditions he has endured for nineteen months. 

Even though his next court date isn't until July 2018, I can assure you that Pastor Brunson has not been abandoned by God. Consider Deuteronomy 31:6.

Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid or terrified because of them,
for the LORD your God goes with you;
he will never leave you nor forsake you.

I hope that we never have to experience that type of persecution. But if we do, let me assure you that no one -- not even Satan -- can separate us from God. We are His forever and always.

Lord, no matter what persecution we face today, help us to look to you for encouragement. We claim your victory over Satan and know that you will never abandon us. You have proven it. Thank you.

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Victory: Perplexed But Not in Despair

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

We are afflicted in every way but not crushed;
we are perplexed but not in despair;
we are persecuted but not abandoned;
we are struck down but not destroyed.
II Corinthians 4:8-9

Have you ever been perplexed -- truly dumbfounded, puzzled or speechless about something? I think the Apostle Paul felt that way. After his conversion, he dedicated his life to spreading the gospel to all parts of the world. He is credited for starting at least 14 churches which include those in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, Colossae, Hieropolis, Ephesus, Rome, Corinth, and Galatia.

It seemed that whenever he left a region after having established a church there, someone would come in behind him and confuse the believers. They would challenge his authority and pervert the Gospel. 

As a result, Paul wrote letters to various churches addressing all sorts of issues they were having. Sometimes you can hear it in his tone as he is writing these new Christians. Take Galatians 4:11 for instance: 

I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

That sounds like a man who is ready to throw up his hands and give up. But he didn't. He was perplexed but not in despair.

And the churches that he started went on to start who-knows-how-many other churches as a result.

Lord, no matter what perplexes us today, help us to look to you for encouragement. We claim your victory over Satan. We know that you are not the author of despair but of hope and joy. And we trust that you will be glorified through our efforts. 

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Victory: Afflicted But Not Crushed

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

We are afflicted in every way but not crushed;
we are perplexed but not in despair;
we are persecuted but not abandoned;
we are struck down but not destroyed.
II Corinthians 4:8-9

Do you ever feel like Satan is out to get you? Well, maybe he is. I have always been taught that if you are not where the Lord wants you to be, then Satan doesn't care anything about you. But if you are living in God's will, Satan can't stand it and will attack you from all sides to try to get you to fall.

Consider Job. He was a wealthy farmer with a very large family. And it bothered Satan that he was a man of God. So Satan went to God and said something like this: "Of course Job follows you. You've given him everything. Take it all away and he will curse you."

Little by little, God allowed Satan to afflict Job. He took away his sons and daughters. He took away his livestock and all his wealth. He took away his good health. The only thing Satan left Job with was his own life, his nagging wife, and three critical friends. Job was afflicted in every way.

Still, Job refused to turn his back on God. He asked some pretty pointed questions of Him. But his faith never faltered. Satan was speechless. God was pleased. And in the end, God blessed Job with even more family and wealth than he had had to start with. 

Today if you find yourself afflicted, just remember that Jesus Christ defeated Satan on the cross. The devil has no power over you. And no matter how tough things get, God will not allow you to be crushed. Jesus was crushed in your place. 

Lord, no matter what afflicts us today, help us to look to you for encouragement. We claim your victory over Satan and know that he cannot crush us. It's not possible because of Jesus. Thank you.

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The Victory is Always His

Monday, May 7, 2018

Be strong in the Lord, 
and be of good courage;
Your mighty Commander 
will vanquish the foe.
Fear not the battle 
for the vict'ry is always His;
He will protect you 
wherever you go.

Refrain:
Be strong, be strong, 
be strong in the Lord;
And be of good courage, 
for He is your guide.
Be strong, be strong, 
be strong in the Lord;
And rejoice for the 
vict'ry is yours.

Be Strong in the Lord choir performance

This is the third stanza of this hymn and it reminds us that God will fight our battles wherever we are. How wonderful to know that He has our backs. We should never fear. 

What are you facing in your life today? What are you trying to do on your own? Many Christians go through cycles where we totally depend on the Lord for a spell. Then, little by little, we get more and more comfortable and over-confident in our own abilities and we try to handle things our own way. Unfortunately it sometimes takes a huge event to get us back on track. 

Lord, I pray today is that we won’t need you to give us a big slap in the face to get our attention — that we will hear the still small voice of your Holy Spirit to reign us in when needed. May we depend on you now more than ever to fight for us. Thank you for your provisions.