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The "Now" Emmaus walk

My husband and I just moved. New house, new town, new job, new church, new circumstances, new experience.....

It's all still unfamiliar, a little bewildering, and specially for my husband, a little unsure regarding our future. It's the starting point for our "Emmaus walk" 

Luke chapter 24 tells us a very enthralling story. Jesus had been crucified, and had died a horrible suffering death. The two men walking on the road to Emmaus were still reeling in the sight of it, still trying to understand all they had seen. They were talking about it when another man joined them not only in walking, but also in their conversation. They didn't know this man was Jesus until the end of their journey. This story begins with disbelief and sadness, but ends with joy, excitement, love, and true devotion. Why? Because Jesus had made himself KNOWN to them! He had opened their eyes, their hearts, and their minds to the reality that He was alive! And that all He had said to them was true! He equipped them and let them know it was time to move forward, to live in their NOW, and they did it with joy and excitement.

Our journey must also be in the "NOW". Moving forward. No matter what has happened in your past, whether it was trial or glory, Jesus is taking us on our Now Emmaus road. He wants to tell us something new, something different. Something thrilling! And He wants to walk right there beside us. Seeing our expressions of joy. Holding us up when we are weary, and sad. Never letting us be alone.

Have your problems and disappointments kept you from seeing Jesus right beside you? Ask Him today for a fresh Emmaus Road encounter. One that will cause you to look forward to a future bright with hope and excitement about eternal possibilities through Him!

The new NOW in your life will be the beginning of all the answers you are searching for. It will put you on the walk that will lead you home. And no matter how your walk begins, if you walk with the realization that Jesus is walking with you, then your walk will always end in joy.

Be sure and read the story for yourself! And let me know what you think! 

Who's holding your arms up?

Just blow your trumpets all ready.

I can just see the faces of the Israelites. "God said He wants us to do what?"

And I can clearly imagine Joshua, after hearing from God and thinking about all His strange instructions regarding the Jericho wall. "Why don't you just knock them down today Lord? Why do we have to walk around in circles and blow trumpets and carry the ark around? It's pretty heavy! And these people are gonna be staring at us over this walk laughing at us!"

In case you don't know the story, Joshua and the Israelites had reached the Jericho wall. Evidently it was one strong wall! No army had ever penetrated it with any of their might or weapons. But Jericho was part of the land that had been promised to God's people.  Instead of just giving them the land immediately, God instructed them to do a specific set of things that included marching around the city for seven days, blowing trumpets, and then shouting. (Curious? Read all about it in the book of Joshua!)

It just didn't make sense. Certainly God could have knocked down the walls at any time. But what He wanted from them was simple obedience. And when they obeyed, God did something that was so miraculous it blew their sandals off!!!

Faith and obedience go hand in hand. If we are going to have faith to believe that God is going to do what He said He would, then we have to do our part. "If you love Me, you will keep My commands....."

Very often it doesn't make sense. You look at the numbers and know you don't have enough money to pay the bills. Then you hear God's voice telling you to give your money to someone else. Your first reaction is "But Lord! Why?" Then you rationalize. "If I do that I won't be able to pay my bills!"

But then you do what He asks, and miraculously you have the money to pay all your bills.

God is always at work in our lives. Teaching is, growing us, challenging us in our faith. What He requires of us is really very simple. And no, it often makes no sense. But the outcome is always amazing!

What have you asked God for today? What has He promised you? Are you willing to do what He asks? And blow your trumpet all ready?

Leave a comment and let me know what God has done for you!!!

Jesus Specializes......

When you get a headache, what's the first thing you do? Reach for excedrin? Or pray? Which should you do?
I'll leave it to you to decide. But let me pose to you another question. Do you think a headache is too small a problem to bother Jesus with??? Maybe you're going to wait to pray for healing when you're diagnosed with cancer?

"One of the most critical reasons believers experience defeat is because we catagorize only a few areas of our lives as Christs arena! Many believers think Jesus jurisdiction doesn't extend into certain areas. Many don't even get out of the church parking lot with Him on Sunday. As if to save Him the extra trouble of dealing with things that they feel don't concern Him, they leave Jesus at church to deal with areas related to His expertise.
satan is greatly defeated when we start living our lives based on the truth that EVERY area is Jeaus Specialty!!!!"

Yes children of God! His specialties are all things! We don't have to wait for a major crisis, or a life threatening illness to call upon Him! As a matter of fact, Jesus is waiting patiently on a daily basis for you to talk to Him about everything.

So why not try it? What have you got to lose??!!!!

The Purple Scarf and God's voice......

She stood outside of the store manning her red Salvation Army bucket on a cold overcast day. The weather reflected the mood I was in. I was feeling discouraged and generally down on the world and on human nature in general. She smiled at me, a big warm smile, and told me my purple was beautiful, and that she had something to give me on my way out. I did my best to smile back at her, "ok" I told her. And walked on into the store. I was supposed to give her something on the way out, not the other way around. Right?

I completed my transaction, and left. Sure enough, there she was waiting for me as I walked out. "Wait!" She told me. She handed me a soft purple scarf. It smelled like her perfume. I hugged it to my chest and said thanks. She smiled at me again, and said "God told me to give that to you."

I hugged the scarf to my chest again and started to cry right there on the curb. "You have no idea what this means to me!" She hugged me. I hugged her back. Her name was Nadine. "Yes, I know" she said.  "When God speaks to me I listen"

I walked away from that store, feeling like a load had been lifted off my heart. I couldn't stop smiling. This is what Christmas is all about. This is what happens when you listen to God's voice.

As you go about this season doing your shopping, cooking, and checking off your list of "to do's" don't forget what it's truly all about. "Peace on earth good will to men" doesn't truly ring clearly unless we are listening for God's voice, and not just listening, but hearing and doing. 

What will be your purple scarf this Christmas season? And who will you give it to? 

The Simplicity of God

"It can't be that easy"

I sat with her at her kitchen table. God had prompted me to sit down with her and share the salvation message. Her children had heard it a hundred times. They came to church without her. Single mom, drug addict, life filled with one pain after the other.

She listened intently as I answered her questions about why I beleive in God, why I know He is real, how He saves......... And when she asked me what she had to do to have what I have, and I simply said, "Ask!"

She proceeded to tell me about her past experiences with religion and how she had been hurt and confused by it all. Having been painted a picture of God as a big giant ruler with a set of standards that no one could possibly live up to.....

So I asked her to pray. And she did. And she was saved, born again, and she stated all the things that happen once Christ has come in and made you new, that "tingling" all over, that incredible weight lifted off your shoulders....

"That's how you know it's real!!!
And yes, it's very simplistic.

When my sisters and I were young we sang together a lot. We did music with a purpose. One of the songs we sang was called "The Eagle Song" by The Imperials.

One of the verses in that song has always stuck in my mind.

"What human intellect can't sway must be explained away, earth, wisdom, creation of men.
Search without end to fill the spirit housed within, simplicity of God somehow escapes man."

With all the knowledge and science and searching for answers about the origin of absolutely everything, mankind overlooks the only answer that is reasonable. All because to them, "It can't be that easy!" To just simply accept that "In the beginning GOD....... And that's all there is to it.

Have you ever wondered why it seems the most intelligent people on earth according to the standards of earth have such a difficult time believing in The God that created them?

Luke 11:9&10 says this: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and if you knock the door will be opened!"
Pretty simplistic.

Today if you are confused, if you feel that salvation is difficult to attain or that you have to earn it in some complicated fashion, I'm here to assure you that all you need to do is ask. Yes it's that simple!