I enjoy reading Max Lucado books; however, I find that I cannot read a lot in one setting. This is because there is a lot to think about in each chapter. I have decided to incoporate a chapter a day into my devotions. Right now I am reaading though his book "A Gentle Thunder". Today's chapter was on John 15:1-3, which reads:
"I am the true vine; my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that does not produce fruit. And he trims and cleans every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce even more fruit."

Now, you may have known this; but I didn't so I am going to share it.

I knew that God prunes us so that we will produce more fruit, like a gardener prunes back bushes and vines, so that they will grow healthier and produce more fruit. What I didn't know is this: Nowhere does God command US to bear fruit! Let me explain. It's like a branch; can a branch produce an apple by wanting to? No. It's the same with us. Have you ever heard anyone say (or maybe you've said something like this yourself), "I'm going to forgive that jerk if it kills me" or I'm going to be patient, and I'm going to do it right now"? You can't force things like that. That's why Jesus doesn't tell us in this passage to bear fruit. So what does He command us to do? Keep reading in John 15. At least 7 times in the next 7 verses He commands us to "remain in me...remain in the vine...remain in my love..." So, we are to stay close to the vine - Jesus, and we will be fruitful. Verse 5 says, "If any remain in me and I remain in them, they will produce fruit....apart from me you can do nothing." Is it an easy process? No, it hurts...but you will be healthier because of it. I don't know about you, but I'm glad He doesn't give up on us and cuts us down altogether and says that we are't worth the effort. No, if you are His child He loves you and thinks that you are salvagable by trimming off the stuff that is holding you back. He is making you a healthier child by doing this and in doing so He is causing us to be able to bear fruit.

So, dear Christian, stay close to the vine if you want to bear fruit, you can't do it by yourself!

Do we really meditate on what we read in God's Word or do we just read it because we know we should? Today in my devotions I read about meditation - the way God intended it to be, not like the world and The New Age Movememt wants it to be. As I continue in my quest to become the woman God wants me to be, I am realizing that we need to do more than just read the Bible. We need to meditate on what we read - to think about it and what it means to us, to me, in this day and age. If we think on it and even memorize it (yes, you can do it), then it will become a part of us and then we have it when we need to use it. It says in Matthew 12:34, "Out of the overflow of our heart the mouth speaks". What is in our hearts comes out of our mouths. So, if junk is in our hearts, then junk will come out of our mouths; but if the Word of God is in our hearts, then the Word of God with come out when we speak. How do you think Jesus could reply to Satan in the wilderness like He did if He didn't know Scripture? We need to be able to do the same thing with Satan; we need to know what the Scripture says so that when we are tempted, we can say, "No, that's not right, this is what God says..." Let's not just read the Bible because we know we should, or because we want to look good in front of other Christians or because we want to rack up brownie points; let's read the Bible because we want it to change our lives and the only way it will do that is if we meditate on it and memorize it so it seeps into our very being and changes us from the inside out.

I am memorizing right now Proverbs 31:10-31 and Isaiah 54:5-6. I challenge you to memorize something too and to really think about what you read in God's Word. He may even speak to you through it!

I have found that the best way to become a better wife to my earthly husband is to think of God as my Heavenly husband. After all, how I treat my earthly husband is a reflection on my relationship with God. It says in Isaiah 54 verses 5 and 6, "For your Maker is your husband - the Lord Almighty is his name - the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distresased in your spirit - a wife who married young, only to be rejected, says your God."

If you think of God as your heavenly husband and treat your earthly husband the way you would treat God, don't you think our marriages would be a lot better. Husbands can do this as well. Treat your wife the same way you would treat God if he were here in person - because He is here - we just can't physically see him. I guarantee that if we treat each other in the same way we would treat God, all of our relationships would be better.

There is a poem that would like to share with you; I have had it in my possession since I was a child. The paper is tattered and torn, but I love the message it conveys. It is called: If Jesus Came To Your House

If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two -
If He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you'd do.
Oh, I know you'd give your nicest room to such an honored Guest,
And all the food you'd serve to Him would be the very best,
And you would keep assuring Him you're glad to have Him there -
That serving Him in your own home is joy beyond compare.

But - when when you saw Him coming, would you meet Him at the door
With arms outstretched in welcome to your heavenly Visitor?
Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in?
Or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they'd been?
Would you turn off the radio and hoped He hadn't heard?
And wish you hadn't uttered that last, loud, hasty word?

Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about?
And I wonder - if the Saviour spent a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing the things you always do?
Would you go right on saying the things you always say?
Would life for you continue as it does from day to day?

Would your family conversation keep up its usual pace?
And would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace?
Would you sing the songs you always sing, and read the books you read,
And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed?
Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you'd plan to go?
Or would you, maybe, change your plans for just a day or so?

Would you be glad for Him to meet your very closest friends?
Or would you hope they'd stay away until his visit ends?
Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on?
Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?
It might be interesting to know the things that you would do
If Jesus Christ in person came to spend some time with you.
Lois Blanchard Eades

Treat each other the way you would treat Jesus, and treat Jesus the way you would if He was staying at your house - because He is!

Get In Tune With God!

This is the second of the three devotionals from my teens:

Until we accept Jesus as personal Saviour, we are Out of Tune. We are out of tune with God, out of tune with the needs of others and out of tune with ourselves. Just like a piano that gets out of tune and needs work done; we have to have work done also. But this kind of work is different from that of a piano. We have to ask the Lord Jesus to come into our hearts and lives to save us from our sins. Until we do that, we are Out of Tune (Romans 10:13).

Many people, even some who sit in church every week, hear this Good News that God has to offer them, but they Tune It Out. They may hear it, but only with their ears and not with their hearts. Their minds may be wandering and they are wishing that the preacher would hurry up and finish so they can get out of there. Oh, they are there in church, but they are not listening. They are letting the message go in one ear and right out through the other one. They may be hearing what the preacher has to say, but they are not really listening to see how it could apply to their own lives.

Then there are other people who just need a Tune-Up. They know Jesus as their personal Saviour, but they have some little thing that they need to bring before the Lord and confess before they can really run smoothly. It's like a car that needs a tune-up; it will run, but it will run more smoothly after it has its tune-up.

If you don't have that Tune-Up and don't confess your sins to God, you will still be a Christian, but you will be a stumbling block to a new Christian and even to the unsaved. They are watching you.


This one kind of ends abruptly; I'm not sure if I am missing a page or not; however, I think the message is clear what I was trying to say.

I was going through bins of stuff I've had stored for years when I came across some devotionals I had written when I was a teenager. I would like to share them with you. I wrote these to use when I was a counsellor at camp. The first one is called "Miserable". It is taken from Luke 12:16-21.

A person who is miserable is a very unhappy person. This is a perfect term to describe a person who is without Christ. An unsaved person may think they are happy, but deep down inside they know that something is missing and without it they really can't be happy. The Something or rather Someone they are missing is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Because of Adam and Eve's sin, we were born with a hollow spot that needs to be filled with Christ and we all can fill that emptiness; but many people don't know why they feel so empty. Deep down inside they are miserable.

If we take the last four letters of the word miserable away, what do we have left? That's right! We have the word miser. Can anyone tell me what a miser is? Yes, a miser is someone who is greedy and stingy with things like money. They do not spend it because they love it too much to part with it. Some misers will go so far as to wear old torn-up clothes and go out in the streets and beg for money. This kind of person is miserable; he is not happy at all.

But this isn't the only thing people can be stingy with. They can be gredy with love, thoughtfulness and even their own lives! Can anybody tell me how a person can be stingy with their lives? Well, they want to do things their own way and not the way God wants them to do them. An unsaved person is a miser because he doesn't want to give up bad things in order to become a Christian. He enjoys the wrong and bad things too much to give give them up. He is a very unhappy person. Oh sure, he may look happy, but down inside he is very unhappy and miserable. Another type of miser is the Christian who won't let Christ take control of their lives. Yes, they are Christians but they are backslidden. They may go to church every Sunday, but the rest of the week they don't live like a Christian should. They may lie, cheat, steal, smoke, drink, dance, etc. Do you think that the Lord is happy with people who do this? No, of course he's not.

If you don't give your life to Jesus, you will be miserable for the rest of your life. When you die, you won't go to the beautiful place called Heaven where Jesus is; but you will go to the terrible place called Hell, where Satan and his angels are.

Now, let's remove the first five letters of the word miserable. What do we have left? Yes, able. What does able mean? Able means to have the power to do something. When we give our lives to Jesus, He is our Source of Power. We are able (1 Corinthians 10:13; Ehesians 6:11,16; Philippians 4:13; 2 Timothy 2:2; Titus 1:9), because He is able (Ephesians 3:20; Hebrews 7:25) and will be eternally able (2 Timothy 1:12) and we will no longer be miserable. So, let's get rid of the miser of selfishness and be able to give ourselves to Jesus.

That's the first of three.

God spoke to me this morning...oh, not in an audible voice, but a knowing...but still, I knew it was from Him. You see, I have been struggling with a question for some time and I believe that He gave me the answer this morning. The question is "Is it alright to tell others when you are struggling financially or should you only trust God? I have had several people tell me what they think...some think that you should never tell people your financial stuggles, that you should trust God to do this...some believe that it is alright to tell one or two people...so, what is the right answer? I am reading the book "A Gentle Thunder" by Max Lucado right now. I believe that chapter 18 has the answer, for me, at least. The chapter is about the first miracle of Jesus - the turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. Max points out that Mary brought the problem to Jesus before anyone else. That is what God wants us to do - to brings our problems to Him before we talk to anyone else about them. God will let us know what He wants us to do. He might tell us to talk to someone about it...he might tell us to trust Him...He might tell us to do something specific...He might even tell us who He wants us to talk to...the thing is, when you hear Him speak to you, make sure you do exactly what He tells you to do. Jesus told the servants to fill the pots with water. Then, he told them to draw some out and present it to the master of the feast. Max suggests that Jesus did not turn the water into wine until after the servants obeyed Him and drew it out to present it to the master of the feast. He waited to see if they would obey Him or not. Maybe the reason we don't get what we pray for is because we don't obey God as to how He wants to do it. The other thing is that just because He answers one way once, it doesn't necessarily mean that He will answer that way the next time. So, we must take our problems to Him every time and listen for His answer. Yes, we must listen too. And then, do what He tells us to do.

Thank you God, for being my husband...In Isaiah 54:5-6 it says, "For your Maker is your husband - the LORD Almighty is his name - the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit - a wife who married young, only to be rejected, says your God." I know You love, protect and provide for me; you do this in a number of ways, but I realize that you do it through my earthly husband, too. I also realize that that "a wife of noble character" (Prov. 31:10), is hard to find in today's society.

Noble means to be dignified and gracious. The amplified Bible puts it this way, "capable, intelligent and virtuous." God wants us as women to stand out in the world. Proverbs 31:11 says that "her husband has full confidence in her..." In order for our earthly husbands to have full confidence in us, we must have full confidence in our heavenly husband and live that out in our lives. All women have God as their husband; so we need to be his wife of noble character. I want to be a wife of noble character. This year, I have committed to start becoming the woman God wants me to be. I need to be doing everything, EVERYTHING (no matter how small or trivial it may seem) for my Heavenly Husband. I am listening for God's encouragement on my journey to become who He wants me to be.

As a woman, I know how much praise means to us; but even if we don't get it from humans, if we are a woman of noble character, we will get God's praise. After all, isn't that what is really important? To hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Enjoy the inner satisfaction in becoming the woman God wants you to be. If you do get praised by your family or friends, that's a bonus! But don't live to get praise from people, live to get praise from God. That is what will count in the end!

People are watching us

It says in 2 Corinthians that people are watching us as Christians. Let me quote 2 Corinthians 6:4-10 "Our work gets validated - or not - in the details. People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly...in hard times, tough times, bad times; when we're beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working late, working without eating; with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love; when we're telling the truth, and when God's showing his power; when we're doing our best setting things right; when we're praised, and when we're blamed; slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted; ignored by the world, but recognized by God; terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead; beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die; immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching many; having nothing, having it all." (The Message)

Wow!! It is often said that Christians are the only Bible some people read. If this is true, what do they see when they "read" us? Do they see two very different people; one when good things happen and life is good and a totally different person when the chips are down and things aren't going so good. God "is the same yesterday, today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). He loves us when life is good and when it's not. Why do we trust Him when life is good and not so much when it's not? God knows what's going on with us; He wants us to trust Him all the time! So, maybe we should try trusting Him with all of our lives. If we did that, what kind of "Bible" would people read in us. That list in 2 Corinthians 6 is pretty extensive; do you think God put it that way for a reason. I think that God was trying to get a point across: that He is the same God through all circumstances - good or bad - so if we can trust Him with the good in our lives, then why not trust Him with the bad as well.

Try it - see if it changes your life - and the lives of those "reading" you. I guarantee you that it will!

Are we like the Pharisees?

I was reading in the Gospel of John last night when I came upon something that made me stop and think, "Am I like the Pharisees?" I will quote the passage, "Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn - and I would heal them. Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him. Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God" (12:37-43).

It is the last phrase I want to comment on, "...for they loved praise from men more than praise from God." Were these leaders that came to Christ Pharisees? I believe they were; I also believe that Nicodemus was one of them. They would have been afraid to let the other Pharisees know because they knew what would happen; after all they were Pharisees too. It says that they (the Pharisees) loved praise from men more than praise from God. Do we love praise from men more than praise from God? Shouldn't what God think be more important than what men think? It should, but because we are human and often have self-esteem issues, we crave praise from others. Does that make us Pharisees? We often criticize the Pharisees, but take a good look at yourself; Do you think like the Pharisees? I know I do. This is something that I have been working on - doing things for the right reasons, not doing things for people, not doing things to get a reaction from people, to soothe my ego - but doing things for God; after all, isn't what He thinks more important?

Am I there yet? No. And I won't be here on the earth; but I want to do things for the right reasons. Do you?

Are you are a Mary or a Martha?

Luke 10:38-42: "While Jesus and his followers were travelling, Jesus went into a town. A woman named Martha let Jesus stay at her house. Martha had a sister named Mary, who was sitting at Jesus'feet and listening to him teach. But Martha was busy with all the work to be done. She went in and said, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me alone to do all the work? Tell her to help me."
But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things. Only one thing is important. Mary has chosen the better thing, and it will never be taken away from her."


Which sister are you most like?

Martha...given to hospitality and organization...is there anything wrong with that? NO. Mary...likes to think...she likes to listen to Jesus teach...is there anything wrong with that? NO. Then where's the problem? It's in the attitude and balance.

Martha wanted Mary to help her. Did she ask her? No. Instead she stewed about it, got upset and went to Jesus about her sister. Have you ever done that? Have I? Yes, I have. I find that I am a lot like Martha. Martha wanted to do what was right; but she had a bad attitude about doing it alone. Why do we do things? Is it for us or is it for God? We need to examine our hearts. Why was Martha upset with Mary? What she was doing was good; but why was she doing it? Maybe she wanted credit and didn't get it...maybe she wanted a compliment...maybe she wanted to be noticed...whatever the reason, it was wrong. She was being selfish...she wanted the glory. Why do we do what we do for God? Do we have selfish motives; or do we do it for God. It is so easy to do things for the wrong reasons...I have problems with that. No matter how hard I try not to be selfish when doing things, it has a way of creeping in. I am working on this. I ask God to help me do things for His glory, not mine. I have to keep asking though.

Mary...was there anything wrong with sitting at Jesus' feet listening ...no, of course not. But we need balance in our lives. We need to be like both sisters...it's good to serve and it's good to listen...but watch the attitude that goes with both...Mary could have been the one to get mad...she could have been jealous of her sister...she could have thought that Martha wasn't as spiritual as she was...the balance of things is having a right attitude...it's a heart matter. Where is your heart at?

I want to be like both Mary and Martha...one that serves with the right attitude and also has time to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen. This is an ongoing thing...ask God to help you to have a right attitude...and to have the time to really listen to what He has to say to you.

Does reading the Bible change you?

Someone close to me told me a while back that they couldn't see where reading my Bible was doing anything for me...that they couldn't see a change in my life...that floored me...it bothered me A LOT...I thought I could see a change in me...I definately felt different when I read my Bible than I did when I didn't read it...I thought about this for months...and then it hit me...you can read the Bible all you want, but if you don't ask God to change you through it, then it's just like reading any other book...if you want to be changed, ask God to change you, He will...but be prepared...it won't be easy...change is hard...but it is definately worth it! So, read your Bible yes, but if you want to be changed by it, then ask God to change you...you will be glad you did!

Are you living in Laodicea?

In 1985-86, I had a roommate at London Baptist Bible College. She had this tape that I liked - Steve Camp "Fire and Ice". I bought it. On this tape there was a song called "Living in Laodicea". Recently, I bought "The Steve Camp Collection" on CD and this song is on it. Listening to my itunes this morning, I heard this song. It reminded me of what our pastors are trying to get through to us. Read the lyrics and see what you think. Are you living in Loadicea?

Oh Lord, take Your plow to my fallowed ground
Let Your blade dig down to the soil of my soul
For I've become dry and dusty, Lord I know there must be
Richer earth lying below.

Chorus

For I've been living in Laodicea
And the fire that once burned bright, I've let it grow dim
And the very Word I swore that I would die for, all has been forgotten
As the world's become my friend.

We have turned from Your law to try to find a better way
Each man does today what is right in his own eyes
We will pay the price for our sinning
We can never know true living, we've exchanged His truth for lies.

Chorus

For I've been living in Laodicea
And the fire that once burned bright, I've let it grow dim
And the very Word I swore that I would die for, all has been fogotten
As the world's become my friend.

It is no small of a thing that He's done for you
By shutting the gates of hell upon the cross
We were sentenced once but now we are pardoned
And He chooses to use us though we fall.

So, while we're living in Laodicea
Keep the fire burning bright, don't let it grow dim
For the very Word we swore that we would die for, it must not be forgotten
Fear the world become a friend.


I confess that I have been living in Laodicea! Thank you God for showing me my erring ways. I want to be fire burning bright for You!

So, are you living in Laodicea? Is your light burning dim? Has the world become your friend? Are you as excited now as when you first became a Christian? Your light doesn't have to grow dim! Ask God to bring you back to your first love. After all, it didn't leave, you did! Spend time with Him...Get back in tune with God...He's waiting!

Why God Gave Us Friends

Someone gave me this a long time ago and I just found it when I was going through some things in my cold storage room. Just wanted to share it because I think it is so true. Although you don't find a lot of these kind of friends; when you do find one, you want to keep them.

God made the world with its towering trees, its mighty oceans
and tranquil beaches.
He fashioned the majestic mountains,
the cool, green valleys and the quirt woodlands.
He set the moon into its orbit
and placed the stars in the heavens,
He divided Time into seasons,
each with its own magnificent beauty.
He gave us dominion over the earth
and everything thereon...
and all these things He gave us
for our benefit and pleasure.
Then in His great wisdom,
God looked down the corriders of Time
and foresaw the special needs of human hearts.
He saw how often we would need
someone to share our inner thoughts and motives...
Someone who hears
not merely the words we speak,
but our deeper feelings, for which there are no words...
someone who knows the worth of silence
and listens without judging.
That's why gave us friends.

He saw that we would sometimes need relief
from the frantic pace of competitive living...
someone with whom we can drop all pretense,
who will love us,
not for what we may some day become,
but for what we are right now...
someone who will close his eyes to our human frailties
and see only that which is good in us.
He knew our hearts would sometimes be burdened
with sorrow and disappointment...
and that we would need
someone who knows just when to speak
and when to stand silently by,
giving us strength and comfort by simply being near.
That's why God gave us friends.

He saw that there would be times
when we would become tired and discouraged...
and would need someone to encourage us
to reach our highest potential...
someone to cheer us on and bring us face-to-face
with out better selves.
He saw that there would be times
when we would stumble and fall...
and would need someone to help us
pick ourselves up and try again...
someone who would teach us
to laugh at our mistakes
and help us find the rainbow after the rain.
That's why God gave us friends.

God saw that we would sometimes
have to take a lonely stand
because of our convictions...
and we would need
someone to support us when we're pursuing a dream...
someone to humor us when we're impractical
and to stand beside us when we champion a cause.
He knew our hearts would sometimes burst with joy
that must be shared to be fully experienced...
and that we would need
someone to praise us for our accomplishments
and rejoice with us in our good fortune...
someone to increase our awareness
of the beautiful in life.
He foresaw our strengths, our weaknesses.
our dreams and our longings.
And so God gave us friends,
that we on earth might have a glimpse
of the joy of heaven...


So, if you are blessed to have a friend like this; don't take them for granted...let them know you appreciate them in some small way.

"New Year's Resolutions"

I was lying in bed a couple of nights ago thinking...dangerous, I know. Anyway, this topic popped into my mind, "New Year's Resolutions". I haven't been one to make many of these, because of the failure rate of these things. However, I have made a few...and kept them... like reading my Bible through in a year. This year, however, I am thinking in a different direction...I am thinking that it's alright to make New Year's Resolutions...and break them; so this year I am only making one...TO BECOME THE WOMAN GOD WANTS ME TO BE. Will I fail...of course, but that's o.k. Because I can start again...and again...and again...I don't have to wait until next year to begin again, I can begin again anytime...This is something that I can do for a lifetime...not just for a year... but I am going to start...NOW! And I probably will have to restart many times, but that's o.k....AS LONG AS I RESTART...This is a tall order, but I am tired of just being...I want to be what He wants...this is a lifetime comittment...I'm ready to become the woman God wants me to be. Are you ready to become the person God wants you to be?