Tag: Bible

The Right Influence

On By Judy GlasserIn JuneLeave a comment

Every one of us influences the people around us – the people who touch our lives.

The question is – are we influencing others positively or negatively?May 27 The right influence

Are we helping those around us to be better people?  To have more integrity? To treat others with respect?  To forgive?  To love?

We not only influence others, the people around us also influence us.  So who are we surrounding ourselves with?  What kind of people do we allow into our lives to influence us?

In 1 Kings 11 we read the unfortunate story about how King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, was turned away from being faithful to the One True God by his foreign wives.  He let these women with false beliefs influence him and this made God very angry.

Solomon had it all and he lost his standing with God because of who he listened to – who he surrounded himself with.

Right now is a great time for us to take a look at who we are letting influence us and what kind of influence we are having on others.

Is there anything that needs to change?

Please open our eyes, Abba Father.

 

The Lies

On By Judy GlasserIn JuneLeave a comment

There are mountains of lies building up around us.

As information flies around the planet faster and faster, it is becoming increasingly less accurate.

Many of the things we watch on TV and videos are not entirely true.

Things we read on the internet have been embellished and edited.

Most of what people tell us are not completely true – everyone has a different perspective.  And – let’s face it – we all love a good story.

It’s just not always true.

Actually, the better the story, the less likely that its all true.

We need wisdom today regarding what we’re going to believe.

We need discernment so we can separate fact from fiction.

Proverbs 14:15 is a great verse for us. “The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.”May 17 2016 the lies

We need to be careful about what we believe and give real thought to our next steps.  Where we are going.  What we’re basing our decisions on.

All real wisdom comes from God.

It is not cynical.

It is not hopelessly optomistic.

God gives us wisdom that is realistic with a good dose of positivity mixed in because of how supernaturally awesome our Father God is.

Giving thought to our steps means not just reacting to whatever is happening to us.  It means regularly consulting with God.  It means making a plan for our lives based on God’s truth and what he is telling us when we spend time with him.

What truth has God revealed to you lately?

Please open our eyes, Abba Father.

Our Guardian Angels

On By Judy GlasserIn MayLeave a comment

Why do they do it? Why do police officers put their lives on the line every day? Why do they agree to put this huge target on their backs?

Why?

Because God created them this way. They care about having a safe community for you and me and their loved ones to live in. To play in. To not have to be afraid in.

And they are willing to do something about it.

Are there bad cops? Sure. Just like there are bad pastors, bad teachers and bad parents.

But the majority of them really care about right and wrong. They genuinely care about protecting and serving and they prove it every day by stepping out to face the evil darkness of this world.

Then why do Police Officers get such a huge amount of bad press?

This is a clear sign of how hard Satan and his team is working in our confused and ‘follow the crowd’ world. Yes, we have a lot of information readily at our fingertips today – a lot of incorrect information.

Police officers are very easy targets for people who don’t have any idea of what really happens out there when they are face-to-face with murderers, drug dealers and psychopaths. Police officers courageous face the danger of dealing with these criminals in an effort to stop them from hurting other people.

We read in God’s word about the guardian angels he sends to protect us and fight our battles for us.

The reality is that some of our guardian angels wear police uniforms.

Thank you for our guardian angels, Abba Father.

That’s the Plan

On By Judy GlasserIn May4 Comments

Planning

Organizing

Worrying over the details.

More planning.

Reorganizing.

Many of us spend a lot of time in these activities.

I know I do.

Then we read in Proverbs 19:21.May 17 2016 plans

“Many are the plans of a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

We  need to remember that.

I need to remember that.

And humbly submit to his purposes – making them my purposes.

My family experienced an earth-shaking tragedy this week.  All of our plans have been blown apart.

I am trusting that God will use this for his purposes and he will reveal those purposes as we faithfully continue to run the race for which we were called here on earth.

Life is very short.  Let’s dedicate ourselves to loving God and loving others.

We love you, Abba Father.

Its Time to Act

On By Judy GlasserIn MayLeave a comment

Accept God’s Word as truth.

Memorize God’s word.

Open your ears to his wisdom.

Work to understand God’s word.May 16 2016 time to act

Call out to God for insight.

Cry out to God for understanding.

Look for insight like it was a pile of silver.

Search for understanding like it was a hidden treasure.

THEN, you will understand and know God.

Are you serious about growing your relationship with God?

Are you willing to invest time and energy into knowing God better?May 16 b 2016 time to act

Proverbs 2 begins with this awesome call to action for serious Christ-followers.

Does this list describe you and  your relationship with God?

If not, this a great list of actions to help you get started.

Right now.

We are crying out for wisdom and understanding, Abba Father.

The Test

On By Judy GlasserIn MayLeave a comment

The wisest man on earth passed the test.

His name was Solomon.may 15 a test

In 1 Kings 10, we read that one of the most famous queens of all time – the Queen of Sheba – went to visit King Solomon.

To test him.

To see if he really was wise.

She arrived in Jerusalem in a “very great caravan with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold and precious stones.” (vs 9).

Can you imagine what this caravan looked like?

The Queen of Sheba took this huge group over 1200 miles through the hot desert which was filled with bandits and thieves to talk to Solomon about all the things she had on her mind.

And Solomon answered all of her questions.

After Solomon passed his test, she praised ‘the Lord your God’ for the wisdom she saw in Solomon.

When she left, Solomon gave praise to God for all of his marvelous works and for all of the blessings God had given him.

In a way, Solomon passed another test.  He knew where his wisdom came from and he made sure to thank God for it.

May we be faithful in following his example.

Please give us your wisdom, Abba Father.

Living Within Us

On By Judy GlasserIn MayLeave a comment

When we accept Jesus as our Savior,   God gives us eternal life AND the gift of his Spirit who guides us through life here on earth.

God’s Spirit reveals truth to us.  He shows us areas of our lives that need to change.

He speaks to us.  You know the little voice in our heads that we call our conscience?  That is the sense of right and wrong that God planted inside each of us.  When we become Christ-followers, God’s Spirit uses that voice to talk to us.  As we learn more about God and walk closer to him, that voice grows louder.

Stronger.

Clearer.

Easier to understand.May 14 2016 Living within us

We become more confident that we’re hearing from God because his voice in our head and what we’re reading in God’s word line up.  They are saying the same thing.

God’s spirit is alive within us!  What a miracle!

We are so blessed!

In our Journey through the Bible, we are reading in 1 Kings about King Solomon building a temple for God.  He asked God why he would come down to live in this temple with mere humans.

How amazing that, because of what Jesus did for us, God not only dwells on earth, his Spirit now dwells within every believer!

Solomon was very wise but not even he could have predicted that God had such a radical plan for redeeming us!

For God so loved the world!

Thank you, Abba Father.

 

Sword Fighting Class – An Eternal, Personal Relationship with God

On By Judy GlasserIn Sword Fighting ClassLeave a comment

God is doing an awesome thing as he helps us memorize Romans 8!  This is a long and difficult chapter to memorize but God is blessing our efforts as we repeat his words over and over and over.Romans 8; 1-9

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because, through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin sacrifice. And so he condemned sin in sinful man in order that the righteous requirements of the law be fully met in us who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what nature desires but those who live in accordance with the spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s laws nor can it do so. 

Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.  You, however, are Romans 8 - 10 - 28controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit when the Spirit of God lives in you.  If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.  But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.”

Thank you, God!  Here is the next verse:

“And if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies, through his Spirit who lives in you.”

When we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, his Spirit lives in us.  He gives us an eternal, personal relationship with God.   When we let him transform us, he gives us a new nature filled with grace and faith.

Thank you, Abba Father.

 

A Discerning Heart

On By Judy GlasserIn MayLeave a comment

Wisdom.

W e can use all the wisdom we can get.

So many decisions to be made.

So many options available.May 12 2016 a discerning heart

Things are moving and changing so quickly…and its all just going to get faster.

We need wisdom.

Solomon asked God for a ‘discerning heart’ and he got wisdom.  God made him the wisest man who has ever lived.

God tells us in the book of James that he will give us a generous amount of wisdom if we ask for it.

So let’s ask:

Dear Father.  Thank you for giving your Word to us.  Thank you for guiding our steps through your truth.  We are asking for your wisdom, God, so we will do things and say things that honor you.  Please help us know and understand your truth so that your wisdom can grow inside of us.  Change us, dear Father.   Transform us.  We are your children and we are asking for wisdom for today.  And more wisdom for tomorrow.  Please help us grow wise, Abba Father.  In the awesome name of Jesus we pray, Amen.