Tag: God’s Word

Made Right

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

Do you feel it?

Paul tells us in Romans, “This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight.  This is accomplished from start to finish by faith.”

Through my faith in Jesus, I am ‘made right’ in God’s eyes.  I have been adopted as God’s daughter and given a free ride into heaven by his grace –

not because of anything I’ve done, in spite of the things I have done.

I know, it’s hard to really accept God’s grace.  It feels like I should be trying to be ‘good enough’ to earn it.  All of the religions of the world except Christianity instruct their followers on how to earn a ticket to heaven.

But I know it’s impossible for me to earn it.  I can’t be ‘good enough’ on my own.

So Jesus paid the price for me.

And I live my life in gratitude to my Father God for making the Way possible for me.  Anything good that I do comes from being thankful for what Jesus did for me.  I want to please my Father God and shine his light of love on others whenever possible.

As the sun rises each morning, I feel God’s love and acceptance as he wraps his arms around me when, with my Bible open on my lap, God and I get together for our ‘morning talks.’  I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I have been ‘made right’ by Jesus.

Do you feel it?

Thank you, Abba Father.

My World Shook

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

My world turn upside down and inside out when my son, David Glasser, was killed in the line of duty.

The sun didn’t shine as brightly after he was killed and the nights were much darker.  The emptiness was consuming, the loss overwhelming.

Yes, my world shook to its core.

Paul writes to the Thessalonians that he is sending Timothy to them to ‘strengthen you, to encourage you in you faith and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through.”

I can relate.

The only thing that didn’t shake when Davey was killed was my faith.  God kept me solidly planted beside him as the rest of my life quaked around me.  God held me secure as everything flipped and crumbled and blew up.

Thank you, Abba Father.

Paul goes on to say, “But you know that we are destined for such troubles.”

I hear you, God.  I’m not done with having troubles as long as I live on this broken planet.  There will be more.

There are more.

And I have learned that the only response to ‘troubles’ that works is to trust and obey.  God has a purpose and a plan.  God is in control and nothing is impossible for him.  He loves me and wants the best for me.  These are facts that don’t change because of my circumstances.  It’s the truth even when I don’t understand it.

Amen.  So be it.

It Makes Sense….

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

that it doesn’t make sense.

Paul says to us in Galatians, “I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning.  I received my message from no human source and no one taught me.”

The Bible has a supernatural message that people without the Holy Spirit living inside of them cannot understand.  It doesn’t make sense to them because it’s ‘from no human source.’

So you and I can’t let the fact that other people ‘don’t get it’ distract us or confuse us or make us doubt the wisdom and guidance we receive from God as we read the Bible.

God speaks through his Word.

He talks to me.

He stops me when he wants me to take some extra time thinking about a certain section of his Word – like the verses I mentioned here.

I am so grateful that the Bible is not like any other book on earth.  Other books I have read inspire me but I’ve never heard my Father’s voice in my head reading me the words when he wants to draw specific attention to something.  Other authors have insight and experience that have helped me and encouraged me but none of them have the wisdom that God has.  Some authors have great imaginations and clever plot changes but none of that is the truth coming straight from the Creator of the Universe.

Only the Bible has His voice.

Only the Bible has a direct revelation from Him.

Thank you for your Word, Abba Father.

This Can’t Be Good

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

This is not going to turn out well.

These thoughts often go through my head when things happen in my life that I don’t like, didn’t plan for and I know they are going to be difficult to deal with.

But I have learned, these events look very different when I look at them through a rear view mirror.   I realize that- every time- these tough experiences took me in a new direction where God wanted to bless me.  I’ve had several situations happen in my life which took years of work to maneuver through only to realize that God had a long line of blessings waiting for me on the other side.  I’m trusting God right now that the same thing will happen in relation to the death of my son.  Because of the great loss here on earth, I know there’s a good chance that I won’t realize those blessings until I’m sitting at the feet of my Father in heaven.  But it will happen.

I’m sure the new Christians in Acts thought that the wave of persecution which began after the Holy Spirit came to them was a very bad thing.  Christians were hunted down and killed by people like Saul whose name later changed to Paul.

The persecution separated the Christians and send them out through the regions of Judea and Samaria.

“But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.”

Do you see what I see?  What Satan meant for evil, God used for good.  It’s certainly not the plan for evangelism that anyone would pick, but it worked.  People all over the country heard about the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ because of the growing hostility to Christians.

It didn’t look good, but God used it for good.

This is how I choose to look at tough situations in my life.   God can bring something good from it.

He always has.

He always will.

Thank you, Abba Father.

Today

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

It should have been me.

The thief up on the cross next to Jesus was sentenced to die for the bad things he had done.

That was me….before I put my faith in Jesus.

My rebellion, self-centeredness, and lack of compassion are a few of the reasons I should have been on that cross.

The Great News is Jesus was up there on the cross for me…..and for you.  He who knew no sin became sin for us.  He bore the weight of all of the world’s sin – once and for all.  You and I can be redeemed from spiritual death by accepting the free gift of salvation that only Jesus can give.

As I read this account in Luke 23, I visualize Jesus turning to me, looking me in the eye and saying, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

For the thief, it was that day.  Oh, glorious day!

For me, it probably won’t be today – although it could be.

And I’m ready.

There will be a day for me when it is ‘today’ because I have committed my heart and life to Jesus.  This passage in the Bible reassures me.  The thief did nothing to earn his way into heaven.  He put his faith in Jesus and it was done.  He didn’t say a prayer or specific words and he was never baptized.  Jesus knew his heart just like Jesus knows my heart.

This passage also tells me there is no waiting – no purgatory, no additional steps.

Today.

In paradise.

Thank you, Jesus 

Sifted

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

What does it mean to be sifted?

Ash is sifted to find anything important or useful in it.  Wheat is sifted so the unusable chaff is separated from the valuable grains.

I know what it feels like to be sifted.  My world shook when my son,  David Glasser, who was a Phoenix Police officer was shot and killed in the line of duty on May 18, 2016.  Parts of my life crumbled.  My hopes and dreams for him were stripped away.  All of his future disappeared, leaving gaping holes full of hurt in my world.

And what was left?

I had to dig deep…..

very deep,

into my faith and what I knew to be true in order to stay standing in the middle of the devastation.

Harsh sifting.

So Jesus’ words to Peter in Luke 22 stop me.  “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat.  But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail.  So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”

Satan asked to sift the disciples – this is not the first time I have read this but it’s the first time it has sunk in.  Satan knew that Jesus expected the disciples to share the Great News of salvation to world so the disciples became a pivotal target for Satan.

Jesus knew that Peter would deny him three times in one night.  Major sifting.  So Jesus was encouraging Peter that his faith could not only withstand the shaking it was going to get, it was going to become stronger.  Through this experience of denying Jesus, then repenting and turning back to him, Peter would be more prepared to help strengthen his brothers.

I have learned there is purpose in the pain when I let God control how it all shakes out.  My prayer is that my sharing this with you will help strengthen you when you are sifted.

Thank you for your truth, Abba Father.

The Way to Peace

On By Judy GlasserIn OctoberLeave a comment

Where is peace?

The way to peace is illusive.  It’s hard to find.  If you find it, it’s hard to keep.  One text, one thought, one facial expression and – poof!- it’s gone.

I’ve found that it’s easier to feel peaceful in the mountains or at the beach – closer to God’s creation.  Many of us flock to those places on vacation…….looking to have a good time and, possibly, a few moments of peace and calm.

Jesus wept for Jerusalem in Luke 19 while saying, “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace.  But now it is too late, the peace is hidden from your eyes.”

The Good News for us is that peace is not hidden from our eyes.  Jesus is the way.  Jesus can give us the internal peace that nothing else – including the mountains and the beach – can give.

When we look to Jesus for peace, we will find it.

Thank you, Jesus.

It Breaks Through

On By Judy GlasserIn OctoberLeave a comment

So much noise.

Too much information.

Bombarded by distractions……

and then God’s voice breaks through.

Clear.

Strong…..

making more sense than all the chaos around me.

One of my favorite images of God comes from the story that Jesus tells us in John about the Good Shepherd.  “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them on.”  “The sheep recognize his voice.”

I recognized his voice.  How?

It’s simple but not easy.  After reading the entire Bible eight times, I know when God is speaking to me because he is speaking his words – the words I have read over and over.  I recognize his truth because I have seriously studied the Bible for over 30 years.  I’m not a pastor or a theologian.  I’m just an average person who really wants to hear God and know the truth.

I have been asked, ” how do you know it’s God and not just your own voice telling you what you want to hear?”  When what I hear lines up with what I’ve read and studied in God’s word, I have no doubt that it’s his voice.

Important point – messages from God will be consistent with more than just one verse in the Bible.  The only way to really know it is from God is that it lines up with what God says about this topic over the entire Bible.

One verse can steer me in the wrong direction.

One or two verses taken out of context can tell us lies – nothing close to what God really said.

Be very careful with the ‘life verse’ concept.  The only way that works is if you understand what God says regarding the topics in that verse through the entire Bible.  Otherwise, it can be a shortcut that takes you down a dark path – a path where you hear what you want to hear because you are not recognizing his voice.

The closer I get to God, the easier it is to hear his voice.

Thank you for speaking so clearly, Abba Father.

My Fears

On By Judy GlasserIn October2 Comments

What am I afraid of?

What are you afraid of?

This world can be a very scary place with evil lurking around every corner.  The worst can happen in an instant –

I’ve been there.

So it seems logical that you and I would be afraid……. until we read what Jesus says to us in Matthew 8, “Why are you afraid?  You have so little faith.”

Wow!  Jesus directly correlates the fact that I am afraid to how much faith I have.

God is telling me that my fears mean I’m not trusting him.

I know this is true for me.  When I am worried, I am not trusting God.  The amount of my fear is a clear indication of the lack of my faith because I know God is in control.  He has a plan and purpose.  There is nothing that happens to me that has not gone through his hands.

So what am I afraid of?

My worst fear – that something bad would happen to one of my children – has already come true for both of them.  My daughter got cancer and my son was a police officer who was killed in the line of duty three years ago.

What a huge waste of time and effort fear is!  It didn’t change anything that has happened to me.

God has used these experiences to teach me many things.  One of them is to lay my worries and fears at God’s feet and leave them there.  He is the only one who can do anything about them.

It’s a fact that he loves me and wants the best for me.  He is faithful to walk beside me when bad things happen, helping me to grow my faith and trust in him.

Fear comes from a lack of faith.

Thank you for your faithfulness, Abba Father.

What Do I Choose?

On By Judy GlasserIn OctoberLeave a comment

Do I choose to be healthy or unhealthy?

” Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body.  When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light.  But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness.”  Jesus tells us this very important truth which affects our whole body.

My eyes determine my emotional, mental and spiritual health.

What am I looking at?

What am I focusing on?

What am I watching – letting all of it go directly into my brain?

What am I reading?

Who am I watching?

Who are the people I’m surrounding myself with who are influencing me?  What behaviors and values do I see in them?  Are those the same values and behaviors I want in my life?  I’m not judging them, I’m trying to make good choices about what my eyes regularly see – because it affects my whole body.

Do I want to live in the light?  Or in the darkness?

I choose.

You choose.

It all goes into our brain through our eyes.  Thoughts become attitudes and attitudes become actions.

Healthy or unhealthy – it’s our choice.

Please help us be very careful about what we let our eyes see, Abba Father.