Video Bible Lesson - Bursting the Bubble by Meghan Kleppinger

1/2 Hour of God’s Power with Scott Ralls
5/11/2020

Bursting the Bubble

by Meghan Kleppinger

“…We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”- 2 Peter 3:13
Washington D.C. is a politically powerful city and it’s easy for young professionals working there to get carried away by all of its bells and whistles. As a recent college graduate who experienced this firsthand, I found that it doesn’t take long to adapt to the culture. It’s an exciting place to be, but the problem with becoming a full-blown Washingtonian is that too often, people forget why they are there to begin with.
Most people move to Washington to support a cause or to work for a politician representing a state. I, for example, worked for a non-profit that worked to preserve family values, and many of my peers worked for their state senators or representatives.

To help pop the D.C. bubble we were living in, several of us developed the discipline of reading our hometown papers online each morning. By reading the Richmond Times-Dispatch every day, I was reminded of my roots, culture, where I was from, and for whom I was really working. This practice, along with repeating our mantra, “this isn’t the real world,” enabled many of us to start each day in Washington as Virginians, Pennsylvanians, Texans, etc., representing the states we called home.
Sometimes life gets tough, circumstances cause confusion and doubt, purpose becomes unclear, and faith seems irrelevant and far removed from everyday struggles. It doesn’t take much for the line between the world we currently live in, and the promise of our eternal home, to become blurry – it’s those times when “home” with Christ sometimes seems so far away.
For me, these bleak moments almost always coincide with periods of times that I’ve stepped away from praying and spending time in God’s Word each day.

It’s not that prayer and study act like a magic formula changing my circumstances, though sometimes God does change them; usually, it is simply this set aside time causes me to regroup and change my perspective of the circumstances.
God is greater than man. He’s our creator, sustainer, and He’s in control of everything. He loves us, gives us purpose, and promises us a future with Him. This life is temporal and is nothing in comparison to spending eternity with Christ. How do I know these things? It’s all in God’s Word.
Revisiting scripture and praying on a daily basis acts as a needle bursting the bubble I live in. Like reading my hometown paper each day, scripture reminds me that this world doesn’t own me. No matter how long I’m on earth, it’s not my home and I’m not here to represent it – instead, I need to be an ambassador for my Father until it’s time to go home to Him.
Intersecting Faith & Life: Go to God’s Word to rediscover who you are in Christ, your purpose, and most importantly, to remember where home really is.

#Jesus, #Christian, #Bible, #Salvation, #Heaven, #God, #HolySpirit

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert

We went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place (Ps. 66:12).

Paradoxical though it be, only that man is at rest who attains it through conflict. This peace, born of conflict, is not like the deadly hush preceding the tempest, but the serene and pure-aired quiet that follows it.

It is not generally the prosperous one, who has never sorrowed, who is strong and at rest. His quality has never been tried, and he knows not how he can stand even a gentle shock. He is not the safest sailor who never saw a tempest; he will do for fair-weather service, but when the storm is rising, place at the important post the man who has fought out a gale, who has tested the ship, who knows her hulk sound, her rigging strong, and her anchor-flukes able to grasp and hold by the ribs of the world.

When first affliction comes upon us, how everything gives way! Our clinging, tendril hopes are snapped, and our heart lies prostrate like a vine that the storm has torn from its trellis; but when the first shock is past, and we are able to look up, and say, "It is the Lord," faith lifts the shattered hopes once more, and binds them fast to the feet of God. Thus the end is confidence, safety, and peace.
--Selected

The adverse winds blew against my life;
My little ship with grief was tossed;
My plans were gone--heart full of strife,
And all my hope seemed to be lost--
"Then He arose"--one word of peace.
"There was a calm"--a sweet release.

A tempest great of doubt and fear
Possessed my mind; no light was there
To guide, or make my vision clear.
Dark night! 'twas more than I could bear--
"Then He arose," I saw His face--
"There was a calm" filled with His grace.

My heart was sinking 'neath the wave
Of deepening test and raging grief;
All seemed as lost, and none could save,
And nothing could bring me relief--
"Then He arose"--and spoke one word,
"There was a calm!" IT IS THE LORD.
--L. S. P.

The Comfortable Church.....Dr. Charles Stanley

The Comfortable Church

Dr. Charles Stanley

Matthew 28:16-20

I think it’s fairly evident that the society we live in is very self-centered, and this same characteristic can be present in a church. Whenever a local body of believers develops an inward focus, its fruitfulness in ministry begins to decrease, and each member’s Christian walk is hindered.

Many believers want their church to be cozy and comfortable. They come to listen to a nice sermon, fellowship with friends, and have their needs met. But Godnever intended for the gathering of His people to be like a country club; He calls us to join an army that will bring the gospel into enemy territory.

An effective church—one that poses a real threat to the Enemy—is a body of discipled people who have been taught the truth of Scripture, trained for service, and helped to mature spiritually. But all this is accomplished for the purpose of going out into the world, not for becoming a self-contained sanctuary of Christian comfort.

The urgency of the Lord’s command and the desperate condition of humanity should motivate us to leave the safety of our Christian fellowships and deliver the message of salvation through Jesus. To avoid this responsibility is to miss the Father’s plan for your life and the opportunity to help build His kingdom.

None of us want to waste time or energy on trivial things and thereby miss the exciting fulfillment of God’s will. He has called us, not to a life of comfortable tradition, but to an adventure of obedience. Answer His call—you’ll help fill His kingdom with people from every tribe and nation.

When Your Role Outpaces Your Soul

When Your Role Outpaces Your Soul
KAREN EHMAN

“Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from him.” Psalm 62:5 (CSB)

I flung myself on the couch, completely exhausted both mentally and physically. My observant and concerned husband offered to take our three small children for an overnight stay at his parents’ house to give me some relief, and I jumped at the chance. After all, my schedule was full of taxing duties — running a busy household, caring for a baby and toddler, and also attempting to homeschool a kindergartner (and doing a rather poor job of it, I might add).

I surmised that my problem was busyness. I needed a little break, that’s all. But a 36-hour stretch of napping and relaxing did not resolve my dilemma. It only made me dread even more when my family would return home, and I’d have to jump back into life, running at breakneck speed.

This wasn’t the only time in my life when I experienced such anxiety. As a college student, while taking classes and being heavily involved in student government and other extracurricular activities, I grappled to keep up with everything. As a result, I frequently reached a point where I felt overwhelmed and wanted to run away.

Once I was out of school and pursuing a career, the same feelings of weariness overtook me sometimes, although the circumstances causing them were different.

The truth is, whether chasing a career or chasing the kiddos, caring for a home or for elderly parents, the various roles we have come with responsibilities — responsibilities that can often outpace us, causing us to play a perpetual game of catch-up.

These obligations can siphon the very life from our souls. And the siphoning of our souls is a hard process to stop.

Our key verse, Psalm 62:5, gives a prescription for our weary souls: “Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from him.”

The original Hebrew word here for rest means “to grow silent or still.” This phrase indicates progression. Our souls sometimes enter a state of unrest and must be quieted. The definition of soul here means “a living being, life, self or person.” In Hebrew, the soul referred to the seat of a person’s passions, appetites and emotions. It is their very inner being.

Psalm 62:5 tells us how to remedy our worn-out souls: “Rest in God alone.” The word “alone” has an insightful meaning in the Hebrew. It means “in stark contrast to any other ideas; the only solution that works; the real one rather than a counterfeit.”

So, when our souls are siphoned due to the draining duties of our roles, we have a guaranteed remedy. And it isn’t a nap or a break from our responsibilities — although those things can play a part. The cure is God, who alone can soothe and satisfy our souls.

But how?

When we read, study and even memorize His Word. And make an effort to apply it to our daily lives.

And it happens when we communicate with Him in prayer. More than a quick shopping list of “give-me’s” and “bless-them’s,” but a deep, concentrated time of pouring out our hearts to Him. This is how we find rest for our souls — sacred rest only God can provide.

We ignore our souls at our own peril. We try to medicate them with counterfeit means. But they can find true rest only in God and God alone.

Father, when my roles and responsibilities threaten to tatter my soul, help me find true rest in You alone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Matthew 11:29, “Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (CSB)

Hebrews 4:9, “So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.” (NLT)

Mom's the Word

Mom's the Word
by Laura MacCorkle

Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 9:9-10, NIV

Spelled forwards or backwards, there's no mistaking the word mom. We all know what it stands for.

Turned upside down, it also reads wow. And that's something I wholeheartedly agree with-especially now that I'm old enough to understand everything that my mom did and has done for me over the years. All I can say is "Wow!"

I also think of the word instruction when I think of my mom - or any maternal figure who was influential in my life. I probably didn't like it at the time. Okay, I know I didn't like it at the time, as I always seemed to have my own agenda. But years later, I greatly appreciate the words of instruction that were given to me. My mom's words included, but were not limited to:

If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

When in doubt, don't.

Chew with your mouth closed.

Because I said so.

So? Sew a hole in the ground. (Not really sure what that was for.)

Do your best.

Did you wash your hands? Let me smell them.

Try it. You might like it.

Hide God's Word in your heart that you might not sin against him.

Now what did Mommy say?

I continue to hear these words of instruction in my head as an adult. They're part of my mom's imprint on my life. They impart lessons of kindness, perspective, right and wrong, responsibility, attentiveness and obedience. And if I show any signs of the beginning of wisdom, I'll continue to heed these words and hopefully someday impart them to my future children.

The Bible speaks of the great value and importance of instruction and how we should perceive such words and their meaning in our lives:

"Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life" (Proverbs 4:13).

"He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded" (Proverbs 13:13).

"Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD" (Proverbs 16:20).

"Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise" (Proverbs 19:20).

"Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge" (Proverbs 23:12).

You may not have always agreed with the instruction imparted to you over the years. But, as I now am, I hope that you are cherishing the treasures given to you by your mother or anyone who has filled this role in your upbringing.

My mother sowed seeds into my life. She consistently worked my strong-willed soil. And the lack of an instant bumper crop didn't discourage her. Undeterred, she kept coming back and doing her part to ensure that good things were planted into my life. She added to my heart and to my mind, so that these instructions would hopefully take root and one day bring forth spiritual fruit.

I've not become a mother yet, but I've done my fair share of babysitting and taking care of children of all ages. So I have a tiny glimpse of what is involved in this process.

To "train up a child in the way he should go" takes patience. Sacrifice. And most of all, a great love. Your mother is an earthly example of how our heavenly Father takes care of you and provides life-giving-and life-saving-instruction through his Word.

Thank God for your mother today. And take time to honor her this Mother's Day for all that she means to you as your mom.

Intersecting Faith & Life: I don't know what your relationship is like with your mother. She may not be here any longer. Or you may not have had a strong or healthy connection. This Mother's Day, however, think of someone (your mom, a relative, a teacher or any another godly woman you see as a mentor) who has given you valuable instruction. Let her know how much she has meant to you and what an impact she has made in your life.

Further Reading

Ephesians 6
Proverbs 31:30-31

Set Apart for His Glory

Set Apart for His GloryBy: Jennifer Waddle

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. - Genesis 1:3-5

You’ve probably heard the old phrase, “a place for everything and everything in its place.” It’s a quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin, but some believe it existed long before his time. Whatever the case, it’s a quote that parents often use when trying to get their kids to tidy their rooms and put everything back where it belongs.

Of course, the original example of putting things in order comes from God. The instant He spoke the words “Let there be light,” He saw that the light could not reside with darkness. He separated them and gave them each a name. There was no meshing of the two—no blending them together. Instead, God saw that the light was good, and He separated it from the darkness.

What a beautiful word picture for us, as Christians, to live separately from the darkness of the world. While we are required to live in the world, we are not required to mix with the ideas and beliefs that call “good evil and evil good.” There are no gray areas for believers in Christ. For in Him, there is a perfect standard of right and wrong, darkness and light.

Sadly, many well-meaning people have decided to blend their beliefs into a broad, gray area that is neither light nor dark. Compromise has taken the place of standing resolutely on God’s unchanging Word. Blending in with the culture has replaced being set apart for His glory.

I get it. Living in peace with each another is a noble thing. As a peacemaker myself, (sometimes to a fault), it’s sometimes difficult for me to take a firm stand on what is true. But as I re-read Genesis chapter one, I’m reminded of God’s perfect order and His way of separating what needs to be separated.

The thing is, living separately for God shouldn’t be done in an unloving or self-righteous way. In contrast, being set apart for the Lord should be displayed as great love for God and for others—without compromise. We are lights in a dark world, and we should be drawing people to the light of Jesus by the way we live, not repelling them because of a spirit of hatefulness or judgment. This doesn’t mean we accept every belief or opinion. Instead, it means we unapologetically cling to the absolute truths of God’s Word in the most gentle and loving way possible.

Ultimately, our Creator is the Master organizer, who spoke everything into existence and separated the light from the darkness. He was the first example of “a place for everything and everything in its place.” And when we choose to live separately for Him, we’ll find ourselves exactly where we need to be.

A Prayer for Choosing Life.....🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

A Prayer for Choosing LifeBy Pastor Jack Graham

“You have been my guide since I was first formed... from my mother’s womb you are my God” (Psalm 22:10-11).

Several years ago, I read an article about a very well-known couple in our city who were expecting a baby. The problem, however, was that around the time of finding out she was pregnant, the wife also was diagnosed with a malignant tumor on her liver.

Strong chemotherapy was needed, which the baby wouldn’t survive. So the couple had a decision to make. They could either abort the baby and begin treating the cancer. Or, the mom could carry the baby to term without chemo, but risk the cancer spreading.

A strong faith guided them through these stormy waters. And the two decided not to abort the baby. The wife was quoted as saying, “This baby was a gift to me. It wasn’t my right to deny this gift.” And praise the Lord, she was also treated for cancer after delivery and made a full recovery!

Across our nation and our world today, there are tough choices women and their families are facing. But in all circumstances, the greater choice is the sanctity of life. That’s because to deny a living baby the right to be born is not anyone’s call but God’s.

Choose life, even in the toughest circumstances, and trust God to bring healing and grace to even the toughest situation.

Dear Lord, help us to promote the sanctity of life. May our words and deeds show everyone in our community that they are loved. Teach us to value every human life. When we look at a person, give us your eyes so we may see your son or daughter. Amen.