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Scriptures to Live By: Obedience

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John 14:15: “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (NIV)

According to a devotional by Pastor Rick Warren, obedience is: Love + Trust + Action. Obedience comes from knowing that God loves you, and you love Him in return. Throughout my 50+ years as a Christian, there have been many instances where I have seen God’s hand intervene with family members and even in personal situations in my own life because I was faithful and obedient to God’s direction in my life, including marrying my husband of 45+ years and praying for and obeying God’s direction for our lives together in ministry.

Obedience calls not only for love, trust, and action, but a change in our hearts and attitudes. We obey God for several reasons:

We believe that God answers our prayers.
We feel the Lord’s presence.
We gain wisdom.
We have an open communication with God.
We are blessed beyond measure.
We have a peace that “passes all understanding.”
We will enjoy a long life.

The scripture is filled with verses that pertain to our obedience to God:

Ephesians 6:1-3: “Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother–which is the first commandment with a promise–that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

II John 1:6: “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.”

Luke 11:28: “Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it.”

Romans 5:19: “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”

Let us continue to live our lives in obedience to our loving Lord every day.

Blessings,
Yvonne

Scriptures to Live By: Trust

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“Trust is a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.” Who do you put your trust in?

When I was growing up in a “dysfunctional” family, I quickly learned that trust in my family was underwhelming. My father was an alcoholic who had little or no trust in himself or in others. That lack of trust made its way into our hearts as children. However, after I became a Christian at the age of 15, the Lord helped me begin to trust in His ability to resolve or change the dynamics within my own family. It took quite a long time to realize these changes, but I trusted in my Lord to do so. In the end, that trust changed me–my heart, my attitude, my life.

Scripture shows us that we are to trust in God for every situation that happens in our lives because “He works out all things for our good.” He is the strength of our lives.

Psalm 18:1-2: “I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.”

Psalm 91:2: “I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'”

Psalm 25:1-2: “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God; Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.”

Psalm 37:5: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this.”

Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”

Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Psalm 118:8: “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.”

We trust God for our salvation, but do we really trust God with our every day lives?

May the Lord help us to trust Him more and more each day as we look to Him–the author and finisher of our faith.

Blessings,
Yvonne

Let Freedom Ring: July 4 (1776), 2014

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This week as we celebrate our freedom as a people and one nation under God, let us remember the words that have been passed down from history as a reminder of our inalienable rights and the pursuit of happiness in this great nation of ours.

Inalienable Rights: “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence.

History: “Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history.” Abraham Lincoln

Liberty: “A day, an hour, of virtuous liberty Is worth a whole eternity in bondage.” Joseph Addison, from Cato, Act II, Scene 1

Hope To All: “Without the Constitution and the Union, we could not have attained the result; but even these are not the primary cause of our great prosperity. There is something back of these, entwining itself more closely about the human heart. That something is the principle of ‘Liberty to all,’ the principle that clears the path for all–gives hope to all–and, by consequence, enterprise and industry to all.” Abraham Lincoln

One Nation: “One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, One nation evermore!” Oliver Wendell Holmes, from “Voyage of the Good Ship Union”

United: “A song for our banner! The watchword recall, Which gave the Republic her station: ‘United we stand, divided we fall!’ It makes and preserves us a nation!” George Pope Morris, from “The Flag of Our Union

Think Anew: The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.” Abraham Lincoln

Diversity: “If we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.” John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Courage: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself–nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror.” Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Determination: “America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” Harry Truman

Principle: “Americanism is a question of principle, of purpose, of idealism, of character; it is not a matter of birthplace or creed or line of descent.” Theodore Roosevelt

Vigilant, Active, Brave: “We are not weak, if we make proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power…The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, and brave.” Patrick Henry

Duty Bound: “The strength of the Constitution lies entirely in the determination of each citizen to defend it. Only if every single citizen feels duty bound to do his share in this defense are the constitutional rights secure.” Albert Einstein

“Let There Be Peace On Earth”, written by Sy Miller and Jill Jackson, serves as a constant reminder to us all that “peace on earth” should begin within the hearts of each one of us.

“Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me. Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be. With God as our Father, brother all are we, Let me walk with my brother in perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now. With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow: To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”

May God be our guide as we live in peace and harmony with our brothers and sisters and God Bless America!

Blessings,
Yvonne

Scriptures to Live By: Holy Spirit

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There are so many scriptures found in God’s Word pertaining to His promises of the Holy Spirit and of the Holy Spirit’s working in our lives. Below are just a few that describe what the Holy Spirit means to us as Christians as we continue to walk in faith in our daily walk with Him.

John 14:26: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Jesus promised His disciples that He would send a comforter to help them in their continuing ministry after He ascended into Heaven and that promise was definitely fulfilled.”

I Corinthians 2:13: “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.” Sometimes we do not know what or how to speak but because of the wisdom of the Holy Spirit in our lives, He will speak the truth through us.

Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” The Holy Spirit helps us to grow in all of the virtues as described here in Galatians.

I Corinthians 6:19-20: “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body.” This passage clearly states that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit which we have received from God and that we are to honor God with our bodies. Let us examine ourselves and what we do with the body that God has entrusted us with.

Luke 11:13: “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Our Father is faithful and wants to give us good things. We just have to ask Him.

Ezekiel 36:26-27: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” When we follow God, He promises to “create in us a clean heart” and “to renew a right spirit within us” so that we willingly follow His teachings.

May you be blessed as you read the scriptures and take to heart all that the Holy Spirit can and will do in your heart and lives today.

Blessings,
Yvonne

A Hospitable Spirit: Showing Love and Charity As Christ Shows To Us

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Have you ever tried to get a group of friends and/or family members together for a special occasion other than for a funeral and/or other tragic event? Somehow no matter how much planning you do in advance, it just doesn’t work out. One by one you receive a “no” or non-committal response from those who you had invited. Sadly, a decision has to be made and the event has to be cancelled.

A few months ago, we scheduled a family reunion to be held at our home in PA and it was to happen this weekend. We ended up cancelling it because many of my sisters and brothers could not attend. Those who lived closer could have driven in for the day, but most of them would have had to travel a long distance coming from GA, CA, TX, MO, and NC.

However, one of my sisters who I hadn’t seen in 3-4 years and who lives in GA decided to fly up anyway for a week, and we spent some quality time together just catching up. “Sweet Frog” Premium Yogurt got some of our business that week as we enjoyed going out and about and eating our lunches in various eateries. Despite her swollen ankles and physical limitations as well as having to use her cane for support, she never complained and went to bed each night exhausted.

I must admit that when I first arrived to pick her up at the airport and saw her worsened physical condition, I thought we would not be able to do much of anything but she proved me wrong. We had an enjoyable week together during the day, and spent time with my husband in the evenings. Overall, I was glad she came to visit and that I had opened up my home to her with a “hospitable spirit”.

In Hebrews 13:1-2 we are told to “Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing, some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” Jesus teaches us that we should show love and charity the way He shows to us without grumbling and with a hospitable spirit.

Other scriptures that tell us more about Christian hospitality are as follows:

Romans 12:13: “Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

I Peter 4:8-10: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

Matthew 25:40: “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'”

Let us remember that whatever we do let us do it with our whole hearts for His Honor and glory, and we will be blessed beyond measure and our cups will overflow with love and compassion for others.

Blessings
Yvonne