REFRESH

Today's podcast begins a new series - The Lord Has A Purpose. Listen as Amy hosts a special friend, Rebecca Buys Hansen. She is one who, even in the midst pain, give God full authority to use her...not in spite of, not apart from, but BECAUSE of her suffering.

The episode of the burial of Jesus brings to light the depth of emotions and turmoil of his followers. We have the security of reflecting on these events as they occurred more than 2,000 years ago. But, to understand fully the impact of the death of Jesus, we can consider how the people of the moment were impacted, how they responded, and how Jesus brought comfort, healing, and restitution.

The final hours of the life of Jesus, prior to His death on the cross is the antithesis of every dark situation humankind endures. We, as God's kids, even at the moment when we are faced with destruction death, have the assurance that there will be victory in the situation. In Jesus we have found freedom from the effects of sin and death. "…future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness, Declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!"  Psalm 22:30-31

It is amazing that the act of humanity's perversion of “justice” through the death of Jesus brought about the greatest act of grace and mercy for those who believe. What was done in secret, what took place in the dark, was turned on its head to save humanity from sin and eternal suffering.

Judas' betrayal began in the form of greed, and grew to the ultimate betrayal, death.  This type of sin is all too common.  What may seem to be a sin beginning in greed has potential to set in motion devastating consequences. Jesus had a choice, he could have escaped if he chose to. He was at a crossroad. Yet, the actions of others, even those who loved Him, did not deter Him from doing the will of God set out before Him.

"And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people sought to destroy him; but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people hung upon his words" (Luke 19:47,48).

Jesus was not concerned with Israel's relationship with Rome; rather, Israel's relationship with God. The noise of animals had replaced praise, and prayer replaced by greed. By entering the temple and turning the tables and driving out the money changers, Jesus portrayed forceful authority as a defender of the house of God and the value of humanity.

The gravity of Jesus' actions is clear, that even facing death, He took time to care for the individual, from healing the sick to transforming the heart, to raising the dead.

For some reason – when a person is holy, or acts godly, or is a follower of Christ, it breeds hostility in this world. This hostility is the sin we fight against – and we need to be sure we keep perspective on what and who it is we stand for, and what and who we stand against.

Being a "peacemaker" does not mean that we avoid hardship in this world...It does mean we avoid hardship in our soul. A peacemaker strives to be what Jesus teaches in the Beatitudes - To be humble, repentant, meek, one who pursues righteousness, merciful, and pure in heart. The result then, is peace. Not as the world sees it, but as God sees it. The way Jesus hoped those in the First Century would understand.

Holiness is a word that needs to become popular once again! To be "pure in heart" is to strive to live a holy life. How do we do this? We make every effort to walk in right relationship with God as outlined by Jesus in the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes give us a roadmap for holiness and to be "pure in heart." What is the result? That we "shall see God." Wherever the will of God is done, there He is present. It is a "right now" presence and a future hope for the day we will see God, face to face. 

Mercy is not self seeking. We do not show mercy to someone so we will receive it back. We show mercy because it is right living and it is what God requires of us. We show mercy because God shows mercy to us each day. And God is wise in what He requires of us. Not showing mercy and holding on to wrongdoing often harms us much more than helps and interrupts the work we could be doing for the kingdom of God.

Is your ambition to reflect God's glory or your own glory? It is a good question to consider. If we seek our own glory, we negate the kind of righteous living that satisfies us. If we pursue a relationship with God where we seek to align ourselves with the character of God, we will be satisfied. It may not be easy, but it will be good. It is the only place were where peace can be found.

Mary and Joseph were chosen by God. They had to navigate  parenting the Son of God!  Mary nursed him, they played with him, trained him up, taught him, and kept him from harm and danger initially. Ultimately they had to let him go – to trust they had done enough to enable Jesus to fulfill the life that both Mary, Joseph, and God expected Him to live.

Jesus was born into a loving family surrounded by helpers.  What a wonderfully common occurrence.  However, we know there was nothing common about this birth! 

Meekness is not weakness! A meek person is not a coward. A meek person is not a people pleaser. Rather a meek person is a follower of God. A meek person is one who falls in under the authority of their Creator. A meek person submits to the will of God. In our submission to God, in our meekness, in our humility before God, we find rest - rest for our souls. We find guidance. We find direction.

Though we may sin, though we may dishonor God with our actions - If we mourn those, if we repent, we have a Father who forgives. From forgiveness comes comfort – as we rest in the presence of God's forgiveness. Forgiveness produces a boldness to speak the name of Jesus to the world. We can become like David, Peter, Paul, - In repentant forgiveness – proclaiming to the world the comfort and mercy of a God who loves and cares.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3. The kingdom of heaven comes wherever God's will is being done. Wherever we are living according to the will of God. It comes when we live a life of obedient service, a life or placing the teaching of God above oneself. It is a life of obedient selflessness knowing that there may be difficulty in this world, yet a life of dependence on God for spiritual sustenance, as we live and seek to encounter God and his purpose above our own.

In the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5, Jesus gives us the roadmap of HOW to live our lives. The beatitudes are armor, they are our compass. They are direct from Jesus, and following them will lead to a life of peace and refreshing even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances.

Through significant "ups and downs" Joseph stood firm in his relationship with God. This relationship enabled him to remain consistent in difficult and wonderful circumstances. "God is never caught by surprise or unaware of our situation." -Stand Firm, What to do when life knocks you down. Mark Flattery. pg. 209

Like the podcast of last week on the miracle of Jesus with the woman with the issue of blood, I think if we place ourselves further into the story we become one of the listeners of Jesus, there, on that day. We then become responsible to the words and cannot easily pass over or ignore the message. The message that all people have value to God.

“Your suffering is over!” Nothing was going to keep this woman from getting to Jesus. She had faith in his Messiahship. She was willing to sacrifice scorn, abuse, and, let's be honest, making others and even Jesus unclean by her actions. But, forget it! She fought through the crowds because she was willing to do whatever she could.  And the response of Jesus is hopeful, amazing, and wonderful. “Your suffering is over.”

After returning from Israel, here are just a few Bible lessons from several special locations!

Relax in the fact that God has you….. He has _________. That's it. Just relax. Have relationship with God. Walk with Him and talk with Him along the way.

In Part 2 we discuss entrusting YOU to God. God is safe to lead us through this life. He is safe in great joy and great sorrow. It is safe to entrust your life to him and walk with him through hopelessness, suffering, pain, despair, anxiety, and worry. In this way, God is the only and safest place to rest your weary soul.

Session one reveals the life of Abraham and Sarah and the result of entrusting their life to God - And how their actions can impact you.

The environment and living conditions for the Bedouin are difficult. Perhaps one where you would expect them to do the opposite of being hospitable. Yet, their hospitality is legendary. How do you reflect the nature of God by showing hospitality/care to those around you?

Because you are valuable to Him, God does not waste even our wandering and indecision. The hand of God is directive in nature. It is decisive. It is confident. He will use our success and even our failures for his Kingdom.  

As you navigate life, what is God concerned with? Fear of man, or fear of God who casts out all the fear that humans bring into the picture! God is concerned with our obedience to him. And He promises to walk life with us. Entrusting ourselves to God leads us THROUGH fear which destroys hopelessness, suffering, pain, despair, anxiety, and worry.

The mustard seed, when planted, watered, and nourished can grow to great proportions. It is persistent, it does not give up. It will weave its way through the dirt, moving whatever is in its path to overcome.  So too, Faith - When placed in God and acted upon. 

  "Go...and I will"  In your life journey, (and a journey it is!)...have you been asked step out in faith and obedience without knowing the end game? Have you carefully read the story of Sarah and Abraham? Their life story is one of promise, obedience, hope, despair, and finally, fulfillment - and lends challenges and encouragement for us today. "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed..." Romans 4:18a  

Often, when looking for examples we run to inspiring women, those who have conquered, ruled, been seen, were humble, and served God fearlessly - The world changers! What about those who live/lived outside the will of God? Can we also learn from them? Listen for 10 lessons we can learn from Jezebel and her lack of devoted faith in God. 

At times, we find ourselves worn and weary. This is often when we need to give up control and let God (fly our plane...you'll know what I mean when you listen :-). I invite you to take a break, listen, and find rest.

Several verses in Matthew 5 tells us that we are the light of the world - We are the salt of the earth. Jesus tells us the importance of both. Listen as we unpack the several images of salt, and the images of light that give a backdrop to the words of Jesus.

Leadership is a big topic. There are leadership degrees, classes, conferences, etc. While these are great and useful, there is one skill we can all learn - it is to lead like a shepherd. How does a shepherd lead? Listen and find out!

When have you experienced distress in your life? What do you do once you know your prayer has been heard? Let's look at the life of Hannah and her prayer to the Lord in Shiloh. Her response to being heard is my favorite part!

Exodus 14:14 tells us that there are many a time when only God can fight our battles for us. Sometimes, we just need to be quiet, take a step back, and let God direct our situations and circumstances. There are other times when God tells us to take action! This particular podcast discusses how we, more often that not, need to simply be quiet, be still, and hand over the controls. We will also discover Job. A man who suffered greatly - yet in his suffering he continued to put his trust in God. Though Job suffering was significant, he held fast to God and gained redemption in the midst of suffering.

Do you have a godly heritage? If so, are you living it out? If not, you can be the beginning of a godly heritage for you, your friends, and your family! Rahab, our hero of faith from the Bible, created one in what seemed like impossible circumstances. You can do it too! Listen to her story. She is amazing.

God can speak to us in any way He chooses. How cool! God asks us to trust Him - and we should. Yet, it is our choice to do so - or not. We can choose to trust even in our desert experiences - like those the Israelite's faced when they lacked water in the wilderness. There is a pretty amazing twist to this story. Listen to find out how amazing our God is!  

Yep! Silence is a sound. We can learn so much in silence. Join me in discovering how God used silence and being still to communicate with his people in the Bible, and still to us, today. 

Yes, I have a very ugly green chair - and I love it. And you know what? God cares about the little things!

My favorite flower is found in the desert. It is ugly and worn, until the refreshing rains pour down...

Join me for some refreshing as we dive into scripture and find  encouragement for your week!