Bread Crumbs

What Can God Accomplish For You Today?

But Moses said to the people, "Do not fear!  Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. - Exodus 14:13 NASB

What is your greatest fear?  What do you need God to accomplish in your life today?  Life can get us down sometimes, maybe even a lot of the time, but God is ready and available to do some major work in and through our lives if we just turn our lives over to Him.  Moses and the Israelites experienced God's power firsthand in a might way.  

In Exodus 14, the Israelites had just left Egypt after a long period of slavery under Pharaoh's rule.  Even though God led them out of Egypt, they were scared because they had left the only home most of them had ever known and moving on into unfamiliar territory.  Plus, the Egyptians were following close behind.   Enter God to the rescue!  He spoke through Moses as Moses told the people not to fear.  A close examination of Exodus 14:13 can teach us the following about God's provision for us in any circumstance.

1. Do not fear.  God sees everything that is going on in our lives and He knows how to handle every "Egyptian" and every situation that keeps us in bondage to fear. 
2. Stand by.  "Standing by" does not mean meddling in God's business.  God will do all of the dirty work in our lives. All we need to do is come to Him, talk to Him and give to Him all of our requests and all of ourselves.
3. See.  While God is working, we need to be watching.  I wonder how many times I miss God's work in my life because I'm too busy trying to do it for Him!

God can accomplish permanent change in our lives, no matter what needs to be done.  Who do you need to become to do the things God is calling you to do?  Ask God to make you into that person.  What mess do you need cleaned up in your life?  Ask God for help.  He'll make order out of chaos and equip you for His service.  All we have to do is do the little part that we know to do, keep coming to Him for help and He will do the rest.  IfHe can part the seas, what can He do for you? 

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Janna Rust is a Professional Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

What Do We Do With Memories?

One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.  Phil 3:13 NKJV

Canadian geese.  "Best Behavior". NSA.  Choking on a pill.  Starbucks Coffee.  The Superbowl. Plant clippings growing in a vase.  Reading from a devotional book.  On their own these are simple things.  But because they are directly connected to a past friendship that I desire with all of my heart to be restored in its entirety, these memories are sometimes bittersweet, bringing both smiles and tears.  In short, I am missing a friend.

Memories are a funny thing.  Whether they are good or bad memories, either type can be both good and bad for us.  Dwelling on memories of past mistakes can keep us in the "I'll never be able to change" mindset or give us the determination to say "I'll never go back there again".  Good memories can give us a smile as we remember some good times spent with a loved one.  However those same memories can also provoke tears and loss of energy due to thinking about what could or should be, making Proverbs 13:12 "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." come alive to us.

Do you have a memories you are trying to forget?  Are you holding on to other memories in order to keep hope alive?  Whatever the case, we need to be focusing on the present, reaching forward to the future, and pressing into the one Friend who will never leave us.  I still miss my friend, but Jesus is a better friend, and God says He will create a new thing.  He will create new things in our lives.  He might even create a new thing from the old.  We just need to keep looking upward and reaching forward.

"Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." - Isaiah 43:18-19 NKJV

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Janna Rust is a Professional Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

Is Feeling Worthy Being Prideful?

It is only in the possession of God that I lose myself. It's in the height and breadth and glory of the sunshine that the littleness of the dust particle playing in its beams is seen, and it's by humility that we take our place in God's presence to be nothing but a speck dwelling in the sunlightof His love. - Andrew Murray, "Humility"

Mainstream society tries to make us think that each one of us is and should be the center of our own universe yet the bible compares our best efforts at righteousness to filthy rags (Is 64:6). It is no wonder that so many of us are confused!

 

We are all worthy to be used, but not worthy to be praised. I believe that there are two keys to recognizing our place in this world and stepping up and out to make a difference in it.

1. We are important to God - God loves us and gave His son to die for us, so that He could empower each one of us to be lights in the darkness of this world. He needs us, for the very reason that we are so imperfect, so He can show the world what He can do and so people will know that He is God!

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Eph 2:4-7 NKJV)

2. We are not important in relation to God - In the whole scheme of things, we are pretty insignificant indeed. However it is the realization of insignificance that gives us true power, and in that lies the paradox. In my opinion, this is the essence of faith, for to have true faith in God, we must not have faith in ourselves.

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Cor 12:9 NKJV)

Feel worthy to be used by God, but not so worthy that God can't use you. We can feel worthy to fulfill God's call on our lives without being prideful as long as we still remember who we really are in light of who God is.  Fulfill your calling with a humble confidence.  Just show up for work. God will get the job done.

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Janna Rust is a Professional Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

Love is Kind

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. – Eph 4:32 NKJV

 

“Love you guys!”, I heard someone exclaim as they left our small group meeting several years ago.  I remember thinking at the time how loosely the word “love” is thrown around in our culture today.  Most of the time, it is not referring to the type of agape, unconditional love Jesus modeled to us and expects us to give to our fellow Christians.  I am very careful to not to throw out the words “I love you” to someone unless I’m willing to put actions to my words.

 

Love is patient.  Love is kind.  Loving another Christian is more than just hanging out and sharing good times, although that is part of the fun. How clever it was of God to tell us that love was patient before he got into the rest of His definition for love!  He knew we would need to master patience first and foremost because the rest of love’s requirements imply an investment of time and energy on our part.  

 

So what does it mean to be kind? According to Strong’s Concordance, being kind means to be useful and to furnish what is needed to those around us.  I love involves kindness, true biblical love is definitely difficult in today’s fast-paced society.  All of our lives are complicated and to complicate things even further, all of us are wired with different personalities. 

 

These complications and differences combine to make kindness quite a challenge.  It takes a long time to figure out how to be kind to another person because what they see as kind or useful may not be what we think of at all.  Being kind takes a concentrated effort to see things from another person’s perspective rather than our own…to walk in their shoes. 

 

In a nutshell, to be kind means a sacrifice of self to help someone else.  It is more than just not being cruel.  Kindness is usefulness and providing for someone else’s needs.  What can you do today to be kind to someone in your life?

 

For further thought:

1)      What keeps you from being kind?

2)      What is your deepest need?

 

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Janna Rust is a Professional Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

Love Is Patient

Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Pe 4:8 NASB

 

I have struggled with patience all of my life.  I’ve learned to be patient in rush hour traffic, long lines at the store, and in waiting for Christmas to come.  However, a harder lesson for me has been in the area of being patient with people.  While I am usually patient over the long haul, the intricacies of day-to-day interactions often trip me up.   Apparently I am not alone in my struggles because the biblical commands for us to love each other so often connect love with patience or longsuffering.

 

Love is patient (1 Cor 13:4 NASB).  The King James Version translates the same verse as  “charity suffereth long”.  Loving others is not always easy.  To fulfill God’s command for loving our fellow Christian brothers and sisters, it takes patient endurance through the tough times in a relationship.  Tough times are inevitable in the good ones.    However, biblical love will get us through the tough stuff. 

 

The bible says to keep fervent in our love for one another above all else, because love covers a multitude of sins—and we are all sinful creatures.  Fervency consists of effort, action and communication, indicating that love is not passive.  Our intimate relationships (e.g. spouse, family, inner circle friendships) require this effort most of all because we have the most investment in them and we see more of their sins.  I wonder how many good relationships end prematurely because of our impatience and the fact that pop psychology today tells us to run for the hills when the going gets tough.

 

Love is a challenge, but God in His own longsuffering with us has given us the perfect model to follow.  Additionally, He has given us the power to overcome the challenges through His word and His spirit.  How has God’s word challenged you today in your relationships?   How will you use His power today to fervently love someone else?

 

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Janna Rust is a Professional Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

Love Them Like Jesus

This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. – John 15:12 NASB

 

Love one another.  Jesus is very clear about how we are to treat other Christians.  On the surface, loving those with whom we choose to serve God with seems pretty easy.  However, there is much more to Jesus’ meaning of love.  Jesus tells us to love our fellow Christians in the way that He loved us—and he died for us. 

 

Dying for a child or spouse might not seem like that big of a stretch to some of us, but dying for a Christian is another story.  How much should we give of ourselves to a fellow Christian?  What does this agape love look like in practice?  How do we love others as Jesus did?  All of this provided some great discussion in my Sunday school class this morning.  I’m still thinking about it.

 

The apostle Paul gives us some good examples of what love looks like in life in 1 Corinthians 13.  This is quite a checklist and is more than a pretty poem to be read at weddings.  As you read the following, consider how well you love those around you.

 

Love…

 

• is patient
• is kind
• is not jealous
• does not brag
• is not arrogant
• does not act unbecomingly
• does not seek its own
• is not provoked
• does not take into account a wrong suffered
• does not rejoice in unrighteousness
• rejoices with the truth

 

Love…

 

• bears all things
• believes all things
• hopes all things
• endures all things

 

Love never fails.

 

When I compare how I love others to how God says we should, I realize that I fail miserably much of the time because my selfishness gets in the way.  Plain and simple, love is hard. Fortunately, love never fails either.  God’s love for us as well as His Holy Spirit inside of us enables us to love others.   Our love for others can eventually right any wrong.  Commit to love better today.  Ask God to empower you.  God never fails.

 

For further thought:

 

1)      How well do you love the fellow believers God has placed in your life? 

2)      From the “checklist” in 1 Corinthians 13, what is your biggest challenge?

3)      What baby step will you take today to love others as Jesus commands?

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Janna Rust is a Professional Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

New Beginnings for a New Year

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. – Gen 1:1-2

 

There is just something about starting a new year that provides fresh motivation.  Whether it is the symbolism of leaving the past behind or the anticipation of what the future year holds, nonetheless, I look forward to hitting the ground running toward new and exciting things.

 

As God started with a clean slate of creation, similarly, we have an opportunity to do the same on January 1 of each year.  Just as most businesses close out their books at the year-end, we too can close the books on the past year of our lives.   We all have the opportunity to start with a clean slate or blank canvas.

 

Each year for me, the time between Christmas and New Year’s Day is a time of reflection and refocus.  I revisit my successes and failures and resolved to change some things for the coming year.   This week, I updated both personal and professional goals and am ready to start painting on the blank canvas of 2009. 

 

I like fresh starts and second chances.  I like creating something out of nothing and even fashioning a new thing from the broken pieces of an old thing.  The start of a new year gives all of us a chance to begin in with the things in our lives we can control.  

 

What are your goals for 2009?  Do you have a particular theme or emphasis?  How will you build on your past successes?  What will you do to remove the obstacles in your path?  Don’t forget to involve God in your plans.  Not only can he help set the direction for your life, He will be by your side as you progress toward those plans you design with Him.  2009 is here.  Let’s get started, shall we?

 

Dear Heavenly Father, please reveal to me the path you wish for me to take as I move forward one step at a time.  Show me Your way.  I hold up 2009 to you with anticipation of new and exciting things.  Your power to create and restore is amazing to me and I’m thankful in advance for what you will accomplish.  Make me into the servant for You that You desire and deserve.  Amen.

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Janna Rust is a Professional Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

 

Heaven - The Ultimate Vision

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem,coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.  Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. (Rev 21:10-11 NASB)

 

New Year's Resolutions are just around the corner.  Goal setting mode is upon us. When it comes to setting goals, it is important to envision the end result we had in mind so that when we lose momentum half way to the finish line, we will be motivated to keep going.

 

As Christians, we work hard to draw closer to God so we can know what He desires from us.  When we fully surrender to God’s will and realize our life’s purpose, we strive to achieve it at all costs.  As we work, we may remind ourselves from time to time of the earthly vision we had in mind, but how often do we think of our ultimate prize, heaven?

 

Perhaps we don't give enough thought to it. Keeping our eyes on the prize of heaven can keep us going through the tough times.  Today I'm going to share a Top Ten list from my pastor's sermon on 11/23.  From Pastor Jason St. John, here's the list.

 

Top 10 Reasons Heaven Will Be Awesome

 

10.       A new body.  (2 Corinthians 5:1-5)

9.         Awesome food.  (Mt 8:11, Re 19:9)

8.        Meeting the great characters of history.

7.        The reunions.  (1 The 4:13, 16-17)

6.         No more sin.  (Re 21:27)

5.        The never-ending adventure.

4.         New Heaven, New Earth, New Jerusalem.  (Rev 21:1-5, 10-11)

3.        The "No Mores". (Re 7:16-17, Is 65:17-18)

2.        Awesome Worship. (Re 5:11-14, Re 7:9-10)

1.        Seeing God.  (1 Jo 3:2, John 14:3)

 

Take some time today and look these verses up in your bible.   We all have something to look forward to as a result of our endurance here on earth.  Heaven will be awesome.  God promises it will be so.

 

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Janna Rust is a Professional Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

Merry Christmas 2008!

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  For a special holiday wish for all of you who have let me be a small part of your lives,
click here.

Blessings to you and yours,

Janna

God With Us

And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be his people, and God Himself will be among them, - Revelation 21:3

 

Christians around the globe will be celebrating the first advent of Jesus Christ tomorrow on Christmas day.  As foretold by the prophets (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6-7, 8:10) over 2000 years ago, the Almighty God, Creator of the universe & King of Kings came to earth as a little baby…just to be with us.  Let that sink in for a moment.  God came to be with us.  This first time He came without fanfare, yet His birth was to pave the way for something greater than we could ever imagine.

 

I wonder what would have happened had Jesus came to earth the first time as a Mighty Conqueror rather than a lowly babe.  His name would have still been Emmanuel, meaning “God with us”.  However, I suppose we would not have gotten to see the richness of God’s character that way, because we couldn’t have fathomed God as one of us.  Seeing God as a man, growing from infant to teenager to manhood, in the most humble of ways, gives us a visual picture that we might not have seen otherwise.  I’m thankful that God chose to come to earth in the way that He did.

 

Jesus will return someday the way the Jews expected Him to come the first time—as a mighty King and conqueror.  He will come as John describes in the book of Revelation.  He will dwell with us someday in a different way than in the past.  The lowly manger will be replaced by a king’s throne, the crown of thorns by all of God’s glory.  The power of His resurrection will be made known fully as He makes all things new from the seat of His throne (Rev 21:5).  The bible says

 

and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away,”  (Rev 21:4 NASB)

 

We can doubly celebrate this Christmas by celebrating His birth and His soon again coming.  How much richer will your Christmas be if you celebrate Christmas this way?

 

Merry Christmas to you and yours.  May you always remember that God is with us.

Grown Up Christmas List

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; – Isaiah 61:1 NASB

 

As I go about the business of my daily routine and pre-Christmas rituals, I often listen to Christmas music.  One of my favorite Christmas songs, even though it puts me in a melancholy mood when I hear it is the song “Grown-up Christmas List”, written by David Foster & Linda Thompson Jenner.  As I hear Amy Grant sing the words, my own thoughts echo the chorus as I think “This too, is all I really want for Christmas.”

 

Here’s the “grown-up” Christmas list as written for the chorus:

 

No more lives torn apart

That wars would never start

And time would heal all hearts.

 

Everyone would have a friend

And right would always win

And love would never end.

 

Some people may call me an idealist.   I was told by my personal coach just this past summer that I wanted to have it all.   I know I do and I know that I can’t have it all.  It frustrates me that I can’t, but yet I press on.  However, someday we will have it all.  Jesus came to earth so that we could.  Because He came to earth the first time, we have an opportunity for salvation, an eternal existence in heaven and access to the comfort on earth that only He can provide.  Because He will come to earth a second time, we will see an end to all wars and Good triumph over Evil for the final time. 

 

Maybe we can’t have it all here on earth now, but we will someday.  God’s Word says it is so.  In the meantime, let’s do the best we can appreciate what we do have in this imperfect world.

Insincere Prayers

And they do not cry to me from their heart when they wail on their beds; For the sake of grain and new wine they assemble themselves, they turn away from Me. – Hosea 7:14 NASB

 

When someone asks you for help, do you sometimes question their motives because maybe their words don’t match the body language conveyed or what you know about the person?  Here in Hosea, God is using the same discernment, with the advantage of being an omnipresent mind reader!

 

In Hosea’s time, the Israelites were anything but sincerely seeking God’s will for their lives.  They wanted God’s help when they needed Him, yet wanted to do their own thing the rest of the time.  They wanted to have their cake and eat it too.    They must have thought they could fool God into helping them in spite of their disobedience.

 

Sometimes we are no different.  We wail on our beds for God to change our worlds and provide for our needs.  In reality we want comfort for the symptoms of our “disease”, not the means to a cure for that “disease”.  We too, want help to survive while continuing on in our own foolish ways.   Unfortunately, we can’t fool God any more than the Israelites could.

 

God wants us to come to Him with our needs, but He wants us to come to Him with a sincere desire to change our ways and get to know Him better.  He wants to help cure us, changing our character, so that the symptoms of our “disease” no longer appear.  When we come to Him with a pure heart, He will also take care of our symptoms, providing comfort and provision as we work through our problems. 

 

How is the condition of your heart?  When you pray, are you asking for God to help you change or for Him just to help you?  Keep asking.  Keep praying.  Most importantly, sincerely turn to Him, putting aside your own agenda and asking God to accomplish His will in your life.  He will gladly oblige.

 

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Janna Rust is a Professional Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

A Strange Way to Save the World?

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways, My ways,” declares the LORD. – Isaiah 55:8

 

This morning the children of our church acted out a nativity scene as part of their Christmas play.  As the little actor playing Joseph stood looking at the baby Jesus in a manger, he sang the following words from the 4Him song, Strange Way to Save the World:

 

“Now I’m not one to second guess what angels have to say

But this is such a strange way … to save the world.”

 

I wonder if the real Mary and Joseph had similar thoughts as they looked down at their newborn baby more than 2000 years ago.  When I think of all the ways that God, the Creator of the universe could have chosen to redeem mankind, my college-educated brain is in awe of the method God chose to redeem mankind from the consequences of sin.  If I had been given the responsibility of solving the problem, I would have brought Jesus to earth as an adult man, foregoing childhood and puberty!  

 

How many times in our own lives do we question God’s methods for molding the clay of our character into the shape He needs for His use?  Yet, when we question God, could we possibly come up with better solutions than His?   Obviously, our intellect and perspective on the world is no match for the likes of God.   As the bible says, our thoughts are not our thoughts and our ways are not His ways.   We can trust God’s plan for our lives.

 

I’m glad that God’s ways and thoughts are different than mine.  Most of all, I’m glad He cares enough about me to make sure that I become exactly who He needs me to be to do the work He has prepared for me to do.   From my perspective, using someone like me to change my world is also a little strange.  I’m sure glad God is doing all the planning.

 

For further thought:

 

1)      What trial are you currently going through?

2)      What is God trying to teach you through this trial?

3)      How can God use this situation for His glory, both in the present and future?

 

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (John 14:15 NASB)

 

Any of us who have been alive very long at all have heard or even said the phrase “Actions speak louder than words.”  Actions have a louder voice than words because putting actions to our well-intentioned thoughts takes more time and effort than talking.  Living out what we say is important to us displays authenticity rather than hypocrisy.

 

Jesus often challenges the love of His disciples.  By His statement in John 14:15 above, Jesus tested the disciples’ love for Him.  Later in the book of John we see Jesus specifically addressing Peter:

 

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.” (John 21:17)

 

As Jesus challenges His disciples, He challenges us as well.  Keeping God’s commandments takes sacrifice on our part.  To keep His commandments, we need to know them and understand them.  This kind of understanding comes through direct communication with God by prayerfully reading God’s Word.  Many times, we may need to talk to God in prayer, getting clarification on what He desires from us.  Sometimes, as it was with Peter, it takes more than one reading or prayer to comprehend exactly what is expected of us.  But when we finally do “get it”, we will be richly rewarded by God’s words “Well done.”   It will be worth the effort.

 

Actions do speak louder than words.  Sometimes they are the only way we can truly communicate what we say we believe.  How can you demonstrate your love for God and others today?

 

For deeper understanding:

1)      How well do you really understand what God wants from you?

2)      What will it take on your part to gain that understanding?

3)  On a scale of 1 to 10, how willing are you to learn what God requires?

 

Giving Thanks For All Things

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.  Amen. - Eph 2:20-21 NASB

Perception is reality.  Unfortunately, with our little minds, we cannot see the entire reality of a situation before us, even if we are earnestly trying to understand.  The good news is that we don't always have to fully understand everything to appreciate how specific situations might just be part of a bigger picture. 

God sees far beyond what we see, in the past, present or future, blending all things together in our lives for good.  His perception is Reality.

To illustrate this point, I'm including a powerpoint, sent to me by a friend this week, with beautiful scenery, music & story as a Thanksgiving prayer for all of my readers.  Please take a few minutes to watch it and consider how you could look at your world through the eyes of God.  I'm sure you will be blessed.  Click below to watch:

Thanksgiving Lesson

Happy Thanksgivng to all!

Warmly,

Janna

Trusting God With Our "Isaac"

I originally shared this post back on 12/1/2005.  For those out there in need of a miracle in your life, this one's for you.  Through every trial of life, God has our welfare in mind.  We can trust God with our "Isaac".

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Life is a series of tests.  God gives us tests to determine our level of commitment to Him and if you haven't noticed, sometimes He keeps giving us the same tests over and over.  Did you know that each "test" you receive is uniquely yours?  God wants you to get the "A", not the "B","C", or dreaded "D" or "F".   Friends, what is your test? Will you get an "A" this time through?

I'm going to share a poem from Beth Moore's Whispers of Hope (Nashville: LifeWay Press, 1998, p 114-15) today.  Read it carefully, slowly, and try to put yourself in the text.  It is about tests...and our great reward.

TRUST ME WITH YOUR ISAAC

For every Abraham who dares
to kiss the foreign field
where glory for a moment grasped
Is for a lifetime tilled . . .

The voice of God
speaks not but once
but 'til the traveler hears
"Abraham! Abraham! Bring your
Isaac here!"

"Bring not the blemished sacrifice.
What lovest thou the most?
Look not into the distance,
you'll find your Isaac close."

"I hear the tearing of your heart
torn between two loves,
the one your vision can behold
the Other hid above."

"Do you trust me, Abraham
with your gravest fear?
Will you pry your fingers loose
and bring your Isaac here?"

"Have I not made you promises?
Hold them tight instead!
I am the Lover of your soul -
the Lifter of your head."

"Believe me, O my Abraham
when blinded by the cost.
Arrange the wooded altar
and count your gains but loss."

"Let tears wash clean your blinded eyes
until unveiled you see -
the ram caught in the thicket there
to set your Isaac free."

"Perhaps I'll send him down the mount
to walk right by your side
No longer in your iron grasp
but safer still in mine."

"Or I may wrap him in the wind
and sweep him from your sight
to better things beyond your reach -
believe with all your might!"

"Look up, beloved Abraham.
Can you count the stars?
Multitudes will stand to reap
from one dear friend of God."

"Pass the test, my faithful one;
bow to me as Lord.
Trust me with your Isaac -
see,
I am your great Reward."

What is Your "Fortune"?

Do you ever wish you could see into the future or visit with a loved one long deceased? Some believe consulting the spirit world could assist us in our lives.  But what does the Bible say about this?   Check out my post over at Truth Talks today for insights.

Hope to see you there!

A Brother In Need

But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? (1 John 3:17 NASB)

Without a doubt, we will most likely never go through life without having a person or two in our life in need of our support.  We need each other, and our good Lord has seen to it that we are not alone on this earth. 

God tells us that if we love Him, we will help and love our brothers and sisters in need.  To name a few of God's exhortations:

Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. - Gal 6:2

So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. - Gal 6:10

"This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:12-13

God knew what he was doing with His continual reminders to keep our hearts and hands open and available to help our brothers and sisters in need.  He knew that our own selfish nature would trip us up and keep us from reaching out.  He knew that our pride would keep us isolated and from seeking assistance.  The love of God enables us to share our lives with others.  How are you sharing the love of God in your life today with those whom God has put into your life?

For further thought:

1) Read 1 John 3:17 again (top of page).  What causes you to close your heart to others?  What can you do about it today? 

2) As a practical matter, we can't help everyone.  How do you decide who you reach out to?

Patience is a Good Thing

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. - 2 Peter 3:9 NASB

We are all born with different personalities.  I attended a personalities workshop yesterday that was geared towards helping people understand their own behavior style and appreciate how those different from us can be good for us in our teams.  From my own personal application, some of us impatient types need the perspective and slower pacing that our kinder, gentler teammates bring to the table. 

In 2 Peter, Peter is addressing the impatience of the persecuted Christians in Asia Minor, reminding them that God's justice would prevail - eventually.  Peter reminds them that God's timing is different than their timing: "with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day." (2 Pe 3:9).  He also reminds them that they should be thankful for God's patience, because God was also being patient with them.  Truth be told, they could also have been judged by God.  Peter reminds them of this when he says

...be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation... (2 Pe 3:14-15 NASB)

The patience of God is our salvation, not our persecution.  I am glad that God is the patient "type".  He is the perfect personality or behavior style blend.  I am glad that While I sometimes struggle to be patient with myself and others, God is always patient with me. I suppose that patience is a good thing. 

For further thought:

1) With what are you the most impatient?
2) How do you curb your desire to act "now"?
3) Where do you see others, God included being patient with you?

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Janna Rust is a Professional Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

Opening Our Minds to the Truth

Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, "I am the bread that came down out of heaven."  They were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?  How does He now say, "I have come down out of heaven?"  John 6:41-42 NASB

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone who couldn't seem to understand you no matter how many ways you tried to explain yourself?  Have you ever been that person who just couldn't understand?  Misunderstandings usually occur when either there is a lack of communication between two parties or when the parties involved can't step outside of their own paradigms regarding how life is supposed to work to see another point of view.

Jesus was often misunderstood.  In John 6, Jesus was trying to explain to the Jewish followers that He was the "Bread of Heaven", sent by God to to do God's will on earth.  However, the Jews couldn't get past their preconceived notions of who Jesus the man was.  They couldn't open their minds in faith to what they had never seen before, God on earth.   After much bickering among themselves and another question and answer session with Jesus, they walked away.  They walked away because they couldn't fit Jesus into the mold of what they already believed.  As a result, they missed out on the most transformational experience of their lives...hanging out with the Savior and learning from Him.

We can all take to heart the message in this passage.  I know I can.  When we interact with people, we can learn to ask ourselves "How could what they are saying/feeling be true?"  When we interact with God through His Word, we can ask God to reveal how His word applies to us and how we need to change to become more in line with what He says rather than what we think.  When we learn to open our minds to the truth, we will open the door to becoming more like Jesus.

How can you apply the truth in your life today?

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Janna Rust is a Professional Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

A Fair Trial

"Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?" - John 7:51 NASB

Something I heard last week at conference resonated with me.  Without looking at my notes to see exactly what the speaker's topic was, I remember that she was talking about some of the core values she held.  She said she had her own "Fairness Doctrine".   I thought to myself "So do I! Now I know what to call it."  :)  Perhaps I hold this "doctrine" because my mom always wanted to make sure that my brother and I always got equal amounts of Christmas presents.  Who knows.  Whatever the reason, this value even followed me into my career in Corporate America where my subordinates always knew me as fair, even though I was sometimes had high expectations for performance.

As with anything, there are different levels to fairness.  It is one thing to expect or exact fairness in the workplace with respect to performance reviews, yet another in our personal lives.  Being "fair" in our personal lives get complicated, doesnt it?  It is not uncommon for us to judge another person based on a particular behavior, filtered through the eyes of our own sucesses, failures or attitudes.  That's why we need to take special care in rendering decisions about someone before we know all of the facts. 

The bible speaks often of passing judgment on others.  The tricky part in "judging" is not in assessing whether an action is wrong in and of itself, but in assessing motive.  It is not something to be taken lightly or to be done without extensive due diligence into the heart of the matter.  Even then, we are at our own risk, and probably shouldn't engage in the process at all because truthfully, only God can really know true motives. 

I'm glad that God sees inside to the deepest recesses of my heart.  He can be my judge and He can correct me through His Word as it enters my mind and I ask Him to change me on a daily basis.  I trust in His gentle correction and I am thankful for it.  How will you let God's Word change you today?

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Janna Rust is a Professional Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

Election Perspective

A friend sent me a link to a 4 minute John Piper video that lays out some good perspectives on the election.   Here's the outline:

1. Prophetic perspective
2. Sovereignty of God
3. Gospel

Now, here's the video:

Any thoughts?  I'd love to hear from you!

Every Day Is Election Day

Today may be Election Day in the United States, but every day is essentially an election day when it comes to the choices of our lives.  Come join me over at Truth Talks today for more with my post "Casting Your Vote". 

How will you cast your "vote" today?

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Janna Rust is a Professional Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

Main Street vs. Wall Street: Who's To Blame?

Everyone is pointing fingers these days, trying to figure out who's responsible for the current world economic crisis.  Is there just one person or one segment of people to blame?  Have you contributed to the mess?  Join me over at Truth Talks for my most recent post "Main Street vs. Wall Street: The Blame Game" for more insights.

Hope to see you there!

When We Meet Jesus

This post is from February 2006 and represents my thoughts on one of my all time favorite worship songs, "We Fall Down" by Chri Tomlin.  Happy worshipping!

*****

Have you ever thought of what you will do when you come face to face with Jesus someday?  I'm sure that anyone who has ever listened to the words of the popular Mercy Me song entitled "I Can Only Imagine" has played the scene out in their minds.  I know I have.

Today's song reflection is on "We Fall Down" by Chris Tomlin.  It is such a simple song, but the words and music almost always bring a tear to my eye.  I pray that my humble thoughts presented here can give anyone who reads this a richer worship experience.  May God bless you!

---

We fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus;
The greatness of mercy and love, at the feet of Jesus.

And we cry holy, holy, holy,
And we cry holy, holy, holy,
And we cry holy, holy, holy is the Lamb.

---

We Fall Down...

The bible says at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord (Phil 2:10-11).  We will all give an account of ourselves to God (Ro 14:11).  Talking about everyone else is one thing, but what about me?  What will I do when I finally see Jesus face to face?  Being a Christian, I'm not fearing that day, but I am still awestruck.  Somehow, I don't see myself falling down at His feet, but I bet I lower myself down pretty fast!  I doubt I could stand in front of my Lord and Savior looking into His tender eyes knowing how selfishly I've lived my life at times.   I doubt I could stand in front of Jesus dry-eyed, seeing for myself the scars in His hands while realizing once again that those scars were my fault.  Could you? Yes, I think I would be probably be face down until I was told to look up.

We Lay Our Crowns...

Oh, the crowns.  The heavenly rewards we receive for service to God.  I won't go into all of the different kinds mentioned in the bible.  Suffice it to say, that they represent the only thing we have to give to God - our lives of service to and adoration of Him.  What a picture in this song of laying our lives at Jesus' feet, giving back to Him everything that we have been given.  Am I giving enough of my life now so that I will have something to give back to Him then?

At the Feet of Jesus...

Face down on the ground, at Jesus' feet.  That is where I will be on that day.  Jesus' disciples, upon seeing Him as resurrected for the first time "held him by the feet, and worshipped him." (Mt 28:9).  Perhaps the most memorable picture of someone at Jesus' feet was when the woman sinner, wiped Jesus' feet with her tears.  Let's take a look.

And behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. (Luke 7:37-38)

I won't have the ointment, but I bet I'll have the tears.   Does your love for Jesus compare with hers?

The Greatness of Mercy and Love...

To me, the gifts that I can bring to Jesus from my life and service to Him came only from his great mercy and love for me.  Only through Him, using His gifts with love to others, will I have a "crown" to lay at His feet.

And We Cry Holy, Holy, Holy...

Speechless, facedown and tearful, that is probably what I will be when I finally meet my Lord.  I doubt I will be saying "Holy, holy, holy" to anyone.  I think I might just leave that up to the other "creatures" spoken of in John's vision shown in Revelation 4.   I will be letting my words be few!   What about you?

Revelation 4:8-11

8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him: and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for they pleasure they are and were created.

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Janna Rust is a Life Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

Our Great God

The next few days I will be out of town at a Women's Ministry conference and I thought I'd share some of my favorite pasts posts.  The following is from March 2006, and is a reflection on the song "How Great is Our God" by Chris Tomlin.  Enjoy!

*****

So just how great is our God anyway?  Can we really even fathom his majesty?  Try as I might, I know that I can't even come close, but it is fun trying nonetheless.  In my head of late I keep singing the song "How Great is Our God" by Chris Tomlin.  It is a simple yet powerful song if we really delve into thinking about God's majesty.  So guess what?  I'm going to write about it today.

In heaven as described in the book of Revelation we find lots of creatures singing to God, among them the angels.  Taking a look in Revelation 5:3-4 we see the angels singing the song of Moses:

And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.  Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

God is the same now and forever.  The same song that Moses sang about God's majesty is fitting for the angels in heaven in the future to come.  Now on to Chris Tomlin's version of the Moses song in "How Great is Our God":

The splendor of the King,
Clothed in majesty;
Let all the earth rejoice, all the earth rejoice.

He wraps Himself in light,
And darkness tries to hide,
And trembles at his voice, and trembles at His voice.

Can darkness hide our dear Lord, our powerful Lion who is also as gentle as a Lamb?  I think not.  His judgments are true.  He is worthy to be praised, adored and feared.  His works are marvelous and beyond description.  And get this --- darkness cannot hide Him because He is light!

Revelation 22:5 And there shall be not night there; and they need no candle, neither the light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. 

Friends, the "they" is WE who are saved.  No wonder all the earth will be rejoicing in God's splendor and majesty.  With no more dying, no more crying - look out, I'm going to break into a rendition of "Soon and Very Soon" - He is definitely worthy of our praise.  Sing with me...

How great is our God!
Sing with me:
How great is our God!
And all will see
How great, how great is our God!

Are you having fun yet? I sure am with you and I can't even see your faces. :)  Now think about God's never changing nature.   God is good...all the time!   He has always been and He will always be.  After all, our God who cannot lie, says it Himself in Revelation 1:8: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."

Age to age He stands,
And time is in His hands;
Beginning and the End, Beginning and the End.

The Godhead, three in one,
Father, Spirit, Son
The Lion and the Lamb, the Lion and the Lamb

One day every one will see that Jesus is God and Lord over all (Ph 2:9-11).  I just love happy endings, don't you?  No more pain, no more suffering, and Jesus finally gets all of the worship He so richly deserves.

Philippans 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:  10 That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Well, our singing is almost over as we have one last stanza.  As you read it or sing it with me, think about all you've just read.  Jesus is God and God is definitely great and worthy to be praised.  Let your heart sing.  How great is Your God?

Name above all names,
Worthy of all praise.
My heart will sing: How great is our God!

NOTE: If you feel like shouting to the Lord, click here.

What Do We Know For Sure?

In uncertain times all we can do is go back to the foundational truths in our lives. We need to ask ourselves "What do I know for sure?" and build upon what we know for certain.  Check out our post at Truth Talks today to find out what we do know for sure. 

Hope to see you there! 

From Laughter to Mourning

Lament and mourn and weep!  Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up. 

James 4:9-10 (NKJV)

Not much is certain in life.  Investments rise and fall in value.  Relationships ebb and flow like the tide.  God's Word says that we should not boast about tomorrow, "whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow." (James 4:14)  Rather than boasting about tomorrow, thinking we've got everything figured out, James 4:15 says we should remember that we are only given in life what God wills us to have.  Its too bad we can't know in advance what God intends for us to have!

When life doesn't go our way, we have some choices to make.  We can brush off the circumstance, and keep going on as if nothing ever happened or we can examine what rocked our world and try to learn from the experience.  I think that the above passage is talking about this type of self-reflection, an intentional look inward to our innermost thoughts to see how we stack up to God's standard.  In this, we ourselves turn our laughter into mourning.  Life is serious business, and sometimes we have to temporarily leave our care-free existence behind in order to live more intentionally the way God would have us to live.   

I've recently had my world "rocked".  The situation itself has turned some, but not all, of my laughter into mourning and I have also chosen to intentionally do the same as I reflect on my attitudes and behavior and how they impact those around me.  As the psalmist writes in Ps 18:14, I pray "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."  Today, I sit humbled before the Lord, waiting on His promise to lift me up.  He promises to lift us up.  He will turn our mourning back to laughter.

Going deep:
1) When was the last time you asked God to reveal to you where you need to change?

2) How do you react to bumps in your road of life? Is there something you need to change about yourself?

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Janna Rust is a Professional Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

What Must We Do to Be Good?

Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." - John 6:28-29 NIV

Jesus' followers were confused.  All of their lives they had been "do-ers", reading the Jewish law and attempting to follow each custom to the letter.  It is no wonder that they asked Jesus what they could "do".   I'm guessing that Jesus doesn't answer in the way they expect him to.  Jesus says that to do the work that God requires, they must believe in the one he has sent.  They must believe in Jesus. 

But what does believing in Jesus really mean in this context?  The disciples asked a follow up question  by asking Jesus what sign He would perform so that they would believe.  Funny that they would ask this after they had just been beneficiaries of a "sign" when Jesus fed the 5,000!  Jesus replies by referring to Moses and the manna from heaven and telling them that he was the "true bread from heaven".  They already had enough evidence to believe. 

We too, have enough evidence to believe, we just need to carefully and repeatedly examine the evidence.  God's Word is the "evidence".  The more we spend time with God through His word, getting to know the promises He makes, the miracles He works, and His instructions to us for a full life, the more we will believe.  He will change us the more we ask Him too. 

As a majority, we Christians have lost our focus regarding our number one priority -- getting to know Jesus - substituting it for a "doing" faith, trying to follow a system of rules for righteous living.  We are putting the cart before the horse.  We can go to Jesus and ask Him to help us believe so that He can do the work.

Note: For more information regarding this topic, see my related post this week at Truth Talks, "Is Being a Christian About Being Good?"

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Janna Rust is a Professional Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

Why Do We Follow Jesus?

Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled." - John 6:26 NKJV

We can fool some people some of the time, be we can never fool Jesus, no matter how crafty we are with our words or behavior.  When we try to fool Jesus, we can also be assured that He will set us straight when He catches us paying attention to what He has to say.  Jesus' followers found themselves receiving rebuke from Jesus just one day after Jesus had fed 5,000of them with five loaves of bread and two fish. 

What is interesting to me about the scene is that before Jesus rebukes them for their motives, there is no indication given in the passage as to the reason that those followers were following Jesus.  However, Jesus knew that they weren't seeking Him to get to know Him, but rather to fill their hungry bellies with food.  They were seeking after Jesus because of what He could give them, not for who He was.  Why do you seek after God?

God does want to provide good things for His children, but it is clear that He wants us to get to know Him for who He is, and to seek more for our lives than what we need to take care of our physical needs.  Right after Jesus revealed that He knew the true motives of His followers, He told them what they should really be seeking after when he said

"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you..." - John 6:27 NKJV

The "food which endures" is Jesus, the bread of life.  When take steps to get to know Him and appreciate Him for who He is, we will receive from Him more than we can imagine in the form of godly character and eternal riches that will never fade away.

Going deeper:

1) How often do you thank God for who He is rather than the specific things He has done for you?

2) What is your motive for following Jesus?  To serve Him or to receive from Him?

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Janna Rust is a Professional Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.