Cast Out

                                                             John 9:35
                                          Jesus heard that they had cast him out;
                                      and when he had found him, He said to him,
                                           "Do you believe in the Son of God?"

Being healed by Jesus, the Jews brought the blind man to the Pharisees to explain to them how he had been healed. When the blind man told him how Jesus had put clay on his eyes the Pharisees were outraged, casting him out of the synagogue. Hearing he had been cast out, Jesus came to him.

Have you ever been cast out, rejected, falsely accused of something you did not do? It is devastating. You feel so alone. May it be a comfort to know, even if the whole world turns against you, Jesus will never leave you nor forsake you. He will find you in the midst of your despair and devastation.

                            For He Himself has said,
                                 "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
                            So we may boldly say;
                                 "The Lord is my helper;
                                   I will not fear.
                                  What can man do to me?"         __Hebrews 13:5b-6

Jesus asked the man He had healed, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" When we are cast out, He asks us the same. Because we believe in Jesus, we can trust Him. Because we trust Him, we know what Jesus tells us is true. Though the whole world rejects us and we have been cast out from among those we thought we knew, Jesus is there. We can hang on tight to His hand as he leads us through the heartache to the other side of healing.

                           The LORD is my light and my salvation;
                           Whom shall I fear?
                           The LORD is the strength of my life;
                           Of whom shall I be afraid?               __Psalm 27:1

                          "Have I not commanded you?
                           Be strong and of good courage;
                           do not be afraid, nor dismayed,
                           For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
                                                                                     __Joshua 1:9





It is with much excitement I announce the release of my devotional,

                                                             "Living in the Vineyard,"
                                                        Listening for the Voice of God.

 Available on Amazon.com. Type my name in the search bar.

"Living in the Vineyard" will also be available as an ebook in early January

                         
          

Praise of God

                                                                  John 12:43
                                                    For they loved the praise of men
                                                        more than the praise of God.

Even though Jesus had done many signs and miracles, many Chief Priests and Jews refused to believe He was the Son of God. They were determined to see Him crucified for proclaiming what they felt was blasphemy. Those that did believe refused to proclaim Jesus as Christ for fear of the Pharisees.

                             Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him,
                             because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they
                             should be put out of the synagogue for they loved the praise
                             of men more than the praise of God.                  __John 12:42-43

When I read this, my first thought was, "Oh Lord, may this never be true in my life. May I be willing to proclaim my belief and love for you regardless of who I am with." Then I thought about how important it is to us all to be accepted by others. We can justify not sharing our beliefs for fear of becoming an offense to others.

What does our Father tell us we are to do?
                           "Come out from among them, and be separate says the Lord."
                                                                                                        __2 Corinthians 6:17

Jesus walked among the lost, not trying to blend in, nor cower from the Truth, but simply sharing the love of the Father. As we live our lives as a witness for our Lord, we are to do the same.

                             Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
                             And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and
                             given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice
                             to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.                   __Ephesians 5:1-2

We live for an audience of One. His name is Jesus. May we live our life pleasing to Him. Only then will we bring Him the glory due His Holy name.

                           "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your
                            good works and glorify your Father in heaven."      __Matthew 5:16



Coming Soon

                    "Living in the Vineyard" Devotional 

I am excited to announce the soon to be released book of 242 devotionals I have written. The Devotional will be available as an ebook as well as paperback. More details will follow as I receive a release date. I pray this Devotional will be a blessing to many. 

                                                       

     



                             

                                       Strong in the Battle 

                                                        Deuteronomy 20:4

                                             "For the LORD your God is He

                                           who goes with you, to fight for you 

                                            against your enemies to save you."

As the Israelites prepared for battle, Moses reminded them God would go before to fight their enemies. He knew how important it was they enter the battle confident of victory. 

As I thought about this, I thought of the many battles life holds. It is true most of us will never enter a physical battle against the enemy, but just as real, we face battles in many ways. 

                                Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery

                                trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing 

                                happened to you.                                        __1 Peter 4:12

In times like this, we need to remember who goes before us. Never do we enter a problem or heartache alone. As we lean on Jesus, holding tight to His hand, He goes before, comforting, leading, and assuring our victory. Peace in the midst of battle is not the absence of the conflict, but the  presence of God.

                                Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer

                                and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be 

                                made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses 

                                all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through

                                Christ Jesus.                                               __Philippians 4:6-7

If God has allowed a trial to come into our life, as we allow Him to fight the battle for us, He will use what Satan meant for evil and turn it for our good. Victory is ours as we wait on Him. 

                                The horse is prepared for the day of battle,

                                But deliverance is of the LORD.               __Proverbs 21:31  

                                Finally, my brethen, be strong in the Lord and in the power 

                                of His might.                                              __Ephesians 6:10

                                 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.     

                                                                                                __1 Corinthians 16:13

Let Him Sing

                                                            John 9:1
                                                 Now as Jesus passed by,
                                    He saw a man who was blind from birth.

Leaving the ridicule and rebellion of the Jews, Jesus left the temple and walked through the crowd of angry people. The Scriptures tell us as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth crying out for help.

Envision the setting with me for a moment. Jesus had just been accused of having a demon. The Jews were so defiant against Him they wanted Jesus stoned for the words He had spoken. Knowing they did not understand, Jesus left the temple. In the midst of such chaos, He saw a blind man crying out for help.

I visualize this man sitting by the side of the road praying someone would notice him. I can't help but wonder, was the blind man apprehensive, possibly scared of what would happen knowing Jesus had seen him? He had waited so long for this moment. Did he trust Jesus?

Do you suppose the voice of Jesus speaking to the man, and the touch of His hand on the blind man's eyes, sent a peace through him that could not be explained? Do you wonder if at that moment the blind man knew Jesus had come to his rescue and he was healed?

What sorrow, despair, confusion, or hopelessness has you sitting by the side of the road, desperately needing the touch of the Master's hand? Do you know Jesus sees you sitting there and has come to your rescue?

                        The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears,
                        And delivers them out of all their troubles.                   __Psalm 34:17

                         You are my hiding place;
                         You shall preserve me from trouble;
                         You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.       __Psalm 32:7
                                                                                        Selah

Will you trust Him, and allowing Him to lead, follow as He meets you at your need? He will make what looks impossible, possible. No longer must you sit by the road waiting to be noticed. He has come to sing songs of deliverance over you. Let Him sing!    

Wash My Feet

                                          Wash My Feet

                                                     John 13:8

                            Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!"                                                         Jesus answered him,

                            "If I do not wash you, you shall have no part in Me."

The night before Jesus was to be crucified, He and the twelve disciples convened in the Upper Room. After supper, Jesus, taking a basin of water, poured the water over the disciples feet, then wiped them with a cloth. 

Why would the Son of God kneel before men and wash their feet? Shouldn't they be doing everything possible to honor Him? As Jesus came to Peter, he became enraged. "You shall never wash my feet!" he told Him. Jesus' reply caused me to sit up and take notice. What did He mean when He told Peter, "If I do not wash you, you shall have no part with Me."

Considering this Scripture closer, I realized Jesus was telling Peter He must wash his feet. This was not something He would reconsider. Peter must be willing to submit himself before Jesus or have no part with Him. 

As we come to Jesus we must do the same. We must humble ourselves, admit we are sinners, and allow Christ to wash us clean by His shed blood. Likewise, until we are willing to let go of our own agenda and allow Christ to have His way in our lives, like Peter, we will have no part in Christ. 

                              Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

                              Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.              __Psalm 51:7

                              "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

                               Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,

                               that He may exalt you in due time.                          __1 Peter 5:5-6

                               He has shown you, O man, what is good;

                               And what does the LORD require of you

                               But to do justly,

                               To love mercy,

                               And to walk humbly with your God                        __Micah 6:8   

As I thought of my life, my willingness to humble myself with my actions and attitude, my prayer became, "Lord, show me where I refuse to bow before You. May I allow You to wash my feet, that I may be clean in You!"                

                                                                       In Jesus' precious name I pray,                                                                                                                                Amen