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Seeing life's events in the light of God's Word.

Jul 27

The Ultimate Hero

by Brenda Poulos

Romans 5:6-8  You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

There is a television show beginning, soon, called Heroes. It will depict dangerous situations in which ordinary people, with extraordinary abilities display heroic acts of courage. I don’t know what the stories will be, but in my opinion

The Purple Heart…

Neighbors rescuing others from car wrecks, burning buildings, near drownings…

Citizens speaking out for the downtrodden; for the homeless…

Missionaries giving their lives as they are persecuted for sharing the Gospel…

The surf boarder who turned around to rescue his friend and competitor from a shark…

Firefighters…

These are worthy of the term heroes.

But, nowadays, I am saddened and disheartened when I hear of people that are getting credited in the media as modern day heroes. Some of them are people who are speaking out in favor of social issues that are against the values that our country—and our God—have held sacred in past generations. 

It seems, as a society, we have turned our backs on Christian values. Behaviors that were once seen as sin, are now being glorified. And, along with that, the definition of heroes has slowly eroded, too.

The dictionary defines a hero as “a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities: example “a war hero.”

I think most of us might agree that the ultimate hero is Jesus. He is that—and so much more—. In the flesh of a man, he displayed courage as he walked this earth. He was mocked, spit upon, misunderstood, and crucified.

He is a hero of the highest order: Savior of all mankind from the consequences of sin.

He gave his life for his friends AND his enemies.

Only a real hero would do that.

Only a Savior named JESUS.

Biblical lessons

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Jul 20

He Is AWEsome!

by Brenda Poulos

Jeremiah 2:19b- “Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me,” declares the Lord Almighty.

When we were growing up, Friday nights were always teen nights at our church in Tempe, Arizona. A very nice couple sponsored our group called KS&KD (Kings Sons and Kings Daughters). They were there every week come rain or shine. Even when they might have rather been having time together as a couple or a family. Even when they might not have been feeling particularly well. Even at times when they just might have been tired and wanted to have an evening to rest.

Looking back, I realize just how remarkable this couple was, how much they gave, how much we learned from them, how much we depended on them.

You see, we expected them to be there. We expected that our youth room would be unlocked at 7:45. We expected enjoyable and meaningful activities. We expected…

You get the picture.

We weren’t bad. We were just kids who had become used to the way things were… predictable. The truth is they were always there. They never left us standing in the cold, waiting. They never forgot to bring delicious snacks. They always prepared a great lesson.

They taught us. They played with us. They prayed for us.

We grew comfortable with them. We loved them—but we probably took them for granted. 

I suppose that’s how it is, sometimes, when someone who is always there for you is…you guessed it…ALWAYS THERE.

And that’s how, if we’re not careful, it sometimes is with God.

Our creator, Savior, healer, and sustainer—the One who provides rainbows and sunsets, soft brown bunnies and ocean breezes—the one who is responsible for all of the good and beautiful things we enjoy can be taken for granted in the sense that we are used to Him always

Being There.

That’s why I think that Jeremiah 2:19 always brings tears to my eyes and and I drop to my knees. For me, it is one of the saddest verses in the Bible.

Why?

Because it reduces the way we view our Mighty God.

Psalm 103:2 warns us not to forget all of his benefits and Revelation 2:4 cautions us not to forget Him, our “first love.” Because when we forget just who He is, we no longer have awe of Him!

We should worship Him for all He does and provides, but we need to also worship Him for His greatness, his power, for who He is.

Praying you have a blessed day,

Brenda 

Biblical lessons

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Jul 13

Grace vs. Works

by Brenda Poulos

Romans 11:6– And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

One of the most popular songs of all time is Amazing Grace.

We say Grace before our meals.

Grace is a very popular girl’s name.

Philip Yancy wrote a book called, What’s So Amazing About Grace?

 I am a member of Grace Church.

Grace. What does that word mean?

Simple. It is undeserved merit.

It would be like me winning The Pulitzer Prize.

When we accept Jesus as our savior, God showers grace upon us. That is, he confers on us undeserved merit, or forgiveness of our sins.

We don’t deserve this merit, this forgiveness. We cannot work for it. It cannot be earned. That is why it is called grace.

Some people believe that by doing good works, they can earn a right standing with God. But, when you read Romans 11:6, we see that God is telling us that works is the opposite of grace.

God did not have working your own way to heaven as a part of his plan. No, he planned to give us a free gift of eternal life through his son, Jesus.

Why would he have sent Jesus to the cross to die if he planned to have you work for your salvation? What kind of loving father would have done that? That would mean that Jesus suffered and died for nothing!

But, that’s not how it happened. Knowing we could never earn our place in Heaven, he saved us by HIS GRACE through faith in Jesus Christ.

The next time we sing Amazing Grace, may we do so with a thankful heart—one that truly understands that this undeserved merit was not made possible by good works that we may have done, but by the greatest act of unconditional love that this world has ever witnessed.

Brenda

Biblical lessons

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Jun 29

Perfect Timing

by Brenda Poulos

Exodus 14:29-31 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

Have you ever approached an intersection just as the yellow light turns red and thought “If I had arrived just a moment sooner, I would have made the light”?

Or, maybe you see a newspaper ad for an unbelievably good buy on something you have been wanting. The item is available “While Quantities Last.” So, you rush to the store only to see another customer purchase the last one!

Poor timing, I suppose.

In the book of Exodus, we read that Moses and the Children of Israel were being pursued by Pharoah’s army. They come upon the shoreline of the Red Sea with no way out—or so it seemed.

But, at just the right time,  the Lord told Moses to raise his staff. When he obeyed, a mighty wind caused the sea to part and the Israelites crossed to the opposite shore. The Egyptian army, chariots, and horsemen drowned when they attempted to follow them.

God’s timing was right.

God teaches us patience and dependence on Him as we wait for him to fulfill his promises to us, just as He did when He saved the Israelites. Remember, He sees the big picture.

His timing will always be perfect.

One day God will reveal the answers to the “whys” that plague so many of us. For now, our part is to exercise our faith and let God be God.

Trust that He knows best, that He will fulfill His promises, that we are in His very capable hands.

Brenda

Biblical lessons

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Jun 22

“What Exactly Does ‘Eternal’ Mean?”

by Brenda Poulos

Revelation 1:8– “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

“Grandma, I know who lived longest in the Bible,” my youngest grandson stated as we drove in rush hour traffic last week.

“Who was that, Owen?” I questioned, prepared to hear him say Methuselah (he’s pretty smart and does attend a Christian grade school.)

“God,” he replied with a big smile on his face.

Those kids trip me up all the time. I had to chuckle. “You’re right. He is eternal, isn’t He?”

“Yep.” He paused a moment. “What exactly does ‘eternal’ mean, Grandma?”

Now it was my turn. A teachable moment. I could answer my beautiful grandchild without interruption in the confines of my vehicle, creeping along in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

“The Bible tells us that God always existed. That’s hard to comprehend because everything else we can think of was made—had a beginning—but not God. He always was. Everyone else—was made by Him.”

He joyfully joined in the discussion. “He created the world and everyone in it. He made it all.”

“True. But, there’s more to that word ‘eternal’. There’s the part that explains that He will have no end, either. He had no beginning and He will have no end.”

Owen’s eyes opened wide. “He’ll never die?”

“Nope. He won’t. But here’s a wonderful thing for us to realize. We don’t die, either!” I flashed him my biggest smile.

Owen’s eyes widened. “We won’t?”

I paused a moment before continuing. “Well, our bodies will die. That happens to everyone doesn’t it?”

He bit his lip. “Like Great Grandpa.”

“Yes. Like Great Grandpa.” I reached over to playfully tug on the bill of his ball cap.

“But our souls will live on in Heaven after our bodies die. If we accept Jesus as our Savior while we are still alive on this earth, we can be absolutely certain that we’ll spend the rest of eternity—forever and ever—in Heaven. God had no beginning and will have no end. Even though we did have a beginning, specially designed by God, we will have no end, just like Him!”

So, there you have it. You’ve been privy to a private conversation with my grandson.

God created you, just like Owen and me. You had a beginning. You can know everlasting life, too.

You can know and abide with your creator, the ETERNAL KING and LORD OF LORDS…forever! His gift of eternal life is free to “all who will believe.”

This is the GOOD NEWS of the GOSPEL!

Brenda

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Jun 15

Spilling Over Into Joy!

by Brenda Poulos

Colossians 1:11,12- We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us. (From “The Message” translation.)

“Mama, are we there yet?”

Those are words every parent has heard!

We humans are an impatient sort, aren’t we? We want to do it NOW, have it NOW, see it NOW, read it NOW, go there NOW…

NOW, NOW, NOW!

We could all use a heavy dose of patience, couldn’t we?

My long-time prayer partners could tell you that I have been asking them to pray for me in this area for years. I’m not there, yet, but I’m getting closer…

In these two verses from Colossians, we are reminded that patience is not just gritting our teeth and bearing the “waiting” for the answer to a prayer, for something to take place, or the end of suffering to come at last. That’s not the kind of patience God wants for us. “Grinning and bearing it” isn’t the way to live the victorious life in Christ.

No, our Heavenly Father wants us to experience the glorious strength that He offers because we will then be able to endure what often is (or seems to be) the unendurable.

But, it doesn’t end there because He offers more than just the ability to wait. He promises the kind of patience that spills over into joy.

That’s amazing. That takes us beyond the enduring and straight to the abundant life He has for us—that bright and beautiful life that begins when you come to know Him as Savior and continues on into eternity!

So, how do we get to that place of joy? Ah, let’s look at that verse again…it says that He will bring us to that place by HIS STRENGTH—not ours.

It’s not about us and what we do.

It’s all about trusting HIM—tapping into His “glory-strength.”

Is there something in your life that seems unendurable? My prayer for you, today, is that you will trust Him to strengthen you and bring you to that place of patience that “spills over into joy.”

Brenda

Biblical lessons

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Jun 8

Are You Sure You Want Biscuits?

by Brenda Poulos

Job 23:12-  I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.

Have you ever gone to the store to get something specific, got distracted looking at or purchasing other items, and then left without the item you went there to get in the first place? I have. More than once. I often tell myself I must have not needed it, anyway.

How about taking out your Bible to look up a specific passage and getting side-tracked by a different verse or verses and ending up reading those instead of pursuing the one that you were originally looking for? I’ve done that, too.

So, what’s wrong with us? Easily distracted? Maybe. At least that’s what I used to think. But, now I’m not so sure…

Could it be that God simply had a different message in mind for us? I say this because, more often than not, what I ended up reading was something I definitely needed to hear. It was the perfect reminder, word of caution or encouragement at just the right time.

Instead of being frustrated, I’m learning to let God take the lead. After all, in the Lord’s Prayer we ask Him to give us our Daily Bread, don’t we? We have much more freedom to learn what He has for us when we don’t put in an “order” for rye, whole wheat, or sourdough, but instead let Him surprise us with a deliciously braided bread filled with a divine flavor that only He can bake.

I can just smell it, now, can’t you? And the taste is like…honey. So sweet, so delicate, that I have to close my eyes and savor it. And while my eyes are closed, I open my spiritual eyes and see why He has chosen that specific passage for me…on this particular day… and I thank Him for providing my spiritual food, my daily bread.

This was the message He had for me today. How do I know? Because I had an entirely different verse I was looking for and He led me to Job 23:12, instead.

Like me, you may have been planning on biscuits for breakfast, but why not feast on HIS DAILY BREAD instead?

Biblical lessons

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Jun 6

Small Beginnings

by Brenda Poulos

Zechariah 4:10– “Do not despise this small beginning, for the eyes of the Lord rejoice to see the work begin.”

 

I’ve been trying to learn how to navigate through Facebook. I even read the book, The Idiots Guide to Facebook. That should tell you just what I think of my technological abilities!

The day I actually started posting on my page, I received an outpouring of encouraging messages advising me to try not to get overwhelmed. “Just take it one step at a time and you’ll be able to do it.”

How nice it was to know friends were cheering me on!

 

Start small.

Take your time.

Just keep at it.

Take it one day at a time.

Rome wasn’t built in a day.

 

As a baby learning to walk toward his parents’ outstretched arms, we are reminded in the Bible that our Lord wants to encourage us, too.

Let’s say you are wanting to lead someone to Christ. God knows your heart. He is pleased just to have you start by asking a new friend to coffee. A small beginning. Maybe in your next conversation, you will have an opportunity to share your testimony.

Baby steps.

Steps of obedience.

It doesn’t all have to happen today. God is pleased just to have you begin.

As time goes by, ask Him for additional opportunities.

In the end, you may not be the one who is there when your friend comes to faith in Jesus. That’s okay. Maybe your part is to plant the seed.

Whether it is organizing a Bible drive, teaching a Sunday School class or building a bookshelf, the important thing is to take that first step.

The verse from Zechariah, though written about Zerubbabel and the laying of the foundation of the temple, reminds me that God rejoices over our small efforts, too.

I came across this verse  when I was struggling to begin writing my first book. I read it often, especially on days when it doesn’t seem I’ve made much progress. I know that each day He’s rejoicing to see my small beginning evolve into a book that will honor Him.

Have you recently started taking some first steps? Would you like to share the story of your small beginning?

Brenda

 

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Jun 1

You Can Count On It!

by Brenda Poulos

Matthew 5:18- For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

It was announced this week, that Merriam Webster has just added 1700 new words to the dictionary. This amazes me—and will no doubt confuse me–for a long time to come.

I am sure that teenage slang, changes in technology, and social networking account for a large percentage of the new listings. And one thing is for certain: my aging brain will not be able to remember a fraction of them—nor does it want to!

Well, my friend, the dictionary may change, but the Bible never will. In fact, God warns us not to add or subtract even the smallest stroke to His infallible Word.

His Word is truth. It is perfect. It never needs to be revised, updated, or corrected.

His Word stands the test of time. It is as true today as it was when it was first written. It will not change with the whims of society, revised political policies, or rulings by the Supreme Court.

Isn’t there comfort in knowing that God doesn’t change the rules in the middle of the game? Aren’t you glad that the guidance He gives in His Word will still be good next week, next month, and for years to come?

His Word never fails, gets obsolete, or expires. His Word stands.

You can count on it.

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May 25

America’s Favorites

by Brenda Poulos

I Peter 3:15– “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…”

America is a country that loves to do surveys. I looked up the survey results for “America’s Favorites”. You may be surprised at some of them:

America’s Favorite Game Show- Jeopardy

America’s Favorite Cookie- Oreo

America’s Favorite Cowboy- Gene Autry

America’s Favorite Foods- Steak and Chicken

America’s Favorite Sport- A toss up between baseball and football

America’s Favorite Preacher- Billy Graham

What about religions? It turns out that 71% of Americans identify themselves as Christians. However, the majority are reluctant to claim membership in any particular denomination.

Still, if we were to survey Americans, I am fairly certain the God of the Bible would win as America’s favorite. But, do the majority of Americans really know who God is? Do they know what He teaches? His laws? What about his character? His attributes? Do they believe in the existence of Heaven? Hell? Do they know what He says about the future of mankind? Do they believe He cares about them? That he answers prayer?

Where will they go to get the answers? The Bible? The internet? Their friends and neighbors?

As Christians, the Bible says that we are to be ready to answer those who ask us about our faith. There is a world filled with people who need to know that God loves them and has prepared a way to heaven for them.

God holds us responsible—and accountable— for sharing the good news of the gospel. We need to ask God to put the desire in our hearts to share His love with others…to boldly proclaim His message of forgiveness and mercy to a lost and dying world.

By the way, both believers and nonbelievers have voted “Amazing Grace” to be America’s favorite song.

Brenda

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