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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 Uncategorized

“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

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

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 Uncategorized

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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

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.

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

24/7

by Brenda Poulos

Psalm 139:8- (David says of God) “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”

My husband and I enjoy doing things with friends and family. Since our weekday evenings are generally filled with meetings and other obligations, we try to use our weekends to schedule time for eating out, movies, and having friends over.

Whether we use a scheduling system on our cell phones or an “old-fashioned” calendar, it is just a sign of the times that we are all very busy and need to keep track of our activities.

You wouldn’t think it would be so difficult to come up with workable dates for everyone in a group, but even when we plan things a month or two in advance, somehow we still run into scheduling problems or something comes up at the last minute which necessitates changing the date or time.

Even though we think we are busy, God must be even busier. Think about all of the prayers He must listen to—and act on—in just one given day! How about all of the world events, weather, planets, etcetera that are in His control?

And, yet, the Bible tells us that He wants to spend time with us each day! But, there are millions of us. How can He possibly do this when I have difficulty even getting the schedules of four friends to mesh?

His Word tells us that He is omnipresent (present in all places at all times) and omniscient (knows everything and his knowledge is complete). This makes it possible for Him to listen to my prayer at the same time He offers peace to earthquake victims and comforts the parents of a lost child. He doesn’t have to consult His calendar if you and I decide to pray at the same time or if catastrophes happen, simultaneously, around the globe.

He wants us to spend time with us and He’s available 24/7. Whenever we call on Him, He’ll be with us—on any given day, at any hour of the day or night.

He is able to meet with us at a moment’s notice. NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY.

Brenda

Happy Mother’s Day!

by Brenda Poulos

Psalm 78:4- “…tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done.”

When a woman gives birth to a baby, she may become a mother by definition, but in my opinion it is those things she does after the birth that make her a real mother.

The jobs she does and the roles she plays are endless: she nurtures her children, provides for their physical needs, protects them, admonishes them, feeds them, teaches them, and prays for them—just to name a few.

According to the Bible, one of the most important things a mother does is to help her husband with the spiritual training of their children. Both parents are to “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6); and “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.(Deuteronomy 11:18-19).

It takes time, patience, and perseverance to be a mother. It takes knowing that this role is one held in highest esteem by our heavenly Father. We may be employed outside of the home, but it is our role as mothers that is our highest calling here on earth. It is as we model what God expects of us as mothers, that our own daughters will grow up to do the same. And, likewise generations after them.

We set aside a special day of each year to honor mothers, as well we should.

However, long after the box of chocolates has been eaten, days after the flowers have wilted, mothers will be back at work taking care of their families.

Whoever said “A mother’s work is never done” was right. But those of us who truly enjoy motherhood can honestly say that it is the little things of everyday life that bring us the most joy: the smiles on their faces as they eat a homemade chocolate chip cookie, the warmth of their bodies as they snuggle close for a bedtime story, and the hugs they shower on us, unexpectedly, for no special reason at all.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Brenda