No Small Miracle

"Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them." (Psalm 89:9)

Such awesome power that when the waves of the sea rise up, He can still them! No small miracle, for who else can claim to control even the winds and the rains? None . . . no one but our God!

But the waves and rage of the seas are not the only tumults He calms by the mere raising His hand. As you go through difficult times in your life, it is His arm that stills the waves of depression, poverty, sickness, disappointment and disillusionment. Take a few moments and meditate on today's verse. Our God is so mighty! He's so powerful! He loves us so much!

Quit trying to control your own circumstances. Rather, allow God to intervene; allow Him to still the hand of the enemy, to calm the storm, the winds and the rains! The Lord is with you, waiting to lead you through the storm. Let Him have His way and trust Him rule your raging seas!

Father, I face waves in my life of various magnitudes. I pray, though, Lord, that I would be quicker to recognize the waves and the roars of the seas as a means to inch my way in closer to You. Help me, Lord, to quit trying to control my circumstances and to meet my own needs! Teach me to wait on You by letting go and once again giving You the place of Lord of my life! Father, all I need is You . . . all I want is You! Amen!

"And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" (Mark 4:39-41)

© 2008 Jan Ross
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God of Promise

"He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform."
(Romans 4:20-21)

Non-wavering, unshakable, strong, and true was the faith of Abraham. He knew beyond a doubt that God was fully able to do everything that He had promised. He was so persuaded by God's ability, that he never questioned God's timing for the fulfillment of God's promises to him.

God has made many promises to us which are found in His Word. Would that we all had the faith of Abraham when it comes to seeing the fulfillment of His promises to us!

The next time you are clinging to a promise of God, stop and consider Abraham and his response to God's promises: "he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that what He had promised He was able also to perform."

God will make a way where there seems to be no way. He's a God of covenant—a God of promise! The things He said He will do, He will do! Amen!

Father, when I think of Abraham and what he had endured while holding fast to your promises, I am encouraged that you will do the same for me. I thank you, Lord, that you are the same yesterday, today, and forever. That which you promised in your Word to me, You are able also to perform. Amen!

"I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters . . . I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert." (Isaiah 43:15-19)

© 2008 Jan Ross
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Fractured by Design

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Have you ever looked closely at a stained glass window? The hand blown, manually cut, leaded pieces fit together to form beautiful artwork which very often tells a story. When the sun beams its radiance through the carefully structured artwork, the sight is breathtaking. No two hand-made windows are alike . . . each tell a story of their own!

Our lives are much like this stained glass artwork. We once were fractured pieces of glass which appeared meaningless, lacking any type of radiant beauty. As the Lord picked up each piece, one by one, and applied His grace and His mercy as the "lead" which secures the pieces together, a beautiful picture began to form.

Day by day, moment by moment, the Master Artist is fitting the pieces of our lives together. As He shines His glory through us, a most magnificent scene is revealed. It's a picture of Grace and Mercy; it's a portrait of a Father's Love for His child!

If your life seems a bit "abstract" or "fractured" at times, it's only because another piece of the picture is being put in place and secured by the mercy of God. Remember that whatever you're going through, God will use every little piece of your life to complete the portrait which will radiate His beauty, His glory . . . His love to a world that is lost and dying as His brightness shines through you for all to see.

Father, thank You for picking up the pieces of my life, applying Your mercy and grace, and fitting me back together to where Your glory can be seen through me, Your radiance can shine through me, and Your mercy can flow through me! I can't say it enough, Lord, You are truly awesome and I love you! Amen!

"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." (Ephesians 4:15-16)

© 2008 Jan Ross
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Mercy Me!

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever"....."When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up." (Psalm 23:6 and 94:18)

Mercy follows us all of our days . . . it is greater than our worst sins! The Psalmist paints such a beautiful picture of mercy in its application to our lives.

God's mercy is manifest in the life of David. Even though he was a "man after God's own heart," David knew the extent of God's mercy; it had everything to do with God and nothing to do with him.

Today's verses also paint a picture of God's character, of His total provision for us in our less-than-perfect state. Psalm 23 shows us that mercy follows us all the days of our lives. As we journey through this life, we all have a tendency to slip, to mess up, to fall short. But as Psalm 94:18 points out, when we fall, His mercy is there –it follows us and holds us up!

No matter what the circumstances, no matter what the cause, if we are pursuing God's will for our lives, His mercy will follow us all the days of our lives so when we do slip, it will hold us up!

Father, Your Mercy is unsearchable, yet such a treasured gift! There are so many times I fall short of your glory, so many times my foot slips on my path toward You. Yet, Your Mercy is there to hold me up and set me back on my journey. Thank you for showing me Mercy when I deserve it the least, and thank You for reminding me that Mercy has everything to do with You, nothing whatsoever to do with me, what I do, where I go, or who I am, for I am nothing—absolutely nothing without You! Amen!

"For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth; That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me." (Psalm 108:4-6)

© 2008 Jan Ross
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A Blood Bath

"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace" (Ephesians 1:7)

The sacrificial blood of Jesus is the most precious gift ever given to mankind. Purer than the purest gold. More precious than the finest silver. More costly than any jewel. More significant than any man's accomplishments could ever hope to be!

The blood of Jesus which was spilled at Calvary is the most unique, complete, perfect, sufficient, and effective sacrifice ever made or ever could be made.

The blood of Jesus saves, heals, delivers, cleanses, purifies, washes, redeems, restores, renews, atones, and totally provides for mankind whatever is necessary for total and complete redemption and restoration! And, it's all available to any who would repent of their sins and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. A simple transaction, 100% guaranteed – surrender all and lose nothing but gain more than words can describe!

Oh, the blood of Jesus . . . it still washes white as snow!

Father, I thank you for the blood of Jesus for without it I would never have had access to You, I would never have experienced a relationship with You, and I never would have had anything to celebrate. But because of the blood that my Precious Jesus spilled, I can celebrate the new life You have given me through its cleansing power. Thank You, Lord, again and again and again for the Blood of the Spotless Lamb, Jesus Christ, my Redeemer . . . my Lord! Amen!

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." (Revelation 12:11)

© 2008 Jan Ross
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Thankful Thursday?

You see it on Christian blogs and discussions boards everywhere! The word "Thankful" just seems to go with Thursday. But what do I have to be thankful about?

Someone turned up the heat and humidity outside! I've had to dig and study today to prepare for my Bible Study lesson tonight after being away for five weeks. I can't figure out what to make for supper that would be different than the same hold hum-drum food we always eat. The vacuum cleaner winks at me when I see it as if to remind me it hasn't been used recently. The picture window in the family room has doggie-nose prints all over it but I can hardly get myself to clean it since it will look the same again by tomorrow! Well, at least the laundry is basically caught up and my husband's shirts are ironed … there's something to be thankful for, for sure!

Thankful Thursday? Let me give it another try … what do I have to be thankful about?

My heart is filled with joy – oh how I love the Lord and being an Ambassador for His Kingdom!

I'm enjoying my time in the house today with the air conditioning cranked up and the humidity gradually leaving the house – so incredibly thankful I don't live in India where temperatures have been above 51 degrees (that's equivalent to about 129 degrees for us)!

Time in the Word today stirred my heart in some very personal ways – don't you just love how the Spirit of God shines His Holy flashlight on certain passages that seem to just jump off the page at you?

And, look what I found in the pantry … something new, something different, and something I think Ron will enjoy when he gets home from work. Now, that's something to be thankful for!

The vacuum? Well, perhaps IT should be thankful I'm giving it another day of rest – that makes me happy and very thankful that I'm blessed to have floors that get dirty. I've been in homes with dirt floors, no glass in the window (wonder what Gracie would do without the picture window???), no tables to eat on, no plates or silverware … oh, yes! I'm thankful!

And, do you know what it makes me feel like knowing my laundry is "basically" caught up? You guessed it – I'm so thankful we have clothes to wear, a washing machine to clean them with, and an iron to make them look crisp and fresh. These things we take for granted far too often … remember, I've been there and seen it with my own eyes.

So, yes, Thursday is a day to be Thankful. But, then so are Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday!

First Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Hmmm… I wonder if Paul wrote that on Thursday!

 

© 2008 Jan Ross
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Behind Closed Doors

"And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you." (John 20:26)

The disciples were locked up in a room. Eight days the doors were shut. Their faith was being tried. They wondered why things happened the way they did, recounting the incredible miracle of His death and resurrection. Then, suddenly, as if from no where, He appeared to them. No door opened. No window opened. Yet, He was in their midst!

How many times have you been in the midst of circumstances which seemed confusing? You knew the Lord heard your cries, you knew He answered prayer, yet you felt so far from Him. But then, in the midst of "closed doors", in the privacy of your "prayer closet", you suddenly realized you were there in His presence. He opened no door. He threw open no widow. He just appeared. And, suddenly, the peace that testified of His awesome presence flooded your heart, mind, and soul. You knew without a doubt that He was near, that He cared, and that everything was going to be alright.

Each encounter with the living God is one that leaves an imprint through answered prayer and increased faith. His presence is where confusion cannot remain, where doubt and unbelief are dispelled, and where faith is nurtured and cultivated. But, why is it that we resist the drawing of His Spirit? Why do we continually attempt to work things out on our own? Why do we busy ourselves with fretfulness and frenzied worry rather than scheduling time in our prayer closet to meet with the One who holds the key to our victory?

Why not schedule some time there today and every day! And, when you need to meet with Him, when you're desperate for answers, you'll find everything you need "behind the closed doors" of your prayer closet!

Lord, I long to meet with You, to fellowship with You. I long to know You more and more every day. Although my schedule is busy, Father, help me set aside time each day to meet with you "behind closed doors" for it is there that all my doubts will be dispelled as Your presence is made manifest in the midst of my circumstances! Amen and Amen!

"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." (Matthew 6:6)

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

All About Covenant

"And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you." (Judges 2:1)

A covenant between God and man is a binding contract; it is a promise, a divine ordinance, an alliance, a pledge. When the Lord took us to be His peculiar people, it was never His intention to cast us away. Rather His intentions were that we should find Him unchangeably constant to us. He told us plainly that the covenant He entered into with us would NEVER be broken by Him . . . it was forever!

He loves us with an everlasting love . . . His mercies endure forever . . . He's the same yesterday, today, and forever . . . in Him there is no variableness or changing . . . He will never leave us nor forsake us . . . His love toward us is perfect!

When you feel all alone, when you're going through that that valley, when the clouds seem to engulf you, remember His Words . . . "I will never break My covenant with you."

We serve an awesome God, for sure!

Many times, Lord, I find myself questioning Your love for me when I'm going through a deep valley and when circumstances in life seem to overwhelm me. Help me remember that You are the One on Whom I can depend regardless of any situation or circumstance I may face. Finally, Lord, thank You for Your ageless and unchangeable promise that You will never break Your covenant with me! Amen and Amen!

"The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day." (Deuteronomy 5:3)

© 2008 Jan Ross
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Knowing God’s Will For Your Life

"Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)

If you want to know what the will of God for your life is, this verse outlines it perfectly . . . prayer and thanksgiving are not only isolated words of petition and gratefulness to the Lord, they are a lifestyle -- they are the will of God for your life!

This verse has always been one to raise the defense mechanism in the heart of the believer . . . "How can I pray without ceasing? I have work to do and I have my family and other things to tend to!" But prayer is a lifestyle . . . being in constant communion with the Lord, aware of His presence, talking with Him, and loving Him moment by moment in our innermost being!

Much the same with thanksgiving . . . we are admonished to live a life of gratitude and praise to the Lord for His mercy and His goodness. This is not to say there shouldn't be special times when we set out to pray and make our petitions known to God, but offering ourselves as a sacrifice holy and acceptable to Him certainly includes living a lifestyle of prayer and thanksgiving!

So, pray without ceasing, and in every thing, and at all times live a life of thanksgiving and praise! He is so worthy!

Father in heaven, although I set my petitions before you when I pray, Lord help me remember to keep my mind stayed on you, to commune with you day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment! What a priceless privilege I have found in living a life of thanksgiving to You, for You are worthy of my total praise . . . You are worthy of all the glory . . . You are worthy! Amen.

"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." (Luke 21:36)

© 2008 Jan Ross
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Building a Case

"He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:15-16)

If you had to convince an unbeliever that Jesus Christ is the Risen Lord, the Son of the Most High God, the King of all Creation . . . could you do it? What would you say to someone who had been taught differently all their life or perhaps had never had any teaching at all?

Jesus Christ . . . who is He? First off, there is not one man in all of history that has caused such controversy throughout the ages with the exception of Jesus the Christ! From the Genesis account of the fall of man to the last words of the prophet from the Isle of Patmos recorded in Revelation, the scriptures testify of Him before, during, and after His ministry here on earth. The Old Testament paints a detailed picture of His conception, birth, life, death, burial and resurrection and it is proven through the detailed account of the same in the New Testament. One only needs to look and Jesus, the Son of God, is found! The statistical chances of every Old Testament prophecy of the Messiah being fulfilled in the life of one solitary Man are astronomically absurd!

There are over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament about Christ. These include:

1. Christ will be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
2. Christ will be preceded by a messenger, John the Baptist (Malachi 3:1)
3. Jesus would enter Jerusalem on a donkey (Zech 9:9)
4. He would be wounded in his hands and betrayed by a friend (Zech 13:6)
5. The betrayal would be for 30 pieces of silver (Zech 11:12)
6. The silver would not be returned and would be given to the potter (Zech 11:13)
7. He would not defend himself at trial (Isa 53:7)
8. He would be crucified (Ps 22:16)

. . . and the list goes on to include over 300 prophecies! If each of those had a chance of one in ten (and many of them are very specific and would have much higher odds) the total odds become 10 times 10 times 10 (continued for 298 more times) or written in mathematical short hand is 10³⁰⁰. Given the odds of one in 10³⁰⁰ that one man would be able to fulfill all the prophecies from the Old Testament, which were written over thousands of years, and we know from history that one man did fulfill those prophecies - the evidence is clear. Christ is the Messiah, He is Lord!

Of course, this is just one way to build a case for Jesus being who He says He is! We can spend hours upon hours, day after day, recording specific arguments leaving no room for doubt. But ultimately the proof is seen in the lives of individuals who have been touched by His love! If someone wants proof, all they need to do is peer into the heart of one who has been transformed by His power and cleansed by His shed blood! The proof is in the heart of man, bearing witness to the Truth!

Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father but by me." There is no other truth . . . Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Resurrected and Risen Lord is TRUTH HIMSELF!

Father, teach me to let the proof of the Resurrected Christ be evident in my life to all who cross my path. Let Your light shine through me unhindered by disobedience or rebellion! I need to know you more intimately, I need to grow closer to You . . . I need to fix my gaze upon You and not take my eyes off! Father, let me be like the moon that has no light of its own but only reflects the light of the sun ~ may my life reflect the brightness of the glory of the Son of the Living God, Jesus Christ the Only Begotten Son of the Most High God! I love you, Jesus . . . amen and amen!

"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also." (1 John 2:22-23)

© 2008 Jan Ross
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