The Radiance of God's Glory

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high:” Hebrews 1:3

A loving Father GOD tried to reconcile with His children for thousands of years. He sent prophets to tell of His love and the chastisement that would follow if they didn’t turn back to Him—to no avail. Finally He sent His Son—a pure innocent life to live among them—in a human body, letting us know He understood our frailties. Most refused to see the Truth.

“He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” John 1:11

Even knowing this, He continued for three years teaching, loving, healing, drawing men and women to Himself.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” John 1:12

A Fathers desire was followed; propelling the Son to the cross for all men. The Word and Light of the world spread His arms wide to show Gods love. The Father turned away from His Son—His only begotten Son—in order that the blackness, the vile nature of sin, would crush Him without mercy. Jesus purged us of our sins for all time. Then—on the 3rd day—He arose from the grave, defeating sin and death for all time.

Christmas has come and gone. Let’s not forget that the innocent baby was the Word made flesh. Easter is coming. Let’s not forget the God/man who gave all for us.

“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

Let’s carry Jesus Christ all year long because the message is still the same—Father God reconciling us to Him.

Remember Jesus didn’t die in vain. The world is evil beyond imagination, but the Light is still burning bright to show the Way. The promises of Jesus are fact—done deal! Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father—preparing a place and waiting for those who turn from sin. In the meantime He has sent a Helper.

"But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me” John 15:26

By Eve Montano

Lessons From the Mission Field

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!” Isaiah 52:7

SOME THINGS I HAVE LEARNED after 25 years in the mission field.

• Missions is ALL about Jesus (not us).

• Even in the darkest, hardest moments, HE is FAITHFUL!

• God is on His throne. Jesus wins in the end. Don’t lose sight of the finish line.

• The ministry of the Holy Spirit is critical and essential. Don’t ignore it or misuse it.

• No one understands my life as a missionary like Jesus Himself (He gave up Heaven for me) – and no one is better to talk to and get wisdom and encouragement from.

• God’s ways & plans are infinitely higher than mine. Especially for my family. My heart trusts Him.

• God doesn’t need my help.

• Jesus said He would build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). The early disciples taught us that God does not exist in a building, and that people who love and obey God, and are surrendered fully to Him, can turn the world upside down.

• God has already figured in all my shortcomings, prior to asking me to do a task. My job is simply to trust and obey, and leave the results to Him.

• Do no resist whatever God is allowing/using in your life to bring you closer to Him. Just surrender. He uses ALL things for our good (Romans 8:28).

• “Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

• Nothing, and no one, is more important than my obedience to God. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” John 14:15. “Jesus replied, ‘The greatest commandment is this: that you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.’ ” (Matt 22:37, Deut. 6:5, 7:9, 10:12, 11:1, 11:13, 11:22, 13:3, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27).

• Commandment #1 ALWAYS supersedes commandment #2. Emotions can deceive us – beware.

• “Father forgive them, they know not what they do” – even when you are 110% sure it looks like they do (Luke 23:34).

• The best counsel is from the Almighty Counselor Himself. Take all your cares to Him. Be sure to spend time allowing Him to speak (always in accordance with His written Word).

• Allow God to order your time and day. Be busy in the things He wants you to be busy in.

• Nothing can compare with the peace that passes all understanding that Jesus brings. If your heart is troubled and turbulent, it’s time to turn the world off and get in His presence.

• The most important use of my time each day (for me, my family and all around me) is the time I spend alone in prayer with the Lord and reading His Written Word.

• The sacrifices and offerings the Lord asks of me are nothing compared to what Jesus did for me on Calvary. He alone with Worthy!

• Live your life as a “thank you” to Him (Romans 12:1).

• He (she) is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Jim Elliot.

• You cannot outgive God.

• Two are better than one (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).

• Correction and discipline (both giving and receiving) are never easy. They must always be done with the heart of Christ for all involved.

• My testimony has nothing to do with me; and everything to do with Him – what He has done and is doing.

• Always take every thought, emotion, situation and individual to God in prayer. Allow Him to speak His truth (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).

• You must know the Truth of God’s Word in order to recognize and counter a lie.

• Evil exists in this world. Abhor it. Stay away from it.

• Don’t just ask yourself: “What would Jesus do?” – DO what Jesus DID. Study His life and ministry. Apply. Apply. Apply

• My citizenship is in Heaven.

• The greatest disciples I will ever have the honor of pouring myself into sit at my dinner table.

• My promised land is wherever He wants me to be at that moment—basking in fellowship with Him.

• Not one ounce of harm can come to me, but that it first passes through His loving hands. He has numbered my days, and I have no one and nothing to fear. I have the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, plus 2/3 of the heavenly hosts on my side.

• It is not always easy being in God’s will. What is important is to know His will and DO IT!

• Don’t look back. Wherever you are at that moment, be 100% there.

• Saying “goodbye” never gets easier.

• Don’t try to hang on to things or people God is removing from your life. He knows what is best–and is protecting you. It is far easier to surrender them over to His more than capable hands, than to have to have Him rip them from you.

• Your life is a bigger testimony than your words.

• NO thing and NO one are worth losing your testimony for Jesus.

• Shine your light for Jesus bright. The darker this world gets, the more profound the backdrop for your light to shine.

• Do not grow weary in doing good. It’s all for Him.

• Never, ever, tolerate sin – especially in your camp.

• ALWAYS remain teachable; ask the Lord to teach you.

• The hardest fought battles I have ever faced were spent doing battle in the throne room of prayer. He speaks Scripture to me that I can pray over a situation, gives me direction and wisdom, and fights my battles better than I ever could.

• I hate tests. If I don’t/won’t receive the lessons He is trying to teach me through them, He is going to keep putting me through them until I get the lesson down.

• Preach the Gospel to yourself every day to never forget where He redeemed you from.

• Beware of legalism in your own life.

• You cannot disciple a person who just doesn’t want to surrender all to Jesus.

• Seeing brokenness and hurt in the world never gets easier. Beware of getting a calloused heart, and always pray: “May my heart be broken for the things that break the heart of God.”

• You cannot save anyone. It is God’s job. People who reject your message are rejecting Jesus.

• When you share the Gospel, people either love you or hate you (really, you have just exposed their sinfulness and they don’t like it one bit). Just ask Jesus.

• Remember what Jesus said, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

By Coleen Jejeran, CCEA Missionary to Romania

My Hiding Place

Editor’s Note: In these days of restrictions due to the pandemic and a very real concern about a world at war, it seems appropriate to reprint this devotion, first published in 2015. Find your hiding place in Jesus and be encouraged.

"For You are my hiding place; You protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory." Psalm 32:7 (NLT)

"You are my refuge and my shield; Your word is my source of hope." Psalm 119:114

This last month hasn't been the easiest month I've ever lived.  It was filled with tests in major areas...health, relationships, and finances.  Each area became vulnerable to the wiles of the enemy.

In the midst of the struggle God began to speak.  First came a scripture.  I was reading Jeremiah 36.  Jeremiah had sent the scribe, Baruch. to Judah's leaders with a prophecy against them for their sinful ways.  Not liking the warning of punishment, the king gave the order to have the prophet and scribe arrested. Jeremiah 36:26 records, "but the LORD hid them." Next God simply placed the words "hiding place" on my heart.  Then a friend spoke the same words followed soon after by a hymn of worship in church, a mention in a sermon and, lastly, a devotion I read on Facebook.

I've kept Psalm 32:7 and 119:114 before me every day.  I even ended my devotions every morning by reading the 143rd Psalm.  The heaviness of the struggle remained.  Psalm 143:4 resonated in the place where my feelings tore at me..."I am losing all hope, I am paralyzed with fear."  Well, maybe I wasn't paralyzed, but I had certainly reached a point of inaction.  Fear of the "what ifs" had taken over.

Then 143:5 popped out from the rest of the Psalm.  "I remember the days of old. I ponder all Your great works and think about what You have done."

I remember...I ponder...I think.  Action words. The key isn't to be aware but "to do."  Sometimes we are so overwhelmed by circumstances that we can't make it through unless God carries us and does something (...show me a token for good...Psalm 86:17).  But, at some point He has strengthened us and wants us to take action. Active faith...standing firm...choosing to remember (and trust in) who God is, what He has done, what He will yet do.

I looked back and saw in every rough time of my life God had always brought me through; He has never left me; He has never forsaken me.  Why should today be any different? 

So...I confessed my fear of the "what ifs" and surrendered to the "whatever."

Whatever is Your will, Father, please do it!

I climbed into the cleft in the rock provided by Jesus, my hiding place, and found peace; peace that gave me the strength to move on.

"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD; He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him." Psalm 91:1-2

"If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For He will order His angels to protect you wherever you go." Psalm 91:9-11

by Marilyn Allison

Thoughts on Humility

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NLT)

We have heard it said that we can’t disappoint God because His word teaches that He knows our frame, therefore it is really us who disappoint ourselves because we have thought higher of ourselves . Ouch. Pride is within our sinful nature, no doubt . I cannot count how many times I have chosen to fail over and over again than to recognize and admit I need help. Can you relate ? God mentions pride and humility together over and over again. In the verses just before this verse, humility is a key word, and reads how God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

I’ve learned humility through much brokenness. Trying times have made me more and more reliant on God each day and I am grateful. No way I would have come this far without HIM.

The Lord alone knows how much pain, suffering, humiliation and hardships we have had to endure. But how beautifully He has displayed his favor on us as well .

“The LORD mocks the mockers but is gracious to the humble.” Proverbs 3:34

I think about Jacob, and how God had to dislocate his hip for him to submit. I think about Paul who had a “thorn” in the flesh. I think about Nebuchadnezzar—and even Peter who, through his denial, had to be humbled. These instances/times were painful but brought them all ever so closer to God.

I encourage you, whatever you are going through, whether serious health issues, heartbreak, loss, a diagnosis—or even fear of the unknown—trust in the Lord and do not trust in your own understanding of your situation.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

Cry out to Him in the midst of your suffering and humbly submit yourself under God’s mighty hand and in return He promises to lift you up in due time. True evidence of present humility is recognizing and admitting You need His help. And that’s why the following verse says “Cast all your anxieties on Him”. You need to let go.

“Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

When I hear “casting” I think about the repetitive action someone fishing has to take while catching fish. In the same manner we have to continue to let go and give our worries and fears to the Lord. This verse ends with “because he cares for you”. It is such a relief to know that the God who I’m humbling and submitting myself to—the One who I’m giving all of my worries and anxieties to—cares for me. He cares for you, too.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29.

That care is displayed here and throughout His word. It is even more clear on the Cross.

“…He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him may not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

I pray that you not only humble yourselves in surrendering your worries and anxieties to Him, but—if you have not done so—to humble yourself under His mighty hand, that you may fully surrender your heart and life to Him who deeply cares for you.

I Pray this blesses you as it has blessed me.

By Lucero Alcaraz

Encouragement

“Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19

Were you happy to see the passing of 2021? Personally, 2021 and 2020 were rough years, so I was happy to wave “goodbye” to both.

At the beginning of each new year I find this verse encouraging. God tells us not to remember, not to consider or dwell on (keep in our minds, playing it over and over) what has passed. We can’t change anything that has happened … any action … any words. They are former things, things of old. Don’t beat yourself up with what can’t be changed.

But, God does tell us what to remember … what to keep in our minds. Remember Him, remember His power to change circumstances … His power to forgive … to redeem…. to bring good where evil was intended.

“I remember the days of old, I meditate on all Thy works; I muse on the work of Thy hands.” Psalm 143:5

Yes, look back—but only to see what God has done, how He has brought you through … His faithfulness. When we focus on God’s holiness, His purity, His compassion, His power, we grow in faith and receive His strength to overcome the flaws of the past. In this coming year may we look for God to make the way for us through our wilderness and find refreshment at His river in our desert. His way is better.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the LORD. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9“

by Marilyn Allison