His Spirit Blogs

“Tonight all of you will run away…” Matthew 26:31

It wasn’t long before the people who cheered, then jeered, would have tears running down their cheeks. The heaviness of what they had done began to weigh them down. What had happened? How could something that seemed so right become so wrong? They didn’t take time to think about it, they just joined in with the rest of the crowd. A crowd that was led by a bunch of jealous, glory-seekers.

Think about it. You are standing in the square watching your hero, the one who has come to free you from the imprisonment of your own unbelief. There is great jubilation! You are caught up in the ecstasy of the moment. But, in a few days the mood of the crowd changes. This one who was to be your Savior has been arrested and beaten and spat upon and humiliated! You find yourself hurling insults as you become part of the mob. You have run away from the One who could save you. Now, this thought brings tears to your eyes.

Jesus is remembered on Maundy Thursday as we participate in the Last Supper He had with His disciples—at lease here on earth. This is an example of “the end not being the end.” But, how can you know? Definitely not by joining the hateful mob!!!

Paul tells us in Acts 16:31—“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved; you and your household.” Have faith and believe. There is nowhere in the 66 books, we have named The Holy Bible, that says it will be easy. But, I say, it is the easiest hard thing you could do. Proclaim your faith in Jesus and believe that He is the One, true Savior of the world and let Him lead you through the maze of life into the Promised Land. We are all born and we all die. It is your choice where you will spend eternity. May your tears not fall on dry ground for “there will be joy in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)

Dear Lord, keep me safe, keep me true to You the “Word that was made flesh” (John 1:14). Take up residence in my heart. Don’t allow me to be a part of the angry mob. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

“Jesus said, “Father forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34

The time had come. The beatings were done, the humiliation couldn’t hurt Him, and the angry mob spread out below Him. Jesus, nailed to the cross, held no animosity toward any of them—greater love has He than no man. Jesus freely gave Himself up, taking all our sins upon Himself, though He knew none. He took away our sin and guilt–past, present, and future. Yet, many still struggle under the weight of their sin refusing to give it up. Why?

Don’t you know that you have already been forgiven—even before you ask? It is done! It is finished! Christ paid the price that day on the cross. Blackness came over the land. The curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the common folk tore from top to bottom, lightning flashed, thunder roared as the sins of the world were put to death and Jesus died. No greater event has ever taken place in all of creation, yet many of us do not have a clue of the meaning of it all and continue to struggle with our burdens.

Jesus cries out with the voice of God, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11: 28, 30) Jesus gave Himself up for you that you might live life abundantly, joyfully and filled with love. Receive it. Accept it. Believe it. Renew your relationship with Him for your sin is forgiven. Does this mean you will never sin again? NO! You and I sin every day and we need to ask forgiveness. Yes, our sin is forgiven and our relationship is restored, but our fellowship is broken with our day to day sins for which we bow our heads in humble prayer and ask for forgiveness.

Dear Lord, help us to see beyond the grief of Good Friday and the aloneness of Saturday to the joy that comes when we love You and each other as You have loved us. In Jesus’ name. Amen

“Crucify Him, Crucify Him!” Matthew 27:22, 23

How easily cheers can turn into jeers. A short time ago these same people who were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” were now shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” (Matthew 21:9; 27; 22, 23) How could this happen? These are the people who were looking for a Savior, after all! Did they not know that this man who rode on a donkey—a borrowed one at that—was Him? Maybe. Maybe not. Something had taken hold of them.

Cheers became jeers. The people who greeted Him now spat on Him and became a part of the angry mob and stormed the streets as they watched Jesus being led through them. They stood on the hill called Calvary and watched as He was nailed to the cross. The jealousy of the Scribes and Pharisees and the fear of the people led them to this place. There they stood and watched as Jesus was put to death.

This is what happens when you forget where your strength really comes from and allow jealousy and fear to have reign in your heart and mind and, yes, even your soul. Ole-sloo-foot, you see, wants all of you and if we aren’t submissive to the will of God and His presence in our lives, Evil has us.

When we are frozen with fear we forget where our strength originates. It is not in our prowess or our intellect—none of that matters. Our true strength comes from God. Knowing Him and how much He loves us is our greatest strength. There is no greater strength than love—love that comes from God. Nothing can harm us, for whether we live or die, we are alive with God.

Will you deny Jesus as Peter once did? Or will you stand by Jesus as did John?

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16 NKJV

Dear Lord, help me not be a part of a mob that is controlled by fear. Your love has overcome fear and leaves no place for its companion, jealousy. No greater love have I but you. In Jesus’ name. AMEN

“…Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” Matthew 21:9

Jesus entered Jerusalem amid cheers and shouts of acclamation. The people were ecstatic! They were jubilant! They proclaimed Jesus as Messiah as they shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21:9) They were giving a plea to be freed from their oppression under the rule of the Romans, as well as, the Scribes and Pharisees who maintained their own level of rule. Is it no wonder the Hebrew people were so exuberant?

The Savior had arrived. But what was their responsibility? Were they simply to be recipients of Jesus’ goodness?

There are many times when you and I see a door opening, an opportunity to be released from an oppression that we have been under. It may be a failed relationship, a job that seems to be going nowhere, a financial struggle, an illness, or even an affiliation with a church that is not preaching God’s Word. Then you see an opening to be free, and fear that has been lurking, waiting for you to falter, grabs you. What do you do? Make believe you never heard God speaking to you? Join the crowd? What is your part in this whole scene?

God’s voice is a little less audible—a little less appealing—when everyone else’s rings in your ears. But, it is still there. Can you not hear it? Listen! “Be strong. Be courageous. Do not be afraid. I am with you. Follow Me. I will give you rest.” It is clear, you know what to do. Will you do it? Or will your cheers soon turn into jeers?

Dear Lord, let me not turn away from you. Keep me on the straight and narrow path that will lead me to love, peace, and joy. In Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN

“For by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8

Is anything really free? We are told this is free or that is free, only to find out some kind of payment is needed. We have come to believe that nothing is free in this world. That may be true of our physical existence, but not of our spiritual.

However, there is one thing that is totally free—no taxes, no shipping, nothing we have to do or say—nothing is asked of us to receive this free gift. It is totally free and when you receive it, it will change your life. I’m talking about God’s free gift of grace. God does not save us in response to any good works we perform, any bad things we avoid, or any prayerful begging we do. You see, God “chose us” (Ephesians 1:4).

Salvation is both God’s work and His gift. In other words, our salvation is by “grace”. (Ephesians 2:8) Grace is defined thusly–

G R A C E = God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.

God, sending His Son to die was purely an act of His grace. Christ died taking our sins upon Himself though He knew none. He did this for you and me—for all. Yes, Virginia, there is something free—it is called Grace—God’s Grace.

Thank you, Lord. Lead me in the path of righteousness–the path that You have chosen for me. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

“You show me the path of life. In Your presence there is fullness of joy; in Your right hand all pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

Without vision a people perish. (Proverbs 29:18)

Do you ever wonder where you are going or what you are doing? Maybe you feel like you are going around in circles! You seem to have no sense of direction. You don’t know what your next step will be. You need to stop and assess your thoughts and actions. Something is missing.

Let me ask you—have you prayed today? Have you asked God what He is calling you to do? If you are a believer, He will hear and He will answer. If you are not a believer, you need to get down on your knees and ask God for forgiveness for your sin, ask Him into your heart and feel His love. God promises to forgive, in fact, He already has, but you need to forgive yourself also.

He will give you a vision, for even before you were born He had your life all laid out for you. (Jeremiah 1:5) He wants you to grab hold of that vision and walk through the doors as He opens them in faith, knowing that He is with you. He is writing your vision plainly upon tablets that can be seen even as you run by. (Habakkuk 2:2) God wants you to be energized with a fresh sense of a new dynamic in life. This new energy comes with a clearly defined vision of who you are and what you can become.

Lord, when I am in the middle of Your will, there is not only full joy, but a new dynamic for living for which I give You thanks, as well as, all the honor and glory. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:6

(C) Rev. Betty A Beach-Connell 2021 His Spirit LLC

“Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18

How many times have you said, “I want you to see what I did? Look at what I grew, what I made; what I wrote; what I built; or what I fixed?” Really? Did you do all that? Did I? Yes, we did—BUT—we must never forget the force, the wisdom, the power that made it possible to do whatever it is that we are able to do! It is not just “I”, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” writes James (4:6) as he reiterates Solomon in the Book of Proverbs. (3:34)

Pride has been a stumbling block since the beginning. It was an issue for Adam and Eve as they ate from the tree in the middle of the beautiful garden that God had created for them. He had told them that they were not to eat from that tree but the “old deluder” told them that was not so, and their pride then told them “I can do it”, and sealed their fate and ours. (Genesis 3) From then on we have been locked in a battle between pride and humility which is a spiritual battle as Paul writes in Ephesians 6:10-20; “For our battle…is with the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens…take up the full armor of God…” (Vs 12, 13)

Moses warned the descendants of the people he led out of bondage and slavery from Egypt, who were about ready to cross over the Jordan River into the land that God had promised His chosen people saying, “be careful that your heart doesn’t become proud and you forget the Lord you God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.” (Deut. 9:14) This is a warning for each of us yet today—be careful do not forget the Lord your God…

We have come a long way since the beginning of time. I think we call it “progress.” But, has it been because of our own ingenuity? Our own quality of cleverness, originality or inventiveness? Yes, but not entirely, our pride wants us to think it is, but humility tells us something else. Pride separates us from God and humility gives us a relationship with Him. You see, without recognizing that God wants a relationship with us we lose any lasting abilities He has given us. Thus, the lesson of the Israelites. God sent Moses to set them free from their slavery. Yet, they began to grumble and complain—over and over again. They forgot all the miraculous things they saw as God led them away from danger. As a result they lost their lives before obtaining God’s promise.

My question for you today is, do you want to lose God’s promise of eternal life with Him? There is a second exodus promised to each of us who maintain a loving relationship with God and our neighbor. One day the trumpet will sound calling us home and I for one want to be ready to cross over. How about you? Don’t let pride stand in your way. Being stiff-necked will not save you. TO GOD BE THE GLORY.

Dear Lord, make me humble in Your sight. Make me a pleasant fragrance and a shining light to those around me, whether friend or foe. Blessed be today as I walk with You on the way to the Promised Land. In Jesus’ Precious name I pray. Amen

“You are my hiding place; You protect me from trouble.” Psalm 32:7

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I need a hiding place. Not a place where I would be cowering in fear, but a place away from all the evil we are being bombarded with’ a place where I could feel safe, secure, and comfortable. Well, the Psalmist tells me that there is such a place. It is a place that is accessible to all. All we have to do is receive it by opening our hearts to the love that God offers through His Son, Jesus Christ.

That is exactly the place I go to commune with God. Feeling His presence as I write these words tells me that there is no safer place I could be. The Psalmist writes, “You hide them in the protection of Your presence; You conceal them in a shelter from the schemes of men, from quarrelsome tongues.” (Psalm 31:20)

It seems that everyone is angry nowadays. The news media can’t seem to say anything that doesn’t promote evil. There is not much that feels safe outside your own home—and even there, evil encroaches. As I see it, there is no other place to be but in the presence of God. The Psalmist writes; “The Lord will protect you from all harm; He will protect your life…no harm will come to you no plague will come near your tent. For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways.” (Psalm 121:7)

Now, don’t turn me off. I am not saying that the place you need to be is hunkered down in your house at all times. I am saying that you need to commune with God be reading His word and listening for His responses, through the power of the Holy Spirit, each day. Preferably, when you start your day and when you end your day or whatever works for you. The more you do, the more you will miss it when you don’t. But, that is not the only time God is with you. He is walking beside you every moment of every day. Remember, Jesus told His disciples, “…I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b) In other words, if we give our hearts to Him, He promises to never leave us or forsake us until He comes again and we hear the trumpet sound.

There is only one thing that is strong enough to stand up against the evil that is running rampant in the world today and that is—L O V E. The love of God through Jesus Christ that is living in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Grab on to it because we are having a rough ride and, unfortunately there is more to come. We will make it!!  

God, thank you for renewing me and reminding me of Your promises. Encourage me to read them over and over again. Write them on my heart that I may call upon them when I am confronted with evil. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

There can be no peace in the world until there is peace within our own heart, mind, and soul.

“This is what the Lord has commanded…” Exodus 16:16

This morning as my husband Del and I were doing our daily reading, I heard the Lord speak to me. It was a thought that ran through my head that could not have come from anywhere else but God. It made my heart stop and my spirit quicken. What a joy to hear His sweet voice!

Del and I are in the process of reading through the Bible and now we are reading the Book of Exodus. To refresh–

The cruelty of the Egyptians toward the Hebrews had gotten too intense and they were crying out to their God who heard their cries. Moses was commissioned by God to lead His people out of Egypt. Initially, Moses argued that he was not capable, but eventually God won out. (This is a story in itself, but I will talk about it another time).

Under Moses’ leadership the Israelites began their journey fairly willingly, but soon began kicking and screaming (grumbling and complaining). That was settled by the intervention of God as Moses parted the Red Sea. The Hebrews crossed safely, but the Egyptians were drowned when the waters folded over them as they pursued the Hebrews. (Hang on there, I’m getting to my point)

The Hebrews soon forgot what the Lord had done and started—guess what?—you got it, grumbling and complaining. This time about having nothing to eat or drink. Once again God provided. He sent quail and manna from heaven. God commanded Moses to hit the rock so that water would flow and he did. The people were no longer hungry or thirsty.

Now remember the Hebrew people were foreigners in a strange land. It had been 400+ years that they had lived in Egypt being brought from Israel by Joseph to survive a great famine. (Again another story) Therefore, this land was not considered their homeland anymore. And the people who lived there, the Amalekites, saw them as intruders invading their land. It had been 635 years since God promised Abraham that he would make a great nation of Abraham’s descendants and bless the nation as his chosen people. And here they are in the land they were promised, albeit they probably had no idea, and they were having to fight for their lives. “It would have been better to have stayed in Egypt!” they cried.

OK here it is!—The Lord spoke to me and showed me that this is not just a story from long ago. It is relevant even for today, in fact, for tomorrow and forever.

Do we keep the Sabbath and make it holy?

 Do we work 6 days and rest and worship on the 7^th?

Do we welcome strangers and foreigners into our land? Or do we build walls to keep them out?

Let me just say that if the answer to the first two questions is “Yes,” then the last two would be “Yes” and “No’ consecutively.

This is the word of the Lord. Praise be to God! Those who have ears, let them hear.

Let us pray,

Dear Lord, open my ears that I may hear, my eyes that I may see, my mouth that I may speak, and my heart that I may love. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

 

“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.

John 10:11

You and I are helpless. I don’t know about you, but I hate to be called helpless! It raises my shackles. My mother use to say, “Don’t get your back up!” But, that is exactly what I do when I get that helpless feeling. And, the more I fight against it the more it grabs me. Until—UNTIL I remember that I need Jesus. I need Jesus to shepherd me through the maze of temptations and lies that seek to delude me and hides the truth.

It is true, we—you and I—the world—are like sheep out in the pasture who need a shepherd to protect them. Sheep are not like the rabbit who can run, or the cat who scratches, or the dog who bites, or bees who can sting, or, even goats who can butt. Sheep are totally defenseless and helpless. They can neither fight nor run when a predator comes upon them.

When we are out in the “pasture”—the world, we are as defenseless as those sheep when the “predator”—tribulation/temptation—present themselves to us. We need a Shepherd! Somewhere from deep within us Jesus speaks and we are convicted, comforted and convinced by His Holy Spirit to come to Him. “Come to Me and I will give you rest. My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30) We are lost without the Good Shepherd.

Make no mistake about it, the ole deluder is roaming about just waiting for the chance to pounce. He is like a wolf crouching in the shadows waiting for even that one sheep to leave the fold (in fact, he would prefer just one—coward as he is) and wander into dangerous territory by itself. There the wolf will take advantage of the helpless sheep, unless the Shepherd leads him to safety. Listen to the words of the Psalmist and be encouraged: “Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place, no harm will come to you, no plague will come near your tent. For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91: 9, 10) No harm will come near you…He will protect you wherever you are—even out in the pasture. With Christ you will no longer be helpless.

Dear Lord, help us all re-new our relationship with You. And for those who have not done so, please by the power of Your Holy Spirit, convict them of their broken relationship with You and help them to hear You as You say, “Listen I am standing at the door and knocking. Please hear My voice open the door and let me come in…” (Revelation 3:20, paraphrased)

“Be encouraged. You have a Good Shepherd who is leading you and protecting you from your enemy even when that enemy is you.” (O.S. Hawkins; The Believers Code, pg. 34, January 25 meditation Thomas Nelson, pub)

Sometimes we do not know what to do, but God does.

Listen to Him.