Blessings in Disguise

Good Morning my Beloved Ones,

     I pray that you are being encouraged and are an encouragement to others.

 

 

     Today I want to talk to you about "Blessings in Disguise".  Jesus said, "In this world you will have trials, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."  So often when we encounter trials or difficult times in our lives, we see them as punishment from God: "What have I done to deserve this?" or we see them as lessons: "What are you trying to teach me, Lord?"  But what if the trials of this life are really God's blessings in disguise?

 

     Consider the children of Israel when Moses went to speak to Pharoah on their behalf.  They had a miserable life under the bondage of slavery.  Moses demanded tht Pharoah, "Let my people go".  Each time Pharoah refused, God brought a plague upon the land and Pharoah made things tougher on the Israelites.  He increased their workload but took away the materials needed to do the job, and when they failed they were beaten.  I'm sure they felt punished.  Why had this trial come upon them?  They complained that they were better off before Moses came to "deliver" them.  What if the first time Moses asked, Pharoah agreed and let the people go?  There would have been no plagues, no extra work, no more cruel punishment.  They would have gladly made their escape with what meager possessions slaves possessed.  But that didn't happen.  Instead Pharoah continued to harden his heart until the day his own firstborn son was taken from him.  By then, Pharoah was so sick of Moses and his people that he sent them out of his land with livestock, clothing, provisions - riches.  They didn't go empty-handed.  Their trial had been a blessing in disguise.

 

     Another example is Peter.  He loved Jesus with all his heart.  He left everything and followed Him.  In the garden of Gethsemane, he was willing to kill for Jesus and had vowed he would even die for him.  How awful Peter must've felt when he heard the cock crow and realized he'd denied his Lord, not once but three times.  And then Jesus was crucified.  There was no opportunity for Peter to apologize, to make things right or to tell Jesus how much he loved him.  What a devastating trial this must've been for Peter.  But not long after that, on the beach, Jesus appeared to Peter and asked him three times (one for each denial) "Do you love me?  Then feed my sheep."  I believe it took this denial, forgiveness and commission for Peter to understand the redemptive work of the cross.  Without it, I don't believe Peter could have made the impassioned speech on the day of Petecost that caused 3000 souls to be saved and more added daily.  Peter's trial was truly a blessing in disguise.

 

     And what of our trials?  Could they too, be blessings in disguise?  In this world you will have trials.  But be of good cheer - Jesus has overcome the world!  For we know that all things work together for good to those who are in Christ Jesus and are the called according to His purpose. 

 

 

 

Keep the faith, the blessing is right around the corner!  Love, Raelynn

The Body of Christ

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

     I pray you are sharing the Gospel of Christ in your words, actions and reactions and that it has become who you are and not just what you do.

     Today I want to talk to you about "the Body of Christ".  We first read about the body of Christ in I Corinthians chapter 12 where it describes believers as a body fitting jointly together, each having its place and purpose with Jesus as the head.  I believe this is an accurate description of the body of Christ.  But today, I want to challenge you to take this concept more personally.

     God is a Spirit, the Bible tells us, and while Jesus did walk this earth in bodily form in times past, only His spirit is here with us now.  That being the case, how does He physically do things on the earth today?  He uses His body - you and me.

    We are told to have the mind of Christ.  This represents Jesus as the head of our body.  If the rest ouf our body belonged to Jesus, how would He be using it?  His eyes were kind and caring and filled with compassion, seeing the good in others, seeing  their need.  His ears heard people's cries, complaints and their needs.  He listened.  His mouth spoke words of peace, encouragement, taught of the Father and the Kingdom, gave instruction, direction and never condemned.  His heart belonged solely to the Father.  It was fixed, steadfast.  His arms reached out to the hurting, to widows, to children.  His hands were used to minister to others, to wash His disciple's feet, to heal.  His feet took him wherever the Father told Him to go, they sought out those who were lost, they took him into the company of sinners and the outcast, they did not run away when He was falsely accused.

     If I truly believe that I am the body of Christ - His means of accomplishing things physically on this earth, shouldn't my body be used in the same way His was?  Casting Crowns sings a song called, "If We are the Body".  It asks, "If we are the body, why aren't his arms reaching, why aren't his hands healing, why aren't his words teaching?..."

     Lord, help me to be your body on this earth.  Help me to see with your eyes, hear with your ears, speak with your mouth.  Use my hands and feet as you used yours and let my heart belong solely to the Father, steadfast and immovable.  Amen

This is my sincere prayer.  I hope you make it yours too.  Love in Christ, Raelynn

God's Tithe

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

     I pray that whatever your lot, God has taught you to say, "It is well with my soul".

     Today, I want to talk to you about "God's Tithe".  Some of you already don't want to read this based on the title - but please do.  I think it will bless you.  The thing that impressed me when I first attended Living Faith Fellowship in Benson was that before the collection was taken, the pastors prayed.  In that prayer, they asked the Lord to bless His tithe and our offering.

     The word "tithe" means "tenth".  It was instituted in Genesis 14 when Abraham was victorious in a battle of 9 kings and immediately following a priest of the Most High God appreared to him and Abraham gave him a tenth of all he had.  It was a thank you, gratitude for the victory, for sparing the lives of his family, for always being there.  Again we see in Genesis 28, Jacob has an encounter with God and he is so blessed by what he is shown that he promises to serve God and give him a tenth of all his possessions.

     People have the mistaken impression that if they go to church, they will have to pay tithe. Tithe is not paid; it is given out of gratitude and not to a church but to God.  If you love God, if He's ever done anything for you (like give you breath to breathe each new day) or shown Himself to you, you should show your gratitude by tithing.

     Malachi 3:10 tells us to "bring the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in my house".  If you attend a church, that is the logical place to bring your tithe.  You give your tithe to God at church and it's between God and those ministers how it is used.  Once you've shown your gratitude by tithing, you've done your part.  The rest is in God's hands.

     If you do not attend a church are you exempt from tithing?  It's always your choice, of course.  You are not forced to tithe.  But Malachi 3:8 says it is possible to rob God by not tithing.  Think about it.  He has poured blessing upon you: life, family, home job, health, possessions, and you can't return a tenth of what first belonged to Him to say thanks?  I'd call that robbing God.

     I've had periods in my life when I was not attending a specific church for whatever reason.  I still tithed.  When I got my paycheck, I cashed it and the first 10% I used to buy grocery store gift cards and I handed them out on the street.  Feeding people, I believe, is a good way to thank God for His bounty toward me.  Did you notice I said  the first 10% of my check went toward this endeavor?  If I'd waited until i paid all my bills and spent on other wants and needs, I'd probably not have 10% left.  God have His best (Jesus) for us.  Should we give Him our left-overs?

     I hope this letter encouraged you to think about tithing a little differently.  When I am obedient to tithe, God meets all my needs.  I never do without.  "Prove Me in this", God says in Malachi 3:10.  Try it and see.  You will be blessed.

Ever grateful,  Raelynn

The Devil's in the Details

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

     I pray that you awoke refreshed and ready to enjoy a new day of God's mercies toward you.

 

 

 

     Today I want to talk to you about "The Devil is in the Details".  Have you heard this saying before?  It is used when someone is fabricating a story and someone else begins asking questions and it's the details that trip them up and cause their lie to unravel.

 

     I was reading the account of the flood in Genesis chapters 7 and 8 and I noticed how detailed God was about when the flood was to begin:  In the 600th year of Noah's life, in the 2nd month, the 17th day of the month.  He specified that it rained 40 days and 40 nights, told us how long it took the waters to abate and told us the exact date the ark rested on Mt. Ararat (in the 7th month, the 17th day of the month).  He told specifically when the mountaintops could be see again (the 1st day of the 10th month) and on what day all the waters of the earth were dried (the 601st year of Noah's life, the 27th day of the 2nd month).  Why would God name all these dates in the account of the flood?  Because the devil is in the details.  He knew people would doubt the validity of this story.  He wanted specific dates and times that could be proven historically - and they have been.

 

     Our Bible tells us that in the last days "if it were possible, the very elect of God would be deceived."  Here is wisdom, beloved ones:  When in doubt, wait it out.  The devil is in the details.  Anything that is of God is specific and will be borne out.  Anything false and deceptive will fall apart in the details if given enough time.  Don't be deceived into making snap decisions.  There's probably a reason it's "for a limited time only".

 

    We need to follow the example God laid out in His Word.  He gave us details so they could be proven out.  Don't believe everything that sounds good.  Make them prove it.  Thank God that it's not just the devil in the details - He's in them too!

 

 

Be blessed, be wise, be not deceived, Raelynn

    
 

There's a Promise for That

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

     I pray that you feel the love of Christ constantly surrounding you and that you walk in it everywhere you go.

 

     Today I want to talk to you about "There's a Promise for That".  I saw a commercial that declared that whatever you had need of..."there's an app for that".  God could do a similar commercial for His best-selling book.  Because in this book, no matter what you have need of ... there's a promise for that.  Let's check out a few.

 

     Are you lonely?  There's a promise for that in Hebrews 13:5 - "I will never leave you nor forsake you."  Are you anxious?  There is a promise for that in Isaiah 36:3 - "He will keep him in perfect peace whos mind is stayed on thee".  Feeling outnumbered?  There's a promise for that in Romans 8:31 - "If God be for us, who then can be against us."  Are you sick?  There is a promise for that in Exodus 15:26 - "I am the Lord that healeth thee".  Are you worried about money?  There's a promise for that in Deuteronomy 8:18 - "For it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth."  Don't know what to do next?  There's a promise for that in Psalm 37:23 - "The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord."  Do you feel burdened by sin?  There's a promise for that in I John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  Are you wondering about Heaven?  There's a promise for that in John 14:2,3 - "I go to prepare a place for you...that where I am you may be also."  And that's just a few.

 

     I am aware that apps aren't always all they are cracked up to be.  My mom and I were the only guests at my niece's baby shower who weren't at least 30 minutes late.  All the others used a GPS app that gave them wrong directions.  They all got lost.  How do we know the promises recited earlier are not faulty as well?  You guessed it...there's a promise for that in Numbers 23:19 - "God is not a man that He should lie... has He said and shall not He do it? Or hath He spoken and shall He not make it good?"

 

     Apps are a great invention and very useful.  But they are made by man and men fail.  Let the Word of God meet all your needs beloved ones.  With it you will never lose your way and become lost.  How can I be sure?  Because there is a promise for that too, in John 17:12.

 

Standing on the Promises, Raelynn

Becoming Committed

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

I pray you are in good health and are prospering even as your soul prospers.

 

 

 

     Today I want to talk to you about "Becoming Committed".  To be committed means to give oneself fully to - no turning back, no matter what.  Commitment is a rare commodity in today's society.  There is very little commitment in marriages, to one's childrent, to parents and siblings, to employers and jobs, to keep one's word.  Commitment in politics is almost non-existent.  Platforms, values, ideals change with whatever is popular or will get the desired result.  I believe the Lord is looking for those who will be committed to Him.

 

     Here is a picture of commitment:  A knight on one knee, head bowed, arms extended, offering his sword in a pledge to his liege (king) to serve and protect his name and his kingdom with his own life if need be.  This is where the term "pledge of allegiance" comes from.  It was a vow to commit oneself fully to serve a king and protect his kingdom at whatever cost to himself personally.

 

     The Bible tells us that husbands are to love their wives like Christ loved the church in that He gave His life for it.  That is a call to commitment, pledging one's allegiance.  It is more than "doing".  It's being a knight in shining armor.

 

     Is there any person, nation, belief, or ideal that deserves our allegiance more than Christ?  He created everything else we could commit ourselves to.  He gave His very blood to give us the freedom to choose to give our all to Him.

 

     The rock group, KISS, called themselves, "Knights in Satan's Service".  They understood commitment and allegiance.  They were not committed to the King, but to merely a prince - the prince of this world; the prince of the power of the air.

 

     Be more, beloved ones!  Kneel before your King.  Bow your head, extend your sword (the Word of God) and commit yourselves fully to your King and to His kingdom.  It's time to make a commitment to be a knight in shining armor in service to the King of Kings.  I leave you with the words of Ray Boltz, "I pledge allegiance to the Lamb, with all my strength, with all I am..."

 

 

Committed to Him, Raelynn

Checked Baggage

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

     I pray that this letter finds you happy, healthy, and wise.

     Today I want to talk to you about "Checked Baggage".  Last year I had the experience of flying over Christmas.  Never again - not if I can help it.  I had two bags: a big one with all my clothes that I paid $25 each way to check and a smaller one with all my "necessities" that I carried on.

     The plan was to go from Phoenix to Salt Lake City to Kansas City, MO where I would be greeted by my son.  The first leg of the trip went fine.  As we were preparing to land in Salt Lake, they announced that my connecting flight was already boarding in another terminal.  I'd have to hit the ground running.  As I ran from one terminal to the next, the carry-on I was lugging seemed to get heavier and harder to carry with each gate I passed.  I arrived coughing and breathing hard to discover that the flight had been cancelled altogether.  After much doing, I ended up going to Minneapolis, then St. Louis, where my son picked me up instead.

     As I was running for that connecting flight, two thoughts replayed in my mind:  I'm so glad I checked the big bag, and I should've checked this one too.  When I arrived at St. Louis, my big suitcase was there waiting, blissfully unaware of all my drama and trauma.  It was carried safely to my final destination.

     We all have a lot of baggage we carry through this life:  past failures, hurts, disappointments, etc.  We can lug them around with us and allow them to become heavier and harder to handle with each departure from our "plan", or we can check our baggage.  Jesus told us to cast our cares upon Him for He cares for us.  It costs a little more to check the baggage, but oh, the freedom it brings!  We can entrust our cares, hurts and failures to Jesus and go on without them weighing us down all the way to our final destination.

     If I ever fly again, I'll pack the "necessities" in my purse and check all my bags.  Letting someone else carry the load is well worth the price.  Let Jesus carry your baggage, beloved ones.  Life is short - enjoy the trip.

Travelling light, Raelynn

It Would Have Been Enough

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

     I pray that every blessing from the Father is yours and that joy is a constant companion to you.

        Today I want to talk to you about "It would have been enough.  At Passover, devout Jews sing a song called Dayenu (pronounced die anew).  It means "It would have been enough".  The gist of the song is this: it would have been enough that you freed us from slavery if you'd not also destroyed our captors.  It would have been enough if you'd destroyed our captors but never brought us into the Promised Land... and on and on throughout the events of the Israelite's history.

 

     The Messianic Jews sing the same song, but about Jesus:  It would have been enough that you've forgiven my sins, even if you'd never promised Heaven.  It would have been enough if you promised Heaven but never sent the Holy Spirit to guide us...and so on.

 

     We can sing Dayenu about our families:  Mom, it would have been enough that you brought me into this world, even if you'd never taken me home from the hospital.  It would have been enough if you'd brought me home, but didn't know how to care for me...and on and on throughout the events of our lives.

 

     It is the nature of man to never be satisfied; to always want bigger, better or more.  The song of Dayenu teaches us that every single thing we've been blessed with is more than we deserve and in itself should be enough, even if we were never given another thing.

 

     Lord, help us to learn from the song of the Jews, how to appreciate all the blessings bestowed upon us by our Heavenly Father, our Savior, our families and our friends.  When the enemy tries to remind us of the things we don't have but he insists we deserve, let us die anew to his voice in our minds, and be able to say and mean "It would have been enough".

 

 

  Complete in Christ, Raelynn

Growing Your Faith

Good Morning my Beloved Ones,

     I pray that every day you are growing more in grace, love and faith.

    Today I want to talk to you about "Growing your Faith".  Romans 12:3 tells us that God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.  YOU have faith.  I know you do because God says He dealt it to you.  You may not have a lot of faith.  You may have so little at times that you can't even feel it, but you have it and it is enough.  Enough for what?  Enough for God to use to grow more for you.  Little is much in God's hands.  Like He took the 5 small loaves of bread and two small fish and multiplied them to feed thousands with seven baskets of left-overs, God can take your faith and multiply it to meet whatever need you have in your life.  This is how faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains (Matthew 17:20).

     I was encouraged last year by a faith experiment conducted by a Calvary Tucson associate pastor.  He started with nothing but his faith and went into a Whole Foods store and asked the manager if he'd be willing to give him one mustard seed for an experiment in faith.  The manager gave him what looked like a speck of dust in a tiny plastic bag.  The pastor thanked him and went on.  He next went on to Play it Again Sports (a place that buys, sells, and trades used sports equipment).  He told the manager that he was conducting an experiment to see how faith grows and asked him if he had anything he'd be willing to trade for the one, tiny mustard seed.  The man gave him a set of eco-friendly golf tees valued at $1 + tax.  The pastor thanked him and went on.  His next stop was Old Pueblo Coin where he traded his tees for a proof set of US coins valued at $4.50.  The next store took his proof set and gave hima 90% silver JFK dollar valued at $12.  For the silver dollar he got a $15 guitar tuner which he traded for a pair of headphones valued at $22.  For the headphones, he got a ukelele, brand new in the box priced at $50.  He traded the ukelele for a wireless microphone valued at over $100.  He started with nothing but the faith that God would provide.

     What you've got to keep in mind is that these are not Christian businesses he went into.  These were secular businesses that he was asking to lose money in the name of faith in Jesus Christ.  And God caused their hearts to soften and to offer items of greater value than that which they were receiving.  The pastor never took out his wallet, never asked for anything specific, but simply said that he wanted to trade for something of greater value to show how God grows faith.  As a result, Calvary's worship team now has a new mike that they actually were in need of.  The very thing they needed was offered to them without a mention that the need ever existed!  That's our God!  That's His power!  That's what the tiniest speck of faith can do when placed in God's almighty hands!

     I hope you are as encouraged by this exercise as I was.  I challenge you to try it yourselves - not the bartering, but going to God in prayer and saying, "Here's my faith, Lord.  I know it's small, but I believe you will grow it to meet my need".  Then stand back and be amazed what our God will do for you.

With growing faith, Raelynn

Fess Up

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

      I pray that every day you choose not to do what is easy or convenient but what is right.

     Today I want to talk to you about “Fess Up”.  Every time I watch an episode of Cops, I see the same thing.  The police pull someone over and says, “I’m going to search your car and your

pockets.  If you tell me right now what I’m going to find, it will go a lot easier on you.”  Without fail, they always say there is nothing to find and when the drugs, guns, stacks of money or stolen property turns up, they are always shocked!  “It’s not mine.  I don’t know how that got there.”  We seem to think that if we deny something vehemently enough, people will believe it’s true.  But it doesn’t work that way.  God said in Numbers 32:23, “Be sure your sin will find you out.”

    It’s always been this way from the very beginning.  In the Garden of Eden after partaking of the forbidden fruit, God called to Adam, “Where are you?  What have you done?”  He answered, “The woman you gave me gave me the fruit”.  When He asked Eve, she answered, “The serpent beguiled me and I did eat.”  From the beginning, the things we’ve done have always been someone else’s fault.  No one accepts responsibility for his own actions.  No one “fesses up”.

     In I John 1:9 God says, “If we confess our sins He (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  God, like the policeman on Cops is saying, “If you tell me right now what you’ve done, it will go easier on you.”

     Consider for a moment what might have happened in the Garden of Eden if Adam and Eve had just ‘fessed up instead of making excuses.  Perhaps God in His love and mercy would’ve forgiven them, the world would not have fallen in sin and we could all be living in paradise right now.  Makes me wonder how many people are affected each time I fail to ‘fess up. 

Let us walk in truth, beloved.   Raelynn

Knowing Your Frame

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

     I pray that you are walking hand in hand with Jesus, leaning on His breast and learning at His feet.

 

 

 

     Today I want to talk to you about "Knowing your Frame".  Psalm 103:14 says that the Lord knows our frame and remembers that we are dust.  I thank God for that!  We would do well to remember the same thing.

 

     Did you know that God does not expect you to be perfect?  He is not crushed or disappointed in you when you fail.  He expects it because He knows our frame.  He remembers that we are but dust and can do nothing in and of ourselves.

 

     Have you ever been told you are too hard on yourself?  I have.  Some of us hear that a lot, and it's true.  When we feel we should have said or done differently, we've fallen short, don't measure up, blew it, made a mistake or a wrong choice, we beat ourselves up.  We convince ourselves that we are failures, stupid, even worthless.  How that breaks God's heart!  We sure expect a lot from dust, don't we?  But God knows our frame.  He remembers and His grace is sufficient for us.

 

     I would encourage you to read the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32.  This is a story of Father God's love relationship with His children.  The son in the story didn't just mess up.  He willfully sinned.  He made a choice.  When he came to his senses, he returned to the Father.  But here's the best part of the whole story:  When the father saw the son afar off, he ran to him and hugged him and kissed his neck.  He did not chew him out, tell him how disappointed he was or treat him as an outcast.  He just loved on him. 

 

     We don't serve a harsh God, waiting to punish us for every infraction, sin or short-coming.  To the woman caught in adultery (one of the big ten no-no's), Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you- go and sin no more."

 

     My point is this my friends:  If the very God of the Universe, the Great I AM won't condemn or berate us, then who are we to do it?  Now we mustn't go to the other extreme either.  We can't use our frame as an excuse not to try or not to be what we are capable of being.  It's all about God's grace.  He knows our frame and in our weakness, He is strong.  Know your frame, my friends, and trust in His grace.  Say to yourselves, "Neither do I condemn you - go and sin no more."

 

Love in Christ, Raelynn

The Least of These

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

     I pray that your lights are shining brightly and moreso as the day around us darkens.

     Today I want to talk to you about "The Least of These".
  I went to a day conference one Saturday where I heard a sad, tragic and true story that has changed my outlook on life.  I want to share part of it with you.  There were two sisters who were very close growing up - flip sides of the same coin.  While one was loud, outgoing, friendly and oblivious to the things around her, her sister was quiet, introspective, and a sensitive loner.  Both grew up, got married, had a job, a vehicle and a home.  The outgoing sister had 6 children, the quiet sister had one little boy who was her world.  Life happened and tragedy struck the quiet sister.  She got a debilitating illness that left her mostly crippled.  She couldn't work and lost her job and without means for the payment, lost the car.  Her husband couldn't handle it and left.  She struggled to keep the house and care for her son but fighting this while fighting the illness overwhelmed her and she succumbed to depression.  She soon lost the house and the estranged husband used the opportunity to take the one joy she had in her miserable world - her son.  The quiet sister had become destitute and homeless.  During these years of loss, the outgoing sister stayed in contact, encouraging and doing what she could to help, but with each loss the quiet sister withdrew a little more.  When all was lost, the outgoing one begged her sister to come live with her.  She did.  The outgoing sister was oblivious to the pain that being in her home was causing the quiet sister.  The big house, the loving husband, 6 kids, nice car were all daily reminders of everything she had lost.  The day came when she couldn't take it any more and asked her sister to take her to a homeless shelter because it was where she felt she belonged.  With a broken heart, but finally understanding, she complied.  The quiet sister used the opportunity to fade away and disappear.  Nine years later she was found murdered and thrown away in a dumpster.

     I share this story because it profoundly changed the way I think of the homeless.  I thought they were all addicts, lazy, or were homeless through their own fault somehow.  This story showed me that each one has a name, a face, is someone's sister, father, son, grandchild.

     Jesus said in Matthew 25:37-40, "I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in, naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to me.  The righteous answered and said, 'Lord, when did we do these things?'  and the King answered, 'Inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.'"

     There are over 205 references to helping the poor in the Bible.  Each time we help one who is down and out, we are doing it unto Jesus.  No wonder it's an issue He has addressed so many times in His Word.

     The name of the woman in my story was Didi, known as Diana in the homeless community.  Her sister later learned that while she was homeless, Didi worked in a food shelter sunup to sundown cooking for and serving other homeless souls.  She lived at the Gospel Rescue Mission, had given her life to Christ and led many others to Him.  This homeless woman had over 200 attendees at her funeral, many homeless themselves, each testifying to the impact she'd made on their lives.

     I will never view the homeless in the same way again.  I pray you don't either.  The least of these is my brother, my sister, my Jesus.

Humbled and changed, Raelynn 

Who am I?

Good Morning my Beloved Ones,

     I pray you are having a blessed day and are being a blessing to others.

         Today I want to talk to you about "Who am I?"  I Corinthians 1:27 says that God has chosen the fooolish things to confound the wise and the weak things of the world to confound the mighty.
     God called a man who stuttered to speak to a world ruler to free a nation from the bonds of slavery.  God called a teen-aged boy to kill a giant who defied His army.  God called unlearned fishermen to persuade thousands of people to accept Christ's sacrifice and to establish the early church.  Each of these had asked, "Who am I that you would use me?"

     God does not call the able.  He enables the called.  Have you ever felt foolish, weak, or not of much use?  If so, get ready.  You are just the type of person God calls to do His greatest work.
     Suppose for a moment that God sent a hostage negotiator to Pharoah, a decorated war hero to slay Goliath and famous motivational speakers to introduce Christ to the Gentiles.  We'd likely see the same results in each scenario, but who would get the glory for the successes?  No one expects much from stutterers, children and unlearned men.  When mighty feats are done by them, they are the first to give credit where credit is due.  The glory goes to God.

     Some of the greatest prayer warriors in the kingdom of God are those who cannot go and do:  the elderly, the paralyzed, the incarcerated.  They use the function still left to them - prayer - and prayer changes things.
     If life hasn't dealt you the hand you'd choose to play; if you find yourself asking, "Who am I to do anything important?", be encouraged.  You are just exactly the person that God can call, enable and use mightily.

     My friends, don't focus on your inability, but on God's ability.  You could just be the next Moses, David or Peter.

Not mighty, but mightily used - Raelynn

A Call to Worship

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

     I pray that with each day your eyes, ears and hearts are being opened more and more to the things of God and His will for your lives.

     Today I want to talk to you about "A Call to Worship".  I believe God is calling His people in this last day to worship Him.  But what does that really mean?  Where do we begin?  I've shared before that we praise God for what He does and we worship Him for who He is.  But is there a way to worship that pleases God?  I did a word study on "worship" to answer that question.
    
     In the Old Testament there  is only one Hebrew word for worship.  It means to prostrate, bow down, humble oneself.  It brings to mind a picture of men on mats bowing toward Mecca three times a day.  And that's what Old Testament worship was - the law; a ritual performed because you were required to or to obtain favor.

     Jesus said in John 4:23, "But the hour cometh and now is when true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship Him."  That time is now, beloved.  This is our call to worship.

    There are six different Greek words in the New Testament for worship and they tell a very different story than the ritual of obeisance the Old Testament portrays.  Here are the meanings of the words in the New Testament for worship:  To give glory and honor due; divine service; to show respect; to humble oneself; voluntary sanctimony; and the one word used 3/4 of the time in the New Testament means: to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand - to adore.

     In Old Testament days, they worshipped because they were commanded to or out of a superstitious belief that if they didn't, crops would fail and wives would be infertile.  Today we are called, invited to worship.  To voluntarily set aside time to humble ourselves and give glory and honor and show respect to the One who gave us life.  To show our undying love and adoration to our master whom we willingly serve because of the depth of love He's shown us in that He gave His life for us.  That is worship, my friends.

     Can you hear the call in your spirit?  "Come, now is the time to worship.  Come, now is the time to give your hearts.  Come, just as you are to worship.  Come, just as you are before our God.  Come."

Because He is worthy, I serve.  Raelynn
     

Increasing your Faithfulness

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

     I can't wait to meet you all face to face one day!

     Today I want to talk to you about "Increasing your Faithfulness".  That's different from growing your faith.  Growing your faith means believing more;   Increasing your faithfulness is doing more.

     One day I began walking 2 miles every morning and decided to try to eat healthier.  It became routine for me until the day I got to the half-way point and the Lord asked me to walk an extra mile.  Of course, I complied.  It wasn't that hard. It was just a little more than I had been doing.  He also asked me to change one of my eating habits.  Again, not so hard.  It was just a little bit more.

     I believe the Lord wants us to increase our faithfulness.  Whatever it is that you are already being faithful to do, just do it a little bit more.  If you are reading a chapter a day in your Bible, try reading two.  If you're getting up 1/2 hour early to spend quiet time with God, try getting up 45 min. early.  If you are attending a church service once a month, try twice a month - once a week, try twice a week.  If you are giving what you can financially, try adding $5.

     Jesus said, "I have come that they might have life and that more abundantly."  Followers of Christ should never be satisfied with a "status quo" life.  Stepping out of our comfort zones, extending beyond our habits and rituals, going the extra mile, and increasing our faithfulness gains us entrance to the abundant life.

    You see, as we fractionally increase that which we've been faithful to do, God multiplies His faithfulness to us.  As we give that little extra to Him, He gives to us, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and flowing over.  That's the Word of God!  You can take that to the bank!

     More than anything, my precious friends, I want for you an abundant life.  Full of love, full of joy, full of peace, full of health, full of provision - pressed down, shaken together and overflowing.

Please don't settle for good enough - you are children of the King!

Doing a little bit more, Raelynn

Recognizing Error

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

     I pray this letter finds you walking in the joy of the Lord and in the power of His might.

 

 

     Today I want to talk to you about something that will be very important in these last days:  "Recognizing Error" and being able to refute it (show to be false or erroneous) confidently.   One Saturday I was visiting one of my brothers in the Lord when a van pulled up to his house and two Jehovah's Witnesses got out.  He groaned.  He had taken a pamphlet from the same woman earlier in the week in an effort to be polite and she, believing she had an eager pupil, returned with reinforcements to drive her doctrine home.  Since my brother seemed a little panicked, I asked him to let me speak with them.  As they approached, they pretty much ignored me and directed their comments specifically to him.  I kept quiet until after reading a scripture aloud from her "Bible", I heard her make what I knew to be an erroneous statement about what she'd just read.  I refuted it.  I told her that she had just made an assumption that was incorrect.  She argued that she assumed nothing and what she had stated was fact.  I asked her to show me in her Bible proof that what she had said was true.  She said she'd have to research it and get back with me.  I then showed her other scripture that contradicted the statement she had made.  This scripture did not agree with their church's doctrine, and only moments later they were saying they needed to be going.

 

     Matthew 24:24 says that if it were possible in these last days, the very elect of God would be deceived.  That's you and I.  That's why it is imperative that we are able to recognize error when we hear it and refute it confidently.  So how does one do that?

     I worked for four years as a teller in a bank.  We were trained to recognize counterfeit money should it ever pass over our counter.  How were we able to recognize the counterfeits?  By becoming so familiar with the real thing:  the way it looks, feels, smells, the security features, the shades of color, the texture, size and proportion of numbers, letters and pictures, that anything different became obvious as soon as we came across it.  The same is true with the Word of God.  God wants us to become so familiar with His Word: the scriptures themselves, the history of His people, the love, grace and character of God, the working of the Holy Spirit, the tactics of the enemy, all the wisdom contained in its pages, the knowledge of the truth, that whenever we hear error, we would immediately recognize it.  Upon recognizing error, we are then to show the error by revealing the truth.

 

     All of this comes by being in the Word, setting aside time to read the Bible, asking God to explain the things we don't understand, asking Him to reveal Himself and His truth to us.  If we are faithful to read the Word, Jesus promises in John 14:26, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."  You don't have to memorize scripture.  If you put it in, God will be faithful to bring it back out when it is needed.  That is how I had the scripture handy to correct the woman I spoke with that Saturday.

     The more time you spend getting to know the Lord and His Word, the more confidence you will have in your ability to recognize error and refute it and the less likely you are to be deceived.  I challenge you to start your day with just a chapter or two every morning - making time for God before everything else - and I guarantee He will bless your time for everything else you need to do and will prepare you to be able to recognize error when you hear it and refute it with confidence.

 

     Know the truth, beloved ones, and it will set you free.  Love in Christ, Raelynn

Nowhere to Run

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

     I pray you are looking up, for your redemption draweth nigh.

     Today I want to talk to you about "Nowhere to Run".  Thirty years ago I was praying for a particular woman and the Lord showed me a vision.  I saw the woman running flat out as hard as she could.  The ground beneath her feet was dry and cracked, lined.  She ran until suddenly the ground stood up in front of her like a wall.  She turned slightly and ran in another direction with all she had until, again, the ground rose up in front of her, making a wall that stopped her in her tracks.  The Lord then took me higher so I could look down on this scene.  He showed the woman running on the palm of His hand and as she neared an edge, He'd curl His fingers in to make a wall.  No matter how hard or fast she ran, the woman was held securely in the hand of Jesus.  This vision gave me much comfort concerning the woman I was praying for and the Lord has often brought it to my memory throughout the years.

     In Exodus 13:2, God told Moses, "Whatsoever opens the womb is Mine."  Were you born through a womb?  Then you are His.  No matter how hard or fast you try to run from Him you are already in the palm of His hand.  There is nowhere to run.  The Psalmist put it this way:  "Where shall I flee from your presence?  If I ascend up into Heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.  If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me."

     What are you running from, beloved ones?  Your past?  Jesus was there.  An uncertain future?  Jesus is there.  Are you running from making Him Lord of your life, giving Him control?   Are you running from a calling you know He's put upon your life?  Stop running.  You're just making yourself exhausted and you are going nowhere.  You are His.  You are being held securely in the palm of His hand.  Surrender to Him and find rest.

     If you have loved ones who are running from God, take comfort from the vision He showed me.  No one can flee the presence of God.  There is literally nowhere to run.

Surrendered and Secure, Raelynn
 
 

Just Because

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

     I pray you greet each day with excitement and that anxiety has no place in you.

     Today I want to talk to you about "Just Because".  We all have reasons for the things we do.  Matt Redman wrote a song called "Ten Thousand Reasons" about why he loves and serves Jesus.  One anniversary, I had made a little booklet for my husband called "100 reasons why I love you".

     Have you ever done something seemingly on impulse and when asked why you did it, responded, "Just because"?  Even though you couldn't think of a good response at the time or were embarrassed to say, rest assured you had a reason for what you did.

     There are thousands of references to God's love for us throughout the Bible.  You will not find the word "because" in any one of them.  There is not one reason why God would love us enough to give us life, sacrifice His Son for us, provide our every need.  He just does.

     Aren't you thankful God's ways are higher than our ways, beloved ones?  Aren't you glad we can't earn or deserve God's love?  God loves us.  He doesn't have 10,000 reasons, 100 reasons, or even one.  He just does.  No because.  Wow!

Just another reason I love Him, Raelynn

The Greatness of Our God

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

     I pray that your spirit is light, your hearts are carefree, and your faces radiate the joy of the Lord.

     Today I want to talk about the "Greatness of Our God".  There is not a word I can say on this subject better than the Word itself says it, so I'm just writing down scripture today that I hope will bless and encourage you.

     "Fear thou not for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God.  I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee.  I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.  Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded; they shall be as nothing.  And they that strive with thee shall perish.  Thou shalt seek them and shalt not find them, even they that contend with thee.  They that war against thee shall be as nothing and as a thing of nought.  For I, the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand saying unto thee, "Fear not , I will help thee."  To whom then will ye liken me, or to whom shall I be equal, sayeth the Holy One.  Lift up your eyes on high and behold who hath created these things; that bringeth out the stars by number:  He calleth them all by name by the greatness of His might.  For that He is strong in power, not one faileth.  Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard that the Everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not, neither is weary?  There is no searching of His understanding.  He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.  Even the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall, but they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

    What a great and mighty God we serve!  Who would not want to trust their lives to one such as this who not only makes promises like these, but is unable to break them?  These were just a few verses from Isaiah chapters 40 and 41.  The entire Bible is full of promises like these; full of examples of the greatness of our God.

     I pray you were encouraged today and were reminded that God is bigger than any situation you face.  He holds you by the hand and says, "I will help thee".  When faced with gigantic problems and insurmountable circumstances, remember that our God is bigger still.  Rely on the greatness of our God.

In His service,  Raelynn

Majority Rules

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

     I pray that the Son is shining on you today and you are hidden in the shadow of the Almighty.

     Today I want to talk to you about "The Majority Rules".  When I was growing up, the kids in our neighborhood would decide if we were playing Red Rover or Hide N Seek by a vote.  We'd each raise our hands for the game we wanted and the one with the most votes won.  When a protest arose, the others would always shout "The majority rules!"  And it did.

     There is a saying in Christendom, "God + one is a majority".  I don't believe that.  I believe God is the majority.  He doesn't need a person to give Him the edge.  If the battle were God vs. the world, mark my words, God would win.  He is the majority and the majority rules.

     When my daughter was going into 7th grade and my son into 2nd, the Lord called me to begin homeschooling my children.  This was a daunting enough task as I'd need to do it while still working full time, but to make matters worse, my children's fathers from whom I'd been divorced, decided to take me to court in order to keep them in public school.  These two men who previously despised each other suddenly became buddies in their effort to keep me from homeschooling my children.  They each hired lawyers and I was subpoenaed to appear.

      Frantic, I ran to my Lord in prayer.  He very calmly spoke peace to my soul and told me that the battle was not mine, but His; that I was to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.  He further instructed me not to hire a lawyer, nor take anything into the courtroom with me but a song in my heart and confidence in my Lord.  He told me not to prepare ahead of time what I would say, but He'd give me in that hour the words I should speak.  I knew the ex's and their lawyers would be preparing.  I had to make a decision to trust God.

     I'll never forget watching both men enter the courtroom with their new wives, parents, siblings, witnesses, and lawyers with file folders and expanda-files full of papers.  I walked in with my purse.  I remember them snickering, hi-fiving each other and planning to go out for a celebratory drink afterward.  I remember feeling the peace of God flowing through me as I hummed, "The Battle Belongs to the Lord".

     Then it began.  When they accused me of not being qualified, the Lord gave me the Arizona state statute (which I had never read) to recite that says in AZ a biological parent may homeschool his child through the grade that he, himself, had completed.  When they brought up the issue of socialization, I reminded them of recent school shootings and drugs in school and asked them if this was the socialization they wanted for their children.  I assured them that Jerod's little league team, Jessica's ballet class, the youth groups they attended and the neighbor hood kids they played with would be socialization enough.  When they touted all the benefits of public school, I told them of my daughter who was allowed to slip through the cracks of the public school system, who going into junior high was reading at a 4th grade level and didn't know her times tables.  I told them of the public school teacher who told me that with 30 kids in her class, she didn't have time to hold my daughter's hand to keep her from falling behind.  I told them that as her mom, I'd make the time.  Each time a charge was leveled at me, the Lord gave me the response I was to give. The battle was not mine, but God's.  The majority rules and the judge allowed me to homeschool my kids.

     Oh my friends, don't allow circumstances or people who plot to make your life miserable put you in fear.  You have the Almighty on your side.  Give Him your battle to fight.  He is the majority and the majority rules!

Victorious through Christ - your sister, Raelynn   



    

Never Alone

Good Morning My Beloved Ones,

     I pray that with every breath you are singing the Lord's praises and thanking Him for His wonderful salvation!

     Today I want to talk to you about "Never Alone".  I want to share a concept with you today that if you can grasp it and hold on to it should bring you much peace and comfort in any situation.
     We know from the time we are young that in order to be "saved" we ask Jesus "into our heart".  To most of us, that is just the Christian lingo used to say that we asked forgiveness of our sins and have pledged to serve Jesus with our lives.  But the truth is...Jesus does live in our hearts.  "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (I Corinthians 3:16)  And because He is always with us, we are never alone.  This is why God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.  He lives there.  It's His home.  He won't leave unless He's evicted.

     In tough times we hear, "Well, the Lord is with you, it will be ok", and we picture God hovering over our shoulder or being "out there somewhere" watching us.  The truth is, once you've accepted Christ, He is much, much nearer.  He holds your hand when you are frightened.  He's wiping away every tear you shed.  He wraps His arms around you when you are grieving, and when you feel lonely, He whispers in your ear "I am here".

     Keeping this in mind, consider the passage in Psalm 23, "Yea, though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me."  I don't know about you, my friends, but knowing that I am never alone fills me with peace, joy and courage!

     Have you ever wondered why those who have lived a life serving the Lord seem so at peace when they die?  Most believe it's because they know where they are going.  That's part of it, I'm sure.  But I believe it's because God opens their spiritual eyes and they see Jesus sitting at their bedside holding their hand and they hear Him say, "Come with Me.  Today you shall be with Me in Paradise."  As they leave hand in hand with Jesus, they feel the joy that comes with knowing that He's been right there all along.

     Know that joy today, beloved ones!  Even if you are the only one in the room, you are never alone - Jesus is with you!

In Christ, and He in me - Raelynn