April 17, 2011

Time For a New Season, a New Approach

It has been a blessing to use this blog to bring encouragement from God's word, through my writing and that of others.  As I continue to seek the Lord's will in my life, He has led me toward a different approach and a new season.  He has made it very clear to me He wants me to focus my time on relationships I already have and new people who I cross paths with in my day-to-day living.  It's time to get more personal and speak encouragement directly into people's lives.  That means I will no longer be posting to this blog, but I will leave you with links to some of my favorite sites to find Encouraging Words.  God bless and drop me a note at encouragementforliving@gmail.com if you need an encouraging word.

Reflections
Our Daily Bread
Our Daily Journey
Encouragement For Today
Marketplace Meditations
Strength For the Journey

Welcome to Affirming Sunday Worship

If you don't have a welcoming church near you, or you just can't make yourself step into one, we're bringing worship to you. We have listed below links to open and affirming churches that feature live worship music and/or services that have been previously recorded.  We hope you are blessed and take time out of your busy schedule to enter into the Lord's day.

If one of the live feeds we post isn't working (stuff happens, especially during the winter) we hope you will take time to check out a different live broadcast or peruse our selection of pre-recorded services listed below.

If you know of a service we should add to our list, please send an e-mail at encouragementforliving@gmail.com and share it with us.

The list follows the jump:

April 10, 2011

Welcome to Affirming Sunday Worship

If you don't have a welcoming church near you, or you just can't make yourself step into one, we're bringing worship to you. We have listed below links to open and affirming churches that feature live worship music and/or services that have been previously recorded.  We hope you are blessed and take time out of your busy schedule to enter into the Lord's day.

If one of the live feeds we post isn't working (stuff happens, especially during the winter) we hope you will take time to check out a different live broadcast or peruse our selection of pre-recorded services listed below.

If you know of a service we should add to our list, please send an e-mail at encouragementforliving@gmail.com and share it with us.

The list follows the jump:

April 9, 2011

Encouraging Music-"All of Creation" by Mercy Me

Encouraging Words-Hope

From Daily Disciples

Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 21:34

The word "hope" is mentioned repeatedly throughout the Psalms to bring encouragement in the Lord. Most of us speak of "hope" interchangeably with other words such as dreams, wishes, desires and goals. We pray and hope, dream and hope, and you can probably think of other words that you use in connection with "hope." The Bible most commonly uses the word "trust" in association with its definition. To hope in the Lord means that we are putting our trust in Him. In searching how often "hope" is used, I found that it comes up most frequently in the book of Job and the Psalms. One book describes pain and suffering; the other, praise and worship. But hope is the common thread in both.

When we are down, we are desperate for something or someone to place our hopes in or upon. We need to know that tomorrow will be better. We need to believe that lives are changing toward the good. If we are sick, we hope to be healed. If we are in financial crises, we hope for restoration and prosperity. If we are in any kind of trouble, we hope that everything works out positively. We hope for a tomorrow that is better than today. Without hope, where would we be? How could we keep going? Hebrews 11:1 says that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." We must trust in the only One who brings real hope – Jesus Christ. Though we cannot physically see Him, we must place our faith in His love for us. Jesus is our only hope, for only He has the power to change our tomorrows.

Do you need hope for today? Pick up God's Word and ask Him to show you His hope for your situation. regardless of where you are, He already knows everything about it. No trouble or trial is too great for our Lord. We have but one requirement: to place all of our hope in Him. There is no hope in the world, only fleeting moments. But God gives us hope in the eternal life that awaits us. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:17 that our light affliction is but for a moment compared to the eternal glory that awaits those of us in Christ Jesus. Put your hope and trust today in Jesus. Ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit to comfort you with His hope of glory.

April 8, 2011

Encouraging Music-"Dancing Generation" by Matt Redman

Encouraging Words-How Can God Bring Good From This?

From Encouragement For Today

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
Romans 8:28 (NIV)


Have you ever faced a personal struggle and wondered how God could possibly bring good out of it? How could Romans 8:28 apply to my hidden issues -- the ones I don't like to think about, deal with, or even admit I have?

If you would have told me 10 years ago that God could bring good out of my weight issues and food struggles, I would have seriously doubted you. I would have rolled my eyes and excused myself to the bathroom.

Bathroom stalls are great places to cry in secret.

When a soul is rubbed raw from years of trying and failing, you don't want to hear, "eventually good will come from this."

I wanted something to instantly fix my issues.

I wanted to stop calling myself awful names I'd never let another person call me.

I wanted to be naturally thin like my sister.

I wanted to stop crying when I walked into my closet to get dressed in the morning.

I would have cared less about some elusive, eventual good. My jeans didn't fit. Even my sweatpants didn't fit. I felt horrible. I couldn't stay committed to a healthy eating plan to save my life. And I saw no hope in sight.

It's a terrible thing to scan the horizon and see no evidence of hope.

Maybe you've been there with some hidden issue. Maybe you've been there like me with food and weight struggles. Maybe you're there today.

Whether your issues are the same as mine or not, all of us Jesus girls have struggles. We all fall short in some way. And we all need to know more about this "good" mentioned in Romans 8:28.

But instead of a three point sermonette, I want to share with you a letter I recently received. As I read it, the mercy gates of heaven split wide open and reigned down "this working of good." It was heaven's salve soothing deep places in me.

It is a picture of the reality of God's Word being true. Always true. God does work for the good... in all things... every single thing… even our most raw and seemingly impossible things... but we must know it even when we don't feel it.

"Just want to say thank you for sharing your struggles, Lysa. I've had an eating disorder since August,1978. Full blown anorexia, which led years down the road to bulimia.

I became a Christian in 2002, but never could fully surrender my eating disorder to our Lord. Through your story and the advice you shared the Holy Spirit is empowering me as I never knew possible. I've had 7 days of no binging or purging!!!

This may not seem like a high number to you, but after 33 full years with this binge/purge addiction, this is AMAZING. Hallelujah!!

You shed such new light on scriptures that I have read, but never knew how to interpret in my life especially with regards to eating. I'll be honest I figured my eating disorder wasn't that big a deal to our Lord. In fact I had told myself that He made me this way so it must just be the sin I was born to deal with; so glad to know that it isn't, and that I matter to HIM." -- Melissa P.

As I read this, my tears leaked free. We don't have to figure out how God will bring good, we just have to stay on the journey with Him and watch Him work.

May this be a glimpse of hope in the midst of your struggles as well.

"And we know (we know it even if we don't feel it) that in all things (even the ones we can't even fathom being used for good) God works for the good. (He works for the good. Our job is to walk with Him day by day. His job is to work the good.)

Dear Lord, thank You for this hope. Thank You that You don't waste our tears, our struggles, or those places rubbed raw from years of trying and failing. Once we do what You've instructed us to do, You always do what only You can do. I know You will bring good even when I can't see it or feel it. And what a comfort that is to me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

April 7, 2011

Encouraging Music-"Flood" by Jars of Clay

Encouraging Words-Chew It Up

From Reflections

Psalm 1:2, NIV: But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

It seems there are a great many questions in our hearts. We come to God’s Word and seek, and hope to find good Biblical principal by which to live our lives. If we don’t, we should. But when we do, what are we looking for? Perhaps we are looking for the answers to particular questions. There is much that God has prepared for those who will seek Him. But there are many simple truths within God’s Word that often become the “don’t blink or you’ll miss it” passages. They are often the treasures overlooked as we hurry to something more tailored to our wants. Moms are famed for instructing children to “chew” their food. God’s Word is something to be savored—something for us to consider—to reflect on. As we meditate on His Word, His answers are revealed. Sometimes we are looking for wisdom, but He is leading us to worship. Sometimes we seek purpose, while He is leading us to simply praise Him. The question we must ask when we come to His Word is foremost, “What does God want to say.” And with that, it would be wise for us to take the advice of moms to heart—and simply chew our food.

April 6, 2011

Encouraging Music-"Give Me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath

Encouraging Words-Don't Get Stuck

From Strength For the Journey

"Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." Hebrews 11:16

I had just landed in Phoenix for some meetings when the clerk at the rental car desk told me they were all out of cars except for one expensive luxury car that he would give me for the compact rate.

Admittedly, I was a little worried that someone seeing me drive up in this cool over-the-top auto would think that I had lost any sense of good stewardship. But it was, take the car or walk. So I took the car! And, I must admit, I loved driving the car—until my trip back to the airport.

Gliding down the highway in style, I heard an ominous thumping noise and knew immediately that it was a flat tire. I was stuck, and regardless of how nice the car was, I was going nowhere and would probably miss the plane. You probably know the feeling. You need to get somewhere and suddenly you’re stuck in a snowdrift or a muddy ditch—or you get a flat tire. No matter what, getting stuck is not a good thing.

And as bad as it is when you’re traveling, it’s even worse if you get stuck spiritually. You probably know what it’s like. Someone special to you wounds you with their words or actions, and rather than forgiving and turning the other cheek you get stuck in a fight with them only to realize that the more you try to get even the more stuck you become. Or perhaps in the midst of difficult circumstances, seeds of disappointment and bitterness take root and you get stuck in discouragement land. To say nothing of the fact that the spiritual blow of unconfessed sin can completely immobilize us.

All of this makes me love what I read in Hebrews 11: 6-16 . Real people, living in a world like yours and mine, refused to get stuck by the disappointing and discouraging circumstances of their lives. The common thread woven through these individuals is the fact that they saw themselves as “aliens and strangers” in this world, on their way to a “better country—a heavenly one.” Simply put, they caught sight of the fact that they were on a journey and that something greater awaited them. Nothing, or no one, would deter them from keeping their eyes on where they were headed. They refused to get stuck! And in Hebrews 11:16, we get a glimpse of God’s pleasure and delight in the way they persisted in their journey when we read that He is not “ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”

So, the next time someone’s words or actions threaten to mire you down—the next time life’s circumstances give you an excuse to blow out and get stuck—remember who you are and where you’re headed. There isn’t a person or thing in your life that is worth getting stuck for! You’re headed home. They can duke it out by themselves if they choose!

April 5, 2011

Encouraging Music-"Where No One Stands Alone" by the Gaither Vocal Band

Encouraging Words-Seated With Christ

From Daily In Christ

Ephesians 2:4-6
God . . . made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus

The New Testament clearly reveals that Christ's power and authority over Satan and his kingdom have been conferred to those of us who are in Christ. In Ephesians 2:4-6, Paul explains that when Christ was raised from the dead, those of us who have believed in Him were also resurrected from our condition of spiritual death and made alive "together with Christ." It's only logical that the head (Christ) and the body (His church) should be raised together.

Furthermore, when God seated Christ at His right hand and conferred on Him all authority (Ephesians 1:20, 21), He also seated us at His right hand and conferred on us through Christ all authority because we are "together with Christ." The moment you receive Christ, you take possession of what God did for you 2000 years ago. Your identity as a child of God and your authority over spiritual powers are not things you are receiving or will receive at some time in the future; you have them right now. You are a spiritually-alive child of God right now . You are seated in the heavenlies with Christ right now . You have power and authority over the kingdom of darkness right now . We have the authority because of our position in Christ, and we have the power when we are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Paul also related this life-changing truth in his letter to the Colossians: "In Him [Christ] you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority" (Colossians 2:10). Notice again that the action is past: We have been made complete. When? At the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. And since Christ is the God-appointed head over all rule and authority, and since we are seated with Him in the heavenlies, we have the authority and power to live responsible lives.

Prayer: Father, help me want to live responsibly, to claim my position as Your child, and to grow to full stature in You.

April 4, 2011

Encouraging Music-"Hosanna" by Hillsong

Encouraging Words-Freedom From Self

From Crosswalk: The Devotional

Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalm 51: 12)

Do you have a hard time embracing the idea that God loves you? Do you struggle with a nagging sense of inadequacy or unworthiness?

As we kick off Lent, we encounter a lot of talk about sinfulness, reparations, confession, and penance. The Lenten focus is wonderful and necessary for all of us. We are sinners in a fallen world, and we can find ourselves forgetting our need for God and His grace readily.

It’s easy to see how Lent can infuse humility into one who suffers from pride. But what about those of us who suffer from scrupulosity? A quick internet search of this term brings us to Wikipedia which defines scrupulosity as “obsessive concern with one's own sins and compulsive performance of religious devotion.” Scrupulosity is basically an obsession with our own faults and failings. It often plagues perfectionists and can be paralyzing to the believer’s life. The scrupulous believer holds on to his or her sins and even erroneously labels innocent acts as sinful, convinced God could not love them enough to forgive them.

When the tendency to hyper-focus on imperfections and sins takes over, we need to remember that Lent is the journey towards Easter. It is meant to help us grow in our relationship with God, not lead us into clinical depression.

Let’s take the Lenten practice of fasting, for example. Why do Christians fast? Fasting can be found in both the Old Testament and the New, with Moses (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9,18 ), Elijah (1 Kings 19:8), and our Lord (Matthew 4:2) all participating in 40-day fasts. Biblically, fasting centers around genuine humility and a desire to be in right relationship with God. Fasting is a way of denying ourselves excesses so that we might be more attuned to the Lord's voice. This requires first and foremost a belief that one can be in right relationship with God; that He is accessible to the believer!

Fasting makes the most sense when we consider it in light of Genesis 1, which reveals that we all have inherent dignity as creatures created in the image and likeness of God. An excerpt of this chapter states:

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them... God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. (Genesis 1: 26 - 27, 31)

As human beings with this dignity, we can exercise our gift of free will to embrace opportunities God gives us to experience His refining grace in our lives. In doing so, the small aches and pains that come with fasting should draw our attentionaway from our failings and towards the reality that God loves us so much that He would suffer profoundly for us on the Cross.

April 3, 2011

Welcome to Affirming Sunday Worship

If you don't have a welcoming church near you, or you just can't make yourself step into one, we're bringing worship to you. We have listed below links to open and affirming churches that feature live worship music and/or services that have been previously recorded.  We hope you are blessed and take time out of your busy schedule to enter into the Lord's day.

If one of the live feeds we post isn't working (stuff happens, especially during the winter) we hope you will take time to check out a different live broadcast or peruse our selection of pre-recorded services listed below.

If you know of a service we should add to our list, please send an e-mail at encouragementforliving@gmail.com and share it with us.

The list follows the jump:

April 2, 2011

Encouraging Music-"Live Life" by ZOEGirl

Encouraging Words-Receiving Only What God Can Give

From Today God Is First

A man can receive only what is given him from heaven" (John 3:27).

John the Baptist was in the business of bringing sinners to the place of repentance by baptizing them and teaching them about the coming Messiah. Over time, he had developed quite a customer base of disciples. Yet when the promised Messiah showed up-the fulfillment of John's business plan—true to form, his coworkers (or disciples) went to John to complain that the one he had testified about was stealing all of his customers. "Rabbi," they said, "that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan . . . well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him" (John 3:26). John's response showed clearly he understood his purpose and role in life in the above verse.

John understood that we receive by understanding our purpose and what God desires us to receive in light of our purpose. We need not worry about what others receive, only if we are receiving what God wants us to receive. Many of us try to receive things God never intended us to receive or be someone God never intended us to be.

A story is told about F. B. Meyer, the great Bible teacher and pastor who lived a century ago. He was pastoring a church when he began to notice that attendance was dropping. This continued until he finally asked some members of his congregation one Sunday morning why they thought this was happening. A member suggested, "It is because of the new church down the road. The young preacher has everyone talking and many are going to hear him speak." The young preacher's name was Charles Spurgeon.

Meyer, rather than seeking to discourage this development, exhorted his entire congregation to join him and go participate in seeing this "move of God," as he described it to them. "If this be happening, then God must be at work." Meyer, like John the Baptist, understood the principle of receiving from God and was not threatened by the new competition in town. Instead, he joined it.

April 1, 2011

Encouraging Music-"Wait For Me" by Rebecca St. James

Encouraging Words-How To Bloom

From Our Daily Bread

My family and I live in an apartment, so our “flower garden” consists of what we can grow in indoor pots. For a long time our plants would not flower despite watering and fertilizing. Then we discovered that the soil had to be raked and turned over if the plants were to bloom. Now our potted plants are a pure joy to look at with their healthy leaves and blooming flowers.

Sometimes we need a little raking and turning in our own lives to make us bloom. Writing to the harassed believers in his day, Peter said, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice” (1 Peter 4:12-13).

Like the soil in our potted plants, these Christians were having their lives “turned over.” God’s purpose in doing that was to allow their faith to result in praise and glory to Him at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1:7).

God wants to loosen the things that can choke our lives and that prevent us from radiating joy. To do this, He sometimes has to allow pain and trouble—trials that help stir up the soil of our lives. If this is what you are experiencing today, rejoice. Surrender to His touch and acquire a joy and fruitfulness you never imagined possible.