He Is Holy Still

“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Distant from my salvation are the words of my groaning. O my God, I cried out by day, but You did not answer, by night but there was no rest for me. Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.”

~Psalm 22:2-4

There are times we go through dry periods where God can seem far away, as if He doesn’t hear us. Our prayers seem just as dry and go unanswered, and it’s all we can do to offer up words of worship. But no matter how we feel, it’s important to remember that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, and He is not dependent on our feelings. No matter how we feel, He is holy still.

“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why are you murmuring within me? Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, for the salvation of His presence (Psalm 42:6).”

David lived a complicated life. He went through periods of depression, sadness, and grief. He lived through dry periods where God seemed far from him and everything that could go wrong, did. Even in the times when he cried out to God, his feelings raw and his life seemingly on the brink of disaster, David could draw on the one thing he knew to be true – God is holy and worthy to be praised.

When we find ourselves in dry times where God seems far away, we can draw on David’s wisdom—why are you downcast, O my soul? Hope in God! And no matter my circumstances, or my feelings, I will praise Him!

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39).”

Read Philippians

©2018 Marie McGaha

The End Days

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.”

~2 Timothy 3:1-7

I personally believe we are living in the end days and the Lord will be returning soon. I talk with a lot of people and the theme seems to be that even those who don’t claim to be Christians also believe life as we know it is coming to an end. While I am not a “prepper” I do believe we are about to see significant changes that will change the course of our lives. The world has gotten so out of control, even if there wasn’t a foretelling of these events in the Bible, I would believe WW3 looms in the not so distant future. The political climate is in upheaval; governments are pushing for a one world government, one world currency, and a one world religion; and all of this is prophesied in the Bible (Daniel 12; Revelation 13 et al).

“As He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains (Matthew 24:3-8).”

Anyone who has given birth can tell you that labor pains are not fun. They begin slowly but increase to the point of severe pain until finally, the entire body is engaged in just one function – to push that baby into the world. Jesus says the end of days will be the same way – a gradual build-up of lawlessness and disasters until it all gives way, and someone pushes the button. The labor pains began around the turn of the 20^th century but specifically after WW1 in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson began The League of Nations. WW1 was the worst war ever seen on earth and President Wilson wanted to put a stop to anything like that happening again. However, The League of Nations never really got off the ground.

In 1945 WW2 occurred and 52 million people died. Then President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin, and Winston Churchill got together and agreed what had not been accomplished after WW1 needed to be accomplished then. The United Nations was born. Although President Roosevelt was gravely ill, he pushed the UN charter forward through his diplomatic assistant, Alger Hiss. Mr. Hiss wrote the charter for the UN and it stands to this day. Three years later, Alger Hiss was exposed as a communist spy, was tried, convicted and sent to prison.

So, you can see that the New World Order has been in the works for a very long time. I don’t know when the end will come but I do know it’s getting close. Our only answer is Jesus Christ. If you are not assured of your salvation right now, at this very moment, don’t wait until it’s too late. Accept Christ as your Savior so your place in Heaven is guaranteed and no matter when the end comes, you will be welcomed with open arms.

“And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:10-14).”

Read Galatians; Ephesians

©2018 Marie McGaha

Satan's Con

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

~Colossians 3: 1-4

Life is cheap. Murder, suicide, abortion, human trafficking, prostitution, drugs, gambling... Life has been cheapened to an all-time low. Listening to the news is the most depressing thing, and sometimes, I have to shut it all down because I can’t bear it. I have to seek those things that are above and set my mind on them because the things of this earth are vile. I have to remind myself that no matter what the world around me looks like, it’s a cheap fake ruled by satan and his minions, and it won’t go on forever.

Everything God has done, satan has manufactured a fake counterpart. Everything God says is good, right and pure, satan twists for his own evil purposes. What God says don’t do, satan says won’t hurt you. What God says to do, satan calls a burden to hold you down. God made love and satan turns it to misery. And the saddest part is, since Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we continue to fall for the lie.

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all (Colossians 3:5-11).”

Seeing that we are all unable, on our own abilities, to put away evil and walk in righteousness, God came to earth as Jesus Christ as the perfect sacrifice for sin. His love for us is so great that He gave Himself completely, so we don’t have to believe the lie and follow satan to hell. We can try to be good, to be righteous, to do the right thing, but we will fail time after time unless Christ is working within us. None of us are righteous, none of us seek God, we are worthless (Romans 3:10-12) on our own. It is only when we seek God, when we accept Christ as our Savior, that we can rise above satan’s con and be the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:12-17).”

Read 1 Corinthians 11-16; Weekend reading 2 Corinthians 1-13

© 2018 Marie McGaha

His Strength

“And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”

~1 Samuel 30:6

In the above verse, David and his men had returned to Ziklag and found the Amalekites had burned the city and taken everyone hostage, including two of David’s wives. All the men were grieved and angry, and lashed out at David, threatening to stone him to death. David had a couple of choices—he could have lashed back, he could have run in fear, but instead, he turned to the Lord God and strengthened himself.

While we may not face death by stoning, there are many times in life when we face adverse situations that bring us to our knees. It is in these moments of weakness that the devil stirs up seeds of doubt that can wreak havoc on our lives and our faith. The devil’s goal is to divide and conquer, to make us feel as if God is far from our lives and doesn’t care about our situation.

“I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing (John 15:5).” 

It is only through our complete dependence upon the Lord that we are able to persevere through any situation and have victory on the other side. When we begin to think we can overcome on our own ability and strength, it is then that we truly fail.

“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).”

Read 1 Corinthians 6-10

©2018 Marie McGaha

Marriage By Design

“But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So, they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

~Mark 10:6-9

When God created Eve, she was designed to complement Adam, to be his helper, friend, and companion. She was everything he was not and together, they completed one another, and were designed perfectly for one another. God designed men and women to fit together in form, but also in thought, feelings, and abilities. He not only designed us, He designed marriage in the same way.

It is no secret that divorce surrounds us in today’s world. Statistics say that more than fifty percent of today's marriages will end in divorce, including those couples who attend church regularly. There is something terribly wrong with that. Marriage is a gift from God and He hates divorce, so why is divorce so prominent in today’s society?

Part of that can be answered by saying that, like everything else, today’s life is disposable. We seek pleasure more than God, we want what we want when we want it, and when we’re finished with it, we throw it away. Our society holds nothing sacred, including marriage. Even our children are now taught that the Bible is not the word of God, and we are to keep our mouth shut and let people do what they want. Our children are taught that homosexuality is just as natural as heterosexuality, and same-sex couples demand marriage rights alongside opposite sex couples. That is not how God designed marriage, and He does not approve of any marriage outside of a man and woman, nor does He approve of any marriage outside of the biblical pattern.

So, what can we do to change that outlook? The answer lies only with God and a change of heart in people. God knows what is good for us because He created us with purpose in His own image. We are here on earth for a reason, and that is to glorify God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths (2 Timothy 4:3-4).”

Read 1 Corinthians 1-5

© 2018 Marie McGaha

Please The Lord

“So, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

~Philippians 2:1-4

My youngest son calls me every day when he gets off work. He’s a rookie cop, has a lot of stress and I debrief him. It’s a kind of counseling session where he can get his frustration out without it having negative consequences. And of course, mama doesn’t mind those calls from her baby boy. He is a daily reminder that God’s call on my life is to help others, to share wisdom, good counsel, and show the love of Christ in whatever way I can.

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:15-17).” 

We live in a selfish world, where those who scream the loudest get their own way. We live with the foolishness of the world, but we don’t have to be part of the foolishness. We cannot change the world. What we can change is how we handle the world. We don’t have to affect the entire world, just the world around us. No matter what is going on with others, we can still behave in a manner pleasing to the Lord. We can find what is good and pure and right in our own lives, without allowing the negativity of the world to affect us. We cannot change how the world acts, but we can determine how we act. We are responsible for ourselves, our actions, and our reactions to others. When we exercise self-control and act in love, we are pleasing to the Lord.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 4:22-24).”

Read Romans 13-16

©2018 Marie McGaha

The Promised Land

“Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, ‘Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?’ And they said to one another, ‘Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.’”

~Numbers 14:1-4

The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for more than 400 years before Moses and Aaron led them from their captors, across the desert to the promised land. Of course, they complained and grumbled the entire way, which is why it took them 40 years of wandering before they reached the Jordan River and could see the land of milk and honey. Then they heard about the people who lived in the land and were terrified, so they grumbled some more and wanted to dump their leaders, find new ones and go back to Egypt.

It seems ridiculous to us now. Why on earth would they want to go back to the slavery they endured when freedom and prosperity was right in front of them? But it’s human nature to return to what once was, even if it’s not good for us. I’ve seen people leave behind their addictions, toxic relationships, prison, bad company and worse, only to go right back to their life of slavery.

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end (Hebrews 3:12-14).”

Sharing in the salvation of Christ is our deliverance from lives of sin and sorrow. We are set free from the things of the world and are brought to the Promised Land, which is eternal life. But we must continue in the promise of redemption, and not turn back to the life we led that was taking us to hell.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).”

Read Romans 9-12

©2018 Marie McGaha

Speak Sweet

“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

~Luke 6:43-45

My husband and I have been married for nearly 20 years. We are each other’s best friend, and we know we are together until death parts us, and then we’ll spend eternity together in Heaven. We are still madly, passionately, stupidly in love and cannot conceive a life without the other. Still, we can get on each other’s nerves from time to time. He does stuff that just makes me wonder if there’s a kink in the genes no one told me about. And occasionally, I can upset him too. Yes, I’m making light of the ways I can torque his engine. But the one thing I try to remember, no matter what, is how much we love each other, and I try to never say things that I can’t take back. It’s not easy when tempers heat up to keep harsh words from coming out, but he and I certainly have a better handle on it now than in the early years of our marriage.

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear (Ephesians 4:29).”

When we get angry, it can be easy to speak hurtful words but when we do, we can destroy friendships, marriages, and any chance of reconciliation. Angry words tear down and can’t be taken back. Even if we apologize for the words we speak, they remain in the heart and mind of the one they’re directed to. And every additional word spoken in anger adds to the previous words and weighs heavily until it breaks. While we all get angry at times, it’s what we do while angry that can tear a relationship apart or we can bridle our tongues (James 1), even in anger, and show love and compassion. Being angry does not mean being hateful.

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore, put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls (James 1:19-21).”

Read Acts 25-28; Weekend reading Romans 1-8

©2018 Marie McGaha

Blow Over Me

“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from Heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

~Acts 2:1-4

I’ve always liked the wind; whether it was coming off the ocean when I was a kid at the beach with my grandmother, or hitting my face while riding down the road on a motorcycle, or a storm blowing in, I’ve always found the wind refreshing. I think it’s because I see the correlation between wind and the Spirit of God. I cannot see the wind, but I can see its affects around me, and I can feel it brush over my skin and blow though my hair. I cannot see God, but I see His affect on my life and I can feel His Spirit in my heart.

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

~John 3:8

When we are born of the Spirit, we have an intimate relationship with God Almighty. It is as real in our life as any tangible relationship we have on earth. Even though we don’t physically see God, and can’t touch Him with our hands, He touches us in ways that no one else can. Sensing God’s Spirit is something He allows us to do with our minds, hearts and spirits when we are born again through the redemption offered by Jesus Christ. No other relationship on earth can cleanse us from our sins, make our lives brand new, give us an eternal purpose, and turn us from hell onto the path of Heaven. It is only though a relationship with Jesus Christ that we can experience true righteousness, abiding love, and hope for a future.

“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’ (John 20:21-22).”

“There's a wind a-blowin', all across the land
A fragrant breeze of Heaven
Blowin’ once again
Don't know where it comes from
Don't know where it goes
But let it blow over me
Oh, sweet wind, come and blow over me…”

Sweet Wind by David Ruis

Read Acts 20-24

©2018 Marie McGaha

Love Your Mother

‘On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to Him, “They have no more wine.” “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”’

~John 2:1-5

As a mother, this is one of my favorite passages. Here is the Lord Jesus Christ, God Himself, at a wedding and His mother wants Him to provide wine for the guests—and He wasn’t the host! I think the reason it appeals to me so much is because I have sons and it doesn’t matter to me what their job is, or who they married, or how many grandchildren they’ve given me, they are my boys and I love them. More than that, I know how much they love me and will do anything I ask them to do for me, even if it meant making the wine for a wedding. Obedience to God, to our parents, and to our spouses is an important part of who we are as Christians. And even if I didn’t already love the Lord for what He’s done for me, I’d love Him even more for the way He loves His mother.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land (Ephesians 6:1-3).” 

While we are young, obeying our parents is for our own well-being and safety. We are under their care and they provide for our needs. As we get older and come into a sense of independence, we may begin to push the boundaries our parents set for us, and sometimes, we may push those boundaries too far. There are consequences for our actions, and even though we may be too young to understand those consequences, they may affect our lives for years to come. There is a reason the Lord wants us to be obedient as children—there’s a steep learning curve that can have immediate and dire repercussions, some that we may never recover from. On the other hand, as we mature and become adults, we are told to “honor” our mother and father, and that’s different than obedience. Honor means to show respect and hold in high esteem. Even parents who weren’t the greatest at parenting deserve our respect. When we honor our parents, we honor the Lord.

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him (Colossians 3:12-17).”

Read Acts 13-19

©2018 Marie McGaha

No Worries

“Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

~Psalm 118:5-6

So many times in life we become distressed over things that happen—our jobs, our families, our love lives, finances, and a million other little things that make up the human experience. We react emotionally to situations, and if we’re really honest, there’s no reason to. We have been conditioned to listen to our emotions instead of what God says about every situation: trust Him. The psalmist says he was distressed but he didn’t go on Facebook or Twitter and post about it, or scream and yell at other people, or break things, or act like so many that we see today on TV and social media. No, he called on the Lord. Then what happened? The Lord answered him and set him free. So, he declared, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear!” And that is the appropriate response for anyone who claims to be a Christian.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).”

For us to live the kind of lives that honors the Lord, we must trust that He knows what’s best for us, even in the face of crisis. I’m not saying there aren’t situations that are going to cause us to be angry, or depressed, or broken hearted, that’s life and it happens to all of us—it’s our response to those situations that should set us apart from the rest of the world. If our spouse dies, of course there is an emotional response but there are appropriate emotions and inappropriate emotions. The appropriate emotions would be sadness, tears, feeling lonely and empty; inappropriate emotions would be to break things, get drunk or high, blame others, or seek revenge. That might seem ridiculous, but people do react to stressors in very destructive ways. Ways that are not in line with what the Lord wants from us.

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you… (Colossians 3:1-5).”

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him (Colossians 3:15-17).”

Read Acts 7-12

©2018 Marie McGaha

I Will Bless The Lord

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!”

~Psalm 34:1-3

I like reading the Psalms because they remind me how good the Lord is, especially when life isn’t going the way I like. It’s easy to say we praise the Lord at all times, but do we really? When we are in the middle of a personal crisis, do we praise the Lord? In the middle of stress, anxiety, anger, loss, grief—or any of the other emotions that plague us—is His praise continually in our mouth? I got to test that recently when I was having a really, really bad day. I was not in a praising mood, but the above verse went through my mind, and I had to check myself. It wasn’t easy to suppress the emotions but that is the power of the Holy Spirit. I was able to put aside what I felt and praise God for what I knew to be true.

“I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them (Psalm 34:4-7).”

The Lord cares about our emotions, He cares about our problems, but He doesn’t want either of those things to get so out of control that we forget Who is in control. No matter what we go through in our lives, we can depend on the Lord to work problems out in our favor. Our job is to depend on Him at all times, but especially in those times when our emotions are out of control.

“The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears toward their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all (Psalm 34:15-19).”

Read Acts 1-6

©2018 Marie McGaha

The Absolute Truth

“Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again.’”

~John 3:5-7

I have felt led over the past few months to speak on salvation, and I have several times, but the impact and importance of salvation cannot be overstated. It is the single most important thing we can do in our lives for our lives. This life is very short. The Bible tells us we are given 70-80 years (Psalm 90:10), but what follows this life is eternity and where we spend eternity is very important. No matter what doctrine a person follows, or what god they claim as truth, or if they believe this life is all there is, and death is the end of everything, one day every one of us will know the absolute truth of God Almighty. At the very moment we exhale our last breath, we will stand before Jesus Christ and we will know the Truth. That is why salvation is the most important topic in the world and cannot be ignored.

“This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other Name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:11-12).”

The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the basis our salvation. We must be born again, or we cannot enter Heaven. There is no other way. To be born again we must identify and participate in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection but how do we do that? First, we must believe the gospel that Christ is the only begotten Son of God and that He is who He says He is. Second, we must participate in Christ’s death by dying to our fleshly self. That is to say, we must recognize that our way of life cannot get us to Heaven, and we must give up our ways and accept Christ’s way of living. Third, we must bury our old life, which is baptism in water. We go under the water as a burial, and when we come up, we are resurrected into a new life as a follower of Jesus Christ. Not only does this guarantee our entrance to Heaven for eternity when we leave this life, it changes the life we live while we’re still here. If you have not made the most important decision of your life—salvation through Jesus Christ—as long as you have breath in your body, it’s not too late. Don’t wait until it is.

Pray: Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God and You died and rose again for me. I accept you as my Savior and choose to live my life for You. Thank you for saving me and loving me, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

You don’t have to say those exact words. Pray whatever is in your heart, God will hear you and Heaven will rejoice over your decision.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).”

Read John 17-21

© 2018 Marie McGaha

Shekinah Glory

“And after six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with Him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.”

~Matthew 17:1-7

This is one of my favorite chapters of the Bible. I always imagine what it will be like to stand face-to-face with Jesus, and here, Peter, James and John not only have seen the person of Jesus Christ, they also got to see the Shekinah glory of God and hear God’s own voice. Not to mention seeing Moses and Elijah! What a gift that was. The Shekinah glory of God is something we will all see when we arrive in Heaven. It is the light of Heaven, brighter than the sun that comes only from Christ Himself.

“Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life’ (John 8:12).”

If you’ve ever been in a dark room, or in the woods at night, you know there is nothing as black as the absence of light; strike a match and the darkness flees. That little flame will light up the dark recesses of a room and allow us to see, so imagine what the light of the glory of Jesus Christ can do! We see the light of glory when we follow Jesus Christ. He is the light of the world, and in Him is no darkness (1 John 1:5). It is that light we see in other Christians and that others see in us once we accept Christ as our Savior.

We will all stand before Jesus Christ no matter what we believe or what we’ve done. When we die, we will close our eyes to this world and open them to Heaven. Even those who do not follow Jesus Christ will still see Heaven and the glory of the Light of the Lamb. I imagine that is the only thing that can make hell worse—knowing what Heaven looks like, getting that glimpse of His Shekinah glory and then be sent to everlasting separation to spend eternity in the darkness where there is nothing but sorrow and suffering. And as much as my heart aches for those who will spend the afterlife separated from God, it also soars for each of us who will spend eternity in His glorious light.

“And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb (Revelation 21:22-23).”

Read John 12-16

©2018 Marie McGaha

The Root, The Shoot, The Fruit: Sow You Own Seed

The world we live in is in total opposition to a life in Christ Jesus. In the world, we are taught to be independent, don’t rely on anyone, get up and do it yourself, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, but a life in Christ is total dependence upon Him. John 15:1-8 is all about dependence rather than independence, yet being dependent upon Jesus is the most freedom a person will ever have. Sounds like a contradiction but it isn’t. The passage in John tells us that Christ is the vine and we are the branches, and apart from Him, we can do nothing. Jesus is our root system, He is what holds us firmly in place, grounded when everything in the world seems to be spinning out of control. In Him, we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:29).

          Have you noticed what happens to a branch that gets ripped away from the vine? It dies. There is no nourishment from the roots, so instead of that branch continuing to grow and produce fruit, it withers and dies. The branch is useless away from vine. So it is with us. Nothing we do in life, no matter what kind of success we might have, no matter how much money we make, or how famous we become, none of it is worth anything if we are not connected to the Vine that is Jesus Christ.

          The rich and famous have problems, perhaps more problems than the rest of us. They have addiction problems, their children are out of control, they are unhappy and seem to have no direction. That’s because all of the riches and fame in the world cannot produce satisfaction in the soul. True satisfaction can only come from one place, and that’s from the Lord. We have to fill that God-shaped hole with God. Nothing else fits. Nothing else satisfies because our spirits are created to worship only One. When we worship at the feet of the gods of this world, we cannot find the peace we desire, or the satisfaction our souls search desperately for.

          “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

          How many Hollywood “stars” have we seen take their own lives, overdose on drugs, be victims of murder, or have their lives so out of control they become jokes on late night talk shows? Money, fame, and success does not equal happiness and contentment. Very few “stars” stand up for what is right and good and pure. Very few will speak about God, and the few Christian “stars” in Hollywood are ostracized by the rest.

          We see famous politicians, businessmen and women, people who are known for nothing but being rich who face the very same problems in their lives as the rest of us. Money is not a cure for what is wrong in our lives. Fame is not the cure either. If it was, those rich and famous people would not be in such pain and turmoil. The only cure for our souls, for the world as it is today, is a right relationship with God Almighty through His Son Jesus Christ.

          “From whence does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made Heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1)

          Our only real, lasting help comes from Jesus Christ. He is the only One who can save us from ourselves, the world, and what is to come after our physical deaths. Afraid to die? If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, you better be! What comes after this life is eternity. Forever and ever and ever… A time that we cannot even truly understand. Eternity is infinite, without end, no time, no calendar, no concept of life as we now know it. Yet we will live eternally. After we die here, and we are all going to die, our souls leave our bodies and go to eternity. Where that eternity is spent is totally up to us.

          “If you confess with your mouth… you will be saved,” (Roman 10:9). If you have accepted Christ as your Savior and made Him Lord of your life, you are saved. You will spend eternity in Heaven experiencing the Lord in a way we cannot even comprehend in this life. It will be joyous, wonderful, and beyond words. We will be with our friends and family who went before us, as long as they also knew Jesus as their Savior. If we had young children or infants who passed away, they will be there waiting to welcome us. I have a son, three daughters, a step-daughter, and three grandsons who are in Heaven awaiting my arrival. My grandmother is there too. What a family reunion that is going to be! The Bible says we will “know as we are known,” (1 Corinthians 13:12). That means we will know one another just as we know them now on earth in this life. But more importantly, we will see Christ face-to-face and we will know Him as He is, (1 John 3:2).

(Excerpt from The Root, The Shoot, The Fruit by Marie McGaha Buy here

©2017 DWB Publishing

Available in paperback, Kindle and now on Audible narrated by Christy R. Diachenko

Read John 6-11

God's Course

“For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

~Psalm 139:13-16

No matter the circumstances of our birth, none of us were created by accident. God planned the exact moment of our conception, our birth and our death. Even if our lives seem random, God formed a perfect moment for us to be here even before He planned the foundation of the earth. Every moment of our lives was seen by God before they happened, and He knew every step we would take before we took them. There is no aspect of our lives that God did not know prior to our being here, including the good, the bad and the indifferent. However, the choice of how we use the days given us is ours to make. We choose whether our lives will follow the world or follow Christ, and by choosing one or the other, we choose the consequences. While God already knows the path we will take, we have the choice to change the course of that path. No matter the circumstances of our lives, we can choose to let it be an anchor that drags us down or a sail that propels us forward. And it’s never too late to follow the course God has for us.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will (Ephesians 1:3-5).”

Read John 1-5

© 2018 Marie McGaha

Harmony of the Gospels

"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." ~Matthew 1:1

"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness,  ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,  make his paths straight,’” ~Mark 1:1-3

"Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us." ~Luke 1:1

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." ~John 1:1-5

The first four books of the New Testament are The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, followers of Jesus Christ. These men were with Jesus during His life and ministry on earth, witnessed His death on the Cross, His resurrection from the tomb and His Ascension into Heaven. They were eyewitnesses to everything Jesus did, and while they wrote of the life of Christ, each one begins a little differently. 

Matthew is considered to be the most Jewish of the Gospels, giving Christ's genealogy as proof that He is the Messiah they had been waiting for. Mark begins his gospel by quoting the Old Testament, that points to John as the one crying in the wilderness. Luke, the doctor, sounding very scholarly, lays out his case for Christ. John, who is also a cousin of Jesus Christ, was also the one, while still in the womb, was filled with the Holy Spirit. John's Gospel is my favorite because he jumps right in and tells us Jesus is God, He is the Light of world, and in Him is life.  While the gospels differ, it is only because they are from four different points of view, but they are still in perfect harmony bringing the prophecies of the Old Testament to life in Christ. 

We refer to everything prior to what the disciples write as the Old Testament, but in those days, there was no old or new testament. In fact, there was the Torah, which consisted of the first five books of the Old Testament, and the prophets, which are quoted time after time throughout the New Testament. Everything about the Old Testament, from Genesis through Malachi points us to Jesus Christ as the Messiah, while the Gospels reiterate that message. 

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about Him, and cried out, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because He was before me.’”) For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, He has made Him known (John 1:14-18)."

Read Luke 6-12; Weekend reading Luke 13-24

©2018 Marie McGaha