Happy Hanukah

“At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around Him and said to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 

~John 10:22-24

The Hebrew word Chanukah means ‘dedication’ and came about in the second century when the Jewish people living in Israel were subject to Greco-Assyrian influence and revolted. Determined to stay true to God and not adopt the custom of worshipping idols like the invaders, they drove the Greco-Assyrian government out and recaptured the second temple. They cleansed the temple and rededicated it to the God of Israel. They lit the Menorah, and although there was only enough oil for one day, it miraculously burned for eight days, which is why Hanukkah is also called The Festival of Lights.

This year, Hanukkah commences on the evening of December 2, 2018 by lighting one candle of the Menorah, then, each consecutive night, another candle is lit, ending on December 10, 2018, when the last of the eight candles are lit. Prior to the lighting of the candle, special blessings are said, and songs are sung afterward. Jews recite the special Hallel prayer daily, and add V'Al HaNissim (an addition to the Amidah and Birkat Hamazon on Hanukkah and Purim) to their daily prayers and in the Grace After Meals, to offer praise and thanksgiving to God for “delivering the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few and the wicked into the hands of the righteous.” It is also tradition to eat foods fried in oil such as latkes (a type of fried pancake made from potatoes, vegetables or fruit) or sufganiyot (a fried jelly-filled donut).

Jewish traditions are a part of who we are as Christians, and how we became a part of God’s family. I hope you will learn more about our Jewish ancestry and celebrate this wonderful season of Hanukah.

Blessing For Hanukah

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, she’asah nisim la’avoteinu, bayamim haheim baziman hazeh.

Praised are you, God, Spirit of the Universe, who performed miracles for our ancestors in their day at this season.

Read Jude

© 2018 Marie McGaha

Pride of Life

“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

~Matthew 11:28-30

Life can become a burden that weighs us down with worry and stress as we try to take care of everything that needs taking care of, but that’s not how the Lord would have us go through life. We carry our burdens like badges of honor, whether it’s our physical ailments, having to care for others, lack of money to pay bills, or whatever it may be. We choose to allow those things to weigh us down rather than choosing to cast our burdens on the Lord and rest in Him.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:6-7).”

Choosing to carry our burdens comes out of pride. It’s as simple as that. We think carrying our burdens, wearing them for the world to see, talking about how they weigh us down shows how strong we are, how we endure, and what a selfless life we live but it doesn’t. It is nothing more than the pride of life that leads to arrogance, ostentation, pride in self, presumption, and boasting. It is a negative part of who we are as humans and it is in total opposition to God. Carrying those burdens is what people who don’t know the Lord does; as Christians, we are to follow Christ’s example and there is no place in the Bible where Jesus chewed His fingernails worrying about what the day would bring. Humble yourselves and cast your cares on the Lord. You cannot go with God if you keep allowing the world to drag you down.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:4-7).”

Read 3 John

©2018 Marie McGaha

Chasing The Wind

“Yet when I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended to accomplish it, behold, it all was futile and chasing after the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.”

~Ecclesiastes 2:11

Solomon was the richest king to have lived, not only that, he was upright before the Lord and had great wisdom. But when it came to the end of his life, he knew that everything he had on earth, everything he had done, was “futile” and useless as “chasing the wind.” I think we all want to leave something behind so that we will be remembered, and there’s nothing wrong with leaving an inheritance for our children, in fact, it’s biblical (Proverbs 13:22). While it might be nice to leave an inheritance such as a life insurance policy, the family business or a home, our legacy should be something far more important than monetary value.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:19-21).”

What we pursue, whether good or bad, our children learn what is most important to us. When we pursue the things of the Lord, like righteousness, love, peace, and virtue, they learn those things as well, and even if they stray at some point in their lives, those things remain as their foundation and they will return to them (Proverbs 22:6). The things we leave behind for our children may be a nice for them to have, but the legacy of faith, hope and love in Jesus Christ is the most important.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any virtue and if there is anything worthy of praise—dwell on these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—put these things into practice, and the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:8-9).”

Read 2 John

©2018 Marie McGaha

Doing Good

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.  So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

~Galatians 6:9-10

This time of year, there is a huge push for cash donations, and often, those who are unable to give, can feel as if they aren’t helping others. However, there are others way to do good that doesn’t involve donations. Each of us has the opportunity to do good no matter where we live or what is going on in our lives. Doing good is something that has a direct effect on the lives of others and does not necessarily involve donating money or time to a charitable cause. Doing good for others can be as close as your next-door neighbor who needs a ride to the store, or a babysitter for a doctor appointment. Doing good can be as simple as listening to someone who is having a rough time, taking a meal to someone who has been ill, or helping an elderly neighbor rake leaves or shovel snow. There are many opportunities and practical ways to do good every single day that shows the love of Christ in our lives.

“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you (Luke 6:38).”

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “You can’t out give God.” It’s absolutely true. God has given us so very much, but His giving continues in everything we do. When we give, God gives more to us, and it becomes a lovely continuous circle of giving and receiving. When we accept Christ, He pours His love into us, and we then pour out that love on others, and as we do, He pours more into us! It’s like a fountain that continues to circulate and pour forth and allows us to continue to give to others and do more and more good. So, as we go into this season of giving, remember that you have so much to give, so many ways to bless others and show the love of Christ in real, helpful ways.

“But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing (James 1:25).”

Read 1 John

©2018 Marie McGaha

Change Someone's Life

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

~Matthew 5:14-16

The above verse from the Sermon on the Mount is to all believers both then and now. We are to be a light that shines the glory of what Christ has done for us to the rest of the world. Our light is the love of Christ within us. It is there to draw others to us so we can share the joy of the Lord and tell them the Good News of Jesus Christ. We live in a world that is quite literally going to hell—a world without love, hope, or help. But as followers of Jesus, we have love, hope, joy, and peace—all the things this world longs for and can’t seem to hold on to for more than a few seconds at a time.

“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).” 

The world around us is darkness, but in Christ, we have light. His light brings us peace and life free of the worries of this world. We don’t have to fear the future because ours is secure in Him. His light frees us from fear and worry of what might happen because our peace and security lie within the light of His glory. And once we are filled with the glory of Christ, we can’t help but shine like a beacon in the night. That light attracts others and gives us the opportunity to share what Christ has done for us. In a hurting world, you can be the light that changes someone’s life.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1).”

Read 2 Peter 1-3

©2018 Marie McGaha

Everlasting Life

“I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His righteousness, and I will sing praise to the Name of the Lord, the Most High.”

~Psalm 7:17

Whether we live in a mansion or apartment, city or country, have everything we could dream of, or just dream of everything we could someday have, we all have a reason to give thanks to the Lord and sing His praises. While we all have “stuff” that we are thankful for, it should not be the main reason why we give thanks or sing praises to the Lord. Our “stuff” is meaningless in the long run and will all be left here when we leave this planet. Like the psalmist, our thanks and praise is for the Lord alone, for who He is, because of His righteousness.

“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of Heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything (Acts 17:24-25).” 

The Lord is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving for no other reason than who He is, but each of us have many reasons for being thankful—salvation and everlasting life being at the top of the list. That alone is worthy of our gratitude, but He does so much more for us. As you get ready for Thanksgiving, look around at the family coming to visit, the food being prepared, the people who are working so hard to prepare that food, the home that keeps you warm, and give thanks for those things. But as you bow your head, remember what the Lord has done, His sacrifice for our salvation and the love He has given each of us by bringing us from where we were in the darkness into His marvelous light.

“You turned my mourning into dancing. You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.  So my soul will sing to You and not be silent. Oh Lord my God, I will praise You forever (Psalm 30:12-13).”

Read 1 Peter 3-5

© 2018 Marie McGaha

No Matter What

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I call these verses God’s marching orders for each of us. The will of God in Christ is for us to rejoice, pray and give thanks always and without ceasing. How many of us actually do that? From the shape of things, not many, at least not always and without ceasing. We tend to look at our circumstances and pray when we need God to lend a hand. We tend to rejoice and give thanks when God answers that prayer or handles that need. But that isn’t the way God wants us to do things. He wants us to look to Him and not our circumstances. He wants us to rejoice in every situation, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in every circumstance, which includes those we’d rather not be in.

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving (Colossians 2:6-7).”

When we accept Christ as our Savior, we are given an unimaginable gift of everlasting life, eternal and full of glory. As we live our lives rooted in Christ, that is, to accept the fullness of the Word of God and practice it in our daily lives, we become rooted in what Jesus teaches. From that we abound in thanksgiving that flows from our hearts onto everything else in our lives. So we can be thankful in every situation knowing that our present circumstances are of no real concern. We are subject to life’s ups and downs, just like everyone else but because of who we are in Christ Jesus, we can rejoice in all things, pray without ceasing, and give thanks no matter what our circumstances look like.

“Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:17-21).”

Read 1 Peter 1-2

© 2018 Marie McGaha

Give Thanks

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing! Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.”

~Psalm 100

In 1621 the Pilgrims and Wampanoa Indians held the first feast that our modern-day Thanksgiving is drawn from. The Pilgrims gave thanks in prayer as part of their religious service on a daily basis, but it wasn’t until that first harvest and abundance of food that the first feast was held. Our Thanksgiving Day has evolved over the years, and we don’t necessarily celebrate Thanksgiving for the same reasons the Pilgrims did. Most of us don’t have to till the land for food, or hope we kill an animal so our kids don’t starve—we go to the grocery store where food is abundant. Most of us celebrate Thanksgiving because it’s what we do every year, and we don’t give much thought to why or for what we have to be thankful for.

“Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of man! For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things (Psalm 107:8-9).”

We live in one of the most prosperous times in history in one of the most prosperous countries, but as Christians, we have much more to be thankful for than material belongings. We still must be thankful for the home we have, the job, car, and all of the things the world puts so much value on but being thankful for our place in Christ is the most valuable part of our who we are. Holding on to our faith, salvation, and our love for the Lord must always be more important than anything else in our lives. And what Christ did for us on the Cross at Calvary is not just worthy of our thanks on a certain day of the year, He is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving every single day of the year.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for His steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His steadfast love endures forever; to Him who alone does great wonders, for His steadfast love endures forever; to Him who by understanding made the heavens, for His steadfast love endures forever; to Him who spread out the earth above the waters, for His steadfast love endures forever; to Him who made the great lights, for His steadfast love endures forever; the sun to rule over the day, for His steadfast love endures forever; the moon and stars to rule over the night, for His steadfast love endures forever (Psalm 136:1-9).”

Read James 1-4

©2018 Marie McGaha

Be Determined

“For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”

~Romans 7: 22-25

There is a legend attributed to one of the Indian tribes that says every man has two wolves inside him. One is good and the other, evil. A young man asked the wise old man how to know which one was the strongest, and the wise old man answered, “The one you feed the most.” The same is true if we apply the story biblically. We have two natures, one that strives to do good, and the other that wants to slap the skin off someone’s face if they look at us sideways. Our old nature feeds the sin that dwells within us, and even when we are saved by accepting Christ as our Savior, that old nature can haunt us. Like Paul, our minds might determine to serve the Lord, but we still battle our fleshly desires.

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness (Romans 6:12-13).”

Just as we are what we eat, we are spiritually what we practice, and if we aren’t practicing righteousness, we are practicing unrighteousness. Practicing righteousness is more than reading a few chapters of the Bible, a devotion, and offering up a quick prayer in the morning. Practicing righteousness is something we do all day long in everything we say and everything we do. Like eating food, what we put into our bodies determines how healthy we are. Eat junk food and sugar all day and your body is going to reflect that. Put junk into your mind and you’re going to reflect that in what you do and say. What you read, the music you listen to, and the TV shows you watch have an impact on your mind. The people you hang with do too. The jokes they tell, the conversations they have, the things they do, also have an effect.

Practicing righteousness does not come naturally, it is something we decide to do. We set our minds on things above (Colossians 3:2-17) and determine to practice those things which bring life—compassion, kindness, humility, and patience.

“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:20-23).”

Read Hebrews 10-13

© 2018 Marie McGaha

Wallowing With The Pigs

“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

Do you consider yourself “chosen” by God? It’s an overwhelming idea that the God of all Creation would look down at the billions of people on earth and choose me! But that’s what He did for each of us who follow Christ. The Lord of All hand picks each one of us no matter what our circumstances may be. No matter what kind of trouble we’ve been into, what sins we’ve committed, or what kind of blubbering mess we appear to be—we were hand-picked by the Lord. For me, that’s an awesome, awe-inspiring revelation.

“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 (Colossians 3:12-14).”

We are all chosen to be part of God’s grand plan, however, we still have a choice just like Adam and Eve in the Garden. God gave us free will because He wants us to give ourselves freely to Him, to His plan, and above all, to love Him in return. God loves us in our worst moments but it’s only in our best moments that we love Him. Once we accept that Christ is the only answer for our lives, we return God’s love, but it doesn’t end there. He expects us to not only love Him, but to love others—and not just other Christians. No, God expects us to love others in their worst moments, the way He loves us. It’s easy to love someone who loves us, but loving the unlovable, those still living in their sins, wallowing in the filth of this world—it gets a little more difficult.

I am reminded of the prodigal son who spent his inheritance on gambling, drinking, and wild living and then wound up wallowing with the pigs trying to feed himself on their slop. No matter what kind of life we’ve lived, until we accept Christ as our Savior, we are all wallowing with the pigs. Not one of us is better than another, the difference is, like the prodigal son, we came to our senses and took the hand Christ offers. It is then up to us to offer a hand to others. Love one another!

“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate (Luke 15:21-24).”

Read Hebrews 7-9

©2018 Marie McGaha

Use Your Sword

“And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, He was hungry. The devil said to Him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”

~Luke 4:1-4

We have all been tempted at one time or another. I’m tempted every Thanksgiving to eat more pumpkin pie than I should! We talk about temptation without giving it a lot of thought but when Jesus was tempted in the desert, the entire future of mankind was at stake. But Jesus had an answer—the Word of God. No matter what the devil offered, Jesus never offered an opinion, He simply used God’s Word and defeated the devil. What might our lives look like if we approached temptation the same way Jesus did?

“And when Jesus was baptized, immediately He went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on Him; and behold, a Voice from Heaven said, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’ (Matthew 3:16-17).”

I find it interesting that it wasn’t until after Jesus was baptized in water and by the Holy Spirit, that He heard the voice of God, and only then did the devil try to divert Christ’s attention away from His God-given purpose. But no matter what the devil said, Jesus answered by using God’s Word. The Word of God is powerful. The Bible says it’s living and active, sharp enough to divide the soul and judge the heart (Hebrews 4:12). God’s Word is called the sword of the Spirit and is part of the armor of God (Ephesians 6:17), but like any weapon, we must know how to use it.

“We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, Who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the Word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the Word of God, which is at work in you believers (1 Thessalonians 2:12-13).”

Read Hebrews 4-6

© 2018 Marie McGaha

Our Weakest Moments

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

~Ephesians 6:12

Most people have either heard this verse, or used this verse, when someone is having problems, either physical or spiritual. But what does it mean? We might not be in a physical fight, but certainly, we do have emotional and spiritual battles, and we do wrestle with ourselves. And it wears us out. Sometimes, those battles can get so intense that we feel like curling up in a ball and giving up. That’s what satan does to us. He attacks our mind, especially when we have something going on in the physical world. When we’re facing a crisis, have medical issues, financial problems, have lost a loved one, or anything that affects us emotionally, satan uses those moments to attack. He is always there in our weakest moments and kicks us while we’re down.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2).”

We are physical beings, we live in the physical world, and we rely on our five senses to tell us what is going on. But when it comes to spiritual forces, our physical senses are useless and satan knows that. When we are under attack by what we can’t see, taste, hear, touch or smell, we can be quickly overcome by fear, doubt, anxiety, worry, and stress. And all of those are in our mind, yet they can quickly take a physical toll on our bodies. We get run down, tired, lose sleep, and it becomes a vicious cycle that overwhelms us and takes us farther from God. But there is something we can do about it—first, pray. Pray. Pray. Pray some more. Especially when we don’t feel like praying. Secondly, praise God. Give the Lord all the glory and praise due His Name for the victory He is giving us in overcoming the devil. Third, worship. Put on worship music and sing. The enemy of our spirit and mind cannot stand in the presence of prayer, praise and worship.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:4-7).”

Read Hebrews 1-3

©2018 Marie McGaha

Holding Grudges

“So, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” 

~Matthew 5:23-24

People hold grudges. We also hold on to pain caused by others. We feel as if we are owed something by those who have ridiculed and hurt us. We feel as if holding on to those painful events, we are somehow teaching the person we blame a lesson. But we aren’t doing a thing to that person, we are only allowing them to continue to hurt us. Holding on to pain causes resentment and anger that affects every part of our lives and keeps us from being what God wants us to be. When we hold on to past events that hurt us, we are holding on to the person who caused the pain, and we remain their victim.

We can cry out to God to make the pain go away but until we let go of the pain, and the person who caused it, the pain won’t go away. We must let go and forgive those who hurt us if we are to ever be what God wants us to be in Him. Forgiving people who hurt us isn’t easy, but it is possible.

“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 (Colossians 3:12-13).” 

It can be easy to think that someone who has hurt us deserves our anger and we shouldn’t have to forgive them. But forgiving those who have hurt us isn’t for them, it’s for us. Unforgiveness causes anger, hatred, and resentment, which can lead us to turn away from God instead of to Him. When we forgive, we are saying, “I am not going to carry this burden any longer. I am giving my burdens over to God and I’m freeing up that place in my heart for the Lord to occupy instead.”

“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).”

Read Philemon

©2018 Marie McGaha

Dancing In Heaven

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head above all.  Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all. In Your hand are power and might, and in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.  And now we thank you, our God, and praise Your glorious Name.”

~1 Chronicles 29:11-13

I was posting our book of the month on my company website this morning and got to thinking of how wonderful the Lord really is. The book is called Signing To The Angels by Claire Muller. It’s the true story of how this wonderful, godly lady and her husband adopted a two-year-old girl no one wanted. Shelly was born deaf and mute, she couldn’t walk or feed herself, yet she was a sparkling little jewel God had created. Shelly only lived to age 21 but in her short life, she touched the lives of all she met. And although I never met her, just by reading this book, Shelly left an indelible mark on my soul.

“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:17-20).”

Sometimes, I think we forget how blessed we are, and how much God has done for us because we get bogged down in trials of life. Our five senses are on overload and our lives are filled with the stresses of this world and it can become too much to bear. This life is but for a moment and then it will be over, and what lies beyond is a life with Christ Jesus. A glorious life that we can’t imagine now but will cause this life to fade from memory. Every trial we face, every day we press forward is leading us home to glory in Christ Jesus. We endure using the Lord’s strength, drawing on His wisdom and love, through prayer and worship. And one day, like Shelly, we will be dancing in Heaven on streets of gold.

“So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light (Colossians 1:10-12).” 

Read Titus

You can see Signing To The Angels by Claire Muller here

© 2018 Marie McGaha

Guard Your Heart

“If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”

~Matthew 5:29-30

Modern technology has brought some marvelous innovations. In addition to advances in medicine and healthier living, it has brought us closer together. When I was a child, we never imagined being able to video chat with my grandmother the way I can with my grandchildren now. We have information from across the world at the click of a mouse or the touch of a screen twenty-four hours a day, but we also have the corruption that comes with it. There is nothing meant for good that the devil doesn’t use to corrupt.

“Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in Your ways (Psalm 119:36-37.”

What we watch and listen to may seem harmless, but it isn’t. Whatever comes in through our senses, goes to our hearts. We can’t unsee or unhear anything, and the more that we allow in, the tighter the grip it has. We guard our hearts and mind by guarding what we see and hear.

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2).”

Read 2 Timothy

©2018 Marie McGaha

Words Hurt

“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

I was listening to a woman speak to her young child one day and wondered how she could say the things she did to him. I know people say things to one another that are not meant seriously, but do we really pay attention to the words of our mouth? We say evil things to the ones we love, we call them names when we’re angry, and even in jest, we use crude terms when speaking to others. But once the words are out there, they can’t be unheard or taken back. I remember when I was young, my father called me “Chubs.” I was a chubby child but the teasing I endured for it affected me my entire life. Words hurt.

“The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned (Matthew 12:35-37).”

When we speak to others, we must remember that every word is being recorded in Heaven and we will answer for them. The Bible tells us to make sure our speech is seasoned and full of grace (Colossians 4:6), and to speak in love (Ephesians 4:15), and that harsh words stirs up anger (Proverbs 15:1). Everything we see and hear on TV, in social media, and other places are full of foul words, cursing, anger, and crude jokes. When we hear these things, they do invade our subconscious, and eventually, we begin to use the same words. We have to guard our hearts and our ears in order to keep our minds on Christ and our mouths full of lovely words.

“Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.  For whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil (1 Peter 3:9-12).”

Read 1 Timothy

©2018 Marie McGaha

Love Is A Verb

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.”

~Romans 12:19-21

Christian life is much different than life in this world. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. We are to live in peace, help others, feed our enemies, and overcome evil by doing good. That may be contrary to the life we had before accepting Christ as our Savior, but that is what the nature of Christ is all about—changing lives by changing our perspective. And when our perspective changes, how we treat others changes. When we treat others the way Jesus treated people, their perspective changes. Christ did not change the lives of those He met by some magic spell, He changed them through love, one life at a time. And He is still doing that through every person who accepts Him as their Savior.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34-35).”

Love is verb, not a noun—not a feeling but an action. Christ showed love to everyone He met. He showed love by feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and treating people with respect. That may be contrary to the world we live in, nevertheless, we are commanded to love others the way Christ loves us. It doesn’t mean we have to approve of the way someone is living, but it does mean if we can give them a hand to change their life, we should. Actions will always speak louder than words, and when we act in love, we are fulfilling God’s commands.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another (1 John 4:7-11).” 

Read 1 Thessalonians; Weekend Reading 2 Thessalonians

©2018 Marie McGaha

Consuming Fire

"Therefore, let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."

~Hebrews 12:28-29

In Deuteronomy and Exodus, the Lord is mentioned as “fire.” He is a fire leading the children of Israel out of Egypt, and a consuming fire taking out their enemies. As all of us know, a fire can be a good thing or something terrible. Burning in our fireplace, a fire is warm and comforting but when that fire engulfs a building, it is destructive. Like the children of Israel, we can be comforted by the fire of the Lord when we trust in Him. But for those who do not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, the consuming fire will be Hell.

"The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings (Isaiah 33:14)?”

Accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior is the only answer in this life, and for the one to come. Our life here is fleeting. The Bible calls our lives a mist, vapor, shadow, and in 1 Peter 1:24, we are compared to a flower that withers and dies. But what is on the other side of this life is eternity, and where we spend it is determined during this vapor we call life. And the fire of God will reveal it.

“Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).”

Read Colossians

©2018 Marie McGaha