Motives Matter

May 10, 2023 Gracie

Our Motives Matter

Every once in awhile, I come across a poem that‘s not only well written, but it emphasizes an important reminder for us as well.

God is omniscient.

That means He is sovereign, and He knows our every thought and motivation.

I don’t know about you, but I find this very convicting . . .

Father, Where Shall I Work Today?

Father, where shall I work today
And my love flowed warm and free.
Then He pointed me out a tiny spot,
And said, “Tend that for me.”

I answered quickly, “Oh, no, not that.
Why, no one would ever see,
No matter how well my work was done.
Not that little place for me!”

And the word He spoke, it was not stern,
He answered me tenderly,
“Ah, little one, search that heart of thine;
Art thou working for them or me?’

Nazareth was a little place,
And so was Galilee.”

Author unknown

Pretty wise words from this unknown poet, wouldn’t you say?

More importantly, what did Jesus say about our hearts and motivations?

Take care not to practice your righteousness in the sight of people, to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. – Matthew 6:1, (NASB).¹

Motives Matter: What Matters Most

Are we really trying to please God, or gain recognition from others?

If no one could see or recognize how we are serving the Lord, even in the smallest of ways, would we still participate?

Something to think about.

God knows everything.

He sees your acts of service, whether they are in public or those small acts of grace that we show towards others to reflect His glory on a more personal level.

The applause of others is, in regards to eternity, meaningless.

However, if our motive is to please God in our service, the treasures that await us in Heaven will exceed anything we could ever imagine.

So, like Paul, fix your eyes on the goodness of Jesus and the advancement of His gospel, no matter the circumstances surrounding you or the flawed motives you suspect in others or see in yourself. Seek to set aside your own pride and ambition so that your greatest concern will be the Lord’s glory—and as you do so, continue to share Him with those around you. What matters most is that Christ is preached, and in that we can all rejoice. – Christian pastor and author, Alistair Begg, Truth For life.²

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² Quotation from Alistair Begg, Christian pastor, author, and founder of Truth For Life Teaching Ministry. “Mixed Motives”, February 18, 2021. para. 6. Web. Accessed 1 May, 2023. Retrieved from https://truthforlife.org/devotionals/alistair-begg/2/18/2021/

Our Exceptional God

Above Reproach in a Perverse Generation

May 2, 2023 Gracie

Living Above Reproach in a Perverse Generation

Have you ever seen those large domino displays where the builder purposely topples the first domino and the rest, sometimes thousands of them, fall over in a precise pattern?

Interestingly enough, it can take hours, even days, to build one of those displays.

I can see a correlation with today’s world.

Undeniably, we’re in a spiritual war between Good and Evil.

Attacks on our faith (once unheard of in America) are now becoming more commonplace.

There are so many examples of this – too numerous to list them all.

We are seeing man’s rebellion against God played out on the world stage.

Did you ever think our country would sink this far?

Man continues to try to elevate himself above God, following a secular humanist worldview.

People drift from generation to generation, and the morally unthinkable becomes thinkable as the years move on. – Francis Schaefer, theologian and apologist.¹

Christians are to be lights in the world, but how can we live for Him and glorify His name in a perverse generation such as this?

Is there any hope that we can help win souls for Christ while living in what amounts to a house of cards?

Courageous Faith Above Reproach

As the Bible clearly tells us, our hope and assurance is in our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. – 1 Peter 1:3-5, (NASB).²

We are at a pivotal point in human history.

This entire world, under divine judgment, will continue to fall into chaos.

This sets the stage for the Antichrist to establish his deceptive peace plan.

In the meantime, never lose hope.

We are to be shining lights to a dark world.

The beginning signs of Christ’s return are all around us, as prophesied.

But, we can take heart.

God has not forgotten us.

At God’s appointed time, we will be removed during the Rapture of the Church to be with Him forever.

Christian – Your Name is in His Book

In the Book of Malachi, we see an example of God’s provision for His people who were living in perilous times.

The prophet assured the Israelites that the Lord had not forgotten them.

¹⁶Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened attentively and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and esteem His name. ¹⁷“And they will be Mine,” says the Lord of armies, “on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will have compassion for them just as a man has compassion for his own son who serves him.” ¹⁸So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. – Malachi 3:16-18, (NASB).³

By extension of His love and grace, our unchangeable God has also not forgotten you and me.

God has a Book and in that Book are the people who belong to Him and none of them are going to get washed up in the Judgment. This is important because we have to understand that we are living in a Romans 1 world of judgment. This is how it is, but we are His. We are His own possession. – Pastor John MacArthur, Pastor and Bible teacher from Grace To You.⁴

In these difficult times that we’re living in, we’re to encourage each other.

Everything is falling exactly into place.

As God’s Word tells us, we are to “live above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world . . . ” (Philippians 2:14-17)

No politician or religious figurehead can fix the world’s problems.

Jesus . . . only Jesus.

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¹ Francis August Schaeffer, (1912-1984), evangelical Christian and theologian. Courtesy of azquotes.com. Accessed April 25, 2023.

⁴From MacArthur, Pastor John, “Living In A Perverse World (Philippians 2:12-16)” Courtesy of Grace to You. YouTube Podcast, [14:18- 14:45]. July 14, 2022. Web. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/eSXzUDh7o60

Our Exceptional God

Mountain-Moving Faith

April 25, 2023 Gracie

A Perspective On Mountain-Moving Faith

Without a doubt, the prettiest mountains I’ve ever seen are the Grand Tetons located in northwestern Wyoming.

Located several miles from our vacation spot in Jackson Hole, the majestic snow-covered peaks were hard to miss on the already stunning landscape.

Simply breathtaking.

When I see the splendor of God’s creation like that, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and the fact that I worship the One who created it all.

Mountain-Moving Faith

Do you remember this Bible verse in the Book of Mark?

These are the words of Jesus to His disciples:

Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted to him. – Mark 11:23, (NASB).

It’s a perplexing verse for some and not at all about getting what we ask for.

The verse describes having complete trust in God’s providence, no matter what the final outcome or whether we understand it or not.

We must have the courage to stand on His Word . . . always.

Of course He did not mean they were to go about moving mountains, but that they were to lay hold of faith in God, a “mountain moving” type of faith. – as quoted in Precept Austin.org.

Sometimes we face mountain-sized challenges in our lives.

Challenges like,

A debilitating illness

Financial concerns

An atheistic teenager

Marriage troubles

Can you relate?

We pray and pray, but we may not get the answers quickly like we were hoping for.

Even so, God still loves us and has our best interests at heart.

He is Sovereign, and even though “we” may not understand the “why’s” of a situation, God knows every detail.

In a nutshell, He makes no mistakes.

“Perspective” is important.

Having a godly perspective may not bring immediate relief to our prayer concerns, but it does recognize and honor God’s omniscient holiness.

God is good all the time and will always work things for His glory, even the hard things.

Mountain-Moving Encouragement

Recently, I came across a wonderful poem about moving mountains.

As the author says, “mountains can turn into blessings in disguise.”

Please enjoy.

Moving Mountains

Lord, I’ve never moved a mountain and I guess I never will.
All the faith that I could muster wouldn’t move a small ant hill.
Yet I’ll tell you, Lord, I’m grateful for the joy of knowing Thee,
and for all the mountain moving down through life You’ve done for me.

When I needed some help you lifted me from the depths of great despair.
And when burdens, pain and sorrow have been more than I can bear,
you have always been my courage to restore life’s troubled sea,
and to move these little mountains that have looked so big to me.

Many times when I’ve had problems and when bills I’ve had to pay,
and the worries and the heartaches just kept mounting every day,
Lord, I don’t know how you did it. Can’t explain the where’s or why’s.
All I know, I’ve seen these mountains turn to blessings in disguise.

No, I’ve never moved a mountain, for my faith is far too small.
Yet, I thank you, Lord of Heaven, you have always heard my call.
And as long as there are mountains in my life, I’ll have no fear,
for the mountain-moving Jesus is my strength and always near.

Author Unknown

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²Precept Austin quotation is from the “Mark 11 Commentary.” [2023.] Courtesy of Precept Austin, Mark 11 Commentary Resources, Subheading, “Whoever says to this mountain.” Web. Accessed 19 April, 2023.

Our Exceptional God

How Can Anyone Not Believe

April 18, 2023 Gracie

How Can Anyone Not Believe in Our Creator God?

Ever since I was a little girl I’ve loved seeing fireflies.

Tiny twinkling lights randomly dancing across the neighborhood under the night sky.

It’s such a great childhood memory, and one of the many reasons I delight in God.

Thank you God for the little firefly –

an amazing reminder that

creation is Yours

and how blessed we are to even share in it!

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, the apostle reminded the people, and by extension all of us, of the glory of God unveiled each new day.

Even so, the foolish still refuse to honor Him.

The evidence that creation belongs to God is staggering, despite skeptics’ failed attempts to disprove what we all know is true.

How can anyone not believe in our Creator God?

There’s a song by talented singer-songwriter, Leanna Crawford, that I’m drawn to for this very reason.

It’s called, “How Can You Not.”

I hope you enjoy the God-honoring and heartfelt lyrics as much as I do.

How Can Anyone Not Believe

There’s a sweet story behind the writing of Leanna’s song.

In an interview she once said, “For me, being outside was another way to feel closer to God.”

“My parents were visiting me in Nashville and my dad had never seen fireflies before. Most people don’t know this, but there are no fireflies in the Pacific Northwest. We were out walking in the rain because we’re from the rainy state of Washington and don’t care about getting wet. But when the rain slowed down, the field next to us lit up like the night sky. My dad saw all those fireflies and said, ‘How can you not see the Creator?’ It was such a beautiful moment. And I was reminded that God created things like fireflies to show us how much He loves us.” – Leanna Crawford, singer songwriter.²

Be sure to check out her YouTube channel and her “Leanna Loves” videos to learn more about this talented artist.

Her sweet spirit and engaging personality come shining through.

You can click here for a sample.

Leanna Crawford is currently on tour.

With stops from Tennessee to California, you can find her tour schedule here.

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²Leanna Crawford quotation. “About Leanna Crawford.” [Leannacrawford.com]. Web. Accessed April 13, 2023.

Our Exceptional God

Reflections After Easter

April 11, 2023 Gracie

Reflections After Easter – Honoring Christ Every Day

This past Sunday, Christians all over the world celebrated the glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

This wonderful celebration has come and gone, but is Easter really over?

Not in the least!

We have good news to share with the world!

As Christians, we know on a personal level the incredible love that God has for us.

We can’t earn His grace for that would be impossible.

We don’t deserve His love, and yet God wants us to be with Him forever in heaven.

As wretched and deserving of judgment as we are, God made a way and that is through the sacrificial atonement for our sins through His Son, Jesus.

Don’t miss your chance to share His message of hope and salvation to a world in despair.

Jesus told the disciples to “Go.”

Now, many generations later, it’s up to you and me to spread the gospel to the world.

Reflections After Easter – A Poem About The Lamb Of God

The following poem by M.S. Lowndes is a beautiful reminder of the blessed assurance that we have by God’s grace, and through Jesus Christ, His Son.

Tell the world!

THE LAMB OF GOD

Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God,
Who takes away our sin,
He came the sinless Son of God
To cleanse our hearts within

He hung upon the blood-stained cross
Thinking of you and me,
Dying like some hardened criminal,
His body in agony

His blood flowed down from the cross;
His body tormented with pain
He cried out to His Heavenly Father,
But it seemed no answer came

People stood and jeered at Him,
Mocking to the end
Who Jesus was and why He came,
They couldn’t comprehend

Their hearts were indifferent to the Lord;
Their consciences grew ever cold
His mother watched on – unable to bear it
As the sword pierced through her soul

As you try to grasp this picture,
The pain that Christ went through,
Remember that day you were on His mind,
He endured it all for you

Just so you could know His love
And forgiveness for your sins,
To know His resurrection power
And to have His life within

He cares that much about your life,
He endured the cross for you
Like those who jeered, or those who loved,
With Jesus – what will you do?

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²Poetry courtesy of M.S. Lowndes. “The Lamb of God.” [online post]. From Heavensinspirations.com, ©M.S. Lowndes, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, n.d. Web. Accessed April 5, 2023. https://www.heavensinspirations.com/the-lamb-of-god.html

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