Archives for November 2015

November 24, 2015

It Was No Accident–Welcome, Friend!

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Welcome Encouragement For Today, friend!  How humbling it is to have you read my Proverbs 31 Ministries devotional today. If you are joining Pure Inspiration for the first time, it would be so fun to stay connected. Please consider subscribing to my blog by simply adding your email address to the right side of this home page or by clicking here!

In today’s Proverbs 31 devotion, It Was No Accident,   I share about one of the many lessons God has taught me after my life-changing car accident on March 14th.  Just to have breath is also a gift when I look at the photo of my car!3-14-15 Danya car photo

If you stink at asking for help like I did (sometimes still do), may you be encouraged by today’s message.

We at Proverbs 31 Ministries ask you to prayerfully consider investing financially in God’s Kingdom by donating at www.proverbs31.org/bewithjesus.

Be encouraged that God is not finished with us. All we endure is not an accident. God ordains it for our good and His glory!

Renew:

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. ‘Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.'” –Malachi 3:10 NIV

Resource:

www.proverbs31.org

November 17, 2015

Gratitude for the Beatitudes

It took my breath away. We stood in Israel on the Mount of Beatitudes at sunset, overlooking the Sea of Galilee.

Our hearing devices remained securely in our ears to listen to our tour guide’s historical information. Then it happened. We heard Lysa TerKeurst’s voice, accompanied by soft background praise music as Adam played the guitar. She invited us to walk down the Mount with her, toward the Sea of Galilee.

Then she did it. She read to us the Beatitudes and other passages from the Matthew 5, 6, 7’s  Sermon on the Mount as we followed quietly down the mountain.  My soul leapt with emotion.

Jesus’ “inaugural address,” the Sermon on the Mount,  is one of my favorite passages in all the Bible because of its sweet, practical application.

Mt. of Beatitudes

 

Journey with me, reading the Beatitudes, as we breathe in the Sea of Galilee. Imagine sitting on the sloping mount, listening to Jesus’ message:

“Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:

‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. ‘” –Matthew 5:1-16

My life verse. Matthew 5:16. Soul, be still. It was one of the most unforgettable moments of my life.

Lysa finished reading as we approached the bottom of the mountain. The path became rugged and dropped off quickly into a cliff. Lysa turned to help each of us down the cliff. Then we turned to help those behind us. All 130 of us made it safely down the Mount of Beatitudes. What a poignant picture of our faith.

Our journey to faith may not always be smooth. But God and the body of Christ are there to guide and help. May we always have gratitude for the powerful Beatitudes as we live out our mountaintop experiences.

Reflect:

–Which part of the Beatitudes and/or Sermon on the Mount can you relate to the most? Why? Please comment.

Renew:

–“In the same way, ‘let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” –Matthew 5:16 NIV.

Respond:

–How will you live out the Beatitudes this week?

Resource:

www.proverbs31.org

www.lysaterkeurst.com

 

November 10, 2015

Standing on the Promises

I left my heart in Israel. Traveling with Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa TerKeurst and 125 other precious people to the Holy Land has been the most meaningful experience of my life thus far. The Bible is now in technicolor. This pilgrimage has made me hunger and thirst for God’s Word like never before. We walked, breathed, ate, worshiped, prayed and sat where Jesus did.

Let me please begin by reassuring you of how safe Israel is. Not once were we afraid. Not once did we hear gunfire. Not once did we witness violence.

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The first stop on our nine-day adventure was to the Mount of Olives, the beautiful olive orchard overlooking Jerusalem. We gathered on the breezy mountaintop, expectant and excited.

Lysa TerKeurst welcomed everyone and confidently declared, “Where you are sitting here on the Mount of Olives is where Jesus will return.” Chills ran up and down my body.  She read from the Old Testament prophecy.

“On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.” –Zechariah 14:4.

What is even more amazing is that scientists and geologists agree that huge tectonic plates are located under the Mount of Olives, which also serve as a catalyst for splitting from east to west on “that day” when Jesus returns.

The Mount of Olives was one of Jesus’ favorite places to hang out.

“As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. ‘Tell us,’ they said, ‘when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’…” –Matthew 24:3 NIV

The Mount of Olives was also where Jesus began His famous Palm Sunday Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. We walked the same route Jesus did down the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem.

“When He came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!'” –Luke 19:37-38 NIV

Amen! May we shout the same praises. The Bible has come alive!

Reflect:

–How do you feel to know that Jesus, the Messiah, will return one day? Are you ready? Please comment.

–What has been your latest mountaintop experience of faith? Please comment.

Renew:

–“This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven. They they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath Day’s walk from the city.” –Acts 1:11b-12 NIV.

Respond:

–How will you read your Bible differently after learning more about the Mount of Olives?

Resources:

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Blogs/Message.aspx/637

www.proverbs31.org