Messenger - Weekly Devotion - 11/16/15

Messenger

from Lenae, GEMS Training Manager

“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. Malachi 3:1

Have you ever noticed in the darkness of despair and disaster that the world asks, “Where is God?” and even His people question His love? Within the opening verses of Malachi, we see just that. Israel doubts God’s love for them.

“I have loved you,” says the Lord.
“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’” (1:2).

God loves by remembering His covenant! In Genesis He established an eternal covenant, a divine promise of blessing. And in Malachi God is still keeping His covenant, though the people did not (1:6-3:12).

The priests were superficial, the people sinful, but God’s promises remained sure. The Lord does not change (3:6). Nor does His message! He reiterates His radical love and rescue plan in Malachi, whose name means “my messenger.”

God promises to send two messengers. The first messenger, John the Baptist, will prepare the way for the second Messenger, Jesus! (3:1, Matthew 3:1-11)

Four hundred years passed and John arrived. At his circumcision his father Zechariah prophesied that his child was the messenger who will go before the Lord to prepare the way for him (Luke 1:76). Zechariah recognized God’s love and praised Him for sending a Rescuer to remember his holy covenant (Luke 1:72).

Jesus is the Messenger of the covenant! By His grace and mercy He poured out the blood of the covenant, which God commanded us to keep (Hebrews 9:20)! He died as a ransom to set us free from the sins we committed under the first covenant! (Hebrews 9:15)

If today is dark with disappointment and you’re asking God, “How have you loved me?” Remember the message of God’s Story and the Messenger—His Son.

What’s your story? In Malachi Jesus is the Messenger (Malachi 3:1). How does His Story help you tell your story?

Get in the Book: Read the book of Malachi.

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)

Justice, Mercy, & Humility - Weekly Devotion 10/26/15

Justice, Mercy, & Humility

from Lenae, GEMS Training Manager

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8). 

To those connected to GEMS, to read or hear Micah 6:8 brings thoughts of club. The first time I recited the club aim was in second grade in the basement of my childhood church. When asked what the Lord required of us I joined another generation of girls and women who said, “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God. Micah 6:8” And the “doer” part of me got super glued to a checklist. Act justly. Check. Love mercy. Check. Walk humbly with God. Check.

And in the reciting and trying to do what God required, I missed Christ. Instead of first asking myself, “What does this verse show me about God?” I got it backwards and made it about me. My lone question was, “What am I supposed to do?” At a tender age I got snagged on doing. Rules trumped the relationship God desired.

Ironically, this mirrors the warning Micah gave to Israel and Judah! Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? (Micah 6:7)

Then comes verse 8. Within the verse we know by heart is the message God wants our hearts to really hear! Religious activity detached from a humble heart that seeks to present an accurate reflection of God’s justice and mercy is really no religion at all. Jesus reiterated the warning, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former” (Matthew 23:23). More people getting it backwards!

Micah 6:8 is not the gospel, a checklist, or an entry fee to God. First it shows us Christ and then by His grace compels us to follow in His steps! Because Jesus brought justice through to victory, by His grace we act justly. Because Jesus loves to love us, by His grace we love God and people. Because Jesus humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death on a cross, by His grace we humbly obey our Savior and Lord!

What’s your story? In Micah Jesus is Justice, Mercy, & Humility (Micah 6:8).  How does His Story help you tell your story?

Get in the Book: Read the book of Micah.

Loving justice and mercy reflects God’s own character. Choosing humility acknowledges and displays His supremacy. — Mark Dever

Mighty Savior - Weekly Devo - 10/19

Mighty Savior

from Lenea, GEMS Training Manager

But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy, and Jacob will possess his inheritance. Obadiah 17

From the very beginning Esau and Jacob struggled. It began in the womb and continued to Edom’s doom promised within the book of Obadiah (Genesis 25:23, Obadiah). Edom (descendants of Esau) would be destroyed for their treatment of Israel (descendants of Jacob).

When Jerusalem fell to Babylon in 586 BC not only did Edom fail to help his brother, he applauded Jacob’s downfall! Remember Lord, what the Edmomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. “Tear it down,” they cried, “tear it down to its foundations!” (Psalm 137:7) While Israel was carried into captivity, Edom stood aloof on the sidelines. He gloated over Israel’s destruction, looted his city, and aided his enemies.

Edom was arrogant. He put his confidence in his natural defenses—his home on the heights—rather then trusting in God (v. 3). He defied God and his ending was sure! “Esau will be stubble . . . There will be no survivors from Esau,” The Lord has spoken (v. 18).

But for Israel, a Mighty Savior was coming! King Jesus would deliver His people! But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy, and Jacob will possess his inheritance. The kingdom will be the Lord’s (v. 17, 21).

Whether Jacob and Esau chose to acknowledge their need or not, they were both desperate for a Savior. So are we.

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy (Titus 3:3-5).

Jesus is our Mighty Savior! Because of His kindness, love, and mercy He saves us from guilt, the power of sin, and eternal death. He delivers us from strongholds of addictions, bitterness, insecurity, and more. He rescues us from the pit and sets us free!

If that’s your story, will you choose to share it? It is cruel to stand aloof on the sidelines and gloat over the destruction of others. We all need a Rescuer who is mighty to save!

What’s your story? In Obadiah Jesus is the Mighty Savior (Obadiah 17). How does His Story help you tell your story?

Get in the Book: Read the book of Obadiah.

Savior He can move the mountains. My God is mighty to save. He is mighty to save! –Hillsong United, “Mighty To Save”

all is grace,

Lenae

Giver of the Holy Spirit - Weekly Devo - 10/12

Giver of the Holy Spirit

from Lenae, GEMS Training Manager

Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. Joel 2:29

It could be worse. Ever sought comfort or perspective with those words? Your pit is deep, your day is hard, but it could be worse.

Within the first verses of Joel’s short book, he implores the people to remember a time when it was worse (1:2). They couldn’t. They were in the worst of the worse!

They had trouble today. An army of locusts stripped and devastated the land. And more trouble was on the way. A human army with forces beyond number was close at hand. The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it? (2:11)

In His righteous judgment, God gets to the heart of the matter—our hearts! “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity (2:12-13).

Is He calling you and me to do the same today? Return. Repent. Rend. Not with behavior modification, but a true repentance that comes from within.

To those who repent, listen to God’s great promise! “I will pour out my Spirit on all people” (2:28). In Joel we see Jesus! Jesus is the Giver of the Holy Spirit. He is the Advocate Jesus promised to send to us from the Father (John 15:26). True to His word, on Pentecost, He did just that! (Acts 2:17-21, 41)

You need comfort or perspective in your pits and on your hard days? You need power and perseverance to write a good story that points to Jesus? Think on truth! The power that raised Jesus from the dead has been poured into you! The Holy Spirit’s eternal presence is within you applying the work of Christ into your life. He is your Encourager, Teacher, Helper, Strength, Advocate, Counselor, Truth, and Guide. (Plus He’s more! Look in The Book!) He fills our hearts, shapes our desires, renews our minds, and shows us Christ.

What’s your story? In Joel Jesus is the Giver of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-29). How does His Story help you tell your story?

Get in the Book: Read the book of Joel.

You have all of the Holy Spirit. Does He have all of you? — Anne Graham Lotz

The Everlasting God - Weekly Devo - 10/5/15

The Everlasting God

from Lenae, GEMS Training Manager

His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. Daniel 7:14b

My sister’s latest adoption update contained another change in the process. Things are in flux, and this one was huge. As she asked for prayers for patience and perseverance, she shared what a good friend had recently said to her about a completely different situation: “Change is hard. God is Sovereign.” My sister believes that. Her prayer is to embrace it.

Daniel knew change. As a teen he was carried into captivity to Babylon and spent the next 70 plus years serving four different kings—Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, and Cyrus. Not only did the kings change, the kingdoms did, too. Note the irony when the queen enters Belshazzar’s banquet hall after fingers of a human hand wrote on the wall. She says, “O king, live forever!” Yet on that very night King Belshazzar was slain and the Medes took over the kingdom! (Daniel 5)

The fulfillment of what God made known to King Nebuchadnezzar through a dream about a large statue had begun. (Daniel 2) And the hope God promised in Daniel’s interpretation of that dream continues to bring peace and assurance. “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever” (Daniel 2:44).

Jesus is The Everlasting God who reigns forever! He is the Anointed One who rules and sustains all! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation (Daniel 4:3b). Though circumstances change, He does not. He is on the throne actively ruling, sustaining, leading, and guiding.

You may question that if today’s circumstances feel like you’ve been exiled to a foreign country, are walking through a fiery furnace, or have been thrown into a pit of lions. (Daniel 1, 3, 6) Take heart! The deliverances we see in Daniel’s story are ours in Christ. By His grace He delivers today and will deliver for eternity!

What’s your story? In Daniel Jesus is The Everlasting God (Daniel 7:14). How does His Story help you tell your story?

Get in the Book: Read the book of Daniel.

I confess that God’s delivering power is mine! He has rescued me before; He will rescue me now; and He will rescue me when I need His power again in the future. — Rick Renner

Weekly devotion - The Life - 9/28/2015

The Life

by Lenae, GEMS Training Manager

I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 37:6

This is going to date me, but here it goes. The song girls swooned over in my day was “Almost Paradise” by Mike Reno and Ann Wilson. (And for those who cannot resist checking this out on youtube, don’t miss the 80’s hair while you’re there.)

Thinking that paradise can be found in a place like prom or a boy’s arms is not limited to teenage girls. For the Jews exiled to Babylon, the temple was their almost paradise. It was a symbol of security and God’s gifts—the Davidic monarchy, the Promised Land, and the city of Jerusalem. And though Ezekiel warned that it would be destroyed because of their rebellion, they didn’t listen. Surely nothing would ever happen to the temple!

Until it did . . . In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month on the fifth day, a man who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has fallen!” (Ezekiel 33:21) Like the collapse of a human heart that seeks life in idols instead of God, the city was in ruins. And from that point of hopelessness, Ezekiel preached life.

The One who can breathe dead bones to life, can breathe new life into us from the inside out! So people will know He is the Lord, God cleanses, forgives, and purifies. For the sake of His name, He gives us a new heart, a new spirit, and rebuilds from ruins (Ezekiel 36:26, 33). And in the newness of life, we see The Life—Jesus!

For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it (John 5:21). That’s why Jesus came! So we may have life, and have it to the full! (John 10:10)

If you’re feeling lifeless, think about where you’re seeking life. Are you looking for paradise in gifts from God or in the presence of God? At the conclusion of Ezekiel’s book, his final vision is a new temple—true paradise! Is it a place? Yes, but it’s so much more. Just check out the name of the city.

The name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE (Ezekiel 48:35). In God’s presence is fullness of life!

What’s your story? In Ezekiel Jesus is The Life (Ezekiel 37:6). How does His Story help you tell your story?

Get in the Book: Read the book of Ezekiel.

His presence filling me. This is what it means to fully live. — Ann Voskamp

Heartbroken for Us - Weekly Devo 9/21/2015

from Lenae, GEMS Training Manager

Let’s think together on our Annual Theme, Choose Truth.  

Heartbroken for Us

My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within; my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city. Lamentations 2:11

What breaks your heart? What sickens your spirit and moves you to tears? ____________________________.

For Jeremiah it was Jerusalem’s destruction. Although he had 40 years to prepare for it while he prophesied, it didn’t soften the blow. From the inside out he grieved. He cried to God, “See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is only death” (Lamentations 1:20).

Jeremiah wasn’t the only one to weep over Jerusalem. Jesus did, too. He said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing” (Matthew 23:37).

And Jesus weeps over us, too! It was for our sin that He lay prostrate in the Garden—His heart poured out on the ground (Lamentations 2:11). It was for our deliverance that He cried, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38). And from His overwhelming sorrow and overflowing love, He went from Gethsemane to Golgotha where He was broken for us. Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Whether our suffering is self-inflected like Jerusalem’s persistent rebellion or part of living in a broken world like Lazarus’ death, Jesus weeps. The Man of Sorrows is heartbroken for us! Our sin, sorrow, and struggles, pain Him, too. He doesn’t stand helpless or idle at a distance, wondering what to say or do. No! He draws near and empathizes with our weakness and gets what we’re going through. He counts our tears and comes close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 56:8, Psalm 34:18).

When your heart is breaking, cry out to the One who is heartbroken for you! Because in the remembering who He is and all He’s doing, we find hope (Lamentations 3:21).

What’s your story? In Lamentations Jesus is Heartbroken for Us (Lamentations 2:11). How does His Story help you tell your story?

Get in the Book: Read the book of Lamentations.

A holy despair in ourselves is the ground of true hope. For the God who dwells in the highest heavens dwells likewise in the lowest soul. — Richard Sibbes

Weekly Devotion - Voice of Truth - 6/29/15

from Lenae, GEMS Training Manager

Voice of Truth

Then the LORD called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 1 Samuel 3:4

In the days when the word of the Lord was rare and there were not many visions, God spoke to a young boy named Samuel who was constantly in a place where he might hear God. Samuel served God in the Tabernacle, and lived and slept there. The only thing that separated his bed from the room that housed the ark of God was a curtain—the veil that split the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (Exodus 26:33).

One night God spoke to Samuel by name, but Samuel did not recognize His voice. But God kept calling, as God always does, and after the third time Eli the priest understood.

So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9-10). And God talked with Samuel!

The Voice that spoke to Samuel was Jesus, the Voice of Truth! And like Samuel, when God’s children have ears to hear, they respond. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

For those who are constantly in a place where they might hear God, He reveals Himself. The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them (Psalm 25:14). When we fear and honor God, He draws close and confides. He calls us by name. Repeating our name and His message, if needed. There is intimacy in His presence, all made possible through Jesus who by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body (Hebrews 10:20).

Jesus is speaking to you today! Do you hear Him?

What’s your story? In 1 & 2 Samuel Jesus is the Voice of Truth who calls God’s children by name (1 Samuel 3:4). How does His Story help you tell your story?

Get in the Book: Read 1 & 2 Samuel.

It is with the upright that God is intimate. He shares the secret things with those who fear or revere Him (Psalm 25:14) — Donna Gaines

Weekly Devotion - "The High Priest" - 5/18/15

The High Priest

  from Lenae, GEMS Training Manager
“This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites.” And it was done, as the Lord commanded Moses. Leviticus 16:34

And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Hebrews 10:10-12

Be holy. That’s the theme of Leviticus. “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). We don’t have to look further than our bathroom mirror or our last thought to see the impossibility of that one. Our sin separates us from God. Our rebellion blocks and keeps the Holy One at a distance. That's true for all, including the Israelites who received God’s original command. So our Redeemer made a way.

God provided sacrifices as the means to approach Him, and He chose priests to perform those sacrifices. The details within Exodus and Leviticus were their guide. And of all the offerings and sacrifices, it was the annual Day of Atonement that was most significant.

Once a year the high priest was allowed access to God. Through meticulous care to God’s instructions he entered the Holy of Holies. To do so he first needed to make atonement (God making us right with Him through a sacrifice) for himself and his household, and then he made atonement for the people. It had to be repeated year after year, reiterating the insufficiency of the atonement. And year after year, the laws, feasts, and sacrifices were a great picture gallery preparing the world for Christ!

Jesus is our perfect atoning sacrifice. His death is our Day of Atonement! And because of our Great High Priest’s sacrifice the curtain of the temple that prevented access to God was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51)! Now we can approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16)!

What’s your story? In Leviticus Jesus is The High Priest who makes us holy and gives us access to God (Leviticus 16:34). How does His Story help you tell your story?

Get in the Book: Read the book of Leviticus. If time, read the book of Hebrews, too. It is considered the New Testament commentary on Leviticus.

As the priest entered the holiest with the blood, so Christ entered heaven itself with His own blood for us. His blood makes the throne of God a mercy seat which otherwise must have been a throne of judgment. — Keith L. Brooks

Weekly Devotion - "The Lamb" 5/11/15

The Lamb

by Lenae - GEMS Training Manager 
When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down. Exodus 12:23

Between the last verse in Genesis and the first verse of Exodus, four hundred years passed and Israel’s twelve sons multiplied to an estimated 2 million plus in numbers and power. It made them a dread to Egypt’s new king and people. So the Egyptian’s oppressed them. Which only escalated Israel’s population and their slave masters’ ruthless demands.

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress (Psalm 107:28). Faithful to His promise, God saved His people through a man named Moses, mighty and miraculous plagues, and the Passover lamb. The spotless lamb’s blood on the doorframes of the houses was a sign that He would pass over them. They were protected from the destroyer and delivered from death and destruction.

Israel’s deliverance set the stage for the greatest deliverance ever! When God saved the Israelites in Exodus it was like He was saying, “Just wait. I saved My people because I loved them, but I’m not done yet. One day I’ll send My Son to save the whole world!”

God was faithful to His promise. He sent His Son, our Passover Lamb, to be slain for us (1 Corinthians 5:7). Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! (John 1:29) Jesus is the Lamb without blemish or defect who redeems us from an empty way of life (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Death no longer has mastery over us. Sin is no longer our ruthless and oppressive taskmaster. Through the precious blood of The Lamb we are forgiven, delivered, and set free!

Choose to live in the glorious reality of all He has done for you!

What’s your story? In Exodus Jesus is The Lamb and the theme is deliverance (Exodus 3:8). How does His Story help you tell your story?

Get in the Book: Read the book of Exodus.

The salvation of Israel in Exodus was God’s greatest act of salvation in the Old Testament. Yet it merely points to His greatest act of salvation ever: His salvation of His people by the substitution of Christ as the Passover lamb, dying in our place so that we might live to God’s glory forever. — Mark Dever

Weekly Devotion - "Creator of All" - 5/5

Creator of All

from Lenae, GEMS Training Manager

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).
 
In the beginning: God. The One who is the Alpha and Beginning begins His Story where all stories begin. Himself.
 
And Genesis, the great book of beginnings, tells us the beginning of  . . .

• The world and everything that it contains—all of it was good!
• People—families, civilizations, and nations all made in His image.
• Sin—rebellion, conflict, punishment, and death.
• God’s unfailing promises of hope, salvation, and life—Jesus!

From the very beginning we see Jesus, the Creator of all things! In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning (John 1:1-2). For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together (Colossians 1:16-17).

Whether at the beginning of His Book, a new chapter in your story, or the start of each day, we can rest and rejoice in our Creator’s sovereign and merciful care. In Christ all things hold together. Though there may be times when it seems like we or the world around us is falling apart, the One who created the heavens and the earth is the Eternal Seam who holds all things together. Nothing can separate or rip us apart from Him or His love (Romans 8:38-39).

Genesis shows us how all things began. Revelation shows us how all things will end. And in the middle of Jesus’ first coming and His second coming is our story. Within the light of His Story, He invites those in Christ—His new creation—to write theirs (2 Corinthians 5:17, Psalm 119:105).

What’s your story? In Genesis God is Creator of All. How does His Story help you tell your story? Be specific!

Get in the Book: Read the book of Genesis.

The story of the Bible is one. From a Christian point of view it begins with Christ the Creator (John 1:1-3), it climaxes with Christ the Savior, and is consummated with the return of Christ in glory. — Graeme Goldsworthy

Light in the Fog

This is worth the read! It jumped off the page at me this morning. THIS is what the GEMS leadership conference is all about for me. July 9 - 12, 2015 ‪#‎justshowup‬

Light in the Fog (Titus 2: 1 - 15) - from the Women's Devotional Bible:

Have you ever been driving down a road at night when the fog rolled in so thick you couldn't see five feet in front of you? It can be pretty scary. However, if you have a car's taillights ahead of you to guide you, suddenly it is not so frightening. 

That is the message of Titus 2. Older women can serve as guiding lights for those coming after them. For many women, juggling all our roles - student, employee, boss, wife, mother - can be overwhelming, like walking through life in a fog. But God never intended for us to figure things out on our own - to simply muddle through. Just as he gave Ruth to Naomi and Mary to Elizabeth, God gives us each other to help, encourage and provide one another with companionship, to share ideas and wisdom and humor. When you live in community with others, you can see how other women raise and nurture the children [or their GEMS!] You can note how persistent someone is in cultivating and preserving her marriage [or her counselor team] and how it is serving her well. You can watch as women make their way in the marketplace [in the world!] with dignity and integrity.

It may be that the "older" woman isn't chronologically older at all. Perhaps God has gifted a younger woman with particular knowledge and wisdom that you might be in need of. We should be open to different generations reaching out to each other and bridging the years with love and laughter. We have more in common than we have differences.

In our day it's easy to become isolated and withdrawn. We don't often get together as women did in times gone by for quilting bees and church socials and over-the-fence visits. You may long for a woman to mentor you and advise you regarding how to handle your many roles and responsibilities. If so, ask God to send you someone who is wise and supportive. And keep your eyes open for such a woman so you can befriend her. She may need you as much as you need her. Perhaps God is nudging you to become a mentor to a younger women. Pray that God will lead you to her and that you will have the courage to be a light in the fog.

Weekly Devo - 'Messengers in the Word' - 4/27/15

Messengers in the Word

from Lenae - GEMS Training Manager  
Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him (Acts 8:30-31).
 
Philip knew the Scriptures. He was an attentive student of the law and the prophets. And it was through his time in Scripture that he recognized Jesus in the flesh, and knew He was the One sent to rescue them.
 
Philip told Nathaniel, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45). When he shared a seat in the Ethiopian eunuch’s chariot, he explained how the passage that had the man stumped, pointed to the Savior. Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus (Acts 8:35).
 
Philip knew the Word and shared the Word. By its light he spoke conviction into Nathaniel’s skepticism, and clarity in the Ethiopian eunuch’s confusion. Through his knowledge of Scripture he recognized Christ and could point others to Him.
 
As His messengers can the same be said of you and me? Do we know how all the paths of His Word point to Jesus? If someone asked us to help them understand what they were reading in the Bible could we effectively lead them to God’s heart of love and His rescue plan for rebels?
 
Messengers God can use are people in The Book. They know the Word because they’re in the Word. They seek Christ and find Him, and from the light of all that He reveals, they bring the message.
 
Send Me: What has God showed you in His Word today that you can share with someone else?
 
By hiding the Word of God in our hearts, we are equipped to bring the good news to others. — Jeremy Walker

Weekly Devo - "Press on, Messengers!" - 4/13/15

Press on, Messengers!

from Lenae, GEM Training Manager

At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!” (Luke 13:31-33)

Nothing distracted or deterred Jesus from His mission. No amount of . . .

• Unbelief
• Rejection
• Opposition
• Threats to His life, or
• Lies and temptations from the enemy

. . . kept Him from reaching His goal. He would press on and fulfill His mission to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, sight for the blind, release for the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18-19). 

And although He never lost sight of His mission, what He did see broke His heart. The ones He came to save wanted to stone Him. The people He longed to enfold like a hen that gathers her chicks under her wings were not willing to come. He was despised and rejected by mankind . . . like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised . . . (Isaiah 53:3).

And while the ones He loved spewed spit on and slapped His face, and His own Father turned His face away from His Son, Jesus set His face on the cross. Because He so loved the world, He pressed on and humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8).  

As His messengers, do we get stalled when people don’t respond in the ways we had hoped? Do we get sidelined in sharing the good news when things don’t go the way we had prayed?

Grieve for the lost, but do not give up! Weep for those who are separated from Christ, but do not abandon your mission. Press on, dear messengers! Compelled by Jesus’ love and eyes fixed full on His wonderful face, keep bringing the message!

Send Me: Does your heart break for the lost? If not, pray for it. Then press on and share the good news with a world desperate for Jesus.

If Christ cried out and wept over Jerusalem, can we not cry out and weep over our families, friends, streets, neighborhoods, towns, and cities? Christ and those closest to Him in spirit and character are grieved when the gospel is preached and sinners are not saved. — Jeremy Walker re 

Have You Ever Wondered? - Weekly Devo - 4/6/15

Have you ever wondered?
 

 from Lenae GEMS Training Manager

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself (Luke 24:27).

The women wondered. When Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome ran to Jesus’ tomb and found it empty, they were alarmed and wondered.

Peter wondered. Although the women told the apostles that Jesus is risen the men thought the message sounded like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened (v. 12).

The men on the Road to Emmaus wondered. On that same day Cleopas and his friend were on their way to a village called Emmaus. As they walked, they talked about all that had happened. They wondered what this was all about? They had hoped Jesus would redeem Israel, and now this. He’s crucified and dead!

Then Jesus came up, and walked with them. He entered the discussion with a question, rebuked their unbelief, and explained all the Scriptures said about Himself. He clarified their confusion by word and deed. First with the unfolding of Scripture, then at the table—thanking the Father and breaking bread.

On this day after Easter are there people near you who are wondering? Are there children wondering about the connection of Easter bunnies and the cross? Are there Christians wondering why their Easter joy so quickly dissipates within the first waking hours of their Monday morning? Are there colleagues and neighbors who had a nice weekend, but neither experienced nor cared that it had no connection to Christ?

As people wonder, will you walk with them, ask pointed questions, and bring the message?

Send Me: Ask people about their Easter weekend and then really listen. If they express confusion, disappointment, or wonderings, share the Good News.

Helping others notice and name their inner hopes, longings and aspirations is a great gift to them. You have helped them move from a vague sense of disquiet and wondering to awareness that what they long for is God. — Richard Peace 

God-Sightings - Weekly Devo - 3/30/15

God-Sightings

by Lenae, GEMS Training Manager
 

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her (John 20:18).

It’s not what she expected to see. Spices in hand, Mary Magdalene and the other women came to anoint Jesus’ body. But the stone was rolled away, and there was no body. What Mary saw multiplied her grief and ignited more tears.

“Woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked.

“Woman, why are you crying?” the gardener, who really wasn’t a gardener at all, asked.

And when Jesus got personal and spoke her name, she cried again. In Aramaic she cried out, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

Mary Magdalene saw the Lord! She saw Jesus who . . .Healed her
Forgave her
Knew her by name
Laid down His life for her, and
Rose for her!

What she saw became her sending and her message! When Jesus told her to tell the others, she did. There was no stopping this messenger. She ran to the disciples with the best news ever. Jesus is alive!

Messengers God can use actively and constantly watch for what God is doing in their lives and in the world. Some people call this seeking God, noticing God in the ordinary, going on a God Hunt, or God-sightings. No matter what you call it, it’s a daily habit of being on watch for God.

To be a witness is to share what we see. That’s what Mary Magdalene did. When she saw Jesus, she ran and told the others. Do we?

Send Me: Where have you seen God today? Who can you tell?

People who have glimpsed God's glory want to tell others about Him. Unexcited about telling others = haven't really seen Jesus. Phil Moore

Weekly Devotion - " Will You Follow? " - 3/23/15

Will You Follow?

from Lenae, GEMS Training Manager

So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?”

“I will go,” she said. (Genesis 24:58)

On an ordinary walk to the spring to retrieve water, Rebekah became an answer to prayer. She came with a water jug, and left with a gold nose ring, bracelets, and houseguests.

The story unfolded over the evening meal with Rebekah’s family and Abraham’s servant. Clearly this was from the Lord. He was sending Rebekah to Isaac to be his wife.

The next morning Abraham’s servant was ready to go. Rebekah’s mother and brother wanted ten days or so to adjust to the sending. They decided to ask Rebekah about it.

“Will you go with this man?” they asked.

Without hesitation, procrastination, or delay she said, “I will go.” (Genesis 24)

What a difference a day makes! One day she’s fetching water for the family, the next day she’s leaving to start a new life! How did she adjust so quickly? When asked if she would go that very morning, isn’t the accepted spiritual response, “I need time to pray and think about it”?

The thing is, prayer had already taken place. God said, “Go!” So she did just that. She did what girls and GEMS counselors have been singing this year! “Where You go, I’ll go. Where You stay, I’ll stay. When You move, I’ll move. I will follow.” (“I Will Follow” by Chris Tomlin)

Think about it. If we really mean what we sing, the pressure is off! God leads, we follow. Period.

Instead of manipulating timeframes for a sending, or hashing and rehashing best and worse case scenarios if we go or if we stay, we listen to our Father. And when we know where He is sending, we follow.

Messengers God can use keep things simple. They listen and then obey.

Send Me: Has He placed someone on your heart to bring the message to today? Don’t hesitate, procrastinate, or delay. Bring the message!

Before you go charging into someone with the Gospel, ask God, “What would you have me know about this person?” “What would you have me say or do here?” And follow what He says. — Regi Campbell

Weekly Devotion - "Walk Across the Room" - 3/16/15

Walk Across the Room

from Lenae, GEMS Training Manager 

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps (1 Peter 2:21).

Inspired by Bill Hybels’ book, Just Walk Across the Room, Miss Megan regularly asks our GEMS Club, “How many steps does it take to walk across the room?”

The girls shout, “Ten!”

It only takes ten steps to be a friend, to offer a helping hand, and give a word of encouragement. Whether at school, church, a grocery store, or an athletic event, it only takes ten steps and one smile, to share Jesus’ love.

Messengers God can use follow in Jesus’ steps. Notice the distinct pattern and gait to His walk.

He stepped toward the hated, outcasts, and condemned.

• He stepped toward Zacchaeus, looked up in the tree, and invited Himself to dinner.
• He stepped toward the Samaritan woman at the well, sat down, and poured living water for the entire town.
• He stepped toward the woman the religious leaders were ready to stone, kneeled, and offered her forgiveness and a new life.

His steps stopped for the blind and lame, and turned around for the woman subject to bleeding. Never were His steps rushed or hurried. Always He kept in step with the Spirit, and walked to the beat of His Father’s heart.

There are those who wear pedometers to count steps. This is good and healthy. Greater still are the steps of His messengers. They don’t count steps; they make steps count. Like Jesus, they step toward people and bring the message with their words and example.

Send Me: Think intentionally about your steps today. Each time you enter a room, stop and look around. Instead of going to the place that feels comfortable and safe, move toward the one who looks like they need a friend.

It was when we were helplessly in the throes of sin that Christ extracted Himself from the ultimate Circle of Comfort—Heaven itself—to step across time and space to rescue us. We take walks across rooms because He took the ultimate walk across the room—Bill Hybels

Why training?

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Weekly Devotional - "Thank & Tell" - 3/2/2015

Thank & Tell

by Lenae, GEMS Training Manger

Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing (Exodus 15:20, ESV).

Even the ones among us with two left feet would’ve joined the song and dance on the other side of the shore. What started in panic and sheer terror, ended with rescue and relief! Sandwiched between the Red Sea and the enemy, God made a way. He saved them from the Egyptians and gave them a new life. Their slave-masters were dead and they were alive and set free!

Sound familiar? It should. It’s our story, too. Jesus made a way for our rescue. He saved us from death and won victory over the enemy! Sin is no longer our slave-master. We are alive and set free! In Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Like the Israelites who passed from death to life, do we do what saved people do? Do we break into song and dance? Do we thank God and tell His story? That’s what Moses, Miriam, and the Israelites did.

They looked back and thanked God for delivering them from their former life and death itself. They stood in the present and testified who He is—my strength, my salvation, and my God! And they looked ahead to what He will do. In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling (Exodus 15:13).

Past. Present. Future. He saved, saves, and will save. He loved, loves, and will always love. He made a way, is the way, and will make a way. To think on even a sliver of our salvation should move our feet to dance and bring the message.

Send Me: Think on your story: past, present, and future. Got something that sets your spirit into song and dance? Now thank and tell!