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