Believe

I see that the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave. You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.

—Acts 2:26-28 NLT

On this day Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, preached to a crowd in Jerusalem. Pentecost had just come, and believers who had gathered, were filled with the Holy Spirit. Explaining to the crowd that these believers were not drunk, Peter quoted from the prophet Joel about the miraculous coming of the Holy Spirit. and then he spoke of Jesus fulfilling God’s plan of salvation for all mankind. Quoting from King David, Peter spoke these words of our Scripture today, which David had prophesized about the Savior of the world who was to come. The words which David uttered generations in the past became words which gave promise to over 3000 who were saved that day in Jerusalem.

David’s words were not only about the Savior of the world. What Jesus accomplished on Calvary was for everyone in the world. If we believe in Him, these words are our promise. Released from the horrors of death, Jesus knew that God was with him. His body rested in hope, and He knew that His soul would not be left among the dead. His body would not rot in the grave. He had been shown the way of life, and He had chosen Calvary. He had said “yes” for each one of us. His work had accomplished God’s promise. His joy was complete. And now Peter offered the joy of this salvation to everyone who heard.

Can you imagine what it would have been like to be part of that crowd that day in Jerusalem? The Holy Spirit swept through hearts. They knew that Resurrection life was the promise offered. They believed, and were saved.  

Do you believe this promise is also for you? The Lord wishes to always be with you. You need not be shaken in this world by anything. You can also have hope for not only life beyond the grave, but for abundant life now. He has shown you the way of life. Will you be like one of those in the crowd who believed that day? Just say yes. He said yes for you.

2018 Lynn Lacher

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You Complete Me

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what are mere mortals that you should think about them, 

human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor.

—Psalm 8:3-5 NLT

Just above the top of the trees, I see the full moon, round and clear, seemingly balanced on the edge of the horizon, revealing its place in the night sky. Beyond its area of illumination, stars twinkle, some glowing more brightly than others. The passionate beauty of this divine painting draws my heart. This is the work of your hands, Lord! I cannot fathom how you created it—much less how you created me. But you did. This heavenly canvas is your masterpiece, and that is what you also created me to be—your masterpiece.

You created me in your image and crowned me with glory!  Why would the creator of the universe care so much about me, a mere mortal?  But you did. Not only did you create me. You also gave the life of your Son so I might live with you forever. The creator of the universe—my creator—loves me enough not to demand my love! You give me free will to either deny or accept you. How can I not accept you—the God who created me—who loves me enough to lay down everything for me?

                                                                                              

Not only have you created and designed me, but you have created and designed my path in life. Youknow me intimately—my heart—my character—my capability—my greatest potential. When you lead me to do something, it is done with full knowledge of who I am. I will not allow hardship and circumstance to pull me from your course. These only have the ability to refine me for greater purpose. When I follow you and offer my best, the result is glorious and rewarding beyond anything I can imagine. 

Just as the moon and stars I see in the night sky, I also am your creation. My life is your canvas. You began this faith and this work in me. If I continually surrender what I think needs to be real in my life to what you know is best for me, you shall perfect your love in me. I will know in my deepest being who you say I am. I am your righteousness—blameless only because of your unconditional love. You birthed a masterpiece in me at Calvary, and you will complete it. The night sky is not the only work of your hands. So am I. I will allow you to complete me.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2018/10/you-complete-me.html

In Peace

In Peace

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

—Psalm 4:8 NLT

Everything rages without, but I have peace within. Life is a whirlwind, and, thankfully, it is beyond my control. My life is not mine to manage. It is yours. You, O Lord, hold me safely through circumstances that threaten. The gift you gave me, which at first brought joy, now is one that stretches me. Daily it calls for my surrender, and in my surrender, I find your strength and your hand guiding me. You protect my heart in each sudden change. You draw me close in moments which previously would have wounded. I am but clay in your hands. Nothing devours my peace. Nothing. I have chosen you, and in that choice, I am free. 

At night, you guard my mind and keep me safe from thoughts of the day. You are my pillow who cushions. You are my cover who protects. You are my comforter who reassures. You hold me, and I am at rest in you. In peace, I close my eyes at night and sleep. 

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2018/10/in-peace.html

Experiencing His Perfect Love

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

—1 John 1:18 NL

The love of Jesus expels all fear. This verse clearly says that if we are afraid, we are afraid of punishment. There rises a mentality of “I can never be good enough”. And you know what? On one level that is true. You can’t save yourself from the guilty torment of sin. You can’t save yourself from the mental and emotional agony of failure. On another level this reasoning is false. It is only in Jesus that you are good enough—not based on what you do right or what you do wrong, but based on Jesus’ forgiveness for you on Calvary. He died to set you free. If you have accepted Him as your Savior, you have the ability to be free from all fear. Understanding and living this freedom is something else. Well, the truth of the matter is, it is real even if you haven’t experienced it. It is His promise for you. The Lord wishes to perfect His perfect love in you—to get you to the point where His love, which defeats all fear, is as natural as breathing.

The only way to receive His perfect love that conquers fear is to first allow Jesus into your heart, and then allow Him to change your perception of who you are. He doesn’t see what you have done. He sees you forgiven. He sees me through the eyes of grace. Until you grasp the depth of forgiveness in His grace, you will forever fight the fears which accompany feelings of punishment—of not being good enough.

The love of God was perfected by Jesus on Calvary when He died for you. You can’t perfect it within yourself. You allow Him to change what you can’t. You face your fears with a decision that He will conquer them for you. You decide that God is not waiting to beat you up because of sin or failure. He is waiting to forgive and love you with His perfect love. You keep making the decision to believe, and He brings Resurrection power to fulfill it.

The perfect love of His grace washes away all that you have been so you may receive all that He is. With His perfect love continually changing you, His love becomes stronger in you and perfects you. Only His love can drive out fear and give faith to believe. If you remain rooted in His love and growing in His grace, perseverance will finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything. You will be strong enough to always choose faith over fear. You will continually experience His perfect love.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2018/10/experiencing-his-perfect-love.html

In Whatever Season

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

—Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 (KJV)

Life always presents a new season. One moment, you are in pain, and the next, you rejoice. One moment, you develop something new, and the next, it is gone. Whatever season of your life you are in, there is a purpose in it. Sometimes when you are going through a time that is hard, it is difficult to see yourself in a better season of life. Try to seek His purpose in whatever season of life you experience rather than pushing hurriedly through to the next. When you push and try to rush through that season too quickly, you miss what the Lord wishes to accomplish in your life. Each season the Lord imparts is given for His reason. The incredible value of the lessons learned can give greater faith to make it through all the difficult seasons of life. They can also give the greatest fulfillment in the seasons that bring abundant joy.

A friend of mine told me recently that she recognized a pattern in the way the Lord gives her scripture. Every other day or so, He gives her a harsh word—not to condemn her but to warn her to be cautious and to understand that things she faces, like trials or hardships, are all for a purpose. She smiled and said, “When He takes me to a scripture like that, the next day, He gives me a scripture on praise or love. No matter what happens, He wants our praise—and He still loves us!” She has grown to understand that life’s changing seasons will always present a new challenge. God is faithful through each one. He loves. He teaches. He corrects. He empowers. He imparts wisdom. He guides, and He brings you into the next season with more faith than you experienced in the last.

Praise Him no matter what season you are in. Learn what He wishes to impart. Rejoice in the lesson to be learned. It is just what you need. Apply it to your life. Allow God to take you where He wishes. Allow Him to mold your heart. The pain you may feel now will definitely be part of your joy later. Also, the joy you may feel now will carry you through any difficult season that lies ahead. Wherever you are, He is with you, guiding you from one season to the next. Give Him your hand. Trust the One who gave you this life to carry you safely and joyfully through it.

© 2017 Lynn Lacher

Form Me, Fire Me, Fill Me

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By the Grace of God

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

—1 Corinthians 15:10 NKJV

The grace which flows from Calvary is rich and inspires faith, but we make it cheap when we don’t allow it to change us. Paul was changed by the grace of Jesus! It was not in vain in his life! It was rich grace that inspired him to believe beyond his own abilities. He knew faith was only God working in him by His grace. He had been blind, but the grace of Jesus had opened his eyes to the amazing wonder of its promise.

God does everything by grace, but we also have a part. He does not love us for what we do. He loves us because of who He is. He loves us with undeserved favor. He paid the ultimate price to cover the debt of our sin. His grace cost Him everything. It cost His life, and that gift cries out for our response!

Paul labored because of grace, and God empowered his efforts. He believed he was the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. He was forgiven, and He knew it in every cell of his being. He lived God’s power by surrendering to God’s amazing grace. He was not only empowered by the grace of God, He was also transformed in the spirit of his mind.

So what is your response to the grace of Jesus? What is mine? Do we truly understand that there is nothing we can do wo to make God love us more?  Yet do we expect His grace to accomplish its work in us without any effort on our part? We love Him because He loved us with no restraint. His grace is rich with mercy, but it becomes richer in us when faith is exercised. Ask the woman who touched the hem of His garment. Ask the woman who washed His feet with her hair.

And ask yourself, “Has His grace inspired greater faith in me?” If not, then seek to understand who Jesus says you are to Him. Forgiven. Clean. He sees you through the eyes of grace, and that grace is rich in you when you understand that He withheld nothing from you on Calvary. And when you are free, you withhold nothing from Him.

“By the grace of God, I am what I am,” Paul wrote. 

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2018/10/by-grace-of-god.html

Glory to Glory

And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

—Revelation 22:5 NLT

No more night. 

No more struggle. 

No more pain. 

No more fear.

No more need for light to dispel the darkness, because there is no darkness.

He shines when selfishness is no more.

He shines without the world’s tarnish—when there is nothing to dispel His brilliance.

This is not only for then. This is His wish for me now.

If I allow.

The veil has been removed. 

The Lord shines always, but I receive what I allow.

His glory is not only for then, but also for now.

From glory to glory, He calls me.

So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 

—2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2018/10/glory-to-glory.html

Carrying His Tears

Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else?

—Matthew 5:44,46,47 (NIV)

My friend, Beverly, has written two books about carrying Jesus’ tears to those who are starved for His love. Often lashing out in bitterness and rage, some people don’t even know they are starved for His love. Isolating themselves in their pain, they only barely exist, instead of living fulfilling lives. Perhaps, they have decided that you are their enemy. The question is—have you allowed them to become yours?

If you have allowed their anger and bitterness, when it is aimed at you, to anger you in return, then they have succeeded. If you have allowed them to frustrate and belittle you—if their actions have controlled your response, then they have succeeded in destroying your peace and joy. Loving your enemies is not just for the benefit of your enemies. It is for your benefit.

Pray for those who persecute you! It is hard to be angry at someone you pray for. If you love only those who love you, then what good comes from that? Even unethical people love those who love them. If you are kind to only your friends, then how are you any different?

You are different because you are called to carry the tears of the Master. You cannot change anyone’s heart. Only He can. Perhaps you have tried to reach out, and you have been refused. Then you have been refused. The love of Jesus overcomes. Not you. Just live His forgiveness, and don’t allow someone else’s anger and bitterness to control your life and your response. Joy and peace thrive in you when you grasp that carrying His tears is never a burden, but always a gift. A gift that, just like prayer, changes you.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2018/10/carrying-his-tears.html

At Last Free

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

—Revelation 3:20 (NKJV)

Consider His words. He stands and knocks at the door to your heart. He invites you to a life which you cannot comprehend with the human mind. It is a life of utter peace and trust in His abundant faithfulness—a life of spiritual joy. His invitation promises to carry you beyond your avenue of analytical thought to one of rest that no matter what happens in this life all is well. This invitation offers respite from the hectic pace of this world. “Be still and know that I am God” takes on a whole new meaning. When you get to the place that you don’t struggle anymore, you can find peace in just knowing He is God, and He is in control. "Come to me,” He whispers in your tempest, “and I will give you rest."

Do you long to relinquish your terrible struggle—your pain, but you resist that which promises release? You try to keep things in control, but find out that you can't. Letting go of your struggle to control what you can't control opens your heart to His promise of peace. Letting go admits you don't have the answer. Letting go means you place your trust in His faithfulness. Even when you shut the door of your heart to His knock, He never stops knocking.  Even when you turn from His promise of peace, He never turns away. Even when He finds your heart all closed and barred behind your fortress of pain, He continues on in His constant offer of peace. “Let go, and let me,” He whispers.

The harder you struggle the stronger His constant knock. The harder you resist the greater your pain. Suddenly the exhaustion of your battle is too much. Suddenly you can no longer bar that door. Suddenly, surrender is your only option. It is your only hope. You must let go and believe. You must open the door to His knock.

When you let go of all you have tried to handle and open the door, the peace which has waited patiently on the other side of that door is now yours. No more war inside your heart. No more need to know the answers. You are free in Him, and free of fear from the hard issues that life has brought. There will always be issues, but you will be free from their ability to control your life. Fear which has defined your life has ended. You realize that God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and a sound mind. Letting go has brought the peace your heart has struggled so hard to find. And at last you are free.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2018/10/at-last-free.html

I Wait for You

Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

—Psalm 27:14 (NLT)

Lord, when I believe I need answers, you often keep those answers from me. Sometimes I cry out for immediate relief instead of allowing patience to render greater faith in me. Be brave, you tell me. Be courageous, you encourage. Don’t run ahead of me, you whisper. Wait patiently.

Patience is a virtue that I add in my life, and you empower that choice to make a difference. Everything around me shouts for quick answers, and demands instant results. But you, Lord, know the way ahead, and when I exercise patience, I shall be refined and strengthened by the journey. Instant answers only allow fear to remain in me. Trusting you defeats fear, and focuses my faith right where it belongs. On you. 

Bravery is also a choice. Courage is bravery empowered by the Holy Spirit. Courage is letting go of all that appears to be secure, and without reservation stepping into the unknown, not focusing on what might be ahead, but on you, Lord, my only trust and security. 

“They who wait upon the Lord will get new strength,” Isaiah imparts. “They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weak” (Isaiah 40:31, NIV). Lord, when I am tired of my own strength, I trust for yours. Help me to be tired of my own. Create the need in me to always rely on you, and never on myself. If I want to soar tirelessly in this life, I need you to be the wind that carries me. 

I wait for you.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2018/10/i-wait-for-you.html