I have recently found some beautiful verses of Scripture on Pinterest. I pray that you will enjoy them as much as I have!
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
Mystery
September 4th, 2015 
dsisler
I park in the same spot at work 99% of the time. Occasionally, there is a strange pile of cat food just outside my car door. I don’t know the purpose. I don’t know who is putting it there. I don’t know when they drop off this little pile of food.
I just find it odd that it wasn’t a one-time thing.
And now the mystery needs to be solved. I mentioned to a co-worker that I may put a webcam in my office window to see who is doing this and why and what critters are eating this free food! Now I suspect our pastor of operations will not allow me to do this, but I’m dying to know what this is all about!
Do you think this is how some of the folks living during Jesus’ ministry felt? “We have to go see Jesus when He’s nearby…I saw Him heal a man and I want to know how He did it” “I’ve heard some of Jesus’ teaching and I am not sure I understand what He’s talking about.” “I just don’t understand why Jesus would speak with those sinners! It is a mystery!”
And the biggest mystery of all had to have been the day He died on the cross. “What is happening with our Messiah? Why is He allowing them to put Him to death?” “I thought He was the Son of God? I’ve seen Him perform many miracles. Why is this happening?”
But then the biggest miracle of all happened three days later. Jesus’ resurrection revealed the solution to the mystery. With Jesus’ resurrection came abundant life, eternal life and a free life. Those who were witnesses of the resurrection Jesus understood.
The men who walked with Jesus from Jerusalem to Emmaus were given the key to the mystery from Jesus himself. After a lengthy discussion, “their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’” (Luke 24:31-32 – NIV)
Mystery solved.
How about you? Do you have some mysteries in Scripture that you would love cleared up? I have a few. Even after study, I am not sure I have a firm grasp on some words in the Bible. But you know what? There are some things that we will not know until we are with Jesus. And then we probably won’t care.
But I must also say that there are so many things in Scripture that are not mysterious. There are straight forward commands, accounts and beautiful words that I enjoy. These are the words that I can understand. These are the commands that I can obey. These are the accounts that I treasure.
Mystery or not, God’s Word is living and active. It gives everything we need for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training. I pray that you will find great comfort, encouragement and wisdom within the pages of your Bible. What a blessing it is!
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
Today is the Day
September 3rd, 2015 dsisler
Fall is just around the corner and that means, ladies will be gathering in churches all across the country to spend time together in God’s Word. It is truly my favorite time of the year!
Why? Because women are focusing on what God’s Word has to say to them. They are intentional. They are motivated. They have a great desire to do this one thing that will bring joy to their lives. What a blessing it is for me to see godly women seeking God’s message for their life.
If you are on the fence about joining a Bible study, please know that it is not too late. Any women’s ministry program across the country would be happy to take on a new member. So get out there. Find your place at the table. Allow God’s Word to penetrate your heart and transform that heart of stone to a heart of flesh. God can sure do some amazing things!
Rocky ladies, our Women’s Bible Connection starts next week, so go to rmcc.org to see all of the studies we have to offer at Niwot and Frederick campuses. There are also evening studies for the working ladies and if you have young children (or older kids), we have MOPS and Mom’s Next at Niwot and Mom’s Connect at Frederick. If you want to get connected Rocky, we’ll get you connected!
Why should we study the Bible?
- Because it is God’s Word – 2 Timothy 3:16
- Because of the benefits – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
- Because it is a light for our journey – Psalm 119:105
- Because we find encouragement and hope in its Words – Romans 15:4
- Because it brings us joy – Psalm 1:1-2
- Because we grow spiritually as we study the Bible – 1 Peter 2:2-3
Now these are just a few reasons to study the Bible, but these alone would create a real desire within me to get into the Word. What about you?
So today, I pray that you will not abandon God’s Word and that you find it within yourself to seek out a Bible study or small group to get into the Bible with. You will not regret it.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
Psalm 127
September 2nd, 2015 dsisler
“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” (Psalm 127:1 – NIV)
“Unless the Eternal builds the house, those who labor to raise it will have worked for nothing. Unless the Eternal stands watch over the city, those who guard it have wasted their time.” (Psalm 127:1 – The Voice)
Who is the builder of your home? Who watches over your household and your community?
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
Your War Room
September 1st, 2015 dsisler
There are so many tips and ideas about prayer that I saw in the movie War Room that I would like to share with you. Today’s blog post is dedicated to those tips and ideas in hopes that you will find a greater desire to be with the Lord in your personal war room. Some of these ideas may be doable for you. Others may be impossible. Whatever the case, I pray that you will choose to spend more time with God. So let’s get started.
In the movie, Miss Clara opened Elizabeth’s eyes to a spiritual realm all around. Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) tells us, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Satan is our enemy and his goal is to steal and kill and destroy. Therefore, we must have a battle plan.
Create Space
Miss Clara created a war room in her home. It was her closet. Jesus said “when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6 – NIV) You may not be able to clear out a closet for your war room, but a specific place to pray will be so beneficial.
This space should be private and with distractions. In the movie, the women moved everything from their closets. There was nothing to distract these prayer warriors. Again, this may not be possible to remove every item from your war room, but maybe you can find a corner of a room that you are able to use in this fashion.
Create Time
This is so important. With our busy lives, it’s easy to say “there’s just no time!” Well, make time. Be intentional. Be consistent. Don’t let anything or anyone get in the way of your prayer time with God.
Once you’ve created the time, don’t rush. Take your time with Him. Spend time talking and listening. God will join you in the battle. God will show up in the war room. You can be certain of this.
What Will I Do in My War Room?
This is the fun part. You can be creative or you can be traditional. It’s up to you, but here are a few things you may want to do in your war room.
1) Get a prayer journal and keep a pen handy. Use this journal to keep track of prayer requests and answers to prayer. You can write your favorite or relevant passages of Scripture in this journal. You can even color in this journal. It’s up to you.
2) Get a prayer strategy. Plan to pray for and over each area of your life.
3) Put up some reminders. Tape lists, prayers, photos or other reminders on your walls. These will help you to stay focused during prayer time and you will be reminded of the results of your prayer.
4) Keep a Bible handy. If you don’t know what to pray, pray Scripture. Allow God’s Spirit to bring to mind verses of Scripture that are relevant to your situation. He has such words of wisdom and encouragement already written for you in His Word. Don’t neglect them!
5) Don’t be confined to one position in your war room. Stand, sit, lie down, or jump up and down. Make it comfortable and give yourself space to move. You will find great joy in variety!
6) Use music and prayer apps to help you. In our day in age, there are so many technological things available for us to help with our prayer time. Why, I even use my phone to remind me to prayer walk each day! So if you can use them wisely and without distraction, use them.
7) Allow God to do the work. Your part is to approach the throne of grace as a forgiven saint. Make your requests known to God. Share your heart with Him. Then, watch. See how God is at work in your life and in the lives of those you love. It will be amazing!
Finally, I have to say that I was reminded through War Room to share what I’ve learned about prayer. Miss Clara urged Elizabeth to find a younger woman to mentor, just as she would be asking the Lord to send her another. Let’s not keep this to ourselves. Pass it on. Share your prayer strategy with another. What blessings you will receive because you’ve chosen to share.
And just in case you think this might be a waste of time, remember James’ words. “The prayer of a righteous man (or woman) is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16 – NIV)
Friends, there is a battle raging. You have a couple of choices. You can continue down the path you’ve been on or you can decide to get off that beaten path and pray.
My prayer is that you will determine to be a prayer warrior. Put on your armor (Ephesians 6:10-18). Let’s get in the battle together and let’s not allow the evil one to do any more damage to us, our families, our marriages, our church, our community or our world. Let’s send the devil packing! Are you with me?
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
