Month: March 2016

It’s Resurrection Day – the day we remember Jesus’ victory over death and the grave. So much happened on that cross. Even when we think we understand it, I have a hunch we only scratch the surface of all He did for us.

How triumphant the enemy must have felt when Jesus died. How he must have believed he had killed the one he feared so much. How pleased he must have been that Jesus was no longer going to be a problem for him. Once again he would be free to steal, kill, and destroy without opposition.

And how terrified he must have been early on that resurrection day when Jesus rose triumphantly. He must have realized that he had been  completely defeated. His hold on mankind had been broken over everyone who received Jesus and followed after Him. He must have realized that day that no matter what he did from then on, there was always going to be one group of people on this earth who walked in miracle power through the name and the blood of Jesus. There would always be one group of people who were not subject to his lies and his schemes.

He knew that day that all he could do with that group was try to convince them that they were no different than anyone else on the earth. He would work to persuade those who followed Jesus that no matter how much they believed or they stood on the Word of God, it made no difference. That was all he had left to try.

He certainly has tried to convince me many times that nothing was changing, nothing was happening when I prayed. But I know the power of my risen Savior! His Word is true and He has overcome the enemy and all his schemes. My physical eyes do not need to see what my spiritual eyes do. Jesus is truth and life! He is faithful and He has overcome!

This Resurrection Day I encourage you to rest in Him and what He has finished. You may not be seeing what you want to see with your natural eyes, but then neither did anyone who watched Jesus die on the cross. Those who loved Him were deeply grieved and those who hated Him rejoiced.

Neither reaction, though, reflected what had happened there. What appeared to be loss was truly the greatest gain of all.

You are part of the one group of people on this earth that the devil knows he has lost his hold over. Remember that the next time he lies to you. Love, Marilyn

Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. Colossians 2:15

Years ago a woman sent me a collection of writings she had done as she stood. She asked that we not use her name, but was willing to share what God had given her.

We made a little booklet of them and called it A Journey.  We gave her the name Sara. We now have her words available on our website. I believe they will speak to your heart.

Click here to be blessed.

If we were watching a football game, we would expect the players from each team to keep their goal in mind. We would anticipate they would move as one toward that goal. And we would be surprised if one of them took the ball and ran in another direction. It would seem he had forgotten the original objective.

Sometimes standing in faith is a lot like that.

We start out with a goal in mind, usually to see our marriage healed. As we spend time with the Lord, though, we begin to realize that His goal is perhaps a bit different than ours. While we have one objective in mind, He usually has quite another. Yes, He wants to see our marriage healed, but the path that we travel with Him begins to reveal a far more profound goal.

He desires for us to know Him deeply; for Him to abide in us and us in Him. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

Various meanings of abide are persist, persevere, to be true, to remain, to tarry, to wait, to continue, and to not recede or flee. Obviously, abiding means remaining faithfully together at all times.

Sometimes as we stand we lose sight of God’s goal. We look for changes in circumstances or signs that we are making progress. Our goal begins to shift from the Lord’s goal. Our time spent in prayer and the Word doesn’t seem to be making a difference. We begin to doubt and to question. How long must I do this? Is it really making a difference? Will my spouse ever come home?

We become like that player with the ball running in a different direction than the end zone. We run to and fro looking desperately for what we desire to see. Our goal becomes the only important one.

Thankfully, Jesus waits patiently at the goal line. His arms are open wide, waiting for us to return to the purpose He has for us.

I have said many times that I would not want to go through again what I had to face in our marriage. Yet, I have always rejoiced that that is what brought me to the closeness I have with the Lord today. His goal for me was so much greater than the limited one I had in mind. His goal to see our marriage healed took second place to His goal for intimacy and my deep abiding with Him. It is His goal for each one of us and it is the goal we need to keep in sight as we stand. Love, Marilyn

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4