Sisters in Christ! When we realize our need of a Savior, then salvation is real. It is not those who are well who seek out medical assistance. Even so, those who are righteous in their own eyes will have no need for salvation. It is the lost whom Jesus came to seek and to save. – Teresa

Matthew 9:9-13 (ESV)

9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

10 And as Jesus[b] reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Snow in Rocklin? Even before the prophecy of a son born to Sarah was fulfilled, Abraham was considered a prophet in God’s eyes. He believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. During a time of testing in a foreign land God faithfully watched over Abraham and Sarah (in spite of their half truths). The next chapter speaks to the fulfillment of God’s promise. Believe how God sees you, not the circumstances!- Teresa

  Genesis 20: 1-18 (ESV)20 From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” 4 Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? 5 Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” 10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” 11 Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
14 Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all[a] who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.” 17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. 18 For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

This beautiful sunrise greeted us on our icy walk today. It reminded me that at times the seed of hope is planted when circumstances look the bleakest or when conflict abounds. Abram and Lot had to separate before God was able to bless Abram (who would later become Abraham) to the full extent. Are there things or people in our lives that tie us to the created world system rather than free us to be our best for the Creator? The length and breadth of His love for us takes resurrection power to allow us insight into what this means….(see Eph 3: 16-18). -Teresa #thisisHiskingdomcome

 Genesis 13: 8-18 (ESV)

8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen.[a] 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.

14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” 18 So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks[b] of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

When Adam received judgment for disobeying God, he was reminded of his frailty. God, our creator, displays His handiwork through every human being- fearfully and wonderfully made! He made exquisitely beautiful and intelligent people out of the dust of the earth. Our job is to recognize how precious the people around us are every day. #Christinthecommonplace – Teresa

 Genesis 3:19

19 …By the sweat of your face

    you shall eat bread,

till you return to the ground,

    for out of it you were taken;

for you are dust,

    and to dust you shall return.

This one was born in Zion… make no mistake this one is mine! A respected man will fight like none other for his family. Even so, the children of the Almighty One are protected. Our King came as a righteous Savior. When we respect His position as the Son of Man, Messiah brings rejoicing because He is greatly to be praised! – Teresa

 Zechariah 9: 9-13 (ESV)

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

    righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,

    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim

    and the war horse from Jerusalem;

and the battle bow shall be cut off,

    and he shall speak peace to the nations;

his rule shall be from sea to sea,

    and from the River[c] to the ends of the earth.

11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,

    I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;

    today I declare that I will restore to you double.

13 For I have bent Judah as my bow;

    I have made Ephraim its arrow.

I will stir up your sons, O Zion,

    against your sons, O Greece,

    and wield you like a warrior’s sword.

Thanks for living among us as a child in the manger- Oh Lord of the universe! We join ourselves to you through faith in your supreme name. A name that is above all names. We are your people-people born again through receiving the gift you offer to all mankind- the gift of eternal life. – Teresa

Zechariah 2:10-13 (ESV)

10 The Lord says, “Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem,[d] for I am coming to live among you. 11 Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they, too, will be my people. I will live among you, and you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me to you. 12 The land of Judah will be the Lord’s special possession in the holy land, and he will once again choose Jerusalem to be his own city. 13 Be silent before the Lord, all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling.”

When God wrote about the days formed for our existence, every one of them was included in his book. I love to journal and plan for the good things I feel led by God to do in the coming years. Knowing that God’s works are full of wonder, we can be inspired to live every day to its fullest-expectant to see what His will has already ordained for us. -Teresa

 Psalm 139: 13-18 (ESV)

13 For you formed my inward parts;

    you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a]

Wonderful are your works;

    my soul knows it very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

    the days that were formed for me,

    when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!

    How vast is the sum of them!

18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.

    I awake, and I am still with you.

When Todd Beamer led the offensive which overpowered terrorists on flight 93, he rallied the courage of everyone with two words. Amos, the prophet, gathered up his courage as well when the people were missing the heart of God (blinded by their sacred cows). He declared, “Let justice roll down like waters”…When we intentionally intervene with care for the children of the world, the courage of these righteous acts will be evident to all (read about Agape International Ministries with Don Brewster).- Teresa

Amos 5: 21-24 (ESV)

21 “I hate, I despise your feasts,    and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.

22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,

    I will not accept them;

and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,

    I will not look upon them.

23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;

    to the melody of your harps I will not listen.

24 But let justice roll down like waters,

    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Abiding in the teachings about Christ means the difference between religious thinking and religion that is pure and faultless- shown in our actions to care for  orphans and widows in their distress and to keep ourselves unspotted by the world system (see James 1). The difference between deception and authentic faith is abiding in Jesus Christ our Savior. Those who are deceived have run ahead conjuring ideas that amaze the masses. Remaining true to our Lord’s life and ministry, we are able to be part of both the Father’s will and the Son’s human touch. -Teresa

2 John 1:7-11 (ESV)

 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we[a] have worked for, but may win a full reward. 9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

Although we don’t always understand why some people are given power to govern or rule new lands, God does. He is able to do glorious things through the most unlikely candidates. Nebuchadnezer became a believer in his later life-an unlikely yet beautiful account to read. Although Belshazzar witnessed his father’s change of heart, he was arrogant and foolish and God chose to depose of him summarily. In the midst if it all, Daniel spoke the word of God, trusting the results to Him who judges rightly (the thoughts and intents of each man’s heart.) -Teresa

 Daniel 5:17-23 (ESV)

17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. 19 And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. 20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. 21 He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. 22 And you his son,[f] Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, 23 but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.