Short & Sweet: Let it Go! Let it Go! by Mary Kane

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Nourishment and Refreshment for your soul.
Nourishment and Refreshment for your soul.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

Galatians 5:1

Why has Christ set us free? So we can be free.  God does not want us to be enslaved to any sin or habit. The chains of sin  prevent us from walking with Christ.  If we have accepted Christ as our Savior, we have the power, at any moment, to let it (sin) go.

Anger … let it go. Wrath … let it go. Bitterness … let it go.  Jealousy, hatred, envy, vengeance … let it go. When we let these injurious things go, we will be able to receive God’s healing and blessing.

As our verse states, freedom requires work. We must stand firm and not let ourselves be burdened again with sinful thoughts, attitudes and habits. We have been freed so we can set these things free. Let them go and let Him fill us up.

Action Points:

1. Name one thing you need to let go.

2. If you let it go, how will your life change?

3. What will you do in place of the item you let go?

 

Life is sweet.

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Short & Sweet: The Rod, by Mary Kane

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Nourishment and Refreshment for your soul.
Nourishment and Refreshment for your soul.

“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.” Isaiah 11:1
Jesus is called by many names: The Bright and Morning Star, The Word, The Lamb of God, Living Water and The Bread of Life. Each name reveals something about His character and our relationship with Him. Isaiah 11:1 names Jesus as a Rod from the stem of Jesse. The Living Water, and Bread of Life are understandable, but what does Rod mean? To gain understanding, we must go back to the original language. Please consider the following definitions:
Rod: in Hebrew, choter, which means a branch or rod
Stem: in Hebrew, geza, which translates as the trunk of a felled tree or a newly planted tree, putting forth new roots.
Branch: in Hebrew, netser, which descends from the root word natsar, which means to defend, to guard, to keep a covenant (emphasis mine).
Putting it all together: From the family of Jesse, God was bringing to pass something new – a new covenant. This new covenant would be established by Jesus, the Rod from the family tree of Jesse.
To close today’s study time, please read one more verse. “Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.” Proverbs 13:24
The success of the next generation depends upon us sharing with them the Good News of Jesus, the Rod of Jesse. Let’s be faithful to God’s calling.
Action Points:
    1. How can you help your children have more Jesus?
    2. What do you need to do to deepen your own relationship with Him?

Life is Sweet.

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Short & Sweet: Feeling Cross, by Mary Kane

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Nourishment and Refreshment for your soul.
Nourishment and Refreshment for your soul.

“2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

Last week I was having a hard week. Usually I am a pretty happy person; I can find joy in the little things of life. A lovely sunset, a quiet walk in the forest, an elegant house from a bygone century can bring a smile to my lips. I was feeling a little out of sorts. As my mother would say, I was “feeling a little cross.”

Feeling cross (Webster’s): angry, annoyed, irritated, put out.

Jesus has also felt cross, but his experience was very different than mine. According to Hebrews 12:2 when Jesus was feeling cross, He felt joy.

Feeling cross meant pleasing His Father. Feeling cross meant purchasing our redemption. Feeling cross meant salvation for all mankind. Because Jesus was feeling cross, we have been set free from our sin and shame and are free to live for him.

Feeling cross (redefined by Jesus): joy, peace, grace, freedom, thankfulness, blessedness.

Action Points:

1. How has the cross changed your life?

2. Thank Jesus for the life changing work of the cross.

3. Today, share the work of the cross with another person who needs encouragement.

Life is sweet.

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Short & Sweet: Cross Over by Mary Kane

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Nourishment and refreshment for your soul.
Nourishment and refreshment for your soul.

“45 Moses finished speaking all these words to all Israel, 46 and he said to them: “Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe—all the words of this law. 47 For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess.”  

Deuteronomy 32:45-47

Cross over. In the Hebrew, cross over transliterates as `abar, which means to pass through, to march over, to pass beyond, to pass over. The term Hebrew actually descends from the word `abar. The Hebrew people were those who crossed over.  Following the Ark of the Covenant, the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the Land of Promise.

Similarly, as believers, we are continuously called to cross over to our Promised Land. The cross of Jesus enables us to cross over.  At the foot of the cross, we leave the darkness and cross over into the light.  We leave self and cross over to Savior. We leave sin and cross over to righteousness. We leave hopelessness and cross over to purpose.

Action Points:

  1. How is God calling you to cross over?
  2. Is there a Jordan River standing between you and your Promised Land? If yes, how can you take a step of faith today and cross over?
  3. Thank God for everything He has empowered you to leave behind because you crossed over to follow Him.

Life is sweet.

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Short & Sweet: Cross My Heart by Mary Kane

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Nourishment and refreshment for your soul.
Nourishment and refreshment for your soul.

4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
Deuteronomy 6: 4-6
 
“Cross my heart and hope to die.”

When I was in elementary school, the declaration listed above was a very common promise between little girls. After sharing a vital piece of information with a best friend, we would very solemnly draw a cross on our hearts with two fingers, and then pledge to fulfill our cross my heart oath … even to the point of death. Usually these childish cross my heart pledges were made late in the night, between giggles, as we shared our secrets with one another.  I look fondly back on these childhood promises; some broken, some kept.

In the book of Deuteronomy, God calls us to make a very solemn promise: a cross your heart kind of promise. He vows to never leave us or forsake us. He takes our sin and our shame. He etches a cross upon our heart and asks us to love Him with all our strength. It is a promise never broken, always kept to the point of death … even death on a cross. Cross His heart and we have hope when we die.

Action Points.

1. Have you asked Jesus to be your Savior? If not, please click on the link below.

2. Is God not just your first priority, but your every priority?

3. What needs to shift so God can be a greater priority?

4. How do you love God with all your heart? All your soul? All your mind?

 

Accepting Christ

Life is sweet!

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