My friend Bev recently changed her work schedule, freeing up more time for ministry.

One morning she prayed, “Lord, show me what you want me to do today.”

“Go to Walmart,” said the Lord.

“Walmart?” questioned Bev, “but I don’t need anything at Walmart.”

“Yes, Walmart,” responded the Lord. “Go, and I will show you when you get there.”

So Bev arrived at Walmart, still unsure of what would happen. 

“Where should I go, Lord?” 

“To the back of the store, the toy aisle,” came her answer.

There Bev encountered a distraught looking woman, softly weeping.

During the next 15 minutes, they talked. The Lord showed Bev what to say to encourage the woman’s heart and remind her that God was present. Before leaving, Bev prayed for the woman, and they shared a hug.

How glad she was she went to Walmart!

In Acts 8, we read of another divine appointment.

Philip had developed a fruitful ministry in Samaria. The people were seeing the miracles, healings, and deliverance from demons that followed Philip wherever he preached.

Many came to Christ, “and there was great joy in that city.” (v.8)

Philip likely wondered then, why one day God asked him to leave Samaria and go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza (v.26).

But Philip obeyed, taking this less travelled road. There he encountered the treasurer of Ethiopia, a Gentile, who had journeyed to Jerusalem in search of the things of God.

Philip met the man just as he was reading and puzzling over a prophecy about Jesus.

As Philip rode along in the man’s carriage, he shared the good news of Jesus with him. The man confessed, “I believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” (v.37)

Stopping near some water, Philip baptized the man. Shortly thereafter, the man went on his way rejoicing!

I imagine Philip rejoiced as well, when he realized taking the desert road had led to this divine encounter.

When God said, “Go!” Philip didn’t question, didn’t argue, didn’t feel resentful because he was busy.

Philip went!

As he headed out on the less travelled road, he didn’t know what would lie ahead. But his obedience to “Go!” ultimately resulted in a stranger coming to faith in Christ!

When God says “Go!” . . . what will you do?

Copyright © 2017 Cheryl Elton

The post When God Says Go appeared first on Cheryl Elton.

Do you sometimes feel that you fall short in living the Christian life?

If we’re honest, I think many of us would say yes. We may put self before service; perhaps we deny Him by the words we speak, the way we live. We may be easily distracted, love only when it’s convenient, and at times willfully disobey God’s word.

Yet Jesus has an amazing way of restoring us back to Him when we fail. He doesn’t ask us to try harder. He doesn’t demean, degrade, or disgrace us. Rather, He simply asks that we consider our love for Him.

In His final post-resurrection appearance, Jesus addresses Peter, saying, “do you love me?”[1] 

To Peter—the one who denied Christ three times and abandoned Him in His most crucial hour—our Lord asks, three times, “do you love me?” 

And all three times, Peter answers, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.”

Note that Jesus doesn’t ask: “Will you please get the doctrine right?” “Will you be faithful?” “Will you go on the mission field?” but simply, 

“Do you love me?” 

Isn’t love built on relationship? How much time are we spending with Him? Is His presence living and real each day?

And how do we show our love for Him? 

“Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” (John 14:21 NLT) 

Jesus Christ reveals Himself to those who love Him!

The early church at Ephesus was known for their righteous deeds, their patience and perseverance, their intolerance of evil. Yet over time, one thing was lacking—love. So much so, that Jesus says to them:

“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first.” (Revelation 2:4 NLT) “. . . you have left your first love. (NKVJ)”

First means best. Jesus Christ had been their first and best love. But over time that love diminished.

Is Jesus Christ our first love? Or, like this early church, has activity replaced relationship?

Jesus asks that we examine our love for Him. If our answer is “Yes, Lord,” like Peter’s, He graciously reaffirms His will and His presence, setting our hearts at home once more.

_______________________________________________

[1] Read the full record in John 21.

Copyright © 2016 Cheryl Elton

The post Your Best Love appeared first on Cheryl Elton.

We’ve seen the pictures . . . Jesus, the Good Shepherd, serenely walking along a lush green meadow carrying a young lamb, sheep leisurely following behind.

Jesus, walking through crowds, people thronging to be near Him.

Jesus . . . always calm, caring, in control.

But did He ever get upset? Angry? Sad? Stressed?

Yes!

Gospel records show us Jesus got angry at injustice. He wept and grieved when His friend Lazarus died. He had to contend with the Pharisees, constantly berating Him for healing people on Sabbath, the “wrong” day of the week.

The Son of God was a man. A man who experienced the gamut of emotions, stresses, passions, and temptations that we do—yet without sin. 

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15) 

In every situation, the constant was His continuous connection to the Father. Jesus handled everything, including stress, by saying and doing only what the Father told Him.

I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. (John 5:19)

I [Jesus] don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. (John 12:49) 

Surely, as He hung on the cross, Jesus experienced the ultimate stress. His hands and feet pierced with nails, His head crowned with thorns, His face and body bruised and bloodied, His back shredded. His closest companions had deserted Him. People on the ground cruelly shouted insults. He carried the sins of the world upon Himself.

Yet even in the midst of this unfathomable stress, His response to it flowed from His unwavering faith in the Father. He prayed to the Father, and through the Spirit’s empowering was able to say “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34a) 

Perhaps His example can show us how to handle stress. Through the Spirit’s enabling and empowering we can experience Christ’s victory, as we dwell in His peaceful presence.

How would our lives change if we said and did only what the Lord told us?

Copyright © 2015 Cheryl Elton

The post How Jesus Handled Stress appeared first on Cheryl Elton.