Freedom From Discouragement

A Message by Dr. Tony Evans

(You can listen to this message by downloading the Tony Evans free app.)

Today, I decided to type my notes, then re-write them on the pages of a journal. I have to admit, these hands are becoming less fluid with arthritis and when I draw using my ipad and Apple Pencil, I get help! In the program I use (Procreate) it magically straightens my lines, creates perfect circles, & erases with a tap:)

So…today, you’ll see my shaky pen, crooked lines, and maybe even some misspelled words:)

For the pdf of the notes above click HERE.

I am often overwhelmed with GRATITUDE when I stop and think about the way Jesus uses EVERY detail for OUR good and His glory. It should not be lost on us…each deliberate step He takes is designed to show us up close, who our SAVIOR is…and in a way we can understand. <——that is such LOVE. The gentle way He walks beside His friends… to lovingly teach them AGAIN…the things He has told them many times.

The Message today is rooted in Luke 24.

On the Road to Emmaus

¹³ Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles^[a] from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. ¹⁵ As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; ¹⁶ but they were kept from recognizing him.

¹⁷ He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. ¹⁸ One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

¹⁹ “What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. ²⁰ The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; ²¹ but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. ²² In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning ²³ but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. ²⁴ Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

²⁵ He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” ²⁷ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

²⁸ As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. ²⁹ But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

³⁰ When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him,and he disappeared from their sight. ³² 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?”

³³ They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together ³⁴ and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” ³⁵ Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

“The SOLUTION to their DISCOURAGEMENT was ALREADY WITH THEM, but until they had FELLOWSHIP with Jesus, they could NOT see.” -Tony Evans

As they walked and shared their disappointment with Jesus, (though they did not recognize Him) Jesus said to them: “How foolish you are and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken. DID NOT THE MESSIAH HAVE TO SUFFER THESE THINGS & THEN ENTER HIS GLORY?

WE WILL HAVE TIMES OF TROUBLE; for the disciples, this time must have felt like their greatest despair… BUT, as Dr. Evans shares

“It’s hard to rise if you haven’t died.”

Jesus was trying to tell His friends that they had selective hearing when it came to the scriptures. They didn’t want to believe there had to be death before there could be life.

THEY WERE DEPRESSED BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T KNOW THE WHOLE STORY

WE DON’T KNOW THE WHOLE STORY, AND CAN BE PARALYZED BY THE PAST, PRESENT OR FUTURE. There is something right around the corner, that we cannot see.

TRUSTING God, means believing that in ALL circumstances He has ONLY our good in mind…believing that our Father goes before us and has purpose for all things. It can be hard to grasp these truths in the midst of great hardship and tragedy. In the Message “Living In The Light Of Eternity” (you can see my post on this here) Tony Evans says this: “I work down here, but I live up there.” This eternal perspective changes everything, but is not possible without the intervention of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 2)

The Disciples were no different than you and I…yet, they physically walked with Jesus and still had trouble believing!

“THEY DIDN’T RECOGNIZE HIM AT THE BIBLE STUDY (their walk with Jesus), & WHEN THEY GOT TO THE HOUSE, THEY KNEW THE SCRIPTURES BUT DID NOT KNOW JESUS…AND THEN…HE BROKE BREAD WITH THEM…

AND THEY EXPERIENCED THE RESSURECTION.” -Tony Evans

The disciples INVITED Jesus to stay with them, and through this INVITATION, HE manifested who He was as they gathered around the table, which removed the scales from their eyes. (Abiding)

Daily portion = abiding

Our responsibility is to send out the invitation daily. Inviting Jesus to be a part of everything we do. If we dwell with Him, we will find freedom from discouragement and we will experience His presence and provision.

We must all face trials in life, but our Good Father, provides what we need if we ask Him to “the table.” Our discouragement can either lead us to despair and death, or it can lead us to the one who writes our GOOD story.

He’s right here with us. Let’s remember to invite Him in!

Much love,

Free At Last

A message by Dr. Tony Evans

CLICK HERE FOR THE ABOVE PRINTABLE

WOW, my fingers got tired typing the notes from today’s lesson! There was so much! (You can listen to it for free by going to your App Store and searching Tony Evans)

John 8:31-36

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

In a nutshell, Tony teaches the above text like this:

We can live like we believe we are free, but we operate within the prison walls we have set up for ourselves due to our sin. (Which will always keep us separated from our Father, and the good things He has for us)

We need to gut the room, instead of covering it up with more wall paper. We need surgery, but instead, we take pain relievers to deal with a problem that will not go away without the Great Physician. “Rejecting the truth, is killing us.” -Tony Evans

“Freedom-is being liberated or released from illegitimate bondage or limitations in order for us to become all that we were created and then redeemed to be.” -Tony Evans

UNLESS we abide (remain, rest, dwell, stay…in God’s Word) we will not know truth, which will keep us from the freedom Christ is waiting to give us! We can hear truth, but to live it, we must step forward and take the hand of Christ.

A final thought Dr. Evans gave us today came from John 11.

³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹ “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

Jesus told Lazarus to “come forth!” and Lazarus comes walking out of the grave, yet he was STILL “tied up in death clothes”

——>So, Jesus said to THEM “take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

ONE OF THE WAYS GOD SETS PEOPLE FREE, IS TO USE THE BODY of CHRIST TO HELP UNWRAP ANOTHER’S GRAVE CLOTHES. <——That’s how I got unwrapped!

I am eternally grateful to so many women!

GOD, in His great mercy, ALLOWS US TO COME ALONGSIDE SOMEONE ELSE WHO HAS THE SAME PROBLEM WE ONCE HAD, to help them unwrap their grave clothes. ❤️

When the bail is posted (truth) you feel better right away…you have the paper work for freedom…

BUT, it’s when the door is unlocked (the Son has the key) that you are FREE INDEED.

Blessings and FREEDOM to you Sisters!

Unchained,

Time To Cross Over

A lesson from Dr. Tony Evans

Click on this image for Printable

We’ve all been stuck in a boat that is caught in a storm. I’ve been in quite a few…some of my own doing. I STEPPED WILLINGLY INTO THE STORM.

I have a dear friend who has been in the boat such a long time. The thing is, her kids are in the boat with her. Their storm is a very physical one. Medical issues that are unrelenting.

Unrelenting

adjective

1. not yielding in strength, severity, or determination.

My heart aches with her…Her kids are fighting a storm of health issues that are NOT YIELDING IN STRENGTH OR SEVERITY…DAILY. If you are a Mom, you can probably relate to the deep pain you experience, watching your children suffer in ways you cannot relieve…if you could, you’d gladly take this pain from them…but lack the power to do so.

These are the circumstances when we have NO CHOICE but to completely LET GO OF OUR GRIP …we must let go of the stern to take hold of Jesus hand. (Mark 4)

“Mortal words” never make a dent in the wall of suffering some endure…

In an Article by Sarah Walton she says this:

Distress teaches us to rest in God’s sovereignty.

What has gradually changed my perspective on my life, my child, and my family’s struggles is that it’s never been about me. When I believe that life is all about my happiness, when I think that I could do more if I didn’t have this hardship or that I am missing out on what life could have been, I get discontent, anxious, and downcast. But when, by God’s grace, I trust that nothing happens apart from his will and sovereign plan, I am encouraged and strengthened, knowing he is working in and through even my darkest days, to make me more like him. It is in the midst of our darkness that his light shines most brightly to those around us. 

As much as we would like answers and help for the painful, confusing, overwhelming circumstances, we must remember that Christ himself is the answer that we need in both an earthly and spiritual sense. He knows each member of our family intimately and is working out his good purposes in each of our lives (including the children he calls home and those living with disability or illness), often in ways we never would have expected. As we learn to trust Christ in our grief, despite what seems hopeless, we can begin to grasp more deeply the profound hope of the gospel. 

If you have been entrusted with a road that has been marked by loss in your parenting and are struggling to see beyond the pain, I pray that you will be strengthened by remembering that your family has been divinely chosen to display God’s glorious redemption story. Although we aren’t promised healing (physical or mental) on this earth, we are promised that Christ will not waste one tear we shed over the painful effects of sin and brokenness within our world. You are not hopeless, you are not alone, and your losses will not have the final word.

Entrusted with this pain? How can we ever wrap our human mind around this truth? How did Job do it?

In a recent post, I shared a story Tony Evans told about the Shoe Cobbler.

“I work down here, but I LIVE UP THERE.”

I only know of ONE WAY to reconcile the storms of life we find ourselves in… “THIS IS NOT OUR HOME, and GOD IS GOOD AND ONLY HAS GOOD FOR US.” <—- ok, maybe that’s two ways:)

ONLY the Lord can give us peace in the storm…hope, in the storm, power, in the storm. He promises these things to His children. We either believe Him or we don’t. If we do believe, then the next VERY DIFFICULT STEP is to let go of the stern and trust Him for everything we need to keep moving forward… cause let’s be honest, there are days when taking another step feels absolutely impossible. Our head know that ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH CHRIST, but our heart has a bit of trouble with this.

Most days, all I can do is lovingly listen to my friend…then pray. There are no “words.”

I know that there are times when we have weathered a storm so long, that we stop asking for help. Do you know what I mean? We think that others are bored with our struggles and needs…but this is not where a TRUE friend resides.

I am reminded of Moses…

…As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed; but when he lowered them, Amalek prevailed. When Moses’ hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it.Then Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one on eachside, so that his hands remained steady until the sunwent down. -Exodus 17:11,12

Love isn’t love without sacrifice. “Love is ascribing worth to another at cost to oneself.” (Greg Boyd)

The power to extend Selfless love only comes from the author of Love.

Lord, give me the heart and the strength to love what you love…to be like Aaron and Hur…a friend who will stand in the gap…who will hold up some arms.

Bless God’s name for how He’s going to take you to the other side.

He may be calling you to hold up another’s arms. (In His strength)

He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. -Philippians 1:6

Much love,

Experiencing God’s Best In The New Year

It’s a Tony Evans week! (Bet you’ve noticed!)

I have to admit, I’ve been feeling a bit like a fish out of water. My husband and I (We are empty nesters😬) have recently left the church we attended for 12+ years. I was deeply rooted in women’s ministry and loved the TRIBE I have been a part of for all these years.

We all know that there is no perfect church—->they are filled with imperfect people…and I am the first to admit my failings. We have been extremely intentional about “sticking with” our imperfect family and have weathered our fair share of storms. But I’ve (we’ve) run ashore this time, and I find myself flopping about on the sand, yearning for the community of Sisters in Christ.

We are not “church hoppers” but church *gophers 😂 and yet, here we are…without a home. (*dig in deep, provide a place to see a way out)

This message from Dr. Tony Evans ministered to my soul and encouraged me that I am to use what I have were I am.

Those of you who have been following me, know I’m not a very consistent
“poster” so the increased time I have (due to less responsibility) has allowed me to use these little fingers to post more often. (Like, almost every day🤪)

WHICH…brings me to today’s lesson, brought to us through the ministry of Tony Evans.

God has purpose for us every day, and He has already graciously provided us with the means to achieve it.

Moses had a stick. David had a sling shot. Shamgar had an oxgoad.

I have my ipad and my pencil 😊

What do you have?

The first critical step is this: Knowing whose VOICE we are listening to…God provides all the rest. FAR beyond what we could hope for or imagine.

Start where you’re at. Trust God for direction and provision. Learn to use what you have, so that when the 600 come, you are ready to use what God has already given ——->for VICTORY.

You don’t need much!

1 seed produces 1 Stalk of Wheat. 1 Stalk of Wheat contains 3 heads which house 15-35 kernels. Those kernels produce close to 100 which will then become 1 million!

What do you already have that you can use to serve God and others TODAY?

Much love,