Everything Will Be Okay

"What do you mean?" exclaimed Nicodemus. "How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again?"
Jesus replied, "The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven. So don't be surprised at my statement that you must be born again.(John 3:4-8, NLT)

I often listen to the news in order to understand how people perceive things are going in the world. And, yes, I get that the media's perspective is often produced with human interest and entertainment in mind. So, on my drive home last night, I turned on the news. Despite my expertise at channel surfing, I only found stinkin' thinkin' news programs.

Has everyone decided we are living in depressing times? The thing is, it doesn't take long to believe that nothing is going to work out in this world. Seriously, the news has become incredibly depressing.

I turned off the radio. As if on cue, the setting sun touched the darkening skies, producing an incredible display of reds, oranges, and pinks. It was breathtakingly beautiful . . . and a reminder from God, "Everything will be okay."

John records the incredible message that God wants us to live with more than depressing circumstances and human effort . . . He offers to give us new life. Jesus told Nicodemus that this new life can't be reproduced by humanity. Life through God is not ruled or controlled by circumstances . . . but through the presence of the Spirit.

Regardless of what is going on in this world . . . God has a plan that is way beyond what humanity can think, do, or imagine.
Everything will be okay. God continues to be in control.

My prayer for you:

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21, NLT)

Learning with you that everything will be okay,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Watch the Video: It Will Change You

Jesus replied, "I assure you, unless you are born again,you can never see the Kingdom of God." (John 3:3, NLT)

I don't know about you, but I get a ton of emails. It is difficult to keep up, especially the emails that are forwarded around the world. So, I almost ignored a video that was sent to me; however, I had a fifteen minute break last night and watched it.
The video (http://www.wretch.cc/video/ritahsia&func=single&vid=2282608&o=time_d&p=0) ran for thirteen minutes and changed me. A young guy, Nick Vujicic, tells about his struggles with God because he was born without arms and legs. He desperately prayed that God would work a miracle in his life. The miracle occurred: he found the love of God.

Nick said he is grateful for receiving the greatest thing that could occur in anyone's life: receiving the love of God . . . he also said that he has learned that he is not only okay but he is God's perfection . . . God is using him in ways that most could not be used. He has been touched by the love of God and now touches others with the love of God. Anyway . . . in those thirteen minutes . . . God used Nick on a video to wreck me . . . life looks different . . . and it turns out I will be giving up any and all complaining.

John records the moment in time that Jesus talked to another Nick (Nicodemus) about the truth that wrecks our world . . . the truth that humanity has been given the opportunity to be reborn through the love of God. In other words, when the love of God is received . . . the heart changes . . . which changes thoughts, words, feelings, and actions. The perception of life changes when it is motivated by the love of God.

Those who allow the love of God to change their heart are changed and continually grateful.

Life is never the same when you are touched by the love of God and then touch others with his love.
This is a new day.
Receive the love of God all over again.
Be grateful.
Celebrate life.

Learning with you to continually surrender and be changed by love of God,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Enough Proof

Nicodemus, a Pharisee,came to speak with Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are proof enough that God is with you" (John 3:2, NLT).

I have some friends who manage an inner city mission. They have learned that when they receive a large donation that rather than having an opportunity to get ahead that they will also be presented with a large need. Conversely, when there is a large need they know that they will be presented with a large donation. The process doesn't make business sense. They have data to prove there has always been enough; however, they don't have proof that there will be enough for tomorrow. When all is said and done, they manage the mission through faith.

If we are honest, living by faith is a challenge and not always easy. John gives us a glimpse of the process of faith through the remarkable encounter between Nicodemus, a Pharisee, and Jesus. The thing is, Pharisees were known to be close-minded, focused on the details of religious law. Even so, Nicodemus pursued Jesus.

Nicodemus believed Jesus to be a teacher with the presence of God. Teachers were revered. He assessed Jesus through a human perspective. He had enough proof that Jesus was a great teacher (rabbi). It just made sense.

What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. (Hebrews 11:1, NLT)

Faith requires us to stretch beyond what makes sense to us.
Evaluate your faith today.
Do you have faith in the things you cannot yet see?
Are you waiting for enough proof?
Surrender.
Live in faith.
Learning with you to have faith beyond the proof,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

After Dark

After dark one evening, a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus, a Pharisee... (John 3:1, NLT)

I am a people watcher. Seriously, humanity provides an incredible amount of entertainment in every day moments. Throughout the years, I have watched people do unreasonable, unnecessary, and even impossible activities.

One evening, I watched a group of people, presumably a family, that were rolling along the road . . . all together . . . on shoes with pop-out rollers. It was worth another look. Seriously, their rollers were not traditional roller skates or roller blades; they were regular shoes with pop-outs. Questions came to mind: Where did the adults find shoes with pop-outs? Were they out having fun or conserving gas? How far were they going? My questions were not answered; my curiosity as a people watcher remains.

A man called Nicodemus was seen. John described the scene between Nicodemus and Jesus. He came out after dark, presumably so he would not be seen; however, his secret continues to be known two thousand years later. He was seen.


We are watched. Where we go . . . what we do . . . how we live . . . is watched. Even when we wait until we think no one will see or hear, at some point it will be revealed.
Why? We are created to impact others. What we do, either in the light or dark, will be revealed because it eventually impacts someone.

I doubt that Nicodemus ever thought that his little trip after dark would impact people thousands of years later.

Evaluate what you are doing.
Realize you will be observed and impact someone at some point in time.
Live in the Light.
Impact others for good.
Learning with you to understand every individual impacts someone,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Human Nature

Because of the miraculous signs he did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many people were convinced that he was indeed the Messiah.
But Jesus didn't trust them, because he knew what people were really like.
No one needed to tell him about human nature (John 2: 23-25, NLT).

Last night, we held our annual Tailgate baptism, which is an all-out-party and celebration. We not only baptize individuals who believe in Christ but we celebrate the fact that God transforms our life. For me, baptizing someone is an over the top experience. In that moment, you realize that there is nothing we can do to earn or deserve connecting with God.

Jesus Christ, God with us, provided the Way to connect. Not only that, it is a connection that changes us.

John wrote about the people that were convinced that Jesus was the Messiah. The thing is . . . he doesn't say that they were convicted of needing Christ in their life or that they were willing to continue to connect with them. What he does say is that Jesus understood that humanity needs more than miraculous signs to be transformed.

What does humanity need? Humanity needs an ongoing . . . never-ending . . . connection with God.. . a personal relationship.

So, how do we keep a personal relationship with God passionate? I am convinced that a passionate relationship with God revolves around worship. You might think I am talking about music, but I am talking about our personal activity of worship.

The Greek work for worship is proskuneo which comes from pros, meaning, before, and kuneo meaning to adore and prostrate oneself, acknowledging the worthiness of God. It is authentic surrender . . . when nobody is looking type of surrender . . . when it is only you and God.

It is human nature to get so busy with life that we forget that Life is Christ.
Connect with Christ today.
Take time to worship . . . really worship today.
Find time . . . to go before God and surrender everything . . . worship.
Adore God.
Learning with you to worship,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

"Aha" Moments

After he was raised from the dead, the disciples remembered that he had said this. And they believed both Jesus and the Scriptures. (John 2:22, NLT)

When was the last time you were puzzled about something? I am referring to the times in life that the pieces of available information don't seem to fit together. In those moments, clarity is missing. Then something is said or occurs and you find yourself in an "aha" moment, for better or worse, you get "it."

Can you imagine the "aha" moment when the disciples realized Jesus had expected death and resurrection? Wouldn't that have given greater clarity of who Christ was and is . . . Immanuel . . . God with us?

Too often, we see life in the short term rather than in the eternal. We get caught up in things that will not matter at the end of our life. No one escapes this problem; our vision often is direct at ourselves and the circumstances we face. Whether we will admit it or not, the unspoken question often is: "What does this mean for me?" As we gain perspective and maturity, we have an "aha" moment because we see that the greater question is "What does this mean in the scope of eternity?"

Take an "aha" break.
Gain clarity.
Look for the missing piece of information.
See more than yourself and circumstances . . . see that God is with us and has a greater plan than what you see right now.

Learning with you to take time for "aha" moments,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Did You Miss God?

"What right do you have to do these things?" the Jewish leaders demanded. "If you have this authority from God, show us a miraculous sign to prove it."
"All right," Jesus replied. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
"What!" they exclaimed. "It took forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can do it in three days?"
But by "this temple," Jesus meant his body. (John 2:18-21, NLT)

I watched a deer come out of the wetlands behind our home. It did not appear to have any agenda but to sample a few leaves from various trees. Deer must keep aware of their surroundings to stay alive; however, this particular deer seemed to be unaware and unconcerned of anything but the leaves. I am not sure what that means for the longevity of the deer.

Awareness of ourselves, our surroundings, others, and the presence of God is a vital component of healthy living. The passage from John revolves around the lack of awareness of important-big deal-Jewish leaders. They simply did not get the fact that they were in the presence of God. Scholars have been trying to grasp the full meaning of the passage from John 2 for centuries. One thing is for sure, it was difficult, if not down right impossible, for the leaders to comprehend God being in the flesh. In their experience, God was separate and could not possibly be in human form. They were unaware of what they were missing.

Before we become judgmental of those that missed the presence of God . . . how many times have we been unaware of the presence of God? Listen, I do know that we can be so consumed with the stuff of every day living that we are unaware of what God is doing.

Plain and simple . . . God gets missed because we are consumed with schedules, agendas, and well . . . stuff.

STOP!
Be aware of yourself, of your surroundings, of others, and God.
Seek Him first.
Be aware.
Be still . . . and know God.

Learning with you to be aware,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

What is your perception of life today?

Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: "Passion for God's house burns within me." (John 2:17, NLT)

I don't like to shop. In my perspective, shopping is a waste of money and time. Seriously, stores have studied the psychological profiles of people to get the shopper's attention and desire to buy something from the moment they walk into the store. Placement of items, music, scents, are strategies to get people to make a purchase. Seriously . . . the whole shopping thing irritates me. That said, I will go shopping with others for the social interaction and . . . well. . . lunch. The thing is, I have friends that use shopping to relax, which is beyond my comprehension.

Our perception of an activity is a key component in what we want to do or don't want to do. Have you ever discovered that you liked doing something that you had dreaded? Our perception can change.

John records that the people witnessed the passion of Christ and remembered the prophecy of passion for the house of God. The fact that John wrote about the passion of Jesus would indicate that passion for the house of God was unusual. Jewish law required the people to make a journey to the temple (the house of God). Somewhere along the way, it was more about following the rules than having a relationship with God.

The Bible records incidence after incidence that faith became routine and a duty. Passion was lost. What happened to the people when they witnessed the powerful passion of Christ? Did their perception change?

What is your perception of life today with God?
Do you perceive your relationship with God to be more about duty or is it about passion?
Be honest.
We all need a new and fresh vision.
Take time somewhere in your day to be renewed and rejuvenated.

Learning with you keep my perception of life with God fresh and new,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Consumed with the Business of the Day

In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables.
Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.
He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!"(John 2: 14-16, NRS)

I love children. I always have loved children. Some of the happiest moments on earth occur for me when I see children laughing and playing. The freedom that kids should have to be kids seems to be such a rare gift. There are so many children in this world that struggle to survive physically, emotionally, and spiritually. In my opinion, every adult should find a way to help at least one needy child on a routine basis. It is only an opinion, however, we adults tend to be so consumed with the business of the day that we forget there are those who need us, especially children.

John described a revolutionary scene that merits study and discussion. The people connected the presence of God with the temple; however, it had become more of a place of business than a place to meet with God. Certainly, we can agree that corruption was at the forefront of the problem. Jesus came into the temple and literally turned everything upside down.

I love children. I always have loved children. Some of the happiest moments on earth occur for me when I see children laughing and playing. The freedom that kids should have to be kids seems to be such a rare gift. There are so many children in this world that struggle to survive physically, emotionally, and spiritually. In my opinion, every adult should find a way to help at least one needy child on a routine basis. It is only an opinion; however, we adults tend to be so consumed with the business of the day that we forget there are those who need us, especially children.

John described a revolutionary scene that merits study and discussion. The people connected the presence of God with the temple; however, it had become a place of business than a place to meet with God. Certainly, we can agree that corruption was at the forefront of the problem. Jesus came into the temple and literally turned everything upside down.

The thing is, not one human being is exempt from being consumed with the business of the day.

So, what can we do when the business of the day trashes our ability to be aware of God and the priorities of living in this world?

When all is said and done, we need to make a decision to be aware of His presence and the way God would have us go before we do anything else. It is simple, but when we are consumed it can be a great struggle to put God before our doing.
Decide that nothing takes precedence over knowing God. Stop everything. Seek Him.

"Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)

”. . . and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.”(Matthew 6:33, NLT)

Learning with you to be first, and foremost, consumed with God,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

The Place of Peace

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.(John 2:13, NRS)

We have moved. Settling into a new location takes time. It is a process. Where we are in life is often attached to a place. So, it is my prayer that this place in life symbolizes peace, the shalom. Knowing, receiving, and living in the shalom of God brings a wholeness that nothing and no one else can do in our life.

John wrote more about Jesus' travels to Jerusalem than the other gospel writers. Whenever a place is discussed in the Bible, we are able to understand the passage more clearly by searching to find the meaning of the named place. So, what was important about Jerusalem?

Throughout the old and new testaments, Jerusalem symbolized the rule of God. Essentially, Jerusalem became the symbol of hope. It was not only the place where King David established his reign (I Chronicles 11) but the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant; representing the covenant God made the people of Israel his own. (I Chronicles 15-17).

When an individual knows that no matter what, they belong to God, there is an indescribable peace, the shalom. Christ, God with us, revealed that wherever we are in His presence is a place of peace.

Look around you today.
Are you in a place of peace?
Be aware of the presence of Christ's peace.
Receive His peace.
Be in a place of peace.
Learning with you to be in a place of peace,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)