Instantly Arriving at Our Destination Devotions with Angela Schans

Video Devotional

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Bible Verse

"Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!" John 6:21

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Meditation

I love this story. The disciples had waited for Jesus. 

They didn't know where He was or when He was coming, so they headed out across the sea to their next destination without Him. 

The going was tough. It was stormy.

Then Jesus shows up, and they eagerly welcome Him into the boat as soon as they recognize Him.

As soon as He is in the boat, they found they had arrived at their destination!

As we are headed from one destination in life to the next, we can trust that He is our ever-present help in times of trouble, waiting only for an invitation to join us in our journey.

The very moment we embrace His presence in our journey, we have arrived at our destination, for our destination is never a place, but a person, the very heart of God.

Today, let's welcome Him into every circumstance we are facing and believe He is our ever-present help in times of need! He will carry us through, if we will but embrace His presence and help. 

Prayer

Lord, please fill me with grace to welcome You at all times and in every situation, believing You are for me and with me. In Jesus name I ask, Amen.

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Current Events:

Last Video Devotional of June! See you in July! 

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Godly Suffering

Video Devotional

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Bible Verse

"If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if 

we deny him, he also will deny us" 

-2 Tim 2:12

Click HERE to Get 3 Quick Tips That Will Raise Your Spiritual Fire To Combustible Temperatures.

Meditation

As a child of God and knowing His power and love, we may be surprised that we ever suffer at all, but godly suffering is not an "if." It's a "when." It's a promise.

If they persecuted Christ, they will persecute those who follow Him.

In fact, if we have not faced persecution, we should take a serious look at our lives- are we fearing man, or God? Have we been ashamed of Jesus?

I have noticed that there are at least four sources of suffering in our walk with Christ. Knowing the source of the suffering gives us the insight we need to respond to the suffering with faith and confidence.

There are four types of suffering I have taken note of in my Bible studies.

1. Godly Suffering
2. Illegal Suffering
3. God’s correction for our wrongs
4. The suffering of compassion

In today's video, we are looking at godly suffering.

The apostle Paul follows Christ's example in suffering for the salvation of souls by taking governmental punishment, and rejection and anger from religious authorities when he is stoned, chained, and beaten.

God did not force Paul to suffer this way. Paul CHOSE freely.  In fact, God sent prophets to WARN Paul that if he went on preaching in the direction he was headed, he would face these persecutions. He was warned again and again by prophets and saints of God- yet he pressed on, choosing to suffer with Christ for the salvation of souls. 

Godly suffering is always a free choice: Jesus submitted to God, after pleading with Him, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42)

In fact, scripture tells us that some will choose martyrdom to attain a better resurrection. 

What was it that enabled saints like these to endure godly persecutions? 

"...it was for the joy set before him, Christ endured the cross." (Hebrews 12:2)

When we truly believe that heaven lies before us and that we will enjoy eternal rewards for our faith displayed on the earth, it puts current suffering into perspective. God ALWAYS overcomes evil with good. ALWAYS.

Prayer

Father fill me with the wisdom of Christ so I will value things that matter more than things that don't. In Jesus name I ask, Amen.

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Current Events:

Happy Father's Day!
Sun., June 21. Observed the third Sunday in June. The exact origin of the holiday is not clear, but it was first celebrated June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Wash. In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a proclamation making Father's Day official.

Coming up:

Independence Day,
Sat., July 4. The day of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, celebrated in all states and territories. The observance began the next year in Philadelphia. 
Read more: Holidays: Religious and Secular, 2015 http://www.infoplease.com/world/events/2015/holidays-religious-secular.html#ixzz3a32AWE8c

* Is your heart alive in Christ? Do you burn to see the people around you catch the fire? 
Let's DO it.

• Get 3 quick tips that will raise your spiritual fire to combustible temperatures NOW. 
• Feed the fire regularly with weekly updates. 
• Enjoy free access to my book Meetings With Beppe. Also available for purchase on Amazon.com. 

EMAIL 

First Name 

Pursuing God and Missing Him

Video Devotional

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Bible Verse

"Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. 31But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. 32Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him." 

- Romans 9:30-32

Click HERE to Get 3 Quick Tips That Will Raise Your Spiritual Fire To Combustible Temperatures.

Meditation

Ever get lost in feeling driven to do do do? Get things done. Do them right, and feel like your totally out of control when it comes to relaxing and resting in God’s care?

I find myself falling into these ruts occasionally. They are usually driven by some nebulous sense of fear

• fear I might fail- or confidence that I will
• fear of others looking down on me if I don't
• fear that I am on my own and God is not REALLY with me or for me on this particular mission.

When I’m frantically working in this mode- I’m preaching well to myself trying to excuse my empty ambitions, but whoa to the person who tries to distract me with a funny joke, or asks me to do something else while I’m in frantic mode. THIS IS NO TIME FOR hugs and kisses!

-That, for me the litmus test of wether I am resting in God, trusting in Him and walking by faith, or TOTALLY in the flesh. 

If I can’t take time for love- I can’t take time for a break- I realize I am totally in bondage to vain and selfish ambition- I am trying to fulfill God’s call on my own instead of trusting in Him.

There is only one solution- and it’s not necessarily having to physically STOP my activity on my mission, but it is an inner heart change. 

• I turn to the Lord. I remember He is with me and for me and wanting to grant me success for every good work.
• I remember He cares about my happiness, and he loves me.
• I repent for acting as though I wanted to or could  do this thing apart from His power and grace and relationship. 
• I turn to God, thanking Him for his REAL, PRESENT and POWERFUL love and I ASK Him for help, BELIEVING His grace is sufficient for me, and He has provided EVERYTHING I need for life and Godliness.

Then, with a happy sigh, I continue with my work, unless He is calling me to take a break, either way I continue through my day IN RELATIONSHIP with Him, conversing back and forth and acknowledging with thankfulness and praise the many small ways His love and power are manifesting in my day.

Gone is the stress. Gone is the fear. Gone is the uncontrollable drive to do do do- instead, everything feels like a reward, and a game of recess because His Yolk is easy, and His burden is light!

Prayer

PRAYER For Returning TO REST MODE:


Heavenly Father, 

You are here! You are powerful! You NEVER leave me. You paid the highest price to bring me close to You.

Your grace is sufficient for all my needs!You have provided EVERYTHING I need for life and godliness. Your yoke is easy and your burden is light.

Help me to walk by the Spirit and not according to the flesh. Fill me with grace to live well. 

I offer up to you my dream for this mission. If it pleases You, by Your power working through me I will ....

Thank You Lord for loving me and helping me! I love you Lord, in Jesus name I ask, Amen.

TIPS:
I specifically mention my dream and goal with what ever topic I have been working so hard on. I also add a time/date, I hope in Christ to accomplish it.

It's not that I'm dictating to God what needs to happen, rather I'm expressing my trust and hope in him by being open about what I'm trying to accomplish and asking for/ inviting His help. 

I believe this pleases Him. But, I am never demanding about it, because I don't know all the unseen and future ramifications for anything I set my mind on doing.So I am completely content trusting in Him, that if I DO NOT make my goal in the time I'd hoped for- that it was simply not the best thing for e to do, and I need to adjust my dream, or seek further consul from the Lord. I'm not too upset if what I wanted didn't happen- for all I know God saved my life by NOT enabling me to accomplish a specific mission I thought was His will for me.

***as a side note, trust like this, will keep a person completely even-tempered while being cut off in traffic. 
*** DO we REALLY believe our steps are ordered by the Lord?

"It is given to man to plan, but the Lord directs his steps." - Proverbs

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Current Events:

Yesterday

Flag Day,

Sun., June 14. This day commemorates the adoption by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, of the Stars and Stripes as the U.S. flag. Although it is a legal holiday only in Pennsylvania, President Truman, on Aug. 3, 1949, signed a bill requesting the president to call for its observance each year by proclamation.
This Coming Sunday:

Father's Day,

Sun., June 21. Observed the third Sunday in June. The exact origin of the holiday is not clear, but it was first celebrated June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Wash. In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a proclamation making Father's Day official.


Read more: Holidays: Religious and Secular, 2015 http://www.infoplease.com/world/events/2015/holidays-religious-secular.html#ixzz3a30o25RM

* Is your heart alive in Christ? Do you burn to see the people around you to catch the fire? 
Let's DO it.

• Get 3 quick tips that will raise your spiritual fire to combustable temperatures NOW. 
• Feed the fire regularly with weekly updates. 
• Enjoy free access to my book Meetings With Beppe. Also available for purchase on Amazon.com. 

EMAIL 

First Name 

Perseverance

Devotional Video

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Bible Verse

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. (Hebrews 10:36 NIV)

When we had come through a particularly  hard season of marriage- victorious- meaning we were still in love and trials had produced increased love rather than hardened hearts- I went to post on Facebook a note to celebrate our Wedding anniversary.

Now I am not naturally a superior speller, but every time I tried to type the word, “anniversary” in my Facebook tribute, it showed up with the red spell check line under it. When I clicked for spelling suggestions, the ONLY option that spell check would offer was, “perseverance.” 

Again and again I tried various spelling options for “anniversary,” but nothing helped, and no matter how I changed my rendering of the word, spell check only offered one solution, “perseverance!”

Eventually I had to laugh and give up and write “today we celebrated our …year of marriage.” 

If there was one thing that season has required, it was perseverance! Some times I think God’s angel manipulates my computer to accent the message God is speaking to me, the same angle that removes my internet connection or kills my battery when It’s time for me to go to sleep.

Hardships are working together for our good but going through them requires strength and perspective. Sometimes suffering is part of a choice we make in following Christ’s example of sacrificial love, sometimes it is enemy opposition, and sometimes it is Godly discipline. 

Knowing the source of our suffering helps us to know how to respond to it successfully. Next week we will look at these three types of suffering to collect our tools of response, so that when trouble hits, we know what to do with it.

Current Events:
TODAY
Pentecost (Whitsunday),
Mon., June 8. This day commemorates the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles 50 days after the Resurrection. Whitsunday is believed to have come from "white Sunday," when, among the English, white robes were worn by those baptized on the day.

Next Week:
Flag Day,
Sun., June 14. This day commemorates the adoption by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, of the Stars and Stripes as the U.S. flag. Although it is a legal holiday only in Pennsylvania, President Truman, on Aug. 3, 1949, signed a bill requesting the president to call for its observance each year by proclamation.



Read more: Holidays: Religious and Secular, 2015 http://www.infoplease.com/world/events/2015/holidays-religious-secular.html#ixzz3a30o25RM

Putting People in their Place

Devotional Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRvgTyU0-TQ&list=PL6Qh59Kdu391UmZDmLRlvjoiUOSgbuE16

CLICK to subscribe to my NEW YOUTUBE CHANNEL (SUMMER 2015)

Bible Verse

Listen to me, O royal daughter; take to heart what I say. Forget your people and your family far away. For your royal husband delights in your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.
Psalm 45:10

Many hard feelings, perhaps ALL hard feelings evaporate in the warmth of His love. Disciplining our minds to glorify God above all earthly things may seem hard at first, but the habit is WELL rewarded by a peaceful, and stable heart.

Prayer

Father, 

Please grant me the wisdom to value Your words and thoughts far above all others. Please help me to know and believe in Your great love. Give me an understanding heart to know Your love and may it transform everything inside of me.

In Jesus name, Amen

Current Events:

Next Monday:

Pentecost (Whitsunday),

Mon., June 8. This day commemorates the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles 50 days after the Resurrection. Whitsunday is believed to have come from "white Sunday," when, among the English, white robes were worn by those baptized on the day.



Read more: Holidays: Religious and Secular, 2015 http://www.infoplease.com/world/events/2015/holidays-religious-secular.html#ixzz3a3031RxG