March 17

Good morning! My grandparents were missionaries to Indonesia over a period of 25-30 years. They also pastored a few churches in the panhandle and West territories of Texas. Once when my uncle was very young, he fell asleep under the pew during the service. Caught up in the business of pastoring this small town church, my grandparents and mom left church to go enjoy a delicious lunch. Only they forgot one small two year old detail. They left my uncle asleep, all alone, in the dark of the church. Unfortunately he woke up before they realized they missed him. Of course, they did miss him and immediately went back to retrieve their crying, distraught little boy. Could you imagine their horror as they realized what they'd done? Can you imagine what Jesus's parents must have felt like when suddenly they realized Jesus was not with their relatives and friends? Oh my goodness. This wasn't a simple 5 mt drive back to the church; it was a longgggg walk back to a very busy, full city that took days. It's no wonder that when the other people around Him were absolutely amazed at His wisdom Mom and Dad wanted to know why He stayed back and worried them so! Did He stay back on purpose or accidentally? Well, I'm sure His parents sure thought it was on purpose. Hmmm. Maybe so. And of course, His innocent response that He had to be about His Father's business must have floored them. What did He mean? About Joseph's carpentry? What did that have to do with staying back to teach and be taught in the Temple? I have a precious, sweet, beautiful 12 yr old daughter. If she had pulled a stunt like that, I would have been frantic and she would have been in hot, hot water. And yet Mary pondered the incident and His words in her heart. It's amazing to hear our children speak profound things. My own son talks of deep theological things at times, and I marvel to hear him. It's funny when I ask where he learned them, he simply says, "from you, Mommy." Beware! Our children really are listening to us. In one verse it says the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him. In another one, Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Could you imagine parenting the perfect child? I can't. I see too vividly my imperfections as a parent. It would be one tough job to parent a perfect child, let alone the Son of God! And could you imagine being His parent and loving Him so much and wanting to hang onto their little Boy just as we want to hang onto ours and keep them little just a little longer. But He grew and grew and grew in wisdom and stature. Where did He get His wisdom? From God of course. And you can bet God used His earthly parents, and His Sunday School Teachers, and Preacher. :) Just imagine that with me. God used common, ordinary man to download some of His wisdom into the King of kings and Lord of lords. I certainly believe God downloaded straight from heaven His fair share of thoughts. His thoughts are not mans and His ways higher than ours. But I can imagine that the people God surrounded Jesus with who loved Him and poured into His life were used of God as well to grow His only begotten Son. And to think that even now, God uses us, you and I, to download God's love and character into our children. Into other's children. Into the young in faith. How amazing to partner with our Heavenly Father to nurture His little ones both in stature and in faith?! Is there anyone in your life who you can find to mentor and teach and grow in God's wisdom? A wayward child w/o a father? A young girl who tries to dress like a woman? A young man who's about to become a dad? A business woman trying to balance raising a family and working full time? A group of boys needing a coach in soccer and in life? Opening your hands or home to a child needing a safe place? I had no idea this was the message God would give me today. But it must be for someone. I encourage you. Get with God. Get His eyes fastened on today and look for that very special life-changing opportunity that may be awaiting you this very day. It may be just around the corner. God bless you! Have a beautiful day. Rolanda Green

March 13

Luke 1:1-25

Zachariah means “Jehovah has remembered”. He was a priest of the line of Abijah. He was married to Elizabeth, whose name means, “God is my oath.” She was also of the priestly line being a descendant of Aaron. The Zondervan Bible Dictionary reveals that she was a woman of unusual piety, faith, and spiritual gifts. It’s obvious she was an encouragement to Mary, the mother of Jesus in that she confided in her upon finding out she would deliver the long awaited Messiah.

Luke also tells us that Zachariah and Elizabeth were ”righteous in God’s eyes” and that they were careful to walk faithfully before Him.

Although we read about their lives with a “Sunday-school” like fascination, Elizabeth and Zachariah lived in a time and among a people in which they were essentially insignificant and obscure.

Alfred Edersheim writes of the Zachariah’s priestly obscurity stating,

“In many respects he seemed different from those around. His home was not in either of the great priest-centres—the Ophel-quarter in Jerusalem, nor in Jericho—but in some small town in those uplands, south of Jerusalem: the historic ‘hill-country of Judaea.”

They were also childless. Barrenness not only caused deep sorrow for a woman in Elizabeth’s time, it also warranted great social disgrace. When one discovered a woman had no children, people would think, “Perhaps God is punishing her or her husband for some unknown sin.” It’s apparent from the text that their heart’s desire for many, many years was to have a baby.

There were many times in private Zachariah came before the Lord. Offering up the incense of his prayers. His cries for a son would rise and year after year, no answer would come. Elizabeth cried out too. Oh how she longed for little hands to brush across her face and to look into the eyes of one she could teach the ways of Adonai.

Amidst the silence, they remained faithful, the eyes of their hearts fixed on Him.

Eventually, they grew old. Far to old to have a child.

This is where we find Zachariah has been chosen by God to burn incense in the temple. I discovered upon reading Bob Deffinbauch’s article entitled, Silence is Shattered, that this honor was bestowed on a priest only once in his lifetime. What incredible anticipation and excitement arose within Zachariah’s heart once he discovered he had been chosen!

While burning incense before the Lord, the veil of silence that loomed over his heart was broken upon the frightening visitation of an angel of God. The angel told Zachariah that he would have a son and that he would be “great in the eyes of the Lord.” The angel also told him that his would be a ministry of preparation and reconciliation. For he would prepare the hearts of Israel for the Messiah’s coming and bring reconciliation to men and women so they could receive Him once he arrived.

I am so inspired as I ponder the amazing ways of God in this story. He chose a poor, nameless couple whose faith remained despite His delayed response. I see a God who cannot turn His ear from the cry of the righteous. A God who remembers the forgotten and who carries away their disgrace.

Blessings,

Lauryn Everett

March 10

Good morning, Wonderful Family! As I read today's daily Scriptures, I marvelled at God's goodness despite man's wickedness. God, being gracious and loving and providing a rich new home land for His people, led the children of Israel to the promised land. However, their hearts were hard and fearful and rebellious, and they refused to enter in and take what God was giving them. After Moses intercedes for them & God declares that only the children and grandchildren would enter in as a result of their rebellion, the people suddenly have a change of mind. Something that caught my attention in this reading was that in the opening verse 14 of Numbers 14, the congregation lifted up their voices and cried and wept ALL night. They must have been pretty distraught. And why? Because they didn't want to go in and take the land God promised them. They were afraid and didn't yet know and trust God to deliver. Hmmm. Then after God declares that only their children and grandchildren will enter in, they have a sudden change of mind (not heart just mind). They "mourn greatly" and express their sorrow, but the Word doesn't even say they mourn all night like they had over their selfish ambitions and stubborn rebelliousness. It seems to me like the mourning was superficial and merely a result of losing out on the promised land and not because they had grieved the heart of God by refusing His treasure for them. How often have we shed these types of tears ourselves? The children of Israel played a dangerous game that day with God and lost. How often do we play those games? How often do we struggle to obey and even then try to put stipulations on our obedience because really we don't want to do what He's requested of us? God, if you do this, then I will do this. Even Moses aroused God's anger against himself a time or two as he argued w/God refusing just to obey and trust Him. There was a boy in highschool that went to school w/my older brother. He was angry and one day decided to get his parent's attention by acting as if he was going to hang himself. He made the nuse in his closet and climbed up on a chair and put his head in it. Only the chair fell out from under him and he was not able to free himself from the nuse and died before his parents found him. It's a scary place to be in when we harden our heart to God and pursue our own selfish ambitions instead of going His way. If only we truly knew the goodness of God and character of God. If only we believe and trust God. Even towards the hard-hearted Israelites, God was gracious and generous to the people by sparing a remnant of their little sons and daughters and their sons and daughters to inherit the promised land. Why would He do that? Because God is LOVE. God is MERCY. It's not what He does. It's not what He gives. It's WHO He is! He loves us even when we are unlovable. I think more than anything else this year I am on a journey (and taking our children with me) to truly know and love God more than anything else. To be all about Him and not the things I want to do "for" Him. That's a HUGE switch for me. And if our children can learn now that being a Christian means knowing andloving the Lord instead of just following a bunch of rules and regulations or doing a bunch of good works in our own flesh, they will have a huge impact for generations to come on this dark world that desperately needs our Savior! I want to love God more. I want to know Him better. I want to spend a lifetime experiencing the joy of His presence. Will you join me on this journey today? Blessings, Rolanda Green

March 6

Psalm 49: 1-20

Recently, I had a brief encounter with a friend from work. She walked into my office with her beaming face and luminous smile. I was sincerely happy to see her. She’s the type of person who makes you feel like you are one in a million. Yet, it didn’t take long for me to realize something was deeply wrong. I’m not sure what caused her to let down her guard, but when she did outcame an overflow of frustration and fear regarding her financial security. Not only that, she had been crying out to God to put her in a place where she could use her unique skill set and gifts to glorify Him. She didn’t need to verbalize how despondent she had become and how disgusted she was with where she was in life. Her eyes asked the question, “Has God forgotten me”?

We have all been in this place. Some of us are veterans! This is the place where we’re looking through the rear window of our lives, driving away from the fruition of our dreams. Perhaps for you, it came when the economy collapsed or through the loss of a job or spouse. Maybe your days were spent sowing into what felt like iron soil and your nights were void of rest. You may have tossed and turned wondering how you’d pay for the groceries or how you’d put your children through college. The answer to the sticky question, “Why me, God?” alludes us.

The writer of Psalm 49 asks this question instead, “Why should I fear when trouble comes, and when my enemies surround me?” The writer is making a bold statement. He is essentially saying, “I have absolutely no reason to doubt God. “ The obvious truth that we often lose grasp of is that there exists no intelligent reason to doubt God. And, there is no failure or trial great enough to rattle Him. Later on in the passage, the writer has become even more confident of his previous statement. He says, “But as for me, God will redeem my life, He will snatch me from the power of the grave.” Friend, He will always come through for you.

Blessings,

Lauryn

FEB 29

Proverbs 10:19

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
A wise old owl lived in an oak,
The more he heard, the less he spoke.
The less he spoke, the more he heard,
Why can’t we all be like the wise old bird?

How many of your words this last week were words of encouragement? How many sentences were devoted to helping lift anxious hearts? If you were paid 10 cents for every kind word you said and had to give away 5 cents for every critical comment, would you be rich or poor today? Do you realize that there are people all around you who are discouraged? God can use your words to breathe life into a person who is piled by life’s problems. Proverbs 15:4: “The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life.”

Have you ever said, “Lord, my tongue now belongs to you?” That’s where Romans 6:13 comes in, which challenges us to “not offer the parts of our body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer ourselves to God…” God wants us to say something like this: “Lord, I’ve been using my tongue for myself but I now want to start using it for you. Here are my lips, let me speak for you. Here is my mouth, let my mouth speak the words that you want.”

Proverbs 16:1 says, “To a man belongs the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue.” Your comments can be put under the Lord’s control. He can give you lips of life. He can give you a tender tongue. He can put words of wisdom in your mouth. He can sanctify your speech. All you need to do is surrender your tongue to Him. It’s not only impossible to be wise without the Word of God; our speech will only be changed through the Scriptures.

Wisdom in Proverbs,
Shaun Estrada

February 25

Good morning, Hillcrest Family!

Isn't this a beautiful day already? As I read today's Scriptures, God's Words, "the life is in the blood" kept jumping out at me. Life is in the blood. Immediately, I think about the blood of Jesus that was shed, that was poured out for you and me. Jesus didn't just shed a few droplets of blood. He was marred beyond recognition and lost a lot of blood. He was speared in the side and blood and water flowed. Jesus poured out His life for me. Jesus shed His life for you. He didn't for our remission of sins, for forgiveness, for our salvation and eternal life. He did it for our healing and wholeness. He did it for our peace. How often do we stress over things instead of resting in the peace of God that truly He will take care of it and us?! How often do we find things to stuff into the holes of our hearts instead of filling ourselves with more and more of Jesus?! I'm so guilty as charged. Nevertheless, God sent His one and only Son to pour out His blood, His life, on our behalf. And we are better for it. I remember being pregnant w/each of my three children and partaking in communion. What priceless, special moments those were to partake of the bread & juice, the body and blood of my blessed Lord and Savior, as I carried my babies. It was as if it was not just between God and me but each precious child growing inside of me. Do this in rememberance of Me. Have you taken communion lately? Think about that body, marred and bruised and aching, broken for you. Think about that blood, warm and so full of life - a lifeline straight to God Himself - poured out, drained of it's life for you. If we only fully understood the sacrifice the Lamb of God made for us, we'd walk in more freedom and more holiness and more of the Spirit of God instead of our flesh than you could possiby imagine. Dear children, God calls you His dearly loved and holy people of God, children of God. We are His. We were bought and paid for with a price. Rest in your Savior's arms today. Rest in His love. Rest in His eternal life. Rest in His wholeness. Rest in His forgiveness. Rest in His joy over you.

Have a blessed weekend. See you on Sunday!

Blessings,

Rolanda

February 21

“The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces. People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall.” Proverbs 10:8-9

Have you ever met anyone who couldn’t take instruction? Usually, this type of person will remain in the same place for many years. We will refer to this type of individual as “the foolish man” for the remainder of this written entry. The “foolish man’s” defensiveness often speaks of his refusal to embrace the painful process of growth. His refusal stems froman incorrect view of fruitfulness.

Just as a vine must be pruned in order to produce more fruit, so in a sense, our hearts must be “pruned”. More often times than not, this is a painful procedure and always causes somediscomfort. It’s funny because usually “the fool” is quick to give his or her “professional opinion”. They delight in rambling about their vast knowledge and unique experiences. However, most people don’t really want to listen to them. Here’s why: without realizing it, they have stunted their spiritual growth and they cannot produce fruit.

On the flip side, the “wise man” is glad to be instructed. Why? Because he has a healthy awareness of his weaknesses and asimple understanding that he cannot bear fruit without the pruning of others. God is so gracious to us in this way. He plants us in an environment where we are pulled and tugged by others. This pulling and tugging stimulates growth.

Verse 9 refers to those who walk in integrity. “Integrity”, according to Webster, means, “the quality or state of being complete or undivided.” Wikipedia also describes integrity as “internal consistency”. According to this verse, the result of integrity is security on the journey. You see, the man of integrity “walks” or lives consistently. His present path is firm because of his past decisions to live rightly. The “foolish man” lacks integrity and therefore even his judgments are crooked. He is never completely sure which path to walk because his heart isn’t anchored in truth. Ergo, he slips and falls.

May God give us fresh grace each day to embrace the miraculous process of growth and to walk faithfully before Him that our path may be firm.

Blessings,

Lauryn E.

February 18

Psalm 37: 3-7

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him…

rest - to cease from action or motion : refrain from labor or exertion

to be free from anxiety or disturbance

to remain confident : trust rest on that assumption>

to be based or founded rested on several sound precedents>

to remain for action or accomplishment rests with you>

I’ve spent the past few years watching and listening to my parents. My step-dad spends his energy being angry with God for his hard life, the suicide of his first wife, and death of his first daughter. He doesn’t yell and rant and rave at God, but the anger is there underlying. His pain robs him of seeing the loving God that He truly isand of wanting to be with such a loving Father. My mother is so lost in herself and her current misery and loneliness that she can’t see her way straight to the Father. If she could only realize His intense love for her, that love would flow into every crevice of her being and make her whole and complete. I’ve prayed for them and agonized for them, then one day I realized just how little I too know the Father.

I’ve grown up as His precious little girl. I’ve known and loved Him my whole life ...and yet it’s amazing just how the world around us, our bringing up, and our own thoughts and preoccupations shape our view of God. God’s love impacted me as a small child. I felt it so real, so personal. And now so many years later when times get tough I question where did that love that I knew so real back then go and has my love grown cold? You see - even though I KNEW God loved me - as I grew older I always felt like I had to earn that love and that punishment and harshness and lack of blessings awaited me if I fell short which of course I did so often. I went from delighting in the Lord to working for Him and doing for Him and lost the delighting in Him and resting in Him part. And even though years ago the Lord graciously set me free from my works mentality, I find that I don’t rest in Him nearly enough.

Watchman Nee in his book Sit Walk Standwrites about the importance of sitting with Christ – resting with Him. You see when Christ was crucified and died on the cross that fateful day, we were crucified with Him. Our old man with all of its worldly and wicked desires was nailed to that cross and bore upon our Lord and Savior. God raised Him up from the dead and made Him to sit at His right hand and raised us up with him, making us to sit with Him in heavenly places. How often do we stop and rest in what God has done rather than what we can do for God? How often do we struggle in our sins or unrest or despair of heart when Christ did the work for our deliverance and forgiveness, for our peace, for our healing and wholeness? There’s not a thing in the world that we can do to earn them. Christ did it already.

Rest assured we serve a Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace who loves us more passionately than we can imagine and who already bore our pain and wretchedness upon Himself – a pure and holy Being. He is the Potter, and we are the clay. Imagine yourself resting in His mighty, skillful capable hands being fashioned and molded so beautifully and perfectly. Today I admonish you to join me in trusting, feeding, delighting in the Lord and resting in Him and waiting patiently for Him. While our hands work so busily may our spirits find rest seated with Christ, being free from exertion and anxiety and disturbance. God bless you. Have a wonderful weekend. See you on Sunday!

Blessings,

Rolanda Green

February 15

“Be Silent And Out Come Out” Mark 1:21-28

This case is unusual because of where it took place - in the very house of God! Why in the world would a man possessed by demons even be interested in going to the house of God? When I think about the fact that in Jesus’ time, Jews were taught to avoid that which was unclean at all cost. They would avoid people with leprosy who cried out “unclean, unclean” because they were deemed unclean. They would avoid women who were experiencing their monthly cycles because they were labeled unclean. Yet, here in their midst is one of their own-worshipping, serving, dressing right, and talking right and still unclean. The good news is that although the people tried to avoid the unclean - Jesus sought them out.

Hillcrest we serve a Jesus who likes to get up close and personal and have direct contact with those people and places that seem unclean. Jesus sought to make the filthy fit for the kingdom. Jesus was God’s detergent for a dirty humanity. He reached into the places that others could not and would not go. He would reach people that the prophets couldn’t get to, the priests couldn’t get to, and the kings couldn’t get to. And that is what he is calling the church today to do. We are to be the cleansing agents for a filthy world. He wants us to reach those who others will not touch because the world has deemed them unclean.

What is so amazing to me about this man’s deliverance is no one was shocked that there was a man with an unclean spirit. No one was surprise at the presents of sin, even in the synagogue, the church. It was just the way things were. God has given us authority to confront evil in our life and around us. He has given us authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. The same risen Savior, who encountered those unclean spirits long ago with an authoritative word, is alive today. He still speaks such words to today’s bound people. The same authority is available today for us to declare to any unclean spirit, “Be silent, and come out.” Jesus was talking to those spirits of selfishness, jealousy, dissension, envy, doubt, fear, rebellion and the like “Be silent and come out” Every time Jesus met someone demon-possessed He kicked the demons out!

What A Mighty God We Serve!
Shaun Estrada

February 14

Psalm 34

A trial or a legacy?

In Psalm 34:11, the writer invites us to listen to his words. Probably because he felt he had something invaluable to share. David, the beloved king of Israel, had many successful years of walking intimately before of the Lord. Many of which, included fleeing for his life on the backside of the desert. It’s through these “trial times” recorded in scripture, we are able to get to know the “man after God’s own heart”. And it was during yet another affliction of David the words of Psalm 34 were birthed. In fact, when these words were written, David had just fled the presence of King Abimelech. Only this time he had acted like a crazy man. Once again, he was running for his life.
Heart pounding and out of breath, David found a place to hide. Tears burned as they rolled down his sun burnt cheeks and his body shook in exhaustion. His thoughts raced back to better times. Times in which he lie in a field, filling it with praises. He hadn’t asked to become king. Why him? Why this? Yet, amidst the racing torrent of questions, he drew near to God instead of shaking his fist at Him. And he prayed. His words went something like this, “ I know Your eyes are upon me and You are watching over me. I cry aloud to You, for You always rescue me. You are close to me in my brokenness and I know you will redeem my soul.”
Recently, I listened to a teaching from one of my favorite pastors. The premise of his message was that if we don’t draw near to God in our brokenness and pain, then we will never embrace Him in our successes. David knew God amidst his sucessess and clung to him in trial. He was the living example of a man who hungered for God in the wilderness, yet thought upon Him while lying on his bed inside of a palace.
Psalm 34 is the historical account of one of the many trials of David. A story of a broken man throwing himself into the arms of the God he knew would rescue him. For us who follow after him, it’s a legacy of enduring faithfulness and encouragement for the broken hearted.
Don’t give in amidst your trial, and whatever you do, don’t underestimate your faithfulness. You are writing your legacy.

Blessings,

Lauryn Everett

February 7

Psalm 31

“In you oh Lord, I put my trust…”

I don’t know how your day started off. Maybe you started late and feel as if you’re a hundred steps behind. Maybe it’s to early to tell. Either way, isn’t it encouraging to know that when things start to fall apart you can run a to mighty, loving God who will keep your world from caving in?

This is what His Word promises in Psalm 31. Psalm 31:1 says, “In you oh Lord I put my trust; never let me be ashamed; deliver me in your righteousness.”

I encourage you, wherever you are, to do as David did. Declare your trust in the Lord today. You may say, “ The Lord already knows I trust Him.” My response would be, “Then declare it.” This declaration of trust is not for the Lord’s hearing, but for your own. For He has endowed you, my friend, with great power and this power is released in your declaration!

Re-align your mind, will and emotions with the promise of His speedy rescue (Psalm 31: 2). Remind the enemy of his impending defeat and of your inherent victory. Let me remind you, your declaration shakes the darkness.

To every mother who reads this, know that as the nurturer of your home, you are literally a “life-giver” to your children. Your declaration breathes life!

To all fathers, know that as the priest and protector of your home, your declaration travels fast. It demands the response of the mighty angels of God and is heard in the enemy’s camp. Roar loudly.

To all young men and women of the faith, your declaration opens the doors to the path that God has called you to walk. It also reminds your flesh that the Spirit is in charge and not you!

Lord, I declare my trust in you today. You are the fortress for my heart and no enemy can penetrate what you have shielded.

I know that in You I will never be disappointed and You will never allow me to be put to shame.

Amen

Blessings,

Lauryn Everett

February 4

Good morning, Blessed Hillcrest Family!

During the prayer meeting Tuesday night, my 7 yr old son picked up a child's Bible that had been left at the church and began quietly reading Exodus 20 - the Ten Commandments. He loves to read the Ten Commandments over and over. One day while waiting for my car to be washed, Samuel pulled out his memorization folder from school and began reading Exodus 20 outloud. As he read verses 5 & 6, a lady nearby got up and moved away from us.

To some the Word of God and the Law of God are offensive. However, God instructed us through King David Proverbs 7:1-5 of our reading today to "treasure God's commands within you" and to "keep My commands and live." He says the law should be the "apple of your eye." Is the Word of God the apple of your eye? Do you treasure God's Word above all else? I read a lot to my children. I can read a good book to them for an hour straight with no trouble. And yet when it's time to pick up the Bible to read - how often do I quickly read through a passage, check it off my list, and close the Book. Of course we usually discuss what I read, but my point is that we don't hang on every Word saying, "Read more - Read more" like we do our story books.

Elsewhere, David admonishes us to hide God's Word in our hearts that we might not sin against Him. Isaiah tells us that God knows what's best for us. He loves us. In Colossians, God calls us His holy and dearly loved children. You are His holy and dearly loved child! Because He loves you and I, He gave us His Word - His Commands - His Living Water - to drink and be nourished & to grow strong in Him. We must make God's Word the apple of our eye and teach our children to treasure the Bible richly as well.

Have a blessed and beautiful day! Enjoy reading the Word aloud w/your family today. See you at church tomorrow!

Blessings,

Rolanda Green

Hillcrest Children's Minister

January 28

Hello, Precious Hillcrest Church Family!

Oh, I love reading the Word with you and sharing my heart and thoughts through these simple devotions. Today's reading captivated my heart from the very beginning. We start in Exodus 5:22 where Moses returned to God probably a little bewildered and frustrated demands to know why God has brought more trouble on the people instead of setting them free like He promised. Things aren't going like Moses thought they would. Now he's questioning why God sent him in the first place. And he actually accusses God of not doing anything. Can you imagine talking to God like that?

I imagine that despite himself this assignment that God gave Moses must have filled his heart w/pride. Moses was going to be somebody. He was going to set the Israelites free. But wait! That's not how things were going. He didn't look like somebody special to the Pharoah and he sure didn't look like someone special to the Israelites who's hero he was supposed to become. Now he stood before God humiliated and confused. And what's worse - God Almighty did not look too good either.

Instead of yelling back at Moses or pleading with him to just hang in there, the Word simply says, "Then the Lord said to Moses..." God spoke to Moses and revealed Himself in a whole new amazing way. He declared to Moses, "I am the LORD." God spoke w/Moses and shared how Abraham, Isaac and Jacob knew Him as God Almighty but that now Moses and the people of Israel would know God as the LORD. From Genesis5:22-7:25, God mentions over 28 times that He is the LORD. Obviously God wanted Moses to understand something new.

I did a little reseach. The original Hebrew words for the LORD is "Jehovah" or "Yaweh." I know what those names bring to my mind, but I wanted to probe further to know exactly what God was saying to Moses. God Almighty implied God as ruler of all creation. He revealed Himself to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and others as a BIG and Grandious kind of a God who ruled all. But God didn't refer to Himself as God Almighty to Moses. He distinctly called Himself the LORD - Jehovah. Wow. Think of these names of God - Jehovah Jireh - MY Provider. Jehovah Shalom - MY Peace. Jehovah Rapha - MY Healer. What God was revealing to His precious, bound children and their leader that day is that He is a personal God who wants to rule their hearts and lives. He revealed that He isn't some big, mystical God of the past who loves them from afar. He revealed through His name that He was not only the God but their God right then and there...and that He had plans to set them free from the bondage they were under.

Exodus 6:7 God declared, "I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD who brings you out from under burdens..." Our great heavenly Father, chose that day to declare His personal Lordship over His people and to claim their lives for His rulership and not that of this world. Aren't you so thankful that you serve a God Who is certainly mighty and powerful but Who is personal and Who pursues your heart now in 2012? The LORD, Jehovah, loves you so deeply, so amazingly much. He is after hearts set upon Him, who know Him, and love Him and take on His burden in place of the many, many burdens and snares of this world. May He reveal Himself to you in a special new, fresh, real way this day just as He did so long ago to Moses and the people of Israel! May we cast all our cares and burdens and bondages on Him and walk in His Lordship and care this day. He is the LORD! He is Jehovah!

Have a great weekend! I'll see you tomorrow.

Blessings,

Rolanda

Hillcrest Children's Minister

January 24

Matthew 15: 29-39

There are five truths we discover when reading this passage.

Obviously, one of the first truths we find in this passage is Jesus’ compassion for the crowd who followed Him into the wilderness. I think it’s safe to assume that when Jesus retreated to the Sea of Galilee, it was probably an attempt to get some much needed rest. Yet, shortly thereafter, the desperate multitude pushed through to see Him. And He didn’t turn them away. Even though He was no doubt tired, Jesus healed them. Sometimes, in order to meet with Him, we must go into the wilderness. There, secluded from all the distractions of our I-phones and emails, Jesus has our full attention. When we follow Him into the wilderness, He is there waiting. He is eager to renew, rebuild and restore our lives, just as He was for the multitude.
The second truth we uncover as we read on is Jesus’ response to our needs is never aggravation, but deep-seated compassion. This truth is emitted in Jesus’ character throughout Scripture. Jesus said, “All whom the Father gives to me will come to Me and he who comes to Me, I will never cast away. “ Matthew 15:32 is so revealing in this facet of Christ’s nature. Let’s read it again together, “Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry or they will faint along the way.” That verse sums up perfectly the third truth revealed in this passage. Jesus will never send us away hungry. In fact, not only will He meet our present needs, but He will equip us for the journey! When we come to Him, whatever we receive from Him will always be enough to sustain and strengthen us.
The fourth truth we see is Jesus uses the little we give to Him in faith to meet to the needs of those surrounding us. Jesus asked the disciples, “How much do you have?” They replied, “Seven loaves and a few small fish.” They didn’t sound to confident in what they had to give. Yet once given to Jesus, He took it and blessed it. What “little” do you have to offer Him? He cannot bless it until you hand it over.
One of the last and most powerful truths disclosed in this passage is that Jesus uses our hands and feet to accomplish miracles.
We read in verse 35 that Jesus called upon the disciples to distribute the food. Can you imagine how nervous they must have been?! They might have been thinking, “What if there isn’t enough for everyone?” They may have even formulated an exit strategy just in case the crowd of thousands became hostile in their hunger! But what happened? “They all ate as much as they wanted…”, Matthew 15:37.
Jesus is so, so good. His heart is towards you and He sees the multitudes that you will touch thoughout your life. I encourage you to come to Him with an unveiled face. He will meet all of your needs, yes there will even be overflow in your life. I also exhort you to give what little you have and when asked to distribute, do not be afraid.

In awe of Him,

Lauryn Everett

January 17

Genesis 35
 
“Arise, go up to Bethel…”
 
I believe, before going into this chapter, we must have an accurate account of the recent events in Jacob’s life.  In the previous chapter, Jacob settled in Shechem, a city in the land of Caanan. It was in this place that Jacob purchased land and pitched his tent (aka “settled down”). Shechem was also the city where Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, was raped by the prince of the land. This horrifying act disgraced Dinah and their entire household. Because of this great injustice, Jacob’s sons felt licensed to murder all the males of the city and take their wives and children captive. When Jacob hears of his son’s actions, he is deeply disturbed.
In a state of paralyzing fear, Jacob proclaims to his sons, “ You have troubled and embarrassed me among the inhabitants of this land…since I am few in number, they will gather themselves against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, me and my household!” Genesis 34:30
In this crisis, amidst uncertainty and drowning fear, God comes to Jacob and says,” Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there…”
 
Bethel means, “House of God.” After all these years, Bethel was still alive deep inside Jacob’s heart. And even though Jacob remembered the encounter vividly, it appeared God’s glorious revelation may have diminished over time. It was in this place, as a youth, that God had marvelously made Himself known in a dream.
 
In essence, God asks Jacob to return to the beginning.
“Remember Jacob?”, God asked. “Let’s go back to the place where it all began.”
So Jacob readied his household for the journey.
The first thing Jacob did was prepare himself and his family to meet with God. He knew he must dispose of all that might prove as a hindrance on their journey. “And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, ‘Put away the foreign gods among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments.” “So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands and he buried them.” Returning to God always requires a “lightening” of the load. Throughout their journey back to Canaan, it is clear that Jacob’s family had trusted in the idols of surrounding nations and Jacob had tolerated this idolatry. When we turn back to God, we realize we cannot carry with us the very things that will hinder us from seeing His face. Such was the case with Jacob’s family and often with us.
Once the idols were forsaken, they began their journey. As they traveled to meet the God of their father, they were protected from the wrath of the city and were not pursued by the sons of Shechem.
When they finally arrived at Bethel, Jacob looked to the left and saw Leah and to the right and saw Rachel. His sons and their children spanned across the distance. “Remember Jacob?” God asked again. And he did. He remembered that at this very place, decades earlier, he was alone. But now he was many, just as God had promised. He remembered that once he was fleeing in fear and his name was deceiver but now his foe was his friend and he was called “prince with God”. He remembered the God of his father’s Abraham and Isaac. The God who turned a once weak man who was full of deceit, into a great nation. This was now his God!
And God gave him the land. “The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac and give to you and to your descendants after you I give this land.”
In the midst of uncertainty and confusion, God brought Jacob back to Bethel. The place where God’s promise was once a seed. He brought him to Bethel so he could see God’s promise fulfilled.
 
Look back to your “Bethel”. You’ll be astounded at how far God has brought you!
 
Warmly,
Lauryn Everett

January 15

Good morning, Church Family!

God is so good and so worthy of our praise. His Word is Truth. I woke up singing, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Aren't you so thankful that our Heavenly Father cares enough about us that He gave us His Word to light our path?

"Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding; for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and ALL the things you may desire CANNOT compare with her." Proverbs 3:13-15 - just a few of the many, many verses and lessons on wisdom.

Why is the man happy who finds wisdom and understanding and why is it that ALL the things I desire CANNOT compare with her? When I think of wisdom and understanding, I think of smarts and intelligence or good sense and good judgement. But I don't think that's why in and of itself God says happy is the man who finds wisdom. First of all, there's no shortage of brains in the world. And using more brain power, more earthly knowledge, certainly doesn't equate more happiness. So why is it that finding wisdom and understanding is so important to God and so much more important than anything else we might want?

I think the answer lies in Psalm 111:10, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding." When you find wisdom, you are met with the fear of the Lord. Those who know God's Word and follow His commandments have good understanding. Wisdom and understanding are wrapped up in God and Who He is and what He has to say and do. As you seek for more of God, you grow in a healthy fear of the Lord. You grow in wisdom and understanding. You grow in your knowledge of our heavenly Father God and His Truth, His Way, His Life. Growing in wisdom may not mean you discover the cure to cancer over night, but it certainly does mean you find the One who can cure cancer and who can point you in the right direction.

God says to seek Him and He will be found by us. And in Isaiah 11, the prophet declared that the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon Jesus - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. That same Spirit that rests upon Jesus, He sent to rest upon us, Children of God. I don't know about you, but I want to find God more than ever and I certainly want His Spirit to rest upon me. I want to grow in His wisdom and stature just as Jesus did as a child growing into a young man.

The reward for finding wisdom and understanding is so high because in finding them, we find God Himself. And we can start in prayer and in the reading of His Word. Even now our church is in the middle of 21 days of prayer and fasting. I encourage you to join us as we seek His face, His direction, His wisdom for our own lives and for our church. May the Spirit of the Lord rest upon you this day!

Blessings,
Rolanda Green
Hillcrest Children's Minister

January 11

What Kind Of Man Is This?

MATTHEW 8:18-27
vs25 “And they went and awakened Him, saying, Lord, rescue and preserve us! We are perishing”
vs27 “The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him”

The first thing that I see is that most of these disciples were raised on this sea and had fished it for years…they no doubt had been thru countless storms, but in this case they all thought they were going to die, it was so severe. They were frantic.

Ever been in a storm of life and it seemed like God was sleeping? “Where are you, Lord? Don’t you know what’s going on? Don’t you care?” The disciples went to Jesus and said, Lord, save us: we perish. It’s one of the shortest prayers in the Bible. And when we’re in trouble, we cut down on the long, fancy prayers and ramblings and get right down to business. It happened when Peter walked on the water and took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the storm and began to go under, but then he prayed his famous three word prayer “Lord, save me!”

There’s a contradiction in that prayer the disciples prayed, “Lord, save us” is the language of faith. “We perish” is the language of fear. Now, isn’t that just like us humans? Trying to have faith and fear at the same time. Spiritual opposites! Faith and fear cannot live in the same heart at the same time. When you are looking at the storm you are filled with fear but when looking to Jesus you are filled with faith!

What’s your first impulse in a storm? Run to a friend? That’s not entirely bad if they will give you Godly counsel, but it’s not the first response you should have. The disciples went to Jesus first, and so should we. Character is revealed in the storm. The storms of life will either draw you closer to the Lord or further away, but no one will emerge on the other side of the storm the same as they went in. Either you will become bitter or better!

Fear is looking at God thru your circumstances. Faith is looking at your circumstances thru God!

Be Blessed!
Shaun

January 10

Proverbs 3:1-6
Encouragement from the Father
Beloved,
    Today, I remind you of My unwavering and resolute love. Forget not the lessons I have taught you throughout your life. Regard them not as trivial, instead, store My words within your heart as you would invaluable treasures. For My words are your life and in hearing them your soul will be revived and when you follow them, you shall be satisfied. Yes, even in the desert places, I will satisfy you.
Child, remember My kindness and how in My mercy, I brought you up from Egypt. Now you are free! Give yourself in kindness to those I place in your path and do not hide yourself from them. For your kindness will be as light in their dark places and your name will bring My name glory!
Child, you can, once again trust Me. Set aside your well thought out plan, for it can only accomplish the possible. Instead, take my hand, follow, and I’ll take you higher than you’ve ever been.
In seeking, you will always find Me. You will hear me whisper, “This is the way, now walk in it.”
Hillcrest family, I pray this beautiful passage of scripture paraphrased will bring encouragement to your hearts during our time of seeking Him.

Warmly,
Lauryn Everett

Janurary 4

Meeting People Where They Are

Matthew 4:19-20

Come, follow me, “Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

The men our Lord called were professional fisherman. This call was about them leaving the life they knew and following Jesus into a totally new way of life. Instead of fishing for fish – they would be fishing for the souls of men. Jesus was going to train them in the skill and art of fishing for the souls of men.
As believers we understand that everyone is a sinner that needs Gods love and forgiveness and salvation – the people we minister to must be approached on the terms they can understand. I can imagine Jesus as He was walking beside the Sea of Galilee watching the men casting their nets into the lake. They were working and He came along and used the very example of their life circumstances to draw them and offer hope and a new life. It seems like the longer we are believers the less we think like unbelievers. Jesus is the great example of meeting people right where they are. As you meditate over your devotional today think about these few examples of how the Lord ministered to completely different people and changed their lives because He met people where they were.

When He was with fishermen – He talked about fish.
When He was with farmers – He talked about farming.
When He met a woman of a different ethnic background - He talked about what she understood.
When He encountered a rich young ruler – He talked about money.
If they were thirsty – He talked about the water of life.
If they were hungry – He talked about the bread of life.
If they were guilty – He talked about forgiveness.

Paul taught us this. Col 4:5

Be wise in the way you act towards those who are not believers, making good use of every opportunity you have. 6 Your speech should always be pleasant and interesting, and you should know how to give the right answer to everyone.

Blessings, Shaun

January 3

Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted and He was hungry.

Matthew 4:1-11

It was in the wilderness, that Christ endured deep agony of a fallen humanity. A hunger in his belly he had never felt and physical weakness that left him broken. It was in his most broken state, the enemy decided to attack.
The tempter approached Jesus at His weakest moment. He had 40 days and nights to tempt the Son of Man, but he waited until the final day. At this point, Jesus wasn’t just hungry, He was literally starving.
As a lion stocks his pray, Satan knew this was the moment he had been waiting for.
He lunged at him with an assault on his identity, “If you are the Son of God, then turn these stones into bread.” In other words, “If you are really the Son of God, then why are you experiencing such weakness?” Satan taunted, “Is not the Son of Man above weakness?” Satan wanted to plant doubt in Jesus’ mind about who He was using how He felt physically. Jesus responded with authority, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” To paraphrase, Jesus was saying, “The Son of man is not sustained by flesh, but by the Spirit.”
The tempter came at Jesus again, challenging him to do something really extraordinary. To perform an act that would surely glorify God and possibly “prove” his lordship. Satan declared, “If you throw yourself off the temple’s pinnacle and then command the angels to save you, that would be magnificent!” Jesus knew Satan’s motive was to get Him to yield to his requests. Even though He was more that capable of playing Satan’s game (and winning!); He remained submitted to his Father and refused to put Him to the test.
The tempter makes one final attempt to undermine Jesus’ authority and get him to doubt his identity. He takes Him atop a high mountain where he offers all he has-the kingdoms of the world. All Jesus has to do is bow down. Jesus knows the enemy has thrown all his cards on the table and the Lord calls his bluff declaring, “Away with you! It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only!”
Defeated, the enemy left Him and the angels ministered to Jesus.

Although God, Jesus put on flesh and dwelt among us. He was in fact tempted as we are. Yet, He relied on the words of God and the power of the Spirit and overcame.

Remember 3 truths from this passage during your fast:

1. Even though you feel weak, your authority and power in Christ is not diminished.
2. We do not fast to “prove” how spiritual we are or to make God proud. Our Father is already well pleased with us because we are His sons and daughters.
3. When the enemy throws all he’s got, do not give in. Submit to God and the enemy will flee from you!

-Lauryn