RSS

Author Archives: Jill Richard

Unknown's avatar

About Jill Richard

My name is Jill Richard. I'm a life long Christian. Trying to live my life for my Lord everyday. I've been working in internet marketing since 2003. I want people to look at me and think - What an amazing God she believes in! I want all of my actions to point back to my Lord. They don't always, and for that I am grateful for the Grace of my Lord Jesus Christ.

My God is…not unjust Hebrews 6:9-11

25 Oct

Hebrews 6:9-11 – Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized.

Getting discouraged while doing good

Has it ever happened to you? Have you been in a meeting, come up with an idea, and because you came up with it, you’re now the implementor as well. Sometimes that’s good, but sometimes you have an idea, but you’re not the one with the gifts to get the job done. This can be very discouraging. Sometimes you think you’ve been given a great idea or way to spread the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ through a Bible Study, discussion, event or maybe even a game night, but no one shows. You put a lot of work in, but it all seems for not.

God is not unjust

The verse above is very encouraging to me. I think of the times I have helped someone, only to have them complain about how I helped later. Or maybe I helped out at the church, and no one even noticed. Sure that’s probably a selfish attitude, but it’s also not true. Someone did notice. This verse from Hebrews reminds us that God notices, “He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”

He will not forget the love you have shown Him

Sometimes we want the person we helped to value our help as much as we value our own time. We might think to ourselves, I could have been getting the grocery shopping done, or been getting a pedicure, instead I’m helping this ungrateful person. But here is where we need to remember who we’re really serving. God will not forget the love you have shown him. In the verse above it tells us we show God our love as we have helped His people and continue to help them. As one of my dear friends from Bible study would say, “Serve them with love.” She has said this when she knew we were talking about people we found hard to love and to serve. I loved the phrase already, but coupled with the reminder from Hebrews that we’re showing God love through helping others makes that a little sweeter in the mouth. I can serve them with love, because of His love for me and my love for Him. God makes serving others with love possible.

We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end

We are called to show others love no matter what. We are to be diligent in doing good for others until our very last hour. Why? “So that what you hope for may be fully realized.” Our good works and love shown for others doesn’t get us to heaven, but it is a sign that we love our Lord above all else, and believing in God is the saving Grace we desire.

Can you serve them with love?

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 25, 2012 in Hebrews, My God is not unjust

 

Tags: , , , ,

My God is…Reigning Psalm 146:9-10

23 Oct

Psalm 146:9-10 

The Lord watches over the foreigner
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

The Lord reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Politics got you down? 

Election time has got me down. I don’t like politics, and I really hate having political conversations. I guess I’m a cynic (thanks mom). You know how I love words, so I decided to look up and see if I really was a cynic.

cyn·ic [sin-ik]

noun

1. a person who believes that only selfishness motivates human actions and who disbelieves in or minimizes selfless acts or disinterested points of view.
2. ( initial capital letter ) one of a sect of Greek philosophers,4th century b.c., who advocated the doctrines that virtue is the only good, that the essence of virtue is self-control, and that surrender to any external influence is beneath human dignity.
3. a person who shows or expresses a bitterly or sneeringly cynical  attitude.
Yep, I’m a Cynic
I’m sure it has something to do with the way I was raised, but I truly identify with the first definition of Cynic. I usually believe that people are acting selfishly. It reminds me of that friends episode where Phoebe was trying hard to find a way to do a truly selfless act, I guess I’m a bit like Joey in this episode (scary words). Phoebe couldn’t find a truly selfless act. I my cynicism also starts because I know of my own selfishness. I want good things to happen to me. I don’t mind if they happen to other people too, but I want my life to be good.
Cynical about Politicians, but not God
I think every politician has their own agenda, and even if they do have the people’s best interest at heart, eventually they’re all led astray by their own selfish ambition and personal agendas. They may achieve some good, but it always seems coupled with controversy and unkind words for someone of an opposing view. But God is different. God is Good, and our God reigns. He’s the ultimate authority, above all the politicians and rulers of this world.
How God Reigns
What a wonderful thing it is for us as Christians to know that our God reigns. In the verse above, we see His agenda, “The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.” The beauty of it being God who reigns is that he actually knows who is truly wicked. He cares for those others don’t care about. He shows compassion on us even though we are inherently selfish and sinful. We don’t have to worry about who will be elected, because our God reigns. If you think the politician you hate is evil, you can rest assured that if he (or she) is, God has the power to frustrate their actions. We can trust in our good and gracious God to have our best interest at heart and allow us to learn and grow in Him no matter who is in power in our country.
 
4 Comments

Posted by on October 23, 2012 in My God is Reigning, My God is Sovereign, Psalm

 

Tags: , , , , ,

My God is…Worthy Psalm 145:2-4

18 Oct

Psalm 145:2-4
Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.

My God is Worthy of Praise

Worthy of Praise

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.

Definition of WORTHY

1 a : having worth or value : estimable
b : honorable, meritorious
2: having sufficient worth or importance

God is worthy

Worthy. What makes someone worthy? I think I have ranted on before about being deserving, how I don’t like it when good things happen and people say, “They really deserved it.” It is hard for me to rank people according to their worthiness. I believe no one on earth is worthy of anything, except death. We are all sinners, and the wages of sin is death. So who is worthy? God alone is worthy of our praise.

Who is your king?

Tuesday night at my women’s Bible study, we were challenged with the question of, “Who is your king?” We had been looking into the verses on the day of Jesus death, and noted the irony of the Jewish leaders in the passage. They said that Jesus was blasphemous, and that’s why he needed to die. They were trying to convince Pilate that Jesus was truly guilty of a crime worth death. Well, Pilate wasn’t sufficiently convinced, so what did they do? They did just what they accused Jesus of doing…blasphemy. They said that Jesus claimed to be king, and that anyone who claimed to be king was against Caesar. This wasn’t the blasphemous part, but that’s what came next. In John 19:15, Pilate asked, “Shall I crucify your king?” and the chief priests responded with, “We have no king but Caesar.”

Blasphemous? 

We debated for a little bit about whether or not this was really blasphemy. Wasn’t calling Caesar king like us saying we have no president but Barack Obama? Fortunately we have Lynn in our group, who attended seminary. She explained to us that the difference is that the Romans of the time considered Caesar to be a god. They burned incense to him, and praised him like a god. So the chief priests saying that they have no other king means they were putting Caesar above God and hence they were guilty of blasphemy.

Having sufficient worth or importance

In the Psalm above, we see God claimed as worthy to be praised. God has the sufficient worth and importance to be praised. He should be the most important. Does God have worth in your day-to-day life? Does God have sufficient importance in your life. Who is your king?

His greatness no one can fathom

The psalmist backs up his statement of God being worthy of praise with this statement, “His greatness no one can fathom.” In the old testament, they had seen some amazing things that the Lord had done. Maybe they even had a clearer idea of the greatness of God. But God is still at work in our midst. He is still great and worthy of praise.

One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.

I think one area that I as a Christian parent and a person with influence over my friends children should work on, is pointing out the amazing work God is doing in our lives today and yesterday. We have an opportunity to help the next generation know God more through our testimony of how He has worked in our lives. Can you think of some mighty acts that the next generation should hear about from you?

Here are some of mine:

1. My husband is a Christian. When I met him, he didn’t really confess any sort of faith, but the Holy Spirit worked in his heart and now he is a strong Christian man, living for the Lord. GOD IS WORTHY OF PRAISE

2. My son, who was born with a heart condition, Tetrology of Fallot, had surgery when he was nine months old, and now is expected to never need another surgery for that condition (which others often have many). GOD IS WORTHY OF PRAISE

3. My Multiple Sclerosis doesn’t affect the quality of my day-to-day life. GOD IS WORTHY OF PRAISE

4. God has provided for us when it looked like there was no way to get through another day. GOD IS WORTHY OF PRAISE

5. The Lord has provided the right jobs for me at the right time. GOD IS WORTHY OF PRAISE

6. Despite moving many times, the Lord has provided me with a support system of Christian women. GOD IS WORTHY OF PRAISE

What is of worth or importance to you?

 
2 Comments

Posted by on October 18, 2012 in My God is Worthy, Psalm

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

My God is…Commanding John 15:12

16 Oct

John 15:12 – This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Love one another as I have loved you

Love one another as I have loved you

This is my commandment

In John 15:12, Jesus is talking with His followers, trying to give them the low-down just before He is going to go to the cross. They don’t know what’s coming, but He does. To be commanding means to draw attention or priority. Here Jesus is trying to put His ministry in a nutshell, His elevator pitch of sorts. This is what I want you to do. This is what I want your priority to be. This is what I want you to give your attention to doing. Jesus said, of all of the things He could have commanded, “Love one another as I have loved you.”

Love one another

Easier said than done, right. We all have known our share of unlovable people, haven’t we? I remember way back when I was teaching (for a whole year and a half), there was a little boy named Howard. Howard was super smart. You couldn’t get anything past Howard. He didn’t do his homework much, but he probably already knew everything I was teaching at the time anyway. Needless to say a bored, creative, young man was bound to push the boundaries a little. I remember one day he had been less than nice to a younger student who was annoying him. He said to me, “You can’t make me like him.” I said I didn’t care if he liked him. I told him the Bible didn’t say we had to like people, it said we have to love them. That means treating them kindly and not threatening to beat them up. He, in his wisdom, thought that made a lot of sense. He was thrilled, “So I don’t have to like him? ” he asked. “Nope, but you do have to love him.” I said. “I can do that.” He said and ran outside to play.

Love vs. Like

Are we always likable? No, I don’t think we are, but Jesus loved us anyway. He loved us so much that He laid down His life for us, so we could spend eternity with Him in heaven. So how do we love the unlovable. Sometimes, for me, it seems like loving the unlovable is best done by doing the opposite of what I want to do. I see someone I don’t particularly care for, or am uncomfortable around and my tendency would be to look the other way or walk away. God would call us to reach out to that person with care and concern. How about the person who has stabbed you in the back. It may be a bit much to think you’re going to go out of your way to find ways to love them, but perhaps even just forgiving them and being cordial in their presence. Not easy, but it is what we’re called to do. We don’t have to like them, but we’re called to love them. How about at church? Are there people who get under your skin? Maybe they said something that was off-color or unkind, and you don’t want anything to do with them. Even if you can’t bring yourself to go up to them, you might add them to your prayer list, and maybe even pray that one day you would be able to show them love.

WARNING – if you pray something like that, you’ll probably be given an opportunity to see if you can love them. EEEK!

That you love one another as I have loved you

Jesus calls us to love one another as he has loved us, unconditionally. He doesn’t love us more when we’re good and less when we’re bad. He just loves us. And he loves us so much He died for us. The verse that follows the verse above says how we are to love one another.  “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” We have to put others needs ahead of our own, like Jesus put our needs above His own desires. This is His command for us. This is what He wants us to pay attention to in our lives. This is what we need to make a priority in our lives. Love one another.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 16, 2012 in John, My God is Commanding

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

My God is…my king Psalm 145:1-3

11 Oct

Psalm 145: 1-3 I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.

Descended from Royalty

My husband and I went out to dinner with some friends last week, and they told us about a show they like on PBS called, “Finding your roots“. In the show, they trace people’s lineage back quite far using, documents, family history and DNA analysis. We watched one on Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon. Kyra found out that she is related to royalty. Would you be surprised if you found out your family was related to royalty? Would you feel more important knowing your 18th great-grandfather was royalty?

You are Royalty

You’re not just the 18th generation after a king. You’re the adopted sons and daughters of a King, our Lord Jesus Christ. We’re the children of Royalty. What does that mean for us? As adopted children into the family of our God and King, we’re promised eternal life in his palace. We will live with Him forever in paradise. We will know Him. Imagine knowing a King. There are many privileges that come with knowing the King. Our privileges don’t often show up as much on this side of heaven, but our future is secure. We know where we’re going, and that the King has prepared a room for us. We are blessed to be part of His kingdom, and part of the royal family.

What’s expected of you

So many people say that Christians are hypocrites, and I think they’re right. We make big mistakes. We don’t always treat others the way we should. Sometimes we get up on our soapbox or on our high horse and look down at others who don’t know the Lord. What is expected of us as part of God’s royal family? Should we be running around naked, drinking too much and having affairs? That’s how some in a royal family might act, but it’s not what is expected from someone of position. We have a position, and it’s important that we work to reflect our King to the world around us. Not because it gets us into the palace, but because we care so much about the King that we wouldn’t want to tarnish His name. I pray that I am a good reflection of the title Christian.

Do you respect your title?

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 11, 2012 in My God is my King, Psalm

 

Tags: , , , , ,

My God is…Nearby Jeremiah 23:23

09 Oct

Jeremiah 23:23-24 – “Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.

Feeling alone

Have you ever felt alone? If you’ve ever gone to middle school, the answer is probably yes. It doesn’t really matter if we have people around us or not, we can still feel alone. We can walk into a room full of people we know and still feel lonely.

Definition of ALONE

1: separated from others : isolated

2: exclusive of anyone or anything else : only <she alone knows why>
3a : considered without reference to any other <the children alone would eat that much>
b : incomparable, unique <alone among their contemporaries in this respect>
When we are alone, we feel separated from others. We feel excluded. We feel like we don’t belong. In the verse above (the ESV says at hand, the NIV says nearby), we see the term at hand. We read that the Lord is at hand or nearby.

Definition of at hand
1: near in time or place : within reach <use whatever ingredients are at hand>
2: currently receiving or deserving attention <the business at hand>

God is within reach
The definition of being “at hand” is being within reach. People often ask where was God when this or that happened. From this scripture, we see that he is within reach. I like to picture God walking beside me, always there for me. Sometimes He picks me up and carries me, other times He allows me to reach out for him. The second part of the definition of “at hand” is “currently receiving or deserving attention”. God is there, are we giving Him the attention He deserves.
What do you keep at hand? 
What do you keep closest to you? What do you like to have around you? Is it your home? Your family? Money? Your car? What won’t you leave behind in your home. Do you go back for your phone if you forget it? What must you have at hand? All of these things can be good, but God is “at hand” – deserving your attention. For me it’s important when my day starts to get stressed and I don’t think I’m going to get everything done, to remember to refocus my attention on God. He deserves my attention, and when I get bogged down with everything else, I can lose my direction and my reason for doing things if I’m not careful.
What’s getting your attention?
 
Leave a comment

Posted by on October 9, 2012 in My God is at hand, My God is ever-present, My God is nearby

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

My God is…Ever-Present Psalm 46:1-6

02 Oct

Psalm 46:1-6 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. “Selah” There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her,she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.

Sometimes we get busy. Sometimes we get bored. Sometimes we’re pissed off. Then something amazing happens, maybe a call from a long-lost friend or someone repays an old debt. Maybe it’s just that you hit all the lights green, but that something amazing can reawaken you. Get you revived and looking for the good things in life. In Genesis 28 Jacob was sleeping when he was given a message from God that reawakened him. After he awoke he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”

I didn’t know it.

How often could we say that about our own lives? The Lord was here and I didn’t know it. We forget. We get busy and distracted by the life we’re leading. We get overwhelmed by work, family and play. We let our eyes slip from what’s really important. But He is not distracted. So often we only look to God when we need something. There’s a reason for that, He’s reliable.

An ever-present help in trouble.

Our verse from Psalm 46, above, reminds us that our God is an ever-present help in trouble. No matter what kind of trouble. Many people are concerned about the politics of our nation. What does the verse say about that? “Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.” He can take care of it. He could melt the world with His voice if He wanted to, surely we can trust Him to handle our politics. We can trust Him with anything.

Therefore we will not fear

I am frozen by fear. Ok, not frozen really, just extremely slow-moving. Snails move at a faster pace. I don’t like to take risks. Not even calculated ones. In fact, I can create fear where there shouldn’t be any. In school, I never tried to get A’s, because I was afraid of what would happen if I didn’t get them. I am afraid when I enter a room. I’m not just afraid in a room of strangers, but even people I know. I’m afraid I won’t know what to say or worse, I’ll say something stupid. I have great ideas, but I don’t follow through, because I’m afraid they won’t work. I’m afraid to watch my kids play on the playground, afraid they might hurt themselves. Obviously I face many of these fears, and for me they’re not debilitating, but I wonder what my life would look like if I had no fear. What if I trusted the Lord. I don’t mean being stupid, but not living in unrealistic fear. Would I start a business? Write a book? Go on a speaking tour? Make a new friend? Spread the Gospel?

Living boldly for Christ

I want to start living boldly for Christ. I want to be brave and trust that the Lord has got my back. I’m scared to say it, but I want to face challenges head on. I want to be able to wake up and say, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”

How are you living boldly?

 
1 Comment

Posted by on October 2, 2012 in My God is ever-present, My God is my Refuge, Psalm

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

My God is…Testifying John 3:33

28 Sep

John 3:33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 

John the Baptist denies he is the Messiah

In John 3 we see John the Baptist telling his followers that he is not the Messiah. They had been getting worked up, because John the Baptist was losing his followers to Jesus. It was important that he make sure they understood who Jesus was, and the verse above is solidifying that idea. “Whoever receives his (Jesus’) testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.”

Testify Brother!

Why do we want people to testify? Why do we need it? If two kids are yelling in the other room, you call them in and ask, “what happened?” You want to hear their testimony. Sometimes their stories don’t match, so you call in someone else who was in the room and ask what they know. Why? Because you want to get to the truth. You want to know what you’ve heard is reliable.

Doubt it!

I don’t know about you, but I go through times in my life when my faith is not as strong. I have even been known to have moments where the devil gets into my head and makes me think, “Jill, Isn’t all this Christian stuff hogwash?” Then I might think to myself, “Is it?”. No it isn’t Hogwash, and I’ll tell you the testimonies that I trust.

Scripture

In John 5 we hear Jesus telling us about the testimonies we can trust. One is the scripture. In scriptures, we hear testimonies about our Lord. Jesus says in John 5:39, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me”. The scriptures bear witness to who Jesus is, both Old and New testament.

John the Baptist Testifies

Have you ever been to one of those churches? The kind where the pastor is so compelling you’re pretty sure he could talk you into almost anything short of drinking the Kool-Aid? The kind of preacher who you know in your heart is telling the truth and the Holy Spirit is working through His words. This is how John the Baptist was to His followers. They were sure his words were true, so it meant a lot when he pointed these loyal followers to follow Jesus. He was humble enough to know that Jesus was more important, and that for their sake he must testify to the Truth. In John 5:33 Jesus says, “ You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.”

God Testifies

John 5:37 says, “And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me.” When Jesus was baptized, God was testifying. The Father and the Holy Spirit were present. Matthew 3:16-17 God the father speaks about who Jesus is, “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold,the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Actions sometimes speak louder than words

Jesus’ actions, miracles, signs and wonders all pointed to Him as our Messiah, our savior. In John 5:36 Jesus says, “For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.” I find the more I pay attention to the miracles and blessings around me, the more I see (like when you buy a car, suddenly there are more of them on the road). I become more aware of my Lord at work in the world around me, and in my life.

Personal Testimonies

All of these ways to know Jesus as the truth are amazing, but one that I truly cherish is being able to hear the personal testimonies of other believers. God is still at work among us and that is a wonderful, faith building thing.

Don’t Neglect this Salvation! Hebrews 2:1-4, “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Testify! Have you been called to be a witness?

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on September 28, 2012 in John, My God is Testifying

 

Tags: , , , ,

My God is… Sacrificial Hebrews 10:11-13

25 Sep

Hebrews 10:11-13 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices,which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.

A sacrifice bunt

I don’t know how much you know about baseball, and I’m no expert, but I have been around baseball a lot in my life. In high school I was a bat-girl (I even lettered in baseball – technicalities!). My father has always loved baseball, so almost every summer vacation had some element of baseball included. I love the history and they traditions of baseball.

One thing that sometimes happens in baseball is called the sacrifice. It can be a bunt or a fly ball. What happens is the batter will hit or bunt the ball, expecting to get out. He knows he’s not going to get on base. He’s planned it that way (or his coach did). Why? Because it allows the other player to get home. Does a batter want to hit a sacrifice? Probably not, it’s not as fun as getting a hit and getting on base. Coming to the bag, he knows he has to give up his chance at a home run or a hit so the other player can be assured he’ll make it home.

Expecting to get out

Jesus came to earth, knowing he was going to have to make a sacrifice play. He was going to have to give up his life so we could be sure to make it home. Without Him taking our sins on his shoulders and getting us out of  a jam of sin, we couldn’t be sure we would ever make it to our heavenly home.

The coach planned it that way

Seeing the mess we had gotten ourselves into with sin, our coach, God knew that a sacrifice had to be made. The only way to assure we would make it home was with a well executed sacrifice. He wanted to make sure it was done right, and so he sent His best player, His Son Jesus Christ. Not only did Jesus have to do it right on the day, but He also had to train well, living His life perfectly before the big day.

Why Sacrifice?

Jesus knew He could stay safely in heaven. He could enjoy the rewards, but He knew we would never make it home if He didn’t do the sacrifice play. He did it for us, for the team and for His Father in Heaven. It was part of the plan to get us out of the tough situation of sin we had found ourselves in since the fall.

Best sacrifice ever!

 

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on September 25, 2012 in Hebrews, My God is Sacrificial

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

← Older posts
Newer posts →