The Anchor of My Soul

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

Hebrews 6:19 -20  

^"This hope we have 

as an anchor of the soul, 

both sure and steadfast, 

and which enters 

the Presence behind the veil,

²⁰ where the forerunner 

has entered for us,  

even Jesus, having become 

High Priest forever 

according to the order 

of Melchizedek."

There are mornings when I struggle to find my voice. I feel like a boat a drift and and my mind wanders trying to find the rope that is attached to the anchor of my soul. This morning I was reading from Galatians the Lord seems to lead me there often to remind me that the focus of my life is not based upon doing good things or bad things but simply in believing in Jesus. It is His righteousness not my own that allows me to enter the presence of the Father.  Then I spent some time reading a chapter from The Sacred Romance by John Eldredge. I am reminded by him how lesser stories and lesser lovers all vie for my time and attention. He talks of how when we are not busy doing that we struggle to rest. " I have made my home in you, ____. But you still have other comforters you go to. You must learn to make your home in me."   He goes on to write " It also dawned on me that holiness, surprisingly, also comes not out of doing but out of staying at home, with who and where we are and with who and where God is in us. Indeed, we will only have the courage to leave home and continue to live as pilgrims out on the road if we have some sense that our true home abides within us in the Spirit of Christ and that we can do the same with him. And in the meantime, out of this abiding, Jesus transforms us. Our identity begins to coalesce, not out of doing, but out of living with a good friend for a number of years and simply finding we have become more like him. " (page 166-7)

I am glad God gives me these things to remind me that while I may feel like I am drifting, there is an anchor tied to Him. So in the midst of my morning I have found my voice. The enemy of my soul would like to tell me I have nothing of value to write or say and perhaps he says similar things to you. I suppose on one level it is true because apart from Jesus there is really not much to tell.  Yet of Jesus, I will not be silent. His relationship with me and with you is one of epoch proportions. It is a grand story of a King who would leave his home and journey to find those who had lost their way and were trapped, and chained and tortured by evil masters. Yet He comes and He reaches out to us and says "will you believe, will you take my hand and walk with me. Will you let me transform you, and give your life purpose and meaning and be defined by who you are in me?"  That is a story that I love to tell.  

So I have grouped around in the early morning darkness and found the rope or the chain that is attached to the anchor that reaches beyond this earth to my home in Jesus. It is there that I find rest, it is there that doing stops and simply being and abiding begins.  

Prayer:
Dear Lord, 
Help us to know that the anchor of our soul is secure in you. That when the voices and the clamor of this life try to tell us that we are lost, out of control, drifting or valueless. That we will know that even when you were asleep in the boat with the disciples and the wind and the waves threatened and caused them to become fearful. You were in the boat and you spoke and calmed the storm.  So Lord in your name, and by your authority I speak to those storms and tell them to be still. I speak to myself and I say Be still, know that God is with you, that he is for you, that he will not abandon you. That he loves you and delights to be with you. I pray that His epoch story of love would rise up in you and that the mental and emotional fog would lift and you would be able to feel the sunshine of His love and presence as you walk through this day.   

Get off The Bench and Into the Game

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

Click to see more of my son Niah's photos

Hebrews 1:1-3
 ¹ In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. ³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.




I love this quote from John Eldredge's book Beautiful Outlaw. "For the religious spirit is like the flu - it is constantly adapting to the environment. It would be hard to hold a witch trial in our day. So what might it be in our time? Last week a friend heard his pastor say 'You can't know Jesus like you know your friends. He is all together different from us.' Blasphemy. You can know Jesus just as intimately as his first disciples did. Maybe more so. Jesus came to be known, for heaven's sake, came to make God known to us:"  I will highly recommend to you the book the Beautiful Outlaw. John Eldredge has a wonderful gift as a writer and my life has been impacted by some of his other books and many of the great resources at his web site. So here's the link http://www.ransomedheart.com/

It is very easy to become weighed down by religion. Jesus did not come to make you or I religious. He came to set us free from the chains of sin that so easily entangle us. He came to show us a better way, a kingdom way to live. He left and said he would send the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth.
The Holy Spirit wants to not only help you know Jesus and the Father better, He wants to help you navigate through this life. He want to be a living, vital and active part of your life.  We get the mistaken idea that all Jesus wants is for us to attend a weekly church service and to try not to cuss, and drink and fornicate.  If thats how you are trying to function - you are missing the point  - Jesus wants your life every day, ever minute of every day. He wants to walk with you moment by moment. I'm not saying that you should chuck church but perhaps its time to look at it differently. 1 Peter 2:5 spells it out pretty clearly. This is from the Message. "Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you'll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God." Going to church should be a celebration of corporate worship of a group of people who's lives have been, and are being transformed, not just on Sunday but through out the whole week. People who's lives over lap through out the week. It should not be a place where we put on our best face and pretend we are good people. We should be surrounded by people who know us well, who pray fro us when we struggle, and rejoice with us when things are good, people who serve together, and play together. Who don't let us get away with our nonsense and inmaturity. We are not meant to live lives in isolation. We are to be like iron that sharpens iron. As a living stone in a spiritual house - every person has a place, we all bring our gifts and talents to the table and together we accomplish God's purposes for us as a group of people. 

Even as church's we get messed up thinking we need to be just like every other church out there. God who make the giraffe and the zebra might have room for some of his churches to express themselves a little differently from one another.  We need to begin to look at the collective bunch of folks that God has given us and start to ask the question together, "What might we as a people, do to make Jesus more accessable to the lost, broken, the hurting all around us?" How can we live together as Kingdom minded people? How can we encourage each other to live missionally?  How can we build on yesterdays verse from Hebrews 10 and move on to verse 24. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 

Quick write down 3 things you will do this week to encourage the people around you to love and good deeds. How will you recoginze and encourage the gifts of God in others this week? Quick do it now!
1. ____________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________

We are not called to go to church - we are to be the church. Your family is a tiny little church. Matthew 18:20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. How can you encourage those in your inner circle to live for Jesus. It may not be your family, maybe its a group of friends that you pray with and encourage. You may have a number of little "church" units. Church is any little or large group who gathers together in Jesus's name. In those groups He promises to be with us, even if its just two friends. We don't really need more institutions, we need more people who will become open and honest with each other. Who will come together to build one another up. Who will we encouage to be pecular people?  1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  You have to read it in the King James to get the pecular people part. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.   The point is that we are called to be different, we are called to be salt and light! (Matthew 5:13-16)  He has called us out of darkness. He called us to be present and alive in this dead world. He could have just taken us home at the point of conversion. He didn't, He left us here to shine for Him.  All around you are people who are watching to see if you are just another religious hipocrite or if you really believe and follow and live this Jesus you profess. Don't just call yourself a Christian because you attend a Church or listen to Chrisitan raidio. Call yourself a Christian because you have decided to follow Jesus and really do things His way.  If more of us did this world would be a different place. But lets not get side tracked by what others could or should be doing lets look at you. Every revival starts with one person who decides to change. Where is your life reflecting the "real" Jesus? Do you have your Father's eyes? How about his compassion? Or his kindness? Maybe you reflect some of his playfulness. He wants to take you where you are today, with all your flaws, inperfections, failures with all your tallents and abilities and everything that makes you uniquily you. He wants to know and love you, to spend time with you. Reflect to others, what He has revealed of Himself to you. Even new baby belivers can do that. Lets not just give the gosple lip service - lets live it. We are the good news  - we've got Jesus in us. I will end with Hebrews 3:12-19 (If you hear His voice through this post - respond to Him in some way.) Oh and maybe send me a note and let me know these how these devotionals are making a difference in your life. (princessmargot@hotmail.com) I could use a little  encouragement too. Maybe use the donate button - I don't get paid to do this and it does take a bit of time from other things I could do to make money. If this is making a difference for you - please pray for me and consider supporting it. Oh and tell your friends about it too. Thanks:)
 ^"See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. As has just been said:
   “Today, if you hear his voice,
   do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion.”
 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert?  And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief."

Prayer
Dear Lord,
Help us to ferrit out the religious germs that have infested our lives. Help us to become Kingdom people. Jesus people. Help us to look like you, and sound like you and to become more and more like you everyday. Help us to stop playing church and to be the church. Help us to live radical lives that are salty and shine your light to a dark and dying world. It is time to get off the bench and into the game. Help us have the couarage to be fully who you have created us to be and to embrace your plans and purposes for our life.

God is in Control

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

Click Here to get to the Free Videos

Isaiah 54:16-17:
“‘See, it is I who created the blacksmith 
who fans the coals into flame and forges 
a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who 
have created the destroyer to wreak havoc; 
no weapon forged against you will prevail, 
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. 
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, 
and this is their vindication from me,’ declares the LORD.”

I was reading an article about Five Bible Passages to Read When You Are Doubting God. Four of them are verses that I know well and have stood upon countless times. There was a fifth one that I was not familiar with and the is the verse we will use as today's verse.  I like it in the Contemporary English Version the best ¹⁶Don't forget that I created metal workers who make weapons over burning coals.
   I also created armies that can bring destruction.¹⁷Weapons made to attack you won't be successful;
   words spoken against you won't hurt at all.  My servants, Jerusalem is yours!
   I, the LORD, promise to bless you with victory. 

I guess what stands out to me is... that God is in control and He promises that Weapons and Words used to try and attack His people won't be successful. He promises us victory.  I need to remind myself of verses like these when I make an major error in the check book and now sit with my account over drawn. Ugggh ... so its not an attack of an enemy but my own carelessness. I'm not saying "The Devil made me do it" Its probably more the result of me trying to juggle too many things currently and my struggle to keep it all strait in my head. I suppose I could beat myself up over it - I realize that really won't help.  If I look at the next two months there are plenty of reasons to for me to panic. Money is tight already and hours for my husbands job will be even less because of the holidays. I could allow myself to be consumed with worry, fear, doubt and trust me I have had some moments of anxiety. It is at times like this that I am thankful that I have a believing husband who was quick pray with me and remind me that it will work out - it always does. 

Anyway I am at the Public Market Thursday, Friday and Saturday and perhaps that will be the vehicle through which God provides. Maybe He will put it on someone's heart who has been blessed by reading theses devotionals to use the donate button on the top left of the page. I don't know how God will meet this need but I know that He will, and so I am choosing not to worry and will continue to do the things that are before me to do.  Please don't think I am more gifted at trusting than you are,  God has allowed me to practice and exercise the muscle of trust a lot.  When I am in a situation that cause me to feel fear, worry or doubt I take those thoughts captive and I make a point to remember all the countless times God has come to my aid in the past. I will remember, and as I do faith, hope and trust will rise up and push the worry, doubt and fear out of the way.

There was a time when I used to wish that I did not have to live and walk by faith. It seems I am always having to stretch my faith for some thing. I went through a period where I wished I could be like others that did not have to look to God to meet there needs. Folks with great jobs and lots of insurance and seeming security. I look around at the great number of those seemly secure people who are finding themselves un-employed in this difficult economy. I think that were I to come from such a life and find myself suddenly having to trust God or not knowing God how fearful that place would be. I realized that I have had the privilege of seeing God work things out for me time and time again. I have learned to trust and know Him so much more deeply as a result.

So I am not writing this to allarm any of my friends or family. I generally don't say anything to anyone and just bring my need to the Lord and he provides in ways that I never even thought of. So why share with you, my readers? I know that each of you has your own struggles that you are facing and it helps to know that you are not alone and that others have gone through or are going through similar things. It is important to share with you some of my little tricks that I have learned.
I have learned that if I can do something for the poor - it blesses the Lord and reminds the enemy that he can't intemidate me. Give and it shall be given to you...pressed down, running over.... I try to remember that when things are tight is not the time to hord but to continue to give and help others.

Think of the story of Elisha theres a famine in the land and he is hanging out by this little brook and the ravens are feeding him. Ah what a life ... but then the brook dries us. Dang it - now what's a prophet to do. God sends him to a widow woman to ask for her help. She is busy making her last meal for she and her son. She's got nothing to give - right. She gives anyway. Its a great story.. you should read it for yourself. I should just leave you hanging so you will go and discover for yourself how this story end. I'll be nice and paste it here for you.

1 Kings 17:8-16 (NIV1984)

⁸ Then the word of the LORD came to him: ⁹ “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.” ¹⁰ So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” ¹¹ As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”
 ¹² “As surely as the LORD your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”
 ¹³ Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. ¹⁴ For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.’”
 ¹⁵ She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. ¹⁶ For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.

I read in one comentary that her jug of oil and flour lasted her for two years til the famine ended.
What the heck - why would God not just send him to a nice bakery and give him some money. I think God uses stories like this that he does not need to turn to the fall backs we would tend to seek for aid. He can create bread to feed a multiude out of a kids sack lunch. 

We watched a great presentation by John Eldredge last night called the Outlawcast. It was excellent how transformed flat whimpy Sunday school  Jesus into a real person. I highly recommend it to you. There are 18 individual free video and audio files that you can download or stream. You might want to go through them together with your family or in your home group or on your own. They are rich and well done videos that I encourage you to experience.  There is even a free participants guide that you can download and use as you go through the 18 videos.  This is a writer and a ministry that have impacted and challenged and helped to change my life on more than one occasion. They many great resources at thier site. I don't get a kick back for refering you, I am simply sharing a resource that I hope you might find to be of benefit as you press in to know Jesus more and more.

Prayer:
Dear Lord,
I pray that not only will you provide for our needs, that in it you will reveal to us more of your wonderful character. There is so much of you to know help us to see you, and to trust you more. Be with us in the situations and circumstances of our lives. Open our eyes and our hearts that we might see you more clearly and grow to love you more and more.