Holdin' On

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

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Habakuk 3:17 - 19 

Though the fig tree does not bud
   and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
   and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
   and no cattle in the stalls,
¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
   I will be joyful in God my Savior.

 ¹⁹ The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
   he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
   he enables me to go on the heights. 

I talked to an old friend yesterday, visting with her is always a gift and a treasure. We live far away from one another but there was a time when we lived in the same town and were as close as family. During that time she went thorough one hardship after another and suffered from terrible depression and various mental issues.  She said last night that she had come to a realization of how that time had given her the tools to be able to deal with the death of her brother. He was a truck driver and I remember the day that she received a call that he was missing. His truck was found empty, but he was missing. Horrible weeks followed of wondering where he was and what could have happened to him. He was found dead in the desert it broke her heart and she was angry with God.  I remember wondering after all she had been through. How much more Lord,  does one person have to endure. Her life seemed to me like reading the book of Job.  Last night I shared with her that she is my mental picture of what it means to be an overcomer.  This was her response. "I did not do anything Margot. I only kept breathing, the rest God did"

Maybe thats you today your holding on, barely breathing. You look around you and feel like you have fallen sort in every area of your life. Don't give up.

My friend now ministers to international students. She shared how she took some to see the holiday lights and stopped at a beautiful Nativity display and got to tell the story of the birth of Jesus because they had never heard it. She has one of the students this time who is is from Pakistan. He is a believer which is very rare. His family has a rough hand carved Nativity because there are none to be bought, so they made one. She shared how they set aside a room in their very small house just to worship, pray and study the word.  My friend said of this student "he knows that his life could be very short because of his faith in Pakistan but he does not hesitate.. nor hide who and what he is." She has the pleasure of seeing the great wonder in the eyes of her students. Her great heart ache these days is that of coming to know and love these students as sons and daughters to in only 6 months putting them back on the plane to return to their homes.  Many of her students are Muslim. This week two of them have asked if they can go to church with her. She is through her life demonstrating the kindness of Jesus. She marvels at how God used those difficult times to prepare her for the things she is doing today. There were so many times when she wanted to give up and tried to take her own life.  She said in our conversation yesterday "I think always God prepares us for the vision he has for our lives. Sometimes we can see the distant path and sometimes we just go around the corner and be surprised" She will be traveling to Egypt and Pakistan in the new year to visit some of the students who have become like sons to her.  She looks forward to meeting their mothers. God has done such a transforming work in her life.  Perhaps you will join me in praying for her and these international students. That the seeds of kindness and faith that she plants in their lives will grow up to become mighty trees of righteousness.

She is right - we don't often know what it around the next corner and how the hard things we are facing today are building in us and inner strength and a dependence on Jesus that will allow us to minister hope to others in the future.

I know that there is often a weight that proceeds writing theses posts. Some of it I think is a spiritual battle, the enemy would love for me to give up and stop writing. (Please pray for me as I endeavor to be faithful to the Lord in this task.)  Sometimes I think it is a weight that God allows me to feel so I can write the message that is on His heart for you.  I know when I pray for people - God allows me to "read their mail to him" He allows me to express what is stuck inside of then. He gives me the words to express the cry of their hearts. They stand there weeping and ask me after wards how did you know. How do you understand." Some of it is the things I have been through or am going through. Mostly it is just God. It is like I am the elevator operator and my job is to take those people to the thrown room of God and lay those prayers before Him. I think that gift is overflowing here some how today. I admit this is a step of faith for me - to write, and believe that this is specifically for someone who is struggling. I don't know who you are or why I am writing this today. Don't give up - press in to Jesus. Hold on - let Him hold on to you. 

Today I think there are some of you feeling like you are a hopeless failure.
That the things you have tried to do seem to shrivel up and blow away.  I think about the words of Rich Mullins " I beat my head against so many walls... I'm falling down... I'm falling on my knees."

The prayer that rises up in my spirt as I write is this one and so I will pray it for you and with you. 
 (I think as an intercessor God often allows me to feel the weight of others burdens. This weight of failure seems so heavy. Don't believe that lie - God is not though with you yet. He is doing a transforming work - you are the clay in his hands, soon you will become that vessel that he is creating out of a lump of clay that does not look like much now but will be unique and special and beautiful when he is done. I don't know who this is for today but I pray God will meet you and minister encouragement and hope to you in some very deep way today by what I have written. )

Prayer: 
Jesus I need you - I can't do this life on my own.  My self sufficiency is a sham and my neediness seems so great. I feel overwhelmed in a sea of sorrow. I call out to you come and fill me. Let your Spirit overflow from my life.  You know the things I am facing in this season and what they are working in me to prepare me for greater fruitfulness in the days, weeks and years ahead. In this moment I can't think that far ahead. Come and hold me in your ams of love. Help me hold on to you,
I feel like I am barely breathing. I'm tired of beating my head against so many walls. When I feel like I'm failing and falling down, I choose to turn to you,  to fall on my knees. Thank you for helping me see how much I need you. I thank you for the difficulties that have caused me to draw near to you. To hold on, when every circumstance seem to scream, God has forgotten, that His answers are late.  Lord, I'm holding on to you, your timing is perfect. Thank you for letting me see how much I need you today and every day. I choose to trust you - give me the grace to walk through this day, give me the strength to follow you. Hold me Lord, I'm holding on to you.






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No Turning Back

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

Ephesians 5:18-20

¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.
Instead, be filled with the Spirit. ¹⁹ Speak to one another
with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make
music in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks
to God the Father for everything,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I am not feeling particularly great today. I caught some bug that is going around and have not felt well all week. I am thankful that I managed last Saturday to get a few posts written ahead for the week. Today I am running behind on getting this written and posted.

So heres the deal - I don't feel good. I would just assume curl up in a ball on the couch and ignore the world. Stop the world I need to get off. I could easily slide in to having my own personal pitty party. Poor me.... I feel lousy.... I have so much that needs to be done..... bla bla bla. I'm sure you have your own litany of woes.  I am choosing to resist that path and I am going to do what I can to allow the Holy Spirit into my day. The word says that when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  This verse follows Paul's pleading with the Lord to remove the thorn in his flesh. Some say it was an illness of some sort, others say he had a messenger of satin the buffeted him. Perhaps they are one in the same.  What ever it was it caused him to suffer enough to plead with the Lord to take it away from him.  I like to tell you that the Lord answered him and told him "Sure Paul, your a good guy, out preaching to the gentiles, and serving me with your whole heart. Sure consider it done my friend." But..... thats not the answer God gave him. Now you may be scratching your head along with me on this one. So here is Gods answer to Paul found in 2 Corinthians 12 . "⁹ And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." So today I have an opportunity to allow the power of Christ to rest upon me to some how make me strong in spite of my weakness. I can choose to be thankful even in hardships. I can choose to stand upon his word that tells me in Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. " I have a choice even in stupid things like a head cold as to where I will put my focus. Will I focus on poor me? or will I resist that and align myself today with the word of God.
I admit I was leaning towards poor me, even about having to write this devotional. Now I'm kind of laughing because this thing keeps me on track. It makes me face head on the choice before me. It really isn't much of a choice when you think about it. I can choose to be physically and mentally miserable today or I can buck up and stand on the word, do what I can to take care of my body and put my mind on things above. I may not feel great physically but I don't have to give in to the idea that therefore I will also feel mentally miserable. 

I should have an attitude of the 3 guys in the Firey Furnace in Daniel 3:1-3 My favorite part of the story is the choice that they declare out loud to the king.  Take a look at verses 16-18. " ¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”  They made up their mind before they knew how God would deliver them that no matter what even if they died in the fire that they were choosing to serve God.  Some times we need to make up our mind that we are going to choose Gods way no matter how a thing turns out.  Like Paul in our verse today God may leave you in something but supply you the grace to walk through it and to become stronger as a result.  We would like to put God in a box or make him like the geni in a bottle who gives us what we want. We serve a God who gives us what we need. He knows the desires of our heart but there is more to that verse from Psalm 37
³ Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
 ⁴ Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
 ⁵ Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him,  And He shall bring it to pass.
 ⁶ He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.
The getting the desire of your heart thing goes along with trusting the Lord, doing good, feeding on and remembering his faithfulness, commiting your way to the Lord.   .... So we don't always get the quick fix, easy answers, some stuff God walks with us through day by day, layer by layer. There are not easy answers for some of the things that we face in our life.  We live in a fallen world, and we are affected by it, our sin, others sins, generational sins, the demonic. Uggh it can seem overwhelming.
My friend is wrestling with how to respond to a daughter who has decided to choose a lesbian lifestyle. I was asking if he would be up set if she was living with a guy before marriage. Its funny the sins we are willing to tollerate and have become desensistized to. Anytime we choose life on our own terms rather than Gods way it leads eventully to brokenness and pain. As christain's we are to love the sinner and hate the sin. All sex outside of marriage is sin no matter what our culture has nummbed us into believing on the matter. Its working very hard in shows like Bones and others to get us to swallow the idea that the sleeping aroud, or the homesexual or lesbian lifestyle is just another choice. I don't mean to step on toes but Gods way is a narrow way. We have to choose on a daily basis to pick up our cross and follow Him. God designed sex to be part of a covenant relationship between one man and one woman with God at the center.  God gives us free will to choose of our own accord to do things His way. He loves us in spite of our poor choices. He understands the many of us come from broken families and are broken in many ways ourselves before we even get to relationships with others. I don't have time to stand around pointing out the sins of others. I have enough of my own that I need to crucify. While I'm at it,  I am happy to share the journey with others who are endeavering to follow Christ. We all fall terribly short of God holy standards. Thankfully he has sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins. We will never be good enough to stand before a holy God on our own. So our salvation is found in Jesus not in our good works or our good life.  He wants us to repent of the sins in our life, and to choose His way. Having walked with him for nearly 30 years at this point. He does not always work on things in the order that I think he should. I have found that after 30 year of Him dealing with varous areas of sin in my life that there is always another level of purification and deeper levels of closet cleaning that He continues to do. Life on our terms leads to distruction, pain, torment, life on Gods terms leads to freedom in Christ. It does not gauantee an easy life. Look at the disciples, shipwrecked, beaten, in prisoned, most of them martyered for their faith in Christ. It does not sound like the life they chose was a pleasure cruse. They saw first hand people getting set free, healed, learning to live in the Kingdom with Kingdom principles that are very backwards from the cultures we live in.

We all have to choose will we put Jesus on the thrown of our our heart and allow him to be the King of our life or will you continue to keep "Self" on that thrown. I am not saying that it is easy to change. The chains that have each of us bound in the old dead life are quick to entangle us. It often feels like we take 2 steps forward and 1 step back. It sometimes feels we have so many layers of muck and brokenness that we won't ever get totally free. Jesus extends his hand to you. He wants to help you.
He wants to walk with you today and everyday. Will you look to him to help you with what you are facing today or will you choose the pity party today and another bath in the mud. 

As for me.. I have decided to follow Jesus - no turning back no matter what. I am remeinded of the verses to that song. The melody comes from India, the writer of the lyrics is unknown. At the top of the post I will embed a beautiful version of this song being preformed by Third Day. If you got this in your e-mail you may have to return to the actual post to hear it. Where ever you are today and what ever you are going through.  Today is the day to return to Jesus. Decide today to follow him today. It might be just an area of your life that you have yet to yield to him, or it may be you are making that decision for the first time, or perhaps you have gotten off track and need to return to Him. Don't put it off ... He is the way.  My prayer is simple today. I pray that you will have the courage to follow Him. 

1. I have decided to follow Jesus 

I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. Tho' none go with me, I still will follow,
Tho' none go with me I still will follow,
Tho' none go with me, I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

3. My cross I'll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I'll carry till I see Jesus,
My cross I'll carry till I see Jesus;
No turning back, No turning back.

4. The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

Fearfully And Wonderfully Made

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

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Psalm 139:13-16
¹³ For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
 ¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
   were written in your book
   before one of them came to be. 

Through the yeas I have spent a lot of time encouraging people to not give up. To believe that in spite of their present circumstances that God has a plan. I have helped them to connect the dots to discover what Gods plans and purposes for their life might be. I help people get from where they are today to where they believe they want to be or God wants them.  Some are trying to overcome a bad habit or behavior and need some extra accountability and encouragement. Some are trying to reach for a dream that God has placed on their heart and are on a journey, taking purposeful steps to reach various milestones and goals.  Some are discouraged and fighting depression and need help to see that the light at the end of the tunnel is not an on coming train. They need hope. Some are dealing with broken relationships and need to work through reconciliation. For some that broken relationship is with God and they need help to see that He love us each where we are today. This past year I discovered a name for what I do, "life coaching." You can learn more about coaching by going to my coaching page using this link or the tab above.

All that so I can tell you this story.... I got a call from one of my coaching allies yesterday. Her young child was writing words on a paper. My coaching allie questioned her about what they said. Little children learning their letters write things that must be explained. The child responded that they say "I'm stupid".  "What should I do. She insists that she is stupid? "  We start getting bombarded by negative self talk and doubts at a very early age.  I suggested that she sit down with her and tell her what God says about her. It is easy to take on the wrong views of others and even our own wrong views when the view we need is that of the one who created us and knows the plans and purposes for our life. He knows why he created us, how he wired us, and why he has given us certain gifts, abilities and  talents. Sometimes we are trying to live up to the wrong yardstick.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” ~ Albert Einstein


I don't know who you are reading today but perhaps you struggle with berating yourself. Speaking doubt, unbelief and curses over your own life. Perhaps you have taken the mean, unkind things people have maliciously said to you and rather than resist those things you have looked at your circumstances and rather than see them from Gods perspective you have taken the Enemy of your souls perspective and joined the rabble to beat yourself up.

Its time to stop. Child of God, lets look at What God says about you.

Lets start with our verse today. You were not an accident - God created your inmost being, he knit you together in your mothers womb. He knew about your life before even one of your days started. 
He loves you and thinks you are wonderful.
In Genesis he completes his work of creating ( and that included making man and woman) and he says that it is good. Genesis 1:31 And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

Sin entered the world and things became broken very early on.  God had a plan...Galatians 4:3-5 (NKJV) Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. ⁴ But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

When we accept what Jesus has done on our behalf we become new creatures.
 

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

I am hope that you already have a grasp of the basics of faith in Christ. God loves you so much that he sent his Son to take the punishment that you and I deserve. In Him justice is satisfied. In Him we are reconciled to the Father. 

The more we can begin to see ourselves as God sees and that He accepts the more we can walk in the freedom of who He has created us and called us to be. 

So here are some other verses to consider. These are some of the same verses I shared with my coaching allie.

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Luke 12:7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Acts 10:34-35 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

If you search your Bible there are many verses about how much God loves you. None of us are good enough to stand before a Holy Righteous God by our own merit. It is only because of Jesus that we can inter into His holy presence. Jesus wants to help you to overcome the places of sin and darkness in your life. He wants to to be free from the things that have you bound, he wants you to grow and be fruitful for His glory.  He has sent his Holy Spirit to lead and guide you into all truth. To be your comforter to help you navigate through this life.  We do not deserve, nor can we earn this love, we are not worthy, but we are valued, loved, desired and of great worth to God. 

I love this one from Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

I love the image of God singing loudly over me. I like that he will quiet me by his love. There are times we need to be reassured of his love. He loves us on our worst days and on our best days. He simply loves us. We are his creation, his beloved.  Its not about what you do but who you believe in. Jesus made a way for you to be right with a Holy God.

Sure there are always things in our life that we are working on and growing in but we can rest knowing that God loves us right where we are today and He has a good plan for us. Be open and honest about the struggles you are facing. David in the Psalms bares his heart over and over in the Psalms crying out to God for help. God already knows but he waits for you to be ready to share it with Him.

Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Help us today to see our selves though your eyes. Help us see your love and delight in us. Come and quiet us with your love. Come sing loudly over us. Help us proclaim how wonderful you are, you, who has called us out of darkness into your marvelous light. Help us to find those things that you have created for us to do and to walk by faith in this adventure called today. We put our trust and faith and hope in you and are thankful that you know everything about us and still love us. Your love is amazing - Thank you Lord - I give you this day and invite you to walk with me through it for your glory.

Memory of the Righteous & a guy we call Santa

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

Click to see more icons of Nicholas

Proverbs 10:7

The memory 

of the righteous 

will be a blessing,

but the name 

of the wicked 

will rot.

 I heard so many Christians discussing through the years, the topic of if we should celebrate Christmas with Santa. I listened to a woman on Christian radio lamented that she had no photos of her daughter with Santa. The lack of photos was not from a point of conviction but simply because the child was frightened by Santa and not interested in sitting on some strangers lap. As Christians we live in a world that celebrates various holidays during the year. Christmas is one of them, that while for us, it is a celebration and a remembrance of the birth of Christ for the rest of the planet it is about good will, cheer, gifts, food, parties, concerts.... Is it wrong for us as believers to enjoy and partake in the traditions of this world?  I will leave you to search that one out in the Word and come to your own conclusions. Jesus left us in this world to be a light in the darkness. To be salt that makes people thirsty for His living water.  So I ask you, do the things you do to celebrate honor and reflect the Lord you serve? Perhaps there are some adjustments you might want to make to shine a little brighter for Him.

So lets take on Santa. Wikapedia is a good place to start http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas From what I read there he seems to me to be a man who loved and followed Jesus during his life.

His Prayer Life:
He was clearly an effective intercessor. God answered his prayer enough that he became known as Nicholas the Wonderworker. Heck, there's something I'd like my kids to know about. How could we as a family become more faithful as intercessors, praying for the needs of those around us. What if God started answering those prayers. What if you and your family became known to the unbelievers around you as wonder workers in the name of Jesus. That could be pretty cool but most of us don't really believe in prayer or we would really do more of it. Oh, ouch did I step on a few toes. All too often we would rather run around complaining and wining and asking others to pray for us than to go directly to God not only for our own need, but for the needs of others. I can be as guilty of this as anyone else at times on this score. As Christians we do not need an intermediary to get to Jesus, he is the intermediary between us and the Father. In John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. I am very thankful for the wonderful intercessors that I have come to know, people who have challenged me to step up my own prayer and devotional life because of what I have seen of their alive, vital and abiding relationship with Jesus.
This guy Nicholas prayed and had a track record of his prayers being answered. There is another guy in the book of acts named Cornelius "Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God." Lets keep in mind James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." So quick how do we get to be righteous? If you are not sure check out Romans 3:21-26  Come on connect the dots what do you need to do to be a righteous person who's prayer are powerful and effective?
Back to Saint Nicholas...


His Life as a Giver
Another part of the life of Nicolas was that he was a kind and generous man. He saw needs around him and found ways to meet those needs with out shaming the poor for their lack. There are numerous stories about how he put coins in shoes and helped out daughters of poor who had no dowries.
Ok so this moved on to become stories of a wonder working gift giver we now call Santa.
Tell your kids about a believer who's life made enough of a difference that stories and legends of his generosity grew to encourage all of us to remember to give to others at Christmas time.

I love this story from the wikapedia page linked above. "
"However, in his most famous exploit, a poor man had three daughters but could not afford a proper dowry for them. This meant that they would remain unmarried and probably, in absence of any other possible employment would have to become prostitutes. Hearing of the poor man's plight, Nicholas decided to help him but being too modest to help the man in public (or to save the man the humiliation of accepting charity), he went to his house under the cover of night and threw three purses (one for each daughter) filled with gold coins through the window opening into the man's house.
One version has him throwing one purse for three consecutive nights. Another has him throw the purses over a period of three years, each time the night before one of the daughters comes "of age". Invariably, the third time the father lies in wait, trying to discover the identity of their benefactor. In one version the father confronts the saint, only to have Saint Nicholas say it is not him he should thank, but God alone. In another version, Nicholas learns of the poor man's plan and drops the third bag down the chimney instead; a variant holds that the daughter had washed her stockings that evening and hung them over the embers to dry, and that the bag of gold fell into the stocking."

You can see from this story where the idea of stockings and chimneys might have started.
I used the verse today about the memory of the righteous being blessed. This man left a legacy that although it has become very commercialized in our day still causes sinners and saints to give to others.  To stop for a day and give to others. It's quite remarkable what can come of a little generosity. I think Nicholas must have understood the story of the Sheep and the Goats. He seemed to have embraced the idea of "What ever you do for the least of these you have done it unto me" 

I think we can be pretty sure that this man was a giver and that he had an effective prayer life. We know he was a leader in the church of his day.  While I'm not a big advocate of the whole venerating of "Saints" thing I do think there are believers who have walked before and among us, who have modeled the life of Christ in their own life, in ways that we should remember and honor. I did have an Orthodox friend who at one point that helped me to see some of the value in remembering the lives of godly believers or "saints" as they are called in some parts of the church. 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul says "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."

Mother Terea is one of those moderen day people who's example of humility and care for the poor was remarkable. I think her life might serve as an example to us all. I think God showed that lady a thing or two in her day. This Nicholas guy did enough in his day that people told stories about him to their children, and those stories were passed along and clearly embellished along the way.

So here's my take on the whole Santa thing and I have walked through it with my own kids. I decided early on that I did not want to lie to my kids about a magical man who brings gifts in a sleigh drawn by reindeer.  So we have embraced that story as a wonderful pretend story that grew out of a life of a real believer in Jesus. A man named Nicholas, who prayed and cared for the poor is a good reminder to us to live our our faith in Jesus.  His prayer life and generosity have lived on beyond him.  As believers should be able to agree that there are some things in the life of this man that are worthy of praise.  I wanted to tell my children about the real man, so that as they learned more and more about Jesus they would know him as someone who is real. Not a made up mythical character like Santa. I did not want them to one day realize that I had lied to them about Santa, and to think that I might have also lied to them about Jesus. Does that mean we have not had some fun with the pretend story of Santa through the years? We have - they like to watch all the Christmas shows and will break out in a chorus of Here Comes Santa Clause and Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Reindeer. Its ok to pretend, its ok to have fun.

I do want to remind us all that - we are in different stages in our journey with Jesus. My convictions on this subject are based upon my own belief that it is important to be open and honest. Those are two things that are pretty high on my list of values. I am not meaning in anyway to make anyone feel guilty about how you happen to celebrate the holidays or even how you raise your own kids. Mainly just sharing how it has spun out in our family. Like you, I am a long way from perfection and am continually growing in my walk with Jesus. Whatever you do remember that it is faith that pleases God. What does the Word say?  Can you support your convictions in the Word?

Lets remember Philippians 2:12 -16
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.  Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—

Prayer:
Dear Lord,
I pray that we would live our lives in such a way that when we depart this life, our memory would be blessed. I pray that like Nicholas and Mother Teresa and many other believers who now are part of that vast cloud of witnesses in Heaven, that our lives would be a light in the darkness. Thank you for the foot prints others have left for us to learn and be encouraged by. I pray that we would be so salty that we would cause those around us to be thirsty for your living water.  Allow us to leave a lasting legacy of some sort that will speak beyond our years on this planet. Maybe we've never even given that much thought - I pray you would inspire us in this moment and help us to grab on to your vision and purpose for each of us.

PS. Did you notice in the icon image above that Nicholas has such an honor of the Bible that he does not even touch it with his hands but holds it carefully in his robe. I just like how the artist depicted Nicholas honor for God's word. He must have been a cool guy. I look forward to sitting down with him in eternity and hearing about his life.

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.

O The Blood

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

 
Here's the link to the video of the recording O The Blood
that I recorded to go along with this post http://youtu.be/6-0x4P1PGps


Hebrews 10:19-23
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleans us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

I started this morning thinking I would write about verse 24 about inspiring one another on towards love and good deeds but realized that 19-23 were so rich that I did not want you to miss them.
I talk a lot about pressing in to Jesus and I want you to understand it is not a pressing in of a sacrificial religious acts. It is more of pressing in to be secure in what Jesus has done for you. Really we can't even get to the part about inspiring one another towards love and good deeds with out taking care of the chains of guilt and shame and accepting what the blood of Christ has done for us.
In the verses above we start off with confidence in the blood of Christ.
So lets look at some other places to try and understand what the blood of Christ does for us.





Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.  His blood is what allows us to draw near or press in to the Father.  The blood of Jesus covers all those places of sin that would other wise separate us from God.  When we accept what Jesus has done for us it allows us to stop trying to be good enough. It completely changes our motivation for doing good things. We do them out of thankfulness and a sense of calling and purpose rather than as a means to some how atone for our own sins. Jesus paid it all. We stand before the father covered by the blood of Jesus. He is the sacrifice who's blood was shed on our behalf.
 
Hebrew 9:14  How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! It cleanses our conscience - I know that there are some of you reading who continually carry around a load of regrets. I ask you - Have you gone before God and asked him to forgive you specifically of the things that have led up to you having those regrets. Have you forgiven others who hurt, disappointed, betrayed or let you down who's choices have led up to you having those regrets? Allow the blood of Christ to cleanse your guilty conscience. Why? So you can serve the living God. He's got stuff he has prepared for you to do in his kingdom. While you wallow in your guilt and self pity you are missing those opportunities to walk before him by faith. Keep it up you will end up with even more regrets. Its time to do some house cleaning. Let Jesus into the closets, let him see the stuff you have swept under the rug.
 
1 Peter 1:2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. It makes it possible for you to walk obediently before Christ. By your own strength you will not overcome your addictive tendencies, or the depression or the guilt and things that keep tripping you up. It is the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit that causes us to be strong where we were once weak. Kingdom living is not about you pulling yourself up by your boot straps and trying to beat yourself into being a good person. Jesus makes you good by the power of His blood. He begins a transforming work in your life and asks you to allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you day by day, step by step. It is He who works in you the desire to please and honor the Lord with your life. Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Revelation 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
It frees us from our sins. Here you are carrying around that load of guilt and shame and you think if you can some how pay for it or make up for it. There is a scene in the movie The Mission that illustrates in a visual way how we often try to atone for our failure through acts of penance. Here's the clip http://youtu.be/xJ4WviaApHc You are trying to go through life carrying that load of  un-necessary shame and guilt when Jesus has paid for it all on the Cross by the shedding of His blood. Do you some how think his sacrifice was not enough? Its time to cut that rope and that loaded pack and let it fall off your life. Accept what Jesus has done for you and begin to walk in the freedom of His amazing forgiveness. Your right you don't deserve it - none of us do. It is time to cut that thing off and to begin to live for Him a life of thankfulness.

 1 Peter 1:18-20 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. ²⁰ He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. It is time to let go of that empty way of life and embrase life in the Kingdom. If you need some help with that I suggest reading the stories that Jesus told. In them He is trying to help us see what life in the Kingdom is like.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Time to stop just giving lip service and time to begin living like you believe what you say.
Are calling yourself a Christian but continuing to walk around with a load of guilt and shame as if the sacrifice of Christ was some how not good enough for your sins... its time to stop. Accept what He has done for you and begin to walk in the life He has called you to. Time to get off the bench and into the game.  A couple of days ago I recorded the song The Well at the end it says "leave it all behind...your pursuit of of perfection. "Leave it all behind...your fear of rejection. Leave it all behind...your temporary pleasures. Leave it all behind...all your earthly treasures. Leave it all behind... the costly chains of addiction. Leave it all behind... all the guilt that weighs you down."  Really its time to quit punishing yourself  - give it all to Jesus and get on with the life He is calling for you to by accepting what he has done for you.

I've been pondering the following question and so I pass it along to you to ponder as well.
"If all things were possible what would you be doing with your life?" 
 
Prayer
Dear Lord,
Help us to move beyond the baby steps of repentance and forgiveness and to begin to walk in your Kingdom purposes and calling for our lives. Its time to leave it all behind - time to move on. Lord move us from wallowing in the pig sty of sin, regret, failure, shame, and fear. Hose us off and help us to begin to walk by faith into the things you are calling us to do and to be for your glory.

The Beloved Presentation

A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

Open publication - Free publishing - More beloved

If you are reading this by e-mail you may need to click on the post title to get back to the Devotional Posting to see the embedded materials. Here is the direct link to the document. http://issuu.com/margot/docs/beloved_presentation?mode=window&backgroundColor=%23222222

I thought today I would do something a little different. I created a series of slides about the Beloved Mosiac project. I presented them Wednesday night to a room full of kids and adult parents and leaders.
I thought you might enjoy flipping through it. It is filled with many of the scriptures that inspired me. Photos of various stages of the project, many of the Christian symbols that I included with in the piece.

I think today I will allow the pictures to be worth the 1000 words that I generally write for these posts.
I hope you will be inspired by them. The journeys that we are on are often filled with lots of little bitty broken pieces if you look too closely all you see is the brokenness. If you step back you begin to see the beautiful mosaic that God has been creating out of your life.

Don't give in to dispair - God is working in more ways than you can even imagine or see. Trust Him.

Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Thank you that our lives are art in your hands. That you are creating a thing of beauty out of what so offten seems like the broken and shattered remains of our own poor choices, the poor choices of others, the places where we have turned to you for healing and the places that still await the touch of your great love , healing and transforming power. Be with us today and help us step back to see the bigger pictures.