That may sound like a strange title, but I was very moved by reading Ephesians 4-6 this morning. In Ephesians, as in many of the books he wrote, Paul described himself as a prisoner. It made me ask myself, “Tina, How do you describe yourself ? What would God call you besides Tina?” Some of the names Paul gives himself are: an Apostle of Jesus Christ, a Prisoner of Christ Jesus for the Gentiles, a prisoner for the Lord and an Ambassador in chains. It hit me that he wanted to make sure readers knew that what he was writing was from the Lord, for whom He is a servant, prisoner and ambassador.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and who are faithful in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 1:1 NKJV

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— Ephesians 3:1 NKJV

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,  Ephesians 4 :1 NKJV

for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:20 NKJV

This devotion may not be short, because I don’t want myself or you to rush past this important thought. We are titled by what we DO. Paul actively witnessed, testified, taught, encouraged, explained, exhorted and guided others, all for the cause of Christ Jesus. Thus, we know Him as a lover of Jesus Christ, anxious to draw others to Christ and help followers of Jesus be all that they can be in Him.

You know how when you first meet someone, you might ask what they do for a living? And how it tells us something about that person’s intellect, passion or daily life? We do not have to ask Paul what He does, because he tells us his names. He is acting out his title. His title comes from his relationship to Jesus and what He does for Jesus. His names are actions!

As Paul titled himself by what he was most passionate about and what he did for Jesus, what would we title ourselves? What action or passion that takes up most of our free time? what are we a prisoner to? And what do we want our title to be? Besides what we do for work, what do we do because we love Jesus so much? I am asking myself these questions as I type this morning. I believe that our title or name, to Jesus, is what He calls us to do for Him. Whether we work part-time or a 40 hour a week job, and whether we are retired following a passion or working in the church, Jesus is ultimately our “boss.” Our title is servant and representative of Jesus Christ. Wow, what an honor! He has called us all to represent Him in our work! We are what we do for Jesus. We are what He helps us to do for Him.

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,  knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for words today, as I am overwhelmed with the importance of what we are known by. We want to be known as Yours and want to do everything to please you, our Master and King. When we are work, help us to be good representatives of You in our speech, behavior and love for others. Give us opportunities to serve You there. When we are unsure of what path to take for You, please give us a calling and opportunity to be a worker in the church or to others. Thank You for shining Your light on this scripture today. Thank You for always being there to guide us in Your will. That’s what we want most. We love You so much! Amen

Love and prayers to all,

Just me.

Just His.

‘Praying through’ is a phrase I used to hear a lot in my church when I was a child. The pastor or mentors in the church would use this phrase to encourage the church, the people, to pray their way all the way through a situation. Many times, our church would hold hands and pray ‘through.’ I could feel, even as a child, the power in that prayer as we prayed through, but my young mind was still confused. My thoughts were…What does that even mean? How long is long enough? How do we know when we are done? Does God tell us “You can stop now?”

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16

As an adult, I get it now; prayer is effective when we pray as often as needed and for as long as is needed and we do not care about the time it takes. We can’t rush God into giving us a good feeling about something, but we can pray often and fervently! The time it takes for prayer then? It is until we get an answer from God, until we feel His peace surrounding our situation, until we see our wrong, until we are aligned with God, until we feel His presence, until we ask and receive forgiveness or until we reach a point of intimacy with Him and feel His love deeply. It can be all of these things and more. It’s just, until. The Lord will guide us.

I asked my mother once, “Momma, how long should I read my Bible, because I don’t have much time after homework.” She answered me, “It takes as long as it takes.” That changed my whole focus on being a Christ follower. She was telling me to read until. I heard from my pastor to pray until. She knew and my pastor know that seeking God’s wisdom in prayer and seeking Him in the Bible takes whatever time is enough in any relationship that is super special. It takes what it takes, as many times as it takes. The Lord will guide us:)

Aren’t you glad we have a God that listens to our repeated requests? He will never tell us to go away, stop bothering Him with our prayers. He never sleeps!

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 1 John 5:14

Dear Father God,

It is almost too hard to believe that we can talk to You, our Creator and sender of our Savior! I hope we never lose that reverence of all that You are and all You have done. When we pray to ask You to heal the sick, to uplift our friends who are going through trials, we know You hear us. Thank You for hearing and answering prayer! Thank You for being available 24-7 to everyone in the world. You have so much love. We want that love for others that makes us pray ‘until.’ We want Your will to be our top prayer request though. Please keep feeding us and teaching us to be less of ourselves so we can be filled with You instead. We praise You for all that You have done and will do in response to our prayers. We love You so much! Amen

Love and prayers to all of you,

Just me. Just His.

Tina

When we are physically exhausted and empty, our bodies crave water. We can satisfy that thirst with sports drinks or other liquids that we purchase. But when we are spiritually “thirsty” we crave what we cannot buy, make or make happen in any way. There are wonderful passages in the Bible that refer to a well as being living water that quenches our thirst spiritually.

In John chapter four, Jesus Himself is tired and probably also in need of water, because He had been travelling a long while. I was taken aback when I read that. Jesus was tired? Then I remembered, He was fully God but also fully human.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 ESV

Where did Jesus stop to sit when He was tired? A well. Sort of like a rest stop to us, I imagine. You may recall that He met a Samaritan woman there and offered her living water. She had come there at a time when others would not be there, perhaps the hottest time of the day, perhaps because, as many Bible scholars think, she was a social outcast with a questionable past.

She ended up having her spiritual thirst satisfied. She met the Savior! Point blank she asked Him where to get the living water He spoke of. She was bold! Here is Jesus’ answer to her:

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,  but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14 NIV

Several things we can learn from this passage. This is by no means an exhaustive list., but an overview of themes that stood out to me:

1.When we are spiritually thirsty we may try to quench our thirst with the wrong things, worldly things that bring temporary pleasure or revive us for a bit. They never last because they are of human origin. A physical source will not satisfy a spiritual need. Only a supernatural source will do.

2. We not only need the right source, but quenching from the purest source possible. Just as pure food sticks with you longer and maintains your health, Living Water is pure food that feeds our spiritual needs.

3. Although there are many sources of temporary, physical thirst-quenching, there is only one source of everlasting water! In the verse above, Jesus says we will never thirst again.

His living water brings joy, growth, quenching, strength, courage and many other refreshments that we need. On a day like today, when I am a bit sad for personal reasons, my heart is thirsty for a fresh touch from the Savior. I know He can and will revive my heart and hold me up through every difficulty, so I will smile:) At the well, Jesus will satisfy every need we have, because He knows us inside and out. He knows what we need, even before we pray, just as He knew the woman at the well. He restores and revives us!

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, He is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water  from the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:2-3

Dear Jesus,

My heart rejoices that You can do the impossible, supply our spiritual needs. You offer to do it all through our lives, not just a few times. Your living water never runs out. We are so overjoyed and thankful that You are our friend. You know us and still love us in our imperfection. Thank You for Your mighty presence in our lives. Thank You for saving us with all that You had to give. We love You so much and dedicate today to serving You fully, just as You fill us fully with You. Amen

Love and prayers to you all. Have a great Monday!

Just me. Just His.

Tina

This is a picture I just took this morning. Isnt it gorgeous? Isn’t God? Do you ever wonder why God included the sunset, sunshine and moon in every single day? Do you wonder why He made them all so beautiful? Maybe it was to make us look up to Him more often. Maybe He does it because He loves us so much. Maybe because He is giving us a glimpse of His glory and that of heaven! Maybe it is all of the above.

All I know is…they are beautiful sights everyone in the world can see and admire. They tell us how glorious the creator is.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Psalm 19:1-3

Every sunrise is a gift from God and every moon His bow….Tina Crute

God,

Thank you for the beauty you put into a necessity for us. You set our beautiful whole world in motion with just your voice. Thank you for making the sky so glorious that we pause in wonder when we look up. Every day truly is a gift from You, one to treasure! We want to see Your glory, so please remind us with Your Holy Spirit when our eyes come off of Your glory. The world pulls at us, so please pull back. We love You! We ask these things from our great, good and glorious God. Amen

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.John 14:27

I admire those who are so accomplished and can do or make happen just about anything they set their minds to. The peace of Jesus is one of many supernatural things that noone can buy or manufacture or give themselves, nor do they need to! Only Jesus can provide that! He not only can, He will! He can do everything, can’t He?

Peace
worth a million dollars
if it could be bought
but it can’t, can it?
if it could be wrought
it would be worth naught

Peace
free from Jesus’ hand
’til it should run out
but it can’t can it?
It’s without a doubt
never seen a drought

Peace
free to all who ask
changes you inside
yes, it can, can’t it?
only He can provide
peace to heart applied

Peace
soothing of the soul
salve can ease your care
yes it can, can’t it?
for burdens you bear
go to Him in prayer

I hope you have a great day and weekend! Love and prayers to all,

Just me. Just His.

Tina

Isn’t it beautiful how water can produce an image of ourselves when light bounces off of it? Mirrors do the same and they are everywhere. We all have several at home and they are in every dressing room and bathroom, everywhere. Why so many? We care what we look like. When we look into a mirror we hope to see a reflection of a well- put- together pretty or handsome person. We know that a mirror tells the truth; it will show what is standing in the light. Sometimes, we do not see exactly what we want, but we know where we stand and what others see.

The Bible is a mirror of sorts. When we receive light from His Word, we reflect on it and soon see an image of ourselves. Spiritually, we want to be a reflection of Him, but we cannot reflect Him without being full of His light. Just as a mirror cannot lie, God’s truth shows us exactly where we stand and how we look to God and what things we need to work on. Sometimes it isn’t such a pretty picture because His word and Spirit convict us of things that are unlike Him. So what do we do? Since we cannot fix ourselves we ask for His transforming power! As we look in the Bible and follow His light, we can ask God to transform our hearts and He will:)

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

He sees things of the heart and mind that we do not always see. He knows us fully and someday, we will see Him and His glory fully and face-to-face!

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12

Dear Father God,

Your amazing plan for our lives may look different than we thought it would be, but You know best. We want took like what You want us to look like. You are our good Father that wants the best for Your children. We will do our best to absorb Your light and reflect You to the world. Being more like You sort of sounds impossible when we consider how righteous and perfect You are, but we are confident You can work a miracle in us. We praise You for Your goodness and wisdom in making a plan that we get to be a part of. We love You so much and thank You for being such an awesome Father! Amen

Love and prayers to all,

Just me. Just His.

Tina

Isn’t it beautiful how water can produce an image of ourselves when light bounces off of it? Mirrors do the same and they are everywhere. We all have several at home and they are in every dressing room and bathroom, everywhere. Why so many? We care what we look like. When we look into a mirror we hope to see a reflection of a well- put- together pretty or handsome person. We know that a mirror tells the truth; it will show what is standing in the light. Sometimes, we do not see exactly what we want, but we know where we stand and what others see.

The Bible is a mirror of sorts. When we receive light from His Word, we reflect on it and soon see an image of ourselves. Spiritually, we want to be a reflection of Him, but we cannot reflect Him without being full of His light. Just as a mirror cannot lie, God’s truth shows us exactly where we stand and how we look to God and what things we need to work on. Sometimes it isn’t such a pretty picture because His word and Spirit convict us of things that are unlike Him. So what do we do? Since we cannot fix ourselves we ask for His transforming power! As we look in the Bible and follow His light, we can ask God to transform our hearts and He will:)

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

He sees things of the heart and mind that we do not always see. He knows us fully and someday, we will see Him and His glory fully and face-to-face!

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12

Dear Father God,

Your image of us may look different than we think, because You know fully who we are like inside. We want to look like You. You are our good Father that wants the best for us. We will do our best to absorb Your light and reflect You to the world. Being more like You sort of sounds impossible when we consider how righteous and perfect You are, but we are confident that You will transform us day by day when we ask. We praise You for Your goodness and wisdom in making a plan that we get to be a part of. We love You so much and thank You for being such an awesome Father! Amen

Love and prayers to all,

Just me. Just His.

Tina

I was talking to my daughter the other day and she had a couple of rough days ahead, normal life stuff. I suggested she look forward to the future when she would be over and past those few days. Easier said than done, but through experience, you learn that it does lift your spirit to look forward to something good.

As Christians, we can do that, look forward to something good. We are not walking randomly around on the earth, we are following the Lord. There is a big difference between walking and walking with a purpose toward something. Following Jesus is a purposeful act that leads to a forever home with Him. Any troubles we have her on earth are just temporary, for we have a bright future to focus on!

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

So, we know we will have trials that tempt us to take our eyes off our future, so what do we do to stay focused? Remember Jesus. It wasn’t for nothing that He died on a cross. It was for the glorious future and the joy that the future gave Him. Isn’t it worth anything we bear, to have an eternal home with Jesus? Yes! There is no comparison and that is why we should compare the two worlds every so often, so we remember our trials are temporary.

As usual, Jesus sets the example for us to follow in bearing suffering. He bore ALL on the cross, for you and me. He did it to follow and honor God’s will. His example is sort of like a template that we fit our lives into. When we bear sorrow and trials with a heavenly focus, we are staying within the template of Him. We will become more like Him. If we draw outside the template, we will look less like Him. Fixing our eyes on Jesus is the key.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12: 2-3

There is an old song that jumped in my mind just now, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. What a wonderful song of hope. The world becomes dim as we gaze on our wonderful Savior!

Dear, wonderful Savior,

Thank You for Your example to guide us as we travel closer and closer to a future with you. Help us to alter our view so we are aimed toward You, Your will, Your path for us. Please forgive us when we take our eyes off You and get stressed by events in the world. We know that You went through so much so that we could have a future with You, so we will do our best, Your best rather, to follow at a close distance, the One that we love! We do love You so much! In Your precious name, we ask all these things. Amen

Have a wonderful day! Love and prayers,

Just me. Just His.

Tina

Do you ever re-read a book, knowing its ending? I can only do that with really great books, like In His Steps by Charles Sheldon, or More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell. Both are so inspiring that I feel the need to read them again. The Bible, on a much, much higher plane is like that! We may know the storyline, characters and ending, but on each reading it gives unending wisdom, peace and hope. Truth in the Bible never gets old or used up. How can that be? It is a living, breathing thing. It is hope. It is God’s Word!

When we are facing trials, we need the inspiration and hope that the Bible holds. You may have heard the saying, “We may have lost the battle, but we can still win the war.” Many people have said a version of this phrase through the years. Its purpose is to give hope and encouragement that the big picture looks better than one battle. As tempting as it is to lean on powerful quotes, real hope for our spiritual battles can only be found in a spiritual source.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Though we have the enemy taunting us to give up because the battle is so tough, remember that he lies and will do whatever it takes to bring down those that love the Lord. There IS hope in God. That doesn’t mean we will have it easy, but that we are prepared for battle with Him as our strength.

Just as the thought of our warrior God sparks hope in us, it strikes fear in the enemy. Win, win!

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:2 ESV

I recently found a song whose lyrics I love! Selah sings a song, “People of the Cross.” Just that phrase gives hope, because of what Jesus did on the cross!

“We choose Christ and count all else as loss. We won’t be shaken, hope won’t be taken. We are the People of the Cross.” (Selah, Unbreakable, 2017)

Dear Jesus,

What You did on the cross will never cease to amaze us. Thank You for providing, with Your blood, fighting hard and winning the war against death for us! Battles on earth may surprise and weaken us, but we will not be taken by the enemy because we have You fighting for us, with us! Help us to feel Your amazing strength in battles so we do not lose hope. We already know that You will do this, so thank You. We will cling to the truth of the Cross. We are people of the cross. Any suffering we have is temporary and does not compare to what You suffered. With our eyes fixed on You, we can have hope in the battle. We love You so much! Amen

Have a great day! Love and prayers to all,

Just me. Just His.

Tina

Did you love to color as a kid? It is not just for kids anymore. As adults, we are seeing a return to coloring. Stores are stocked with hundreds of choices of adult coloring books, pens , crayons and markers. It is a great outlet to express ourselves; we get to choose what we want our finished picture to look like. In the same way, we choose what color we want our hearts to be colored and what we want our life to look like. It has been said that, “You see a person’s true colors when they are in desperate circumstances.” The true color of our heart determines what will come out when we are under pressure.

We have two choices of heart colors, darkness or light. Darkness is the color of a heart without Jesus and His light. When we choose Jesus, though, we are choosing light and the color white for our hearts. White represents purity, righteousness and freedom from sin. Only He can wash our hearts to make them white. He is clothed in white. All is white and light with Jesus and He wants us to be of the same color inside. When He moves in, He makes it so!

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18 NIV

There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Matthew 17:2 NIV

One color that Jesus does not prefer for our hearts is grey. It is that in-between color that does not commit to total darkness or total light, but a mixture of the two. Have you heard that grey is a dangerous area? It is dangerous because we are letting some darkness is. Darkness and light do not go together. Jesus demands pure commitment:

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Revelation 3:15 NIV

Do we want to be spit out of His mouth? Absolutely not. This verse will remind us that serving Jesus is about pleasing Him. If He wants 100% then we have to give Him just that. This may seem like a simple devotional about things we already know, but I think it is always wise to go back to the basics and make sure our foundation is strong and pure. A fully committed heart for Jesus is a beautiful thing.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for loving us the way we are , even when we mess up at times. We are so grateful to be able to know You and Your cleansing power to color our hearts white. Please help us to keep the darkness out by making wise choices that You approve of. You see everything. Convict us of wrongdoings so we can become more like You. Thanks for being that BEST friend who will tell us everything we need to know. We love You so much! Amen.

Love and prayers to you all,

Just me. Just His. Nothing else will do.

Tina