Preparing for Easter ~ Mark of Jesus - I AM The Door

[God...made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus. Hebrews 13:20 MSG

During this season of reflection and renewal, join me, and let's explore the visible evidence that identifies us as faithful followers of Jesus. Can others see Jesus in our lives? ~ Donna Oswalt]

2nd Sunday in Lent

Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. . . I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. John10:7-10 NKJV

As Jesus uses the example of shepherd and sheep, the people try to understand the analogy. At that time, in the evening, shepherds would frequently guide their sheep into enclosures usually made of stone walls with no door. A shepherd would lie down across the opening to prevent any predators from harming the sheep. Jesus tells them I am the door of the sheep. He is trying to convey that no one can get into the fold unless they first go through Him. What does this mean to you and me? Jesus came to give everlasting life and only through Jesus can we find grace and communion and peace. To be able to walk in His Presence we must come through the door! Jesus is the way in!

As the door, Jesus protects those who choose to follow Him. This security is found in His wisdom and power and goodness. We enter the door by faith, and find Jesus to be our Mediator, our Savior. Through the door our prayers rise to God and His blessings fall around us. As a world of darkness threatens to consume us, it is the door that offers refuge. Can you see the door? Jesus is the door that welcomes all who choose to come inside.

• Have you found the way in? 
• Will you share the abundant, everlasting life of Jesus with someone? Show them the Door!

Jesus, You mark the way into the Kingdom of God. How blessed I am to know the sweetness of Your Presence. Help me share You with the world and lead the ones in darkness to The Door. – dho

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2013 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove Ministries/Christian blogger and author

Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow on Twitter @soulchat

For more information about this ministry visit ~

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“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Preparing for Easter ~ Mark of Being

[God...made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus. Hebrews 13:20 MSG

During this season of reflection and renewal, join me, and let's explore the visible evidence that identifies us as faithful followers of Jesus. Can others see Jesus in our lives? ~ Donna Oswalt]

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8 NKJV

Nicholas Herman entered a religious community in France in 1666 at age 55, taking the name Brother Lawrence. Working mostly in the kitchen for twenty-five years, he became best known for his “quiet and serene faith.” What Brother Lawrence desired most was to experience the presence of God. Using various letters he wrote, a translation of them into a little book entitled The Practice of the Presence of God continues to touch countless hearts. His thoughts: If [God] leads us into suffering or if He leads us into comfort, our satisfaction should still only be for the fulfilling of His will, for both suffering and comfort are the same to a soul truly resigned to Him. Brother Lawrence regarded “God as the mark to which all thoughts and desires” should begin and end. (from Practicing His Presence)

Jesus Christ is the “Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.” Jesus is known as prophet and priest and King. He is the Son of God, giving Him divine sonship and divine nature. As Lord of lords, and King of kings, Jesus sits at the right hand of God. Brother Lawrence recognized the divine Being of Christ and desired to dwell in His Presence as much as possible. If all our thoughts and desires were to begin and end in Christ, we would discover His righteousness and grace and love to be enough. Our thoughts would be more pure, more holy, more likely to heal than to wound. This mark of being in the presence of the Holy One would be noticed in our relationships, our motivations, our offerings.

• Consider how being in the presence of the divine Being, Christ, would change my focus.
• Does my life bear the mark of being in His Presence?

Holy One, from before time until after time, You are Sovereign. Increase my awareness of Your Presence; let my desires focus more and more on You. – dho

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2013 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove Ministries/Christian blogger and author

Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow on Twitter @soulchat

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

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“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Preparing for Easter ~ Mark of Remembrance

[God...made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus. Hebrews 13:20 MSG

During this season of reflection and renewal, join me, and let's explore the visible evidence that identifies us as faithful followers of Jesus. Can others see Jesus in our lives? ~ Donna Oswalt]

Then Abraham planted at tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.

Genesis 21:33 NKJV

 Abimelech wants to form a treaty with Abraham to reconcile a dispute over a well. As noted in the verses preceding this Scripture, Abimelech recognizes Abraham’s evident blessings and provision from God saying, “God is with you in all that you do.” They make a covenant, a binding agreement, at Beersheba regarding the well. This is the first time covenant is used to imply an agreement between two equals, much like a business contract today. Abraham’s planting of the tamarisk tree would long mark the place where this covenant was made. Abraham called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God, unashamed to be worshiping the Eternal God. In centuries to come, Beersheba would mark the most southern boundary of Israel’s land.

There are memorials of all types in the world today. Statues and monuments, walls of remembrance, fountains and etched stones mark the places and people and events that have influenced or changed our way of life or understanding of living. Museums are full of artifacts that mark time with memorabilia, art, invention, and communication. What are your marks of remembrance of a faithful God?

• Does remembering my promises to God affect my witness of the Everlasting God? 
• How often do I forget God’s never-ending faithfulness to me?

 Everlasting God, find me humbled by Your Goodness and unchanging, faithful nature. At the foot of Your cross, I find the mark of remembrance that heals my broken places, that reminds me to worship the LORD, the Everlasting God. ~ dho

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2013 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove Ministries/Christian blogger and author

Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow on Twitter @soulchat

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

LIKE Mangrove Ministries on Facebook

“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Preparing for Easter ~ Mark of Power

[God...made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus. Hebrews 13:20 MSG

During this season of reflection and renewal, join me, and let's explore the visible evidence that identifies us as faithful followers of Jesus. Can others see Jesus in our lives? ~ Donna Oswalt]

[Give honor] to the LORD, O heavenly beings, [give honor] to the LORD [for His] glory and strength. [Give honor] to the LORD [for] the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. . . The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips forests bare, and in His temple all cry, “Glory!” The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever. May the LORD give strength to His people! May the LORD bless His people with peace. Psalm 29 ESV

The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness paints a vivid picture, as does the surrounding text. These images of God’s Power exceed our abilities and inspire our imaginations. Sometimes the power of God is full, loud and dynamic in nature, not unlike the raging storms that can interrupt our lives. Other times, God’s power is gentle and tender, like the calm after a storm. God’s power is both strength and peace, energy and stillness, glory and splendor.  Adversity can drive us to God, dragging our desperation and doubt, our weakness and weariness with us. While His mark of power is all around us, sometimes, until God’s voice shakes the wilderness within us, we slowly fade. In these times, our souls are awakened to a new awareness of God’s glory and strength. Let us honor the LORD!

• In a time of difficulty, what is my first response?
• Do I let times of adversity take me farther from God or draw me closer to Him?

El Shaddai, God Almighty, All Sufficient, in the storms of uncertainty You call to me. Your Power can mark my soul with gentle waves to calm my anxieties. Let me be awakened to a new trust. I want to embrace Your word and carry it as my banner of faith. ~ dho 

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2013 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove Ministries/Christian blogger and author

Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow on Twitter @soulchat

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

LIKE Mangrove Ministries on Facebook

“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Preparing for Easter ~ Mark of God's Presence

[God...made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus. Hebrews 13:20 MSG

During this season of reflection and renewal, join me, and let's explore the visible evidence that identifies us as faithful followers of Jesus. Can others see Jesus in our lives? ~ Donna Oswalt]

Then Moses said to [the LORD], “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that You are pleased with me and with Your people unless You go with us? What else will distinguish me and Your people from all the other people on the face of the earth? Exodus 33:15-16

As the Israelites are led by Moses from captivity toward the Promised Land, God’s presence goes with them to guide them. His Glory is like a “pillar of cloud by day” and a “pillar of fire by night.” When God speaks to Moses, one on one, Moses goes into the “tent of meeting” and the pillar of cloud comes and stays at the entrance. The people stand and worship at the entrance to the tent. For Moses and the Israelites, this was the mark of God, evidence of His Presence.

In Priscilla Shirer’s “Jonah ~ A Life Interrupted” she tells us that when our obedience to God and His anointing come together, “we can expect huge things.” She goes on to say that the “Holy Spirit must mark us so others know we serve a different God.” I wonder how often I charge ahead without God’s anointing, how seldom do my actions distinguish me from all the other people on the face of the earth? Moses requests to bear the mark of God or else just don’t send me. Moses wants a distinguishing mark of the Power and Presence of God. As Christians, the Presence of God, the mark of God than distinguishes us from non-Christians is the Holy Spirit! 

•  Do those I meet see the mark of God that distinguishes me as a follower of Christ?     
•  Am I more like Moses who tells God, “Go with me or do not send me?” or Am I more likely to reach some destination and then call on God?

 Jehovah, God of all power, lead me every moment of every day. Help me to be aware of Your Presence. Let others know You are near because I wear Your mark! – dho

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2013 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove Ministries/Christian blogger and author

Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow on Twitter @soulchat

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

LIKE Mangrove Ministries on Facebook

“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Preparing for Easter ~ Mark of Faith

[God...made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus. Hebrews 13:20 MSG

During this season of reflection and renewal, join me, and let's explore the visible evidence that identifies us as faithful followers of Jesus. Can others see Jesus in our lives? ~ Donna Oswalt]

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. . . Hebrews 11

Please take time to read this great chapter of faith ~ Hebrews 11. Here you find the summaries of the heroes of faith, those who listen by faith, lead by faith, and live by faith. They are not without flaws; yet each hopes for an unseen assurance from God, trusts in the Faithful Father. Faith can be an act of believing, or faith can be discovered through experience. Sometimes faith is weak, but it can also be strengthened by the very trials that expose its fragility. Doubt can destroy faith while hope can renew faith. Our faithfulness to God will be fickle if we look to the world for applause. The truth that comes with risking obedience to God brings sweet assurance that God is faithful always, even when we abandon Him. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:9 that faith comes as a gift from the Holy Spirit.

We live in a world that expects evidence and proof about everything. Hope demands a different standard, one of possibility, one of trusting in something bigger than we are. Ephesians3:17-19 reminds Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith . . . that you may be filled with the fullness of God. And how will others know you have this mark of faith? The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22). We must be the evidence that testifies to Hope; we must bear the mark of faith in a dark and faithless world. 

• How do the stories of the faithful in Hebrews 11 encourage us?
•  When persecution of the faithful occurs in my circle of influence, do I wear the mark of faith?

Jesus, You are the Author and Perfector of faith! Grant me strength when I am weak, hope when I fail, truth when I doubt. Grow my faith through all circumstances. Let my soul be filled with the fullness of God. ~ dho

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2013 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove Ministries/Christian blogger and author

Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow on Twitter @soulchat

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

LIKE Mangrove Ministries on Facebook

“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Preparing for Easter ~ Mark of Testing

[God...made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus. Hebrews 13:20 MSG

During this season of reflection and renewal, join me, and let's explore the visible evidence that identifies us as faithful followers of Jesus. Can others see Jesus in our lives? ~ Donna Oswalt]

At once the Spirit sent [Jesus] out into the desert, and He was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended Him. Mark 1:12-13

Just after Jesus’ baptism and before His ministry begins, Jesus is led into the wilderness for forty days during which time He is tested by Satan. ‘Forty days’ is a recurring period of time in Scripture. Many Bible scholars point out that “40” is a familiar number and measures days or years. A few examples include “it rained for 40 days and nights” with Noah’s family inside the ark, twice Moses spent “40 days and 40 nights” on the mountain with God receiving the Ten Commandments, the Israelites spent “40 years in the wilderness” for their unfaithfulness before they could enter the Promised Land, and Jesus fasted for “40 days in the wilderness” after His baptism and before His ministry began. There are others, but scholars suggest these all represent times of need or struggle or testing; some convey the time is spent in preparation for something important. These examples certainly confirm this with a renewed earth after the flood, God’s covenant is renewed after Moses intervenes, the Israelites enter the Promised Land, and Jesus begins His public ministry. In all these times, God is working a transformation in the lives of the people.

Another phrase that recurs in my reading is the “wilderness experience”. Through this wilderness experience, the lessons of God’s Provision and Power are clear. Like Jesus in the desert, we too face extreme circumstances where our faith is tested. The world always tries to challenge us to a different set of values than God chooses. Jesus must reject Satan’s offerings of power and glory. We, too, must reject these temptations when tested. In my times in the wilderness, I want it to end sooner than it usually ends. Sometimes, I will find the world’s choices look very appealing. When testing comes, the experiences reveal our hearts. During Lent, we can examine our values and renew our covenant with God, learning from our failures and being strengthened by grace.

•  How is my wilderness experience preparing my heart?
• Am I transformed in the wilderness? Can anyone tell?

God of Mercy and Grace, I want to be found faithful when testing comes, knowing patience and truth. When the idols of life and selfish choices scream for attention, take me to the wilderness and teach me, heal me, prepare me. Lord, transform me to be more like You. ~ dho

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2013 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove Ministries/Christian blogger and author

Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow on Twitter @soulchat

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

LIKE Mangrove Ministries on Facebook

“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Preparing for Easter ~ Mark of Jesus - I AM the Light of the World

[God...made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus. Hebrews 13:20 MSG

During this season of reflection and renewal, join me, and let's explore the visible evidence that identifies us as faithful followers of Jesus. Can others see Jesus in our lives? ~ Donna Oswalt]

1st Sunday in Lent ~ 

When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 NIV

Acolytes in our church are children who light the altar candles at the beginning of the worship service. This tradition symbolically carries the presence of Jesus into the community of worshipers. At the end of worship, the acolytes relight their candle lighters, extinguish the altar candles, and proceed out of the sanctuary. This symbolizes that Jesus came for all, and as believers, we are to carry His Light into the world. Today, one of the acolytes catches my attention. At the end of the service, he carefully relights his candle lighter and then extinguishes the candle, his eyes intently watching the flame. As he slowly turns and reverently walks out of the sanctuary, his eyes never leave the light of his candle lighter. He focuses on the light and attends to his task; he is the bearer of the Light.

Jesus says I am the light of the world! As Christians, we are no longer to live in darkness; rather we are called to walk in the light of Jesus. 1 Peter 2:9 reminds 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. Through the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the veil in the Holy of Holies was torn (Luke 23:44-46). Now, we have direct access to the presence of God; each of us is part of the royal priesthood. With this comes the responsibility of carrying the message of Jesus to others; we are bearers of the Light.

Romans 13:12 calls us to put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. As I watch the acolyte so intentional in his attention to the light, I find my soul convicted of the many times I look away from His Light, forget to focus on His Light, am remiss in not sharing His Light. In times when darkness tries to capture my thoughts, do I put on the armor of Light? When life unfolds unexpectantly, do I put on the armor of Light? When I encounter those in need, do I tell them how to put on the armor of Light? Does my life carry this mark of Jesus ~ am I a bearer of the Light?

•  Am I willing to carry The Light beyond the walls of my sanctuary?
•   Do others know I have put on the armor of Light?

Holy One, let my life reflect Your Goodness. Help me to put on the armor of Light, step out into this world of darkness, and share You ~ the Light of the World! I desire to be a bearer of the Light in a fallen world. What wordless joy I find in Your presence. ~ dho

All rights reserved ~ used with permission of the author

Copyright 2013 by Donna Oswalt/Co-Founder of Mangrove Ministries/Christian blogger and author

Breathing Room For My Soul (blog) Follow on Twitter @soulchat

For more information about this ministry visit ~

MangroveMinistries.org

LIKE Mangrove Ministries on Facebook

“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”