Inspire Rhapsody Church

05/22/2023

This time of year is full of change....many young people are completing a school year and looking ahead to their future and how to best face the future. Joshua 1:9 has been playing in my head over and over as I speak to them about the future, but its relevant for all of us facing change or challenges in life (too constant for many). Joshua 1:9—Be Strong and of Good Courage. Life can be full of challenges, sorrows, and tough decisions. But even amidst hardship, the Lord counsels us to be strong and courageous. Understanding Joshua 1:9 in the Bible can help us face hard things with faith and confidence.
The Book of Joshua tells the story of the Israelites' conquest of Canaan, under the leadership of Joshua after Moses passed away. In this verse, God is speaking directly to Joshua, reiterating what has already been said. In the first nine verses of the Book of Joshua, God commands Joshua to 'Be strong and courageous' three times. Joshua helped Moses, but to step into those shoes and lead God's people??? Was he ready? He didn't feel ready. He didn't feel confident. God understood and was there to bolster him up. Just like Joshua, God is there to bolster US up when we need him. GOD IS WITH US WHEREVER WE GO. 🥰

04/16/2023

*For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.* John 3:16 NIV

We all know this verse, it's probably one of the first we learned...today, this verse is reverberating in my mind as I reflect on my son's life: Celebrating his 3rd birthday! What a special and joyous occasion! We love him so very much, as I know God loved his son....what kind of sacrifice it must have been to let his son be tortured and ultimately killed for the benefit of mankind, so that we could be saved and join them in heaven one day. So humbling. Let's all strive to be worthy!

04/05/2023

WHATEVER YOU DO, DO IT ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.
1 Corinthians 10:31

Paul directs the Corinthians to keep the glory of God in view and in their daily conduct where all common actions of life are done to the glory of God-- when every mercy is considered and owned as freely coming from the unmerited goodness of God. GIVE THANKS for all we receive.

09/04/2022

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24

"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." That is a quote from my dearest mother - and from mothers for generations. My mom was not wanting me to refrain from saying the truth if it was hard - but she was wanting me to learn the wonderful value of speaking pleasant words to others.

A honeycomb is a wonderful thing in the physical world. It is the place where bees store their honey when they work gathering nectar from flowers around them. They honeycomb was considered the nectar of the gods by the early Greeks because of all the healing properties that they found in it. First it is very healing to skin - even functioning as a wonderful antiseptic for skin wounds. It is also healing in that it has been found to have a tremendous amount of anti-oxidants within it. There is also an aspect of honey's usefulness that applies to allergies. In the early days of history people would chew on the honeycomb to help relieve severe allergies. Allergists today say that if we will get local honeycomb and chew on it one to two weeks prior to spring, our sinus and eye allergies would be greatly reduced.

The blessing here is to the soul and the bones of the body. The bones are the source of our blood supply - therefore were seen as the very life-force of the body. Therefore what we are told here is that we become such a blessing to others when we speak gracious and pleasant words to others. Such words will be a soul-healing thing to those who hear them. Just as honeycomb is healthy for our bodies - so beautiful words are to our souls.

Reflect for a moment on the majority of words that we hear in our world today--the air is heavy with negativity. This seems to spill over into our world as just about everyone gets caught up - not in pleasant and beautiful words - but in the dark and damaging words swirling around us. This reminds me of another wise saying, "Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?"

Let me encourage you to make a conscious effort to speak as many "pleasant" words as possible to one another. Take the time to notice something good about as many situations and circumstances as possible. Make it your goal to look for the pleasant every single day and speak of it glowingly. Do your utmost to find as much to say about the goodness and grace of God as possible. May we be a blessing to others (and ourselves) by propagating the 'honey' that nourishes our souls!

07/04/2022

On the Fourth of July, we pause to remember and to celebrate the values of liberty and justice that make our country great. And to be thankful for the remarkable freedoms we enjoy. The significance of this day has inspired speeches, music, art, and literary works. Most importantly, it has inspired our people and the citizens of the world. It is an opportunity for each of us to ponder the meaning of our nation's heritage and to celebrate it in our own unique way.
Credit to: Eric Meurelo

05/22/2022

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

For everything that happens in life—there is a season, a right time for everything under heaven:

A time to be born, a time to die;
a time to plant, a time to collect the harvest;
A time to kill, a time to heal;
a time to tear down, a time to build up;
A time to cry, a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, a time to dance;
A time to scatter stones, a time to pile them up;
a time for a warm embrace, a time for keeping your distance; A time to search, a time to give up as lost;
a time to keep, a time to throw out;
A time to tear apart, a time to bind together;
a time to be quiet, a time to speak up;
A time to love, a time to hate;
a time to go to war, a time to make peace.

King Solomon wrote this passage and it is a well known, often cited message for Christians to reflect upon. Our lives contain a mixture of joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, harmony and struggle, and life and death. Each season has its appropriate time in the cycle of life. Nothing stays the same, and we, as God’s children, must learn to accept and adjust to the ebb and flow of God’s design. Some seasons are difficult, and we may not understand what God is doing. In those times, we must humbly submit to the Lord's plans and trust that he is working out his good purposes.

05/08/2022

Bringing Scripture into the everyday lives of your children is a powerful and important tool when raising them. As adults, we turn to the Word of God when we face a difficult situation. What if you could bring that gift to your children?

Not only does Bible study bring you closer to your children, it prepares them to be spiritual leaders in the world when they grow up.

The Bible is God’s way of speaking to us in our time of need. Paul describes the Word of God as the “sword of the spirit” (Ephesians 6:17). As moms, we must always be aware that the devil is seeking those he can devour, even our babies. Bringing Scripture into our children’s lives teaches them how to cut down the enemy when he comes, because when we speak the Word, the devil has to flee.

Sis, I know you look at your little ones as they play on the floor and while they sleep snuggly in their beds and you find it hard to imagine how fast they will grow,…but they will. And, one day, they will leave the safety and guidance of your home. When that day comes, you will want them to be prepared in advance.

Mamas, I urge you to add this to your daily routine. Teaching your children to love and respect the Word of God will strengthen their faith now, and long after you have raised them. For all of their lives, they will know and remember that God’s Word is a strong tool and that they have a future with Jesus forever.

Teaching them the power of Scripture now, creates a solid foundation for what they will inevitably face in the future. You want your fold to know that throughout all stages and phases of their lives, God’s Word has an answer to every question, a solution for every problem, and hope for every trial.
--credit to Susie O'Neal

05/03/2022

04/10/2022

1 Kings 19:4..(Elijah) sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life"...

Elijah had been running, wrestling with issues far beyond his control; he had lost perspective, lost hope. In the midst of that senselessness, God wanted to give Elijah the peace that a gentle whisper of assurance brings.

Just like Elijah, we can become so caught up in the difficulties of our lives that we lose perspective and begin to burn out. In those moments, we may feel like nothing can possibly get better. We are tempted to ask why God won’t help us fix things, why he won’t put everything in order for us? It is exactly in those moments that God wants us to be still, not to try to find his will in the storms all around, but instead to rest in his peace. Sometimes in the midst of crisis we need to take a moment to pause and let the Lord minister to us. Sometimes the most godly thing to do is to fight the good fight; at other times the most godly thing to do is to sleep, to receive nourishment through food and drink, and to wait on the Lord instead of struggling to find answers on our own.

Credit to: Christianity Today

03/13/2022

Spring forward! Oh! how the clock mocks me as my sleepy mind struggles to grasp the "new" time to wake up. This adjustment in our society makes me think of Romans 13:11:
"And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed."
Time is of the essence. The world is changing right now. Paul writes to the Roman Christians that the hour has come for them to wake up, in the sense that the sun is about to rise. It's time to get to work.
The schedule of day and night drastically controlled the world of Paul's day. With no artificial lighting, firelight—feeble by modern standards—was all that stood between people and darkness. Most work stopped as soon as the sun went down and started again when the sun rose. Paul is urging Christians to see, in a spiritual metaphor, that the sun is about to rise. It's time to get up.
Credit to: bibleref.com

03/09/2022

2 Timothy 1:9
For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.

Before the beginning of time! How can we understand when that was??? God first thought of us at a time we cannot even begin to understand! His reason for thinking of us was to demonstrate his grace and call others to his side. Jesus has always been God's plan and we have always been his goal. Let's strive to be worthy and live up to this plan.

02/21/2022

After our recent snow showers blanketing the area, How can we NOT explore King David's fervent prayer to "Wash me and make me whiter than snow", Psalm 51:7
The background story to this iconic verse is David recognizing his sin (the infamous story of his affair with Bathsheba and sending her husband to be killed in war) and sincerely asking his merciful God to purify him from his sins and wash him clean--whiter than snow. Pretty heavy stuff. David shares the horrific details of his mistakes and his sincere repentance. God was there with King David and is ready to embrace every one of us after we fall and return to him with our desire to be washed whiter than snow. 💓