I Choose Today...

I Choose Today to be Harvest Hands

Molinda Hern May 7, 2024

In our discovery of what Jesus did with His hands and feet, I ran across these verses in the Message Bible, saying ”Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When He looked out over the crowds, His heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” He said to His disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!”“ Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭35‬-‭38‬ Jesus saw the need. He saw people were wandering aimlessly, unprotected, and in need of hope, healing, direction, and love. His response to these wanderers: compassion. He saw the need for “harvest hands,” those who can work the harvest. His instruction was/is to pray to the God of the harvest to send more hands to the ones needing harvested. When I was growing up, I lived in a part of California that is designated as the breadbasket of the world. What grows there is distributed all over the world. I saw firsthand how the harvesters would go into the fields to pick the fresh

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I Choose Today to be Christ’s Hands and Feet: Go

Molinda Hern May 4, 2024

As we continue to see the example Jesus left for us regarding how He used His hands and feet, I want to turn to where He went. In Jesus’ three-year ministry, He went to the people. He went from town to town teaching people – Matthew 9:35 – “Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom.” He met their physical and spiritual needs – ”… And He healed every kind of disease and illness.” Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭35‬b ‭NLT‬‬ Jesus went to people’s houses and built relationships with them (even sinners!) – Mark 2:15 – “Later, Levi invited Jesus and His disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)” He sought out the unclean and those who recognize their need for a savior. Mary Magdalene, Matthew (Levi), Zacchaeus. He was even chastised for eating and communing with such sinners. But that didn’t deter Jesus from going to the people; the ones who broken and needed healing. He intentionally  “…came to seek and to save the lost.” He went to

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I Choose Today to be Christ’s Hands: Servanthood Part 2

Molinda Hern April 30, 2024

As I was making my husband’s breakfast and packing his lunch this morning, the Holy Spirit reminded me that along with being a servant, I needed to have the attitude of a servant. This attitude meant I served without having the expectation of anything (even a thank you) in return. I was packing his lunch, not out of obligation or an expectation of gratitude or returned actions, but out of love for my husband. Jesus said it best when He was teaching on the Sermon on the Mount, saying ”I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.“ Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭35‬-‭36‬ ‭MSG‬‬ “Help and give without expecting a return…;” this is a difficult statement, isn’t it. Our human (selfish) nature is to do the opposite. When we do something nice or serve someone, at the very least, we expect a “thank you,” right? How many times have you and I have said, “well the least they can do is say thank you…” But that is

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I Choose Today to be Christ’s Hands and Feet: Servanthood

Molinda Hern April 27, 2024

There is a saying in Christian circles about being, or wanting to be, Christ’s hands and feet. We mention this in conversations, in prayer, and even to ourselves. But what does it really mean to be Christ’s hands and feet? What did He do with His hands? Where did His feet take Him. Over the next few blogs, we are going to explore what Jesus actually did with His hands and feet, and how we can follow His example. Today we are going to examine what He did with His hands, explained in His own words, ”…Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew‬ ‭20‬:‭26‬, ‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Think about it, Jesus came down from His is royal place in heaven to serve. He used His hands to serve others in so many ways: washing the feet of His disciples, healing, feeding thousands. He used His hands to bless and serve others. This past week, our small group traveled to North Carolina to be Christ’s hands and serve those who “go into

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I Choose Today to be Renewed

Molinda Hern April 25, 2024

I am encouraged by a friend today. When she was feeling emotionally and spiritually weak, she chose to fight against that by praying God’s Word over her situations. That is what we are supposed to do. That is what Jesus did. Jesus spoke the truth of God’s Word when met with His own physical weakness in the wilderness. Satan tried to use His weakness to get Him to sin. That is what the devil does, uses our weaknesses (emotional, physical, or spiritual) to get us to sin. My friend did what Jesus did. She spoke the Word of Truth over her problems, over being overwhelmed, over her struggles. What happened after Jesus spoke the Word against the devil? Satan left Him, then angels came to comfort and fed Him. God is our source of comfort, just like David expresses in the 23rd Psalms, “He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.” He gives strength; restores our souls. “Thank You, Lord, for renewing our strength and restoring our souls. Thank You for the comfort as we walk through stresses of this

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