How To Make Sure 9/11 Never Happens Again

 Like almost everyone else in our country and across the world, the main thing on my mind today has been the ten year anniversary of 9/11/2001. Remembering the horrible loss of life that so unexpectedly occurred in a blink of an eye on that fall morning that began like every other. But it didn't end like every other. Over 2900 people died that day. And no one felt safe in their own homes.



So today I say:
I am so sorry for your loss to those families who lost loved ones ten years ago.



I say thank you to the firefighters who ran to all three scenes, and lost their lives trying to save others.

I say thank you to those firefighters who made it out alive. And I am sorry you have a horrible image that only one who was up close that day knows of, that comes into your mind when you close your eyes every night.

Thank you to the police officers that went above and beyond their job duties to try to protect the people from an enemy they could not be prepared for.

I say thank you to our military who have been at war for ten years now. For those who have died, I owe a debt to your families I cannot repay. To those who have returned home, thank you for your sacrifice of time that you can never get back with your loved ones. I know many of you return with scars that cannot be seen on the outside, but run very deep.

But I have a message now that is only for the Church. If you serve King Jesus, the answer to the issue of how to stop the death and tragedy lies within you.

You see, we need to realize that the government cannot stop the terrorists.

The soldiers are not able to keep terrorists from being. They can do their very brave best to keep them from attacking us. And they will continue to die to keep you safe. But they cannot keep people from becoming terrorists.

The police officers can work with the government to try to make sure they enforce the laws, but they will mostly still just continue to clean up the messes the terrorists make.

The firefighters will continue to respond to the effects of terrorists, but they cannot stop them.

You CHURCH do have the only thing that can stop terrorists. The only thing that will keep someone from becoming a terrorist.


The life changing message of Christ, The Gospel. The Good News.

Only when we, as the church, step out of our safe comfort zone, and share the most powerful thing on this earth will there ever be a hope of there not being another atrocity like we experienced ten years ago.

Only Jesus' saving grace can stop someone from choosing to kill for darkness and turn them into a shining light that dispels darkness from the world.

So church, the first responders and the military are willing to do their part, what are you willing to do?

Chasing After Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson

There's a New Kid In Town

The star, the shepherds, the earthly daddy Joseph, the virgin mother, the Magi, the evil king Herod. All parts of the wonderful thing we call the Christmas story. Today we celebrate the birth of Jesus, The King of Kings, and as John 1 says, the Word became flesh. God put on skin, laid in an animal trough, felt cold, hunger and pain, all out of love.
God so desired to take care of our sin problem, that he moved. He moved into a different home for 33 years.

 John 1:14

 ¹⁴The Word became flesh and blood,
      and moved into the neighborhood.
   We saw the glory with our own eyes,
      the one-of-a-kind glory,
      like Father, like Son,
   Generous inside and out,
      true from start to finish. 

(The Message)

Jesus moved into our neighborhood. 

What a reason to celebrate! A new neighbor! 

He wants not only to live in our world, our city and our neighborhood this Christmas, but He wants to move into our lives.

Into our hearts.

Into our souls.

That's why He came. Meet your neighbor today. He's generous from the inside out and true from start to finish.

Merry Christmas!

Chasing After Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

Ponder and Treasure

Today is Christmas eve. I am thinking about what that means for me today. 

I will see a client first thing this morning. Yes, I am working on Christmas Eve, but, for my client, it is what meets his needs. 

I get to go shopping! I love the stores on Christmas Eve. I will find the grumpiest person I can in each place I am in, and my goal? To make them smile. It is my Christmas Eve  tradition. 

I will worship tonight with the Body of Christ at a Christmas Eve service. 
My children and grandchildren will gather tonight at my home to spend the night and fellowship for the night and all day tomorrow. 
 As I think on these things, I really ponder what Christmas means to me. I treasure my Lord and my family. 

And I think of Mary. I think of her heart. The heart that chose to love a baby, born of supernatural circumstances. A baby born to save the world.

How can I possibly be loved so much that God sent His Son from heaven to earth?


Everyone has a Father who loves them enough to save them from a hopeless life.


Always with me, never forsaking me, Jesus is protecting and guiding me.


Real love means forgiveness and grace.


Today I must choose to believe and live in Jesus, and choose to share the greatest gift ever, salvation!

Luke 2;19

¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

I will treasure the greatest gift ever given, forgiveness. 

I will treasure grace that is bestowed on me lavishly by God daily. 

I will treasure the relationships within the Body of Christ I have been blessed with.

I will treasure my family (yes, those are all of our stockings) and make sure I point them to the greatest, Jesus! 

These are the things I will ponder and treasure in my heart today. 

Chasing After Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

The Magi-The Ultimate Gifts For The Ultimate Gift-Giver

It is only two days until Christmas. If you are not done with your shopping, it may be because you are looking for that "perfect"gift for someone who has everything. I am not done because I like Christmas Eve shopping. I like the crowds. I like the excitement of everyone trying to find that one "perfect" thing. 
There were some men who knew exactly what the perfect gifts should look like. Even for the One who truly had EVERYTHING.
These men are often referred to as wise men. 
I believe, in fact, that they were, very wise indeed.

 
Men who were seeking the King of Kings.


Arrived prepared to honor and worship King Jesus.


Gave extravagantly with no thought of anything in return.


Individuals who found Jesus because they were looking for Him, and knew He was coming.

Matthew 2:1-12

 ¹ After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

 ³ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

 ⁶ “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
   are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
   who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

 ⁷ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

 ⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

These men brought gifts that have very special meanings.
The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were also prophetic, speaking of our Lord's offices of king, priest, and savior. Gold speaks of His kingship; frankincense was a spice used in the priestly duties; and myrrh was an embalming ointment anticipating His death.

Costly gifts for a humble King.
A king who would give the most costly gift to the the entire world, His life.

If you have accepted this extravagant gift, what are you giving back out of thankfulness?
Will the gifts you give this years have any eternal impact on those around you?
The best gift of all, was paid for almost 2000 years ago, and is waiting to be shared by YOU with others this Christmas season.
And there is no need to go to mall to get it.

Give the gift of Jesus this year so someone can receive true joy and the everlasting hope of eternal life!

Chasing After Hearts,
Glenda Johnson

The Manger

As I ponder the Christmas story today, I think of the manger. The place where a young mother laid her baby. These are the thoughts that come to my mind as push the animals out of the way and peek into the manger.

Made by man, to hold the maker of man.

Animal feeder holding the bread of life.

No room anywhere in the world for this baby, except here.

Giving a resting place for the One who would be peace and eternal rest.

Entrance into a world for the King of Kings.

Rough edges of a bed that would become the rough edges of the cross.

 

Luke 2:12

"This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

What do you see today?

Chasing After Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

Daily Devo- Psalm 78:1-7 "What Is Important Today?"

Psalm 78:1-7

1  A maskil by Asaph. Open your ears to my teachings, my people. Turn your ears to the words from my mouth.
2  I will open my mouth to illustrate points. I will explain what has been hidden long ago,
3  things that we have heard and known about, things that our parents have told us.
4  We will not hide them from our children. We will tell the next generation about the LORD'S power and great deeds and the miraculous things he has done.
5  He established written instructions for Jacob's people. He gave his teachings to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to make them known to their children
6  so that the next generation would know them. Children yet to be born would learn them. They will grow up and tell their children
7  to trust God, to remember what he has done, and to obey his commands.

It is Sunday morning. In our home, that means we will go worship Jesus with the Saints in Easton, Md. There is no question in my children's minds about what what we will do today. We serve Jesus as a family, we worship as a family, we strive to make our family's focus Jesus.

The first seven verses of the 78th Psalm talks about teaching our children about the Lord. It is so important that we teach our children who God is and what He has called us to do.

Now lest you think I have always done this perfectly, or do this perfectly now, let me say without reservation that I do not. But I try. It has taken many years , like 28 to be exact, to get our family focused on Jesus.

I had to be fully focused on Jesus before I could begin to lead and teach our children to put Him first in their lives. I had to work on me for years. I have to work on me daily. I have to remember verse 7:
7  to trust God, to remember what he has done, and to obey his commands.


So it is Sunday. You have two choices. You can begin, or continue to , point your children to Jesus, or you can make something else more important. Trust me, I have done both. Jesus is the better choice. It is the only choice today that will have ETERNAL benefits, or consequences. Everything else just lasts for a brief time.


The nice thing is, just because you didn't focus on Jesus yesterday, doesn't mean you can't make a different choice for today. Your children are looking to YOU and my children are looking to ME to show them what God has in store for us all.

Today, chase your children's hearts for God. You will never be sorry you did!

Chasing After Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson

Daily Devo- Luke 20:19-26 "Are You A Spy?'

Luke 20:19-26

19 The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. 20 So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. 21 So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. 22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” 23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar's.” 25 He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” 26 And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent. (ESV)

Oh Lord once again there are evil men out to try to get You and trap You in Your words. Why did they not just learn? This time they sent spies, pretending to be sincere. I can see these men as they sit there. Looking as if they are hanging on every word the Savior is speaking, wanting to know the way to life. When on the inside, they are picking apart each word Jesus is speaking. Waiting for the one slip up so they can show in front of witnesses that Jesus needs to be arrested.

Jesus, thank you for being who You are. You knew their hearts and their motive. Your answer to their question about Caesar shut them up. They marveled at Your answer.
As I read this, I was brought into today's realm. What those men did then, I see done in a different way today.
When someone looks for a contradiction in God's Word, they are looking for a slip up by God. A reason to not have to believe what He has to say. To take away His authority.
Jesus is Savor of the World. No spy can take that away. No government leader can arrest it away. No one by defining truth by their own standards can take that away.

Lord I know there are still "spies" out there today. This time they are attacking Your Word and Your people. Thank You for being in control. Please help me to never be found to be in camp with those that are looking to malign Your Word and Your Church. The line can be crossed so easily, because our enemy is so sneaky.  

I want to be follower and servant of Jesus not a spy trying to destroy those around me.

Today:
I will remember God's Word has all authority and power.
I will not look to trip up the Word of God or His people, to do so can only come from selfish motives.
I will rejoice in the fact that the Jesus I read about in the Bible is the same One who is working in my life today!

Chasing After Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

Daily Devo-Luke 18:31-43 " From Confusion To Praises"

Luke 18:31-43

31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” 34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” 42 And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. (ESV)

Lord as read this part of your Word today I see many things. I see that even your disciples who were with you in your life did not understand all you said. They could not grasp the impending death and resurrection of their Lord. It has been laid out for me in your Word and their are times I still can't wrap my mind around the pain and suffering that You went through for me. I am ashamed to say, I sometimes forget that you conquered death as well. You said You would. You did. I need to keep that forefront in my mind as walk through this life. I have nothing to fear.
As Jesus and his guys continue on their way, they come upon a blind beggar man. The blind man asks what is going on, what all the commotion is about. He is told it is Jesus. This man does not hesitate. He cries out to Jesus. What I read next , Lord, is heart breaking. He is rebuked and told to shut up! Imagine that. He is crying out for the One who can heal him, and those around him, tell him to shut up. I learn two lessons in this today.
#1- never listen to those who are trying to silence you when you are reaching out for Jesus. No one can take away your voice and no one can keep Jesus from hearing it. You do not have to have the crowds approval to reach out for Jesus. It is a personal thing. It is between you and Him.
#2- I cannot even fathom what Jesus must have thought about those who tried to keep this man from him. I never want to be the one who tries to prevent someone from coming to Jesus. I need to either facilitate them reaching for their Lord or I need to get out of the way. Anything else is wrong.

The beautiful thing that I see is the result of this man's healing. It is not in the fact that he can now see. It is that he immediately followed Jesus and praised God. So did the crowd that was there. The same crowd that moments before wanted him to "shut up" is now singing the praises of God with him.

Lord let me remember who You are and what you have done. May my eyes and heart be opened so that I can see You and sing Your praises and help lead the earthly choir to do the same!

Today:
I will remember that Jesus has suffered a lot for me. He has conquered death. I have no reason to fear anything.
I will cry to Jesus regardless of what anyone around me might say.
I will not hinder anyone in coming to Christ.
I will sing the praises of Jesus as I follow Him. 

I will Chase After God's Heart!

Chasing After Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

Grace, The Lessons In The Valley

March was a long time ago.

A very long time ago.

I have learned an incredible lesson over the last several months.

It has come from walking in a valley.

The cause?

Being silly enough to think I should blog on GRACE!


It seemed so right. To blog on GRACE. Logical. I have taught three woman's bible study on GRACE.
I had learned so much. After talking with many people, it became obvious that in all actuality, few people really realize what GRACE truly encompasses. So, in my excitement, I figured I would share what I had been so deeply touched by.

GRACE.

And I could have sworn I heard a whisper say, "REALLY?"

And so the journey began into the realm of really being taught what GRACE is.

I had a sin debt that I owed to God. One day He will call the debt due, and it will need to be paid in full. The problem is, the only thing that can pay that debt, is my life. In death. Oh, and may I mention, it must be a perfect spotless life to sacrifice to pay the debt. Now I am in trouble. I know my past. I know what I have done. While I might be willing to freely die to pay this sin debt, it would still not cover what I owe. Now I am in deep trouble...

This is where GRACE stepped in. Jesus, who lived a perfect, spotless, blameless life, chose to intercede on my behalf. He and God the Father and the Holy Spirit, set up a plan for Jesus to die in my place. God would accept this. What is really awesome, is that this plan, was put into effect even before I even cared who God was, or what I owed Him.

My sin debt was paid when Jesus died and then resurrected on that cross so many years ago. I did nothing to deserve it. I did nothing to earn it. I was just loved enough to be given a lavish gift far beyond anything imaginable.

I must however accept that gift. And I have. I have chose to believe and obey God, and have been covered by the blood of Christ. I, in essence, chose to unwrap the gift that has been waiting for me since before I was born.

The good news is, that everyone reading this has a gift waiting too, a gift of GRACE.

Open yours today.

Had I written this blog in March, that is where this would have ended. But, there has been 6 months of teaching in valley for me.

I did not just receive this gift of GRACE for my own salvation. GRACE is NOT just about my soul escaping an eternal separation from God. It is about how you live, act and treat other people.

I have been in a valley.
I have had a war declared on me in the last 6 months. I have done everything I can to bring peace. Learning to show GRACE while under fire has been a very painful thing. It is however, what God has called me to do.

So to end the series on GRACE, these is what I learned in the valley:

1. NO ONE has done ANYTHING to me that even comes close to what I have done to the Almighty God, the Creator of all. And yet, He shows me GRACE daily.

2. My reputation, and my motives are truly known by God. Jesus was misunderstood, falsely accused, and treated very poorly for most of His life. And yet, He chose to die to redeem those any way.

3. I am called to serve, regardless of what others may claim. My service is between Jesus and myself, no one should be able to hinder that, unless I allow them to. People claimed Jesus was wrong when he did His father's will. And yet, He did it any way, because it was what He was called to do.

4. I am called to love like Jesus, no matter what. No circumstances, no excuses, no twisting of Scripture to fit my own feelings. Jesus was attacked, spit on and beaten by the very ones He created. And yet, He said, " Father forgive them, for the know not what they do."


All of the above is GRACE. Not just to be accepted, but to impart as well. I cannot save a soul by showing GRACE, but I can lead someone to the ONE who can save their soul by showing GRACE.

It's been a long one today. Thanks for hanging in with me. I am back to blogging, so the next one won't be 6 months worth!



Chasing After Their Hearts,


Glenda Johnson
womanaftergod@gmail.com
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