The Job of an Ambassador

On March 24, 2025 By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App3 Comments

Becoming Like Christ (YouVersion Daily Refresh)

Scripture tells us that we who belong to Christ are now ambassadors for Christ. As ambassadors, we are tasked with two things: the mission of God and the character of Jesus.

The goal this passage sets out for us sounds pretty simple: to become more and more like Jesus in the way that we act, think, and feel, and to also accomplish the purposes that God has for our life. We are tasked to accomplish the work of God in the way He wants it done, following the “word of truth,” or the Bible.

As Christians, we should strive to be like Christ. We want to have the same mind and attitude that He had. Paul’s encouragement to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:15 reinforces that mindset about our character. In the midst of a culture that is grumbling and fighting, act like Jesus.

In this letter, Paul tells Timothy not to be ashamed of his past, but instead to let his past be a testament to how Jesus has changed his life. Your past is part of your story, and it’s not something to be ashamed of. It’s a way that you can show others how Jesus changed your life.

The best way that we can continue to be transformed by Jesus is to continually seek His truth in Scripture. As we engage with Scripture and the Holy Spirit, our mind, heart, and hands are changed to be more like Christ.

How can you be more like Christ today? Think of a few small steps you can take to begin to shift your thinking and action towards the mission of God or the character of Christ. Ask God for His help as you seek to follow Him daily.

My Thoughts

I was so happy to hear that Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas and a wonderful Christian, was tapped to be the ambassador to Israel. Since he is a staunch and vocally active supporter of Israel, I knew that he would be the perfect candidate. When I read today’s Daily Refresh, I realized once again that I am already an ambassador. What struck me as fresh or information that I hadn’t thought a lot about was that my job has two aspects to it.

Just as Mike Huckabee will represent the United States to the nation of Israel, I represent Christ to a lost and dying world. There are a lot of people who are afraid right now, terrified of the “orange man” in power who has the potential to disrupt their happy existence. My sister has been ranting online to me for days now, sending me articles about how we are about to lose our social security and the dictator in power is deranged. I have chosen to ignore her rants and to answer calmly about other topics, like health and current well-being of herself or family members. I figure that the best way to calm her storm is not to take part in it but to focus on blessings instead. To me, that is the best way I can represent Christ to someone determined to not believe or trust in Him.

The other part of my job is to fulfill His mission of telling others. I am not great at that, but I work at sowing seeds whenever I am prodded by the Holy Spirit. I know I can do better so I continue to strive to hear the Spirit’s voice and to know what to say and when to say it. I don’t want to offend, but I do want to commend others to the Lord and let them know that He is just waiting for them to open the door to their hearts.

Today is a busy day for me since I go to see my neurologist and have him check on some issues I have been having, like recent migraines and the effect of bass/percussion on my brain. I hope that I will be able to sow seeds while I am out and about and that I will be a good representative of Christ, representing love and hope rather than doom and gloom and despair. There is a lot to worry about, but I choose to count my blessings instead and let God handle the worrying part.

I hope your day is blessed with a fruitful day of being a good ambassador, wherever you go and whatever you do!

Depend on God’s Power

On March 23, 2025 By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App2 Comments

A Way Out

Life is full of difficulties and challenges. Especially as Christians, our desire to follow God’s paths for our lives can sometimes go directly against what our culture tells us to do. Living according to God’s way can be particularly difficult because of various temptations that might cause us to get distracted.

1 Corinthians 10:13 acknowledges that we will all experience temptation. It also does not promise that all of our temptations will be easy to overcome.

But it also says that God promises to be faithful to help us through whatever temptations we face. God will provide a way for us to escape every temptation. God will strengthen us so we can endure through trials.

God has given us instructions and a pathway for right-living in His Word. Everything that we need in order to live a healthy, godly life is included in Scripture.

Paul, the author of the letters to the church in Corinth, cautions his readers not to be prideful in their spiritual life. When we are prideful, we can falsely believe that we’re immune to temptations. But when we’re prideful, we are actually most susceptible to fall into temptation.

So rather than being arrogant, we should be humble. We ought to depend on God’s power rather than our own. It is only through a growing relationship with Jesus that we truly find the strength to endure trials and temptations.

If you find yourself caught in temptations, draw near to God. Ask Him to give you His strength so that you can endure. Make it a priority to strengthen your relationship in Him through reading God’s Word and praying to Him. Never forget that God always provides a way for you to escape temptation. He is always faithful and always with you.

My Thoughts

Sometimes, I am like a child stomping my feet and declaring my independence when what I really need is to lean closer into God. Temptations come daily. The temptation to watch a show on TV that is not wholesome but everyone says it’s really good. The temptation to accept doing a book review on a book that is not Christian but it has good ratings and the author is well known. The temptation to choose to spend time on a device instead of with God. Sometimes I win and sometimes I lose, but always I set out to win. The thing is that none of us can win the battle against temptation on our own. We have to depend on God’s power. We have to ask the Holy Spirit to lead us out of temptation and He will. But we have to ask and depend, not go our own way heedlessly of His warnings.

Favorite Hymns: Spotlight on “It Is Well With My Soul” Lyrics by Horatio Gates Spafford, Music by Phillip Bliss

On March 22, 2025 By vickleaIn Scripture, Song, testimony3 Comments

The story behind this hymn may be familiar to you. I heard it once many years ago and had to look it up to remind myself of what happened to inspire such a heartfelt song. Here is where you can find the story:

The Story Behind the Hymn

I have sung this song for years, especially when times are hard for me. The last month has been a real trial with my health. Hospitalized twice, once for a bacterial infection and the second time for blood pressure so high that I was in danger of having another stroke. Those incidents were closely followed by bronchitis and a secondary lung infection. I have been taking so many medicines that I had to write them down to make sure I took them as prescribed. One evening, as I was exhausted from coughing and lack of sleep, God reminded me of this song. No matter what is happening in my body, “it is well with my soul.” And that is what truly matters.

Here are the lyrics:

It Is Well With My Soul – Lyrics

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soul.