The Model Mother

Mothers are underrated in our culture. I am thankful for my mom. Here is a poem that highlights what a model mom looks like. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t measure up to this ideal. Instead, be encouraged to grow in your stature and influence as a mother.

She greets each day with joy

And savors each moment

Abiding in the word makes her strong for every task

She wears an apron of service and is clothed in humility

She searches for opportunities to sow love in the hearts she nurtures

The little ones under her care look to her for encouragement and support.

She teaches her children in the Way

She is content amidst the busyness of each day

She points her children like an arrow towards their God-ordained destinies

She is not afraid to say no.

Praise and honor to Jesus flow from her lips.

She is esteemed by her husband

She is the model mother

Preparing a Place

I am preparing a place for you

A place beautiful and new

A place close to My throne

Where you will never be alone

 

The doorway to heaven is hinged on grace and faith

The portal to the everlasting is open for those who call upon His name

Jesus is the only Way

Jesus is the only Way

 

Will you place your trust in Him?

Find deliverance from self and sin?

Discover a freedom deep within?

 

Jesus is preparing for you a home

A place where you can forever roam

Where the light from Christ’s face

Always lights up the place

Jesus is the Way

Jesus is the Way

 

Do you hunger and thirst for what you cannot find?

Are you wearing thin from the daily grind?

Jesus is the way

Jesus is the way

 

He is knocking at the door of your heart

Answer Him, do your part

Jesus is the Way

Jesus is the Way

 

He is preparing a place for you

A place beautiful and new

A place close to His throne

Where you will never be alone

Jesus is the Way

Jesus is the only Way

Grace

This poem was previously published online at Inspire a Fire

Grace - a foundation strong and stable
All that's profitable rests upon it

Faith in Christ's finished work
From this cruel cross blossoms grow
Like Aaron's rod
Its petals are life-giving

When we build upon a faulty foundation
When our works attempt to pave the way to God
We are unfulfilled

Our feverish efforts produce only death
It is by grace through faith that we are saved
It is by grace through faith by which we grow

We are like seeds underneath the Sun
Of His grace
The Holy Spirit waters us
His love attends to our every need

We are blessed when we choose the path
Of unmerited favor
All we have and all we are
And all we will become
Is a gift from our benevolent King

Finding Freedom from the Web of Sin

Many Christians are caught in a web. They desire to do right, but their feet are prone to travel into the trappings of the evil one. Sin can be habit forming or addictive, and the journey to freedom can sometimes be elusive. Paul the Apostle said in Romans 7:22-23, “So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.” If one of the most spiritual men in the Bible struggled with sin, we will too. But later in that chapter Paul said, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

There are several keys that Jesus offers us that can unlock victory for us in our battle against sin.  If we use them, we will triumph. Here are just a few…

1.       Develop and maintain sorrow for sin coupled with the resolve to win. Do not ever acquiesce to failure. Do not succumb to Satan’s lie that you will never overcome. When you fall, ask God for forgiveness and repent – every time. Proverbs 24:16 says, “For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.”

2.       Know who you are in Christ. If you are a believer, you are on solid ground. The New Testament calls you righteous, a new creation, more than a conqueror and an overcomer. It also says that you are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ. Meditate on scriptures that communicate who you are in Christ and develop a habit of speaking these verses over your life.

3.       Flee from Temptation. Run from people, places and things that draw you away from a godly life.

4.       Believe that when you ask for forgiveness, God forgives you. There is no condemnation for those in Christ and we have been accepted by God. Even when you still struggle with temptation, God wants you to experience His love and acceptance.

5.       Speak the word of God in the face of temptation. This is what Jesus did to defeat Satan when he was tempted.  The word of God is your sword of victory.

6.       Be filled with the Spirit. Ask Jesus to baptize you with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, and allow Him to fill you again and again.

7.       Share your struggles with a trusted and mature Christian friend, counselor or Pastor. James 5:16 says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

Using these keys will enable you to find freedom over sin. It may take time. Growth is a process, but victory is possible. Trust the Lord to overcome. Blessings to you on your journey.

 

 

Alongside Creation

Orange and yellow light dance over an expanse of liquid ripples

The sky and sea resound your glory with nature’s Halleluiah

The regal blue heron sinks his beak beneath the subtle waves

He harvests dinner – a wriggling bluefish

The birds of the air sing forth Messiah reigns

Even the one-celled creatures on land and in the waters reflect your glory

 

We who house the Holy One deep within our hearts

Rejoice alongside creation

We worship Christ the King Lord of all glory

We too can dance before Him like the unveiled sky’s reflection

Skips to a praise song on the surface of the deep

 

© Copyright 2021 by Tom Toya. All rights reserved.

The Devil's Demise

He twists the truth with ease and style

To tell a lie makes him smile

For he is schooled in all guile

 

His ambition reaches to the highest of heights

He desires to dim the brightest of lights

This ancient foe of Christ the King

Who bruised the Lord’s heel but whose head still stings

 

He tries to hide behind the masks of men

Yet he orchestrates their evil whims

 

From Jesus we have

Delegated authority we have

Power through his name

To destroy his insidious game

 

To stop him in his tracks

Overcome his attacks

 

That person who did you wrong

Realize it was not he or she all along

But it’s Satan at work

The one in the shadows who lurks

Don’t be singing the loser’s melody

 

The name of Jesus sets the captives free

Praise to the King

With victory we sing

For He fills our countenance with joy

A smile without guile

That we share with every blood-bought, God-child

We can walk with the wise

And secure the devil’s demise

 

God's Good Surprises

 

Here is a look into God's interaction into our lives, where he initiates his wonderful purposes towards us.

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.   Jeremiah 33:3

It is a remarkable thing to understand that our Lord desires to answer our prayers. This is especially true with the things that he has ordained for us. Our Lord invites us to seek him, to search him out so that we can discover those things that are presently a mystery to us. Things that, in His great design, he longs for us to uncover, through prayer, and to have.

These things include surprise blessings and divine orders for mission opportunities that he wants us to pursue. This new year offers a time of decision for us. Will we draw near to the Master and allow him to whisper His insights into our spirits? Will we believe him for the special blessings He has planned for us? Will we seek out His missional plan for us and carry it out?

No matter how difficult our past year has been, let’s embrace the future with faith and courage. Let’s lay ahold of all our great Lord has planned for us. If we do these things, we will experience the thrill of walking on fresh ground with God. May your new year be full of God’s good surprises.