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Legacy

An Easter Hallelujah

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On Easter, we celebrate the powerful message that Jesus has risen.

The gospel of John records that precious moment when Mary Magdalene could not bring herself to leave Jesus’ empty tomb…

Weeping, she turned from the angels still in the tomb and saw a man she assumed to be a gardener. But when Mary realized the truth—that her Savior was standing before her—she ran into his arms. Jesus told her, “Go and tell the disciples I have risen.” Her countenance changed and off she went to carry out her task.  

  • What a difference knowing the truth made in the way she lived.
  • What a difference it makes in all our lives.
  • What a difference in the lives around us when we take on the task of sharing the good news that Jesus is risen with others. 

Praise be to God for his living word which makes a difference in our life. We can let go completely of the old covenant to celebrate the new!  

Jesus Is Still Turning Broken Hearts to Brave Hearts

It touches my heart the way Jesus revealed himself to a woman on Easter morning.

He called Mary by name. He turned her weeping into something wonderful.

That’s something to celebrate. Because He lives, Jesus is turning tears into triumph. Broken hearts to brave hearts.  

Jesus is still speaking to hearts today as we seek Him through His Word in the power of the Holy Spirit. God’s Word written on our hearts through the Holy Spirit goes beyond knowledge and makes a lasting impact on us—and through us makes a difference in the lives of those around us.   

Turn your weeping into something wonderful as you seek Jesus through his Word.  

For your Easter Week, we invite you to enjoy a poem Millicent Phillips has written about, print a copy for yourself and share one with a friend! Click here to view the poem.

Nourish Scripture: John 20:11-18

Do you want to find more peace and joy from your connection with Jesus? Download Nourishing Your Heart today to learn how!

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © Copyright Treasured Ministries 2019

Knowing Christ

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Though we don’t always think about it, our days truly are numbered, and with that comes the reality that our words are too. With this in mind, what are the words we share with those around us?

What is the message our life portrays to the world around us?

What is the purpose you are pursuing and promoting with your life?

And lastly, how would you be remembered? 

Jesus lived a life of perfection, he portrayed constant communion with the Father and the result of that was the over-arching message of perfect love. In knowing Jesus, in studying the life he led, we are studying love itself. And the faith we have in who Jesus is and what that love did for us is the truth that saves us.  

Knowing Who Jesus Is in Your Heart

In his final address to those closest to him, Jesus lifted them up to the Father in prayer. It was this prayer, filled with purpose, that Jesus proclaimed his purpose in showing himself to the world.  

“And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.” John 17:3  

You can’t have one without the other, if you are going to claim to know God, the attributes of Jesus must also be known to your heart.

And it’s the truth that we store in our hearts of who Jesus is that fills us with not only joy, but the love that unites. 

“…I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy.” John 17:13 

Christ came to get us back, to return us to the Father and break us free, but he can’t do that without being known.

He offered freedom by offering himself to us.

How beautiful and heartbreaking it is to know that Christ gave himself fully, knowing so many would not only reject him, but turn against him entirely. In pursuing the knowledge of who Christ is we are also pursuing the heart of the Father, and that common pursuit should be what brings us together. 

“I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” John 17:21 

Celebrating Christ

As we prepare for the celebration of the greatest victory in history challenge yourself to celebrate the life that Christ led by taking a good look at it. The more we study Christ the more we do justice to the purpose he came for.

Celebrate Christ, celebrate the love that defined the life he led.

Look at the words he prayed over those he spent his time with. 

At the end of the day, the words, purpose, and actions, of our lives should lead to the purpose of love. Because when we love others, when we allow them to know that they are deeply loved, we are giving them knowledge of the Father, we are pointing them to the truth that saves.  

We carry the truth of the gospel to the world around us, and love is the greatest vessel of that truth. Commit yourself to knowing Christ intimately.

Nourish Scripture: John 17

To connect with Christ more intimately, you need to change the way you approach the Word. Download Nourishing Your Heart to discover how to do just that!

This blog was written by Millicent Phillips. Millicent is part of the Treasured Ministries writing team. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

When It All Falls Down

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What to do when your world needs fixing? 

When everything teeters on the brink, how do you cope? 

You cry out to God, pray earnestly for His strong arm to mend the broken, to rescue before collapse. You search Scriptures, search your heart, search earnestly for something, anything, for a remedy. 

But what do you do when after all this – the tears, the prayers, the repentance – it all falls anyways? Prayers for repair seemingly return with rubble. 

The Trouble with Prayers for Repair

I’ve pondered this much of late: how to reconcile my cries for fixing with answers with further breaking.

Was the Lord averse to my cries?

Had my pleas fallen on calloused ears?

While emotions raged and circumstances spun, I sensed His gentle Spirit whisper to my weary soul: 

I am not a handyman. 

Patch this. Mend that. Indeed, my prayers for fixing desired repair work on existing structures, keeping the status quo minus the cracks. “Here’s MY plan for fixing, Lord. Be a good handyman and get the job done.” 

As I wrestled with this new realization of my heart’s desires, He lovingly, patiently whispered another transforming truth. 

You are clay and I, the Potter. 

God Is the Potter

The Potter.

Master craftsman.

Clay always transforms into its destined design within the molding palm of its Sculptor’s hands. Should cracks develop or walls weaken, He does not simply patch nor mend.  The Potter presses the entire piece to the ground, flattening to scratch and building again from the bottom up. For the vessel to hold true, it must be made new.   

For the fractured, fixing requires breaking. 

With this newfound perspective, I realized my cries for mending had in fact been answered! Not by mere patchwork that would eventually give way to greater rupture but by the loving leveling of the Master Potter’s Hands. Not out of disdain or frustration but clear vision of the full potential trapped within my clay, potential that could only be realized by His molding touch. 

He allowed all to fall so it could be built up in Him, strong and sure. 

Take heart, weary one. You are not forsaken.

When it all falls down, rest your battered bones in the palm of the Potter. His desire exceeds mere repair of fractured places. Know you are ever in His sight as the apple of His eye. He has a masterpiece in mind! 

Therein lies the beauty of being broken. 

Nourish Scripture: John 16 

Do you want to discover God’s purpose for you and transform the way you live? Download Nourishing Your Heart to find out how!

This blog was written by Patience Leino. Patience Leino is a solo mama, a worship leader, and a sought-after advocate and educator in pediatrics. A Maryland native, she graduated from Liberty University with a degree in Biblical Studies and now calls Raleigh home. You can explore her adventures in faith, food, and failure on her blog.  © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

Abiding Mindset Shift

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Jesus Christ holds out his hand and reaches beyond your past, your mistakes, your imperfections, and your shame with this invitation: Come just as you are. Abide with me. As you connect with me, you will prosper with the fruit of agape love to fulfill the primary command of the new covenant—loving others as the Lord has loved you. 

And while this sounds so beautifully simplistic, the enemy of your soul will often tempt you to try manufacturing this fruit on your own.

This temptation is deceptive because it appears righteous. But Jesus made it clear that our efforts, no matter how noble or great, cannot enable us to bear fruit.

It’s all about him. 

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  – John 15:5 NIV 

Experiencing Frustration in Your Walk

Are you frustrated in your walk with Jesus? Yeah, sometimes I find myself there too…

I have discovered that the solution is not to work harder but to shift my mindset. My frustration comes from trying to pour new wine back into old wineskins. I learned that to get back on track, I have to shift my thinking. How about you? Are you ready to do that? 

It’s time to change your focus to the abiding mindset. 

Effort, no matter how great, placed in the wrong direction is not effective. The lack of fruit in our lives is not from a lack of effort but effort placed in the wrong direction.  

Plugging into the presence of Jesus grows healthy roots that lead to healthy fruit. Frustration in our walk with Jesus can surface when we slip back into the old covenant mentality by striving to keep religious rules instead of finding the strength of lasting transformation in a relationship with Jesus.   

Authentic healing happens from a heart nourished by the source of life. The Nourish Bible Study Method can help you make this a reality in your life by transforming your approach to Bible study. 

What Is an Abiding Mindset? 

  • An abiding mind–set chooses to place efforts in the right direction. 

Abiding, dwelling, and remaining with Jesus means staying close to him through a personal intimate relationship. It is the choice to receive agape love, increasing your capacity to fulfill the command of the new covenant: love others as Jesus has loved you.  

  • Abiding is a mindset that chooses to believe God works all things for your good. 

Abiding means you will experience pruning.

Intimacy with Jesus is not the absence of adversity. God works through the grit of life to create pearls.  

Sometimes the Lord’s most glorious gardening is cultivated through pruning (James 1:2–4). When you experience pruning, don’t pull away. Instead, press into the Lord by believing God is for you.  

  • Abiding is a mindset shift that elevates your prayer life to a boldness that bears the name of Jesus (John 15:7). 

One year the Lord revealed to me that while I had no problem praying bold prayers for my family and friends, I was reluctant to ask God boldly in prayer for what I needed. When I sought the Lord, asking him why, he showed me that the issue lay in unbelief and the pride of self-reliance.

Also, God showed me that lies from the enemy that I was not worthy enough were NOT TRUE!  

  • Abiding is choosing authentic humility as you depend on the Father through bold prayer.  

The pathway of surrendering your self-reliance opens your arms wide to receive from God. All prayers are submitted above all to God’s will—his plan and timing (see Luke 22:39–46). You can pray with confidence and then rest in the absolute assurance that God loves you. Don’t decide for him by praying small!  

Shift your mindset. Start today by diving into what abiding means through our Weekly Nourish Scripture, John 15. 

You are God’s child. Jesus Christ holds out his hand wanting to spend time with you. Joy and agape love . . . provision through prayer . . . essential nourishment for the soul . . . becoming the woman God created you to be . . . are all waiting for you. 

Weekly Nourish Scripture: John 15

Discover how to connect with the nourishment every Bible passage has for your life. Download Nourishing Your Heart today!

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

Bestow the Words You Crave

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Another long day, grappling past lies and current insecurities and future worst-case possibilities.

Craving words of reassurance to raw wounds open, I reach out to friends with said aching, seeking remedy. 

Disappointment comes again as well-intentioned words fall hollow on these doubting ears.

Shame lays another layer down upon a battered heart.

And round about this carousel of craving I go again…   

Seeking Wholeness in the Wrong Places

We’ve likely all taken a spin or seventy on this merry-go-round, seeking wholeness in the words of trusted friends for our scarred places, wounded spaces.

Guilty as charged.

For me, it happens most often come evening. When the world slows, and children finally sleep, and I lie alone in bed. “Am I enough? Is God still kind? Not to us all but to me.  Did my failures today scar my children for life?” These are some of my frequent flyers. I’m confident your list stands ready in the wings too. 

What do we do? What do I do? I grab my phone and reach out to people to fill these aching gaps. They respond as best they know how yet my holes within only expand under the weight of sincere yet inadequate platitudes.

This cycle repeats until loud lies feel true and worth seems lost and alone becomes more than a place but a defining status.   

Maybe it’s just me… 

But I know it isn’t. 

Life happens, wounds happen, heck – simply human existence happens – and we reach out battered hearts for divine balm from mortal sources. Funny how loneliness often perpetuates itself through the avenues used in seeking remedy. 

Recently, I found myself on this well-worn path again. Questions of worth, the purpose for pain, value where history had “proven” otherwise. In the middle of the familiar reach towards my mobile, a soft stirring began to sound. 

You’re not alone in loneliness. 

Finding Peace by Bestowing Community

I’ve heard it said that if we recognized how often people feel lonely, we’d find community within our loneliness. Or something like that. Bottom line – you’re not the only one aching, the only one seeking, the only one asking these same questions. 

  • What do you long to hear?
  • To believe?
  • To have someone who knows your story believe of you, for you, speak over you? 

Such questions gave me pause. What did I truly want to believe as TRUTH in my depths? Words began to fill my mind, snatches of verses often cliched in their application. Words of worth, destiny, beauty springing from ashes and hidden hopes realized.   

“Ok, Lord, I ‘know’ all these things are true, but I want to believe them, and I honestly don’t.” His next whisper surprised me. 

Who else needs to hear these words too? 

Full stop. I sensed the Lord challenging me to trade seeking for serving, to lift my eyes from sorrows, off licking proverbial wounds, and recognize those surrounding me.

It took conscious effort, this changing of perspective: wounds in one hand and desired spoken truths in the other, both held out before the One who ultimately bore all wounds, who alone bestows all healing. And the results astounded me.   

Slowly, surely, as names came to mind, a choice lay before me. No, an invitation: set aside my own wounds to extend balm for another.  And if asked of its source, I’d only be able to point to the One who was pointing this all out to me.  

Pick up a phone, select a person, type away. Only this time, not in gathering, but in bestowing, in speaking life. As their faces came to mind and words were sent on blessing’s mission, the most remarkable thing occurred:  My own ache began to ease and texts started coming in. 

“How did you know?” 

“I so needed this.” 

 Grateful, I responded, “Me too, my friend.  Me too.”

This paradox turned hurting on its head, bestowing community where, moments before, loneliness reigned.

It’s counterintuitive when wounds screaming loud bleed raw and words from trusted friends fall flat on aching ears – to lay down craving in place of grace-proclaiming. What if we transformed our intuitions to seek into commissions to serve? Who else might need to hear the very things our own heart longs for?

Simply put – bestow the words you crave. 

Nourish Scripture: John 14

Jesus is calling you to find nourishment in the Word. Download Nourishing Your Heart to discover the key to connecting with his Word that transforms the way you live. 

This blog was written by Patience Leino. Patience Leino is a solo mama, a worship leader, and a sought-after advocate and educator in pediatrics. A Maryland native, she graduated from Liberty University with a degree in Biblical Studies and now calls Raleigh home. You can explore her adventures in faith, food, and failure on her blog. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

Living Words

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Dear Treasured Tribe,  

Imagine you knew you only had a short time left to live and wanted to share a last meal with loved ones.

  • Whom would you invite?
  • What meal would you share together?
  • And most important, what final words would you carefully choose to speak over those who graced your table?  

Words matter. But last words can leave a legacy to those you love.  

Of course, not everyone knows when their time on earth is coming to an end, but Jesus did.

Before the dawn of time, the Father designed a plan to redeem us from sin through the sacrifice of his one and only Son. Our Savior. Our Lord and Passover Lamb. The time had arrived on God’s kingdom calendar for perfect love—and the entire reason Jesus came to earth—to come to pass. The passion of the cross. 

“And Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father” (John 13:1 NLT).

The Last Words and Actions of Jesus

As with everything he did, Jesus intentionally chose his last actions on earth with divine precision down to every eternal detail to fulfill his Father’s plan, including the words he expressed to his beloved disciples over the most significant Passover meal in history. While the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke record the Passover meal itself, John’s Gospel expands the experience over five chapters of Scripture, zooming in to emphasize other events and details, including those last precious words.  

And those words breathed the very life of heaven into earth, singing a beautiful prelude to the New Covenant.

Living words.

Eternal words.

Healing words.

Life-giving words.

Glory-defined words.   

Tucked carefully inside the Gospel of John, the Holy Spirit preserved those precious words so you and I could savor them today.

Reflecting on these words is important. When we savor these last words, we are reminded of our glorious inheritance in Christ and can stand firm in who we really are and become all God created us to be. 

Welcome to “Last Words,” a Treasured Ministries Weekly Word Series for Lent on John 13–17. Come and prepare your heart for Easter by gathering around the table with Jesus and hearing those words once more. Let go of the old to embrace the new. In this series, you will . . . 

  • start your week with inspiration by receiving a devotion every Monday designed to draw your heart closer to Jesus as Easter approaches.  
  • savor those last words Jesus spoke as you apply the Nourish Bible Study Method to John 13–17. Want to discover the Nourish Bible Study Method to prepare yourself for your journey? Check out these resources. 
  • reflect and recapture the truth of your New Covenant position in Christ through truth found in John 13–17. 
  • understand the power of the Living Word, what that means, and how you can apply it to your life so you can share these truths with others during Lent to make a difference. 

I am beyond excited to share this journey with you!

ONWARD! 

Aliene Thompson 

Nourish Scripture: John 13 

Learn how to spend time in God’s Word in such a way that it IMPACTS the way you live by downloading Nourishing Your Heart today!

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

Her Legacy

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God called Nancy Alcorn to step out in faith and start a home for young women who were hurting. As a result, countless women have come to stay at Mercy Multiplied.

Nancy’s Work Is a Memorial

Some who come do not know Jesus; others have been in church all their lives. All the young women are immersed in unconditional love, bathed in the Word of God, and taught who they are in Christ.

  • Unwed mothers with no place to turn find peace and provision at the doors of Mercy.
  • Girls captured in the prison of alcoholism and drugs find freedom from their addictions.
  • Young ladies arrive at Mercy’s doors suffering from eating disorders, depression, or self-harm; they leave healed by Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit to make a difference in this world.

I first heard about Mercy Multiplied years ago when founder Nancy Alcorn was featured on television. Testimonies from two young women delivered from depression, drug addiction, and eating disorders touched my heart.

Since that day, my husband and I have supported Mercy. At the time, I had no idea how God would use Mercy to change me. I loved the ministry so much that one summer I visited a Mercy home in Nashville. A resident in the program began to share how Mercy had changed her life.

She said to me. “Aliene, you don’t understand. I have been to six different hospitals, and no one could fix me but this place.” I realized in that moment I was looking at a miracle. I knew beyond any doubt that all of God’s promises are true. The same God who made a covenant with that young lady made a covenant with me. Christ is still the Healer. The power of sin has been broken. There is no addiction, no lifestyle, and no destructive emotion he cannot help us overcome.

Nancy’s life work is a memorial to the power of the cross and the promises of the new covenant. I have never met a woman who followed God so intently. No matter how impossible things looked, Nancy took the Mountain Mover at his Word. Nancy Alcorn too is a brave heart.

The Purpose of Memorials

In biblical times, after covenants were established, memorials were made to remind future generations of the covenant.

After the Israelites crossed over the Jordan, God instructed Joshua to make a memorial out of stones. Joshua appointed twelve men, one from each tribe, to retrieve a stone from the middle of the Jordan where the priests held the Ark of the covenant. Each man took up a stone and carried it on his shoulder to Gilgal, where Joshua set up the stones. The memorial was built to remind the Israelites of God’s mighty power and so that they might always follow him (Joshua 4:24).

We Are Called to Set up Memorials

Romans 12:1–8 tells us that in view of God’s mercy, we should offer our lives as a living sacrifice by using the gifts the Holy Spirit has given us.

We are blessed so that we can bring blessings to others.

  • God loves you unconditionally so you can love others unconditionally.
  • God gives to you so you can give to others.
  • God fills you with the Holy Spirit so you can bring others a drink of living water.
  • Christ has reconciled you to God, and now you have a ministry of reconciliation.
  • God comforts you so you can comfort others.
  • God has forgiven you so you can give grace and mercy to others.
  • God has lifted you out of your pit so you can lift others out of their pits.

God has called us to set up memorials to serve as a sign that Christ is still the answer for future generations. There is a hurting world out there that is looking for unconditional love and help that can be found only in Jesus.

What do you want to change?

Empowered by the Holy Spirit, you have the influence to leave a legacy.

Will you lay down your life to make a memorial to the Lord Jesus Christ? What stone has the Lord asked you to pick up in service for his glory? Where has he asked you to build a memorial?

Go for it, brave heart, and leave a legacy to amazing grace!  When we let our lights shine, we build memorials to point others to Christ. That is the new covenant ministry.

Nourish Scripture: Joshua 4

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.