Author: kendraske

Giving Back to Him

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Matthew 26

I remember the first time I heard the song, “Alabaster Box.” It wasn’t Cece Winans’ famous version that I’ve linked below. Rather it was a dear friend who sang it through tears. The words touched my heart in such a profound way that I still think of it now, ten years later, every time I read the story of the very grateful woman in Matthew 26 who was willing to make such a sacrifice for Jesus who had changed her life.

Many people have a hard time understanding why I have wrapped my whole life around Jesus. Why is my every day consumed with thoughts of Him, service to Him? Why can’t I just talk about something else? What’s the big deal?

Well, have you ever read one of those touching stories about an organ donor and a profoundly grateful recipient? Someone is on the verge of death because of a failing heart or kidneys, when they are suddenly given a second lease on life because of someone else’s selfless sacrifice. They are overwhelmed with gratitude. They can’t put into words how much they appreciate this priceless gift. They would do anything to try to pay back that person who saved their loved one’s life – or their own.

My friends, that’s how I feel. Jesus has given me everything. He has given me a new lease not only on this present life, but for all eternity. And now everything in my life is seen through these lenses of profound gratitude.

Alabaster Box

I can’t forget the way life used to be
I was a prisoner to the sin that had me bound
And I spent my days
Poured my life without measure
Into a little treasure box
I’d thought I’d found
Until the day when Jesus came to me
And healed my soul
With the wonder of His touch
So now I’m giving back to Him
All the praise He’s worthy of
I’ve been forgiven
And that’s why
I love Him so much

And I’ve come to pour my praise on Him
Like oil from Mary’s alabaster box
Don’t be angry if I wash His feet with my tears
And dry them with my hair
You weren’t there the night Jesus found me
You did not feel what I felt
When He wrapped his loving arms around me and
You don’t know the cost of the oil
Oh, you don’t know the cost of my praise
You don’t know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box

Will you pray with me?

Heavenly Father, I am eternally grateful for all You have done for me. It is a joy to pour out my life for You. It is just a tiny offering to give back to You who has given me everything – my very breath and life and joy and peace and hope and purpose and everything I have – it is all Yours. My cup indeed runs over, and it spills out praise for You. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. You are worthy of every ounce of my life. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ who gave Himself for me. Amen.

Alabaster Box by Cece Winans

Well done, Good and Faithful Servant

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Matthew 25

The Lord blessed our family with four children over a span of eleven and a half years. I was a busy homeschooling mom trying my best to manage a very busy household. One way that I did this was with “chore charts” assigning various chores to each child in our household.

My oldest daughter was responsible for so many tasks around the home from cooking and cleaning to helping with her younger siblings. My youngest son had much smaller jobs like feeding the dog or putting away the silverware.

Were their jobs unequal? Definitely! Was it unjust? Absolutely not. They were different people and given correspondingly different jobs. They were equally praised for a job well done, and equally reprimanded for a job poorly done – regardless of whether they were supposed to clean the entire hall bathroom or merely empty the hall bath’s trash can.

Likewise, our perfectly wise Lord gives different people different portions of talents, but equal praise. To the one who invested well his five talents and the one who invested well his two, the Lord says, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25:20, 22) The one who invested well his five talents did not receive greater praise, nor did the one who invested well his two talents receive lesser praise.

The Lord is angry with the worthless servant, not because he only had one talent, but because he did not invest his one talent well. The one who received only one talent chose to hide it in the ground, saying that he knew that the master was a hard man, “reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed,” (Matthew 25:24) Surely this man doesn’t know the true character of his Master, for if he did he would never utter such words.

Good servants know the true character of their Master, that He is good and generous in giving His servants talents with which to serve Him. I speak from the perspective of someone who was once an atheist, living a life devoid of lasting purpose. As a follower of Jesus Christ, it is a priceless gift to know that your life has meaning and purpose. It is good news to be God’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

What talents has the Lord entrusted to you?

Has He blessed you with children, a house, a skill, a passion, a testimony – or all of the above?

How can you put them to good use for your master?

Heavenly Father, You are a good Father who delights in giving good gifts to Your children and You are a good Master in giving us, Your servants, fruitful tasks to accomplish. It is a joy for our lives to have meaning and purpose. It is a joy to serve you here on earth and it is a joy to look forward to that day we will enter into Your kingdom and hear the words we long to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” In the Name of our Gracious Master Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

Seeing yourself as a steward of your time, talents, treasures, and testimony

Are You Ready?

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read Through the Bible in 2 years: Matthew 24

I remember many years when I was growing up and was left home all summer long under my big sister’s care while my parents went to work. We knew that our parents would be home sometime before dinner, but we never really knew exactly when that would be. When my sister would hear the back door opening, she’d demand, “Stop screaming, Kim! Be good! Mom and Dad are home,” and my steady stream of bickering would come to sudden hault. I didn’t want my parents to walk in on us mid-argument.

Fast-forward thirty years and I remember all those years when I’d have my kids clean up the house at five o’clock, so we were ready for their dad to get home. I wanted my husband to open the door to me preparing dinner in the kitchen, while the kids played quietly on the floor, the school books and toys put away. I hated for him to walk into the middle of the chaos that four rambunctious, homeschooling kids can produce.

Matthew 24 explains that though we won’t know the precise day or hour, we will know the season when Jesus’s return is near. Like “the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24:37) If the people of Noah’s time had paid attention they would have seen Noah building a boat and known that a flood must be coming … but they remained unaware until the flood swept them away.

Friends, the days are near. Jesus is coming soon. He will not tarry forever! We must “stay awake.” We must “be alert.” We must “keep watch.” Though we do not know what day our Lord is coming, we can know that it will be soon. (Matthew 24:42)

Are you ready for Jesus to return?

Are you like that faithful and wise servant who is busy doing his master’s work, or like that wicked servant who is going to be caught unaware when his master returns?

Are you anxiously looking forward to your groom to arrive and call out, “Honey, I’m home” or are you distracted by the trappings of this world?

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, You are giving us so many signs that the days are short. Let us be about our Father’s business. Strengthen us for the task that You have given to us. Let us not be distracted by all that glitters and calls for our attention. Help us to fix our eyes on the heavens from where our savior will return for His bride. In the good and perfect name of Jesus Christ our Lord we pray, Amen.

Blessings and Woes

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Matthew 23

“”Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 5:3-12 ESV

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. …

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. …

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. …

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous,”

– Matthew 23:23, 25, 27, 29 ESV

I’m afraid that sometimes we’ve got our blessings and our woes mixed up. It seems that we’re working for those things that Jesus says “woe to you.” We are focusing our energies on making our outsides look good – posting the perfect pictures and enrolling our kids in the perfect classes, being careful to be seen at church and the PTA meeting – while neglecting the weightier matters of justice and mercy and faithfulness.

Oh, Father, help us to love what You love and hate what You hate. Help us to listen carefully to the words of Jesus to these hypocritical leaders and the words of the prophet, Isaiah, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20-21) Give us the strength and wisdom to examine our own hearts and to be diligent to pluck the log out of our own eyes. Help us to remember that our words and actions are the overflow of what’s inside our hearts, so please help us to care more about what’s inside the cup of our heart than what others can see on the outside. We pray this for Your glory and in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

The Man on the Middle Cross Said I Could Come

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Matthew 22

“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.

Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'”

Matthew 22:8-13 ESV

I remember one time shortly after moving to the South when I went to a moms-night-out for homeschooling moms. The social was in the evening, and it was being hosted in a fellow homeschooling mom’s home. I showed up in what I’d been wearing all day – what I wore every day – a Christian t-shirt and jeans. My curly hair was unbrushed and my face was make-up free. I walked into that room full of strangers and immediately wanted to turn around and walk back to the car.

Apparently I’d missed the memo: “Before you come, make sure you brush your hair, and put on some makeup and stylish mom-wear.”

This is not at all what Jesus was referring to in this parable of the wedding feast. Jesus doesn’t care about your makeup. He doesn’t care if you’ve brushed your hair or put on that cute new outfit. He doesn’t care how much money is in your bank account, or how many square feet are in your home, or which side of the train tracks you live on. He doesn’t care how tall you are or what color your skin is. He doesn’t care about your ACT score or what kind of grades you got in high school. In fact, He doesn’t care whether you’re from the North or the South, the East or the West.

The banqueting table of the Lord is long and wide. He has invited all kinds of people – men and women, rich and poor, and every shade of skin, eye, and hair color – to His wedding feast.

Like Jesus’s parable of the net (Matthew 13:47-50), every kind of fish will be gathered – trout and salmon and tuna and brim and red snapper – at the end of the age. But, ultimately, there are only two kinds of fish: good fish and bad fish.

When you breathe your last breath, what’s going to matter is this: Are you wearing a wedding garment?

There will only be two choices: Yes or No. There’s no A, B, C and D on this test. You either have a wedding garment or you don’t.

And there’s only one way to get those wedding garments. They must be given to you by the groom, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the man on the middle cross.

So, I’ve got to ask you: Has Jesus given you the wedding garments? Or are you trying to get in with your own clothes, not realizing they are only filthy rags?

Friends, God knows your heart. No amount of makeup or hair styling or clothing or good deeds can cover up your need for a Savior.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.””

Revelation 21:1-8 ESV

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV

Have you been given the groom’s pure white wedding clothes?

Have your sins been washed away by blood of the Lamb?

May today be the day of salvation, and may we be faithful heralds of the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, I come humbly before Your throne of grace and ask You to send out Your Word to draw many into Your kingdom, to clothe them in the pure white garments of the Lamb without blemish. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and make us hate our sin like You do. Be our God and make us Your people. Make us new and wash us clean in the spring of living water. Thank You for Your grace. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

The Tale of Two Sons

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read Through the Bible in 2 Years: Matthew 21

“”A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went.

And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go.

Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.”

Matthew 21:28-32 ESV

Think of how deeply this parable must have resonated with Matthew. I can just imagine Matthew writing furiously, trying to record every word as Jesus spoke. Matthew had been a tax collector when the Lord called him. Yet, Matthew was a Jew, grieving that his fellow Jews were missing the Messiah! Matthew was like that first son who had said, “I will not,” but later had obeyed. Matthew himself had rejected the ways of God, but later Jesus had “changed his mind and he had believed” like he wrote in verse 32.

I’m so thankful that the Lord led Matthew to record this parable for us. And I’m doubly thankful that the Lord has made a way for those of us who were once running headlong away from God – like Matthew and like me – to enter the kingdom. Let’s pray for those who think they are following God, who are saying with their lips, “Oh, yes, sir, I’m going,” but who are heading the wrong direction, trusting in their own good deeds to be saved, rather than the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, I lift up before Your throne of grace those who think they are following you, those who think they are heading toward you, but will one day hear, ‘I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” I pray that You would open their eyes and soften their hearts to the truth that we can only be saved through trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Wake them up to this reality before it’s too late. In the Good and Gracious Name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Living like Jesus

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read Through the Bible in 2 Years: Matthew 20

Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Matthew 20:26b-28 ESV

Being a disciple is more than just being a student. Being a disciple is modeling your life after your teacher.

Jesus modeled for us what it meant to serve, giving up his own life — not just preaching and healing and multiplying bread — but being a servant even to the point of death.

If you’re like me, it’s hard to get your husband a glass of water from the kitchen. If you’re like me, it’s hard to clean up after your kids. If you’re like me, it’s hard to put down Facebook and to pick up the phone and make a real live call to a needy friend.

But … I do it even though it’s hard, because I want others to be able to model their lives after mine, as I model my life after my Master’s.

My children are watching me. My sisters are watching me. Those who don’t know Christ yet are watching me. You are watching me.

Am I the real deal? I want to be.

Am I perfect? No, I’m not. Only God is perfect. But I’m not who I was…. And I pray that my changed life is evidence of Christ in me and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

I am no longer my own. I’ve been bought with a price and Christ has changed me from the inside out. I want to be a walking billboard that says, “I’M A NEW CREATION! CHRIST HAS MADE ME NEW! THE OLD IS GONE! BEHOLD THE NEW HAS COME!”

Heavenly Father, make us more like your son. Help us to die to ourselves and live for You. Help us to remember that Jesus died for us and that we have the power through the Holy Spirit to overwhelmingly conquer! Teach us to be servants – Servants of Christ and Servants of our neighbor. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Perfect Master and Teacher and King. Amen.

Who then can be saved?

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Matthew 19

“When the disciples heard this,
they were greatly astonished, saying,
“Who then can be saved?”
But Jesus looked at them and said,
“With man this is impossible,
but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:25-26 ESV

29 years ago, in April of 1994, I was an outspoken evangelical atheist, having a discussion with a Christian young man when – in a brief moment of humility – I asked a question that would change the course of my life, “What does it mean to be saved?”

You see this young man kept using this word “saved” but I didn’t know what it meant in the context in which he was using it. A person saved money. A person saved someone who was drowning in a pool. You might save a dog that you found wandering the streets. But, what did that have to do with God and faith and heaven?

And for the first time in my life I heard the gospel, the good news of Jesus the Christ. I heard that I was a sinner; that Jesus’ death had paid the penalty for my sins; and that through trusting in His death and resurrection, I could receive forgiveness, enjoy eternal life, and know that my life had meaning and purpose.

That very night, not fully understanding what I was getting myself into, I asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins. I acknowledged Him as Savior and
Lord of my life, and my life has never been the same.

Despite growing up in America, I had never understood that Jesus was God in flesh. I had never understood why He had died on the cross. I didn’t understand why Easter and Christmas were celebrated. I didn’t know who Esther or Paul were. I didn’t know the popular Bible verse, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” In fact, I didn’t know that “John” was a book in the Bible. I didn’t even know the simple children’s song, “Jesus Loves Me.”

1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” I am
so thankful that when the time was right, God opened my eyes to be able to see the truth and the truth has set me free from my slavery to sin.

Are you saved? Go tell others the good news!

Are you running from God, unsure if He’s real and good? I’d love to pray for you.

Heavenly Father, I am praying for those who have been running away from You. I pray that today they would take the time to reach out, to read the Bible, to pray, to seek You. I pray that they would put it off no longer, but that today would be the beginning of a search for truth — and that they would find You. Your word says that if someone seeks You with all their heart that they will find You. I know that is true because Your Word is true, so I pray that they would seek You earnestly and faithfully. Open their eyes and send people to share the gospel with them, like You sent Bill to me. In the Mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

If you’d like to read more of my story, you can get a copy of my book on Amazon.

If Your Brother (or Sister) Sins against You

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Matthew 18

So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Matthew 18:14-17 ESV

Yesterday we looked at not causing someone else to stumble or be offended by our actions. Today we will look at what to do when someone else sins against us.

Earlier this week I had someone ask me how to handle a conflict she was having with a sister serving in her church’s children’s ministry. I’m copying my answer here in hopes that it will help you, too!

When a sister in Christ has hurt you, you should approach her with gentleness, humility, and love. Begin by speaking words of genuine encouragement, such as, “I’m so thankful for your service to our children. I appreciate you teaching the children to sing and worship. I want us to work together in a spirit of unity and love.”

Examine your own heart and motives. Often we see pride in others more easily than we see pride in our own hearts. Love thinks the best of the other person. Don’t assume that her motives are wrong.

Sometimes the women that I’m working with or leading are too eager to speak words of complaints or criticism, but slow to offer help. I love it when people come to me with offers to help!!!

Here are some other passages you can read to prepare for a difficult discussion with a brother or sister.

Leviticus 19:17-18
Proverbs 27:5-6
Colossians 3:12-17
1 Corinthians 13:1-8a
Ephesians 4:29-32

Here’s a link to a bunch of wonderful downloads from Peacemaker Ministries and Relational Wisdom

Not to Give Offense

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read Through the Bible in 2 years: Matthew 17-18

Today I wanted to put chapters 17 and 18 together because in Matthew 17:24-27 Jesus was explaining to Peter that though he was free from giving the tax since He is God’s Son, he would still pay the tax so that he would not give offense to the Jewish leaders. Then in Matthew 18:6, Jesus warns the people about causing others to sin.

“When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

Matthew 17:24-27 ESV

That word “offend” in Matthew 17:27 is the same Greek word as”causes to sin” in Matthew 18:6, 8, and 9 — skandalizō.

“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

“Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.”

Matthew 18:5-9 ESV
Many thanks to the Blue Letter Bible app 💙

We need to be careful how we ourselves live, because we want to honor God in all we do, but also because we don’t want to cause others to stumble. Let’s keep a careful watch over what we say and what we do, that we may be a help and not a hindrance to our brothers and sisters. This might mean limiting our freedoms.

Remember, Jesus was free from paying that temple tax because He was the Son of God, yet He paid it, so He wouldn’t cause others to stumble. Likewise, God might be calling you to not do something out of love for your weaker brother.

Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8 are great passages to read for more on this topic.

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, thank you for all of your mercy and your grace towards me. I pray that I would pay careful attention to how I walk so that I would not cause anyone else to stumble. I pray that I would be a helping hand and not a stumbling block. Thank you for forgiving me through the blood of the lamb. Please give me your strength to do what is right. It is in the name of Jesus that I pray. Amen.