Powerful messages that encourage, inspire, and convict “People of the Way” to enter into the presence of the Living God and to mirror the image of the precious Lord Jesus, bringing his life to this hurt and broken world. The messages are written by Richard E. Bieber. A pastor whose prolific writings spanned six decades.
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Short Messages/Tracts
LIVING WATER IN A DRY PLACE
It begins the day you wake up to find…
That your little paradise is a desert.
That your “spirituality” is barren.
You’re thirsty for living water to satisfy an empty soul.
Now God breaks through, and begins to guide you.
Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.
Genesis 21
Why is it that we never find Living Water until we’re in a Desert?
In the Desert all distractions are gone.
All illusions disappear.
The trivial no longer satisfies.
God help us to see how barren life is until we find that Spring!
God give us the wisdom to seek!
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. (John 7:37)
Prayer: Lord, help us to realize when we’re in a desert. Help us to open our eyes and see our own barrenness. Help us to open our eyes so we can see the Living Water you have for us and indeed cry out for it to fill our thirst. And may we come to you and truly drink and fill ourselves with your Living presence so we can be truly alive Amen.
Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2012 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: First and last piece permission and courtesy of Wendy Smith at wendy-smith.pixels.com Hagar in the Desert via Good Salt Website:
THE NEGLECTED SPRING
“Lord, why is my spirit so dry?
Why do you seem so far away?
Have you forgotten me?”
“From the day you opened your heart to me, I have provided you with a spring of living water. Why are you not drinking from it?”
Whose fault is it when our spirits dry up and our faith falters?
If a spring of living water is close at hand,
If all we have to do is draw near and drink,
…. If we thirst, can we blame God?
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:37-38)
“Come to me and drink…..”
Take time to be alone and draw near me each day.
Listen for a word from me as you read the apostolic witness.
Speak to me about the needs of your own heart.
Practice my presence throughout the day.
Receive the people who cross your path as sent by me.
Let the living water you have received flow out to the lives you touch.
Know that I am nearer to you than your own breath.
Trust me.
“Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)
Prayer: Lord, May we not neglect the spring of living water that is right here for us. Help us to hear your call to us, to receive the living water you offer us, to do what is necessary to draw close. Yes, help us to listen as we read, to speak to you of the needs of our heart, to practice your presence, to receive those you send to us and to let your living water flow to them. And may we ever know that you are near us and honor that with devoted attention. Amen.
.Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2004 Printable/Shareable copy
Featured Artist: Kindness and courtesy of Ronel Coombs Website: on Facebook-Ronel Art
TURNING ASIDE TO SEE
And Moses said, ‘I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.” (Exodus 3:3)
The bush was burning, and yet it remained green.
There was no smoke.
There was no sound.
Had Moses not decided to turn aside and come in for a closer look, he might have missed his chance.
He might have lived and died, a shepherd in the wilderness.
Many of us have stumbled past our burning bush again and again.
We see it.
We scratch our heads and blink our eyes, and then we hurry on about our business.
Your burning bush will reach out and grab you only if you are already in pursuit of the highest you know—-like Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus Road.
But if you are bumbling along with little or no thought of God, your burning bush will simply be there.
You will not hear God speak from that flame, until you take the trouble to draw near.
Many are called, but few are chosen.
Prayer: Lord, help us not to be oblivious to our burning bush. Keep our hearts centered on seeking you in every area of our lives so that we recognize the holy when we see it. Help us to see it in the face of the lonely who need company, in the hurting who need comfort, in the lost who need direction, and when meeting the needs of others. Help us to see our burning bush in our own disappointments and trials, in any blessing you have given us, and of course in the beauty of your creation. In all these, help us to hear you speaking to us, so we can turn aside in awe, take off our shoes, and worship you. Amen.
Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2009 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Kindness and courtesy of John Rainford Website: None
THERE WAS A TIME
WHEN GOD WAS REAL TO ME
….I knew my prayers were being received.
I had faith in God.
Faith in our Messiah Jesus,
And things happened.
But that flame of faith has died.
—and the clear vision I once had is gone.
I have become a cynic.
I have lost my way.
Sometimes I think that the “faith” I once had was only a delusion.
You may have lost touch with God,
But God has not lost touch with you.
He is closer to you at this moment than your own breath.
Turn to him with the simplicity of a child, and your faith will be restored.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.
Psalm 103
Prayer: Lord, thank you that during the times we become cynical, sightless, lost, and weak in faith….you remain with us. Lord, become real to us again, help us to sense your loving Presence, and yes, to know you are closer than our own breath. May our hearts lift in joy to you once again, remembering who you are, what you do, your merciful forgiveness, and your unwavering love for us. Amen.
Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2010 Printable/Shareable copy
Featured Artist: Gerd Altmann Website: Geralt on Pixabay
INSIGNIFICANT?
Even those servants of God who have made their dent in the world fade into insignificance soon after their hour of fame has passed.
“As for us, our life is like grass. We grow and flourish like a wildflower; then the wind blows on it, and it is gone—no one sees it again.”
Psalm 103 (GNT)
Significance in the eyes of the world is a fragile thing….
Fragile and empty.
But when we begin living our lives before the eyes of God, leaving earthly “significance” to the celebrities, we suddenly become significant in the only way that counts:
The heavenly Father who rules the distant galaxies, yet cares about each sparrow….
….is personally interested in you….and everything about you.
You are significant to him.
You count.
And your love for him and obedience to his word, will accomplish more in five minutes than an “American Idol” could achieve in a lifetime.
“Praise the Lord, my soul! All my being, praise his holy name! Praise the Lord, my soul, and do not forget how kind he is. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He keeps me from the grave and blesses me with love and mercy. He fills my life with good things, so that I stay young and strong like an eagle..”
Psalm 103
To the living God you are more significant that you will ever know….this side of the grave.
Prayer: Thank you Lord that despite our limited days and our limited significance in the eyes of the world that we are significant to you…the Holy of Holies, that you care for everything about us. How amazing and indescribable it is that you love each of us in such a way. How wonderful you are. We sing to you for your kindness and care, for your blessings, for giving us life, for this beautiful earth and all of creation, and for making your light shine upon us in this world. We cannot form the words that can describe how grateful we are that we are significant to you. But may the wonder of it continue to well up in our hearts so we can sing of it daily…even in the midst of our insignificance in this life. Amen.
Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2019 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Kindness and courtesy of Nellie Holmes Website: Nellieannholmes.com
I THOUGHT THEY ALREADY HAD THE HOLY SPIRIT!
On Pentecost the believers received the Holy Spirit.
They spoke with new tongues.
They experienced new freedom.
Their minds were opened to understand the word.
The love of God was shed abroad in their hearts.
So why is it that some time later, when these same believers prayed for boldness, they received the Holy Spirit again?
“And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:31)
How many times do we have to receive the Holy Spirit?
Isn’t once enough?
The Holy Spirit isn’t a “thing” which we “get” and hold.
The Holy Spirit is God Himself.
The Holy Spirit can do whatever he chooses.
Once we have asked and received the gift of his presence in our lives, the Holy Spirit manifests himself to us—at his discretion—in ways we can never predict.
We do not possess him.
He possesses us.
Our job is to simply obey the Spirit, as he makes things clear to us.
…..and he will.
“The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)
Prayer: Oh Lord, may we long to be possessed by you each and every day, seek to be renewed by your Spirit daily. May we open our hearts to your Spirit that allows us to draw close to you, that opens our minds to your holy presence, that pours unspeakable love into our hearts, that helps us to hear your voice, that helps us to understand your living Word, and that empowers us to do your will. As we draw close, daily…ignite life within us, prepare our hearts to listen, and ready our feet to go wherever your Spirit leads us. Amen.
Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2004 Printable/Shareable copy
Featured Artist: Courtesy and kindness of Judith Tutin an abstract artist from Ireland. Website: judithtutinart.com
YOUR FAITH HAS MADE YOU WHOLE
Who of us has not wondered why our faith seems flimsy compared with the faith of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment?
Her faith.
Lord, why can’t I attain to her faith?
Why is my faith so shallow?
Help me!
For those of us who stumble and stagger, when it comes to faith, here’s the good news:
If we begin to hang around the Master, and listen to his words, we get help.
Our faith starts to grow.
When we start doing the things he tells us to do….
We get more help.
Soon we discover that faith is not a mental state but a walk, a life lived by trust in the Unseen Mercy.
And behold, a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment; for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I shall be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.”
And instantly the woman was made well.
Matthew 9
Prayer: Lord, help us to draw ever closer to you, to trust you, to listen to you, to reach out and touch you, to have faith that you will make us whole. May our hearts say again and again…. “If only I can touch him, I can be well, I can be whole”. May we never lose faith in your mercy and healing on our lives and the ability to reach out and follow. . Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2015 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Permission and grace of Vanessa Horabuena
Website: vanessahorabuena.com
SHUT YOUR MOUTH
How do I get the Truth of God from my head down into my heart?
By making sure it doesn’t fall out of your mouth on the way down.
By keeping your mouth shut.
Once the Truth of God reaches your heart,
it grows and gains strength.
When the Spirit sees that you’ve made the Truth actual in your daily life, then he will release it through your mouth.
Living Water never flows from our brains.
Living Water flows from our hearts.
“If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink.
He who believes in me, as the scripture has said,
`Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'”
John 7
Prayer: Yes Lord, help us to shut our mouths and spend more time coming to you rather than just talking about you… without first knowing you, really knowing you. Instead, may we drink so deeply of you that your Truth penetrates our hearts, every part of us so deeply… that Living Water can’t help but be released from our daily walk and our lips and that when we do open our mouths we bring life to all those we encounter. Amen.
Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2016 Printable/Shareable copy
Featured Artist: Permission and kindness of Lene Pienaar Website: Leneartstudio.com
BEING “RIGHT” IS A DELUSION
“I know I’m right!”
i.e. “You’re wrong!”
“And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. I tell you, you will never get out till you have paid the very last copper.”
Luke 12
The only one who is right is God
If we want to know what God has to say about our “issues”, we turn to Jesus.
Who asks….
Are you walking in the mercy God has shown to you?
Do you love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength?
Do you love your neighbor as yourself?
Do you speak the truth?
Do you live the truth?
How do you treat Lazarus at your gate?
About our “issues” Jesus is not nearly as rigid as we are.
He eats with bad guys—tax collectors and sinners.
He offers living water to a woman who is on her sixth man.
He refuses to condemn the woman “caught in adultery”.
The only people Jesus was harsh with were the people who were sure they were right.
“You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity.
You blind Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the outside also may be clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” (Matthew 23)
None of us is “right”.
Only God is “right”.
The closest we can come to being “right” is when we are “crucified with Christ”, walking in his Spirit of Mercy.
Lord, have mercy on us all!
Prayer: Yes, Lord, have mercy on us. Convict us of and release us from our self-righteous, critical mindsets. Help us to let go of the delusion of our own rightness, to let go of our tight grasp on our opinions about others and the issues that bother us. Instead, help us to grasp for, beg for, the hearts of mercy and compassion that you call us to. Lord without your mercy we continue to be whitewashed tombs, lured into the trap of being on the right side of issues, better than and more right than others, looking good in our own eyes…but being unclean and dead on the inside. May our only sense of rightness come from dwelling in your presence, letting go of ourselves, and willingly walking in your Spirit of Mercy. Amen.
Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber October 2020 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Lars Justinen via Good Salt license Website: goodsalt.com or Larsjustinen.com
IT’S FINISHED…
….FOR THE FAITHFUL.
So if the powers of darkness were defeated, when the Lamb breathed his last,
How come evil rages on? Blatant evil….everywhere we look.
Where’s the victory?
Jesus never promised that evil would disappear when he rose from the dead.
On the contrary, he promised increased evil as the End approaches.
But Jesus also promised…..
…. wisdom, power, vision and strength to those who walk in the light of his Spirit.
The decisive battle was won at the cross.
The fruits of the victory belong to the faithful.
The Final Battle lies ahead.
The glory beyond belongs to the faithful.
They overcame….
By the blood of the Lamb
By the word of their testimony
By loving not their lives even to death.
Revelation 12
Prayer: Lord, give us the confidence and the vision to know that you have won the victory for us already. That despite increasing darkness and evil…that you do give us the wisdom, vision, power, and strength to remain faithful to the end. That we already possess the fruits of victory, that we are freed from the power of evil over our hearts, that the glory already belongs to us, that we can overcome by your b
lood, by the word of our testimony, and by not holding back our lives from you in every way. Help us not to live in fear, but in the victory you have given us…. because even though the final battle is yet to come, it is truly finished. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2016 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Permission and kindness of Irene Thomas Website: catholicworldart.com
FISHING
“Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”….
“Don’t be afraid, from now on you will be catching people.”
Luke 5
Today you’re fishing for fish.
Tomorrow you will be fishing for people.
You didn’t volunteer for this.
You were chosen.
“But I never did this before! I don’t know how!”
“Follow me.
Get under my yoke.
Walk with me.
And I will show you how.”
It’s not a matter of “getting people saved.”
The Lord takes care of that.
It’s not a matter of getting them to join your church.
The Lord will put them where he wants them.
It’s a matter of bringing them into the Kingdom.
God’s world, the Real World, where Jesus is already King.
Your life, as well as your mouth, becomes a doorway to God’s World—
—as you walk in the footsteps of the Master.
And when they brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
Luke 5
Prayer: Lord, help us not to worry about the fish we catch but help us to keep our eyes on you, to keep listening to you, and to keep following you. Make our love so genuine, our steps so firm and adoring, our hearts so confident, our words and testimony so filled with burning life that others can’t help but to see, to desire, and to be caught into your Kingdom. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2015 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Glad permission of Doug Adams (United Kingdom) Website: Facebook. com/doug.munns
PATIENCE
“And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.”
Luke 8:15
Signs and wonders may happen suddenly.
Visions may take us by surprise.
The word of God may hit our hearts with the force of a hammer.
But for the word to take hold and bear fruit takes time.
There are setbacks.
Disappointments.
Storms.
Dry spells.
To remain faithful to the word when nothing seems to be happening….
To continue to love God and praise him in the midst of total darkness….
Requires patience.
Patience is a gift of God.
This gift is developed in us only through exercise.
The Spirit of the Lord develops our patience by giving us opportunities to practice it.
Patience in trying circumstances.
Patience toward trying people.
Patience on the road which seems endless.
And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.
Galatians 6:9
Prayer: Holy, perfect Lord, help us to recognize, grasp, and practice the gift of patience. When we experience disappointment, frustration, irritation with people and circumstances in our lives help us to stop …. let go of our impatience…. and to breathe in your peace, your strength, your understanding, and your sweet compassion that places true patience in our hearts and unites us with your nature. And in this we know that the patience you give us will bear lasting, nourishing fruit. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2004 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Kindness and courtesy of Pam Herrick Website: pamherrick.com
ETERNITY WITHIN
Also he has put Eternity into man’s mind.
Ecclesiastes 3
No wonder we’re confused.
We’re trapped in time with remnants of Eternity clinging to our souls.
No matter how hard we try to ignore it, Eternity within continues to haunt us.
It throbs as a deep homesickness for something beyond this world.
Jesus calls the object of our longing the Kingdom of Heaven.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.”
“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.”
“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed.”
If we allow this longing within to express itself, we soon find ourselves praying.
And then….
Eternal things begin to happen.
“Ask and it shall be given you.
Seek and you shall find.
Knock and it shall be opened to you.”
Prayer: Lord, help us to sense and to understand this longing for eternity within us. Help us to find it… as we seek to draw closer to it, closer to you. And yes, may eternal things begin to happen within us and around us as you answer this longing of our hearts. And as we experience your Kingdom, your eternal being opening to us… may we hold it as the most precious treasure in our lives. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2015 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Permission and kindness of Brenda Kay Deyo Website: artist-night-out.myshopify.com/
ETERNITY’S EDGE
Lord, you have always been our eternal home, our hiding place from generation to generation. Long before you gave birth to the earth and before the mountains were born, you have been from everlasting to everlasting, the one and only true God.
Psalm 90 (TPT)
As long as we are in these bodies of flesh and blood, we are trapped in time.
And yet….
Every step we take is taken on the edge of Eternity.
Every breath we draw brings us closer to the ultimate Awakening.
Meanwhile, the Eternal Logos, who once said, ‘Let there be light!” ….
Has entered our realm.
Has spoken words that impart life.
Has taken our sin-sickness down into his death,
And now, alive from the dead, invites you to enter the Eternal Realm.
Not after you die.
But at this moment.
“You are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham?” “Before Abraham was, I Am.” (John 8)
Here I am, Lord!
Speak, and I will listen.
Guide, and I will follow.
rayer: Holy Lord, help us to sense that we live on the edge of eternity. Help us to know that these finite, limited lives of ours can connect now with your holy goodness, your eternal realm…. now if only we would stop, listen, and follow. Thank you for such a gift. Keep us from squandering it. Amen.
Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2013 Printable/Shareable copy
Featured Artist: Permission and kindness of Anna Sophia Website: Etsy AnnaSophiasArt
ANONYMOUS LIGHTS
They shine, but their names are hidden.
Hidden in the Light of their Master:
…The I AM
…The Incarnate Word
…Jeshua, “God is Salvation”
They ask for nothing.
They won’t press you to join their church.
They have no interest in your money.
They engage in no exploitation of any kind.
They simply invite you to open your heart to the Light, knowing that when you do….
He will guide you to the place He has chosen for you.
He will protect and provide for you.
He will flood your being with a love unknown to this world.
As the Master says: “You will know them by their fruits.”
Amid all the noise and confusion of “religion,” keep an eye open for those Anonymous Lights.
They are sent to you by One greater than themselves.
They point the way to the True Light.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5: 14-16
Prayer: Lord as we walk this world, help us to shine and at the same time keep ourselves out of the limelight, hidden in you, lovingly willing to be anonymous as we point others to you. And out of our humility, our awe of you, and our trust in your power to save… may non-believers, scoffers, and seekers see the glory of you in our lives, knowing that we have been sent to them by you. And may this fill them with joy, lighting their hearts with the truth of your eternal existence and your loving call to them. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2015 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Permission and courtesy of Sonia Farrell Website: allheartbysoniafarrell.com
LOW PROFILE SAINTHOOD
When Jesus tells us we are the light of the world, he doesn’t mean we’re celebrities—big or little.
And when Jesus implies that we are not to hide our light under a bushel he’s reminding us that there is indeed a bushel often blocking the light from view.
What could that bushel be?
For most of us, even the shy ones, it’s our ego.
Others can’t see God’s light because of our ego.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14-16
So who gets the glory when they see our “good works?”
Do they see God?
Are they drawn to God?
Are they filled with hope?
Take off the bushel.
Let your light shine from a stand for all the world to see.
But every time you catch yourself using your “light” to vindicate yourself in the eyes of others….
Repent!
Because your “light” has suddenly become a bushel.
Prayer: Lord, remove the bushel of our egos from us, the bushel that blinds others to your glory. We repent of our pride. We repent of our need to vindicate ourselves, of our need for others to think just like us, believe exactly like us. We repent of our need for others to honor our own appearance of righteousness. Lord, help us to embrace this low-profile sainthood, to take off the bushel… to shine, to shine with life, to shine with wonder and awe of who you are and what you have done, to shine with a beauty that emanates from dwelling in your presence. And yes, may the light coming from us shine so strongly that others see you, are drawn to you, and are filled with awe and hope instead of scorn and disgust at our pride and arrogance. Amen.
Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2007 Printable/Shareable copy
Featured Artist: Permission and courtesy of Sonia Farrell Website: allheartbysoniafarrell.com
MORE HELP THAN YOU COULD EVER ASK FOR
Who doesn’t need help once in a while?
The kind of help which no man can give us.
When we feel overwhelmed.
When we’re trapped in an impossible situation.
When we’re so weary we can hardly pray.
“For the enemy has persecuted me,
He has crushed my life down to the ground;
He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have been long dead. Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed and weak within me [wrapped in darkness]; My heart grows numb within me..”
Psalm 143: 3-4 (AMP)
It is at this juncture where you meet God.
Cry out in your weakness.
“Answer me quickly, O Lord, my spirit fails;
Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will become like those who go down into the pit (grave)”.
And the God who answers your heart-cry without fail will come with more help than you could ever ask for.
That help, which will come to you as a personal gift from the Living God, is a sign.
Follow the sign and God will give you much more.
That sign—God’s generous help—always points to the same place: to Jeshua the Messiah, who will take you by the hand and lead you deeper and deeper into God’s World where you will experience true freedom.
“I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Prayer: Lord, help us in our despair. And help our friends, colleagues, loved ones when they need the help that we don’t have the means to bring them. Hear them. Hear us. When we are crushed, overwhelmed, weak, numb with despair …lift us, show us your face, help us to hear your voice, to feel your gentle-loving touch. Yes Lord, give us more help than we could ever ask for or expect. Give us a sign that we will recognize and be moved by, so we can take you by the hand and be led deeper and deeper into your very heart where we will find life and the will to live again. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2015 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Permission and kindness of Kerry Broughton Website: Kerryartstudio.com
“I WISH I COULD TAKE IT BACK!”
It keeps haunting me….
The cruel thing I said—and the pain on her face.
The stupid thing I did….and the confusion it caused all around.
Why does the memory of this thing keep torturing me?
Why can’t I drop it and forget it?
Some of these memories pursue us for years.
We wake up at night, and there they are again!
We have a choice:
We can keep carrying our burden of regret for days and years to come…or …
We can lay it down at the foot of the cross, and cry out for help to do better.
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness; according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Psalm 51
We cannot take back the cruel thing we said.
We cannot undo the foolish thing we did.
But we can draw near to the One who has the power to drain away our guilt,
…..and give us a new start.
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free Spirit. Psalm 51
Prayer: Lord, we know we can’t back the things we have done to hurt others, But Lord we can ask that you limit the damage we have done. We ask that any whom we have hurt are healed, that in their pain, they hear your tender voice. That despite our sin, that your redemptive power continues to work miracles which overcome any darkness we have wrought. And yes Lord, we acknowledge our sins, our arrogance, our lack of love, our lack of reverence and thankfulness for all that you are and all you have done. Have mercy on us according to your tender mercy and your loving kindness. Cleanse us of these sins that separate us from you. Create in us clean hearts and right spirits…. which love you, love others, which desire to live mercy because of your mercy. Draw us into your presence again, accept us, fill us with your Holy Spirit, free us so we may exult in who you are and live lives that bring healing, not hurt. So we can sing songs of thankfulness for your beauty, your love, your mercy, and all you are.
Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2007 Printable/Shareable copy
Featured Artist: Courtesy and kindness of Daniel Gerhartz Website: danielgerhartz.com
DO WE KNOW HIM?
We hear about Jesus.
We talk about Jesus.
We sing about Jesus.
But do we actually know him?
For all our creeds and belief systems, Jesus is a stranger until we hear his voice and he hears ours.
We get to know Jesus as we….
….listen to him.
…speak to him.
Listening to the Master
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
John 10
The words of Jesus in the four gospels are dead on the page until we take them in. The minute we take them in, those words come alive as no other words ever spoken on this earth.
In those words we begin to hear the voice of the Shepherd.
The more we listen the better we get to know him.
As he speaks to us, Jesus leads us into truth.
He sheds light on the words of the prophets, the Psalms, the testimony of Abraham and Moses.
He gives us a vision of things to come.
As we drink in his words, we get to know Jesus as our Lord, our Friend.
The words of Jesus are our single light, our North Star.
Speaking to the Master
He’s listening.
He’s waiting.
Always and everywhere his ear is open to each of us as if each were the only one in the world.
Alone in our room with the door shut we talk to him.
When we’re walking in the woods we talk to him.
When we’re driving on the freeway we talk to him.
We talk to him in the middle of the night.
We cry out to him when we’re in trouble.
We thank him continuously as we walk through this world.
It never, never stops.
After years as an apostle Paul kept seeking to know the Lord, who was already his best Friend.
…That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. (Philippians 3)
Paul never takes his Master for granted. Never assumes that he’s Jesus’ buddy.
In Jesus, Paul sees unspeakable love and terrifying holiness, and keeps reaching out for more of his Lord.
As long as we are in this world we keep getting to know the Master.
And he keeps revealing himself to us in new ways,
As we listen to him.
As we speak with him.
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. And no one shall snatch them out of my hand.”
John 10
Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to truly hear you and to keep listening to your voice, to know you, really know you. To know with every cell in our bodies that you are with us and listening to us. Oh Lord, give us the boldness, the confidence, the faith to continue speaking to you. Give us an overwhelming desire to reach out for more and more of you. Forgive us for keeping you waiting for us to really know you. Help us to snuggle into your waiting arms with all our cares, concerns, and needs…and with ever loving and thankful hearts. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber April 2021 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Permission and kindness of Sophia Murphy Website: Facebook. com/dutchysop
WHEN THE WINNERS LOSE, AND THE LOSERS WIN
“So the last will be first, and the first last.”
Matthew 20
In this world…
There are winners and losers.
There are strong and weak.
There are rich and poor.
In the Kingdom of God everything is reversed.
“Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied.
Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh.
Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man!
Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
But woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation.
Woe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger.
Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.”
Luke 6
This is not fantasy.
This is how it is.
The God of the Universe is not blind to human suffering.
Nor is he blind to human cruelty and indifference.
Until the Kingdom arrives, the winners will keep winning and the losers will keep losing.
But soon this will change.
It will change the minute we die, as the Lord makes clear in the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus.
And when the New Jerusalem arrives, once again the last will be first and the first last.
Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.
Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and every one who loves and practices falsehood.
Revelation 22
If you are a winner, you might consider becoming a “loser” for God’s kingdom.
If you are a loser, take heart! Your day of redemption is near!
Prayer: Lord, when we feel like losers, feel lost and alone bring us your comfort…that our reward will be in your priceless embrace. Yes, help to take heart in this, and to rejoice. And if in this world we are considered winners….keep us empathetic, humble, gracious, generous, kind and ever aware that we are no more loved, no more worthy than the poorest beggar. Help us to willingly make ourselves last for the sake of your mercy. Amen.
Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber November 2020 Printable/Shareable copy
Featured Artist: Permission and kindness of Darlene Slavujac Thau Website: facebook./darleneslavujac.thau
HOLY OBSCURITY
Facebook and You Tube offer the limelight to everybody.
Who can resist?
Here’s our chance to be seen and heard.
But once we choose to live our life before the eye of God…
….the limelight is a distraction.
The Spirit of the Lord moves in us with greatest freedom when we choose to walk in holy obscurity.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on things on the earth. For you have died, your life is hid with Christ in God so that when Christ who is our life appears, you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:1-4
Settle for holy obscurity in this age.
So that God’s glory may glow through you with redemptive power.
Glory belongs to God alone.
When that glory is revealed, you will be vindicated.
Prayer: Lord may we be more than satisfied with not seeking glory for ourselves but in choosing to draw close to you, knowing that you see us, you love us, you hold us … no matter our standing in the eyes of men. And help us to see our obscurity as a holy, precious life hidden in you, filled with wonder and gratefulness that we belong to you the King of Glory. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2019 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Permission and courtesy of Gary Bunt Website: garybuntart.com
GOD’S EYES
“I know your works”
….said the Lord to the seven churches of Revelation….
….because he sees.
Nor is it incidental that the Four Living Creatures surrounding the throne in Heaven are covered with eyes.
Eyes which see.
We are observed by the Eye of Holy Love.
Once we have abandoned ourselves to him, we are guided by the Eye of God.
….Provided we walk in the light.
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go.I will guide thee with mine eye.”
Psalm 32
Our job is to walk in the light as he is in the light, leaving the future to him.
We do not know what the future holds.
But he does.
His presence, His Word,
Will see us through.
Prayer: Lord help us to stop trying to see with our own eyes. May we deeply know that you see all things, that your eyes of holy love are on us and guiding us into your light, into the future that only you know, and that, yes, your eyes will see us through. Amen.
Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2015 Printable/Shareable copy
Featured Artist: Stephanie Yan Website: Stephanie Yan Art on Facebook
I’M SCARED
Don’t tell anybody, but deep down, I’m scared about the future.
So many uncertainties.
So many people who cannot be trusted.
Sleazy politicians who could take us all down the tube.
Even my fellow believers seem distant and aloof.
So where do I turn?
Where else, but to God?
Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.
Psalm 62:5-8
There is no other rock on which to stand.
There is no other rock on which to build my life.
Whoever hears these words of mine and keeps them, is like a wise man who built his house upon a rock. (Matthew 7:24)
Prayer: Dear Lord, we admit we are scared about so many things, our health, the future, the country, our churches, our families. So many uncertainties assault our hearts and minds. Oh Lord, you are the sweet refuge from our fears, from chaos and from our disappointments. Help us to still our hearts before you and pour out the uncertainties and the fears that overwhelm us. Because, Lord, you are our certainty, our hope, our rock, our refuge…. and we trust you with our future, our journey, our destiny. We know that in you, our rock, we will not be shaken and we will find victory. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2019 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Permission and courtesy of Jedida Sark Website: Jedida-theartofsark
IT’S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU
Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path. (Psalm 27:11a)
“Lord, show me the way!”
Who of us has not cried out to God with such a prayer!
We’re like Mary Magdalene at the tomb, looking for the corpse, when the living Lord is standing before her eyes.
He’s right there!
The path is right in front of us.
Just one step.
Some simple thing.
A phone call.
A helping hand.
A listening ear.
As we take that step, a path opens.
We can’t see the end.
We can barely see ten feet in front of us.
But this path is bathed in light from the world beyond.
Here is where we serve God.
And if we’re faithful with this little stuff, he’ll send us the big stuff, when we’re ready for it.
“You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit…”
Prayer: Yes Lord, show us the way that’s right in front of us. Help us to take the steps into the mercy you call us to. And as we go forward into your leading may we bear the fruit you promise us. Amen.
Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2019 Printable/Shareable copy
Featured Artist: Gertrud Deppe Website: gertrud-deppe-art.de
THOSE OF HIGH ESTATE ARE A DELUSION
Every day we put our faith in men and women of “high estate”.
Religious leaders, politicians, media talking heads.
“Big mistake!” says Psalm 62.
The greatest among us are flawed souls.
God alone is the one to trust.
Those of low estate are but a breath, those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.
So we trust God alone.
Sounds great, but who can do it?
Who actually trusts God alone?
Walks with God by faith?
Stays on that narrow road all the way to the end?
Only one person in all history has done this.
Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus trusted himself to no man, for he knew what was in man.
He trusted only his Father.
And where did he end up?
On a cross.
Three days later, he was alive, never to die again.
Now it’s our turn.
The risen Lord calls us to walk with him through the rest of our days, trusting God alone.
And where will we end up?
On a cross.
Yet all along the way we are alive with his resurrection life.
Crucified with Christ.
Alive with his risen life, never to die again!
Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them. Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord. For you repay to all according to their work.
Psalm 62:10-12
Prayer: Lord open our eyes to see that putting our faith in our money, in our position, in our skill, in our wit, in our opinions, or in any leader, celebrity, scholar, broadcaster, author, teacher or preacher is futile. Trusting anything or anyone besides you is like clinging to vapor. It’s a lie, a delusion. Keep us clinging to you, the rock, the only solid truth, precious Lord. And even as turning away from the power of this world and walking with you, working with you, places us on a cross again and again… may we find ourselves fully alive, filled with resurrection power… because instead of embracing vapor, we have embraced you, our refuge, our fortress, our loving, living eternal God. Amen Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber June 2021 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Permission, grace and kindness of Suzy Schultz Website: Suzyschultz.net
ABOVE THE STRIFE
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Psalm 46:1-3
Even though;
The nations are in turmoil….
The forces of nature are battering the cities of earth….
The atmosphere itself is charged with hatred….
Nevertheless,
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.
Psalm 46:4-5
In a mystery, the River of God’s Spirit….
will lift you above the strife.
will empower you to walk through the chaos and not lose your way.
Redemption begins when you lay your burden of “self” at the cross.
And step into the Light of the Risen Lord.
His name, “Jesus” (God is Salvation) Is above every name.
Call on that Name, and he will answer you.
He will lift you above the strife into something far better.
“Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12
Prayer: Yes Lord, lift us above this strife. Lift us from the darkness of this world; the turmoil, the chaos, the tragedies, the rage and hatred. We need hope, we need life, we need you. We need to know you are still in control. We need to see light in this darkness. Bring us to this river where you live, where we are lifted into your presence and find joy and can have the true light of life. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2013 Printable/Shareable copy
Featured Artist: Courtesy of Ramone Romero Website: Weeping Jeremiah blogspot
SHOW ME THE WAY!
God is the last thought in our minds as long as we bounce along, solving our problems as they arise.
But when we come to that dark valley,
where nothing makes sense,
where dangers lurk,
where death seems near.
That’s when we discover how frail we are.
We begin to pray….even if we never prayed before.
To whom are we praying?
We’re not sure.
The cry rises from our hearts:
“Show me the way!”
“Help me!”
Suddenly two things happen simultaneously:
—Our soul is flooded with peace.
—Our circumstances enter a sea change.
“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
Matthew 7
You meet the living God, not through the power of your reasoning….
….but at the point of your desperation.
In truth we are living on the edge of desperation all the time.
Once we make this discovery, we have arrived at our “burning bush.”
We begin to hear the voice of God.
Prayer: Lord, Lord when we find ourselves in the middle of troubles that overwhelm us, that we have no answers for, that we have no power to resolve… and that bring us despair because there seems to be no hope, no way out… We cry to you in desperation, “show us the way…..help us”. We admit our frailty. We admit our desperation. We admit our need for you. We admit there is no hope but in you. Bring us to our burning bush, to the place where your Living presence floods us with peace, joy, and hope, to the place where we find the way is you. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2009 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Permission of CMK Website: Art4prayer.co.uk
GET OUT OF THE WAY
Get out of the way….and let God work.
Wherever He walked, people were healed.
The life of the World-to-Come flowed into needy souls and bodies.
Because the Lord Jesus’ heart was perfectly yielded to His Father’s will.
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.
John 14:10
The scarcity of redemptive power in our service to God is easily explained:
—Our egos,
—Our divided hearts,
—Our thin skin….
….are getting in the way.
We don’t “make it happen.”
God makes it happen….
….when we get out of the way.
….when we “get over” ourselves, and become children before God’s glory.
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
John 14:12
But how can we truly “believe in Jesus” until we have learned to die with Jesus–
—- and die to ourselves?
Prayer: Yes Lord, help us to get out of the way, to get over ourselves, to look to you with joy and expectation as you do your work, as you and only you make things happen. Oh Lord, that we may truly yield to you, die with you, and die to ourselves to the point that we can watch your redemptive power truly flow from us…. bringing healing to the needy souls and bodies around us. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2013 Printable/Shareable copy
Featured Artist: Courtesy and permission of Neil Breebaart Website: Art Refined on Facebook
LISTEN TO YOUR BONES
It’s in your bones.
It’s in your DNA.
The awareness that you are known.
That you are seen by an unseen eye.
That your thoughts are not as secret as you think.
And before him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:13)
Is this All-Seeing One hostile?
No, but he is HOLY
HOLY LOVE that desires your good.
HOLY LOVE that redeems you from the evil within and around you.
Of course the knowledge of these things is written in your DNA.
This HOLY LOVE is not silent.
He speaks.
Once you hear his voice, his WORD,
You will begin to live, if you pay attention.
“The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear, shall live.” (John 5:25)
Prayer: Lord, help us to hear deep within our bones…to the depths of our beings, your call of love to us, to become aware of your holiness and the power of this holy love which draws us out of death and meaninglessness into life. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2015 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Permission, grace and kindness of Alice Arlene Briggs Website: alicearlene.com
FROM BENEATH THE RUBBLE
When the light begins to search our soul,
It’s not a pretty picture.
We see piles of rubble, from our failures and our sins.
But if we listen, we can hear a cry coming from beneath the rubble.
It’s called hope.
Hope is a gift.
Hope is a miracle.
Hope knows how to break through the rubble, clear it away, and guide us on a new path.
The root of Jesse shall come
He who rises to rule the Gentiles. In him shall the Gentiles hope.
Isaiah 11:10
As you read these words, my prayer is that the spark of hope beneath the rubble in your soul will burst into flame.
And become your guide.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that, by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13
Prayer: Oh Lord, how far hope seems from us as we look back upon the rubble of our lives. Help us to hear the call of hope from beneath our failures and sins and to grasp it and let it pull us out of the rubble. We thank you that you are the God of hope…may we know this and believe this so strongly that it fill us with peace and joy. And yes, as we reach to you in the midst of the rubble, may our souls burst into flame. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2012 Printable/Shareable copy
Featured Artist: Ross Boone Website: rawspoon.com
A SPIRITUAL TRANSACTION
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
“Truly I say to you, Today you will be with me in paradise.”
Luke 23
The man was dying with a load on his conscience.
His sad life left a trail of wreckage and pain behind.
And yet…..
Beside him, on a cross like his, was a Friend.
“Jesus, remember me….”
“Today you will be with me in Paradise.”
But what about this man’s guilt?
What about the misery he caused in countless lives?
The Friend on the other cross was taking it all upon himself.
Atoning, as only he can.
A spiritual transaction has taken place which renders the man clean and whole.
“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
Behold him.
The deed is done, but its power enters you only when you behold him.
Look to him.
Open your soul to him.
Look to him and be saved, all the ends of the earth!
But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.
Prayer: Jesus how wonderful is this transaction, this gift, you give us. Oh that we may continue to behold this gift….To behold you, to receive you, to believe in you, to open our very souls to you. May our hearts sing with awe and praise for atoning us of this sin that separates us from your perfect holiness and allows us to truly become your children. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2011 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Courtesy and kindness of Suzy Schultz at suzyschultz.net
TAKE ANOTHER LOOK
The power of God on this earth is centered in a single event which took place in a single moment in the history of this planet:
Jesus, dying on the cross….suffering the desolation, the darkness, the godforsaken emptiness that we couldn’t handle in a million years.
Look at him.
Keep looking, until you begin to recognize the suffering heart of God himself.
You’re looking at holy love.
You’re looking at your own healing.
You’re looking at the one who even now brings you from death to life.
The thing that happened when Jesus died on the cross so long ago… has such power even today that when you look at him,
….heaven opens upon you, resurrection life from God comes pouring in.
Do yourself a favor.
Lay aside your preconceived thoughts about Jesus on the cross, and just come and look.
“Look to me and be saved all the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 45:22)
“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth(on the cross) will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32)
Prayer: Yes, Lord, help us to keep looking until we see, really see your suffering heart…. Until we see your holy love, until we see our own healing, until we see and experience heaven opening up and your life pouring into us. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2019 Printable/Shareable copy
Featured Artist: Chris Powers at Full of Eyes
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