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
THE BIG PICTURE
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4
Many of us are so busy trying to persuade God to give us “the desires of our hearts,” that we’ve lost our ability to “delight in him.”
Get hold of the big picture (delight yourself in the Lord), and the little picture (and he shall give you the desires of your heart) will take care of itself.
The Big Picture:
Our Father who art in heaven.
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
The Little Picture:
Give us this day our daily bread.
The Little Picture:
What shall we eat?
What shall we drink?
What shall we wear?
How will I pay the bills?
How am I doing?
The Big Picture:
Seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness.
Stop taking your spiritual pulse.
Lift your eyes beyond your own spiritual victories and defeats.
Look to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world…
…. and he will bring you into the Big Picture.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore.”
Revelation 1:17-18
Prayer: Oh Lord, help us turn our hearts away from the little picture, our focus on our needs, our desires and things we need and want. . Oh Lord, bring us to see the big picture. Help us to get to the point that the greatest desire in our lives is to delight in you. That beholding your glory, your goodness, your mercy, your beauty, your creation is our desire, our thirst, our delight. That standing in awe of you, hallowing you, honoring you, revering you is the breath we breathe. That choosing righteousness, following your way, listening to your direction, seeking you in every aspect of our lives is our act of worship for all you are. Thank you, thank you for being so worthy. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber September 2019 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Kind permission of Melani Pyke Website: melpyke.com
THE FIRST STEP TOWARD PEACE OF SOUL….
God has already done the heavy work.
He has taken your guilt upon himself and drained it
But you won’t know peace until you draw near.
And to draw near to God, you have to forsake your present location:
The Judgment Seat.
The Judgment Seat belongs to God.
He alone is the Lord of Justice and Mercy.
Trust him to deal perfectly with all wrong, all evil, including your own.
Forsake the Judgment Seat and draw near to the Mercy Seat.
Cast down your life at the feet of Holy Love.
To walk through this world ruled by the Peace of God, here are three words of counsel from heaven itself:
Judge not, that you be not judged.
Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.
Come to me all you who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
Why should we waste our years playing the role of Judge, when the true Judge is able to deal with all wrongs without our help?
Why should we carry the burden of other people’s wrongs, when we haven’t taken our own guilt to the healing cross?
Thou dost keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee,
Isaiah 26:3
Prayer: Lord, Lord…oh how we forsake the peace you have for us by choosing to fill our hearts with judging those around us. Forgive us Lord. Help us to forsake the judgment seat, release us from the burden of our judgments. We cast the sin of our hardened- judgmental hearts before you. Take this burden from us, so we can truly draw near and find rest in your merciful hands. Keep our hearts so focused on you that all we have room for is to be saturated with your holy love and the perfect peace you have for our souls. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2009 Printable/Shareable copy
Featured Artist: Kindness and courtesy of Ramone Romero Website: ramone-romero.blogspot
CHANCE
Chance?
It happened by chance?
Or was there an Unseen Hand behind this event?
Was that Hand vindictive?
Or was it redemptive?
Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. (Psalm 90)
How long will it take us to learn that there is no such thing as chance?
For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted…. (Ecclesiastes 3)
God intends for us nothing but good.
His heart is unspeakable love.
Holy love.
If you want to look into his face and hear his voice….
….Seek to know Jesus….
First-hand, Directly, Alive from the dead.
He is closer to you than your breath….
….waiting for you to call on his name.
Prayer: Lord, when you move in our lives, when you intervene, when you speak to us…may we not see it as chance but see it as divine mercy and compassion. May we look up from these “chance” encounters and see your face, hear your tender voice in them. May all the chance encounters in our lives open our hearts to your loving presence and your personal concern so we can call on your name and fall on our knees in awe. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber September 2011 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Kindness and courtesy of Ramone Romero Website: ramone-romero.blogspot
WHY SHOULD I CHANGE?
Why should I change?
I Like myself the way I am.
Well of course, if you’re content, stay as you are, and make the best of it.
But those of us who are dissatisfied with “the way we are” keep looking for the missing link, the “thing” to fill a vacuum within.
We’re spiritual discontents, on a search for Reality.
We’re willing to pay any price to get closer to God.
To hear his voice.
To live in his presence.
To know his peace.
Jesus claims to be the way to all this.
“Follow me, and you won’t be walking in darkness any more. You will have the light of life.”
“But Master, how can I be sure that this is true?”
“You will never know until you follow.”
Prayer: Lord, may we be dissatisfied with living without You. Give us the hearts to want to change, to reject darkness, to want to walk in Your light, to follow You….dear, Lord. Help us to see change as part of drawing close to you, knowing you, living in the presence of your eternal goodness and mercy, and finding life like we’ve never had before. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2005 Printable/Shareable copy
Featured Artist: Kindness and courtesy of Ramone Romero Website: ramone-romero.blogspot
SPIRIT LED…..OR MARKET DRIVEN?
When our Lord Jesus warned us to beware of false prophets, he put the responsibility on us to discern the difference between a false prophet and a true one.
We will not be able to excuse ourselves by bleating, “But I didn’t realize!”
False prophets are clever.
They are inspired by the Prince of this World, who knows how to “get results.”
They take the truth of God and, with an imperceptible twist, exploit it for their own ends.
They harness the Kingdom of God for the creation of a personal kingdom, always designated as “The Lord’s Work.”
The test: Is this “Ministry” Spirit led or Market Driven?
Does it revolve around Jesus Christ and him crucified?
Are its leaders nailed to the cross?
Does it inspire you to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus all the way?
Are the misfits of the world found at its banquet table?
Or are we looking at another “Christian Enterprise?”
—driven by the market.
—utilizing the latest marketing techniques.
—with plenty of money changing hands.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.”
Matthew 7:15-16
For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word; but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
II Corinthians 2:17
Prayer: Dear Lord, give us the discernment to know when a ministry is being led by greed and a drive for fame and growth. Make us wary of such enterprises. Keep us from becoming captured into their snares and free those you love who are tangled in their traps and being manipulated by these ravenous wolves. Nurture ministries and leaders that are truly doing your work, carrying your cross, rescuing the lost, and bringing your living water to the world. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber September 2005 Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Kindness and courtesy of O Yemi Tubi Website: o-yemi-tubi.pixels.com
LIKE THE DAYS OF NOAH
One thing’s for sure: It won’t be the talk of the town.
In Noah’s day they thought he was mad and went on with their lives.
In our day those ominous predictions are simply boring.
We’re bored when the children keep shouting,
“The planet is starting to fry!” “Things are out of control!”
Who cares?
We’re bored by the doomsday prophets who see nuclear disaster up ahead.
“Madmen control nuclear stockpiles!” “It’s only a matter of time before some fool presses the red button!”
Who cares?
Crackpots keep shouting, “The End is near!” And we roll our eyes.
“For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man.” (Matthew 24)
Jesus keeps it simple.
He just says, “Pay attention”.
“See that no one leads you astray.”
He gives no time frame. Jesus simply stands at the door of the Kingdom and keeps saying, “Come on in!”
Once we enter the Kingdom, we’re ready for the final hour, no matter when it comes.
Meanwhile
We keep our eyes on the kingdom and our hearts on the King.
We walk in his light.
We practice his mercy.
We speak the truth.
We love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves.
And let the fire fall when it will!
Prayer: Lord, may we not be like those in the days of Noah…having a “who cares” attitude or blinded to the troubles in around us and ahead of us, blinded to the sin and the raging of the world. May we heed your call and pay attention and not be led astray by anyone. May we be ready for this time by continually residing in your presence. And yes, keep our eyes and hearts on you, loving you and others with all that we have, constantly ready to pour your mercy into those around us….knowing that when and as the fire comes we are under your loving care. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2021 Printable/Shareable copy
Featured Artist: Courtesy and kindness of Ain Vares Website: ainvaresart.com
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A DEAD END?
It seemed like the chance of a lifetime.
I went for it.
Then suddenly, a brick wall.
I waited and waited for a door to open.
Surely God wouldn’t have allowed me to go down this path if it led nowhere!
But how long am I supposed to wait for a door to open?
When we come to a dead end….
It’s usually a sign that we have taken things into our own hands.
There is only one way to go….
Back.
When the Prodigal Son came to his senses he said:
“How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.’”
The man swallowed his pride, retraced his steps, returned to his father, and to his amazement, received a royal welcome.
When we reach a dead end there’s no point in wasting time.
The Father waits.
He will give us a new start
…. if we’ll only come home.
Prayer: Lord help us to recognize when we come to dead ends. May we recognize the futility of fighting our way around them. Help us to turn back as quickly as possible and return to you, to find our way home to you our loving Father, where we find peace, love, and a new start. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber September 2004
Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Kindness and courtesy of Debbie Turner Chavers Website: debbiechavers.blogspot.com
OUR GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE
We cannot see it. Its ways are shrouded in mystery.
But when this fire falls on a person, on a nation, or on the earth itself….
….it consumes evil with a vengeance.
When its work is done, this fire leaves behind a chastened life, a cleansed heart, sometimes only a pile of ashes.
Sooner or later every human heart will feel the fire….
…either at the cross, where it is cleansed,
…or at the final Judgment, where it will be consumed.
The Cross
“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how I am constrained until it is accomplished!” (Luke 12)
Jesus of Nazareth bore the evil of the whole human race as he offered himself up at the cross. When the fire fell on him, the evil was consumed.
“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
“Wait a minute!” you say, “If the fire of God consumed our sin at the Cross, how come we’re still stumbling?” The fire of the Cross begins to refine us only when we open our hearts to its heat. Sooner or later God draws us each to the Cross and offers us the fire of divine cleansing.
“And I when I am lifted up from the earth (on the cross) will draw all people to myself.” (John 12)
Will I open my heart and allow the fire of God to start burning up the evil in me? …to the point where I consistently practice God’s forgiveness in my dealings with others?
Or will I turn away from the fire of Calvary, and wait for the Day when it will fall on the earth as Final Judgment?
His voice then shook the earth; but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what is shaken, as of what has been made, in order that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe; …. for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12)
Prayer: Lord, Lord… Oh how the evil that shadows this earth and our own hearts needs to be burnt up. We open our hearts…burn up this cursed evil within us. Keep us from turning away from its heat, draw us to you, do your work so we may be cleansed and walk in your ways. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2019 Printable/Shareable copy Featured Artist: Permission and courtesy of Codye Reystead Website: codyereystead.com
BE STILL……BUT DON’T FALL ASLEEP!
“Be still, and know that I am God,”
….is the Lord’s word to us when we’re inclined to panic over the disintegration around us.
“I will be exalted among the heathen,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
God doesn’t need our help, or our worry.
He knows why he allows what he allows and does what he does.
So be still, and refresh your mind as to who’s in charge.
“Know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the heathen
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:10
But don’t err at the other extreme and fall asleep.
Knowing that God is God (and not you) means that your job is to fit into his program.
And you can’t do that in a trance of stagnation.
“What must we do to be doing the work of God?” they asked.
“This is the work of God,” said Jesus, “that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
And you only “believe in him whom he has sent”….
…..when you start walking with him, and doing the things he tells you to do.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you”.
John 14:15-17
Prayer: Yes, Lord…help us to be still…to wait for you…to look for you…. but not fall asleep. Our temptation is to see the disorder and chaos around us and to give up, to fall into a helpless, sleeping stagnation. Forgive us Lord. Father, we know that in it all you are still in control, and you will be exalted through it all. Pull us from any stagnation we find ourselves in, help us to keep believing, to keep following your commandments, and to ask for and receive the Holy Spirit…who will continue to dwell with us, to help us and to keep us awake, aware, and willing to the end of our days. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber September 2019
Printable/Shareable Copy
Featured Artist: Courtesy of Signe Flink Website: deviantart.com/signeflinkart
OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH
Uncertain times.
Hatred and suspicion dividing the nations.
Spreading fear.
Violence.
There is an island of sanity in the midst of this turbulence.
It can be reached in an instant by opening the heart to a simple word:
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Serene circumstances are rare.
Peaceful days are fragile and few.
But the peace of knowing God is strong enough to weather any storm
“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
John 14:27
God is our refuge and strength A very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, Though the earth be removed And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.
Psalm 46
His peace comes from the World Beyond.
When it enters you, you know it.
It’s yours for the asking.
Prayer: Yes Lord, help us to find this island of sanity in the midst of upheavals and uncertainty. In the middle of it all, we still our hearts to acknowledge you, to worship you, to let go of our troubles and our fears, and to grasp your precious peace, to choose to dwell in you….our refuge and our strength. Amen. Maranatha Mirror
Message: Richard E. Bieber 2010 Printable/Shareable copy
Featured Artist: Kindness and courtesy of Susan Minteer Website: susanminteer.com
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
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