Tag: prayer

The phrase nothing lasts forever is one I remember hearing as a child when one of my toys broke. Sometimes it has been used in reference to a break up in a relationship. It might be spoken when a business closes. Or we may casually toss it around in conversation if the context is right. Growing up, I thought this phrase was true for everything. Here’s what I discovered this morning while reading in the Gospel of John: This phrase is not true about my relationship with the Holy Spirit.

In John, Jesus says, “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (John 14:15-17). When we believe in Jesus Christ and His work on the cross for our salvation, then the Spirit enters into a relationship with us. And our relationship with the Person of the Holy Spirit spans the years of our earthly life and our life in the eternal presence of God. The Spirit is with us now and with us when we enter the kingdom of God.

However, everything the Holy Spirit teaches us about God in Christ through the Scriptures does last forever. He gives us the truth about God and Jesus Christ while we are living in the world, and through Him we will keep all the truth He has taught us about Jesus when we join Christ in the everlasting realm of God.

Something does last forever: The believer’s relationship with God in Christ through the Spirit.
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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

Buying groceries is challenging. Some days I seem to buy too many groceries, and other days I buy too few. I can’t predict with much accuracy my family’s rate of food consumption.

I can’t get groceries right, but God can. After rescuing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, He provided manna, a type of bread, for more than a million people every day for forty years. God told the Israelites to gather as much bread as each family needed. Scripture says, “The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed” (Exodus 16:17-18).

Jesus also managed to feed five thousand people bread and fish so that each person “had enough to eat” (John 6:12).

As I looked at these two crowd stories, I thought about how unique each person would be. There would be large and small appetites. Rich people who could afford bread and poor people who could not afford bread. Regardless of each person’s circumstance, God in Christ provided enough bread for all.

We sometimes think God cannot provide us with enough of His grace, love and peace to handle our lives. Yet in these two stories, we see God providing exactly what each person needs. These stories show us that we can depend on God in Christ to provide exactly what each of us needs to grow stronger in faith.

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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB

Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

This weekend, a friend and I walked along the Sinnissippi Gardens path and through Anderson Japanese Gardens. Even though I was familiar with these gardens, they looked different from my last visit. Both gardens were full of mature plants and flowers covered with blooms and color. Each time I visit the gardens, I notice something I haven’t seen before.

These walks reminded me that Scripture is like these gardens. No matter how familiar we may think we are with a verse or passage, the Spirit can always show us something new. The Spirit will prod us to explore a word differently, point us to another definition or show us a new layer of meaning within the verse. Scripture is never static. When the Spirit teaches us through the Scriptures, He will give us a new understanding and fuller knowledge of God in Christ.

The teachings of the Holy Spirit keep God’s word alive and fresh and new in our lives. He illuminates our hearts and minds with His divine perspective on Scripture. He makes certain we see in God’s Word all that is necessary to grow us deeper and stronger in faith in Christ.

The Spirit is in the world to teach us the truths of Scripture: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26).

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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB

Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

This morning at 5:30 as I started my bike ride the heat and humidity were already making their presence known. The steamy, thick air stuck to my clothing and skin. And the heaviness of the air made breathing a bit difficult as I pedaled along my route. This drippy weather causes my body to move more slowly and unresponsively as it pushes through the wet air.

As I rode along I realized how much sin is like hot, humid air. Sin clings to the soul and makes the heart heavy. There are days when my sin weighs down my soul. On these days, my soul is unresponsive to Christ’s call on my life. I push through the day slowly, my soul bogged down by the reality of my transgressions.

But then the sweet refreshing wind of the Holy Spirit blows into my soul, and revealing my Savior. Suddenly, through the power of the Spirit, I am able by faith to take to the cross of Christ the sin that clings to my soul. At the cross, I repent of my iniquities, and Christ takes my sin to Himself and offers me redemption, forgiveness and new life. As I receive Christ’s gifts of salvation the burdens of my soul are lifted, and my heart rejoices in God my Savior.

Let the Spirit freshen your soul with the saving grace of Jesus Christ. “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).

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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

The crickets are in full voice tonight. The sky is clear and bright, and a slight breeze is stirring the air. The cooler temperatures carry with them a reminder that summer is passing and fall is coming.

Seasons come and go, but each season brings a unique kind of hope. In summer we look forward to long, lazy sunlit days filled with friends and family. The vivid, vibrant colors of fall give us a hope that there is always beauty in the world. Winter may be harsh, but it’s pure-white snow, which cause disruptions, reminds us that some of our most amazing moments in life come from an interruption to our schedule or plans. And spring gives us the hope of new birth.

Our lives also have seasons. Solomon wrote, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

The seasons of our lives remind us of God’s presence in our days. Our life from birth to death is filled with seasons. But these seasons carry hope from God. When we enter a season of mourning, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). When we weep, Jesus meets us in our sorrow. In a season of silence, God can be heard. During the season of love we learn, “God is love” (1 John 4:16).

When the time is right for searching, God can be found.

God in Christ is in all the seasons of our lives.

Photo By Isaac Wendland

A friend made a slight alteration to a typical chocolate-chip cookie recipe. She substituted coconut oil for ordinary butter. The oil infused the dough with a light flavor of coconut, which made the cookie special. The swap between butter and coconut oil did not change the appearance of the cookie; anyone looking at the cookie would think it was chocolate chip. Only a sampling of the cookie revealed the change in flavor.

When I became a Christian the Holy Spirit infused my sinful nature with the Holy nature of Christ. I was still a sinner, but I was a sinner saved by grace. My outward appearance did not change; friends were still able to recognize me. However, inwardly, my heart was changing. At first, I found it difficult to detect the changes the Holy Spirit was making to my life. Then, slowly, I began to realize my old behaviors were not acceptable to God. When I became angry, the Spirit awakened a remorse in me over my anger. I was still impatient with others, but the Spirit made me aware of the damaging affects impatience had on my relationships with people and God. And the Spirit was teaching me to use my tongue to encourage others and honor God.

I have a long way to go, but the Spirit will continue to change my heart, and one day I will “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).

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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB

Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

As a child I dealt with unpleasant happenings in my schedule, whether it was a big test at school or a dentist appointment, by looking forward to something enjoyable. I thought this was my own coping technique.

Then I read through the last conversation Jesus had with His disciples just a few hours before His arrest and crucifixion. His words were not only about His coming suffering and death but also about the resurrection life. Jesus is teaching His disciples about the eternal life that awaits Him after the unpleasantness of death has passed. He looks forward to His glorious resurrection.We all cope with death. Whether we are facing our own mortality or the loss of loved ones, death is agonizing.

But Christ helps us cope with death by offering us the same hope He offered His disciples when He said, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). When we focus on Christ’s risen life and His eternal life in the kingdom of God, we no longer need to dread the unpleasantness of death; instead, we can focus on the wondrous, glorious eternal kingdom of God offered to us through faith in Jesus Christ.

Christ came into the world so He could die on the cross to save us from sin and death. Then through the power of the Holy Spirit He was raised to life, so that in Him we might also have life. Death has been overcome by life. Now that is worth thinking about.

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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB

Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

There are days I get Chronic Ego Flare-up (CEF), a condition in which my ego starts screaming for attention. My whacked-out ego seizes my thoughts and badgers my mind with rantings, grumblings and complaining. Suddenly, I am debating myself about my pay scale at work and whether I am being paid what I am worth. Or I am eager for credit for my smallest accomplishment. During this time I even wonder if I was put on earth to do much greater things than coach. The issues that come to my mind are not usually things I think about except when I am having a CEF attack.

My inflated ego means I have decided to govern my own thoughts, words and deeds and to ignore the claim Christ has on my life. In other words, when my ego goes postal I am staging a coup against God for control of my life. I have yet to discover what triggers these flare-ups; I do know the remedy is Christ’s cross.

As my sinfulness escalates, God in Christ shows me His cross. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, I am made aware of Christ’s sacrifice on my behalf. The Spirit awakens me to Jesus’ absolute submission to God and the glory the Son brought to the Father through His death on the cross. After Judas left the Passover meal to betray Jesus, Jesus said to the disciples, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him” (John 13:31).

When the Spirit leads me to Christ’s cross, my ego is abased; then I submit to God’s authority over my life.
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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB

Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

In 1 Kings 19:1-9, the great prophet Elijah flees for his life from Queen Jezebel. He is tired, overwhelmed and afraid. He finally sits down under a broom tree and prays, “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life.” Then he falls asleep. An angel comes to him, not once, but twice, with bread and water. At the second visit, the angel says, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” Strengthened by the food he could travel for many days to safety.

Most of us have days when we have “had enough,” and we can’t seem to find the strength we need to overcome the fatigue of daily life. We might try remedies such as vacations, the snooze button, comfort foods and so on to no avail. Instead we must find our strength as Elijah did in bread and water.

Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35). Jesus Christ is the sustenance God provides for us each day so we can be strengthened to continue this journey of life. When we pray and praise Him He comes to us with the food of His Word and the water of life, His Holy Spirit. When we feed on His Word and drink from the well of the Spirit of life, we are empowered and strengthened by God in Christ to continue on our journey.
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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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This morning as I tied my shoes and prepared to walk, I let a bright, clear sky convince me to add two miles to my usual route.

Walking each day keeps my heart strong, builds my stamina and gives me endurance for my daily routine. Walking also gives me some time alone or allows me an opportunity to contact friends. Walking meets my needs physically as well as emotionally and even spiritually.

Scripture lays out the ways that we are supposed to walk with God. In 2 John 1:6, John encourages us to “walk in obedience to His [Christ’s] commands” and that we should “walk in love.”

Jesus told His listeners to “walk in the light” (John 12:35 NLT) of God’s revelation so they would not be overcome by the darkness of ignorance. God told the prophet Micah that the people of Israel must “walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever” (Micah 4:5). And God reminded Solomon, “If you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life” (1 Kings 3:14).

It is the Holy Spirit who teaches us to walk in love and obedience to God. Through His power our souls are filled with the good things of God, and we are energized to do the work of the kingdom God has called us to do in Christ.

Take a walk with the Spirit, and keep your heart strong for God in Christ.
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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

Since getting off work this afternoon, I have been sitting mindlessly in front of the television. I have watched three episodes of N.C.I.S and an episode of Parks and Recreation. I did manage to get my haircut and go to the grocery store. The work week has made my mind tired.

I loathe a weary mind because it diminishes my ability to focus. In spite of my inability to discipline my thoughts, God will bring discipline to my mind. Scripture says, “So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace” (Romans 8:6 NLT). On nights like this, when I struggle to form a coherent sentence, the Spirit of God will still keep my mind and thoughts attuned to Christ.

When I can’t trust my thoughts because my mind is weary, I will trust the Spirit to guide my thoughts. When my mind is fatigued it does not have the mental energy to fight off sinful thoughts. However, because I have faith in Jesus Christ, He sends His Spirit to guard my mind and thoughts against the guile of the sinful nature. When my sinful nature wants to fill my mind with hostile thoughts towards God, Christ sends His Spirit to subdue those thoughts and keep my mind centered on God.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” (Luke 10:27).
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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

Tonight I enjoyed myself at a party. What I enjoy most about a party is the stories people share. One friend told of the humorous pranks he played on co-workers. Another friend told of her frustration with technology and retail stores. There were stories about vacations, siblings and children. Each story gave me a deeper understanding and appreciation for my friends.

Stories remind me of how fortunate we are to have the Bible. The men and women of the Scriptures are our ancestors in the faith. In the pages of Scripture, we can read not only about the victories of King David on the battlefield but also about his infidelity with another man’s wife. We hear the story of Lot’s escape from Sodom and Gomorrah just before the cities were destroyed by God’s wrath. We meet Hosea, who was sure to have heard whispering behind his back, since he married a prostitute. There are the adventures of Paul and, of course, the accounts of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

When we gather for church on Sunday, we come to hear God teach us through the stories of our progenitors. Through the people of the Bible, God reveals Himself and His love for us in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit uses the stories in the Scripture to give us a deeper understanding and appreciation for God in Christ.

Get to know the relatives; through them, we learn about God, His work in Jesus Christ and His ongoing work in the world through the Holy Spirit.
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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

I am frustrated. I am frustrated at God. I have been banging on my computer keyboard for well over an hour, but I have no reflection to show for it. My day was fine until this point. I started with church, had a nice visit with my sister at my neighborhood pool, went for ice cream with my daughter and even talked with my mom. So I was certain in all this ease that the reflection would be easy to write.

I don’t know why I think God owes me a reflection. He owes me nothing. I owe Him. I owe Him more respect than throwing a hissy fit because the reflection isn’t finished when I want it to be. I owe Him my admiration for putting up with me when I am in this foul mood. I owe Him my gratitude for sending His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world. I owe Him my thanks for letting Christ bear on the cross my burden of sin and death. I owe Him my life, because His Son secured my salvation and redemption with His blood. I owe Him all that, but I can’t pay Him. Instead, He sent Jesus to pay my debt, so I could be reconciled to God through Christ.

Tonight, while I was being a jerk about this reflection, He was loving me, forgiving me and administering His grace to me through the power of the Holy Spirit.

“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

Today I am heading to a baseball game. I grew up playing baseball with my dad, who taught me everything I needed to know about the game. Eventually, I became a pretty good player.

When I became a Christian, God used a baseball analogy to give me my first understanding of the Trinity. I compared the Three Persons working together for the salvation of the world to a baseball organization. At that time, God the Father is the General Manager of the team and responsible for all aspects of the organization. Next, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, who lived among us, is the manager and involved in the daily decisions of the game and the welfare of the players. Finally, the Holy Spirit, who still resides in the world today, is the third-base coach. He receives directions from the manager and flashes them to the batters, so they know what to do. All three, the GM, the manager and the coach worked together to achieve team victories.

Sure, the analogy is simplistic and might not stand up to theological scrutiny. However, baseball was what God used to get me thinking about the mystery and work of God in Three Persons. All Three Persons worked together at the cross, brought Christ’s victory over sin and death, raised Jesus to life and secured salvation for mankind.

God uses the simple things in our lives to teach us His profound mysteries. Jesus said, “I have spoken to you of earthly things” (John 3:12).
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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

Tonight, we will experience a rare cosmic event: a blue moon. With the weather cooperating in northern Illinois, we will be able to see with little difficulty this second full moon of the month of July. Two full moons in one month will not happen again for three years.

Of course, a blue moon isn’t really blue: The lunar orb will maintain its usual characteristics. It will shine in the reflected light of the sun, still be its normal yellow and white and will trace a path from horizon to horizon across the night sky.

Christians should be like a full moon shining in the world through the reflected light of the Son. We should be filled with the Holy Spirit so that our actions and words reflect the integrity and characteristics of Christ.

Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds” (Matthew 5:16). When the Holy Spirit reflects Christ’s light through our lives, then we become His luminaries in this dark world. By the power of the Spirit, our light illuminates the darkness and shines on the cross so others will come to know the salvation of God.

When the light of the Lord is reflected in our lives, then the world will see the accomplishments of God in Christ bringing redemption and reconciliation to all mankind. Believers filled with the Holy Spirit light paths in this world so that others can see Christ and know the saving grace of God.
Photo by Cerqueira

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

My good friend became engaged today. Her happiness is evident in the words she writes and the pictures she posts on Facebook. My heart, and the hearts of all her friends and family, are overflowing with joy for her and her fiancé. We all want to dance, sing and celebrate the love these two have for each other.

When we find love in the world, we have found God in the world. Where love is, God is. Love is from God, and love is the nature of God. Scripture says, “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16). If we know love, then we know God. Love is God, and He cannot be separated from it.

When we choose to love one another, we are testifying to God’s love in the world. We can love one another only because God’s love comes to us through Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. And it is through Christ’s strength of love within us that we can love one another. Scripture also says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

God loved us through His Son Jesus Christ, and when we love one another we are revealing Christ’s love for us. “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us” (1 John 4:12).
Photo by Nathan Dumlao

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!
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Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

I met two cyclists riding in the park this morning who invited me to join them on their ride. They were going to take two laps around the park road before heading back to the bike trail and home. I have biked on the park road for years, but these two fellows took me down a path I had never noticed before. It was a beautiful stretch of trail through the heart of the park. After ten years of riding in the park, I thought I knew every trail. Obviously, I was wrong.

Sometimes I read Scripture without really paying attention to the text. That is true especially when I read familiar passages. I glide over them thinking God has already taught me what I need to know from those passages. I rush over the words, not even pausing, because I am certain I know the lesson God will teach me. However, I have come to realize that even in the familiar texts the Spirit will show me a new path to a deeper understanding of God.

Scripture says, “For the word of God is living and active” (Hebrews 4:12). The risen Christ remains the teacher of His Word, and the Holy Spirit applies His teaching to my heart and mind. Together the Son and Spirit expose my sin, give me new insights into the cross and draw me more deeply into the knowledge and presence of God. These Divine Persons show me God’s beautiful heart and everything He has done for me and the world through Christ.
Photo by Lili Popper

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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For the first time in its thirty-eight-year history our gymnastic club had an athlete compete in an elite-level championship meet. This milestone was accomplished through years of dedication not only by this gymnast and coaching staff but also by other coaches and athletes who shared their knowledge and experience with us over the years. In other words, we didn’t do this alone.

As Christians, we are also surrounded by other believers who help us on the journey of faith. Some of our fellow believers are still in our lives; others have gone on to the kingdom, but their work and writings still influence us. Hebrews 12:1 refers to those who have inspired us by their faith as “a great cloud of witnesses.”

The Christian faith is difficult to live in the world. We cannot do it alone. The Father, Son and Spirit are always working in our lives, and God uses believers from the past and the present to enlighten us as we travel on this journey. The Bible is full of people like us, who struggled to live a life of faith in this fallen world. Through Scripture, the Spirit uses their experiences to teach us the deeper things of God. Martyrs, pastors and theologians have also shared their wisdom of and insight into God. Through their stories, we are encouraged and strengthened to “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Right now my faith seems a bit thin. What I mean is distractions rule my prayer time; Scripture study yields few insights into God; and my ears seem deaf to the Spirit’s voice. I consider my faith life bland.

Not long ago, the opposite was true. Scripture study was productive; my prayer time was alive; and I could readily tune my ears to God’s voice.

I have experienced living in plenty with the Spirit. However, staying encouraged when faith appears to fall on lean times with the Spirit is difficult.

As I wrestled with this issue of want of Spirit, Paul’s verse in Philippians 4:12 came to mind, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

Usually this verse is viewed according to physical needs; but it applies to spiritual needs as well. Right now I am living in want of the Holy Spirit. God put this want in my life so I will hunger for Him and desire the abundance of Christ.

Still, I fight God when my faith seems to lack the bounty of the Spirit. Instead I must learn to be content, accepting all things as a gift from God. The Spirit’s work in my life is up to God. Faith means willingly accepting whatever comes to me from the hand of God.
Photo by Steve Halama

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Tonight is a night for quiet. Politicians have been speaking incessantly since the Orlando tragedy. Reporters have editorialized every aspect of the investigation. Talk show hosts and radio hosts have asked experts an untold number of questions. Neighbors asked neighbors about the shooter’s motives. Questions are flying everywhere. We talk and talk and talk, trying to find answers, but the answers won’t come to us through human agencies.

So tonight I urge you to sit in quiet and listen to what really matters. Hear the cries of those mourning. Tune your hearts to the sounds of those weeping for their loved ones. Be attentive to the sounds of suffering around you. Listen to the world groan.

And, then, hear God say, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Know that God’s Son, Jesus Christ, was One who suffered. Know that the Only Begotten of God agonized on the cross to take away our sin. Know that His mother, Mary, stayed at the foot of that gruesome cross weeping for her son. Listen to God groan for the world.

The Orlando tragedy, like all tragedy, will leave us with more questions than answers. Why does man do what man does? Why did this man do what he did?

And then ask God to answer this question for you: Why did One Man, Jesus Christ, die on a cross? God desires to answer this question for you through the Scriptures and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Listen to God through His word, and you will find the answers to all your questions.
Photo by Mike Labrum

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Facebook had a story about the rescue of a trapped golden retriever. The scared animal fought being rescued. At one point the rescuer said to the dog, “I’ll come to you.” He came close, scratched her nose and then could free her.

Like the golden retriever, we get scared, especially with all the violence we have heard about lately. This world has us run- ning and hiding. We want a safe place, but we fight being rescued too.

God has come to us in the person of Jesus Christ to deliver us from the fears of this world. Jesus said, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me” (John 6:38). Jesus is familiar with the violence of this world. His own disciple, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Him to the Pharisees, who used false testimony to accuse Him of re- bellion against Rome and blasphemy against God. They took Him to Governor Pontius Pilate who turned Him over to be cru- cified on a cross. The violence of this world tried to stop Him from rescuing us, but God conquered sin and death by raising Christ to life.

Still we fight God and want to reject Christ’s cross. But for those who believe, Jesus is our Deliverer and our shelter from this world.

Christ empowers all believers with the Holy Spirit, so they can live in the world without fearing it.
Photo by Sammie Vasquez

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Folding bath towels is one of my least favorite household chores. But today the monotony of the task was interrupted by thoughts of Christ’s wrapping a towel around His waist and washing the feet of His disciples. What struck me about this scene from John chapter 13 was that the author had just commented, “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power” (3). Jesus knew He had power, and He exercised that power by washing the disciples’ feet and drying them with a towel.

Let’s look for a minute at what He didn’t do with His power. He didn’t strike down Judas Iscariot, who was about to betray Him. He didn’t exercise His power to reroute His course to the cross. He didn’t use His power to wipe out the Roman soldiers who would arrest Him. He didn’t throw lightning bolts or whip up a huge storm to send Jerusalem into chaos.

He used His power in the most dramatic and compelling way; He used it to show His disciples the “full extent of his love” (John 13:1).

On the cross, Christ used His power from God to love His disciples. He used His power of love to destroy sin and death. He used His love to bring His disciples forgiveness and unite them to God. He used His power to open the eternal kingdom of God to all who believe in His name.

Christ’s disciples in every age are shown the power of His love.
Photo by Edward Cisneros

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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There are many times I say things I wish I hadn’t. But words trip off my tongue and out of my mouth before I have a chance to stop them. Lately, I have tried to be deliberate about my word choices, speak carefully and think first. I have had minimal success.

Today I came across this verse in John 12:49: Jesus said, “For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.” Jesus wasn’t just talking about speaking the words the Spirit had given Him; He was talking about the attitude with which He was to deliver His words. Jesus relied on the Spirit for the content of His words and the attitude of delivery.

There were times in His ministry that He delivered His message in a “loud voice” (John 7:37). I would guess that on the day He cleared the temple, His words were shouted over the noise of the chaos. When He spoke with the disciples at the Last Supper, His words were filled with sadness. On the cross, though at times barely audible as He gasped for air, His words were delivered with mercy. And when He was raised to life and stood before the disciples in His risen glory, His voice was full of joy.

As disciples of Christ what we say and how we say it must be given to us through the Spirit.
Photo by Ilyass SEDDOUG

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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I had planned to memorize Scripture on my walk this morning. However, I talked with two friends instead. After church I had planned to write, but had a nice visit with my niece and mom. After that visit, my mom and I ran errands and took an unexpected trip to Bed, Bath and Beyond to pick up a clock radio for my aunt. When we finished the errands, I had some time for lunch and then went to feed my sister’s dogs because she is out of town. After keeping the dogs company, I had two nice phone conversations with friends.

Jesus Christ put people first during His ministry on earth. “A large crowd came to [Jesus], and He began to teach them” (Mark 2:13, see also 1:45, 10:1). As His follower, I am called to put people first in my life.

Everyone I spent time with today taught me something. I was blessed to see the world through the eyes of my 10-year-old niece. My aunt showed me how to struggle with physical afflictions with grace and dignity and humor. And my friends open my eyes to new ideas. And all of them showed me how God was supporting and sustaining them in their day.

We learn about God when we share our days with people, and we learn about people when we share our days with God.
Photo by Rémi Walle

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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I have had such fun today. Before the rains arrived, I walked for two hours, biked for an hour with my sister and then sneaked in another walk with my neighbor. I talked to some friends who were having a garage sale and spoke with a neighbor I hadn’t talked with for several months. I am going to the Starlight Theater with my family to watch my niece in a performance of Mary Poppins. Everything today revolved around relationships, and it was fun.

I thought about the joy and celebration that awaits us in heaven. There will be no hindrances to relationships. We will be free to see Christ in all His glory and the Father in all His fullness. Paul says, “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4). The Spirit will wrap us in the eternal essence of love. That calls for dancing and singing and rejoicing.

When we are reunited with God in His eternal kingdom, we will know this unbridled joy. I am looking forward to that glorious day.

“They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away” (Isaiah 35:10). What a glorious day awaits us!
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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A few months ago my husband bought new tires for our car. Things were good until recently when the car started to shake and shimmy on the highway. So he returned to the garage where he had purchased the tires. The mechanic did several hundred dollars’ worth of work to the car. It did not fix the problem. My husband has been back three times trying to get the job done right. Instead of fixing the problem, the mechanic has now made the fault ours. Now it seems to me the garage is trying to take advantage of us. I am done with this garage.

I get tired of jobs not getting done right the first time.

I find solace in knowing God did the job of dealing with my sin right the first time. He does not have to go back to redesign His plan for salvation. The work is finished and completed in Jesus’ death on the cross. When Christ died for our sin, He died for the sin of the entire world: all the generations of history have been saved through Jesus.

Paul wrote, “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives He lives to God” (Romans 6:9-10).

God’s work of salvation, redemption and reconciliation was done right the first time in Jesus Christ.
Photo by Aarron Norcott

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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The smoke detector for the upstairs hallway of my house is sitting on my printer. I need to replace the battery. So, currently, it cannot detect smoke. If a fire breaks out in my house, the detector would not give its shrill cry and alert my family to potential danger.

I am reminded that God has given us a sin detector in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, there are days when I disengage from the Spirit, behaving in ways unacceptable to God and rush into potentially dangerous spiritual situations.

However, the Spirit convicts me of my sin and then brings me to Christ in whom my “transgressions are forgiven” (Psalm 32:1). He fills me with remorse for my sin against God and then brings me to Christ, who “create[s] in me a pure heart” (Psalm 51:10). He shows me how sin separates me from God and then opens my eyes to God’s reconciling work in Christ.

I am powerless to detect sin in my life unless I stay connected to the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit leads me to the Scriptures and shows me in the word my areas of weakness. He calls me to pray and sit with Him so He can warn me about places in my life where I am vulnerable to sin. He fills my heart with gratitude for Christ’s saving work on the cross and leads me to repent before God.

Listen for the Spirit’s warnings.
Photo by Federico Beccari

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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At this time, the shooting of Kate Steinle, allegedly by illegal immigrant Jose Ines Garcia Zarate in San Francisco, California, has put the city’s sanctuary policy under attack. We can argue over this policy; we can debate illegal immigration and we can accuse politicians, including the president, for do- ing nothing to secure our borders, but none of this rancor will ease the pain of the Steinle family.

Policy will not change the reality of Kate’s death for her friends and family. They are suffering. In fact, the world is suffering. We need only to look at the news in the past few weeks to see how deeply we are suffering as a nation. But our politicians can do nothing to ease our suffering and pain.

However, someone has the power and has done something about our pain. God sent His Son into the world so He could come together with us in our suffering. Jesus Christ came to suffer with us and then to suffer for us on the cross. In Jesus Christ, God came to earth to join us in our suffering and to overcome our suffering at the cross. By faith we triumph with Christ over suffering. Just as the Holy Spirit lifted Jesus’ burden of suffering by raising Him to life, so the Spirit will also lift our burden of suffering and raise us to life in Christ.

If we have received comfort from our suffering through Christ, let us comfort others through the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds us that God “comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:4) others.
Photo by Tom Pumford

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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The world tries to convince us we are not sinners. Many people today are believing this lie. Scripture, however, is very clear, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Unless we recognize our sin we will not recognize our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit dwells in the world to expose our sin, which is not the terrible thing we think it is. God exposes our sin so He can reveal our Savior. Each time God shows us our sin, He presents His Savior. There is no time lapse or lag between the time the Spirit exposes our sin and the time the Spirit reveals our Savior. Sin exposed; Savior revealed. Sin exposed; salvation offered through Christ. Sin exposed; Christ carries sin to the cross. Sin exposed; sinner set free from sin and death through the sacrifice and blood of Jesus Christ.

God does not expose our sin and leave us dangling in guilt and remorse. He immediately responds with the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. He shows us our sin so He can show us Christ’s dying on the cross to set us free from our sin. He shows us Christ so we can be saved.

All sinners “are justified freely by [God’s] grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).
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Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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As we celebrate America’s freedom, most of us have traditions that more than likely include family, friends and fireworks. Picnics and parades are organized. People gather together in public areas eagerly waiting for the sun to set and the night sky to fill with dazzling firework displays. We don’t mind that each July Fourth is similar to that of the preceding year, because we think it is important to celebrate freedom.

Each week on Sunday we have an opportunity to celebrate one of those freedoms. We are free to worship without fear of persecution. Soldiers have died to secure that right for us. Mothers have buried their sons and daughters who sacrificed their lives on the battlefield so we could attend worship. Fathers have carried home the folded flag that draped across the coffin of their fallen children. We say we remember those who have shed blood for our freedom to worship, but we don’t really re- member unless we are living with the empty rooms.

How many Christians will honor the dead by exercising their right to worship this coming weekend? Who will attend church and honor the fallen Son of God who died to set us free from sin and death? Jesus died to save us, and others died to give us the right to worship Him freely. Exercise your freedom to worship. Go to church. Thank God for His Son, and pray for those families who have lost their loved ones so we could gather to worship.

“If the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).
Photo by Samuel Branch

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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The news never stops was part of an advertisement for a local talk-radio station I heard this afternoon. This station was assuring its listeners that even when they are asleep the reporters are awake covering everything that has happened during the night. Personally, I liked the old days when radio and television stations signed off the air from midnight to six the next morn- ing. Those silent six hours gave us a break from the world. I am speculating, but I think we slept better.

Around-the-clock-news coverage oppresses our psyches. The spirit of the world uses the news media to burden our lives with fear, conflict, struggle and turmoil. We are weighed down by the ongoing stories of violence, greed, and disorder. As we listen to the media drone on about the world’s problems, we become acutely aware of our weakness and inability to provide solutions for the issues.

However, God has equipped Christians to deal with the world: He has placed the life of His conquering Son into our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus overcame the world in the resurrection. His triumph over the grave proves His power to save the world. When Christ lives within us He silences the world and teaches us to live above its fear and despair. Then He ministers to the world through us.

1 John 4:4 encourages us: “The One Who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
Photo by Daria Nepriakhina

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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My daughter wears many different fragrances, but her favorite is Adam Levine for Women Eau De Parfum. When she sprays it on, a sweet, light scent fills her room and wafts gently down the upstairs hallway in the house. When I smell that clean, delicate scent, I know she is going out for a special occasion.

In John 12:3, Mary washes Jesus’ feet with a very expensive perfume. As she pours the fragrance on her Lord, the aroma fills the house. I would imagine it was an intoxicating and wonderful smell to those in the house. This perfume was also used to mark a very special and somber occasion. According to Je- sus, “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial” (John 12:7).

Spices and perfumes were used to cover up the odor of decay in dead bodies, but in the case of Jesus Christ His body would never “see decay” (Psalm 16:10). So the perfume Mary poured on Jesus was symbolic of the “pleasing aroma” (Leviticus 3:16) His sacrifice for our sin was before God; and it was the fragrance of the resurrection life, which the Holy Spirit would bring into the world after God raised Jesus to life.

When by faith we accept Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our sin and receive eternal life through the Spirit, our life becomes a pleasing aroma to God. When we follow Christ, we receive His fragrance of life through the Spirit.

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD
Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB
Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2