Author: Prayers Admin

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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Tonight’s Bible study centered on this passage, “Blessed are those who are humble, because it is they who will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5 ISV).

We often think of a humble person as one who doesn’t seek attention. He or she possesses talents and gifts but are modest about them. A humble person does not lack pride; instead, he or she recognizes the greatness in others.

The book of James says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). He opposes the proud because pride acknowledges the self as sovereign. Pride is the belief in one’s own worth, merit, and superiority. Pride looks at Christ’s cross, sneers at Jesus’ sacrifice and resists the work of the Holy Spirit. Pride tells a person that his own worth and dignity make him fit for the kingdom of God. God opposes the proud, because the proud are opposed to everything that is God.

A humble person, however, acknowledges the sovereignty of God. To be humble is to believe in Christ’s worth, merit and superiority as God’s Son and Savior. People who are humble recognize God’s greatness and through the work of the Holy Spirit learn to live under Christ’s authority. They live in sub- mission to God and allow the Spirit to work freely in their lives. The humble receive God’s grace through Jesus Christ.

Jesus showed us how to live a humble life under God’s authority through the Spirit; let the Spirit dwell in you so you can live a humble life before God.
Photo by Ben White

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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Because of recent heavy rains the neighborhood swimming pool has risen even with the concrete pool deck. It looks like an infinity pool. It is difficult to know where the deck stops and the water begins.

Fullness gives us a different outlook. When a meal fills us up, we appreciate the way food satisfies our hunger. When our homes are full of family and friends, we are content. Meaning- ful work fills our days with productivity.

When we think of ways to fill our lives, we should also be thinking about filling our lives with God. Paul prayed for the Ephesian church that the members would know the depth of Christ’s love, and he said, “to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19).

Our frame of mind and our vision of life are transformed when God in Christ fills our hearts. When God fills us He gives us His Spirit “without limit” (John 3:34). As God saturates our hearts with His Holy Spirit, we have immeasurable love for God and one another. We have an ample supply of Christ’s peace, His peace, “which transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). When the fullness of Christ dwells within us, we are forgiving, gracious, and truthful. Our minds think of ways to praise Him, worship Him and enjoy Him.

Being full of God is being full of Christ and His love.
Photo by Etienne Girardet

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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When the shooting in the Charleston, South Carolina, church was first reported, Americans expressed outrage and remorse for such a senseless act. Today reporters gave us glimpses into the lives of those mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, sisters and brothers who were killed. And a drape of sorrow covers the land.

However, grieving family members have risen above Dylann Roof’s hatred by offering him forgiveness. The love of Christ that had drawn the victims to church has now been manifested in the world through their families. Their words are those of the Savior who said, “Father forgive them” (Luke 23:34), as He hung on a cross dying for all sinners.

By living out their faith in God and by extending the forgiveness of Christ to Roof these families have overcome hate. They are people of great sorrow, pain, and anguish through which the light of God’s love now shines in the world. They have shown the depth of their commitment to the Lord by living according to His Word. Their message is full of the power of the Holy Spirit, “But I tell you: Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44).

Have you been wondering where God is during this time? He is abiding with the grief-stricken families and revealing Christ’s loving presence to the world through them. Through their suffering, Christ is made visible in the lives of these families who have chosen to “do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27).

“Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8).
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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My house was very noisy this morning. My husband and daughters were hurrying to get ready for work. Music played in one room, and the television was on in another. A hairdryer whirred in one bedroom, while in the kitchen a blender whipped a smoothie. One daughter left only to return a few minutes later to print a shipping label she needed before heading out the door again. The house was at noise capacity when the phone started to ring. This was ‘way too much activity so early in the day.

Finally, my daughter and husband left for work, and all phone calls stopped. I inhaled and started to write and study Scripture. As I focused on Jesus Christ in the Scriptures the stress of the morning was washed away by His words, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29).

My soul did rest. It settled into the Word the way tired feet snuggle into comfy slippers. The angst and weariness in my soul was washed away by Christ’s encouraging words.

So many times during the day our souls are overwhelmed by the noise, stress and demands of our day. We will go to the snack machine, Starbucks or even the gym to alleviate the tension. Yet, only the Scripture will sooth the weary soul. Jesus invites His followers to step out of the world and go to the Scriptures, where He is waiting to bathe our souls in His rest.
Photo by Jason Rosewell

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 the gym we tell our athletes that they must be comfortable being uncomfortable. In other words, we ask them to get out of their comfort zone. This phrase is cliché, but, simply put, if a gymnast is not willing to push herself beyond what she feels safe doing she will not be able to progress in this sport. I am not suggesting that a gymnast take undo risks to succeed. But what I have noticed is that a comfort zone is a zone of complacency. Gymnasts who are content with their gymnastics will not achieve new skills.

Complacency is a condition we often allow to creep into our faith. We snuggle into our understanding of God and decide that the knowledge we have of God will make us a good person and get us to heaven. However, this thinking does not address our real problem of sin. Any talk of sin or being a sinner makes us uncomfortable, but until we allow the Holy Spirit to address the sin in our lives we cannot move into a deeper understanding of God in Christ.

When God starts moving, our lives become uncomfortable. He convicts the sinful nature within us and makes us confront our sin. We do not want to confront our sin. We want to deny our sin. Denial does not remove our sin. Denial is how we stay comfortable with our sin. God will not allow us to remain in our sin; instead He exposes our sin and insists that we surrender it to Jesus Christ. Then through faith and by the power of the Holy Spirit, God moves us to the cross. There we see what Jesus Christ has done so that we are saved from sin and death.

It is a very uncomfortable feeling to know that Jesus Christ died for our sin. We want anything but that to be true. And this truth agitates our sinful nature, which battles against Christ. A sinner at the cross is uncomfortable until the grace of Christ brings comfort.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith” (Ephesians 2:8).

Photo by Florencia Viadana

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

My husband does the gardening. He has already planted tomatoes and peppers in our vegetable garden and has just finished planting zinnias, pansies, and day lilies in the flower garden.

Each garden is unique and has a specific purpose in the yard. Flowers add cheer and bright colors to the yard. Fresh picked vegetables bring robust flavor to summer meals.

The Bible also tells us about two very important gardens: The Garden of Eden and the Garden of Gethsemane.

God created the Garden of Eden to supply all of Adam’s needs. The garden was full of the presence of God, and He shared what He had created with man. However, Adam became dissatisfied with God’s provisions and care, and he rebelled against His Creator. God banished Adam from the Garden for his lawlessness.

Because of Adam’s sin, God brought His Son Jesus Christ to earth. He had come into the world to obey the will of God and to complete the plan of salvation. His journey to the cross took Him through the Garden of Gethsemane, where He prayed for the strength He needed to carry out God’s divine plan.

In the Garden of Eden Adam succumbed to disobedience and sin and became estranged from God. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus Christ remained obedient to God and carried the sin of mankind to the cross and reconciled the world to God.

“My beloved has gone down to His garden” (Song of Solomon 6:2 NASB).

Photo by Annie Spratt

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My attitude today was abhorrent. I thought about things that were not honoring to God. There were times my words were sharp. I was short tempered when patience was needed, abrupt when the situation called for kindness and disagreeable when I should have been pleasant. Today my transgressions were crystal clear to me.

I would be totally discouraged and disgusted with myself were it not for the words of King David, who said, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me” (Psalm 51:3). David, it seems, had a day very similar to mine.

David also knew the cure for this type of day: God. He wasted no time getting before God and confessing His sin. He didn’t try to convince God that his sin was no big deal. He didn’t list the reasons for his sins or justify his behavior. He simply confessed, “Against You, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4).

His confession cleared a path for him to see the nature of God. As David admitted his sin God responded with His mercy, His unfailing love and His compassion. Through confession, David met His Savior and Redeemer by the power of the Holy Spirit.

God responds to me just as He responded to David. As I admit my sin, God shows me my Savior, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to forgive me for this day of transgressions.

Photo Cred: Hendrick ter Brugghen: King David playing the harp

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Today at work a coworker asked me to address a specific situation with an athlete. She then told me what to say and what the consequences should be. Even when I worked things out exactly as she wanted, she still went back and addressed the situation.

This is a perfect example of how we sometimes behave with God. We want Him to handle the circumstances of our lives, yet we tell Him exactly how to handle the situation. Even after He responds, we still go back and address the situation ourselves.

We think we know better than God does about what should be done and how it should get done. Quite simply we lack trust in God. To learn to trust God, listen to the words He spoke to Job, “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand” (Job 38:2-4).

We do not and cannot understand the world or our circumstances as God understands them. He sees everything from start to finish. He possesses infinite wisdom but we are finite thinkers. Yet, we are convinced we know best.

Come to trust God as Job did so you can say to Him, “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2).

Photo by Martin Miranda

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

When I first started working as a gymnastic coach, I knew nothing about the sport. I had not been a gymnast. I had never executed a flip. I had no experience or understanding of the sport. It would have been very easy in those early days to give up, quit and find another job. Instead, I chose to work at under- standing gymnastics.

Had I given up, I would have missed out on many valuable friendships and memories.

When I first started reading the Bible, I didn’t know any- thing about Scripture. So I read the Gospels, because they contained the stories of Jesus. At first I didn’t understand what I had read. But, as I continued reading, I could picture the surprised looks on the faces of the Pharisees when Jesus performed a miracle. I could imagine His walking along the beach and sleeping in the boat while a storm raged. I got to know Him through the stories. As I read, the Spirit taught me more about Christ, His life, death and resurrection.

If I had given up, I would have missed out on a valuable friendship with Jesus Christ, and I would not have grown deeper in faith and knowledge of God.

Yes, the Bible is hard to understand. But the Spirit is in the world to open our eyes to the truth in Scripture. Jesus said, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).
Photo by Everton Vila

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

This afternoon I attended two graduation parties. The food was plentiful, the pictures numerous and the memories abundant. It was fun, not only to reminisce, but also to hear the graduates describe their plans. These celebrations are a time to honor the accomplishments of the graduate and show support for their future endeavors.

God encourages His people to celebrate. He calls us to gather in worship to honor Him for His accomplishments in Je- sus Christ. We come together as the family of God to remember all that His Son has done for us on the cross. We recall that through His shed blood we are saved from sin and death. Worship is about rejoicing that Christ our Savior has triumphed over death and has given us a future in the eternal kingdom of God.

In worship we have the privilege of joining Christ at the communion table through the power of the Holy Spirit. At the table we look back at the last night Jesus was on earth with His disciples. We remember that He shared the Passover meal with them. And when the meal was over “He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me’” (Luke 22:19).

At the table we also look forward to the day when the world is reconciled to God, and we “will be with Him in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

Worship is the celebration of God in Christ.
Photo by Erwan Hesry

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 friend’s daughter is getting married. Today I listened to my friend describe the venue and the plans for the big day. I can hear the joy and the stress in my friend’s voice as she talks about all the preparations that must be completed before the big day.

The church is also in the midst of planning a wedding. When believers gather on Sunday morning for worship, they should embrace the joy of knowing that the bridegroom, Jesus Christ, will one day come for His bride, the church. Scripture says, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7).

The bride has made herself ready by accepting the sacrifice and love of her Savior. Christ has done everything through His death and resurrection to present His bride as “a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:27). Christ came down from the Father to be united to His bride. He died to save her and lives to love her. Therefore, the church should be a joyful place of preparation as believers celebrate and anticipate the day the bride and the bridegroom are united through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Christ is coming for His bride, and the faithful are invited to attend the wedding. “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9)!
Photo by Mockaroon

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 phenomenal beauty of the Grand Canyon was formed by the running waters of the Colorado River. Melting glaciers increased the river’s volume ten times. It overflowed and rushed across the earth’s surface, eroding the ground. The weight of the water and the persistent raging current abraded the rock, dirt and land, carving out the magnificent canyon. It is a stunning, breathtaking, spectacular wonder that has been revealed through the river’s destructive force.

The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit runs like the course of the river. When the Spirit flows through the life of the believer, He destroys sin, churning and dislodging ungodliness and unrighteousness in the heart. The Spirit floods the soul, up- rooting transgressions, exposing iniquity and uncovering wickedness. The Spirit then cuts a course to the cross, where this filthy water of sin is purified by the cleansing blood of the Lamb.

As the Spirit cuts more deeply into the sinful nature, Christ’s stunning risen life, which resides within the believer, is revealed. The beauty of His holiness becomes evident, and the believer, aware of His presence abiding within, contemplates “the Lord’s glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). By the powerful work of the Spirit, believers “are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Photo by Tim Peterson

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 the sky was clear, except for one wispy cloud stretching like taffy across the sun and reflecting the sun’s rays across the sky. I considered the number of clouds that have passed in front of the sun. Some clouds change the intensity of the sun’s heat; others hide the sun from view. A cloud in the sky floating across the path of the sun can change the look of the sky and even change the look of the sun itself.

We also have clouds in our lives. These clouds are the difficulties or problems or annoyances that we face each day. We sometimes permit our problems to obscure our view of the Son in our lives. But problems also have a way of showing us Christ as we have never seen Him before. And at other times of trouble, God illuminates our mind with a new knowledge about His Son.

Christ is always in our clouds. Struggles often press us into reexamining our relationship with the Son, our Savior. As we face each problem, God opens our eyes of faith and gives us an opportunity to see Christ through a different lens. Through these lenses we are able to see Christ’s comfort, kindness, compassion and love during our times of trial. As our problems pass in front of God they are transformed into opportunities to reflect the Son.

“At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:26).
Photo by Tom Barrett

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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Yesterday a friend mentioned that she had said a little prayer. I have heard that phrase numerous times. However, this time, I spent the better part of the day thinking about those words until finally concluding that there is no such thing as a little prayer.

Prayer is always connected to the living God. It is His gift to us, so we can meet the risen Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. When we pray, we are ushered into the presence of God in Christ. That is never a little thing. We may consider our time in prayer brief, but God does not clock our time in prayer. He sees our hearts set on Christ, and Christ’s heart set on Him.

While we are on earth, our prayers will always be lacking, but Christ makes them complete. He prays with us, and through Him our incomplete thoughts, inadequate words and stumbling praises sound glorious to God. There is no gradation to prayer. Prayer is simply prayer. It is neither big nor small, right nor wrong if done through the Spirit in the presence of the risen Christ.

It is Christ who makes our prayers acceptable to God. He lives to intercede for us and through Him. “The words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart [are] pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

Don’t consider the size of your prayer; consider Christ, who prays with you.
Photo by Hanny Naibaho

My daughter and I went out to lunch today. We noticed that the couple at the table next to ours did not speak one word to each other for more than forty minutes, but instead they texted on their cell phones. We watched sadly as these two people ignored each other. There was no interaction or personal conversation. They left the restaurant without sharing thoughts, revealing secrets, or expressing feelings.

Scripture states, “For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20). Here is the greater dilemma demonstrated by the couple at the table: They didn’t even seem to see each other. So, if we, as a society, aren’t even seeing each other, how will we ever see the invisible God and learn to love Him? It seems hopeless.

Of course, God has overcome the difficulty of our technological age. In other words, God is greater than the cell phone. “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Light makes things visible. God has made Himself visible in the person of Jesus Christ, and He continues to open our eyes to the truth of His Son through the power of the Holy Spirit.

By sending His Son into the world to die on the cross and then by raising Him from the dead, God made certain that He would not be ignored. “All the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God” (Isaiah 52:10).

Casper Nichols

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 good friend has joined Facebook. Over the years many of her friends, myself included, and her family tried to explain how useful Facebook could be. However, she held her ground, and even after persistent pleading, we could not convince her to join.

So, you can imagine my surprise when I found her friend request tonight. Somehow, after all the years of rejecting social media, she allowed her daughter to sign her up.

I tell this story to remind us of the number of friends and family members who say they will never accept the reality of God or the truth of Jesus Christ as Savior. To them I say: Stay in prayer. The Holy Spirit is always working to bring the reality of God into every life. It is the work of the Spirit to reveal God in Christ and to transform lives. We must persist in prayer, ask- ing with sincerity of heart that the work of the Spirit be fulfilled in the lives of our loved ones, friends, coworkers, acquaintances and even enemies.

1 Samuel 14:6 reads, “Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving.” God brought His Son into the world to save the world. Nothing on earth can stop God’s plan of salvation in Jesus Christ. All that God intended to do for the purpose of salvation has come into the world in Christ.

Expect to be surprised one day because the Spirit is always at His work of transforming lives.

Jack Sharp

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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Now that the mornings brighten early I can walk or ride my bike. Being outside in the morning makes me feel peaceful. During the early morning hours there is a hush, a serenity that draws me outside. When I am in creation, I tune my ear to hear the gentle voice of God speak to me.

I relish these solitary hours. To me there is nothing as tranquil and reassuring as creation. I witness God’s created order in the rising of the sun. I witness the geese teach their young to flee from danger into the woods as I ride past. The wild turkeys gobble loudly, teaching their young to shout at intruders. A squirrel, with its baby on her back, scurries up a tree to teach her young that safety can be found in the nest. Teaching is a natural part of creation.

In the morning hours, God moves close to teach me. In the quiet I experience His presence. While I ride, Bible verses roll through my mind, and I know God is teaching me through these Scriptures. As I meditate on these verses, God teaches me a new insight or perspective about Himself, His Son or the Holy Spirit. I love the mornings, because then, more than at any other time of day, God teaches me.

“He awakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught” (Isaiah 50:4).

Jordan Steranka

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 days like today when life can seem overwhelming. Cancer is raging in the body of many of my friends. Young people I know are in crisis. Hatred in the world seems almost unbearable. Grief is an unwelcome visitor in the homes of many of my friends and family. On these days, when death, sin, wickedness, sorrow, hurt and despair are spitting in my face, I am reminded to turn the other cheek to see the glorious face of the risen Lord.

Some days when the world is in my face, I am tempted to stare back. Instead, I have to look at my Savior, who dealt on the cross with all the raging and raving of the world. When He died, sorrow and pain and anguish died with Him. When He rose from the dead, He left those evils behind and brought back into the world life and hope and joy through His resurrection.

Regardless of our circumstances, the reality of Christ’s resurrection makes us “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37). We do not have to live under the rubble of hopelessness; instead through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can live in the hope and glory of the risen Christ. The world will continue to stalk us and threaten us, but God in Christ will raise us with Him to be victorious over the world.

“Christ has indeed been raised from the dead!” (1 Corinthians 15:20)

Photo by Fineas Gavre

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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Today, my daughter bought some new clothes. She pulled out her purchases to show me and realized two items were missing. She searched her bedroom and bathroom. Together we retraced her steps from the car to the house. Finally, I asked if she had put them in another bag. My words reminded her that the clothes were in the trunk of her car.

Losing things is part of this life. From pens to car keys and jewelry to money, we spend many hours of the week looking for something that has been lost to us. Some things we can retrieve. Some things we fail to find.

In the garden of Eden, Adam’s disobedience caused him— and as result all of humanity—to lose the presence of God. Satan made sin look so desirable that Adam wandered away from the living God. So humanity strayed. Unfortunately, man found himself in a dark, broken, fearful world apart from God and subject to death. But God made certain that, while we had lost Him, He would not lose us. God made sure that He could find all those who were lost to sin and death. In Ezekiel the Sovereign Lord says, “I will search for the lost and bring back the strays” (34:16). Without hesitation, God sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to find the lost.

In Christ Jesus, God made sure that we could find our way back to Him. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10).
Photo by Bryan Minear

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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One of my athletes earned a spot on the level 10 Regional team, so she will compete at the Junior Olympic National competition. Making this team was difficult. She has prepared herself for this meet every day in practice for the last year. She finally triumphed at the Regional competition. Her daily preparation was the key to her success.

To prepare His people to meet Him, God spoke to Israel through His prophets. To Amos He said, “prepare to meet your God” (Amos 4:12). These are practical words from God, who is reminding His people that a period of preparation is necessary to enter into a relationship with Him.

God must prepare us for such a relationship as well, because we are not like Him. We are imperfect, weak and sinful. God is perfect, powerful and holy. He is divine, omniscient and om-nipotent. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to prepare us and fit us for a relationship with Him. We have none of the qualities we need to meet God. Yet by faith in Christ and His work on the cross we are prepared to come to God. Through Christ’s redemption, we are made holy and perfect.
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters

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 internet is so slow tonight that it is hardly worth using. It has taken the better part of 30 minutes to get this evening reflection posted because the technology is limping and stutter- ing along, causing me frustration.

Everything online is difficult. My pictures won’t upload; my words won’t post; and a black rectangle on my home page won’t go away.

It occurs to me that this is how many of us live the Christian life. We are frustrated. We can’t seem to read and make sense out of Scripture. Our prayers seem flat, and we doubt God hears. Worship seems lifeless.

Here’s the problem: Many of us try to live the life of faith under our own power. We count on our human effort, which leads to frustration. When our human efforts fail, we think that the Christian life is hardly worth pursuing.

The risen Lord told His disciples to “stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). This power is the Holy Spirit, and it has been given to us to live a vibrant life of faith in God. We do not need to live powerless Christian lives. We need to call on Christ, who willingly sends us His Spirit. In this way we will live vital lives of faith.
Photo by Fatih Özdemir

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 a Mastercard since 1999. But when there was a problem with my card today and I called, they had no idea who I was. The first representative I spoke with could not comprehend the meaning of customer or service. So that conversation ended abruptly when he said he could no longer hear me. Funny, I could hear him.

It was a very frustrating few minutes as I tried to confirm my identity for this representative. It didn’t matter that I had been a card holder for 16 years. It didn’t matter that I pay my bill on time every month. It didn’t matter that I could tell him the account number and other pertinent information. Because I couldn’t answer his two questions, I had no identity.

Fortunately, when I called back, the next representative understood the meaning of both customer and service and she was able to confirm my identity and then quickly resolved my issue.

God has always known who I am. Our relationship is so intimate that, according to Psalm 139, He “perceives my thoughts”; He’s “familiar with all my ways”; He knows “when I sit and when I rise”; and He even knows the words on my tongue before I say them. There is no identity crisis here, nor will there ever be.

God knows me. He knows you too. Now the only question that remains is do you know God?
Photo by Kyle Glenn

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