Divine Power

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may pate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

Accepting Christ, knowing Him personally, is the power that we all need to make it day to day. Accepting Christ, opening the door to your heart to allow Him to enter, is the power we need to accomplish the tasks that He has set before us. Before I accepted Him, I floundered in this life and did not know why. Oh, in the back of my mind I knew, but I was too blind and dumb to admit it, my heart was not in place to accept what I needed to do. I walked my life in a stupor. “But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.” (Job 32:8). I lacked this “spirit” in me. The “breath of the Almighty” had not filled me. I was only filled with the spirit of self, and my breath came from my lungs as I searched for a better life. I gathered “riches,” only to give them to others when I got incarcerated. My home, car, and, for awhile my family, were taken from me. My spirit of self could not help me, God had taken my breath away from me to teach me, so that I could acquire the knowledge Jesus needed to show me so that I would be ready to do His will upon my release. Ecclesiastes 2:26 reads; “To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”  How often have you felt that way? Do you work hard, seeming to gather much, just to have to hand it over to someone? I did. That is because my motives were centered on me, I looked to myself and my power to get what I wanted. But what I gained was fleeting, just like the mist in the morning, it all disappeared.

When I surrendered to Christ, I began to understand, and see, the power of Him who created all things. I began to realize just how much He loves me. I saw the power that came from His crucifixion. “If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king.” (Daniel 3:17). This God does exist, and He is the one that saved me, and can save you too. The squalor of your life is not too much for Christ to handle. No one’s life is squeaky clean. God is aware of that. But He wants to come into your life anyway, to rescue you from that squalor and filth and pain and sorrow that makes up your life. No matter what you have heard others say, God wants to put your feet on His path, because He knows that is the path that will lead to happiness and prosperity. Of course, it will not look like what you think it will be because we all look at it through a world set of eyes. But when you accept Him, your view of happiness and prosperity changes from a worldly view to a God view. “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel. 11:19. “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:13.

Christ desires to give to each of us what we need, not what we want, but what we need so that we are fully able to do His work here on earth. Yes, the work is hard at times. We may be shunned, talked about, ridiculed. But Christ does, and will, give us the courage and strength to carry on, to get through those times. And upon exiting the other end, the riches of His love for our obedience is there for us to take. “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. Revelation 2:10. Our Father wants all to truly see the world for what it is, broken, sinful, selfish. By having a relationship with Him, He takes our hearts and reshapes them into Him, His ways, His way of thinking and acting. His desire is for us to fully understand that this world leads us along its paths, its thinking. And since this world is flawed, there can only be flaws in us as we follow its path. The world’s path is wide and, we think, easy to get around on. God’s path is narrow, at times it is difficult to walk. But unlike the world’s path, where we walk alone, God guides and leads us on His path. He walks with us, so that we are able to come to Him, in prayer, to get the right direction in which to go. We are able to come to Him, through prayer, to ask for someone to walk with us. On God’s path we are never alone, God does walk with us and many times He will bring along side us other people of faith to walk with us. That is the love God has for us. He desires that no one walk alone, in silence and despair. “And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God’s people).” Ephesians 1:18. 

Christ wants to open your eyes to see the world for what it is. He wants to enter into your life and give you the riches that only He can give to you. Some will be given here on earth, many, though, will be stored in heaven where they can not be stolen. They will be forever yours. Take the step of faith, take His hand and allow Him to take you out of your despair and heartache. Accept Him as you Savior, and start to live the life He desires you live. My prayer is for you. 

Caring for the Garden

Caring for the Garden

  Genesis 2:15 “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

             The Creator put man, made in His image, in a perfect place. And He instructed man to take care of it. But, man failed to obey, allowing sin to enter into this perfect place. The man and woman were exiled from the Garden of Eden. The doubt that entered their minds forever separated them from a physical relationship with God. But because of God’s love for what He had created, He continued to have a spiritual relationship with them. They were righteously punished for their disobedience, but God did not abandon them. As it is written in Joshua 1:5 “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

             Today, believers are in charge of a different kind of garden. The garden of souls, not only their own souls but also those of the non-believer. The believer uses the bible, if you will, as a plow, to break up the hardness in their hearts so that the word that is planted in them has soft ground in which to grow. We also use the word as we interact with others, showing them the love of Jesus in us. Believers must be honest and confess, to those around them, that they too stumble and fall, but the love Jesus has for those He created, and His shed blood, cover their sins. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.”  Ephesians 1:7 & 8. Through their lives, actions and words, the believer is breaking up the hard hearts of the people they come in contact with. Using the Word as a tool to then plant the seed of hope and peace and joy in the hearts of a fallen world.

             Reading the word, daily, we are greatly encouraged to tell others what the Lord has done for us. How our lives have been changed. How the peace of Jesus Christ has enabled us to endure the storms and heart break in our lives. How the Holy Spirit has strengthened us, and blessed us. And we tell others that that is what the Lord wants for them, no matter the circumstances or thoughts they may have otherwise. Again, this may mean that we must gently tend to the garden and possibly replant numerous times. But our knowledge that God walks with us enables us to carry on. “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40: 31.

            Now we have to be honest, how many times has Jesus planted seeds in our hearts, only to have it land on the path? Or the rocky soul? Or among the thistles? How often did He have to replant the seed before it landed on the good ground? God NEVER GIVES UP SOWING SEEDS. So, likewise, we too must never give up planting the seeds in the hearts of the non-believers in our lives. 2 Peter 3:9 says The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God is giving us the patience and perseverance to endure, we must continue to plant the seed, because our understanding of the word tells us that God will work, but it is in His time. 2 Peter 3:9 needs to spur us on, not wanting anyone to perish, enabling us to sow even more seeds. “Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.” James 5: 7 & 8.

           So, continue to plant. Continue to pray. Continue to wait patiently for the Lord. For when the harvest comes, the first fruits of that harvest will be the hearts of the new believers. God will take the first fruits and it will be “a pleasant aroma” to Him. And we will know that He will say to us, “well done good and faithful servant.” Just like Adam, we have a garden to tend to, let’s do it with all the strength that the Lord will give us. Praising Him daily, knowing that souls will be saved, hearts mended and minds focused on Jesus Christ!

compass

We all have an inner compass in us, many would call it a conscience. Some of us trust what it tells us, and some don’t. Now believe it or not everyone has a compass that points us in the direction of Jesus Christ--- some trust in it, and some don’t. For those who trust in it, it is because God has either taken them through a time of trials, so that they have no choice but to trust in what their “compass” is showing them, or the Holy Spirit has convicted them to trust. For me it was a trial. For a period of 7 years I was in prison, and Christ was taking that time to show me how to use, read, and follow, effectively, what my “compass” was telling me. Up until that time my compass was broken, if you will, by the lies of Satan. He did not want me to find the way to God, because he knew that once I did, or we do, I would be able to see for myself the lies that he had been telling me all along.

          Satan’s lies are that we are too broken for God to put back together. Our compass’s, if you will, have been broken beyond repair, because of our pasts. It is true that our internal compasses are broken, Christ does have the power to correct, change and repair any life, period. Change is hard, change requires us to do things differently than the way we have been. I thought that way, “why change, I can’t do it and I am too far gone for God to want me back,” so I just kept prodding along through the mud that was my life. But, one day I did reach that dead end!! I had come to the end of the road and had nowhere else to turn. Now see Jesus knew this would happen. Now I know that you are wondering, “Isn’t God a loving God? Why would He let this happen?” Yes, God did know that I would be in this place, and He also knew that I would need to be in this place in order that I would understand Satan’s lies, that I would find out for myself that He, God, truly did love me, no matter what I had done; past, present or future. Christ knew that I would have to be in this place in order for me to fully understand what He did, when He went, willingly, to the cross to die for me, to shed His blood in order that my sins, and yours too by the way, would be covered and remembered no more!!! I can’t stress enough that your past does not matter to Christ, all He wants is for you to believe in Him, repent, and be saved. Just as Jesus Christ wanted to repair my compass, He desires to fix yours also. He loves you, and cares for and about you. This may be hard to wrap your head around because of the lies that Satan has been spewing out at you for so long, but it is true, I am proof!!

          I always thought that I had to live a perfect life before I could accept Christ, which made it even that much harder to come to Him, and you may think that way too, but again, that was a lie perpetrated by Satan to keep us in his clutches, to keep me, and you, from having the inner peace. See, NO ONE can live a perfect life, and Christ knows that. He does not expect us to. He wants us to live for Him, but as we do, Christ is walking there along side us. Our compass, that is His love, mercy, grace, and Holy Spirit, will aid in our walk-through life. Our compass will not only direct our steps, but will give us comfort in the trials and storms that WILL come our way through life. I pray that if you have not accepted Christ as your Savior that you will, so that Jesus Christ can fix your compass, which will allow you to walk in the right direction, the direction of Christ, the one that died for you!

                        Forgiveness

I recently viewed a Youtube video, by Psalm Forty, about 2 gentlemen. One was a former drug dealer, gang banger, turned preacher. The other a born again Christian, who just happened to have murdered the preacher's son, in a gang related incident, before he was saved.

These gentlemen talk about their past lives, and in the preacher's case, how he came to the Lord. The other gentleman tells of how he came to the Lord while in prison for the murder that he had committed. The rest of the video depicts their meeting each other almost 20 years after the murder. The most powerful moment, for me, is when the pastor, in the middle of their conversation, begins to pray for this person. Prays that the power of the Holy Spirit will guide the man to be a powerful influence to others, leading many to Christ. And, that this man's children will be freed from the curse of the father, so that they too may be a witness for Christ.

Viewing this video just brings home that the power of the Lord Jesus is strong enough to lead the pastor to forgive. And, for the other person to fully know that not only has God forgiven him, but this pastor has forgiven him also. Each was filled with a peace that only Jesus can give. That no matter what he had done, in this case murder someone, he was forgiven, that sin had been nailed to the cross at the death of Jesus. Neither one had to carry any "baggage" with them any longer because Jesus had taken it with Him to the cross. The pastor refused to believe the lies of Satan, telling him that he had caused his son's death because of the life style that he had lead. "You are just trying to hide behind Jesus, you are a coward," that is what the pastor heard just after the death of his son.

Which brings me to this point. Do you carry baggage with you from your past sins? Is Satan whispering in your ear that "this person does not deserve to be forgiven for what he did to you?" The devil enjoys watching us struggle with our past baggage. He laughs at us, as we continually strive to better ourselves, on our terms and with our strength. He continually tries to muffle the voice of our Creator, as He calls out to us to come to Him for the peace that we need to have, in order to live this life to the fullest. Satan delights in lying to us, because he knows that we are weak and vulnerable. And, as long as we carry that baggage with us, we are just that, weak and vulnerable. But Christ died so that we can become strong and courageous. Because of His death we no longer need to carry any baggage from our pasts, those sins, and the ones that we will make in the future, died with Him on the cross.

Along with the mercy and grace that Christ freely gives to those who believe in Him, He also give an inner peace and a forgiving spirit. He gives the power and strength to withstand trials. See, no matter your past, Christ died for you, and He loves you! Our Father in heaven wants the best for you. Because of the death of His Son on the cross, your sins have been paid for. You no longer need to rectify your past by your own strength because Jesus of Nazareth has done that for you, NO MATTER WHAT THE DEVIL TELLS YOU!!!!!

I will again use my testimony to drive this home for you. I lived a life on my own terms before I came to Christ. My life came to ruins because of my sinfulness. I did time in the "big house" away from family and friends. But, during that time Jesus led me, He loved me, He directed me and corrected me and broke me, so that He could build me into what He had destined me for. It wasn't easy. And trying to believe what I am saying here may be hard for you. You may be going through a time of brokenness in your life right now. Just know, as I found out, that God is there with you right now. He longs to take you in His arms and hold you so that the power of His love for you can get you through this storm in your life. No matter your past, Christ walks with you and loves you and calls out to you to come to Him, to come home, if you will. Because by accepting Him as your personal Savior, He will make a room for you in His mansion in heaven for you to live for all of eternity. 

So, quit listening to Satan, begin listening to Jesus, and allow His power to flood over you. Giving you peace in your life. Taking your past sins and un-forgiveness of others upon Himself so as to separate them from you as far as the East is from the West!!

Using our strength to tell others

Isaiah 40: 28-31: “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak, even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and be faint.”

At one time we heard, but did not listen. We knew, but did not bother to act on what we knew. We were content to live in the world, and of the world. We walked in denial. We lived in partial ignorance of the word, taking only what we wanted to, so that we felt good about ourselves and the lives we were living. In Jeremiah 4:22 God says this, “My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.” Here God is speaking about the Jewish people, but today He is speaking about all of us, believers and non-believers alike. See we have all sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God, but as believers we have the Holy Spirit in us, so that our hearts burn when we sin, drawing us to God in order to be forgiven through His mercy and grace that He freely gave to us when He died on the cross. That Holy Spirit is what gives us the power and strength and courage to carry on. It is what gives us the desire to tell others about what He has done for us and what He has done for them, even if they don’t want to hear it. Now I believe that since God created All things, everyone is a child of God. This is what we need to get across to others, telling them that their lives do matter to Christ. Jesus Christ has given us the power to overcome the trials of this world. Why, because He loves us and died for us, in order that the power of the Holy Spirit, that lives in us, can carry us through our trials and storms. Our words, and lives, need to reflect the power in us, it needs to radiate from us, to encompass those around us. That indwelling of the Holy Spirit is what others need to hear about, so that they too may come to know the Jesus we know and love. But, as believers we are also entitled to a heavenly inheritance, being co-heirs with Christ, enabling us to boldly speak of a place being made for us in heaven.

At our conversion, we dusted off our bibles, opened them up, and began to be nourished by the word. We dove into His word and began to understand how our Lord knew us before we were born! We read of His eternal, everlasting love for us. How He constantly walks with us, and talks with us. His Holy Spirit guides our walk. “Your name, O Lord, endures forever, your renown, O Lord, through all generations.” Psalm 135:13. We learned that He creates all people for His purpose. Unfortunately, many do not heed His calling, walking a dark path of their own making, living in content pain and internal suffering. We need to show them that, being honest with them to fully evaluate their lives. Showing them that their trials may well be God telling them that they need to repent and come to Him. As believers we walk a path made by God for us specifically, through our understanding of His word we use that word to encourage others, to show them that is where the power and strength and courage, in us, comes from. That Christ Jesus wants the same for them, that their lives do matter to Him. Many feel a separation from God because of sins in their lives, we must show them that we too had past sins, that our lives we not perfect. They need to hear how we grew tired and weary, how we stumbled and fell, but that did not matter to Christ because His love for us never wavered, He never gave up His relentless calling out to us to return to Him. They need to understand that that is the same for them, they need to know that Jesus wants on one to perish. Through Christ we are better able to pick up the weak, help the weary, encourage the struggling. We understand that Jesus Christ made all things so to bring Him glory and honor. By telling others that they are loved by Jesus no matter their past, present, or future sins, we hopefully, encourage them to accept Him as their Savior, in order that He may receive even more honor and glory through their lives.

In our lives now, we are able to run the race without faltering, to walk without fainting, to soar like eagles. It comes from the power of the Holy Spirit that is manifested in our hearts and minds through the study of His word. Through that study, we are better equipped to bring that power to others, possibly changing their lives forever. I say probably because those we tell have the free will, given to each of by God Himself, to make the choice to accept or reject. So, if we are rejected, that same Holy Spirit power in us must propel us forward in searching out others that need to hear the word, but not forgetting to pray for those who care not to listen. In our lives we must rest in the knowledge of the word and know that we honor our Lord and Savior by our actions, words and lives. He must be constantly on our minds and in our hearts as we strive to further His kingdom here on earth. The Holy Spirit will lead us daily through the rejections, the negative responses, the turning away of family and friends. The hurt from those things will be tough, but the love of Christ for us, as we endure, is tougher yet. Through the lies Satan heaps upon us, we know that Christ reigns supreme, and that in itself needs to direct us to move forward, to put one foot in front of the other and continue to walk on His path, guided by His Glorious light.

Just remember we have the Light, the Truth, and the Love of Christ as we maneuver through our lives. Nothing will snatch us from the hand of God. And even though we don’t always understand where God is leading us or why, He walks with us. He has His arm around us. And through the knowledge of His word we are girded with the armor of the Creator of this universe. Who cares nothing about our pasts, or the pasts of others, but wants to cultivate a relationship with Him in order that everyone that accepts Him will have a secure inheritance in heaven waiting for our arrival.

                                  Rest: What God intended

                                                

As a person that mows grass, rain is, at times, a welcome rest from walking behind a mower. At those times I am guilty of sitting and planning out what I will do when the rain ends, and then the dread sets in at thinking about getting to all of them. For those with a "9-5" job, the weekends may be for you as they are for me, thinking about what you need to do on Monday, planning out your work week, dreading going back to work knowing how much was undone when you left on Friday.

Our rest, on a rainy day or the weekend, should not be like that. Our rest should be a time to relax, and enjoy the surroundings that God has created for us to enjoy. Rest also needs to be a time to reflect on what God has done for us and will do for us. Rest is a time to commune with Him, thanking Him for all that he has allowed us to do this past week with family, friends and co-workers.

For many, though, there is no rest. There is constant turmoil inside their hearts. Worry, dread, fear, anxiety. No matter what happens there is just no rest. Even at night, when they lay their heads on the pillow, thoughts continue to haunt them. Fear of the morning almost leaves them in a cold sweat. They toss and turn unable to fully feel rest. Past sins gnaw at them, eating at them. Then there is Satan, continually whispering in their ears about how they have failed again, how they have fallen short of what they truly know God wants from them. They feel unworthy to come into God's throne room and talk with Him, so as to gain the peace and "rest" that they so desperately want and need.

They see God as a judge, ready to condemn them for their failures. This is a lie that Satan has told them, and tells us believers as well. For non-believers, or those who do not truly follow Christ, this lie is so real, they close their ears, hearts and minds to ask for forgiveness. They see it as hopeless, "Because God can never love me for what I have done." By thinking that, by believing that, they find no rest. Their spirits are in a constant state of turmoil. Again, the lies of Satan has brought them to this point.

But the truth of the matter is that God does care about them and for them. God created ALL of us, and He loves what He has created. Yes, loves what He has created. You and I are part of what we see everyday, His creation. He did create all the plants and animals and trees and mountains. But, He also created humans. He gave us a purpose, to care for His world. So, in that respect we must care for other people as well. I have been called to give encouragement to those who need it, through this blog. I want others to know the God I know. I want others to know the Jesus I know, the One that died on the cross, so to give me REST!! Rest from my past sins, rest from my present sins, and rest from my future sins. See, each one of us communicates with others on a daily basis. We do it without thinking, it is part of our lives. So, if we communicate with others, why not with our Father? I have a sordid past, living a life the way I wanted to live it, paying no attention to anyone else or their feelings. But God brought circumstances into my life to make me see just how much He truly loves me, and wanted me to pursue the calling that He had for me. Now going to prison may not seem like a good thing, but that is what it took to give me "rest."

The rest I took those 7 years led me to see God's love for me. And I began to see just how much He loves all He has created. I knew that so many others out there and not found rest, and He wanted me to do something about it. No matter your past, present or future, the fact is that Christ died for you. You can't take that back. You can't rewind to that time in history and undo what He did. You are worthy to come into His throne room, which is filled with His mercy and grace and forgiveness. Just as Christ died for me, He also died for you, again, something that you can't undo. Now knowing that He died for you, and that you can't undo what He did, accept it!! See, Christ died as a gift, to us. He took our place on the cross. This salvation, then, is a gift, a present for us to take. Just as we receive gifts for our Birthdays, Anniversaries and at Christmas, God is giving us a gift. The gift of "rest," if you will, from our pains and sorrows of this life and the fear of "where will I go when I die?" By accepting His free gift of salvation, we no longer need to fear that question, because we will know that we will be with Him in heaven.

By accepting Him as our personal Savior, He bring to us the Holy Spirit, to live in our hearts, giving us the "rest" we need. Having Him as our Lord, we "rest" assured that He walks with us throughout our day. That He leads us beside the still waters of rest, restoring our hearts and spirits. His word gives us direction and guidance, keeping us on the path that He has set before us. By accepting Christ He takes our burdens and begins to carry them, freeing us from the trappings of this world. Accepting Jesus, allows us to "rest" in His arms.

How many of us have lost a loved one? I personally have lost a Niece and a Nephew at a young age. How could I say to someone “It is well?”

 How many have had a diagnosis of cancer or some other debilitating disease? How could they say, “It is well?”

How often have trials come into our lives and we sit and look at those trials, and then begin to live our lives directed by them? We begin to look at what is going on and begin to be overwhelmed by them? We start to worry and fret and conjure up negative thoughts and ideas. How could anyone ever tell us, in those times, “It is well?”

Satan deceives, at times, even the believers into looking at their situations and getting disheartened, downtrodden, so that the storms in their lives, and ours, begin to toss all of us to and fro, bashing us into the “rocks” of self-doubt, pity and of thinking that this will never end. The roar of our troubles drowns out the voice of the peace we strive for……… the voice of God!

But let’s not look at just the words, “It is well.” Let’s look at the next line, “With my soul.” Our souls are what Christ died for. Our souls are where the Holy Spirit resides. Our souls are the place where the Holy Spirit has placed the peace we need to continue to live the life Christ has directed us to live during our trials, storms, hardships, and defeats in life. Now could we say that the Holy Spirit lives in everyone? I think He does, in John 1:29 it says; “The next day John saw Jesus conning toward him and said,’ Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’”, so, I believe that every person has the Holy Spirit in them, but it those who believe, who live a life centered in Christ, that have the power to hear His voice. So, let’s be honest, we as believers may not hear His voice at first. We may need the help from other believers who come along side us, or it may be that certain verse that we have read or remember, that enables us to eventually hear His voice, and that is when the storms begin to subside, our troubles start to fade. It is then we gather the strength and begin to sweep aside the doubt, fear and pain. We start to feel victory, and our strength is renewed to begin to denounce the power Satan has over us. The cross took all those feelings of doubt, fear and shame, that is associated with them, away.

As we hear His soft loving voice, the Light of His Glory begins to dawn again in our hearts. We are re-assured that He walks with us, and matter-of-fact has been walking with us all along. In that dawning, our faith begins to grow and bloom in the warmth of His mercy and grace for us, we experience a rejuvenation, possible not only because of our love for Him, but of His undying love for us. It is His power that has held our hands and led us out of whatever has been going on in our lives up to this point. His Holy Spirit, in our hearts, is what has called out to us to listen to the Father, to meditate on His word. It is His Holy Spirit that has put us into the arms of Jesus to be carried through the storms and exit the other side. Christ is the one that has, and will, mend us and restore us, because of what He did for ALL on the cross. There still may be storm clouds that loom ahead of us, some trials may still be fresh in our minds and we will continue to face troubled times ahead, but it is through His power, attained through His death on the cross, that heals us enough to say, “It is well, it is well with my soul.”

 

Ephesians 5:2; "and life a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

It's not easy to love someone that we don't really get along with. It might be a person that rubs us the wrong way, or it could be someone that wants to dominate a conversation, or maybe brags about themselves or their kids. But one thing that I have learned from group, is that we must listen, and not let our preserved notions of the person cloud how we listen to them.

Jesus was like that. Of course He knew what was the hearts of those He talked with. He knew their pain, sorrow and trials. So, if we truly listen to others as they speak, we can learn so much about them, taking in their tone of voice and body language, we begin to see the pain and hurt and trials that they may be going through.

In loving others, we follow in the foot steps of Jesus, showing others a life that is led by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Living a life led by the power in His word, our hearts must reach out to those we listen to. Showing them love and compassion, just as Jesus did when He spoke to those who searched for Him.

"Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people)." Ephesians 5:15 AB. Others watch us, how we live and act and speak. Here Paul writes to the Ephesians that there lives must be lived with a Christ centered purpose. Listening and relating to others as Christ did, sharing with them the power that comes from His word. We must never forget that at one time we were living in darkness, guided by our sinful desires. By living that way we did nothing but hinder the advancement of the gospel. When we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, our minds began to think sensible. We became wise, not only in His word, but in the life we led and people that we associated with.

See at our acceptance of Jesus, and at yours too, we finally became aware of the love Christ has for us. By daily reflecting on that, through our study of His word, it starts to become ingrained in us, and that leads us to tell others who are entitled to the same thing. As the Lord's love grows in our hearts, telling others of His love for them becomes our main purpose. And, we are assured, that Jesus Christ will give us the power to do just that. His love for us pushes us to love others, even when it is not "socially acceptable." Just as Jesus spoke with the social outcasts, in His time, He did so because He was aware of the purpose that He came earth for. His example is one that ALL believers must follow.

Jesus went freely to the grave and died for us. And He went for everyone. We need to tell that to others, who may feel unworthy to come to Him because of their past life, driven by the sins that they have been carrying. Our mission is to love others as much as we love ourselves, caring for them enough to earnestly listen to them as they speak. Pray for them as needed. Helping them to see the Jesus you know, a loving, caring, merciful Father that is calling them to repentance, through the shedding of His blood on the cross. Just as Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross, we too must sacrifice ourselves on the cross of un-comfortableness, in loving those around us. Christ gave of Himself so that others could come to him, and be forgiven, so we must sacrifice ourselves, getting out there and bringing Jesus to a dark and hurting world, telling them of His love.

                                                            He looks for us always

Matthew 18:12 "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?"

         Has anyone lost something before? A ring? Maybe your car keys? A child? When that happened didn't you search and search and search? That is what God does with us, He searches until He finds us, never quitting to look, never giving in to exhaustion. He is relentless, just as we are when we are searching for something.
         In this parable, Jesus uses the metaphor, sheep, to describe us, the people He created. And because of our sinful nature we stray at times from the path that God has put us on. "For you were like sheep going astray...," 1 Peter 25. We will always want to go off on our own, traveling in life on a path that we think is right for us. Like sheep, we see green pastures and wonder off to them, not seeing the danger that lies between ourselves and that pasture. That is why God is there to guide us, herd us in the direction that He has set, because He knows the correct and easy way for us to go.
        See each one of us are part of Jesus' flock, His sheep. No matter our pasts, He guards us and keeps us safe. Now many might say, "What! Look at my life, at who I am and what I have done. Christ could never love me." Or, "My life, up to this point, has been so terrible, how could Christ even begin to love me?" Well, take it from me, He does love you. He died for you and me. He died for your Uncle, Mom, Sister, next door neighbor. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." John 10:11. Here is proof that Jesus Christ loves you! He laid down His life, so that you may live.
         Jesus knows all and sees all. Well, you say, if He knows all about me, then He should know what struggles I am having in my life now. Yes He does. But, it is our responsibility to go to Him and lay our struggles at His feet in order for Him to take care of them. He knows that we are weary and worn out from those struggles. His desire is to help us to overcome. But, again, we need to come to Him and surrender those sinful desires. Be willing to admit that we are powerless to overcome anything in our lives. We need Him. "When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, life sheep without a shepherd." Matthew 9:26
         This parable is told again in Luke 15:4, but lets look at the next 2 verses 5 & 6. "And when he finds it. he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbor's together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost Sheep." See this? Jesus searches, and when He finds you and me that have strayed away from Him, He puts us on His shoulders and carried us back to the fold. No matter how far we have strayed, no matter the sins that we have committed. He searches for us, in order that He can bring us back into His arms.
         When He finds us, takes us out of the sin that we are in, He carries us. He gently puts  us on His shoulders and lovingly brings us back to the fullness, that He died for. Yes, we will never be good enough to come to Jesus, but that is okay, because He is right there with us. He knows the pain and struggles that we go through, because He was born in human flesh, going through the same temptations and trials that we face, but He did so without sinning.
          I urge you today to allow Jesus to take you back to His fold. To be a dynamic part of His creation here on earth. You have wondered aimlessly long enough. Allow Jesus to put you on His shoulders and bring you into the fold. Then pray, and allow your heart to open up to the knowledge of the love that He has for you, knowing that you no longer need to wonder, to walk alone, to repair your life on your own. Jesus loves you and you need Him in your heart, so that you can experience His closeness, and began to be led to those greener pastures that He has for you to feed on.

Galatians 5:1 “In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off].          Amplified Bible

 

          With the coming of Easter, this verse should jump out at us. Jesus’ death and resurrection has freed us, notice the word HAS. Your life, and mine, have been set free from the grasp of eternal death. And not only that, but our lives right now have been set free. Set free from the yoke of our past sins, that, for many, have been carried for years and years. Because of the Christ’s obedience to go to the cross and die, Satan’s grip on us is no more! We have been set free, liberated, from our sinful past and been made new.

          With that comes the infusion of the Holy Spirit, giving our hearts the Solid Rock, to hold on to in time of trouble and strife. When we heartfeltly accept Christ as our personal Savior, the shackles that held us fast are loosened, and the gates that ensnared us are opened. Jesus Christ removes the yoke of self and replaces it with His yoke. Instead of carrying the burdens of our sinful past, and all the guilt and shame that goes with that, we begin to carry His burden. That burden is the love for others, justice for the oppressed, food for the hungry. Now some may think that justice for the oppressed means some sort of lawful justice. But I think it means, the sharing of our testimony. Satan is oppressing so many today, Christ died to give justice from Satan and his lies about how bad we are and that Jesus will not accept us because of how we once lived. Feed the hungry, is showing others the word of God, giving them the food that God has prepared for us to share with others. And in so doing both of those things we are showing love to others. It is the same love Christ showed to those around Him when He was alive.

          Letting go of our past sins, giving them up to the One that died for us, hold fast to the Rock, that is Jesus Christ. When we finally come to grips with the fact that He died for us, for all of us, and we finally admit that what we have heard is true, and accept Him as our Savior, are we really giving our sins to Him? NO. He has already died and taken our sins from us, it is us that elect to hang on to them, or at least the thoughts of them and it is those thoughts that chain us to our pasts. Further strengthening Satan grip on our consciences, so, that the guilt of our pasts keeps us in chains. Therefore, it is so important to get into the word daily, allowing the power contained within to break the grip Satan has on us. “Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2 “That the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” Romans 8:21

         

          “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” Ephesians 4:14 By throwing off the chains of our pasts, Satan cannot use the cunning and craftiness of others to degrade us, throwing our pasts in our faces, laying a guilt trip in us. Through the power of His word that we read, and through the Holy Spirit that lives in us, their words no longer can penetrate our hearts. The love that we now know Jesus has for us is the shield that protects us. We can boldly walk through life knowing that Christ's love protects us, and even when storms, hardships, pain, sorrow, disappointment come to us, the strength that comes from the family of God, through prayer, and our own knowledge of Him carries us through those times. So, we exit the other side into a new dawn. The dawn of victory in those trials allows us to then take that victory into other’s lives. Giving them a hope and courage that we have.

          So, at this time of year, take what you know and feel and have experienced, and pass it on to others around you. Give encouragement. Pray for others. Pray with others. And if you have not accepted Christ as your Savior because you don’t feel like He would listen to you, know that He does!! It is Satan that is telling you otherwise. It is Satan that continues to chain you to your past. It is Satan that wants you to continue to be repressed by the guilt of your past mistakes. But I am here, a sinner saved by Grace, that God does love you and Christ did die for the removal of your sins. Use the boldness, that the Holy Spirit is going to give you when you accept Christ, to tell Satan he is defeated in your life. That he will rule over you no longer. Snap the chains, feel the liberations of freedom from your past and begin to live for the future, in heaven where you have always belonged.

Psalm 119: 97-99

          97) “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. 98) Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. 99) I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.”

          The first half of verse 97 ends in an exclamation mark. In the Amplified Bible verse 97 reads, “Oh, how love I your law,” again, there is an exclamation mark. The writer wanted us to see that studying God’s word, delving into the bible daily, as important, necessary, something that must be done. Here is what the Pulpit Commentary says about verse 97: Study that leads to love: A cursory view of God’s word may have no result; but a serious study of it, a continuous and prayerful meditation upon it, will end in a strong attachment to it. It will become the source of perennial enjoyment it will be prized above all price.” (perennial means: lasting a long time, enduring; appearing time after time or year after year, recurrent. Or a synonym for that would be continual); So here we see to fully understand God’s word, we must continually read it. In doing that, the power contained within it is given to us, guiding, directing and uplifting us, as we go through our day. It’s power, in the form of the Holy Spirit, also walks with us through the difficult circumstances and trials that Satan orchestrates as he tries to hinder our walk and add doubt in our minds. The power from the words we meditate on are a “Lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” Psalm 119: 105.That light also radiates from us, so others will see it and be drawn to us, allowing us to share with them, God’s love, compassion, mercy and grace. Our daily meditation on His word also encourages us to put that word into our hearts, through memorization of the verses we read. You could say that the verses we memorize is the oil we need to keep His lamp (His word) in our hearts burning brightly, showing others who we live for. Our love for the study of His words enables the Holy Spirit to engrave in our hearts not only the love Christ has for all he has created, but for us to meditate on throughout our day. In 2 Corinthians 3:3, Paul writes this, “You show and make obvious that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, not written with ink but with [the] Spirit of [the] living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.  We then can use those words to encourage others and show them the love that Christ has for them, to witness to them verbally and through how we live our lives allowing God to make an impact in their lives.

In verse 98 we see, “Your commands make me wiser that my enemies, for they are ever with me.”  From the Pulpit Commentary comes this explanation. “With practical wisdom, so that he can order his way aright. This is what is meant here by “wisdom” and “understanding.” By means of it he can: outwit his enemies, no matter how crafty their policy.” We can also replace the word “enemies” with the phrase Satan and his daemons.  “KNOWLEDGE: “The study of the word of God, of the will of Christ, will make the disciple to understand (1) what his enemies are ignorant of; (2) what is of greater intrinsic value than any science, or art, or language;” Through our love for His word, contained within our hearts, we can recall them, as Satan and his daemons temp us during the day. By storing up His commands, we are storing up ammunition. We can use that ammunition for our defense, firing back at Satan. When that happens, he flees from us because the word in our hearts, the Holy Spirit, is more powerful than anything Satan can fire at us, as he tries to knock us off the road that we walk for Christ. By having the word in us, we are continually armed in Christ, for Christ. Again, having His laws in our hearts and allowing that law to radiate from our lives draws others to us, to share the gospel with them, and in so doing brings added encouragement to our hearts because we know that we are obeying what God has instructed we do, for Him. Isaiah29:18 says this: “In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll. And out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.” And in 60:19 it says: “The sun will no more be your light by day, not will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.” Christ has given us an obligation to tell others about Him. By giving of ourselves, by the emptying of our hearts to others, that enables the Holy Spirit to enter in, re-filling us in even greater measures. Our lives will shine forth because of how we act, speak and live. All because of our love to study His precepts daily,

          Verse 99 reads, “I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statues.” Looking at the Pulpit Commentary again, we read this, “Becoming wiser than his teachers.” They (the teachers) may be full of sound doctrine, but the soul that is partaker of God’s grace is wiser than they.” “Understands more than the men of olden times.” Understanding gotten by the precepts of the word is better than that gotten by long experience.”

          Each day, as we meditate on His word, our hearts are filled with the power and knowledge of Christ. In doing that, we understand that we must live our lives as Christ shows us. Psalm 119:148 says, “My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.” Proverbs 4:7 tells us this, “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” We disregard worldly doctrines, because we live by faith, not works, as others do because Satan has blinded them to the true meaning of Christ’s word.

          In the second reference, it stated, “precepts gotten by the word is better than that gotten by long experience.” You can take the words “long experience” one of two ways. 1^st meaning may be that experience gained through worldly ways is not sufficient for being saved. That type of experience relies on our own power and strength, which is fallible, unable to accomplish anything close to what our Savior can, and does, for us and all who truly believe. The 2^nd meaning may be, the experience we gain by living our lives by what we meditate on daily. Matthew 7:24 tells us this, “So everyone who hears these words of mine and acts upon them [obeying them] will be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock,” AB. James 3:17 says this, “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace—loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

          In closing, we must daily do these 4 things: 1) love the word! Jeremiah 15:16 “When your words came. I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty.” Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with the power, grace, mercy and peace, as we daily live for Him. 2) meditate on and in, that word at the beginning and end of your day. Romans 6: 22 “For in my inner being I delight in God’s law.” 3) Open your heart so that Christ can direct your steps, words and actions. James 3:17 “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”   We must always keep in mind that we may well be the only way others see Christ. Again, if we truly radiate Christ love, mercy and grace through how we live and treat others, they will be drawn to us. And 4), When God opens a door for us to share, use the power and courage, we have gained through our meditation on His word. Psalm 39:3 “My heart grew hot within me. And as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:” As we have heard here, we need to just let the words He will give us, flow out of our mouths. Use the “fruits” that He has given us, to be used to further His Kingdom, bringing His light, that radiates out of our hearts, touch others’ lives in order that our Savior may become their Savior, so that they can use the power of God in their hearts to add more light into this dark world.

white as snow

 

It snowed here today and the ground was covered by a white blanket that made everything look so beautiful. But underneath was still the dirty old ground, with it's rocks, sand, mud and un-racked leaves. Does that sound like your life? Oh, you go to church on Sundays, say amen once or twice, greet others with a smile on our faces. Then we walk out, and our lives take up where they left off when we first walked in. The stress's and worries and fears all come back, sometimes bigger, and worse. The sermon that we listened to seems to fade quickly, and the happy feeling that you may have gotten are disappearing, the closer you get to the car to drive away.

 

And you wonder how you will cope through this coming week. Your insides start to ache, not a heartburn type of pain, but a pain of loneliness. It's like you don't have anyone to turn to in order to get the pains and hurts and sorrows out of your heart. Your wife or friends just would not understand how, or what, you are going through. So you just "suck it up" and go on, all the while continuing to hurt. Or could it be that you are searching for something, answers maybe?

 

Too many of us look at our lives and say to ourselves "who could help me? Look at me and the state that I am in. My life sucks." Many of us take a look at our situations and think we know why God feels so distant. "I can't live like he says I should. Besides I am too far gone now to ever return to God." So you continue to wallow through life as best you can. Groping around in the dark trying to find the door that will finally allow you to find the happiness that you have been so desperately looking for.

 

I have shared this before, but I had the same feelings. And it wasn't until I laid in the rubble of my life that God got my attention. With no where else to turn, I had to turn to my Savior. Oh Jesus had given me many, many opportunities to come to Him in the past, but this world was so much better, or so I thought. During my sentence, God showed me that this world can only destroy. I began to learn that by just giving up, allowing Jesus to lead, I saw that this world is only a place to live in. See, giving up, if you will, was just too hard. Living a life, different than what this world told me to live, was just too hard to do, "God, it's too hard to change. I won't be like everyone else."

 

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11: 28-30.

Are you weary from living a life that had been hidden from everyone. Is your sinfulness a burden that you can no longer carry. Come to Christ, lay yourself out in front of Him, and ask for forgiveness. When you do, He will give you the rest to go through life. It was a rest from the life of sin, of living in darkness and pain. Take His yoke upon yourself, the one that you thought would be too tough to wear, the yoke that this world told you that you are not worthy to wear because of the life you lead, the yoke that you thought would be too constrictive, or would not let you have the fun you want to have, and found out that it is easy. Through His word Christ shows us that He does not condemn, but corrects. It shows that Christ does not lie, He had always been beside you, calling out to you to follow Him. Christ speaks words of love, compassion, and healing into hearts. Your soul will able to rest because you no longer will have to hide anything. Let me say here, God knows what's going on in your lives because nothing is hidden from Him! His yoke is easy, and it is light. God does not steer us with a whip and sharp tugs, one way or another, He gently corrects our walks bringing us to a fuller knowledge of Him. Your burden is light because of the Holy Spirit that enters in when you confess your sins and make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life! All Christ asks from us is to follow Him and in so doing, He gives us the strength to do it.

In closing, Christ wants for you, the same thing that He wants for all of humanity.......Rest!!! And through that rest, in Him you gain peace. And through that peace you gain understanding of just how much God loves you and wants to bless you. I know that trying to close your ears to what this world says you need is not easy, because God's way is not the way of the world, there is a constant "tug of war" in us. But that is the way Satan wants it, he is prowling around constantly. Roaming throughout this world looking for the weak to devour. Know this for a fact, your life is never removed from God. Your Father, yes the one that created you, has you in His hands. His desire for you is to have peace "that passes all understanding." And His shed blood has given you forgiveness for your sins. Yes, when Christ looks at you all He sees is a whole, pure person. When Christ looks at you, you are as white as snow. You don't have to work for it, you don't have to live a certain way or act a certain way because Jesus took your sins upon Himself when they crucified Him on the cross. Take the step and allow Him to put on you His yoke and guide you upon the path that He set before you to walk. One that is flat and level and leads to many blessings. Turn your blackness to white, and your darkness to light. The light that comes from His glory and love for you!



 

Galatians 4:21-31

Last month in “Today in The Word” from Moody Bible. They went through the book of Galatians. God laid it on my heart to talk tonight on these verses, and how the Lord spoke to me on what to write about.

Blood lines. It is our fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers. As believers, we now have a different blood line, that is Jesus Christ. Before we accepted Christ, we were of the blood line of Hagar and Ishmael, slaves to this world. And just as Hagar was sent out into the desert, to die, we too were in the desert of our sins, dying. We sat in the burning sun of despair and hopelessness, surrounded by the sands of unrighteousness and a dead heart. We Looked to ourselves to find water to quench our thirsts. We were born “according to the flesh,” so we lived by the flesh. Constantly living to satisfy our wants and desires. Think about it, our power, our thoughts or ideas, our way of accomplishment is futile. Our vision of the future, and how we wanted things to work out was flawed by our sinfulness. When we lived as we wanted, chasing our dreams, we were slaves to those wants and desires. We used our power and intellect to make it happen in our time frame. We listened to the lies that Satan was whispering in our ears, “You need it now!” “No one else matters, it’s what you want that counts.”

In Genesis Chapter 21:19 it says, “Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink” God did that for us, when we accepted Him as our Lord and Savior. He opened our eyes, and hearts, to understand the love He has for us. Our blood line was changed, because we had a transfusion from the blood that Jesus shed on Calvary in order that our sins were washed away, separated from us, forever.  For us, the believer, Abraham & Isaac are our blood lines now. Our trust in Christ enabled us to pitch our earthly tents next to His oasis of living water. The words we read in our bibles daily, during our devotions, is that water. We go daily to be refreshed, to drink in the power, strength and courage to face what the devil will throw at us. It continually shows us that we are from Abraham and Isaac’s blood line not Hagar & Ishmael’s. Daily our hearts gladly welcome the Holy Spirit in, knowing that by it dwelling inside us, we are in God’s hands. It also reminds us that when we fall, and oh boy how we do sometimes, that we cannot be snatched from His hands, because of the shed blood of Christ. The blood that is inside us.

                   His word also encourages us to solder on, to express to others the change He has brought into our hearts, and lives.  The Holy Spirit empowers us to live our lives as examples, to live a life as Jesus did. And lastly, we are encouraged to pray for others. The Holy Spirit gives us the patience to continue lifting others in prayer, knowing God is at work, breaking hearts of stone, providing for the hungry, lonely and lost people around us. The living water of His word gives us the strength to face our trials, gives us courage to walk through our “Valleys” and the heart that praises Him, in all we say and do. It is awesome to ponder, that the same promise we receive daily, because we believe, Abraham & Isaac also received. In Genesis 15:6, from the Amplified Bible version we read “And he [Abram] believed in (trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness (right standing with God).” So, then, when we accepted Christ and truly knew that we were forgiven, and began living as Jesus commanded us, we too were credited as being righteous before our Father in heaven, we were no longer slaves to sin. We were from the blood line that frees us from the slavery of Satan’s lies, allowing us to live, having Christ’s redemptive blood flow over us and through us.

          So, no matter your past, no matter how far you feel that you have walked away from Jesus, He continues to love and cherish you. It was for you that He willingly, yes willingly went to the cross to die for you. I pray today that you will turn to Jesus and allow the righteous blood that He shed for you to cover you, forgive you, so that you too will know that your blood line is in Him.

Psalm 119:97-99

Psalm 119: 97-99

          97) “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. 98) Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. 99) I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.”

          The first half of verse 97 ends in an exclamation mark. In the Amplified Bible verse 97 reads, “Oh, how love I your law,” again, there is an exclamation mark. The writer wanted us to see that studying God’s word, delving into the bible daily, as important, necessary, something that must be done. Here is what the Pulpit Commentary says about verse 97: Study that leads to love: A cursory view of God’s word may have no result; but a serious study of it, a continuous and prayerful meditation upon it, will end in a strong attachment to it. It will become the source of perennial enjoyment it will be prized above all price.” (perennial means: lasting a long time, enduring; appearing time after time or year after year, recurrent. Or a synonym for that would be continual); So here we see to fully understand God’s word, we must continually read it. In doing that, the power contained within it is given to us, guiding, directing and uplifting us, as we go through our day. It’s power, in the form of the Holy Spirit, also walks with us through the difficult circumstances and trials that Satan orchestrates as he tries to hinder our walk and add doubt in our minds. The power from the words we meditate on are a “Lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” Psalm 119: 105.That light also radiates from us, so others will see it and be drawn to us, allowing us to share with them, God’s love, compassion, mercy and grace. Our daily meditation on His word also encourages us to put that word into our hearts, through memorization of the verses we read. You could say that the verses we memorize are the oil we need to keep His lamp (His word) in our hearts burning brightly, showing others who we live for. Our love for the study of His words enables the Holy Spirit to engrave in our hearts not only the love Christ has for all he has created, but for us to meditate on throughout our day. In 2 Corinthians 3:3, Paul writes this, “You show and make obvious that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, not written with ink but with [the] Spirit of [the] living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.  We then can use those words to encourage others and show them the love that Christ has for them, to witness to them verbally and through how we live our lives allowing God to make an impact in their lives.

In verse 98 we see, “Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.”  From the Pulpit Commentary comes this explanation. “With practical wisdom, so that he can order his way aright. This is what is meant here by “wisdom” and “understanding.” By means of it he can: outwit his enemies, no matter how crafty their policy.” We can also replace the word “enemies” with the phrase Satan and his daemons.  “KNOWLEDGE: “The study of the word of God, of the will of Christ, will make the disciple to understand (1) what his enemies are ignorant of; (2) what is of greater intrinsic value than any science, or art, or language;” Through our love for His word, contained within our hearts, we can recall them, as Satan and his daemons temp us during the day. By storing up His commands, we are storing up ammunition. We can use that ammunition for our defense, firing back at Satan. When that happens, he flees from us because the word in our hearts, the Holy Spirit, is more powerful than anything Satan can fire at us, as he tries to knock us off the road that we walk for Christ. By having the word in us, we are continually armed in Christ, for Christ. Again, having His laws in our hearts and allowing that law to radiate from our lives draws others to us, to share the gospel with them, and in so doing brings added encouragement to our hearts because we know that we are obeying what God has instructed we do, for Him. Isaiah29:18 says this: “In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll. And out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.” And in 60:19 it says: “The sun will no more be your light by day, not will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.” Christ has given us an obligation to tell others about Him. By giving of ourselves, by the emptying of our hearts to others, that enables the Holy Spirit to enter in, re-filling us in even greater measures. Our lives will shine forth because of how we act, speak and live. All because of our love to study His precepts daily,

          Verse 99 reads, “I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statues.” Looking at the Pulpit Commentary again, we read this, “Becoming wiser than his teachers.” They (the teachers) may be full of sound doctrine, but the soul that is partaker of God’s grace is wiser than they.” “Understands more than the men of olden times.” Understanding gotten by the precepts of the word is better than that gotten by long experience.”

          Each day, as we meditate on His word, our hearts are filled with the power and knowledge of Christ. We daily gain a better understanding that we must live our lives as Christ shows us. Psalm 119:148 says, “My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.” Proverbs 4:7 tells us this, “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” Through that meditation and wisdom, we disregard worldly doctrines, we live by faith, not works as others do because Satan has blinded them to the true meaning of Christ’s word.

          In the second reference, it stated, “precepts gotten by the word is better than that gotten by long experience.” You can take the words “long experience” one of two ways. 1^st meaning

may be that experience gained through worldly ways is not sufficient for being saved. That type of experience relies on our own power and strength, which is fallible, unable to accomplish anything close to what our Savior can, and does, for us and all who truly believe. The 2^nd meaning may be, the experience we gain by living our lives by what we meditate on daily. Matthew 7:24 tells us, “So everyone who hears these words of mine and acts upon them [obeying them] will be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock,” AB. James 3:17 says this, “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace—loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

          In closing, we must daily do these 4 things: 1) love the word! Jeremiah 15:16 “When your words came. I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty.” Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with the power, grace, mercy and peace, as we daily live for Him. 2) meditate on and in, that word at the beginning and end of your day. Romans 6: 22 “For in my inner being I delight in God’s law.” 3) Open your heart so that Christ can direct your steps, words and actions. Hosea 14:9 “Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.” We must always keep in mind that we may well be the only way others see Jesus, if we truly radiate Christ’s love, mercy and grace through how we live and treat others, they will be drawn to us. And 4), When God opens a door for us to share, use the power and courage, we have gained through our meditation on His word. Psalm 39:3 “My heart grew hot within me. And as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:” As we have heard here, we need to just let the words He will give us, flow out of our mouths as we give our testimony for others to hear, Using the “fruits” that He has given us to be used, to further His Kingdom. Allowing His light, that radiates out of our hearts, touch others’ lives in order that our Savior may become their Savior. So that they can use the power of God in their hearts to add more light into this dark world.

Saturday January 21, 2017

Psalm 138:8 "The Lord will work out his plans for my life--for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don't abandon me, for you made me" NLT

Psalm 138:8 "The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever--do not abandon the works of your hands." NIV

Psalm 138:8 "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever--forsake not the works of Your own hands." AB

Today I wrote the 3 verses to show the different wording of the same verse. And to better illustrate for you the love and mercy of Jesus Christ.

The Lord does have plans for each one of us. But our sinful nature, at times, overrides God's plans. Let me explain, if we are led by our sinful nature then we are not listening to what God is telling our hearts. We go off and "Do our own thing." And as we are doing our own thing, and we fail, what then. What does our heart tell us? How do we feel? Is it possible that God allowed that failure to happen in order for us to realize that we are not following Him? I truly think that is the case.

Look at the beginning of those 3 verses. "The Lord will work out." "The Lord will fulfill." "The Lord will perfect." When we begin to understand that the Lord is Almighty and that He will not fail, we will begin to read those words and see that our failures, at things, are because we are not living the life that God has for us to live. Notice that I said "has for us to live." The life we may be living may not be the life He has for us to live. If we are feeling defeated, anxious, a failure, then you are not living the life He wants. None of those words are in the Lords vocabulary, period! He has plans to prosper us and give the blessings He so desires us to have. Living for Jesus was, and still is, never easy. But because of that, when we succeed, we can give praise to Him that has walked beside us the entire way. Opening the door for us to live an ever increasing life filled with the love of  Jesus and then acquiring an even greater amounts of blessings and joys at our obedience to Him.

Lets look at the next part of these verses. "your faithful love." "Your love." "Your mercy and loving-kindness." No matter our pasts, let me say that again, no matter our pasts, God is faithful. Even when we are not following Him, He loves us. Even when we are not on the "road" He designed for us to walk, He walks with us. The Holy Spirit is continually calling out to us. It is called "our conscience!" Because when we are not walking on His path, our conscience cries out to us. God's plan for us is for us to walk on the road of His design. Being led by the Light of His mercy and grace. Allowing it to illuminate our way so that the "potholes of life" are easily seen and we can avoid them. Those feelings of defeat, hopelessness and despair are not what He wants for us to feel. His plans are for us to have peace, joy, and the feeling of His forgiveness. Now don't get me wrong, life will not be a bed of roses. But when the hard times come, Christ is there to run to, to shout at, to lean on. Because as the rest of that second part of the verse goes "endures forever," then no matter where our lives are at, the Lord's love for us will never end, it goes on and on. Jesus endured the cross, so that we would be saved. So His love for us, and in us, will enable us to endure the hardships that this world brings. The evil in the world goes about happening, but we are able to endure just as Jesus endured. Just think about it. Jesus arose the third day from the grave, you could say that He endured death, and concurred it, He overcame it. So by following Christ we too can overcome our troubles and hardships and fears. We will be able to endure, because in our hearts is the power of Jesus, when we are following Him.

Again realize that if we are not following Jesus our plans will fail, we will be defeated, we will suffer, because we are not living the life that Christ planned for us. But if we truly are "Living for Jesus", then we will succeed because His plans NEVER fail! There will be ups and downs, but in the end we will prosper. And that prosperity will enable us to endure the next trial with an even greater spiritual strength than before.

So now lets look at the last part of those verses. "Don't abandon me, for you made me." "Do not abandon the works of your hands." "Forsake not the works of your own hands."  Right here we read that God made us, He formed us in our mother's womb. So we can rest assured that what He made, He WILL NOT ABANDON!!!  Just as we would never think of leaving our own children, neither will Jesus leave us. Again no matter what we have done He is true to never leave us or forsake us. Just as we look past the faults of our own children, but love them un-conditionally, the same it is with Jesus!

In conclusion, know this. If we follow Jesus, He sets our feet on the solid path that He has made for us. The Lord is always about His business, and He WILL SUCCEED!!!! His plans for all of us is to live with an inner peace even in the face of the storms in our lives. His love for us endures forever and He is faithful to love us forever. And He will not leave those He has made, and since He made you, you are included no matter what road you are on at the present time. So if you are having troubles, hard times, doubts or fears, take them to the Lord. Express to Him, through prayer, your feelings. Allow Him to take your burdens and carry them, the cross has given Him this strength. Accept Him as your personal Savior, begin to humbly follow Him and allow His love for to carry you through your trials and hard times, bringing you out the other side stronger, wiser, and more spiritually filled.