OPPOSITION Opposition, such an offensive word, especially when trying to accomplish something good!
In the Book of Nehemiah, we see the heart of God's faithful servant, Nehemiah, the king's cup-bearer. Having an honored position and one that was close to the king, Nehemiah had an "in" on the happenings of the area and people, mainly his people, the Israelite's. Being a man of God, "he sat down and wept, mourned and fasted and prayed to God of heaven."  Nehemiah, sought God first asking for favor to address the king. When the opportunity arose, the door opened for Nehemiah to ask for permission to take some time off from work to rebuild the broken down wall of Jerusalem and the gates that had been burned with fire. He also asked for  security guards and credentials  and building materials. "And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests." The restoration of the wall of Jerusalem was now underway. Unfortunately, so was opposition.
Nehemiah, organized the building project and work began on the foundation of the wall. Midway, the the ridicule of the Jews began and trouble started brewing. The Israelite's became concerned, but they knew where to turn to for help. They gave their concerns to God and posted guards day and night to meet the threats of the opposition. Nehemiah, being the project manager, exhibited his leadership and assured the people not to be afraid. This is what he said, "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes. When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work." Guess what, God saw to it that the wall would be completed in His time.

Have you ever been in a position of rebuilding something in your life and the enemy is at work just as hard as you are?  Prayerfully, the plans of the project have been put before our Lord first, and that work doesn't begin until God signs the contract. "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Prov. 19:21  "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord established their steps." Prov. 16:9  Nehemiah gave us the perfect example of how to begin a project. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matt. 6:33 In the example that is given to us in Nehemiah, we see obedience to what God calls us to do. Because there was obedience, God honored the request. Even though there is often opposition, if we would operate in obedience, "Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome" and practice what He commands us to do,  He will honor our request and complete the work in His time and according to His will.
Lord, let us not begin a project, a rebuilding, a restoration, until our hearts have sought You first. Let our requests be laid at the foot of the cross and with patience, help us to wait upon You. Then and only then, will You consider the request and if You grant it, things will be right, perfect and complete. Thank you  Lord for Your word that we might know how to walk in Your ways, step by step. In Your Sons most precious Name, Jesus Amen 

OBEDIENCE TO OUR FATHER
Obedience, a word of command, authority and consequences.  Obedience is taught before we can even pronounce it, let alone spell it. It is demanded of us through love and concern for our well-being. When not carried out, there is a repercussion of unpleasantness.  So, with our human intelligence, why is it so hard to walk and live in obedience, especially when it is commanded through love?  

How many times daily do you slip over the edge of obedience into the rut of disobedience?  Disobedience in our thoughts, our actions, our speech, our looks, even the blatant "not going to happen" attitude. Wow, not sure I want to recap that one!  And yet, the highly intelligent beings we are, knowing that we sin because of disobedience and reap the unpleasant consequences, we still continue to do it anyways. Why is that?  I don't know other than that wonderful "Me" encouraged by the enemy appears and gets into our head and hearts. 

But, as always, God has given us examples in His word to encourage us and show us that there is always a better way, His way.  In Jeremiah 35 there were a people called the Recabites. This was a family who lived in obedience and didn't have unpleasant consequences to face, quite the contrary, they were blessed because they obeyed.

Lets recap this chapter, as it is the example we should be following. God spoke to Jeremiah, giving him the instructions to invite the Recabite family to sip some wine. The invitation went forth and the family accepted graciously. I mean, who is going to turn down an invitation from Jeremiah. They were seated and cups of wine were placed in front of the men of the family. I'm sure they smiled and politely said, "We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: 'Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. Also, you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.'" Speaking of commands, there are a few for you. While reading this, how many of you are thinking, those are some tough commands to follow and be obedient to. Well, lets see if they did obey these commands.
The men of the Recabite family replied, "We have obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab son of Recab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops. We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab commanded us."
Now lets see what God has to say about all of this!  God spoke again to Jeremiah, telling him to go to the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem and share this bit of information with them.  Say to them, "Will you not learn a lesson and obey my words?"  "Jonadab son of Recab ordered his sons not to drink wine and this command has been kept. To this day they do not drink wine, because they obey their forefather's command. But I have spoken to you again and again, yet you have not obeyed me."  I highlighted some key words and I think you might be getting my drift here.
God doesn't stop there, He carries His message a bit further. Here comes a command, not a suggestion. He says, "Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do not follow other gods to serve them." Thought I would highlight some more key words for you once again, just for some emphasis. 
Again, God reminds them, "But you have not paid attention or listened to me. The descendants of Jonadab son of Recab have carried out the command their forefather gave them, but these people have not obeyed me.' Here comes that word "therefore". "Therefore, this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, (just in case you forgot who He is) says: 'Listen! I am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem every disaster I pronounced against them.. I spoke to them, but they did not listen; I called to them, but they did not answer.'" God doesn't mess around with disobedience.
There are consequences to our disobedience, but there are blessings as we obey that which is spoken to us. God didn't forget the Recabite family, on the contrary He says, "You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.' Therefore, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Jonadab son of Recab will never fail to have a man to serve me.'"  Would you not agree with me that obedience pays off!
Father, help us to be listening and obeying Your word. Help us to turn from our wicked ways, to reform our actions and not be following other gods to serve them. Let our lives be of and for You only, following You and living as You have planned for us. Let us have hearts that seek after You only. Father, do a work in our lives so that we will have 
OBEDIENCE TO OUR FATHER
Amen

RAGING STORMS

The wind is blowing with gusting strength, the headwind is pressing in hard,  the waves are slamming relentlessly which are nearly drowning all that is in its path.
I came home yesterday to find my back door blown wide open and a severe force of wind blowing in a pelleting blast of rain which quickly flooded the room. All this in a matter of a few minutes.  Then I spent the next several minutes mopping up the mess and praying that there is no  damage to the wood floor. Though there was no sin involved in this situation, it got me to think how quickly sin can blow through my life, cause havoc and then leave potential damage.  Meanwhile, I try my hardest to mop up the mess.
Is there a storm in your life? Is the blowing wind of the situation sending things in a whirlwind? Is the headwind of circumstances causing unnecessary pressure? Is there slamming and crashing of life's choices over taking all?
"The word of the Lord came to Jonah... But Jonah ran away from the Lord... "Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose  that the ship threatened to break up" Jonah 1:1,3,4
If there is a storm in your life, are you not listening, are you running from the Lord as Jonah did? I know for myself, there have been many times that I just didn't want to hear the truth and then I would start running in the opposite direction only to find myself lost and alone, thankfully, not in the belly of a great fish! Sin enters into the equation, causing a separation from the only one who can help in time of need, God.  Go figure, how smart is that.  It is not smart, but it is "self" that rears it's ugly head.

"But since you refuse to listen when I call
    and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
²⁵ since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
²⁶ I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
    I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
²⁷ when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

²⁸ “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
    they will look for me but will not find me,
²⁹ since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.
³⁰ Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,
³¹ they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
³² For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
³³ but whoever listens to me will live in safety
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

Prov. 1:24-33

The storm mostly likely is the consequences of the choices we have made. A storm caused from the result of rejection, refusal and/or rebellion, sin! We complain, a self-centered denial, and then we face the discipline of the Lord. But, there is a warning here as a believer, that we are never to think that the discipline of the Lord is anything but loving and gracious.  The enemy would have us believe otherwise thinking that the disciple is a cold-hearted punishment. Remember, His word speaks the truth.
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son" Heb. 12:5-11
The Lord disciplines us because He loves us.  Discipline should cause us to understand that, to repent and renew a relationship with Him. He wants us to succeed, to be holy as He is Holy so that our lives will reflect Him and His grace for us. Through the testings,trials and temptations, the circumstances, situations and life in general, the Lord is there with an open door to receive, repent and renew. 

“As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’"

1 Peter 1:15-16).

Lord, may the Raging Storms of our lives be calmed by the peace of a repenting heart.

When I look into your holiness

THE SONSHINE
Sunshine in the midst of clouds and clouds in the midst of sunshine.
The warmth and brightness of the sun, makes for a comfortable place, a welcoming, a feel good feeling.  The cool and darkness of a cloud cover, makes for eeriness, uncertainty and a dreary feeling.  How do and how can these two mix and intertwine in a life?
When life is rolling along, good things are all around and that feel good feeling is a welcome to the day, the clouds above are just an added fluff of comfort.
But when life is bumpy, full of potholes, troubled things are weighing the day down with a heavy feeling and the sun is no where to be seen, causing an overcast feeling.
Our emotions are dictated by what we feel and see. So how are we to keep those emotions where the Lord would have them be so that our lives would be engulfed in peace and comfort regardless of what the surrounding circumstances are.
As we look above to see sunshine or clouds,  God's word tells us to do exactly the same,  Look above to see the Son.
"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things" Col. 3:2
Paul tells us in Philippians,
"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure  whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do,  and the God of peace will be with you." Phil. 4:8-9
Things, people, circumstances, situations and just life in general, can and do set our day in motion. We can roll along just fine or we can stumble and fall. Either way, when we look up, let us look beyond the sunshine and clouds and gaze upon the  SON, Jesus Christ.

This is the Day the Lord has Made

For This Is The Day...        Good day to all.  God says, for this is the day that I have made for you.  I say, Thank you Lord. This day which has been given to me, I ask,  "what do I do with it, where do I begin in it and how will I end it?
"This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. ...  This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. ..." Ps. 118:24
       My day began seeking the Lord, praising Him, asking for blessings for those in my life and receiving His grace and His peace which passes all understanding. His peace is what I felt as I got up and prepared myself to face this day which has been given to me.        A day in our eyes is 24 hours long. Is a day in the eyes of the Lord the same, because His time is not the same as ours.  2 Peter 3:8 tells us, 
"With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." 
So really, how long, how many hours, how many minutes do I have? Better yet, what will I, what will you, what will we do with what has been given? I, personally, so want to be on fire for Jesus, giving Him my all every minute of the day.  Can I do that?  Yes, in His power and with His grace all things are possible.
""With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." ...

Mark 10:27

I want to stand on the mountain top and shout His name for all He has done for me!

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.
Serve the LORD with gladness;
  Come before Him with joyful singing.
Know that the LORD Himself is God;
  It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
  We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
  And His courts with praise.
  Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the LORD is good;
  His lovingkindness is everlasting
  And His faithfulness to all generations

Ps. 100

I want to give and I want to receive, Lord, I want to be a servant to all.

 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, 

and to give his life a ransom for many”

Mark 10:45 

“Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, 

but the interests of others as well”

Phil. 1:4

There are a lot of  "I wants" in this posting, but as I am growing and knowing who I am, a child of God, then I can have the confidence and assurance knowing that I can come boldly before Him and lay down my petitions and requests. His word is full of promises for me and you. If I am responsible with His promises and with this day that has been given me, I will be given the desires of my heart.

"Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shall you dwell in the land, and truly you shall be fed. Delight yourself also in the LORD: and he shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."

Ps. 37:3-5 

For This Is The Day.....

Do You See What I See?

Do You See What I See?

Sounds like a Christmas song in July, doesn't it.  Rest assured that I am not promoting the Christmas season today, especially as the world see's it. Although, Christmas really should be promoted everyday celebrating Jesus. But, that is not what I want to elaborate on today.
The story begins with an excited trip to the store to purchase a dress for a special occasion. The thought in this one's little heart was that she would have a cute dress to wear and enjoy the day in it. As it turned out, the one that was decided for her was not what she had in mind. Actually, her heart was crushed. The others thought it looked great on her, went well with her features and complimented her. But that wasn't what she saw.  She saw unattractive, not appealing and just not her.   Don't you see what I see?  It's not pretty on me, I don't look good in it, I don't like it.
How many times have I felt the same way. How many times have I thought I'm not pretty. It has taken a lot of years feeling that way until I diligently searched the  Word and found what God sees. In doing so, I now see differently. 
The first thing that I meditated on and got a hold of was,  Ps. 139:14 "I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; You works are wonderful"  If I doubt that, I doubt the ability of my Creator, I doubt His workmanship, I doubt who He is. The fact is, He is God and He makes no mistakes.
Second, was  1 Sam. 16:7 "But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have  rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." My true beauty is that which radiates from my heart.
 Third is, Pro. 31:30 "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Humility and reverence is wisdom.
Fourth, 1 Peter 3:3-4 "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." It is not all about me, rather it is all about Him.
And lastly,  Gen. 1:27,31 "God, created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." "God saw all that He had made, and it was very good." I am a child of God, created just the way I am because He loves me.
His Word is assuring and comforting. Each day that He gives me, I want to grow in that assurance and comfort and I want to be able to share that with others who haven't yet gotten a hold of it yet. I want to flip the thought of that precious little one's heart from  "Don't you see what I see" to "Look and see what God sees"
My prayer for her and for myself is this, 
Father God, search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.  In His most precious name, my Lord and Savior,  Jesus Christ
"

COMPLETION

Peace and Joy

 

Peace and Joy, that's the heading in my Bible in Romans 5. Peace and Joy are the very things that I experience early in the morning hours as I sit down with a cup of coffee in hand, look around at what I am blessed with and quiet my being so to hear His voice. I bow down before Him seeking His face, giving Him praise and asking for peace and joy in the day He has given me. And I wait expectantly as my day begins! "In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning  I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. Ps. 5:3 Have you read Romans 5:1-11 lately? In those verses, "we have" is written seven times, the number of completion. I love how the Word wraps itself around verse after verse. I'll explain further down, but for now, let's see just what it does say "we have". #1   -    we have been justified through faith #2   -   we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ #3   -   we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand through Jesus #4   -   we have the ability to rejoice in our sufferings because of God's love for us #5   -   we have the Holy Spirit who dwells within us #6   -   we have been justified by the blood of Jesus #7   -    we have been reconciled  Wow, what don't we have!!!!! Okay, now for the Word of God and how it wraps itself. I pointed out that there were seven things mentioned that "we have" and that seven is the number of completion.   In Rom. 5:3, it says,  "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance....".   Here is the wrapping, in James 1:2-4, God tells us, 
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
"being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil. 1:6
Completion! After reading His word, "we should for sure have" Peace and Joy!
Thank you Lord for Your word, for Your peace and joy which surpasses all understanding, for loving us first. Thank you for showing us how precious Your word is. Teach us Lord how to walk in Your Peace and Joy all the days of our lives. Amen

Humble Servants

Good morning and a good morning it is for  This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! The Lord blessed our land yesterday again with moisture which caused things to green up and bloom with color. As I look out my windows, I have the privilege to gaze upon a daily picture that the  Lord paints for me. I'm so blessed!

Well, today I am off to prepare salads and side dishes for a sister fellowship who have made their way to cooler weather and are camping in our beautiful forest. What an honor it is to be able to participate in the makings of an evening meal with some very special gals. These gals are special in that there was no hesitation when out of the blue I asked them if they would be willing to take on a new adventure. Once asked, the wheels began rolling, thoughts were put together and a plan was in motion in a blink of an eye.  Out of the way.... Salads are being made! I wonder if we are that willing and quick to respond when the Lord has a mission for us.  Or better yet, are we even hearing Him ask.   Mary did! She spoke to the angel and said,  "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word."  And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38 Mary's humble faithfulness and her obedience to the Lord should be a daily reminder to us when the Lord asks us to be about His business, obedient and willing with no hesitation at all and with joy in our hearts. If we have fallen in love with the Lord, there is no greater joy then to serve Him.  "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.  And His commandments are not burdensome." 1 John 5:3-4
Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.  Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth. 3 John 5-8 Father God, may we be found today willing and able to serve You humbly and faithfully.  May we be obedient to do all You are asking us to do.  May we be You servant today serving You with joy in our hearts. May we serve and love those You are placing before us. "1 John 3:16, "We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us;  and we ought to lay down our live for the brethren. In His Name we pray, Amen

Living in Arizona where it is hot and dry, we get the above warning every summer. I live in an area surrounded by forest, mostly green, but a lot burnt from unheeded warnings. The loss is great in so many ways. The beauty that once was something to gaze upon is no longer, the income that was generated is no longer, and the playground of my kids is no longer. But the warning was made, NO FIRES! It is amazing how some think they are entitled to a fire, after all, they drove miles just to get away from the heat and they want to enjoy sitting around a campfire in the cool of the forest. Or, how about the warning, Do Not Litter! If I throw one little cigarette butt out the window, come on, who's going to see that. Well, we will after it has burned and consumed hundreds of acres. The Bible is full of God's warnings to His people, past and present and future. In the old testament, in the Book of Jeremiah 36, God put out a very specific warning which was eventually burned.   God spoke to Jeremiah telling him to "take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoke to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now. Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, each of them will turn from his wicked way; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin."
Jeremiah dictated all the words the Lord had spoken to him to his scribe, Baruch. Jeremiah was restricted in going into the temple of the Lord, so he asked Baruch to go and read to the people what the Lord had said. WARNING RED FLAG SCROLL  Pay attention here or you might get burned!   Baruch obeyed Jeremiah, who obeyed the Lord, and he read to the people. The warnings in the scroll sparked a concerned to the officials in the secretary's room in the royal palace who saw a need to get word   to King Jehoiakim. Now, we got some place with this message, right, after all this is the King of our nation. 
"When three or four columns of the scroll had been read, the king cut them off  with a scribes knife and threw them in the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. The king and all his attendants who heard all the words showed no fear nor did they tear their clothes."
The story doesn't end here, no way, we serve a big and awesome God, remember! "After the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah's dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: "Take another scroll and write on it all the words that were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim King of Judah burned up."
Jeremiah obeyed and another scroll was written. Well, time passed and a new king reigned. This one was no better, "Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet."

WARNING RED FLAG SCROLL  Pay attention here or you might get burned! Wow, does that sound familiar!!!!  Are we, is our nation, being warned and nobody is listening to the word of the Lord. Are fires starting to consume our land?  Fires and land being  metaphor's. Are we seeing precious things that were right and safe, moral and pure, cherished and loved being burned in the fire before our eyes? Oh Lord, open our eyes to see that which is being consumed before us. Cause us to fall on our knees before You and repent of our wicked ways. Give us Your strength to stand firm in what we know is the truth from Your word. Let us not cut it up and put it in the firepot. Father, forgive us. How long will Your hand of grace remain on Your people and this nation.  For this day and the days You grant me, let me be found doing Your will and sharing the  truth of Your Word.

Hearts for God Have you ever noticed that when you do something, buy something or want something, all of a sudden it is everywhere like it was never there before.  In saying that, my heart has wanted to do this blog or at least write things that are on my heart with direction from the Lord for sometime now. So as I waited upon His timing, the door opened and here I am. Well, in sharing the blog, I soon found out about others near to me that are writing and doing the same as myself.  How awesome is that! My eyes are seeing God's word being shared to teach, to encourage, to edify and to just cry out. How blessed we are to be able to do that without being persecuted or told we can't, at this point anyways. There are so many scriptures about encouraging one another and I have written some myself in my past writings, but for today this is what I would like to share;
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."   Col. 3:12-17
"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God Reigns!" Isa. 52:7

"Thank you Lord for those who love You and know You, those who are taking a moment to share who You are. Bless them Lord, fill their cup with an abundance of Your Love so that it will overflow to those who are thirsting after You. Give them wisdom and knowledge, understanding and compassion as they share Your word.

A thought for the day.
"What if you woke up tomorrow with only the  things you thanked God for today!

Praying that your day yesterday was a blessing to you and yours! My day started out with an appointment to meet the Lord. Things were gathered and off to church I went. Greeted by church family with hugs, fellowship, encouragement and a prayer or two added for extra measure.  Songs of praise and worship filled the room and hearts. Greetings to one another were given, announcements read, praise reports heard and then prayer was requested. Needful and heartfelt prayers. Within our Fellowship, not small not large, actually just right and growing, there were some heavy requests brought to the Lord all within a short period of time.  The heavy stuff such as deaths, horrific accidents and illness and many not few. As our Pastor bowed before the Lord seeking His face, emotions arose as he cried out the requests.  Then he stepped forward getting our attention and offered Gods grace to the saved and to the lost. His question to us was if we knew where we would be if we weren't given today.  Those that perished didn't have a clue that their time here on earth was coming to an end.  I pray they knew our Lord. Do you know where you will be for eternity? As I was reading this morning in Isaiah 55 the all familiar verse 6 and 7 rose above the others.
"Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Le him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon." 
I personally have family members and friends that don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ. I know you do, too. What are we doing about it? Are we going out into the world and sharing Jesus.
"And he said to them, Go you into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned. …" Mark 16:15
Are we telling those we know and those we meet how much they are loved, no matter what? Are we sharing how they can be set free from their sins that are the darkness and the death of them today but can be the light and life from this day forward? Do we have the love of Christ in us enough to love as He loved us? Here is my self-evaluation mode again.  What am I and what are you doing today or for the days to come to share Jesus Christ?
Lord, I pray that I will be found seeking Your face, doing Your will and going out into all the world sharing Your love to those You put in my path.  Thank you Lord for loving me first.

God is so good

Gathering Around the Table

Independence Day

INDEPENDENCE DAY “Believers should seek to have their hearts established in simple dependence on free grace, by the Holy Spirit…”    This is part of a statement out of Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary.  Funny how God speaks to you sometimes. I was reading something altogether different then what my heart was desiring and then He gave me the desire of my heart. I wanted to share something about Independence/freedom/liberty, etc...being it is Independence Day and wa la, here it is. Thank you Lord. Let’s look at Independence:  self–sufficiency, self-dependence, self-reliance, self-subsistence, self-support Independence Day:  : a civil holiday for the celebration of the anniversary of the beginnings of national independence; specifically Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over the territory. The opposite of independence is a dependent territory. Let’s look at Freedom:  The condition of being free of restraints. Liberty of the person from slavery, detention, or oppression. Liberty: Liberty is the value of individuals to have agency (control over their own actions) The above definition are from WIKIPEDIA The Free Encyclopedia, today’s choice of definition. As Believers, we live by a different encyclopedia, the Bible. What does the Bible say about freedom? As we approach independence day the topic of freedom is on the hearts of many Americans. The Gospel teaches us about the freedom that comes from accepting Jesus Christ into your heart. The freedom that comes from knowing the truth will truly set your heart free, knowing the eternal implications. As you celebrate the fourth of July, also remember the freedom that you received as a gift from God. Share this freedom with others and you will help give the greatest gift that can be given. 2 Corinthians 3:17 #1 Freedom Independence Day Bible Verse- Spirit of the Lord Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Romans 8:21 - #2 Freedom Fourth of July Scripture Verse- Children of God that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. John 8:32 - #3 Independence Day Bible Verse- Truth and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Galatians 5:1- #4 Fourth of July Bible Verse on Freedom- Jesus Christ set us Free! It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Luke 4:18-19- #5 Independence Day Bible Verse- Teach others about the freedom in Christ "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are downtrodden, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord." Galatians 5:13 - #6 Forth of July Bible Verse- Serve one another with Love For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 1 Peter 2:13-17- #7 Independence Day Bible Verse- Honor and Love Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. Romans 6:18 - #8 Bible Verses for Independence Day ( 4th of July)- Righteousness and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. Romans 6:22 - #9 Fourth of July Freedom Bible Verses- Eternal Life But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. Psalm 119:45 -#10 Bible Verses on freedom for Independence Day- Liberty And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Thy precepts. I pray that these Bible Verses for Independence Day were helpful to you today. If you are a Christian and share the freedom that is from Christ, I encourage you to reflect on this freedom and show love to others by sharing your faith. Source: Holy Bible, New American Standard Version Published by Josh Wiley So in conclusion this morning, the opening statement, “Believers should seek to have their hearts established in simple dependence on free grace, by the Holy Spirit…”, spoke this to me: · “Believers” those of us who are called Children of God, those of us who believe that Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten son, who was born of a virgin, shared the Father with us, was crucified, bled for our sins, died and rose again,  who is alive and who dwells within our hearts. · “Seek” an action that believers must do daily, not seeking what the world has to offer but that which God has to offer. · “Hearts Established” committed, sincere, loving, joyful, peaceful, forbearing, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlling. · “Dependence”  on the One and Only, God Himself. We can not do it alone, we need the Lord in our lives. · “Free grace”  freedom that has set us free by the grace of God. Not freedom to do our will, but free by grace to do His will. · “Holy Spirit” the Comforter, the Counselor, the Helper, the Intercessor, the Advocate, the Strengthener Therefore, let us be found as believers, seeking the Kingdom of God with a righteous heart, which is completely dependent on Him knowing that He will complete the work which He began in us by His grace with the help of the Holy Spirit. Let today and every day forth, be your Independence Day. http://quiltedinspirations.blogspot.com/

Are You Willing

Lord, may we be found willing to do Your will this day.