Between Two Opinions...

 There are many decisions we must make in a day. Some smaller than others, and some that could affect our entire future.Sometimes we make decisions unknowingly, or just react from our opinion of things before we have the Lord's mind on the matter. As God's people, we should always base our opinions and decisions directly from God's Word and His commandments if we are to see true Revival.

I Kings 18 finds Elijah the prophet being sent to the wicked King of Israel, Ahab. Elijah was accused by Ahab of troubling Israel, because he had spoken by God's commandment, that there would be no rain for three years. This was  judgment toward Israel because they had stopped following God and were now worshipping Baal, the false god.Elijah said in verse 21, "How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him NOT A WORD."Does this not sound like the shape of our country and God's people? Ungodly leaders that blame 'right-winged' leaders for our troubles, and Christians that say we are God's people, but we appear to follow the ways of this world's god? In order for us to see real revival, we HAVE to make a choice. God says in Luke 16:13"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. ye cannot serve God and mammon (man)." We have to make a choice as to whom we will follow and obey. James 1:8 says, "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways." James 4:4 also tells us "that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? "

Elijah challenged the followers of Baal to a contest to see which God would answer their prayer and sacrifice by fire. Elijah had to repair the altar of the Lord that had been broken down BEFORE he could offer the sacrifice (vs.30). The altar was where they sought forgiveness of sins to have fellowship with Him. We have to have our personal altar repaired before we can obey and sacrifice, and see God's fire fall.The altar was made of stone, signifying it was built upon Jesus,(Matthew 16:18).Our forgiveness of sin is through the Saviour, our Rock, alone.Verse 32-35 of the same chapter say that he filled 4 barrels with water and soaked the altar with it three times. The water is a type of God's word. If he did it three times (for the trinity), then it would have been a total of 12 barrels all together. 12 in the Bible stands for perfection. We need to be "soaked" in God's PERFECT WORD, Psalm 19:7.Daily prayer and reading of the scriptures is when the Lord speaks to us.How can we be used, or know God's will for us if we neglect to do so? "Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read;" Isaiah 34:16a. "Pray without ceasing." I.Thess. 5:17. May the Lord help us to purpose as Daniel that we will come before him daily in prayer to seek His face. Hebrews 10:22a, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith...".

Lastly, after he repaired the altar, he prepared and offered the sacrifice. THEN the fire of God fell. Elijah was obedient to the commandment of the Lord and God showed Himself mightily to His people that day.He repaired what was broken between God and Israel. God honors faithfulness & obedience. "To obey is better than sacrifice," I. Samuel 15:22c.  Hebrews 11:6a says, "But without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please him...". After we get our hearts clean from sin and back in fellowship with Him, then we can obey and serve. God's fire fell, which showed He was pleased with Elijah and HIS power was on him. Israel saw this and said in verse 39 "..the Lord , he is the God..". When we walk with the Lord and obey Him, others can see His power in our lives.We are a walking testimony and proclaim Him to be Lord. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." Matthew 5:16. After, the sacrifice was accepted, God sent the blessing. Elijah said "....there is a sound of abundance of rain." (vs.41)

If we are to see the blessing of "rain", or revival in our homes, churches, and nation, we must choose to repair our altar, obey, and proclaim the name of Jesus. As Joshua said. ".....Choose ye this day whom ye will serve...AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD."

Revival Round-Up

I'm tired. I'm tired of just the same old thing when it comes to going to church, coming home, daily routine, and not seeing the Lord move. I'm tired of the state of our nation as a whole. Sinfulness, Godlessness abounds, and the Lord's people living as ungodly as the world. I'm tired. I in no way, shape or form, believe I am better than anyone. I know ALL of my failures, sins, and short-comings and I'm tired of them too, really most of all! The Lord has laid something on my heart that I need to share with all of you.

It's time we, YES I SAID WE, as God's people, do something. It's time to change this parched wilderness we are quickly becoming. We are supposed to be living on "HIGHER GROUND,"and most of us are barely treading water. What is wrong with us? We are supposed to be working to grow the Lord's kingdom, and we're seemingly only seeing "stalemate" instead.This DEFINITELY is not the Lord's fault, IT IS OURS! We need to do business with God. WE NEED REVIVAL! Yes, I said WE AGAIN! Trying to change our nation, towns, churches, and homes, WILL NOT HAPPEN, until WE change.

My blog is mostly aimed at ladies. We know that in God's true Word, the KJV, it clearly states that women are not to be preachers. That's not demeaning AT ALL TO US! It is part of God's perfect order for the home found in Gen 3. We have jobs to do that only WE CAN DO, that the Lord wants us to take care of that the men can't! But this does not mean that we cannot work WITH them! Didn't God take a rib from Adam's side so Eve could stand WITH him, side to side? They were "fruitful and multiplied" and grew the human race, and we are to do the same with our husbands to grow the church! Didn't the early pioneers who headed out west to GROW our nation do the same? The women worked side by side with the men in the fields, plowing and sowing. They were the original Cowgirls, hence the title of this post. They helped round-up the cattle and get the job done. We need to look to their example today. These early families were mostly Christian, or at LEAST God fearing, according to documented history. Today, Satan is working double-over time to destroy and attack the home. Several friends and family I know are going through this . It has broken my heart like you would not believe!
 I am asking for you to consider all of this. I feel the Lord would have me to start a group called Revival Round-Up among God's women. We ALL need to search our hearts and lift them up to the Lord as in Psalms 143. The whole psalm is about turning our soul and being to the Lord for help. We need to confess OUR sins and turn to God in repentance. "If MY PEOPLE, (not the lost), which are called by MY NAME, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; THEN will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." II Chronicles 7:14. THIS IS IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM A CLICK! I WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR! GOD KNOWS MY HEART! I am asking all of my sisters in the Lord to join in this group, not flippantly, but with a burden as well. I am asking you to commit to pray for revival in our own souls, our homes, our churches, and also our nation everyday.I am sure if the Lord has dealt with me about this, that I am not the only one that feels this way. Only when Esther and the leaders of Israel in her day, took a stand for the Lord, did God bring them revival and Jerusalem was rebuilt. Our homes and nation need rebuilding like NEVER BEFORE! We need her same attitude of "if I perish, I perish!" Esther 4:16. Then, I want all of us to share how God is moving. Sometimes we NEVER hear how God IS blessing to know how He is moving. I want Revival Round-up to be a post for listing your burdens and praises! We all need to encourage one another, Galatians 6:2 &3. The group is listed on Facebook as Revival Round-up. I need to hear from you to be added, as it is a seperate group page that was made, and that's how they are set up through Facebook.(It is definitely not a pick and choose thing!)Even if you aren't on Facebook, and want to be included, email me at stndn4jesus@sc.rr.com and you will be.

Psalms 85:2-6 "Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of they people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath; thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? WILT THOU NOT REVIVE US AGAIN;THAT THY PEOPLE MAY REJOICE IN THEE?" 

What are YOU lookin' at?

Many things in our daily lives fight for our attention, whether it be our jobs, children, or different problems that may arise. If we aren't careful, they can begin to take the main focus of our time and thoughts. We begin to spend all of our efforts on attending to them and often times the Lord comes in last place, when in fact, He should be the main person we are looking at.As Christians, we need the Lord to guide us in every aspect of our daily lives. From the smallest decision we make, or may even the biggest trial of our lives, we need His direction. How can we know what we are supposed to do if we are not looking to Him?

We need to look over our problems to what he has called us to do. One of the most famous portions of scripture is Matthew 14: 22-36 when Peter walked on the water to Jesus. They disciples were sent before Jesus to the other side of the sea so that He could be alone to pray. They obeyed and went, but suddenly found themselves in the middle of storm. The Bible says that the winds were contrary, or against them, and the waves were tossing them about. No doubt, they were struggling to keep the boat afloat! Then, in the fourth watch of the night, they saw Jesus walking on the water to them! Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a trial right after you obeyed the will of God for your life? You have done nothing wrong, but everything seems to be going wrong?That's what happened to the disciples. The Lord SENT them. They had obeyed, and now they seemed to be in trouble! These are simply trials to strengthen us. I Peter 1:7 says,"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth, thought it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." Isn't it interesting that the Lord chose PETER as the one to pen this verse? ;)  But notice that Jesus came to them in the fourth watch of the night, this is the darkest hour of the night, just before dawn starts to break! Jesus was walking on TOP of the water! Rest assured, that in our darkest hour, Jesus will come to help us, for we are His children, and He is always on TOP of things! Jeremiah 29:11"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

We need to be looking to Jesus so we can hear Him speak to us.The Lord will not only come to help us, but He will speak encouragement to our hearts. He told them to "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid." Peter still had doubts to the One speaking those words. Have you ever been so turned around that you didn't know if that voice from within ,speaking to you, was your own thoughts, or those of the Lord Himself?He asked the Lord if He could come out, in the storm, on the water to Him, to make sure it was him. The Lord said, "Come." We are ALWAYS WELCOME to come to the Lord, into His throne room, for we have access as His child, (Heb 4:16.)We can come to Him in prayer to confirm His voice as He speaks to us.

Lastly, we need to keep our eyes on His Word to stay afloat. Peter stepped out of the boat on faith. He started out right, with His eyes on the Lord, and trusting in the word He had just spoken to him. He was walking, by faith, on the PROMISE of the Lord to him. When the Lord told him to come, that let Peter know he could make it.Only when he put his attention back on the storm itself, did he start to sink.The Lord has promised not to put more on us than we can bear, (I Corinth.10:13.)We can stand, like Peter, on the water, which is HIS WORD, and walk with our eyes on Him. We need to purpose in our hearts to not let circumstances or fear get our attention. It may not be easy, but through faith, it CAN be accomplished. Think about Noah-he was promised to be saved alive in the ark, even though he and his family heard the destruction crashing in around them. The only thing he had to go on was God's promise,or His word (Gen 6:8-22) and a window (Gen. 6:16) to look up out of, which was in the top of the ark, pointed directly to God. They were the only things the Lord provided him, because they were ALL he needed!

As we endeavor to walk here for the Lord, in the path He has chosen for us, may we keep our eyes on Jesus to stay focused on what He has called us to do. Let our eyes see when He is speaking to us, and let us LOOK to His word for His promise, so our faith will be strengthened. So, what are YOU lookin' at?

Jesus Loves the Little Children

  Sadly, today marks the 40th anniversary of the landmark court ruling in the Roe vs. Wade case that legalized abortion. There will be a  Pro-life rally at the South Carolina Courthouse today at 12 noon. If you live in the area, I know the organizers will greatly appreciate your support.

A local pastor preached on this topic Sunday night. The Lord impressed upon my heart to do a devotional on this topic, to help bring awareness to this tragic plague of sin that has engulfed out country. Sadly, it has been brushed under the rug!

If you are at home reading this, look around at your family photos. More than likely there are children in them, either your own or nieces, nephews, etc. Take a minute and imagine what that photo would look like without them. Not only would that be an empty place in the picture, but a missing life that the Lord created and intended to bring Him glory. Think of all that those little ones would not have been able to do had they not been born. In this country alone, 55 MILLION empty spaces are in photographs. You read that right! 55 million precious lives in the last 40 years have been snuffed out by a murderous practice called abortion.This is not just a political opinion as some would brush it off to be, but the killing of a God-created life.

This practice is not new, just of the last forty years though. Solomon states in Ecclesiastes 1:9 "...there is no new thing under the sun." The first recorded attempt of mass murder was recorded in Exodus Chapter 1:16 when Pharoah instructed the midwives that aided the Hebrew mothers that were delivering to kill all the male children as they were being born. This is the first time we read of partial-birth abortion being "legalized" since it was an order from the ruling powers. Praise the Lord the midwives did not give heed to his decree, but the Bible says they feared God and saved the men children alive. (Ex. 1:17) Since His Satanic plan backfired, he decreed that all male babies be cast into the river Nile. (Ex. 1:22) Satan was working behind the scenes trying since the beginning of time to affect or stop the Christ-child from being born. We don't know why God ALLOWED this to happen,and we may never know. (Isaiah 55:8) But we can know that each one of those children are in the presence of the Lord as we speak. (II Samuel 12:22&23)

When the Lord gives life to another human soul, it is NEVER, NEVER a mistake! Gen. 2:7 says, "And the Lord God FORMED man of the dust of the ground, and BREATHED into his nostrils the BREATH OF LIFE, AND MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL!" It's not just Adam that the Lord made on purpose, but EACH person that is on earth. Even though children may be conceived under unholy circumstances, the Lord is the one that has ALLOWED it to happen.He is the ONLY giver of life! HE is the one that made that decision, and HE knows best. We have no idea how he plans to use that child's life for His glory. Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Each soul He has created has a purpose. King Solomon was born from a marriage that stemmed from adultery, and he was used greatly of the Lord and was the wisest man to ever live on earth! (II Sam.12:24, I Kings 3:5-12) One of the great prophets, Jeremiah, was called to preach BEFORE the Lord created him! Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thous camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations!" John the Baptist was used before he was born as well (Luke 1: 39-45).How many preachers, missionaries, faithful lay workers, preacher's wives, and godly leaders have we lost? I believe this may be part of the reason we have such an ungodly generation of young people coming along.If they are told murder is alright, what does that say to them about obeying and serving a righteous God that is LIFE Himself?

 Jesus loved the little children of his day and he certainly loves all of the children in our day-born and unborn. Mark 10:14 says, "But when Jesus saw it, he was MUCH DISPLEASED, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God." If God doesn't hold guiltless the shedder of blood,  (Genesis 9:6), what does that say for our nation? Forty is the number in the Bible that represents trial, tribulation, or punishment for sin. This 40th anniversary, our nation needs prayer now more than ever for the blood that is on our hands. We may try to "wash our hands" of it as Pilate did, but it's stains are crimson and cries out to God as did Abel's  (Gen.4:10). God doesn't wink at sin and has promised to let us reap what we have sown (Gal. 6:7-9). May the Lord help our leaders and people to have their eyes opened to this horrific practice. Christians, pray for our leaders, as we are instructed to do so, (Heb. 13:7) whether or not you like them or agree with them. The powers that be are ordained of God (Romans 13:1), to fulfill his purpose. We're only reaping what we have sown as a nation for our godless living. Pray for revival in these last days, if not for anything else, for the sake of our children.

 Please pass this along or link it to as many people as you know, or to someone you may know that is considering an abortion. May the Lord have mercy on His people and our nation as a whole.

"For thou hast possessed my reins; thous hast covered me in my mother's womb.I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How PRECIOUS also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!" Psalms 139:13-17.
 
Jesus loves me this I know,
for the BIBLE tells me so,
little ones to HIM BELONG,
they are WEAK,
BUT HE IS STRONG!

Consider It....

As fast-paced as our world is today,we barely have time to think straight! Few are the moments to think beyond one minute on a certain thing, unless it is a major issue at hand. But, in God's Word, we are told to consider a few things.

We should firstly consider the Lord's wonders. Psalms 8:3&4 says, "When I CONSIDER thy heavens and the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained, what is man that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him?"God has created all of these wonders for "his good pleasure"Rev.4:11, and put man in charge of the earth's keep, Gen.2:15. The phrase "work of thy fingers" gives attention to the finest detail of all of His creation, which in NO WAY could have just banged into existence on its own.(More faith is required to believe that than to trust God's Word!) This is not meant for us to "hug trees" by any means, but to appreciate the beautiful things that He has made for us to enjoy. Even the sunrise we take for granted everyday is a miracle, for it's something only God can do!
 
There are also two particular parts of nature that the Lord wants us  to consider-the fowls of the air(sparrows) and the lilies of the field, Matthew 6:26-28. He pointed out these two things to teach us an important truth.He will take care of all of our NEEDS. Verses 30-34 of the same chapter says He knows that we have needs for clothes, food, etc.If the Lord cares enough for some of the smallest members of His creation that have no eternal soul, HOW MUCH MORE does HE KNOW OUR NEEDS, and has promised to provide them? "We have a heavenly Father above, with eyes FULL OF MERCY and a HEART FULL OF LOVE!'

Haggai 1:5 tells us,"Now therefore thus saith the Lords of hosts; Consider your ways." What a command from the Lord! Here He was talking to the Jewish remnant that was supposed to be rebuilding the Temple, and they had stopped. He went on to say in verses 6-11 that they were more concerned with preparing their own wants and needs FIRST over taking care of His work. How many times are we guilty of the same thing? Are we more worried about getting things we THINK  we need or want, while the work of the Lord goes lacking? He went on to say that their troubles were a direct result of their lack of service. May the Lord help us to "..seek ye First the kingdom of God and HIS righteousness; and all of these shall be added unto you." Matthew 7:33.

Lastly, we should consider how the Lord handled troubles while here on earth.Hebrews 12:3 says "For CONSIDER Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds" The Lord was constantly hounded by the Pharisees and scribes who THOUGHT they could catch the Lord in His words.(How foolish when He IS THE WORD!)The Lord suffered these people their arrogance, pride, and ignorance with all of the power and grace that is attributed to Him. When fiery darts and ridicules are shot at us, may we behave in the same manner the Lord did-respond with the Word. Satan himself was even afforded that grace (Matthew 4:1-11), when he tried to tempt the Lord in the wilderness! Lord help us to not be wearied at attempts to hinder and hurt in His service, but remember that if "religious" leaders of His day did so,then they of our day and the lost will do the same. May Jesus help us remember that in days before salvation, we did the same ! I Corinthians 6:11 "Such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus,and by the Spirit of our God."God help his people to remember this in our dealings with the brethren as well!

So, as we take time to spend with the Lord, and along the course of our daily routine, may we also "...CONSIDER how great things he hath done for you!" I Samuel 12:24.

Get Your Girdle On!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK. New Year's Spiritual Weight Loss Plan, Spiritual Comfort Food. But what gear or tools do we need to help us accomplish these two? A Spiritual Girdle!

A girdle is defined as a light-weight garment that is used for support and to give a slimmer appearance, that encircles, binds, or limits.They help keep things where they need to be!?:) I Peter 1:13 says,"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind,be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;". We need to keep our minds where they need to be, in order to be sober, or think clearly, to do the work that the Lord has given us to do. Isaiah 26:3 says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." Romans 8:6 says,"For to be carnally minded is death;but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." If we keep our thoughts bound and focused on Jesus, we can keep our minds internally girded and limited to the thoughts we need to think.Our spiritual girdle for the exterior of our mind is the helmet of salvation mentioned in Eph. 6:17. We need it protect from outside attacks or snares that are placed before us. This helmet helps us, "...be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect, will of God."Romans 12:2. It gives us the support of a girdle to keep our thoughts from "slipping out" :) from where they need to be.If it's not any of these things mentioned, get away from it!!!!!Get your mind readjusted back on the Lord and spiritual things!
A girdle is also light-weight and not hard to carry. Matthew 11:29&30 says, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy,and my burden is light."If we gird up ourselves to follow Jesus, He has promised to bear the burden for us. When we pull ourselves into a girdle, we don't keep our stomachs sucked in all day of our own strength. We let the girdle do the hard work, because there is no way we could do that allllllllll day long! But, the girdle can! It bears the load. Jesus will bear our load for us! Vs 28 of the same chapter says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." The Lord will keep us encircled on every side to keep us and protect us. Psalms 139:5 "Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me."
Lastly, a girdle gives us a slimmer appearance. In our Christian walk, the world should see less of us, and more of Jesus. John 3:30 says, "He must increase, but I must DECREASE." We need to die to our wants and desires, and make them the LORD'S wants and desires. The more we walk with Him, the more this will happen. Phillipians 3:10 "That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made comformable unto his death."

May we let our spiritual girdle bind our minds on spiritual things, help us carry our load, and keep us encircled to walk the paths of righteousness, so that the world sees less of us! Phillipians 4:7"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."Get your girdle on!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

He's ABLE!

  While at home last night with a sick husband and child, I heard a preacher online that preached on this thought-He's ABLE. It was a good message! As I went about my daily errands and routine today, the Lord showed me some things that He is ABLE to do for us.

The first and most important fact is that He is ABLE to save us. This was the main theme of the preacher's message.Hebrews 8:25 says,"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." We were NOT ABLE to save ourselves. Since we had nothing to do with our salvation, other than receiving it, then keeping it is NOT up to us. It is all the ability of the Lord. The last half of the verse says "He ever liveth." If He ever liveth, then HIS salvation is as ETERNAL as He IS! Since the Lord is the one holding us in His hand, and picked us up out of the miry clay, then we can be assured He will not let us go! John 10:28 says we shall NEVER perish!We couldn't get out of His Hand if we wanted to, and if we are truly His child, that would NEVER be our desire anyway!

Our Lord is also able to supply any need that we have while walking here with Him on this earth. Ephesians 3:20 says,"Now unto Him that is ABLE to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." Our need may be physical, emotional, or spiritual.Even if it is one or all three of these, He's ABLE! Are you tired from constant pain and need rest? He's ABLE! Do you have a monetary need and have no idea how it will be met? He's ABLE! Is there someone you have been praying a very long time for that needs salvation? He's ABLE! The Lord is not only able to meet all of these needs for us, He can do it "exceeding abundantly!"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus!"

 The Lord is also able to succour. "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is ABLE to succour them that are tempted." Succour simply means relief. Our Lord can give us the relief we need, when we need it! He knows how to take our load off of our shoulders when we come to HIM for help! Isaiah 40:11 says,"He shall feed his flock like a shepherd:he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and CARRY them in HIS bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young." He picks us up and carries us when we feel we can't go on any longer. He promised to give us rest in Matthew 11:28 if we come to Him. Just like a mother that picks up her weary baby that is stumbling around learning to walk, He will lift us close to HIS bosom and speak peace to our souls! "I will hear what God the Lord will speak; for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints.."!(Ps.85:8a)

HE IS ABLE to save, supply, and succour us. May we all keep these promises from God's word in our hearts to remind us "...being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was also ABLE to perform!" HE IS ABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!


 

Comfort Food!!

After my last post, New Year's Weight Loss Resolution,the Lord gave me the idea of Comfort Food! This is mainly what diets keep you away from right? Well, our Spiritual diet for the New Year  should be full of Comfort food!  I don't mean macaroni or fried chicken, even though we preacher's wives tend to have our share of it :). I'm talking about finding true Comfort and spiritual food from THE COMFORTER in  God's Word!
Most people crave comfort food. As God's children, we should crave or desire His Word. I Peter 2:2&3 says, "As newborn babes, Desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." Just like a baby wants his milk (his comfort food from Mom), so should we crave our spiritual food from our Heavenly Father! It is essential to our spiritual growth. Just as milk strengthens a newborn, the Word strengthens our soul and spirit to grow stronger for Him. After spending time in God's Word and getting strength, He will eventually give us some meat as well! (Hebrews 5:14.)
Once you have comfort food, you want a lot of it! "A little dab will do ya" doesn't work here! Half a plate please! :) Psalms 23:5 says "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup RUNNETH OVER!" We can drink from the saucer because the Lord promises to fill our cup to over-flowing! We don't have to leave the Lord's banquet table  hungry because He is our portion (Lam.3:24)! We know there is no end to Him! We can eat until our heart's content!
Savoring goes along with this food. We love the great taste and sweetness to it, but Psalms 119:103 says "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" His Word should be so good to us that we shouldn't ever want it taken away (Psalm119:43)!
Lastly, most of the time comfort food is sought is in sadness or distress. Let us run to the banquet house of God's manna to lift our spirits! Psalm 119:28 "My soul melteth for heaviness:strengthen me according unto thy word," & Psalm 119:50 "This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me."
So, as we start our day with the physical comfort of hot java, may we also include our spiritual cup as well!
Psalm 34:8 " O taste and see that the Lord is good!" :)

New Year's WEIGHT Loss Resolution

Resharing this older post from 7 years ago! Praying it is still a help to you! 

A popular New Year's resolution is to lose weight. It is also one of the most dreaded due to the work that is involved in doing so! We know that the benefits often outweigh the work put into it. But did you realize that the Bible talks about WEIGHT  loss that every Christian should resolve to keep? Hebrews 12:1b says,"....let us lay aside EVERY WEIGHT and the SIN which doth so easily beset us,...).Like extra physical weight that slows our bodies down, different things we struggle with hinder us in our daily walk with the Lord.
Although these weights and sins affect everyone of us as believers, they differ from person to person. The weights mentioned in this verse do not necessarily have to be wrong for us to do. I Corinthians 6: 12 says, " All things ARE lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient(profitable): all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." It may be something that keeps us away from the things we should do, such as reading our Bible and praying. Could it be time spent on the computer that keeps us from having adequate time to read and pray? Maybe your favorite TV show, books, or other hobbies are the culprits? All of these things in and of themselves are not wrong, but when they take precedence over what we need to do daily to stay close to the Lord, then it becomes a weight. It is keeping us pressed down from reaching "higher ground" for the Lord.  Other weights that can slow us down are fear, holding on to past hurts, or feeling we are not able to do anything for God. We need to be humble for sure, but when we become so engulfed in feeling that we can't be used to do anything, often the result is just that. The Lord's only prerequisite for service is the ability of availability. We have to be willing to do anything and trust God for His ability to help us complete the task at hand.
Sin is different from weights that slow us down. Weights have to be dropped while we are still serving, but sin breaks service. Sin not only hinders our walk but harms it. It will act as a cancer if not dealt with. It definitely breaks our fellowship with the Lord until forgiveness is sought and put under the blood, If it is allowed to stay and hold us down, tragedy can occur. An example is bitterness over a long period of time. It should not be allowed past a root (Heb.12:15.)It will trouble and engulf us,and eventually defile us.We can't be used for God or grow in bitterness.
Whether it is a spiritual weight or sin that is slowing us down, let us "lay aside" all of them so that we can "run with patience the race set before us, " ICorinthians 12:1c.

Basket Case!

                                                   



Do you ever feel like a basket case? I'm sure if we're all honest our answer would be YES! You especially know what I mean if you're a Moma! :) Sometimes you wish you could crawl into a basket to get away from everything even if it were for just a minute! (Forget Calgon-who has the time to soak in a tub!) I was listening to a local preacher on the radio the other day and a comment he made gave me a different definition of what basket case means. He was preaching on Moses and made the comment that Moses went from being a basket case to a blessing! "Pretty good," I thought. That got me thinking about all of the times the Lord used a basket to accomplish His Work.
 The first one was of course Moses. This basket was used for protection.That loving mother, Jochebed, carefully used her skilled hands in weaving to make a safe cradle for her baby boy. This ark, as Ex. 2:3 calls it, was made of bulrushes and daubed with slime and pitch to make a water-proof seal inside it. This seal is representative of the Holy Ghost. When we accept Christ as our Saviour, we are placed in His protection by the Seal of the Holy Ghost (Ephesians 1:13.) This is His promise to us for protection to keep us safe as we walk in this ungodly world. We are safe from all harm, with only the things touching us that the Lord allows.This is as long as we stay in the safety of God's will for our lives. We need to know where God wants us to be and live a pleasing life for Him. Just as Moses was shielded from the dangers of the Nile, we will be shielded as well.
 The second basket was the one used by the disciples to lower Paul down over the wall for escape out of Damascus. The Jews had taken counsel to kill him after they heard of his conversion and preaching in the synagogues. The Jewish leaders had just lost their #1 man in trying to get rid of the Christians through persecuting them. Now, he had joined their side. No wander they wanted him dead! Isn't this how it is when we get saved? The devil certainly isn't happy about it, and he will do whatever he can to try to stop our work for Christ. Damascus was where Paul was saved and THEN started serving the Lord. He didn't get saved and just sit in the street that was called Straight (Acts 9:11.) He started following God and did want He wanted Him to for His service. This basket moved Paul from the point of salvation, to the Passage of service. It was the Lord's tool, once again, for protection, but also for moving Paul along in the path that He wanted him to follow for his life.

 The third time baskets are mentioned is at the feeding of the 5,000 plus in Matthew 14:20. The disciples gave to the multitude what the Lord blessed and broke, and then He instructed them to take up the fragments, or leftovers. The Bible says that 12 baskets were taken up! How many disciples were there? 12! At first the disciples didn't think they would have enough with 5 loaves and 2 fish to feed everyone, then the Lord gave MORE THAN ENOUGH  (vs.20) for them eat, with 12 baskets let over for each disciple. Notice it didn't say the disciples ate when the people did. It says they GAVE to the multitude.  God WILL provide for our needs as we serve Him and give to Him FIRST! These were provisional baskets!(Kinda give new meaning to leftovers right?) :) The Lord has promised our needs to His faithful children (Phillipians 4:19.)
So, the next time you feel like a basket case, remember its ok! Remember the basket you're in gives you protection, passage, and provision! Unlike Calgon's promise to "take you away", one day our Basket of Salvation WILL!

Pain, Pain Go Away!

(Repost to help those I know going through a hard time right now_) The rain we are getting here in Sumter is definitely an essential blessing that we need from the Lord. But for those of us that suffer from chronic pain, we know all too often that it ushers in more than just the showers we need: then comes PAIN. Often before the weather front reaches us, the pain does. How many times have I realized that I was complaining, to honestly stop short of saying things that I knew I SHOULDN'T say, because I was hurting sooo bad! I have rheumatoid arthritis, was cleared of the possiblity of cancer last year(Amen!)from biopsies, and a whole other slue of health problems that I'm not gonna bore you with! :) But, in the midst of all of the problems, especially last year, the Lord showed me something. I was sitting at my kitchen table last year after major surgery at MUSC in Charleston, and I was hurting REALLY BAD. I have a large picture window in front of my table, so I was looking out of it and praying, saying  Lord, please help me. I am hurting so bad. I don't know if I can take it anymore! Then the Lord directed my eyes to something on the other side of the road. My neighbor has a lighted cross that he has left up all year long since last Christmas. I saw it and the Lord said. I know exactly how pain feels, even more so,  and I know how you feel right now! THANK GOD that we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities..Hebrews 4:15a. The Lord quickly reminded me that He has felt every pain and emotion while being here on Earth that we go through EVERYDAY! But what's most important is that He suffered the worst pain imaginable. It's true that there is ALWAYS someone who has had it worse than we have! But the good news is that He has provided a way for us to make it through this pain. The first way is to be saved through His blood. In it lies the power to save, forgive and cleanse.As His child, we have access to His help and throne room. Second of all, is through HIS grace. II Corithinians  12:9 says"...My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness, Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my inifirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me." If we want power over our pain, the answer is His Grace. Now, that doesn't mean the pain is going to leave as some would say, name it and claim it, but if we ask for His grace, He will help us bear it. Sometimes the mental strain it places on you can be as bad as the pain itself. This is definitely where the Lord has to help! "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee... " Isaiah 26:3a. If we keep an attitude of prayer and ask for His help, He has promised to help, and we know that God cannot break His promises. One other thing that I have learned is that I do have the power in one regard: to either LET this pain make me BITTER, or choose to let it make me BETTER! When it is viewed to help make me closer to the Lord, and rely on Him for His help and power, it is muuuuuch more bearable. I want Christ's power to rest upon me, and if this is the only way that the Lord can keep my stubborn attention, so be it! I don't say this like I am super-spiritual, but I know my tendencies as you know yours. We all struggle with different things, and the Lord knows where we all need help. So, as we pull through another day of hurting and tiredness, may we purpose in our hearts to keep the Lord's grace before us to help us bear our burdens and follow Him. May this burden He has allowed us to carry keep us BETTER able to serve Him and be sensitive to the needs of others, and not BITTER that leads to being put on the shelf! A spoonful of sugar (God's grace) does help the medicine go down!!! :)

The Next BIG thing?

"Bigger is better."This saying is popular in our society. We're told we need bigger tvs, bigger cars, bigger houses, and the list goes on. This mindset is consistent in setting us up for a need to get more and more to top the last thing we had or accomplished. But, what ever happened to appreciating the little things in life? Why has the value of seemingly small things been reduced to little or none at all?Small things are the building blocks that give way TO something bigger. An example would be the things that we do everyday.  How do you look at those daily tasks you perform? Do they seem insignificant or of no use at all? God's Word says in Zech 4:10"For who hath despised the day of small things?...."  God is constantly at work in our lives everyday, and in control of the smallest detail. He is ever orchestrating events to accomplish His will in our lives and the lives of others around us. One example from God's Word is the little boy with 5 loaves and two fishes. He saw the need, had a willing heart,and gave the LITTLE he had. Not what he thought would be a big meal, but what he HAD. The Lord was the one that took the offering of the LITTLE boy and made it BIG.My guess is that little boy had no idea how much it would be blessed to meet the need of over 5 thousand people!  God is using us in ways that we cannot fathom or begin to understand. All it may take is a kind word to someone who is having a bad day, a phone call to a shut-in, or even a hug to one of the children in our lives. I've watched the Lord use the little things that are said and taught in Sunday School speak to children's hearts in the result of salvation. It's the little things that get the job done. Doesn't the scripture say that the Lord speaks to us in a still SMALL voice?( I Kings 19:12) We know for certain that GOD is big, and if He takes care of things in small ways, who are we to think that what He asks us to do is not BIG? I Corinthians 3:6 says, "So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase." So, as we embark on another year of work here for the Lord, may we realize,that in whatever it is that He has called us to do, that the next BIG thing for Him may just be the LITTLE one! Remember: LITTLE is MUCH when GOD is in it! :)