Blessed Is He

"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, 

And in whose spirit there is no deceit. 

When I kept silent, my bones grew old 

Through my groaning all the day long. 

For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; 

My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah 

I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. 

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” 

And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah" 

(‭Psalms‬ ‭32‬:‭1-5‬ NKJV)

Most think of being "blessed" as "things" received from God! David had everything anyone could possible want but valued forgiveness from God a true blessing! 

To receive that "Blessing" though, took repentance, on David's part!  This scripture shows David first: realizing where he was; examining his heart he knew he had hidden sin in his heart because of a dry, heaviness in his heart!

When he realized his sin, he humbled himself and acknowledged it. It was no longer hidden. He then confessed his sin and received his forgiveness! 

"Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him." (‭Psalms‬ ‭32‬:‭10‬ NKJV)

We have many troubles in this life but separation from God spiritually, because of our sin, causes the greatest sorrow!

"For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones." (‭Isaiah‬ ‭57‬:‭15‬ NKJV)

Examine your heart! Be truthful with yourself! God already knows what's there, you are not fooling Him! If you are unsure of what you have done, ask Him to reveal to you, your sin. Then humble yourself and lay down your pride! That is repentance! Saying the words, "I repent" means nothing if it is not said from the heart willing to turn from it's wickedness! God knows the difference! 

Then pray from your heart: "God do to me whatever it takes to make me, the way You want me!"

When your heart does not condemn you - 

then you have joy!

"Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!" (Psalms‬ ‭32‬:‭11‬ NKJV)

Repent while there is still time!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 8/4/14, 12/30/14

And Why Do You

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."(‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭3-5‬ NKJV)

Everyone has something against their neighbor! 

Everyone wants their side to be heard! 

I'm here to tell you it doesn't matter, who did what! "It" is not about you and anyone - other than God. 

Your relationship with God is of paramount importance and your obedience to Him the ONLY thing that matters!

"“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭14-15‬ NKJV)

"“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."(‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭1-2‬ NKJV)

Do you need forgiveness?

Then you'd better forgive!

You have judged your neighbor to be wrong in the event you are holding against them, (and they may be), however God says don't do it! 

He doesn't say don't judge "unless"! 

He says "DON'T" - period! 

Again it's not about you and them - it's about you and your relationship with God! 

All of the drama, all of the chaos, all of the hurt feelings are all orchestrated by the enemy and intended to get you to sin; to distract and separate you from God! 

He's done his work very effectively! And he started when you were very young! The hurts you received as a young child, have impacted your every decision, your entire life! It's time to break the yoke you are under! 

You need to repent of the unforgiveness you have been holding onto, for so long! 

 Meet with a trusted friend and confess your sin, repent and let them pray for you!

"Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (‭James‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ NKJV)

You need to obey! 

You need to stop making excuses and listening to the lies of the enemy! 

Lay down your pride!

Confess!

Repent!

Obey!

Freedom only comes from obedience! 

Blessings only come from obedience!

Worship Him in obedience!

True Worship is obedience.

While there is still time!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 7/21/14

For You Do Not

"For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise. (Psalms 51:16, 17 NKJV)

Have you ever been broken? 

Are you broken now?

Did you know that that is a very good place to be?

When you come to the end of yourself that is when you find God! 

As long as you are trusting that "you can", He won't! 

The purpose, of the very storm you are going through, is to bring you to where you need God! If you still have plans on how you will get out of the mess; overcome this trial; be or stay strong, then you don't need God! It's when the options have run out and you throw your hands up and surrender that He steps in! 

If you are praying for a person or a situation, and yet are still in your own strength trying to "help God", you are tying His hands! 

Do you remember when your children were young; them attempting to do something for the first time and you wanting to help them, but they pushed you away because the were determined to do it themselves; so you stepped back and kept your hands off! Well God is like that too! When His children have gotten themselves in a pickle and ask for His help but won't relinquish control, He just steps back and waits until we've exhausted all avenues; until in desperation we cry out to Him, "Help me LORD!"

The world and the church believe that God wants us to be strong. That is a lie! 

"But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”" (James 4:6 NKJV)

When we come to the end of ourselves; when we humble ourselves before God and cry out to Him, the He will act!

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." (Ephesians 6:10 NKJV)

Being strong in The LORD, is not relying on our own abilities! 

If you can do it; if you are "staying strong" then you are getting the glory and THAT  does  not please God! He wants all the glory!

If you step away and let Him have total control; if you don't help Him; THEN you will see a miracle occur and there will be no doubt that He did it! He WILL get ALL the glory!

He may or may not use man to accomplish His task, but I promise you, the solution will be in His perfect time and you WILL know it was God!

Do let go of the control that you THINK you have!

Repent of trying to be God!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 5/12/14

Now The Word

“Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.”

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭1:1-2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Verse 3, begins with "But", for Jonah did not do what God wanted him to do. He chose not to obey the word of The LORD! He ran from God. 

Verse 4 also begins with "But" - in response to Jonah's disobedience.

“But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.”

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭1:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

How many times in our life have we run from God? How many times have we chosen to ignore God's commands? How many calamities, sent by God, have we suffered because of our rebellion, and finally, when they became unbearable have we cried out to Him for mercy?

“Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.”

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭1:14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.”  ‭Jonah‬ ‭2:7-9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

When God turns up the heat, in our fiery trials, to bring us to repentance, we eliminate the "buts!"

Next, we see, Nineveh immediately respond to Jonah's warning in complete submission. 

“And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?”

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭3:4-9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Sackcloth and fasting; man and beast!

God gave them 40 days; a warning most don't receive when destruction is on its way, so we are commanded to live daily, in obedience to God, like there is no tomorrow; for our lives are but a vapor. 

“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”  ‭‭James‬ ‭4:14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

If we knew we were facing death, would we change our ways? If we knew we had days, not years, would we spend each remaining moment, turning back to God; repenting of sins we had hidden in our heart?

I work with many people who are advanced in years and they speak to me of remorse! Each week there is another memory of regret; pain still fresh; every detail surfacing in a foggy brain. I ask them if they want to forgive the injury and their response is, "oh, I've forgiven them" yet just the fact the memory surfaced shows it is unsettled. 

How many times have I said "if it still hurts, it's unforgiven"? 

What many do not grasp is that unforgiveness is a sin, of which we must repent! So you may have said, "I forgive", but if you have held on to the issue for a while, you did so in rebellion to God's command! You must repent of your disobedience!  Unforgiveness is serious business! 

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew‬ ‭6:14-15‬ ‭KJV 

 - neither will your Father forgive you

Do you need forgiveness?

I know I do!

Father, shine a light on the darkness hiding in our hearts. Bring an awareness of the sins hiding there for which we need to repent. Let us live the remainder of our days with eternity in mind, knowing our days are short! Let the words of Jesus echo through our mind, and drive us to our knees: 

“. . . Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭3:2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

If you were told you would die tomorrow, how would you spend your day? 

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:21-23‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Even so - MARANATHA! 

And She Brought

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”  ‭‭Luke‬ ‭2:7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

As a child I would read this story and think to myself, "I would have made room for them!" I judged the Innkeeper. Did you?

As I grew older, the world took up more room in my life. My wants and desires did not include the Son of God. But every Christmas I'd celebrate Santa; baby Jesus resided in my crèche, but not in my heart. The tree and trimmings took prominence; the music heralding His birth filled the house and car but not my heart. No room. 

I was tired; frazzled by the hurrying to be ready for the jolly old man. Threatening the kids with no gifts if they were not good; spending money I did not have; taking a day to put it together and a day to take it down. Proud of my efforts, and looking forward to December 27; done for another year. 

Then when my life fell apart, I was told by a friend to examine my heart!  He told me to make a list of all of the people who had hurt me and all who I had hurt. I had no idea the pain I had stashed in my heart; unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, and such. We met; I confessed my sins, repented and forgave. I made room in my heart for Jesus. Up until then there literally had been no room. Oh, many years ago, I had invited Him into my heart, but there was no room. So when my friend showed me in the Scriptures my lawlessness,  I chose to repent and obey. I moved out the old man to make room for a new Owner. When I obeyed, the weight of the world left and I felt light! The heaviness that had weighted me down was gone, and the things of this life were less important. I then had all I needed. No more emptiness, amidst the clutter. The vacuum filled with peace, I had never known. His promise true.  I joined with the angels praising God:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭2:14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” ‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

All things new! A new creature in Christ; a new life to live serving Him! I read Mary's reply to the angel and know the honor and humility she felt! 

“And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:38‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Everyday: do with me LORD as You will! 

I celebrate His birth everyday! 

Christmas is not a "season"; it's not a "Day"; it's a way of life for those who are His.

Glorify Him today in repentance!

Obey Him, everyday!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

Therefore I Say

"Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”"(‭Luke‬ ‭7‬:‭47‬ NKJV)

This has been my verse since the first time I read it! It was not hard to memorize, because I related completely! 

You see, I was the black sheep of the family and I was born to the black sheep of the family! My mom and I were two of a kind; both looking for love in all the wrong places; as the song goes! Where she stopped, I took off! Both rebellious, having to be strong, because there were none strong enough, so that we didn't have to be.

I learned something this year though about being strong and being weak! I had it all wrong!

Submission is strength! Choosing to lay down your will takes more strength than you can ever imagine, because everything in your flesh is screaming "don't"! But submit we must! 

We must submit to The Law; we must submit to our Employer; we as women must submit to our husband and in doing so - we submit to God!

It's choosing to trust God with EVERYTHING; holding onto nothing! Walking away from control of all that we hold sacred; children, spouses, careers, homes; giving it all! 

The funny thing about control; it's an illusion! The enemy lies to us and we believe it; that we control our lives! He even makes things happen in our favor to convince us that "we have it goin on!"

God allows all of this. He will give us as much rope as we need to get to the end of it, so we will turn to Him! 

Know this!!! God is in control! You have no control! And the sooner you come to grips with this fact, the sooner you will find peace! 

You who worry; you who fear, you who are anxious, you who stress - give up the control! Lay your stuff on the altar as a sacrifice to Him (like Abraham) and then don't pick it back up! Submit to God! Say it! "God, I give up control of __________!"

Repent of the sins of worry and fear that are keeping you in sickness and from a right relationship with Him; for worry and fear is sin! 

Both state that you do not trust God, the Creator of the Universe to deal with your stuff!  That you don't trust Him! Think about that! We believe He is unable! That we can do it better than He! What a joke! We call Him a liar when we don't believe, because His word says He can, and we are disobedient when we won't!

Yet, we think we are going to heaven! Hmmmmm

Repent!!!!!

Father, I pray right now, for my brothers and sisters who have believed the lie of the enemy; who are deceived into thinking they are not deceived!  I pray Father God, that You would open their eyes to see the error of their ways! That You would open their ears to hear Your voice saying, "this is the Way, walk in it!" That You would change their hearts so that their desires will be for You and You alone!  Give them a hunger and a thirst for the things of You! In Jesus' precious name I pray! AMEN

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 9/14/14, 12/24/14

Now The Spirit

"Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; but when in their trouble they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them. And in those times there was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, but great turmoil was on all the inhabitants of the lands." (‭II Chronicles‬ ‭15‬:‭1-5‬ NKJV)

"If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you." Wow! 

Those are true words especially for today! 

We as a people and we as individuals have forsook The LORD and He has forsaken us, in kind! 

However, when we repent and seek Him with our whole hearts He WILL be found by us! 

"The LORD is with you while you are with Him"; when was the last time you heard that preached? 

At no time, in the Word of God, does it say you can do your own thing and God will bless it! Every time man does what is "right in his own eyes", it leads to destruction! 

"As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”" (‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭10-18‬ NKJV)

When we seek God, it has to be with our whole heart! It can't be halfway! He will not share His throne with other gods. We must cast down our idols! 

The trials and the tests are to turn us back to God. He knows our time is running out. The time for playing church is over! He is serious and we must be too!

"“You shall have no other gods before Me." (Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭3‬ NKJV)

I read recently:

"Little children, keep yourselves from idols." (I John‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬ NKJV)

"By God's design, your idols will always turn on you." (Geri McGhee)

Our idols today (our golden calfs) are our children, our spouses, our jobs, our homes, our sports or hobbies! Whatever consumes our time. Whatever we put above our time with God! Whatever we worry about!!!!

Ask God to show you your idols, He will! Then you remove them, repent and ask God to take His rightful place as LORD!

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."(‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭33‬ NKJV)

Be obedient! 

Seek Him first in all things! 

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 12/24/15

Who Is Wise

“Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.”

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭14:9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

 "for the ways of the Lord are right,"

Do you believe that? Truly?

We say we believe, but if pressed, do we really believe; have confidence in Him? Trust Him? His Word? 

Or do we trust our ways more?

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” Proverbs‬ ‭12:15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

We like Israel, do what is right in our own eyes. (Judges 17:6 & 21:25)

“All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.” Proverbs‬ ‭16:2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.” 

Proverbs‬ ‭28:26‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Examine your heart!

Listen to the words you speak! They tell you what resides there! We often talk the talk (we think) but do we walk it out? Do you only talk about your afflictions? Your illnesses? The doctors you visit and the medicines you take? How bad life is? Then add churchy talk? Do you worry to everyone? Worry denotes a lack of trust in God! It's unbelief; yet it's the sin that is acceptable in every congregation. 

We pray for help from a god, made in our own image, that does not require obedience or repentance! 

We have an unrealistic image of Who God Is because we do not read His Word! The reason we don't read His Word, is because it makes us uncomfortable! It shines light on the sin in our heart and we love our sin more than we love God! We don't want to be exposed for the frauds we are! 

Time and time again, in our lives, we have cried out to God in our crisis, vowing to live for Him, then when the crisis has passed we have forgotten our promise. But He hasn't! Time is soon coming when we won't have the opportunity for repentance! It will be too late! 

The time is now! Seek The LORD while He may be found! Repent for the evil you have done! Turn with your whole heart to Him and follow Him the remainder of your days! 

I did, when I came to the end of myself, and my only regret is that I waited so long!

Don't wait! Time is short! There is coming a day . . . 

“For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind:”

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭8:7‬a ‭KJV‬‬

“I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.”  Proverbs‬ ‭1:26-33‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Even so - MARANATHA! 

Come And Let Us

“Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up.”  Hosea‬ ‭6:1‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The trial you are going through is orchestrated by God to return you to Him! He knows judgment is coming. 

“For we know Him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto Me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:30-31‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The worldly church worships another god; one who does not require repentance of sin. It's a sleeping church, accepting all in love, without warning of the day of judgment. 

“But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.”  Romans‬ ‭14:10‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:21-23‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Again: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

“But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him, which after He hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

When you worry and fear everything but God, then it shows unbelief. It says, you think God does not have the power to protect or save you; for indeed the god you serve is powerless. 

 “Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and ye shall serve Him, and cleave unto Him.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭13:4‬ ‭KJV

Our lack of obedience to His Word shows who our god is; a god made in our own image.

“Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”  Revelation‬ ‭14:7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The loving thing to do is to warn of the coming judgment, for after you die, there is not opportunity for repentance. Jesus' ministry was one of repentance. From beginning to end.

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”  Revelation‬ ‭3:19‬ ‭KJV‬‬

It's because I love you, that I preach this message. The time for playing church is over. Examine your heart! 

Repent while there is still time. 

We are not promised tomorrow.

“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” ‭‭James‬ ‭4:14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Even so - MARANATHA! 

 

For I Am

“For I am the Lord, I change not;”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭3:6‬a ‭KJV‬‬

God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament. But if you do not know Him personally, you can be deceived. 

If you have not read The Bible; or if you have only read parts of it, then you can be deceived.

“For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”  ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭11:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Repentance of sin is preached throughout.

God is still trying to turn you back to Him. He is still in control. His arm is not too short, but time to repent is.

He causes storms and adversity, trials and fires to move you from unbelief and complacency; to turn you from your wicked ways of pride; to break up your hard heart.

He will keep the fire hot and increase it as needed to purify you; to make you a reflection of Him. Digging your heels in, in resistance is futile! For you are not battling the devil, you are battling God. (1 Chron 21:15, Judges 9:23, Acts 13:11)

You see, the battle is not yours, it's the LORD'S! We are to let Him fight! We are to submit. We are to surrender, so He can! 

Jesus showed us the way, and we are to follow His example. Lay down your will and get on the cross. 

This is contrary to what the worldly church teaches. 

If we want to see God move, we must humble ourselves! Get out of His way! He is God, we are not!

When you battle alone, you have every right to be fearful. When you are warring against the devil in opposition to God, you will lose. 

Surrender to The Maker of all things; The Creator of the universe, there is nothing too big for Him! And He will have nothing before Him; no other gods! Lay down your idols, tear down your high places; that includes your children, your spouses, your pets, your careers, your ministries, your sports and hobbies, just to name a few! The list is endless! 

“Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.”

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭20:17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

When you stop battling God and join in His war, letting Him lead, instead of running ahead of Him, then you can trust Him to be with you!

He wants ALL of you!

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:8-14‬ ‭KJV

Give up! Let Him lead!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

He Answered

"He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men —the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” He said to them, “ All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition." (‭Mark‬ ‭7‬:‭6-9‬ NKJV)

"making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”" (‭Mark‬ ‭7‬:‭13‬ NKJV)

"“If you love Me, keep My commandments." (‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭15‬ NKJV)

"Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me." (‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭23-24‬ NKJV)

Most denominations have gotten away from teaching the Word of God, and most people do not know that, because they, themselves, do not know the Word of God! 

I was speaking with a friend the other day and she was extolling a big name preacher; asking me if I ever listened to him! She listens to many preachers on the radio and I recognized their names because I too, used to "follow" them. I too, would go to their meetings and buy their books! 

I asked her if that preacher ever made her cry. She admitted, he did not. He made her feel good! I asked her if any of the others made her cry, and she could only give one name. 

Think about it. When was the last time you felt convicted of sin by a sermon? When was the last time you were called to repentance, by a preacher? When was the last time you wept before The LORD in remorse?

Motivational sermons are the norm today! Designed to improve your life and your walk; make you feel good about yourself! They pump you up and encourage you and strengthen you, so you can do more; be a better you!

It's not about you!

It's all about Him!

"that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."(‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭22-24‬ NKJV)

If we are to put to death the "old man" and to "put on Jesus", shouldn't we "do" what He commands? Love, forgive, not judge, turn the other cheek; just to name a few! Raising Him should be more important than raising ourself! 

"And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (‭II Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬ NKJV)

If we are strong we do not need Him! When we are weak He is our strength! He is to be elevated! We are to die and He is to live in and through us! We are to be His mouth, His hands, His feet! We are to be Holy as He is Holy! Holiness only comes through submission and obedience! 

Your preacher, nor the TV preacher will be standing with you at the Judgement Seat of Christ! You will stand alone and give an account for every idle word you have spoken! If you have not repented for the unforgiveness, judgments and bitterness you have hid in your heart, you will not see God! 

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (‭I John‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ NKJV)

"Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."(‭James‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ NKJV)

"“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’" (‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭21-23‬ NKJV)

Examine your heart!

Repent while there is still time!

"There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." (‭Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭12‬ NKJV)

"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭6‬ NKJV)

Obey!

Even so - MARANATHA!

From 1/24/15

Does It Feel

Does it feel like everything in the world is going wrong?

Do circumstances beyond your control keep occurring that are more than you can bear?

Have you reached the end of your rope?

Oh, we may (or may not) get a reprieve, but I hate to say it, those trials are not going to stop for they have a purpose!

We pray for relief, and they may slack a bit, but until they accomplish God's plan, they will continue!

It doesn't matter who we are; the tests and trials of life are designed to turn our hearts back to God, to correct our course, or to refine our walk!  

"If you by your own engineering are able to get out of the trial you are in, be assured He will engineer a stronger one, in which you can't!"(Paraphrased of Paris Reidhead from "Incomplete Repentance")

"At the center of your storm, you will find your idol;" that which you love more than God! (Joyce Green)

God wants us to turn back to Him and rely totally on Him! He wants all of me and all of you, not just a portion; that which we have allotted for our "spiritual side!"  He is dead serious about His relationship with us, and He will not share us! It's either all or nothing - our choice! 

You see, He's already given His all! 

He deserves the same from us!

Because of our sins, we deserve death! 

So He gave us His life, and we act like we are "all that and more!"  

We deserve hell!

And that's where we will end up, unless we turn from our self-absorbed wicked ways! We must turn in repentance of the sin we have in our hearts; unforgiveness, judgments, pride, bitterness, worry, fear, anger, and unbelief!

It is past time! 

We must turn loose of the world and stop "playing" church!

As small children we judge our parents and our siblings! We bury hurts and make proclamations; "I'll never . . . !" And because of the hurts, we build walls! Those judgments; the unforgiveness then come back on us and from that point on we continue to be hurt in the same manner, over and over again, by teachers, friends, employers, spouses, children! We do the exact same thing we said we wouldn't! Then we see those same hurts affecting our children; they do the same dumb things, only worse! The cycle has to stop or it becomes generational; alcoholism, drug addiction, gluttony, stubbornness, bitterness! And the ONLY way to end it, is through forgiveness and repentance!

Forgiving is a deliberate act; a choice we make in obedience to God! And we must repent of the unforgiveness we have held onto for so long!

Unforgiveness is NOT an option! If we don't forgive, we will go to hell!

"“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."(‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭14-15‬ NKJV)

There will be NO unforgiven people in heaven!

It doesn't matter what happened to us; how horrendous the act, we MUST choose to forgive and repent of the unforgiveness we've held onto all this time, in disobedience to God's commandment!

I hear people say, "Oh, I've forgiven, but I can never forget!" 

Then it's not forgiven!

When we have forgiven, from the heart, that "hurt" is no longer painful! It's as if it happened to someone else!

When we forgive, it doesn't mean we are saying what happened is okay. We don't do it to set ourself free, although that's what happens. No, it's all about our relationship with God!

And the best part; when we forgive and extend mercy, mercy comes back on us! 

When we forgive, we are doing so because we love God, more than we love ourselves! We are choosing to obey and lay aside our fleshly desire for vengeance in submission to His commandments! That is what dying to the flesh is all about! It's hard, but it's imperative in our walk with The LORD! It's laying down our will, and surrendering to His authority! It's humbling ourself; It's giving up the throne and letting Him have first place in my life; stepping aside in repentance and bowing to His Kingship! 

"For it is written: “ As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.”" (‭Romans‬ ‭14‬:‭11‬ NKJV)

"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. (‭James‬ ‭5‬:‭13-15‬ NKJV)

Now here is the hard part:

"Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (‭James‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ NKJV)

Confessing our sins is what stops most people, because it requires laying down our pride; the very thing the devil refused to do, too!

We want healing? 

We must obey James 5:16!

It's that simple! 

Examine your heart! 

Ask God to show you what sin is there and He will! 

Then get with a brother or sister you can trust, humble yourself and confess your sin and repent! Then watch as God moves! You will see the miraculous! Healing occurs; lives are changed; we begin to be conformed to His likeness!

It's the laying aside of pride; humbling ourselves and repenting before another person that unleashes His power!

When we obey, He moves mountains!

“Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever." (Exodus‬ ‭14‬:‭13‬ NKJV)

Those enemies that are pursuing you; obey and watch God act on your behalf! He is still in the miracle business!

Obey!

It doesn't matter if we've  been a Christian for 50 years or 5 hours, we all must lay down our pride and surrender our will! If we don't, then He is not our LORD!

Repent while there is still time!

Tomorrow may be too late!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 1/7/15, 1/12/16

Have Mercy

"Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness;

According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, 

Blot out my transgressions. 

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, 

And cleanse me from my sin. 

For I acknowledge my transgressions, 

And my sin is always before me." (‭Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭1-3‬ NKJV)

"Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge." (‭Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭4‬ NKJV)

Are you aware of your sin? 

Having head knowledge that you were born into sin is one thing, and having heart knowledge - that you commit sin, is another! 

"Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me." (‭Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭5‬ NKJV)

We all sin. We all fall short! But do we recognize when we sin and repent or do we, clean up our mess the best we can, or ignore it  and go on?

"Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom." (‭Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭6‬ NKJV)

Those, whose hearts are pliable before God, are greatly aware when we sin! When we catch ourself in gossip; if or when we respond in anger, or when we catch ourselves judging someone, our hearts will feel the wrongness of our actions, or even our thoughts! What has been termed our conscience, alerts us to our transgression so we may repent; hence "guilty conscience".

"Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me." (‭Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭9-10‬ NKJV)

When we fall, we get back up!

Those who have hardened their hearts have turned off that sin awareness, by continuing in sin without repentance! It's a deliberate act; willful disobedience to God's Laws! In their rebelliousness they fall and are content to wallow in the mire. They are not even aware that they are sinking deeper and deeper!

They may even continue to go to church for years, untouched by God's Word, because they refuse to obey His Commandments! 

How is that possible? 

They have bought the lie, that Jesus did it all! They have been told they are saved and are right with God! They were not taught about repentance by their denomination! They are content to be deceived!

"You love evil more than good, Lying rather than speaking righteousness." Selah (‭Psalms‬ ‭52‬:‭3‬ NKJV)

Salvation is a walk, not a onetime event! 

Acknowledging our sin, and repentance is part of that daily walk with The LORD! The choice to turn away from our sin and purposing in our heart to not continue, is also part of that walk! 

Being sorry we got caught is not repentance! Trying to avoid the consequences of our actions is not repentance! 

Repentance is coming face to face with our sin nature; realizing that we deserve hell; that only by God's mercy and grace we are saved through the sacrifice of God's Son, Jesus! 

The only way to know what constitutes sin, is by reading the Commandments and Laws of God! 

Understanding He IS a Holy God, and to be feared, is imperative in coming to the realization of what we aren't!

Without Him - we are nothing! 

With Him - we are His!

We ALL deserve death!

He IS life!

Only through repentance will we realize the  purpose for our existence!

"Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.”" (‭Psalms‬ ‭50‬:‭23‬ NKJV)

Repent while there is still time!

Even so - MARANATHA 

From 11/30/14

"Before I can preach love, mercy, and grace, I must preach sin, law, and judgement." John Wesley

Wherefore Take

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Definition of WITHSTAND:

"To oppose; to resist, either with physical or moral force; as, to withstand the attack of troops; to withstand eloquence or arguments"

Our battle is in our mind! 

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10:5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

"Having done all to stand"

What does that mean? "Done all"?

". . . to the obedience of Christ"

Obey!  (Such a dirty word today.)

What are we "to do"?

-  believe, repent, submit, surrender, forgive.

What are we not "to do"? 

- judge, covet, steal, lie, commit adultery or murder, fear, worry

What many in the church call legalism, because they are listed in the law. They argue we are no longer under the law.; we now have the Royal Law given by Christ!

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:37-40‬ ‭KJV‬‬

When we "love" (as described above) we fulfill all of the law!

However, for the most part we get it backwards. We love ourselves more than God or our neighbors! We put our wants and desires before everyone else. We may not think so, but it's true and the evidence is in our fruit (or the lack thereof)!

Take "unbelief" -  everyone says they believe, however fear and worry are evidence of unbelief. They both show that we do not trust God; that we think He is incapable of taking care of our loved ones or circumstances, so we hold on and try and control the situation. 

Unbelief is sin of which we must repent! If we don't or refuse to, (for whatever reason) then we have not "done all"; so "standing" is futile; an illusion. 

The devil is always on the attack and unrepented sin in our lives, gives him the authority to torment us. (Matthew 18:34)

Quoting scripture (to stand) without obedience to The Word, is akin to witchcraft; an incantation. When you refuse to obey you are rebellious. 

“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.”

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭15:23‬a KJV‬‬

The Word of God has power, but only through obedience. There is power in The Word; Jesus is The Word! He has the power. If we want victory in this war we must obey Him!

Father, I thank You for Your mercy and grace. I ask Your forgiveness for all of the times I, in ignorance "stood" without obedience to Your Word. I repent of listening to the lies of the enemy and believing I could achieve my desire or gain a goal without compliance to Your Commandments; by quoting a scripture. I repent of my rebellion. Father I humbly lay down my will. I choose to walk in repentance; I choose to walk in forgiveness; I choose to walk in love. I submit and surrender to You and Your ways. Again, thank You for Your mercy!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

Who Can Understand

"Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression."(‭Psalms‬ ‭19‬:‭12-13‬ NKJV)

When was the last time you prayed, "Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins"?

Those secret faults, are the sins of anger, unforgiveness, judgment, bitterness that we have hiding in our hearts; those things we've shoved down so far and that we have kept hidden so long we believe they make us what we are today! 

But the "presumptuous sins" should give us pause! In reading the definition I'm aware we find its synonyms to be acceptable! We may not like people that display those traits, but they are normally successful and success we admire!

pre·sump·tu·ous

prəˈzəm(p)(t)SH(o͞o)əs/

1. Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: self-confident

Synonyms: arrogant, audacious, bold, cheeky*, conceited, confident, contumelious, egotistic, foolhardy, forward, fresh, insolent, overconfident, overfamiliar, overweening, pompous, presuming, pretentious, pushy, rash, rude, self-assertive, self-assured, self-satisfied, smug, supercilious, uppity

Antonyms: humble, modest

Being presumptuous is not good thing in God's eyes; quite the opposite! 

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time," (‭I Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬ NKJV)

"A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor."  (‭Proverbs‬ ‭29‬:‭23‬ NKJV)

The world does not think highly of humility or modesty and we in the church are right there with them! We assess humility with weakness and modesty as unsuccessful. We may like the modest man, but do we strive to be like him? Hardly ever.

mod·est

ˈmädəst/

adjective

1. 1. 

   unassuming or moderate in the estimation of one's abilities or achievements.

   "he was a very modest man, refusing to take any credit for the enterprise"

   synonyms:

   self-effacing, self-deprecating, humble, unpretentious, unassuming, unpresuming, unostentatious, unshowy, unflashy;

When was the last time you admired a man who was unassuming? 

"He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed." (‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭3-5‬ NKJV)

Jesus was everything the world rejects and we must reject the world to be like Him!

Actually, we are not to be like Him we are called to BE Him for the world! If we are to be His hands and His feet; to be His voice; show His love then we must humble ourselves; empty ourselves, so that He can fill us!

LORD Jesus, cleanse me from secret faults and make me blameless. Show me my presumptuous sins so that I may repent and they will have no dominion over me! Let me understand my errors! In humility and modesty I surrender to You knowing I have nothing to boast in, but I can boast in You! Thank You, Father for Your mercy and Your grace! 

Even so - MARANATHA! 

From 12/15/15

Or Do You Think

""Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?" (James 4:5 NKJV)

I guess everyone who has drawn a breath has experienced jealousy. We know jealousy from a young age with siblings;  competing for our parents attention, or as "only" children looking at friends with siblings and wishing we had some! 

Jealousy, in its extreme, can be destructive! Jealousy is sometimes used for motivation in the corporate world! Jealousy can instill fear, disgust, or compassion, depending on the person's heart and our heart, and who's on the receiving end.

Jealousy can be good and it can be evil, depending on it source; the spirit of its motivation.

The lyrics of one of my favorite songs says "He is jealous for me!"; meaning like the above scripture (James 4:5) that God is jealous or yearns for me (and you)! Because of His great love for us, He desires our time and attention; like a lover would. That should not sound strange because He is the Lover of our souls! Everyone knows Him as Love, but we do not consider that He is a jealous Lover! 

"Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." (James 4:4 NKJV)

God is speaking to us there; calling us adulterers, because we seek or go after other things to satisfy our needs, instead of seeking Him!

Does that pierce your heart? 

It should! 

Right now you should be feeling really bad, because you have loved the things of the world (spouses, children, homes, careers, hobbies, entertainment, sports) more than HIM! We all have and do! We fail Him all the time, but Praise God, He is faithful even when we aren't! His mercy is new everyday! 

Those of us with grown children have a greater understanding (if we think about it) of how God feels about His wayward children! No matter how long our child ignores us, just a phone call lifts our heart! Our love always supersedes the hurt of  abandonment! Maybe that is why God allows us to experience this with our children, to give us an inkling of how He feels at our drifting away from Him!

When our children do return, (like The Prodigal) it is with great apologies, and we open our arms and take them right back - and God does too, with us!  

"But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:6-7 NKJV)

Admitting we are adulterers; recognizing we have sinned by seeking other lovers to satisfy our desires and repenting of our waywardness will bring us back into fellowship with The One Who Loves us best! The One who was willing to send His Son to die for us! 

Nothing else in this world satisfies or completes us like Him! 

NOTHING!

Repent!

Even so - MARANATHA! 

P.S. If your mom or dad is still alive, give 'em a call today! ❤️

From 6/7/14, 11/5/14

Though He Slay Me

“Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him:” Job‬ ‭13:15‬a KJV‬‬

This is the final Word in the life of a Follower of The LORD Jesus Christ. It comes with total surrender; on bended knee; during the worst day of your life. Submission to His authority; to use your life for His purpose, though you know not the outcome. It's praising Him in obedience to His Word and offering your pain in sacrifice; to use for His glory. 

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

How do you "give thanks" when your heart is broken? How do you "give thanks" when your world has been torn apart? How do you do the impossible, when the unfathomable has occurred? 

Obedience. 

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs‬ ‭3:5-6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

When you can no longer stand, you lean on Him. He sustains. He holds you. His comfort is there in our darkest hour. He enables us to go on when our feet fail. 

Trust is belief; a knowing in Whom  all things are and have their being. And Who without there is nothing. Perfect peace in great turmoil; held closely by the One Who loves us best. 

As you acknowledge Him, today, offer Him your hurt, your grief, your uncertainty for what the future holds. It is He Who holds our next breath in His control, as all of our days are numbered. Lay down all illusion of self will at His feet. Give Him your brokenness, for His good purpose. 

Coming to the end of yourself is where He begins. 

Father bless those who mourn; comfort them as only You can comfort. 

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Even so - MARANATHA! 

Please keep my friend Geri and her family in your prayers, in their loss. 

Finally Brethren

“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.” Philippians‬ ‭4:8-9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We "THINK" about that which we see; what we study. If we are looking at the evil in the world, and thinking about what we see, then we are not being obedient to the Word! 

You cannot look at evil and think about things that are lovely or pure. 

The world is evil! 

The world's ruler is the evil one. 

The evil is escalating as we draw closer to the end. 

The media is part of it; prince of the power of the air. The world's media does not glorify God. It's agenda is to insight fear and get our eyes off of Jesus. It is succeeding. God knew there would be a struggle, hence the above admonition. 

There are so many paths that appear to be "The Narrow" way. There are so many big named, successful ministries that for all outward appearances are on the straight and narrow, but are actually on the broad path. 

How do you know? 

How do you discern? 

You go to The Word. 

I'm now reading in Ezekiel; and again not by chance.

““Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. “Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.”” ‭Ezekiel‬ ‭3:17-21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Many, these days, believe they are called to be "watchmen". Whole societies are formed around this word. It's quite a money making genre; the thirst for knowledge is great. Prophecy sells, but a call to repentance does not.

A call to repentance is what a watchman is called to do. (Reread the above scripture!)

There so many lying spirits that are deceiving many! How do I know? The Word says so!

“Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ The LORD said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the LORD said, ‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’ Therefore look! The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you.””

‭‭I Kings‬ ‭22:21-23‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“But if they had stood in My counsel, And had caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned them from their evil way And from the evil of their doings.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭23:22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

If everyone is going in that direction; it's not the narrow way!

If repentance is not preached; if their words do not turn you away from your wicked ways; does not compel obedience to The Word of God; it's the broad way.

If it is a different gospel with "new revelation", then the "watchman" has believed a lying spirit.

Yes, time is short and there will be signs and wonders, however if you do not turn from your rebellious ways and obey The Word of God, you will go to hell.

“He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

‭‭I John‬ ‭2:9-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.””

‭‭Mark‬ ‭7:21-23‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It's all about the heart! And overcoming the world! Time is too short, to not be keeping your eyes on Jesus, and letting Him change you from within! Examine yourself! Ask God to show you the unforgiveness, the bitterness, the judgments, the pride, the unbelief that is hiding there! Then confess it and repent! Forgive those so that you may be forgiven.

““For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew‬ ‭6:14-15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Every person who claims to be Christian needs to give equal time to God. If you watch an hours news, daily, then you need to spend 1 hour reading the Word of God! Watching a movie, give God's Word an 1.5 hours. A ball game . . . 

Feed your spirit; not just your flesh!

Turn off the tv.

Read your Bible!

Repent while there is still time.

Even so - MARANATHA! 

Try Me

"Try me Lord - see if there is any wicked way in me. Show me where I'm living contrary to Your Word. I want to be delivered from everything that's unlike You. Away with all my pride, my ambitions, my selfish intellect, my reasoning. I know I can't think my way out of my situation. Holy Spirit, I need Your power and wisdom. I lay down every hope of solving things my own way." David Wilkerson "Change Me O Lord" 12/8/1999

Have you come to this place? 

A place of submission; laying it all down - 

A place of realization you have nothing to contribute BUT your will-

A place of "do with me what You want -

It's a hard place -

And the best place to be -

It's where you become the "lump" and He can start to mold you; make you into the vessel He wants, without your advice!

 “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭18:4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Giving up control, and letting Him be God is required, to be His servant. 

It's where you get peace! 

Obedience, submission, trust -

Freedom! Joy! Purpose!

This should be titled - how to be sheep!

Follow the Shepherd's voice!

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

‭‭John‬ ‭10:27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Even so - MARANATHA! 

If Only

"If only we could see that every single sin is a big deal, that every sin is an act of rebellion and cosmic treason, that every time we choose our way instead of God's way, we are revolting against the God and King of the universe. As John Bunyan put it, "One leak will sink a ship, and one sin will destroy a sinner." 'Lies Women Believe' by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Most people do not see themselves as rebellious. Most do not see themselves as sinners. And because of that fact, most would argue that the trials they are experiencing have nothing to do with sin. You cannot justify your sin. You cannot minimalize your sin. All you can do is confess and repent of your sin. 

You say: what sin?

I don't rob banks! 

I've not murdered anyone!

I go to church!

I sing in the choir!

I teach Sunday school!

I'm "Saved"!

No, I'm not talking to the world, I'm talking to the church! 

The sin I'm talking about is the sin hiding in your heart; idolatry, unbelief, adultery, unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, gossip; just to name a few. 

“Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” (Matthew‬ ‭22:37‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Yet, we love everything more than God! That is spiritual adultery! He is a jealous God! He wants all of our love! 

We are to have nothing above Him! When we do, those are idols! The things we think the most about are our idols. The things at the center of our storms, are our idols. Those things can be our husbands, our children, our homes, our careers. 

He says "fear not", yet most live in fear! Fear is unbelief! When you worry or have fear, you are stating that you do not believe God is big enough to take care of you or those you love.

Holding onto fear is rebellion, you are insisting on control of your life. Trust me, you are not in control! But I know who is, and He's just waiting for you to surrender your life to Him! 

““For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew‬ ‭6:14-15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Unforgiveness is the sin that will not only keep you from a fully surrendered walk, but will also keep you from heaven! When we've been hurt, instead of forgiving the person, we hold onto it; we stuff it down into our heart; we bury it! That's why it still hurts! When we bring it into the light by confession; when we repent of our disobedience of not forgiving; when we choose to forgive that person who hurt us; then God works a miracle and we not only set them free, but we set ourselves free! By obedience we reestablish relationship with our Father, and we know His pleasure!

Years ago, you may have walked the aisle at an invitation and invited Jesus into your heart. You may have over time allowed the cares of the world to draw you away from following Him, in all of your ways. The pains of broken relationships may have taken your eyes off of the One who loves you best. Or you may have become so busy with life that you have not invested your time in the pursuit of Him. 

It's time to take stock! It's time to examine your heart! It's time to repent! 

God is serious about relationship and you should be too! None of us knows how much longer we have, for the time is short!

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

‭‭James‬ ‭5:16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Even so - MARANATHA!