MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

Since I was 22 years old (approx. 35 yrs. ago) I've tried my best to obey and follow the Lord in every way. I've been so very blessed! God has been amazingly wonderful to me and I will be forever grateful to Him! But, now I know that life in this world is not necessarily going to become progressively easier and perfect following Jesus. I'm embarrassed to admit that I've had that thought in the back of my mind. Yes, Jesus said that He came to give us life and life more abundantly and there are huge perks for obeying Him with a consecrated life style. But, sometimes in following His will for our life, we are asked of Him to live in a realm of faith that makes what He's asked of us seem impossible for us to do. I read in Luke 1 this morning about the angel Gabriel visiting Mary, the mother of Jesus. The angel was telling her that as a virgin, she was about to be impregnated by the Holy Spirit of God and would then deliver the Messiah, the Savior of the world. The implications of this is mind boggling and even astounding regarding the time period and society that she lived in. She didn't question the "why", but she did question the "how", denoting her acceptance of the mission. Mary's reply to Gabriel's declaration has certainly proved why God chose her to birth His Son. Her reply? "Behold, I am the handmaiden (servant) of the Lord; let it be done unto me according to what you have said." That's pure faith. It seems to me that when a mission from God seems impossible, pure faith is required. It could mean that we would encounter insufferable circumstances. My husband and I went to see the "Mission Impossible" movie the other night. It really was a great movie! The thing that always gets to me in these "Mission Impossible" movies is the commitment that Tom Cruise's character and his team have to their mission. The personal sacrifice, life endangerment, and passion. It puts most Christians to shame regarding their commitment to their calling from God. My friend, Sarah Fandler, her husband, and their three small children are going as missionaries to an impoverished city in South Africa, where HIV is epidemic and rape is rampant. I cried when I heard the news. Oh, but the whole family is eager to go! Even the little ones have enthusiastically stated themselves that they want to tell the little children about Jesus. Reminds me of the child like faith Jesus said that we must all have to enter into the Kingdom of God. This faith is pure. The Bible stresses over and over that we must have faith to do anything for God. I am challenged and I hope you are too. It's so easy to be spoiled in this country and complain about the "small" missions God asks of us on a daily basis. I'm ashamed to say that I've been guilty of self-centeredness, as many have. I pray that as I head into 2012, I will say from my heart everyday to God, "Be it done unto me as You have said. Look at me, I am Your servant." I challenge you to do the same and we will move forward in the Kingdom of our Lord and God, accomplishing His IMPOSSIBLE MISSIONS!

What's with the Christmas grinches?

Christmas day is drawing near! I find it amazing when walking through the mall or in a store somewhere, I hear carols telling of the birthday of the King like "Silent Night" or "Away in the Manger". There's a part in the song "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" that stood out to me in the store the other day. With all of the people milling around, in the background I hear the sweet sounds of "...remember Christ our Saviour was born on Christmas day, to save us all from Satan's power, when we were gone astray, O tidings of comfort and joy...". Wow! The gospel proclaimed through the carols in the stores! How can a Christian not rejoice at Christmas time? This "grinch" perspective is just wrong or maybe at best ignorance. My husband has been addressing this in his messages for the past few Sundays. (See victory church.us to hear the sermons). Christmas is a holy celebration! Let's make it big!! There are atheists who don't like the declarations of the Christmas story and then there are Christians who want to downplay the celebration. I can't understand this! This stumps (hillbilly vernacular) me! It makes me sad to hear of Christians or anyone for that matter who doesn't want to celebrate this holy day. I want to praise God for sending His only and beloved Son to this earth to die for our sins so that not only do we have hope now, but we who live for and with Him in this life will have the eternal bliss of heaven and be with Him forever! It makes me want to REJOICE! Here is the English and Latin meaning of MERRY CHRISTMAS>it's the joy-filled celebration of the anointed One and His yoke breaking, burden removing power. So...MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!!

THE MYSTERY

Well, I'm back in force!! I've gotten a new lap top and life is so much easier!! You will now be hearing from me more regularly. I enjoy your comments and that you may have gotten something encouraging or challenging from my blogs. As I sat down in my office this morning with my Bible and coffee, I sensed a feeling of what seems to be a slippery snowy slope coming into the Christmas holidays. What about you? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE celebrating Christmas! I LOVE decorating, cooking, friends, and family time. I know that I am extremely blessed in so many ways and I'm truly grateful. The most wonderful thing for me about Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birth. I was reading out of Ephesians 3 and I began to have the deepest feeling of gratitude for what Jesus did for us by coming to this earth and dying for our sins. The Apostle Paul shares his heart on the mystery of Christ. This mystery is revealed and it is that all people can now be children of God through their acceptance of the glad tidings of the gospel of Jesus the Christ. Remember the angel that came to the shepherds at night, hailing the news of Christ's birth? He said that he was bringing good news of a great joy which will come to all people. (Luke 2) "For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is Christ, the Messiah, the Lord! Back in Ephesians, Paul states, "...this grace (favor, privilege) was granted to proclaim to all people the riches of Christ. Also, to enlighten all men and make plain to them the plan of the mystery kept hidden through the ages and concealed until now in God Who created all things by CHRIST JESUS." Let us celebrate the fact that it's not hidden or a mystery anymore! JESUS CHRIST HAS COME AND WITH THE FATHER HE HAS MADE US ONE!

Am I godly or wicked?

In Psalms 37 I've found that there are only two kinds of people: godly or wicked. Which am I? Which are you? I'm sorry if this bothers you, but just being a "good" person is not enough to make one godly. There are definitely conditions that make one godly and there are definitely benefits that come with godliness. There are fifteen amazing promises in this chapter, but they all come with 15 conditions to fulfill. The subtitle of this psalm is "The happy state of the godly (those who do things God's way) and the short-lived prosperity of the wicked (those who do things their way).

The following are the conditions with the promise:

#1.) vs 1,3,7-I must not fret (be angry or frustrated) because of the wicked (those who work unrighteousness)>

*Jesus will then be my good Shepherd and will provide well for my every need.

#2.) (vs 3,4,5) I must rely on the Lord (trust and hope in Him)>

*God will grant me the desires and dreams of my heart.

#3.) (vs 3,6) I must know God's will (the Bible with His specific and personal guidance) and do things His way>

*I'll shine like a light and my justice will shine like the noon day.

#4.) (vs 11) I must be easy going and flexible (meek) with the Lord (delight MYSELF in Him)>

*I'll have an abundance of peace and will inherit the earth.

#5.) (vs 4,5) I must trust God by rolling and reposing each care of my load on Him>

*He will answer my prayers.

#6.) (vs 7,34) I must be still and rest in the Lord, waiting PATIENTLY for Him to do it>

*I'll not be shamed.

#7.) (vs 7) I must not fret because evil doers prospering>

*I'll be satisfied or taken care of by God, in the days of famine.

#8.) (vs 18) I must be upright and blameless (honest and respectable)>

*My inheritance will abide forever.

#9.) (vs 21,24) If I borrow, I must pay it back>

*If I fall, God will always grab my hand and pick me up.

#10) (vs 21,25,28) I must be kind and generous>

*Me nor my children will be forsaken by God or ever have to beg for food.

#11.) (vs 26,29,34) I must be merciful and graciously lend>

*I'll inherit my "promised land" and will be able to live in it and enjoy it.

#12.) (vs 31) I must allow the word of God to be in my heart and my way of life>

*I will not back slide into evil.

#13.) (vs 13,27,33,39,40) I must run from any evil>

*I won't fall into traps set by the wicked.

#14.) (vs 30,31) I must speak words of wisdom and justice>

*I'll be secure and my steps will be sure.

#15.) (vs 39) I must be blameless and upright or consistently righteous>

*I'll have a happy ending.

I will always meditate on these things that I MUST DO in order to be right with God. All of the benefits that come with obedience to Him will just be the icing on the cake. Hope to see you in our promised land for this life and for the life to come!

I feel like I'm going to drop!

Once upon a time there were two sisters, they both loved Jesus, and were good friends with Him. The Bible says that one day, one sister was favored by the Lord and the other He corrected. The sister's names were Martha and Mary. On a certain day at their home, Jesus told Martha that Mary was doing what pleased Him, but she was not. Well, Martha was probably shaken and disillusioned since what she wasn't supposed to be doing, was the very thing that she thought Jesus wanted her to do. What Mary did right was sit at Jesus' feet in the midst of the chaos and she was listening to Him talk. Mean while, Martha was BUSY trying to take care of all the people coming into their home. As the old saying goes, she was running around "like a chicken with it's head cut off". (*Note: when one cuts off a chicken's head to prepare it for a meal, the body runs and runs around until it eventually drops dead!). Martha then took Jesus aside and in no uncertain terms told Him to make her sister Mary help her. That's when Jesus said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things. There is NEED of only one or but for a few things. Mary has chosen the good portion which shall not be taken away from her (Luke 10:38-42). What is my most recent revelation? "Help me Lord, I'm Martha's twin!" God knows or at least He's finding out I hope, that I love Him more than anything!! My weakness is that of Martha's. I find myself crying out to God in a tizzy and a wave of frustration asking the Lord this question, "Lord! You need to help me!! I need help!!" That's when I come to the point of where I feel like I'm going to drop! It's because I get too busy and neglect the more important thing: taking some quality time to sit at His feet. I simply need to stop what I'm trying so hard to accomplish and make some time for "us". I believe that this is where we choose to do things in our own strength or get down at His feet in prayer. Don't get me wrong, I do believe that there is a time to work and work hard. But, the first thing we must do is choose to go to Him, sit at His feet in His presence, and spend some quality time with Him each day and at the times we sense stress. The challenge is having the faith that if we make time with Him always our priority, He'll actually help us with the things in our life that we are working so hard for. We can accomplish everything we need to in His strength>Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then fearlessly draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in good time for every need." I pray that this blog will encourage you to run to Him when life gets overwhelming and you feel like you're going to just drop! He's waiting. He's patient and forgiving. He loves us and just wants the best for us!!

Deliver Us From Evil

My husband was teaching last Sunday on the fact that there is evil in this world. There is a devil. There are demons also, and the Bible speaks of this. The state of this world today confirms it. Even in the lives of many friends and acqaintances just this past week, I've noticed so much trouble and evil all around them. As I was reading in Matt. 6:9-13, I began to think about some things Jesus mentioned with regards to prayer and how we must pray to be spared. This passage is what is known as the Lord's prayer. He was telling some people how to pray. First of all, the prayer is directed to our Father in heaven. He mentions how His name is holy. He prays for God's kingdom to come to earth as it is in heaven. He then asks for daily provision and the forgiveness of sins as we forgive others. Then, I read verse 13 and it stood out to me like never before! Jesus makes it a point to ask God to not bring us into temptation, but to DELIVER US FROM EVIL. Sometimes I feel that evil is all around me. What am I supposed to do? Jesus told me what to do in this passage and now I find myself doing it everyday. I've been praying for God to DELIVER ME (and my loved ones) FROM EVIL. Jesus asked the Father to deliver Him from evil in His "sample" prayer, and I'm going to also! I do feel as though I've been sort of floating in a bubble as I've asked Him daily for deliverance. I also make every effort to be led by the Lord in all my ways. I really believe that in these days of danger, God will deliver us miraculously as we pray this prayer and depend on Him, as Jesus instructed. I'm so glad that we do have a heavenly Father that is willing and well able to care for us. I'll leave you with a portion of my favorite chapter in the Bible, Psalms 91:14-16, "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him...he shall call upon Me and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With a long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation."

Playing the blame game?

A few years ago I got a painful revelation of something that I was doing. I suddenly saw that I was blaming others for my problems! Ouch! Why is it that my first inclination was to blame somebody else for my difficult situations? Don't look at me like that! YOU DO IT TOO sometimes! I believe it is part of the creepy side of human nature. We all take one of these two perspectives in life, the "I'm responsible" perspective or the "it's your fault" perspective. It's a fact that we cannot always control others or circumstances, but we can control our own choices. The Bible makes it very clear that we will all stand before God someday all by ourselves. We will not be able to hold on to any "apron strings". Nor will we be able to point our finger at anyone. Not even God! Romans 14:12-13 says that each of us will give an account of ourself before God and that we should no longer criticize, judge, or blame. We are, however, not to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of someone else. Philippians 2:14-15 says, "Do all things without faultfinding or complaining...THAT you may show yourselves to be blameless...". It all boils down to the fact that God will help us IF we rely upon Him in every situation and do things His way. As we call upon Him, trust Him, and wait for Him to work everything out, we will get His help just in time>Hebrews 4:16. We all need wisdom for every situation and God says that IF we ask it of Him, He will give it to us>James 1:5. For an amazing read, Proverbs 3 (Amplified version) reveals how one gets wisdom from God and how valuable it is. Our life can always take a turn for the worse, or for the better. Make your decision with me today, and every day, to go for the better! I'm reading a great book by Ivanka Trump, "Playing to Win in Work and Life". She shares a truth that I love and I want to share it with you, "We've all been dealt a winning hand, and it is up to each of us to play it right and smart." Since I surrendered my "right" to blame, and started doing things His way like never before, I've seen Him come through for me in remarkable ways! I'm so excited to see what He has for me everyday! Seek His wisdom and you'll be amazed at how God will bless you, now and throughout eternity!

My Loss Was Really My Gain

I want to share with you a very significant and personal dream that I had the other night. The next morning I awoke weeping with a strong sense of loss and fear. I'll tell you the dream, the meaning of it, and then the loss for me that was really gain. I dreamt that my family and I were at a beach resort enjoying life. All of a sudden we hear a community siren and it was announced that there had been a terrorist attack and a foreign army invasion. The attack caused panic and a frenzy all around the community. In the frenzy of my gathering some of our basic necessities and gas masks for myself and my family, I got separated from them. I remember being ushered into a place that was considered a safe area, but my family was out of my sight. I was crying uncontrollably because I wasn't sure that they were ok. Once I arrived at the safe area, there were some people from my church trying to comfort me. Then a friend's son, Michael Krames, said to me, "Put them into the hands of the Lord". I instantly awoke crying and sad, yet praying for the meaning. Here is what the Lord showed me the meaning is and maybe it will help you as it did me. First of all, everything seems great and then comes what appears to be difficult times. My first inclination is to be the protector and provider for my family. But, in the effort of trying to be "all that" for my family, I got separated from them. And because I couldn't take care (or control the circumstances) of my loved ones, my thoughts gravitated to worry and fear. Then, in the safe zone where faith is, Michael said. "Put them into the hands of the Lord". I have been convicted of the fact that I have tried to control the lives of my family from day one. Not for the reason that I'm on a power trip, or that I want things my way, but because I love them dearly and want only the best for them. But, for them to have what's best, I've got to have FAITH and TRUST God with their outcome. The fact of the matter is that God loves them more than I do and He is in the position of doing a better job of caring for them than I am. He wants to be their provider and caretaker and they must rely upon Him! In fact, I have tried to put myself in God's place. When I saw what the Lord was requiring of me, I decided then and there not to worry and be anxious, but to repent or change my ways. I've got to put my faith and trust in God Almighty, our creator, the all powerful King of the Universe, all knowing, wise, and loving heavenly Father. No, I GET to put my trust in Him and I KNOW that He will take care of us. My gain is peace that passes all understanding (1 Peter 5:7 -cast ALL your care on the Lord and you'll have peace). I'll also have what is called the full and complete Sabbath rest of God (Hebrews 4). God isn't happy with us when we aren't trusting Him or resting in His care. It's because resting in His care proves His Lordship in our lives and opens doors for the blessings of God. Resting in Him gets us out of His way so His work isn't hindered. The loss that I was mourning was my ability to try and control circumstances. In my mind, all I want is the best for our family, but my efforts to take control over a situation actually works against my good intentions. Romans 8 says that God works everything together for good for me because I'm hoping in Him and I'm trusting that He is working it all out according to His good plan and purpose. My gain is a peaceful and blessed life. Problem free? No, but as my husband says, "Everything always works out for me!" I love what Joyce Meyer says, "Rest is freedom from excessive reasoning, struggle, fear, inner turmoil, worry, and frustration, which develop because of our working to do what only God can do. Being in God's rest isn't necessarily resting from physical activity, but resting in confidence in the midst of everything that goes on in life. It is a rest of the soul where the mind, will, and emotions are at peace...If you are worn out, I urge you to enter into God's rest. I encourage you to quit trying to control everyone and everything around you and simply allow God to do for you what only He can do. No matter what you face, God wants to help you and give you rest."

I'm taking a test and it's HARD!

I'm constantly taking tests. They are of the spiritual kind, given by God. I hope that I pass the one I've been taking this week! I'm trying my best. Sometimes I get tired of the tests and wonder WHY the Lord keeps giving them to me! Sometimes I don't realize that I'm taking a test until I'm in the middle of it. I then buckle down and try to pass it. I just want to kick, scream, and then cry because they're never easy. I haven't given up and neither has God, but why can't life be easy? There are benefits in our testing and I'm beginning to see them more clearly than ever before. James 1:3 says that the testing or the proving of our faith is for our good. It is for our development so that we can be transformed into the image of Jesus and become more like Him. (Romans 8:29) Testing proves the genuineness of our faith, which is more precious than gold, and will bring us honor when the Lord returns. In 1 Peter 1:8 we see that the testing of our faith will prove we truly love and believe in Him. Have you ever had someone give you the impression that they care about you only because you give them things or do things for them? It's a deeply hurtful revelation. I'm sure it hurts our heavenly Father when we only show Him love because of the good things He gives and does for us. When the going gets tough or things aren't happening the way I want them to, I'm tempted to get mad at God. He doesn't always do things for me the way that I think He should. (Sounds alot like a whining two year old). Before I know it I'm frustrated and complaining. God is merciful, opens my eyes, and proceeds to humble me. For instance, I went into a thrift store in Ocala the other day looking for something and what I saw broke my heart. It wasn't a fun type of junk store. It was a huge warehouse that had tubs of clothes and that was basically it. As I walked in, I saw a sea of the most pitiful people I've ever seen in my life digging in the bins. Many appeared to be impoverished immigrants. It was if I were at the animal shelter and I was getting looks like the animals give you. The looks were sad, empty, longing. Many looked sick, crippled, and malnourished. It truly broke my heart! I had to run to the car and cry. I cried and cried for my sin. I repented for being so ungrateful, realizing how very blessed I am. I also get a deeper revelation of His goodness toward me when I go to the prison and see the hundreds of captive women. Many are there for life, never to be free again. I then recall this phrase that rings true to me, "but for the grace of God, there go I". The Lord has been so good to me! He delivered me from a life of real pain and has given me so much since I gave my life to Him in 1978! I pray that the Lord will be merciful toward me (as I know He will), and will continue to work with me. I pray I will always allow Him to work in my life and change me for His glory. I do want to make Him happy and I want to be me more like His Son Jesus. I pray that we will all be faithful to Him and bless Him. He is such a loving heavenly Father and I'm so glad to be His child. Yes, He disciplines, but oh how He loves us!

Lord, have mercy!

"Lord have mercy!" I don't know how many times I've said this in my lifetime! Maybe one million? It seems to pop out of my mouth when I hear of something distressing or disheartening. I can testify today that as I've leaned upon God, I've seen His mercy in every situation that I've faced when in need of His help. God's mercy is defined like this: compassion; bending or stooping to an inferior in kindness; to have pity; be fair; gracious; favorable. We all need the mercy of God and it's obviously not floating around out there in the world, coming to just any who needs it. On the other hand, the Bible reveals how anyone can have access to God's mercy by certain means. First of all, in Psalms 103:11 (also Luke 1:50) we see that God's mercy is great toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear (respect) Him. Ps. 33 talks about the fact that the Lord, creator of heaven and earth, is our only real help. None can deliver but God. His eye is on those who fear Him and HOPE in His mercy. Putting our hope in God requires action. It's putting all our bets on Him, so to speak, to work it all out His way. In Psalms 86:5, we see that God's mercy and lovingkindness is abundant to all who call upon Him. This passage (Ps 107:23-30) says that when men are on the sea doing business and then come into a storm, they see the high waves and become afraid, they then cry out to the Lord, He brings them out of their distresses and into their desired haven. Who but God can control the elements? Then we see in verses 10-20 that some choose to spurn God's counsel and His way of doing things. They then became depressed and afflicted. But, He saves them because they cry out to Him. He then sends forth His word, heals them and rescues them from destruction. In verse 42 we see that the upright will see this or understand and accept this and be glad. But, the wicked will shut their mouth. Don't shut your mouth! Humble yourself, open your heart, and then cry out to Him. He will help. He will be there for you. Lastly, to receive mercy, we must give mercy (Matt 5:7). This is my testimony as was King David's, (Ps. 37:25-26) I've been young and now am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken or their seed begging bread. All day long they are merciful and deal graciously, they lend, and their offspring are blessed. He is good, faithful, and all He wants is our cooperation! I'm going to do my best every day to stay close to Him. How about you?

Don't coddle your pets anymore!

It is just wrong and even deadly to coddle your "pets". Coddle means to pamper or to treat gently. Oh! I'm not talking about your cat or dog. The Lord knows that my little dogs are like family and I can't quit "coddling" them sometimes...kissie, kissie! I'm talking about "pet" sins. To name a few: unforgiveness (Matt. 6:14-15), sensuality and being divisive (Jude 19), jealous and selfishly-ambitious (James 3:16), stressful and anxious (Phil. 4:6), anger, rage, bad feelings towards others, lying (Col. 3:8), doubt or unbelief (Rom. 14:23). These are less obvious or more acceptable sins that we give a "cushie" spot to in our lives. I think that it is because most people think these sins are weaknesses and can't be helped. Some of us feel that we have a right to these behaviors and vices. I submit to you that many "Christians" don't even realize the Bible speaks about what happens when we don't deal with these types of sins. Ignorance can kill you and I'm here to tell you today that if we know better, and do better, THEN our life will be better! The first step to victory is acknowledging this fact: we all sin (Rom. 3:23), The second is that sin produces death (Rom. 6:23). Third, Jesus became sin for us in His death on the cross and cleanses us from ALL sin when we repent or stop the sin (2 Cor. 5:21; 1Jn 1:7-10; 2 Cor. 12:20-21; Rom. 6:12-14). Sin is in the world and we are not yet perfect. Therefore, we can and must rule over sin. Heb. 12 says that we must resist sin (even to the point of the shedding of our blood if necessary); throw off every distraction and sin that so easily entangles us; be steady and persistent; always looking to Jesus, Who is the author and finisher of our faith, Who endured grievious opposition and bitter hostility; SO THAT, we will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12 is full of motivation to leave sin behind. Deal with it and go for the gold! We can and must be overcomers! In 1 Jn 5:4 we see that one who is born of God overcomes the world (sin in the world). Are you born of God? Then you should and will have to overcome the world. (Please read Rev. 21). Don't coddle your pet sins anymore, but get them out of your life. Not only will you experience a blessed life now, but you will rejoice when you see Him in His glory as you enter into His heavenly kingdom!

$$$$$$$

Money. Can we live well enough without it? We can't necessarily live well with it. Money can corrupt, and yet we have to have it! So...this is a conundrum! A new word for you? Me too. My husband used this word in a message a few months ago, and I thought that it would get your attention like it did mine. It means a puzzle, a riddle, a confusing question. I read on aol news the other day that the beautiful actress, Catherine Zeta Jones, has admitted herself to a rehab. They said it was because of the stress caused by her family problems that she had been through lately. Obviously, money doesn't prevent stress. Sometimes it helps with certain types of problems.
But, many times it causes stress. The Bible mentions over and over that God wants to bless His children financially. King Solomon was the richest man that ever lived. Abraham was very rich (Gen. 13:2>gloriously rich and honorable). The covenant that God made with Israel includes wealth and blessing in every area of life. Prov. 10:22 says, "The blessing of the Lord maketh rich and He addeth no sorrow to it." The word "blessing" in the Hebrew actually means "prosperity". That word "rich" in Hebrew means "to accumulate, to wax rich". It's not money that is the root of all evil, but the love of money (1 Tim. 6:10). Therefore, we can't love money. When I see non-Christian people "rolling in the dough", something rises up inside of me and it borders on anger with the Lord. I see many Christians working so hard for the Lord, and they're blessed in so many ways, but lack in finances. I was wrong and the Holy Spirit corrected me. I thought of Prov. 23:17-18, "Let not your heart envy snners, but continue in the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord all the day long. For surely there is a latter end (a future and a reward), and your hope and expectation shall not be cut off." God is faithful. He will bless us.


We must do things His way. We must have faith, hope, and expectation. Then, we will be rewarded! Eccl. 5:19-20 K. Solomon said, "...every man to whom God has given riches and possessions, and the power to enjoy them and to accept his appointed lot, and to rejoice in his toil, this is the gift of God. For he shall not remember seriously the days of his life, because God (Himself) answers and corresponds to the joy of his heart (the tranquility of God is mirrored in him)." This is the answer to the conundrum. First, we must be thankful and grateful for our life, our work, and rejoice in the Lord for it. God then responds to the joy in our heart and will bless us financially and with tranquility. Let's hope, have expectation, and faith for more money. Let's love God more than anything and be faithful. Let's be grateful for what we have and where we are. And look out! The blessings of the Lord will overtake us (Malachi 3:10). Are you on board? Your success in life, through Christ, will be a testimony and will glorify the Lord. My prayer, "Help us to recieve your blessings so that we can be a blessing." (For depth on this subject, do a study on "blessing")

Are you kidding yourself?

I'm continually "thrown for a loop" by so many who call themselves Christians but according to the Bible, they are not. Their manner of life and heart prove that they are in fact hypocrits. It saddens me to see that although they consider themselves "saved", they are not. I'm not talking about immaturity or ignorance. I'm talking about those who claim that they are what in fact they are not. They are fakes. They are kidding themselves. What is real Christianity supposed to be like? I am going to reveal out of 1 Peter 3 & 4 the Christian's challenge and call. This passage contains most of the characteristics of authentic Christianity that Jesus brought out in the four gospels. We are exhorted to measure ourselves with these attributes and make the necessary changes to prove that we truly desire to be a child of God and want to live a life that is pleasing to Him. The following characteristics are taken directly from 1 Pet. 3 & 4 (Amplified Bible). We must be: 1) humble 2)harmonious 3)tenderhearted 4)courteous 5)never return evil for evil 6) never return insult for insult but on the contrary blessing 7)keep our tongue from evil and from speaking deceit 8)seek for and pursue (*do not merely desire peaceful relations, but make it a priority) peace (*undisturbedness from agitating passions, fears and moral conflicts) 9)shun and turn away from wickedness 10)don't practice evil things 11)follow that which is considered good 12)be willing to suffer for the sake of righteousness 13)acknowledge Jesus as Lord in our heart 14)be ready to share with others as to why we are a Christian, courteously and respectfully) 15)keep a clear conscience 16) suffer patiently in persecution rather than fail to please God 16)don't live by our human appetites and lusts, but live for God 17) don't get drunk or live wildly 18)above all of these things, have intense and unfailing love for one another 19)practice hospitality 20)love and serve other Christians that we do not know and don't complain 21)don't ever suffer as a criminal or meddle in other's affairs 22)don't ever be ashamed of God, but give Him glory. In doing all these things, commit yourself and give your all to the One Who created you and He will never fail you!

The Peaceful Path

I've been a professing born-again Christian for 30 plus years. When I decided to surrender my life to Christ and to live for Him, I knew that I was trading a life filled with anxiety and troubles for a life of peace and joy. I found in Christ what I had truly been longing for, a real heart felt peace, joy, and hope! THEN, LIFE HAPPENED. I began to find out that the peace and joy which initally consumed me became more and more evasive. Don't get me wrong. My new life as a Christian was and is amazing! But the fact of the matter is, to keep this internal peace I must daily surrender to His will and passion, not mine. I have to daily recalculate like a GPS. I get myself back on that PATH OF PEACE by acquiescing to morning prayer, Bible reading and studying. I also live in a conscious state of prayer by continually talking to the Lord and asking the Holy Spirit to lead me throughout my day. Rather than His peace evading me, His presence becomes more real and important to me. This is the life of faith. Faith is trusting God with all of your heart, every day, day in and day out. Christian author A.W. Tozer once said, "There are no dilemmas out of which you shall not be delivered if you live near to God. He goes not amiss who goes in the company of God." James 4:5-10 ( Amplified version) tells us how to draw near to God and says that as we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. King David said in Psalms 40:1-4 (my story and prayer), "I waited patiently for the Lord, and He heard my cry. He drew me up out of a horrible pit...set my feet on a rock...He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and put their trust and reliance in the Lord. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who makes the Lord his refuge..." I know this to be true! My ambition in life is to continually make the Lord my refuge. He is our peaceful path!

King and Family

I visited with some missionary friends yesterday and my faith has been strongly challenged. These friends are from Ghana, West Africa. The minister's name is King, his wife is Priscilla, and they have two amazing teenagers (boy>16; girl>13). I sat at the table with the teens and was floored at their maturity, annointing, and "matter of fact" faith. They mentioned that they recently went to Mexico. I asked if they felt safe there and the daughter said, "No, but we were all right." King mentioned that there are many radical muslims in Ghana and in the surrounding areas. He pointed out that they have no police or anything to protect them. They have only ONE THING that they rely on for protection. That ONE THING or ONE PERSON is JESUS! They constantly see miracles and this must be why! Now, I'm not going to be stupid and test God by putting myself in harms way hoping for a miracle. But, I want to remind myself to daily walk by faith in every situation that I am in, believing for miracles continuously! Trusting and hoping for God to be in on everything I say and do. I'm challenged more than ever to rely upon the Holy Spirit to lead me and have a "say so" about everything I'm involved with. I've been finding that the Holy Spirit is more real to me and interacting with me more than ever before! I'm loving it! He's truly my best friend and I would rather have Him with me, every minute of every day, more than anything else in the world! My prayer: "Lord, help us to draw ever closer to You. Help us to completely depend upon You." This is how we come to know Him. This is how we come to know that He is Jehovah Shammah (A Hebrew name for God that means "God is present"). This is how we find that we love Him and that He truly loves us! This is faith! 1 John 5:4 "Whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith."

When God says, "No go!"

I'm going to share with you today about a scenario with my dogs that opened my eyes as to why we should continue to trust God, be obedient, and wait on Him when He says, "No go!" It's especially hard to accept when everything looks like "GO!" Actually this story is about my daughter's poodle named Baby. Everyday he goes to the back door, stands there, and stares at me when he wants to go out into the yard (8 acres). I let him out and he faithfully comes back when he is done. I trust him! On the other hand, I don't trust my poodle named Billie. I started letting him out with Baby and one day the guy working in the yard brought Billie to the door. He had found Billie in the driveway by the road! Now, it's "No go Billie!" Ha! As I was pulling into our driveway the other day, I noticed a huge hawk of some sort in an oak tree. I kid you not, this bird was big enough to grab up Baby while out in the large yard and whisk him away. Therefore, I decided that I wouldn't let him out into the back again until the hawk moved on. Baby could only go into the small fenced front yard until then. For a few days after that Baby would go to the back door and stare at me with a puzzled look on his face when I said "No Baby, let's go to the front yard." He then would hesitantly follow me to the front door. Two or three times a day, for three days, he would repeat this same scenario. There was no way that I could explain to him the danger lurking out in the large yard that had been so safe in the past. He was probably thinking, "But I've gone out into this yard for years and have proved that I will come back faithfully and safely." He may have thought that he was being deprived. The Lord showed me that we should trust Him when we don't understand. We should obey him when He doesn't allow us to do something that seems fine. It's not that I didn't trust Baby. I didn't trust that hawk! God sees all and knows all. He loves us and I know that He is protecting us from our enemy! Jesus says in John 10:10 that the devil wants to steal from us, destroy us, and kill us, but He came to give us life and life more abundantly. In some cases, we will not be able to understand specifically "why" until we get to heaven. I am so thankful that our heavenly Father cares so much for us! I'm so grateful for His guidance and protection. We can't always know what's best. We all need the Lord! I'm so glad He's here for us! Hope and faith in God are important. In Psalms 27:11-14 King David expressed his desire that God would teach him His way. He asked for God to lead him because of his enemies. He stated that he would have fainted unless he believed that he would see God's goodness again. He exhorts us all to wait on the Lord, to be of good courage and God will strengthen our heart. He again stresses, "Wait, I say, on the Lord!" Well, the hawk is gone and Baby is once again free to go into the back yard. I'm glad that Baby is alive and well! I'm glad that he again is enjoying himself on the acreage.

JUST DO IT!

Starting into the new year, I found myself watching the Oprah channel. No, I don't worship her or anything like that, but she had a great show featuring Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, and Suze Orman. I really like all three of these people. I'm not sure of their stance regarding the Lord, but they have alot of wisdom that I think many Christians (me included!) can learn from in the areas of finance, relationships, and health. Jesus said in Luke 16:8 that the sons of this age are shrewder and more prudent and wiser (in relation) to their own generation than are the sons of light. He was speaking of being wise with regards to money management, but I'm finding that this is a truth that spans many areas of life including health and taking care of our bodies. 1 Cor. 6:19-20 strongly exhorts Christians to understand that our bodies are the temple in which the Holy Spirit lives. He says that our bodies are not our own, but we are owned by God and that we should then bring honor and glory to Him with our bodies. I have not been very faithful with my diet and exercise in the past few years. I confess that I have been given to my appetite and slothfulness. It was great fun for that season, but I am now reaping the results with which I regret. The results are excess weight and stress with regards to it. I can't wear any of my regular clothes! I refuse to continue buying the stretchy clothes that keep me in denial that I have been gluttonous! No, maybe I don't weigh as much as others I know. And yes, I do exercise a little. But, am I really as healthy as I could be? No! The excessive amounts of sugar have made me feel arthritic and I know that it is a downward spiral if I continue on this path. I know within my heart that I am stepping into an area of disobedience with an unbridled appetite and with excuses like, "I'm too tired to walk today". I know that these poor choices can bring negative consequences. A few years ago I was trying to encourage a friend of mine that God is our healer and that He wants to heal us. She was arguing with me about this because her mother-in-law had just died of a sickness and she was one of the most devout women of God she had ever known. She was praying for healing and obviously did not get healed. I later found out that her mother-in-law weighed over 300 POUNDS and the sickness was related to obesity! Come on now. What more can I say! Everyone of us stand before God and are accountable only to Him. Only God knows where you are in the process and what you must do to care for your temple. God's grace is sufficient for us to get the victory in every area of our life. The SIN of gluttony is one that is winked at by many Christians. Phillippians 3:19 speaks of those whose god is their stomach. They will be damned and shamed. Wow! This is sobering! The Lord has mercifully graced me to watch my caloric intake and I've started walking. I already feel the benefits. I know what I need to do to take good care of my body for His glory and service. I need to JUST DO IT! You do too! I pray for you and please pray for me. May this year be our most healthy, wealthy, and wisest year yet! All for His glory!!