Goats or Sheep?

All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Matthew 25:32-46 NIV

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words When We Look At AHCA!

Based upon God's Word stated by Jesus--which political party is more like Him--the Sheep or the Goats?

When we learn to be more like Jesus by doing what He did and would do, then we can claim to belong to Him.

His Love and Mercy Endures!

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. who made the great lights—His love endures forever. the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever. the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever. to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever. and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever. to him who divided the Red Sea asunder His love endures forever. and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever. but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever. to him who led his people through the wilderness; His love endures forever. to him who struck down great kings, His love endures forever. and killed mighty kings—His love endures forever. Sihon king of the Amorites His love endures forever.and Og king of Bashan—His love endures forever. and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever. an inheritance to his servant Israel. His love endures forever.He remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever. and freed us from our enemies. His love endures forever. He gives food to every creature. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever. Psalm 136 NIV

We do give thanks to the God of Heaven, for we know that no matter what men do; He will have the last word, even if He has to remove them from the face of the earth, leaving all they have accumulated for others to enjoy.

Nothing men or women do in secret remains hidden for long and God in His infinite Wisdom, will bring to the light all that was done in darkness.

When exposure comes, many will cringe as the world watches how greed and corruption, lies and ego have turned this country into a joke, teetering on the edge of civil insurrection, with its "so called leader" the butt of every joke.

Oh how the dark deeds will hate the spotlight that shines upon every evil plot and plan so that none escape the consequential course--the Hamanesque effect!

It is good to consider the words we utter against others for if we do not give great thought to what we say, our words will come back to haunt us.

If we do not respect others in their position of leadership, it is an exercise of futility to expect others to respect us in the same position. Karma bites!

But I am praying for every person who knows and understands how God operates for the good of all His children and I stand with all who support justice and liberty for all. At the same time, I stand firmly against any and all who would ignore the needs of the poor and the vulnerable; those who malign and belittle women; those who lie and bribe to move their agendas forward; those who think they are gods.

For there is but One God--the creator of all things and without Him, nothing was created. That same God--who has determined how we are to live on the earth with one another--has not changed who He is or His intent for mankind.

The sooner mere mortals recognize that our trust and faith should only be in God, not man or woman, the sooner we'll be able to live in peace in harmony; allowing greed and corruption to come to an end, knowing how to treat all--equally.

Learning To Rest!

For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me. And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 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. 2 Corinthians 12:6-9 NKJV

There are so many things that happen to us in life that are simply not in our control. Some of our life events cause us to be over anxious and frenetic and some have even caused people to seek escape from the problems by committing suicide--which is never the answer, for then we leave those behind to handle those things we refused to face.

Let's face it--life happens--to everyone, some of it good, some bad, some absolutely horrible, but when we are in Christ, we can rest--assured of His grace and mercy--and know He will work it out for our good.

So when the world is careening out of its orbit--we don't have to sway into fray--we can lean entirely on God's Word, the firm foundation of our faith and weather any storm that comes our way. In life--storms come and they go--and we have shelter in the arms of our Lord! Nothing the enemy does--no fiery dart shall ever thwart God's plans for our lives and if we only Believe.

Believe that He is our comforter when we need to be comforted.

Believe that He is our healer when sickness and disease attempt to make us fearful.

Believe that He is our Father who gives good gifts.

Believe that He is our provider and He will take care of us.

Believe that He is Alpha and Omega--the first and last--and He has us covered with the blood of Jesus.

Believe that when we are weakened by the trials of this world--He strengthens us to endure until the end.

Where does our help come from? Our help comes from The Lord! And when we know that He watches over us--we can rest in the knowledge that He knows all about our troubles and concerns and we can rest in Him--never fearful or over anxious about anything or about what anyone may do.

Now--shake off those feelings of dread or fear or anxiety and enter into His peace and rest--troubled no more by those things we cannot control. For if we can control some things, we should control them and thank God for the wisdom He bestows upon us from on high!

When The Redeemed Speak!

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.  Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Psalm 107:1-3, 8,9 NIV

Sometimes, when we have never experienced hardship, we don't understand the hardships, trials, and challenges that others face or endure.

We don't understand how a cancer patient feels when the treatment is debilitating-taking away the desire to eat, to move forward, and sometimes--even to live.

We don't understand how it feels to be homeless, fearful of not surviving to see another day because of the all the threats of harm living on the street, not knowing if we'll live to see another day.

We don't understand the trauma experienced by a new mother who realizes that are not emotionally equipped to deal with a new baby.

We don't understand how life leads people to become addicted to substances and those substances control all they do.

We don't understand how fathers leave families to survive without them.

We don't understand how mothers would abandon her children.

We don't understand how some women survive the trauma of being raped and abused and misused.

We don't understand how discriminatory practices make people feel like they are not part of the human race.

We don't understand why some people will never be considered Americans because of the color of their skin--even though they were born here and generations of family were born here and anthem was ever written.

We don't understand how one group of people can have more respect for a flag--a symbol that does not represent all people living within its borders--than they do people.

If we have never experienced injustice--for any reason--perpetrated against anyone--we don't understand how the victims of injustice feel and if we say we do--we lie.

But for those who have endured the hardships and negative experiences of life over which they had no control, and survived--they understand. And when the survivors--all of them realize that their surviving was not about them, but about God and His purpose for us--they should shout it from the rooftops--Our God reigns!

He is a healer. He is a provider. He is a protector. He is a deliverer. He is the seat of justice and we shall stand before Him one day. He is all we can ever need and He always hears the cries of those who love Him. Give Him praise and glory for it all belongs to Him!

You and You alone, O God are worthy of our praise! We are the redeemed because of Your mercy and grace. We are the chosen because of Your love towards and we are not ashamed to say, we belong to You! Worthy is the Lamb of God and greatly to be praised!

I am the redeemed of The Lord and I say so--loudly, consistently, proudly and boldly! Without God, where would I be? Who else could I run to in my hour of need? Who else would wrap their loving arms around me and comfort me when no one else even knew the trials and challenges I faced and endure? Who, but God--can remedy wrongs--without hatred or bigotry? When love reigns--there is no fear and where there is no fear--there is no need for hatred or bigotry. Where there is no hatred or bigotry--the land is healed and peace reigns! Hallelujah for our reigning Lord, Jesus Christ!

Reign on in the hearts of men and women and children everywhere, King Jesus!

Humility!

The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility. Proverbs 15:33 KJV

Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility. Proverbs 18:12 KJV

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5 NIV

By definition--humility is not an act--an attempt to fool others, but it is the essence of sincerity demonstrated by what we say or do. Per the dictionary--"the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance, rank, etc."

When we are truly sincere--saying or doing--from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks--and we don't have to tell anyone, we are being sincere, they'll know it by what they see or hear.

Solomon reminds us that when we have reverential fear--respect--of The Lord, we receive instruction from Him because He is the only wise person and then when act upon the instructions given, we do not need to boast of anything--bringing attention to ourselves, but we always point people in the direction of Him and He then allows to be honored by mankind. Solomon also tells us that when a person experiences destruction (defeat) it is because of their haughty heart--arrogance in their thinking themselves superior to others. This is especially true of those who think they are a "savior" and promote themselves as such, saying things like, "I'm the only one who can fix all the wrong in the world."

There is only one Savior and His job has already been completed on the cross. But He has given us power to do all things well through Him. When we acknowledge that it is His grace, mercy and goodness that guided us in all we do that honors Him, He honors us with favor from all we meet. Walking in God's favor, without drawing attention to self, is the greatest knowledge in the world to me--and I know--without living to please Him, I cannot walk in His favor.

How does God honor us? I cannot speak for others, but I can certainly speak to what He's done for me. I have obtained jobs--positions for which I did not meet the criteria--initially--but His favor was showered upon me and not only did I get the jobs, but I learned quickly and was promoted into other positions. Instead of bragging about me, I expressed an interest in the job and learning all I could to be a benefit to the place where I worked. At one job, because of my ability to get things done, within the my first year of being with the company, a promotional position was created--just for me--in order for them to adjust my salary based upon my worth to them (so my boss at that time said). That's God's favor--not my ability. All I did was what I knew to do.

When we truly humble--we don't need to broadcast, "I mean it sincerely, believe me", rant or rave in order to get attention. God already knows our heart and when we honor Him in what we say and do, He honors us with His favor. We don't have to beg for it or pray for it--He simply gives.

Humility--is also not a "tone of voice" especially when the words we speak have not changed their tone. We can whisper hateful, spiteful words and that is not a show of humility. True humility considers the words before they are spoken, before they hit the airwaves and are mindful of those who are going to hear them. We can shout our praise for God and demonstrate humility because it's not about us, but about Him.

Understanding who He is and all He has done for us, ignites humility in all who love Him because our desire is to please Him and not ourselves.

Have Mercy O God!

Listen to what the LORD says: “Stand up, plead my case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say.  “Hear, you mountains, the LORD’s accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the LORD has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel. “My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. Micah 6:1-4 NIV
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Listen! The LORD is calling to the city— and to fear your name is wisdom— “Heed the rod and the One who appointed it. Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house, and the short ephah, which is accursed? Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales, with a bag of false weights? Your rich people are violent; your inhabitants are liars and their tongues speak deceitfully. Therefore, I have begun to destroy you, to ruin you because of your sins. Micah 6:6-13 NIV

While many people do not believe what the prophets of old said are relevant to this day, I beg to differ. If we read--with understanding--and carefully consider how our lives today are parallel to the times when God used the prophets, we see the similarities--but will we hear and obey?

The biggest difference in what was done then and now is--God spoke through specific people warning the people--those willing to hear and speak what He said. Today, all who desire to know--have access to His Word and Holy Spirit--we have the means to hear without a middleman--if we choose to hear. When we choose to ignore God and all He has done for us--we reap the consequences of our actions and if we're completely honest with ourselves, we can hear Him asking us the same questions.

What does He require of us--to treat others with love, mercy and justice--and to walk humbly--showing humility in all we do--not boastful or bragging about what we've done or said and certainly, knowing how to be empathetic and compassionate. Are we doing it?

Are those who are dishonest and cheat others going to be receive anything from God? Yes, they will receive the appropriate consequence for their actions because God sees everything we have ever done and knows everything we will ever do.

Are the rich violent--either in action themselves or provoking others to act violently towards others?  Are we lying--just to get what we want or do we know how to speak truth? Are we allowing out tongues to rule us deceitfully, hoping others will not expose the deceit? While no one has to answer these questions asked on this blog, God is waiting--for us to respond to Him with answers that are truthful and without any attempt to conceal the reality of what we do. Are we ready to answer Him?

When we attempt to conceal our lies and deceptions--they are ultimately exposed for all the world to see (or at least in front of those we were trying to deceive) and we stand naked--with nothing to cover us, nothing to shield us from the onslaught of criticism that is bound to come. So why lie and deceive? The enemy has discovered the flaws in our nature and has used them against us so he won't be alone--in the lake of fire for all eternity. Don't be caught with defenses down! The enemy's job is to kill--we see the result of his influence, daily; to steal--the joy of everyone who loves; to destroy--any hope that others have for a better day; he is the father of liars--so he influences others to lie and the master of deception--always masquerading as something good until he gets close enough or has influenced enough people--to do the most horrific things we can imagine.

What can we do? Pray, pray, and pray. We pray for ourselves to hear God and then act in obedience to what He tells us and we pray for mercy--His forgiveness for our foolishness so we'll have opportunity to get things right before Him.

Have mercy upon us, O God!

A Divine Do-Over!

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him. Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:1-8 NIV

With many of the video games kids and adults play (we're Wii gamers), the player can start the game over if their score is in jeopardy. In life, we don't get many chances to improve our score when our decisions cause us jeopardy, but there is a divine do-over, that every person has an opportunity to receive.

We are born of a woman--a female whose reproductive system functions as God designed and that process includes a fetus living in "water" (amniotic fluid) until it makes an appearance in the visible world. This is the first birth. Because of our flawed and imperfect natures--prone to doing the wrong thing no matter how "religious" we think we are, we do not have the power on our own to change who we are. However, when we're born of the Spirit of Christ (the second birth)--having accepted the gift of salvation because of the work on the cross--Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, we get the Divine Do-Over.

I wish I had the time to really delve into this subject this morning, but I'll have to summarize because of my restricted time. If we look at the rest of this chapter regarding the life of Jesus and we get to the best known (hopefully) passage of scripture, we see why Jesus had to come. "For God so loved the world (the people in it) that He gave His only Son (He came in the flesh) so that whoever believed in Him would not perish, but have eternal life (after the first death). He did not send His Son to condemn the world, but to provide an opportunity for the world to be saved through Him" (John 3:16,17 paraphrased).

That was His purpose. The methodology was taking upon Himself the sins of the world and being crucified on the cross, dying (for a moment), being resurrected, returning to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, but leaving His Spirit in the earth realm so whoever receives Him, has within them the power to not sin, when we are obedient to His guidance. Hallelujah! We have opportunity to repent--from doing things our way which is usually the wrong way, and have divine instruction--daily--if we'll listen and obey--getting a second chance when our lives and souls are in jeopardy--a do-over--to get things right.

I am so thankful for the opportunity for this Divine Do-Over that I simply can't thank God enough for His love and mercy. Surely goodness and mercy indeed follow me all the days of my life. It was His goodness that kept me when I couldn't see through the darkness and His mercy that keeps me on the path of light and love--knowing without Him, I can do absolutely nothing, but with Him--all things are possible!

Victory in the name of Jesus over all the enemy has attempted to do in my life and in the lives of my family (biological and spiritual) and friends is my proclamation all day long! Now, let's dance--thanking God for the Do-Over!

It's All About Jesus!

You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 3:3-6 NIV

How are we representing who we say we serve? Do our lives depict who we say we are or must we always have to tell others who we are--so they'll know?

There is a quote out there, can't remember who said it first and that's not important as long as I'm not trying to take credit for it, but it goes like this:  "The best sermon is the one lived, not preached." And I have known that to be true based upon the people I've met.

There are two instances in particular that come to mind. The first was a woman I met when she was applying for an apartment a non-profit owned. I was accepting the applications. For whatever reason, she thought it was important to try to impress upon how "religious" she was. I was not impressed and a few months later, realized my first thoughts about her were accurate. She was negligent in paying her rent, condoned the destruction of another apartment, and eventually was sought by police for writing bad checks. But she was in church at least four nights a week.

The second instance was more recent. During a meeting, a newly hired band director introduced himself and one of the first things out of his mouth was, "I'm a God-fearing man." Warning bells immediately went off in my head and later when I had a chance to talk to him, I made the following comment to him.

"I heard what you said about being a God-fearing man and I immediately told Holy Spirit to show me who you really are."

He was given contact information for me and the president of the organization and was supposed to call us the next day to solidify plans for the coming school year. Neither of us have heard from him and that was over two weeks ago. So much for his proclamation.

On the other hand, I've been complimented a number of times by people who do not know me and have only read my comments on various media threads. I tend to comment a lot on articles produced by various media--both nationally and locally--but I seldom tell anyone anything about me. My comments have been about the articles and my responses--even when attacked by those who are filled with hatred--have always tempered by Holy Spirit. One woman told me how much she appreciated my open-mindedness and calm in responding to people who attacked me.

Another person, just recently complimented me on being a "light" to the masses even though we're on the opposite sides of the fence--politically. His last words in that thread were, "Stay Classy." Not once did I mention being a born-again, ordained minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not once did I mention bible or God, yet people recognized who I was.

My point here is this--we don't need to "say" a whole lot about who we are, we just need to live--being the open letter read by all who interact with us--so they will know, through us, it's all about Jesus.

How do we do that? We promote love--not hate or fear-mongering. We demonstrate understanding of forgiveness and mercy and grace. We listen to what others have to say and think before we speak, knowing we may never get another chance to make our case. We respect every member of the human race as God's creation and we don't take on a role of superiority over another. Even in disagreement, we know how to disagree, agreeably. Our ultimate goal should be to introduce others to Jesus by being a light, directing their paths by how we interact with them.

I thank God for using me in commenting on these media threads because it gives me opportunity for others to see how a meaningful life in Jesus manifests itself. I'm thankful that He is constantly working on my character so it is Him who shines through.

If we live like we belong to Jesus, everyone will know and we won't have to say a word, and we should because the lives we live should be--all about Jesus!

The Lord Will Not Ignore Us!

But the LORD reigns forever,
executing judgment from his throne.
He will judge the world with justice
and rule the nations with fairness.
The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you.
Sing praises to the LORD who reigns in Jerusalem.
Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.
For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless.
He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer. Psalm 9:7-12 NIV

Every morning when I rise,
His goodness is seen through my eyes,
His love is felt in all I see
His mercy, forever there for me.

Not  for me alone does He reign
But in every heart where His love remains,
Full to overflowing, onto all who will receive,
And share with others, praying on their knees,
Knowing He never abandons,
Never forgets or ignores,
Those who are His, Those He adores.

We praise for His might acts,
For His love, mercy, and grace,
Seeking wisdom, finding Him in His place,
High above the heavens, waiting for us!

What we need, He knows and provides,
From our despair, He'll never hide,
But through His Word, we have a guide
To get through this journey called life,
Without anger, hatred or strife.

Judgment Coming For Whom?

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you. Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! James 5:1-9 NIV

On the surface it would appear that James has a problem with those who are rich. Since--we who Believe we are children of God--we know that can't be the problem since James wrote as The Lord spoke to him. The issue here is not in the riches, but in those who are materially wealthy, but spiritually poor.

If our only pursuit in life was in attaining "things" to the point where the things have us, then we have a problem. The purpose of being blessed by God is so we can be a blessing to others. Now we know some are filthy rich and claim their achievement was because of what they did. This is an example of a spiritually poor person and if we look closely enough--we see these people all the time. We can't help but see them if we pay attention to any media. They like to be seen and flaunt their material wealth and actually think, their material wealth entitles them to do anything they want to do. I could at this juncture provide a list of the those who think this way, but why bother. God knows who they are and in the end, He will have the last say over their lives.

However, the important take-away from this passage of scripture is in understanding that as brothers and sisters in The Lord, we should not condemn or belittle one another, but encourage one another to be patient while waiting for The Lord. God is not deaf or blind. He sees all the injustices and wrongs committed against those who are His and in His own timing, He will judge the matter.

Once again, a commenter on a thread called themselves chastising me--without knowing me or who I serve--by invoking the name of Jesus into the commentary. His attempt was to belittle me, while making a claim to follow Jesus. I had to remind him that his behavior was not a good example of an ambassador for Jesus--especially since he thought he was the only person who had a right to speak his mind and everyone else needed to "shut up."

What I see--especially in this political cycle--is difficulty in determining who the Believers really are from those who say they are Christians. "Christians" are loudly proclaiming their desire to "execute" and put people on the "firing line" promoting the worst kind of hate! Is this what Christians truly believe and how they act towards others? If this is the new "Christian" mantra, then I respectfully decline from acknowledging myself as a "Christian" but loudly proclaim that I am a TRUE BELIEVER IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND ALL HE DESIRES US TO DO!

Now, judgment is coming for all--saved and sinner alike--and our eternal resting place will depend upon the judgment rendered by God--not people.

So, I'm distancing myself from those who proclaim to know God in His infinite mercy, goodness and grace and unconditional love and yet they are incapable of demonstrating it. It is not our place to fuel frenzied conduct by the masses, inciting hatred and bigotry and I will not participate in that arena.

I will continue to write as The Lord gives me direction and for any who choose to ignore or disagree, I respect that. But I will not tolerate anyone attempting to tell me that I should condemn anyone when I have been redeemed by a loving Savior.

Lord, I pray you'll speak to hearts all over the land so violence will not erupt and leave this country mourning like we've never mourned before. In Jesus' name I ask and thank You, Amen!

I Will Bless The Lord!

I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
I have set the LORD always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:7-9, 11

No matter what happens, no matter how dark and evil the world becomes, no matter how much the enemy influences others to do stupid and hate, no matter how heavy my heart becomes, no matter how many tears I shed, no matter how often I stop in the middle of the day to pray over the bad news broadcast, non-stop (in various mediums), no matter how empty I feel some days because of the wrongs I cannot right, no matter what happens, I will bless The Lord at all times--His praises shall continually be in my mouth!

Great is The Lord and greatly to be praised!

There is none like our God in all the earth!

His love and mercy endure forever!

Because of Him and His love towards me--a love that overflows--I know I can face every tomorrow!

Because of His goodness towards me--I can do good for all I meet--and pray for those who will not receive!

Because of Him--I can rejoice when I am drained of hope while He replenishes me within.

Because of Him--I can continue to all He has called me to do--thankful that He chose me.

Because of Him--I don't let what others think of me, influence what I do or when I do it.

Because of Him--I can walk with my head held high, never ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ or all He's done for me.

Because of Him--I know that sadness and weeping indeed may last through the night, but when I wake to a new day, I am blessed with new mercies and joy and new opportunities to speak His Word.

Nothing--not sickness or disease, naysayers, unbelievers, or any negative news shall by any means deter me from the path He has established for me and I will bless The Lord--I will bless The Lord--I will bless The Lord!

For it is to Him, I give the glory. It is to Him, I give the praise! He has done so much for me and I will bless His Holy Name.

I am thankful that even when I sleep, He speaks to my heart and provides me with direction and instructions to keep going--to keep loving--to keep living according to His Word. I wake even more determined to keep telling His Truth--aligned with His Word--so all may know that He is Lord and nothing escapes His notice--He sees all, hears all, and knows the end of every matter, before the beginning.

Be of good cheer when bad news tries to encroach upon your heart and attempts to keep your focus off Him. He is never surprised at any event, but I can imagine His sorrow at the needless violence. Because He is God--He knows and we can comforted with His Words and know--He loves us and His never-ending mercy shall sustain to the end.

None Like Our God!

Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? Exodus 15:11 NIV

"There is none like You. No one else can touch my life like You do.
I could search for all eternity long and find, there is none like You!"

"In times like these, we truly need a Savior. In times like these, we need a friend.
Be very sure, your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock. His name is Jesus!"

Song lyrics keep rising in my spirit as I attempt to reconcile my thoughts and feelings  about all the tragedies occurring around us. Stuff happens--stuff we cannot control--but it does not mean that we don't feel--inadequate, helpless, angry, forlorn, sad--but we must feel--because if we don't feel something--we are dead inside. And anything dead, needs to be buried.

There are many gods people serve, but none of them are like our God.

Our God is not represented in the shaping of stones, He is the stone-shaper.

Our God is not represented in a string of beads or jewels; He is the creator of all that was ever created.

Our God is not contained or restricted by things or elements--He is everywhere at all times.

Our God knows everything about us and when the tragedies will occur--and He fills us with compassion, igniting desire to talk to Him, and to intercede on behalf of others.

Our God is compassionate, loving, merciful, and forgiving. And because He is, we who are filled with His Spirit--can be likewise.

In times like these, our true nature will come forth and we will either be more like God (we are not gods) or we will be insensitive to all going on around us.

His compassion towards His greatest creation--mankind--never ceases, never fails, and neither should ours.

His mercy is everlasting and though we may disagree with people about how they live and what they do--we should be merciful towards others when tragedies occur.

He forgives us--those who once were sinners--and some more sinful than others--but with God--sin is sin--no big ones or little ones, but we come to Him, repentant, He forgives all we've ever done and so should we--forgive others and ourselves.

He loves us so much He was willing to sacrifice Himself--for us--even though we rejected Him from the beginning as evidenced by our disobedience--He still loves us--unconditionally. And so should we--love others unconditionally, but unconditional love, does not mean we condone sin.

When we look at the attributes of God and how marvelous He is, we know we'll never measure up to Him, but it should not keep us from trying to reach a place of perfection in which He will be well-pleased.

When We Reach Our Haven!

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Psalm 107:28-31 NIV

How many times have we cried out to The Lord and He responded--knowing it would not be the last time we would reach out to Him when we get into trouble?

I could go all the way back to all those who cried out to The Lord in the Old Testament to illustrate this point, but there's no need. Every time a disaster hits--whether it is acts of terrorism, storms, earthquakes, undisciplined spouses, disrespectful children, the chaos and confusion amidst all the violence or the calamities of hatred, we continue to call upon The Lord. And sometimes, in the midst of our personal storms--we make rash promises to God--and though we are sincere in the moment--God knows--we won't keep the promises. So He waits--until the next time.

What is most amazing is how quickly we develop amnesia when it comes to remembering what we said to God.
 
"God, if you'll just heal my mama, I'll go to church."
"God, if you'll just find my children and keep them safe, I'll serve you."
"God, if you just make my husband leave me alone, I'll get right with you."
And some people are saying,"God, if you just let me win the lottery, I'll give my ten percent."

The list could go on for a few days and many of us either know someone who has prayed like this or we have actually said it ourselves. While we wait to hear from God, some of us actually do better--I guess that's our attempt to convince God we meant what we said and as soon as we get what we want, we go right back to being who we were and doing what we did, forgetting about that conversation with God.

In His infinite mercy and grace--and knowing us from the beginning--He still responds to our cries because that's what a loving Father does.He takes care of His Children.

So in the midst of our next storm, and we cry out to Him, He'll hear us, but maybe, just maybe He won't be so quick to respond since He knows--we won't change our ways for the duration. When He does respond and guides us to our safe haven--professional counselors, doctors, or whoever it might be--we need to take the time to thank Him for His mercy and grace--always extended to us--even though He may not respond as quickly as we'd like.

Lord, have mercy upon us--Your wayward children--and create in us a clean heart and hearing ears so we'll respond quickly to You in obedience to all You tell us to do.

Is This America?

But your iniquities have built barriers

between you and your God,

and your sins have made Him hide His face from you

so that He does not listen.

For your hands are defiled with blood

and your fingers, with iniquity;

your lips have spoken lies,

and your tongues mutter injustice.

No one makes claims justly;

no one pleads honestly.

They trust in empty and worthless words;

they conceive trouble and give birth to iniquity.

They hatch viper’s eggs

and weave spider’s webs.

Whoever eats their eggs will die;

crack one open, and a viper is hatched.

Their webs cannot become clothing,

and they cannot cover themselves with their works.

Their works are sinful works,

and violent acts are in their hands.

Their feet run after evil,

and they rush to shed innocent blood.

Their thoughts are sinful thoughts;

ruin and wretchedness are in their paths.

They have not known the path of peace,

and there is no justice in their ways.

They have made their roads crooked;

no one who walks on them will know peace.

Therefore justice is far from us,

and righteousness does not reach us.

We hope for light, but there is darkness;

for brightness, but we live in the night.

We grope along a wall like the blind;

we grope like those without eyes.

We stumble at noon as though it were twilight;

we are like the dead among those who are healthy.

We all growl like bears

and moan like doves.

We hope for justice, but there is none;

for salvation, but it is far from us.

For our transgressions have multiplied before You,

and our sins testify against us.

For our transgressions are with us,

and we know our iniquities:

transgression and deception against the LORD,

turning away from following our God,

speaking oppression and revolt,

conceiving and uttering lying words from the heart.

Justice is turned back,

and righteousness stands far off.

For truth has stumbled in the public square,

and honesty cannot enter.

Truth is missing,

and whoever turns from evil is plundered.

The LORD saw that there was no justice,

and He was offended.

Today's scripture reading is from Isaiah 59:2-15 HCSB

There is nothing left for me to say other than please read the entire chapter and then pause, and think about what it says.

May The Lord have mercy upon us and wash our hearts thoroughly with His Word, creating in us a desire to please Him, more than man!

Why We Trust The Word!

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16, 17 NIV

Although there are many naysayers and doubters in the world who "refute" the bible as we know it as God's Word, we who know and Believe God, know the truth.

All scripture--not some or just portions or selected passages--was written by man as inspired by God to do so--hence--God-breathed into man's spirit and man wrote. That sounds far too simple for those who would complicate God's Word and His intent for mankind, but it is just that simple. Of course, since many believe that the King James Version is the only right version--there lies another complication.

I am convinced that the original language that man spoke was accurately translated by many (not all), but God's intent for mankind remains static--no matter what language is used. My conviction in this area is derived from my relationship with God who has revealed His truth to me by guiding me in search of truth. So, I believe the Bible--any good translation that does not pervert or distort God's Truth--is good for instruction and correction, in guiding anyone to living a life that is pleasing to God.

How do I know this? I tried living without The Word as a guide in my life and almost ended my life when life got too tough to bear. It was The Word that saved me and exposed all the lies the enemy had tried to use against me. It was The Word that showed me how much I am loved by God. It was The Word that convinced me that pleasing God is far more important than trying to please man. It was The Word that demonstrated God's mercy and grace towards all who had fallen short of His perfection. And it was my faith in God that led me to understand The Word for my life.

The desire to please God--once we understand His Word--puts on the path to serving others and that's why The Word is important--so all who know it and trust it can accomplish all that God desires for them to accomplish.

For any who doubt the value of The Word--I offer this challenge--have faith in God and in developing a relationship with Him and then open a bible--with an open mind and willing heart to hear Him. I guarantee--you'll never be the same--once you find yourself in God's Word!

On The Journey--Waw!

Let Your mercies come also to me, O LORD—
Your salvation according to Your word.
So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me,
For I trust in Your word.
And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
For I have hoped in Your ordinances.
So shall I keep Your law continually,
Forever and ever.
And I will walk at liberty,
For I seek Your precepts.
I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings,
And will not be ashamed.
And I will delight myself in Your commandments,
Which I love.
My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments,
Which I love,
And I will meditate on Your statutes. Psalm 119:41-48 NKJV

With the sixth letter, in the sixth segment (stanza), we see a change in the tone the writer uses. In the stanza before, the writer (psalmist) is demanding (pleading)  God. In this segment, he is conciliatory, expressing what he will do and how much he loves doing it.

If we never do anything wrong, why would we need to plead for mercy? The first line--acknowledging the need and implying past deeds that require mercy. When God bestows His mercy upon us--not giving us what we deserve, are we truly repentant or do we take His mercy for granted?

What I've noticed in many of the psalms noted in the bible is a continued acknowledgement of God's mercy, grace, and love. It would appear that the writers were continually cognizant of the need for His mercy, grace, and love and were not ashamed to admit it. And in this passage, the writer acknowledges that salvation can only come according to His Word (The Lord).

Why? If we have understanding of God's Word, we know how to respond to anyone who attempts to belittle us for our faith. And in this time--the 21st Century, people are just as quick to belittle a Believer for their faith as the heathens were when this psalm was written. Some things never change, but is there truly a change in our response? Are we willing to lay before God, admitting our shortcomings and plead with Him to keep us showered with His mercies and feeding us His Word?

Do we truly trust God's Word or are we continually arguing the merits of His Word with those whose spirits do not know Him? When we trust in God's Word, we have no need to debate the merits of His Word for Holy Spirit has woven the truth into our spirits.

Do we yet have hope in God's ordinances--the principles and concepts by which we should live or do we accept others wrongly interpreting and changing the intent of God's Word to suit themselves? We are admonished in later passages of scripture by Paul that we should be more concerned with the spirit of the law, rather than the letter of the law. In other words, God has a specific intent for mankind's interactions with one another and we must maintain the intent of His Word and not cave to man's fickle roller-coaster understandings that change like the direction of the wind--without notice.

I can actually see Paul in this passage--as humble as the writer of the psalm, after meeting Jesus--saying, "I will walk in freely in Your principles and not be ashamed to tell of Your goodness to rulers everywhere I go." Are we walking freely, living all the principles, and ready to testify of God's goodness?

Do we truly love God's commandments? I don't mean the ten or the various ordinances given to the children of Israel then; I mean do we really love Him and are we really loving others, unconditionally?

When we deliberately take lives, create havoc, stir up hatred, lie and manipulate others so we can get what we want, do we honor God and show love to Him or others?

Many artists have sang songs about love and the need of love in this world, but I have yet to see love cover us as a shield against hatred. The world does indeed need love--pure love--unconditional love--exercised by all and not just a few. We need to learn to separate pure love from lust for many are deceived into believing that expressions of lust are love when they are not.

We know this because of the argument by many who insist that people have a right to love whoever they want to love in their support of same-sex unions. The truth of the matter is they are not talking about pure love--they are referencing the aspect of lust and proclaiming that people should have a right to have sex with whoever they want. Involvement in sex is not an expression of pure love--it is an expression of lusting for another simply as a means to relieve oneself.

Will we learn to love one another--unconditionally--in the new year God has so graciously given us? Or will we continue to think we know more than He does and keep doing things our own way, expecting a different result? Are we truly--insane--as this behavior implies?

I detect in my spirit an even greater need to meditate upon God's Word so when I present my petitions before Him, I will not be guilty of dishonoring Him or attempting to deceive Him. My desire is to come before Him at all times with a pure heart--opening myself to hear Him and abide by His instructions.

Twelve Days of Kindness-Day 9!

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7 NKJV

From what Paul expresses here, in order to show kindness, we must be rich in mercy in our attitudes towards others.

Are we rich in mercy--being kind even when people have done nothing to warrant our kindness?

For that is what mercy is and does. Had it not been for God's mercy--His willingness to not give us what we deserved for our sins, where would we be? I'm not saying we should pretend to be God, but we can act Godly in our relationships with others. Think about it! If we had been given what we deserved by God, none of us would have an opportunity for eternal life with Him.

So, if we understand mercy and have received His mercy, can we not show mercy towards others and therefore, extend kindness whether warranted or not? There are some people who are so mean, their jaws might break if they attempted to smile, but smile at them anyway. Some won't return a morning greeting, but greet them anyway. And still others might turn up at their noses when you treat them with kindness, but be kind anway.

On this ninth day of showing kindness, be vigilant and very determined to complete the mission whether others understand it or not, appreciate it or not, and whether they are receptive or not.  Remember, we are not responsible for their response, but in what we do and how we respond to them.

Have a great day showing kindness!

His Delight!

Sing to the Lord with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes the grass grow on the hills, He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. His pleasure is not in the strength of horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; the Lord delights in those who fear him,, who put their hope in his unfailing love. Psalm 147:7-11 NIV

When we have "reverential" fear of The Lord--having a desire to please and trust in Him alone, He delights in us.

The "fear" referenced in this passage is not about being scared or afraid--but in acknowledging that without Him, we can do nothing and our hope and trust is in Him--not what we can do. This fear--is about pleasing Him and not causing Him to be ashamed of anything we do. And make no mistake about it--we can cause Him to be ashamed of us and He will turn His back on us when we willfully live in opposition to His Word.

Consider the parents of those who kill and maim others for no other reason than their boredom. The parents still love them, but they are ashamed of their children's poor decision-making and behavior. How many parents have had to turn in their child for doing stupid or illegal things? Some parents will and some won't.

We have recently seen a situation in which a young man was hiding out in his mother's home and a child was killed by police when they were searching for him. To allow someone to hide out in our house when we know they have committed a crime is not good parenting--they need to pay for their crimes, otherwise, we invite more stupidity to arrive on our doorsteps--which is what happened to this child who was killed. If the father had never been in the home after committing a crime, the child would still be alive. When we do stupid, there is no need to look for fault in anyone other than ourselves.

God takes no delight in our foolishness, but He does delight in our willingness to obey and please Him. We demonstrate our willingness to obey and please Him by honoring His Word on a daily basis and not just on Sunday. For the Lord knows those who are His and though we may attempt to fool others or ourselves about a right relationship with Him, He is never fooled.

Instead of plotting to deceive Him or others, we should utilize the time in praising Him for His goodness and mercy. It is because of His love that we are yet able to do all the things we do. But we must remember that it is because of what He has poured into us that we are able to do anything, well.

Realizing His greatness and the place He has in our hearts and the role He plays in our lives--is cause to sing a new song of praise unto Him. When we know that everything we have or are capable of doing--the gifts He has given--deserve our praise to Him.

Some people think that blessings are only material possessions, but I declare the blessings of the Lord are His mercy, grace and love, and wisdom from above. I know I'm blessed because of His love and I will praise Him with every breath I take! For in my praise, He takes great delight!

Give Thanks!

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.
For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands.
O LORD, how great are Your works!
Your thoughts are very deep. Psalm 92:1-5 NKJV

"O Give Thanks" appears 19 times in the King James Version and a reminder to us of thanksgiving--giving thanks 28 times.

If we are yet alive, breathing and able to see, hear, and move; have family that love us and friends who care, we have something we can give thanks to God for and if we have received His Son--the work on the cross--our means of salvation, then we can truly shout--Thank You, Lord!

Every day should be a day of giving thanks for if it had not been for The Lord on our side, where would we be?

I start each day, thanking God for life, health, strength, ability to move, see and talk. I thank Him for the wisdom He is constantly pouring into me and for loving me enough to use me to promote Him. It is His mercy and grace that have kept me thus far and it will be His mercy and grace that keeps me until He desires me to be with Him, for all eternity.

Thank You, Lord! If I had 10,000 tongues, I couldn't praise You enough and there are no words to express my gratitude for all You've done for me. But when we all get together, seated at Your feet, my love for You will radiate through the heavens, just as my love for You is now demonstrated in my desire to please You and You alone. For You and You alone are worthy of all praise!

Those are my thoughts about giving thanks! I pray that everyone who reads this today or whenever, will have just as much or more to be thankful for. He deserves our praise and thanks giving just because of who He is!

Because of His Love!

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for him." The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:22-26 NIV

"The steadfast love of The Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning, new every morning, great is thy faithfulness O Lord, Great is thy faithfulness." The lyrics to this song--based on Jeremiah's insight--are just as true today as they were when Jeremiah first thought them.

It is because of God's love for us that we are not consumed by the fires: of envy, jealousy, hatred, disdain, rebelliousness, defiance, disrespect of others, and unruliness. It is because of His love that He places those whose hope is in Him in situations to warn, correct, guide and rebuke, others.

It is because of His love for us that we are still here, maintaining our hope in Him for peace in the land, joy in the hearts of all who proclaim His as Lord, and desire to live right before Him.

It is because of His love towards all who love Him that we are able to love the unlovable--those who refuse to heed instruction, are rebellious and defiant against authority, and are only concerned with what self wants. Yes, we love all, as we are commanded to love--doing what love does, but we do not have to like people who deliberately oppose themselves to God's ways.

We are admonished to obey authority when we recognize the authority is of God. We are admonished to do all things, decently and in order. We are reminded that God is not the author of confusion, and that means that Satan is. Where there is no order or structure--there is chaos and rebellion.

I have determined to live my life pleasing God--obeying His Word and I know that He will honor my desire because He always speaks to me--keeping me from making a fool of myself, and I hear and obey. That's Love!

I look forward to each and every day, waiting to see what The Lord has in store for me. With each challenge He allows to come my way, He has prepared me to respond in a manner that does not dishonor Him. That's Love!

When I am wrong, He doesn't hesitate to correct me and I receive the correction because I know that's what Love does.

It is because of His great Love for me, that I have not allowed the issues of the world to overcome me and land me in the pits of destruction. He has given me strength and insight, courage and boldness to stand firm on His Word, rising above the drama that Satan attempts to use to ensnare and my response to Him--is obedience--I spread my wings and rise above the foolishness of this world and soar with the Eagles. That's what Love does!