The Grace of God Ignites Faith!

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. Titus 2:11-15 NIV

Remember hearing anyone say, "if not for the grace of God, there go I?"

Usually, this statement is made by people who look upon the tragedies endured by others--homelessness, addiction, loneliness, dissonance, isolationism, all those things that set them apart from the "normalized" view of the world. And it's true, if not for the grace of God, where would I be?

I could have been lost in sin, but Jesus stepped in

Reminded me of His love and why He came from above,

To shoulder all I could not handle on my own,

And not only to me, has His love been shown.

Whenever I see, helplessness and despair in the eyes of others,

I'm reminded to help all my sisters and brothers,

In Christ for if it had not been for His grace,

I could be standing in their place.

I could be as despicable as those who hate,

But in this life, loving others was always my fate.

So, how could I give up or give in to defeat,

When His Grace has my made my triumph complete?

A word of encouragement for all who read and see just how much we have to be thankful for in spite of the greed and corruption we see emanating from the White House and those court jesters in charge.

We have an opportunity to change the landscape and our fate by voting out those who are abdicating their constitutional responsibility and electing those who care about all people and will uphold the constitution--no matter what. Congressional representations should not be shackled with party partisanship, but bonded to serve all Americans--no matter who voted for them. That's what it means to be a true Patriot.

 

With this in mind, I still implore those who will to support my impending run for president in 2020. The foundation is being laid and more information will be updated on a regular basis as need warrants, but for now, I am encouraged and inspired by the Grace of God to move forward in the face of immeasurable odds.

Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose. - Tom Krause

I will not allow any negative thoughts or dastardly deeds by others to deter me. I will continue to fight the good fight of faith and prepare to enter the White House in 2021 as the next president of the people. Hope you'll join me in this venture so we can all celebrate the victory and triumph of being Everyday Americans!

Our Future Is Not Constrained!

This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the LORD. This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 23:4-11 NIV

No matter what has happened or what is happening in our world, our future is secure when we know God's plans will come to pass. We have nothing to fear in the battle and we shall win!

There though be dark clouds of doubt,
Shadows creeping into the crevices of our minds,
We defeat the enemy and burst his bubble,
Of fame and glory with praise to Our God!

Never think for a moment we are forgotten,
For our God is not man and He never forgets,
Those who love Him and just Believe
He is and He will carry us through to victory,
In Jesus, our banner, and standard for living.

When we know who we are and who He is,
Nothing the enemy does can shake our faith,
In the One who created all things and without Him,
Nothing was ever created--without a purpose for His glory!
Be strong in His might and know
Wherever we go, He is always with us! We're never alone!

Strength For The Battle!

Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior. Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations. I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:6-14 NIV

Sometimes, appearances can be deceiving,

Sometimes, when right, we simply keep believing,

The wrongs that need correction

Lord, guide us with Your direction

Speaking to hearts along the way,

Never giving up, by night or day.

Enlarge our hearts and our space,

Reaching others to seek Your face,

Never in fear, but always with love,

Knowing true wisdom comes from above.

Help us in this battle to remain strong,

Bold, and fearless while correcting this wrong,

Brought by manipulation and deception

Turned and righted for Your reception,

Of us into Your Presence.

Though the journey to seeing a wrong turned right,

Gets weary, never forget, we are precious in His sight,

Press on, mighty soldiers of valor and integrity,

Fight on with honor, strength, and dignity.

For the battle is The Lord's and not ours,

When weak, we're strengthened in His power,

To stay the course, never veering from the path,

Of victory that is before us, the win--in the math,

As God calculates it.

While we wait to see the victory,

Be strong, determined to make unprecedented history,

Remember God knows and truth will reveal

The tricks and lies used in attempts to steal,

Joy and happiness found only in Him.

The Joy of The Lord Is Our Strength!

Every Morning!

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: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 3:21-26 NIV

Every morning when I wake
I'm reminded of His Love,
No matter what happened the day before,
A new day and new mercies is what I hope for.

Every morning when I rise,
My sacrifice of praise starts my day,
Even with joints ache with eyes blurred,
I give thanks for strength to endure.

Every morning that I see,
Is another opportunity for me
Spread love, spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
Live as a demonstration of a changed life
In Him. Every morning!

No matter what else has happened to us, no matter what disappointments come our way, we can and should start each new day with praise unto Him who is the reason we live and move.

Sometimes, life's difficulties tend to distract from the facts--God is love and His love and mercy endure forever--no matter how often the enemy attacks.

When we know we have received His love into our hearts, nothing the enemy does should tear us apart from knowing the battle is not ours, but His and in Him, we always win. Victory is more than a battle cry, but a lifestyle we can and should live--so we make the enemy quake every morning when we rise.

We cannot change yesterday or even the last minute, and only He knows what the future holds, but when we know He holds our future in His hands, we can live without fear or doubt and move to the rooftops--with a shout--Jesus is Lord and no weapon formed against us shall ever prosper!

It is morning time and time to rise--giving Him praise for the victories we shall know all the day long!

Sitting In Darkness!

This is what God the LORD says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. Isaiah 42:5-8 NIV

Darkness--a void--without light or hope
Understanding only what is told--to fear,
Keeping the scales in place over eyes,
Undermining what was once held dear.

Darkness has no power to drive out light,
But light reveals what's held in darkness,
Whether it attitudes or skeletons in closets,
When light is shown upon self, then others,
Or others shining light for all to see--
What really are the hidden discrepancies,
 Keeping us from seeing, knowing Truth.

While in darkness we once walked,
Committing sin, living ungodly lives,
When The Light entered our hearts,
He changed our minds and how we talked.

The Light, the Bright Morning Star,
Looked down through the years and saw
Our struggles in life with sin, He determined,
Thinking back and from afar, that love and light,
Expels darkness and sinful desires, beating flesh
Into submission, igniting faith and desire to please
Him and only Him, so darkness would not prevail.

Come out of the darkness--that dark hold of despair,
Into The Marvelous Light and do what Jesus does,
Love and in His Love, there is none who compare.

Beware The Gallows We Build...

Then Haman told them of his great riches, the multitude of his children, everything in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and servants of the king. Moreover Haman said, “Besides, Queen Esther invited no one but me to come in with the king to the banquet that she prepared; and tomorrow I am again invited by her, along with the king. “Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high, and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it; then go merrily with the king to the banquet.” And the thing pleased Haman; so he had the gallows made. Esther 5:11-14 NKJV

And Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!” So Haman was terrified before the king and queen. Then the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden; but Haman stood before Queen Esther, pleading for his life, for he saw that evil was determined against him by the king. When the king returned from the palace garden to the place of the banquet of wine, Haman had fallen across the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “Will he also assault the queen while I am in the house?” As the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. Now Harbonah, one of the eunuchs, said to the king, “Look! The gallows, fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke good on the king’s behalf, is standing at the house of Haman.” Then the king said, “Hang him on it!” So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s wrath subsided. Esther 7:6-10 NKJV

The evil we plan to do for others,
Will reach the heart of The King,
And whatever we devise for them,
Will be what is done to us.
Be it a digging a ditch with a wide hole
Or a gallows on which to they could hang
Or a plot to disgrace and cause an uproar
Thinking we can intimidate or bully to control
The outcome of what God has already planned,
Nothing we do can thwart the fate that awaits,
Our own plan to do evil and cause others to hate.

Believers, it is time to take a stand against all the forces of evil so we might enjoy the peace of God and not incur His wrath by encouraging the falsehoods that are lies and promoting hatred and bigotry simply because others don't agree with us. It is time for us to act like we are Children of the Most High God--defending the rights of the poor and the needy, not helping the corrupt and the greedy--giving them license to do whatever they want--abusing, misusing others at a whim--stealing the joy of others because of their celebrity.

Yes, God is good, merciful and forgiving, but before forgiveness is granted, there must be repentance, a complete change of heart--turning from the evil that so easily besets us when we do not want to concede--without Him in our lives, we are absolutely nothing.
 
Choosing to live for The Lord up above and living the life He has outlined in His Word ere below, is a demonstration for all to see just how much we love Him, who loves us for all eternity. 

We should never get caught up with pointing fingers at others without cause or alleging anything that cannot be proven with credible evidence. For if we do, we must remember that though we point one finger at others, there are three pointing back at us.

Don't dig a ditch or build that gallows before reflecting upon your own life and what may happen if your life is exposed for all the world to see.

When We Learn!

But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin. Hear this, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right; who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness. Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they look for the LORD’s support and say, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster will come upon us.” Micah 3:8-11 NIV

In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. All the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.Micah 4:1-3, 5 NIV

How quickly we seem to forget The Word of The Lord through the Prophets of Old

How soon we remember when brought to our knees by the evil that lurks

Reigning, abounding in the hearts of those who will not learn from history.

There is nothing new under the sun, nothing unknown to God, nothing He cannot see

Before we think--anything--He knows it; whatever we mutter He hears

For He knows our thoughts from  afar, He knows what's in our hearts

And from the abundance of whatever lies within, the mouth speaks for all to hear.

If we think we can fool God, we do not know God; nor can we fool man for long

For whatever is hidden shall be exposed--for all the world to see,

By those with a heart and desire to serve The One True God--His messengers.

Waffling like a wave on the sea, roiling back and forth, revealing instability,

Promoting fear and hate and bigotry, trying to make nothing be something,

And ignoring what is--the reality of truth versus the delusion of lies,

Fed from within and believed by those who can see through the smokescreen,

The emperor has no clothes and the dictator no power, just gruff and anger.

But all hope is not destroyed, though there be many who try to kill it,

When we learn to trust in The Lord and live His Word, Hope remains

Love turns the tide for all who were in despair for fear and hate cannot abide,

In the nooks and crannies where love will thrive and joy survives.

No matter what things look like--God is yet in the business of taking care

Of His children, everywhere--no matter their skin tone or beliefs, their gender

Or economic status--He is One God--Who Created All, without Him, Nothing would exist.

Though there are some who will persist--hate rules the day and evil in others,

Projection--allowing things from within to color what we see in others,

And Delusion makes us believe our own lies to the point where we cannot see truth,

But truth and love will save the day, when we learn to do things God's way.

He's Watching!

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3 KJV

God sees and He knows
We cannot hide our hearts
Our thoughts, our deeds;
Before we think them, He knows!

Praise Him Anyhow!

Praise the LORD.Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts.Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the LORD, for at his command they were created,and he established them for ever and ever— he issued a decree that will never pass away.  Psalm 148:1-6 NIV

If we can look around and see--all that God created--and understand how they (the non-human creations) praise Him, we should be able to praise Him no matter what happens.

There are things that will happen in the earth, upon the earth and around the earth that we may never understand, but we can still praise The Lord!

There are phenomena that occur--all around us and within us--that we simply cannot explain, but we can still praise The Lord!

There are situations--that on the surface--seem self-evident and are not, but we can still praise The Lord!

No matter what happens or who it happens to or through--we can still praise The Lord for His goodness and mercy are everlasting--and nothing and nobody can ever change that!

Yes, this is a time for praying as is always, but when we stop praying--talking to Him and listening--we can praise Him for the solution that only He has. And though we may not see it--He has already worked it out!

So, praise Him anyhow!

Through the press of heartache and prayer--Praise Him!

Through the valleys of despair--Praise Him!

When it seems like hope is gone--Praise Him!

If everyone abandons us, and we're left alone--Praise Him!

The sun doesn't rise on a new day until the darkness of night has passed away--Praise Him!

Weeping--watching the tears flow like a river--will soon run dry--Praise Him!

Grief--enough to break a heart into--will pass and we'll laugh again--Praise Him!

If we have use of our limbs and can use the bathroom on our own--Praise Him!

In the middle of the battle--in the mind or in actuality--there is one reality--we can do our victory dance in the midst of our praises--no weapon formed against us shall ever prosper!

No lies or liars, no despot or dictator, no narcissist or egomaniac, no fear-monger or hatemonger, no bigot or back-pedaller, no politician or polluter--nothing and no one shall ever suppress our praises to You, O Lord!

Our hope is in Jesus and our faith will never waver no matter how dreary life may seem, we will Praise Him Anyhow!

The Wisdom of The Wise!

The lips of the wise broadcast knowledge,

but not so the heart of fools. Proverbs 15: 7

A mocker doesn’t love one who corrects him;

he will not consult the wise. Proverbs 15:12

He who is wise listens,

He who is foolish, scorns and mocks.

He who receives correction earns respect,

He who mocks correction earns disdain.

He who seeks The Lord first is encouraged,

He who ignores The Lord is dismayed.

Those who praise God in the beauty of Holiness,

Are filled with hope and never despair.

Those who know--God--not just about Him,

Are blessed to be His children.

Is it wisdom or fate to speak what God says,

To obey when God speaks, and receive what God has?

The wisdom of the wise keeps flowing freely

While the ignorance of fools keeps them enslaved.

Are you wise or foolish, blessed or cursed?

That Day Is Almost Here!

Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Romans 13:10-12 NIV

Where there is love, there is light
For all to see, unencumbered by darkest night,
Living according to God's Word,
No fear of the masses, not ashamed to be heard,
Every Believer--Loving as God Loves--all--unconditionally!

In the light of day--where there are no clouds and the sun is shining bright--we can see all things clearly and from a distance. Not only can we see, but all around us can see us and what we see. What are they seeing?

There was a time when many of us walked in darkness even during the day, having no knowledge or understanding of who Jesus is or what He's done for us. Hopefully, that time has past and we are walking in the light of wisdom and His love, preparing for that day when He'll receive us unto Himself.

However, there are still many who have not yet understood--that all of their deeds committed in the dark will come into the light--and they will be exposed for all the world to see, while the devil laughs at their calamity. That does not have to be so.

Every Believer who knows Truth and is not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus should loudly proclaim God's love for all, His mercy and grace that yet abounds for those of us on this side of heaven, for surely once that day arrives when we are translated from here to there, there will be no need any longer for mercy and grace while we sit at His feet.

That day--the day many have waited for--will soon be here; not soon as we calculate time, but soon as God determines. Will we be ready to stand before Him and give an account of all we have done in the earth and not be ashamed? Will our testimony before Him be marred by acts of darkness that we refused to give up? Or shall the angels rejoice over all we have done to bring others into the marvelous light of love?

Every day brings us closer to that day--and for those who are yet asleep--they shall be awakened by the sound of the trumpet heralding His arrival. Every day--while we yet have opportunity to do so, we should put on the armor of light and love so others will see Him in all of His glory and willingly embrace Truth as God as reveals it through us.

That day is almost here--what are you doing to prepare others for it? Will your life be a living testimony of God's goodness and the light of His glory shines all around you or will the light be dimmed by hatred, bigotry, and wilful disobedience to God's Word? We have choices to make and we must make them now for that day--is almost here.

Why Doing Good Is Better!

LORD, do good to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. Psalm 125:4 NIV

Who is evil and who is good?

Do all people act as they should?

Is it right or is it wrong,

To follow good or evil throngs?

In this simple communication with God, asking Him to do good to those who are good, those whose hearts are right, we see there are more benefits for being good than being evil, although it appears that evil abounds.

No matter how many people do wrong, it will never be right or good in God's sight. So, simply following the crowd in doing evil is not going to accomplish much, other than reaping the consequences of following the crowd.

Have you noticed that the people who do good--just do good--whether there is a crowd to follow them or them going it alone? Good people--those whose hearts are right with God and they only seek to do what is right, don't need to be crowd-pleasers or crowd followers. They do good because doing good is what's right. And they do what is right because their goal is to please The Lord, not people.

When our ways please The Lord, He makes even our enemy our footstool. Are we concerned if our ways please God or not? If we're not concerned about pleasing God, then we must be more concerned about appeasing the enemy and his plots. There is a reward and many benefits from pleasing God. If we delight ourselves in pleasing Him, He says, He will give us the desires of our hearts. If our hearts desire to do evil, then we are wasting our time, but for all the good we can do, we should do--as unto The Lord--and not unto men.

How do we know when we're doing the right and good thing? When we know The Word and we live our lives aligned with The Word, we have no fear of doing what is wrong. Instead of seeking counsel from others, we seek God's counsel and His wisdom and knowledge and know without a doubt we cannot go wrong. 

And if we don't know The Word, then our hearts should be as a child's--who only wants to please his/her parents. Children will inherently do good unless they have been taught to do evil. Therefore, if we never teach anyone to do evil, they won't. If we teach them to do good, they will. If we remember that all behavior is learned--and not attributable to osmosis, we would be more careful about what we do in front of our children and others.

Let's determine in our hearts that we will only do what is good--seeking to please God rather than man and know we'll receive the rewards of being good rather than the consequences for being evil.

Blessed Are We!

"Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one shoe sin the Lord will never count against them." (Romans 4:7,8 NIV)

Blessed are we
Who understand the Work on The Cross,
Not the wearing of a symbol, but the end result.

Blessed are we
Who escaped receiving the wages of sin,
Death--spiritually and physically,
When we received Christ Jesus
As our Personal Savior.

Blessed are we
Who have a testimony to share
With others to help them overcome
Desire to cave to temptation.

Blessed are we
To know God's love and to share
It with others, everywhere we go.

Blessed are we,
To have a model of perfection
Constantly in our midst when
We stay in His Word.

Blessed are we,
To have parents who love us enough
To tell us the truth and help us to do the same.

Blessed are we,
And our children when see them living The Word,
In spite of ridicule and the naysayers of doubt and unbelief.

Blessed are we,
To know Holy Spirit resides within,
Leading, guiding, counseling, and comforting,
All the days of our lives.

Blessed are we,
Who can rise with joy in our hearts
And a praise on our lips,
For the One who loved us enough
To die for us that we might have,
Eternal Life.

We are blessed!

Fill Us Lord!

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." (Romans 15:13 KJV)

Before The Lord can fill us, we must be emptied.

Distrust and anger must be a thing of the past.

Hopelessness must flee in the winds of yesterday,
Doubt and hesitation must be deleted from our minds,
Faith must be renewed by hearing The Word daily,
And when we remove self from achieving God's path,
Open our hearts and minds receiving directions,
Instructions, guidance, wise counsel, from Holy Spirit,
We become broken and contrite, willing Him to mold
Us anew, past forgotten, emptied out waiting to be filled,
With love and hope and desire to please Him, not others.

Compassion riding the waves of hope in our heart that we will
Hear, obey, and do all things that bring Him glory,
Receiving His favor and the favor of men, by obedience
And willingness--to become an empty vessel, making room
For Him to fill us with His goodness, peace, and mercy, and love.

We are emptied of self-concepts that defeat,
And wait with patience for You to Fill Us Lord!

Disappointing Joy!

"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (I John 2: 1,2 NIV)

Things that bring great joy
Sometimes allow disappointment to seep
Into our beings, clinging, cloying our minds,
Taking away the good, replaced with evil thoughts,
Designed to lead one into temptation's snares,
Choking back the warnings aired, stifling desire to do right,
Ignited by temptation's blinders, shackled by flesh
Ignoring Spirit's, "Warning, Warning, Danger ahead!"
And then when speckled, stained, tainted memory's dust,
Takes time to see beyond the smeared rainbow bent,
By disobedience, and distrust, joy once known, disappoints
And the nerves once tinkling with anticipation, now dulled
By pain and anguish, frustration and guilt--Not by what's done,
But the warning ignored and disregarded, like so many
Who came before, refusing to heed the signs of the times,
Determined to do things our own way, without clear vision,
Minds clouded by love and lights that falsely portray.
No matter what we do or have done, John reminds us,
Our lives are not about us, but Him, and our missteps,
Forgiven, forgotten when we repent,
Sincerity ballooning our hearts and mouths, as we seek,
Forgiveness of others and forgiving ourselves,
Remembering great joy can be disappointing.

Although we claim the joy of the Lord is our strength, we sometimes forget that it is because of His sacrifice that we are saved from ourselves and that is the joy we have in Him. However, He takes great joy in our success when we obey and then when we are tempted beyond our own ability to resist, we are disappointed with us. When we don't know how to forgive "self" for not heeding warnings, we make matters worse by taking our disappointment out on others.

Let's heed the warning of God's Word and all who have our best interest in mind. He gives us warnings to keep us safe from harm and when we do not heed them, we step into the snare set by enemy to create chaos and confusion. Let's give the devil no place in our lives and kick confusion in the outer realms of Satan's domain, so he is the only one confused.

There is great joy in serving The Lord and derived from our obedience, but we must take care to do all things according to The Word and not attempt to rely upon our own wisdom. Holy Spirit's job is to remind us of those things we have been taught, and show us things to come and when we see danger, we must be diligent to warn those in harm's way. If we see danger and say nothing, the end result is on us; but if we see danger and warn others and they don't pay attention to the warning, the end result is on them. God's Word has not changed and will not change and we must learn to hear Holy Spirit or those to whom He has spoken.

When we do what God would have us to do, we will not know--disappointing joy, but joy to the full in Jesus Christ!

Blessed Because He Chose Us!

"Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion;to you our vows will be fulfilled. You who answer prayer, to you all people will come. When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple." (Psalm 65:1-4 NIV)

In the midst of trials and tribulations,
He looked upon us with compassion
Poured out grace and mercy abundantly,
Waiting for us to see our ways would not allow us in
To the place He had prepared for us for all eternity,
But loved us enough to die for us, while we were yet in sin,
Forgiving us over and over again, loving us in spite of us,
Choosing us to participate in His goodness and victory,
Choosing us to live with Him past our natural deaths,
Blessing us while we live, naturally, so we can be witnesses
Of His continual grace and mercy, promoting the Gospel
Of love and salvation to all who will hear and accept;
Praising Him for victory over sinfulness--daring to break free,
Choosing to live life as He ordained it--obediently.

Blessed are we, by He who chose us before we were ever born,
Blessed are we, by He who sacrificed Himself so we might live,
Blessed are we, by He who made victory possible over all things,
Blessed are we, by He who inspired praise as our hearts sing,
Songs of worship, adoration and praise for all He has done,
Encouraging our boldness, reflecting over victories won,
Over addictions and predilections to go our way, down the broad road,
Where everyone, doomed to the same fate walked and dared not stray,
Afraid of what others would think, if they chose another path, much narrower,
Where there would be no crowd, no hoops and hollering heard, just a few,
Faithful, delivered and set free to focus on God's goodness and He path he chose,
For all He loves, but few love Him enough to see, just how wonderful this path could be,
Loving Him enough to live for Him, doing what's right at all times, knowing He never slumbers,
Is not hard of hearing and certainly never forgets our pleas to Him in the quiet of the night,
Or in the middle of a raging storm, either physically or spiritually, He is yet on His throne,
Mighty in majesty, caring for His own, like no other can and certainly, He loves those He chose,
To live and reign with Him, forevermore.

And when we arrive--at the gate of His choice, will we be ready to lift our voice,
In praise of Him who loves and dies for those He loves so we can be judged, righteously?
Though the journey to heaven gets marred by obstacles thrown in our way,
Just look to Him, He chose us and He'll never let us stray if our focus is stayed upon Him.
Speak up--aloud so all may hear, we have no fear of man or what they may do, Our God,
In Heaven, will respond to prayers that are earnestly heaven-sent--with solutions,
To all problems as He guides us through His Word, once we read it we'll know, Yes, He heard.
And Now we know--His rights can't be wrong; and His wrongs can't be right;
We must learn to live, according to what He says, since we're always in His sight,
And remember, we are blessed because He chose us!

Wisdom Speaks!

"I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me." (Proverbs 8:17 NIV)

Wisdom speaking to those who hear,
For those who want knowledge to create
For those who understand their fate
Wisdom speaks to those who hear.

Wisdom loves those who love her,
For those who want to know even more,
For those who stand at destiny's door,
Wisdom loves those who love her.

Wisdom is found by those who seek,
For those who rise early, ready to learn,
For those whose passion for knowledge churns,
Wisdom is found by those who seek.

Wisdom is the principal thing by which we know,
With certainty all our self-proclaimed knowledge is vain,
Without seeking wisdom from above, nothing we gain,
Is worthwhile or even discussing wherever we go,
For without wisdom there is no rhyme or reason
To explain all that God has done and will do
On behalf of all who seek Wisdom while she can be found.

And with the Wisdom showered upon us from above,
We need understanding to drive the point home,
No, not one of us really knows much about anything,
Unless we operate with wisdom, tempered with love.

Then, Wisdom like a gentle rain, on a summer's day,
Fuels our imaginations to explore creative means
To make this journey on earth worth the stay,
Teaching and seeking more wisdom as His Return is delayed,
Giving us time to get things right in His sight, with Wisdom
Leading the way for all who seek and love her.

Our Great and Awesome God!

"Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God." (Deuteronomy 7:21 NIV).

How great is our God?
How awesome is He?
He who delivers His own
From the hands of those who hate.
He who is a strong tower of love,
He who never belittles or berates,
Those who hear, obey, and love Him.

How great is our God?
Great enough to defeat those who oppose,
How awesome is our God?
 Awesome enough to bless those who uphold,
His commandments--Love Him, Love All.

He sees through generations and knows what we'll do,
He hears every word and knows every thought
Before we think it or utter a word, He has already designed
The master plan and knows which paths we'll take,
And when we'll hearken to His voice, turning around,
Back to Him, seeking His face from dawn to dusk,
Knowing His wisdom is all we'll need for our nation
To be blessed, not cursed, powerful, not powerless,
Grateful for His love, not mocking or bitter
Waiting for His Return, living according to His Word,
Not reliant upon man's fickleness or godlessness.

How Great is our God?
How Awesome is He?
Great enough to move mountains into the sea,
Awesome enough to want to world to see,
Just how much He loves you and me!

Our God is Awesome, Awesome, Awesome!
There's no need to fear what others do,
We just live and love, for Our Awesome God is here!

Kept By His Word!

"The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." (Psalm 121:5-8 NIV)

Thank You, Lord for watching over us
Waking us each morning, protecting us each night.
Walking with us, guiding our steps,
Keeping us from faltering along the way,
Creating a clear path, according to Your plan.

Thank You, Lord for keeping us shaded by Your hand,
Making sure no harm is done by moon or sun,
Healing diseased bodies, broken spirits,
Comforting saddened hearts, quickening weakened minds,
Providing us with wisdom to know when to move,
Knowing when to stand still and wait.

Igniting creativity, stirring up the gifts given,
Desiring to please You in all we do.
Thank You, for the angels You have assigned
Giving them rule to assume the roles
Needed to keep us from dangers seen and unseen.

Thank You, Lord for loving us enough
Sacrificing Self, Dying for our sins,
Rising from the Grave, Interceding for us.
Thank You, Lord for providing all we need,
On this planet to do Your Will and for
Arranging a place for our eternity, with You,
Forevermore, greeting us at Heaven's Gate.

Our GPS!

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you." (Psalm 32:8 NIV)

While we wander, lost and unsure
If we seek Him, and allow Holy Spirit
Navigation--our God-Planned-Solution,
Even when we go astray, He'll nudge
Our spirits, "Hear Me and Endure"
The end is not yet, stay on the path
He is directing, arriving at the appointed position
In His timing, not our own; steering clear of the broad way,
Staying on the Narrow Path, not listening to what others say,
Renewing faith, day-by-day, hearing Him Speak
Making Hearts glad, being obedient, ensuring the devil
Being mad, at the loss of a soldier he used, abused,
But Jesus, Our Healer, Our Deliverer, Our Savior
Loved us enough to save and place us in the Army
Of The Lord, armored up, ready for battle, knowing
Victory is ours, in Jesus' name, not fighting for glory
Or fame, but to let others know, we don't have to go,
Our own way and be lost, Because Jesus paid the cost,
For you and I and whosoever will Believe
That He is and forever will be our Risen Savior,
Instructing, directing, by His Holy Spirit He knows,
The way to heaven, our mansions already built,
No more worries, pain, sadness, just joy while
We praise His Name forevermore. His love grows
And grows in our hearts so love, we'll have to share
With everyone else, whose burdens we'll bear
Until we reach the far-away shore, we'll be the light,
The beacon the world needs, shining bright, igniting
Assurance and boldness in reaching our destination,
Unscathed, wiser and ready, knowing He's our GPS!