Faithful, an overview [20100712]

Matthew Henry said: When we look forward, with an eye of faith, we shall see no reason to envy the wicked. Their weeping and wailing will be everlasting. The life of religion is a believing trust in the Lord, and diligent care to serve him according to his will. It is not trusting God, but tempting him, if we do not make conscience of our duty to him.

Welcome to the blog. This lesson will focus on faithfulness. If you'd like to see other posts in this series just click here.

To get a grasp of this word: faithfulness, we need to see the definition. It's a lot. Please be patient.

faith·ful (fāth'fəl)
adj.
1. Adhering firmly and devotedly, as to a person, cause, or idea; loyal.
2. Engaging in sex only with one's spouse in a sexual relationship.
3. Having or full of faith.
4. Worthy of trust or belief; reliable.
5. Consistent with truth or actuality: a faithful reproduction of the portrait.

Today we'll focus on worthy of trust or belief; reliable. Everything ties into trusting and believing.

God's word says this:

Psalm 37
³ Trust in the LORD, and do good;
         Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

How trusting of the Lord are you? If you can trust the Lord I believe one feeds on His faithfulness. If God can trust us then why wouldn't we trust Him? Trusting is believing. If we believe in the Lord then we trust Him.

Did you get that: Trusting is believing. If we believe in the Lord then we trust Him.

What am I trusting the Lord with? I should trust Him in all ways. He loves and cares for me. Therefore, I can trust Him, right? Some of you are shaking your heads at me right now. That's ok. Faith is serious business. Many people don't have much faith. God's word says we only need faith the size of a mustard seed.

Matthew 17
²⁰ So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Mustard seeds are about one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter. I read somewhere that they are smaller than poppy seeds. They're almost like a speck of dust small. That's all it takes. So, my unbelief and untrusting nature is holding me back.

Faith to me is trusting. For example: When I sit in a chair I have faith enough to trust that the chair will hold me up and not go crashing to the ground taking me down with it.

Another way to look at this is being reliable. A confident certainty. Reliable suggests consistent dependability of judgment, character, performance. Consistent dependability of character. Hmph.... will you look at that! Am I consistently dependable? No... I'm not. And neither are a lot of people. We are flaky undependable beings.

Well then... I better get my act together. What about you? Will you join me in this challenge and work on becoming a consistent dependable person in being reliable and trusting God being a trustworthy person for God? Standing firm and upright for God?

Leave a comment on how this post touched you. I know someone out there is going to be touched by this.

Are you good?

Well now, it's time to get back on track with the word list for the year using the fruit of the spirit. I missed all of the month of June. I will do my very best to catch us up to speed. You can find all the other posts in the word list tags, <--- just click.

The next word on the list is: 'goodness'. Let's take a look at the definition of goodness:

1. the state or quality of being good.
2. moral excellence; virtue.
3. kindly feeling; kindness; generosity.
4. excellence of quality: goodness of workmanship.
5. the best part of anything; essence; strength.
6. a euphemism for god: Thank goodness!

Everyone will say they have a measure of goodness in them. Even I did at some point. The problem with this train of thought is, being good will not get you into Heaven. God's words tells us in Romans 3:10-12:

¹⁰ As it is written:
      “There is none righteous, no, not one;
       ¹¹ There is none who understands;
      There is none who seeks after God.
       ¹² They have all turned aside;
      They have together become unprofitable;
      There is none who does good, no, not one.”

Here's a a video for "The Good Test". See if you pass.

Without Jesus you will not get to Heaven. He is our salvation; our savior. Again, I ask the question, are you good enough? Have you repented of your sins and accepted Jesus as your Savior? If not, and you would like to, click here, and follow God's Simple Plan of Salvation. He wishes for none to perish! Without God, we will perish and be in hell for eternity. It's not a fun place. It would be a life of torment. I don't know about you, but, I would prefer not to be tormented. I was tormented here on Earth by the adversary for some time. I still struggle with it. However, because I have the Holy Spirit, the adversary has already lost the battle. Send him on his way and let God work in your life and know that you will be in Heaven with Him some day.

Let's pray: Dear Father God, thank You for Your message and for sending Jesus to be our Savior so that we can meet You in Heaven some day. I pray that the person reading this post and seeking Your salvation gift will surrender their all to You Father. I thank You for allowing me to post and share here. In Jesus' name, amen.

Got Spirit?

A cute presentation video of The Fruits of the Spirit.

This is a companion to my word list series for the year, The Fruit of the Spirit. I decided to use this as a mid-year break in my posts. It's almost June, middle of the year. Enjoy the video. Oh, and it wouldn't hurt to go read Galations 5:16-26 either.

A measure of kindness

Hello and welcome to the blog. Today marks the start of a new word from my word list. Last month we focused on long-suffering. This month (May), you guessed it by the title, we will focus on kindness. If you would like to get up to speed on the word list you can find other posts here.

Here's something to think about:

Within each of us exists the image of God, however disfigured and corrupted by sin it may presently be. God is able to recover this image through grace as we are conformed to Christ. - Alister McGrath

Ok, now the definition of kindness:

1. the state or quality of being kind: kindness to animals.
2. a kind act; favor: his many kindnesses to me.
3. kind behavior: I will never forget your kindness.
4. friendly feeling; liking.

Basically, the first three are relatively in the same category; the act of being kind. The last, number 4, deals with the feeling of kindness as in a friendliness. I'll do my best to break these down. I may only get 2 or 3 lessons from this. We'll see.

There was a movie, "Pay It Forward", that many jumped on board with and decided to put it into action for themselves. Why? Because it is showing random acts of kindness where each person that a kind act was done to will pass the same kindness on to someone they think deserves the kindness. The concept is great. Is it a feeling of "I have to do this" and it's done begrudgingly, or is it a feeling of "I want to do this" because it's the right thing to do?

Let's see what God's word says:

2 Corinthians 6:4-10
⁴ But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, ⁵ in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; ⁶ by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, ⁷ by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, ⁸ by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; ⁹ as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; ¹⁰ as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Colossians 3:12-13
¹² Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

2 Peter 1:5-8
⁵ But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, ⁶ to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, ⁷ to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. ⁸ For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Each of these scriptures talk about the character of man as the elect of God, ministers of HIS word. We do because it's in Godly character and it honors God, not man. Verse 6 in 2 Cor. 6 above mentions sincere love. When we are sincere it shows Godliness because it's "real", not fake.

I can remember a time in my life where I was "fake" just because it helped me to just get through something I really didn't want to be a part of. I was being impatient and just wanted to be done. Basically, being selfish. Selfishness is not kind. It's the opposite of kind. It's cruel. I eventually got over it. God put me in my place and humbled me.

Where do you stand today? Do you need an attitude adjustment and need to get humbled? I know I have and still do sometimes. Seek the LORD today in sincere love for HIM to teach you kindness. It's not easy if you've been a cruel person. But, looking back at that quote above, "God is able to recover this image through grace as we are conformed to Christ."

Let Jesus Christ transform you... be conformed to HIM. You won't regret it. I do not!

Prayer: Dear Father God, I lift up my readers to You this day. I pray that Your message within this blog post will reach their hearts and comfort them in their time of distress and soften that heart to receive Your love today. I pray that Your kindness will transform each of us. I pray that I will be the embodiment of Your kindness to win hurting hearts and lost souls to You. In Jesus' name, amen.

You ain't seen nothin' yet!

Hello and welcome to the blog today. We're on week 3 of our lessons for longsuffering. See the previous posts here if you need to get up to speed. Last week we discussed persecution. This week, we'll discuss more about persecution.

Here's what God's word says:

Matthew 10:16-23
¹⁶ “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. ¹⁷ But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. ¹⁸ You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. ¹⁹ When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. ²⁰ For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ²¹ “A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. ²² And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved. ²³ When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel. [Emphasis mine]

This scripture puts the scripture of dressing in the full armor of God into better perspective. I dunno bout you... but... I don't want to be fighting in my skivvies (underwear). Or another expression; "I don't want to be caught with my pants down". All jokes aside!

Verses 21-22 sounds pretty scary. Everyone will be betraying each other. All nations will hate you! And just because we are followers of Jesus! I love this next part: But everyone who endures to the end will be saved. Backing up to verse 16... we're told to be shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. Eghh Uhhmmm [clearing my throat]. We better wise up, don't you think?

When you are put up on trial before the courts will you cower and deny Jesus? Or will you stand firm in your faith and take the opportunity to share Jesus? Because it says right in His word that it won't be you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. We're but vessels for God's will. Are you ready, willing and able to be God's vessel to spread the Gospel no matter the cost as long as it's for the furtherance of The Kingdom? I am... I say "bring it on"! Won't you join me on this journey?

Prayer: Dear Father God, I pray that we Jesus followers would step up and be used of You in this battle to share You with the world. Thank You Father God for using me to share You to those who pass by my way. I pray that I am suited up and ready for this battle. Thank You for Your salvation and a home in glory. In Jesus' name, amen.

Persecution & Suffering

Hello and welcome to the blog this day. Last week we started a new word: Longsuffering. This week we'll take a closer look into longsuffering. Come along for the journey.

Longsuffering covers a lot of ground. Today I'll focus on persecution and suffering. In the history of biblical days there was much persecution in the name of Jesus Christ. Is it still happening today? Of course. You've heard and seen stories about missionaries who were imprisoned and mistreated. I believe the biggest and most major type of persecution going on in America is how the public rights are being taken away. No praying in school, no Bible or sharing faith in school. No public display of the ten commandments and a whole host of stuff I am unable to begin to imagine.

How many of you are persecuted for your faith today? Sure we have free speech. I sometimes wonder how free it really is. High School athletes get kicked out of school for proclaiming Jesus. There's so much I don't think I can cover it all. I think you get the idea.

What does God's word say?

1 Corinthians 4:12
And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;

Philippians 1:29-29
²⁹ For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

1 Peter 3:13-16
¹³ And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? ¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." ¹⁵ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; ¹⁶ having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.

Matthew 5:10-12, 43-44
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
 ¹¹ "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. ¹² Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
⁴³ "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

2 Corinthians 4:7-10, 15
⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. ⁸ We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— ¹⁰ always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. ¹⁵ For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

Well, that's a lot of God's word there on persecution and suffering. We're to rejoice and be exceeding glad because our reward will be great in Heaven when we endure for Jesus' sake. Afterall, look at what HE went through; suffered, bled and died, rising again to save our backsides from an eternity in torment. Standing for Jesus is the least I can do in thanks for what HE did for me and you.

This is where we need and must rely on the Holy Spirit. There's no way we can go this alone in our flesh. The flesh is weak. My flesh is weak. As God's word says in Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I've trusted this verse for many many years. I will continue to trust God to provide my endurance through this race. I stand firm. Clad in my armor of God ready for battle against the adversary. Will you join me?

Prayer: Dear Jesus, Father God, Holy Spirit, I lift up myself as well as my readers to You as we face a race of endurance for Your sake. I pray that we will proclaim Your salvation and bring lost souls to You. Thank You for Your word and promises that never fail us. Watch over us and make our armor of God so strong no weapon formed against us can penetrate it. You are the Victory. Praise Your Holy Name. In Jesus' name, amen.

Longsuffering [20100405]

Hello and happy Monday. Welcome to the blog. Today marks the start of a new word from my list. Come along on the journey and see what's in store.

The month of April I will be focusing on longsuffering. What the bible says about it and how it applies to our life. Today we'll start off with the definition and history of longsuffering.

Definition of longsuffering: long and patient endurance of injury, trouble, or provocation: years of long-suffering and illness.

So, as you can see in the definition it involves more than just being patient. It's a long endurance. Hence, "longsuffering". How many of you can say you do good at longsuffering? I haven't! Only God knows how impatient I've been in this department. I'm so grateful for HIS grace and forgiveness to see me through.

Now, the Int'l Standard Bible Encyclopedia (history of long-suffering) says this:

• long-suf'-er-ing ('erekh 'appayim; makrothumia):

  The words 'erekh 'appayim, translated longsuffering, mean literally, "long of nose" (or "breathing"), and, as anger was indicated by rapid, violent breathing through the nostrils, "long of anger," or "slow to wrath." Click here to read more.
  

I find the history of words fascinating. After reading that; how many of you can that you're slow to anger? I haven't been. Sometimes, I need a swift kick in the pants to be reminded by God to slow my roll.

So, now, what does God's word say? Let's take a peek.

2 Corinthians 6:4-10
⁴ But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, ⁵ in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; ⁶ by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, ⁷ by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, ⁸ by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; ⁹ as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; ¹⁰ as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Ephesians 4:1-3
¹ I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, ² with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, ³ endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Colossians 3:12-13
¹² Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

2 Peter 3:8-9
⁸ But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

[Emphasis mines]

Click here --> Matthew Henry to read what he says.

Um, I think I'm in big trouble. What about you? God's word also calls for us to endure each other and to be forgiving of each other. It seems it all comes down to obedience and forgiveness just as we've seen before. God is mighty patient of us. See in v.9 of 2 Peter 3. He keeps His promises. He's not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

HE's waiting patiently. How long will HE have to wait... for you? I know HE's really been waiting for quite some time... according to human standards. But, also in that same passage above, His timing of a day is like that of a thousand years.

I don't know about you, but, I'm not going to live a thousand years. I may only live one more day though. So might you. I thank God for His forgiveness and the gift of salvation.

How longsuffering are you? Surrender your will to God and allow the Holy Spirit to flood your soul. He will be your guide and help you to be longsuffering.

Prayer: Dear Father God, I pray for each of my readers to surrender their will to You and that they would be longsuffering in Your name. I pray that I would be more-so longsuffering for You. Thank You for Your forgiveness and salvation. In Jesus' name, amen.

Until next time. Happy Monday!

Peace - Security & Protection

Ephesians 6:10-20 The Whole Armor of God 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Last time we talked about Peace of Mind.

This week is the end of the series on peace. Next week, We'll begin a new series for April using a new word from my word list: Longsuffering (enduring persecution).

Today's lesson is gleaned from the above scripture in Ephesians. The Whole Armor of God (spiritual armor against the enemies of their souls). I'll show how we can be fit for battle against the evil enemy. You'll see how each piece of the armor will protect you and keep you secure.

How many times have you come up in battle unprepared wishing you had your suit of armor on? I'm pretty sure at least once. I know I have! So, come along with me as we suit up for battle. Don't be afraid. The Holy Spirit will guide you along and keep you safe. That is if you will let Him. Because all too often we take the sword and rush into battle with this attitude of "I can beat you. I can win." What happens? We get knocked on our bums. Just because we are too proud to allow God to lead us. He does know what He's doing, I promise.

In v.12 it says:

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

So then, everything else is a result of this spiritual warfare. The Whole Armor of God is symbolic to what we need to prepare for in a spiritual battle with the devil. Because, he pulls a lot of punches. He does not hold back. Satan is a slick fighter. So, with that in mind let's look at our Armor of God.

• Belt of truth - This piece holds up the rest of the armor. [Like a belt to hold up one's pants.] You need truth/sincerity to go on. Being truthful/sincere is what binds your faith.
  
• Breast-plate of righteousness - Protects us from the fiery arrows of the enemy's wrath.
  Note: righteousness/holiness: (Heb. kedushah). A religious quality or value invested in special objects, places, times, and persons. The root meaning of kedushah and its derivatives is "to be set apart" or "distinguished." The source of all holiness is the holiness of God, "the Holy One, blessed be He." Several times in the Bible, the people of Israel is exhorted to be holy because God is holy (e.g., Lev. 19:2). To describe God as holy in this context means to say that He is totally transcendent. He is the great Other, over and above the universe and all things in it. When the attribute of holiness is ascribed to God, it also embraces His awesomeness. [All that to say be Christ-like, an example to others. Set apart.]
  
• Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace - We must be ready to march into the battle field. We must go in peace with the knowledge of the Gospel.
  
• Shield of faith - Knowing that, with [Faith, as relying on unseen objects, receiving Christ and the benefits of redemption, and so deriving grace from him, is like a shield, a defense every way. -by Matthew Henry]. God will bring us through to the other side. Having that faith quenches the fiery darts shot at us from the enemy.
  
• Helmet of salvation - [A good hope of salvation, a Scriptural expectation of victory, will purify the soul, and keep it from being defiled by Satan. -by Matthew Henry] Protecting our minds.
  
• Sword of the Spirit - The Word of God [A single text, well understood, and rightly applied, at once destroys a temptation or an objection, and subdues the most formidable adversary. -by Matthew Henry].
  
• Prayer, witness & testimony of Jesus - Prayer is the fastener that holds all these pieces together. [A vain heart will be vain in prayer. We must pray with all kinds of prayer, public, private, and secret; social and solitary; solemn and sudden: with all the parts of prayer; confession of sin, petition for mercy, and thanksgiving for favors received. And we must do it by the grace of God the Holy Spirit, in dependence on, and according to, his teaching. We must preserve in particular requests, notwithstanding discouragements. We must pray, not for ourselves only, but for all saints. Our enemies are mighty, and we are without strength, but our Redeemer is almighty, and in the power of his mighty we may overcome. Wherefore we must stir up ourselves. Have not we, when God has called, often neglected to answer? Let us think upon these things, and continue our prayers with patience. -by Matthew Henry].

I like Matthew Henry so my post is laced with his wisdom. You'll most likely see many quotes from him in this blog. Feel free to comment with your thoughts and ideas. I'm open to them. We're all entitled to our opinions. A collective work of God's will tell HIS story and reach many. Let's get out there in full suited armor and be ready for battle in God's Army.

As I put this together I couldn't help but think about a scene from the movie "300" when the warriors banded together as one to create one big shield to fend off the enemy.

Join the Army of God! Stand firm! We can do it with God as the leader. The enemy doesn't have a chance. As God's Word says, "It is finished". John 19:30 - So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Satan has no hold on us. When he hears the name of Jesus he falls to ground paralyzed. Let's claim victory in Jesus' name, amen!

Prayer: Thank You Father God for standing with us and giving us Your full armor to fight against the enemy. Thank You for our salvation, and forgiveness of our sins. I pray that we hold up our end of the deal. In Jesus' name, amen.

Peace of Mind [20100322]

Welcome back to the blog on this Monday. I've been a bit off the path for the past couple weeks and missed posting from my word list. This month we're talking about peace. Last time we talked about safety and peace. Today we'll talk about peace of mind, anxiety.

You've heard people say, "I'm going out of my mind." There's even songs titled the same. If you're interested you can check one out online at: 

Going Out Of My Mind by Amy Studt

Play song from Lala.com False Smiles - 2002 - 3:39 Listen on: Lala - iLike - Rhapsody - Pandora

There are others.

Anxiety and depression are a major issue for many people. I suffered with it for a long time. Here's what God's word says:

Luke 12:28-30
²⁸ If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?
²⁹ “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. ³⁰ For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. (New King James Version)

Philippians 4:5-8
^{5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6} Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (New King James Version)

It took me a long time to get to not being anxious. I read that scripture a lot. I prayed a lot. In God's timing He worked it out within me as I totally surrendered to Him via His nudging. Verse 7 above took me over. I came totally undone with this verse. Surrendering to God's calling and trusting Him leads to a peace that surpasses all understanding. I am not even able to comprehend the power of God. But, He comforts my soul.

You probably wonder how can it be done. How can I be telling you to surrender and have peace of mind. It's a matter of obedience and pride. You must humble yourselves before God and yield to His command. Yes, it's a battle of the wills. Peace comes from God. Anxiety comes from satan. God loves you and me enough to allow us to have that peace. He gave us, the human race, His Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for ALL sin for ALL time. He doesn't wish that any perish. His word tells us:

2 Peter 3:9
⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (New King James Version)

We have the choice. Are we choosing to perish or are we choosing life? Eternal life with Jesus in Heaven?

I don't know about you; I choose Eternal life with Jesus. He's my strength and peace. The Holy Spirit lives within my soul and He is my peace. What about you?

Peace [20100301]

The month of March I'll be teaching on peace. Just to sit back and observe the world right now we aren't seeing much peace. Well, let's take a look at the definition of peace to get started:

• harmonious relations; freedom from disputes; "the roommates lived in peace together"
• the absence of mental stress or anxiety
• the general security of public places; "he was arrested for disturbing the peace"

This week we'll look at harmonious relations. God's word tells us:
1 Kings 4:24-25
24 For he had dominion over all the region on this side of the River from Tiphsah even to Gaza, namely over all the kings on this side of the River; and he had peace on every side all around him. 25 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, each man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.
Psalm 4
 8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
         For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Proverbs 16
7 When a man’s ways please the LORD,
      He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Ecclesiastes 3
8 A time to love,
And a time to hate;
      A time of war,
And a time of peace.
Isaiah 32
18 My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation,
      In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places
[emphasis with underlining mine].

Well, there it is! To hear some they'd say they live securely and safely. To hear others they'd say they are in fear for their lives. If you recall David and his song of Psalms; he feared for his safety when his life was in danger. He fled and hid to protect himself. You don't hear much of that these days.

I can remember as a child hiding for fear of my safety. Sounds odd, huh? Well, when you're being abused you find ways to defend yourself against harm. You see it all through the Psalms as David fled and hid. How many of you, not in war zones, can say you flee/fled for your life for security?

David sought the peace of the The LORD. So can we. There's no reason for us to battle against one another. When we have the peace of God/The Holy Spirit within us we should live in peace amongst one another. It's a battle of the flesh and the adversary we need to suit up in our armor of The LORD. As it states in Ecclesiastes 3:8. There's a time for war and a time for peace. We all need a rest and we all need to feel secure. Without the security and peace from God our life would be total chaos and mayhem. Prov 16:7 says that when God is pleased with us HE even makes our enemies to be at peace with us.

That goes back to us being obedient to God living a life worthy of God.

What kind of life are you living? Is it pleasing to God? My life at times is chaotic. I need to re-evaluate and re-establish my vertical alignment and get my priorities right. It's then that I feel at peace and feel secure.

Until next time, peace out!

Godly Love

This week we will all be excited to romance our lovers with gifts of chocolates, roses, jewels, etc. We'll see red and pink hearts all over everything from clothes to food. I, too, will participate in Valentine's Day fun. We'll be celebrating our 11th wedding anniversary Saturday, February 13th. On Sunday, February 14th, Valentine's Evening, we'll attend a Valentine's Jazz/Swing Dance & dinner. We're getting all decked out in the finest dress/suit. Each of you will celebrate Valentine's in your own way. However that might be let's not forget to also include God in our love festivities. Here's my contribution for my love to God as well as His love to all of us.

God's word says:

John 15:9-17
9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
This scripture ties in with last month's word, joy. Everything about the Fruits of the Spirit fit together like a puzzle.

Colossians 3:12-15
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
This scripture also ties in with a future words of the months.

Now, here's some video that I'd like to share with you. I'm setting them up in progression. Please take a little time [about 15 minutes] and listen to each. It's part of this week's message.

Happy Valentine's Week!

What is Love?

Well, February has been deemed the month of love. I suppose it could have something to do with Valentine's Day in the middle of the month. I'll accept that. It's a great excuse to write about love.

I started out January's word of the month with the definition. I'll do the same for February's word of the month: "Love". Here's the dictionary's definition of love:

• a strong positive emotion of regard and affection; "children need a lot of love"
• have a great affection or liking for; "She loves her boss and works hard for him"
• a deep feeling of sexual desire and attraction; "she was his first love"

We've all experienced at least one of these definitions of love. The question is:

• Have you experienced God's love?

There's been a lot said, written, sung and expressed in some manner of emotional/physical love and God's love. There's nothing new I can post. So, instead of trying to reinvent the wheel I'm going to share a link to an article one of my bloggy friends wrote:

• What is love? by Lynn Mosher

Hop on over there and check out her method of sharing what love is. I trust and love Lynn. She's a great sister in Christ who shares some wonderful posts in cyberspace. Her post on love is an expression of her love of Christ given back to us in written form.

What is love to you?

Receiving Joy

Hello! Welcome to the blog. We've been discussing joy. Today is our last in in the series: Receiving Joy. Here's a quick review of what we've discussed:

1. Day 1 - the definition
2. Day 2 - Good and Upright - An understanding of joy.
3. Day 3 - Joy: Where does it come from?

First, before I begin the last of this series. I want to thank all of you who've been following. I pray that you've been blessed by these posts. May you be filled with His joy.

Now to our discussion today.

We have heard of and read about joy. Have we received it? A great deal will say "yes". Some will say, "I'm not sure". Some will say, "no". Let's see what God's word says:

Psalm 45:7 & Hebrews 1:9 says:
You love justice and hate evil.
    Therefore God, your God, has anointed you,
    pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.

Matthew Henry explains this scripture:
"The Spirit is called the oil of gladness, because of the delight wherewith Christ was filled, in carrying on his undertakings. The salvation of sinners is the joy of angels, much more of the Son. And in proportion as we are conformed to his holy image, we may expect the gladdening gifts influences of the Comforter."

This is pretty special. God has anointed you. Yes, you! You wonder how so. Well, here's more of what God's word says about that:

Psalm 35:9
And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD;
    It shall rejoice in His salvation.

Isaiah 61:10
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

When you receive God's salvation your soul shall be joyful. We talked about this last week as well.

Lay down all those burdens you've been carrying around. Look to God. Receive His joy of salvation. Thank Him for it. Continue to seek Him. He will fulfill your joy. Turn from your old ways, not returning to them. Remember, God loves you and wishes that you be joyful. God is a God of love, joy, peace and all the fruits of the Spirit.

Prayer: "Dear Father God, and friend, I lift my heart up to You. I thank You for the joy of Your salvation through Jesus Christ, Your Son. I pray for those who haven't received it yet and ask in Jesus' name that they seek You and receive salvation, thus joy. I praise You in Jesus' name, amen."

Joy: Where does it come from?

This quote is a great way to start this week's lesson in joy.

"Joy is a condition of the soul, and that condition is fully capable of being immune to circumstances. Happiness is temporary, joy is its own missionary to a fallen world because few have it, and yet mistake happiness for the real thing - joy. When happiness has faded, joy still has a voice. Joy is a choice. Joy is a mindset. Joy is a world view." The Minute Man

Last time we discussed "Good and Upright", the understanding of joy. This week we'll discuss, as the title asks, Where does our joy come from?

I like the quote because as it says, "When happiness fades, joy still has a voice, joy is a choice, a mindset and a world view." So then, where does our joy come from?

Here's what Matthew Henry, famous commentator of scripture, says:

"The matter of a Christian's joy, is the remembrance of the happiness laid up for him. It is incorruptible, it cannot come to nothing, it is an estate that cannot be spent. Also undefiled; this signifies its purity and perfection. And it does not fade; is not sometimes more or less pleasant, but ever the same, still like itself. God not only gives his people grace, but preserves them unto glory. Every believer has always something wherein he may greatly rejoice; it should show itself in the countenance and conduct."

I remember the benediction my youth group used to pray at every meeting, found in Numbers 6:24-26,
²⁴ "The LORD bless you and keep you;
²⁵ The LORD make His face shine upon you,
     And be gracious to you;
²⁶ The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
     And give you peace."'

That being said leads me right to more of God's word:
Isaiah 61:10
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

It took me a long time to make the connection between joy, happiness and salvation. Maybe there's others who haven't made the connection either.

If I'm understanding this correctly; our joy comes from our salvation. Living out Christ's gift to us will imply that we're full of joy. Psalm 21:1 says:
1 The king shall have joy in Your strength, O LORD;
     And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

As well as Psalm 35:9:
9 And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD;
     It shall rejoice in His salvation.

Even through our sorrow and trials we should be rejoicing in our salvation. God's words says:

1 Peter 1:6-9
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 4:12-14
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

John 16:22
Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.

No matter what's happening around you or even to you, express joy that is from the God of your salvation. You'd be a great example to unbelievers to the love of God. As John 16:22 tells us: no one can take your joy away that is from God.

However, because of things that had happened in my life I allowed others to take my joy because I wasn't focused on God even though God's joy was still there. When we lose sight of God and His Word in our lives the adversary sneaks in and takes over. God is still there. He's trying for all His might to get our attention. God got my attention in 2009. He started a work in me that was unmistakably His. When everything was at the bottom the only way was up. God reached His Almighty hand in and offered it to me. I accepted it of course. At the same time some other miraculous things took place that made it unmistakable that it was God pulling me and my husband from the mire. Did God take it all away and make everything perfect for us? No. He left us at the doorway and offered us the choice to follow Him. We still have adversities. Here's what Habakkuk 3:17-19 says:

17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,
    Nor fruit be on the vines;
    Though the labor of the olive may fail,
    And the fields yield no food;
    Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
    And there be no herd in the stalls—
    18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
     I will joy in the God of my salvation.
    19 The LORD God is my strength;
    He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
    And He will make me walk on my high hills.

There's this one girl at my church. Her name is Abi and at the time of this situation she was 12 yrs old. In 2008 when her family came home on furlough from the mission field they had no idea what they were in for. Abi contracted the flesh eating bacteria on one side of her face. She's since been through treatment to stop it. She's also been through many surgeries. Here's a quote from her:

"My surgeon can't figure me out, my teacher wants to clone me, Lydia and I are back in school, my scar is my name tag at every church I visit, my hair has been cut, my writing is going well, my dad still makes me cry (in a good, special way), and my Christmas was wonderful. Yet, more important than all these things that... bring me happiness I have THE POWERFUL, WONDERFUL, ALL-KNOWING, EVER-CARING GOD who gives me JOY!"

That is one powerful statement. This girl, Abi, has been such a great example of the joy from God. She's an inspiration to us all.

Here's what Billy Graham says:

The choice is ours. I've made the choice to be joyful and rejoice in my salvation from the LORD. Have you? Where does your joy come from? Is it fleeting? Or, is it firm and stable? Join me today & everyday and be joyful, rejoicing in the LORD.

Good and Upright

Hello and welcome!

Last time we talked about the definition of joy. You can read up on it here. If you recall joy means: to feel joy, to be glad and to rejoice.

This week I pray that you will take away from this teaching the understanding. The good and upright of joy and that one can thrive in their understanding and be full of joy from that knowledge.

Below are some scriptures I felt led to use by the LORD. I pray that the connection will be clear in that God gives us wisdom and understanding that in turn gives us joy. A foolish and evil person knows no joy. How could they? They do not know the Lord. Joy comes from knowing and being obedient to the Lord. This verse is clear in that idea:

Ecclesiastes 2:26a
²⁶ For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight;

So... if we look at being good and upright what does that look like? Good and upright are defined as:

• good: of moral excellence [virtue: the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong.]
• upright: righteousness as a consequence of being honorable [ethical: adhering to ethical and moral principles] and honest [not deceptive].

Verse 9 in Proverbs 14 below states that God shows favor to the upright and in v.11 the tent of the upright with flourish. Well, if one is flourishing they must be glad and full of joy, correct?

Now that we have a clear view of being good and upright we now look toward wisdom and knowledge. For they lead to joy. Understanding plays a major role here. Understanding is knowing. So, as v.6 says, knowing is easy to him who understands. What are we to understand? We are to understand that being sensible in our ways will lead to wisdom from the Lord because we're careful to be upright. Therein lies the difficulty. Being upright.

Proverbs 14:5-11
⁵ A faithful witness does not lie,
  But a false witness will utter lies.
  ⁶ A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it,
  But knowledge is easy to him who understands.
  ⁷ Go from the presence of a foolish man,
  When you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.
  ⁸ The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way,
  But the folly of fools is deceit.
  ⁹ Fools mock at sin,
  But among the upright there is favor.
  ¹⁰ The heart knows its own bitterness,
  And a stranger does not share its joy.
  ¹¹ The house of the wicked will be overthrown,
  But the tent of the upright will flourish.

We are stuck with these mortal fleshly bodies. Humans by nature of corrupt and foolish. However, v.28 in Job 28 tells us that we can have wisdom from God by fearing Him and departing from evil is understanding. Understanding leads to joy.

Job 28:28
²⁸ And to man He said,
      ‘ Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
      And to depart from evil is understanding.’
[emphasis mine]

As we are led right back to our first scripture,

Ecclesiastes 2:26a
²⁶ For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight;

God's word tells us that when Christ became our savior as we accepted Jesus all our sins are wiped away and that he sees no sin in us. We must then lean on God's understanding and be full of joy in Jesus as our Savior. Next week we'll discuss where our joy comes from. It comes from the Lord! That's your homework. Seek in The Word where your joy comes from.

Prayer: "Dear Father God, I pray that this lesson today will bless whoever needs it and that they will be enlightened. I pray that I learn from it and be enlightened. I thank You for all that You did and are still doing to produce joy in all of our lives. I pray that this series will reach all that You want it to reach. I praise and thank You in Jesus' name, amen.

January's Word: Joy-Day 1

I will post each Monday in January about joy. I'll start today with the definition. The following Mondays I'll simply make a quick summary with mr. linky to previous post for reference. I'll follow this same format for the rest of the year.

Word: Joy

Definition from Dictionary.com:
noun: the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation: She felt the joy of seeing her son's success.
verb: to feel joy; be glad; rejoice.

The Hebrew word for joy used most commonly is: simchah (pronounced sim-khaw')

The King James & New King James Version of the Holy Bible use the word joy 155 times. All the other versions have more. I will use NKJV for this year's word list posts just to keep it consistent. Feel free to use what ever version works best for you. I find certain translations simply describe things that are easier for me to follow. We have to seek God in our life journey not ourselves or another man. The Holy Spirit is our true guide within us. Listen to the Holy Spirit within you. If you are wondering how to do that because you haven't reached that stage yet... there's some awesome articles online that teach you discernment of good and evil. Do a search at google.com (here's a link to a list of search results in google: http://snipurl.com/tyf83).

Proverbs 2 describes the benefits of seeking wisdom from God. Specifically v.10, which I have underlined.

Proverbs 2
¹ My child, listen to what I say,
and treasure my commands.
² Tune your ears to wisdom,
and concentrate on understanding.
³ Cry out for insight,
and ask for understanding.
⁴ Search for them as you would for silver;
seek them like hidden treasures.
⁵ Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,
and you will gain knowledge of God.
⁶ For the Lord grants wisdom!
From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
⁷ He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.
He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.
⁸ He guards the paths of the just
and protects those who are faithful to him.
⁹ Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair,
and you will find the right way to go.
¹⁰For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will fill you with joy.
¹¹ Wise choices will watch over you.
Understanding will keep you safe.
¹² Wisdom will save you from evil people,
from those whose words are twisted.

We are compelled to seek joy in our lives. As verse 11 & 12 say above, seek wisdom from God, who watches over us and saves us from evil. Doing so will fill you with joy. There are many things in life that give us joy, but we must remember that true joy comes from God. The adversary likes to distract us with false joy, which discourages us when we discover its emptiness. God does not do that to us; His joy is completely fulfilling. We need discernment in knowing God's joy from the adversary's joy. Ask yourself these simple questions when you are seeking joy (be very honest in your answers):

Is this joy leading me toward or away from God?

Will this joy fulfill you or leave you feeling empty?

What are the consequences of seeking this joy?

Your answers should lead you to God every time. If not, run in the opposite direction as fast as you can; run right into the arms of our loving Father. The consequences of not following God are destructive. Personally, I'd rather grow in the wisdom and knowledge of a loving God. I want true joy from God; joy that will carry us through the tough times.

What about you? You are probably thinking this is a very tough area. Yes, it is, because the adversary keeps throwing stuff up in your face distracting you and telling you that you can't do it! Well, I'm here to tell you... the adversary is a big, FAT, liar! The adversary can just take a hike, right back to the pit of hades, and burn; in Jesus' name, amen!

As children of the Most High King, Jesus, we have already won the victory over the adversary. All we must do is seek God in Jesus' name and the adversary buckles at the knees, collapses, and crawls back into his hole. Picture victory when saying those words. Read scripture with God's promises and listen to some praise & worship music that fills your heart with joy and blast the adversary out.

I could go on forever with this... I've been down this road and I've won the victory through Jesus and so can you.

Prayer: Dear Father God, I lift up all those who are struggling to get to You and make You Lord over all in their lives. I pray that they will be filled to overflowing with Your joy in their lives. I thank YOU Father for enveloping me and those out there who need You, and encouraging our hearts & minds. Thank You for Your joy in our lives. I pray that we continue to seek Your true joy. In Jesus' name, amen.