I would like to share today about the topic of drawing close to God. The key to this is to lay down our pride, to honestly admit that we need to get more in touch with the Heavenly Father. God desires hearts that are fully in tune with Him. In order to have a life that has a lovely sound, there needs to be a conductor who has perfect pitch.
Praise God that He is all-knowing! He is aware of what every child of His needs and at what time in life. He is the perfect parent. As every parent knows, it takes a relationship with the children in order to know what they need. When the guardian observes their temperament and their development, the best choices can be made in their lives. When the children learn that the parents care about them, a beautiful relationship can develop.
My prayer is that we all will come into a fuller knowledge of Him; we need to seek Him with our whole hearts. In striving for this fellowship, we are going to have peace and joy coming from us! Jesus loves us so much!
This week, God has been reminding me of His goodness and how wonderful He is! The only way to keep ourselves from anger and depression is by focusing on the facts about our Lord. If we are misled into believing God is wanting bad to come our way, it separates us from Him. It prevents us from having the beautiful fellowship He desires. Instead, we should be praising the name of the Lord.
I remember reading in the Bible how the song leaders were put in front of the Children of Israel, as they went out to battle (2 Chronicles 20:21-23). Jehosaphat sure made a wonderful decision of having them sing about the goodness of God! God smiled from Heaven and defeated those from Ammon, Moab, and Mt Seir. It is true that there are many times we may not feel like worshipping God; but, isn’t He the source of our power? He deserves to be praised! The joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10)!
In this post, I feel led to share on the subject of death. I have had those fears overwhelming me in my life at times. I especially remember a season when I had gone through a divorce, not of my choosing.
This happening put me in a very hard spot. I had no way of affording a place to rent, so I chose to stay with my lovely parents. When I was in their place, my Mom was diagnosed with dementia and many other health issues. On top of this, my dog ended up dying. I remember seeing the boxes of our departed pets on the mantle, on top of the news of my Mom’s dementia. It was disheartening, knowing I was unemployed and facing the shadows of death all around me (Psalm 23).
I have been encouraged to call out to the Heavenly Father throughout my life, which I did. Even though I had the signs of death all around me, I heard God’s small voice that I was just going through a valley. I even gave Him my dead marriage. Where else could I turn… He is life (John 6:68)!?
Ever since that time, I have been experiencing branches sprouting. It started with getting a part-time job with chances of going permanent, my Ex- Husband wanting to reconcile and go through counseling /remarriage, and on April 28, 2020 we got remarried. Our housing situation keeps improving every couple of years, also. No, we are all not getting younger or much healthier; we have to have faith in the one who defeated the grave. He is going before us, showing us that death is defeated. Let us follow the Good Shepherd into Heaven! Please comment on how God has given peace to you in this situation.
Luke 24:6 King James Version 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
There are so many times in the Bible where the Lord emphasizes trusting Him. When we view life as being over because of so many catastrophies and trials, we are not seeing things correctly. There is a bigger picture, which our loving Heavenly Father knows all about.
When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was asking God to take away the cup of suffering. He went on, though, to state that He was leaving His life in the Father’s hands [Luke 22:42-44]. He knew that God’s will was the best; He trusted Him.
I wanted to encourage everyone that what might have been intended by others or the Enemy as evil, God is meaning it for good in our lives. If we can remember, Joseph faced the terrible incident of being betrayed by his brothers. When he revealed himself in Egypt as being their brother, it was evidence that God used the betrayal to help the Israelites. I believe Corrie Ten Boom compared life as viewing a tapestry from the backside. It has a bunch of rough areas that don’t resemble a picture. From the other side, it is a gorgeous picture. Just like the angel told the graveside visitors, Jesus had risen as promised. Our lives are not over, and we will experience our own resurrections!
Proverb 3:27, and Andrew Ripp‘s song entitled Love’s Got a Way, puts the subject of imperfection and need into perspective. We need to remember the awesome resonsibility and strength the Spirit gives to His children. There is a purpose for us to be here… in the particular time period, the particular location, and the particular families we were born into.
First off, I wanted to open up the blog with the observation that there is a balance God can give us in dealing with this downfallen world. There is the calling for us to help our neighbors, and to utilize what God blesses us with {Mark 12:30-31, Matthew 25:15}; but, we shouldn’t misuse the resources in doling out to every needy soul around us. What needs to happen is that we should wait on the Spirit’s calling to assist people around us. He will show us areas we can be used in. That is what makes this walk with Jesus so exciting. It is seeing His hand working as you are givenvarious assignments.
It takes the pressure off of us when we are given the power from above(Acts 1:8). There is a picture in my mind of the description of the members of the Body of Christ working as one (1 Corinthians 12-27). This idea of the Body of Christ using different gifts and talents reminds me of the verse in 1 Corinthians 3:6-8 ; Paul did the planting, and Appollos did the watering. What one person is able to get done for the Lord, another person can build upon it. Let us be yielding ourselves to the Lord, lettingHim give the increase.We are all valuable as one Body of Christ.
Be still before the Lord and wait paitiently for Him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Wow… reading this Scripture and hearing this song, played on KLove by Brandon Lake, brought me to tears and worship! It encapsulises my life, and motivates me to testify of what I mean. It brings me to the place of correctly viewing who God is, and how He has and can work. Too many times there is a habit of looking at what we see as the end product. That what we observe around us is too much for God to handle. We need to reevaluate and get our eyes on God through faith… Phillipians 4:8.
God did not create the downfallenes we observe every day; but since he is good and holy, created a way for man to come back to Him and be restored. We need to get this message more than ever in 2025! Let me share a little about what God has done in my life and my whole family’s. While hearing this song, my mind remembered how He has moved.
Well, it started with my birth. I was born with Turners Syndrome in a hospital in Westminster, CA. Most Mothersendupnaturallyaborting their fetuses. Not so in my case, because God wanted to turn it around for His glory… Romans 8:28. The next time God was behind the scenes was in my parents’ marriage, and in my Mother’s mental illness. He has held my Parents together for 56 years! My Mom’s mental state has been sustained by the work of the Holy Spirit and through medication. As I progress in my story, I now have to bring up God’s assisting me to receive my BA from Southern California College. If it wasn’t for my receiving a scholarship, and in the Spirits’ helping my health to be sustained, I wouldn’t be glancing at the BA certificate at home proudly displayed. The next time period to discuss would be in my 30s to the present day. The Lord honored my marriage to Alan Sweet in February of 2000. Despite marital difficulties and attacks from Satan, the Lord enabled us to be reunited in April of 2020. Even though we still have scars from a divorce, we are now married and looking forward to the next segment of our lives. We are presently looking forward to seeing what God can do in healing our hearts totally. Restoration and healing doesn’t always happen overnight, but in God’s timing…2 Peter 3:9.up
Let us not get weary in well-doing, or lose patience when we see evil and evil doers displayed in this fallen world. He is greater…1 John 4:4. Let us hide this in our hearts as we progress in this New Year. Please take the time to share of how God has moved in your lives. If you continue to scroll, you will find the area that comments can be put. God bless, as you trust in Him through each day’s trials!
In Psalm 133, a Song of Ascents, it makes a beautiful exclamation of how glorious it is when brothers dwell together in unity. I pray each one of you had an uplifting Christmas together with your families, which includes the Body of Christ. Personally, I was able to have a meal and then talk and shareabout the awesomeness of God with my Family. This went on forseveral hours.
While there was this get-together, I then began to reflect on the idea of being with the whole Family of God forever. There will be no pain, no misunderstandings, no limits of time. The unification will be Christ. While we have this to look forward to, the Spirit can enable us to get a little glimpse of this on Earth. It is so encouraging to meditate on the fact that God has comeand that He will come again to unite all of us forever with Him!
I believe I have shared this verse before; but, it is a powerful encouragement for troubled hearts and minds!I needed it this week, as I have been concerned for my Family members andloved ones. It always seems that around Christmas and the New Year it is easy to become frantic, catching up on things you haven’t accomplished in the last year; or, trying to give assistance to people that do not want to change. I know I have set time limits on reaching certain goals and milestones. Rather, it is important to leave the speed of processes in God’s hands. That would even be in the area of salvation, both physically and spiritually.
The key to having peace of mind is to approach His throne with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). We can do this because He is a God of grace and mercy. He will never turn His children away. Jesus wants us to be in close fellowship with Him, daily. Our God loves hearing us, and appreciates a heart filled with thanksgiving. After all, when you live in the Spirit it changes your outlook and enables you to have life! I pray we approach 2025 with sound minds, knowing God is behind the scenes.
Anxious Heart, Jeremy Camp
Anxious Heart, Jeremy CampJeremy Camp, Anxious Heart
20)Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, 21) to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Once again the Spiritwas exhorting me, and all of us,to get the greater picture in life; God’s view is the one that is all inclusive, and it is truth. The mistake with us is that we are narrow-minded and get a plan set in our minds as something that has to happen. This sets us up for disappointment, when we don’t see things come into fruition. It is wonderful knowing that our Shepherd goes before us, and knows the perfect way for each one of us.
I feel led to share an issue in my life that I have had to release to Jesus. I may have talked about this previously, but I have been born with Turner’s Syndrome. This is where a female is born without one of her chromosomes. This results in the inability to conceive children, having short stature, and a history of other physical ailments. I have gone through stages of my life where I have become depressed and have had to release feelings of being cheated. The Spirit has spoken to me that the reasoning behind not having offspring biologically is so that the mutated genes will not be passed down. He then continued to encourage me to be open to maybe mentoring younger people who cross my path; I don’t have to have children of my own to have an impact in this world. I have had an opportunity to share this with my Sister. She too has been battling with the fact she was not able to have children, because of situations in life. I pray anyone who has also suffered in this area can find comfort in the fact that our Savior sees us and understands what is best for us. He is telling all of us that His grace is sufficient for us [2 Corinthians 12:9]. Please take the time to share with everyone times where God has made a way for you!
10) And the angel said to them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11) For unto you is born today in the City of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
As we come into the Christmas season, I am hit by the great promise of peace the angel gave the day of Christ’s birth. The human race is tainted by death and is separated from God. There is that gnawing feeling of not being right. Instead of drawing closerto the Messiah, there is the natural first response of trying to find one’s own way in life. This results in much unrest and unsatisfaction.
In my own life, I have observed several individuals atworkresorting to tryingtofindsatisfaction in becoming the opposite gender. They want to dowhat is right in their own eyes. Throughout history, when man hasdone this, it only leads to being separated from God and each other. I remember reading about the Tower of Babel, the Great Flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, to name several examples.
There wasn’t just this one time God reached down and offered peace. He is here through His Spirit, offering the blessed hope of His second return to all who ask Him into their life. He will reign and make all things peaceful and right. I encourage all who have never given their life to God to do that right now. For those who know Him, we need to recall His promises and walk in the Spirit. Peace be to everyone as they do this!
New beginnings 