Simple Physics

Sow and Reap

Galatians 6:7-8  NKJV 

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life".

It would certainly be a surprise if you planted corn and pumpkins came up. Or planted an apple tree that limes grew on. It's the natural law to reap what we sow. Corn from corn. Apples from apples.

It's true in other areas as well.

If you gossip about your friends, you will lose their friendship. If you take something that doesn't belong to you then someone will surely take something of value that is yours. If you plant to please your own desires, you'll reap a crop of sorrow. If you plant to please God, you'll reap joy and everlasting life. Every action has results.

The question for you today is:
What kind of seeds are you sowing?

Sunday Blessings

Picture Post

Picture Post

Basic Crocheting - Single Crochet

Basic Chain -
The Beginning of all crochet

Completed: Pink and Off White Single Crochet Afghans

First Row - Step 1 - The Train

Pulling out a piece of the yarn ... Wrap yarn around the hook to create an O that is only as big as your needle is around - and leave a little tail piece. Tie in a firm knot.

* You'll see a lot of videos on the internet that show a crocheter making this little fancy beginning stitch- which is fine as long as you tie that stitch into a firm knot so that all of your hard work doesn't become un-raveled the first time you wash it. I often double knot mine. Just to be sure.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 2-

Wrap yarn around needle one time and pull through the beginning O stitch. Continue to wrap the yarn one time around your needle and pull through - which creates a new O (stitch) every time you do this. Counting each time you create a new O until you have 145 of them. Now you have a long train of O stitches.

* A nice size afghan is about 54 inches wide = 145 O's stitches on a train.

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

 Second Row- Step 1

After you have made 145 O stitches- Turn your train around (flip it over) and start on the 2nd row going in the opposite direction.

Step 2- The Single Crochet

In the center of each of the O stitches in your train (beginning with the first one and going one at a time until you get to the end of your train) insert your hook through the hole and wrap the yarn over the needle and pull the yarn through the hole. You will see that you now have two loops on your hook. Wrap yarn around again and this time pull the yarn through the two loops on your hook. Move on to the next O stitch and repeat until you get to the end of your train. Then turn your train (flip it over) and start all over again going in the opposite direction.

* Continue until the blanket is as long as you want it to be. I like to cover my feet when I am watching TV as well as my shoulders- so every now and again when my blanket is starting to get big I will stand up and hold it to my shoulders. If it covers my feet on the floor then I know my blanket is long enough and it's time to quit. If it is a blanket that I just want to throw over my couch or at the foot of the bed then when the blanket is as long as it is wide then it's done (in other words- a square).

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 3- Finishing the blanket to make it even.

Remember that little tail I had you to leave when you first started your O train (Row 1 Step 1)?

Starting there - go all the way around your blanket using the SINGLE crochet stitch until you end up back at the tail. You can go around your blanket once, twice or three times - whatever you want. This just gives the blanket stability and helps to keep it nice and even. Once you have gone all the way around the blanket (ever how many times you wanted to) you can just snip off that tail and you're done. You can make big blankets, baby blankets or even a scarf using this same train and stitch. It's all up to you! Remember; a pretty blanket is more in the colors you use than it is in the stitches you use. Variegated yarn (yarn already made with different colors built in) takes the guess work out of what colors will match well together- but I like using my imagination when mixing colors- but honestly; a solid one color afghan that matches my couch or my bed or whatever is probably my favorite.


* If you want to change color yarn then at the side of the blanket - cut your yarn off so you have a tail about 1/2 inch long. Take your new color and tie a firm knot to the tail of the old color yarn (joining the two pieces together) Crochet a couple of stitches- then go back and tie another knot in the two tails (this is just for safety and because I am a double knot kind of girl) Then close to the knot- snip the two tails of yarn off. Don't worry about the knot you made. As your afghan gets bigger- the knot will naturally slip inside the surrounding yarn and disappear.

That's it. You now know how to start an O train, how to Single crochet and how to Finish off a blanket.  Happy Crocheting!



TIP!

Here is a couple of videos to show you how it's done. At the beginning they show you how to make that fancy O stitch at the beginning- just remember to tie it in a firm knot!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGemgS1ldwg
(normal speed)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGMjqo8jAvs
(slow motion)

 

You and Me

"They" Are Really You and Me

Psalm 89:14  NIV 
 "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you".

God is just. It's His character, who He is, and it's something He wants us to pursue whole heartedly.

Justice seeks to make wrong things right. It is us working throughout our lives to fix injustices to the best of our ability that we happen upon in the world around us.

Every time we see something that's wrong, our first response should be to pray about it.

Our second response should be to ask ourselves, "What can I do about it?"

However, it doesn't even occur to most of us. It's like we look at things and think that it's someone else's problem, and we wish "they" would fix it! We wish "they" would do this and that.

Have you ever stopped to ask, "Who are "they"?

I believe that "they" is us, you and me!

Have you ever looked at your brothers and sisters in Christ and thought to yourself "I wish they wouldn't do that" or "I wish they wouldn't act that way" or "I wish they wouldn't talk like that"? But you kept silent because you didn't want to upset them and make them mad at you. Or you looked the other way and pretended that you didn't see anything. Or worse; you went along with it because speaking out against it just seemed too hard?

In Proverbs 27:17 (KJV) we read:
" Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend"

An aspect of Christian accountability is encouraging each other to grow in their spiritual maturity. Hebrews 10:24 says, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."

One can hardly encourage another to be all that they can be in Christ if they deny that there is a problem, ignore the situation or simply pretend that all in well. Correct? Holding a fellow Christian accountable for their behavior is never going to be easy. But, the Bible says we must all do it from time to time.

You may not be able to fix everything, but you can do something. Don't look at injustice and do nothing. You must do something because God did not create you for inactivity and passivity. He created you for enthusiasm, zeal and passion. He put gifts in you to be used for His glory and to help other people. Live a life of justice today.


Prayer Focus:

Holy Spirit, don't allow me to sit around wishing "they" would do something about the injustice that takes place in the many membered body of Christ in the world when I can do something to make a change. Fill me with boldness, and show me how to right the wrongs that I see in the world around me. Give me the strength to say the things that people may not want to hear but is based on the Holy Word. Guide me to help my fellow Christians; as well as myself, to only do that which is pleasing in the sight of God. Let me not be silent but vocal when I see something that is unjust, unfair, insincere, or corrupted in the many membered body of Christ. In the Name of Jesus I pray, Amen!

 

So Saith The Lord

The Words of Thy Mouth ...

Words are powerful when released out of your mouth because they carry spiritual forces.

Jesus said it this way:
"…the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life".
John 6:63

I think sometimes we miss what He said. “There is spirit life in the words that I speak.” That’s why it is important for us to agree with God, and to say what God says.

When we talk about “confession”, that is actually what we are talking about: agreeing with God. When we mention confession, most people think we are referring to confessing our sins. If we sin, we should confess our sins to God. But here we are talking about agreeing with God. That is the confession of God’s Word.

Words carry spiritual forces. Words transmit fear; words transmit supernatural power, words transmit faith. Words transmit your image to others. God’s Word transmits God’s image – the devil’s word transmits the devil’s image.

For example;

If I wanted to give someone an image of my car, I would start describing it. Every word I speak would transmit a clearer image of that car. Inside of me right now I can see that car mentally. I can walk around it. That is a mental image. I can describe it in such detail that you could recognize it when you see it, even though you have never seen it with your natural eye. My words produce an image of that car inside you. I transmit to you the image I have with words.

Yes indeed! Words are powerful transmitters.


Remember Paul said in Romans 10:17:
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Today you can have an image inside of you. You may even have the Word of God for it. The Spirit of God may be moving concerning the very thing you have an image of, but until you release that image through faith-filled words, very little will happen to bring that into being. You must speak that image. You must give voice to it. You give substance to that image by releasing your faith in words.

Confess abundance in the face of apparent lack.

Text taken from Mark 11:23. (read it and read it often)


The Word of the Lord came unto me and spoke one of the most profound statements I have ever heard. It was simple, but then Jesus never made anything hard to understand. It is so simple that it makes me feel almost foolish, but it has changed my life. It will change yours if you receive it as I did.

Let’s put it in the context of which He spoke.

Mark 11:23, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith.”


As I was reading from this text, Jesus spoke to my heart and said to me, “I have told my people they can have WHAT THEY SAY, and they are SAYING WHAT THEY HAVE.”


That is a very simple truth, but oh how profound and far reaching. For as long as you say what you have, you will have what you say, then you, again say what you have, and it will produce no more than what you say. You can see that you have set a spiritual law in motion that will confine you to the very position or circumstance you are in when you set that law in motion. It is an age old problem of not looking beyond what you can see with the physical eye.

A correct application of this spiritual law will change even the most impossible situation. But, to incorrectly apply these laws will hold you in bondage, and cause the circumstance to grow worse.

Every faith principle, and every spiritual law that God set forth in His Word was for your benefit. It was designed to put you over in life.


Learn to Release Your Faith in Words

You can have what you say if you learn to release faith from the heart in your words. Jesus said, “… "as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.” (Matthew 8:13)

He didn’t say it would only work if you believed right. Whether you believe right, or wrong, it is still the law. “… God is not mocked, whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)

The spiritual law is based on the same basic principle of seed-time harvest. The words you speak are seeds that produce aſter their kind. Just as sure as they are planted, you can be equally sure a harvest will follow. Faith talks. When faith talks, it talks faith, not fear and unbelief.


The Treasures of the Heart Cannot be Hidden, But are Manifest Through Words


Learn to take the Words of Jesus personally. In Mark 11:23, Jesus tells you that you can have what you say if what you say comes from faith in your heart.
What would happen if Jesus walked down the aisles of your church, laid His hands on the people, and said, “It will come to pass that aſter I have laid my hands on each one of you, everything you say will happen just as you say it”?

Half the congregation would jump up and say, “Whoo Hoo Hoo! Alrighty then!" and the other half would say "Well crap"

The "well, crap" crowd has allowed the enemy to program their minds until instead of resisting him, they have sort of buddied up with him, and begun to talk his language. They know that years of speaking negative words will surely effect the outcome.

While the "whoo hoo hoo" crowd has become accustomed to speaking God's Word.


Train Yourself to Speak God’s Word

Let us train ourselves to speak God’s Word. Ephesians 5:1 tells us,
“be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children….”

The word, “followers” in Greek means to imitate. We are to imitate God as a child does his father. If a child imitates his father, he will walk like him, talk like him; and patterns his every move aſter him. We should do no less aſter our Father, God.


WHOSE WORDS WILL YOU ESTABLISH ON EARTH?

When you study the life of Jesus you find several important facts that caused Him to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. I will list a few.

1. He spent much time in prayer, but He never prayed the problem; He prayed the answer. What God said is the answer.

2. He spoke accurately, never crooked speech. His conversation always consisted of what God said.

3. He always spoke the end results, not the problem. Never did He confess present circumstances. He spoke the desired results.

4. He used the written Word to defeat Satan.


THE WORD OF GOD CONCEIVED IN THE HEART, FORMED BY THE TONGUE, AND SPOKEN OUT OF THE MOUTH IS POWER!


Christianity is called the great confession, but most Christians who are defeated in life are defeated because they believe and confess the wrong things. They have spoken the words of the enemy. And those words hold them in bondage.

Proverbs 6:2 says,
“... Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth.”

Faith filled words will put you over. Fear filled words will defeat you. Words are the most powerful thing in the universe.

Man is a spirit being, very capable of operating on the same level of faith as God.

We read in Mark 9:23,
“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”

Matthew 17: 20 says,
“And Jesus said unto them, ... for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

Mark 11:23 says, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”


Spiritual Law

This is not theory. It is fact. It is a spiritual law. It works every time it is applied correctly. This is a SPIRITUAL LAW. God never does anything without saying it first. God is a faith God. God released His faith in Words.

“And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God .” (Mark 11:22)

A more literal translation of the above verse says “Have the God kind of faith, or faith of God.”

Ephesians 5:1 literally tells us to be imitators of God as children imitate their parents. To imitate God, you must talk like Him and act like Him. He would not ask you to do something you are not capable of doing.

Jesus operated in the faith principles of Mark 11:23 and Matthew 17:20 while He was on earth. He spoke to the wind and sea. He spoke to demons. He spoke to the fig tree. He even spoke to dead men. The wind, sea, tree, demons, and even the dead were obedient to what He said. He operated in the God kind of faith.

God is a faith God. God released His faith in Words. Jesus was imitating His Father and getting the same results as His Father.

In John 14:12 Jesus said, “…He that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also; and greater… .”

These principles of faith are based on spiritual laws. They work for whosoever will apply these laws. You set them in motion by the words of your mouth.
Do you really want all the negative things you have been confessing to come to pass?

Are you believing for those things?

If Jesus came to you personally and said, “from this day forward it will come to pass, that everything you say will happen exactly as you say it;” would that change your vocabulary? I believe it would.


Binding and Loosing

In Matthew 16:19 Jesus said, “I give you the keys of the kingdom, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (NKJV)

Psalm 119:89 tells us, “For ever O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.”

Now, it is up to you. What are you going to say about it?

God will not alter what He has said. “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” (Psalm 89:34)

Whose words will you establish on earth?

The power of binding and loosing is on earth.


Spoken Words

 “I have told my people they can have WHAT THEY SAY, and they are SAYING WHAT THEY HAVE”. saith the Lord.

Spoken words program your spirit (heart) either to success or defeat. Words are containers. They carry faith, or fear, and they produce after their kind.

“So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of  God .” (Romans 10:17)

Faith comes more quickly when you hear yourself quoting, speaking, and saying the things God said. You will more readily receive God’s Word into your spirit by hearing yourself say it than if you hear someone else say it.



Live in the Authority of the Word

The Spirit of God spoke to me concerning confessing the Word of God aloud; where you can hear yourself saying it. And it works, thank God.

“My Word is not void of power. My people are void of speech.”

The body of Christ must begin to live in the authority of the Word. For God’s Word is power. That Power is produced by the heart, formed by the tongue, and released out of the mouth in word form.



The Word of the Lord came unto me saying:

“If men would believe me, long prayers are not necessary. Just speaking the Word will bring what you desire. My power is given to man in Word form. I have ceased for a time from my work and have given man the book of MY POWER . That power is STILL IN MY WORD.

For it to be effective, man must speak it in faith. Jesus spoke it when He was on earth and as it worked then so shall it work now. But it must be spoken by the physical body. Man must rise up and have dominion over the power of evil by my Words.

It is my greatest desire that my people create a better life by the spoken Word. For my Word has not lost its power just because it has been spoken once. It is still equally as powerful today as when I said, ‘Let there be light.’

But for my Word to be effective, men must speak it, and that power will come forth performing that which is spoken in faith.

They hear the world and speak as the world speaks. By observing circumstances they have lost sight of my Word. They even speak that which the enemy says, and they destroy their own inheritance by corrupt communication of fear and unbelief. No Word of Mine is void of power, only powerless when it is unspoken.

As there is power in my Spoken Word, so is there evil power present in the words of the enemy to affect and oppress everyone that speaks them. Be not conformed, but be transformed into the body of faith, knowing that my Words are alive ever more. Believe, speak, and obtain that your joy may be full  and you shall be complete in Me.”


These truths changed my life. I will never be the same. And neither will you; if you have but an ounce of Faith.

Blessed Sunday

Mistakes and Accusations

When You Make Mistakes

Romans 5:8-9  NIV 
" But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him" 


Have you ever wondered if you are good enough for God to love you? Unfortunately, many people believe God loves them only as long as they don't make mistakes. But; the facts of life is that we all do from time to time.


Perhaps it was this outlook that caused the psalmist to ask, "What is man that You are mindful of him?" (Psalm 8:4 AMP). Yet the Bible tells us that we are God's creation, the work of His hands - and that He loves each one of us unconditionally.


Let's face it: Jesus didn't die for you because you were great and wonderful; He died for you because He loves you. Romans 5:8-9 confirms this truth by telling us that He died for us while we were still sinners.


God loved you enough to give His only begotten Son, not only to die for your sins, but also to cover your daily mistakes. He loves you enough to get you through each day in power and victory.


The Accuser

God loves you, and He wants you to believe it and receive it all the time...even when you make mistakes. Yet there are those that will seize any and every opportunity to remind us of our failures; our mistakes. And I am telling you today to not listen to them.

The Bible speaks to us of those that are the mouth piece of the devil himself. Satan is called the "accuser of the brethren" (Rev. 12:10, Job 1:6; Zech. 3:1), as seeking to uphold his influence among men by bringing false charges against Christians, with the view of weakening their influence and injuring the cause with which they have been given by the Lord. He was regarded by the Jews as the "accuser of men" before God, laying to their charge the violations of the law of which they were guilty, and demanding their punishment. The same Greek word, rendered "accuser," is found in John 8:10, Acts 23:30, 35; 24:8; 25:16, 18, in all of which places it is used of one who brings a charge against another unjustly.

There is a story in Nehemiah 1:1-9:38 which speaks of this in extent.

Nehemiah knew how to handle being accused and so should you in order to keep your faith strong, your goals in line with what the Lord wants of you and to keep pushing forward.

But; how do you identify the "accuser?

Nehemiah gives us some insight on how to identify this, how to answer it and keep moving forward.

The accuser will laugh at you to make you think that you are doing something wrong or ridiculous.
The accuser will despise you, that is, look down upon you to make you think that you are lower than he is.
The accuser will question what you are doing and try to get you to raise questions about the legitimacy of what you are doing.
The accuser will question your authority and suggest that you are in rebellion against the established authority.
The accuser will use his anger in any way that he can.

The accuser will use his anger to belittle you.
The accuser will mock you and what you are doing.
The accuser will accuse you of being too weak or too old or too young or too ignorant to do what God has told you to do.
The accuser will question if you can protect yourself.
The accuser will question your depth of commitment.

The accuser will suggest that you have made a rash decision that you cannot keep.
The accuser will imply that it is too late to change because of your past experiences.
The accuser will suggest that even if you start to rebuild your life, that it won't do any good.
The accuser will declare that you will be overcome by the smallest enemy.
The accuser will state that the least pressure will cause you to fall again.

The accuser will attack when you are tired.
The accuser will attack when you don't feel like you are able to rebuild.
The accuser will suggest that he will attack you in secret when you don't know he is attacking.
The accuser will declare that he will destroy you and cause you to stop God's work in your life.
The accuser will say the same thing over and over knowing that if you ever stop to listen to him that he will have you.


We are human beings. We all make mistakes and wish that life came with a "do over" button that we could push whenever we have done something wrong. But were this so; we would not have needed a Savior in Jesus Christ.


You have an Authority to listen to and it isn't someone that takes personal enjoyment in pointing out your character flaws and mistakes. Things that Jesus has forgiven you for even before you make them.  God loves you; in all of your flaws and imperfections. Listen to Him and ignore the accuser.


Concluding Prayer Focus:

Lord, Your love is incredible. You love me even when it doesn't make sense to me. When I make mistakes, You are still with me. Because of Jesus' sacrifice, my mistakes are covered. I receive Your love today. Help me to not listen to those that accuse me unjustly. Remind me daily that You are all that I have to be accountable to. It is in Your Precious Name that I pray. Amen

Down The Road

Keeping the Love

Galatians 5:14-15  NKJV 
 "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another"

When we are not motivated by love, we become critical of others. We stop looking for good in them and see only their faults. Soon the unity of believers is broken.

Have you talked behind someone's back?

Have you focused on others' shortcomings instead of their strengths?

Remind yourself of Jesus' command to love others as you love yourself. When you begin to feel critical of someone, make a list of that person's positive qualities.

If there are problems that need to be addressed, it is better to confront someone in the spirit of love than to gossip in secret behind their back - which changes nothing.

People seldom want to hear that they may have areas that call for a little tweeking but the Bible says that we must hold one another accountable for our behavior.

If you know in your heart that you have spoken to someone from the love you have in your heart for them and not out of spite, anger or bitterness and that person refuses to hear the message then you have done all that you can do and the rest is up to them.

Keep the love in your heart. Be kind in your thoughts and keep moving on down the road of life.

 

Continually

Definition of Prayer
 
1 Thessalonians 5:17  NIV 
 "pray continually"

Have you ever heard the biblical phrase "pray without ceasing"? To many, that sounds daunting and impossible. How could anyone bow their head, kneel, and pray 24 hours a day?

If that's what you think, it might be time to change your definition of prayer. Too often we view prayer as a very specific process that can only happen once we've gone to a private place and shut the entire world out.

But do you realize that even directing a thought toward God qualifies as silent prayer? It's true! Prayer is communicating with God, so when the Bible says to "pray without ceasing" it means to always be open to communication with God. That could mean a two-hour prayer session, or it could be something as simple as being aware of His presence as you go throughout your day.

God has not made prayer complicated. He intends for prayer to be an integral part of our everyday lives. Today, change your definition of prayer, and you can experience the joy that comes from constant communication with the God who loves you.

The Priority of Prayer

Power of  Prayer

Hebrews 5:7  NIV 

"During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission"

Prayer is so powerful because it joins the hearts of people on earth with the heart of God in heaven. When we pray, we connect with God, and He affects our daily lives beyond our comprehension.

I believe prayer is one of the greatest powers available in the entire universe. That may seem like a bold statement, but it's true!

Prayer opens the door for God to work. It is the activity that you and I can engage in on earth when we need the power of heaven to come into our lives and bring wisdom, direction, encouragement or a miraculous breakthrough. Prayer connects us to the power of God, and that is why it is a greater force than anything else we can ever imagine. Even Jesus needed to pray and receive this power when He was on earth.

Only God's power can bring peace, instill joy, grant wisdom, impart a sense of value and purpose to a person who doesn't know what to do in life, and work every kind of miracle.

Do you want to see that power work in your life? Then make prayer a priority.

Sunday Blessings

Easy Easter Crafts!

Easter Egg Tree

Here's what you'll need:

1 Medium or Large foam cone
4 packs foam glitter egg ornaments (or small plastic easter eggs)
1 bag Paper Easter grass (traditional plastic easter grass will melt and not hold very well)
Hot glue gun/glue sticks
* Optional Bow if making a wreath


Instructions:

Cut the hanging ribbons off of the eggs (if it has one)
Start at the bottom of your cone and work your way up.
Put a dab of glue on an egg and hold it in place for a few seconds.

* I found it's easier if you wait until you have placed all of your eggs before adding the grass in the blank spaces - instead of doing it as I was going along. You can use something like a pencil to push in the grass to make sure the grass fills all of the empty spaces.

That's it. This is actually very easy, so don't be intimidated!

Alternative:

Use a foam wreath and add eggs and grass in the same manner. Place a pretty easter bow and hang on your front door.

Lead and Follow = Guidance

Promises of God

"Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. "   Deut. 28:6 (Amplified)

The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. Psalms 121:8 (Amplified)

As I read this verse, the words “from this time forth” rang in my spirit. From the very moment I read this verse and received it as a promise from God, it was mine. I could feel it in my spirit, and something major took place! God will keep my going out and my coming in, He will direct my steps and lead me in ways I should go.

This promise was given to the Children of Israel when they crossed over the Jordan River. God said, “ . . . on the day when you pass over the Jordan . . .” (Deut. 27:2). It was an appointed time that He gave His promise which was on the day they crossed over.

Today as I read this verse (Psalms 121:8), I am crossing over. I am receiving this promise that from this moment, my steps are ordered by the Lord. God will bless me, feed me, guide me, and direct my steps forever.

Amen.

Just Bee Yourself

Be You - For Christ

Galatians 1:10  NKJV 
"For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ".

Do you spend your life trying to please everybody?

Paul had to speak harshly to the Christians in Galatia because they were in serious danger. He did not apologize for his straight-forward words, knowing that he could not serve Christ faithfully if he allowed the Galatian Christians to remain on the wrong track. Whose approval are you seeking - others' or God's?

Pray for the courage to seek God's approval above anyone else's.

 

On the Right Path

Stay on Track

Ps. 16:11  “You will show me the path of life.”

I have learned over the past 50+ years that staying on track and staying on the path of righteousness takes self-control and discipline.  The Holy Spirit plants self-control within us and it is growing inside of us as a fruit of the Spirit.  Gal. 5:22 , “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control against such there is no law.”

Self- control and self -discipline are developed as you are obedient to the "Still Small Voice of the Lord" on a daily basis become obedient to the boundaries that He sets for you.  The little acts of obedience  count! Obedience to the little things is how we learn to be led by God's Holy Spirit.  What He says no to, we are to say no too ! He will guide us and give us His counsel  as we seek Him.

"I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me."  Ps. 16:7-8

You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures For with You is the fountain of life.  Ps. 36:9 

We drink from the fountain when we are in the presence of God, and this fountain will sustain you in seasons of trouble and drought.  You see now why you must stay close to Him as you are traveling along the Path of Life; it is not an easy road!  It is not a scenic road!  It is narrow and can be very steep and dangerous, so we must not go too close to the edge. That is why we need hind’s feet for the climb.  We need to be living in truth, speaking truth, walking in the way of truth to be safe.

Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Mathew 7:14 

Since the way is narrow we must look to God’s Word and gain wisdom on how to set boundaries in our life and safe guards to keep us on the path. We need to listen because sometimes we need guidance, but other times we need warnings, and correction. We actually gain wisdom from mistakes so we will not repeat them. I know where I can’t go and I have learned where my boundaries are for safety.

Here are some more scriptures to help you on your journey.

Prov. 10:17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life.  But he who refuses correction goes astray.

Prov. 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.

Prov. 12:28 In the way of righteousness is life.

Seeking Approval

II Corinthians 10:17-18  NKJV 

"But “he who glories, let him glory in the Lord .” For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends"

When we do something well, we want to tell others and be recognized. But recognition is dangerous - it can lead to inflated pride.

How much better it is to seek the praise of God rather than the praise of people. Then, when we receive praise, we will be free to give God the credit.

What should you change about the way you live in order to receive God's commendation?

Something to think about; isn't it?

Sunday Blessings

Rejecting Seeds

Right Thoughts

2 Corinthians 10:5  NIV 

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ"
 

As Christians, we can't accept every thought that comes into our heads. Instead, we need to measure each thought against the standard of Scripture, like the verse above tells us to do.


Here's a practical example: If someone hurts your feelings, or makes you angry you shouldn't remain upset with them. This only gives Satan the upper hand by giving him the opportunity to plant seeds of bitterness in your mind. The longer these seeds stay in your mind the better the odds are that they will become rooted in your heart.


Instead, you need to learn to see it for what it is and then go on and reject negative thinking. Refuse to let it drain you of your peace and joy.


You must turn to God and say, "Father, I need Your strength. By faith I choose to receive Your grace so that I may forgive those who mistreated or wronged me. I ask You to bless them and help me go on with my life. In Jesus' name, amen."


As our minds are renewed with God's Word, our thinking will change and line up with Scripture. Then, day by day, godly boundaries around our thoughts will be established and reinforced. These limits will not only keep out the deceptions of the enemy, but help you live a more enjoyable, godly life.

New Day

You Are ....

Isaiah 53:11  NIV 
" After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied ; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities"

For many of us, our biggest problem is that we don't like ourselves, and our skewed outlook makes it difficult for us to believe that God could possibly love us.

For years I struggled with this problem. I spent at least 75 percent of my time trying to change myself, but all I really did was stress myself out while the devil constantly made me feel guilty and constantly pointed out all of my failures and blinding me to the things that I had done right.

I never felt good enough.

Isaiah 53 shows us a different outlook. It tells us that when Jesus died for our sins, He also bore the guilt of those sins. He loved us so much that He paid the price so we wouldn't have to suffer with the terrible feelings of condemnation. If we go to God and sincerely ask Him to forgive us, He does, and there is no reason to live with condemnation or guilt or feeling like we are just not good enough ever again. We can know that we ARE good enough; in fact we were worth dying for, simply by reading the 4 Gospels of: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Condemnation is declaring an evildoer to be guilty and can refer to the punishment inflicted on man because of that guilt. Without Jesus mankind stands condemned before God, not only because of the sin of Adam (Rom. 5:16-18) but also because of our own sin (Matt. 12:37). However, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death," (Rom. 8:1-2). Christians have passed out of condemnation because they are forgiven in Christ.

God loves you, and He wants you to believe it and receive it all the time. He also wants you to be free from condemnation. But it takes faith and boldness to be free. God says you are good enough. Accept that today and live the life of victory that Jesus died for you to have.

Picture Post

Walk On

I Corinthians 7:17 NKJV
"But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk ..."

Watching and Waiting

Watching and Waiting

I Corinthians 16:13-14  NKJV 
"Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love".

In these Scriptures; the apostle Paul instructs the Corinthians to:
(1) be on their guard against spiritual dangers,
(2) stand firm in the faith,
(3) behave courageously,
(4) be strong, and
(5) do everything with kindness and in love.

Today, as we wait for the return of Christ, we should all follow the same instructions. Amen?!

Have a Blessed Sunday!

‘Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up’
Galatians 6:9

March is Here!