Light and Joy

"The life of the godly is full of light and joy, but the sinners light is snuffed out." Proverbs 13:9

Do you ever have days, weeks, or months when you feel as though you have no joy?

Do you ever wonder how bright the "light" in you really is?

We all have times when frustration, stress, sadness, sin and overwhelming busyness bring us down emotionally and physically.

But we need to be reminded that the life of the godly is full of light and joy. We can either rise above the stress of this life or be full of joy, or we can let the sin and world snuff out our light. 

It's our choice!

Jesus we choose the godly life that is full of light and joy. We are accepting every ounce of joy You give us and we ask that You make our light so bright it becomes blinding. Amen

Praying and Rejoicing for a Very Special Family

 Brethren I have a very special friend whom I love so very much. I have spoken of her on here before. She is a second mama to Dax, whom he loves to pieces (as he reminds me daily) and misses SO much. 

Her family needs all the prayers you can offer on their behalf. They need you to spread this prayer request far and wide. 

Her precious husband has heard the Lord calling him home, and he is ready. He is ready to go be with the Lord and receive the new body that is awaiting him. He has battled heart conditions for some time and especially over this last month in the hospital. 

So, as the decisions have now been made, and as he has spent the last several days spreading Jesus to every family member, nurse, doctor, and stranger that walks by, he now waits for Jesus to welcome him home.

Pray that it will be quickly. Pray there will be no suffering, pray it will be peaceful. Pray for his precious family as they sit by his side soaking up every last second with him they can. 

Pray for strength. And then...REJOICE! Rejoice for him, for soon he will be sitting at the feet of Jesus, the place we all desire to be. 

"Our bodies now disappointment us, but when they are raised, they will be full of glory. They are weak now, but when they are raised, they will be full of power. They are natural human bodies now, but when they are raised, they will be spiritual bodies." 1 Corinthians 15:42-44

You my precious brother in Christ are entering a place I long to be. I rejoice with you and praise our Heavenly Father, for very soon sweet Bubba you will be full of glory and power. Your body will no longer hurt nor will there be a struggle ever again. You are healed in Christ Jesus! 

We love you so very much!

Do It Because It's His Will For You Who Belong to Christ Jesus

"Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This very important thing Jesus has called us to do is something that needs to be done more. Prayer! Prayer for our brothers and sisters, prayer for our nation, prayer for a cities, prayer for the lost, prayer for the missionaries, prayer for the widows and homeless, prayer for the orphans, and prayer for the battered and abused men and women. 

Prayer for the addicted, prayer for the confused, prayer for the weary, prayer for those who are mourning, prayer for the suffering, and prayer for our Pastors and Church. 

And not just prayer for the things above, but prayers of praise, joy, thankfulness, love and adoration. Pray prayers of praise because Jesus is alive and He loves each of us. 

Let's start praying more; more for others rather than ourselves alone and prayers of praise and thankfulness. It does a body good...really!

The Only Thing You Want To Do

When this life has become so crazy, all you want to do is crawl up in Jesus' lap, put your head on his chest, listen to NOTHING but the beat of His heart, and feel His warmth as He wraps His arms around you.

"How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings."  Psalm 36:7

Altar Sunday

As you kneel at the altar, may you relinquish control, lay down any pride, remove yourself, cast aside your fears, confess your sins, claim His healing and power, and praise His name.

The Key to Your Life

"You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life." Deuteronomy 30:20


Choose the Lord

Love the Lord

Obey the Lord

Commit to the Lord

At All Times We Will Shout with Joy!

"Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth! 

Worship the LORD with gladness.

Come before him, singing with joy. 

Acknowledge that the LORD is God!

He made us, and we are his.

We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise.

Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good.

His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation." Psalm 100

Jesus today we praise Your Holy Name! For You have been so faithful and gracious to our family during this time. May every word of this praise be pleasing to You as we shout with joy for what You have done. Thank You Father for making Your presence known, and for Your hand of protection and healing that You revealed to us during these last two days. You are worthy of all the praise, and not just today but at all times. Thank You Jesus, amen

 

   

When You Are the One Needing to Listen

"Come and listen to my counsel. I'll share my heart with you and make you wise." Proverbs 1:23

Have you ever tried to explain something to someone and no matter how many times or years you have told them, it seems as though they still don't get it?

I wonder how often we do the same thing to the Lord. How many times or how many years has Christ been telling us something over and over and we are still not getting it?

It is a frustrating thought, yet a sad thought all at the same time.

As much as we want the other one to listen and really grasp what the heart is saying. Christ wants us to do the same thing. He wants us to listen and then obey.

Maybe there is a huge lesson Christ wants to teach us in this area. Maybe when we start listening to Him, we will see a change in our heart that only He can change. We will even see the need our heart has become fulfilled in Him. 

Jesus You already know what our hearts need. Help us to listen so we can receive the fulfillment that only You can bring. Amen

When In Need...Cling

"I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely."  Psalm63:8

When unexpected things happen, seek the face of Jesus. Fall at His feet grab a hold and don't let go until He reaches down, lifts up your face and tells you He has it taken care of.

Then as you get up and move forward, trust EVERY SINGLE WORD HE SAID!

Jesus thank You for allowing us to run to Your feet and cling to You. Thank You for the amazing comfort that is found in Your presence. Amen

Paul's Prayers

"I always pray for you, and I make my requests with a heart full of joy because you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again." Philippians 1:4-6

His prayers were a reflection of the love in his heart. He was always encouraging, always teaching, and always sharing his joy in every prayer.

His desire for people to grow deeper in love with the Lord, always flowed from his prayers. He wanted everyone of his churches to know Jesus more and more and to walk in wisdom and truth;  therefore he was constantly entering the Most Holy Place on their behalf.

Paul knew the best way to help people was through prayer. He knew Jesus was the only one that could tend to them the way they needed. He also knew that through prayer; encouragement and desire in the heart of the recipient would grow.

Could I pray for you today the way Paul prayed for the Church in Philippi?

"God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus. I pray that your love for each other will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in your knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until Christ returns. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation-those good things that are produced in your life by Jesus Christ-for this will bring much glory and praise to God."  Amen
Philippians 1:8-11

What Account Will You Give Jesus? What Will His Response Be?

"Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large ones."  Luke 16:10

We have the opportunity ever day to be a good steward with the things the Lord has given us. Whether we have been given little or much, it is what we do with it that matters to the Lord.

Are we good stewards with our time, money, families, relationships, homes and jobs?

Are we seizing every opportunity we have to share Christ with others, to help those in need, to spend time in prayer and the Word with our family, and to deepen our relationship with Christ?

In the book of Matthew Jesus shares the parable of the Loaned money. (Matthew 25:14-30) The Master gave three servants bags of gold according to their abilities. 

Servant number 1 received 5 bags of gold.

Servant number 2 received 2 bags of gold.

Servant number 3 received 1 bag of gold.

Servant number 1 invested his money and it doubled. 

Servant number 2 also went right to work and doubled his money. 

Servant number 3 dug a hole and buried it. 

When the Master returned each servant was to give an account for how they used their money. 

Servant number 1- “Sir, you gave me five bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled the amount. The Master was full of praise. Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!" Matthew 25:20-21

Servant number 2- "Sir, you gave me two bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled the amount. The Master said, well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!" Matthew 25:22-23

Servant number 3- "Sir, I know you are a hard man, harvesting crops you didn't plant and gathering crops you didn't cultivate. i was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth and here it is. The Master replied, You wicked and lazy servant! You think I'm a hard man, do you, harvesting crops I didn't plant and gathering crops I didn't cultivate? Well, you should at least have put my money into the bank so I could have some interest. Take the money from this servant and give it to the one with the ten bags of gold. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 25:26-30

Are we using every opportunity to use well what Christ has given us, or are we hoarding it and hiding it?

Let's use this day to become better stewards in every area of our lives. When we seize the opportunity now we will accumulate more later.

Jesus we long to hear the words, well done, my good and faithful servant. Teach us to be the best stewards we can be for You and Your Kingdom. Amen

Altar Sunday

"Meanwhile, the fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must never go out. Each morning the priest will add fresh wood to the fire and arrange the daily whole burnt offering on it. He must then burn the fat of the peace offerings on top of this daily whole burnt offering. Remember, the fire must be kept burning on the altar at all times. It must never go out." Leviticus 6: 12-13

Is the fire that Christ started in you still burning? Are you adding fresh wood (God's Word) to the altar daily. 

Making the Most of Our Time

"Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom." Psalm 90:12

Would it be possible to stop planning our own time frames and instead allow the Lord to plan them? I mean He is the Creator of all things, including time.

If our desire is to grow in wisdom, then we need to ask the Lord to help us make the most of the time we are given. 

Time is so fragile in the first place, and as children of the Lord, we need to be using our time to invest in His Kingdom. 

I can tell you from experience, that once you begin asking the Lord to help you manage Your time, He will show you areas that have been spent more on your Miss or Mr. "ME's" then on Him. He might even reveal to you that your children should not be in every sport, especially if they take time away from Him. 

He might even show you that sitting in front of the TV or computer robs you of blessings. So what would happen if we spent that time with Him in His Word and with others? How much closer would our relationship with Christ grow? How much more would we grow in wisdom?

He might also show us that we spend more time investing in our careers when we should and could be investing in Him and His Kingdom.

If we want to become better stewards of our time, we need to ask the Lord to teach us and show us how to make the most of the time HE has given us.

Jesus teach me to make the most of my time so that I may grow in wisdom. Forgive me for being a poor steward with the precious time You have given me. Amen

God Forbid that We Should Boast

"As for me,God forbid that I should boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world died long ago, and the world's interest in me is also long dead." Galatians 6:14

Has our interest in the World died because of the Cross?

Have we lost the depth and meaning of the Cross today?

What does the Cross mean to you? When you think about the Cross, do you think about the extension of Christ hanging on it, bearing the weight of the world's sin?

Do you boast about the Cross or do you boast about your worldly accomplishments? God forbid that we should boast about anything except the Cross of Jesus Christ.

Could this passage describe us as a Body, oh that it would, for then Christ would be displayed more and more and we would be displayed less and less.

Jesus bring us back to the true meaning of the Cross. We want our interest in this world to die because of  what You did on the Cross. Keep us from boasting about anything except the cross. Amen

EFFORT

"In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge."  2 Peter 1:5

In my search for wisdom and knowledge I was reminded that it all takes a lot of effort. When I heard the Lord say effort I became stuck on that word.

How much effort am I putting into my relationship with Jesus and others? Again, Miss "ME" pops up and says, “put effort into me."

                                       

This time I was able to laugh at her, because she is crazy. I knew what the Lord was telling me. Searching for more of Him requires EFFORT! 

It requires more than a quick reading. It requires more than 5 minutes of prayer. It requires more listening and less talking. It requires more than just Sunday attendance. 

It requires dedication, follow-through, focus, investment, and desire. It requires less attention on me and more attention on Christ and His Word. It requires obedience.

Effort is required in everything; Jesus has reminded me of that lately.

Jesus speaks of effort in the book of Matthew.

“Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks.” Matthew 7:7-8

I am learning the difference between human effort, and effort done in the Spirit. For example, love. When I try to love in human effort, I come up way short every time. I even become worn out, grumpy, and fickle.

Yes love takes effort, but when done with the help of the Holy Spirit…so much easier.

I am learning to put a lot more effort into my relationship with Christ and that effort is worth it.

Do you have some areas that need more of your effort? Maybe your relationship with Christ, your prayer life, your marriage, friendships, maybe Christ has called you to lead out in an area of the Church or Bible Study and He is asking you to put more effort in it for Him.

Whatever it may be, Jesus is worth our best effort and He will help us. He knows we can’t do it on our own.

Jesus forgive me for my lack of effort in the things that are most important and especially for trying to do things in my own human effort. I am unable to do anything without You. Help me as I focus on this area You have called me to work on. Amen

                                                                                                                                              

I WANT IT!

"For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will fill you with joy." Proverbs 2:10


 I want both of these things, wisdom that enters my heart, and knowledge that fills me with joy.

I want them desperately, so I will search and search. I will cry out for understanding. I will trust in the promises of His Word.

I want Jesus to ooze out of my pores. I want my heart to be flooded with so much wisdom that joy is the only thing I know, no matter what the world throws at me.

Anyone want to join me? If so let's start searching deeper into God's Word together.

Jesus fill my heart with wisdom and joy. I long for it, I long for more of You. Amen

ONE

“We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others.” Romans 12:5

It's this huge urge I have to tell you how much I love you. I can't explain to you how much you mean to me. Each of you have stolen a piece of my heart. Whether I know you or not you have a part of me with you.

This amazing body that I am a part of is the greatest. I love seeing the new additions being added. They bring so much joy to the Body. 

With each new addition, Christ places them in their respected place and the flow of His blood begins. 

I LOVE IT! I remember when I joined the Body, I was so excited, although it took me a little bit to understand my role, I have been addicted and devoted to it ever since. 

NOW!

Here is my prayer. I pray that the Body of Christ will begin to be more united as ONE. There is only ONE God and only ONE Body. 

I pray we will stop trying to be independent on our own. Christ has called us to work together for Him and for His good. We need to do more of that.

It often seems as though there are many body parts flopping around trying to function on their own.

We have taken God's Word, turned around to be what we believe, thus creating division between the Body.

How can we ever stand if we can't even unite together and work as ONE?

Yes the Body is made up of many different parts, but if those parts are acting independently of the Body, then the Body cannot function as Christ intends for it to.

Each part is of great importance and must work together. 

I have three questions for you to think about.

1. Are you a part of the Body?

2. Are you doing your part?

3. Are you working together or independently?

Jesus our opinions and interpretations have caused division within the Body. Forgive us for trying to work independently of one another instead of together like You called us to do. Amen

What Keeps You?

“I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart; I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of your unfailing love and faithfulness.” Psalm 40:10

What keeps you from sharing the Word of God? Would it be fear, lack of knowledge, lack of desire, or maybe lack of thought in doing so?

How equipped should one be in sharing the Word of God? Maybe that depends on the call Christ has placed on each of us. I believe those who are called to Preach, will be equipped by the Lord, but should also spend time equipping themselves in the Word as well.

In the book of James, he says, "Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged by God with greater strictness." James 3:1

I believe those who are called to teach, will be equipped by the Lord, but should also spend time equipping themselves in the Word. Teaching requires obedience, self-denial, preparation, faithfulness, and meditation in the Word.

We should never rely on our human effort, which can be faulty to many.

All of us, who are in Christ, are called to share the Good News. We are not to depend on our Pastors and Teachers to do it alone. Yes, the calling is different for us all, that is what makes the Body of Christ so awesome, unique, and special. But as that Body we are all to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.

When sharing with others the greatness of Jesus, we must believe He will equip us and give us the words. 

But we need to be spending adequate time in the Word and in prayer, so that Christ can equip us to do His work.

When our passion and love for Christ is strong, sharing Him with as many as we can will be something that we can't wait to do.

Jesus may we not hoard You or Your Word. May we shout the Good News from our housetops! You are worth it! Amen

Altar Sunday

I hope today as you approach the altar of the Lord, you will receive a new passion for Him that will carry-out into your everyday life.

The Measure of Love, Weighed by Obedience

"Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart." Psalm 119:34


Have you ever realized that maybe you are not as obedient to the Lord and His Word as you should be? Could this be a daily struggle for us or could it be purely by choice?

We have to be very mindful in our obedience to the Lord. Obedience doesn't come naturally, it comes from our love for Jesus and our desire to please and honor Him. 

Could we measure our love for Jesus by how obedient we are to His ENTIRE Word?

How much love would be weighed out?

Our desire to be obedient must be more than a desire, it must be an action. 

Obedience is not something that can be done in our own human flesh. It must be aided by the Holy Spirit.

I could be totally off, brethren but I believe the first place to start being obedient is in the Word of God. Because from there, we will learn every other area we are to obedient in. 

Also, we need to remember obedience is a command and not an option. God requires us to be obedient in EVERY area and not just the ones we want to be obedient in. 

If we struggle to be obedient in reading and spending time in the Word, then more than likely we lack obedience in a whole lot of other areas as well.

"If you love me, you will obey what I command." John 14:15

Jesus forgive us for picking and choosing the things we want to obey and the things we don't. Help us to be more mindful. Amen