Month: March 2016

DEAR GOD: PURPOSE & LOVE~

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Purpose & Love~

 

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)

 

As children of God we are to reflect His light to those in darkness, and in so doing, we’re called to a higher purpose in fulfilling His commandments. By living as an example to those who might otherwise be “lost,” we’re walking the path in which we’re called. Saving even the “one sheep” is cause for a celebration, to which the angels sing and rejoice…but most especially, to our Father, who shall be well pleased with us.

Christ’ goodness is in us. He dwells in us.  Should we not then be compelled and honored at once to subsidize His love and purity from within?  He is the one constant source in which we seek reinforcement on a daily basis that borders on redundancy…in a good way…it is fresh, and new, with each breath we take. With each day the formation of His love and Daily Bread transform us to another level of understanding.  So although a passage is well known, one never knows when it will “quicken” our spirit and bring forth a “new meaning” to absorb and share with others.

Breathe deep…and aspire to His Word and His commandment. Follow Him, the Spotless Lamb of God as we go through our life here on earth. Each act of love is another solidification of our obedience, in which we strive together, in this race toward our inherent goal…eternity with our Father in Paradise.

“Blessed Father, King of the Universe, and Creator of all things, give us the ability, share your insight and bring us to where we should be according to Your purpose, Help us daily, and keep us from evil O’ Lord, in Jesus beautiful name, Amen…”

 

 

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(John 14:15 KJV)

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

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(John 14:6 KJV)

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

 

Dear God: Power of Your Love~

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8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;   

Philippians 3:8-9 (NKJV)

  

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~Happy Resurrection Day my Brothers and Sisters~

Pastor delivered a good word and powerful example of the “power of Jesus’ resurrection” and how it is offered to all of His children who care to harness the power by believing in Him.

He illustrated through two balloons a parable if you will. He showed that they were identical in all aspects, color, size etc.  Yet when he let them both go, one soared and floated  in the air, while the other was pulled down and never left the ground.   One was uplifted the other was dragged down.  Why?  Because of one significant reason…it was all about what was inside the balloon.  One was filled with helium, while the other with hot air.

This is akin to our souls…sin drags us down, God lifts us up.  Sin holds us down, the resurrection power of Christ lifts us up.

Paul preaches that to know the true power of Christ’s resurrection is to be free.  To recognize His being risen from the grave,  and overcoming death, and becoming the author of salvation is the freedom of souls…we get to experience life forever more.

Some individuals right now are experiencing hurt, feel broken, and believe they’re not worthy of being “fixed” or  that they could be fixed at all.  But Christ is the living example of how false that assumption is.  He died for us so that we could live forever. He was sent to heal the broken hearted and sent to deliver us from our sin offering salvation to those who believe in Him.

Jesus said in the Gospel of John, “I am the life, the way and the truth, no ones comes to the Father but through me,” so–when we harness the power of His love and His sacrifice for us, we are set free and our slate washed clean. Hallelujah!

When we experience the resurrection of Christ we are transformed and available to all.

When we know the scriptures and understand the “plan” of God, we are made new again, we are new creatures.  The old person is gone and a transformation is clearly apparent. When we’re baptized in Christ, we go into the watery grave and acknowledge his death and resurrection.  We too come forward born again…new and washed clean.

In Matthew 22:29, Jesus said, “you do err not knowing the scriptures or the power of God.” 

Unlock the scriptures, the plan…the Word.  God wrote it out for us so that we can survive and thrive in this world replete with dilemmas and perils…as well as happiness and good times.  We’ll be equipped for both with the knowledge and acknowledgment of knowing the plan and the purpose of our lives through God’s will.

Don’t let the darkness engulf you, accept the Light of the world who came to save us, and soar and float much like the balloon filled with helium.  Don’t let the darkness bring you to the ground, like the balloon filled with hot air.  Sin will pull you down…Christ will lift you up.

Experience the power of God and His love.  And soar high above as you become a witness to others in the power of Christ’ resurrection so that they might experience it as well.

“Lord, thank You for Your love, and Your sacrifice, and Your willingness to help us in all that we do, and it’s only because of You that we’re able to live forever, in Jesus name, Amen, and Hallelujah.” 

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 (Romans 8:11-12 NKJV

11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.  

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Hebrews 2:14-15  (NKJV)

14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

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John 12:32  (NKJV)

32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”

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 (Philippians 3:10  NKJV)

10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.   

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(Philippians 4 NKJV)

4 Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.    

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Dear God: Hands Of Grace~

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Isaiah 41:13 – For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

Acts 11:21 – And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.

 

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“God touch my face with your hands of grace…Love and mercy beyond understanding, always ready, always near, God my Father, how amazing are  You?” 

All of us are subject to “life” and all that implies. Life is ever changing and the course can be challenging at times.  We might ride on a smooth road for long time, but invariably, we’ll sooner or later hit a rough patch and that is when our faith kicks in overdrive, or not.

Sometimes, the elements in which we face can be so overbearing, and overwhelming, that the Word might be “choked” by the world, and the circumstances in which we’re undergoing.  But, that’s when God becomes the strongest for when we’re the weakest.

His hands of grace will touch your face and hold you up. He’ll guide you, lead you, and touch you, through the most adverse of times.  His light will shine through the darkest moment and bring us out of the cumbersome valley by carrying us, and surrounding us, with His unconditional love.

 How amazing is He?  How astounding is His divine presence?  How blessed are we to have a love like this?  A love that only the Father can provide in terms of vast and infinite likeness of which the human mind can barely comprehend.

To God be all the glory, honor and power and dominion, now and forever.  He deserves our love and so much more.  Don’t forget to tell Him you love Him and thank Him today, and everyday.  That’s the very least we can do…and it’s sure to please our Father, and bring a smile to His face…

“Father, I love You…now, today, always.  Thank You…”

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Isaiah 59:1 – Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

Mark 10:16 – And he took them up in his arms, put [His] hands upon them, and blessed them.

Isaiah 41:10 – Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness

Dear God: Thank You For Coming To Save Us~

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Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. (Mark 11:10 KJV)

“Save us, please!” they cried. And the answer was the same then as today: Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  

He saved us!  He came willingly and came looking for us…and He loved us from the start.  Even before we were formed He knew us, and loved us…

To this day my heart never ceases rejoicing in the amazing facts, and my faith grows stronger and stronger in His incredible love story toward us…

 

1 – He loved/s  us so much He sent His only begotten Son for us.

2- He loved/s  us so much, He willingly allowed His only begotten Son to be crucified for us.

3- He loved/s us so much…He wanted us to co-exist with Him for all eternity by washing us clean by the blood of His only begotten Son.

Take that in…I know most of you do, but when you really stop, meditate, reflect on the entire events of which Christ went through for us, as His Father watched—no doubt with a broken heart–so that we would have eternal life, and not just life…but in abundance.

So, today…Palm Sunday as we give thanks, reflect and rejoice…and appreciate the meaning of love as you’ve never experienced before. Why is that?  Because LOVE…came looking for us all those years ago…

and is still looking for us and looking out for us, to this very day.

Now, that is what I call a true Love story in the purest and highest degree, surpassing any depths of understanding of the human heart…

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“Thank You Lord, Blessed be Your Name forever and ever, I lift Your beautiful name on high, I exalt You…. I LOVE YOU!”

 

And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. (1 John 3:5 KJV)

That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.  (John 3:15 KJV)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  (John 3:16 KJV)

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  (John 3:17 KJV)

 

 

Dear God: Blessed To Hear His Voice and Walk His Path~

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                      (Deuteronomy 28:1-2)

28 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that theLord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:  

 

It’s easy enough to get caught up in the daily activities of the “world” — but when we bypass the “voice of God” and disregard His Word, we will be uttertly dismayed by the consequences.  Blessings won’t flow or cover us with joy, we will be stifled by life and not be able to reap the rewards He so wants for us.

He tells us of His promises throughout the Bible…blessings and cursings in the Old Testament are plentiful. Some individuals may say, “But Jesus is in the new Testament and the old doesn’t apply”  – true for the blood ordinance(s) and sacrifices.  Jesus Christ became the propitation for our ugly sin. He took it upon Himself to take away the sin of the world and His blood covered us and washed us clean.

Thank you Jesus!  Thank you Lord God!

But His commandments of Old still apply.  It still is a crime to “steal” — it still is a crime to “murder”  — so on and so forth.  And, the Lord still wants us to follow Him and His commandments, and His ways in order for us to be blessed. He still wants our love, He still wants us to listen to His Voice, which is His Word. He still wants us to follow his Doctrine. That never grows old, nor is it antiquated in terms of such.

At the end of this post will be the entirety of the “Blessings In Deuteronomy” — and when you see “other gods”  realize that today, this can apply to anything. It can mean “following a false god” and bowing down to it.  But, It can also mean anything that takes us away from worshipping and loving Him and Him alone.

For some their car might be their “idol” or for some “the computer”  others, it may be their cell phone and tweets.  It’s anything that occcupies your mind and heart more than the Word and voice of God, thereby cutting into valuable time with Him. He wants a relationship with us.  To ignore and put our time and efforts into wordly things can be costly in terms of zest and true Life.  His Word is Life.  Blessings from above is Life. Jesus is Life everlasting.

In Hebrews it tells us how to continuously praise God, and to offer it daily from our lips. Jesus’ blood cleansed us and allows us to go boldly to our Father’s throne to honor Him, and to make our requests known.

Be therefore diligent in quests as we seek His face and walk His path of righteousness. Seek His favor by loving Him in kind, following His Word, and following the Doctrine.  Be aware of false doctrine of men that make void the word of God…instead, grasp, embrace, and stand on His Word and His amazing promises.

When we His children stand on his Word and embrace His promises it’ll be the difference of a life filled with peace and light, versus a life of no peace and darkness.

Let the Light of Jesus Christ shine from within to without, and get ready to experience blessings from above…

 

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Blessings on Obedience (Deuteronomy 28:1-14 KJV)

28 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that theLord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:

3 “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.

4 “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

5 “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

6 “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shallyou be when you go out.

7 “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.

8 “The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which theLord your God is giving you.

9 “The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of theLord your God and walk in His ways.

 10 Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you.

11 And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.

 12 TheLord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 

13 And theLord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lordyour God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. 

14 So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

 

Give HIm Praise and Thanks   (Hebrews 13:12-16  NKJV)

12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.

13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 

14 For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.

15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

 

 

Path made by the Creator, picture captured by Scott Birge.