Promises

DEAR GOD: Dreary Outside – Joyful Inside~

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God is Faithful Forever - Chino Valley Bible Church

I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

Genesis 9:13

 

 

Yikes!  It seems it hasn’t stopped raining for months!  I almost expect Noah’s Ark to sail by at this point in time.

Since spring began, the Northeast has been hit hard with rain. Yes, we need rain to replenish and irrigate, and fill our reservoirs, etc. However, there is a limit before “flooding” begins to unravel creating havoc, and dangerous situations for those in the vicinity in which the rain has fallen! And on the news, this is the case right now. So many people have encountered dangerous waters rising. Flooding is rampant, and there is still rain in the forecast.

Even though it’s dreary outside, I always have a reason to be cheery inside. Because that’s where my spirit and the Spirit of Christ live side by side!

You know the flooding and havoc is akin to the enemy.  He “floods” God’s children with lies and misery.  That’s his job, and he excels at it. Making people unsure, grappling at their insecurities, tampering with their very lives. He tries to create havoc until it overflows!

Isaiah 59:19 —So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.

This is what we have to be diligent about, watching and sensing the enemy’s next move.  He seeks to destroy us all!

1 Peter 5:8—Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

We are under the protection of the Highest Royal God, and the enemy has nothing on us!  When we follow God, and know Christ gave us the authority in His name to send that old serpent packing, slithering away like the rotten snake he is!

Luke 10:19-–Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

As I gaze outside it is getting extremely dark. An ominous cloud is hanging over my home, set to unleash another round of pelting rain. But all I see is the cloud with the silver lining. Christ!  And I know that at the end of this storm…a beautiful rainbow is set to come out full force.

With Christ giving me the authority in His name over the enemy, and the silver lining being my LORD and Savior, do you get why I’m cheerful inside?

How do you handle the dark days of your life?

Do you handle it like a child of Royalty?

You better!

 

 

“Father thank You for giving me the authority in Your name to handle the enemy, and for recognizing that with You, the sun and rainbow are never far from your children, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

DEAR GOD: No Need to Fear You Are Near~

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Do Not Be Afraid - Kristen WelchJeremiah 1:8–Be not afraid of their faces for I am with thee to deliver thee; saith the LORD.

 

 

The saying 'Be afraid, be very afraid' - meaning and origin.Fear? With God nearby?  How is that even possible?

Well, it does happen because it is a human physiological response. It’s a part of being mortal.  Our spirits are encased by this thing we call “flesh” and therefore subject to those emotions.

What about those of us who are Christians and feeling a sense of guilt when such feelings arise? Are we not Christians? Are we not believers in the LORD and His Presence?

NO!  It doesn’t mean that at all. Simply put, God made us and crafted us with His brilliance, and we are fine pieces of “machinery” so to speak.  God knew what He was doing when giving us life.

From eyelashes that keep our eyes safe, a heart that beats and supplies blood to our bodies, with blood cells that are complex each one taking care of issues, like our immune system, liver to cleanse toxins, and vital organs carrying oxygen throughout our bodies, a woman having a womb carrying a baby until birth, etc., etc., etc.

So too did He supply us with emotions. Love, anger, and fear are emotions that come and go. They wade through us much like the tides at the shoreline. Sometimes the tide is high, sometimes it’s low. So too our emotions.

Fear has its place. It can stop us from catastrophic type behavior. Saving us from situations that would otherwise be life threatening.  It can hold us in place to a point where we fall to our knees and look to God for His help.  And on our knees is where we put our best emotions into play surrendering to Him in prayer.

So NO, you are not sinning if you experience fear!  We need to pray harder and look to God and His wisdom at this time in particular. Where we have to trust in Him fully and know that He will help us in good times and bad.

The promises of God are our reassurance and undoubtedly brings comfort to our heart and soul. In Jeremiah chapter one, God is speaking to Jeremiah and reminding him of how He is with him. No matter what.  He instructs Jeremiah, guides him, and continuously encourages him not to fear.

Guess what? His words and promises have never expired. In fact, He extends His grace and love to all of us this very day and very moment! So, all of those words of comfort and encouragement are for us as well.

Amazing!

Thank you, LORD!

 

“Father, thank You for Your provisions, protection, love and grace, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

 

 

 

Jeremiah 1:19

“And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.”

 

 

 

 

DEAR GOD: Breath of Spirit~

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 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.  (Romans 8:9)

 

Jesus tells us in John 10:10—”The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

As Christians, we need to latch onto His words, and the true meaning of His statement. He wants to give us peace and joy, that extends from His promise and experience it fully.

Most Christians understand the concept on “paper” but in reality, don’t live or accept readily the promises of Christ.  When we attach and align ourselves with Christ—comfort, peace, security and joy will most assuredly overflow.

When the Holy Spirit—also known as the Spirit of Christ—came to live with us, He was offering us His continual presence and salvation.  The Spirit comes to manifest the presence of Christ, if we accept Him.  We develop a relationship with Him that grows in depth on every level and every aspect concerning our lives.

When we let Jesus work through us let Him in and become dependent on Him, we will begin to live a purposeful life according to His will. His works will begin to assimilate into our daily life, and the temporal findings of routines become visual tangible promises of our ultimate goal, His kingdom, and eternity.

The more pronounced our belief and submission to Christ, the more likely we are to understand the concept and apply it into practice by being “pro-active” Christians.

In other words, embrace Him, trust Him, develop a relationship with Him, and watch how Your life will change for the better. This is an undeniable promise of His truth and love.

 

“Lord Help your children embrace the Spirit within and go forth for Your glory, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

 

 

DEAR GOD: YOU ARE FIRST LAST & EVERYTHING~

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Isaiah 44:6   Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; “I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”

The LORD’s words resonate to those who know Him. His words flow like honey to bees to His followers. His promises are like balm soothing to the souls who trust in Him explicitly.

Knowing that He “always was” and “is” and “always will be” is quite comforting to those who walk in obedience to His word. Those who adore and worship Him find pure joy in the distinctly familiar words and it echos in their hearts. And for those who realize that He was–is–and always shall be LORD, is overwhelmingly satisfying like a drink of water to one who is parched.

Meditation on His velvet words. And then take in the meaning of the words as you go through this day. It comes down to this, “HE IS WITH US ALWAYS!”

How amazing is that?

How amazing is He?

I know that I love HIM and always will!

“Father God, You are my First, my Last, My always and forever, thank You for everything You’ve done since the beginning of time, have done, are doing, and continue to do, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

 

Revelation 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Revelation 1:8  “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 21:6-7  Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.

Revelation 1:17-18 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

Dear God: May I sit on This Bench With You?

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We are so grateful for this day Lord, for Your love and for another day to serve You in all we do and say, thank You Lord, Amen.

It is incomprehensible to grasp the intensity of Your unconditional love, but it is so easy to be loved by You. Your infinite wisdom envelops our souls.  You harness our very being with freedom and truth, as we parade throughout the day in honor of You.

As creator of heaven and earth, Jesus was far greater than the Sabbath, a day that was instituted to remember His work of creation.  Jesus is Lord of all, and the Sabbath was intended to honor Him.  And rest in the Lord, to feel peace in His presence.

Give thanks to the Almighty God… for everything you do or say, give supplication in prayer to the Lord our God.

Imagine sitting on a bench speaking with Jesus today.  Would you know what to do?  Would you know what to say?  How would you react?  Would you be comfortable in His presence face to face?

Sitting on a bench with Jesus.  First thing I would say is “I love You my Lord and Savior, thank You.”  And kiss his very feet.  I think the next thing I would do is ask, “have I pleased You thus far?  And, if not- what might I do to change that?

Each day as we walk on earth our spiritual selves contained within our flesh bodies… we all should try to ask, “What would Jesus do?”  Think spiritually…always spiritually. What would He say to a person in need?  What would He do, concerning a situation we are facing?  What would He think?  How would He act? How would He feel?

In living like Christ as we follow His doctrine and gospel, are we in fact really doing what He would do or say?  Are we in fact walking in the righteous way of which He would be proud?  If He sat near you this very day on a bench in the park; are you ready to speak to Him and not hang your head in shame?  Would you be easy in His magnificent presence knowing you have done all you can to uphold His ways and choices in life?  Think about that for a moment. What would you do if Jesus were sitting near you right this very moment?

Overwhelming, isn’t it?  My heart swells with love that is beyond expression of any kind.  It is difficult to put into words the depths of love for Jesus Christ, our Savior, Lord of lords, and King of kings. He will be coming again. Soon, we are getting very near.  We are living in the fig tree generation, and it will be anytime now.  All signs point to it, all of what Jesus told us, warned us repeatedly every chance He had. It’s coming to fruition.

And realize that there will be many who will come in His name claiming to be Christ. Be aware and wise my brothers and sisters. Realize that the false prophets will be very tricky.  Always keep your eyes open, be watchmen.  Listen to the Father’s word for therein lies the truth, and all we need to know concerning our very salvation. Jesus is coming back again…we need to recognize HIS voice, and follow our Shepherd.  Be aware of false ones, and do not be deceived! Christ warns us repeatedly about being deceived.  Walk in His ways and heed His words, obey His commandments and be ready for Him always. 

“Be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves” Matthew 10:16 (NKJV)

 

Our Father loves us.  And all He wants for His unmerited favor, endless compassion and altruistic love is for us to love Him back. He gave us His book, and the “Holy Spirit” to guide us and be with us, our Comforter.  How amazing is that?  How amazing is He?

He is our Savior, our safety net, our Rock, our Protector, our Guide, our Father, our love, our Redeemer, our Very Own…and He loves us.  Our Everything, yet all He wants in return for all of this, and more, is for your obedience to Him, your faith…and your love.  That’s all…that’s it.

Does it get any better than that?

Jesus, I’m ready to sit with you on that park bench right now.

My brothers and sisters, are you ready to sit with Jesus today?

 

 

 

 

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

 

Matthew 10:32 (NKJV) “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.”

 

Matthew 24:5 9 (NKJV) “For many will come in My name, saying ‘I am the Christ, and will deceive many.”

 

Matthew 24:11 (NKJV) “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.”

 

Matthew 24:23-24 (NKJV) “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ:’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false Christ’s and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

 

Matthew 28:20 (NKJV) “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”