Month: March 2019

The GLORY

“The heavens proclaim the GLORY of GOD. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.” – Psalms 9:1‭-‬4a NLT

WOW.

Verse 3: “There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.” The heavens, the skies, the sun and the moon and the stars; the planets …. the clouds all display the Majesty and the Glory of GOD! It isn’t just the heavens, either.

“Sing a new song to the LORD! Let the whole earth sing to the LORD! The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the LORD made the heavens! Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for He is coming! He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with His Truth.” – Psalms 96:1‭, ‬5‭-‬5‭, ‬11‭-‬13 NLT

Throughout scriptures, everything that we (humans) see as inanimate comes alive in praising the Creator. Picture a black night sky positively bursting with stars, or an impossibly blue sky full of dancing clouds! Can you see the fields and valleys literally glowing with new grasses and flowers and leaves, rejoicing in the breezes? The sea, as the whales and dolphins leap and the fish fly threw the air? Smell the scents of the forest, dirt and pine and newness of life. How can you look at new life, animal or human, and not see the Hand of the Creator GOD?

It just happened?? Who in their right mind could believe it?

Kiss of Friendship

“A judge who says to the wicked, “You are innocent,” will be cursed by many people and denounced by the nations. But it will go well for those who convict the guilty; rich blessings will be showered on them. An honest answer is like a kiss of friendship. Don’t testify against your neighbors without cause; don’t lie about them. And don’t say, “Now I can pay them back for what they’ve done to me! I’ll get even with them!” ” – Proverbs 24:24‭-‬26‭, ‬28‭-‬29 NLT

I can’t think of anything that bothers me more than finding out a friend/family member gave me an answer to a question that wasn’t honest. Telling me what you think I want to hear isn’t being honest! Telling someone else that you think I’ve made a bad decision and not telling me, or getting frustrated with me and not telling me ….. that’s not being honest with me, either. I would rather hear the truth, even if it is upsetting to me, and know that you said it because you care.

Really.

I’ve been reading through social media posts (again), then I read the verses (above) from Proverbs. I wish that every commentator, every blogger, every politician, every news person, would read them, then apply them.

Just my 2 cents.

Child of GOD – 1 John 3

“We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous.” – 1 John 3:12 NLT [Genesis 4:1-16]

Am I like Cain or Able, shepherd and caretaker or tiller of the ground? “Why are you so angry?” the LORD asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” – Genesis 4:6‭-‬7 NLT

I’ve heard many questions about this passage – what was Cain doing that was so wrong, that GOD refused his gift but accepted his brother’s? I don’t know exactly what Cain did to anger GOD, but I think it is a warning to us to be careful about the how and the why when we do a thing. Being a gardener or a farmer, or a rancher or hunter – these are all noble occupations. GOD gave us the earth to be caretakers of it all. After all, they both feed us and clothe us; farmers with all the various plants, and hunters and ranchers with meat and hides. GOD wasn’t angry because Cain was a farmer. Was it pride that triggered Cain’s anger? In verse 7, it is very plainly said: “Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you.”

As we grow in our lives as Children of the LORD, we offer different gifts to Him depending on how we have been gifted. I would not offer to lead a choir (it would be disastrous!), but I could happily wrangle the animals for the Christmas pageant! If I insisted that I be the one to lead the choir and direct the pageant, would it be sinning? I expect so, because it would be pride alone speaking, not ability, because that is not where my talents lie. Was that where Cain got his anger? Was he jealous of his brother? It seems to me that much of our stumbling can be laid at these feelings of pride and jealousy. Stubbornness, too. I have kept on a path, knowing it was wrong, just to prove I could still reach the desired end – only it never works out well, because it is that sin crouching at the door that trips me up. Every time.

“But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the SON of GOD came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into GOD’s Family do not make a practice of sinning, because GOD’s Life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are Children of GOD. So now we can tell who are Children of GOD and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.” – 1 John 3:8‭-‬10‭ NLT

As Children of GOD, we want to break the cycle of sin. How do we do that, when it has such a strangle hold on us? Certainly not on our own power! When we accept JESUS as LORD of our life, the desire to do good and to follow in His example should – will – begin to grow, especially as we begin to study and learn His Word. Will we ever get it right? No. Sorry to disappoint, but no, not as long as we live in this sin-filled, imperfect world, with sin ready to waylay us at every corner. Don’t let that stop you! Every slip, every stumble, is an opportunity to grasp the Hand our LORD has extended to us and take another step up and forward. Remember, even though we may let go of Him, He never lets go of us! Now that’s a PROMISE.

“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before GOD. Even if we feel guilty, GOD is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.” – 1 John 3:18‭-‬20 NLT

Again: “Even if we feel guilty, GOD is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.”

Guilt zaps confidence. GOD already knows our feelings, and He is greater than our feelings. He knows our heart. Guilt is not what He wants for us. He has taken away our sin, so why do we feel guilty? What do we have to feel guilty about? That feeling of guilt is not placed there by the LORD. It comes from the devil, the Enemy, and from the depths of hell. Guilt is not from GOD.

“Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to GOD with bold confidence. And we will receive from Him whatever we ask because we obey Him and do the things that please Him. And this is His Commandment: We must believe in the Name of His SON, JESUS CHRIST, and love one another, just as He commanded us. Those who obey GOD’s commandments remain in fellowship with Him, and He with them. And we know He lives in us because the SPIRIT He gave us Lives in us.” – 1 John 3:23‭-‬24 NLT

HALLELUJAH!

The Offering of Cain and Able, 12th Century mosaic, Palatine Chapel, Palermo

Are You Thirsty?

“My soul thirsts for GOD, for the Living GOD. When can I go and meet with GOD? ….. Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in GOD, for I will yet praise Him, my SAVIOR and my GOD.” – Psalm 42:2,11 NIV

Psalm 42 was written as a poem to be sung by the sons of Korah, the highest choir of the land for King David. The psalm tells us that though our road to heaven is trying, it is the same for the king. It helps to know that we aren’t alone in our struggles. However, we have a major advantage over King David and his people: we have seen JESUS, the Living GOD, MESSIAH, Who has come and fulfills the prophecies! JESUS is the embodiment of what the prophet Isaiah spoke of in this passage, which JESUS refers to in John 37.

“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance.” – Isaiah 55:1‭-‬2 NASB

“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast [the Feast of the Booths], JESUS stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'” – John 7:37‭-‬38 NASB

Have you drunk of the Living Water, or do you depend on yourself and the world to satisfy your thrist? Without JESUS, you will never be satisfied.

Truth, unvarnished and unrepentent.

Good works, being a “good” person – these will not satisfy your soul, and at the the time of Judgement, when you face the LORD on His Throne – only one thing matters: have you received the Salvation freely offered, the Living Water of JESUS CHRIST? Not Buddha, not Muhammad, not Nostradamos or any other human prophet; not the greatest good deeds nor the best intentions…… only JESUS.

Are you thirsty?

References: https://www.biblestudytools.com and

https://bible.com/bible

Fear of the World?

There is so much violence. Every time I watch the news or open a social media app, war, violence against persons, terrorism – these grab the headlines. As Christians, followers of JESUS CHRIST, should we be afraid of this ugliness? I am concerned for the spiritual safety of our children as socialism and radicalism take center stage, because we have strayed so far from our moral, our Christ-centered base. I know where I will be when the LORD returns with His army to destroy the Enemy and the world as we know it. Do you? Are you certain, without a shadow of a doubt? What we are seeing now, this destruction of our society, is nothing – NOTHING – compared to what is coming. Are you experiencing fear for the present?

Read the Bible. Compared to the return of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, now is tame. Don’t be afraid of today, and look to JESUS so that you have no fear for the future. He is the only way to avoid what’s coming.

“Before them the earth shakes, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine. The LORD thunders at the head of His army; His forces are beyond number, and mighty is the army that obeys His command. The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it? “Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” ” – Joel 2:10‭-‬12 NIV

-Rubens-

Scarred

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” – Romans 15:4 NIV

I heard a song today. It’s been out for a year, and I know I’ve heard it played, but today I heard it. Have you ever experienced this? The song is called Scars, and is by a group called I Am They. A part goes like this:

I’m thankful for the scars
‘Cause without them I wouldn’t know Your heart
And I know they’ll tell of who You are
So forever I am thankful for the scars

Why would I be thankful for scars? The world promotes and values flawless beauty, and scars are disfiguring. They are ugly marks on our bodies ….. but they also show the world that we have survived. I think scars are beautiful. They show something deep and determined and resilient about the bearer. Our Saviour is a perfect example. The scars that JESUS carries on His hands and His feet and His side show an incredible depth of love. Who is more perfect than the Son of the Most High GOD, Creator of the Universe? He willingly placed His perfect body in the hands of His enemies, who beat Him and crucified Him. I can imagine the Enemy was howling with laughter at the damage being done to JESUS’ body before His death. And yet, can you imagine anything more beautiful than those scars? They symbolize our freedom from an eternity in hell, and they are the very visible signs of His absolute love for us.

Scars are beautiful.

Scars – Publishing: © 2017 Wordspring Music (SESAC) (admin. by W.B.M. Music Corp.); EGH Music Publishing / Be Essential Songs (BMI) (admin. at EssentialMusicPublishing.com); I Am They Publishing / Be Essential Songs (BMI) (admin. He left at EssentialMusicPublishing.com)
Writer(s): Matt Armstrong, Ethan Hulse, Jon McConnell, Matthew Hein

God Is Still Talking Today!

“With the tongue we Praise our LORD and FATHER, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in GOD’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?” – James 3:9‭-‬11 NIV

Even though it (finally) sunk into my head years ago that using the F-bomb and various other inappropriate words as adjective, adverb, and noun was a less than intelligent way to make my point (was that a diplomatic statement? LOL!) I still say things in anger and frustration that aren’t pleasing to God. My attitude and my actions can ‘call down curses’ even when I don’t say actual words. I need to pay more attention to my thoughts, because they are where my attitude, my actions, and my words originate. JESUS had some strong words to say about our thoughts:

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister , will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘ Raca* ,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” ….. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” – Matthew 5:21‭-‬22‭, ‬27‭-‬28 NIV (*’ Raca ‘ means name calling, insults)

Do these scriptures cause you to stop, and maybe hit the rewind button? They should! Today’s society disagrees with these teachings. Have you ever heard someone referred to as ‘eye-candy’? How about “I can look as long as I don’t touch.” “I could seriously hurt that person…” “You idiot.” We are seldom held accountable for our words, and as for our thoughts….. have you looked at the so-called comic books and the graphic novels that are prevalent, the tv sitcoms and dramas, the entertainment available – literally, everywhere? Cursing, sex, murder; lust, racial slurrs, violence….. and we wonder why disrespect is common and crime is up?

Thank you, JESUS, for calling me out through your recorded words. Help me to hold them close to my heart whenever my thoughts began to stray.

In The Eye of The Storm

“Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.” – Isaiah 55:6 NIV

In The Eye of The Storm is a song by Ryan Stevenson that really speaks to me right now. It’s not my walk, necessarily, that is stormy, but that doesn’t make it less real – or deadly. Whenever someone close to us finds out they are dealing with cancer or another health issue, we feel so helpless. What can we do? I’ve heard people say “I can’t do anything else, so I’ll pray…..” (or some variation of it). I wonder why we say that?

Praying is the most powerful thing we can possibly do, especially when the affected person might not be a Christian!

Seek the LORD. Call His Name. Search the scriptures. Pray. Pray more. Talk to GOD. He is there. Always. Whether you whisper to Him, or scream at Him; carry on a conversation…. all He wants, all He is waiting for, is us asking for Him. Of course we all want our loved one healed, the sooner the better. Isn’t that what we ask for, plead for? I don’t know why we have to go through these things – only, wait, I do know.

It’s called consequences, and just for the record, I despise that word. I hate that we have sin and evil in the world. So am I saying that that the person who has a diagnosis deserves it? Well…… yes, actually. Even the tiniest baby, the newest newborn. We are flawed, sinful beings, and we deserve much worse than anything we see on this earth. Why? Because we have taken the free will our Creator gave us, and we have rejected Him and chosen the world. Thank GOD that He has seen fit to deliver us from what we deserve through the sacrifice of His Son for each of us!

Truly, GOD doesn’t want any of His Creation to suffer, especially the innocent. When we ask for His deliverance from our consequences, He always answers. Always. His answer may be yes, it may be wait, and it may be no. We don’t ever want to hear anything but yes! As harsh as it may seem to you, we don’t often (ever?) get our happily ever after on this earth. We will suffer. I hate it, but it’s true. There is only one way to get the real happy ever after. Ready?

“JESUS answered, “I AM the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” – John 14:6 NIV

“For GOD so Loved the world that He gave His ONE AND ONLY SON, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For GOD did not send His SON into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” – John 3:16‭-‬17 NIV

Once more, the words of JESUS. He doesn’t want us to suffer, but He knows that we will because of where we live (i.e. earth).

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have Peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 NIV

Like Paul, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us…… that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of GOD. In the same way, the SPIRIT helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the SPIRIT Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And we know that in all things GOD works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:18‭, ‬21‭-‬21‭, ‬26‭, ‬28 NIV

AMEN.


Hurricane Irma. Image from the Daily Express.

Is Your Heart Circumcised?

What? Is my heart ….. ???

“Moreover the LORD your GOD will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your GOD with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.” – Deuteronomy 30:6 NASB

I had to puzzle over this statement. What could it possibly mean to have your heart circumcised? We understand the word “circumcision” to mean the practice of cutting a male’s foreskin, and in some cultures, it is a practice that is also performed on women. I had to go to the origin of the word to gain some understanding.

Middle English: from Old French circonciser, or from Latin circumcis- ‘cut around’, from the verb circumcidere, from circum ‘around, about’ + caedere ‘to cut’.

Based on this explanation of the word, it makes sense to me. To “cut around our hearts” is to release them from the preconceived notions we have about the LORD; to free them so that we can welcome His Sovereignity in our lives, and open them fully to be able to love Him with our whole heart and being.

Is your heart circumcised? Do you want it to be? Think about what JESUS said:

“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” – Matthew 22:37‭ NIV

Image and Related post at: https://http://www.sapphirethroneministries.wordpress.com

Find more scriptures regarding the circumcision of the heart https://http://www.openbible.info/topics/circumcision_of_the_heart