Tag: #Light

Patiently Waiting

Patience my ass, I want to kill something…

In my more bohemian days, that was something I think I said quite often. Then, my patience was very short – nonexistent, much of the time. Later, I was talking with a pastor and he said something quite profound to me. He said not to pray for patience, because when we do, GOD will provide us with plenty of opportunities to learn it. I realized I’d been going about it all wrong. Instead of praying for patience, I began to pray for strength and perseverance, and make it a point to ask GOD to please don’t send me any more ‘opportunities’ to learn patience! Even the great leaders in the Bible, Old and New Testament, felt persecuted and in desperate need of patience. Look at David. Both before he was king and after he became king, David needed patience. I love how his poetry shows his reach for the LORD, and how the LORD sustains him with willingness to wait in GOD’S Strength – patiently waiting….

“I love You, LORD, my Strength. The LORD is my Rock, my Fortress and my Deliverer; my GOD is my Rock, in Whom I take refuge, my Shield and the Horn of my Salvation, my Stronghold. You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my GOD turns my darkness into Light. As for GOD, His Way is perfect: The LORD’S Word is flawless; He Shields all who take refuge in Him. For who is GOD besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our GOD? The LORD Lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be GOD my Savior!” – Psalm 18:1‭-‬2‭, ‬28‭, ‬30‭-‬31‭, ‬46 NIV

If you do a word search for the words ‘patient’ and ‘patience’ in the Bible, you will find many references. James, especially, spent a lot of time talking about it. He only has 5 chapters, but check out how he begins:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds….. ” – James 1:2 NIV

Really? Pure joy for an abusive relationship? Pure joy for financial difficulties? Pure joy for losing a loved one? Patiently waiting my a**. No, I am so far from being patient, it can’t even be measured. The thing I hold on to is GOD’S Patience. Without Him, I am incapable of doing or saying anything good. I cannot fathom patience without His Hand guiding and holding me, and by Him carrying me when I simply cannot go on. The LORD is the epitomy of this scripture:

“LOVE is patient, Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails….” – 1 Corinthians 13:4‭, ‬7a NIV

Thank You, LORD, for never giving up on me, for being patient with me, and for perservering with me. AMEN.

Empty Minds, Empty Lives

“Listen to Me, listen, and pay close attention.” – Isaiah 28:23 NLT

When the prophet Isaiah spoke those words to his people, they weren’t Isaiah’s words, they came straight from the LORD. Since the very beginning, God has wanted us, His creation, to listen to Him; to hear Him. Why do we chose to ignore the God Who created us; why not listen to the GOD Who Loves us with an incomparable, incomprehensible Love, a Love that far surpasses anything we experience here on earth? Instead of listening to the Words of Love, we listen to the enemy, the false prophets and teachers that Satan sends.

“Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the Fullness of GOD in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, Who is the Head over EVERY ruler and authority.” – Colossians 2:8‭-‬10 NLT

Buddha taught of Nirvana, of karma and rebirth. Isn’t it interesting that he took some of the teachings of the LORD, perverting them to introduce those ideas? Mohammed was another man who twisted the teachings of JESUS to benefit himself. Joel and Victoria Olsten have their “Prosperity Gospel,” teaching that creating wealth is the most important thing in our lives. There have been hundreds of thousands of men, purporting to be prophets since the beginning of time, who have twisted GOD’s Words in order to take us away from the ONE True GOD. Their goal is Satan’s goal: take us away from our LORD. Our Creator GOD had been telling us of heaven since the beginning – live righteously and spend eternity with Him in paradise. How do you know a false teacher from a man (or woman) of the REAL God?

Test them through the scriptures. Look at their lives. Do they live as The LORD commands in His Word, or do they live as the world? Jesus said:

“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ….Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” – Matthew 7:15‭-‬16‭, ‬20 NLT

When our minds are empty of the Words and the teachings of GOD and His Prophets, and especially of the Words of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, we become susceptible to the teachings of the enemy. Listening to music that encourages being selfish, promiscuity, unfaithfulness, greed, even violence and murder leads to changes in our lives and acceptance that these things are okay. Watching the immoral lives of leaders and the so-called society elite, looking at the athletes we cheer on…. What do their lives teach us? Looking especially at church leaders and religious leaders around the world, how many do you see living lives that glorify GOD rather than man? Following any of these causes our minds to empty of the Truth, and that leads to empty lives. Without God, without JESUS, to fill that God-shaped hole, we are truly empty minded and lead empty lives – no matter how successful you are by the world’s standards. Satan is a liar; a wolf in sheeps clothing. I pray for discernment against false prophets.

Listen to “Come to the Table” by Sidewalk Prophets.

Come join the sinners who have been redeemed
Take your place beside the Savior now
Sit down and be set free…He said come to the table
Come join the sinners who have been redeemed
Take your place beside the Savior now
Sit down and be set free…

Wonder

“Listen to me; listen, and pay close attention.” – Isaiah 28:23 NLT
I wonder, wonder who, who-oo-ooh, who

(Who wrote the book of love)
Tell me, tell me, tell me
Oh, who wrote the Book Of Love…

The Monotones made this a a popular song in 1958. I know it wasn’t written about the LORD of Creation, but if you look at the lyrics from the chorus, Who else could it be about?

“For this is how GOD Loved the world: He gave His ONE and ONLY SON, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have Eternal Life.” – John 3:16 NLT

The LORD offers us Life; the LORD knows what we need to fulfill our lives. He knows Who we need – and it is JESUS. It is all about Love, and it doesn’t cost us anything. The price has already been paid in full for us by JESUS. He paid it forward so that we could have LIFE. Listen to this message the LORD gave to the prophet Isaiah.

“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink – even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk – it’s all free! Seek the Lo6rd while you can find Him. Call on Him now while He is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that He may have Mercy on them. Yes, turn to our GOD, for He will forgive generously.” – Isaiah 55:1‭, ‬6‭-‬7 NLT

The WONDER of it all!

Protection From Danger

If I write about the responsibility we have to protect our children and elderly and those unable to help themselves in light of recent tragedies, I could make this a highly charged political rant…. and in fact, at some future point I probably will. Today, though, is about God; my GOD, The GOD. He is the only realistic and lasting protection we could ask for, and yet, millions deny Him every day. I want to be like David and Solomon, calling on the Name of LORD for protection and relief from oppression, and for wisdom in my decision making.

“(1) The LORD is my Light and my Salvation — so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my Fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? (4) The one thing I ask of the LORD — the thing I seek most— is to live in the House of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s Perfections and meditating in His Temple.” – Psalms 27:1‭, ‬4 NLT

When I focus on the LORD, rather than on the troubles I face, there is a peace that comes over me. When I acknowledge that the LORD has my future in His Hands, I remember that worry pulls my future from HIS hands and into my grasp. Not good. FACT #1: When we let go of our lives, and we relinguish control to the LORD, we will have Peace in our hearts. It may be chaos on the outside, but it is total relief on the inside. FACT #2: When we don’t let go, and we try to keep control of our lives, we are actually handing it over to the enemy. Remember the adage “You cannot serve two masters?” It’s true! Something is going to be at the top.

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve GOD and be enslaved to money.” – Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13 NL

When you look for protection from life’s ugliness, who do you call on? Are you depending on the One, the Almighty, or on yourself? In the coming battle, I pray that you will be on the right side, between the arms of JESUS and under His protection. FACT #3: Without His protection, your future and your ETERNITY will be unbearable…. and yet you will have no choice but to bear it. FACT #4: JESUS, LORD, Savior, is waiting beside you, ready to put you under His Protection in the space of a heartbeat. Call on Him, today. Once He’s got you, He will never let you go!

Listen to ‘Point to You’ by We Are Messengers

Not My First Rodeo

When will I ever learn? I’ve had a lifetime to respond to GOD’s leading, yet I still insist that I know what I should do better than He does. Me, a mere human, thinks I can do life better than the Being Who created me out of nothing, down to the very binding of my cells. Typical human. Since I have so much experience, so many ‘rodeos’ behind me, wouldn’t a sane person think that I would follow the example JESUS set for us as He prayed in the Garden? He already knew what was going to happen, the consequences of our actions on His life. As He prepared for His death, He prayed for relief from it…. but He deferred the decision to the FATHER, rather than the action He would prefer to take. If JESUS, Son of the Most High God, defers to God, why on earth do we think we know better?

“He went on a little farther and bowed with His face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from Me. Yet I want Your Will to be done, not Mine.” ” – Matthew 26:39 NLT

This may not be your first rodeo, either…… so why act as tnough it is?

“So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished.” – Hebrews 2:1‭-‬2 NLT

God, I don’t like the directions I keep taking myself in. I want Your Will to be supreme in my life, not mine. My prayer today is that I can learn, with Your help and through Your Word, to hear the Truth and make Right decisions. I pray for discernment in all things, and I pray that it is Your Light that shines out through all the cracks in my life. Help me to not be typical! It is only because of Your Son’s sacrifice that we can Live. Thank You! Amen.

Broken People, Broken Prayers

“For we are GOD’s Masterpiece. He has Created us anew in CHRIST JESUS, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” – Ephesians 2:10 NLT

We are so unworthy of GOD’s Love! As we come into Spring, reminders of our GOD are popping up all over the place. Green shoots pushing up through the debris of Winter, bird songs filling the air and the skies full of geese and other migrating birds – my first daffodil of the year just opened. How can anyone not believe in a greater Being than us, especially when surrounded by the new life coming through what appeared to be all dead? Our LORD personifies the renewing of life. From the moment He stepped down from His Throne in heaven to come down to our human level and be born to live as a man, to the end of His life and ministry, Jesus was like a beautiful plant.

“Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.” – Luke 2:52 NLT

To everyone alive at that time, as they saw JESUS die a human death on the cross and buried as a man in a tomb, it was the end of Him. Like the flowers and grasses that die and are swept away in the winter, our LORD, Jesus Christ, was resurrected from from death. He blossomed as He spoke to His followers and to the crowds that surrounded Him. Nature shows us the Resurrection story every Spring with trees and grasses, and babies of every kind being born. It is a wonderful time of new life. We are broken people. We have hardened our hearts to the point that even when we want to open them, all we can do is offer up broken prayers. I know how difficult it can be to open up that hard kernal we call a heart; to let the nourishing Light and Love of our JESUS in to cover us and allow us to grow.

It is through JESUS that we are healed. It is through His Mercy and Grace that we are forgiven. Never assume that being a “good” person will do any good when we all stand at the Great White Throne on Judgement Day! Read Revelations of John 20:11-15. Let the Light of Jesus, and His cleansing Blood, wash over your hurting heart and broken prayers today.

Listen to Broken Prayers by Riley Clemmons. (Here’s an excerpt)

You want my tears, every messy word
Every scar and every fear
You want all I have
With no holding back
When I’m hurt, at my worst
You meet me there
‘Cause you see the beauty
In my broken prayers
In my broken prayers

His LOVE Heals My Heart

“Then JESUS said, ‘Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take My Yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My Yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’ ” – Matthew 11:28‭-‬30 NLT

Do you have a heavy burden? Are you trying to carry it all by yourself? For years, I did just that. Sure, I can do it on my own. HA! Famous last words…. The reality is that I can’t do much of anything in my own strength. Like many, if not most, single people, I yearn for a companion to share my life on earth in the here and now. My ‘picker’, though, has proven to be broken. The single most important realization that anyone can have in their lifetime is that another person will not, cannot, complete me/us or carry our burdens. We can help each other, but the only One Who can actually lift the burdens off of our shoulders is our LORD. It doesn’t matter how ‘good’ or godly our companion might be, any man (or woman) will hurt and disappoint us at some point in our lives. No matter how hard we try to only do good, or to be good, we will eventually, and inevitably, fail. I can be content to have JESUS as my companion if I choose to be, or I can run around searching for that perfect guy for me.

Lay your burdens at the foot of cross and lift your arms – your heart, body, and soul – to JESUS. He stands there, waiting to shower His LOVE on you; to take your burdens off your shoulders and carry them for you. He’s ready to carry you, too, when you are unable to take another step on your own. He’s done it countless times for me. When I yank the burdens from His Hands, and take them in mine, He doesn’t argue or fight me. He lets me stagger under them until I finally remember He’s standing next to me, empty handed and willing to take them back. He usually has to carry me for awhile, too, while I gain strength from Him. Are you willing to let go off your burdens? Call on JESUS. He can hardly wait for your call!

“All Praise to GOD, the FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. GOD is our Merciful FATHER and the Source of all Comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort GOD has given us.” – 2 Corinthians 1:3‭-‬4 NLT

Listen to Fear is A Liar, by Zach Williams.

In The Storm

Hangin’ in. That’s what I’m doing. I get where the saying “hang in there” could have originated. When you are in a fierce storm, you have two choices: hang on to something, or be blown away. I don’t really want to be blown away; I don’t want to be blown out of my life as I know it, but with the winds of change hammering away, sometimes we (I) don’t get much of a choice. I want to steer for the clear skies and get away from the hurricane that seems to be parked on top of me, but I know that my strength alone isn’t enough to save me. Because of the enemy, aka Satan, our life on earth is full of storms, from light rains to Cat 5 hurricanes. The goal of the enemy is take away any shred Light and Hope we have. He is the Father of Lies, he wants us at his mercy, and he will do anything in his power to achieve mastery over us. I tell you, from experience, it’s a dark, dark place that his winds will take you to. There will be an illusion, a mirage, of beauty and light to entice you; smooth winds and apparent joy…. but beware! That illusion will fade away and you will find yourself in a whirlpool of despair that you cannot escape – by your own strength. Only one way exists to take you out of the enemy’s grip; ONE WAY only, and that Way is through JESUS CHRIST.

“Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust Him, and He will help you.” – Psalms 37:5 NLT

“For I can do everything through CHRIST, Who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13 NLT

Simple solution, but often really difficult to implement in our lives. It’s that ‘free will’ thing. We want control of our lives. It’s all part of the enemy’s illusion, people! Satan wants us to believe that Jesus – JESUS – was just a prophet, a good man, albeit a misguided one. After all, the enemy whispers, Jesus was tortured and killed and buried just as any man …. he says the Jesus is no different from Mohammed or Buddha or John Smith…. Focus on the real truth. THE Truth, that the Son of the Almighty Creator God left His home in Heaven, to come to earth and be the ultimate, final sacrifice for our sins. Jesus is coming back, too, and this time it won’t be as the Sacrificial Lamb of God. No, this time, He will return on a white horse [told you horses are in heaven!], with a sword in His Hand and surrounded by the Angel Armies. He will conquer Death and Evil and Satan, once and for all. I’m tired, LORD, tired of the storms here on earth. I pray You will return quickly! Until then, my life is in Your Hands, and I rely on Your Strength.

Listen to “Eye of the Storm” by Ryan Stevenson.

The Day the Music Cried…

It was with sadness when the first thing I saw on my newsfeed this morning, was the announcement that the Reverend Billy Graham has passed away from earth this morning. Sad for us left here, because for decades, he has been such a godly example for us to see. A man whose life reflected his love of the LORD, who was truly a follower of CHRIST and not the world. Such a dynamic man, one who was not afraid to take a stand for his God. Every Christian alive should take note of that. It is sad that his family has lost his earthly presence, and it is truly difficult for those of us who are left behind.

But, OH! The rejoicing, the singing and dancing and Glorious welcome Mr. Graham is receiving in heaven! He is united at last with his beloved Saviour, JESUS, and with his sweet wife, Ruth. I’m sure my Daddy was standing there, too, waiting to welcome him Home. The hosts of Heaven rejoice, while we on earth grieve the loss of his physical presence. This is a man who was instrumental in leading thousands of people to the Saving Grace of our LORD, Jesus Christ! On earth we cry for the moment, and feel as though the music has died…. but in Heaven, I think the songs, the music, must be loud and alive! I think this verse shows how Mr. Graham lived his life, just as though the LORD was speaking directly to him, just as we fellow Christians should be living:

“This is My Command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your GOD is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9 NLT

The loss of our earthly fathers is heart-wrenching, because they have left us here on earth without them. I miss my own, but I just can’t get past the image of how incredibly happy and excited he must be right now; now, because he is finally with his JESUS. Where will you be, where will your soul be, when your earthly body dies? Is death something you are afraid of; will you be reunited with loved ones, with you SAVIOR, or will you be lost in eternity with no hope of anything except damnation?

I pray today the even in death, Billy Graham will continue to show people the way to real salvation. Strength and courage belong to those who choose and follow the LORD. HEAR the Words of Jesus:

“I have come as a Light to Shine in this Dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark. I will not judge those who hear Me but don’t obey Me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject Me and My Message will be judged on the Day of Judgment by the Truth I have spoken. I don’t speak on My own authority. The Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it. And I know His Commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells Me to say.” – John 12:46‭-‬50 NLT

Thank you, Reverend Graham, for doing and saying what God commanded.