Holy Week 2020

4-6-20

I have not blogged in so long (6 years). I have time and I feel an urgency this morning. I could not let this time pass and just leave it in my journal this morning.

Not much news has been watched or listened to in our house the past few days but I did hear that this could be the worst week for our nation. Many deaths and greater spread of the outbreak. With this in mind this morning I was brought to open Revelations and try to make sense of what I read. Of course, I am not a theologian and my knowledge is limited. What I came across was Rev. 13:10 (The Message), “Meanwhile, God’s holy people passionately & faithfully stand their ground,” or as the English standard version would translate (ESV), “Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.”   Does what is happening mean we are in the “End Times? I heard a lot about this as a child and young person. I am not debating Revelations right now but just the captivation of scripture and our revelation as God’s holy people.

We have not been tortured for our faith and belief in God, so our “standing or endurance” looks a little different.  We have not met as a body of believers for four weeks now. I cried yesterday when I realized this.  My heart went out to those who are struggling in their Faith, knowing church would encourage them to be strong and keep going. For others of us, it is a wonderful joy to be with like minded hearts and souls. How could God allow us to not meet together? Especially when this is Easter week………

This is the big week for our Christian Faith – the process of what Jesus went through for us. Then I realized our opportunity this week, we have control of the distractions of this world that could hold  or disrupt our growth and passion for Jesus. We don’t have to go buy new clothes for Sunday, we don’t have to make a fancy meal or beat a rush to the restaurants. Jesus is our focus. We are holy and pure because of Him. We have all the tools in our hands to become closer to our Savior and become more passionate and solid in our Faith.

We can come to the greatest reality that if Jesus had not come to earth, we all would have been destined to a separation from God. This Easter may be the most effective one we have ever had. We will, maybe, even understand deeper then ever the Worlds greatest need for our Savior. No human on this earth, no money, no job, and no health can get us Eternal Life. Jesus is the only way to our end on this earth to Eternity. Set time aside this week to read how Jesus suffered through all this for us! He loves us so much!

Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be trouble, Believe in God: believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. ” John 14:1-3 (ESV).

May our Lord refresh you and renew your passion for Him in a way that only He is capable of doing. Oh, I will be praying for Compelled body for sure but even more then what I can do or say. He is doing more and refining us to see Him in a much deeper way!

Re-experience God’s Work This Weekend, and Walk In It!

Hello Everyone

I have been taking in all the Lord has done this past weekend. It has been a beautiful time with sitting here thanking Jesus for His precious sacrifice for us, so we can be free! His truth is so real and many of us will need to continue this week reaching for His truth and pushing back the enemy!

Set time aside with Our Heavenly Father, just like that “Set” chair on the platform this weekend and the open bird cage! We have to remember it is daily desiring to be free and there are things we have to put an effort forth to do! Don’t allow lies to take hold of you today! Press in to the Lord!

If the enemy has already said you have failed, He is a liar and he has failed!! God is right there call out His name and ask Him to fill you today with His presence! Lean in to His thoughts. If your devotions today as you are “setting” seemed not enough. Draw in the fact that God has detail in everything!

Maybe there is some human being in your life today that you feel has made you fail and feel defeated, Stop believing and go to your Savior! Ask Him for truth and insight from Him and then rest in that truth that He sees were you are and will answer.

“Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” Luke 12:7 NIV

Remember the truth today and be free in it! I am praying God continues to move you closer to Him as the lies of the enemy are shattered!

 

Yesterday’s Thoughts for Today maybe for you!

I am sitting outside and it is not quiet haha

The birds are making a lot of racquet but there is a great silence in my heart!

The Holy Spirit has brought the word ” perfection” to my mind! He is reminding me that my idea of this and His is a bit different.   Jesus is perfection to this earth, to correct our souls.   You see sometimes when I think of how things can be perfect I think of how I can control situations and things! You know what I mean – our smells, our tastes, our visible sight and touch which equals comfort!  How much of my time is spent on controlling these and making it more prefect for myself and others around me! At times I can over do it and get to the point of being so worn out, not just physically but mentally too!

Today the Holy Spirit is reminding me that as I lay my perfection at his feet, he will again do some perfecting in the soul, because that is an area I have no control to change! We can make our surrounding as perfect as it can get but if our soul has no change things will not be “perfect”!  This only happens by yielding control and recognizing that we need the Holy Spirit to work in us!

So today let the tears of submission come and be honest in yourself! We need our perfect Savior to move us in our souls to a place where whatever our imperfect world has dished out to us today, we know He has control of our souls to help us get past the frustration of not controlling!

Stop-Rest-Give Thanks today!

 

Facts from the Garden

    The harvest season is upon us.  The other day my Aunt let me go pick some tomatoes from her garden. How yummy they are!  This seems to be the best part of this season in my life right now.  You see I really didn’t want  Fall to approach at all.  My emotions and feelings as some of you know have been so up and down. So many of you understand where i am coming from.  I knew this was coming and have been trying to prepare my heart for months, but there really isn’t much you can do on your own.  I have been talking with God daily and letting Him know this just went too too fast. As i write this my eyes are welling up.  — Okay back to the Facts I want to share —

    Just like we know how to plant a garden with some head knowledge, so we also have to plant our spiritual lives with truth.  Here are some facts I was reminded of by the Lord this morning and I am planting them in my spiritual garden. I already knew them but sometimes we just need a good reminding so we can have a better harvest!

Fact 1 – Our feelings are unreliable. They can be fickle and change like the wind. They will try to get their way in situations but they are not what move us to make decisions. God’s Word is reliable and is where we need to go when our feelings try to drive us. Which leads me to fact 2.

Fact 2 – God’s Word spoke this to me this morning. John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches, if a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  I need to cling to Jesus my vine!  Its the same in any season of life, there is no change from any other time. I just need more of Jesus!

Fact 3- God’s Word reminded me this morning in Gen.1:26 & 27 that He wanted us from the beginning. He made the decision to make us. His deepest desire is a relationship with us. We can question that at times, but this is  fact. He wanted us and even created us in His image.

Fact 4- After Adam & Eve sinned God went searching for them. Gen. 3:9 ” But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’.  They became aware of their sin & where fearful, but God still longed for a relationship with them. When we see our shortcomings and doubt God, remember He is still longing for a closer relationship with us!

Fact 5- I need to plant these facts so feelings and emotions don’t uproot the good stuff God has planted in me.  Then I need to walk thru my spiritual garden and look for the harvest with joy.  The truth sets us free to see what God sees. Gen 1:31 ” God saw all that he had made, and it was very good…….” 

Be encouraged today, hold on to the facts and plant your feet on the Solid Rock!!!!

Wise Counsel to listen to!

Just a quick blog on 2 Chronicles 19-

King Jehospaphat  gave some wise counsel as he appointed judges to help with taking care of the Isrealites.

v.6 “Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for man but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. v.7 Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you, Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.”  

Just a reminder today that just as the king knew how God is, so also we need to know that God is not unjust or partial and he doesn’t take bribes. He is Just and Loves us unconditionally! See Him in this light today! Give Him praise for His mercy in your life!! Give His Mercy out today! It might bring someone closer to knowing who God is!

 

Time for Prayer

Micah 7:7

            “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior: my God will hear me.”

This morning I just spent time talking to our wonderful Heavenly Father about needs and that my heart would be in trusting Him.  A reminder came that sometimes we are always looking for better and more when right before us there is abundance! Jesus completes us and fills us.(Thank you Pastor Nate,honey, for this reminder yesterday)  No person has our best interest at heart like our Heavenly Father.  He has time for us! He hears us! He will reveal Himself! Settle in today with time to wait, talk and seek Jesus! Look for Hope in the Lord, not in the world’s “better”.  No one knows “better” then our God!

 

Confession of Significance from the Mother’s Day Message

God is My Heavenly Father and He knows me!

I need to know Him and His great Love.

He created me and He was pleased.

I need to know my Significance as His presence is felt and shown in me.

I don’t need a cart or poles to tote His Presence. Simplicity has come thru His New covenant.

I have worth

He sees me as remarkable and exceptional!

I am significant!

How is God your Refuge?

“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms, He will drive out your enemy before you, saying ,’Destroy him!'” Deuteronomy 33:27

Refuge- A security, a safety, a retreat, a sanctuary, a haven or a stronghold.   These are  few ways to describe a refuge, but Our God is more than these words. All thru scripture we read of Him being these things to many people and even encouraged to allow Him to be this for us.   My challenge for us today is have you gone to your Refuge?  Do you know the “How” to get to your Refuge?  Remember just as He promised the Israelites even before He sent the Holy Spirit, He said “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and will bring you back from captivity….” Jer. 29:13&14a.  As soon as I open my soul to seek Him,  He pulls me into refuge.  He gives me His supernatural strength, peace, rest and freedom .   I feel His protection from the fiery darts of the enemy.  I discern the untruth the deciever  is whispering.  I hear and see the Father’s promises.  They are alive , true and make sense.   He is there permanently and has just what we need to get us thru or to refresh us after “the getting thru”.   This is my encouragement today for you. Go to your Refuge!

Favor vs. 2nd place

 Hello Blog World!

Yes, it has been a long time since I have written!

God has spoken to me today and I know I have to sit down and share!

Psalms 90:17 “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us: establish the work of our hands for us- yes, establish the work of our hands.”

Do you ever feel like you can’t be fair to all your children? Were you the one that was always not picked in Gym?Or where you the one who was the favorite in the family ?

It doesn’t matter what your view of Favor is, God’s view is very important that you get it! I strive really hard to make my kids feel like every one of them is important and my favorite. Like on Valentines day I made sure they all had hearts on their crustless sandwiches, but when they opened them at lunch everything was smeared together with no idea to them that I made them as perfect to the other so they would know I loved them. Fairness and Favor seem to go hand in hand when we measure how people think of us, but so many times it can only go so deep.  We all tend to favor ourselves the most when it comes down to it.

God had to break thru human concept of favor. In  This verse  Moses is asking God to rest His favor on them so that everything that they did would be ” established” or should we say to be settled and stable. Think  about that poor leader man, he had to lead unhappy, disobedient, stubborn people.  He knew they needed more.  Freeing and Leading  them to  the Promise Land” wasn’t enough to keep them from feeling like God was unfair to them. Wow, can’t we relate? You may ask yourself sometimes  “why can’t God be more fair to me or answer my prayers like he does _______ (you put the name there)”?  Moses had good reason to ask God for favor because I feel he was asking for ‘The Favor’ God would give thru sending Christ!

Have you ever felt like you were the favorite?  I was to my grandma ( of course, for the first 5 years of my life, I was her one and only grand baby). We would go out eat and the waitress would say “who do you have with you?” She would say “why, this is my pride and joy”.  With her great smile she would look at me and say “order whatever you want”.  No other little girl could meet up to her view of me.  She would listen and hang onto every word I said.  I really thought I could do nothing wrong in her eyes. Of course, I didn’t want to either because I didn’t want to disappoint her.  When she came to visit me after I was married, she said my house was immaculent, ha-ha,  It made me feel like I lived in a palace. Are you getting my picture of favorite, maybe a little?

Moses knew these dear Israelites did have favor with God, obviously the list in the Old Testament is awesome. They were missing something though.  They had to keep “doing” to have God’s favor.   God knew He had to bring it to a settled point. A once and for all to bring the “Favor” to really rest.  Humanity really can’t take in the fact that we really have no control over ‘The Favor'(grace, mercy & redemption).  God gave His son out of His great love for us.  This favorite is not something we can earn, He sees us as His favorite because He does!  Whether you have been or are someones favorite on this earth and everything is going your way or not going so good.  You are seen as God’s favorite.

This brings me to the verse for our Forty days in the word. Paul says in Philippians 1:27 “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ”.  Whatever happens…… Paul understood his ‘Favor’, he was settled and stable in it!  He is challenging us to ‘conduct'(lead or transfer) ourselves to understand this.  Then our manner will be worthy of the gospel of Christ.  See we can’t just say I can be good and give worthy to Christ thru our own works. We need to see and except  the gift of Favor that God gave us even when we go thru the “whatever”.   The greatest Favor has been done on the cross!  Sin can’t cling to us if we transfer our understanding of God seeing us as His favorite because we want to bring Him glory, and sin will separate us from Him( the one who puts us first)! Be moved today to choose God’s Favor, even when all around you is in turmoil and you can’t understand why God allowed it. He has brought His Favor to rest on us and We can be established, settled and stable in our souls for Eternity! Hallelujah!