Everyday of our lives GOD provides! HE provides for our families that we can't provide for. HE goes before us in unimaginable GRACE even in our disbelief. Psalm 78:42, "...remember HIS power or the day HE redeemed them..." GOD reminds us everyday who HE is, and HIS love for us. Maybe the next time you see G.A.P. on clothes, maybe you won't think of designer clothes. Maybe you will think, GOD ALWAYS PROVIDES! G.A.P.!
Psalm 139: 23-24 Isaiah 43:1 GOD IS GOD!
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Did we just visualize an Evangelist putting his hands on a person and they fell over backwards healed? Or did we begin to think about our lack of faith because we still have an illness? HEALING IS NOT A MIRACLE, IT IS A SIGN! We were designed to host CHRIST in our hearts and lives, but instead we host illness and sin. Healing then, is about the progressive reversal of that reality. Healing is the process in which some illness or sin no longer has power over us! Being healed is not the only way we are able to bear the image of GOD to the world. Sometimes we bear the image of GOD in our illness! 2 Corinthians 12:9, "...MY grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness..." Perhaps this is so the world can see (and we too will be convinced) that GOD'S grace is sufficient! So we may have an illness, but if we do not let it have power over our Spirit and Minds WE ARE HEALED, IT IS NOT ABOUT MIRACLES! AMEN!
Psalm 139: 23-24 Isaiah 43:1 GOD IS GOD! Does it mean experiencing financial prosperity and physical well-being that we are Blessed by GOD? We all know wealthy and healthy people who are not Christians, so there must be a deeper meaning to being Blessed by GOD. When you give someone a gift, the primary motivation of giving is relational. The gift is a physical expression of your love and appreciation. The giving may even result in a response by the recipient, thus strengthening the relational bond. Blessed is a relational word (it is more than a word) which focuses on our relationship with GOD. The physical manifestations of HIS love for us are reminders of the active and dynamic relationship with THE LIVING GOD who desires to Bless those who have entered into a relationship with HIM. Psalm 1:1, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked..." When someone asks you, "How are you" and you respond, "I am Blessed"; you open the door to share HIS WORD by LIVING THE BLESSING!
Enjoy each Moment! Psalm 139: 23-24 Isaiah 43:1 GOD IS GOD! My dad had a reputation for being a tough and ornery man with a mean streak. But when adversity would come he would always say, "If you're 'livin' right, you got 'nothin' to fear". We had a situation arise one day, he turned to Merv (Merv was a little ornery too) and me and said, "come on we'll take care of this now"! Merv didn't move; my dad looked at him and said, "If you're 'livin' right you got 'nothin' to fear"! Merv replied, "John, I've been 'livin' pretty good lately but I don't know what youv'e been up too. I sure don't want to be mistaken for you if it is your time". Psalm 27: 1, "...The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall i fear?" Maybe my dad knew WHO he should fear and what not to fear. MAYBE HE KNEW SOMETHING I DIDN'T? YA THINK?
Psalm 139: 23-24 Isaiah 43:1 GOD IS GOD! In grade school, I had a friend that was very poor. One day another classmate was talking with us and he looked at Joe and said, "man, I've seen that shirt twice this week; do you only have two shirts"? He thought he was being funny because who only has two shirts, right? Well, Joe only had two shirts! Do we have silly or idle talk? The Bible tells us that our words are to be: suited to instruct, edify, be sportive, refined, courteous and yes, they can be humorous. Ephesians 5:4, "Let there by no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place..." Our words can be humorous but not malignant (progressively worse; severe), they are to be good natured, cheerful and pleasant. Lift someone up today, I'M NOT JUST KIDDING!
Psalm 139: 23-24 Isaiah 43:1 GOD IS GOD! How many times do we have to go somewhere we "really" don't want to go, but after we go we are glad we did? Is our Spiritual journey where we don't "really" want to go? Our Spiritual journey continues to "grow" our faith and after each trial we feel more complete than we did before. Our journey is designed to produce Spiritual maturity and are part of the "good gifts" that makes our faith genuine. JAMES 1: 2, "Count it all JOY...when you meet trials of various kinds..." We are not talking worldly, temporal happiness, but rather Spiritual, enduring and "complete JOY" in the LORD who is with us in all things. We will learn that these difficulties are what we "really" want to do because we are better than we were before we experienced them. Yes, we learn to have FUN IN THE "SON"! Enjoy the journey.
Psalm 139: 23-24 Isaiah 43:1 GOD IS GOD! How do we know the POET if we don't know what HE writes, and how do we understand what HE writes if we don't know the POET? When we read a dictionary from "A" to "Z" we learn very little; but when we are looking up a specific word for our own understanding we learn so much more. We cannot read the Bible like a book and expect to gain the wisdom JESUS is providing. When we read the Bible from need to know HIM and what HE wants us to know the HOLY SPIRIT will reveal understanding of who HE is and what HE wants us to know. 1 Corinthians 2: 6-16, "...but the SPIRIT who is from GOD, that we might understand the things freely given us by GOD, then we depart the words taught by human wisdom but are taught by the SPIRIT, interpreting SPIRITUAL truths..." Want to know HOW TO READ THE BIBLE? READ IT WITH HIM FOR NEED TO KNOW HIM!
Psalm 139: 23-24 Isaiah 43:1 GOD IS GOD! If your very best friend (VBF) can "walk on water", why don't you follow in HIS footsteps? I JUST WONDER? Luke 9: 23, "...If anyone would come after ME, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and FOLLOW ME." Just a thought. Psalm 139: 23-24 Isaiah 43:1 GOD IS GOD! At one time or another we have been impressed with the "gifted evangelistic" preacher. We have even believed that we are to emulate that excitement in sharing the WORD, if in fact we are FILLED with the HOLY SPIRIT. We even question ourselves, by comparison, to such vibrant speakers (or individuals) who "instantaneously" appear to PLANT THE SEED, WATER THE SEED AND REAP THE HARVEST all in an hour and fifteen minutes! But when you really wanted to know about GOD and how to know HIM, who influenced you? As for me, it was this quiet and unassuming person who did not use cliches nor uninspired answers. It was a person, whose life portrayed peace, love, and wisdom. Their apparent "SHYNESS" came alive in surprising CONFIDENCE, POWER and LOVE; when we talked about GOD. They would come alive like the disciples at Pentecost! Ephesians 2:10, "we are HIS workmanship, created...for good works." We are each created differently and have our "gifts", and it is all to Glorify GOD. Watch out for the "quiet ones", their "WALK" is much greater than other's "TALK". I won't MISTAKE "SHYNESS" FOR WEAKNESS again.
Psalm 139: 23-24 Isaiah 43:1 GOD IS GOD! There are times when I feel so close to GOD. It is when I am in constant prayer giving thanks just for that moment; it is a time when others speak that GOD shows me how to respond or not respond at all. It is a time of total peace and I am in harmony with GOD and HIS creation. THEN BOOM, someone says or does something that I respond without prayer. I say things I regret and the downward cycle drives me deeper and deeper away from GOD, to the point that I don't love myself. Then I remember, Psalm 19: 14, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in YOUR sight..." At that time I ask GOD for forgiveness and I ask forgiveness of the person I offended. I begin to love GOD first and then I love myself; more importantly than myself; I love the person who "pushed my button". Yes, after experiencing a great victory with the LORD, I have to be "on guard" because the "attack" will come, when I am most vulnerable. Ecclesiastes 5:2, "...so let your words be few..." I remember this, "what causes war among men, isn't it the war within themselves. Be at peace with GOD, and no one can "PUSH YOUR BUTTON"!
Psalm 139: 23-24 Isaiah 43:1 GOD IS GOD! |
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December 2015
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