Month: April 2020

God is faithful to us in our old age

God is faithful to us in our old age

Psalm 71:18 Easy-to-Read Version 

“18 Now that I am old and my hair is gray, don’t leave me, God.
    I must tell the next generation about your power and greatness.”

From the moment we are conceived in our mother’s womb, God is with us.  Some people will never know that fact.  Some will learn of Him and rejoice in His care.  No matter what group we are in, He is still faithful.  It is when we hear about God and His son, Jesus, and accept Them into our lives that our awareness is opened.  God is always looking out for His creation.

When I was a little girl, I heard about Jesus in Sunday School.  He sounded way off in Heaven and I was not sure about how we could know God and His Son here on the earth.  Yet my heart was softened by the Holy Spirit, to hope in the truth that God loved mankind so much He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for all mankind. When my teacher read John 3:16 to us, I decided to believe that and accept Him into my heart. I was 8 years old at the time.  He came into my life and through the Bible, His Word, I have come to know Him in a deeper relationship.  Over these years since, we have become friends.  He is always available for any conversation and fellowship.  The only time there is a break in that fellowship, is when I walk away for a season.  He never leaves me.

Sadly, so many people have never met Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  He came to earth, born of a virgin called Mary, lived and died as a man, filled with the Holy Spirit.  He rose from the dead, after paying the price for all mankind’s sin, and He is coming back to earth again to claim all those who believe in Him.  Today is your day to open your heart to Him.  Today is the day the Holy Spirit is drawing you to Him, just like He did for me when I was an 8-year-old girl.  If you open your heart today you can be redeemed from sin and death.

John 3:16-17 Easy-to-Read Version 

16 Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world. He did not send him to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him.

John 14:6-7 KJV

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

John 16:7-15 KJV

7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;  10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;  11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 

12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.  13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.  14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.  15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Romans 10:9-12 Easy-to-Read Version 

9 If you openly say, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from death, you will be saved. 10 Yes, we believe in Jesus deep in our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we openly say that we believe in him, and so we are saved.

11 Yes, the Scriptures say, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.” 12 It says this because there is no difference between those who are Jews and those who are not. The same Lord is the Lord of all people. And he richly blesses everyone who looks to him for help.

Trade Weariness for Trust in Jesus

Matthew 11:28 The Passion Translation 

“28 “Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to me, I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis.”

All of us have times of weariness.  Life’s struggles are real.  No one is exempt from troubles and trials.  The difference between us is how we react to life’s issues.  Will we allow our souls to get so wearied that we crumble under the strain?  We can choose which way we react, good or bad.

I have had many times of great stress and fear.  Weariness and overwhelming reactions tried to take over my life.  It was when I cried out to the Father in Jesus’ Name that I was rescued and able to go through the struggles with success!  He is for us.  He is listening for our cry out to Him. Whenever we turn to the One who is able, He will lift us up, open doors of understanding and help us become victorious in life.

Over and over the Bible tells us to call upon Him, to cry out to Him, to “fear not” because He is with us.  Our part is to believe that and obey it!  Why we think we have to shoulder all our burdens is a mystery of life.  We have a Savior who died for us and is always interceding for us before the Father. Let us go to Him in all our times of need.

Be blessed this week in His care.  He loves you and wants the best for you always.  Let Him take your cares, worries and woes and replace them with hope, faith and love.

Jeremiah 33:3 New King James Version 

3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and [a]mighty things, which you do not know.’

Psalm 12:5 New King James Version 

5 “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy,
Now I will arise,” says the Lord;
“I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”

Psalm 72:4 New King James Version 

4 He will bring justice to the poor of the people;
He will save the children of the needy,
And will break in pieces the oppressor.

Matthew 6:6-13

6 But when you pray, you should go into your room and close the door. Then pray to your Father. He is there in that private place. He can see what is done in private, and he will reward you.

7 “And when you pray, don’t be like the people who don’t know God. They say the same things again and again. They think that if they say it enough, their god will hear them. 8 Don’t be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 So this is how you should pray:

‘Our Father in heaven,
    we pray that your name will always be kept holy.
10 We pray that your kingdom will come—
    that what you want will be done here on earth, the same as in heaven.
11 Give us the food we need for today.
12 Forgive our sins,
    just as we have forgiven those who did wrong to us.
13 Don’t let us be tempted,
    but save us from the Evil One.’

Bible hands

Our God reigns over every nation

Psalm 47:8 The Passion Translation

8 Our God reigns over every nation.
He reigns on his holy throne over all.

Psalm 18:49 The Passion Translation 

49 This is why I thank God with high praises!
I will sing my song to the highest God,
so all among the nations will hear me.

Honor God in every nation

We need to remember to honor God in every nation.  He is Lord over all the nations.  In whatever nation we live, we can praise and worship Him.  Our love and honor comes from our hearts.  In some nations it is a dangerous thing to openly praise and worship Him, we realize this.  Yet we can always do so in our hearts with uplifted eyes.  God sees the heart of man and all its ways.  We honor Him by our own outward actions toward Him and others.  Do we love our neighbor?  Do we live honestly and uprightly before the world?  Do we forgive those who dishonor us?  All these actions reflect the love of God toward mankind.  When we act like God our Father towards others, we are worshipping and praising Him by our very deeds!

Let this be a week of revealing the holiness of our God by our heart actions both to Him and to our fellow mankind.  God bless you all in this most Holy Week before Easter Sunday.

God is Most Holy

God is Most Holy

We are living in perilous and trying times.  Our hearts must look toward God our Creator and Lord.  There has never been a better time to get our lives right before God.  Cleansing our hands and hearts before Him should be a priority.  He is always available to His children.  His heart is open to their cry.  Nevertheless, when we are in rebellion and anger towards Him, we cannot walk in faith toward Him.  Our own hearts are not open to hear His response to our cry.

God does not get angry at our anger against Him.  He knows our understanding is darkened in some area causing us to see through a veil of anger and bitterness.  We cannot see Him as He truly is.  It is when we have a contrite and repentant heart that we see who He is and what He has planned for us.

Let us take this time of trials to check our own life out through His eyes.  Let Him clean out the places of pain and rebellion in us, so He can heal us, forgive us and the flow of relationship become restored between us.  When this happens those prayers and declarations we speak in faith will be answered quickly.

Psalm 2 Easy-to-Read Version 

2 Why are the nations so angry?
    Why are the people making such foolish plans?
2 Their kings and leaders join together
    to fight against the Lord and his chosen king.
3 They say, “Let’s rebel against them.
    Let’s break free from them!”

4 But the one who rules in heaven laughs at them.
    The Lord makes fun of them.
5 He speaks to them in anger,
    and it fills them with fear.
6 He says, “I have chosen this man to be king,
    and he will rule on Zion, my holy mountain.”

7 Let me tell you about the Lord’s agreement:
He said to me, “Today I have become your father,
    and you are my son.
8 If you ask, I will give you the nations.
    Everyone on earth will be yours.
9 You will rule over them with great power.
    You will scatter your enemies like broken pieces of pottery!”

10 So, kings and rulers, be smart
    and learn this lesson.
11 Serve the Lord with fear and trembling.
12 Show that you are loyal to his son,
    or the Lord will be angry and destroy you.
He is almost angry enough to do that now,
    but those who go to him for protection will be blessed.

Matthew 3:2 King James Version 

2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Acts 3:19 King James Version 

19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

Psalm 86:5 King James Version 

5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

Christ Jesus is our solid rock

“On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand
All Other Ground Is Sinking Sand…”

The words to this old hymn written by Edward Mote and music by William Batchelder Bradbury, bring such a place of hope and faith expressed.  The firm declaration of personal trust in the  foundation found in believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is such a testimony of faith.

Would that we all had reached this place in Him.  Are we able to stand and declare such a firm belief in His care for us?  Some of us can say, “Yes! I believe and have seen His tender care and mercies given to me many times over.”  It is interesting to note personally, there are so many areas where I have known faith’s rewards through God’s provision.  And others where my faith faltered and missed the mark.  Yet, I will not quit going back to the Bible to find more and more of His ways, deeds and love made available to me by the finished work of the Cross of Christ.

Our “standing on the Rock” is our faith extended as far as we can send it…the rest is up to God to fulfill.  Without Him, we can do nothing.  Our very breath is supplied by Him.  What a reassurance to realize He daily supplies to us all the necessities of life without prejudice. We all have an atmosphere to breathe, rain in season, harvests of food and so many other things we take for granted.  Perhaps our declarations at this time should be ones of praise and thanksgiving as well as expectations for future provision.

God is so good to us.  His ear is open to our cry and his love is extended to all mankind, even those who hate and reject Him.  Let us lift up some Hallelujahs today!.

Psalm 68:4 The Passion Translation 

” Let them sing their celebration-songs
for the coming of the cloud rider whose name is Yah!”

Psalm 18:31 The Passion Translation 

” Could there be any other god like you?
You are the only God to be worshiped,
for there is not a more secure foundation
to build my life upon than you.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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