Thursday, March 31, 2011

Preoccupied with Praise!

Our Heavenly Father knows exactly what we need to hear - it is my responsibility to have the ears of my heart open that I may truly hear Him speak to me.  I must admit, there has been a few things concerning my health I have allowed my mind to be preoccupied  with and my heart has probably needed a hearing aid so I can hear beyond my own circumstances and how I see them.  But God...(love that phrase!)...He opted to call me on my lack of faith and patience and He did so this morning as I read the following.  He spoke to me as I read this puritan prayer:

Thou incomprehensible but prayer hearing God, known, but beyond knowledge,revealed but unrevealed, my wants and welfare draw me close to Thee.  For Thou hast never said, "Seek ye Me in vain."  To Thee I come in my difficulties, necessities, distresses;

Possess me with Thyself; with a spirit of grace and supplication, with a prayer attitude of mind, with access into warmth of fellowship, so that in the ordinary concerns of life, my thoughts and desires may rise to Thee,  and in habitual devotion I may find a resource that will soothe my sorrows, sanctify my successes, and qualify me in all ways for dealings with my fellow men.

I bless Thee that Thou hast made me capable of knowing Thee, the Author of all being, of resembling Thee, the perfection of all excellency, of enjoying Thee, the source of all happiness.

O God, attend me in every part of my arduous and trying pilgrimage;I need the same counsel, defence, comfort I found at the beginning.  Let my religion be more obvious to my conscience, more perceptible to those around.

While Jesus is representing me in heaven, may I reflect Him on earth, While He pleads my cause, may I show forth His praise.  Continue the gentleness of Thy goodness toward me,  And whether I wake or sleep, let Thy presence go with me, Thy blessing attend me.

Thou hast led me on and I have found Thy promise true, I have been sorrowful, but Thou hast been my help, fearful, but Thou hast delivered me, despairing, but Thou hast lifted me up.

Thy vows are ever upon me,
And I praise Thee, O God.

Amen

Wow!  I read that through and I knew I had to read it again....but this time I wanted to digest it like a favorite food- enjoying each piece instead of just cramming it all end and not taking time to enjoy it and be spoken to by the Holy Spirit.  I tore about many parts of this prayer where the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart.  I have highlighted these as I want to share them with you.  I figure I am not the only one out there who needs to hear this and gain from it.  There are many things I have to say- so I am not asking you to cram it all in quickly and go about your day- take as much time as you need with the Lord to allow Him to speak to you- Read it over several days or read and reread- May you be blessed by this timely prayer.  I would love to interview the puritan who wrote this prayer- what was he going through at the time?  I don't know but I will share what the Lord taught me about what I am going through right now.

Thou incomprehensible but prayer hearing God, known but beyond knowledge, revealed yet unrevealed- My heart was reminded God and His power, His all knowing- He is beyond our comprehension.  If I started today listing all the qualities of God I would die before I even scratched the surface of all that He is...Yet, He is a prayer hearing God!  Think of the most powerful, influential person in the United States today.....2 people come to mind immediately- President Obama and Oprah Winfrey.  How far do you think you or I would get if we called and tried to get an appointment with either one of them?  Dream on, right?!  But those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior have immediate access to the King of Kings....no secretary to go through, no screening process, no waiting list.....this is our incomprehensible yet prayer hearing God!

My wants and my welfare draw me close to Thee-  Through every circumstance in my life, pleasant or difficult, it is supposed to draw me closer to God and make me more aware of my dependence on Him.  My flesh struggles with this- My wants and desires tend to make me gravitate to "how can I fix this?" instead of "God, I am depending on you to see me though this".

Possess me with Thyself...so that in the ordinary concerns of life, my thoughts and desires may rise to Thee-As I was meditating over this statement, a few things came to mind.  We our actions, our words, our being becomes like that  which possesses us.  We have all looked at somebody that was acting out in some strange way and said "wow! he is possessed!", or we may notice that if we are a mega fan of a certain TV star or sports star, we take on some of their qualities.  When Michael Jordan was at the top of his game, the popular slogan was "be like Mike"  and  boys played on the basketball courts imitating his incredible slam dunks and flying through the air with what seemed such ease.  In the 1980's when Michael Jackson was the music superstar, you could look around and see kids wearing one glove, copying the singer. In the late 1970's when Charlie's Angels was the big TV hit, every girl wanted the Farrah Fawcett hair style.  Ok, now I am dating myself, but you see what I mean.....when we allow Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit to really possess us, we become like Him.

And in habitual devotion, I may find a source that will soothe my sorrows, sanctify my successes, and qualify me in all ways for dealing with my fellow men.-  The key word here for me is "habitual".  Faith and trust in our Heavenly Father does not flourish when He is just our "emergency contact" no more than our flower garden will flourish from a once a week watering.  No, it is through careful attention, frequent conversation, habitual devotion that we find Him to be our All in All!

I bless Thee that Thou hast made me capable of knowing Thee....the source of all happiness- Isn't that amazing, the incomprehensible but prayer hearing God calls out to us "Come now and let us reason together, though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool!  He is our source of all happiness.  We must  grasp that with all our being.  If we try to make our source of happiness in anyone or anything else, we will never find happiness and will ride a emotional roller coaster of which we will never get off!

I need the same counsel, defence, comfort I found at the beginning.- Sometimes we are so hungry and we start looking for "something new" to refresh our relationship with the Lord.  Yet, when I read the Word, I am reminded of the following.

Revelation 2: 1-7- The church of Ephesus is admonished for leaving their " first love"  They are commanded to "repent and do the first works"  Everything we need from God has been given to us within His Word-There is not a "new word" out there- What was our source of comfort in the beginning of our Christian walk is what will be our source until the Lord calls us home.  It is the time we spend with Him- I am convinced that will make us or break us!

Let my religion be more obvious to my conscience- I want to exchange that word "religion" with the word "relationship".  I want my relationship with my Father to be more obvious to my conscience  I don't want to be someone who just goes through the motions and not even thinking about what I am doing when it comes to my relationship with my Lord.  That can be the danger is anything that we have done for years.  I am in the medical profession.  I have been doing this for so long that a lot of it I could probably do blindfolded with my hands tied behind my back......but I would never do that!  Why?  Obvious!  Lives are at stake!  So it is with my relationship with my Lord- there is too much at stake to just go through the motions!

While Jesus is representing me in heaven, may I reflect Him on earth-  Jesus is our Advocate in Heaven- we are His Representatives on Earth!  We trust Jesus to be the finest Advocate or Attorney for us, our standing with the Father depends on it.  So we must be the best Representative for Him, we are to be His hands, His feet, His voice while we are here....right or wrong, the opinions others have of Jesus, will be formed as they watch us live our lives.

While He pleads my cause, may I show forth His praise- Christ is in heaven forever interceding for us before the Father- Is He not worthy of my praise!  Am I not grateful that the Father sees me through the eyes of His Son!  Oh yes, may I show forth the praise that He alone is worthy of.

Thou hast led me on and I have found Thy promise true, I have been sorrowful, but Thou hast lifted me up.-  For almost 47 years He has led me and I have found His promise true, He has lifted me up time and again.  It is through these times that we can draw only one conclusion- We have found Thy promise true!

"Praise is the honey of life which a devout heart extracts from every bloom of providence and grace, and the rehearsal of our eternal song."  Charles H. Spurgeon

Oh that I may become preoccupied with praise, instead of my problems, of Christ instead of criticism- rehearsals will soon be over and the curtain will rise- Eternal praise will be offered to the only One worthy of such praise and honor. Worthy is the Lamb!

To God be the glory!



Monday, March 28, 2011

Has God opened a door for you?

This morning I was reading  from Colossians 4- I will read it from "The Message" a paraphrase written by Eugene Peterson.

Pray diligently. Stay alert, with you eyes wide open in gratitude.  Don't forget to pray for us, that God will open doors for telling the mystery of Christ, even while I'm locked up in this jail.  Pray that every time I open my mouth I'll be able to make Christ plain as day to them.  Use your head as you live and work among outsiders.  Don't miss a trick.  Make the most of every opportunity.  Be gracious in your speech.  The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.

I will stop there for there is so much said in these few verses!  But, as I asked the Lord what to write about today, this is what He told me to share and so lets dive in.

These verses are speaking to us about our relationship with the lost, the "outsiders" as it is put here.  So what are we commanded to do.

1.) Pray diligently-we are given specific instruction to pray for open doors for telling others about Christ, and pray that Christ will be clearly and plainly explained to them.  Paul is asking the church to pray for him, that WHILE HE IS IN PRISON he will have doors opened to speak about Christ and speak in a clear way.  This is convicting to me.  Paul is asking us to pray for doors to open while he sits in a horrible prison, unlike the prisons we know of today.  I've got to be honest, when I read this, I thought, "Wow, I would be praying for doors to open....for the prison doors to open!! so I could get out of there!"  Yet Paul, having the heart of an evangelist and an immense love for the Lord, asked for folks to pray that he would have opportunity to speak of Christ.

2.) Stay alert-It is so easy to miss an opportunity- I found this out the other morning.  It was almost 5am and I was on my way to work.  I take the 5 freeway to the 118.  I do this a few times a week.  I was driving, listening to the news on the radio and thinking about all that was going on in the world as I heard all the bad news.  All of a sudden I saw this maybe 6 story building close to the freeway and I thought wow, why haven't I seen this building before?  I soon realized I had missed the exit to the 118 and was still on the 5.  I had missed my opportunity.  I was paying enough attention to drive safely but I wasn't with my "eyes wide open" so I missed my opportunity.  Thankfully, there was an exit ahead and I was able to get back on the right freeway.  We don't always have that same opportunity when it comes to witnessing. We may never see that person again, or they may die before we have another opportunity to share Christ with them.

God gives us many opportunities to speak about Christ- but how often do we miss that opportunity- Many times I've got to the end of the day and had that "aha" moment when it hit me, God had given me an opportunity, I had missed it.

3.) Use your head as you live and work among outsiders- I thought about this and to me this was a statement that covered a lot of ground.  I believe we see that as we read ahead and are admonished to be gracious in our speech and bring out the best in them- When God opens doors, we need to take advantage of that opportunity- but in a gentle Christlike manner.  I love how we read that when Jesus looked out on the crowds, He was moved with compassion, for He saw them as sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36)  Jesus  didn't shy away from speaking the truth, but He always spoke in love.

When I look around this world today, I am speechless at times at what I see, what I read about, what I hear about on the radio. Gross sin and immorality that used to take place in a more "behind closed doors" is now more "in your face" than it has ever been.  Christianity is mocked and we are hated more now than any other time in my middle aged life.  It would be easy and it is tempting to get angry and to lash out at those who are involved in this type of behavior- yet when I am tempted, I always here the Holy Spirit reminding me that Jesus saw these folks with eyes of compassion for they are sheep with no shepherd.  We must speak the Truth in love. (Ephesians 4:15)

When the Holy Spirit reminds me of this- it is not just a reminder but a mandate to lovingly introduce them to the Shepherd.  The Lord reminded me how I love to introduce my husband to friends at work or people that know me but don't know my husband.  I am so proud of him, I will take the time and make the effort to introduce him.  Yet, as much as I love my husband,.I know that if they never met him it would not greatly impact their lives and he certainly is not the one who will determine the eternal destiny of their souls.  The Lord reminded me, I am a child of the King of Kings, yet how often to I take the time and make the effort to introduce folks to Him?  If people fail to meet Him, their lives will be greatly affected as will the destiny of their eternal souls!

Time is short- I don't know when the Lord will return- but I do believe we are living in the last days.  Even if the Lord should tarry many more days, time is still short.  So many times I have looked back over my high school days, my college days and I ask myself  "where has time gone?"  I know you have done the same.

Let us not come to the end of our lives here on earth with regrets that we did not make the most of every door the Lord opened for us.

"Only one life, will soon be passed- only what's done for Christ will last"

To God be the glory





Saturday, March 26, 2011

Yes, Rob Bell, Love did win!

-

There is a lot of talk about this man in the video, Pastor Rob Bell.  He has written a book that was recently released and is causing quite a stir in the world.  The book is titled "Love Wins".  Let me first say that I have not read the book.  I have, however, listened to several interviews he has done and so I don't speak from "rumor" but rather from that which has come from his own lips.

In II Timothy 4, we see that Paul is about ready to be killed.  His final words are a charge to Timothy.  They are powerful and I will quote them from the New King James Version

II Timothy 4:1-5
I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:  Preach the Word!  Be ready in season and out of season,  Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and teaching.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according  to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.  But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Rob Bell has made some claims that about God and His teachings that are in DIRECT CONTRADICTION to the Word of God- Essentially, he has created his own gospel- which I guess should not be called a "gospel" for it is not good news for Rob Bell or anyone that is deceived by it.

In my years of discipling women, I have always emphasized the Bible to be our guidebook and our final authority.  We must know the Truth (the Word of God) if we are to recognize the lie.

Based on the you tube video you just watched, I want to use the Word of God to reveal the lie in these teachings.

1.) Rob Bell first questions he tosses out is this "Will only a select few make it to heaven, and will billions go to hell.?"
  I find it very interesting, the way he posed this question. To me, the way he posed this question can play with our emotions.  "select few make it to heaven"  "billions burn in hell".  The offer to salvation has been made to every human being!  John 3:16 makes this clear as does Romans 10:13.  As far as God is concerned, Billions could go to heaven and a select few could go to hell.  In fact, II Peter 3:9 confirms that. In this verse God says that He is not willing that any should perish. Matthew 7:13-14 says that we are to enter  by the narrow gate
for wide is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it.  Jesus knows the human heart and how we gravitate to darkness. He also knows who will accept salvation and who won't.  Be certain of this:  God does not send people to hell, we send ourselves when we refuse to accept His gift of salvation.

2.)  His comment immediately following is this "How do we become one of the few"  I don't sense he is asking this question seeking an answer, rather I sensed it as a mocking statement for those who believe that people will actually end up in hell.  As you see in the video, he goes on to ask how do we become one of the select few.....do we get baptized, join a church, on and on.  

This is an easy question to answer.  He need not look long to find the requirement for salvation
Lets look at Romans 10:9-10,13 (NKJV)

That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Down through the years man has added to faith, preaching a gospel of works- but this is a false doctrine!  Jesus laid out the plan.  Boy, over and over again, Jesus lays out the plan of salvation.  Seems to me that it would be a waste of His time if in the end "love wins" and everybody goes to heaven!

3.)  He goes on to pose another easy to answer question- "What is God like?".  If we want to know what God is like, we should go straight to the source.  God is love!  The reason salvation exist is because God loved! (John 3:16) God is merciful!  The whole reason salvation exist is because God is merciful.(Lamentations 3:22-23)   God is Truth!(Deuteronomy 32:4)  God is gracious-(Ephesians 2:8-9) The whole reason salvation exist is because God is gracious!  God is just.(Deuteronomy 32:4)  On the day of judgement, those who accepted His gift will receive eternal life and those who rejected will receive eternal damnation.  Just as He said.



4.) Rob Bell claims that the reason that people don't want to be involved in Christianity is because there is an endless list of things we must do to achieve heaven.  I don't know who he was listening to when he had that thought, for the certainly doesn't come from the Word of God.  Ephesians 2:8-9 supports this

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.  not of works, lest anyone should boast."

5.) Lastly, Rob Bell says that what we believe about heaven and hell is so important.  I couldn't agree with him more!  I just wonder what he means about that.  He states he does believe in a hell- but my question is if "Love Wins" (as he argues) then why would there even be a hell.  Why even discuss it and why would Jesus talk about hell in the Bible more than any other subject.  Rob Bell says that when we understand things as he does than we will see that the good news (the Gospel) is better than we could ever imagine.  He is right about one thing.  The Gospel as written by God is better than we could ever imagine!  I don't need to buy into a new gospel to grasp that.  In fact, a "new gospel" such as "Love Wins" , if I buy into it, would actually bring me more pain than I can imagine, in eternal separation from God in a place called hell.

Do you see what Satan has done through the message of Rob Bell?  He has taken God's Word and twisted it that he may try to make God look like the bad guy!  Do not let Satan deceive you.

Yes, love does win!  But not as Rob Bell states.  Love won on an old rugged cross over 2000 years ago.  Love was what kept Jesus on that cross.  Love is what made Him willing to endure such pain and agony.  Love is what makes it possible for me to spend eternity with Jesus.  Love is what caused God to lay out the plan of salvation so clearly that even the youngest or folks with the lowest IQ possible can grasp what Jesus is  offering.  Love is what made salvation a "gift" and not something I could earn.  Love is what causes God to pick me up when I stumble, brush the dirt off me and set me back on the right path.






Oh Yes, LOVE WON!

p.s. May this be an opportunity to pray for Rob Bell and others out there.  I don't question the heart or the sincerity of this man.  Only God knows his heart.  I would give the benefit that he is sincere- nonetheless, sincerely wrong.  May the Holy Spirit open his eyes to the truth.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Reverse Outlook

We're headed home!


I've talked a lot these days about the end times and the return of the Lord and I believe I have done so with good reason.....He is returning and I believe it is sooner than we may think!

Yesterday I was listening to talk radio and they were talking about May 11,2011.  This is the date that the national ID card will be put into effect in America.  I got on the computer with my husband and we began to read some very interesting information about this National ID Card.  It will contain a chip that will carry every bit of info about me possible!  It will also have a GPS tracker in it so my every move can be monitored.

They told of in the days to follow, we will have to sign on to the computer in a way that will end up giving government immediate access to anything we post on the computer.  They were saying that if you don't have this "National ID Card" you will not be able to open a bank account, board a plane, enter a federal building, get a loan...etc.  Does this sound familiar....this is a shadow of what is to come with the anti-christ.

I also heard on the radio that a member of Obama's cabinet is advising President Obama that we must embrace Palestine and even supports an invasion of Israel.  My husband and I looked this up on the computer and watched this interview with amazement.  Does this sound familiar?

When is the Lord returning?  I don't have the answer to that question-(please don't listen to anyone that claims to).  What I can tell you is that the scene is being set at rapid speed.  And the Bible is clear that these things will happen as we see the day approaching.

Are you ready to stand before the King of Kings?  If you are, who do you know that is not ready to stand before the King, and are you sharing the Gospel with them and praying earnestly for them?

Let's loosen our grip on the things of this world- we won't be taking any of it with us.  Let us be bold to speak and testify about our Savior as we face these days.

Let us live a blameless life through the power of the Holy Spirit, that we be not ashamed when He comes!

Brothers and Sisters......we are headed home!!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

The day Jesus sat down!

Ever since I was a little girl I have loved the book of Hebrews!  It is a fascinating book to me and I just love reading it.  One recurring theme in Hebrews in the sufficiency of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the insufficiency of the sacrifices continually offered up by human priests.  I want to point out some verses that I love, that I cling to.

Hebrews  1:3  who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, SAT DOWN at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Hebrews 10: 12- But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, SAT DOWN  at the right hand of God.

Hebrews 12:2- Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has SAT DOWN at the right hand of the throne of God.

We often use the phrase "sit down" when we think of finishing our work.  We've all said "I can't wait to sit down", "As soon as I finish this, I can sit down".   Many times we come home from work and say, "I was so busy, I didn't even have a chance to sit down".   They are words we associate with  "completion".

We see this truth in these verses.  Jesus "completed" the work He had come to do.  He came to earth, prepared 12 men to carry on His ministry, He died on the cross, rose again and "sat down" at the right hand of the Father.  I dare not minimize the work He had come to do.  That work has just as much meaning and power as it did over 2000 years ago when He completed it.  It is the work of salvation!  You and I can spend eternity in heaven with Jesus because He completed the work!  

When we try to add our works to what He completed- (our gift of salvation)- we minimize our amazing Lord and Savior and the work He accomplished for us on the cross.

The book of Hebrews is so clear in revealing the superiority of Jesus Christ over the law that we read of in the Old Testament.  We read of the priests continually having to offer sacrifices for their sins and the sins of the people.  It was because the sacrifice was not sufficient.

If you study about the Tabernacle, you will find that there was no seat for the priest in the holy of holies.  That was because the work of the priest was never completed.  He was always offering sacrifice for the atonement of sin.

Our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ came and did something no priest had ever done and no earthly priest will ever do.

Hebrews 10:12- But this Man, after He had offered ONE sacrifice for sins FOREVER, sat down at the right hand of God.

Worthy, our Lord is worthy of all praise and all the glory.  No man can ever come close to what Jesus did for us.  I owe Him my life and may I always gladly lay it down for whatever He desires of me.

The most incredible experience that I have occurs each time I get on my knees.  I encourage you to at least once a day get on your knees before the Lord.  It never grows old to me and it is the most humbling and overwhelming experience to bow before the King of Kings.

I have heard individuals referred to as the "king of pop", the "king of rock and roll" , the "king of soul"- You know, I don't even know if I could tell you who those people are- but I can tell you that I know who the King of Kings is!  He is in love with you!  He loved you so much that He gave His life for you!

Take a moment to reflect on how much love He has for you, that He would give His life for you.  If you do not know Him, you can- Just pray and invite Him into your life.  Ask Him to be your Lord and Savior.  He alone is worthy of all of your attention.

If you know Him- then bow before Him and love and adore Him- He alone is worthy, so worthy!

To You, Jesus, be glory and power and majesty forever and ever, Amen!






Monday, March 21, 2011

Jesus, our Heavenly Cardiologist!

Although I am in the medical profession, you certainly don't have to be in the profession to understand the importance of the heart to the human body.  The heart is the life line- without it, well.....we'd all be in the grave! Quality of human life is determined greatly by the heart.  A unhealthy heart will affect our kidneys our lungs, every organ of our body!  We will lack energy for we will get out of breath just going up a flight of stairs!

We also have a spiritual heart, and we have the Great Physician who has given us specific instructions in taking care of this heart.  In Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV) we read:  "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life."

In our physical heart we have several vessels, all important.  If one of those gets clogged, the entire heart can face something very serious we all know as a "heart attack".

Our Spiritual heart is composed of our mind, will, and emotions.  It is important that we take care of all 3 of those areas.  If one gets into trouble, our spiritual heart will suffer.
That is why God tells us to guard our heart.  But what does that word "guard" mean- how do we "guard our heart"?

1.) A healthy diet- The government now requires food labels to give us information about how healthy that food product is.  We have all become familiar with "trans fat", HDL, LDL, etc and what they mean.  You may be one of those people at the grocery store who reads the label before buying the product. (I hope you are!) So it is with our spiritual heart- we must take in a healthy diet.  Through the books we read, the TV programs we watch, the movies we go to, it will affect our spiritual heart for good or for bad. Prayer must be a large part of our diet. And it must be a regular part of our diet!

2) Exercise- Exercise is important to keep my physical heart strong.  It is a muscle and it takes some work to maintain that muscle.  We have gyms all over the place and we probably frequent those gyms or exercise at home in order to maintain a healthy heart.  Our spiritual heart is also in need of exercise.  It is the exercise of reading the Word of God, church, and service to the Lord.

3.) Minimize stress- We can have a great diet and exercise program but every doctor will tell you that if you are that "type A" personality then you are putting your heart at risk. That is why you see a lot of lifestyle changes after a heart attack.  Folks are  forced into it after the fact.  Makes you wonder what would be different if they had  minimized stress in their life as a lifestyle- perhaps they wouldn't have had the heart attack.  Our spiritual heart is put at risk through the stress of unconfessed sin.  I want you to think of unconfessed sin as the plaque that gathers on the arteries of our physical heart.  As that plaque builds up it narrows the artery causing a decrease in blood flow.  At some point, it finally causes a heart attack.  Sin in our lives narrows the "artery" that allows the flow of fellowship and instruction from our Father.  If sin continues to go unchecked, it will occlude that line to our Heavenly Father and our spiritual heart will suffer.

King David understood this as he wrote in Psalm 32 (NKJV)

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity.  And in whose spirit is no deceit.  When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long.  For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer.  I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden.  I said "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,"  And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.  For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him.  You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.

A physical heart attack is expensive.  It cost not only a lot of money, but it also costs  in worry in the patient and the family of the patient.  It has long term effects on our body and finances through drugs and check ups.  I have taken care of many patients who look back in regret that they did not care for their heart so that they could have avoided all that came with the heart attack.

A spiritual heart attack is also very costly.  It affects our relationships with family and friends.  It most of all affects our relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Sin can have long term effects.  I have counseled many women who look back in regret that they did not care for their spiritual heart and now face consequences that could have been avoided.

The prescription from our Heavenly Cardiologist
1.)  Healthy diet- Word of God, good worship music, healthy prayer time
2.) Exercise- Serve the King in your local church, witness to those around you who need to hear about Jesus
3.) Limit stress- Keep short accounts with God.  Confess your sins and turn from them.  If you fall, get back up!  Memorize Psalm 32 and heed its instruction.


Guard your heart!
To God be the glory


Sunday, March 20, 2011

"What do you think God is up to?"

I love the way God opens doors to talk about Him and His gift of salvation!!  This week at work I had the opportunity to strike up a conversation with a co-worker.  She asked me where I met my husband.  I said church.  That prompted  a few more casual questions about my church but the Holy Spirit spoke through me and gave me the words to say that not only spoke of church but spoke of Jesus.  She then said "You know not many people speak up if they are a Christian when they are on the job"  I replied, "oh no, that is the most important part of my life, God first, then my husband, everything else comes somewhere after that"  her reply was "that's nice, I like that"  I found out she does go to a church in the area but I don't know if she is a Christian.

A few days later she said to me, "So with all this earthquake stuff lately and the tsunami and just all this stuff, what do you think God is up to?"   Love it, love it, love it! - Not because I can speak for God and lay out exactly what God is doing but I can speak from the Word of God about what God is up to.  So I began to speak, I told her that the Bible speaks of these things occurring in increasing measure and intensity as we draw nearer to the date of His return.  I told her that although these were undoubtedly troubled times and "scary" at times, the child of God can look at them with anticipation for they bring us closer to home!  Her response kind of made me think perhaps she does not truly know Christ as her Savior.  Pray for her!
Pray that God will open more doors and continue to open my mouth.

Which leads me to these 2 questions- Where are  you spending eternity?  If the Lord raptured His church today, would you be included?  You can know.  I John 5:13 says "I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God , so that you may know you have eternal life."  Please click on my tab about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Then, let me know of your decision and, if you like, I will email you more info on developing a relationship with Jesus Christ and growing in your walk with the Lord.

My next question is this:  Are you telling others about Jesus?  God has given us the privilege of sharing the salvation message with others.  It is our privilege, it is our duty.  I wrote a song about 3 years ago called "Will you be the One"  I asked will you be the one, to lead them to the One?  Who came to you, who shared Jesus with you?  Aren't you glad that someone was obedient and bold in sharing the salvation message with you!?  So many are in need of hearing that they are loved, so loved by Jesus Christ.

It's hard to believe, but we now live in a post Christian area- there are folks out there who do not know anything about Jesus Christ or they have been taught that it is a myth- just a story.  They need us to tell them.

We look at the behavior of our youth today, the rebellious attitude, dress, language.....the drugs, the immorality....it's obvious that people are searching.  We live in a very spiritual world today- but it is the wrong spirit that this world seeks.  Just look at the billboards of the movies that are out, the TV programs that are out.  They  center around the occult in one way or another.  Hollywood is evangelizing, but they are evangelizing a lie.....Where are the Christians?  We must be evangelizing the Truth!

Pray for God to open doors for you to speak to one person about the Gospel.  I promise you this, if you are willing to speak the Truth, then God is willing to use you.  If you are willing to submit to the Holy Spirit, then you can be sure that the Holy Spirit is willing to speak through you.

Oh may we be people with a desire to rescue the perishing.  If you get on the computer or turn on the news, you will see and hear of rescue workers working around the clock trying to reach those who may be trapped under the rubble that came as a result of the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan.   Why?- because lives are precious, and we dare not walk away when there is a chance that we might even rescue one person.

After 9/11, the New York fire dept and EMT's and the Police worked around the clock looking for any possible survivors- putting their own lives at risk looking for any survivors.

Friend, there is a soul in each person that will live eternally in one of 2 places- heaven or hell.  We must be in the business of rescuing the perishing soul.  As believers, we are God's EMT"S out there searching for those who need to be rescued by being introduced to Jesus Christ.

To God be the Glory!!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The Once in a Lifetime Invitation

I plan on coming back to the lessons learned from my dogs- but the Lord has laid something on my heart that I must share because He told me to.

There is a lot of chatter these days about "end times" - and well there should be.  It doesn't take a doctorate in Theology to see that what we read in today's newspaper we actually read in yesterday's Bible study.  The Bible has CNN and Fox beat by a landslide when it comes to keeping us up to date with that is going on in the world!

I wake up every morning with the thought of "just maybe....today may be the day Jesus returns"  I go to bed each night wondering if I will wake up to being caught up!

As in every situation there are two extremes and unfortunately we, and especially those who can't quote one verse from the Bible but talk like experts, like to focus on the extremes.

The one extreme is the group that has laid out the exact date of the return of Christ.  The moment you do that you immediately disqualify yourself from being  of sound doctrine for the Bible is clear that NO MAN knows the date nor the hour that the Lord will return.

The second extreme is the crowd that accuses Christians of trying to evoke fear in people by talking about current events and how they relate to the prophecies in the Bible.  They laugh at us, (or actually, God) and think we are crazy.

So, if I may, I would like to share my heart with you.....hoping perhaps you will open your heart to the gift God has for you and you will comprehend even just a tad of the immense love He has for you.

I remember when it came time for my now husband and I to send out wedding invitations.  What an exciting time.  I carefully handpicked the invitations and put much thought and care to how I wanted the invitation to read.  I picked the font and the style....everything about it had the fingerprints of my husband and me all over it!

We stayed up until 4am in the morning sitting at a table, carefully addressing each invitation.  As we wrote out each address, we often thought back on a story about our friendship with that person or something we really loved about that person we were inviting.

Our invitations had only one stipulation.  It wasn't that you had to dress a certain way, or even bring us a gift!  We sent out invitations to folks because we wanted them there to share this special day with us.These people were very dear to us and we wanted them with us, celebrating with us.  At the end of the invitation we just asked that you RSVP.

In my box (or boxes) of treasures- things I plan to keep forever, you would find every RSVP sent back to us.  They are special to me- We so love those who responded to the invitation, essentially saying "I want to spend that day with you, celebrating with you"

When sin entered into the world, God devised a way to reconcile man to God. He carefully planned every detail.  Just as my husband and I did not pass off the duty of writing  of invitations to anyone else, so God did not leave the plan of salvation in the hands of anyone else.  You are that important to Him!  The invitation was sent out by way of a cross- and it was His Son, Jesus, who hung upon that cross.

There are no strings attached with this invitation.  It was sent out for one purpose.  God does not desire to spend eternity without you.  The only stipulation is that you must RSVP.  This is done by asking God to forgive you for your wrong doings (be they "big" or "small" in your eyes) and placing your faith in Jesus Christ, inviting Him into your life to be your Lord and Savior.

There were people who did not respond to the wedding invitation we sent them.  They didn't say they were coming- they didn't say they weren't.  Perhaps they just didn't get around to it and the day came upon them and it was too late.  Perhaps they didn't care anything about spending Saturday, March 1, 2008 at our wedding ceremony.  Whatever the case, they didn't show and we didn't force those we invited to come- so we certainly honored their response- even if it was no response.  God will do the same.  He will honor your decision- eternity with Him - should you accept the invitation- eternity without Him should you decline.

I am not trying to evoke any fear in anyone when I say that those who reject Christ will spend eternity in a place the Bible refers to as hell.  I am simply giving you the only two options every human being has been given- I don't work on commission when it comes to my serving the Lord.  I have no agenda other than my desire to keep you as far away from hell as I possibly can.  I will go to heaven whether you accept Christ or reject Him.  I share the Gospel because it is the "Good News"- that is what the word means!  And what good news it is- you and I can be forgiven of our sins and never face condemnation from God.  We can walk in freedom on this earth, unshaken by the events that surround us.  We can face death without fear- for death will just be our transport home to be with our Heavenly Father.

Precious one- please don't delay your response.  Don't be the one who is thinking about it,  planning on getting around to it, or waiting to see how the whole thing plays out before you make your decision.  The Bible describes the Lord's return as "in the twinkling of an eye"-

There's alot of talk today about a wedding- it is taking in place in a month or so.  It is the wedding of one day King, William and Kate.  Every day we are fed information about what the wedding party is wearing, who is invited, who is not invited, for $9.95 + shipping and handling I can get a cup or a spoon or a pen or a t-shirt with their picture on it!  It's kind of overkill and makes me want to say TMI! (too much information!)

However, what if, just think, if you went to your mailbox today and in it you found a wedding invitation from Prince William and Kate, YOU invited to the wedding of the one day King!!


I got one better for ya- you have already received an invitation to THE KING, the KING OF KINGS!  WOW, please RSVP today!

Let me know of your decision

To God be the glory

Monday, March 14, 2011

Pray for Japan

As I listen to the news I am at a loss for words- Please pray for these people.  We have a God that can make a way when there seems to be no way and that is what these people need right now.  A way to receive water and food and medicine.  A way to receive shelter and electricity in the cold temperatures.  Father, restore that the people may be able to use their cell phones to call for help and also to let family know they are ok.  Sustain them Jesus on the little water and food that they have.

God is mighty, God is loving, God is bigger and stronger than any earthquake or tsunami.  God, you are faithful and we know that you are there!  You have a strong hand and you lack no resources to help these people.  Oh Father, open up the windows of heaven and pour out your resources on these people.  Oh Father, may they know that is is you, Jehovah Jireh, their Provider that is making a way for them.

Through this tragedy may people know that you love them and that you are there.   Oh Father, please provide.  May we unite and find ways to help them, may we be generous at this time in both our treasure as we give and our time as we pray for these folks.  Dear citizens of Japan, may you experience the love of Christ and may you find some comfort in knowing that there are so many people across this globe praying for you and looking for ways to help you.  I love you with the love of Christ and I am faithfully praying for you. More importantly you are so loved by the Creator of the Universe and the One who created you.  He is there.....reach out to Him in prayer.

In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen



Sunday, March 13, 2011

Pray for those who lost loved ones in the Japan earthquake and Tsunami

Isn't life so fragile.  People are just going about their day, unaware that in just seconds they would find themselves in the middle of a very deadly earthquake and trying to escape the tsunami that was to follow.  Some survived, others injured or dead.  Many grieving the loss of life and treasures, and things we often take for granted like water, electricity and shelter.

As I watched the videos that revealed the unbelievable horrific scenes, all I could do was pray.  So many still yet to be rescued as the storm has isolated them and the rescuers are having trouble reaching them.  So many can only look around them and see what once was.

Yet this one thing we know, God is in control.


Heavenly Father
Please wrap your loving arms around those who are suffering, those who are scared and especially around the children who lost parents, whose little minds are unable to understand all that is going on right now.  Thank you that you are in control.  I believe that even this can be used for good, to bring people to a saving faith, to grow all of us as we awake today to find we appreciate life a little more, we hold a little tighter to those loved ones around us, we drop to our knees a little more frequently, we find our eyes spending more time gazing upon the One who holds the entire world in His hands.  We take our eyes off the things that don't have eternal value.  May we draw closer to you as we, this entire globe, grieve with those in Japan right now who are suffering and those around the world who have friends and relatives over there.  You are a faithful, loving God who makes no mistakes and we know that you are the healer, the healer of bodies and the healer of hearts.  We love you.

Keeping Pace With the Master

This is perhaps the most precious lesson I learned from my dogs that I will share.  I am frequently reminded of this lesson but I will always remember the first time I learned this lesson through an "aha" moment.

In 2003 I lived in the Miami area....oh that was a taste of heaven! : >  I would walk my dogs around this lake that was essentially in my back yard.  There was a path around the entire lake and after the sun would set, providing us with a tad cooler temperatures, I would put the leashes on my dogs and off we would go for our walk around the lake.

If you have spent any time with my dogs you would see that my dogs have very different personalities.  I have one dog that has no problem keeping pace with me.  She doesn't have a desire to run ahead and she doesn't have a desire to lag behind.  She loves to stay pace with  me.  However......I have another dog who is just the opposite!  She always wants to be about 20 feet in front of me. She seems oblivious to the collar around her neck and the leash that is attached to it.  This leash is only about a 5ft leash.  She can go no farther than that for my hand has a tight grip on the leash and I maintain control of that leash during the entire walk.

Well, as you can probably imagine, my dogs come to the end of their walk, one dog energized, and the other dog, well she looks like she just finished the Boston Marathon!  Why?  One dog didn't try to race ahead or lag behind.  She understood her limitations of the leash and she was content keeping pace with her master.  My other dog, however, she is worn out and ready for a long nap.  Why?  She was not content with the limitations the leash had placed on her.  She desired to go beyond.....even though her master is stronger and kept control of the leash, she just kept trying and trying to get ahead.  A little tug on the leash to remind her of her limits was to no avail.  She felt the little choke, coughed a little and was at it again, striving to get ahead.

Let's look at this and what the Lord said to me that day.  Both dogs with the same master in control of the leash, walking the same trail....the dogs are the same age and just about the same size.  At the end of the walk one dog is energized, the other one is exhausted.  Why?  One was content keeping pace with the master, the other one was not.  This was a "aha" moment for me.

I am on the path of life that has been laid out by my Master.  The gracious thing about my Master is that He has a leash on me for my own good.  I keep a leash on my dogs for their safety, not mine.  Without that leash, they risk getting killed- they don't understand cars and how running out in the street can be lethal to them!  God loves me enough to keep a leash on me.  He knows I don't fully understand everything and I can get myself in trouble if I am left to run as I please.

I must learn contentment within the limitations of the leash and I must be content to keep pace with my Master.  I can try to get ahead of my Master but He is stronger than I and He is in control of the leash.  He has a plan for my life and within that plan is a timing in which His plan for me will be carried out.  If I try to speed it up, I will not get ahead and will only get exhausted.

At the end of the walk, I have one dog that is content and one dog that is exhausted.  One enjoyed her walk and the other one is ready for a long nap........the Lord spoke clearly to me here.

 He longs for me to enjoy my walk with Him.  He has provided the means by which I can enjoy my walk.  He has a leash on me that gives me some freedom but also provides me with safety.  He is with me on the walk, leading the way, holding the leash.  He never leads at a pace that I can't keep up with.  Although He may lead me in paths that seem a little scary or a little tough, He is there, He is leading, He is protecting me.

I don't want to come to the end of my walk with the Lord exhausted and joyless.  At the end of the day or at the end of my life, I want to look back with joy on my walk with the Lord.   Essentially it is up to me.  If I am willing to keep pace with the Master then I will experience joy.  If I spend my time fighting my Master all along the way, trying to get ahead, trying to go places I don't belong, then I will come to the end of my walk exhausted, and the level of my joy will be low, possibly unmeasurable.

How are you doing in your walk?  How am I doing?  I will be quite transparent with you.  I am at a place in my life right now where I would like to run ahead of where God has me right now.  Yet, God has a hold of the leash and He is not letting me get ahead.  Why?  As hard as this is for me to say,  God has set my pace through this particular trial.  I can try to rush through it but He is holding the leash and I will only add to my exhaustion when I try to fight against the leash.  I am reminded that I must keep pace with the Master- He always leads us THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death, never leaving us there.

Exhausted?  Perhaps it's because you're fighting to get ahead of your Master.  May we walk each day singing and more importantly believing that "It is well with my soul".  The joy of the Lord is our strength.  We must know that God desires we walk the path He has laid out before us with joy.  Count it all joy!  Pray for me....I will be praying for you.
To God be the glory!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Anxiously awaiting the return of my Master!

Welcome back to my current blog subject of what the Lord has taught me through the lives of 2 precious dogs.  Today I want to talk about "Anxiously awaiting the return of my Master".


My dogs are so funny and bring me such joy.  One way that they have brought me joy is through their watchful eye just waiting for me to walk through the door each day.

Through the years my dogs have spent some long hours without me home (12 hours is the longest).  I never like to leave them that long but sometimes my job left me no choice.  They got used to my schedule and so as they saw my routine and my final move of putting on my shoes and grabbing my bags, they would (and still do) let out this sigh and lay down with the saddest looks on their faces.  I walk over and give each one a hug and a kiss and a bone that will keep them busy for a while and go on my way.  After a long day at work, I have to say I have always had an anticipation on the drive home of opening the door to find them waiting for me right there.  It's as if they can smell me!  As I near my door, I hear their little noses sniffing and I hear their little cries of excitement.  I open the door and feel like a movie star getting mobbed by her fans!  The excitement goes on for several minutes.

Well, at first I can remember thinking "all this is going on because I was gone for the entire day"  But, it this is their behavior when I am gone for 12 hours or gone for 12  minutes!  They sit at the door, just waiting for me  to enter. My husband tells me when I am gone and he is at home with them, they still sit by the door waiting for me.  It's not that they don't love my husband, but I became their master when they were six weeks old.  While they do obey my husband, they understand me to be their master.

I believe the Lord showed me a lesson here.  He spoke to my heart one day, reminding me that He is returning one day, (sooner than we probably realize).  Will He find me watching, anxiously awaiting the rapture of the church.  That once in a lifetime moment (for real) when we who are in Christ will actually meet Him in the air and be taken up to our new home and far from the wrath that will soon come upon the ones who rejected His offer of salvation!  Will He find us watching?

Unlike my dogs, this anticipation of the return of my Master, my Heavenly Father, does not mean that I can sit  on my duff and just do nothing.  My dogs can do that and get by with it because....well, because they are dogs!!  However, the Lord has told us to "Occupy till I come" (Luke 19:13 KJV)  Or, as we read in the New Living Translation,  "Invest this for me while Iam gone".  God has given each one of His children a job to do and we are to invest it, planting, watering, or being a witness to the harvest, we are to do His work as we anxiously await His glorious appearance.

May the Lord find me watching and working while I watch and may He find this true of you also!  Thank you Father for what you have taught and continue to teach me through 2 precious pups!
To God be the glory!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Following close to the Master

Yesterday I began a new blog topic.  I want to spend some time talking about my precious dogs and how the Lord has used them to teach me several things about my relationship with Father God. Today I want to talk about the lesson I've learned about following close to the Master.

One thing that my dogs have done since I brought them home at the young age of 6wks, (they are now 11) is follow me everywhere I go.  They crack me up.  I can get up from the table to get something to drink and even though I am still within their vision, they get up and come into the kitchen with me.  If I get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, they get up from their sleep and come into the bathroom with me.

My husband will take them outside and as soon as they come in from their walk they fly up the stairs and sit by my side acting as if they hadn't seen me in years, they are so anxious to come back to my side.  At night time they will sleep right up against me.  I feel like the creme filling of an Oreo cookie!  I am trapped in between my husband on one side and my dogs on the other!  ( I'm not complaining!)  I have awakened on some mornings to find my one dog laying right on top of me just staring at me , waiting for me to open my eyes.

When they were young pups they wanted me to carry them everywhere I went.  I would pick them up and carry them around- they were so content in my arms.  Today that is impossible to do since they both weigh about 37 pounds!


What has God taught me through their behavior?  Glad you asked!  He has used their example to show me how important it is to follow close to my Master, my Heavenly Father.  God wants me to follow Him everywhere He leads me- Even if it requires me to leave my comfort zone.  Remember I told you how my dogs would awaken from their sleep and hop off the bed to follow me into the restroom- Sometimes my following God will require that I awake from my slumbering life, hop off my comfort zone and follow Him even though I may not yet understand what He is doing and where He is taking me.

It's funny, I have never taught my dogs to follow me so closely.  I don't have to call out their name several times or go searching for them- I always know where to find them.....they are right beside me.

That is how I want to follow my Master, my Heavenly Father.  I don't want God to have to chase me down or call my name a dozen times before I show up.  I want the Lord to always know where He can find me, right by His side.

The precious thing about God is that His arms are strong enough to carry me.  I can no longer carry my dogs around, they are too heavy.  However, God's arms are strong and in those times that I am so weary that I need God to carry me, I will always find His arms open and strong enough to carry me through.

Are you following your Master closely?

To God be the glory

Luke 9:23 (NLT)- Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me."

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Often God speaks to us in ways we do not expect!

We can read the Old Testament and learn of how God spoke to His servants in that day.  We can read the New Testament and learn how God spoke in New Testament times- In many ways different than how He spoke in the Old Testament.

We can  listen to testimony of our Christian brothers and sisters and how they heard from God.-  But we cannot predict God, meaning how he spoke to others may or may not be the same way He will speak to you and me.  Therefore we must have our ears open to God, not a method or an other's testimony- doing so may cause us to miss what He is telling us.

I want to talk a moment about a way God has repeatedly spoken to me- it is not in the way I expected.  There was a time in the 1990's when I spent a lot of time on the road.  I was single at the time and my frequent traveling did not allow me allow me to develop close relationships with people.  Quite often I came home to an empty quiet apartment.  This season I speak of taught me how to enjoy quietness and solitude.  At the same time, I did experience loneliness.

I am such a lover of dogs- therefore, in 1999, I decided that I would get a dog to love on and have to come home to.  Well I ended up with 2 dogs - It wasn't what I planned but when I held 1 puppy from the 2 left in the litter, the other one began to whimper and when I picked up the whimpering one the other one began to whimper,  They succeeded in capturing my heart and I brought home 2 precious puppies.

What has transpired in these 11 years with these dogs was not what I expected.  I was looking for companionship- but God gave me more than companionship.  Through the years these dogs have been my disciplers, and God has taught me many lessons of His love, His character and His rebuke at times- all this using 2 little dogs.  I want to take time in this and following blogs to just share the lessons God has taught me.

1.) Dependence on my Master- One thing that will never change is that my dogs are dependent on me.  I have to feed them- they can't cook or grab a snack from the pantry.  If I don't give them water they will not get any for they cannot turn the faucets on and fill their own bowl.

 Children are dependent on their parents for a time- but sooner or later they grow up and they no longer need us to cook for them or pour drinks for them, they are independent.  However, dogs are unique in that as they age they never gain that independence.  I will always have to feed them, I will always have to supply them with water to drink.  They are dependent upon me and they understand that, and not only do they understand it, they  are content with this dependence.

God showed me (and reminds me so often) that I am dependent on my Master, Father God. I must look to Him to be fed by the Word of God, I must look to Him to satisfy my thirst through His springs of living water. I have no other place to go- for there is no other name by which I can be saved.

Just like my precious dogs, I can never expect to become independent in this area.  I will not "grow up" and find that I can now feed myself.  Until the day He calls me home, I will be dependent on Him to meet my needs.

There have been times that I have accidentally left a bag of treats within their reach and I will come home from work only to find a trail of shredded wrapping.  I soon learn that my dogs have decided to take things into their own hands (or paws!) and they have shredded the bag with their teeth and eaten every treat  that was in that bag! Ultimately they did get fed, but they make a mess in the process.  Why?  They did not wait for their Master to give them food.

You and I belong to a Master, a Heavenly Father who is willing and desiring to feed us.  In fact, it was Jesus who said "man cannot live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord."

We have a Master who longs to satisfy our thirst- In fact, It is our Master who gave the invitation "Everyone that is thirsty,come!  It is our Master who said I will pour water on him who is thirsty.

We can choose to satisfy our hunger and thirst on our own- kind of a "self serve" life- God will not force Himself or His ways upon us.  He will let us go our way- in order that we may see that when we attempt to serve ourselves, apart from Him, we (much like my dogs) will make a mess of things.  But, praise God, He is always willing to accept us back with loving arms and teach us more on what it means to be dependent on our Master.  He never makes a mess and He never lets us starve.  He has a perfect track record!

Who is feeding you?  In your hunger and in your thirst, turn to the only One who can truly satisfy your needs. What a timely post the Lord placed on my heart tonight- He knows that right now I need to just trust and depend on Him and be content with where He has me at this time,

To God be the glory!



Tuesday, March 1, 2011

God is always up to something!

Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)- Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

  oh my !! My story is evidence of the truth of His Word.  It is my God at work in a moment that I shall never forget.

It was Jan 11,2007 when I had surgery for uterine and ovarian cancer.  During my treatments that followed, (February) I received word that my father had died.  I flew home for that time and my mom drove me back to the airport 10 days later.  On the way home from the airport, she was instantly killed in a weather related accident.  I got home only to hop right back on an airplane and head home for that.

At the end of April, the Lord began laying on my heart to move to the Los Angeles area.  When I was a little girl I had always said I would live there one day because I loved the mountains and the ocean.  But you see, now I am quite a bit older and I had pretty much given up on that dream.  I couldn't figure out why the Lord pressed upon my heart to move to California at that time.  I had just gone through some tough moments and was finishing up some treatments.  Why would I leave my doctors and my friends to move so far away?  Yet, the Lord did not change His mind.  I packed up and began my move across the country to California.  To be honest I was not excited about it....the timing was just too scary for me.  All the way to LA I talked aloud to God.  One thing I kept on saying to Him was "Well, Father, I guess this seals the deal on me never getting married, after all I'll never find a good Christian man in Los Angeles!"  But at the same time, I wasn't angry, I just felt like this was something I was surrendering to Him.  After all, I would rather be single than be married to the man that God did not choose for me.

I was scared!  Scared for my physical health, scared for my finances....you name it, I was a little nervous about it.  Yet, in my heart I knew that this was a God thing.

I arrived in Los Angeles and began driving around looking for a church.  I saw this one church that was part of the denomination I was raised in.  But, this church from the outside just looked dead!  I did not want to go to that church.  I kept driving around, looking but God kept bringing me back to this church.  Again, I was not sure what God was up to and at times wondered if I was correctly discerning His voice.

I attended that church.  My second or third Sunday there, I met this man.  He had stood up in church to announce that he and others met for intercessory prayer during the second service and it was open to anyone.  I love to pray so I thought I would check it out. (At this time, I wasn't even thinking about who this man was...I knew nothing about him) I went to check it out and guess what.  I was the only one who showed up that day for the intercessory prayer, other than the man who announced it!  We began to talk a little and learned we shared a heart for the same ministries (evangelism and discipleship).  We prayed and it ended.  Over the next few months we began to spend more time together.  August 19th, 2007, we knew we were in love.  We got engaged Dec 24, 2007 and we were married March 1, 2008.  Today we serve the Lord in a different church and we continue to grow closer to God and closer to each other.

Who would have guessed what God was up to?!  Certainly not me!  But one thing is for sure....just when you think you've got it all figured out, God surprises you!  What a wonderful man He gave me.  Happy Anniversary Baby!~  Thank you Father, that you constantly are looking out for me, and You've got it all under control.  Help me to trust you.

To God be the Glory!  I dedicate this song to My Heavenly Father and my dear husband