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Friday, August 30, 2013

GOD....He Is

GOD....who is He?  

Genesis 17:1
When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am El-Shaddai--God Almighty.  Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life."

GOD took care of Abram and met all of his needs.

GOD....the only one with the power and ability to Meet! Your! Every! Need!  He has unlimited power.  He is all powerful....the supreme power!  He is omnipotent!  GOD....the biggest force on earth and in Heaven.  He is the wind....the fire....and the Spirit that lives in you.  GOD....HE is The Almighty!!

Psalm 139:7
I can never escape from Your Spirit!
   I can never get away from Your presence!

GOD....He is all enveloping.  He is everywhere.  Unseen to the human eye.  Unheard to the human ear.  And yet....He is seen by many and His voice is heard from within.  We can never escape from His presence.  He sees and knows us all....even those who don't know Him.  We are never away from His comforting presence....even when we don't feel Him.  GOD....He is always with us.  GOD....He is omnipresent.  

James 4:8a
Draw near to GOD and He will draw near to you.

Whatever it takes.  Commit yourself to Him.  Commit yourself to His words.  Press into Him.  You will find Him when you reach for Him.

Deuteronomy 6:5
And you shall love the Lord your GOD with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being and with all your might.

Get Him in your thoughts and your heart....all the way down deep in your soul!  Talk about Him.  Think about Him.  Look for God in everything....everywhere....until you see Him in everything....everywhere.  Be diligent in your life for Him.

Zephaniah 3:17
For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty Savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With His love, He will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.

Linking up today with;

http://myfreshlybrewedlife.com/category/the-weekend-brew












Tuesday, August 27, 2013

JESUS....He Changes Us

As I was strolling through Facebook and came across a status that I can't get out of my mind.

Posted by Coffee and Jesus;

I've found the One my heart loves....His name is Jesus and I've never been the same since.

Wow!!!  What a statement!  That really strikes a chord with me tonight. When I read that statement it sparked something within me....gave me a boost as I remembered all the change that has taken place....and all the change that I still want to take place....within me.  JESUS....there's just something about Him.  It's so true that since I've met Him I too have never been the same....and I am so so thankful!

There's a song that says....


Draw me close to You
Never let me go
I lay it all down again
To here You say that I'm your friend
You are my desire
No one else will do
Nothing else can take your place
To feel the warmth of Your embrace
Help me find a way
to bring me back to You

You're all I want
You're all I ever needed
You're all I want
You're all I want
Help me know You are near
Help me know you are near
Help me know You are near

Beautiful song to start the day with.  Thank You Jesus.

Oh Lord today just draw us close to You.  Fill us up with Your love and strength today Lord.
Help us to run to You when things don't go our way today.  Give us the words to say to others today that need to know that you are all they need.  Just draw us close to You today Lord Jesus.  Closer than we thought possible.  Thank You Lord for all that You have done for us.  We Love You JESUS.
Amen





Sunday, August 25, 2013

He Is Holding Us

A few days ago I woke up with a single thought running through my mind....Jesus loves you.  In fact, I wasn't even fully awake when the thought started.  It was that in between state of sleep and being fully aware of what was going on.  Those three words....Jesus loves you....kept replaying over and over in my thoughts.  It was the Lord reassuring me that really....whether I was believing it at that moment or not....everything was okay.  Regardless of my attitude or my faith level....He always loves me.  Not only did He love me but He wasn't going to let me go.  He has me and He has you....holding us in His strong....but gentle hands. 

Isaiah 41-10

Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 49-16a

See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;


Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them;  for the Lord your God, He is the one who goes with you.  He will not leave you nor forsake you.

Joshua 1:5b

....as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.  I will not leave you nor forsake you.

I like these scriptures because they tell me that the Lord has us in His care.  He's with us and He's not going to let us go....ever!  We don't need to be afraid of anything. When we feel powerless....when our determination to simply keep putting one foot in front of the other just isn't there anymore....when we feel alone....when we are simply just tired of it all....

HE. Is. Still. Here!!

HE is still holding us up.  And while He is holding us....He has us totally and completely under His wings of love, mercy and protection.  Giving us all....and everything....that we need.  Exactly when we need it.  All we have to do is reach out and accept it all from Him. 

So today know that Jesus is with you always.  Hold on to Him.  Relax....and just simply rest....in the arms and the love of JESUS.

1 Peter 5:7 NRSV

Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He care for you.

Psalm 55:22 AMP

Cast your burden on the Lord (releasing the weight of it) and He will sustain you; He will never allow the (consistently) righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).






 












Saturday, August 24, 2013

Jump In

There are things that you just can't jump into....you just have to think about them for awhile.  For important things, that's me.  I'm a thinker.  The problem is you can think about something so much that you miss an opportunity.  Sometimes you just have to jump in....feet first....and take a chance.  If not, the opportunity for that one thing....you over thought about....may never arise again. 

When it comes to spiritual things...true things of God....you probably shouldn't think too much. That moment in time when you chose not to move....well....it will never come again. Then all you can do is wonder if you missed your opportunity....or will there be another?  Only God knows. 

When I think back on all of the God moments in my life I have never been disappointed.   Many times....when I didn't think about it and just jumped....what I wanted to happen didn't, but other incredible things did.  But for those times when I chose to think and not jump in....nothing at all happened.  That particular time of opportunity will never come again. 

We....I....have to learn to just move in the moment.  Run to the opportunity....GOD....and believe that it will all be good!!  I know from experience that even when I think I can't....with Gods' help I can.  He will let everything be okay.

Proverbs 18:10
The name of the Lord is a strong fortress;
   the godly run to Him and are safe.

Philippians 4:13
For I can do everything through Christ, 
   who gives me strength.

As in most things of life....

You can't go back and reclaim missed opportunities.  All you can do is keep moving forward and pray that God places before you new opportunities for the times you let yourself miss.  Then when He does....that He will give you the courage to just....jump in!












Friday, August 23, 2013

Closer To You Lord

Closer to You Lord
we long to be closer
Let Your unfailing love
draw us all in
There's never a day
You are not with us
Providing and caring
cleansing us within

Closer to You Lord
we long to be closer
Wrapped in Your arms
of love that runs deep
There we find comfort
warmth and protection
All of the love
that we'll ever need

Closer to You Lord
we long to be closer
Fill up our souls
with Your hope complete
Give us back laughter
and joy in the morning
Grace for the moment
and peace oh so sweet

Closer to You Lord
we long to be closer
In Your presence so awesome
tenderness sweeps
You surround us with love
and hide us away
Covered by Your wings
we find strength for our day








Sunday, August 18, 2013

Arise! Be Healed!

Can you remember when you first gave your heart to Jesus?  How everything just had a different look to you?  Tonight I was reminded of that....

It was as if I was seeing things through someone else's eyes.  The whole world seemed brighter.  I remember when I looked at the mountains....the trees and flowers....thinking how beautiful they were.  Hearing birds singing and just being captured by the sound!  Never before in my life do I remember thinking things like that.  I also remember how I just couldn't seem to get enough of reading the Bible and looking things up.  And questions....WOW....did I have questions!  It's been six years now and somewhere along the line I stopped looking at things with those new eyes.  I stopped hearing things with that same perception. Eventually I stopped feeling....experiencing....things with the same overwhelming sense of awe that I did. 

Tonight I heard a sermon about death.  The death of me....you....because of circumstances in life.  Because of loss of something in your life.  It could be because you really did experience loss through death....maybe loss because of bad health....loss of job....loss of income....whatever the loss....it has set you back.  One thing after another may be happening and you have been down.  Maybe you even thought about giving up on living your life for the Lord.  Well, here's something you may have forgotten....

Who is the master of keeping you down when nothing seems to be going right in life?  Who gives you thoughts of giving up when problems seem to abound....pile up....and keep you thinking when is life going to get easier?  You guessed it....satan himself.  He has come to do nothing good.  His goal is to steal....kill....and destroy all of us.  The children of the LORD.  That's right.  Satan wants to destroy your hope....your peace....your dreams....your whole life.  In effect....you!   He wants to keep dragging you down until you are ineffective as a Child of GOD.  He doesn't want you to be able to help yourself, let alone help and encourage anyone else.  The flip side of that is....

The Lord has come that we might have a life overflowing with good things! John 10:10 says it this way....

"The thief does not come except to steel, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

The Lord wants us to experience life His way all the time.  He wants to give us new life.  Satan....the thief....says, "Come on down here with me.  Live even lower....in the pit of defeat....than the valley that you are finding yourself in."  But, Jesus says, "Arise!  Be healed!"  He doesn't want us in that valley living a defeated life!  He wants to take us to the mountain top with Him to live in victory!  Will we live on the mountain top all the time....No.  But we can certainly stay out of the devils pit of defeat!  We have to decide which voice we are going to listen to.  The voice of satan....deception and defeat.  Or the voice of our Savior.  Filled with....

Love....hope....peace....forgiveness....refreshing....grace....abundance....overwhelming times of full and complete happiness!  

It's a daily choice we all have to make for ourselves.  Which will you choose?


Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Sweet Jesus Peace

Each day this week, before leaving for work, I have turned on some worship music for a few minutes and worshiped the Lord. Then while driving to work I have turned off my radio and talked to the Lord.  After getting to work I turn on more worship music and listen while I work.  It is amazing how different this week has been from the rest of the month.  Actually, for the last few months I have been in a state of unconsciousness as far as God....and the things of Him....go a lot of the time.  I'm not sure why, or even when it started, but this week I just knew I had to do something to change it....get back to doing things I use to do.  So I started with turning the music back on.  Not just any music....no....mostly slow, worshipful  hymns and choruses....

There's something about the old ones that just bring a feeling of peace to me.  The one that really touched me today was....

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus by Helen Lemmel

O soul are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There's light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,
look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

When you're tired, or things just keep going wrong, what's the best thing you can do?  Turn to Jesus! Turn your eyes to Jesus....not just your seeing eyes but your soul eyes too....and think only on Him! Before you know it your heart and mind are tuned to Jesus and His peace is flooding you from the inside out.  It seems that I have needed that Sweet JESUS Peace....more than I even knew! 

We all have trials and troubles in our lives and there's nothing, or no one, that we need more than JESUS and His peace.  Jesus will refresh you from the inside out and give you rest from your burdens and cares!  So when things get tough, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus and rest in His peace.  He will take care of us through it all. 

Matthew 11:28

Then Jesus said, "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."

Romans 8:6

So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death.   But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.





Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Shake Off Those Heavy Bands

I heard this morning that the Lord doesn't inhabit the complaints of His people, no....He inhabits the praises of His people.  So this morning I just want to say Thank You Lord....Praise YOUR Holy Precious Name.

There is nothing in this world that I want more than to be close to the Lord.  I want His presence to be....closer than close to me as I go through my day. I'm sure that we all want that.  So we just need to praise Him.
 
Prepare us today Lord to be a living sanctuary for You.  We thank You Lord for all You have done for us. You have always been so good to us. Saving us....watching over us....healing us, soul....mind....body....more times than we can count.  Thank You....Thank You Lord.  Amen

Today just decide within yourself that no matter what your day holds....

Shake off those heavy bands
Lift up those holy hands
Let all God's children 
Praise The LORD! 

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heaven!
Praise him for his mighty works;
    praise his unequaled greatness!
Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn;
    praise him with the lyre and harp!
Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;
    praise him with strings and flutes!
Praise him with a clash of cymbals;
    praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!
Praise the Lord!






Saturday, August 10, 2013

I Will Never Forget

August 10th, 2007....a day I will never forget.

Thank You Jesus for loving me and for forgiving me.  It was one of the hardest days of my life and yet....it was the best.  My life hasn't been the same since.  I can never thank Him enough for all He has done for me!

Thank You Lord!




Sunday, August 4, 2013

His Deep Love

God has a deep love for us.  We have deep needs....God has deep love.  Is Gods love enough or do we need something more?  His love washes over....cleans up....our many sins.  His love soothes our troubled minds....hearts.....souls.  His love refreshes our tired....weary....sick bodies.  His love does miracle after miracle for us....if we will only breathe it in and fully accept it.  His love....there is nothing else like it.

It is so hard to understand why we....how we....can sometimes turn our backs on the love of our Lord. Day into day....night into night....we brush it off as if it is just meaningless.  As if we don't value His love....His deep love for us.  What else have we ever had that means as much to us as the love of the Lord?  Nothing....no other love can run as deep as His love. 

Why do so many of us have such a hard time just reaching out and taking hold of the love that the Lord has for us?  The love that He offers to us freely....without condition.  His unconditional love.  It seems that once you know that His unconditional deep love is available to you....you would just reach out and grab hold and never let go.  But at times we do let go.  We let go because of different reasons.  Sometimes because we think that He has let go of us.  That's not true.  It's a lie from the pit of hell....the devil.  Before you know it you may find yourself in a pit....sinking deeper and deeper.  But you know what?  The Lord is still right there with His hand reaching out to you.  Reaching out....waiting for you to take hold One. More. Time!

Nothing else is as valuable to us as His love.  His love means everything.  Without it we would all be lost.  Because of Jesus love there was the cross where His blood was shed.  Where everything that happened was because of His deep love for us.

These are just a few of the things that I have been thinking of and pondering on today.  There is nothing that is really as important to us as His love for us.  Will we totally accept it....or will we just hold on to it for awhile....just when we think we really have a need for it?

Something to think about.