Are You Weary?

Are you just barely holding on today?  If that's how you feel I have got some good news for you!
God is faithful!   Do you believe that today? 

Sometimes God will bring you to a place in life that isn't where you expected to be.  I'm not talking about a mountain top experience.  NO....I'm talking about that place where none of us like to go....into the valley.

Psalm 23:4a
Even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

Your valley may not take you all the way to death, but it can sometimes feel as if it's squeezing the life right out of you.  What we have to remember is that the Lord is the One who has allowed you to enter this valley and He's walking through it with you.

Psalm 23:4b
I will not be afraid,
for You are close beside me.
Your rod and Your staff
protect and comfort me.

Even though it's a deep valley at times....He's got your hand. Isn't it great to know that you're never alone?  He is your protector from all the things that scare you.  Your comforter when no one else is around.  The Lord is their giving you the strength you need to climb out of that valley.  He's guiding you and leading you.  He is your shepherd and He only has good things planned for you. 

Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.

I've been in a lot of  valleys in my life.  The ones I liked the most had lakes or streams running through them and usually somewhere near would be a beautiful meadow.   That's what David talks about in this verse.  A place of rest and peace.

Psalm 23:2
He lets me rest in green meadows;
He leads me beside peaceful streams.

I know that when life has got you all twisted up it's hard to rest.  Just remember....Jesus is Peace and He gives blessed rest!

Psalm 23:3a
He renews my strength.

Are you weary right now.  Are you tired.  Remember....He is with you in this valley and He will be faithful to bring you out of it back up to the mountaintop.  Right now let Jesus give you peace....comfort....rest.  Let His peace roll over you right now....

Wonderful Peace by Warren Cornell

Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight,
rolls a melody sweeter than psalm;
In celestial like strains it unceasingly falls
O'er my soul like an infinite calm.

chorus

Peace! Peace! wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above;
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray,
In fathomless billows of love.


until we see Jesus....face to face



Linking up with Tracy on Winsome Wednesday.

Soul Hunger

Do you ever feel that you just need more of God?  It seems to me that there has just got to be so much more that I just haven't found yet.  At times....like now....it seems as if there is a void inside of me.  A deep longing for more than what I know now.  It's like a restlessness that is all consuming!  Like God is calling me to something more....that I don't know....but I just can't get there.  This all takes me back to one of my favorite verses.

John 3:30
He must increase, but I must decrease.

I always think of it as....More of Him, less of me.

Another verse that comes to mind is....

Psalm 42:1
Just like the deer that craves streams of water,
my whole being craves You, God.

Tonight I'm not sure what this is all about but this keeps coming to mind....soul hunger.  There is a hunger for something more and the feeling runs deep....clear to the soul.  A hunger....craving....that somehow is not satisfied.

I do know that God is in all of this and that He knows the answer to all of our deepest soul hungers.  Even when we aren't even sure of what they are.  He holds the answers to all of our questions.  If you are having soul hungers of your own....keep pressing forward!

until we see JESUS....face to face

Going Through Life

No purpose within
no purpose without
Going through life
day in day out

Where do you start
where do you go
What you really need now
is to get in the flow

Life is a bore
you've been in a drought
You just need some fun
or you just might check out

You go into church
no sermons you hear
Preach to you now
your heart needs to fear

Wasting away
you're trying to find
God in your world
God in your mind

Your heart is so weary
your souls turning cold
No where to turn
no one you've told

Keep pushing forward
don't look back now
Gods all around
just find Him somehow

We Need To Pray

Last night I had so much turmoil going on within myself that the post Thoughts is just what came out. This morning it's a new day with new thoughts.

Here are a few of the thoughts I'm having today that I believe I need to share....

I started a new book yesterday by Perry Stone....The Code Of The Holy Spirit.  Things of the Holy Spirit....how He works and the need for Him....have been on my mind a lot lately.  It seems that when I start to really dig into something of God....try to understand better the things of God and draw closer to Him....I end up like I was last night.  Of course I know that it's the evil one trying to stop me.  Trying to get me off course so I stay right where I am....or at times....even to go backwards.  Satan will use what ever tactic he knows works on you.  He wants to keep your mind and your spirit in an uproar any way he can.  Individually he will work on us through....health issues....family issues....job issues....relationship issues....even church issues.  Satan wants to do this in churches also.  One of his jobs is to bring churches down....cause them to fail or believe the wrong things.   
 
In the church's today I see so much need.  Not a need for bigger congregations....not a need for different ways of worship....not a need for better sermons....not a need for more love....not a need for more money.  No.  What we need is more of God in our church's.  More of the Holy Spirit showing His presence in our services.  We need to pray....more than we ever have....for this.  For the Holy Spirit to show Himself in our services....more of His leading.  To speak to us as congregations so there is no doubt in what way we as a church body need to go.  We need direct leading from the Holy Spirit.  Our church today....our leadership in the church....needs to hear from God.

As the congregants of each individual church we attend....prayer is the key.  We need to be praying for the Holy Spirit to come into our church's....the actual building before the service ever begins....and to start His working.  We need to pray for, and fight for, our church body....our church leadership....so that the only one working in all of us is GOD.  When the evil one comes to the door....which I believe he will....the Spirit of the Lord needs to be so strong he can't get in.  The invitaion to the evil one needs to be squashed down....thrown out....through prayer.  Satan can come in through people that are decieving the church body and aren't what they claim to be.  We need to pray against this.  If it means getting to church early....finding your seat....and praying....do it!  Pray for the Holy Spirits presence to be so strong....that no matter what is planned....only what He wants will go on in the service.  It is a fight....and it may take sometime....but God will always win.

I believe that the time is short before Jesus comes back.  Because of this satan is working overtime to get as many Christians to fall away as possible.  The evil one works to destroy the lives of everyone he can.  He wants us miserable and in an uproar....in our personal life and our church life....which should be connected.  Satan is trying to cause much upheaval in every area of life.  Is he doing his job?  You bet he is....and he is good at it.  He disguises things that aren't good in a way that they seem okay to some of us.  He takes good, God loving, people and gets them off track....gets them on board with something that sounds good but really is just one more of his devilish schemes to draw us into something that isn't what it looks like.  Satan looks for a crack to get in the door and once he does....look out!  One of our jobs is to keep satan out and make sure the Holy Spirit is there....in full working force!  Prayer is the key!!

JESUS is coming back soon.  We need to all be ready and watching.  We need revival in our hearts and in our churches.  None of us are immune to the evil ones attacks.  Pray for each other and keep each other close to your hearts.  We need one another to make it through this journey called life.  Let us be encouraged and encourage each other.  Because of Jesus everything will be okay.

1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing.

Psalm 50:15
Call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you and you shall glorify me.

Hebrews 4:16
Let us come boldly to the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Luke 18:1-8
One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. ² “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. ³ A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ ⁴ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, ⁵ but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”
⁶ Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. ⁷ Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

until we see JESUS....face to face

Thoughts

Tonight there are so many thoughts going through my head that it's hard to sort them out.

Some of the words running through my mind are....

change....comfort level....loss....familiarity....overwhelmed....discouraged....uncertainty....lost
tired....fearful....evil....heaviness

I'm noticing that none of these words are positive nor do they bring good feelings.  But they do all represent feelings that we all have at one time or another.  Unfortunately, sometimes we have all of these....and even more....at the same time.  I'm finding myself there tonight.  Full of all these feelings that I don't like.  Why....

Because sometimes I let life get to me.  But....deep down I know that all the things in life that trouble me God will somehow make okay. 

There is another list of words that I'm trying hard to replace the first list with...

hope....peace....cheer....faith....strength....abundant joy....victory....love....focus....truth....goodness
over-comer

One day Jesus will come back and we won't have to go through the things we go through now.  But until that day we need to carry on.  Push through all the trials of this life.  Pray about everything.  Be vigilant in our walk with the Lord. 

As Christians we need to stay close and support one another.  Pray for each other all the time.  Show love to one another. 

When things aren't quite right this Psalm always comes to my mind.  I'm sure it's the Lord that reminds me of it.

Psalm 23

¹ The Lord is my shepherd;
    I have all that I need.
² He lets me rest in green meadows;
    he leads me beside peaceful streams.
³     He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
    bringing honor to his name.
⁴ Even when I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
    for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
    protect and comfort me.
⁵ You prepare a feast for me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
    My cup overflows with blessings.
⁶ Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Oh The Blood Of Jesus

Have you noticed how some church's today are not preaching or singing about things that really matter?  The things that can really change a person's heart....their whole life?!





It says in Hebrews 9:22...."without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness."  That's talking about sin.  No forgiveness of sin. My sin....your sin....all of our sins.  If Jesus had not shed His blood and died for us, we could not be forgiven.  So why are many of the church's today doing away with sermons that talk about the blood of Jesus? 

Pastors are saying that they need to preach about things that are relevant for today.  What's different about today than 100 years ago?  Yes it's true. Society has changed. We have much more technology than we had in years past....life styles have definately changed.  But what hasn't changed is sin.  Sin hasn't changed and what we as people need hasn't changed. And you know what else....who else....hasn't changed?  JESUS hasn't changed!  GOD hasn't changed!  People who don't know Jesus as their Savior are still sinners. Unchurched....Sinners....all the same thing.  People that do know Jesus as their Savior haven't changed.  We are just sinners saved by the blood of Jesus!!  So you want to talk about things that are relevant today?  Well from what I know....that is relevant.  There should be more preaching about the blood of Jesus so sinners know what it's all about.  We need to hear more sermons about things that really matter.  Things that touch your heart and make you want to dig into a deeper relationship with the Lord.  

Godly worship is relevant....Why are they refusing to sing song's that talk about the blood of Jesus? 

I have heard it preached that we must change the lyrics of songs....disguise the true meaning....so as not to "freak out" any unchurched people that may come in to the church service!  Why?  Because if they hear you singing about the blood of Jesus, they may not understand, and it just might make them feel uncomfortable.  Or they might ask someone why you would sing about JESUS' blood!  Well, my thought is....we want them to ask questions so we can tell them about Jesus and how He can forgive them of their sins and make them a new person!  We can tell them that He can help them with their problems....heal them of their addictions....make them well.  Spiritually....mentally....physically!  Isn't that what it's all about?!  

We need worship that draws us into the presence of the Lord.  When sinners come into church they need to hear something different than they hear out in the world.  It doesn't all need to be slow and boring....but concert style really isn't needed either.  There is a time for upbeat but there is also a time for slow and worshipful.  As a sinner when I went to church I was looking for something different, not the same thing I heard on a daily basis.  What's the point of going to church if what you hear there is no different than what you hear in the world?  In many church's today it's as if you are at a concert not a church service.  The church should not be compromising down to the worlds level.  God is still the same....yesterday, today, and forever. He has not changed. 

What else that is relevant is this....

Jesus died for everyone of us.  He died on the cross and shed His blood for us!  It doesn't matter if we were raised in church or not.  Unchurched, or in church all your life but just not saved....it's all the same.  It doesn't matter if we accepted Jesus as our Savior when we were 5 or 50 or 100 or somewhere in between.  The fact is, Jesus shed His blood....died on the cross....rose from the dead....so that we could be forgiven of our sins and live for eternity with Jesus. 

The bottom line is....

If the Holy Spirit is in your church service....everything will be okay.  We don't need to dummy the gospel of Jesus Christ down.  We don't need to leave out key words and phrases like....the blood of Jesus.  We don't need to have concerts for worship.  We don't need to worry about being relevant for today.  If the straight Word of God is preached....and you don't veer off on what everyone thinks is relevant....people will come in and people will give their hearts to the Lord.  It's the Holy Spirits job to draw them....not ours. 

We are supossed to live in the world not be like the world!

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Malachi 3:6a
I am the Lord and I do not change....

John 15:19
If you belonged to the world, the world would treat you with affection and would love you as it's own.  But because you are not of the world (no longer one with it), but I have chosen (selected) you out of the world, the world hates (detests) you.

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog.  I still have some work to do on it but it's finally starting to come together.  

My prayer is that lives be touched, by the LORD, through this blog.  I believe that JESUS is coming back soon and I want everyone who visits here to somehow be touched by HIM.  It's not me, or my words, that I want to shine.  It's the LORD and HIS words....HIS heart....that I want everyone to see and feel.  More....more....more of HIM and little of me.  

A good prayer to pray daily is this one....

Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O GOD,
and renew a right spirit within me.

and this....

Psalm 139:23-24

Search me, O GOD, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life. 


until we see JESUS....face to face


 

A Commitment To Integrity

Psalm 101:1-2

I will sing of Your love and justice Lord. 
  I will praise You with songs. 
I will be careful to live a blameless life ~
  when will you come to help me?