TRUTH or CONSEQUENCES

This verse of Scripture should cause us to think! Our mentality is "it is so much easier to DO something than to just TRUST God".  That is why in the present day we find many more workers for God than workers who cooperate with Him.  The cooperating part means sitting with Him, knowing His thoughts, determining to act as the Holy Spirit leads us, speaking what the Father would say, etc.  To believe in the One He sent is to believe and trust in Jesus; who now uses the Holy Spirit to direct our steps!  Question.  Are you totally convinced that God will do what you cannot do? One of my most favorite stories in the Bible is found in Daniel chapter 3.  It has to do with the three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.  Raised as good Jewish boys, they are removed from their homeland and taken to Babylon as prisoners, to serve King Nebuchadnezzar.  Even though in the midst of this pagan nation, they, along with Daniel, refuse to def...

The picture of a warring bride! Beautifully dressed with her sword in hand.   This is how each of us should look in our daily life!   Seriously.   We are the Bride of Christ and we are making preparations within ourselves to be worthy to walk beside Him. Revelation 19: 7-8 says " Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him.  For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself.  She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people."    Another way we prepare ourselves to walk at His side is to..." Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put ...

Have you had this experience, ask someone for help to set up, tear down, take a Sunday School class, help with an event and their response is, " I will have to pray and see if this is God's will".  What I see in our churches today is people doing nothing because they don't want to be out of God's will.  Father has plans and purposes for each one of us.  Some of those plans are personal for each one of us...and some are expectations for us all.  For instance, it is God's will for each one of us to be conformed into the image of Jesus Christ. To look more like Jesus, we will have to be willing to let the Holy Spirit point out what isn't Christlike and help form those things within us that need to be. As I look back over my life I understand that God used everything I did and was involved in and every person I've known to shape me and mold me.  Some of it was good and fun, while other things were horrible to walk through.  I have known great...

The above scripture is one of my favorites!  It was originally prophesied in Isaiah 61: 1. Then Jesus in Luke 4: 18, after returning from 40 days of temptation in the wilderness, returned to Galilee in the power of the spirit, entered the synagogue, picked up the scroll and read from Isaiah.  The scripture says he handed the scroll back to the attendant and with all eyes on Him, announced this scripture was now fulfilled in Him!  Can you imagine how big their eyes must have gotten!  He was announcing that He was the fulfillment of the prophecy.  That He was the anointed one! What exactly is the anointing? Anointing means to "smear or rub in", also to consecrate for office.  The Holy Spirit upon Jesus was smearing and rubbing into Him the image of His Father, the character and nature of His Father and that He was now fulfilling the office of a prophet.  How do we know that?  Hebrews 1: 1-3 says "In the past God spoke to our forefathers t...

Did you sing this song in Sunday School?  "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong, they are weak but He is strong.  Yes Jesus loves me, yes Jesus loves me, yes Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so." There are many who give their lives to Jesus but don't really have a revelation of His love for them. I know, because for a long time I wondered how God could love me.  A lot of that comes from how we have related to our earthly parents as kids.  If you have had any kind of negative experience in relationships with those who were supposed to love you and protect you, it is harder to accept the idea that Almighty God could love you unconditionally.  I had to come to the realization that my parents were not perfect!  They too were trying to find their way.  Often hurt people will hurt people! We have more understanding today, more openness to talk and be real then the generations behind us.  God wants ...

Hebrews 6: 19 tells me that I have hope as an anchor for my soul, firm and secure!  Have you ever thought much about hope?  Let me define it for you...the joyful anticipation of good! It is when my heart is totally convinced that God is good and is looking out for me.  It reminds of Romans 8 verse 28 where it says that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.  So there is one condition...that we love God.  When I live a life that shows my love for Him, I can depend on Him to work everything out for my good. Hope is complete confidence in God's goodness!  It is when I understand that His desire, His commitment, and His abilities are all in my corner saying "all is well, I've got your back".  Later in chapter 10 verse 23 Paul wrote..." Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise."  Hope is not depende...

In Romans 8 verses 14-16 it says, "...those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.  For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.  And by him we cry, Abba, Father.  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." Immediately my mind and heart cry out Holy Spirit, lead me.  Let me hear your voice very clearly.  I want to be a son of God.  (After all, if men have to be the bride of Christ than women can certainly be sons of God!) I am a daughter of the living God!  How do I know that?  Because I have the spirit of God living inside of me and I make every effort to cooperate with him!  I desire to follow him, because I know in my flesh I can still make some very bad choices.  There are many benefits to being a son or daughter of the living God!   I know that God is a good Father, and I know that He will give me the sa...