Jesus

Prayer for Election Discernment and Faith

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Dear God,

You know where I am in this election. You know where I am, because I have been crying out to you for discernment and understanding for months. You know where I am, because you know everything about me, including who I may vote for, even before me or either of the candidates were born.

Lord, I ask that you continue to grant me discernment, even to the point of changing my vote, if that is Your will. You, Father, are the only one I trust and You, Father, are the only one in Heaven and on Earth who knows how this election will end.

We just started the Book of Daniel in our Bible reading plan and I can’t stop thinking about Daniel’s three friends in the fire. I can’t stop wondering how different the response of many Christians might be if they entered the extreme heat of this election with the hearts and faith of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. If they leaned in and listened carefully to what the three said as they were about to be bound and thrown into an intense furnace that no human could survive without supernatural help.

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. BUT EVEN IF he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

BUT EVEN IF. What a powerful statement in its own right. These three trusted God no matter what and come what may! These three had a faith that would not only save their own lives but would cause the King of a pagan nation to decree that “the people of any nation or language who says anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

What if all Christians would respond to the challenges of our government, its parties, and the election in the same way. Can you imagine the many ways that God can use us to His Glory?

One of the biggest differences between some of us and Daniel and his three friends is they were respectful of the King and the ruling authorities without compromising their faith. As a result, that King saw the power of God for himself and made sure everyone in all the nations knew it.

Lord, help us all to have this kind of faith and let us be the vehicles through which you show Your Glory to the world. Let us have respect for our government even when we do not agree. Let us go about our lives praying and living in FAITH in You; help us to go about our lives in the JOY of the LORD and let YOUR GLORY shine through us. Help us all to realize we don’t have to be bitter or divisive and we certainly don’t have to be obstinate and obnoxious, participating in name calling and dehumanizing any candidate or the supporters of that candidate.

The lies and the gossip have been relentless, and I know very displeasing to You, Lord.  I know in my heart of hearts that this does not glorify You, My dear sweet Father in Heaven. I also know you do not need any of us to fight your battles for You, and certainly not in ways that are not reflective of You or Your Son.

Father, please give us discernment and then ignite a fire in us that burns as hot as the furnace from which You saved your servants. Ignite a fire in us that causes us to pray for our government and leaders who YOU have put in place and for those that are in a race to ascend to the oval office. Both are humans and both can turn to YOU and be used by YOU for the betterment of our nation and our world, but most of all for YOUR GLORY. Remind us Lord that, with You, our FUTURE is secure, and our job is to follow you and be the hands and feet of Jesus, showing the world YOUR love through FAITH.

It is in the mighty name of Jesus, I pray. Amen and Ehmen.

When unfaithfulness and disloyalty meet love.

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Tears streamed down my face, my only comfort a pillow on which I should never have laid my head. I was guilty and convicted to my core.

I arose from the bed and walked out the door, beginning the proverbial walk of shame.

I had been unfaithful. I knew the one to whom I had committed my life loved me like no one or nothing else on earth ever could. He gave me absolutely everything I ever needed.

And, yet, I had been unfaithful. I turned my head and prostituted myself to pride, to fleshly desires and flashy material things. I looked for pleasures amongst crumpled bed sheets and popular society idols.

I may as well have spit in his face, this one with no agenda other than a vow to love me and exist within my heart forever.

As I walked towards the place I called home, the chatter in my head grew louder and louder. “Your actions are unforgivable,” a convincing voice said. “He will never take back someone like you.”

The voice was right.

Or so I thought.

As I trudged up the driveway of my house, each step was as heavy as my heart. I was ashamed and convinced that the one I had betrayed would be inside, fuming with anger and plotting my demise. Or, worse yet, he would be nowhere to be found.

I could take the anger and even my own demise; after all, it is exactly what I deserved. Heaven help me, how could I bear stepping foot in an empty house which used to be a loving home?

With mascara running down my face creating what looked like the prison bars of the cell that now encaged my soul, I walked up the steps and put my hand on the doorknob. I took a deep breath and opened the door. What happened next knocked me to my knees.

There he stood in front of me. In our home. He had been waiting for me throughout the dark of night and into the morning light. He stared at me intently as he rushed toward me and outstretched his hand. I impulsively braced myself, bringing my arm up in front of my face to lessen the blow.

But my arm didn’t stop him in the least. He reached down, cupped my elbow, and pulled me to my feet, standing so close I could feel his breath and hear his heartbeat. Both were slow and rhythmic as he wrapped me in his arms and whispered in my ear, “I have missed you so much. Welcome Home, Child.”

By now, you know this did not actually happen, but it is, instead, the vision that came to me while reading from the Book of Hosea earlier today. In all actuality, this is my testimony and the testimony of all of us

who have ever lost our way and fallen prey to our own flesh. And, ultimately, it is the story of all humankind since Adam and Eve took a bite of the apple.

I truly feel this in the deepest way. I know that I know, I, for one, have spent far too much of my life looking for the ideal love in people, careers and material things that would fill a great void in my life. A void I finally figured out could only be filled by the God who has been pursuing me with relentless passion from day one.

I don’t deserve His love or the countless gifts that he bestows upon me. I don’t deserve his unswerving loyalty in the face of my disloyalty and his unconditional love in the face of my own wandering.

And, yet He is always waiting with arms wide open, not just for me, but for every single one of us.

He is our God and He deserves all the love, the worship, and the praise.

 Amen and Ehmen

While Judas Raises Questions, God Raises Jesus!

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Yesterday, known as Holy Wednesday, was the day that Judas made his final decision to betray Jesus and bargained with the chief priests to do so and today, Holy Thursday, is the day that decision was carried out.

“Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.” — Matthew 26: 14-16

But why Judas?

I must admit that I have always wondered why Judas was chosen to bring about the death of Christ on a cross, but have since realized perhaps ALLOWED would be a more appropriate word.

The Bible tells us very little about Judas’ lineage and life prior to him joining Jesus’ earthly ministry, but we see enough to know that greed and money were deeply embedded in his heart.

Journey with me back a couple of days, which in terms of Holy Week would be on Holy Monday. Jesus and the disciples were at the home of Simon the Leper, who Jesus had healed earlier in His ministry.

Mary of Bethany Anoints Jesus –This is a Catholic Print Picture Available at St. Jude Religious Stores Inc.

“Matthew 26:6-13: While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. ‘Why this waste,?’ they asked. ‘This perfume could have been sold at a high price and given to the poor.’ Aware of this, Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured the perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will be told, in memory of her.”

Even though it appears other disciples in addition to Judas were upset about what appeared to be a waste of expensive perfume and money, the Bible seems to indicate that it was what was driving Judas’ reactions, not so much the reaction itself. His reactions appear to come more from a root of greed than concern for the poor.

But, I also wonder if his reaction could likewise be related to what the disciples and the people, many of whom wound up calling for Jesus’ crucifixion, thought about Jesus at that point in time. With a veil that prevented them from fully understanding Jesus’ purpose of setting up an eternal kingdom, many of them seemed to think that Jesus was there to reclaim the land from the Roman empire and establish a new kingdom on earth. Did Judas’ spirit of greed encourage him to latch on to Jesus in the first place; to ride His coattails into what Judas perceived to be a pathway to power and wealth?

But—while that answers the question, “Why Judas?”—it also begs another question and that question is this: “Why, Judas?

I wonder, if after deciding that the man he called “Rabbi” was not going to win this battle to create a physical kingdom, Judas decided that a jump to the other side might win favor for himself.

That would at least explain why Judas accepted what seems like a measly 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus. You’d think to

Artwork by Gerard Seghers. Available at http://www.fineartamerica.com.

perform this type of betrayal, Judas would bargain to become among the wealthiest of the wealthy, but instead he settled for thirty pieces of silver—the equivalent of about 4 months’ wages. I think Judas, obviously acting with Satan’s prompting, was in survival mode.

We know from scripture that God allowed Judas’ heart to remain hardened to bring to fruition the very event that would have eternal impact on every human from that point on; allowed being the operative word here. God gave all humans free will to choose which direction we will go. And if we choose to go in unrighteous, sinful ways and fail to repent, we open the door for Satan to enter legally, which is exactly what happened with Judas.

Fast forward now with me to Thursday of Holy week, the day of Passover, the day of the Last Supper as it is often referred. Judas is sitting at the Passover table with Jesus and the other disciples. I imagine he probably has his newly acquired 30 pieces of silver sitting in the coin purse in his lap. He was likely feeling pretty good about his decision to turn over Jesus and realign himself with the “winning” side.

And then, with the door to his soul wide open and Jesus’ permission, it happened.

John 13:18- “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’ I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.’

After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, ‘Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.’ His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the

I do not own this image. Origin unknown.

disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to the disciple and said, ‘Ask him which one he means.’ Jesus answered, ‘It is the one who I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, ‘what you are about to do, do quickly.’

Scripture goes on to say Judas left as soon as he took the bread, but none of the other disciples understood what was going on. They just thought Jesus must have asked him to leave to buy some needed supplies for the festival or to give to the poor.

Honestly, I’m not sure that Judas really understood either. He was no longer in control of his own life.  He had made his choices. He ignored the opportunities given to truly follow Jesus as Lord and he never repented. Consequently, Satan was thrilled to have Judas do his evil bidding. I’m not even entirely certain that Satan knew Jesus would rise from the dead. Sure, Satan knows scripture, but is it also possible he misinterpreted it just as Judas and all the Pharisees had? We will probably never know that, at least on this side of heaven.

But there is one thing we do know–Satan knows now!

And, although he still uses the same playbook to disrupt us and wreak havoc, we all know who wins in the end.

The cross was just a comma in the story. The empty grave is the exclamation point!

Faith over Fear Fail?

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Faith over fear.

How many times have I said that over the past few weeks?

Probably hundreds, if not more. I even have a cross in my yard that proclaims it to the whole neighborhood.

But full transparency, this morning as I continued to struggle with not feeling all that well physically, compounded by the emotional stress of the world we live in right now, I found myself worrying again.

Faith over fear? Yeah, right.

I’m a liar, I thought to myself.

I really, really suck, I told myself.

Here I am proclaiming faith over fear and, some days–maybe even most days—I let fear deliver me a knockout blow without even putting up a fight. Nothing.

Hell, somedays, I’m not even pushing back.

And, then, I heard God’s sweet, sweet whisper deep in my spirit.

Believing as I do that He often whispers just so we have to really lean in, I closed my eyes and opened my heart ready to receive.

This, my friends, is what I heard.

“In this world you WILL have trouble, but, take heart, for I have overcome the world!”

Child, you are human and are prone to trying to maintain control. When you can’t control what is going on around you, or even inside you, you become fearful. And, fear, is Satan’s most powerful weapon. With it, he knows he can lead you astray and the tailspin begins.

You MUST resist him.

Anytime you feel fearful or out of control, you must STOP and recognize it for what it is–the enemy crossing the battle lines into My territory, into your heart.

Now, understand, Child, that I have the last say and everything is within My power. However, I will not stop something you invite in; things which you allow. I gave you free will and I will not ever take that away.

You MUST take captive every fearful thought, every fearful dart that is launched at you. This means anytime you feel anxiety or fear or anytime you catch yourself trying to figure out your situation and take control, STOP and whisper My name out loud. And, keep whispering it. I promise you, if you do this, Satan will have no choice but to flee, dropping every weapon formed against you at My feet.

And, one more thing. You have not failed, because you have allowed fear to temporarily squelch your faith. You are human and all humans, even those who have accepted Me as their Lord and Savior, still have to be reminded to trust Me, especially when trouble comes.

I have you in the palm of My hand, child. Keep leaning in and remember to combat every fearful thought with the whisper of My name. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. I promise you that, just as I have overcome the world, your faith in Me will overcome your fears.

Every time, without fail.

faith over fear

Oh, my, thank you, Lord, for always coming to my rescue and gently correcting me where the enemy tries to condemn me. I love and praise You, Father, for who You are, not just to me, but to the entire world. Faith over fear.  Because of You, I know we’ve got this. Jesus for the WIN!

Amen and Ehmen.

The Day In Between

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Writer’s Note: Today, amid all the pain and uncertainty of the coronavirus, I feel, more than ever, that we are living in the “day in between”, a day of seeming silence on the trouble that commands our attention; a day, which if allowed to remain grounded in fear, will continue to be crippling. Yes, we are battling an unseen enemy and, though we have dubbed this enemy COVID19, I believe in my heart of hearts that it is the same unseen enemy that we have battled all along, Satan. He’s sifting us, y’all. But, I truly believe, in the deepest reaches of my soul, that Sunday is coming and Jesus Christ, our resurrected Savior and Miracle Maker, has another HUGE Miracle in store for us all. Spend this Saturday sitting high atop a foundation of trust in what tomorrow brings…a day of true joy and hope for the world! And, remember, it all started with HIM, but it continues with us….spread The Word! Sunday is coming! 

The Day In Between

It’s sometimes called Holy Saturday, the Great Sabbath, Black Saturday and Easter Eve. But what is today, really?

Well, I think today—the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday—is just that,jesus on cross the day in between.

The silent day that lay mournfully and mysteriously between the brutal crucifixion of our Lord and Savior and His joyous resurrection. The day between a promise and its fulfillment.

I can’t even begin to imagine how those who loved and followed Jesus must have felt on this day; just hours before having watched as God’s own promise hung tethered to a rugged cross; bloody; lifeless; hopeless.

I just can’t even imagine how they felt when the world’s only hope that God Himself had so lovingly poured into the flesh of a baby more than three decades prior was taken down from the cross, a crumpled and shattered shell; breathless; dead.

Oh the grief, the fear, and the sense of loss they must have felt. Their friend and Messiah was gone and laying in a tomb; his bruised and battered body as well as their hopes and dreams swaddled in burial clothes and sealed in darkness.

I just can’t even imagine.

But, wait, you might say. What about the miracle of Jesus’ birth and all the miracles and prophecies fulfilled throughout Jesus’ life on earth? What about all the wonders—the feeding of thousands from a single lunch; the healings; the raising of Lazarus from the dead? Can you even imagine how in the world the men and women who witnessed these miracles could even spend one day doubting, grieving, hiding, scattered, and scared?

You know, at first I couldn’t imagine it at all. That is, until I realized that we live in this same place every day.

We live in the in-between day, suspended between the promise and the fulfillment and, just like the disciples and those who knew Jesus as a man, we doubt; we grieve; we hide; we scatter; and we certainly fear. We, too, search for hope in a dark world. We, too, sometimes lose our trust that God can make something holy and beautiful and good out of a world that often looks more like hell than the creation of a good God. We wonder how or even if He will bring beauty and order to a universe spiraling out of control. We, too, have moments of doubt. Or least I know I do.

But, thank God, for tomorrow; for Easter Sunday and the empty tomb which has become an everlasting symbol of a promise fulfilled; the rebirth of hope for all the generations to come; for the disciples; for the early churches, for all our descendants and for you and for me.

Thank God for His promise of everlasting life which eternally lives in the breath of His one and only son, Jesus Christ, and for the unyielding sacrifice Jesus made so that we can enjoy that promise just by believing in Him. I believe in Him and I hope that you do, too.

And, if you are still just checking the whole Jesus thing out, I pray that He will open your heart and eyes so that you, too, can take part in the miracle of Easter and the promise of everlasting life. God loves you. He always has and always will. You are His child and he really wants to have a relationship with you. But, you have to do something. You have to take the step and ask Him into your heart. He is not going to do it without an invitation from you. You yourself have to acknowledge that Jesus is your Lord and Savior and that he died on the cross so that you can have eternal life. You yourself have to accept Him and invite Him into your heart.

When you’re ready, you just have to say a prayer something like this. It doesn’t have to be word for word and you don’t even have to understand it all. And you certainly don’t have to be perfect, for no one on earth is perfect. Just say something like this:

“Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. Please forgive me for my sins. I believe that your son, the Lord Jesus Christ, died to pay for my sins and I trust Him now as my personal Lord and Savior. I ask Him to come into my life. Amen.”

It’s that simple. If you pray this prayer and truly accept the Lord Jesus as your personal savior, you can be assured of going to heaven. No matter what you have done on earth; no matter what you did in your past, you will be reborn and resurrected and headed for everlasting life alongside the Almighty Creator, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Oh, my, what a way to celebrate this day in between! Congratulations and welcome to the family! Amen and Ehmen! And Happy, Happy Easter! 🙂

Silence atop fear is crippling

And The Word of God Says:

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. (NIV)

Romans 1:4-5 And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit. Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. Romans 6:8-11 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

Philippians 3:10-12 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (NIV)

1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead… (NIV)

Matthew 27:50-53 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. (NIV)

Matthew 28:1-10 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” (NIV)

Mark 16:1-8 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ “

Immeasurable, Infinite and Ours

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This post has garnered a little extra attention from website visitors recently and, after rereading it, I decided it was time to repost at the top of my newsfeed. His love for us blows me away…

 

January 3, 2015 6:35 AM

Dear Lord, thank you for waking me up this morning to draw me closer to dear godyou and to remind me just how wide, how long, how high and how deep your love is for me; for all of us. I have admittedly distanced myself off and on over these past few months as I have struggled quietly and internally with the changes in my world. I know that I am not immune to suffering, yet when I need you most, I sometimes do exactly what I have always reminded others not to do. I pull away. I don’t seek your face. I try to live in my own power. At times, I have been swallowed by doubt; not disbelief in you, but doubt that your promises are really for me; that your healing and comfort are for me; that I can really find joy in fulfilling my purpose and that I even have the tools to do so. I have continued to live in fear that my health will not hold up, that I will be stripped of what I have before I am able to finish what you started in me. I don’t want to live in fear anymore, Lord. I need you today more than ever. In this moment and in every moment that I draw breath on this earth. Come closer than ever, Father. Settle into my heart and deep into my soul. Send your Holy Spirit and allow Him to intermingle with my spirit. Speak to me. Comfort me. Heal me. Empower me. Use me. I love you with all my being, my dear Father, and I want nothing more than to please you. Keep me focused on you, Lord. Please. It is in Your One and Only Son’s Name that I pray. Amen and Ehmen.

Oh my dear, dear child,

I do love you so and I’ve missed our whole-heart time together. Just know that, regardless of whether you sit with Me in front of this page or not, I AM with you, always until the end of time and until such time that you are with Me in Heaven. I led you to Ephesians 3 this morning because, until the latter happens, I need you to truly understand the full breadth, length, height and depth of My love for you.

My love reaches across the width of all of time and space; from the heavens to all corners of the earth, covering all expanses and all people who live today and who have or will ever live; and that, of course, includes you right now where you are.

My love expands across the lengths of eternity. It started long before you were born, even before creation itself, and will continue forevermore.

My love reaches high into the heavens. It is infinite. It is with you at the heights of your life; in your elations and your celebrations.

My love delves deep, deeper than any pit of discouragement or despair in which you could ever linger and even deeper still. The fact is, my child, nothing, not even death can take my love from you for I HAVE DEFEATED DEATH in Jesus’ name…all so that your name could be written in the Book of Life.

If you never grasp anything else, I need you to grasp this. And by grasp, I don’t mean grab and hold on, but to understand; to truly understand, My blessed one, that once you have invited Me into your heart, you don’t have or need to do anything to hold onto My love. It is My love instead that holds onto you…for eternity.

Lay your doubts down, My child, and bask in my never-ending, unyielding love today. Don’t try to measure it, because you can’t. Just experience it; live in it; and let it live in you so that others will be drawn to Me and My Kingdom will be made complete. Go forth—go wide, go long, go high, go deep— to share this Good News to those around you; the Good News that they don’t have do anything to gain or hold My love; for, through belief in my son, Jesus Christ, they and My love will live on forever and beyond.

And, the Word of God says in Ephesians, Chapter 3, Verses 14-21:

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Oh, dear God. Amen and Ehmen! Thank you for the endless love and never-ending reminders. I guess I can’t hear it enough and I thank you for being willing to keep telling me over and over and over again.

Can I get an Amen and Ehmen!???? Have a blessed day knowing that you are LOVED! 🙂

The Ultimate Valentine

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be-mine-heart-for-amenandehmen

Whether you are single or paired on this Valentine’s Day, this is a day we celebrate the very heartbeat of God: LOVE!

Remember what Jesus told us in Matthew 22: 34-40: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.”

And, as far as Valentine’s go, you can’t get any sweeter or more perfect than our precious and glorious Lord who loves us beyond compare, without condition, forever and ever. And He’s all yours for the asking.

If you haven’t yet, why not today? The day of LOVE.

Just say something like this:

“Lord, I don’t necessarily understand it all and I’m not sure what to do next, but I do believe in You and that You love me so much that you sent your one and only son, Jesus, so that we all could be forgiven of our sins and have everlasting life. I believe He died on the cross for me, to save me. You did for me what I couldn’t do for myself. I come to You now and ask You to take control of my life. I give it to You. Help me to live every day in a way that pleases you. I love you, Lord, and thank you that I will spend all eternity with you.

Lord, will you be my Valentine?”

Amen and Ehmen.

And a Happy Hearts Day to all! Much love from http://www.amenandehmen.com.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

—John, 3:16

 

The Doctor is In.

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Note: My work high-jacked all my time and energy again, but now that I have a moment, I wanted to post the last two days of my 7-day commitment to spend time with God every morning. Though it was a long 85-hour work week and it was extremely tough on me physically at times, I can honestly say that this extra focused time on God helped carry me through with spirits intact. He is the Great Physician. Looking forward to continuing to connect with Him on the written page. Be blessed.

February 7, 2017

7:00 AM

Dear God, it is Day 6 of my commitment to meet you here daily for seven consecutive days. Unfortunately, I only have about 30 minutes this morning as I have to get to the office. Fortunately, I dear godknow that I can learn and do more in just a few minutes with you versus years without you. You are incredible and I am happy that you are in my life and in me. This morning, God, I pray to you about the way I’m feeling physically. Please help me to bring all things going on in my body back into order. My week ahead for work is intense as you know and it will be very difficult to maneuver it feeling like this. I love you, dear God, and it is in your son’s name that I pray. Amen and Ehmen.

Dear Child,

I’m sorry you are not feeling well, but you have come to the right place. You live in a fallen world and your body is susceptible to all kinds of undesirable things. But, as long as you stay close to me, I will help you navigate even the most menacing of them. Healing, my child, comes in many forms. Sometimes I simply wipe out the illness as you, yourself, have experienced. Sometimes I use medicines and physicians. Sometimes it is immediate and sometimes it takes time, as I know you have also experienced. Your job is to believe, to trust in me, and be thankful in both cases. Trust, dear child, is an area that you struggle with and that is okay. As long as you come to me, I will continue to teach you as long as it takes. We are in this together. You must always remember that.

  Isaiah 41:10

Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’“For I am with you

 

A Bittersweet Love Story

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Dear God, as I continue to reflect on this Easter season, I ask that you help the words flow dear godfrom the deepest recesses of my soul, the inner places where You dwell in all Your holiness and righteousness. Thank you for sending Your son and for Him taking on human suffering and death just so that we could live with You forever. I am overwhelmed by Your grace and love for me and, though I am eternally sorry for my sins and shortcomings, I am eternally grateful for Your grace and forgiveness and, most especially, your gift of salvation, wrapped in the arms of Jesus and presented to us freely. All we have to do is believe and accept, both of which I do, wholeheartedly. Thank you, Jesus, for what You endured; for Your obedience to the Father, no matter what; and for making a way for me. May I become more and more like You as the seconds and minutes tick past. I don’t want to waste any more time. Help me to stay focused on Your will and purpose. Father, Your will be done, on earth and in me, just as it is in Heaven. Amen and Ehmen.

A Bittersweet Love Story

As His son hung on the cross, bloodied by the hands of man and scoffed at by the evil and lost, God was certainly saddened in the moment—saddened by the state of His creation that brought everything down to this very moment. A moment perhaps best described as a necessary evil and one that would change the destiny of humankind forever; a new and jesus on crossfoolproof way for the very ones that were created in God’s own image to live forever in His Presence. It was and is the invitation of all invitations and it is extended to each and every one of us.

As one who has accepted that invitation, this Easter season finds my heart and mind naturally harkening back to the pivotal events that would forevermore open Heaven’s doorway to the likes of me and you; to sinners saved by grace and grace alone.

Yes, it was part of God’s plan that His Son would die on that cross so that we could live forever in His Presence. But, though it was always a part of His plan, doesn’t mean that it was easy. Jesus, though the Son of God, was fully a man, born to a human mother and into flesh and body just like you and me. He needed air and food just like us and he felt pain like us as well. And the cross undoubtedly created agonizing, horrific pain–pain which He in no way deserved, but humbly accepted out of pure love for us. Which one of us is not heartbroken that he had to endure such torture for us? But, at the same time, who could not be completely filled and overjoyed that he did it so that we could dwell in the presence of our Lord forever?

To me, it is indeed the epitome of a bittersweet love story; that right there in the middle of the cross where God’s heart hung in the balance, wrath and judgement met mercy and lost and found imageforgiveness and our invitation to dwell with Him forever was permanently engraved and then sealed with the blood of His one and only son and our sweet, sweet Savior.

Thank you, sweet Jesus. Thank you. May my life be a testament of my undying gratitude and may Your Glory shine through me until the day I, too, take my last breath on earth. Amen and Ehmen!