Tag Archives: Christ

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Is He Watching?

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Psalm 33:18 (NIV), “But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,”

Genesis 28:15 (NIV), “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

That is pretty comforting that our Heavenly Father is watching over us. Especially the part about “until I have done what I promised!” But, is He watching us all in the same way? He loved everyone. There is not one person exempt from His unfailing love. In fact nothing can separate us from His love. (Romans 8:31-39). However, according to verse 18 in Psalms, His eyes are on those who hope in His love. What does that mean? Though God loves everyone, He especially watches over His children (those who have given themselves to Him.) Then going a step further, He is looking for those who fear Him, who trust Him, and those who expect Him to “do all that He promised.”

God can work in the lives of those who are trusting in Him!

Verses 20-22 go on to say, “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.”

Notice it doesn’t say that we need to try and “make something happen.” It also does not say that our hope is in our own effort, or our job, or our family, our church, the government, or the lottery. Our hope is in Him! Nothing else can fulfill those promises that He made us. The bible is so full of promises, thousands, literally. Only He can perform them. Only He can finish what He has started.

Is it important to place our hope and trust in Him?

Psalms 33:20 in the KJV and also the NAS use the word “according” after love. His love is with us according to our hope and trust. Do you hope a little, trust even less? That’s how much His love is with us. Not because He loves us less, but because we won’t accept His love and blessings if we don’t trust Him. It’s not Him, it’s us that fails.

Finally, let’s look at the same scripture in the Amplified version.
“Let Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, in proportion to our waiting and hoping for You.”

That says it plain and simple.

He is watching over us! He so wants to bless us. His desire is for us to have an abundant life. For us to live out of His provision and not out of our own effort. Yes, we do have to work, and we should be diligent and honest in our labor, but don’t ever look at your own work as your source.
Trust Him! He is able.

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Don’t be a Fool

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Galatians 3:1-4 (NIV), “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?”

The Galatians had been let to Jesus by the Spirit of the Living God. They had accepted Jesus as crucified, their penalty paid. They had gloried in their new freedom from sin, begun a Church family, and behaved like all new believers. Then something terrible happened…

They went back to the confines of the law!

Paul calls them fools. Elsewhere in the scripture (Proverbs) it says, “A fool says in their heart that there is no God.” That sounds harsh, but let’s think about this for a minute. After having been set free from the law and sin, why would anyone want to go back? In my own experience it is because we believe the lie that God hasn’t done it, won’t do it, or can’t do it. Or even worse, the lie that says we don’t deserve it. So we try to manipulate, and work our way into His Grace. That is someone who doesn’t know God intimately. I’ve been there! I thought I knew Him, but when hit with something hard, I doubted and believed those lies. Of course He came through like He always did. It took me accepting what He had already done! How did I get to that point of acceptance? I allowed the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me into all truth. I listened to His voice and stop listening to the lie.

God isn’t withholding anything from us! That was the original lie that Satan told Adam and Eve in the Garden. After all this time, shouldn’t we recognize that lie for what it really is? I know God. Personally! I am in relationship with Him. Be guided by the Holy Spirit. Not by your flesh, not by your reasoning or intellect, and certainly not by any lie.

Don’t be a fool!

God loves you and He wants only good for you. He gave Jesus, why would he withhold anything else?

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Psalm 107

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We need God. Without Him we are a mess. Even with Him we can go down that slippery slope from time to time. When that happens, all we need to do is call out to Him. He is faithful to save. Sometimes we think we have tried His patience and we listen to the lies of the enemy. Satan tries to tell us that God won’t be there for us. That God is angry with us. One of the most common lies is that we got ourselves into the mess, what makes us think God will get us out?

God’s chosen people were messed up. They cried out to Him and He saved them. Then, surprise, surprise, they mess up again (and again, and again-get the picture?). Every time He patiently comes through for them. He’s a parent. Isn’t that what we do with our little ones? We set boundaries, they go past them, we administer a consequence, tell them we forgive them and love them, and they do it again the next day. We don’t give up, because we love them and have great expectations for their future. One of those expectations is that they will learn from their mistakes. That those times where they lose control, or act in rebellion will come fewer and farther between.

God has those same expectations for us!

Let’s take a look at Psalm 107. These verses clearly show our Father’s patience and love towards us.

Psalm 107:1-42 (AMP), “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has delivered from the hand of the adversary, And gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the [Red] Sea in the south. Some wandered in the wilderness in a solitary desert track; they found no city for habitation. Hungry and thirsty, they fainted; their lives were near to being extinguished. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. He led them forth by the straight and right way, that they might go to a city where they could establish their homes. Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with good. Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and in irons, Because they had rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High. Therefore He bowed down their hearts with hard labor; they stumbled and fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke apart the bonds that held them. Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men! For He has broken the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron apart. Some are fools [made ill] because of the way of their transgressions and are afflicted because of their iniquities. They loathe every kind of food, and they draw near to the gates of death. Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivers them out of their distresses. He sends forth His word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction. Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and rehearse His deeds with shouts of joy and singing! Some go down to the sea and travel over it in ships to do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord and His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises up the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. [Those aboard] mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the deeps; their courage melts away because of their plight. They reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at their wits’ end [all their wisdom has come to nothing]. Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He hushes the storm to a calm and to a gentle whisper, so that the waves of the sea are still. Then the men are glad because of the calm, and He brings them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people and praise Him in the company of the elders. He turns rivers into a wilderness, water springs into a thirsty ground, A fruitful land into a barren, salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it. He turns a wilderness into a pool of water and a dry ground into water springs; And there He makes the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation, And sow fields, and plant vineyards which yield fruits of increase. He blesses them also, so that they are multiplied greatly, and allows not their cattle to decrease. When they are diminished and bowed down through oppression, trouble, and sorrow, He pours contempt upon princes and causes them to wander in waste places where there is no road. Yet He raises the poor and needy from affliction and makes their families like a flock. The upright shall see it and be glad, but all iniquity shall shut its mouth.”

Does any of that sound familiar? Some wandered around alone and confused, hungry and thirsty. Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, because of their own rebellion. Others are fools and were made sick due to their own stupidity and bad choices. There are those that are on that roller coaster ride from Hell, ups and downs and at their witts end. Then there are the ones who are burdened with heavy oppression, trouble, and sorrow. Does it say that God leaves them there in their mess? No. He saves, delivers, and heals. He makes those desert places like garden. He calms those storms and allows us to be stable and at peace. God brings us out of darkness into the light of His Son. “Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works.”

The last verse in Psalm 107 says, “Whoso is wise [if there be any truly wise] will observe and heed these things; and they will diligently consider the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord.”

I want to be wise, don’t you?

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Never Forget, Always Trust

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Psalms 106:8-14 (AMP), “Our fathers in Egypt understood not nor appreciated Your miracles; they did not [earnestly] remember the multitude of Your mercies nor imprint Your loving-kindness [on their hearts], but they were rebellious and provoked the Lord at the sea, even at the Red Sea. Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake [to prove the righteousness of the divine character], that He might make His mighty power known. He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up; so He led them through the depths as through a pastureland. And He saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the [Egyptian] enemy. And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left. Then [Israel] believed His words [trusting in, relying on them]; they sang His praise. But they hastily forgot His works; they did not [earnestly] wait for His plans [to develop] regarding them, but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tempted and tried to restrain God [with their insistent desires] in the desert.”

David admits that his forefathers had a problem with forgetfulness. They forgot that God is a merciful God, that he is a loving Father, kind and fiercely protective. Yet God still saved them, so that others could see His power. God performed many wonderful things in the sight of those rebellious children, who tramped years longer than necessary, through the wilderness. But those children “hastily forgot His works.” They quickly lusted for what they didn’t have instead of being grateful for what they did.

They also had some trust issues. God in his patience would deliver them, and they would sing His praise and seemingly put their trust in Him, only to “restrain Him with their insistent desires”. They hindered the work He wanted to do for them. They hindered and fought against the plan He had laid. They wanted what they wanted instead of accepting what they needed from the One who knew the beginning from the end. These stiff-necked children tried to live according to the world’s system instead of listening and obeying God.

Psalms 106:34-39 (AMP), “They did not destroy the [heathen] nations as the Lord commanded them, But mingled themselves with the [idolatrous] nations and learned their ways and works and served their idols, which were a snare to them. Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with their blood. Thus were they defiled by their own works, and they played the harlot and practiced idolatry with their own deeds [of idolatrous rites].”

Now, before we get to judgmental, let’s take a look at our own lives. Do we really trust Him, let’s be honest, or do we try to “figure things out” on our own? Do we remember all He has already brought us through, or do we listen to the news, the doctor’s report, or look at that balance in our checking account? Are we thankful for where He is leading us and expecting to come out into a blessing, or are we looking back at the past thinking how much more fun things were, or what we think we are missing out on? Do we desire to live Godly, or do we look at the seeming ease of the world and whish that we could have things so “easy?” God hasn’t changed. The same desires that He had for those who were slaves in Egypt, are the exact ones He has for us. He wants us blessed, and He wants us to be a blessing!

We can only do that if we “lean not on our own understanding.” We know Him, know His plans for us, listen and obey. I know it sounds too simple, but really it is. We are the ones who make it hard. How can we ever lead anyone to Christ, build the Kingdom, if we are full of doubt and unbelief? If we can’t remember all the wonderful things He has done for us, how are we going to share our testimony? Do we share more problems than God’s providence? Are we steeped in worry and anxiety? That’s not how it should be! If we live the way those escaped slaves lived, with a slave mentality, we will never be who God has ordained us to be. He has set us free! We are no longer slaves, we are sons.

Trust Him. He is trustworthy. Period.

And NEVER forget His love for you. Ever.

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Under Construction

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So I always knew I was slightly technologically challenged, but I found out for sure when I tried to change my website to a new host! Thankfully several young helpers were able to talk me through parts and at some points just do the work for me. It was humbling.

Isn’t that the way it is?

First we have to admit that there is something better out there for us. Then we have to acknowledge that we can’t do it on our own, possibly don’t even know where to start. Finally, we surrender our pride and say, “HELP.”

The final outcome is better!

I John 3:2 (NIV), “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

PS: thanks for being patient while I worked out all the kinks in my website. I do now have my books available here and you can check out securely with paypal.

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My Whole Heart

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My Whole Heart

Deuteronomy 6:5 (KJB), “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”

God wants our whole heart. He won’t be satisfied with anything less. I used to read this verse and think to myself “how do I even do that?” Another issue I used to have is that if I gave my whole heart to God, what would be left for all the others that I love. In my immaturity I was thinking with my natural brain, and not seeing with my spiritual eyes.

First off let me say when we love God first, with all the love we have, our love is so multiplied that there is more than enough to go around for family and friends. In fact we will find ourselves loving strangers, enemies, and many others that the world deems as “unlovable.” As to how to love God with your whole heart, with all our soul (mind, will, and emotions), and all our strength, it is so simple that it can confuse our foolish minds. We have to start by giving God the rule of our lives. We can’t stay on the throne and think somehow we are giving Him all. It’s not by our belief in Him, or our faith. It is by simply allowing Christ to dwell in our hearts and live in us. We have to be truly submitted to His will and His way. There is no room for “self” in this kind of passionate abandon to Jesus.

Andrew Murray, in his book “The Kingdom of God is Within You,” puts it this way, “I do not ask. Are you believers? Are you sure that your sins are pardoned? Are you seeking to live a Christian life? But have you given your heart to Christ to possess, to rule, to renew, to dwelling all alone, to fill with the will of God? Have you given it away, out of your power into His? Your self-confidence, your self-contentment, your self-pleasing, your self-will, has it all been laid at Christ’s feet? So that He can cast it out, and fill the heart with Himself. If not, let nothing keep you back from giving what belongs to God, and what Christ came to win back for Him. Your heart was made for God.”

King David understood it. Even though he didn’t walk perfectly, he did not always do right, God called him a man after His own heart. David writes in Psalm 84:1 (NIV), “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” That is passion for Christ.

Do you have that passion?

Have you completely surrendered your heart?

Won’t you give Him all of your love? Allow Him to work in you and through you, as he did in David.

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In The Shadow of Your Wings Prayer

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Father,

You have called me in Your unfailing love. Keep me under the shadow of Your wings. Watch over me as I sleep. Let Your word illuminate my path, by day, do that I can clearly see every obstacle in the revealing light of Your truth. Open doors that no man can open and close doors that no man can shut. Anoint me to do Your will. Empower me to walk according to the plans and purposes You have for my life. Go before me as my shield. Follow behind as my rearguard. Wherever my feet tread today, give it to me as a portion of my inheritance. My desire is to bring Glory to You, Lord, in all I do this day.

Amen