tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55449637389693704512024-02-20T02:57:10.417-08:00Call To MeKathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.comBlogger201125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-80067577079783080542012-05-29T00:00:00.000-07:002012-05-29T00:00:14.795-07:00"For the time has arrived for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not respect or believe or obey the good news, the Gospel of God?" 1 Peter 4:17 AMP<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I love to write according to themes, or in links or repetition as it pertains to the Scripture or to the body of Christ and today is an example of that. Three types of Christians, three "C's".</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>CASUAL CHRISTIAN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Billy Graham said of this Christian that they have little or no influence for good upon others. The dictionary defines casual; without</b></span><b> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">definite or serious intention, tending to be indifferent to what is happening, unconcerned. This person is not surrendered to Christ, they believe in Him, they go to church regularly but there is no real personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, they do not truly know Him because they are indifferent to the Scripture and that is where we learn about Jesus. "Not everyone who calls out to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter." Matthew 7:21 NLT. The life that Christ calls us to is the opposite of casual it is intentional a complete surrender of your life with no turning back. O what an abundant life it is!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">CARNAL CHRISTIAN</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This Christian is in love with world and the things of the world. They confess the name of Jesus and deep inside of them they do desire a relationship with Him but the riches and pleasures of life in the world, keep them from bearing any mature fruit for the kingdom of God. (Luke 8:14) Their attempts to love God</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> and love the world makes them double minded unstable in both pursuits; "You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." James 4:4.</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>There is hope, turn from the world with all of its smoke and mirrors and surrender completely your life to Christ.</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Call upon Him today, and He will hear and answer you.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>CHARISMATIC CHRISTIAN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Charisma; from the Greek meaning a gift of grace, favor, spiritual gift. This Christian is full of the grace and the favor of God and their focus is centered on Jesus Christ, and pleasing Him is the desire of their heart! They have completely, without reservation surrendered their lives to Christ to do with as He wills. They are not sinless perfection, yet they do not practice sin. They know God's Word and deliberately seek to be obedient to it. They are full of love for God, filled and led by the Holy Spirit of God. They love the body of Christ and it shows in the way they relate to others. They know full well that all of this is made possible only through God! They know the truth of 2 Corinthians 3:4-5; "Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God."</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The lost in our world don't need Casual Christians, for they have nothing to give. The lost don't need Carnal Christians they look and sound just like them. The lost need an encounter with a Christian that can and will share the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A surrendered, spiritually gifted charismatic, full of and led by the Holy Spirit. Humble, because they know it is not them but Christ in them and they are free to live a life that will make a difference.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Charles Spurgeon a Victorian preacher who was against Liberal Theology said; "stir the fire in your heart, and get your own soul all aflame with love to Christ, or else you will not be likely to be greatly used in the winning of the souls of others."</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> Today is the day. Now is the time for you to decide which type of Christian do you desire to be?</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The choice is yours.</b></span></div>Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-47595245749881264672012-05-28T00:00:00.000-07:002012-05-28T00:00:06.881-07:00"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." Romans 12:2 NLT<a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Have you ever known anyone that was content with their life just as it is? Are you content with your life? Or are you content for a while until you see something better, faster, flashier? That is worldly thinking, greed, covetousness,</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>envy and jealousy are the manifestations of that type of thinking. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>There was a song many years ago entitled Is That All There Is?</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>It was a best seller and the chorus</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>was; Is that all there is, is that all there is? If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing. Let's break out the booze and have a ball. If that's all there is... Sad and haunting was the refrain and it was a best seller because it resonated with so many who had bought into the American dream, namely go to school, work hard, move up the corporate ladder and along the way acquire more and more</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>and you will be happy. Sounds great and many, many did just that, only to reach the top and find themselves saying, "Is that all there is?"</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Praise God that is not all there is! The truth is the exact opposite, happiness is not found in things, possessions, power and wealth. Those things are pleasurable for a season, but things are not the answer to the deep soul desires of mankind. God the Father is the God of Creation, He made every man, woman, and child that has ever drawn a breath and He alone knows what we hunger for and it is Him! We were created to have fellowship with God! Sin has separated us from God and He sent His Son into the world to pay the price for our sins by taking our place on the cross, taking all of the sins of the world upon Himself, He secured peace with God for all who would believe in Him. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>His name is Jesus Christ and He is Savior, Messiah, Lord, King of kings and Lord of lords and no one can come to the Father but through Him! For those who have put their trust in Him for salvation and eternal life, everything is brand new, Scripture says we are born again! Not like our first birth, this birth is spiritual, not by flesh but by the Holy Spirit! And as we grow by reading the Bible and spending time daily in prayer our minds are transformed and we look at everything completely different that we did in the past.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>And now we have a new song in our hearts and the refrain goes like this; 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. Once you surrender your life to Christ and seriously draw near to Him, intentionally meeting with Him you will know and possess what the world craves and would pay any thing for, but they can't be bought at any price...You will know and be loved by Jesus Christ, and you receive His forgiveness for your sins, His love, His peace, His joy, and His grace! And that my friends is everything there is!!</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Total contentment.</b></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Which song are you singing? Is that all there is or Turn your eyes upon Jesus, you do have a choice...</b></span></div>Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-54160976051074913162012-05-25T00:00:00.000-07:002012-05-25T00:00:11.962-07:00I will be back starting May 28th<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hi everyone, once again I had a problem with the router. At least I did until I prayed and asked the Lord to show me what to do to fix it, and He heard me and He helped me and I am now back up and running! God has shown me how to program the overhead garage door, my new heating/cooling system, and numerous technical things on the computer. I will praise Him and give Him the glory for as long as I live!! </div>
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The purpose behind this blog is to introduce people to Jesus Christ, to share the wonder of God's Word and encourage everyone who just happens to open this and read it. I love Him with all of my heart, mind and soul and I can't help but tell others about the wonders and the majesty of my Lord. </div>
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This is for Emily, you are a great encourager and I want to thank you for the sweet way the Lord uses you to encourage others, I know you do for I am one that you have encouraged more than once! Thank you so much! I don't want to post my email here but if you care to leave yours I will contact you. If you don't want to I understand. Keep using your gift of encouragement it is so needed in this day and time especially.</div>
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Thank God for all of our soldiers all over the world that are laying down their lives for us, and for their family members who are left behind waiting for their return. Father God minister to our soldiers, hold them close, protect them from evil Lord, encourage their hearts with Your love, grace and comfort and bring them home to their families. Watch over the families Lord, encourage the single Moms and Dads and help them bear their loads, put your angels with the children Lord and keep them safe until their family is all together once again.</div>Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-67118835621419363472012-05-17T00:00:00.000-07:002012-05-17T00:00:04.501-07:00"When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end. Because I am your God." Isaiah 43:2-3 MSG<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Today's Scripture title is the same one that was in the devotional journal that I am doing. The theme was when we find ourselves in situations where we are way in over our head we are not to despair because God has promised to always be with us. Yet today in my journaling it was greatly enhanced because of something that the Lord had shown me two days ago...</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In the women's weekly Bible study that I am in we are currently doing Thirty Discipleship Exercises, The pathway to Christian maturity put out by the Billy Graham Evangelistic association. The exercises are designed to get each participant deeply into the Scripture based on thirty topics that every believer needs to know if we are going to share our faith effectively and then disciple those who become believers. Each topic has at least six scriptures some more. It is all the Word of God, and I am loving it!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I journaled the following today; I thank You Lord for the over-my-head situations that I find myself in and consider each one a gift from you, because when I am weak, I am dependent on You! And when I am weak, You give me Your strength!</b></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Two days ago I was reviewing the homework assignment that we would be discussing in Bible study that night. I had circled the key words or phrases in a very familiar verse Romans 8:26; "In the same way, the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness, we do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." I circled Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness, and as I circled weakness the Spirit within me prompted me to go back and read that portion again. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Right here I want to say that I have never heard the audible voice of God, but having said that, I know His voice, I have been studying Scripture for years and I hear Him speak all the time in Scripture. Jesus said His sheep hear His voice, and I know that to be true.</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I didn't have to read very far before the word jumped off the page, the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses, never in our perceived STRENGTHS. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I say perceived strengths because those are the times that we serve the Lord and we don't discuss it with Him, we aren't depending on Him, in other words we don't need Him (we think) after all we have done it so many times before! When we do things in our own prideful strength and leave God out of it we will yield filthy rags. Flesh cannot do kingdom work. Maybe it isn't even service maybe its those days that we go about our business without giving God a thought, how arrogant we don't even know what a day holds and the One who does we don't even consult. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>God's plan for our lives, His agenda for our day, yes He does have one, will be way beyond anything that we would even dream of, it will be out of our comfort zone, He will never call us to do the things that we can accomplish without Him! He wants to break us forever from leaning on the arm of flesh. God will give us things to do that only He can do...when we humble ourselves before Him and surrender to Him all of our lives to do with what He has planned</b></span>, <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>He will do it through us!! That truth gets me very excited!!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Now I know what the Apostle Paul was talking about when he wrote; "Each time He said, <span style="color: #cc0000;">"My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness."</span> So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT.</b></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I used to despair when I would try and fail, all my attempts at good works seemed to fall flat, now I know that God's plan for all believer's is to fill them with Holy Spirit and He is the one who is at work in and through us to do the over the top things that He calls us to do!! And God gets all the glory!!!</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>And we are as amazed as anyone when He begins to do it in our lives!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20 NLT. </b></span></div>Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-21477123278301417432012-05-16T00:00:00.000-07:002012-05-16T00:00:07.276-07:00"Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers hands? Luke 10:36 NASB<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Many Christians today live their lives as the priest and the levite did in story of the good Samaritan. (Luke 10:30-37). We are loving and kind to those that are just like us, meaning they attend the same church we do, are in the same bible studies etc. But too often we cross to the other side of the road to keep from being put out or soiled by people in the world. We limit our giving to a check rather than hands on involvement.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>It isn't just the lost that we treat that way it can be other believers that attend a different denomination, or who worship differently, live differently, look differently, dress differently so we feel uncomfortable with what we don't understand and we end up avoiding them completely. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>That is not what the bible teaches, we are to love one another period! We are not to hold our faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. James 2:8-9 says; "If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors."</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Jesus ate and associated with tax collectors and sinners because they knew they were sinners in need of a Savior. Self righteousness will blind us to our need for help, and our sins! That attitude prevents us from reaching out to others that don't look or think like us. The Samaritans were despised by the Jews for their mixed gentile blood and different worship practices, yet the unlikely hero of the account in Luke 10 is a Samaritan.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The Samaritan saw the man who was robbed and beaten and rather than crossing the road and ignoring him, he had compassion on the man and responded to his need. He did as Jesus did, Jesus had compassion on the sick, the demon possessed, sinners, the poor and everywhere He went He healed, He cast out demons, He forgave sinners and fed the poor. He viewed every person, young and old, as someone who needed ministry, and He fulfilled their need. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>What needs do we pass by everyday, who do we interact with that needs ministry? Are we willing to be Jesus eyes, ears, hands and feet towards the neighbors we have? Lord Jesus open our eyes and ears to respond with the same love and mercy that You show to us every day. As we get beyond ourselves and our needs we begin to be aware of others and then life really gets exciting, it is amazing how meaningful our lives become when we reach out to the world in the love and name of Jesus Christ!</b></span></div>
<br />Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-4259218259042319632012-05-15T00:00:00.000-07:002012-05-15T00:00:05.591-07:00"So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded." 1 Thessalonians 5:6 NLT<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In the physical sense, when a person is sleeping he is not aware that he sleeps. Is that true in the spiritual sense as well? Could I be asleep spiritually as I type this, could you be sleeping spiritually as you read this? I believe the answers to both questions are yes. Physical sleep is good, God gave us sleep for rest and renewal. On the other hand spiritual sleep is most assuredly not good! Today's title Scripture contains a powerful admonition not to sleep like others do that do not know the Lord. The world knows nothing about the return of Christ but believers do and we are to be alert and awake, and about our Father's business.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>How do we check to determine if we are slumbering when we need to be watchful? Holy Spirit guide us into all truth and warn us about those areas within us where we need to be more alert, reveal to us if we are comatose and quicken our spirits to awaken us before it is too late. For our Lord is coming soon!!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>1. Do I have a daily quiet time with the Lord?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>2. Am I just going thru the motions or am I expecting to hear from Him?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>3. Do I humble myself daily and pray to be filled and led by the Holy Spirit?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>4. Do I still view my life as my own?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>5. Am I depending on the Lord to direct my steps according to His Word?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>6. Do I love Jesus more today than at any other time in my life?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>7. Do I obey His commands because that is how I show my love for Him?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>8. Is Jesus my favorite part of me?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>9. Does my life reflect Jesus heart for the lost of the world?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>10. When was the last time I shared the gospel with a nonbeliever?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>11. Is my faith growing?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>12. Do my prayers honor the Lord by the enormity of my requests?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>13. Do I tithe, do I give joyfully?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>14. Do I have unforgiveness in my heart towards anyone?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>15. Do I put the needs of others before my own needs?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>16. Am I growing in the wisdom and knowledge of Jesus Christ?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>17. Are my eyes open to the needs of others and do I give in response?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>18. Do I love the unlovely as Christ loved me in my unloveliness?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>19. Do I confess my sins daily so I can maintain fellowship with the Lord?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>20. Do others see Jesus in me, and give the glory to God?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Please don't feel condemned because God does not condemn you (Romans 8:1) we can thank the Lord for showing us those areas of our life that He desires to remove from us because they hinder our relationship with Him. He is giving us a wake up call, let us heed His voice and wake up, let us follow where He leads, let us nudge one another lovingly to wake up and follow Him. </b></span></div>
<br />Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-68188766769194165012012-05-14T00:00:00.000-07:002012-05-14T00:00:16.812-07:00"Why are you afraid? Mark 4:40<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>What is it that causes fear in our lives? Is it lack of faith? Maybe our fear is grounded in what we fill our minds with? Are you a news junkie? If you are then odds are you know fear. Madison Ave is expert in using fear as a motivation for buying everything from home security to pest control!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>If we are ignorant of God's Word we will always be trapped by fear, because the truth of Scripture sets us free from the lies that entrap us. One such lie is, if I am to be a good parent then I have to worry! Does that sound familiar? The alternative to living a life of fear, of anxiety attacks, is to know Scripture and apply it to our lives. This isn't mind over matter this is applying truth to our lives in this world that is blinded by lies.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>A Scripture that I know that has personally set people free from a life of worry and fear including me, is "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7. We must understand the truth before we can dispel the lie we have been living. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Christ expects us to be obedient to His commands. He also knows full well that we are prone to fear, and 'fear not' is found over and over everywhere in Scripture! Because we belong to Jesus Christ who is Sovereign over all is the one who loves us, He knows everything about us, He has promised to never ever fail us, He is with us when we go through scarey things and He alone fills us with peace when nothing makes sense in our lives. His grace and comfort is sufficient and He will work everything together for good in His time for His purposes. He has our back, He is for us and He will move heaven and earth on behalf of one of His children!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>How do we surrender it all by bowing our knees and crying out to our God, our ever present help in times of trouble, we lay everything that keeps us awake at night at His feet, turning it over to the only one that really has control over everything! Our children, our spouse, our jobs, our homes, our health, our money, everything is entrusted to Him. And now we go on about our lives, trusting Him to direct our steps and take care of all the things that concern us. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Fear Not! For God has redeemed you, He has called you by name and you are His. Fear Not! He will never fail you or forsake you and He will never leave you. Fear Not! Worry, fear and anxiety sap our strength and don't add one minute to our lives, they do great harm, trusting and turning over our lives to the One who created us, and He loves us with an everlasting love, trust in God changes everything!!</b></span></div>
<br />Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-22433930841942641932012-05-11T00:00:00.000-07:002012-05-11T00:00:13.909-07:00"How can you think of saying to your friend, "Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye," when you can't see past the log in your own eye." Matthew 7:4 NLT<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The Lord Jesus often used hyperbole in His teachings. Exaggeration gives greater understanding to the point that is being made and the question that is today's Title Scripture is arguably one of the most well known examples. We all in hearing and reading that Scripture immediately get a picture in our mind's eye and are convicted.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>If I am spending my time looking for specks in the life of another believer that is a sure and truthful indicator that I have logs in my own life! Why is it that we put others down falsely believing that it makes our own lives look better? Because that is one of Satan's arsenal of lies, if he can make us continually look for faults in others, we are rendered useless in the kingdom of God. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I love to inject the truth of Gods Word after exposing a dart of the father of lies!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand for the Lord is able to make him stand." Romans 14:4 NASB. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> "Therefore you have no excuse everyone of you who passes judgement, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things." Romans 2:1 NASB.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I am so very thankful that I have only one Judge and His name is Jesus! He is the only Judge that any believer should concern themselves with. The times in my life when I have judged another believer, without fail the Lord has revealed to me the same sin in my own life! Sometimes we are blind to our own sins but God in His faithfulness to us reveals them to us so we can repent and be forgiven.</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Beware the sin of pride, it is the root of all other sin and it will put blinders on our eyes!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The truth is I have my hands full and am kept quite busy monitoring my own walk with the Lord to have time left over to examine others for the specks in their lives! Don't kid yourself judging others is serious business to God, we know that by the sheer number of verses in Scripture that address the subject! </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Remember Miriam, Moses sister? She was judging Moses for who he married and complained that the Lord spoke through her too, not just Moses, she also had a huge problem with jealousy. And in the account these words leap off the page; "And the LORD heard it." Next thing you know Miriam was a leper and Moses prayed for her, how ironic and after seven days outside the camp, God healed her of the leprosy because of Moses prayer! You can read all about it in Numbers 12:1-16.</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>God hears every word we say, don't think He doesn't just because we aren't turned into lepers. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Miriam was put away from God's presence for her sin, and today in 2012 we too when we sin and don't confess it and repent from it we too are separated from God</b></span>! <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Jesus blood shed on the cross paid our sin debt in full, praise God!!! But we are to confess our sins to the Lord and receive His forgiveness to maintain our relationship with Him!! (See 1 John 1:9.) "Behold, the LORD's hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear." Isaiah 59:1-2 NASB.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit!" Psalm 32:1-2 NASB.</b></span></div>
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<br />Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-26926193161121019372012-05-10T00:00:00.000-07:002012-05-10T00:00:11.652-07:00"Which of the two did the will of his father?" Matthew 21:31 NASB<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Today's title Scripture</b></span> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>is from a parable that Jesus told about two sons and their father.</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>And because all Scripture is alive and all Scripture is written for our instruction no matter which generation we are in, we have much to learn about ourselves and the way we relate to God. It is never enough to just study the Scripture we must allow it to go to work within us and the way we do that is by applying it to our lives! So Scripture that was penned over two thousand years ago has as much application and relevance in 2012 as it did when Jesus first spoke it to the crowds so long ago in Israel! So today hear Jesus voice asking the question, <span style="color: #660000;">Which of the two did the will of his Father?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The Father approaches the first son and orders him to go work today in the vineyard. The son answered, I will not; but afterward he regretted his response and went to the vineyard. His first response was open rebellion against his father, he refused to obey him face to face. We don't really know how much time passed before he regretted his rebellion and turn in obedience to his father's command. The time is not as important as the disobedience itself.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Many of us mimic this son's actions, we too rebel against the orders from our heavenly Father. Interestingly enough, often our rebellion is refusal to share the gospel of Jesus Christ which is what is depicted by the vineyard or harvest field. We live our lives in open rebellion to the command to go be My witnesses. Why? The reasons are many; fear, inconvenience, ignorance of Scripture, deception, or pride, and rebellion, I'm just not going to do it! </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The Holy Spirit's work in the life of a believer will cause us to recognize our actions as sin and we have godly sorrow which leads us to repentance and confession of our sin. Our Father hears our prayer and forgives us. And we turn and obey the command. The time involved in this depends on the believer but if they are truly a child of God they will at some point repent of their actions. We must heed the Spirit's voice within us or risk our hearts being hardened. For; "It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Philippians 2:13.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The second son responded immediately, "I will, sir"; but he did not go to work in the vineyard. How many times do we respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to do this or do that with "I will" only to never follow thru. Or we start something but we don't finish it. Jesus quotes the Old Testament; "This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me." Matthew 15:8.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>When King David confessed his sins to his heavenly Father, he didn't make excuses, he said against You and You only have I sinned and done evil in Your sight. He also asked of the Father, create in me a clean heart and take not your Holy Spirit from me. (Psalm 51) We too need to pray for forgiveness and a clean heart. Not a patched up heart, a new, clean created heart, only God can do that!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>What about our commitments to fellow believers, does our word mean anything? Do people know if we say yes we will, that they can count on us? How important is our word of commitment to non believers? It is of utmost importance because if we are to represent our God well, as He is, so we should be to the world because that brings glory to the Father! </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Sometimes we get in trouble because we commit too easily, we say yes to a need before we ask the Lord to reveal to us if this is His will for us. Particularly in response to a need that is going to require a great deal of time and effort, if it is God's will He will provide everything you will need to fulfill that promise including giving you a real peace about saying yes. Many believers have said yes and find themselves trying to do things in their own power because God was not consulted and they realize too late that God is not in it.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"When you make a promise to God, don't delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to Him." Ecclesiastes 5:4 NLT. "...Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice...rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols..." 1 Samuel 15:22-23 NLT.</b><b> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> </b></span></div>Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-27756622080749843562012-05-09T00:00:00.000-07:002012-05-09T00:00:01.336-07:00"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">
<b>The Lord has been speaking to me for over a year on the importance of obedience. Jesus defines love as obedience! <span style="color: #660000;">"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."</span> John 14:15. And again, <span style="color: #660000;">"He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me..."</span> John 14:21. And again, <span style="color: #660000;">"If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."</span> John 15:10. Jesus defines love as obedience!</b></div>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Obedience brings revelation! I read this sentence in a devotional; If we strive to be completely obedient in the basics, the more complex assignments will become clear. Why would God reveal more of His Word when we are not walking in obedience to what He has already shown us? Why indeed. He who is faithful over a little will be entrusted with more. One of the most glorious promises in Scripture hinges on obedience. <span style="color: #660000;">"Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me. And because they love Me, My Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them."</span> John 14:21. Do you want to know Jesus more? Obey His commandments. Obedience brings revelation!</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Obedience requires humility!</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Our Lord Jesus modeled the way for all believers in regards to both, humility and obedience. "He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross." Philippians 2:7-8. Jesus humble obedience is what made it possible for all who believe in Him to have their sins forgiven and have peace with God. Obedience requires humility!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>God desires that we walk with Him, imagine that, and it requires humility and obedience, what a small price to pay for something that is priceless. </b></span></div>Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-33706952866339155832012-05-08T00:00:00.000-07:002012-05-08T00:00:00.147-07:00"Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Return to Me," declares the LORD of hosts, "that I may return to you," says the LORD of hosts." Zechariah 1:3 NASB<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>We each one are as close to God as we choose to be. Have you ever read a book that is just beautiful, they talk about the Lord like He was a friend? Or have you ever sat and listened to a message being preached and wondered how did they get that out of that? The ones that touch our hearts and our souls are the ones who have first spent hours, days and weeks in the presence of the Lord!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The reluctance or hesitation is always on our part, never on the Lord. His will is for close intimate fellowship with those who believe in Him. God came to the garden in the cool of the day to walk and fellowship with Adam, think of that!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>We who are born again are so because God chose us, we did not choose Him. He pursued us with His love and His kindness, He gave us a measure of faith to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we believed. He did it all we had very little to do with our salvation. We do however have everything to do with the relationship that God desires. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>For some their choice is to be complacent, content with salvation and church on Sunday. For others daily their priority is to meet with God in His Word and in prayer. They are not willing to settle, they want to love God and know Him as much as it is possible for the creature to love their Creator.</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>They hunger and thirst for that relationship. The choice is ours.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>God is always the one who initiates contact with us! He poured out His life's blood on our behalf, He loves us with a love that is over the top outrageous, He hears our prayers and answers them, He protects us, directs us, forgives us and disciplines us. He does abundantly more than what we can even comprehend, what more can He do to draw us to Him? He laid down His life for us and He desires that we totally surrender our lives to Him, so He can show us how to live life abundantly! So we can know His purpose for our lives!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>We each one are as close to God as we choose to be. One day we will behold our Savior face to face will we be gazing into the eyes of our closest, most cherished friend or will His face be someone we barely know? The choice is ours. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Can you hear His voice, He is calling you to come, come away with Him and fellowship with Him. When you hear His voice, don't look back, don't look around, nothing and no one can compare to Him!</b></span></div>
<br />Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-25641920657895061172012-05-07T01:00:00.000-07:002012-05-07T01:00:07.286-07:00The Word Retire Does Not Appear In Heaven's Lexicon!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>If you are reading this post then this applies to you. If you are a believer and still breathing that only means one thing the Lord's purpose for your life is not yet fulfilled. The word retire does not appear in Heaven's lexicon.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>This is for all you women that are no longer teenagers, perhaps your children are now in college or working and you are wondering what you are going to do with your life now? What does it all mean when we find ourselves with more free time that we have ever had, what are we to do?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Listen to the the beautiful promise given to all believers no matter their age. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." John 14:26. Did you catch that part about bring to your remembrance all the words of Christ? Wow! We have no excuse for sitting on the sidelines regarding kingdom work anymore. Now is our time, we are to show up, and speak up for the gospel of Jesus Christ!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the LORD, They will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and very green. To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him." Psalm 92: 12-15.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>PLANTED denotes a very deliberate action, everything about you God deliberately planned and gifted you to enable you to accomplish all that He has for you to do, to fulfill His purpose for your life.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>FLOURISH to grow vigorously, succeed, to be at the peak of development, activity, influence, production, to be in one's prime. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>YIELDING FRUIT Hallelujah! God's plan is always for His children to bear fruit for His glory and so prove that we are always and forever disciples of Christ. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>FULL OF SAP, VERY GREEN sap provides life and nutrients to the branches, we must be full of the Holy Spirit, full of God's Word, full of life to produce fruit for God. Very green, flexible, we are to be flexible to the leading of the Spirit, not rigid and set in our ways or the traditions of man.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>DECLARE THE LORD Open your mouth to speak life, encouragement, that which is good, praise worthy, speak praise, speak the gospel and win souls, speak truth, speak in agreement with God's Word, speak always with thanksgiving, speak prayers of true intercession on behalf of others.''</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Ladies our outward beauty may be fading, we may have a few wrinkles here and there, or perhaps we ache in a few places but that has nothing whatsoever to do with your worth to Jesus Christ! Our tongues can minister life to others, our hands are to bless others in service, prayer or other ministry. We are to mentor the younger women. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Our beauty comes thru when others experience Jesus love for them...thru us.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Our eyes shine not from eye shadow or eye liner but rather from the reflected light of Christs' glory and grace.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Our lips are full not due to Botox, but because of the constant praises to our God.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Our fashion statement is not off the rack where anyone can purchase the same thing. We are not of this world, We are to desire only our Divine Designer's originals, no knock offs are available because try as he might Satan can never duplicate them! These Divine Designer's originals are white as snow because we are clothed in righteousness and covered with the fruit of the Spirit that brings glory to God.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>And our glow does not come from a tanning bed, and our glow does not fade for it comes from spending time alone with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Ladies that is a true glow!! Ladies, lets strive to be aglow with the Spirit!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Ladies remind one another that we are deliberately planted, we are still alive, we need to be about our Father's business while it is still day. Let us encourage one another to flourish and bear fruit. Ladies let us pray for one another that we might grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our LORD, let us pray that He will set our hearts on fire with love for Him!</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Ladies, let's pray!</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-2762599159633372982012-05-04T00:00:00.000-07:002012-05-04T00:00:07.735-07:00Staying Faithful and Fruitful in the Dark, Quiet Times<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In the life of every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ there are trials, testings, disciplines and yes even persecution. "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." 2 Timothy 3:12 I know what you're thinking, but please don't stop reading, when we are in Christ and He is in us everything works for our good!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>GOD IS WITH US EVEN IN THE SILENCE, EVEN IN THE DARKNESS</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"For You are my lamp O LORD, and the LORD illumines my darkness." 2 Samuel 22:29 NASB.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"If I say, 'Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night, even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day, darkness and light are alike to You." Psalm 139:11-12 NASB.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>GOD HAS A PURPOSE FOR EVERY TRIAL</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Don't allow the enemy, Satan to lie to you, he wants to separate you from God and his lies will include if God loved you, you wouldn't be going through this.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Don't assume that you are out of God's will and this is some kind of punishment. Just look at the Bible and you will see that those who were closest to God, walking in obedience to His revealed will for their lives suffered in many ways.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Joseph experienced trials daily for over 15 years waiting for the promise of God that was revealed to him twice in dreams. Read Genesis 37: 5-11.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>God was at work in Joseph in those 15 years, Scripture tells us over and over that God was with him. God was taking a young, arguably, spoiled teenager and preparing him for the purpose He had for Joseph, namely to be second in line after Pharaoh over all the land of Egypt. God who is all knowing knew that a famine was coming that could destroy the Egyptians, to say nothing of God's own people.</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Joseph was the instrument that God used to salvage His people, to keep them alive during this famine! Big works, require big preparation!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>WHEN WE HONOR THE LORD IN THE SILENCE, WHEN WE ARE OBEDIENT IN THE TRIALS, WHEN WE CHOOSE TO TRUST HIM, HE WILL PRODUCE ABUNDANT FRUIT IN OUR LIVES, RESULTING IN GLORY TO HIM.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Joseph learned total dependence on God in his trials.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>He learned that when God is with us no matter what we are going through He will use it for good. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>He learned obedience to God will ultimately bring God's favor.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>He learned forgiveness towards his brothers because he knew that what they intended for evil, God had orchestrated it all to do good.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>He knew the Sovereignty of God in his life because of what he experienced.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Joseph kept his focus on God; in the well, in slavery, in Potiphar's house, in prison, in the courts of Pharaoh, in his reunion with his brothers that wanted him dead, and even when he had great power, wealth and fame! </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>EVEN IN THE DARKNESS OR SILENCE, WE ARE WALKING TOWARD THE LIGHT. TRUST IN THE LORD STAY FOCUSED ON HIM AND HE WILL SEE YOU THOUGH.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6 NASB.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>JESUS TELLS US THAT WE WILL LEARN LESSONS IN THE DARKNESS. HE WILL SPEAK TO US AND WHAT HE SPEAKS WE ARE TO SHARE.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">"What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops."</span> Matthew 10:27 NASB.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>REMEMBER GOD HIMSELF IS IN THE DARKNESS AND WHEN WE CRY OUT TO HIM, HE HEARS AND HE ACTS ON OUR BEHALF.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears. He bowed the heavens also, and came down with thick darkness under His feet. He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me." Psalm 18: 6,9,11, 16-17 NASB. </b></span></div>
<br />Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-31984133888341807942012-05-03T00:00:00.000-07:002012-05-03T00:00:10.852-07:00All Scripture Is Both Milk And Meat, What You Get Out Of It Depends On How Hungry You Are!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Today's title came to me at the end of a small group, verse by verse Bible study that I belong to. We meet every week and today the question came up, are there times that the Bible just seems dry? The group consensus was that yes there are. What do we do in those times? Do we just quit for awhile or do we faithfully continue on in prayer and reading the Word? </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I shared that one time I was struggling in the Word, it just wasn't speaking to me and I didn't feel the presence of the Lord. I couldn't think of any sin that was causing this sense of separation so I called my pastor. He reassured me that there are times in our lives when the Lord takes away the sense of His presence, He is still with us but He is testing us to see if we will remain faithful even in the dry seasons. There is an example of this in scripture regarding King Hezekiah, <u>it says that God left him alone only to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart. </u>2 Chronicles 32:31 NASB.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>We know from Scripture that God never leaves His children, so if we feel alone we can rest in the truth that God is working within us, He orchestrated this dry time and most important of all He has a purpose for everything He does with a believer in Christ, not the least of which is He is testing us, revealing our hearts to Him. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Waiting on the Lord is perhaps one of the most difficult things a believer does, but waiting is not that we are fruitless, mindless and motionless. God forbid! We are trusting in our Father, we are continuing to do what we know we are supposed to do, namely daily quiet time with Him. But even more it is that soulful, quiet, earnest expectation that when God has finished the particular work within us we will be changed and we will be stronger and most important of all we will know Jesus in a way that we never have before, for He will reveal Himself to us. "Wait and hope for and expect the LORD; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the LORD." Psalm 27:14 AMP.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The Psalms are so beautiful, so comforting, the psalmist many times gives words to the hurts that are deep within us, a psalm will give us a voice when we don't know what to say. The Psalms encourage and facilitate our worship of the Lord, the Psalms provide the pathway to repentance for the prodigal sinner, the Psalms provide the strong refuge we need when we feel alone or afraid, The Psalms introduce us to our Lord the Shepherd, to our Mighty Fortress, and to our Almighty dwelling place! When you feel you have lost the song within you, sing the Psalms! "I set Your instructions to music and sing them as I walk this pilgrim way." Psalm 119:54 MSG.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The greatest gift you will ever give yourself is to become a student of the Word of God. The Bible has been described as God's love letter to a lost and dying world! The Word is everything to me, it is my insight into my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it is my rock, my compass, my guiding star, it is my light, and the delight of my life! The more God reveals to me in His Word, the more I realize that I have yet to learn, what other book can ever cause you to say that? None! For there never has been nor will there ever be another book like the Bible.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"God means what He says. What He says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word. We can't get away from it, no matter what." Hebrews 4:12-13 MSG</b></span></div>
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<br />Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-23062366257202218642012-05-02T00:00:00.000-07:002012-05-02T00:00:07.428-07:00"God said to Solomon, Because your greatest desire is to help your people, and you did not ask for wealth, riches, fame, or even the death of your enemies or a long life, but rather you asked for wisdom and knowledge to properly govern My people. I will certainly give you the wisdom and knowledge you requested. But I will also give you wealth, riches, and fame..." 2 Chronicles 1:11-12 NLT<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>When I read the account from today's Title Scripture</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>it makes me wonder what I would ask for if God appeared to me and said, "What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!" Over the years of my life that answer would change frequently. What would you ask for from God? </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In my quiet time over the past seven years I have added a devotional journal to time spent in the Word and in prayer. I have journaled; My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers,</b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> three times, </b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> Streams in the Desert, Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby,</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, Knowing God by Packer, and The Daily Light by Anne Graham Lotz.</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>And over all these years a very dear friend of mine is journaling the same studies and we share with one another what we have written as a way of holding ourselves accountable. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I highly recommend journaling, there is something about writing down what you see that the Lord has shown you in His Word or in the devotionals that gets the words down deep inside of you.</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I am a strong proponent of rephrasing a scripture to gain insight into the meaning. And journaling does that</b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> for me</b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> .</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>This year we are using the devotional journal, Alone in God's Presence. Today's devotional was all about prayer. I journaled about the Bible study group that I have been involved with nine and a half years. Prayer is a big part of our group, it is who we are. When you join it is with the understanding that you will lift up the group everyday in prayer. Each week we write down our prayer requests and every person gets their own copy before they leave. I have noticed many changes in myself and others over the years as a direct result of the prayers and the praises. We open each week with giving praises to God for the answers to prayers we have received.</b></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>We have noticed four major things as a direct result of prayer and praises. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>(1) Our faith is increasing and how could it not, when week after week, month after month, and year after year you pray and see and hear and talk about all the great answers to pray we have experienced! We are praying with expectation now and that changes everything! Psalm 5:3 "In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch." </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> (2) In the beginning there were requests that were not so much prayers as they were demands, at least that is what some of them sounded like, ask God for this and then dictate to Him how you want it done! I'm happy to say that didn't last long.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>(3) The prayers were less and less about me and mine and more and more they have evolved into intercessory prayers. At times we will agree to pray scripture over the group for a set period of time. One of the sections of Scripture that we have used over and over is Colossians 1:9-11; "We have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. So that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience." Once you begin to incorporate Scripture into your prayers, you pray with all boldness!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>(4) The number one change in the prayer requests is the number one request that is written, namely prayer for salvation with a first name. I only wish that I had kept track of how many times God took names off of our lists for salvation by saving their souls! </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>It's funny the closer that you get to Him the things that you once thought you wanted don't even interest you any more. If God appeared to me and said He would do whatever I asked, I wouldn't hesitate, I would ask for the souls of my children, their spouses, my grandchildren, my great grandchildren, my brother, his wife and all their extended family. I would ask that they each would know Jesus Christ personally, that they would walk in sweet fellowship with Him and they would fulfill God's purpose for their lives, bearing much fruit for His glory and have eternal life with Christ.</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>That is my prayer and it will not change.</b></span></div>
<br />Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-992175677003050562012-05-01T00:00:00.000-07:002012-05-01T00:00:04.346-07:00"But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of His divine being. So nobody has a good excuse." Romans 1: 19-20 MSG<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Here are the next three verses that follow today's title verse; "What happened was this: people knew God perfectly well, but when they didn't treat Him like God, refusing to worship Him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in His hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand." Romans 1:21-23 MSG.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wow! When we choose to neglect God even though He is clearly seen thru His creation, we not only are confused about God but about ourselves as His fearfully and wonderfully made people. No wonder life is so cheap in so many nations around the world. They have exchanged worship of the Living God for cheap, worthless idols. And all will stand condemned at the judgement seat of Christ because He has made Himself clearly seen in creation and yet many have exchanged the truth of God for hellish lies.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why do you think people lay on the ground in the mountains, eyes transfixed on millions of glittering stars? Genesis 1:16-17.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Beachfront property is out of reach for all but the wealthy, the reason being they want to behold the beauty of the ocean and its waves at high tide. They want to listen to the waves breaking on the shore, to smell the salty air and to see the marine layer in the morning. God made it all He even commanded the proud waves, read all about it in Job 38:8-11. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Oswald Chambers wrote; The call of God is like the call of the sea, no one hears it except the person who has the nature of the sea in him. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Since the beginning of time people all over the world climb to great heights literally just to behold the dawn. People pull over on a freeway just to gaze at a red sunset. Why? Why do people go to museums, to stand for hours looking at brushstrokes in a painting by their favorite artist? They are well aware they are gazing at a work of man. How much more can we behold nature and not admit even to yourself, this is NOT the work of man! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I think of the dawn as God's opening act on another day that He has given to us to live and enjoy. And the sunset? Well in my spirit it is God's curtain call that signals the people of the earth to sing His praises and clap our hands in worship! Job 38:12-13.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I love thunderstorms particularly in the mountains, the rolling thunder is like the sound of God's voice. Job 40:9. Man's firework displays are beautiful but they are no match for God's electrical storms that split the darkness of the clouds with a light brighter than any we will ever see on earth. Did you know that God sends forth the lightning and it says back to Him, "here we are?" Job 38:35.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">What part of nature takes your breath away? What in all creation makes you feel very small indeed? What draws you to try and describe it through painting, or sculpting or writing or song? Whatever it is, don't fall into the lie of worshiping the creation! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Many peoples have and still are making gods for themselves out of the wonders of creation. They are exchanging the truth of God the Creator of all things for a lie, a deception, a very dark black hole from which they is no escape but One. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, confess Him alone as Lord, believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead and you will be saved!! Romans 10:9-10.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Now go enjoy your day that God has given you and don't forget to show your appreciation by praise and applause at His curtain call of a sunset tonight!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></div>Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-16385999148612431862012-04-30T00:00:00.000-07:002012-04-30T04:05:04.533-07:00GOD'S FRESCO Part Two<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Divine Fresco; a work commissioned by the will of God the Father, paid for by the blood of Jesus </b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Christ </b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>and wrought by the power of the Holy Spirit.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The heavenly host witnessed in hushed silence as God created the heavens and the earth. Now they sing praises, as they behold the colors of the fresco. Human eye truly has never seen the magnificent colors that God is using on this work, after all things on earth are just shadows of the heavenly. This divine fresco is alive, for it is comprised of living spiritual beings, it absolutely pulsates with the power of the Holy Spirit.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The Holy Spirit is the Giver of spiritual gifts, He determines where each believer is placed in Kingdom work. There is nothing haphazard about this work, so detailed is His work that even the very steps are planned for each believer individually! What is the depth of God's indescribable love for the world? To measure that you would have to know how wide and deep was the blood of His beloved Son that was poured out on that little hill outside Jerusalem. The answer is incomprehensible, unfathomable to our finite minds.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>God is intimately acquainted with every aspect of our lives and His eyes are always upon us. He may break us but He will never bruise us, He takes our smoldering wicks and breathes life, zeal and fire into our tired bodies. He may withdraw the awareness of His presence but know He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He began the good work in us when we were born again and He will finish what He started in us! Wonder of wonders He never stops loving us for it pleases Him to do so.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Therefore comfort one another, encourage one another, build one another up, exhort one another and above all, love one another even as God has loved us. We must love Him and place Him above all other loyalties in our lives, love Him with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength! May our personal relationship with Jesus Christ usurp every other demand on our heart, our mind, our time and our money. Absolutely nothing and no one is more important in our life than our relationship with Christ! </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>This divine fresco will soon be finished and we as believer's in Christ are all an intricate, vital part of it. The time is short and the image is clearer now than ever before. By now I'm sure you know, you've figured it out, God's ordained fresco could only be one thing; the image of His beloved Son, our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ! This has always been God's plan for us, it has never changed. "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son..." Romans 8:29. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>All of us together in unity are being changed into Christ's image, one believer at a time. We must be about our Father's business, by working in His harvest fields, reaping souls by witnessing to the gospel of Jesus Christ. God alone knows exactly where each new soul that is saved will be placed in His fresco. Our part is to gather as many souls as we can before night comes when no one can work. And no one but God knows when that is. May we labor shoulder to shoulder to bring every lost soul in before it is too late.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> </b></span></div>Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-8576880904746719882012-04-27T00:00:00.000-07:002012-04-27T04:04:00.267-07:00GOD'S FRESCO Part One<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><b>Fresco; the art of painting with water colors on plaster. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Divine Fresco; a work commissioned by the will of the Father, paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ and wrought by the power of the Holy Spirit</b></span>.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>It is a glorious day in the third heaven as the angels go through their daily shift change. They meet with their counterparts to discuss the latest happenings of their charges. Their charges are the "called" of God, these are the born again sons and daughters of God who have put their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation and have been sealed by the Holy Spirit. These believers are the delight of the Lord. Yet many times the angels wonder with absolute astonishment at how often their charges display worry, fear and doubt! Don't they understand that their Father is the Creator of the entire universe? Don't the realize that He is Sovereign, nothing is outside of</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>His control? But the angels know their place and they know better than to criticize or condemn God's kids.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The returning angels ask where the Father is because He isn't in the throne room.</b><b> Gabriel the outspoken angel spoke up and said; "He is where His heart is of course, He is working on His fresco. The time is drawing near and there is much work remaining to be done." The angels are filled with awe as they watch God at work, lovingly, intimately, individually with each believer. The angels wonder to themselves if the believers have any understanding of their worth in God's eyes? Probably not because human eyes cannot detect the blood of Jesus Christ that covers each and every one of them. The host of heaven are filled with reverence and wonder at the over-flowing love of God for these vessels of clay and they rejoice at the top of their voices every time God's grace is met by faith and another sinner is saved!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>God alone knows the day the Fresco will be completed. God alone, knows who will come together to form the left eye, God alone knows all those He determined before the foundation of the world to become the right hand. Only the wisdom of God knows the millions upon millions of souls redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ that will comprise the finished masterpiece. Just as in the beginning...God spoke the heaven and earth and Jesus, the Word of God, brought them into existence and the Holy Spirit moved on the face of the waters, all Three working together, so too all of the Trinity is at work to bring about the sanctification, the unity, the transformation and the agape love required to complete the Fresco. It truly is just as Scripture says; "For it is God who is at work in us both to will and to work for His good pleasure."</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Philippians 2:13 NASB.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Part two, the conclusion, of God's Fresco will be posted Monday the 30th.</b></span></div>Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-72905093584782425982012-04-26T00:00:00.000-07:002012-04-26T04:00:39.056-07:00"With all my heart I will praise You, O LORD my God. I will give glory to Your name forever." Psalm 86:12 NLT<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>O LORD You are glorified;</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In every act prompted by faith, for without faith it is impossible to please You.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In a child of Yours that stands their ground against evil, for You came to destroy the works of the enemy. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In every good act prompted by love, for You alone are good.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In every child of Yours who seeks You in Your Word, for that is where You reveal Yourself to us.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In every child who shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for You commanded us to go and be Your witnesses.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In the life of every child who fulfills their God given purpose, for apart from You we can do nothing.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>With every Word of Yours that comes out of the mouth of a believer, for You watch over Your Word to perform it. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>O LORD You are glorified;</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In the heart of every soldier of Yours, because the battle is Yours.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>When we forgive one another, for You forgave us of all of our sins.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In all of creation, the universe, for You spoke them into existence.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>By the cry of every newborn baby, for You alone give life.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In the sunrise and sunset, for You command both.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>By our every act of obedience to You, for You receive obedience as love.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In our prayers, for You are the God who hears our prayers and answers them.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>O LORD You are glorified;</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>By our spiritual worship, for You abide in the praises of Your people.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In every act of selflessness, for that is Your will.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>By every bowed knee and prostrate child of Yours, for You dwell with the humble.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In every sinner who is born again, for You are not willing that any should perish.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>By our tears of true repentance, for You orchestrate godly sorrow.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In praise and thanksgiving, for You alone are worthy to be praised.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>By the extended hand given to the poor or lowly, for You left the glory of Heaven to tabernacle with Your lost sinful creation.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In the innocent laughter of a child, for You alone give true joy. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>O LORD You are glorified;</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In our total surrender to You and Your will for our lives. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>When a believer says, Here am I! Send me Lord!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>When we say; Any time, Any where, Any cost and mean it with all our hearts.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Every time we say Jesus Christ is Lord! </b><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>When believers dwell together in unity, each one counting the other as more important.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>When we love You with all of our heart, all of our mind, all of our strength and all of our soul.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>When we love one another in the body of Christ. And pray and witness to the lost. </b><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> </b></span>Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-10427054654994935042012-04-25T05:11:00.002-07:002012-04-25T05:11:42.403-07:00An Intentional Life<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>If you were to assess your life right now would the word intentional come to mind? How about purposeful? Or does haphazard apply? Or even drifting, carried along day in and day out like a leaf in the wind or a piece of driftwood in the ocean or does a tumbleweed in the desert best depict your life?</b></span> </div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Several years ago Covey wrote a best seller called Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The premise being if you applied these seven habits you too could be highly effective in your life.</span></b> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>There is another book that was written two thousand years ago that contains everything you will ever need to know about living an intentional life, a life that has purpose, a life that has true meaning, a life that counts for something. The Author of the book knows a thing or two about living intentionally, purposefully, because He is the author, the Creator of all things, He gives life, and knowing Him and living your life according to Him results in abundant living.</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The book of course is the Bible.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>There is a plan, a purpose for everyone who has ever lived. That includes you! Jeremiah 29:11-12 says; "For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you." The prophet Jeremiah lived an intentional life, God's plan for Jeremiah was to be a prophet to God's people Israel. "Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:4-5</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>God created you, gave you life, numbered your days (Psalm 139:16) and He has a plan for you that is like no other. That is why there is only one of you, you are unique and special to God.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Jesus came to earth by the will of God and though Jesus is God, He came to die in our place for the sins of the whole world so that all who believe would never perish but have everlasting life. Shortly before the cross Jesus prayed for His disciples and for everyone who ever would believe in His name through out time. Listen to the statement Jesus makes to His heavenly Father; "I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do." John 17:4. On the cross Jesus words say it all; "He said, It is finished! And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit." John 19:30. Jesus Christ is the epitome of a life lived intentionally! Note; when we live our life according to the will of God and the plan He has for us, we too can bring glory to God! </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>God created you and gave you talents and abilities that fit what He has called you to do. We are provided examples of this in the book of Exodus. "You shall speak to all the skillful persons whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom that they may make..." Exodus 28:3. "I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship. And in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill." Exodus 31:3,6</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>God is sovereign over all things that includes your life and mine, we see examples of that in Exodus 35:21 "Everyone whose, heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit moved him came and brought the LORD's contribution." God directs us and places within our hearts the desire to do a certain thing, He has a plan and a purpose for you and that purpose will never change. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>So if you have been living your life like driftwood or a leaf or a tumbleweed, don't despair go to the Lord and talk to Him, seek Him and you will find Him and He will pour out His love to you and reveal Himself to you. And He will stir within your heart the purpose He has for you, and He will enable you to do it.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> </b></span></div>Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-68133300661450543572012-04-24T00:00:00.000-07:002012-04-24T04:04:00.611-07:00"These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did." 1 Corinthians 10:6 NLT<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Scripture is full of warnings for God's people, God always lets us know the blessings and peace that will come if we keep Him as the number one priority in our lives, and He warns us of the trouble that will come to us if we pursue evil rather than godliness. Scripture also says that sin is pleasurable for a season, once you are born again sin becomes less and less pleasurable until you reach the point that David reached when he said he hated sin as God did. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Sin was what necessitated Jesus on the cross, the sins of the whole world upon Him. Sin separates us from</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>God, sin can be forgiven but we live with the consequences of our willful sinning. And many times so do the ones around us. Romans 6:8, 11-12, 14; "Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace."</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>What are the evil things that the children of Israel did in the desert that God uses them as an example of the things we are to avoid at all costs?</b></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Idolatry</b></span></u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>any person, or material thing, that gets our time, money, attention or love</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>over God</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>In our country we have hundreds of thousands of idols; ourselves, fame, wealth, prestige, our homes, cars, boats, pleasure, sex, athletes, singers, movie stars, fashion, careers etc. You can add others I'm sure. 1 John 5:21; "Little children, guard yourselves from idols."</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u>Immorality</u> inclined to lustfulness, lewd</b></span>, <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>lascivious photographs, pornography</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The great nations of the past, like the Roman empire were not conquered by another nation, they imploded from the immorality within. The same could be said about Greece, Persia and other great empires. Immorality is a direct attack on the family, life no longer has dignity, morality is laughed at, marriage between a man and woman is mocked, life is cheap, so is abortion, and when these things become the norm in a country could implosion be far behind?</b></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Trying the Lord </b></span></u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>mocking God thru our actions, our disobedience, our rebellion against Him and His Word</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Jesus says we love Him by our obedience to His commands (John 14:15) then what does our disobedience to Him say to Him? Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23) Dare we mock God when Jesus said we are not to try or test God? (Matthew 4:7)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u>Grumble</u> to murmur or mutter in discontent, complain sullenly</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>This may look innocuous as compared with the other three, yet this may be the most insidious of all! Jesus said in Matthew 12:34; "For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart." Words can and do hurt, consider the victims of bullying who have chosen death over one more day of hate and torment through the mouths of bullies. Our grumbling, complaining, murmuring is grieving the heart of God, He has given us everything we need to live our lives abundantly, in Him! What we are really saying with our grumbling is I know what all You have done Lord, but its just not good enough...God forgive us!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"These are all warning markers, danger! In our history books, written down so that we don't repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel, they at the beginning, we at the end, and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence." 1 Corinthians 10:11-12 MSG</b></span></div>
<br />Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-43122537338115768472012-04-23T00:00:00.000-07:002012-04-23T03:48:52.025-07:00"The fruit of the uncompromisingly righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise captures human lives for God, as a fisher of men-he gathers and receives them for eternity." Proverbs 11:30 AMP<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I'm sure that most of you have heard the joke about you've never seen a U Haul behind a hearse</b></span>, <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>referring to the truth that we cannot take anything with us after we die. For those who have placed there trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, they have confessed Him as Lord and believe in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead, they never die, they just leave this earth and their fleshly body behind and go to be with the Lord in Heaven forever. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>And for those believers you cannot take possessions or wealth with you true enough, but you can take souls with you! Oh what glorious reunions there will be in heaven for those who became fishers of men on earth and lived their lives in God's harvest field here on earth! Those who win souls are those who are employed by God in His Kingdom Work.</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life." John 4:36 NLT. God says His fields are white for harvest, won't you come be a harvester?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I am so thankful that our responsibility is to carry the Good News of Jesus Christ, a.k.a., the Gospel to those around us that are unsaved. We cannot save them, that is the work of the Holy Spirit of God, we don't cause them to grow, God causes the growth, all we have to do is share the Gospel, the Word of God, and the Word does the work, we are blessed to be able to share the greatest news this universe has ever or will ever hear! </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Our sins have separated us from Holy God, and we cannot get to Him with good works, or morality, or religion, so Jesus came down to us on earth, in the flesh, incarnate, God/man and lived here without sin and He chose to die in our place to pay the sin debt we owed so that we could have peace with God, forgiveness of sins and spend eternity with Him!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>If you are born again, sins forgiven, a child of God not by the will of man but by the will of God and you died right this second as you are reading this sentence.....how many souls will be in heaven because you were faithful to share the gospel with; those at work, to those in your own family, to the kids dance teacher, or their teacher at school, to the person who picks up your trash or cuts your hair or does your nails, or the person on the commuter train, or the person who is serving you a meal or the cashier where you buy your groceries? How many souls will be in heaven because you cared enough about them to share the gospel?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>This morning in church one of our college interns gave his testimony, and wow was it ever powerful! I thanked God and gave Him glory for this young man and the way God's light shined thru him. He shared many things but one thing he shared I wrote down as soon as I heard it because it is so applicable to the Bible study course we are doing and it is the topic of this blog. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>He said; "There are only two things that are eternal on this earth, God's Word and the souls of men." It has been given to us as believers by Jesus Christ Himself to be His witnesses. Our responsibility is to take God's Word and connect it to the souls of men in our sphere of influence, so that they might be saved and have eternal life with Christ. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Are there souls in heaven right now because of you? When you get to heaven will any come after you because you faithfully carried the Good News to them?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Can you imagine in your minds eye what that will be like to see one another in heaven? Oh the rejoicing there will be!!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Who shared Jesus with you? Who cared enough about you to lead you to Christ? Thank God for them right now.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Galatians 1:24 says; "And they were glorifying God because of me." Is anyone glorifying God because of you....?</b></span></div>Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-57191568586009837052012-04-20T00:00:00.000-07:002012-04-20T04:03:41.480-07:00"In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." Romans 8:26 NASB<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Today's title Scripture says it right out; We do not know how to pray as we should, therefore we are assured that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and not only the Holy Spirit but Jesus Himself makes intercession for those who draw near to God thru Him. (Hebrews 7:25) How encouraging is that, Jesus and the Holy Spirit help believers in prayer because most of us just aren't very good at it!</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>There are many reasons why our prayers fall short; Scripture teaches us to pray, it gives us examples, it supplies us with intercessory prayers. But if we don't know Scripture, we really struggle. Often we don't have our prayers answered the way we wanted because we were asking with wrong motives. Many of our prayers are answered with no not because God does not want us to be happy, far from it He says no to things that will bring us harm. Remember God is all knowing and you and I are not. But know this, God wants the very best for His children so yes or no we can thank Him for His answers.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>On one occasion a leper came and knelt before Jesus and said, Lord if You are willing You can make me clean. Watch what Jesus did; He stretched out His hand and <i>touched </i>the leper and said I am willing, be cleansed. Jesus spoke healing to various individuals all the time without touching them, why then did He touch the leper? Jesus saw the lepers heart. He knew what the leper needed most was for Jesus to physically <i>touch </i>him! But the leper either didn't know the need or was embarrassed to ask, so Jesus met his deepest need and then cleansed him from leprosy. How many needs does Jesus meet in our lives, that we aren't even aware of? (Matthew 8:2-3)</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Shortly before Jesus was arrested He was talking to Peter, when Peter made his bold confession that he would die for Jesus, to which Jesus replied before the cock crows you will deny even knowing me three times. But then Jesus reassured His disciple by telling him, but I have prayed for you Peter, that your <i>faith may not fail.</i> You would think that Jesus would have prayed for Peter not to sin by denying Jesus, not once but three times. No that was not what Peter needed, his denial would humble Peter, he would feel horrible about himself, even despair, but Jesus prayed for his faith to stand the test and told Peter when you turn or repent, strengthen your brothers, saying in effect, Peter My plans for you have never changed! (Luke 22:31-34)</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Again Jesus spoke to His disciples about the things He would suffer in Jerusalem, including His death on the cross. Peter rebuked Jesus saying God forbid it, Lord! That was Peter's prayer, that the cross would not happen, if the cross did not happen, no one could ever be saved and made right with God! Jesus said to Peter, Get behind Me, Satan! When we set our minds on mans interests rather than Gods we are the same as Peter. (Matthew 16:21-23) There is a beautiful promise in Scripture that says if we ask anything according to God's will, He will hear our prayer and answer it! God's will, not mans. (1 John 5:14-15 )</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Faith in intercessory prayer on behalf of others pleases God and prayers are answered. On one occasion some friends took the roof off of a house where Jesus was so they could lower their friend down to Him and He would heal him. Scripture says Jesus saw <i>the faith of the friends</i>, and Jesus spoke to the <i>greater unspoken need first</i>; He spoke to the man and said, <i>your sins are forgiven</i>. Then He spoke and told him to get up take up his pallet and go. (Luke 5: 19-26) </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I pray that in these few accounts that you have been encouraged in your prayer life. We truly do not know how to pray as we ought, but Jesus and the Holy Spirit do know and they are interceding for us! Thank You Lord for Your provision and thank You Lord for desiring to hear our voices!</b></span></div>Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-89248597095437208392012-04-19T03:00:00.000-07:002012-04-19T03:37:07.414-07:00THE HEART OF GOD<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I had lunch with a dear friend today and she said okay you wrote about the hands of God and the eyes of God, I expected more, aren't you going to write any more? So I came home and it came to me to write about the Heart of God. Just thinking of that overwhelms me, but I can at least write about a few things that we know from Scripture that reveal God's heart. It will just be the very tip of the iceberg! Someone once said that the Bible is more than words on paper it is God's love letter to mankind, I love that!! </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I wrote one time that the Bible is God's heart revealed and I still maintain that.</b></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Whatever else it is; it is the joy of my heart, the passion of my life, my teacher, my light, my transformation, for in Scripture I discovered Jesus Christ, I heard the Gospel, I believed in Jesus Christ and confessed Him as my Lord, I know God raised Him from the dead and He lives, He intercedes for me in prayer and one day soon He is coming back to call forth His own and the dead in Christ will rise first and then we who are alive will be caught up in the air and will always be with Him! Maranatha!</b></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>God is eternal the self existing One</b></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"In the beginning God..." Genesis 1:1</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"O LORD God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You." Psalm 89:8,14</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world. Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God." Psalm 90:2</b></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>God has made Himself known to all </b></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"The heavens declare His righteousn</b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>ess, For God Himself is judge." Psalm 50:6</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." Romans 1:20</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u>God's Son, God's Spirit</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u>God's Holiness</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine." Leviticus 20:26</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u>God's Lovingkindness</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"The LORD's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u>God's Love</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8</b></span></div>Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544963738969370451.post-31770868005699203692012-04-17T14:06:00.001-07:002012-04-18T04:07:00.036-07:00"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials." James 1:2 NASB<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>For many years I read today's title scripture and struggled to understand what it was all about. How was I supposed to react joyfully in a trial or test? Was I just supposed to suck it up and pretend? That is in fact what I tried to do but I don't think I fooled anybody, least of all the Lord. Next I asked God to show me how I could ever find joy in trials. He began to open my eyes to the reason behind the trials that believers go through. I discovered that the godly men of the Bible all suffered many trials even when they were in the perfect will of God. Moses, David, Joseph, Job, Jeremiah, and in the New Testament, Paul the apostle and the Lord Jesus Christ. Discovering that God was the One that was in control of my life and my trials truly transformed my thinking. God does everything for a good purpose in my life and all His children. There is a purpose, they are not random, here are just a few of the purposes.</b></span> </div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>To Test Our Obedience</b></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"...There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. And He said, "If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you..." Exodus 15:25-26 </b></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>That We Might Fear Him Alone and Sin Not</b></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin." Exodus 20:20</b></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>To Reveal Our Hearts </b></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"Even in the matter of the envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone only to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart." 2 Chronicles 32:31</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u>To Humble Us To Do Good For Us</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"<b>In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end." Deuteronomy 8:16</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u>Produces Endurance</u> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:3-4</b></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>For God's Purposes, God's Glory</b></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren." Romans 8:28-29</b></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Waiting Is A Trial That Strengthens </b></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary." Isaiah 40:31</b></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Waiting Strengthens Our Faith</b></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"Yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unvelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform." Romans 4:20-21</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>"Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come." 1 Corinthians 10:11</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Everything that touches your life as a believer in Jesus Christ, is custom designed by the One that created you, and you can trust that He knows exactly what He is doing in your life. He loves you completely and He will use every pain, every tear, every sorrow for good in the end. And knowing that we can count it all joy... </b></span></div>Kathy, a disciple of Jesus Christhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328083825873837141noreply@blogger.com2