God is our Source

God gives us blessings to glorify Him! Be attentive to the Holy Spirit. My husband and I pray Psalm 91 over our family each morning. I feel we will be kept safe by His power if we trust and obey Him. Warn your loved ones that God's way is safe and the only way to live in this world. 

We all are born with these needs: belonging, acceptance, worth, and love. God knows our needs and He alone will meet them. He is our source for everything in this life.

Read in Hosea God's Word to the children of Israel: It also applies to us today - "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children."   Hosea 4:6 

When you worship others things - alcohol, drugs and wealth, it will take your heart away from God. Jesus is working for me - and let Him work for you.

Signs of the Times

Our pastors have been preaching on Jesus' return. It seems like we are on the eve of something tremendous and we can feel it. This feeling is the Spirit's warning that the return of Christ is closer than we realize. It is the yellow light warning us: It's getting later than you think.

The message of the entire chapter of Matthew 24 is that Jesus Christ will return. There is a time set and only God knows when it is. The signs of the times remind us daily of His coming. "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in Heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."  Matthew 24:36 

Are you ready?  "So you must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him." Matthew 24:44 

As we prepare for the second coming of Christ - we need to put the Lord first in our lives. Let's step out in faith - pray, worship, and witness - as we wait for our Savior's return.

Where is God in all of This?

We must realize that God may not answer all our questions about life’s suffering; but He is in control. Today with all the evil in the world, there are many Christians who live in obedience to God’s Word.  He continues to live in the hearts of those that have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 

In the beginning when God created man and woman, evil came into the world. Both Adam and Eve were told by God not to eat the fruit of the tree of good and evil. Eve was tempted by Satan and couldn’t resist. She ate this delicious fruit and gave a taste to Adam. It was at this moment evil entered the Garden of Eden. Not long after, their son Cain slew Abel his brother. God was always there knowing exactly what was going on. 

“God saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals….but Noah found favor in the eyes of God” Genesis 6:5-8. Only Noah and his family were saved when God sent the flood. 

Job was one of the most righteous men in the Bible.  In verse 9, Satan asked God, does Job fear God for nothing? “The Lord said to Satan, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”  Job 1:12 

A pastor at my church, said: “Many times I have counseled with people who ask the question, “where is God in all of this?” There are times I sense that the question is a different way of expressing, “this doesn’t seem fair.” While I try to never to minimize or doubt the seriousness of one’s hurt or pain, I do gently respond with what I believe to be truthful responses to these thoughts.

It's important for us to realize what God’s Word does and does not promise to believers; we are not guaranteed a perfect existence in this earthy life. This is not yet heaven; heaven is the perfect place that follows this life. In fact, God’s Word warns us that we will have trials in this life. The victorious life is not necessarily the absence of trials, but the presence of a God who wonderfully loves - that He provides us strength to bring us through the trials. 

Does life seem fair? Absolutely not, and praise God that it isn’t. If life contained perfect justice, every one of us would suffer eternally for every shortcoming in our imperfect lives. It is better than fair that a righteous Savior bridges the gap between imperfect man and a perfect God. 

So, where is God in all of this? God is right where He should be – in Heaven throughout eternity with an outstretched hand of grace and forgiveness to as many as will receive Him.

 

 

 

Let's Make America Greater

I noticed, once again, how beautiful our country is as we traveled on vacation. We passed through the rugged mountains of Tennessee, the blue grass of Kentucky, and the amber waves of grain in Indiana.

As we were visiting Ruby Falls, in Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, a lady leaned over my shoulder and whispered, "How can anyone see this and not believe there is a God? I thought of her words and realized it's not that we don't believe there's a God, but do we know Him. How can we know Him if we don't read His Word?

America seems to have forgotten the Bible; but our founding fathers knew the value of the Bible as the foundation of morality.

George Washington: "It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible."

Abraham Lincoln: "I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from The Savior of the world is communicated to us through this Book."

Patrick Henry: "The Bible is worth all the other books which have ever been printed."

Yes, we can make America greater if we start back to basics, back to truth, back to morality, back to work ethics, and back to the Bible.    

Follow Peace

 

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."  2 Timothy 1:7

 

With what our country has gone through these last several months, it has been easy for people to give in to anxiety, worry, and stress. During this time peace may seem difficult to keep, especially when facing all that is going on in your life.

 

Ask God to give you peace. He gives us a peace that passes all understanding. "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

 

It's God desire for you to live with His peace and His strength during times of unrest. Take time today to rest in Him - read His Word about peace. His peace, wonderful peace - that only comes from above.

God Guides His People

If God closes one door - He will open another door. We must become sensitive to the way God speaks in our lives. God guides His people. If you do not have peace about a decision - then do not move forward. Wait on His divine direction. He rarely speaks in an audible voice - you may have an inner impression.

 

The will of God must be our main motivation in serving the Lord. God will never create anything to replace Himself in your life.

 

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way." Psalm 37:23 Since the steps of the righteous are ordered of the Lord, so are the stops of the Lord. We need to know the difference between satan's hindrances and the Lord's roadblocks.  Man's disappointments are often God's appointment. 

 

We must be willing to go where God leads. We can't wait for people to come to us, we must go to them. What is holding you back from sharing your faith with others? Why do we find it so hard to witness to people? If you will not share your faith with others, who will? Be led by His Spirit and you can't go wrong.

Hold On

 

We have had months of adversity - but isn't it wonderful knowing God will never leave us. Could this be a divine set up? I believe blessings are coming out of this whole mess. Sometimes we have to humble ourselves in due season.  

Many people today are too attached to the things of this world. God wants His children to be blessed - but we are not to love the world. "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15

 

God can use this time of being shut in to get us away from worldliness. We are in the world, but not of the world.

Things are getting better and going to get better - we are about to reap. Adversity (misfortune, suffering and troubles) comes but when it does - stand up and hold on! Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

 

The Path to Humility

Effectively using God's gifts involves years of obedience, perseverance, and endurance. We must be careful to keep our hearts open to God's direction and live a life pleasing to Him. That requires a life of humility patterned on the attitudes and actions of Jesus.

We must use our gifts for God's purposes - "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." Philippians 2:3. For example, rather than using our testimony to demonstrate our spiritual superiority, we might try humbly sharing it with people who could use a simple word of hope.

Embracing the humility of Jesus entails sitting in His presence, praying, reading God's Word, and allowing the Scriptures to infuse and transform our lives. With our Lord's guidance, we must take on "the very nature of a servant." Philippians 2:7

God has blessed us so that we can be a blessing. We must strive to do all out of love, not out of conceit or pride.

 

No longer Condemned

If our Lord Jesus could forgive the adulterous woman for what she did, then surely we can forgive others. Forgiveness is a cleansing tool God uses to purify us, as God's vessels, so that we can go forward, refined as gold, to do what the Lord has called us to do.

All of us would like to be perfect and never make a mistake, but we are imperfect human beings. Some marriages end in divorce. Some Christians stumble and fall. Some believers give in to temptation.

To be sure, God does not put the divine seal of approval on our sins and failures, but through Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven and accepted. While Christ points us to the ideal, He refuses to close the door to those who sometimes fail to attain the ideal.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

His Faithfulness

 

 

 My new book Living by Faith will soon be published. It was written to help others know the power of a journey filled with trusting in the Lord. In the thirty five years, I have been writing for publications - I have learned to be led by the precious Holy Spirit.  

 

 Christ came as light, joy, and peace. How can we receive this light?  By receiving Him into our lives and being transformed daily by His Spirit.  

 

 When people lose the light of Christ in their lives - depression, pain, and misery come in. When they are filled with His Spirit and dwell on Him, the love He has for them will pour out so others may see and believe.  

 

 If Christians carry the burdens of others, they will not think so much of their own problems. Everywhere we look there are others worse off than us. When we pray for them, love them, and help them, we will get our minds off ourselves. 

 

 Learn to live above the circumstances. So what if things are not going smoothly? Accept them and move forward. We need to focus on God rather than on our problems. When we are grateful for all He has done and remember His faithfulness, His perfect peace will replace our worry and fear.

 

 

 

A Time of Hope

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we celebrate Easter this Sunday - it comes with a feeling of renewal - a renewal of spirit and a refreshing of life. A time of hope during a time of uncertainty.

 

I enjoyed writing Living by Faith. The idea was inspired last year when I decided to share a selection of my devotions and articles. In the thirty five years I have been writing, I have learned to be led by the Holy Spirit. It's all about Him! May it encourage and inspire readers to spend time in His presence.  

 

When I complete a devotional, article or book, the first thing I do is take a look at it. Not just a quick glance, but one that is long, concentrated and thorough. First, I look at the words as a whole and then I turn my attention to the details. Although I realize I am the author who created it, I need to view it through the eyes of the reader. In other words, before I sign my name, I must be sure I am satisfied with it. If not, I need to make changes.

I do the same thing with my life. Going over what I've done, how I responded, and what was done creatively as well as the things I didn't handle as well as I should. The most important thing is to put God first each day reflecting on changes we can make that will please Him. If we pray and wait on His direction, He will lead us.  

Let's celebrate this most wonderful time of the year - knowing Christ has risen and if we have accepted Him as Lord - we shall reign with Him forever.

 

 

 

 

Visiting the Holy Land

One of my most favorite places to visit was the Holy Land. I'll never forget my trip to Israel many years ago. Seeing Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, The Sea of Galilee, Garden of Gethsemane and other places in the Holy Land.     

Jerusalem was our first stop on the bus tour then on to see the Western Wall, the lovely Churches and Dome of the Rock and Nazareth the home of Joseph and Mary. We had many places to see on our tour and such a short time to visit. Another area in the Holy Land that grabbed my attention was when we crossed a bridge over the Jordan River. Today many Christians are being baptized in this river.  “At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River” (Mark 1:9 NIV).

Bethlehem was one of the most treasured places we visited. One of my favorite souvenirs was an olive wood nativity from Bethlehem. I wrote a  children’s book The Olive Wood Manger - it’s a keepsake for my grandchildren and photos of this nativity. 

After touring several ancient sites, we went on a small boat across the Sea of Galilee. Enjoyed a delightful Saint Peter’s fish dinner. Much of the ministry of Jesus occurred on these shores. 

 

Visiting the Garden of Gethsemane still brings back a time of solitude.  The garden is at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Walking where Christ walked was the highlight of this trip and a place I'll always remember every time I read God's Word.

Memories are made to last forever!

Easter Week

Let’s take this time - Easter Week - and forget about our problems and remember what Christ did for us. Before the miracle of the Resurrection came Good Friday, the day our Lord suffered and died on the cross.

Turn your heart to Christ this week - for this is the beginning of all our victory. Spend time in God's Word and seek Him during this time of staying home. Reach out to someone on the telephone or write a letter to someone. Many are hurting and need a touch from the Master. 

Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of God, walked out of that cold tomb and right into our lives. God took the worst that could happen and made it a wonderful gift to mankind.

The most important thing is Christ is not in the tomb. "He is not here; He has risen." Luke 24:6.  

Our Holy, Trustworthy God

At present, the world is hurting because of a virus that has invaded our land. Financial markets are being wracked by crises related to debt and economic instability. Unemployment is high in many parts of the world; people are worried about the future.

No matter what we are facing or may face in the future, God is still Lord of all creation. He is still reaching out a hand of grace, comfort, strength, and forgiveness to as many who will receive Him.

At this time, we cannot lay hold of answers to all our questions about life - with its suffering and trials. But, we do know that God is still our Holy, Trustworthy Lord.

Today, with all the turmoil in the world, there are many Christians who live in obedience to God's Word. He continues to strengthen and sustain those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

America, Wake Up

 

What if God is trying to wake up America - and get our attention?  With the Covid-19 virus destroying so many lives and spreading like wild fire - we must wake up!

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

We must humble ourselves - be submissive - pray and repent from sin. Seek His face and turn from our wicked ways. Then God said He would hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land.

Let's wake up, America and proclaim the Gospel - as this is the church's finest hour. It's time to stand up and tell the world - God is our source in all things. Let's call upon the Name of the Lord and we will be saved. There is only one way to God and that is through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

 

Prayer Changes any Situation

With all that is going on with corona virus, stock market drops, and empty grocery shelves. What can we do while staying home confined? We must pray! Prayer can change any situation. Are you seeking God first everyday?  "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:23

Prayer develops our communication with God. Many times people don't feel close to God because they have not talked with Him. They will even admit to going days or weeks without seeking God through prayer. When communication stops, the friendship with our Father eventually expires. Prayer is powerful!

When we pray God hears our prayers and will answer - sometimes yes, sometimes no, and sometimes wait. I love praying early in the morning before starting a new day. Putting God first in prayer, Bible reading and devotions seem to make my day go so much smoother. This has been part of my life for almost forty years. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33

Seeking God's Will

The prayer of Jabez is a great model for us to learn from when praying. Jabez cried out to the God of Israel: “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain. And God granted his request." 1 Chronicles 4:10

Jabez asked God to bless his life - "Oh, that, you would bless me." He knew that blessings denote favor. You don't bless someone you have a problem with. You bless someone you respect or love. Jabez did not ask for specific blessings. He left the substance up to God's Will.

He also prayed for God's direction - "enlarge my territory." Jabez did not ask for wealth or fame but for the challenge of being found more faithful. If we want to do more for God then we must be faithful in the little things.

Jabez prayed for God's strength - "that your hand would be with me." We must have God's hand in our life or we will fail. Jabez knew his limitations. He knew that his strength was insufficient for the journey ahead. So he pleads with God for His presence to be found in his life.

And last - Jabez prayed for God's protection - "that you would keep me from evil." The greatest thing we must pray for is God's shield of protection. Pray that we will not fall or stumble and seek God's Will daily.

Looking Forward to a New Heaven and Earth

“But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”  2 Peter 3:13 NIV

As we read God’s Word we can look forward to a spectacular, vivid, and perfect glimpse of God’s kingdom. Jesus will be sitting on the throne. All those whose names are written in the Book of Life will bow before Him. We will never have a need. Angels will be all around us as we walk down streets of glistening gold.

I loved singing in the choir and did for sixteen years. This is only a small part of what we will be doing in heaven. We will stand amazed as we gather together and worship and sing praises to God. There will be many choirs praising our Lord!

We will be rewarded according to what we have done on earth. Any jewels or crowns we receive - we will lay at the feet of Christ who died for us. God has a plan for everyone to go to heaven and enjoy life eternal. Are you ready?

Goals for Christian Writers Ministry

With God's help we will:

1.  Press on to know the Lord, abide in him, and keep on growing in Him (Hos. 6:3; John 15:1-8; Col. 2:7).

2.  Reach out to one another in fellowship, support, understanding, and encouragement (Phil. 2:4;      1 Thess. 5:11; Gal. 6:2).

3. Pray one for another - for our personal needs, our writing, and especially God's guidance and enabling (Eph. 6:18-19; Col 4:2; 1 Tim 2:1).

4. Increase our knowledge of God's Word in order to become effective communicators of His truth (Ezek. 3:10-11; 2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16-17).

5. Strengthen our writing and marketing skills (1 Tim. 4:14-15).

6. Keep abreast of current issues. Look for opportunities to write (Col 4:5-6).

7. Learn to persevere and overcome discouragement (1 Cor. 15:58; Hab. 2:3; Gal. 6:9).

8. Expect God to do mighty things in and through us (Eph. 3:20).

Used with permission

“Jesus replied, Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”    Matthew 17:20

 Living by Faith - A Journey is written to help others know the power of trusting in the Lord. In the 30 plus years I have been writing, I have learned to be led by the precious Holy Spirit.

 

 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” Psalm 32:8 NIV