Question, Doubt, Double-Checking

In Judges 6:12: (NIRV) The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon. He said, “Mighty warrior, the Lord is with you.”

Gideon replied but questioned the Angel of the Lord! – Questioning – Questioning

Judges: 6: But sir,” Gideon replied, “you say the Lord is with us. Then why has all of this happened to us? Where are all of the wonderful things he has done? Our parents told us about them. They said, ‘Didn’t the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has deserted us. He has handed us over to Midian.”

Then Gideon asked for a special sign. – Doubting and Double-checking

Judges 6:17-18: Gideon replied, “If you are pleased with me, give me a special sign. Then I’ll know that it’s really you talking to me. 18 Please don’t go away until I come back. I’ll bring my offering and set it down in front of you.”

Bear with me on this question. If an angel of the Lord appeared to you today and said:

The angel of the Lord appeared to (Insert your name here).
“Mighty warrior, the Lord is with you.”

Are you going to Question, Doubt or Double-check?

What will you answer?

Sunday is Worship Day

Sunday is Worship Day

Please enjoy: Live like that by Sidewalk Prophets

Psalm Saturday (5-19)

Psalm 62: 5-8 (NIV)

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God[c];
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.

Psalm 62: 5-8 (NASB)

5 My soul, wait in silence for God only,
For my hope is from Him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God my salvation and my glory rest;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
8 Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.

Stop! In the name of Love

It’s no secret I love the Motown sounds of my young adulthood. I love the Temptations, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Four Tops, Martha and the Vandellas but my favorites are Aretha Franklin – the Queen of Soul and BB King – the King of the Blues.

I like the Supremes, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye; there are just too many great artists to name.

Diana Ross and the Supremes sang these lyrics as a love song and a cheating guy!

Stop! In the name of love
Before you break my heart
Stop! In the name of love
Before you break my heart
Think it over
Think it all over

For some reason I thought of these lyrics today from God’s perspective. Every time I sin; whether in word, thought or action:

I need to STOP! in the name of love
Before I break His Heart

Think it all Over!

Household of Faith

Have you grown weary? Weary of helping others either volunteering for an outside charity or at church? Do you dread leaving the house when you’ve signed up for some committee or activity?

You started out with good intentions but somewhere alone the line the heart-song of helpfulness has lost its rhythm.

Listen to Paul when he wrote a letter to the Galatians. Some of the Galatians’ needed encouragement because Paul wrote them saying don’t grow weary and don’t lose heart!

Every opportunity, every chance and every occasion you have to do good for others brings an exclusive membership. At the appointed, appropriate time you will reap the rewards of belonging to the Household of Faith.

Galatians 6: 9-10 says: 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. Do you live in a house-hold of Faith!

Finally, Brethren

Yesterday afternoon, after lunch, my husband and I took a break and watched the movie, Eat, Pray, Love. There is an up-tick to moving because you receive all the premium movie channels for free (just for a few months) when you start new cable or satellite service.

There’s a line in the movie and in the book the main character has traveled to a temple in India. Liz (the main character) is asked “Why are you here?” and Liz answers “I want Peace”.

I’ve been on a quest for peace in my life for the past several years. I have immersed myself in the Word, read praise books and read all types of Christian books and listened to TV praise shows. I have prayed for Our Father to fill me so full of the Holy Spirit that it over-flows into others lives. When I wake in the night, I ask Jesus to speak to me through the Word. I have prayed for, not only knowledge, but understanding as well.

You see, I seem to keep making the same old mistakes. I want to die to my own thoughts. I want to resist any work of the enemy. I want to stop returning evil for evil. I want to be compassionate, loving, tenderhearted and courteous (1 Peter 3: 8-9). I want to fight temptation and not react in the flesh.

I want PEACE.

Finally, Brethren! I found Philippians 4: 4-9

Listen to Paul’s treasure-house of suggestions on how to live a peaceful live. I know, I know! I cannot follow these suggestions and incorporate these precepts into my life without the help of Jesus. Every time I feel the World’s temptation, I need to fall into the arms of Jesus and through the Holy Spirit my heart will be guarded and my mind will be peaceful.

Finally, Brethren!

Philippians 4: 1-9 (KJV)
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren
whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Control Issues

Last night I heard a quote on TV from one of those adventure type movies. The quote was: Take Control or Give Control?

Are you a control-type A-person? Do you want everything to go your way with your rules? Do you want your husband (or wife), your children, your co-workers and friends to see everything “Your” way?

The World according to You?

Guess what? It will never happen! No matter how many times you pout, how many times you yell or nag, or cry; your rules will be broken because everyone else has their own set of guidelines. Yes, rules can be healthy for an orderly life. We all need boundaries! We need to know when to open and shut our boundary doors.

Jesus is the only One we can give control of our life. Let Him take control! Throw out your rule-book and open the door to un-limit-less possibilities.

Ecclesiastes (9:11) Here’s something else I’ve seen on this earth. Races aren’t always won by those who run fast. Battles aren’t always won by those who are strong. Wise people don’t always have plenty of food. Clever people aren’t always wealthy. Those who have learned a lot aren’t always favored. God controls the timing of every event. He also controls how things turn out.

A Call for Help...

Reblogged from Holy Ghost Bumps:

• 

I’m lying on a couch, and I can’t get up.  I can’t move a muscle.  I strain against myself to make my head move.  Nothing.  My arms and hands.  Nothing.  I can’t get my mouth to work as I attempt to call out for help.  The only thing that escapes my barely parted lips is a guttural “uugggggggghhhhhh”.

Then the feeling hits me.  

Read more… 1,432 more words

PLEASE PLEASE reblog this post regarding The Baby Butterfly Foundation

Are you breaking the Law?

Powerful message today in Our Daily Bread; Paul (the converted) courageously disagreed with Peter (one of the original twelve disciples). Yep, he backed Peter against the wall and spoke mightily for Christ. Remember, Peter physically saw Christ but Paul only heard Christ’s voice.

I’m not condoning confronting other believers and “finger wagging” them for any reason. I just want to bring up a point for you to consider. Just for a moment, look at verse 15 which says: We are Jews by birth. We are not “non-Jewish sinners.. Friends, it does not matter what religious denomination you practice. We are all sinners! No one can be made right with God by obeying religious law! We are only made right with God through Christ and by our belief (faith) in Jesus – otherwise Christ died for nothing!

Be made right – break the law – Your faith in Jesus gives you life!

Galatians 2: 15-21: (NIRV) We are Jews by birth. We are not “non-Jewish sinners.” 16 We know that no one is made right with God by obeying the law. It is by believing in Jesus Christ. So we too have put our faith in Christ Jesus. That is so we can be made right with God by believing in Christ, not by obeying the law. No one can be made right with God by obeying the law.
17 We are trying to be made right with God through Christ. But it is clear that we are sinners. So does that mean that Christ causes us to sin? Certainly not! 18 Suppose I build again what I had destroyed. Then I prove that I break the Law.
19 Because of the law, I died as far as the law is concerned. I died so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. I don’t live any longer. Christ lives in me. My faith in the Son of God helps me to live my life in my body. He loved me. He gave himself for me.
21 I do not get rid of the grace of God. What if a person could become right with God by obeying the law? Then Christ died for nothing!

Queenie (re-post) – Happy Mother’s Day

This is my Mother’s Day tribute to all of you Mother’s, Soon-to-be-Mother’s, Mother-in-Law, Adopted Mother’s and Women who have been like a Mother in someone’s life.

To all you special Women, your life is like a bee-hive. How could I possibly compare your life to the busy bees in a Beehive? I am not a bee-keeper or an entomologist but I’ll take a few liberties with the bee-keeping industry so, please, “bee” patient with me.

Let me explain my Bee-Hive Categories:

Shoppers Bee’s: Shopping for all the necessities for the entire beehive

Stinger’s Prepare! Guard and protect the hive. No one attacks our baby bees.

Sweetie-Sitting Bee’s: Taking care of our nursery from prenatal through bee graduation

Flight School Bees: Making sure little bees are ready for flight and their own hive

The hive in our life is a beehive of activity from the moment our sweetie’s arrive until they have a hive of their own. We shop for the endless list of needed items. If someone dares to attack one of our children, our stingers come out and we will take no prisoners. We constantly shower our children with the sweeter side of our nature; hugging, kissing and encouraging them. We get them ready for school; we help them with homework and school projects while preparing them for life.

You spend the entire year taking care of your beehive needs. Hope this is a honey of a Mother’s Day. Rest, put away your stinger and enjoy all the hugs and kisses dripping with little bee sweetness because Queenie; it starts all over tomorrow!

Ezekiel 19:10: Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant water.