Category Archives: Assurance – Promise

Assurance - Promise

Selah

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Psalm 3     21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
3 But Thou, O LORD, art a shield for me, my glory and the lifter up of mine head.
4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill. Selah
8 Salvation belongeth unto the LORD. Thy blessing is upon Thy people. Selah
via Psalm 3 – Passage Lookup – 21st Century King James Version – BibleGateway.com.

Selah.
Yes. Stop and think about that all day.

Click HERE for a YouTube that will surely bless.

You are loved,
Kathie

Assurance - Promise, Christian Living, Forgiveness, Repentance, Salvation

The Sting

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It’s Tuesday night and I’m pretty well spent for the day but wanted to at least post a Wednesday morning hello.

Numbers 21:New International Version (NIV)
The Bronze Snake
4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way;
5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.
7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8 The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.”
9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
via Numbers 21:4-9 – Passage Lookup – New International Version – BibleGateway.com.

First thing with these verses — but the people grew impatient on the way;

And their impatience was a springboard to murmuring, complaining and accusing their Leader and their God.

Impatience is a dangerous flesh fit.  In some cases it’s a real killer.

Isn’t it interesting that for the people of Israel to live they had to look upon the very image that was killing them?

Perhaps we would do well to look our impatience (or whatever sin that is so easily besetting us — Hebrews 12:1) in the face, see it for the fiery serpent it is and call out to JESUS, saying even as the Israelites did: “We sinned … “.

We can be sure He will forgive us and empower us to live.

I think I shall retire for the night on that, knowing that He is able to do even more than I can think or ask (Ephesians 3:20).  Perhaps these thoughts will lighten your Wednesday.  What a blessing that would be to both of us!!

Please click HERE to pray for our PFT list.

ABBA, thank You.  Thank You for promised rest to our weary frames and power to overcome our flesh, the world and Satan. I pray for our IDOKs each and every one at each of their whereabouts for each to abide in Your peace, comfort, wisdom, and an ever-increasing hunger and thirst to KNOW You. We are mindful of many needs and we entrust them to You in JESUS Name. Amen and amen.

Blessed to be a handmaiden of the LORD,
Kathie

Assurance - Promise, Christian Living, Forgiveness, Repentance

Big and Bad or New Beginnings

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Oh this is hard.

Got the GRANDS settled in again; they had waited so patiently to do something fun as I worked to complete  this devotion. It was all but finished; only needed to tweak it for presentation.  I clicked all the right buttons for it to be saved, both in Word and on-line. But perhaps the thunderstorm had its way instead of mine – no words survived. Not one. Anywhere.  Other than my mind and what’s there, well that is questionable. So I am here to begin again, getting to practice what I “preached” so well just a little bit ago. :)

Isaiah 59: New International Version (NIV)
10 Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like people without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead.
via Is 59:10 – Passage Lookup – New International Version – BibleGateway.com.

I wrote earlier that this is a graphic picture for me this morning, depicting life lived by FEELINGS and not FAITH.  Or something like that – I need not insist that this new one be like the old one. Romans 8:28.

And right now I have feelings galore. Feelings vying for top position, and all of them detrimental to FAITH – so I prayed for help. And I’m still here; albeit jumpy.  The greater struggle in this moment is a desperate want to recreate what was. How many of you know that is not going to happen? Romans 8:28. So forgetting what is done, we press on. :)

Hebrews 10: 21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
38 Now the just shall live by faith; but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him.”
via Hebrews 10:38 – Passage Lookup – 21st Century King James Version – BibleGateway.com.

Blind groping a wall, trying to get somewhere; trying to journey this life with all its decisions and responses and defenses that bumping up against others demands. Feelings scream to rule. FAITH waits quietly to empower.

At midday we stumble as if it were twilight. Feelings do that. They ignore the Ever Present, Voluminous, Abounding (redundant, I know – but you get it) LIGHT we have at our finger tips, as close as breath, that we could call upon by FAITH. But feelings don’t want to, so we don’t.

Even in this land, Strength and Might surround us; but feelings refuse to receive and we are paralyzed. We are like dead men moving about in chains as we push and shove to get to where we think we should be or else we just despair and roll over and play dead.

That’s Feeling Life – it keeps us blind and weak, stumbling, falling, crabby, complaining, negative, pessimistic, and moody.  Trust me, I know whereof I speak.

Just this morning as I sat to write (the first time), feelings came – big and bad.  Big and bad would have won and the first devotional message would not have been written (much less this second one in process now) had not Faith Life rescued me.  More than just breathe out a prayer, I had to write it.  It’s a legacy thing.

“I cannot do this – I cannot let this happen. I am praying now for help to release these adverse emotions that have come upon me to drive me to sin and frustration.”

And so Faith Life prevailed. Faith Life won’t always prevail. Not because it’s too feeble. No it is well able to succeed every time; yet Feeling Life will in all probability deceive us again, catch us off guard and we will plunge in again. But even so we have hope.

Let me share a picture in closing.  We had a gardenia bush (more like a tree) in our side yard. It was diseased to near death.  Black soot disease was choking out the sun, preventing photosynthesis; and you know that is certain death for vegetation. Yes. Had we not waited so long other treatment might have spared drastic measures; but we didn’t. (You are getting the analogy here, aren’t you?) I finally prayed over it.  And the clear word that came was prune to nubs and burn.

Yes. Deep, deep pruning and fire. Is the picture worth a thousand words? Shall we refuse Feeling Life to embrace Faith Life so that deep, deep pruning and fire (refining) be not necessary?

Even so – New Beginnings are possible.

Just one of the LORD’s handmaidens,
Kathie

Please pray. PFT Click HERE for names.

ABBA, I see with this piece there are many avenues You could highlight, many messages You could give to Readers as they come here; even so, ABBA, as You will in JESUS Name.  Amen and amen.

Assurance - Promise, Christian Living, Prayer Requests

Is it Friday??

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This is Friday, isn’t it?

I so enjoy the weekends. It’s a time to do those projects that are ‘play’ even though they may involve some strenuous labor.

Recreation. I think they call it. :)

Our Savior said this:

Mark 6: New American Standard Bible (NASB)
31 And He *said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)
via Mark 6:31 – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com.

He also said this:

Matthew 11: New American Standard Bible (NASB)
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
via Matthew 11:29 – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com.

And this:

Matthew 11:New American Standard Bible (NASB)
28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. via Matthew 11:28 – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com.

A footnote said 28 could read: “Come to Me, all who are worked to exhaustion,”

I see two points there.

One.
Come all ye who have tried everything else to SAVE yourself and nothing has worked and you are exhausted trying – come and know only JESUS SAVES and gives the assurance of Eternal Life in Heaven.

Two.
Saints who keep trying to act saintly in your own strength – give it up! It’s exhausting! Come to JESUS, learn of Him.  He knows the ropes. He knows how to live gently, humbly and still save the world!

And in conclusion and back to the top, Be sure to ‘Come away’ from the grind of the world and gather with others of like Christian Faith and worship this weekend.  Absent the Rapture or near death, I’ll be at First Baptist-Satsuma.  If you are not plugged in somewhere else and you are in the area, join us. (Hey, Jerry, does this count as a contact??  :)  )

Please find your way to PFT (click HERE) and pray for those who have honored and entrusted their prayer needs to us.

I am so late giving this to you – in all my doings, I thought I had. Forgive me, please. Melinda said Thursday morning:

Just spoke with Misty.  They ran bp meds thru the night and just now she is “fairly” stable.  If there are any spikes, Dr. Hartline will do C-section immediately…up until five o’clock.  If things stay the same and she can hold on, he will be back Saturday.  PRAY she and Willow will stay steady and Willow will strengthen each moment.  Misty would prefer Dr. Hartline to deliver, as would I, after seeing him all this time.  He is a Godly, faith-filled, man.  He prays with his patients and for his patients.  So, we are praying that Willow wants him to deliver her!  The steroid shots will help her lungs and help prevent brain bleeds, which unfortunately is a risk.  Knowing what happened with Jackson (Dr. Hartline delivered him.), praying for a healthy brain, too.  I told her we all were praying and she said that she could feel them and believes that is what has kept her stable.  She has been trying to pray but says she can only cry and cry out to God.  I told her that the Holy Spirit will keep God informed!  That’s one of the things the Spirit does–translates our tears and moanings to our Father.  Hope to see her after my doctor’s app’t.   Hoping to see Betty and her!  Thank you so much for praying and for all those who are concerned and praying from the IDOK’s site.  There is no way I can express my thankfulness for you all, and the concern and prayers for the ones I care about and request your prayers for.  You are God’s gift to me.  Love and prayers,  Melinda

ABBA, thank You for brothers and sisters who come here and pray; and, ABBA, I pray for more to come and pray; not just to read what I say but to hear from You and to intercede for the world and specific needs of dear and precious souls. We are mindful this morning of Misty, Willow Grace, Kerri, Dawn, Ken and Della, Kathy and Joe, Elaine, Lance, Nichole, Betty, Melinda and there are others.  Thank You for the privilege of praying for them. Thank You for tending and ministering to each One.  Thank You that You are privy to as no one else to our specific unspokens – we entrust them to You in JESUS name. Amen and amen.

Grateful to be a handmaiden of the LORD,
Kathie