Category Archives: Christian Living

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

Choose Sunday

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Lets be honest.

To some it’s not a Good Friday.  It’s not a good any day.

Their hearts and lives are in shambles and their minds are filled with everything but hope.

It shouldn’t be so.

This morning I watched a moving video that ended with these words:

Change your words. Change your world.

DADDY GOD said it this way:

Proverbs 15: (New King James Version)
4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
via Proverbs 15:4 – Passage Lookup – New King James Version – BibleGateway.com.

It’s FRIDAY but SUNDAY’s a coming.

Let SUNDAY come today.

Change your words – change your world.

Speak wholesome words to others, about others, about YOURSELF and LIFE will spring up within you. Continue with perverse words and your spirit will continue in its brokenness.

Proverbs 18:21 (King James Version)
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: . . . .
via Proverbs 18:21 – Passage Lookup – King James Version – BibleGateway.com.

Life and death are in your words.

Choose LIFE.

JESUS died and rose again so you can.

1 Peter 3:(Holman Christian Standard Bible)
10 For the  one who wants to love life and to see good days must keep his tongue from evil  and his lips from speaking deceit,
via 1 Peter 3:10 – Passage Lookup – Holman Christian Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com.

Deuteronomy 30: (New International Version, ©2011)
19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
via Deuteronomy 30:19 – Passage Lookup – New International Version, ©2011 – BibleGateway.com.

On this Good Friday, CHOOSE LIFE.

Choose SUNDAY today. Choose to allow the LORD JESUS CHRIST to resurrect you today — don’t wait another day!

Oh my FATHER, the One and Only GOD, Your WORD shall not return void as You send it forth today in JESUS NAME.  Amen and amen.

A Holy Resurrection Weekend to you,
Kathie

Christian Living

Weird

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My Journey (A LifeWay Publication – click the word Journey for more information) reading for today generated some thoughts.

These are the excerpts I have been pondering:

“God wants you to be creative as you worship. He loves it when you illustrate what’s going on in your heart.”

So that’s it. Worship ‘styles’ are outward manifestations of what is happening within. Some folks are quiet. Some are not so quiet. I get it.

“What’s something that only you can do for the Lord? Make it for Him–not for anyone else. Draw. Paint. Sculpt. Take a hike and capture God’s intricate design on film. Write a song. Write a letter or a story. Knit a scarf.
Whatever is precious to you, give it to Him. If you’re a cook, make a meal in God’s honor–creatively using the flavors and textures that He made. And don’t worry if it isn’t perfect–just do your best and it will bring Him great, great joy.”

So worship is not just singing and raising your hands at church. Worship is also everyday stuff done for JESUS. And with my next thought, I knew I was approaching a new height in weird, even for me!

I kid you not, I thought about food! I thought about food choices, food portions, food enjoyment — acts of worship — hmm. Would that revolutionize food battles? What if eating was an act of worship for me? Would I eat the same things and in the same amounts if before I lifted my fork to my lips I said in my heart, LORD, I am eating this for You. I’m not eating this for my own pleasure but I am eating it to nurture and nourish this body WE live in?

Would it make a difference? In my spiritual maturity and my health?

Like I said a new kind of weird, even for me!

And then that line that says: “And don’t worry if it isn’t perfect–just do your best and it will bring Him great, great joy.”  Well! all I saw was don’t worry if it’s not perfect! Are you kidding me?!  Any worship offering of mine I’m gonna mother over it — no obsess is a more accurate assessment of what I do. And this I know, because of a very recent experience,  it takes humility to do a less than ‘perfect’ job and not get upset about it. Just so you’ll know–there’s a leak in my humility tank.

But —   1 John 1:(New American Standard Bible)
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
via I john 1:9 – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com.

Thank You, ABBA, for forgiveness and righteousness and for perfection-maturity that keeps growing, sometimes steadily, other times slower but in You, we progress.  You are so good to us. Again we commend our IDOK Troops and many others to you for healing and helps; safety and protection. Amen and amen in JESUS’ NAME.

And that’s about it.
Kathie

Assurance - Promise, Christian Living, Forgiveness

The Golden Rule

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Is still golden.

Matthew 7:(New International Version, ©2011)
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
via Matthew 7:12 – Passage Lookup – New International Version, ©2011 – BibleGateway.com.

This a mediation verse for me today. Meditation and do!

In EVERYTHING.

In Every Situation.

In Every Circumstance.

With Every Soul.

That is what it says. 

Don’t shoot, I’m just the Messenger and I’m bound to practice it just as you are.

And there’s a companion verse, at least for me today, and perhaps for you.

11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 
13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 
14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
via 1 Corinthians 3 – Passage Lookup – King James Version – BibleGateway.com.

Gold, silver, precious stones — that’s what we want.  That’s what stands the fire of judgment.  That’s what receives a reward from JESUS at His Judgment Seat.  You and I in CHRIST will stand before HIM we will give an account of our works and at that time we want gold, silver and precious stones to be our works.

Obeying the Golden Rule today, in the here and now just may help us receive that gold, silver and precious stones then and there.

Thank You, ABBA.  I love You. We love You or we would not come to this screen day after day, I think. And yet for those who come by ‘happen chance’ I pray for Your love to lite upon them and bring revelation and peace. We commend again Kerri and her family; please bring her calcium levels to normal and heal her, LORD, please. And Jenny, Todd, Pam – thank You for the improvement, DeLois – please increase her improvement, please get to her the physical help she needs I pray. These and other unspoken needs and our IDOK Troops – thank You for Your Holy and Right and Loving attention to it all. Amen and Amen in Your Name, JESUS.

Additional Practice for today and who knows it just might help with the Golden Rule too  :)  : slow down, wait, be calm — choosing to be tense does not make the computer page load any faster; choosing to be tense and agitated doesn’t make traffic move any faster — slow down inside, breathe in HIS PEACE  — Practice, Practice, Practice. And today by HIS Grace I am doing it!! Hallelujah!

Abide in Peace,
Kathie

Christian Living

Bring on the Simeons!

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Luke 2: (New American Standard Bible)
25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law,
28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel.”
33 And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.
34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed–
35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul–to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
via Luke 2:25-35 – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com.

I am not a research expert so what I am saying is what I have so far found or shall I say not found regarding Simeon.

The Word says he was a man in Jerusalem. We are not told his occupation. Nor his lineage. Not even his age. Neither if he was married or unmarried, a father or not a father, if he had siblings, if he had houses and lands — only that he was a man in Jerusalem, a righteous and devout man in Jerusalem.

Wow! Do you gather from this as I do that when all is said and done, all that really matters is are we righteous and devout?

Are we righteous and devout wanting only to see JESUS?

That was Simeon. Wanting to see JESUS. And knowing he would see JESUS.  The HOLY SPIRIT had told him so. That was all he needed — just the witness of the HOLY SPIRIT.

Oh we need some Simeons! Christians — that all it takes for us to believe and wait is the witness of the HOLY SPIRIT.

And yet if we read carefully we are told some things about Simeon.

He knew the Scripture. He knew the Messiah was coming. He knew how the Messiah would come. And he knew the reason the Messiah was coming.

Not only that, I know Simeon was a man full of the love of God. So full of the love of God that he embraced the message that the Gentiles would also be saved by this Messiah.That this Messiah was coming for the Gentiles AND for God’s own people, Israel.  And isn’t it interested that the Gentiles are listed first?  (see verse 32.  I will leave that right there for you to ponder.)

That my Friends is HUGE!  It is HUGE that this man of Israel would include Gentiles in this Salvation, he saw wrapped in humanity, an eight day old Jewish Infant named JESUS. Savior of the World.  SON of the Most High God. Yahweh. The Almighty!

Simeon was a man of huge faith. Note Simeon lived prior to the indwelling of the HOLY SPIRIT yet he heard Him and followed His Instructions.  As I said bring on the Simeons!

And look at verse 29, he refers to himself as Your bond servant. And if we can believe my on line Scripture search this is the first time bond servant is used in Scripture, at least in the NASB translation. 

And finally notice also in verse 29 that Simeon knows that he is about to be released from this earth IN PEACE.

Yes, bring on many more Simeons!

Again, ABBA, You have honored us with an understanding of Your Word. Thank You. I ask You to strengthen this ministry, both in the study of Your Word and in prayer.  You know each heart, You know each request that comes to this screen, You know our needs, our wants, and our fears; please deal with us according to Your good pleasure in JESUS Holy name. Amen and amen.

Waiting and Believing,
Kathie