Category Archives: Christian Living

Christian Living

The Squeeze

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 I am flat out enjoying the new colors in our hall bath. I often stop in passing, lean my head against the door facing and just smile. 

As I begin to write I am fresh from cleaning the miniature roller I used this morning for some touch up and I have an application to share with you. It is by no means new but I have to have something to write about for our Tuesday time together.  :)

I noticed it takes a lot of water to get the paint roller clean. Even when the roller looked clean and white again and I thougth I might be finished, with just a little squeeze I knew there was yet paint hiding deep in the roller. 

Is a picture forming for you?

It takes a lot of WATER of the Word to work (wash) the practice of sin out of us. I say practice because once we say YES to JESUS and Eternal Life is received within, positionally we are fully and completely and thoroughly clean before ABBA. But oh my goodness the HOLY SPIRIT, He has much work to do to correct and change our practices!  I have heard it said it only takes a moment to rescue a sinner from hell but it takes a lifetime to get the hell out of the sinner.  I am living proof to the truth of that! And washing that paint roller this morning surely reminded me of it.

At times  I look pretty good in practice and I might even think I am doing pretty good and I surely am doing better than I used to. BUT let me get squeezed just right and uh oh — I didn’t know that was in there!!  Makes me grateful for the squeezes AND the Water.  Cause I really do want to be clean in practice, don’t you?  See why I say it takes a lot of ‘WATER’ to wash the sin out of saved sinners.

One more thought, well perhaps two  — I had to kept pouring that water on that roller to get it clean. If I had shut off the water too soon — that roller would still be dirty.

We have to keep applying the Word of God, a steady stream of it I’d say, moment by moment, day after day until we are completely clean.  Which, of course, will take a lifetime you know. But, think about it, what better way to spend our ‘three score and twenty’?

Roll that paint on the walls, apply those touch ups, wash those rollers and brushes and often lean your head on the chest of JESUS and enjoy the beautiful paint on the walls of your life!

And the squeeze?  Remember I said, “with just a little squeeze I knew there was yet paint hiding deep in the roller.”?     Can you say with me, Thank You, ABBA, thank You so much for loving me enough to SQUEEZE me? For without the squeezes I would not know what is in me! 

And my Dear Ones this is two fold good. Sometimes He squeezes or allow us to be squeezed so we will see not what needs washing away but what has been washed away! The squeeze lets us see that He has been doing some really great work in us — more than we even knew! With the squeeze we see clean, clear, fresh water flowing from us!! How good is that?!

Clean water flowing and beautiful paint on the walls of our lives!!  I tell you, it don’t get any better!! :)

Philippians 1: (New American Standard Bible) 6For 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. source

Isaiah 1: (King James Version) 17Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
18Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:  source

I like this application, ABBA, I am so glad to have it; so glad to write it and I pray the sharing of it will bless each Reader. And as they gather here to read and pray I ask that You administer it just as You will. Thank You for this ministry. Thank You for every Reader. Thank You for every prayer that is prayed and thank You for every answer You give. Thank You for every life that is touched and thank You for what You will yet do with this group of believers.  In agreement, we bring to Your Throne the needs and faces of those represented by name and we thank You for what You have done for them already and what You will yet do.  Thank You for the safety and protection You have given our IDOK Troops and we ask that You please continue to do that.  Thank You for the messages we have heard; thank You for eyes to see the signs that You display before us each day.  And, ABBA, as I have been so carefully reminded I pray for Israel, gather them to Yourself, I pray for more and more even today to believe and received YESHUA  as their Messiah. Amen and amen in His Holy Name. 

Until Then + + +
Kathie 

Christian Living

A Reach?

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Let me just say Good Monday Morning (even though it is nearly 10 PM Sunday night)! 

The Eastern Shore Women’s Ministry Conference this year was the best yet … we say that every year — only because it is true! The theme this year was Wake Up — My People. And that is just what I want to  do — wake up and live!  Live like the return of JESUS is imminent — because it is!!

Pastor Aaron Fruh delivered a message that dropped my jaw — Jerry’s too.   I am posting a link here for you that will allow you to listen to the message. It will of course not be exactly what we were privileged to hear on Friday night but no doubt will give you a good taste. When the web page opens scroll down to selection number 8. It is titled 8 Harbingers. Let  me know what you think.

I had a really good time in Sunday School this morning. We finished up 2 Kings and next week we begin Philippians. I said, “Hallelujah”! Leading an Old Testament study is hard for me, particularly pronouncing those names. But as we were finishing the lesson which was to encourage us to hold on to our hope, I read to the class one of my favorite passages of Old Testament Holy Writ. Would you do me the honor of reading it with me?

Deuteronomy 30 (New American Standard Bible) 1“So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where the LORD your God has banished you,  
2and you return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons,  
3then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you.  
4“If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back.  
5“The LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.  
6“Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.
7“The LORD your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you.
 8“And you shall again obey the LORD, and observe all His commandments which I command you today.  
9“Then the LORD your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the LORD will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers;  
10if you obey the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.
 11“For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.

This command to live like JESUS is NOT too difficult for me.  It’s not too difficult for you today. It is not out of my reach. It is not out of your reach. Today.  Yes, today!

That’s good news to me!  You too? 

Praying for These

 Thank You, ABBA, for this good news. Thank You that in You all things are possible. Thank You that living holy lives is within our reach — all we have to do is yield when You speak. Thank You. I am grateful. You know the things on my mind and I am grateful and delighted that I can entrust them to You.  Thank You. I pray that each dear One who comes to this screen will take all those mind occupying things and entrust them to You this very day in JESUS Name.  Amen and amen.  

 Until then + + +
Kathie

Assurance - Promise, Christian Living, KWT Paraphrasing

KT Paraphrasing

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I am running late today; but I’ve had a really good time and I have to scoot soon; going to pick up my GRANDS for a little spell.

So. What shall we share for Wednesday?

Romans 12: (King James Version) 1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.  via Ro 12:1-2 – Passage Lookup – King James Version – BibleGateway.com.

Now let me paraphrase it in KT style. Perhaps it will bless you too.

Even though I believe our dear brother Paul penned this letter it is actually the Voice of our Father, hence I am paraphrasing it thus.

I am instructing you, Kathie, (I recommend you read it with YOUR name inserted and not mine) ________________, within My mercies and for your very own good that you make yourself, all of you, – mind, emotions and body – available to Me by an act of your will. This is not unreasonable. I promise you, with Me, you can do it. Moreover it is the ONLY way you are going to be happy here on my earth. Now here is the way it works. Rather than looking at this world’s media to decide how you will think, what you will say, what you will wear, what you will eat, what will entertain you, how you will rear your children, how you will respond and react to your husband, what your moral conduct will be, and for every other question you have, you will come to Me. You will read My Word and I will teach you. And in time your mind will come in line with what you have read, you will believe and I will give you strength. You will come to know with all assurance what is good, what is evil, what is acceptable, what is to be rejected. In summary you will KNOW ME, and what My will is for you, and what My heart is for you and I promise you most of the time you will like it and even when you don’t, you will see the value of it and be content in it until I work out the remaining details for you. It will be the most fun of your earthly life thus far and you will finally be able to get your emotions around the fact that I love you – really, really love you and more than that I actually LIKE you and you bless Me and please Me. Now isn’t that what you really want? I thought so. Me too!

Praying for These

ABBA, You know my heart. You know I am not by any means desiring to put ‘words’ in Your Mouth or change, add to or pervert anything You have spoken. I’m just hoping to convey to my sisters and my brothers that You are AWESOME, that You are RIGHT, that You can be trusted and to say it in such a way that it will hang with them just a little closer than before and will give me some accountability with them and will help them in their own private and public journey here.  I pray HOLY SPIRIT it will be so in JESUS name. Amen and amen.

Until then + + +
Kathie

Assurance - Promise, Christian Living

Looking GOOOOOD!

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It’s mid morning Valentine’s Day 2011 as I sit to write for our Tuesday time together. And I am hoping you all are experiencing the Love of your Life faithful to you. For HE surely is.

I have one more day of homework for my on-line study with Leah Adams; one part of our Scripture reading today was Isaiah 43. Would you read it with me?

Isaiah 43: (New American Standard Bible) 1But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! 2″When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. 3″For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;   via Is 43:1-4 – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com.

Do not fear.

Why? Why should I not fear in this hostile, sin cursed, sinfully rampant place?

Because. Your Creator, the One who formed you has in CHRIST redeemed you. He calls you by name. He has claimed you as His own. He is not ashamed of you. He has put you on display before ALL creation as His very own daughter (or son). Why would we be afraid?

Here’s what I think. We get distracted by the winds and waves, or by the dry scorching hostile varmint infested deserts and when we are sorely distracted, we step into that pothole of unbelief and we stub our toe — sometimes we recover our balance quickly and pick right up moving on through the day; sometimes we take a tumble. 

The goal is to tumble less and less. And we are!

Still He says Do not fear. I am here.  

Did you notice verse two says WHEN not IF? It’s a given, water and fire are coming with the intent to drown us or burn us to a crisp!  The good news is it ain’t gonna happen! Look here. The Text says THROUGH! Through means there’s an end to the waves, we will not drown. Not in high seas or winding on ‘forever’ white water rivers.  And in desert heat with flames so licking hot we think the mascara on our eyelashes is going to melt — it aint!  We are promised the flame will not consume us.

My Sisters and Brothers, we in CHRIST JESUS are REDEEMED. We are gonna make it through this journey called LIFE and we are gonna be looking GOOOOD when we get to the other side! In fact, we ain’t looking too bad right now! Do you believe it? Yes, you do!

Praying for These

Thank You, thank You, ABBA, that in You, LORD JESUS, we are safe and we are coming through this in Your Robe of White (Righteousness) with nary a stain nor even a hint of smoke. Amen and amen.

Until then + + +
Kathie