Category Archives: Christian Living

Christian Living, Repentance, Salvation

The Day

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Do not live for today, live for The Day.

That is a one sentence summary of today’s (Sunday) message given by my Pastor at Satsuma First Baptist this morning. I am still digesting probably the most powerful, most affective, effective for me message I have heard since my salvation. Even though I knew as I was listening that my Pastor was doing a superb job delivering his monologue, yet my focus was not on the great job he was doing but on the holy, awesome GOD he was talking about. Ive heard it said when a good preacher finishes you leave the sanctuary saying that was a good message; but when a great preacher finishes you leave saying what an Awesome God!

I have a great preacher/pastor! And I have the Awesome God!

The Day.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the LORD Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the LORD in the air, and so we shall always be with the LORD. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

And I dare say if these words do not comfort you, you best be finding out why you are not comforted by them.

So that’s The Day.

Then what?

This what!

2 Corinthians 5: (New International Version, ©2011)10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.  11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.

And, in my opinion, what is the worst thing a Christian can do? Fail to allow the Holy Spirit through us by prayer, love, word and deed to persuade others that The Day is coming and they must prepare for that Day.

1 Corinthians 3 (New King James Version)10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

I think I am more keenly aware today than ever that when The Day comes I do not want to be saved ‘yet so as through fire’. When that glorious time comes to lay crowns at the Beautiful Feet of JESUS, I want some to give HIM!!!!

Words are too little, LORD, to say how grateful I am for what You have done this day for me toward The Day. Thank You. And now as this day is closing and these thoughts are nearly prepared for posting, I thank You for allowing me to write them and share them. I pray, HOLY SPIRIT, that You will use this to minister to every person who comes here to read and pray. Thank You for tending our IDOK Troops and our Praying For These in JESUS Name.  Amen and amen.

Until Then + + +,
Kathie

Christian Living, Guests

Who Am I?

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We are privileged to have a Guest Contributor this Wednesday.

Jamie Martin.

I met Jamie in May of 2004, I believe it was – one of Jerry’s Youth at Myers Memorial Baptist Church in Eight Mile, Alabama. Since then I have come to love her dearly, watching her grow more and more in love with JESUS and ministering more and more to people.

Please read attentively what she has to say.

So yesterday Heather and I went downtown to help feed the homeless with One Meal. Right as we were coming off of the connector, we saw a guy holding a sign that said “just hungry”. I told Heather we should tell him they were about to serve a free meal around the corner, so while at the red light, I cracked my window and told him. While we were pulling away, I said “let’s see if he comes. I doubt it”.

Well as we were pulling off I thought I saw someone stop to pick him up. Come to find out the “one meal” coordinator had stopped to tell the guy about the free meal and offered a ride. Well, as soon as I saw him, my heart sank. Who am I to judge that man?!?! Here I am, on my way to serve these people and show them God’s love and having a negative attitude without even realizing it. Judging whether or not I think the man’s cardboard sign was telling me the truth. So what?!? Who am I that I think he owes me even the truth?!?

When he came through the line for the third time (I guess he was “just hungry for what it’s worth now), all we had left were beans. He walked up and held the plate out and stood there until the plate couldn’t hold anymore. He thanked us and as he walked away he said “These will help me keep warm tonight”. At that point God just kind of slapped me…hard. :) He basically was saying how can you expect me to use you as I intend when you are letting human thoughts creep in and slander my people. God calls us to see people as He sees people. Love as He loves. And what did I do? The exact opposite. EVEN IF his sign was lying and he was just trying to get an easy buck, SO WHAT! It’s not up to me. Nothing is. It’s not about me and my opinions.

Just that morning I taught a Bible Study class on Romans 10. A portion of our lesson was this–“For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”. Okay, I know that’s talking about salvation, but we all are God’s workmanship. All of us. Homeless or not. Black or white. Hispanic or Asian. American or not (this could be a whole other thing! Maybe I’ll post that later).

My point is I had just had a reminder of why I do what I do. To show God’s love to ALL people. God doesn’t favor one over the other. We all have the opportunity to be adopted into His family. How can I correctly portray His love and think the way I did towards that man? I’ll end here, because I am rambling a bit, BUT let’s all try to check ourselves before serving others. Are we showing God’s love? Or are we showing human love which will most likely fail?

I just couldn’t stop thinking about him and still haven’t.

And all God’s People said,  Amen!

Praying for These

Thank You, ABBA, for Jamie. Thank You for the message You have given her. Thank You for the privilege of sharing it here. Be glorified, LORD, and grow us in Your likeness as we meditate upon these words. Briefly here we bring those we love whose names are recorded at Praying for These and our IDOK Troops, praying for You to be glorified in us all. Praying for revival; praying to be prepared to minister; praying for our families to be redeemed in JESUS name. Amen and amen.

Until Then + + +,
Kathie

Until Then – Let this be our Theme Song!!

Christian Living

What Can I Say?

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2 Samuel 7

25 “Now therefore, O LORD GOD, the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do as You have spoken,

Pretty bold praying, huh? And there’s not a hint of arrogance in it. You know how I know?

26 that Your name may be magnified forever;

Is this why we want ABBA to answer our prayers? So HE will be glorified? More than we want the answer to make our lives more comfortable and to our liking? Good question, isn’t it?

by saying, ‘The LORD of hosts is God over Israel’; and may the house of Your servant David be established before You.

And look at that! He is glorified when people can watch us and in truth say, ‘The LORD is indeed her/his LORD!’

And He is glorified when it is obvious to others that we are established in Him. That when prosperity adorns us or when famine encompasses us, we still love and worship Him. We still honor Him with our deeds. We still praise Him with lips.

What can I say? This just blessed me today. Hope it will you come Tuesday.

Colossians 2:6-8 (Amplified Bible)

6As you have therefore received Christ, [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him.

7Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.

8See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men’s ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world), just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding [the teachings of] Christ (the Messiah).

Praying for These

LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, Our ABBA, You are so AWESOME to speak to us from Your Word. To make it alive to us. Now I pray HOLY SPIRIT that You make it alive IN us.  Help us to invite You to establish us and then to be still long enough to hear Your plan for us individually. And, LORD, You know the news I just got. Miley. So sick. JESUS, we are bringing her to You and asking that You heal her; that You restore her counts to normal numbers; and I pray for peace and strength for Britteny and Chad and the whole family. Their history makes this so tender, LORD. Please comfort.  And along with Miley, we petition You for the others on our list and our IDOK Troops. Voicing all the needs is not possible for us — we don’t know them all – Thank You, HOLY SPIRIT … for Your Own Glory, LORD, we bring them even as the four brought their friend to You and let him down through the roof — we bring these trusting You to do well; to glorify Father and that will be enough for us.  Thank You JESUS.   Thank You.

Until Wednesday + + + LORD willing,
Kathie

Assurance - Promise, Christian Living

Toad Water

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There’s no place like home.

I Kings 18:43 He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back” seven times. 44. It came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.” 45. In a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. 46 Then the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to Jezreel.  source

Quickly a few points.

Elijah had a promise. It’s gonna rain.

Elijah prayed, believed and waited. And waited. And waited some more. Finally on the seventh time he sent his servant to look, the servant reported there’s a small cloud about the size of man’s hands.

My Translation of the servant’s message: Elijah, it’s been seven times now you have asked me to look and finally there is a cloud but it ain’t big enough to water a toad much less the rain storm you’ve been talking about.

But he did as he was told. He went and told Ahab.

We don’t have to understand the hows or the whens — we just have to obey when GOD speaks.

And when GOD brings on a small, size of a man’s hand cloud, put your running shoes on because it’s about to rain!  And be ready to cover more ground that you ever dreamed possible.

Don’t you love that about ABBA? He takes the weak, the little, the seemingly insignificant and does GREAT things?

1 Corinthians 1 (The Message)26-31Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That’s why we have the saying, “If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God.” source

ABBA. I think You have a lot to work with with us — weak, little and often feeling really insignificant. We are looking forwarded to seeing what You are doing with this little band of believers. Thank You, ABBA, in JESUS name.  Amen and Amen.

Until Tuesday. . .

Kathie