Tag Archives: Bible Gateway

Birthdays

Our Bradford Exchange catalog came yesterday. It is a tribute to Thomas Kinkade. It is filled with items displaying his beautiful work.  I have enjoyed Kinkade’s work for many years – I was saddened when he died in April of this year.  But I’m off point.

The catalog is filled with items to purchase and, yes, the promotion of Christmas is predominant. And in all the predominance JESUS gets one page. One page! And whose birthday is Christmas supposed to be? And so I have been singing a song this morning. Let me share it with you.

But today is not Christmas. Today we do not officially celebrate the birth of our Savior – but we should!

In fact, celebrating that JESUS is would make Isabel’s birthday all the more fun!  She is the big 10 today!  So today is a day of celebrating.

For sure. For sure. Each of us has something we can celebrate today.

So today’s challenge: What are you celebrating today?

John 3:16    21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

via John 3:16 KJ21 – “For God so loved the world that – Bible Gateway.

Thank You, JESUS, for coming for me! Thank You for abiding forever for me.  I love You, LORD. And, ABBA, thank You, for ten years ago today. The birth of joy to this family. It is my heart’s desire that all her days she lives to give You glory. That she grows to be a godly woman, a woman with kindness on her lips and deeds of good walked out with feet bearing Your Gospel and hands helping the poor and the lost.  And not just Isabel but all of us who have received You as LORD and Savior. Make it so, LORD. Make it so.

We have the God-given Right to do right in this wrong World,

We Can!

A quick word, I think, before GRANDS are up and ready for breakfast.

Proverbs 4:11 New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

11 I guide you in the way of wisdom

and lead you along straight paths.

via Proverbs 4:11 NIV1984 – I guide you in the way of wisdom and – Bible Gateway.

And immediately upon reading this I thought when my path is not straight, it can mean only one thing, I am not following Him.  And on a more pleasant note, He guides. He guides in the way of wisdom.

Think of it! You and I can be WISE today. We can hold and dispense the Wisdom of God today. Wow!

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him.

via James 1:4-6 KJ21 – But let patience have her perfect work, – Bible Gateway.

There is a catch.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.

via James 1:4-6 KJV – But let patience have her perfect work, – Bible Gateway.

And that boils down to a choice to believe what we just read. He said: ASK GOD and GOD will give.  Simple. Isn’t it?

Believing JESUS is the wisest choice I can make today. 

Thank You, ABBA, for this simple yet profound word today. We can walk in Your Wisdom today. We can make wise choices today. We can speak words of wisdom today. We can! Thank You, JESUS.  Thank You for this quiet time. Thank You for Your Word that speaks so clearly to us. And thank You for each Dear Soul that comes here to read and to pray. I pray HOLY SPIRIT that You will speak to them, assure them of Your Will and Plans for them. I am mindful in this moment of One You love who has been deceived and has gone willfully into the Darkness. I am asking You to have mercy. The magnitude of the transgression is too big for me to fathom but You, O LORD, are able to redeem her; that is Your Desire and it is mine and others and we pray it will be hers.  That she will believe Your revelation as You position her to see and we pray she will believe and repent.  And I am mindful of our sick and afflicted. Today is testing day for Dori. A long and hard day for her. I pray for her strength to be meet for this day’s activities. And we continue to pray for You to completely heal her. There are others. You know their names, their faces, their hearts, their frames and we pray for healing in all ways needed and advantageous for Your Kingdom and for them. And others. Those who seem to be oblivious to their sin and their need of the Savior. I can only ask that they come to see their sins as the affront they are to You and come to believe in the power of the Blood of JESUS to wash them clean.  Israel. Must not forget Israel. Asking You for peace and safety. Asking for wisdom for Her Leaders. And for this Country. ABBA, I am grateful for America. I am grateful You birthed Her. I am grateful to live here and, ABBA, I pray for strength and wisdom to boldly and effectively fight for Her life. She was once young and beautiful and filled with Your grace and goodness; once kind and benevolent and obedient before You. I am so sorry we have transgressed against You. We have earned Your wrath. Even so I trust You to dispense it in love and wisdom. I pray to align with You and I pray all my brothers and sisters in CHRIST JESUS will too. Thank You, ABBA. Thank You. Amen and amen. 

We have the God-given Right to do right in this wrong World,
Praying (PFT)!

SLA

And another week has begun.

We are into our third week of Summer. A summer, I am hoping, to be packed with learning and sweet memories for my GRANDS to carry with them through their lives.

There is a skill to learning, don’t you know? A most valuable skill, wouldn’t you say? And my GRANDS are not the only ones needing to learn the skill of learning.  And I know just the Teacher!  And I believe the steps to learning have been revealed to us. THE TEACHER used them Himself. Here let me share with you what I have found.

Luke 2

Remember the account of JESUS at twelve? Joseph and Mary left Jerusalem thinking He was within the caravan with some of His cousins. And when it came time to make camp for the night, naturally they went looking for Him. And when they did not find Him they returned to Jerusalem. Can you imagine the horror of not finding Him for three days?? I mean think of it! You have been entrusted with GOD’s SON and you can’t find Him?!  Seriously, what Mother’s heart would not be in a gut-wrenching panic even for a moment of not knowing where is her child – much less THREE DAYS?!

Finally, they go to the Temple and there He is!

Learning! 

46 Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. via Luke 2 NASB – Jesus’ Birth in Bethlehem – Now in – Bible Gateway.

Three words, in particular, are my focus for this message.

Sitting. Listening. Asking

The steps to learning.

SIT.
To learn anything. Scripture. Math. Science. How to cut hair. You name it. Learning requires us to POSITION ourselves. To be still. Sit! Put ourselves in an environment conducive to the art of what we wish to learn. 
JESUS was in the Temple. Smart move. We could learn a lot from this 12-year-old GOD-BOY!

LISTEN.
JESUS was not sitting there checking His Facebook, or playing a game on His iPad or iPod.  He was listening. He gave the teachers His attention! He heard their words. He considered what they said. He played the words, the concepts, the ideas in His mind examining them. He listened. We have to LISTEN if we expect to learn.  JESUS did. And if GOD did. Who are we not to?

Perhaps we don’t like the concept of JESUS learning; because learning denotes there is something we do not know and didn’t JESUS know everything?  As the GOD-INFANT, GOD-TODDLER, GOD-CHILD, GOD-BOY?  No, He didn’t. HE LEARNED. He allowed Himself to be limited because we humans are limited. He learned.  So can we, following His practice – Sit. Listen.

ASK.
If we sit. If we listen. We will surely have questions. Sometimes I have questions but I don’t ask. I don’t ask because I don’t want to appear ignorant. There’s a word for that kind of ignorance – PRIDE. I need to learn better.  :)  And I will.  JESUS modeled the pattern for us. The least we could do is use it!

Sit. Listen. Ask.

Simple isn’t it? And there is no art of schooling to which we cannot apply it.

Sit. Listen. Ask.

I am glad to be learning this — aren’t you?

We have the God-given Right to do right in this wrong World,

Thank You, JESUS, for this simple and profound tool of learning; help us practice it well for Your glory and our good. Thank You, Father, for each soul who comes here to read and to pray. I am asking You to bless them for coming; whatever their needs I pray they will find You faithful today.  I pray for strength and courage, wisdom and discernment, peace and security, and for our sick and afflicted I pray You will heal them and for the wayward and rebellious I am thanking You that You will not give up on them and You are continuing to pursue them. I pray, HOLY SPIRIT, for You to help them repent.  And we remember Israel, praying for peace and safety, and for America, we pray for a great awakening unto repentance. Thank You, Father, for perfecting Your saints in JESUS’ name. Amen and amen.

Which?

Nehemiah 8:10   21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

10 . . .  for this day is holy unto our Lord; neither be ye sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”      via Nehemiah 8:10 KJ21 – Then he said unto them, “Go your – Bible Gateway.

Isaiah 59:1   21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

1 Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.   via Is 59:1 KJ21 – Behold, the LORD’S hand is not – Bible Gateway.

And in between verse 1 and verse 19 is a whole lot of rebellion and sin and stubbornness and idolatry and on and on. Shall we not forget the LORD’s Hand is not too short to reach?

To reach to correct.

To reach to save.

Give Him praise today that His Hand is not too short to reach YOU for whatever it is YOU need today.

Spanking or Saving.

Either way He loves you and me enough to reach for us today.  Give Him praise!! You see it’s not just unbelievers who need saving, we His children need saving everyday – saving from bad choices, wrong attitudes, perils and harm that we are often oblivious to, on and on He saves us. Let us JOY in Him and be glad this day!

19 So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.

20 “And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob,” saith the Lord.

21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” saith the Lord; “My spirit that is upon thee, and My words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed,” saith the Lord, “from henceforth and for ever.”   via Isaiah 59 KJ21 – Behold, the LORD’S hand is not – Bible Gateway.

How bless o LORD are we that Your Hand is not too short to reach us for spanking or saving!! What a blessed thought to me, ABBA, that You would correct me; that You would love me enough to correct me and save me. Thank You, ABBA, thank You. And I pray for each who come here to read and pray that they too will rejoice in Your Hand that reaches us for whatever our needs. And we have many. We have spirits that are dry and in need of refreshing; we have souls with weaknesses and sins and we cry out to You to come correct us and save us from ourselves; and we praise You that You are able and willing.  Thank You, ABBA.  And we come with our sick and afflicted asking for healing. Asking for safety for brothers and sisters traveling today, particularly a choir group in transit now. And we forget not Israel, praying for peace and safety and our own Nation, ABBA, many needs here. Thank You that Your Hand is not too short and thank You that YOUR STRENGTH is our JOY in JESUS Name.  Amen and amen.

We have the God-given Right to do right in this wrong World,
Praying (PFT)!