Tag Archives: Christianity

Guests, Salvation

A No-Brainer

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I have a quick thought this morning before I scurry off to a GRAND’s 6th grade graduation. 

Page 98 of James Banks book Praying for Prodigals reads in part this way:

“You know what it’s like to have a world full of prodigal children, and only one child who did what was right–your Son, our Savior! You love us so much, you “gave him up for us all” (Romans 8:32)!”

Can you imagine giving up your one and only child who does right for a bunch of no goods who deliberately choose to do wrong?!!

GOD DID!

Can ANY ONE fault Him for denying entry into HIS Heaven to ANY ONE (and Every One) who rejects the Sacrifice of HIS ONE and ONLY SON?

It really is a no-brainer, isn’t it?

Romans 8:32 21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

32 He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
via Romans 8:32 KJ21 – He that spared not His own Son, but – Bible Gateway.

And as a bonus look again at the verse: SINCE He gave us Salvation in His One and Only Son will He not freely give us all other things we need?

Like I said, it’s a no-brainer! 

Are we challenged today to use the MIND OF CHRIST?  That is the only way we are going to THINK right, don’t you think?  :)

Got Sheila home yesterday!! And got to spend some time with Baby Girl! A RED LETTER day for sure!!

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

Thank You, ABBA, for James Banks and the writing skills and the messages You gave him for us. And as I read and prayed this morning, I pray again: I pray for our prodigals that they will turn to You, LORD, for Your sake and for theirs.
HOLY SPIRIT, move us to crown this day with goodness given us through JESUS, our SAVIOR and LORD.  And again we ask You heal our sick and afflicted that we bring before You in these moments. Amen and  ___.

Christian Living

Burglar Bars

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And I understand some distributors now call them ‘Window Grills’. 

This evening as I was attempting to get my 10,000 steps in for today (which I did and plus some) I saw the lone house in our neighbor equipped with ‘window grills’.  As I mulled over the reason for these window adornments I thought, ‘not only do they keep out, they keep in’; and then I was off and running.  That is my thoughts were.

Homes, offices and businesses are not the only edifices equipped with burglar bars. How often do we erect barriers?  We throw up walls around our hearts to protect ourselves. To keep others from getting too close. To protect our emotions from assault and harm.  And I understand. I’ve done it myself. 

And yet I must admit when we place those ‘burglar bars’ around our hearts to keep others out, we are locking ourselves in.  However elaborate we dress up the barriers, calling them whatever pretty names we like the effect is the same – keeping others out and locking us in.

And what do we miss while we are locked in and others are kept out? What do you see on the other side of the window?   Pretty obvious, isn’t it?

May the HOLY SPIRIT make it just as obvious to us what we are missing locked away behind our ‘heart bars’ and may we have the courage to allow Him to help us uninstall them.

2 Corinthians 10

Tearing Down Barriers

1-2And now a personal but most urgent matter; I write in the gentle but firm spirit of Christ. I hear that I’m being painted as cringing and wishy-washy when I’m with you, but harsh and demanding when at a safe distance writing letters. Please don’t force me to take a hard line when I’m present with you. Don’t think that I’ll hesitate a single minute to stand up to those who say I’m an unprincipled opportunist. Then they’ll have to eat their words.

3-6The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.
via 2 Corinthians 10:2-4 MSG – Tearing Down Barriers -And now a – Bible Gateway.

ABBA, I trust that Your Word will not return void. Thank You for grace and mercy, for safety and protection given to each of us this day.

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

(Please do not equate heart barriers with healthy boundaries – Healthy Boundaries are another animal entirely.  :))

Christian Living, Theme Praying

It Makes Sense To Me

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It is occurring more often now: theme praying. That is my general praying over the day’s list with a blanket request; which, of course, does not circumvent specific requests.  And my general request today was one I know is bigger than I know.  :)  It was for the LORD JESUS to court my people. To court them, pursue them with the passion of the Cross. I take no credit for it. It’s a HOLY SPIRIT thing. I am just grateful He leads our praying. 

So as I sat to write to you about it I googled court and found this:

To attempt to gain; seek
 To behave so as to invite or incur
 To try to gain the love or affections of, especially to seek to marry.
via Court – definition of Court by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia..

Yep! That’s what I was asking. For myself as well as for you and others.  You see some of the folks I pray for are estranged from JESUS. Some of them by their very own ‘testimony’ do not know Him nor do they presently want to know Him. Some profess to know Him but are finding it difficult to walk the Road He walks. And wonderfully others are head over heels in love with Him, yet there is always more depths of love to go with Him. And in all these seasons it is JESUS who must initiate, must court the soul or that soul will never surrender to the marriage, (the GOD covenant relationship) and for those who have come into the marriage with Him, we have a propensity to stray. So I asked for martial courting (Horizontal marriages would do well with some courting too.), wooing us to walk closely with Him.

I figure it this way: who does not want to be courted? Who does not want another to behave toward them in such a way as to invite them into a pleasant, comforting, good relationship? Who does not want someone to love them?  And what better PERSON than JESUS CHRIST?

And with the Passion of the Cross? Think about it! HE loves us so much that He endured THAT and ALL it entailed! That’s what I’m asking for! For any soul gone astray or any flirting with going astray, for the HOLY SPIRIT to ‘hotly’ pursue that one with the Passion of the Cross.

However, I am reminded that HE is not in this alone and these hot pursuits that I am petitioning Him for may require some assistance on my part. Not that HE needs my assistance or yours! Yet, for sure, He chooses to allow US to work with Him. How glorious!!! So again, HOLY SPIRIT, pursue me that I may pursue YOU and others as You direct.

It makes sense to me!

I Corinthians 3: 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
via 1 Corinthians 3:8-10 KJV – Now he that planteth and he that – Bible Gateway.

Romans 2:4 New Century Version (NCV)
4 He has been very kind and patient, waiting for you to change, but you think nothing of his kindness. Perhaps you do not understand that God is kind to you so you will change your hearts and lives.
via Romans 2:4 NCV – He has been very kind and patient, – Bible Gateway.

Thank You, HOLY SPIRIT, Thank You, ABBA, Thank You, JESUS, for giving Yourself to us. To pursue us, to draw us to Yourself. Thank You for the will to come to You. Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for the gift of prayer. And so again I pray that You court us all in just the way we need in each of our individual stations today. Heal our sick, mend our hearts, restore our hearts and families for Your glory. Amen and . . .  . 

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