I Can Do All Things

WOW!!!  I can't believe all that has happened in the past 2 weeks...  I had a tooth pulled - took a week to recover completely; had to quickly replace our large upright freezer; had a really bad migraine that lasted off and on for a week.... and other minor things along with these.... BUT - these things did not get me down - at least not for long - because I was trusting in God (And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:28) and I have seen HIS hand in everything that has been happening - HE sure has taken me through all of these things victoriously.  I praise God from whom all BLESSINGS flow!!!

How do you react when tough things come your way? (I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength Philippians 4:13)

Here are some things that can help you to stand tall when trials come your way....

Remember that God has no limits - there is nothing He can not do!  He is in control of everything.

Remember that God's tolerance HAS its limits - there will be a time when God will say "enough".  Are you ready to meet God face to face?  Have your trusted Him as your Savior?  DO you believe that Jesus died and rose again to forgive you of your sins?  Judgement day IS coming.

Remember that these problems in your life have a purpose.  God will work through them for good - if you are a believer.  Who are they affecting?  How are they affecting you?  What are you doing in them?  The purpose is God's wisdom.  ( Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4)

Remember that God is allowing these things to happen in HIS WISDOM which HE could easily remove by HIS POWER.  God is working behind the scenes, remember Job???  We might not fully understand the why - it might be too heavy of  a burden. 

I praise GOD that HE loves us enough to work on us!  Think of the refining fire - the refiner heats up the metal to remove all of the impurities.  God is doing that in our lives.... allows us to go through trials to remove all of the impurities in our lives. 

I pray that you can say with me... "I CAN do ALL things through Christ who give ME STRENGTH!!!"

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Finally Back

Hi all,

Well I have been gone for a few weeks - we went to a family reunion in MI.  We had a great time - but it is good to be home again.  I am also trying to recouperate.... lol  My middle daughter is at camp this week - had to get up early yesterday to take her to church... and today I am up early to go to the dentist - I have something going on that is causing me to have quite a bit of pain in my cheek bone....

well I have an appt tomorrow morning with an oral surgeon - to see whether I need a root canal or a crown.....  hopefully we will figure this out.... LOL

Sunday's message at church was great!  Our music pastor preached - he has such a passion for God - all of our Pastors do....  here is a synopsis of this message....

1st, he spoke on Hosea - about how he redeemed his wife Gomer etc....  I am going to share some of his ending points....

1.  When we sin - we are sinning against God.  We are spitting in His face - saying "I don't want to do the things you want me to do",  "I want to do what I want to do - know matter who it hurts".....

2.  When we repent - we must turn away from the sin.  Are we sorry that we got "caught" in our sin?  Or are we sorry about the sin itself - that we committed it???  True repentance realizes the gravity of what we have done wrong.  We must recognize how sin is against God.  We must truly look to God - He has given us the means to know how He wants us to live - it is so much better than anything we can come up with.....

3.  We must seek forgiveness - through the cross.  Jesus died on the cross for our sins.  He paid the full payment for our sins.  There is nothing that we can do to earn forgiveness - except believing in Jesus, Our Savior.

4.  We must recognize God's love for us.  Yes Jesus loved us so much that He died for our sins!  But that is just the beginning - God has now adopted us as HIS own.  He could have just forgiven us and left it at that - but He went the next step..,,  we are now HIS BELOVED!!!

Have you realized that you are a sinner???  Do you realize how your sin breaks God's heart?  Or have you turned your life over to God ??? - trusting in His Son Jesus - knowing that He has paid the full payment for your disobedience!!!  Have you experienced the full LOVE of God???  He is wanting for you to totally trust in HIM - today!!! 

If you would like to hear this message in whole - please go here....

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VBS .... busy busy busy

Wow last week was extremely busy with VBS - and this week I have been recouperating... LOL  I was in charge of the 4-5 year olds...  we were one of the biggest classes - 23-25 kids each night....  just imagine that many very energetic kids running around..... LOL

We did have a wonderful week - it was a lot of fun teaching them the marvelous truths found in God's Word!!!  We studied... Abraham and Isaac; King Josiah; Mary and birth of Jesus; Peter; Good Samaritan...  and we went thru the plan of salvation every day as well as play games and do crafts.  Our theme this year was Polar Extreme....  it was fun seeing all those people running around in hats / scarves / winter coats etc in the middle of summer.....

I would like to share with you a simple plan of salvation - it is 5 point so you can use your fingers (we learned this a long time ago from one of our pastors).

1 (thumb pointing down)  We all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23

2 (index finger sweep away) We are separated from God. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life - Romans 6:23

3 (middle finger in front of index - Jesus taking our place) substitution - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but will have eternal life - John 3:16

4 (raise ring finger ) resurrection - Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.  1 Cor 16:3-4

5 (raise pinky) Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.  Acts 16:31

This is a fun way to share the gospel - plus it is easy enough that children can easily learn it.  It is something that can reinforce and teach the truth to all.....

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Does Your Life Have Meaning?

I just love today's verse of the day....

“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21: 2-4)

Do you know if you will be there at this wonderful occurance? What is the condition of your heart? (These are my notes from the last 2 weeks sermons at church. I just wanted to share these with you.)

John 2:23-25 (English Standard Version)

Jesus Knows What Is in Man

²³Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. ²⁴But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people ²⁵and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

Jesus knew what was in their hearts. He knows what is in your heart. Do you truly believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins?

Here are some things to think about...

Do you have a living heart? Are you living for God? Are you sensitive and responsive to God?

Do you have a listening heart? Do you listen and obey the Word of God?

Do you have a transparent heart? Are you hiding from God because of sin? Or are you confessing your sins to God - keeping current?

Do you have a commited heart? Are you hanging in there - even when things get tough?

What does Jesus SEE in your heart?

This message made me want to examine my heart - make sure that I am being a bold witness to Christ and all that He has done and is doing in my life! We need to make sure that we don't fall into the trap of getting "puffed up" with head knowledge - but to apply what we learn and make it heart knowledge - a part of our lives....

If you don't know Jesus as your Saviour, do you know what is in store for you???

Luke 16:19-31 (English Standard Version)

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹"There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. ²⁰And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, ²¹who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. ²²The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, ²³and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. ²⁴And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' ²⁵But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that
you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like
manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. ²⁶And
besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in
order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and
none may cross from there to us.' ²⁷And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— ²⁸for I have five brother -so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' ²⁹But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' ³⁰And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' ³¹He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'"

We find out from this passage - that hell is a place of constant torment and anguish. There is no hope of escape or relief.... There will be constant agony in suffering. There will be total awareness of what is going on - bodily and emotionally - it will not be total oblivion. Hell is TRUTH (you will KNOW that who God is) discovered too late. You will die in your sins - you will take them with you forever - and pay the penalty of sin.... Hell is the place where GOD is NOT. It is not a place you want to go....

But YOU have the CHOICE - you CHOOSE where you will spend eternity..... God has given you a way out - "For God so loved the world (you) that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus) that whoever (you) believes in Him, will not perish, but will have everlasting life." (John 3:16) God is NOT willing that anyone should perish - that means YOU - He wants YOU as a part of His Kingdom.

Will you choose to follow God's way - believe in His Son today - before it is too late....

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Is This Your Life?

There is so much wisdom in the verse for today. (There is so much wisdom in all Scripture verses....)

James 3:17-18

¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

God has given His wisdom through HIS Word - we can discover key things that can help us to live good lives....

• Purity - "having no faults; sinless"; we need to live lives that are good, we are "holy" - set apart for God.
• Peaceable - "freedom from disputes"; we need to live lives where we are making peace with others - no discord.
• Gentle - "kindly or tender nature"; we need to live lives that are kind to others - caring, loving - considerate.
• Open to Reason - "willing to yield"; we need to live lives where we don't have to get our own way all the time.
• Full of Mercy - "not getting the punishment that we deserve"; we need to live lives that are compassionate to others - we were forgiven of much - we need to forgive others so much more....
• Full of Good Fruits - we need to live lives that reproduce - are we sharing the love of God with others???
• Impartial - "Free from undue bias"; we need to live lives that is fair, loving towards ALL people - no matter what - this is "unconditional" love in action...
• Sincere - " In accordance with truth"; we need to live lives that are genuine, are we Sunday Christians only - or does our love for God permeate our whole lives?

If we are living a life that reflects these principles - we will have a happy good life. We will be living in peace with others - we will see this righteous living reflected in peace.

I am so thankful that God loves us so much that He gives us principles to live by. Our lives are so much more pleasant when we are considerate of those around us. We CAN live happy productive lives - with God's help.

Do you have God's help??? Do you know that God loved us so much - even in our sinful, rebellious state - that He sent His only Son, Jesus - to die on the cross for ALL of our sins??? God is waiting, with open arms to welcome you back - He greatly desires to have a relationship with you! Do you also know, that Jesus rose from the grave - He no longer is dead - He is a living Savior - He is God over all the universe? He knows and cares what is happening to you.

Run home - to the God who LOVES you so much....

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What Does Your Life Look Like???

Hi all,

As I was thinking about this week, it has been a hard one in some ways - but a great one in other ways, I came upon a few thoughts that I would like to share with you....

So what does your life look like? What do other people think when you enter a room / place?

"Oh no, here comes that person that drags others down" - or are you an encourager - are you "giving thanks in everything"?

or

"Oh no, here comes that person who makes fun / insults everyone around" - or are you an encourager - But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved
by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation
through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 2 Thess 2:13

or

"Oh no, here comes the person who thinks they are the only one who is right" - or are you an encourager - Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5

Jesus warned us to...


Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Mt 26:41
We need to be so careful in what we do. Do we bring people down? Or do we lift them up? Do you need an attitude check?

I know I do.... I have been feeling down a bit the past few days. It is hard when you see someone else going down the wrong path - and you want to warn them - but when they don't want to listen... it is so hard. But then, we need to just leave them in God's hands. If we have done our part - then that is what we need to do. (I felt God leading me to talk with this person - and I responded.) But I was reminded this morning, in my prayer time.... in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thess 5:18
So... Thank you God, for bringing to mind, this person that I needed to talk to. I thank You for the strength to talk to this person. I thank you that You LOVE us so much -- that you care about what is happening in each of our lives. I thank you that You are in control - and that you KNOW what is going on. I thank You that You are a GREAT and Awesome GOD!!!
So, what does your life look like? I pray that you can encourage someone today.....

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Being Kind to Others

HI all,

The verse for today is one of my favorites....

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, ^{forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32}

<sup>It is a great verse on how we should treat others.

First we are to be kind to each other.  This is thinking about other's needs.  Being highly concerned with others - being nice to others.  It is treating others with respect, friendship, in a loving manner...

Next, we are to be tenderhearted to others.  Having compassion towards others.  Look at their circumstances and try to understand what they are going through.....

In every caring relationship - we will need to forgive others.  Things happen, we are in a sinful world - we will get on others nerves.  We NEED to have a forgiving heart - remember God forgave us through Jesus Christ of so much more....

If we follow this simple verse - our relationships will be so much happier!   We will be at peace with others.  We will have very meaningful relationships....

The most important part of this verse is to remember what Jesus Christ did for you....

He came to earth as a baby....

He grew to be a man....

He was tempted in all things - but never sinned....

He - the spotless Lamb of God - became the payment for OUR sins.  He willingly died on the cross to save us from the wrath of God.  He became the full payment for us - we can live eternally with God - only because Jesus died in our place. 

Have you believed in this wonderful thing that Jesus - the Son of God - did for you? 

I thank God that He loves us so much..... 


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