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The Blessing Is In The Valley

The Blessing Is In The Valley

I was talking to a friend yesterday and the two of us were discussing, some of the difficult things that we had personally experienced in the past year regarding health.  Please be clear, this was definitely not a whining session, it was just two friends sharing their hearts and experiences.

I told her that although I had gone through a very difficult year, I had no complaints.  God has been so incredibly good to me, that I dare not complain.   As we continued talking about our valley experiences, I shared with her,
that it was so interesting to me, how we all want that mountain top experience all of the time.  However, if the truth is known, it is during our most difficult seasons in life, that we experience our most significant spiritual growth.

While we are waiting for God to rescue us from our dark valley, and to lead us to higher ground, amazing things start to happen.   We suddenly start to remember that we really do need God’s help, and we start to reach out to Him more in prayer and through camping out in His word. We also start to realize that we really and truly do have a friend in Jesus.  Most importantly, we start to realize, that we have a loving, caring Father who sustains us in every way. He sustains us spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially, and when we can’t take another step, He picks us up and carries us through our difficult season.

I think our Father’s love becomes more evident to us in the valley because we are already leaning in, waiting to hear from Him regarding our situation.   We start to run to Him each day, seeking comfort and direction.  As we draw nearer to Him, He draws nearer to us and thus the spiritual growth begins.  So the next time you enter your valley season kicking and screaming, remember that although it does not seem like it at the time, God is blessing you because God is the blessing in the valley!

Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Micah 7:7
But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

Isaiah 40:31
31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Psalm 62:5
Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.

 

 

 

 

 

Only God Can Satisfy

Only God Can Satisfy

H ave you ever thought, I will be so happy when I finally get my next promotion at work, or my new car, or my new house?   It may even be that you have thought, when I get my new designer handbag I will be so happy.  Honestly, the list could go on and on. 

 If we are honest, it seems that we are always reaching for something.   I think that we are always reaching because things don’t bring satisfaction and joy and that we initially think that they will.   There are some people who think, if I could only meet the right person, I would be so happy.  They soon realize that there is no true satisfaction in people, just as there is no true satisfaction in things.   The only lasting satisfaction and joy that we will ever have are in Jesus Christ.   He is the only one that can fill our empty cups with joy.

 You see happiness is based on externals, whereas joy is based on our spiritual wellbeing which works from the inside out.  Happiness is fleeting, whereas joy can last indefinitely.   As long as you are in a relationship with God you can experience a joy-filled life.  The next time you are tempted to seek fulfillment in someone, or something other than God, pray first and ask yourself what I really hungry for am.   Usually, the answer almost always turns out to be, time alone with God.

  Don’t miss the signal.   It will be like craving chocolate and eating broccoli, expecting it to satisfy your craving for chocolate.  It will never work.   No matter how much broccoli you eat, you will still be craving chocolate until that craving is satisfied with chocolate. 

 When the desires of this world are trying to pull you into its web, reach for God first, and more than likely your cravings will be satisfied.    Remember, no matter how shiny the car is, or how big the house is, or how handsome the man is, God and only God can truly satisfy.  Have a joy-filled day, as you seek fulfillment in God and God alone.

 

 HAPPY EASTER

     HAPPY EASTER

Isaiah 53: 5
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds, we are healed.
1st Peter 1: 3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

As we all look forward to celebrating Easter this coming Sunday, I thought I would share with you what the word Easter means to me.

E – Eternal Life

  John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 11: 25
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;
John 10: 27-30
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[a]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

A – Amazing Grace

Ephesians 1:7 ESV
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

S- Sins Forgiven

    Isaiah 43: 25
“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.
 Acts 3: 19
19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
  Ephesians 1: 7 ESV
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
 Micah 7: 18-19
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.
19 You will again have compassion on us, you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

T- Triumph

 Colossians 2: 14-15 ESV
14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities[a] and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.[b]

E- Empty Tomb

 John 20:1-18
20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for? “Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and you’re God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

R- He is Risen

    Mark 16: 5-7
As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
  Roman 6: 4
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
  Luke 24: 46-47
46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Because of the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross,  we have an Eternal home prepared for us with Him.   What joy that should bring to our hearts.  Praise God for His unfailing love and His Amazing Grace!

The Donkey And The Palm Branch

The Donkey And The Palm Branch

I am writing my blog this time, on the day that we observed as Palm Sunday, which is the first day of Holy Week.  Holy Week is the week leading up to Good Friday, which is the day of Jesus’s crucifixion.  Easter is the following Sunday when we celebrate Christ’s resurrection from the grave. Some also call this day Resurrection Sunday.

After watching a church service this morning.  I decided to share a few things for those who may not know what the palm branches and the donkey are symbolic of, as we hear about Palm Sunday and Holy Week this week. Let’s read the scriptures first:

Matthew 21:1-5
21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
“Say to Daughter Zion,  ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”[a]
John 12:12
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.
Zechariah 9: 9-10
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!

See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River[a] to the ends of the earth.

Are you as amazed as I am that the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, chose to enter Jerusalem in a humble manner?  He sent for a lowly donkey to make his triumphant entrance.    You see Zechariah had already prophesied that the coming king would bring peace. The donkey is an animal of peace whereas the horse is an animal that is symbolic of war.  Although Jesus’ entrance here is one of peace, when He returns for His second coming He will be riding a horse and waging a righteous war.
Revelation 19: 11-16
11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice, he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”[a] He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
King of kings and Lord of lords.

The palm branch symbolizes the four following things:

1. Victory over sin.
1st Corinthians 15: 56-57

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
 Romans 6:14
14 For sin shall no longer be your master because you are not under the law but under grace.
2. Triumph over death.
Revelation 1:18
18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
 Romans 14:9
For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

3.  Peace
John 14:27
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

 Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds, we are healed.

2nd Thessalonians 3:16
16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

 Isaiah 9:6
 For to us, a child is born, to us, a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.
Eternal Life
John 10: 28-30
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[a]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

 1 John 5:13
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
 John 3: 36
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

Palm Sunday is not the only time that we hear of palm branches being used.  Revelations speak of another time, when we all will hold palm branches in our hands, and what a joyful day of celebration that will be!

Revelation 7: 9-12
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 sayings:

“Amen!
Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”

Praise God!!!

My prayer is that Holy Week will be a week when we will all really take time to focus on the gift of grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness that we have been given by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.  May God bless you to have a wonderful Easter!