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April 2024

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IN THE MIDST OF FEAR

Have you ever been consumed with fear? I certainly have and what I have come to realize, is that only our God can quail the anxiety that comes with this level of fear.

In 2020 I was not only dealing with the fear of Covid like the rest of the world, but I was also dealing with a very scary diagnosis regarding my health.  Had it not been for God so graciously leading me to the best of doctors and blessing me with the support of my family and church I probably would not be here today.

As I read my Bible each morning during that year, I started to notice that every day I was being led to a passage of scripture that had the words ” Don’t Be Afraid ” in it.  I know that only God could orchestrate the timing of this.

While on this journey, one day I went into a medical facility for some testing. My anxiety level was really high to say the least.  As I was about to get into the testing machine, God whispered “Don’t Be Afraid”.  It immediately calmed all of my anxieties.  It reminded me of a child who needs to hear a soothing word from their parents when they are afraid.

It just so happened that before all of this took place, I was already in the process of reading through the Bible in a year.   For years I had made it a habit to read a few scriptures each morning before I started my day, and each night before I went to bed.  I had never read completely through the entire Bible cover to cover though.  In all of the reading that I have done, I have seen Don’t Be Afraid many times over the years, but not consecutively every day.  At least I was not as aware of it as I was during this time.  It was as though God revealed it to me when I needed to see it most.
I found it so comforting to come across these passages of scriptures that said “Don’t Be Afraid”.

I am sharing this today to encourage you to just trust God, if you are currently living in the midst of fear.   Remember as a child of God we are covered by His love, His blood, His grace and mercy and most importantly His strong protective hand.   His timing is perfect, and He always has a plan for our lives that is rooted in kingdom purpose.  Only what God allows can ever penetrate and enter the walls of your life.  So if something not so good is happening in your life today, Don’t Be Afraid.  God can work good from the worst of disasters. Whatever you are going through may just be happening for you instead of to you so again, Don’t Be Afraid!

Luke 12:7

7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Deuteronomy 31:6
6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Psalm 23:4
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.
Psalm 91
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High  will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;  his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you  to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;  you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;  I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
Psalm 46[a]
1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]

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Prayers

HOW TO HOLD ON DURING A DIFFICULT SEASON

HOW TO HOLD ON DURING A DIFFICULT SEASON

I don’t know what you are going through at this present moment.  Perhaps this is a wonderful season of life for you, and everything that you are hoping for is falling right into place.  For some of you life may be very hard right now, and you are barely hanging on by a thread.

We all go through seasons, and some seasons are much harder than others. I have heard many times that it’s not what we go through, but how we choose to respond to what we are going through that matters.

If this is a tough season for you right now, I want to first encourage you to hang in there, and don’t allow the enemy to take any more ground than he has already taken.  Stand firm in your faith in God.  Trust that he will bring you through, in his perfect timing and in the way that is ultimately best for you.
Sometimes in hard seasons it’s easy to drift away from God, instead of turning towards God.  Let me encourage you to not walk, but run towards God during your difficult season.  When life seems like an unending tornado, he is your safe place.

Also, remember when it seems like it’s taking God forever to answer your prayers, there are always things going on behind the scenes that we are not aware of.  God is working it out. Be patient, his timing is different from our timing.   Because he has a plan for each of our lives, and he can see our future, the sequence of events that we encounter will be perfectly timed.

How To Hold On During A Difficult Season
  1. Pray, Pray, Pray!  Pray without ceasing.   Prayer will get you through.
  2. Stay close to God by staying close to his Word.  Read your Bible daily and he will guide you on important decisions that you may need to make.
  3. If you are in a Community Group through your Church ask them to keep you and your family lifted up in prayer.  If you are not in a Community Group ask   your Christian friends to pray for you.  There is much power where two or more are gathered in prayer.
  4. Journal your prayers.  Journaling your prayers is like pounding on the door of heaven.  I highly recommend it.  It also is a great way to process your thoughts  and feelings about what you are going through.
  5. Never ever give up on God or yourself.  Stay hopeful, keep trusting in God, and keep believing for your miraculous breakthrough, because it is coming, so hold     on!
    Scriptures:
    Psalm 55:22
    22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
    Psalm 56:3-4
    3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
    4     In God, whose word I praise—in God, I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
    Psalm 62:8
    8 Trust in him at all times, you people;  pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
    Isaiah 41:10
    10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
    Hebrews 13:6
    6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?”[a]
    Psalm 121:1-8
    1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
    2 My help comes from the Lord,  the Maker of heaven and earth.
    3 He will not let your foot slip—  he who watches over you will not slumber;
    4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
    5 The Lord watches over you—   the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
    6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
    7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—  he will watch over your life;
    8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
    Psalm 9:9
    9 The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,  a stronghold in times of trouble.
    Psalm 32:7
    7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
    Psalm 27:5
    5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
    Psalm 18:2
    2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress , and my deliverer;  my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,  my shield[a] and the horn[b] of my salvation, my stronghold.
    Psalm 119:114
    114 You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.
    Psalm 91
    1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
    2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
    3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
    4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings, you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
    5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
    6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
    7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
    8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked
    9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,
    10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.
    11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
    12 they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
    13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
    14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
    15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
    16 With long life I will satisfy him  and show him my salvation.”
    Psalm 23
    1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
    2     He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
    3     he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
    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.
    5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
    You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
    6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
    and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
        forever. 

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

 

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God’s Waiting Room
Fruit of the Spirit

Can Others Tell That You Have Been In The Presence Of God

Earlier this week I was reading in Exodus 34:29.  This passage of scripture was regarding the time when Moses came down from Mount Sinai.   After being in God’s presence, his face had a radiance that he was not aware of.

 I know that we are not able to come face to face with God, however we definitely can be in his presence each day.  My question for you today is; can others tell that you have been in God’s presence?
One of the best ways to assess this is by looking at the fruit that we are bearing.  We can’t just show up on Sunday mornings for church, and think that we will bear the kind of fruit that will make our character resemble that of Jesus.  It takes spending time in His word on a daily basis.  It also requires praying and quietly listening for His gentle still voice, in order to bear fruit that resembles His character.
When we visit Galatians 5:22-23 we find the Fruit of the Spirit listed here.  They are Love, Joy. Peace, Long Suffering / Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness,  Gentleness, Self Control.  When we master these, others will know that we are truly living each day in God’s presence, because our character will reveal it and that my friends will give us our God Glow.  We will be as radiant at that point as humanly possible on this side of eternity.
LOVE
1st Corinthians 13:1-13
13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love
 LOVE
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.
1 John 4:7-8
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
John 14:15
15 “If you love me, keep my commands.
JOY
Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Nehemiah 8:10
10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Jeremiah 15:16
When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name,
 Lord God Almighty.
PEACE
Psalm 119:165
165 Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.
Isaiah 26:12
Lord, you establish peace for us;  all that we have accomplished you have done for us
LONG SUFFERING / PATIENCE
Romans 12:12
12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Ephesians 4:2
2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love
KINDNESS
Colossians 3:12
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
GOODNESS
Psalm 145:9
The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
Matthew 19:17
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
Roman 12:9
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
2nd Peter 1:3-8
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
FAITHFULNESS
Proverbs 3:3-4
Let love and faithfulness never leave you;  bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will win favor and a good name  in the sight of God and man.
1st Samuel 12:24
24 But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.
2 Thessalonians 3:3
3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one
GENTLENESS
Philippians 4:5
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Matthew 11:29
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Colossians 3:12
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Titus 3:1-23
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.
SELF CONTROL
1 Corinthians 10:131
3 No temptation[a] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[b] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[c] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
2nd Timothy 1:7
7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
Romans 12:1-2
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
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