Gripped With Fear
February 1, 2017
Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)
10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Mark 6:49-50(NKJV)
49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
Joshua 1:9(NKJV)
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 (NET Bible)
8 The Lord is indeed going before you—he will be with you; he will not fail you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged!”ed.”
Psalm 23:4 (NLT)
4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley,[a] I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
Several years ago one of my nephews married a really sweet young lady from New York. When we heard that her family would be coming for theJuly 4th weekend, my entire family got excited to finally get to meet her side of the family, and to have the joy of celebrating the July 4th weekend together.Everyone was on board with this.
An Intentional Journey
Happy New Year !
January 6, 2017
Philippians 3:13 (NLV)
13 No, Christian brothers, I do not have that life yet. But I do one thing. I forget everything that is behind me and look forward to that which is ahead of me.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NLV)
11 For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for well-being and not for trouble, to give you a future and a hope.
Lamentations 3:22-24 (NLT)
22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends![a] His mercies never cease.
23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”
Isaiah 43:18-19 (NLV)
18 “Do not remember the things that have happened before. Do not think about the things of the past. 19 See, I will do a new thing. It will begin happening now. Will you not know about it? I will even make a road in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
When I was a child I heard my dad say several times, ” the older you get the faster time goes”. During those early years it seemed as though it would take Christmas forever to come. Boy have things changed! It almost seems like we are having Christmas every six months.
Take a Minute
Psalm 95:2(KJV)
2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
Psalm 100:4 (KJV)
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
He Is The Real Gift!
Matthew 1:18-25
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.
Just a few days ago I was visiting with a lady who was very close to full blown panic mode, because she had not yet decorated her home for Christmas.
I was happy and skipping through life, virtually carefree until I spoke with her. All of a sudden, I started to feel a little stress creeping in, because I began to think at least your tree is out of the box. My tree was still in the box and very much unassembled.
Of course I didn’t share that with her. Things started to rush through my head, such as, where are the Christmas lights, and what box are the decorations in? You see we moved in the past year, and there are still boxes stored away. Let’s just say, I’m glad I am not the one who will have to look for the lights. I am sharing this story with you today because it became quite clear to me, that I was starting to assume her stress and anxiety.
Ladies during this season we can get so caught up in the presentation of everything that we miss the things that are really important. So let’s just breathe slowly, breathe in and breathe out. Just take a moment to slow down inside, and just breathe.
Now that I have your attention and you have calmed down let’s talk about what’s really important. Let’s talk about the precious souls that we will scurry past, if we are not carefully watching for those who are truly in pain, and hurting during this season.
Who will you bless? There are those who will have no one to share Christmas with. So why not set an extra place at the table and invite someone over to partake in a wonderful meal, and just to feel as a part of your family. Pick up an extra pair of gloves or a devotional, or something that you can wrap and share with them. So that as your family gathers around the tree they will feel like they belong as well. Why not send a special card of encouragement, or call someone who may be struggling with their first Christmas after losing a family member. Become a Christmas Angel to a family that can’t afford to purchase toys for their little children. Volunteer at a shelter. Reach out to someone this season and give a gift of love, not to someone who will then rush out and buy you a gift also, but to someone who is deeply in need of help.
Look for the opportunities to share Jesus with those that you come in contact with. You are their link to hope, as you share the true story of Christmas, and remind them why Jesus came you are giving them hope. Hope gives them a reason to keep living and to keep trying here on earth. Most importantly you are sharing the eternal hope they have in Christ for a life with Him eternally.
It doesn’t matter how much is under the tree. What matters is that we see a glimpse of Jesus this season and that others see a glimpse of Him too, because He is the real Gift and the Reason for the Season!
Isaiah 9:6 (KJV)
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Thanksgiving
Psalm 100:
4 – Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Many of us will drive hundreds of miles to Grandma’s house for turkey and all of the trimmings this Thursday, not even to mention some who will run the risk of being stuck in airports for hours with delays and lay overs to fly thousands of miles for one meal. For a minute or two it will be all about the food. But is it really about the food?
When Marriage Becomes Difficult – Part II
Eight Nuggets To Help Heal Your Marriage
1. To love one another deeply for a lifetime will require that you recognize God as the head of your union. The reason this is vital is because, when times are difficult, (notice I said when and not if) you will be reminded that, you not only made a vow and commitment to your spouse but also to God. As a Christian woman your first desire should be to please and honor God even above your husband.
When Marriage Becomes Difficult – Part I
Genesis 2:18-25
18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
23 And Adam said:
“This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
WHEN GOD SAYS NO!
September 4, 2015
Jeremiah 7:23-24 (NIV)
23 but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you. 24 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.
1 Samuel 15:22 (NIV)
22 But Samuel replied:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
WHEN GOD SAYS NO
I once heard someone say that the only thing worse than waiting, is wishing you had waited. Sometimes God’s protection comes beautifully wrapped in the word No, or even the words Not Now. When we are clear that He has answered no or not now, and we willfully disobey His voice we will face grave consequences, and possibly years of regret.
No Cell Phones
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.