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Showing posts from August, 2019

Legit Proof

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' For whom the Lord loves, he chastens. And He scourges every son that He receives.”' Hebrews 12:6 (RGT). God loves me. Yes He does. He invited me. He welcomed me. He received me. He adopted me. I am chosen in Christ who took on human nature and died to take me in as one of His own family. Because He loves me He will send trials my way. He does not scourge me when it is undeserved or just to inflict pain. No, he deals with me for my own protection, for my own good, when I fail Him in ways that a Good Father would. He chastens me in love. His love for me is everlasting and unchanging. Therefore, He does not neglect me or ignore me. He treats me as if I am a legitimate daughter of His. He cares for me. He watches over me. He says He delights in His children. He restrains and governs me in order to keep me from falling into sin. I am a believer. The Bible is True. Jesus is alive. Here is enough legit proof evidence for me. Dear Father. Thank You for loving me. Thank You ...

Impelled Speech

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'That keeps us vigilant, you can be sure. It’s no light thing to know that we’ll all one day stand in that place of Judgment. That’s why we work urgently with everyone we meet to get them ready to face God. God alone knows how well we do this, but I hope you realize how much and deeply we care. We’re not saying this to make ourselves look good to you. We just thought it would make you feel good, proud even, that we’re on your side and not just nice to your face as so many people are. If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted overly serious, I did it for you. Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do. Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own.' 2 Corinthians 5:1...

Mercy-Givers

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'For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.' Hosea 6:6 (NASB) God's desire is for mercy rather than sacrifice. and the knowledge of Him to produce Holy fear and love.  Dear Heavenly Father. I do love You. You have answered my prayers. You have my heart. I desire to know You more. Fill me with the knowledge of You. Teach me Your ways. Produce Holy fear in my heart. Set up Your Kingdom inside of me. Fill me with the Spirit of Mercy. Make me a mercy-giver. Keep me calm. Make me tender. Make me gentle. Forgive me of my sins. Fill me with Your Love. Help me to Love like You do. Never leave me. Deliver me from evil. In Jesus's mighty name. Amen.  Source: Biblegateway.com; Biblehub.com; google.com.

Breaking Bad Habits

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' So discard every form of dishonesty and lying so that you will be known as one who always speaks the truth, for we all belong to one another. But don’t let the passion of your emotions lead you to sin! Don’t let anger control you or be fuel for revenge , not for even a day.  Don’t give the slanderous accuser, the Devil, an opportunity to manipulate you!  If any one of you has stolen from someone else, never do it again. Instead, be industrious, earning an honest living, and then you’ll have enough to bless those in need.' Ephesians 4:25-28 (TPT) How then might I live? Those of us that have decided to live for Christ are like brothers and sisters. We are family members in the faith. We are to be living for Christ because we belong to Him and we belong to one another. I must make it a choice to live for Him. I could choose to live like Christ. I could use His life as an example for my own. Like Him, I could live a life of passion and refuse to let my emotions lead me ...

Honey Oak to Dark Walnut

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'Always be joyful . Pray continually,  and give thanks whatever happens. That is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus.' 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NCV) It wasn't a thing that you would call a joyful moment. Even though I had several joyful moments that weekend this was more likely a freak accident. There I was, in my passion and in too big of a hurry with a piece of door trim and a sanding block in hand. A potential for disaster? You wouldn't think so and I had no idea how quickly that simple act could turn into one. A piece of wood splinter went clear through my finger!  Middle finger, right hand to be precise. Ouch. Then the pain. Then the blood. Then trying to decide what to do. Pray. Keep working. Yep. There was a lot of trim to be cleaned and stained. Honey oak to dark walnut. Then there were meals to fix and dishes to wash. Then there were things to be cleaned and packed up for the trip home. It's a work site, so we go to work. Now it is equipped with fi...

Curses for Disobeying

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But if you do not obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands and laws I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and stay:   You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.   Your basket and your kitchen will be cursed.   Your children will be cursed, as well as your crops; the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks will be cursed.   You will be cursed when you go in and when you go out. The Lord will send you curses, confusion, and punishment in everything you do. You will be destroyed and suddenly ruined because you did wrong when you left him. The Lord will give you terrible diseases and destroy you from the land you are going to take.  The Lord will punish you with disease, fever, swelling, heat, lack of rain, plant diseases, and mildew until you die.  The sky above will be like bronze, and the ground below will be like iron.  The Lord will turn the rain into dust and sand, wh...

Not Your Desire

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' In fact, the law is only a shadow of the good things to come, not the actual realization of those things. It will never be able to make perfect those who continually offer the same sacrifices year after year.  If it could do this, would they not have stopped bringing sacrifices, because the worshippers, once they were cleansed, would no longer have a bad conscience about sins?  Instead, these sacrifices reminded them of their sins year after year.  The fact is that the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins.   Therefore when he entered the world, Christ said      Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,        but you prepared a body for me.      You were not pleased      with burnt offerings and sin offerings.      Then I said, “Here I am.      I have come to do your will, God.      In the scroll...

Blessings for Obedience

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Moses: If you listen closely to the voice of the Eternal your God and carefully obey all the commands I’m giving you today, He’ll lift you up high above every other nation on earth.  All of the following blessings will be yours—in fact, they’ll chase after you—if you’ll listen to what He tells you.   Moses now recites the blessings that will come to the people if they keep their covenant with the Lord and the curses they’ll experience if they don’t. By making these a part of the treaty itself, Moses is calling on God to use them to enforce the covenant. The blessings are listed first. This reflects God’s primary intention toward us: to bless and not to curse. When the Lord reveals His glory and character to Moses ( Exodus 34:6–7 ), He declares at length that He’s a God of love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness, and only then adds that He will never allow injustice.   Moses: You’ll be blessed in the city and blessed in the fields.     ...

Four Branches

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'A river flows out of Eden to water the garden and from there divides into four rivers. The first is named Pishon; it flows through Havilah where there is gold. The gold of this land is good. The land is also known for a sweet-scented resin and the onyx stone. The second river is named Gihon; it flows through the land of Cush. The third river is named Hiddekel and flows east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.' Genesis 2:10-14 (MSG) A river flows out of Eden. It's purpose is to water the garden. The garden place where God put Adam and Eve and where He intended for them to live was Paradise. Some think this river is the Nile. Imagine that we could put our toes in it and find proximity to that river described in Genesis even today. The first wrapped around the entire garden and divided itself into the rest. Four branches. Those rivers represent the perfection and symmetry of the Designer. God provided the source of water to nourish the garden. It is such an...

Don't Try to Hide It

'But I will always have hope      and will praise you more and more.     I will tell how you do what is right.      I will tell about your salvation all day long,      even though it is more than I can tell.     I will come and tell about your powerful works, Lord God .      I will remind people that only you do what is right.   God, you have taught me since I was young.      To this day I tell about the miracles you do.     Even though I am old and gray,      do not leave me, God. I will tell the children about your power;      I will tell those who live after me about your might.   God, your justice reaches to the skies.      You have done great things;      God, there is no one like you. You have given me many troubles and bad times,    ...