Don’t leave anything out…preach the Full Gospel…obey Jesus’ words!!!
Sep26
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Sep6
Rise & Serve…
Just the other day, someone shared their umbrella with me…it was a good feeling! Amen!
Sep4
The Good Your Words Can Do
By
Reblogged…Please check out her entire blog at:
photo by Anders B.
“Did you hear that she…?”
“Someone said that…”
“Well, rumor has it they…”
So often what follows those simple phrases are fill-in-the-blanks that have potential to wound. I’ve been thinking a lot about hearsay and as I turned that word over and over in my mind I realized it sounded a lot like another one: heresy.
Heresy is spreading what doesn’t line up with what God says is true.
Hearsay is spreading what doesn’t line up with what God says is true about another person.
They’re close cousins. One is about doctrine. The other is about God’s daughters. I think both break His heart.
Gossip, rumor, criticism, judgment. It’s so easy to get pulled into all of those. Before we even realize it our tongues have become swords and we slash our sisters then wonder why we feel unsafe in relationships.
Can we please stop, friends?
Actually, we can’t. “No one can tame the tongue,” said James {3:8}.
But here’s the good news: We don’t have to do it on our own. Jesus, the Word made flesh, lives within us and he can help us speak differently.
To encourage instead of criticize.
To cheer on instead of tear down.
To step forward with support instead of standing back in judgement.
My friend and fellow writer, Annie Downs, recently wrote a book called Speak Love. The foreword includes these wise words, “What we say isn’t just random words flying out of our mouths but the chance to either build someone up or completely tear someone down.” That sentence sounds a lot like this one: from Paul: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Eph. 4:29).
Before we speak we can ask…
* Is this going to build someone up or tear someone down?
* Does this help meet the needs of the person I’m talking to or about?
* Does it benefit those who are listening?
Most of all, we can ask Jesus to guide our words so that they are a source of life, healing and encouragement. We all struggle with this, ladies. It’s part of being human. And I think women are especially vulnerable–often with good intentions. So let’s help each other out too. Let’s commit not to speak or listen to what can wound each other. We can do so with grace, understanding and gentleness. But we must do it.
Hearsay
Heresy
Let’s come up with a new word: Hersay.
It can be a synonym for encouragement–for words spoken from the heart that make our sisters feel safe, whether we are together or apart.
Are you with me, friends?
XOXO
Great post, Holley!
Oh, I soooo agree!!
This is so especially true with kids, teens, and young adults!!
They’re confidence level is still immature…
And they may be hanging on our every word!
Let’s provide Godly encouragement
By the way we choose to use our words!!
Sep2
Show Grace To Yourself!! God Does! NFY=Not Finished Yet!!
NFY
Reblogged from Meet Me In The Meadow by Roy Lessin August 23, 2010
Check out his entire blog at:
http://www.meetmeinthemeadow.com/2010/08/nfy/#comment-23345
We need a new button, t-shirt, bumper sticker, or cap that reads…NFY!
It stands for “Not Finished Yet!”
Regardless of the label people put on you (senior, baby-boomer, retired person), regardless of the number of birthdays you’ve celebrated, you are still here. And as long as you are here, you are not there, and as long as you are not there, it means God still has a purpose for you here.
When Jesus was on the cross, the last thing He said was, “It is finished.” After He made that statement He died. When is God’s purpose for you on this earth finished? It is finished when you die…until then, you are “not finished yet!” (NFY!)
The way in which He uses you may change, but He will never consider you useless, no matter what your age.
A few years ago, I remember someone telling me that my writing days were behind me and my creative work was a thing of the past. Those words did not discourage me, because a few weeks before those comments were made, I heard God saying the very opposite to my spirit. The Scripture God used to assure me things were “not finished yet” was from Psalm 92…
I have been anointed with fresh oil…The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. Psalm 92:10, 12-15
This passage helped me realize that my ability to flourish in life, to be fruitful in ministry, and to be fresh in creativity, had nothing to do with my age, but with the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit upon my life.
Many define “the retirement years” as the time when our work is done and we settle into an easy chair as a reward for our productive years. For the child of God, our best years do not have to be a thing of the past. God called Abraham to leave Haran and go to the Promised Land when he was seventy-five years old; God commissioned Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt when he was eighty; God gave Zachariah and Elizabeth a child when they were “well advanced in years;” Paul was still ministering to the body of Christ from prison when he called himself the “aged one;” the 2nd and 3rd books of John are written by the “elder” John; Caleb, at the age of eighty-five was still a mighty warrior and received Hebron as an inheritance; Anna, a prophetess who was well past 80, continued to maintain a powerful prayer ministry, and was one of the earliest believers to see the Lord with her own eyes.
Does the thought of getting older discourage you or make you fearful? Consider these words the Lord spoke to Isaiah…
I will be your God throughout your lifetime– until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. Isaiah 46:4
NFY!
*Oh, thank you, Lord…I’m gettin” older…and I love this reminder of Your Plan for my life!! Amen!
Sep2
Graduation to Heaven!
Great post!! My Mom passed away two years ago, and one month later, I heard her call my name one morning…in a young beautiful voice, not her 90 year-old voice, so I knew she was well, and with Jesus!!
My family’s all saved, so I don’t question where they’re going…that gives me such peace…and it’s so encouraging to talk to them while they’re here on earth, and receive their spiritual guidance!!
Whenever we go through stuff…God finds a way to use it to help others in His Kingdom…You just did that…for many people!! Thank you! God Bless!
I have one son…I’ve told him right off…when I get sick…first of all, there’s always hope…call every prayer warrior you know to my bedside…and PRAY!!! If God answers by healing me…Yipee!! Enjoy my company now!!
If not, and I’m going Home…plan a Home-Going celebration with music and laughter, and all those of all ages who loved me!! I’ll be watching in the Arms of Jesus!! I saw a celebration like that for one of our choir members several years ago…that’s how I want to go to Heaven!!
And I want to leave a legacy for God’s Kingdom, so carry on, son!! Amen!!
My dad (father-in-law) died yesterday. You ought to congratulate me. He’s in Heaven.
Do people cry for a touchdown? For a grand slam? For the World Cup winning goal? Do they cry at graduations? Well, maybe they cry tears of joy.
Yet graduation to Heaven exceeds each of these earthly joys. Finally, my much-loved dad shed his decrepit body and put on his glorified form. Heaven’s for Real suggests that people get the best, youthful version of themselves in Heaven. Is Dad bowling already?
Call me weird. But I just can’t cry. Sure, I’m going to miss him, but I have no misgivings about eternity. It seems to me that people cry only because of their doubts. I mean, if the evolutionists have it right that we are just bio mass with self consciousness until we cease to exist and get eaten by worms, then yeah, wail and howl…
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Sep1
God Is A Redeemer…
God is a Redeemer…reblogged from: Meet Me In The Meadow by Roy lessin
http://www.meetmeinthemeadow.com/2013/08/god-is-a-redeemer/
Beautiful, just beautiful!!
Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth. Isaiah 54:5 NKJV
God is a Redeemer;
He bought us with a great price,
He rescues and breaks the chains of bondage,
He finds us and brings us home.
God is a Restorer;
He returns what was destroyed and
replaces what was stolen.
He removes the stain of sin,
and brings beauty out of the ruins of our lives.
God is a Renewer;
He rekindles the flame
which flickers in the heart grown cold.
He takes away the old things
and makes all things new.
God is a Reviver;
He brings back to life
the things that were dead. He strengthens
the weak, and makes the broken whole again.
God is a Refresher;
He sends the cooling wind on a summer’s day,
brings rivers to the desert place,
and sends seasons of refreshing to the soul.
Aug31
Dearest Daughter
I love this!! I have a son and my prayers are so similar for him…that God would put His hedge of protection around him, wherever he goes and whoever he’s with…and keep it there! Amen!
My prayers are for my son to stay in the center of God’s perfect will for his life…where the true blessings are! Ahhh…the JOY that’s found there!Great post!
My Dearest Daughter,
I prayed for a daughter! Your three brothers prayed for a baby sister. Your daddy desired conformity over variety. Yet, the moment the doctor held you up and introduced you to the world, your daddy was smitten. Little girl, I want you to know, how truly loved you are! I want you to know how much your big brothers cherish you. You can’t appreciate it now, the way, your brothers look at you when you walk in the room all prettied up and ready for church, but girl they think you are the most precious and beautiful creation in this world. Why do I tell you this? You see, I sit back and observe girls trying so hard to find acceptance in this rotten world. I see the girls trading in their natural beauty, to be accepted by an over-sexualized society. Sweetie, if there is one thing…
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Aug19
“He Died For Us That We Might Live For Him”
Oh, Pastor…This is really, really good!!! Such a clear explanation of a major Biblical Truth!! God Bless you!
“Why did Christ die for us?” is a very simple 6 word question that yields many Scriptural answers for us…
1. To Become Sin For Us (2 Cor 5:21)
2. To Please His Heavenly Father (Isa 53:10)
3. To Show The Father’s Love For Us (1 John 5:8)
4. To Set The Perfect Example of Self Sacrifice (1 Peter 2:21)
5. To Give Us Eternal Spiritual Life (Jon 20:31)
6. To Show His Love For Us (Eph 5:2)
7. To Liberate Us From Our Sin (Rom 6:22-23)
8. To Give Us Peace With God (Rom 5:1-2)
9. To Bring Us To God (1 Pet 3:18)
10. To Fulfill The OT Law (Matt 5:17)
… the list goes on and on
In this study, we will be looking at another reason why the Lord died for us…. so that we might live for Him…
THE SCRIPTURES:
2 Corinthians 5:14-17
THE STUDY:
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Aug16
Act of Love-A Creation Perspective
Reblogged from:
Please check out the entire blog!
Perfect.
Our Lord is Perfect.
He also is Love.
He needs nothing as He is complete.
Love has no meaning unless it is shared.
To share Love, He created us.
Creation was perfect.
We were created in His image.
He is Spirit and so are we.
He is sovereign and so are we.
Sovereignty means we can make choices independently.
To make choices, there has to be options.
This is why Evil exists, so that we can choose.
Creation was perfect.
There were no seasons, only 300 days of equal length.
It never rained and earth was covered in cloud.
Animals did not fear man, as both were herbivores – Genesis teaches that even lions ate grass “given as meat unto them.”
Man was given choices and warned of the consequences of making the wrong ones.
Despite perfection to his avail, man chose Evil over Love.
Earth was cursed as the result.
We are reminded of this curse every 28 days.
There is decay and effort.
There is war and terror.
There is disease and disability.
There is disaster and turmoil.
There is litter and waste.
There is conviction and eternal suffering.
Man was evicted from Paradise.
Exiled.
The Word teaches that hell was never intended for humans but for Satan and his fallen angels.
Now, our Love has to see His beloved go to waste, go into the eternal pit of condemnation and torture.
He sent prophets and judges calling man to obedience, to return to the Father.
Man deliberately rejected His approaches.
He gave laws but man could not comply.
Laws were only given to prove to man his own inability, his own incapacity to obey. Laws were not to start a new religion.
Man either could not follow the laws or chose not to. The law proved man to be imperfect.
Man was lost.
Man needed redemption.
Man needed restitution.
Man needed restoration.
God proved to man that mankind could not save itself.
He then took the burden upon Himself, to liberate man from sin and death. Still, a selfless act of love.
He came to us as “the Son of Man”
He shed His blood, as life is therein, to redeem us.
He ended ritual sacrifice as He became the sacrifice.
He ended the law as He became the law.
He ended the Sabbath as He is the Sabbath.
We are now with Him forever, if we are reborn, as we have eternal life.
Eternal life is resting from sin, Jesus is our rest.
If we love Him, we will rest in Him.
If we love Him, His “law” will rule our hearts.
The Ten Commandments were perfected through the New Covenant.
Love your Lord with all your heart.
Love your neighbour like yourself.
Love will rule out murder and strife.
Love will rule out corruption and greed.
Love will rule out dissent and divorce.
Love will rule out partiality and bear unity.
Love will heal wounds and not wage war.
Love will never covet.
Love will not gossip or slander.
Love will not manipulate.
Love will overcome fear.
Through Love, Jesus Christ restored us to the legal status of innocent perfection prior to sin.
We are deemed to be perfect.
We have been liberated.
We have been set free.
Why do His children riot?
Why do His children go on strike?
Why on this earth do we not accept the Love that offers us Grace?
Why do we not accept our pardon?
Why do we torture and maim, be it in body or in spirit?
Let us accept His grace.
Let us return to Him in Love.
Let us Love Love.
As God is Love!
Out of Love, let us be led by His Spirit
Out of Love, let us obey His will
Out of Love, let us bring Him joy
Out of Love, let us draw others to Him
Out of Love, let us line the deep pockets of the death robe with jewels
Jewels like yourself
Jewels such as others like you
Let us go to Him
Let us embrace Him
Let us become one with Him
As He wants to be One with us!
Such is the need of Love
Complete Love.
Aug14
Listen to the Children
Love that first quote!! I remember when my son was around 5 years old..I was teaching full-time and writing my thesis for my master’s…I’d set him up with a video in the bedroom upstairs…and every so often, he’d come downstairs…give me a hug and say, “I love you, Mommy!” Concentration shot…but it was my cue to stop, listen, and love on him! I certainly paid off for me…God is good!!
The biggest stumbling block to truly listening, especially to children, is our self-important business
Henri Nouwen SJ, Jesuit author, university prof, complained to God about all the students who came to his office, interrupting his writing. God’s answer?
“I just gave you that book to write to keep you busy in between appointments;
your real work is all those interruptions.”
No matter what our occupation, we tend to think that our work, our agenda is important. It is almost in our nature to let ambition and drive push other people to the fringes of our awareness while we toil in an isolated bubble of self-importance. There are many methods that can shake us out of this selfish obsession but for me as a mother, it was my children.
“Mum, mum! Come see what I made!”
“Can you read me a book?”
“I tried and tried but it just won’t stay…
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godssceneryandpromises 