Category Archives: Telling the world about Jesus

Chosen

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But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ~ 1 Peter 2:9

My husband and I support many ministries aimed at reaching Jewish people for Messiah Yeshua, and recently when reading an email from one ministry the author was speaking of the Jews as God’s chosen people.

I too have always thought of the Jewish people as God’s chosen people, but this day the Holy Spirit gave me a new revelation……

I too am part of the group of God’s chosen people!!  I am not Jewish by birth or otherwise, but I was redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb, and I am grafted into the group we commonly call God’s chosen people.

He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. ~ Galatians 3:14

Glory Halleluia!!

So whether you are Jewish or not, if you have put your trust in Jesus, Yeshua, you are one of God’s Chosen People!!

Abounding in Love

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Our God certainly is Abounding in Love.  His love for us never fails, it never leaves us, it is always perfect and sure.

I searched in www.biblegateway.com for verses containing this truth and here is what I found:

‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’

Nehemiah 9:17 (NIV®)

They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them,

Psalm 86:5 (NIV®)

You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.

Psalm 86:15 (NIV®)

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Psalm 103:8 (NIV®)

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

Joel 2:13 (NIV®)

Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

Jonah 4:2 (NIV®)

He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.

One of my favorite psalms

Psalm 103 (NIV®)

Of David.

1 Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

6 The Lord works righteousness
    and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,
    his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
    he remembers that we are dust.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
    they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
    and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
    the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
    and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
    and remember to obey his precepts.

19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
    and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Praise the Lord, you his angels,
    you mighty ones who do his bidding,
    who obey his word.
21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
    you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the Lord, all his works
    everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

Oh how I praise Him today!!  As we reflect on what Jesus did for us on the cross, let us always thank Him that He is abounding in love for us!!

 

How Long are You Going to Hold Onto That Past?

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Regrets, shortcomings, criticisms, ridicule, abuse, neglect, feeling unworthy, worthless, scarred, and so many more…the wounds of our past. Are you still hanging onto them? Do you let them define you today and dictate your future tomorrow?

Jesus took all our sin and shame upon Himself at the cross so we would not have to carry it. He says in Matthew 11:29, 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.

Did you get that? Rest for your souls!! We need rest from all those uglies in our past, and we need redemption. Ephesians 1:7 says, In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.

Friend, Jesus took every ounce of ugliness from your past and replaced it with His love and mercy, and He gave you victory in this life now and for your future!! Victory is yours now and forever!! Victory over sin and shame. Victory over criticism and ridicule. Victory over abuse and neglect. Victory over unworthiness, you name it. It was all paid for at the cross! Now that is something to shout about, and shout out loud!!

Jeremiah 29:11 promises, For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Hope and a future!! Not regret and a past. Hope and a future!! Let that sink in, really sink in. Jesus gives us hope and a future.

Leave that past behind. The damage was done, but notice it WAS done, not is being done. But Jesus is alive and His victory over sin and death gives us Hope and a Future!! All we have to do is take it.

How do we take it, you ask? By the words we speak. No longer can we say, “when I grew up….” “I was mistreated by …” “I did such and such terrible thing…” “I feel such shame over…” “I feel so unworthy because…” “My life is scarred because of…” NO!! These words need to stay in the past they came from and never be spoken about our present or our future.

2 Corinthians 5:17 is such an encouragement and a promise, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Have you trusted Jesus Christ as your savior? Have you given your life to Him? Are you living for Him, or do you want to live for Him? Then speak His promises over your life. Walk in these truths. And never bring up the chains of your past that keep trying to hold you back there. Break off those chains and move forward into the future God has for you. It is possible, because Jesus paid it all at the cross.

There’s a great old hymn that says, “Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow!”

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord WILL be saved!

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Romans 10:9-13 says “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.’ For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile–the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'”

The Wonders of His Love

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I’m sitting here this Christmas watching the University of Mobile passionately perform their beautiful Christmas concert, and I am so very blessed.  I was reminded today by a couple Facebook posts that it was 27 years ago this day that my first husband went into the hospital so very sick with cancer and went home to Jesus 21 days later.  Wow!  Seems like so long ago but yet it sometimes seems like yesterday.

Raising three children from the ages of 8, 6 and 5 as a single mom for 15 years, I was blessed to watch them change and grow, seeing them love Jesus, growing up into wonderful adults that make me so proud, now raising families of their own, blessing me with 10 grandchildren!!

I am truly blessed!

Oh the wonders of my God; how amazing He has been to me!!  Oh the wonders of His love, how He loves me and provides for me, yesterday, today and forever!

Now I celebrate 11 years with the wonderful man God blessed me with later in life.  Our marriage is such a blessing to me, as is my husband.  I have seen God do such amazing things in my life and his, and we will celebrate 12 years of marriage next June.

God’s word is truth, and He is more than enough to help you go through anything and everything life throws at you, even cancer, even death of a spouse or parent.  I hope to encourage anyone who may be facing difficult circumstances today.  My story is one of victory in Jesus in spite of life circumstances.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, Emmanuel, the Son of God, who came to earth as a baby so he could grow into a man and suffer and die on a cruel Roman cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind, I thank Him that we can have victory over all things here on earth, and we can live in eternity with Him if we put our faith and trust in Him!  Thank you, thank you Jesus!!

I believe that Christmas lives in me.  I believe.  He truly is the Lamb of God!!  Sweet Lamb of God.  I love the Holy Lamb of God.–some stanzas from the concert playing as I type.

For the friend who may be reading this and struggling with something difficult in life, let me encourage you to turn to Jesus and never look back.  You will not regret it!

He’s a Good God!

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This morning I was thanking God for being so good to me and then it dawned on me…Of course He is good to me.  He cannot be anything but good.  He is a Good God!

Fresh revelation, and old revelation all at the same time.  Be encouraged!  We serve a Good God who always does good things for us!

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ~ James 1:17

Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. ~ Psalm 73:1

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. ~ Psalm 84:11

Franklin Graham-Decision America Tour: Time to Stand

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Decision America Tour: Time to Stand

I have heard from people all over America who believe that our nation is in trouble—morally, spiritually, and politically. But as attention turns to an election year, I do not believe that Republicans or Democrats (or any other party) can turn this nation around–only God can. That’s why in 2016 I will hold prayer rallies in the capitals of all 50 states. We’re calling it the Decision America Tour, and it starts in January. God hears the prayers of his people, so I’m calling on people of faith in every state to pray fervently for America and our leaders. I want to challenge Christians across our land to boldly live out and promote biblical principles at home, in public and at the ballot box. The only hope for this country is if the people of God are willing to take a stand for truth and righteousness.

To start the tour, we will hold prayer rallies at noon in these four cities: January 5 Des Moines, IA (capitol building) January 12 Tallahassee, FL (capitol building) January 13 Baton Rouge, LA (location TBD) January 19 Concord, NH (capitol building). Decision America Tour will not endorse political candidates or legislation, and no candidates or current public officials will speak at any of the rallies. Instead, I will be sharing the life-changing truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in every state. Will you come out and pray with us?

Get more information about the other 46 states in the coming months at www.DecisionAmericaTour.com, a ministry of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Please SHARE this with others. #DecisionAmerica

Posted by Franklin Graham on Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Am I Acting in my Strength, or Am I Acting in my Weakness?

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Too much.  Over the top.  I did it again!!

I come to the end of way too many days thinking I ate too much, thinking I spent too much money, second-guessing myself and my decisions that I made throughout the day, and feeling like I’ve failed to depend on God again.

Why is it so hard to break this cycle I often find myself in?  How can I repeatedly begin each day with the best of intentions and come to the end feeling like I failed again, and then do it all over the next day too?

Well, maybe it is because I have been acting in my weakness instead of my strength!  My weaknesses….there they are….right in front of me each and every day….stopping me from the things I want most to conquer and accomplish.  My flesh rises up and too often I let it rule and reign.  My flesh is weak, very, very weak!

So, why don’t I act in my strength instead?    2 Samuel 22:33 states, “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.”

In those moments when the familiar wants to take over in my eating, my spending, my self-talk, I need to turn to the One who lives inside me and ask Him to take over and help me act in my strength instead of my weakness, for in Him I am strong!

He promises in 2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Wow!  When I am tempted to act in my weakness, that is when His power, His strength, His might is made perfect!!

Lord, help me depend on you to be my strength so that I can act in that strength instead of in weakness!!  In Jesus’ name, Amen!

I love you, O Lord, my strength.  Psalm 18:1

It’s September!!!

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Wow, the summer is slipping away and Autumn will soon be setting in.  Personally, I just love summer and I never like to see it go.  I love wearing sleeveless tops and sandals.  I love the summer breeze, and I love the water, at the beach or on the boat.

One thing good about September though is that it is the start of lots of activities that gear up this time of year and continue through until Christmas.  Oh, don’t we all love Christmas??  I know, not yet, not yet!!  Summer is still here for a little while longer.

Really though, this time of year just seems to bring some order into what sometimes has been a crazy, chaotic summer.  You know, those lazy, hazy days of just kicking back and doing the fun stuff, the outdoor stuff, the beach stuff, vacations and the like.

I am personally getting ready to begin two bible studies, one with Proverbs 31 Ministries and one face-to-face bible study in my local area.  Both have tremendous value to me, and I so look forward to each one and the rich study they will bring to my life and my walk with God.  I am also looking forward to the Beyond Women’s Conference in October!

How about you?  Will you be finding yourself digging into God’s word this Autumn?  I hope so!  God’s word is rich with truth, wisdom, insight, grace and love, love, and more love!  Go ahead, dig in!  He is ready and waiting to meet you between the pages!

 

The power of prayer

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I went with a friend this past Friday for the opening debut of the movie War Room.  What a wonderful movie about the power of prayer!!

One of the measures of our faith is prayer!

If I find it hard to pray, that means I don’t expect God to answer.

We need to pray with the belief and expectation that something is going to happen, something good!

We need to ask God for whatever it is we are lacking.

We need to forgive.

We need to let go.

We need to love.

If you haven’t seen the movie, I highly recommend it!