Love Written in Red

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.John 3:16, NKJV

For God so loved you that He gave His Son,
His only Son, the Son Whom He loved -
He gave heaven's most precious Treasure -
He gave everything He had - in order to offer you eternal life.

Do you doubt the love of God? Why?
Because of the bad things that He allows to happen to good people?
Because of the unfairness and injustice and unkindness and misery
and suffering and pain and cruelty of life?
Some questions we won't have answers for until we get to heaven.
But one thing we can know for sure is that God loves you and me.
How do we know that? We know it by just looking at the cross
where He proved His love for the world that mocks Him and
ignores Him and despises Him and scorns Him and rejects Him.
We look at the cross and see "I love you" written in red - the red of Christ's blood.

Blessings,
Anne Graham Lotz

The Spirit of Truth

When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.

John 16;13, NIV

The Holy Spirit is so identified with the Bible, one of His names is Truth! In fact, Peter reveals that the Holy Spirit is the inspirational Author of the Old Testament Scriptures. (2 Pet. 1:20-21) And Paul wrote to Timothy, encouraging him to stay in the Scriptures because, "all Scripture is God-breathed," referring once again to the Spirit-inspired Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16, NIV).

Have you been trying to work up some kind of emotional feeling? If you lack "it," have you felt you didn't have the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, which means He always works according to and through the Word of God whether you feel Him or not. Have you been seeking some ecstatic experience, thinking that would be the Holy Spirit? Remember that He never acts independently; He always works through the Truth - the living Word of God, Who is Jesus, and the written Word of God, which is your Bible. He is never spooky or silly or superficial or self-promoting. He is the Spirit of Truth.

Blessings,

Anne Graham Lotz

God's Powerful Word

The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword; it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit.

Hebrews 4:12, NIV

One of the primary reasons we need to be in a disciplined study of the Scriptures is so we can saturate ourselves in the truth. When we know the truth and we are presented with that which is false, we will instinctively recognize it. Measuring philosophies or theologies or opinions or sermons or books or doctrines or counsel by the Word of God is like exposing the crookedness of a stick by placing a straight stick beside it. The ultimate compliment an audience can pay me is to bring their Bibles and follow along as I speak so they can double-check what I say against what God says. I am authentic as a Bible teacher only in proportion to my faithfulness to God's Word.

And in order to give God's Word out so that others can hear His voice in their ears, I must - it's not an option - I must read it, study it, understand it, and live by it. And when I do, His Word makes a lasting impact and bears eternal fruit, because it's powerful.

Blessings,

Anne Graham Lotz

Full of Grace and Truth

We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only Son who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

Today countless people look for a god within themselves or in crystals or in trees or in a former life or in some statue or in a religious experience or in the stars. But John declares the awesome truth that the glory of God is not confined in any of those things, just as it is no longer confined on a mountain or in a Tabernacle or as a cloud or fire or as a reflection on a face. Instead "the Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only Son who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

John is saying emphatically, "I have seen Him!"

"I've seen Him when He was alone."

"I've seen Him when He was surrounded by a crowd of people."

"I've seen Him dead,"

"I've seen Him buried,"

"I've seen Him risen,"

"I've seen Him ascended."

And in every situation I have seen Him full of grace and full of truth! I have seen the face of God-in the face of Jesus!

Blessings,

Anne Graham Lotz

Prayer - Philippians 4:4-7

Recently, I was gathering up prayer requests of several of my new sisters in Christ. As I started to pray for each person, I remembered reading earlier in the day in my devotional that there is power in God's Word and to use scripture in my prayers. So I was immediately drawn to Philippians 4:4-7, because there was a common thread within all the prayer requests, anxiety and worry and the need for peace.

So I took those verses and turned them into a very personalized prayer for all of my friends. 
Here below is a condensed version of the prayer, I hope everyone who reads it, finds encouragement and strength in it! 

Dear Father in Heaven,
I thank you for blessing me with this study of your precious Word! And for these new sisters in Christ, for bringing us together to uplift and encourage each other in our walk with you, Lord! We are so blessed Father, you lavish us with your love and comfort, your mercy and grace and forgiveness, so much more than we deserve. But we are weak Father and our spirit battles with our flesh. Please give us all strength,Father, to conquer over our flesh! So that we can be all that you have created us to be, walking in righteousness, so that we can bring honor, glory and praise to you and you alone!

I pray for all my sisters in Christ, who are all struggling with worries and concerns and are uneasy about their health, their husbands, their children, their unsaved family members, their fellow co-workers, their jobs, and their own strength and faith within their Christian walk.

Please remind us to rejoice! Again, I ask you, help us, remind us daily, of how awesome you are and how much you love us, so that we always remember, to rejoice in you, our Lord! Lord, you are near! And may we always realize you are so very near, so very present, in every aspect of our lives! I ask you Lord to lay your hand on each of these women, as you know each of their hearts and the issues they struggle with, remind them they are not to be anxious about anything! But in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, to present their request to you, God. And through our prayers, Father God, fill us, as you have promised, with your peace God, which transcends all understanding, and guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus!

Remind us over and over, each day through scripture, through fellow believers, christian songs, devotionals, by whatever means, Father, that you are so very near and waiting for us to turn our worries over to you and let you take care of them, as only you can, and we cannot. Teach us daily Father, to truly surrender all our burdens to you! I pray in Jesus precious name, amen!


Over 300 times in the New Testament, God commands us not to be anxious!

Philippians 4:4-7
"Rejoice in the Llord always. I will say it again; Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

God Bless and have a wonderful day!

Devotional - Beware of the Amalekites!

For he said, “Because the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have 
war with Amalek from generation to generation.” 

E X O D U S 1 7 : 1 6 


By Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby 

The Amalekites were the persistent and relentless enemies of the Israelites. When the Israelites sought to enter the Promised Land, the Amalekites stood in their way. Once the Israelites were in the Promised Land and seeking to enjoy what God had given them, the Amalekites joined the Midianites to torment the Hebrews in the days of Gideon. It was an Amalekite that caused the downfall of King Saul. The Amalekites continually sought to hinder the progress of God’s people and to rob them of God’s blessing. Thus God swore His enmity against them for eternity. 

As you move forward in your pilgrimage with the Lord, there will be “Amalekites” that will seek to distract and defeat you. God is determined to remove anything that keeps you from experiencing Him to the fullest. If your commitment to your job is keeping you from obedience to Him, God will declare war against it. If a relationship, materialism, or a destructive activity is keeping you from obeying God’s will, He will wage relentless war against it. There is nothing so precious to you that God will not be its avowed enemy if it keeps you from His will for your life. King Saul mistakenly thought he could associate with Amalekites and still fulfill the will of the Lord. You may also be hesitant to rid yourself of that which causes you to compromise your obedience to God. Don’t make the same mistake as King Saul. He did not take the Amalekites seriously enough, and it cost him dearly.

The Armor of God

We believers face battles everyday, against evil. The enemy wants us to turn away from God, and attacks us especially when we are most vulnerable. 

There are attacks from the world, and there are also battles we fight within ourselves.
The below verses spoke to me this week in powerful way regarding these battles we face. I am sharing with you, so when you come up against these battles, you might also be equipped to defend and concur victoriously in Jesus!

Sometimes the battle comes in the form of those who don't yet believe...who don't yet understand, and "attack" us and our faith. We have to remember that it is not the person, it's the enemy feeding them lies...

In those times of "persecution" from others remember to respond in love! (nobody can make an argument against a loving response!) Just as Jesus would do! Then immediately pray to God so you can draw from his strength and put on the armor He provides! Then turn to His Word (dive in deep!) for wisdom, strength and encouragement...it's the only way to triumph! **See Ephesians verses below**

Ephesians 6:10-18
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of god so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

Then there are other times when the battle comes from within ourselves. Whether it be a sin we struggle to overcome or falling prey to the enemy's lies.

When battling within ourselves, remember that we can do everything through Him who gives us strength! We need to choose not to give in to the weakness, but draw on God's strength. We have the power of the Holy Spirit in us, who with His breath, raised Jesus from the dead! We just have to draw from that power! We need to reject any unholy thoughts and ignore the lies we are told, and read aloud the truths we find in His Word! 
**See 2nd Corinthians verses below**

2nd Corinthians 10:4-5
"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 

I pray we all continue to stand firm on the rock of Christ always!
In Christ,
Jennie

God Brings us Through!

We will all walk through difficult times  in life….but the key word is through.

God will not leave us there, He will bring us through it! 

And then, He restores us and gives us rest! 

So there is nothing to fear, God is with us!

Psalm 23:1-4 

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,  

He leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.  

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,   

I will fear no evil, for you are with me; 

God Bless!

Happy Easter!

We celebrate today, the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Our redeemer lives!  And because He rose from the dead, and paid the penalty for our sin, we now can live too!  And live forever in eternity!  

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that he gave is only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

John 10:10

"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

John 14:6

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."

Choosing to believe in Jesus and follow Him, grants you access to wonderful blessings from God!  He gives you overflowing peace, love, joy, forgiveness, grace, mercy and everlasting live in Heaven! 

Happy Easter!

Jesus Suffered More

Another beautiful poem, written by Kathy, 

but the words are always given to her by God.

This one I find most appropriate during this Easter weekend.

“Jesus Suffered More” 

Having suffered endless pain

I lived the story well

But my Jesus suffered more

As He descended into hell. 

Oh, death has surely grieved me

Left me searching, broken, bare

But my Jesus suffered more

Through all of it he was there.

 

I have committed the vilest sin

Even forgot that God existed

But my Jesus suffered more

When on the cross He persisted. 

There have been spiritual battles

And far too many I have lost

But my Jesus suffered more

He paid the horrific cost. 

Lovers came and misled me

Filled a lonely heart with desire

But my Jesus suffered more

Proved all of them the liar. 

 

My body has been brutalized

I am sickened to the core

But my Jesus suffered more

Only God could survive, endure. 

I have truly been forsaken

Not deserving in His sight

But my Jesus suffered more

He was crucified that night. 

I have cried until exhausted

Could not stand upon my feet

But my Jesus suffered more

Then made my soul complete. 

No tears, no sorrow, no crying

I will fall on bended knee

My Jesus suffered, suffered more

To give peace and life to me. 

His life brings everlasting joy

As I walk through Heaven’s door

The truth of all my sorrow speaks

That my Jesus suffered more. 

Kathleen Higham 

In Due Time

Another awesome poem by Kathy! 

Today is Good Friday, the day our savior gave His life for ours!  

How thankful I am for His sacrifice and offering to save me!

In Due Time
by Kathleen Higham 

First God was our Maker
A God we cannot see
A Creator, a Counselor
He came for you and me.

Almighty and all powerful
Yet He became a man
In due time He died for us
To fulfill His Father's plan.

Suffering unimaginable pain
He bore to save the lost
Our Messiah, Jesus Christ
Never questioning the cost.

Humbling Himself on the Cross
His majesty and His power
In due time He conquered
Even through His darkest hour.

Now I wait for Him to come
To touch a heart so broken
There is a quiet patience
When His words are spoken.

The Maker came, created
The Messiah told the story
In due time He'll come again
His majesty in all His glory.

Waiting here in joyful hope
When every knee will bow
In due time, get ready friend
For He could come right now.

BE BLESSED!

"I AM Too blessed to be stressed!"

The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor.
The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything.

Love and peace be with you forever!

Beautiful Promise - 3

Greetings!

Here are more beautiful promises from our Creator and Father in Heaven!

Spoken to you and me... then, now and forever!

Isaiah 43:1-2

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, 

And He who formed you, O Israel: 

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; 

I have called you by your name; You are Mine. 

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; 

And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. 

When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.

Have a blessed day!! 

Where Has the Spirit Placed You?

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. 

  1 C O R I N T H I A N S   1 2 : 7          

  
By Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby 
  
The moment you are born again you receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the gift. God doesn’t give you some thing, He gives you Himself. The Holy Spirit is God. As He lives out His life through you, you have almighty God dwelling within you, carrying out His purposes. The Spirit will manifest Himself through your life, not for your good alone, but for the benefit of those around you. 
  
The Spirit will lead you to a church body where He can minister through you to each person in that body. God does not add you to a church body so you can be an observer. The Spirit has an assignment for you within the body, and He will equip you by His presence for this work. 
  
In the Old Testament, God gave specific assignments to His servants and then placed His Spirit upon them to enable them to accomplish their work. In the New Testament, God placed each member as a vital part of a living body.  He placed His Spirit within each believer and manifested Himself through the believer to encourage and equip every other member of the body.  What an exciting commission from God!  Today the Holy Spirit equips believers because He has given each of His servants a task. 
  
How is the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life benefiting those around you?  God has equipped you with exactly what is needed for your edification of the body in which He has placed you.  If you allow the Holy Spirit to work freely within you, others will be blessed as a result.

Slipping Away

Here is another poem by a beautiful child of God, Kathleen Higham

Slipping Away

When I was young, I crawled

Then with help, I walked

Along the way, words came

And amazingly, I talked.

Somewhere I began to run

The years passed frantically by

Losing myself in the race

Till I stopped, wondered why?

Where did the time go?

My life is slipping away

Everything has become a blur

A blink turns into a day.

Having never mastered patience

Waiting anxiously for tomorrow

But, one day I dreaded it

When to me came much sorrow.

Now every second spins the hand

The clock that won’t be still

Time is slipping, slipping away

For life has lost its thrill.

Then quietly I call to Him

My God who sifts the sand

Growing old, it matters not

Each moment He has planned.

I find that I am running again

Running to Him, I sigh

Time is certainly slipping away

But it doesn’t matter why.

Every second spins the hand

And this weary heart can see

My God who sifts the sand

Never slipped away from me.

Kathleen Higham

Beautiful Promise - 2

God makes such wonderful, beautiful promises to us!

Here is one of God's plans for us and how available he is to us!

Jeremiah 29:11-14

“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.   Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you.    You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.    I will be found by you, declares the Lord.

Have a blessed day!

Wonderful Benefits!

This verse jumped out at me and I had to share it!

Such wonderful benefits God gives to those who are faithful to him!

Psalm 103; 1-5

Praise the Lord, O my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits - 

who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases, 

who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and 

compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things 

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Have a blessed day!!

Beautiful Promise - 1

God makes such wonderful, beautiful promises to us!

Here is one of God's peace for us, which transcends all understanding!

Philippians 4:4-7 

"Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice!   Let you gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Jesus Christ."

REJOICE

This is a beautiful poem written by a wonderful poet I am blessed to know!

“Rejoice” 

Rejoice in the Lord

Do not be anxious or fear

Let your gentleness be evident

Rejoice, for the Lord is near. 

Rejoice in the Lord

Pray with complete thanksgiving

His peace will guard your heart

Your life will be worth living. 

Rejoice in the Lord

Embrace what is noble and true

Petitions will be answered

He desires to give this to you. 

Rejoice in the Lord

Remain close, admirable and pure

His peace transcends all understanding

There is nothing you cannot endure. 

Rejoice in the Lord

For He is loving and kind

Everything you will ever learn

In Jesus Christ, you will find. 

Rejoice in the Lord

Even when you are broken

The love of God will strengthen

Just receive the words spoken. 

Rejoice in the Lord

Your troubles you may plead

Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice

He will meet your every need. 

Philippians 4:4-9 

Kathleen Higham

GOD IS VERY PRESENT

Greetings!

Again and again, God shows me how He is intimately present in my life...it is so amazing, there are no words to fully describe it!

Yesterday I was struggling with having that complete faith in Him I am supposed to....  I get so caught up in my anxieties and worry and forget to let them all go and give them to God and trust He will take care of it in His time and in His own way.

I was praying to God yesterday, asking Him to remind me of how I need to have more faith and and let go of all my worries and lean on Him completely.  I asked Him to remind me loud and clear and often.   Turns out He was standing right next to me while I was crying out to Him!!

A few minutes after I finished praying I received an e-mail from a new friend of mine with the following verse in it.  (We had not previously discussed this struggle of mine , she knew nothing about it)

Philippians 4:4-7 

"Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice! 

Let you gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Jesus Christ."

And as if this wasn't amazing in itself...showing me He is faithful in answering prayer...  Later in the evening I went to read my daily devotional book as I usually do.  The page for that day was titled "God of Promise" and began with "What is on your Great list of things to worry about?"  Then continues with "Over 300 times in the New Testament God commands us not to be anxious"  And finally, there it was....the same verse as above which my friend had sent me earlier in the day!!  Absolutely amazing, how He is reminding me of what I need to hear and exactly how I asked to be reminded!

Isn't it a great comfort to know we have a God who is present in our lives so intimately?  And always right there when we need Him most and ready to give us what we need....there's nothing in this world that can compare to our awesome God!!

God bless!

Jennie

REJOICE!

Greetings!

I thought these verses from Psalm 30 are a nice way to start the new year off.
Giving thanks and praise to God for all the blessings He gives us!


Psalm 30: 1-5

I will exalt you, O Lord,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

O Lord my God, I called to you for help
and you healed me.

O Lord, you brought me up from the grave;
you spared me from going down into the pit.

Sing to the Lord, you saints of His;
praise His holy name.
For His anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.


God bless!
Jennie