IF I SHOULD EVER LEAVE OUT JESUS, MY WRITINGS WOULD BE WORSE THAN ASHES

I had the time tonight to read a little of others writings–really almost going into a whole new world of ideas about a relationship with God, who He is,and how to find Him. At first I really thought I had stumbled onto something “new and better, deeper”. I am open to what the Lord would have me learn of Him. However what I found is exactly what I have always known (because God said in His Word) that EVERYTHING and I do mean EVERYTHING that I need to know about Him,His Son, the Lord Jesus, and His plan for me and for all others,  is contained in His Word.  Do you know that in Revelation 22:18 this is what God says about ADDING ON:

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this Book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

so I thought to only give a little warning to those who think that maybe someone or their teaching could lead them into a deeper relationship with our God and Father, King of the Universe, to be wary. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth as God Himself has promised. He said often enough, if you seek Me, you will find Me. And truly the only way I know to go deeper with Him is study and read and pray His Word. Anyone who takes away from that and says” no, listen, this is what I have learned by walking in woods and an angel came by and told me about a new Book to write…”  I say, ” RUN, RUN fast and run far.”

If you start to see  a proliferation of books or writings coming out that seem a little off: They talk about the coming together of all faiths and that this can be achieved by delving into your inner mind and achieving a blissful state to which all kinds of ideas flow–yes I bet they do right from the serpent’s mouth.  Our God and Father is very direct about HIS PLAN-it doesn’t include other faiths to other gods, be they man made, man thought up, or just worshipped by behavior and thought and deeds!  In the Gospel of John, 14:6 this is exactly what the Lord Jesus said about Himself:

I am the Way, the Truth and the Light. No one comes to the Father except through me.

I am very sure that He meant exactly what He said because scripture goes on to tell us that one everyone-that’s everyone that’s ever lived will bow their knee and head to Jesus, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.  I have read through the Bible and I have studied many of the  individual books in depth. I have never seen a single writing ever extolling another faith, another god. No our God says He alone is God that there was no one before Him and there will never be after Him because He is eternal. He has chosen to honor His Son as King of Kings for what work He did on the cross.  Maybe I should explain work on the cross? Because others were crucified too-is His death any more special or different physically than what others suffered? NO! but that’s not the work. The work is that the perfect Man who was also Holy God  allowed himself to be beaten, battered, whipped and crucified, taking the whole weight of the sins of the world from the first day forward to the end of the world onto Himself as He laid His life down. He was at that moment completely separated from His Holy Father. That was perhaps for Him, the greatest test of His love for us and for His Father.The Father turned His Back on His Son-WHY? Because our HOLY GOD simply could not look on all that sin-He had to turn away.  And I imagine that the Father in Him also needed to turn away. It would have been so easy to call down the angels and have an everybody get saved moment, I imagine. But that would not have finished it. Jesus had to die-He was the ONLY ONE that could pay such a penalty once and for all.  That is the work of the cross:  for me, for anyone who wants to accept that  sacrifice and gift of eternal life, now literally one can be born again, spiritually.  In  John 1:12 it says:

Yet to those who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become Children of God.

Notice it says received. Received here means chose Him, said yes, to Him and clarifies more strongly “to those who believed”. Surprise everyone is NOT a child of God! of course for the most part, you only have to look around you to see that, but I have spoken with people who were church members, teachers, preachers or priests even, who have also said, I have never asked Him in-I never knew I needed to. Well, I am certain that some of those people who are searching, they will find Him. Still the others, stuck in their theology or rules, regulations -all manner of things added on that never seek and never find-those are going to be some very unhappy people someday when Jesus holds out His hand and says,  You are not mine. I never was asked to your table, to live with you. You wanted your own way and now you can just have your  way out the door! 

well, I guess the Lord had something different and heavy to have you hear tonight. but I would plead with you that if you never have asked my Lord Jesus to come into your heart, that you would see the truth and not go to sleep without Him in your life! This is the Truth-check me out-read the Word yourself if you have questions-trust me on this: if you are truly a seeker the Lord will find you and you will find Him. It’s one of His great promises. Another is that He will never leave you or forsake you-ever, every, ever.

God bless you and keep you.

A NEW ONE FOR THE KINGDOM

My telephone  rang late this afternoon. I knew it was a solicitor because it came in on the house land line. No one ever calls on that line except a solicitor. My husband  looked at me and said witness to him. I thought that was unusual as he usually answers the phone and takes care of whomever is calling. So I answered the young man’s questions carefully and then asked if I could ask him a few questions. He was willing, so I asked him if he  was a believer in Jesus Christ… He was-good, but so does the devil and his angels. I asked him if he had ever asked Jesus to come into his heart. At first he said all the time, but then he admitted he gets what he knows ans believes from his mom and from his grandparents. He had been to church with his grandparents a lot and as I began to tell him about the Jesus who loved him and sacrificed Himself for him, along with scripture, he said I am remembering those scriptures.  Whenever he had a   question  I would stop and answer it-mostly with scripture (God was totally amazing!  Finally we got to the end of the questions. I asked if he wanted Jesus to come into his heart. He absolutely did. So there on the phone, my little telemarketer (age 19) asked the Lord Jesus into his heart.

From there I gave him as many scriptures as I could to arm him to get him started off right… and then told him to get in a good church-told him what to look for –told what kind of Bible to get and everything I could think of before he had to get off the phone. It was certainly the best soliciting call I’ve ever had and only God  can tell you why him-vs anyone else I have spoken with. Plus just the right time of day. But God always brings me prepared hearts and this time even my husband was in on it!  I think this is the only time the angels sing!

VALIDATION– Something We Are All Looking For

Last week, I “met” someone who responded to a post I had written. I always try to reply as quickly as I can, so that there is some semblance of order or remembrance of the writing. Sometime I get emails that are from something I might have sent out days or weeks or even months ago! There is no way this woman’s memory is that good! So what I try to do for myself, I try to do for others.

I know the Lord was with me writing as I responded to the person. There was definitely a connection. I thought and prayed for that person all week and even mentioned to others about the “meeting”. What was different was that the Lord gave me a Word for the person–who I didn’t know, had never corresponded with, on a subject outside of the realm of my experience–BUT GOD KNEW.  And so I gently, carefully opened my mouth or should I say fingers typed? even now, I find I have a light touch as I write this again, it is so special and incredible.

Today,  I received  a reply back. As I read it, tears came to my eyes and joy filled my heart at the words on the screen. I read them several times. I shared them with my husband and my daughter who knew of the writing and then I wrote back. I asked for permission to share the words with you all my special friends- because I understand now why THIS TOO is a ministry and that our LORD will use every medium, every willing heart to share His Good News. So even when we don’t get feedback, God is working. Even when we don’t see evidence, the Holy Spirit is there. Even when we don’t feel anything, Jesus is right there waiting for you-just reach out, He’ll take your hand and never, ever let you go. I am so thankful for that! Hallelujah! Now for those sweet, sweet words.

Hi, Ms. Cindy. I thought our Meeting” was special too. I’m so excited to hear some of your story and look forward to reading more. It’s on my radar. 

When you first gave me “the word of the Lord”, I’ll confess part of me wanted to ignore it, but something inside made me take a second look. I went for a walk that day and talked it over with God and it was then that He began to show me exactly what …. was in my heart that I had hidden and the truth you spoke when you said I would not be able to progress forward until I had given over that place to be dealt with in the Holy Spirit.

What is truly amazing is that out of nowhere, from someone I never met before, comes a word that will affect the course of my life as I attend to it with God. Have I said thank you? Well please accept my heartfelt thank you for listening to our Lord and being obedient to speak out . Our meeting was truly blessed.

So there it is…just awesome, the Greatness of the One we serve in His Love and Mercy. May you be richly blessed today, dear one.                            

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So is that awesome or what! praise, praise,praise to His Holy Name! I can only praise Him-for this is not of me in any way- I couldn’t have known the words to say. Over and over how I am struck by what means Our Lord will go to

Dove of the Holy Spirit (ca. 1660, alabaster, Throne of St. Peter, St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

tell us He loves us! How Great and Mighty and Big is Our God! We have NO IDEA truly, but I am thankful that He loves me and HE chose me to be a voice for Him. May I be worthy of that honor!

Romans 7:15-20, 24-25 “For the Good I Want To Do, I Cannot” or A Look In The Mirror

Take a Look in the Mirror (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My posting about the errors of the tongue really stayed with me all day today. Not just because of others’ responses-I was really so busy work wise that I could not read anything until late in the day, but I know the Holy Spirit was really working on me, cleaning me from within, that little closet I had hidden in the back and locked-He now had wide open and was completely cleaning it out! I saw this, I felt this! I realized I wasn’t quite ready for all this spring cleaning in spite of my prayers, my study, and my writing! Horrors! Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and called yourself a hypocrite? Well, I have. I did. And then of course, my loving Heavenly Father reminded me of this wonderful passage in Romans. I know it is long, but bear with me. They are His Words and powerful:

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer myself who does it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing  good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do –this is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it…..What a wretched man (woman) I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Ok, so I have established that I have no good thing in me except the Holy Spirit and the good He produces. I said last night that the Bible says our hearts are desperately wicked and that our tongues speak what is in the heart…even as they too want to speak good, kind, loving words–that is not what comes out of the mouth! Well, I say Thank You God for Paul! If he could not do good in spite of what he wanted to do, then that makes me feel just a little bit better! No really don’t you get it yet that God uses broken, dirty, hopeless, helpless people throughout the Bible. When I read their stories, I think, yes there is hope for me to get there-because HE has been down this road so many times before and will again…choosing to call out to Himself a prostitute, a murderer, a thief. No one is irredeemable! Then or now! So for my slips of the tongue, I am truly sorry-its more habit than meaning. But now I am aware; now I can pray and ask for help for this one thing that God has brought up to me as sin. It has to go.