Our Hope Sustains Us!

The LORD is known by his acts of justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God. But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.Arise, LORD, do not let mortals triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. Strike them with terror, LORD; let the nations know they are only mortal. Psalm 9:16-20 NIV

It’s a good thing that most of us know–unequivocally–that our hope is in The Lord, not fickle men who change at every whim of thought or criticism.

Apparently, none of the GOP have ever had to deal with “pre-existing conditions” that impair one’s ability to get insurance coverage that could either outright save or sustain a person’s life. We know because of the farce of a healthcare bill they’re trying to pass in the House.

As for the “pious” Representative Mo Brooks from Alabama who thinks “living a good life” keeps a person from having devastating illnesses–well words fail to describe how I feel about this presumption. There are many people who have led “good lives” (depending on that definition) who have succumbed to illnesses. Babies (as illustrated by Jimmy Kimmel) come into the world with illnesses and they haven’t had time to “live a good or bad life.” Illnesses are not always controlled by the person who suffers from them.

In fact, many illnesses that people suffer from today are the result of corporate negligence that has now been reinstated by the greedy, GOP by rolling back regulates put in place to keep consumers from harm. That says a great deal and if people vote for them again in special elections or in 2018 or ever again, that will say even more about the people voting for them. When people care more about “politicalpartydeference” over what’s best for all Americans, we will continue to see the nation devastated by corporate greed.

The fact that there is even an repugnant amount of money set aside in the budget to cover the cost of 45’s golf expeditions and modifications to Mar-a-Lago, secret service for all of his adult children should gag everyone who pays taxes.

But our hope-the hope that could belong to all Everyday Americans–is not in the politicized, polarizing party expectations, but in our steadfast belief that God will take care of all who love Him. That is the hope that sustains true Believers–who are not members of the elites–the ultra rich and celebrities–just the majority of the electorate in America–the Everyday Americans.

And we shall prevail as long as we are not influenced by the lies and empty promises by those who have demonstrated time-after-time; they don’t even know who we are and cannot possibly care about what we need. It’s time to tell them. And we shall very shortly. Look for the link to survey to make known what’s important to “you as an Everyday American” and what you are willing to do to change the course of history and creating an avenue that will give Everyday Americans a strong voice in how a nation functions.

God Will!

As for me, I call to God, and the LORD saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me. God, who is enthroned from of old, who does not change— he will hear them and humble them, because they have no fear of God. My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant. His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords. Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. But you, God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of decay; the bloodthirsty and deceitful will not live out half their days. But as for me, I trust in you. Psalm 55:16-21 NIV

There is so much going on in the world today that we can barely keep up with situations in which there is one crisis after the other. The biggest crisis we face in America–is the one sitting in the White House–he has no respect for the office of president or Americans in general.

We can pray and we do, but in time–we must act because God responds to our faith–what we believe we act on–what we act on–He responds to our prayers and soon we’ll all be able to sleep at night without concern of what the new day will bring.

I’m so thankful for the fact that God does not change His stance on His Word; there is nothing wishy-washy or unstable about God. We cannot say the same about the current White House resident.

I must admit–I feel better knowing that a possible candidacy on my part will shake up political views for years to come. For all to long, we have all taken democracy for granted and now that it is threatened–by a so-called American-it is a wake up call for all Americans to jump into the political arena to save America from wannabe dictatorship mentality. The word is that over 11,000 women have decided to run for a political office all over the country and I’m sure, that by the time it’s time to vote in 2020, there will be many more–including me.

It’s not enough to just sit back and complain about a situation; we must be willing to rise up and do something to make sure the change we desire–for the betterment of all Americans–has a chance to flourish. Whatever we can’t do in our quest to succeed, God can and He will.

With all the evidence coming to the surface and all those scheduled to testify about the involvement of Americans in the Russian hacking, I am enthusiastically expecting to see a change in the White House and on Capitol Hill before the end of 2017. The treason stretches beyond the imagination of most and the swamp stench permeates the air throughout the nation. Though many do not want to admit the obvious–a change is coming and all of the corruption will be exposed from state-to-state and in Washington, DC. And no matter how riled up people get at rallies–the perpetration of lies will be the downfall of the White House occupants and his base–no matter how angry and violent they become because they can’t handle truth, will not stop the inevitable. Just like he has protesters against him removed by force; he too–can be removed by force when the time comes.

We have no need to fear when love is the motivator and driving force in our lives–and know–God is not a man that He should lie–He does not change and He will champion the rights of His children–those who love him unabashedly.

 

Three Days Later!

About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the LORD says: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.” When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, “Remember, O LORD, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you.” Then he broke down and wept bitterly. But before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard,[fn] this message came to him from the LORD: “Go back to Hezekiah, the leader of my people. Tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you, and three days from now you will get out of bed and go to the Temple of the LORD. I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my own honor and for the sake of my servant David.’” 2 Kings 20:1-6 NLT

For those of us who know how The Lord does things, we know that nothing that ever happens is a surprise to Him and we also know, that if we seek Him, he will alert us to those things to come. That’s Holy Spirit’s job–to remind us of all we have been taught to show us things to come.

God has alerted all those who are truly watchmen–those who stand ready to sound the alarm for the benefit of the people and the alarm has been sounded, but not many are willing to hear and respond because–they’re not the ones sounding it.

Today, is a good day to meditate on God’s Word–seeking a better understanding of His character, and determining to make a change in our own. If we are willing to seek God and Him alone–not the news outlets or radio talk shows–God can and will reveal to us those things to come and how we should conduct ourselves–as ambassadors of Jesus Christ.

And in three days–God will do as He has done before–establish a sure path for us all to see His miracles–changed hearts, changed behaviors, and changed mindsets–determined to serve Him.

I’ll return to my regular blogging in three days and I pray, while I’m praying for a miracle, that whoever reads this, will also pray for me–to act upon the courage I know God will instill in me to do as He says to do.

On This Journey–Let Passion Drive!

“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. “And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ “So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.“So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.  “So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ Acts 22:6-10 NKJV

Most of us know Paul’s testimony about his trip to Damascus to persecute followers of Christ–how his encounter with Jesus–changed him and established a clear path for all who followed Jesus.

From persecutor to champion of the cause–from Saul to Paul–God’s grace on his journey in life was due to his passion.

Now, the same grace that saved Paul and put him on the path to securing solidarity for the Body of Christ is available to all who are willing to receive. Much has been said about Paul’s conversion, but perhaps the most important thing that any of us need to know is this–in order to be effective at doing anything–passion must drive us!

Paul (as Saul) was taught by the masters of Jewish faith in the law–he understand better than most what the law said, but it wasn’t until his encounter with Jesus–contact with The Living Word–that he learned to apply what he thought he knew. At the point of his conversion to knowing how God wants us to treat us, he changed–the scales of blindness came off and he clearly saw how The Law kept people in bondage, making a mockery of a faith they claimed to be in God.

Are we religious or are we Believers in the Most High God? Have we allowed religious traditions to hinder passion for true belief and action on our part? Are willing to have an encounter with Jesus–The Living Word–to set us on the right path–a path destined with challenges and victories? Are we ready for the journey of a lifetime–promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ with our conduct and not just our words?

The journey–may have it’s ups and downs, but if we remain faithful to Him, He will be faithful to us and accomplish all He has put our hearts to do. This journey called life–has not really been lived until we are living it for The Lord! What is your passion?

 

Can We Hear?

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 2:29 NKJV)

This admonition is repeated seven times in this Revelation to John by Holy Spirit–and if we believe that seven is the symbolic representation of completion, it is a finished work–the Revelation–and we must hear in order to get ready for His return.

Why do we need to hear? Because in the revealed work–we are reminded of the seven types of churches–their character traits, their strengths and their weaknesses. Regardless of what denomination we proclaim to have an affiliation with, we all fit into one of these types that persist. God knows from the beginning to the end, what we will do and when we will hear and change, which is why is mercy and compassion is so important to us–He gives us room to repent and turn to Him, time after time, but there will come a day, when we will no longer have time to change, so we must make that change–now!

Throughout this book, we are reminded of all these things that the prophets (and all who God used) have said and as Solomon reminds us Ecclesiastes, there is nothing new under the sun.God has used people, those chosen by Him to remind mankind throughout our history to choose to do right–His right–and forsake all those things that do not honor Him.

Some of us–as in times past–have selective hearing. We have read The Word, we have heard The Word, and many know when Holy Spirit speaks, but yet we do not hear and obey. When we selectively choose which parts of the message we will hear, we put ourselves into position to miss God and eventually, we will enticed to believe that other spirit, rather than Holy Spirit because that other spirit–manipulates and deceives and tries to make things “sound” like God when they are not.

Engage in conversation with The Lord today and hear what Holy Spirit has to say about everything around us and when you hear–obey for “obedience is better than sacrifice.”

Going to church–a good thing when The Word is being taught–does not mean a person has a relationship with God. Memorizing scripture–though a good thing–does not mean we have a relationship with God. We need to know what He said, believe that He is and will be, and obey His commands to love. When we do this, we establish a right relationship with Him and then we can praise Him no matter what happens in our lives because we know–in the end, we win!

Who People Say You Are!

“Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” (Mark 8:27 NLT)

When Jesus asked this question, it was not randomly asked. He had been paying attention to the interactions between the people and His disciples and knew they had been discussing among themselves, who He was. And notice–He did not ask them “in front of the people” they were ministering to; He asked them while they were walking along by themselves–out of earshot of others.

After a bit of discussion and it was established what most thought, Jesus asked them another question, “Who do you say I am?” Granted those who did not know Him, intimately, might have various thoughts as to who He was, but surely those who walked with Him daily, ate with Him, and prayed with Him, would know this answer. The only record we have is Peter’s response, “You are the Messiah!” And Jesus warned them not to tell anyone else. In another passage of scripture, we are told that, “only the Spirit of God” could reveal His true identity.

The questions that rise in me from reading this passage are–who do people say you are and who do you say you are? Are we who people say we are and why do they say what they say?

Do they say we are someone or something that we’re not because of what they see us do? That was the reason why people thought Jesus was anyone, but who He was. Or have we reached--a place where the Spirit of God–acting in our lives–has caused some to see us for who we are-Children of the Most High God?

We can say a lot of things about who we want to be, but until we realize who we are–in Him–and others can see the evidence–do we really know who we are?

The only way we can establish ourselves as His–is by our conduct towards others, in front of others, and even when others don’t see us–we are still being His.

Now, who do people say you are? Are they right or wrong? Do you say  who you are? Or are you yet becoming? Think about it and ask God to show you and accept what He shows you and be willing to change–if He shows you–you–as you really are!

 

Hypocrisy–The Bitter Pill!

“But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?” (Matthew 22:18 NKJV).

What is hypocrisy? One definition of hypocrisy is “a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess.” (dictionary.com)

So then a hypocrite–would be “a person” who thinks they have a particular character or virtue, when they actually do not, and expect others to respect their pretense.

Wow! How many times do children see “hypocrisy” in the behavior of the adults around them? We demand certain behaviors from them, but we do not do what we want them to do or another way of saying is–“we’re talking loud and doing nothing.”

And we wonder why our society is in the shape it is in and why children have so little respect for adults. There is nothing to wonder about it. They see our true selves–when we cannot see us for looking at them.

Remember the commercial with the kid whose dad was jumping all over him about smoking weed. Finally, the kid just blurted out, “I got it from watching you” and the dad stood looking perplexed. Are we looking perplexed when our children do what they see us do when we tell them just the opposite?

The old adage–“do it because I said so,” just doesn’t work with kids today. If we want to see better kids, we must show them better modelling in our own behavior. And until we do, “we’re just hypocrites, living hypocrisy, and won’t admit it.”

But it is not just what we say to kids and don’t do that makes us hypocrites. It is criticizing others for behaviors in which we indulge ourselves.  We say, we don’t like to hear people bragging about their things, but whenever we get the chance, we brag about every new thing we do or obtain. We say, if that was me, I’d do things another way. And yet, if we were them, we’d do the same thing.

Admitting that most of the time we are hypocrites is a bitter pill to swallow. The bitterness is a reminder that we have not reached perfection “in anything” and until we do, we should not be so hard on others who are in the same boat we’re in–the luxury liner–called “Hypocrisy”.  The word “hypocrite” is mentioned 20 times in the bible–14 times in Matthew and we still do not get it. We apply the word to others, but not to ourselves because we refuse to see ourselves as hypocrites. Until we face the truth of the matter–we won’t be in a position to change anything–not in our homes, not in our churches, not in our communities and certainly not on a global level.

If the world is going to change–the change has to begin with us acknowledging just how much of a hypocrite we can be and the change must come now!

Power Of Love!

“When nothing else would help, Love lifted me!”

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…”

“Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, soul, and mind and love your neighbor as yourself”

Why should we love God and other people?

When we love God, we won’t sin against Him.

When we love people, we won’t sin against them.

Changing the climate of hate in our society would be so simple if people knew how to love.

Love does not hate and will not seek to do wrong to another.

Love seeks to care for and shelter self and others.

Love is forgiving (God forgives us).

Love corrects, admonishes, and warns against dangers.

Love embraces the object of its affection and nurtures the relationship.

Love does not complain or murmur against one another.

Love overlooks shortcomings and faults and loves anyway.

Love shares love with all who will receive it.

Love sees the needs of others and serves them.

Since God loves us so much, we should love one another whether a person is lovable or not.

If we learned how to love, there would be no wars, no murders, no rapes or incest, no violations of laws of any kind. Before we can love others, we must learn how to love self and then let the love overflow!

Love, like prayer, changes people!

Show some love today. You just might save somebody’s life and give them  a reason to get closer to Jesus!

Change Our Thoughts!

As I was looking at the news this morning, my heart was heavy as I heard about:  rapes, conspiracies to murder, murders, robberies, and adultery.  These are the travesties that only we, as human beings, can control.  How can we control them?  We must change how we think!

Paul admonished the church at Philippi to “think on those things that will bring honor and glory to God” (paraphrased summary).  Okay, let me break it down this way. “Whatever is true, right, pure, lovely, noble, admirable and praiseworthy, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8)

If every human being on the planet would simply change their thoughts, change how they view other people, change their perceptions of living in harmony and peace, change how they think about what is right in God’s eyes, and change their view of God’s Word (endeavoring to use it as a model for living in peace), what a wonderful world this would be. We must remember we cannot change what we do until we change how we think!

God cannot bless “stinking thinking” and I’m sure there are many whose thoughts are perverted since I see the results on the news.  Can we change the outcome and not see so much human carnage?  We can pray that God will cause situations to occur in the lives of people to make them “think” differently, think more like Him, and to always consider the consequences of their actions.  Will God make them change?  No, the change must occur when the individuals want it.  That is why I said, pray that God will create a situation for people to see the need to change the way they think.

Why do I care about what people are thinking? I care because there are people out there in the world that I love.  I would hate to hear about a tragedy occurring to them simply because someone did not know how to think. I care because I am instructed to love and in that instruction, I must pray for everyone to align their thinking with God’s.  I care because I’m tired of hearing about murders, rapes, robbery, adulterous affairs, sexual perversion, and all things ungodly.  I care about humanity.  I pray that everyone who knows God, cares as much as I do.  We are all in this world together.  Life won’t change until we change how we think–especially as it pertains to others and our love for them.

Father, in the name of Jesus, help us to care enough to want to see people change–their way of thinking, their lifestyles, and their attitudes towards others.  Speak to our hearts and point us in the right direction for change.  Create in us–thoughts of love, purity, and all those things worthy of praise, not destruction.  Help us O God to guard our thoughts from the influence of the enemy who wants to destroy mankind.  Help us to love another and want Your best in the lives of all who trust You.  In Jesus’ name we pray and thank You, Amen!