Working Together in Truth!

The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth. 3 John 1:1-8

There are a couple of things I wish to emphasize about John’s letter and how it relates to our lives in 2017.

It is apparent from the content that there is a great deal of affection between Gaius and John and the work they do promoting the truth of the Gospel. John’s praise for his friends hospitality and concern for others should motivate us to know how we are to treat others and what not to do (if we continue reading). It would appear that love and truth go hand-in-hand for those who love The Lord and it is because of the love He has poured into us that we are filled to overflowing, willing to love others. And when we truly love one another, we can work together–unified by love, walking in truth.

Notice that John wishes him good health and prosperity as his soul prospers. Too many times we equate prosperity with material possessions, but true prosperity resides in our health and knowing our soul (our conscience decisions) will always be on the side of right.

Why should we be concerned about our souls? The Word tells us when we die, our body returns to the dust from which it came, our spirits go back to heaven which it came and our soul is judged on that great day.

Whenever we look into the eyes of others or they look into our eyes, it is said, the depths of our souls can be seen. What do people see when they look into our eyes? Is there joy or bitterness? Is there love or hate? Is there concern or derision?

I’ve looked at people lately–seeking what resides inside–especially those politicians who claim to be followers of Christ, but their actions don’t match their words. In fact, upon close inspection–looking into their eyes, all I see is emptiness or a great void–which would explain their attitudes towards others.  And since there is a void, there is no truth and certainly no love.

I would urgently challenge all to look into the eyes of those who claim to love and see if you can see into their souls.

For those who truly love, there is a light that shines brightly from deep within and it comes forth in any individual as joy and delight in life. They love to show affection to others, there is nothing hidden in them that makes them lie or promote falsehoods and they have no problem–looking back–open to full inspection–no guile in them.

When people don’t want to look directly at you or their look is furtive (always looking from side to side), as if expecting the worse to befall them at any minute, they have a void in their souls and they’re anxious about everything. People who are always trying to please people more than God are never at rest and it shows in their demeanor.

The eyes–regardless of color–are truly the gateway to the soul and if there is no light within guiding anyone–they struggle in darkness, trying to feel their way in life, never enjoying the fullness of what life has to offer.

I wish everyone reading this today, the joy of the Lord, overflowing onto all who come into your presence. I wish you good health and that you prosper as your soul prospers. Above all, I wish you the peace of God–allowing it to abide within no matter how chaotic the world is around you.

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30 Days of Prayer and Praise–22!

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice, “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did. For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.’ So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ” Psalm 95 NIV

Day Twenty-Two

Lord Jesus,

Help us to remember the path taken by those who turned from You so we will not make the same mistake. Keep us on the path You have designed for us–with our steps ordered by You at every turn. Keep our hearts open to hear You and our minds willing to obey You in all You say.

Your Word, O Lord, is true whether some believe it or not. We know that You have chosen wisely all You use to accomplish Your goal in the earth. Thank You for using those who love You and know Your heart so we will not think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Keep us humble before those You have sent us to so they will be willing to receive from us what You have given us to say.

For the broken-hearted, we speak comfort and renewed joy with living; for those restless in their spirits, we declare peace in their lives from this day forward. For those who have never known You, we declare revelation from heaven–opening their spiritual eyes and ears to receive from You. For those who are weak and weary from debilitating illnesses, we declare they are strengthened, healed and whole, from their crowns of their heads to the souls of their feet with the joy of The Lord who heals–indiscriminately. For those who are fearful and lack trust of others, we declare boldness and courage to withstand any dart thrown at them by the enemy. For those who desire to speak, but feel unworthy or unable--we declare wisdom flowing from their lips and reception in the hearts of all who hear them. For those battling addictions for sin has overtaken them, we declare chains broken and shackles loosed from everything that would keep them from honoring You with their whole lives–body and soul.

For those who are lost–irredeemable because they’ve sold their souls to the devil, we declare a quick demise so they will not have opportunity to influence others. For the repentant heart–we declare forgiveness and opportunity to share God’s love with others so none will be lost to the lake of fire.

You, O Lord, have given us reason to sing of Your goodness in the midst of chaos and crisis for we know we are never alone with You in our lives. In the heat of the battle and the darkness of hopelessness–You are the light that reignites our hope–and leads us out of the darkness.

Thank You for loving us enough to give us chance after chance to keep singing our praises of You and keep telling everyone we meet about You.

Great is The Lord and greatly to be praised! Hallelujah!

In Jesus’ name we pray and thank You, Amen!

30 Days of Prayer and Praise–19!

LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am faint; heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in deep anguish. How long, LORD, how long? Turn, LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. Among the dead no one proclaims your name. Who praises you from the grave? I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes. Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping. The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish; they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame. Psalm 6 NIV

Day Nineteen

Lord,

Thank You for Your love, mercy, and kindness. Thank You for Your compassionate that overwhelms those who love You. Thank You for delivering us from the evil plots that harbor in the hearts of those who don’t know You. Thank You for giving us strength and boldness and courage to keep moving forward–standing up and speaking out–against injustice wherever we find it. Thank You for healing our bodies of every sickness and disease and creating mental stability within us all the days of our lives. Thank You for seeing us for who we are–in You–and loving us enough to keep us encouraged to do all things according to Your Word.

Lord, while we yet have breath in our bodies, we’ll praise You daily for we know that You can make the rocks cry out. We don’t want rocks to out-praise us--so we lift our hands and our hearts to You, acknowledging You for who You are–Wonderful Savior, The Guiding Light in darkness, The King of Kings and Lord of Lords; You are an Awesome God, worthy of our praise, glory, and honor. It is to You–we sing and voice our love for Your enduring love and mercies that are new every morning. You indeed are the joy of our lives and no one can compare!

In Jesus’ name we praise and thank You, Amen!

30 Days of Prayer and Praise–15!

Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.” Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips. LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.  I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16 NIV

Day Fifteen

Lord Jesus,

Thank You for being in the midst of our trials, challenges and victories. You alone are the refuge we seek, the comforter of our hearts and minds when things attempt to get the best of us. You alone, O God, are the only One to whom we can turn for wisdom and understanding of all the events that unfold before us.

Comfort hearts of those who are mourning loved ones all over the world and give them peace of mind. Embrace them as only You can in the spirit and send others to remind them of Your Love. Create in all a receptive heart to hear a word of encouragement, and understanding. Give us compassion for all those who are hurting and lost–not knowing which way to turn, but allowing us to see beyond the moment and even the day, to hope for the joy of Lord to renew us and keep us moving forward.

Lord, we know there are things that happen we will never understand, but our hope and trust is in You for we know You know all things and have determined the outcome of all situations before they even happen. We trust You to know what is best for all and yet we  know that You will not force us to do anything beyond our will, but with our choices, we must accept the consequences of our actions.

Look upon the hearts of all who have failed to acknowledge You and have even encouraged others that Your existence is but a figment of imagination spawned in the hearts of those who “they say are ignorant.” Create a situation in the lives of all who scorn and disbelieve so they will know that You are not a figment of anyone’s imagination, but You are the creator of all that was ever created and without You, nothing was created. Prepare that Damascus Road experience for them so they will not be lost, but will be able to enter into Your rest at the end of time.

In the midst of the trials–we lift our hearts, our hands, and head to see You in Your all Your glory and give You praise. Glory to Your Name of O God, and may all who have life and blood running through their bodies–declare Your righteousness, mercy and goodness and receive from You–the love You pour out upon all–without constraint–without consideration of ethnicity, gender or skin tone or religious beliefs.

In Jesus’ name, we pray and thank You, Amen!

30 Days of Prayer and Praise–14!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God their Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob. Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty— he is the King of glory. Psalm 24 NIV

Day Fourteen

Lord, Our Lord,

Thank You for allowing us to see another day, to have another opportunity to celebrate Your arrival in the earth, clothed in flesh like man, but always God.

Thank You for looking upon this land and all of Your people–those who call upon You in times of need and praise You no matter what.

Thank You for loving us enough to be willing to join our fate in the earth, being tempted by sin on every side and yet, not caving; being ridiculed and persecuted and yet, not hating; being scorned, beaten and crucified, and yet–ever forgiving those in their ignorance who sullied Your reputation and good works.

God of heaven and earth, our heavenly Father, we praise You for the mercy and grace You keep showering upon us. We praise You for loving us enough to see beyond our faults and taking care of our needs, and keeping us focused upon You.

Help us this day, O God, to become more like You–seeing beyond the surface of skin color and differences in religious affiliation–to just seeing You and conducting ourselves as You do–without constraints–loving one another.

Who is the King of Glory? The Lord–mighty in battle, gentle in spirit, compassionate and loving, merciful in all His ways, and forgiving–of all who repent when they understand wrongdoing and wrong living, according to His Word.

Who is the King of Glory? The Lord–who chose to come into this world as a baby–experiencing life as all humans do, navigating childhood into adulthood, understanding all we must experience and yet not once failing to observe all His Father in Heaven commanded Him to do.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your love and willingness to sacrifice self for all who willingly come to You, receive Your love and accept You as Lord and Savior of their lives.

We give You praise, glory and honor for there is none like You; no one who deserves our unconditional love other than You for You first loved us and then loved us enough to die for us! Hallelujah to the King of Glory! Ride on King Jesus!

For all You have done, are doing and will do in our lives–we thank You and praise You. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

 

ENJOY THIS DAY CELEBRATING WITH LOVED ONES AND REMEMBER THOSE WHO ARE ALONE–CARE ENOUGH TO SHOW THEM SOME LOVE!

30 Days of Prayer and Praise–9!

Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy. Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the plots of evildoers. They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows. They shoot from ambush at the innocent; they shoot suddenly, without fear. They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares; they say, “Who will see it?” They plot injustice and say, “We have devised a perfect plan!” Surely the human mind and heart are cunning. But God will shoot them with his arrows; they will suddenly be struck down. He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn. All people will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done. The righteous will rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; all the upright in heart will glory in him! Psalm 64 NIV

Day Nine

Lord,

We thank You for seeing all the evil that is planned against us–the spitefulness, the intention of destroying a nation and all those who love You. We thank You for allowing all who plot evil to be destroyed before the world so all may see that it does not profit anyone to stand against Your children.

Encourage hearts today, O God–those who feel weakened and hopeless by events that are out of our control, but will change in an instant at Your bidding. Stiffen spines and resolve to stay in the battle until victory is won and all will know, we are Your children and we will not cave as some already have.

For we know, through study and understanding of Your Word, that all good and perfect gifts come from You and nothing the enemy has planned for us or against shall ever prosper. No weapon–not doubt, not scorn, not rude behavior, not name-calling, nothing shall keep us from obeying You and waiting for the victory we know is ours in You.

Thank You for always being with us–never abandoning us or leaving us alone--directing our footsteps on the paths You have forged for us–paths of honor and integrity, unity and wholeness, love and respect–for all who love You.

Keep us mindful O God that we are not in the battle against flesh and blood, but spiritual wickedness in high places and that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through You in pulling down strongholds.

Blessed is the name of The Lord and blessed it is to belong to Him! We know that mercy and goodness will follow us all the days of our lives and we shall open our mouths and sing songs–rejoicing in Your love and protection–never allowing the enemy a foothold in the territory of our hearts.

For the mighty acts of deliverance and joy in You, we thank You and give You praise.

All this we ask and thank You for in Jesus’ name, Amen!

30 Days of Prayer and Praise–5!

My heart is not proud, LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore. Psalm 131 NIV

Day Five

Lord Jesus,

Look upon our hearts and see if there is anything in them that is not like You. You know our thoughts long before we ever think them. Cleanse our minds of any thoughts of evil or unrighteousness and plant the seeds of benevolence and compassion everywhere wrong thoughts might have been. Renew in us daily, a fresh desire to please You and to trust You with all the cares that weigh our spirits down. Continue to strengthen us with the Joy of The Lord rising up in us whenever the enemy tries to discourage us.

Thank You for reminding us that our hope–in this life at this moment–is truly in You. We thank You for speaking wisdom to all in positions of authority and decision-making. We thank You for giving us yet another opportunity to inspire right living in all we do.

Lord, I thank You for keeping me focused on doing what must be done without stooping to the levels of ignorance so blatantly betrayed by those who don’t know You. I thank You for keeping me mindful that everything I do is a witness to who You are and that I have no desire to shame You. Thank You for gifting us with diverse gifts for us to use to praise You and magnify You in all we do. Thank You for not allowing us to be ashamed before others because of our love for You.

Lord, remove the blinders of hatred and bigotry from those who would plot evil against Your children. Remove the shutters of fear and complacency from our eyes so we might see there are more with us than against us and the battle we face has already been won in the Spirit and will manifest itself to the natural.

Lord, we humble ourselves before You–acknowledging our limited wisdom and Your infinite wisdom and thankful You pour into us always. We know we do not have all the answers, nor do we even have all the questions, but we know because You love us–You are the answer to any question we might ever have.

Give us–the patience–to allow You to work in our lives so that it is to Your glory and honor, we give all the praise and not men. We thank You for working in us and through us so that all will be accomplished to Your glory and we will not be ashamed of the outcome.

For everyone that has a heart to serve You, bless them mightily in the name of Jesus and keep them focused and moving forward to see the end as You have planned it.

And we who Believe–declare that everything we ask for that aligns with Your Word–is done and it is so, in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Overtaken By His Blessings!

“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. “And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God: “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. “The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you. “The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. Deuteronomy 28:1-9 NKJV

There is so much more within this passage of scripture–blessings through the 14th verse, but then comes the 15th verse to the end–the curses of disobedience. We know the story of what happened to the Children of Israel in their journeys–when they obeyed God they were blessed; when they didn’t, they suffered the curses of their choices.

From the beginning–after Moses met with God–commandments were given and expected to be followed. And then there were added various sundry laws and policies until realistically–God’s people–like now–decided it wasn’t worth trying to keep up. And this is why when God walked the earth in the person of Jesus Christ–He said–Love Him, and Love Your Neighbor–everything He wanted us to do–summed up in two commandments. Why? Because He is love and He wants us blessed beyond measure!

If we love Him, we desire to please Him, and if we endeavor to please Him at all times, we won’t do anything that would create any cracks in our relationship with Him.

If we love each other–we won’t do anything that would cause harm to one another or injury or damage of property. If we love each each other–we lift each other up and encourage one another to stay on the path He has established for us. Loving each other doesn’t mean we have to agree with one another, but we know how to disagree, agreeably, maintaining the love relationship. That’s what God wants from us and when we endeavor to obey, He blesses us–with more love, peace, joy, happiness, self-discipline, and wisdom from on high.

Most of us (I realize not all will feel the same) have a great deal to be thankful for on this day. Some have watched loved ones suffer and leave this life. Some have agonized over the fate of our nation and loved ones abroad. But in the midst of all the turmoil and upheaval, if we look hard enough–we can find a reason to be thankful.

I’m thankful for His love that never abandons me. I’m thankful for the peace within when I know I’ve been obedient to Him. I’m thankful for my family–a husband who loves me and for my children and grandchildren–who I admit–I’ve spoiled with love. I’m thankful for the friends who love me as much as I love them–even when we don’t agree. I’m thankful for life, health and strength and determination to keep moving forward in His name. I’m thankful for the desire He has placed in me to rise up and speak out against injustice, hate and bigotry everywhere. I’m thankful for the wisdom He keeps pouring into me and directing my thoughts and actions in sharing with others.

I am blessed and highly favored, overtaken by His blessings and will continue on the journey He has established for me. And I pray that anyone and everyone reading this today, will feel the same way–overtaken by blessings.

Strength For The Battle!

Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior. Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations. I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:6-14 NIV

Sometimes, appearances can be deceiving,

Sometimes, when right, we simply keep believing,

The wrongs that need correction

Lord, guide us with Your direction

Speaking to hearts along the way,

Never giving up, by night or day.

Enlarge our hearts and our space,

Reaching others to seek Your face,

Never in fear, but always with love,

Knowing true wisdom comes from above.

Help us in this battle to remain strong,

Bold, and fearless while correcting this wrong,

Brought by manipulation and deception

Turned and righted for Your reception,

Of us into Your Presence.

Though the journey to seeing a wrong turned right,

Gets weary, never forget, we are precious in His sight.

Press on, mighty soldiers of valor and integrity,

Fight on with honor, strength, and dignity.

For the battle is The Lord’s and not ours,

When weak, we’re strengthened in His power,

To stay the course, never veering from the path,

Of victory that is before us, the win–in the math,

As God calculates it.

While we wait to see the victory,

Be strong, determined to make unprecedented history,

Remember God knows and truth will reveal

The tricks and lies used in attempts to steal,

Joy and happiness found only in Him.

The Joy of The Lord Is Our Strength!

The Power Terror Doesn’t Have!

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. Psalm 91:1-10 NIV

Though darkness creeps upon us like dense fog and we cannot see our way, we can be assured of this one thing–God has never failed those who love and trust Him. Those who live according to His Word–in all things–shall know victory, joy and peace.

Father, in the name of Jesus,

We thank You for keeping watch over us throughout the night and we thank You even more for resolving whatever may make hearts faint and weary on a daily basis. We know that in You–we have peace and joy and through You–victory reigns in every area of our lives.

We know that no weapon formed against us, shall prosper. None of the evil that the wicked plot against us shall keep us from hearing and obeying You.

We know that You are more than the world against us and we have no need to fear what any man plans.

We know that Your Word is true and that You are not a man that You should ever lie to us and that we can count on Your Word to see us through the valleys, in the fire, and climbing the mountains, through the floods–that appear to overwhelm us.

We know that perfect love–unconditional love towards one another–casts aside fear for where love is–fear and hate cannot abide.

We know that You are Love and that none who claim to know You can hate people or promote hatred of others simply because they are different.

We know that You are the Only Wise God–though many may serve other gods or think they are gods. You are the only one who created all things and without You, nothing was ever created.

We know that You are the same–Your character never changes from the beginning to the end and we can count on You to be faithful to Your Word.

We know that any battle we enter into is not truly ours, but Yours when it comes to standing up for justice and defending the rights of the poor and needy.

We know that You have assigned angels to watch over us day and night and we thank You for the love and protection from those things or people who would harm us or put obstacles in our path to keep us from doing Your Will.

You said, whatever we ask of You in Your Son’s name, would be granted and we ask You right now, in the name of Jesus, restore sanity, peace, dignity and integrity in all who trust and worship You in the beauty of holiness. Provide an avenue by which all Americans will know You and You alone have the final word over all of our lives.

We thank You for giving us rest in You all the days we have left to praise You.

Amen!