WHAT DOES DEATH LOOK LIKE

 

JUST KEEP LIVING & TRUSTING 

EVERYWHERE THERE IS WHITE IT IS SCARRING, WHERE YOU SEE THAT KOOKS LIKE COBWEBS, THAT IS CALLED HONEYCOMBING. 6/14/23.

TESTIMONY TIME!!!

In 2013 I was diagnosed with IPF, Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. A lung disease that causes scaring and hardening of the lungs. It's called Idiopathic which means, cause unknown. They thought it might me cleaning materials, since I cleaned houses to supplement my social security.

Yet, in 2013 I, my family and church began to pray for my healing. You see this disease has only a 3 to 5 years life span. But, in 2015 I heard the Lord say "You will not have a premature death"! I believed Him.  Then 2018 came and the pulmonary doctor was shocked I was still here and appeared stable. But, I did quit working & got rid of dangerous cleaning materials in my home by December 2018.

Yet I felt what is my purpose anymore! Early January 2019 I heard the Lord say "I have cut off the source of your attack"! I didn't understand until I went to the doctor again, and was told they could no longer hear the sound of the fibrosis growing in my lungs. Then each day I would get up and hear the Lord say "Just keep on living"! Until I began to say it everyday. You see Jesus was prophesizing into my life, that I would begin to prophecy over myself. And I was doing great.

Then came October 2022, inwardly I began to cry out to God, "Take me home"! I believe part of that was knowing the anniversary of my daughter's death was coming soon. But I found myself torn wanting to die and wanting to live. In November I heard the Lord say: "You will not leave this earth one moment before I am ready for you to leave. Quit asking"! So I obeyed, my pastors prayed for me.  Yet, in December 2022 I noticed my shortness of breath had returned, the coughing had returned. Believing I had given place to the enemy to bring his evil on me; I rebuked him, yet I continued to get worse.

My energy level had dropped, I had no real appetite, but I kept on living. Went to my primary care doctor in May, he was very unhappy and concerned with what he was hearing in my lungs, sent me tests and back to seeing my pulmonary doctor. The CT SCAN was worse that the scan done in 2019, honeycombing was growing (this is end of life happening in the lungs), my breathing test revealed my lungs together were working at only 1/3 capacity.

In October my pulmonary doctor said my lungs were getting worse, and wanted me on oxygen all the time. I being me, asked where was I in this process, though I know my life is totally in God's hands, I was curious to what he would say. He explained he couldn't tell me that, but since oxygen at home only went to 5 liters and I was on 3 liters, it was time for me to get my family together and make final decisions. Would I be willing to go into the hospital and be out on a ventilator? My answer NO!

It is now November, my ability to do household activity is very limited. But I just keep doing what I can do, keeping simple things done. Strength is pretty well at Zero, but Jesus is my strength. I will keep pressing forward. I can no longer walk through grocery stores, my friends take me and I ride a buggy. I am not a great driver 😊.

Even at 3 liters of oxygen when I was up and about, I was extremely short of breath. With lung disease they do not want your oxygen dropping below 90. 

Today 11/17/2023, I went to my primary care doctor. He listened to my concerns, and answered my questions. He said my lungs were progressing and getting worse all the time. He wants me to have the best care I can have in my home, so he is putting me on Palliative Care, going to rush the post office to do front porch mail delivery. He had me walk while wearing my oxygen, and very quickly my oxygen dropped to 85, and he said turn it up to 4 liters. I go back to see him in December. 

I shared with him what I am about to share with you. First I told him the word God had given me in 2015, and in 2018. Then I said to him and you who read this: "My life and my death are in my God's hands. We all have a way and a time to die (unless our time is cut short). My time and the way I leave this earth is coming and I am okay". You see I have peace, all is well with my soul, and I have no regrets. I will finish my race here one day, but not today. I will continue to do all I am able to do each and everyday. Most likely I will give up driving by the end of December. He said that was probably a wise decision.

The reason this is important is because my oxygen doesn't circulate through my body as it should, that means there are times when my brain will be oxygen deprived and I will loose focus.

So here is my testimony, God kept me, God added years to my life, Jesus is my Healer, my Life Sustainer, He is both my Provider and my Provision, He is my Hope and I long to see Him face to face. Do I pray to die? Absolutely not, I just keep on living and continuing to do the last thing He told me to do.

What does death look like? Well it is a journey from birth to death. And even with a terminal disease you just keep on living and don't give up. It is surrendering your life completely over to Jesus Christ and trusting in Him.

Love you guys ❤️😘🥰

WHEN GOD GIVES A DREAM

 FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS 

JUST A TESTIMONY OF THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD!

I have always encouraged young people to follow their dream, especially what I call a God given dream for their lives. When God has given you a dream for the future you, don't throw it away because it just seems impossible, people laughed at you, and you just couldn't vision that for yourself. We serve a God that takes our impossible and makes it His possible, He is a faithful God and we think that dream is long gone, suddenly God will show up 45 years later and there it is that dream came to pass. Now I am not talking about our night time dreams, I am talking about that dream to become a writer, a singer, etc.

A number of years ago my pastor preached a message from Ezekiel 37, this is where the angel took the prophet Ezekiel to the valley of dry bones and said to speak to those dead bones. In the message pastor said that perhaps you have allowed your dreams to dry out and die and now it is time to speak to those dreams that they would rise back up. (That is strictly from memory, so not an exact quote). Yet, it spoke to me and I remembered my dream at 30 years old I was just a babe in Christ, and even when this message was preached I was right at 70 years old. So I just said to myself I am too old.

So what was my dream, at 30? My dream was I saw myself sharing the word of God to thousands. You laughed didn't you, that's okay I did also. Now I am not talking about being a pastor, I am talking about speaking at ladies conferences. Believe it or not in the beginning I was invited to speak at a few small groups of ladies. But God began to use me within the church to teach senior adult ladies and children, at home I would have adult Bible studies for all age women. Plus I worked in the public and had some opportunities to share Jesus, though a large portion of my working years I spend angry at God and my life and running from God instead of towards Him, and this was after I was saved for 12 years.

But seasons change, I no longer work, no place for outreach except social media, and I hear so many negative comments about how bad social media is, and I am thinking but your missing it! Your missing the opportunity to share the goodness of God. I have a passion for sharing Jesus, and as I see the condition of this world around me I have an urgency to keep sharing. On Facebook when I share about Jesus I post public, my silliness and family stuff are for only friends. Do you know why I do that? Of course you do.

Many of my friends are probably tired of hearing about these reels I have been learning to do. And this will probably be the last time I talk about them on social media, I will just post them.

I am unsure how long ago I started being drawn to reels and how to make them. About that same time my pastor had a message and in that message he said "We are in a season of learning new skills". When I got home I realized learning to do these reels was my new skill I was learning. So I continued, made mistakes, but continued to learn. About 87% have exceeded more than I could imagine into the thousands of views.

A couple have had over 8,000 views, and each day all are growing. I say this not to point to me, but to point to my Lord. What was my dream, again, I had at 30 years of age? That I would share Jesus with thousands, I am 75 years old and I am sitting here crying at the faithfulness of my God, that a dream He gave me and I gave up on would actually come to pass in a way I could never imagine 45 years later. 

My encouragement to you; it's never too late, you are never too old to follow that dream you thought was dead and buried. To be honest when I began this new technology I wasn't thinking of or even remembered that dream of mine, until two days ago and I was looking at the views on the reels and the Holy Spirit in me reminded me of what I had dismissed, so I could praise the Lord for His faithfulness even in my ignorance.

FOOTNOTE: When God is doing it He will accomplish it.

Now I have shared my story I hope all my friends take a moment to read, because you will understand me a little more.

 Oh and if you don't know Jesus in a relationship I just want to say this. Jesus Christ loves you He sees value in you, He left heaven, came to earth that by taking our sins upon Himself, He would restore our fellowship with God the Father. His Holy Spirit draws upon your heart and is calling you to come to Him in faith and repentance (repentance means; we turn from the direction and thinking we once had and we turn our direction to walk with Jesus). He calls upon you to come to Him and receive His gift of salvation and eternal life. He died and on the third He rose up out of that grave and He conquered for you, death, hell and the grave. Do You Know Him?

Be blessed everyday is a new beginning. ❤️❤️❤️

I AM ONE BLESSED WOMAN

 

JUST NEEDED TO WRITE AND SHARE MY TESTIMONY. NOTHING SPECTACULAR AND OFTEN WRITTEN SOME HERE AND THERE. BUT I NEEDED TO JUST EXPRESS MY THOUGHTS

I AM BLESSED

So many years have passed; it's hard to believe that I am now 75 years of age.

Oh I have been young, I have been so foolish, I have ran from God many times, and He continued to pursue after me. I received Jesus as my Redeemer and in anger I ran from my first love, seeking after a worldly love. Then came the day I came to my senses, and ran not from Him but to Him. OH what day, when He ran to me and wrapped His arms around me, forgiving me, and He began to prepare for the years to come.

Many times I have experienced not enough finances, yet Jesus was my Provider as well as my Provision, there have been times of great sorrow, yet Jesus never left me. I have laughed and I have cried, but Oh what a Savior I have.

There have been three life changing events that truly were God sent moments that changed me. My salvation that day in 1974, what a day that was; the day I saw Linda for who she is and I saw Jesus and what He had done for me. 

But twelve years later, I would in anger turn and run. Oh but Jesus, He let me run but never stop loving me. Ten years of running, ten years under conviction, tried to die and Jesus kept me. Then He put a young woman in my path and I saw her excitement for Jesus and I remembered what that excitement was like. And then I came back to my first love. Two life changing events.

OH but the next one was coming. Here I was praying, and I said "Did I forget anything" and I heard "You didn't praise me!" All I knew was to thank Him and that I did. But I pondered and kept those words in my heart. I understood thanking Him, I understood the singing, but what else did He want me to know! Ten more years and God sent me to clean at a church, now I saw recently He brought me there to introduce me to where He was going to bring me. I cleaned for about a year and another year would pass, and in God's timing He released me from the church I was at and sit me down one Sunday morning in April at the church He wanted to bring me to. And I heard that preacher man say, as he stood up, spread out his arms and said; "Church can't we just love on Jesus a minute". And the harmony of people around softly declaring who Jesus is. And I knew that was where I was suppose to be. And that's where I am.

Why did I need to learn how to praise Him, because I didn't know and Jesus did, what was coming, what was coming, that I would have to know "How to praise Him and not run from Him". God is good! He always prepares us for what's coming. You see like I've said before a doctor's report was coming for me, one that said "Hey you have no hope, by 2018 you will be gone"! Have you checked the year😀 it's now 2023, I'm still here. Amen

Then a daughter diagnosed with cancer one that was slowly eating her, this came in 2019, doctor's report said "Hopeless" but we are praying, we are believing, we are praising and she is still here. Some days it's rough but God still has her, He is still using her, not her time to leave this old earth. But even in my tears I'm still praising my Savior.

Oh then came 2020, and with it çame COVID, another daughter got sick, hospital, ventilator, and we prayed, we believed, we praised but her healing didn't come here, it came in heaven. But I praised the Healer of healers. Did you see how God prepared me. And the church God brought me to has stood with me, has loved me, has prayed for me and with me, has been there for me each step of the way. That's what a real church body of believers does. We love and we help, we rejoice and we weep with you, and we stay in unity because we are like-minded in our love for our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, and we are family, some of us just might be that crazy aunt but they love me even more. 😘. Jesus has worked in me and I have grown since I walked through those doors, all those years ago. 

People and church families go through times of transition, a shifting not to bring us harm, but take us out of our comfort zone, that Jesus may shape us into what He wants us to look like. That we might better serve Him in His kingdom purpose. Is transition easy absolutely not. Because we become accustomed to what we want. But when the scripture says "Pick up your cross daily and follow Jesus", this my friends is complete surrender of our wants and picking up what He wants. Whether or not it is in our personal lives or the life of our church family we still have to surrender to Jesus and simply walk in faith, knowing He has the very best for us.

I AM ONE BLESSED WOMAN! And I wouldn't change one thing that God is doing in my life right now. One day God will say "Come on home Linda", and watch me run, to see the face of my Savior. Oh what a day that will be! May I praise Him?

Jesus is the Creator, the Giver of Life, He is the Ark and Pitch that held the ark together, Oh my Jesus is the Great I Am, He was the ram caught in the thicket, He the Giver of the law and the Fulfiller of the law, our Strong Tower, our Shield and Buckler, He is the Stump that remained, He is our Kinsmen Redeemer, He is Deity taking on humanity, He is the Water, the Light, the Door of the sheep gate, the Good Shepherd, He is the Bread of Life, He is the Lamb of God and the Scapegoat, He is the Teacher, The High Priest, the Evangelist, the Apostle and the Prophet of prophets, He is our Healer, He is the Lord of lords, the King of kings, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, He is the only One worthy to open the scroll, He is the Bridegroom of His bride, His bride is us, our time here is to prepare us to be received by our Bridegroom. Oh what a day that will be when we see Him face to face. 

Going home, but until then I will praise Him and I will continue to share the Good News, Jesus Christ came out of His great love for mankind, He was willing to lay down His life and take all our sins upon His own body, that we might be reconciled to our Heavenly Father. He's coming! But there was that day He called our name and we surrendered ourselves to Jesus and at that moment we received eternal life. Amen 

Next question, have you heard Him, do you know Him and better yet does He know you. Religion knows of Him OH but a relationship says He knows you. 

Love you thanks for just letting me talk ❤️

I AM ONE BLESSED WOMAN 

THE WHORE, THE PROSTITUTE, THE BRIDE

 

THE WHORE, THE PROSTITUTE, THE BRIDE

STRONG WORDS AND THEY HAVE A DEEP MEANING.

THE WHORE

More than 30 years ago a doctor I once knew said "A prostitute sells herself for money and that is all she is interested in the money. I will say she represents Greed; that can be for money and even popularity. While a whore gives herself away to one man after another looking for love, looking for acceptance."

Throughout the Old Testament especially in the books of the Prophets, God's people were called in some writings Harlots and in many updated translations they are called Whores; said to be committing adultery and using words like whoredom. Looking at these words recorded for us in Jeremiah chapter 3 and in every book of the Prophets, as I said earlier.  It is also said that in the Old Testament God was the Husband to Israel. While in the New Testament Jesus is the Husband of His church, His bride.

Lets go back to the Old Testament, why was Israel called a whore? God has given specific instructions that they were to have no other gods before them, He reminded them over and over that when they entered into their promise land, they were not to worship the gods of the people in the land, and over and over they continued to do so, He would tell them He was a jealous God and at times they would repent and then once more they would turn from the one true Living God, and play the whore and seek after the other gods. The prophets of God called them whores, and creating their whoredom. Why would they do that? I have read somewhere in the O.T. scriptures they would ask "where is the God of Abraham, Jacob, does He not care for us?" So what were they seeking from other gods? Acceptance from the people of other nations, love, happiness! Those are just suggestions. Many years ago when my marriage ended I became angry with God and in my anger I ran from God and though I never ran after another God, I did run after seeking love, acceptance and happiness in the arms of men, I played the whore, because I preferred my sin over my God, therefore my sin became my God. Yet as did the prodigal son, one day I came to my senses and I ran back to the One who truly loved me and He welcomed me back into His loving arms, completely forgiven. Jesus is my first love and I ran from Him and because He never let me go, I returned to my first love. That was why the Prophets were sent to bring God's people to repentance and return to Him. 

Exodus 20:1-6, Deuteronomy 7:1-24, Judges 2:11-13, Isaiah 54:5, Jeremiah 3:6-8+14, Jeremiah 31:32, Ezekiel 16:1-22+, Hosea 4:12

Okay, we see how the children of God can commit whoredom, as we can today also; by chasing after the world, the flesh and the devil. Christians today can be entangled with sin and whoredom the same as Israel did in the Old Testament. They can make for themselves gods of their own imagination, fall into cult activities and beliefs (in doing this they have accepted another god other than what they had been taught by the true doctrine of Jesus the Christ.) And even now you can witness those who are selling themselves and attempting to sell God, because of greed for money, power and popularity. Remember a lifestyle of sin can become your god, your opinions can become your god (when we lift up our opinion of what is sin, what is love and it doesn't line up with God's biblical standards but in fact aligns itself with the culture around us.)

THE PROSTITUTE 

 So lets look at a prostitute, most you will find in God's house, false prophets, false teachers, false apostles and false pastors. These may sound good but eventually their true character will be revealed. It is written that Satan has his ministers producing lying wonders. Satan will sow tares within a church family for one purpose to sow discord and bring division. There are times that God Himself will send a lying spirit upon false prophets, as He did in the Old Testament. Most of the counterfeit will tell just enough truth to catch your attention and then suddenly you will find they will tickle your itchy years with what your flesh desires to hear. What are they selling? What is their goal? They ask for more money from gullible people because they add, God will bless you a 100 fold, the windows of heaven will be poured out on you, it is a perversion of scripture to gain for themselves wealth. Some will want to sell you something examples: anionting oil, books, promises of God if you give to their ministry. Let me clarify something here; there is nothing wrong with sowing into a ministry that is about the gospel of Christ, but be careful that one is not sowing into a ministry selling their version of the gospel of Christ, books buy books by all means, I guess for me when I hear one who calls themselves a prophet quoting from their books they are trying to sell so we can read the book and get the rest of what they are saying and meaning, that troubles me and perhaps I am wrong, but I go back to the called Prophet just speaks and declares the Word of the Lord, he tells us all of what God desires for us to hear. Because Jesus Christ cannot be sold, His word will not return void and as part of His five-fold ministry a Prophet is called to speak very clearly to God's people the word God has given them at no charge! Many attempt to build a following, a platform, a popularity, too shine in the spotlight. I am not talking about what is called a mega church many of them are declaring the truth of God's word and the people are coming because they desire to hear the truth. I must say small, medium and mega churches can house the genuine and the counterfeit. But how can we discern the difference? By staying in the word of God, by staying in prayer and by observing the character of the one we are listening to. We recognize error by knowing the truth of His word, by staying in prayer we seek guidance of the Holy Spirit who leads us to all truth, we observe how that one behaves when the spotlight is off of them, how do they talk, do they truly love others, or do their actions indicate otherwise. I will add right here, I do not listen to nor do I condone these YouTubers who want to put down pastors and call them fake, mainly because the majority of them are not even connected with a local church and they are slanders at best. If you are part of a strong believing church family, your pastors are your watchmen, they watch over their flock and guard what comes into the House of God, they do not try to be the watchmen for social media.

Jeremiah 5:31, Deuteronomy 7:25-26 

2Thessalonians 2:9-10, 2Corinthians 10:12, 2Corninthians 11:14, Matthew 5:15-16, Matthew 24:11, Mark 13:22, 2Timothy 3:1-8, Revelation 2:20-23, Revelation 3:1-3, Revelation 3:15-17, Revelation 17:1-6, 1Kings 22:20-23

THE BRIDE

Who is the bride? The Ekklesia the universal followers of Christ who have received His gift of salvation by faith and in repentance changed their way of believing and living. These are all born again believers in Christ we call Christians (that is the real church). Yet, as believers we gather together in our local churches, united together in fellowship, in scripture that word means we are in a partnership with Christ to serve together as one body in the kingdom of God.

Jesus Christ established His church and He is both the Good Shepherd and the Chief Cornerstone. He calls His anointed ministry leaders, not man. He plants those He will use within His churches, we gather together to love and minister to one another, to use our gifts and callings that have been placed in our lives by God and through the Holy Spirit, as we serve in God's kingdom. We start out as babes but God will grow us as we continue in His word at home, in prayer at home, gathering and worshipping our Lord and Savior with our church family, listening to the anointed message from the pulpit. God desires that we love one another as He loves us and that we stay in unity.

How often do we as Christians forget who we are in Christ. We allow others opinions to cause us to belittle ourselves, we allow old childhood memories to keep reminding us what was said about us, we think who are we that God would use us, and often we neglect to step forward and do what God has asked us to do, because we think so little of ourselves how could we accomplish anything. Those are all lies that the enemy keeps speaking into our minds, the word says we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, and in another scripture we are told to cast out every argument that is against God's word, those are strongholds established in our minds that must be torn down by us. The bride, is to be without spot or wrinkle, we are to be holy (in and of ourselves we can't be holy, but in Christ we can be) what about this holiness, we put off that old man and its fleshly desires, we flee from the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, the lure of Satan. 

The bride of Christ loved by Jesus, He desires for us to pick up our cross and follow Him daily, this is our act of surrender as He surrendered to His cross for us, we surrender all we are, all we want, our will and we yield all to Him, we have to do it daily because daily our flesh will rise up if we allow it. He desires the best for us; yet, He tells us through scripture we will suffer, we will have troubles and tribulations, but He also reminds us we are His, we are joint heirs with Him, we are overcomers, we carry His anionting, we can do all things through Him, in our weakness He is our strength, He will never leave us nor forsake us, we have everlasting life from the moment of our salvation, His mercy is new every morning, in fact the word says "surely goodness and mercy follow after us". He took all authority away from Satan at the cross and He gave it to us, to bind and loose what is not in heaven and what is in heaven, OH I COULD GO ON AND ON!

He has promised He is coming back for His bride, that we will be saved from the wrath of God coming upon the nations. But He also says "When the Son of Man returns will He find faith?" We, His bride must stay in faith, we must not allow the world, our flesh or the devil to compromise nor corrupt us as we walk in this world we must remember we are not of this world. We are His own special people. We must keep ourselves unspotted from the world, and we must not become complacent and allow ourselves to fall asleep during our waiting. Instead we keep pursuing Jesus, seeking God, allowing His Holy Spirit to work in us and through us. Yes, we will sin but we will not stay there, we will repent and keep moving forward. Jesus came as a baby, died and rose again as the perfect lamb of God, and He is coming again, The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, our King of kings and Lord of lords. Has His bride made herself ready? I will stop because I could talk about Jesus non-stop. ❤️❤️

1Peter 1:3-19, Luke 9:23, Colossians 3:1-14, Romans 6:12-14, Romans 8:17, Hebrews 4:15-16, Ephesians 2:1-10, Ephesians 5:25-27, 2Corinthians 5:7, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

I believe this link will take you to the YouTube website to hear Michael Combs sing Not For Sale. Not tried this before so here is hoping.

https://youtu.be/gpY9WFvBCE8

IT'S NOT ORDINARY

 

WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HAND?

GOD WILL TAKE WHAT APPEARS USELESS TO US AND USE IT FOR HIS KINGDOM PURPOSE 

I recently heard a short Instagram reel, that a lady asked that question and related it to scripture. It really spoke to me, so I began to look at different scriptures and reflect on this topic 

In Exodus 4:1-2 Moses was talking with God in the burning bush. God had just given him instructions to go get His people. Moses said "But what if they don't believe You sent me?" God asked "What do you have in your hand?" It was a shepherd staff, God told him to throw it down and when he did it turned into a snake, when he picked it up it returned to a staff. Through something ordinary God would use that staff in his hand to perform miracles.

Again in 2 Kings 4:1-2 the widow woman asked Elisha for help. Since her husband a prophet had died and the bill collectors were coming to take her sons. Elisha asked "What do you have in your house?" Just a jar of oil she answered, he told her to gather all the jars from the neighbors and they filled all the jars and the oil kept flowing until all the jars were full. She sold that oil and paid off her debt and the original jar with oil never ran out. God provided from just an ordinary jar of oil.

Again 1 Samuel 17:40 David meets Goliath, what did David face and bring down the giant with? A simple slingshot and 1 out of 5 smooth stones. Just an ordinary slingshot practiced with over and over, now became a weapon God used to bring down an enemy of Israel.

Again John 4:7-15 Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well. What did she have in her hand? She came to draw water from the well so she was carrying her water pot to put her water in. Jesus asked her for a drink, and then salvation came to her and many more in the town. Jesus used her coming to get water to speak of the living water she would receive from Him.

Again in Matthew 15:33, over 4,000 had been listening to Jesus, having compassion on the people, He asked His disciples to feed them, they said how can we feed so many. Jesus said "What do you have?". They answered "7 loafs of bread and a few fish". Didn't seem like much but when placed in Jesus' hand it was much more than enough!

So again I ask what is in your hand? What is in your house? When we look at what we have we see insignificant, unimportant, what can I do? But God sees potential for great things if we will entrust Him with the ordinary in our hand. Every born again believer has been given talents and spiritual gifts to use for His kingdom purpose. And we all have something in our hand or home we are to surrender to Jesus that He might use it to bring Him glory. 

Let me share myself as an example please: After I was saved I had believed God had given me the gift of teaching, and He gave me many opportunities to use His gift. Yet, as I grew older, I found I wasn't using that gift as I once was, and truly believed I no longer had a purpose for His use. Many, many years ago, I began a web site as He asked and I would have Bible studies available through it, it was well received from around the world, but it cost me and the price increased so I discontinued and began this blog. Also I would use other means of social media, and though I knew God was using me I just couldn't visualize it as fulfilling His purpose. Twice since 2019 He has told me my purpose, I wrote it down, hung it up so I would remind myself. My purpose "Pray for my church, my family and others and share the truth of God's word with confidence." Confidence I realized today 11/30/22 is what I lacked, I was unsure that was what He wanted me to do. This morning as I was reflecting on all the scriptures and posting about Jesus on Facebook, I looked at my hand and I realized, I was holding my phone in my hand. Technology of today is available to be used to share the good news, to encourage others, to inspire others and lead the lost to Christ. What did I hold in my hand, that I had given to Jesus, just an ordinary phone to many would mean nothing, but when used for God's glory would be used by Jesus to fulfill that purpose "share the truth of God's word with confidence". Suddenly I had confidence because I knew God was using what was in my hand for His purpose.

What is in my home, in March 2021, God gave me an assignment to bake and give away cakes in my church family, to be willing and available for the children and the widows. Suddenly I realized the assignment shifted a third time just in the last couple of days, to be willing and available for my church family anytime (I have always been willing and available for my own family). At times church and friends have ordered and paid a small amount for a cake or pie, personally I am not trying to make money, but to get back what the cost of making it was. Many within my church have sowed into my life to help me to be able to continue to do what God has asked me to do. Did you hear what I said? I in my home had what I needed to bake cakes and pies, I have had experience from my working years, and I had a talent I had given to Jesus. And He has made sure I have not suffered any lose in baking anything and has even added more to me through the gifts of others. When God gives you an assignment, He will provide all you need to accomplish what He asked you to do and will use what you already have to accomplish it. Why did He give me this assignment? December 26,2020 my daughter, Angela, died of COVID, in March I asked God "how can I bless others?" And so He spoke what I was to do and in this He taught me how to love others without any expectation. Well I am still learning the expectation part, but I am learning and Jesus is patient and He is teaching.

So what ordinary thing do you have in your hand, in your home that God will use to make a difference in your life and in others lives? Look around it's there, it has just been seen as insignificant. 🔥🔥

TIME KEEPS MOVING

 

LIFE IS JUST A BRIEF MOMENT IN TIME!

ENJOY THE ADVENTURE!

When we were young it appeared as if time would never pass by. You know all the times waiting to grow up, waiting to be independent, waiting to find just that right person. And we would often think why does it take so long?

Then in this we find ourselves grown up, we found the right person (or so we think); I say that because sometimes we are in such a hurry to move on in life and be that independent person, we often make choices in haste and we settle for the wrong person and not waiting on the one God has for us. But there again is us hurrying time.

Then here we are young, married, broke, and waiting on time to catch up with us. Wanting a better job, more money, better car, better home and better furniture. We have grown weary of hand me downs and second hand things. Time barely moves, especially when we decide we want to have children, it's like the clock stopped and just sits there. Will there ever be a time when all the things I want will come into my life?

Then before we realize it here comes the children, the new home, new car, still using hand me downs, but now we call them antiques and thrift store bargains. And time moves on and before we even realize it the children are grown, and married having their own families, homes and watching time pass slowly by.

And then before you know it, you are a grandparent. Oh the love a grandparent for their grandchildren, words can never express the pleasure of every opportunity you get to spend time with them. Why it's like you suddenly turned back time and your children were young again, except now you have become more mellow, and allow them more room to be children, you know, you have really learned to show them grace and mercy because after all you get to send them back home to their parents. So you make sure of these important things:

1. They get to eat all their favorite things, you make sure you buy at the store their favorite junk food.

2. You desire to have many adventures together; for me I would take mine to Dollywood, the zoo, the pool, the lake, the picnics at the park and in the mountains.

3. Oh and sleep overs were the best, watching their movies and playing games.

Can all my friends who are grandparents identify with these times? 

You know when we do even the smallest of these things like buying their favorite foods, it is an expression of our love for them. I thought of my mother today and remembered when her grandchildren were coming she always made a point of having all they liked on hand to eat. She loved them.

When they are young we never consider slowness of time because in reality we don't want to see them grown up and not enjoy these grandparents adventures. Yet, suddenly time speeds up and before we know it they are grown, working, lives of their own, moved away, married with their own children. Now we have become great grandparents and some how even that has changed, we love them, but age has slowed our bodies down and adventures no longer come. 

Where did time go? What kind of legacy will we leave behind? Did we tell them "I love you each day?" 

Suddenly we are young no more and time no longer moves slowly, it's like the clock is racing ahead, and each day we realize that day, that moment will never come again. Did we make the most of the time God has given us? Or did we waste it chasing after the worthless things?

Apart from our salvation and our relationship with Jesus Christ, our families are our best gift from the Creator of Life. Let us never forget to love them even when we discipline them, enjoy them, laugh with them, have fun with them. Because time will pass and we will never have those opportunities again. None of us are perfect parents and I had many personal learning experiences that at times my children were blessed by them and at other times they were hurt by them. Now my grandchildren that's a different story, I am a good Mamaw 😂.

No real reason for this blog, just wanted to say, Time passes quicker than we think; at twenty I never saw myself at forty, and at forty I sure never saw myself at seventy five. But in a twinkling of an eye here we all are at a time and age we never imagined ourselves being. So savor every moment of time you have been given because in just a blink of an eye it will be gone.

Be blessed, may God's favor go before you.

KNOWING GOD'S WILL

 

WHAT IS YOUR WILL? HOW AM I TO LIVE? WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?

IS GOD SPEAKING TO ME ?

I have heard many messages on Hearing The Voice Of God. Now the ones I have listened to, including my pastors, I am in complete agreement. I have taken some time to just spend more time with Jesus that the Holy Spirit may reveal truth, insight and bring scriptures and sound teaching to my remembrance. 

John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice and follow Me.

Before that Jesus explains the role of the shepherd and how the sheep recognize the shepherd's voice and will not follow a stranger's voice but only His voice the one they recognize. Much like our pets in our homes today, our dogs and cats know our voice and respond to our voice. Reading this in the gospel of John I ask myself "Then how can a believer in Christ be deceived and find themselves following the counterfeit?" Do I have an answer for that question, no I don't. All I know is that it happens, were they in a true relationship with Jesus as His follower or just a religious experience, I have no answer for that either. None of us can know the heart of another all we can know are the actions. But I got sidetracked thinking about knowing the voice of our Good Shepherd. So let's move forward.

We must understand that in God's written (Logos) word, God has already told us what His will for our lives is. Below are just a small amount of scriptures among many that reveal God's will for our lives.

EXAMPLES: These are only a few of many, many more

1. He has already told us "if we see a brother or sister with a need and we have the means we are to help them" 1John 3:17, James 2;14-16

2. We are to love one another 1 John 4:7-21

3. We are to be generous 2 Corinthians 8:2-5

4. We are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, spirit, and  mind and we are to love our neighbor as ourselves Matthew 22:37-39

5. We are to forgive others Matthew 6:14

6. We are to have no other gods before Him Exodus 20:30, Romans 1:20-23

7. We are to live by faith Romans 1:16-17, Ephesians 2:4-10

8. We are to be a praying people, Luke 18:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 1 Timothy 2:8, James 5:16

9. We are to surrender our will, our wants and our ways to Jesus. We do this by picking up our cross daily and following Jesus (this is us crucifying our flesh). Matthew 10:37-38, Mark 8:34-35

10. He desires for all to be saved and  come to  repentance 2 Peter 3:9

11. We are told to abide in Him, bear much fruit (His fruit) that will glorify God the Father. John chapter 15

12. We are to be His witnesses and we are to make disciples Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-16, Acts 1:8

13. We are to believe in His Son. John 14:1, Acts 16;31

THE WORD OF GOD WARNS US OF BEING DECEIVED: This also may appear as a warning but it is His will, that we do not allow ourselves to be deceived by the counterfeit.

We are warned about false prophets, false teachers, false apostles who come carrying a counterfeit doctrine, a strange fire, a cult practice. Anyone coming saying that Jesus Christ is not the Son of God, not Deity in the flesh, denying who He is and what He has done, is a false doctrine and of the antichrist. 

2 Corinthians 11:1-15, 2 Timothy 3:5-6, Galatians 1:6-9, 2 John 1:8-11, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

I want to say something about false prophets, those who speak generic prophecies into your life, example in 30 days you will receive (a certain amount of money), if you do whatever they require this is a false prophet. A true prophet not only foretells coming judgments, but leads one to true repentance. In 1 Corinthians 12 it speaks of the gifts of the Spirit, there is one gift called "a word of knowledge", when God is dealing with us about something in our lives, He may choose to send someone across our path that will speak a right now word to us, as my pastor once said, when they speak that word and it is a true word of knowledge you will already identify with what is said because God is already speaking to you privately about this. Remember this, there is always a counterfeit sent by Satan to copy the truth, it has just enough truth to draw us in and yet it is a lie from the pit of Hell. Below will begin to show us how we can discern what spirit is behind the person speaking to us. 

How can we know the will of God and His purpose for our lives, read His word it is His word that renews our minds as we do this daily. Romans 12:1-2, it is His word that guides our steps, Psalm 119:105. We can never identify error from truth as well as know what the will of our Abba is if we neglect reading His word.

His written word is His Logos word, and that still small voice He speaks into us is His Rehma word.

We have a lot of voices fighting for our attention going on in our mind, our carnal/fleshly voice that reasons things out, relives pain and problems, and insults and offenses over and over again, as found in Romans chapter 7. We have the darts of our enemy Satan coming against us in our minds, accusing, condemning, arousing. I have heard it said that we cannot stop the darts from coming, but we can rebuke those ungodly lies. When we allow ourselves to dwell on these lies it becomes as a fiery dart or adding mortar between bricks that will imprison us in a self made prison Ephesians 6:16. Then there is the voice of the world, demanding us to conform to their value system 1 John 2:15-17. And in all that mess and clutter there will come that voice of God to speak into us. We must understand this  isn't an audible voice, but it speaks so clearly, when we tune out all the thoughts cluttering our minds and in our prayer time, in our time of reading His word, when we wait and purposefully listen, He will speak. Know this His Rehma word to us will never go against His written word and He will lead us to scripture to confirm His word.

 

TESTIMONY

Me personally I don't always hear Him speak a Rehma word daily, but I know He is with me. When I wake up I invite Him into my day and to guide my day, asking for wisdom as I go about the day. I have conversations all during the day, along with that time of intimacy and often He will speak a word with an assignment for me to do. There are times when I may be struggling to learn what He desires for me and in the early morning hours I will hear Him speak and give me scripture to read. When that happens I sit up read and write down both the scripture and the word. Then there are times that I am studying something and because I love to write and share the goodness of God, I will wake up in the early morning hours with all I was desiring to say just flowing through my mind. And at times, often, my Lord chastises me and I welcome that, because the word says those He loves He will chastise. Just like a father, out of their love for their child will correct them when they see them heading into danger.

We are told in the word that we are to be the salt and the light in this world. This is quiet simple; the words we speak are the salt, they are to be seasoned with truth, love, grace and mercy, or it will be words of our flesh, the world and a tool to tear down and destroy from the devil. We are to be light, a reflection of the light of Christ within us, this light will reveal who we are in Christ, it will be a light or a beacon that will lead the lost to Jesus Christ the Son of God, our Redeemer, our Savior. Our words and the light shining through us will draw people to us asking "You are different, how is that". At this point we simply share how by God's grace and goodness we are not who we used to be. Never find yourself in a situation where you enter into an argument over scripture. Just simply say "Let me tell you about my Jesus". 

The gospel message is simple it is about the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, His sinless life, His death, and His resurrection. If Jesus Christ was not Deity there would be no salvation, if He had not led a sinless life there would be no salvation, if Jesus had not bore our sins and died on the cross for us taking God's judgement for sin on His own body, there would be no salvation, if there had been no resurrection then there would be no salvation and there would be no hope for mankind. JESUS CHRIST is not just a man but He is the Son of God, He is God in the flesh, there is a Trinity, a Godhead, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, these three are distinct yet one. If anyone comes bringing another Jesus, another doctrine other than what the word of God teaches then do not receive them.

Let me just add this small bit. There are times in our lives we have to make a decision; jobs, home, marriage etc. And we seek God for His guidance, His wisdom, His help in helping us and we need to. I go back to that scripture in

 Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the LORD with all your heart , and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.

God will give us His peace and we just take one step at a time in faith. I remember many years ago I had come to a place where I needed to sale my home. Seeking God in what I needed to do and where I needed to buy a smaller place. I received a Rehma word from God " I will be with you wherever you go"! And that word is confirmed in scripture in Deuteronomy 28:1-14 and Hebrews 13:5

In closing we know that Jesus could return at any time and it is written there will be a great falling away (an apostasy) from the church and from the truth of God's word, which we are witnessing. Oh but there will be a great outpouring that will begin with a revival of God's people that we will come back to our first love and be the church we were intended to be, with this homes will be changed, the wayward will come home, we will see salvation burst forth. And the Glory of God will be manifested. We are living in exciting days. Amen