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Pray For Each Other :)

COMPASSION. It seems to be the word needed right now. Compassion for all. There are two sides rapidly conflicting in this virus fight. One says the only way to protect everyone’s health is to stay at home. The other says we need, as a country, to get back to work before the economy is destroyed. What concerns me is the level of anger on both sides, when what we need is to have compassion for both sides!

It’s easy for me to say we should stay home. I am working from home, my son works from home and my husband still goes to work. We have a nice home, perhaps not huge or fancy, but very cozy. My entire family is here and virus-free (at least for right now). And we have enough to eat.

But there are many families who are not nearly so fortunate. They are suffering, out of work and worried about their house payment or rent. They don’t have enough food to eat and they don’t have enough money to buy more food, or medical supplies. Since that are out of work, they may not have health insurance. Which means they may be unable to go to the doctor.

Unhealthy, or homeless and hungry. Which is worse? And who decides?

I don’t have the answer, but I do know that neither answer is good and we need to have compassion for one another.

And most of all, we need to Pray for each other, because that is the only way we will get through this… In Jesus Name, Amen.

Unprecedented!

A Friend sent me this:

Seems like the word that is being used many times these days (i.e. other than “coronavirus”) is “unprecedented”. The dictionary definition of the adjective unprecedented is something that has not happened before or very rare. While it appears that this word is mostly being used associated with this current epidemic, it is interesting when God’s Word used something similar. “Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.” (1 Samuel 3:1) The Scripture goes on to capture Samuel’s first prophecy, after the Lord said to Samuel that He will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. All Israel knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. First Samuel offers us a contrast between two very different national leaders: Saul, who relied on his own abilities and reason to make crucial decisions about God’s people; and David, who chose a path of humility and faith in God. As long as King David chose righteousness, God’s Blessing followed the nation of Judah. Does this sound familiar?

Similarly, as America entered the dark days of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln realized the need for the nation to turn its heart to God. After the Union Army’s defeat at the battle of Bull Run, President Lincoln called the American people to a time of repentance, prayer, and fasting, so that “the united prayer of the nation may ascend to the Throne of Grace and bring down plentiful blessings upon our country.” Truly, God’s Heart IS turned to such humility. President Lincoln received much harassment from the news media. One example was in his book “1864: Lincoln at the Gates of History”, author Charles Flood noted that The New York Herald once wrote that “his election was a rash experiment, his administration is a deplorable failure.” Does this sound familiar? Perhaps as America enters dark days again, it IS time to be “One in the Spirit, One in the Lord”! We are called to a time of repentance, prayer, and fasting, so that united we may stand with the Lord, fear Him, and receive His Blessings once again!

My thoughts and prayers are that you humble yourself before our Heavenly Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That you chose a path of righteousness and faith in God. That you share our Lord with others to unite, trust, and depend upon The Rock on which we stand! In Jesus’ Name. Thy Will be done. Amen. Peace.

Choose Christ While You Can!

It’s hard for Christians all over. Whether it is an outright threat to our lives or simply the peer pressure that is occurring in America, the world has tried to by and large, to silence Christianity. From calling us judgmental to the resounding silence of many in the media when it comes to suggesting people should pray during these difficult times, the world has found many ways to suggest that we should be quiet.

But this is not the time to be quiet. So often our Lord has helped us! It is time for us to take a stand for Him as well.

So here is mine. I follow Christ, above all things. I need Christ, above all things. I am not a Christian because I am “so good”, but rather I am a sinner in need of a Savior. The Bible is the Word of God, as it is written, and it is true and complete. I care far more for what God thinks, than what man thinks. And I am not afraid, for I know our Lord has both me and those I love, and I trust Him. And no matter how difficult the road becomes, my true Home is in Heaven and no one and nothing can stop Jesus from bringing me Home. Jesus IS coming back-soon!

Choose Christ while you can ?

As a nation, we must turn back to God

In Jeremiah there is a story of a group of people who were just to stiff necked to turn to the Lord. No matter how many died, no matter how many wars they fought, they just would not turn to God. And then, finally one day, they did. They asked Jeremiah to pray for them to our Lord. They asked Jeremiah to pray to God that “the Lord you God may show us the way wherein we may walk and the things we may do”

And God, despite the many times the people had ignored Him, was merciful because He loved them! And God told them if they would “abide in this land than I will build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up….”

Our nation has ignored the Will of God many times over the past few decades. But we don’t have to continue on that path. We can turn to our Lord and pray just as the people in Jeremiah’s time did. We can turn to God and He will be merciful because He loves us!

Praying for our nation, In God We Trust, Theresa

Living In God’s Will

There can be no doubt that if there is one thing we want to know during these difficult time, it’s that we want to know we are doing exactly what God wants us to ?. And no matter how hard we try, it can be difficult to know that we are.

I read something recently by F.B. Meyer who was a famous Pastor many years ago from London. A friend of D.L. Moody’s, he was a Baptist Preacher. And I thought he put it really well. He spoke of there being three lights guiding us. “ God’s Word (The Bible), God’s Providence (Circumstances) and the Holy Spirit (thoughts from God)”

In praying and thinking about it, that does simplify it quite a bit ?. If we are feeling there’s an action we should take or a direction we should go, then it should fall within those parameters. If God wants a door open, He will open it (God’s Providence). If God wants us to do something, it won’t contradict His Word (The Bible). And we will have peace about it (The Holy Spirit). And if what we want to do falls within all of these, than we can be pretty sure that we are in God’s Will.

Of all of these though, most important is the Guidance of the Holy Spirit, who God sent to be our Comforter. The Holy Spirit IS God’s Confirmation of Living in His Will.

John 14:26 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

²⁶But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

And be comforted by this, God counts your effort! If you choose “wrongly”, but sought God’s Guidance through prayer and all of the above. Know that God loves you and appreciates your love for Him and your efforts to seek His guidance.

God Can Heal Our Land

2 Chronicles 7:14 King James Version (KJV)

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

As we listen to the news, more and more they are talking about the possibility that the virus was actually from a Wuhan Bio-Weapons Lab. And if that is true, we need to also ask the question: Was it on accident or on purpose?

Fortunately for us, God doesn’t say He will only heal our land if it was an accident-He says He will heal our land. So in the face of these new questions, the answer for us is still the same: Repent and Pray, because God always keeps His promises 🙂

Do not fear, Jesus IS coming!

In the Bible, in Isaiah 61, Verse 1 it says:

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives; and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”

That is all of us. We are all anointed by the Holy Spirit to preach “good tidings”. These are difficult times and will remain so for a while. And it’s not just the economy or the virus we have to worry about, it’s the rapid loss of our freedoms that we need also be concerned about.

But we have something that many in power do not have, we have Jesus and we have each other. And because we have Jesus, we know what love is, what hope is. And we need to give both to each other. Do not fear my friends, Jesus IS coming ?

Safe In Your Harbour

For some reason I woke up this morning, worried. The headlines scare me. From Covid-19 to microchips to locusts, it does not seem like our world is heading in a good direction. It’s hard not to worry sometimes. And then-I worry about worrying. Because I like many parents, don’t want to cause my family worry…What a crazy circle…

But then I heard this song, Safe In Your Harbour by Mal Pope. And it quieted my soul ?. Too often I forget, God is in charge. And I and all those I love are Safe in His Hands ?

The Real Miracle Is Heaven, Brought To Us By Jesus Christ

My Dear Friends,

It’s Easter Monday and we are still in our houses. I have to admit, that I, like President Trump, was hoping for a miracle too! But perhaps the miracle already happened, over 2,000 years ago. Jesus died for us so that we might go to Heaven. It doesn’t get more miraculous than that ?

But we don’t really talk about Heaven enough, and perhaps we should. These are difficult times, we should know what it is we are looking forward too, what it is that our faith will bring us too. That Jesus will bring us to.

John Burke wrote a book, “Imagine Heaven”. My cousin John told me about it and I love some of Heaven’s descriptions. Here’s one:

“The fragrance that permeated Heaven was so gentle and sweet, I almost didn’t notice it amid all there was to see and hear. But as I looked at the delicate, perfect flowers and grass, I wanted to smell them. Instantly, I was aware of a gentle aroma. As I focused, I could tell the difference between the grass and the flowers, the trees and even the air. It was all so pure and intoxicating, and blended together in a sweet and satisfying scent.”

The book is available on Amazon. I have to admit I haven’t read the whole book yet. But there is one thing I can share with each of you personally, Heaven is a Real Place. It’s not some cloud or mystical place. It’s real. It’s like the Garden of Eden. It’s more. More and better than we are capable of imagining.

So when the going gets tough, look up, Christ draws near ?

In God We Trust,

Theresa

Month: April 2020