Faith, Author at FollowingJesusUS.com

Two Men – One War

While praying the Rosary, I saw a young man dressed in an air force uniform and he told me his story:

“I flew planes and shot down other places, but never saw anyone actually die. It was all so far way.

One day, my plane was shot down and I managed to parachute down, but landed in the midst of fighting. I saw a man get shot and ran over to help him.

As he lay dying, there was not much I could do to help him physically, so I prayed. As I knelt beside him praying, I also was also shot.

And as I lay there dying, I realized that none of us really had a choice in this war and I prayed that God would forgive us both.”

How we live is not governed by a country; it’s governed by God! And fortunately for us, He shared exactly how we need to live in His Word. For God is the ultimate decider of right and wrong!

Children and Parents

“6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ²“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: ³“that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

⁴And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Bondservants and Masters

⁵Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; ⁶not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, ⁸knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

⁹And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that ^[a]your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the ^[b]wiles of the devil. ¹²For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of ^[c]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— ¹⁹and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

A Gracious Greeting

²¹But that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you; ²²whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our affairs, and that he may comfort your hearts.

²³Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.“ – Ephesians 6

Welcome St. Lucia

God’s Gift

God wants each of His children to
know about His Gift to them: nature!

“In every true searcher of Nature there is a kind of religious reverence, for he finds it impossible to imagine that he is the first to have thought out the exceedingly delicates threads that connect his perceptions.”

Albert Einstein

Gabriel’s Assignment

A very good friend shared this with me, and I wanted to share it too 🙂

“Once upon a time, as the tall, stately angel rose and walked toward the front of God’s angels in training, there was a buzz among them. Gabriel was a living legend. He cleared his throat, “I’ve been asked to speak to you today about what I’ve learned throughout my career. Most important is this: we are servants of the Most High God. This lesson I learned not during my days here, but from a human being, a girl. I had been summoned before God to be briefed on a new mission. He told me, “Gabriel, you have a most delicate assignment. I AM sending My Son to redeem the earth, To do this He must become a human Himself. Your mission is to announce this plan to the young woman I have chosen to be His mother. Her name is Mary. She lives in the village of Nazareth in Galilee. She is betrothed to be married. That means that she is already considered a wife, though she is living at home until the final ceremonies a few months from now. And Gabriel, she is a virgin.” God concluded with these words, “Gabriel, by all means, be gentle.”

She’s only a child, he thought when he first saw her upon arrival. Betrothed at that age? But such were the customs of that place and he was assured that the Father knows what He is doing. Gabriel said to Mary, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; you are blessed among women!” Without a doubt, she was troubled. Then Gabriel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom there will be no end.” Of course, Mary said to Gabriel, “How can this be, since I am not yet married?” Gabriel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will over-shadow you; that Holy One who IS to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing IS impossible!”

AMAZING! The Father was prepared to rest His entire Christ introduction on this young girl – her response, her decision. She was to be the mother of God’s own Son – so young. Then Mary said, “Behold the maid-servant of the Lord! Let it be according to your word.” Gabriel knew this was going to be difficult for Mary, with trying to explain this to anyone. Who would believe her? Her father would be furious, her mother deeply hurt. And Joseph? There would be no wedding. Her dreams of normal marriage and family vanished in an instant. And town fathers? Would they try to stone her? This is how Gabriel met Mary. She taught him what it means to be a servant when it’s hard to obey, when there seems to be no hope except God’s Promises. Mary took his words given to him by the Father, “For with God nothing IS impossible,” and BELIEVED them. Gabriel shared with those looking intently at him, “When I struggle with obedience, I think of this young girl who began a servant’s journey with the words: “Behold the maid-servant of the Lord! Let it be according to your word.”

My thoughts and prayers are with you to learn from Mary, to BELIEVE with God NOTHING IS impossible. That you ask Him for His Will and Purpose for your life on earth and Truly Trust Him in His Direction for you. That you know His Joy and Peace in being His servant. That you share Him with others. In Jesus’ Name. Thy Will be done. Amen. Peace.”

Birthday Celebration Invitation!

A friend sent this to me, loved it so much, wanted to share 🙂

“You are personally invited to a Birthday Celebration!!!

Guest of Honor: Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior

Date: Every day. Traditionally, December 25 but He’s ALWAYS around, so the date is flexible.

Time: Whenever you’re ready. (Please don’t be late, though, or you’ll miss out on the excitement!)

Place: In your heart…..He’ll meet you there. (You’ll hear Him knock.)

Attire: Come as you are. He’ll be washing clothes anyway. He said something about new white robes and crowns for everyone who stays until the last.

Tickets: Admission is free. He’s already paid for everyone. (He says you wouldn’t have been able to afford it anyway….it cost Him EVERYTHING He had. But you need to accept the ticket!!

Refreshments: “Living Water”, followed by a supper that promises to be out of this world!

Gift Suggestions: Your life. He’s one of those people who already has everything else. (He’s VERY generous in return though. Just wait until you see what He has for you!)

Entertainment: Joy, Peace, Truth, Light, Love, Real Happiness, Communion with God, Forgiveness, Miracles, Healing Power, Eternity in Paradise, and much more!! (All “G” rated, so bring your family and friends.)

R.S.V.P.: Very Important! He must know ahead so He can reserve a spot for you at His Table.

Also, He’s keeping a list of His Friends for future reference. He calls it the “Lamb’s Book of Life.”

Party being given by His Kids (that’s us!!)

Hope to see you there! For those of you whom I will see at the party! In Jesus’ Name. Thy Will be done. Amen. Peace.

Trust & Obey God Because He Loves Us :)

A friend reminded me today that Justice will also come for those who say they believe, but don’t really.

There will be many who will say to Jesus just “how much they did for Him, but Jesus will say, “I do not know you”“.

God shares with us in His Word what can happen for True Believers versus what can happen to those who do not really believe:

Elijah announced a great drought! But God took care of Elijah, because Elijah Trusted God and Obeyed Him!

Elijah Announces a Great Drought

“17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe^[a] in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”

Elijah Fed by Ravens

²Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: ³“Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. ⁴You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”

⁵So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. ⁶The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.” – Kings 17:1-6

And then, of course, there were the results for those who refused to Trust & Obey God:

“16 Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu son of Hanani concerning Baasha: ²“I lifted you up from the dust and appointed you ruler over my people Israel, but you followed the ways of Jeroboam and caused my people Israel to sin and to arouse my anger by their sins. ³So I am about to wipe out Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat. ⁴Dogs will eat those belonging to Baasha who die in the city, and birds will feed on those who die in the country.”” – Kings 16:1-4

A great drought will eventually come, Prepare, Pray, Obey God and Be Ready!

Reverence

**Children seen carrying Christian Vestments while Praying the Rosary**

Reverence, an old fashioned word, not heard often. But very important!

Reverence is defined by some as a “deep respect for” someone or something. A more Biblical definition includes: “honoring God, expressing our gratitude to God and obeying God’s Commandments”.

Look at what happened in Psalm 105:

“⁵Remember the wonders he has done,
    his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
⁶you his servants, the descendants of Abraham,
    his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.
⁷He is the Lord our God;
    his judgments are in all the earth.

⁸He remembers his covenant forever,
    the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
⁹the covenant he made with Abraham,
    the oath he swore to Isaac.
¹⁰He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
¹¹“To you I will give the land of Canaan
    as the portion you will inherit.””- Psalm 105:5-11

But what happened to those who disobeyed in Psalm 105:

“²⁸He sent darkness and made the land dark—
    for had they not rebelled against his words?
²⁹He turned their waters into blood,
    causing their fish to die.
³⁰Their land teemed with frogs,
    which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.
³¹He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
    and gnats throughout their country.
³²He turned their rain into hail,
    with lightning throughout their land;
³³he struck down their vines and fig trees
    and shattered the trees of their country.
³⁴He spoke, and the locusts came,
    grasshoppers without number;
³⁵they ate up every green thing in their land,
    ate up the produce of their soil.
³⁶Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land,
    the firstfruits of all their manhood.” – Psalm 105:28-43

Need more be said?

God IS Just!

In Jeremiah 36, there is a famous Bible story. It’s about King Jehoiakim of Judah. God sent him a message of warning three times. Three times he refused to listen to God’s Will. Because he wouldn’t listen, both he and his kingdom were destroyed.

There are many people in this world who do not believe that God would do this again. They are wrong. Countries can’t continue in this world with their current bad behavior, and expect that our world will not be punished and neither can people.

And for the record, a lack of knowledge is not an acceptable excuse. For God made sure to leave us a record of His Word in the Holy Bible. If some choose to refuse to read it or follow it, that’s on them.

God IS Just. Always.

Prepare, Pray and Be Ready.

Do Not Fear – God IS With You!

“The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.12When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior. But sir, Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, `Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian. The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

“But Lord, Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family. The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.” -Judges 12-16

Gideon was afraid, but he was obedient to God anyway.

Faith over fear 🙂

Prepare, Pray & Be Ready!

Author: Faith