Parched ground and dragons.

Isaiah 35:7
And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

In Texas, we are in the grips of a harsh drought. The grass is brown stubble, tress are dying, and we are literally being baked. With over two months of 100+ degree days, and no rain, I think we are in need of a revival. Then maybe the rains will come. I am sure the ground is crying out for mankind to get right with the Lord.

SO what is with the dragons? The Bible has several verses with the word. Evolution says the dinosaurs were gone before man. Hmm, think they may be wrong.

In Glen Rose, Texas - we have the footprint of man inside the footprint of a dinosaur. There are pictures even a stamp in Japan of a dinosaur caught and hauled out of the sea.

Some say that to believe Creation is to deny science. But there are many scientists who believe in Creation. Check it out. Study and see. Evolution is but theory, not proven and full of scientific holes. In fact, it takes great faith to believe we came from nothing but a bang.

Just because you were taught in school that evolution is real does not mean it is. MAN has agendas. I find that totally disgusting in science where fact should be fact. But we live in a greedy fallen world. Beware the agenda of others. The greatest value of evolution is to undermine the faith of others, especially children.

Study, question. Question God. He will answer and is not afraid of the honest questioning of people. For HE is the truth.

It's Who You Know

Ephesians 2:19
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

How often do we hear that someone got a job, a favor, a good deal, because they knew someone?

How much more that we who know the Lord can claim in His name.

Because we know and believe that Jesus is Lord, all the promises of the Bible are given to us.

Eternal life is guaranteed to those who know and believe in Jesus as the Son of God.

Because we know Him, we have protection, provision, healing, abundant life.

And the more we get to know Him, the stronger our faith, joy, peace.

Get to know the Lord Jesus. The King of Kings, The Prince of Peace.

While in the world, people will stand in line to see a celebrity, WE can know the Creator and fellowship with our Father in heaven. Doesn't get better than that.

Holy Spirit

Psalm 51:11
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Luke 11:13
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Ephesians 4:30
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

The Holy Spirit - God in us.

Can't beat that.

Earthquakes, Hurricanes, and Drought - Oh My!

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3

Add to the natural disasters, the economic, social, and moral troubles and this world is a really rough ride.

Good News = In Christ we are not alone. Even when my mind spins, I know in my spirit there is a connection to God. His Holy Spirit resides in me.

And I have but to switch from my mind of flesh to that of the Spirit and I am in touch with the Great I AM, my Father in heaven.

His peace rises above the fiercest storm, the rockingest earthquake, or the driest drought. His peace reminds me that He is always with me.

He is my provider even when the economy is tumbling.

He is my High Tower even when the mobs have gone mad.

He is the Truth even when the world clamors to make good evil and evil good.

In Him, there is always peace.

Does God get mad?

Psalm 78:31
The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

John 3:36
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Colossians 3:5-7

⁵Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: ⁶For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

Well, take it as warning, God does Chastise those He loves. And those who will not turn from unrighteousness set themselves up for God's wrath.

In a world where good is named evil and evil good, where the name of Jesus is forbidden in public address, where God is mocked with homosexual marriage, stay true to His word. Walk in the Spirit and not the flesh. knowing that the enemy prowls about as a lion looking for those he can devour. The times are growing wicked.

In Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit, be a light in this time of darkness. Be the beacon of truth so that those blinded in darkness might see.

Glory

Psalm 57:5
Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.

Matthew 6:13
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

God is worthy of all glory.

Open your hearts and know that He is. That God is above all things.

How amazing that the Creator of all, knows you. Desires to fellowship with you.

Seek Him. God only has good for His children.

In God is eternal life.

Love One Another

John 15:17
These things I command you, that ye love one another.

Romans 12:10
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Sounds simple enough. But boy, that is one hard thing to do in the flesh. Even our very own families can try the best of us.

So how can we love one another?

Look at others through the eyes of Jesus. Honor others, thinking not of yourself but of them and their needs.

Basically - have the mind of Christ.

How can we do this? By knowing that our heavenly Father loves us. Loves us completely. When we understand this, we no longer have to scramble for our needs and desires. We no longer have to put others down in order for us to feel valued.

When you understand the God of the universe loves you nothing else really mattes.

Walk in the knowledge that the Father loves you. Walk in the Spirit sharing that love with others.

Worship

Worship - how do we do that?

Bowing the head, facing the ground.

Genesis 24:26
And the man bowed down his head, andworshipped the LORD.

2 Chronicles 7:3
And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalm 95:6
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.

Matthew 2:11
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him:...

John 4:24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Revelation 4:10
The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

Well, that was eye opening to me. Didn't realize there was such a call to bow before the Lord. I believe it is good to bow the head and knee to worship the Lord. And in the spirit, bow our hearts and wills to the Great I AM.

Worship Him.

Known and accepted

Ephesians 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

⁴According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

I love the book of Ephesians. So rich is the Word of God that you can camp on verses for days.

All spiritual blessings in heavenly places -- not sure what all that contains, but wow! I know it's good. Are we blessed or what.

And then to know that we chosen before the foundation of the world. We are known to God. How much better can

it get?

⁶To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

We are in Jesus, and accepted. Known and accepted by God.

Let that sink into your soul. And when the enemy comes to tell you your worthless, stop him - point to Ephesians And proclaim that you are one who is known by God and accepted by him.

Forgiven by the Blood of Jesus, known and accepted by God, go and rejoice. Walk in the blessings of God, all the spiritual blessings.

The Good Life

He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

1 John 5:12

John 3:15
That whosoever believeth in him (Jesus) should not perish, but have eternal life.

John 6:40
And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 8:12
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 10:10
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Rejoice in the Light. Walk as those who know the truth and believe. Celebrate the Good Life.

Night and Day

Romans 6:16
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether ofsin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Hebrews 3:13
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Sin.

The separation between life and death. Living in the spirit or the flesh.

The dividing line.

AS humans we are born in sin, redeemed only by the blood of Christ. AS Christians, we offer the Good News to a dying world that Jesus died for the sins of the world.

A choice.

Temptations will come. Resist the devil and he will flee. Walk in the spirit and the fruit of the spirit and live.

Choose wisely.

1 Thessalonians 5:5
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

Grace - it's more than a name.

Acts 4:33
And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

Grace - God's favor on us, the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of believers.

Grace is looking at others through the eyes of the Lord. Seeing past the flesh and sin and into the heart.

And then with compassion, offer the free gift of salvation. Imparting the life-giving Good News with demonstrations of the workings in the Spirit by setting captives free, healing the sick, deliverance for those in bondage, even the raising from the dead.

Go in grace as ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven. Proclaim the Good News of salvation that none need perish if they but believe in the Lord. And then by the power of the Holy Spirit do the work of the Lord.

Revelation 22:21
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Where's Jesus?

Matthew 25:40
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me

I was having a snarky attitude the other day. I didn't want to have to do something for someone else. It wasn't a big thing , I was just being a brat. The Lord, so gentle, prompted me to remember whatever I do for another, I am doing for Him.

Now that changes everything.

Want to serve Jesus? Serve others. Want to find Jesus? Look around you, He is in your fellow believers.

Go and love the Lord wherever you find Him.

Tenacity

Romans 14:8

⁸For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

Tenacious -not easily pulled apart, to cling to another substance. TO hold fast.

As Christians, we are tenacious. We cling to the Lord with the knowledge that nothing will pluck us out of His hand.

John 10:27-29

²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

²⁸And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

²⁹My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Be strong in the Lord. Hold fast to the truth and shine in His glory.

How Refreshing

DAY 238

Acts 3:19
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

Rain! After months of drought, I awoke to the pleasant sound of rain. Already the trees and grass look greener.

And isn't that how we must appear? After long times of walking this journey on our own, when we turn convert, and dance in the presence of the Lord. Times of refreshing, those moments when we know, spirit to Spirit and the Lord's presence blankets us.

Worship in spirit and truth. Know that HE is and drink in His refreshing.

So much for rights!

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

¹⁹What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? ²⁰For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Hmm, read this today and had to wonder just how much does my body and spirit glorify God?

I have been freed from sin and death by the precious sacrifice of Jesus. Now to live up to it.

In the USA, we are proud to point out and defend our rights.

As Christians, seems like we need to lay them down at the foot of the cross. We no longer have the right to sin. To justify what we know in our hearts is wrong just because - everyone is doing it, it feels so right, it is our right.

NO, as Christians, purchased from sin, death, and the enemy, we must look to our actions and words and give up our rights to the Lord.

There is nothing sadder than setting someone free from whatever binds them, and then watch them willfully return to that bondage. AS the Bible says, a dog returns to its vomit.

But we are more than dogs. WE are the redeemed. Bought with something more precious than silver and gold. Empowered to live an overcoming life through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Live like your free. Not like a slave to the flesh.

Watch Yourself

1 Timothy 4:16
Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

This verse jumped out at me today. As a writer, I am keenly aware that what I put in black and white can either rejoice in truth or glare in error.

Study the truth. Measure your words, spoken and written, and make sure you wouldn't mind if Jesus read or heard them.

I think I might be pretty quiet if I measure my words. Rants are out which unfortunately have become a favorite pastimes. I want to be a pleasing sound to the ears of my Lord.

Guard your hearts and words. It's a war out there. And in the mind.

Truth wins. Love conquers. In His Truth and Love we overcome.

The Help

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”Psalm 46:1

: ) Couldn't resist. Actually am going to see the movie 'The Help' today. Read the book. The help in the book is like as in maid.

But we need more than a maid to clean up the mess in this world. And there is a Help that we can call on.

Psalm 60:11
Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

Hebrews 13:6
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Luke 11:13
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

John 14:16
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Be comforted! You children of the Lord. For He has seen to our every need. He is present in every trouble, and He will provide for His children.

Fear and sparrows

“Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Luke 12:6-7

Good news - the One True God loves and cares for you. Knows your coming and going. Your deepest thoughts, your shame, your fears, He knows you and has not forgotten you.

He made provision for you for anything you may go through. His Son to die for your sins that shame's hold over you is broken.

The world is His, fear not when the economy rocks like a 9.0 earthquake. He is our provider.

Fear not - in the Bible there are enough verses on fearing not to read and meditate on a different one each day.

Fear - will bite you if you don't nail that thing on the cross and realize Jesus covered it all. In Job, he lost his children and health and declared that what he feared had come upon him. My father-in-law told of a story a girl he liked that turned him down because he was a pilot. Then she married a man who became a pilot and died in a plane crash.

The only fear we need to have - is of the Lord. He is the only one we need to look upon in reverential fear. For that is the beginning of wisdom.

So go bravely into the day, no matter what comes, the Lord knows you and cares for you. If fear tempts you- look outside and find a sparrow and see how he flies, and know that God favors you, loves you, has only good for you.

Jesus Heart Me.

During praise and worship last night, those words were impressed on my spirit. Jesus heart me.

Not in the immature speak meaning Jesus love me, but in an overpowering declaration that I need the heart of Jesus.

A plea for the heart of Jesus to overtake and consume me.

2 Corinthians 3:3

³Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

2 Corinthians 15-18

¹⁵ But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; ¹⁶ but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. NASB

Pray the heart of Jesus overtake you, to walk in the Spirit of the Lord in liberty, beholding His glory and shining so that those walking in darkness might desire to know Him.

What's on your mind?

DAY 232

Isaiah 26:3
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Last night I went to bed, my body tired, my mind wired. Thoughts scrambled through my mind, vying for top priority.

Bills, need to do's, should have done's, what to do's, you know the drill.

All of a sudden, the Holy Spirit broke in and asked, "Why are you not thinking on the goodness of God and how loved you are?"

Wow! The nagging thoughts tried to stay, but as I considered how awesome my God is, how He loves me, and His wonders those bothersome thoughts fled.

Not saying the battle ended there, I had to continue to take captive my thoughts.

2 Corinthians 10:5

⁵Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Psalm 92:5
O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.

Psalm 139:17
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

Psalm 94:19
In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.

Luke 24:38
And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? ³⁹Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see;...

Sin is sin?

A common thread I hear in Christian circles is that sin is sin. They are all equal in the sight of the Lord.

IS that true?

Genesis 18:20
And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

Deuteronomy 21:22
And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death...

1 Corinthians 6:18
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

1 John 5:16
... There is a sin unto death:

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

We have all missed the mark.

Romans 5:21
That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jesus is our righteousness.

Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

It is true that we are all born into sin and must be born again through belief in Jesus and into righteousness.

But apparently, all sin is not equal. Not on this earth anyway. Consequences are different for different sins.

I see it as the cross. Vertical - Sin, any sin, means you have missed the mark and are not worthy to go to the Father. All have sinned, no one can come to the Father except through Jesus Christ - who was perfect, not born into sin, but took our sin upon himself to atone for our unrighteousness. Through Jesus, we are righteous.

Horizontal beam - consequences on earth, sin does differ in consequences for us and those we sin against. Gossip is sin, but if you bear false witness against me, that is not nearly as harmful to me if you killed me. So the earthly consequences are different.

BUt both are dealt with by forgiveness. Our Father in heaven forgives us our sin if we confess and believe on His son.

And we are to forgive one another.

Forgiveness triumphs over sin.

Shine on, Christians!

Standing out. Shining in the darkness.

The economy is in free fall, the misery index climbing to summer temperature heights, and it's stinking hot.

The world is slipping into chaos, earthquakes shake the foundations, and drought consumes the food supply.

But we Christians are a different people, our eye look to the skies in anticipation of His return. We are not bound to this earth, Heaven is our home.

Around us people are frantic.

Now is the time for us to shine. Let the world see His light of hope in us. Demonstrating His Peace beyond understanding in a world full of turmoil.

Now is the time to cling to the Lord, rejoice that He is, and let His light shine through you.

The world needs us to be different. To be peculiar. To be a light shining in the darkness to lead them to Jesus.

Deuteronomy 14:2
For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

1 Peter 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

Matthew 5:14
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Work, how hard is that?

John 6:27-29

²⁸Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

²⁹Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Galatians 5 19-23

¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

²⁰Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

²¹Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

²³Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

For some reason, when I read the word and the verse about they will know us by our works, I thought hand wringing, sweat jobs. Those are the easier jobs. The harder work is the heart.

It's easier to feed the homeless when the results and gratification come quickly.

But the works of the heart are another story. No one knows when you have bitten your tongue to keep from lashing out in anger. No gratification at that moment and it is usually an ongoing battle.

The Lord looks on the heart.

The world will notice when we walk in humility, and the peace that rests on us because we believe and have given our hearts to the Lord, walking in the fruits of the Spirit.

Who am I?

James 1:22-24

²²But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

²³For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

²⁴For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

I love the Lord, praise His Name, and wonder at His glory. I am a Christian, redeemed by His precious blood, and following Him.

Then one of those splinters in my heart gets rubbed the wrong way. Doesn't even take a lot, maybe my father-in-law ate my last custard, maybe my fingers gripped around my stuff too hard and I refused to give. Whatever it is, I forget who I am.

In Christ, I am a new creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

But when my heart is pricked, I revert all too quickly to the old nature, forgetting who I am.

Basically, you can't hear the word of God and say I Will and not follow through and do what He tells you.

Instead, read the Word, listen to His voice, and say as You Will I do.