PEACE WHEN YOU DO NOT FEEL LIKE IT

 

Today is God's day. This is HIS world. We have free will. We can choose to love God and follow Him or treat him like a business associate we visit for one hour one day a week. We can saturate our mind with negativity and spend 3 hours in front of the morning shows and news reports which totally do not bring peace. We can focus on good news or bad news. We can say "Oh whoa is me. We are doomed. This is it. Did not God hear my prayers" or we can choose to love God and serve Him with ALL of our hearts. Know brother and sister that Jesus is on the throne and He rules from on high. He is more powerful than presidents, kings and dictators. His will will be done in the earth.

2 Chronicles 16:9 says "The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war." He is looking and He is always there. But sometimes perhaps he allows some things to happen so we can learn to love him, trust him, obey him, and serve him. Hold on, keep praying, keep believing. Turn off the bad and tune in to God. Don't stop praying and don't lose heart. Philippians 4:19 says "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus."

One of the things we who name the name of Christ need to do is to not rejoice over an evil person when he falls.("Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice." Proverbs 24:17) We are to pray and love EVEN when it is hard. We are in a battle for good and evil. Men's hearts are hardened towards things of the Lord. People live for today. But in this world there are many who love the Lord with all their heart. It is so very easy when the world around us is going 'down the toilet' ,so to speak, to join in and feel gloom, doom, and despair. Choose to get up daily regardless of what is happening around you and say "THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE AND I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT"! (See Psalm 124:18).

When I work up this morning I just started singing one of the songs from the hit musical 'Annie'. The words "Tomorrow, tomorrow, I'll love you tomorrow , it's only a day, away". True, not a Christian song, but it gave me peace and hope in a strange way. I just kept singing it over and over. My husband had the news on and I went over and I turned off the NBC news and turned on a Christian network to start getting my mind focused on good news of Jesus Christ. Jesus is Lord and never forget that. Perhaps it is time for His people who are social Sunday Christians to get more serious about Him than they are about their hobbies, their sports, their jobs. Something to think about? What does Jesus need to do to get us to totally be sold out to Him? Is He truly first place in your life? Or is he first place only on Sunday for one hour?

Jesus is coming again. Are you ready to meet him? Are you able to believe and trust Him? He is mighty to save. Perhaps now is the day to decide you will put his word ahead of the TV or the newspaper and get your mind renewed so you can get up and face each day with peace.

PRAYER: Father I am so very thankful for your word which gives me hope and peace. I have been guilty of thinking wrong thoughts and being upset with what is going on around me instead of trusting, even in the seemingly bad, you are behind the scenes with a plan. Help me to learn to pray for my enemies or the enemies of Christians. I know I need a peaceful heart Lord. Show me each day how to love others by loving you first. Help me bring hope to someone who is hurting. Help me never be guilty of uttering ugly words but only words that build up your kingdom. This is your day and I need not fret. In Jesus name. Amen.

Click on link and know that God is still king of the whole earth and behind the scenes working.

http://youtu.be/dmXD52oogRI

As a departure from my normal Christian songs I have also added a one minute clip of the song I spoke of from Annie.

http://youtu.be/Yop62wQH498

Be blessed to be a blessing!

 

TURN OFF THE DISTRACTIONS

This title came to me as I was sitting in a normally quiet coffee shop trying to do my writing when a group of very chatty women with babies came in and occupied three tables right beside me. They got stares from working people trying to do work on their laptops but they had a right to be there as much as others did. It was extremely distracting and I tried my best to tune them out in a polite way so I could concentrate on writing. This particular coffee shop has orchestra music playing in the background and it was drowned out by the loud conversation.


This made me think of distractions in the world each day that Christians have to contend with to stay on the path God intended for them. Temptations are all around us each and every day. The temptation to cheat, lie, steal and lust are ever present. It is very important to know the truth found in the word of God so you will be convicted of sinful behavior and ask God to help you stay on the path that leads to righteousness.


1 John 2:17 says "The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." This world will tempt us with many things and the key thing to always ask yourself is "will this activity bring honor and glory to God" and if the answer is no perhaps it is good to not participate in. Titus 2:11-14 says "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."
Many people define right and wrong differently but God says in Isaiah 5:20 "Whoa to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter."  James 4:17 says "Anyone then who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."

What is distracting you in your walk to be closer to Jesus? Are the temptations of this world just too great? Do you feel that one hour on Sunday is enough to equip you to face the battles in the week ahead?

Each and every day stay 'armed and ready' to face the distractions Satan will throw at you. Your 'weapon' is the 'sword of the Spirit' otherwise known as God's word. Pick it up and be prepared for battle.(See Ephesians 6:10-18).

PRAYER: Your word is powerful and what I need daily to combat the lies and tricks of the enemy. I know distractions will always be around trying to get me too busy to spend time with you Lord. I choose today to read your word each day and beamed for spiritual battles head of me. In Jesus name. Amen.
Click on link for a very powerful song of praise.
http://youtu.be/O4QOuGI3irI