This week's verse & music - 01:34, Tuesday, May 26, 2009

  This week's memory verse is from Proverbs:

" Every word of God is pure. He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him. Add thou not unto His words lest He reprove thee."  Proverbs 30:5&6

We are not to "add" to God's words.  John also writes about this in the book of Revelation, warning readers to not add or take away from God's word.   God's words are pure and should not be tampered with. They have been tried , and preserved and are pure. We can trust God's Word.

  Our new hymn to learn this week is  He Had Made Me Glad . This is a wonderful up-beat hymn, that we enjoy singing while we clap our hands!  He truly has made me glad!

     I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart.

     I will enter his courts with praise.

     I will say that this it the day that the Lord has made,

     I will rejoice for He has made me glad!

     He had made me glad, He has made me glad,

     I will rejoice for He has made me glad!

Praising Him!

This week's hymn and bible verse - 11:40, Wednesday, May 20, 2009

 Each week , we choose a bible verse to memorize and also learn a new worship song or hymn.  This week's verse is Psalm 12:6 & 7

" For the words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in the furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them o Lord, thou shalt preserve them for this generation forever. "

 What a beautiful passage of scripture. Truly God's Word will not pass away. It has been preserved thru thousands of years, thru persecutions, and all manner of hardships. God's Word still stands, and will continue to prosper and accomplish what He desires of it. Issaiah 55:11

This week's new hymn to learn is the Lily Of the Valley.  Do you know it? It's an old one but a beauty.  I didn't even realize that there was a passage of scripture where the Lord calls Himself the "rose of sharon" a  lily of the valley. Songs of Songs 2:1 

     I have found a friend in Jesus -- He's everything to me,

     He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul;

     The lily of the valley in Him alone I see

     All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.

     In sorrow He's my comfort, in trouble He's my stay;

     He tells me every care on Him to roll. 

     Hallelujah!

     Chorus:

     He's the lily of the valley, the bright and morning star,

     He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

Aren't the words beautiful?

The text was written by Charles Fry, when he was in the Salvation Army and the music is by William S. Hays.  You can read more about this hymn and others at www.cyberhymnal.org

 He truly is the bright and morning star. He's everything to me! He is all I need to cleanse and make me whole!

Wishing to be near God - 10:35, Sunday, May 10, 2009

                                   Psalm 63

 God, you are my God.   I search for you.

I thirst for you, like someone in a dry , empty land where there is no water.

Because your love is better than life, I will praise you.

 I will praise you as long as I live.

I will lift up my hands in prayer to your name.

I will be content as if I had eaten the best foods.

My lips will sing, and my mouth will praise you.

I remember you while I'm lying in bed;

I think about you through the night.

You are my help.

Because of your protection, I sing.

I stay close to you.

You support me with your right hand.

       _______________________________

Isn't that just beautiful?  I love the Psalms. I have a small Bible on my nightstand and before I go to bed, I usually will read from the Psalms. I find my sleep is all the more peaceful as I fall asleep meditating upon God's precious Word.

Praising Him,

gloria

Looking Towards Easter -- the Triumphal Entry - 09:31, Monday, April 6, 2009

" On the next day, much people that were come to the feast ,when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet Him and cried: HOSANNA, Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. "    John 12: 12 &13

I love this passage!  Jesus received so little praise while He was alive, and His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, must have encouraged Him as He was looking towards Calvary.

This week is Easter Week.  It is a time to remember the greatest event in all the history of the earth -- the sacrfice of the Lamb of God to take away our sins and His glorious resurrection!

As we look towards Easter this week , our family will be spending some time reading thru the gospel accounts of the last week of our Lord's life and recalling His sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary.

I have planned a simple passover meal for Thursday and our Church will be holding the Lord's Supper that night.  Friday night we'll be watching the Passion and on Sunday we'll be celebrating with a special Easter Service.

It is a week to set aside and remember and recall our precious Lord........ the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world.  John 1:29

As we look towards Easter, I can't help but look towards the Lord's return....... He is coming, did you know?  Our Lord Jesus is coming to take with Him His Bride to Heaven! Oh how glorious a day that will be!

When we all get to heaven, we'll sing and shout the victory!

My prayer, dear readers this week is that each one of you may ponder this in your heart and prepare yourself for His soon return.

God bless you & keep you,

gloria

Am I ? - 01:22, Monday, March 30, 2009

 "Praise the Lord, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord for He has done excellent things.. cry out and shout, for great is the Holy One of Israel. "      -- Isaiah 12:4-6

    ________________________________

 I am beginning my study of the book of Isaiah. Wow. I am loving it. Isaiah really saw the day of the Lord.  As I read this passage today, I asked myself the following:

Am I praising Him?

Am I calling upon His name?

Am I declaring or 'sharing' His doings among the people , with my family, and friends and neighbors?

Am I singing to the Lord?

Am I crying out and shouting out the name of Jesus?

Wow, God delights in a people who praise Him, who declare all the great things He is doing for us!  Am I sharing the great things God is doing in my life with the world?  Am I singing?

Yesterday was a challenging day, and my kids reminded me ( they are such an encouragement to me!) that the enemy would love to steal my joy.  They are so right. The enemy would love to see that happen. Once I realized what it "was" ... well I just dragged myself over to the piano with my kids and we began to sing! We turned on the praise and worship music and began to sing and dance. We opened up our bible and began to read about having JOY in the Lord. 

Don't let Satan steal your joy friends. No matter what comes your way, remember to praise Him. In the good times and in the bad times....... remember to sing His praises, and to shout out to the world how great our God is!

Praising Him,

Gloria

Clothe Yourself - 02:30, Friday, March 13, 2009

" Therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Bear with each oter and forgive whatever grievances you may have one against another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity."

                       --- Colossians 3:12 ---  

His eye is on the sparrow - 12:06, Thursday, March 5, 2009

     His eye is on the sparrow...... that is the words that have been deeply imbedded into my heart this morning.........

     My husband came to me this morning to tell me that the big job that he had been bidding on  was not to be..... they chose another general contractor to complete the work.  My husband had worked so hard on this bid. He pulled numbers together, worked hard to find local sub contractors, because the county job he was bidding on wanted "local" workers. He put together a presentation  to the county board and provided detailed specs on how he hoped to save the county money on their new building they wanted built.......

   This bid took weeks to put together and lots of energy..... and thru the month I offered a listening ear and some suggestions here and there.. but really my "job" was to "pray" for this situation. I did pray. I prayed God's will. I prayed that God's will be done. If this job was to be, that God would open the door and if not, that God would close it.  If the job was not to be, then I prayed God would provide other work for my husband.

   This morning my husband gave me the news that the job was given to someone else.... and the words came to me " My eye is on the sparrow, Gloria".........

    " Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of  them is forgotten of God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows."     - -  Luke 12: 6 & 7  NIV

  The Lord knows our needs.  He knows before we even ask!  He knows what is best for us.  He knows when to give and when not to give.  I understand that. As a mom of 10 children, I at times will refrain from giving my children what they ask for, what they beg for ... perhaps it is not the right time for them to have that particular thing or perhaps it would not be good for them .... our Lord is the same way. Perhaps I have something better in mind for them or perhaps they need to learn to wait for what they are asking for.... He knows what is best for us.

  My job is not to 'question' my Lord but to rest in the assurance that His eye is on my family and our needs. Just as the Lord watches over the sparrow, He will watch over us.  Our very hairs are numbered! We may not notice when a hair falls out but be assured  He does!

  Those were my words of encouragement to my husband when he gave me the news that he did not get the big job he so hoped for. " His eyes are on the sparrow , Dru.. your hairs are numbered.... He is aware and knows what is best for you."

   For devotions this morning, I pulled out the hymn book and printed out the song: His Eye is on the Sparrow for us to learn.  Composed in 1905, it still is a beautiful song with a message needed today ( especially with the economy the way it is)  more than ever.........

  Why should I feel discouraged? Why should the shadows come?

 Why should my heart be lonely and long for heav'n and home

When Jesus is my portion?  My constant friend is He:

His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches over me.

His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches over me.

                                         Chorus:

 I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free; for His

Eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches over me.

            ______________________

His eye truly is on the sparrow, and truly His eye is on us as well!

May we never ever doubt that, and take comfort in that.

Praising Him,

~ gloria ~

The purpose of "good works" - 12:52, Monday, March 2, 2009

" Let your light so shine before all men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven." 

                             -- Matthew 5:16

This is the passage we have chosen to memorize this week as a family.  Thru out the ages, men have been mistaken about the purpose of "good works" or "fruit" as Jesus called it.

Many make the mistake that "good works" are needful to receive salvation. Make not mistake dear readers, "for we are saved by grace not of works lest we boast it is a gift of God". Eph. 2:8 & 9

God's standards are SO high -- that there is NO way we could possibly be "good enough" .    So, God sent His son, Jesus so that we might not perish but receive eternal life. John 3:16

I spent many years "working" and trying hard to be "good enough" to "earn" my spot in God's kingdom.  I had no idea that the purpose of "good works" are not to "earn" us anything, but to glorify God!

When God showed me my sin -- that good fruit, good works are to glorify God and not myself....well let's just say I was convicted deeply...... I realized I had spent the better part of my life, focused on "me" rather than God!  

Ever trying to be "good enough" I failed miserably.  How foolish I was!

You see friends, no one is good enough, no none is righteous, but all have sinned. Romans 3:10 & 23

For the wages of sin is death -- but God's gift is eternal life thru Jesus.  Romans 6:23

Jesus told us we must be born again to enter the kingdom of God. John 3:3  That is born again a new creature in Christ.

Once we have accepted the free gift of eternal life thru Jesus, then what? Are we free to sin?

" For you are not under the law, but under grace What then shall  we sin, because we are not under the law but under grace? God forbid!"   -- Romans 6:15

Friends, because I have been saved by grace thru the blood of the Lamb, I am not free to go and sin all I want. Yes, I will stumble, fall and screw up .... but if we confess our sins, He is just to forgive us. 1 John 1:9

God wants His people to produce good fruit! He wants our lives to full of fruit!  He longs to change us from the inside out! He wants us to live our lives for Him and to bring forth many good works!  Faith without works is dead.  James  2:20 That means that if we truly are the Lord's and have faith in Him, there will be good works that follow! When the Holy Spirit dwells within our hearts, it is impossible to not bear good fruit! 

Let me clarify myself so that no one who reads this blog, misunderstands me. The "good works" that a Spirit  filled believer produces is not to 'bring attention to themselves' or to "earn' favor with God or to "earn" a spot in heaven.  It is by grace we are saved, Period. Not thru our works. The bible is clear on that.

What I do want to say is that our good works, the good things we do in our lives should be to bring glory to our Father in Heaven!

Jesus taught: " Here is my Father glorified when you bear much fruit, so shall you be my disciples."  John 15:8

Our good works are not to draw attention to ourselves but our Lord!

It is not to secure our salvation -- for Jesus already has done that thru His works -- His blood shed at Calvary.

No, our light ( ie: good works) is to shine for the world to see so that God may be glorified!  So that the world may ask us what is that "hope" we have?

It took my 40 yrs to figure that one out!

I was one of those people who mistakingly thought God required "good works" to secure my salvation. I  believed it was grace + works = eternal life & salvation.

What I didn't understand was that the purpose of my life is to glorify God not myself!! It is not "my work and glory" but God's I seek to bring forth!

Oh, when God showed me that - oh how awful I felt! How broken a vessel I became........

Friends & readers, what is the purpose of your life?

Is it to bring glory to God or to bring glory to yourself?

Is it to raise God's name above all others or yours?

Is it to run your life ragged "doing doing" thinking that it will earn you a place in God's mansion on high?

Please, if you were like me miserably trying to "work" and "earn" eternal life, please recognize your prideful ways and turn to God and fall upon your face and repent.  Ask Jesus to be your Lord, and to cleanse you. Ask His forgiveness for thinking you could be "good enough" .... the only person "good enough" is Jesus.

He paid the price in FULL.  Period. The only thing "you" can do to be assured of your salvation is to recognize Jesus is the only way. Not good works, not a church membership, not rituals or religion. No, only Jesus can secure our place in Heaven.

There is NO other way. John 4:16

And once you have asked done so, may your life's purpose be solely to bring Glory to God.

My prayer is that my light may shine before all men so that MY Father may be glorified .......

I thank God daily that He opened my eyes to see my sin for what it is...

I thank God for giving me the free gift of eternal life thru Jesus.

I thank God He gives me the blessed privelege of living for Him and glorifying Him each and every day!

His name be praised!

~ gloria ~

The greatest gift of LOVE - 10:57, Thursday, February 12, 2009

 " For God so LOVED the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whomsoever should believe in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life. "  -- John 3:16  KJV

                _______________________

God loved the world -- the lost souls out there so much that He sent His son to pay the price for our sins -- so that we would not perish but have eternal life with Him!

Wow - now that is LOVE!

God's perfect gift of LOVE was Jesus.

It is clearly stated that  we must "believe" in HIM -- to have eternal life. That is much more than "head knowledge" but a heart belief that Jesus truly is the WAY - that there is NO other way to the presense of God but by HIS son -- JESUS.

How much love did God have to see His  precious & beloved son hang on a cross?

More than we can imagine.

If you don't know my Jesus I invite you to know Him . He is so wonderful so precious, so lovely. 

Wow -- God really does love us!

Did you know that?

I pray that all my dear readers may know that deeply and believe that Jesus truly did pay the price for eternal life and that He is at this very moment preparing a beautiful mansion for those who have given their hearts to Him! 

Did you know Jesus is coming? Yes, the bridegroom is coming soon -- to take His bride ( the body of Christ) home to our eternal abode to live with Him there! With a shout -- He is coming .. Are you ready to meet the bridegroom?  ( 1 Thess. 4:16&17,  Luke 12:40)  Are you excited? Are you anticipating and "waiting and watching" as He tells us to do?  ( Luke 12:37)

We are told to encourage one another with these words. ( 1 Thess. 4:17)

 Thank you Father God for sending us Jesus - the Messiah -- thank you for loving ME enough to send your precious Son so that I may enter the Holy of Holies ...... so that I may come boldly before the throne of grace. ( Heb 4:16)

I am so excited for our Lord's return!! Come Lord Jesus, Come! ( Rev. 22:20)

~ gloria ~

Loving feverently - 12:30, Wednesday, February 11, 2009

"    See that you love one another with a pure heart, feverently. "   --  1 Peter 1:22

                    ________________________

Another passage that jumped out at me this morning during our morning devotions.  Loving others with a "pure" heart.... and "feverently"... hmmm...... no easy thing to do.  Especially the "feverently" part.  

The NIV version says : " have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply , from the heart." 

It's no easy thing to love others deeply from the heart.   Perhaps  there is hurt, dissapointment,  or unforgiveness is imeding us from really loving deeply?

Perhaps a love one or friend has hurt us deeply.... Perhaps they have offended us, or sinned against us?  Our heart is hurting, our mind "replaying" the offense over and over again.

What to do?

The word of God is clear -- L O V E them.

It takes a great deal of grace to love those who have truly hurt us. Perhaps your hurt is justified. Perhaps the offender really did sin and hurt us.  That truly could be the case.

But as His disciples, we have a choice to make.

Continue to  hurt or heal?

L O V E is such a healer!

L O V E is a choice. It's a choice we make to love those whom have hurt us, and in some instances it is going to take a great deal of grace from the Lord to love them -- and to love them deeply.

But that is the life we have been called to lead as believers.

That is how others will know that we are truly HIS... by the love we extend........

So I am purposing in my life to LOVE... I am choosing to LOVE.... not only love those who are easy to love , but especially those who I have little feelings for.  Love is not a feeling, ladies. It's a choice.. it's a VERB ... action word. 

When we choose to love -- we choose to "act". It's not based on warm fuzzy feelings.  It's a purposeful choice we make in our minds and hearts.

This week God has laid it on my heart to pray for more LOVE  to fill my heart & mind.  I want to be filled with this love.

Please pray for me -- some folks are so hard to love.... know what I mean?

God help me to be filled with love -- to purpose to love deeply and feverently.........

~ gloria ~

Walking in Love? Not an easy thing to do... - 12:28, Monday, February 9, 2009

  " Walk in love as Christ has loved you, and has given Himself as an offering and sacrifice to God , as a sweet smelling savor. "    -- Ephesians 5:2

              _____________________________________

I know this week we celebrate Valentine's Day -- so "love" is on our hearts, or at least I "hope" it is!  As I spent time with my Lord this morning, I pondered upon all the love He pours into me ..... how very loving of a God we have and serve........ the more I get to know my Lord, the more I "fall in love with Him".  He is my all in all, my everything!  

People --- spouses, children, friends, & co-workers will fail us from time to time.......

But God will *never* fail us......... He is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week..... He is never tired, grumpy, or in a "sour mood"...... He is there for us whenever we call out to Him.

Our Lord has also shown us "how to love" and the Word of God is a perfect manual for learning how to love others.  There are so many "self help" books out there on "how to improve" one's marriage , one's relationship with their children, etc. But God's word continues to stand.  It is the "how to manual" for our lives.

Each week our family memorizes a verse -- and this week God laid the passage above from Ephesians on my heart.    To "walk in love" is not an easy tast to do. It's easy to love those who are kind and loving to us.........but have you ever tried loving a porcupine? Someone who is all prickles? Someone who is not kind to you -- even can be cruel to you? Hmmmm......... that's when we really need God's perfect love to fill us so we can "walk in love" as Christ has loved us.

The Bible tells us that is how "they" ( those around us-- especially the lost )  will know we are "HIS" disciples -- if we have love one to another.

I have great need for improvement in this area. Oh sure - it's easy to love those who think the same way I do or have the same values and interests..... but the true test of "love" comes when we are called to love those who are different from us, who persecute us, or who are down right difficult to live with or get along with! That's the true test of Christian love.

So my prayer this week is that I may be filled with LOVE -- and I am not talking about "romantic" love.... not the Hollywood syrup kind of love -- but I am talking about the kind of love that Paul spoke about in 1 Cor. 13......" the greatest of these is love".......

My prayer this week is that I may "walk in love as Christ has loved ME"........please pray for me ~ there are some people in my life that are very difficult to love.... and I so want to learn to love as Jesus did.......thank you for taking time to pray for my heart to learn to love as our Lord does!

~ gloria ~

The Lord is good! - 05:42, Sunday, February 1, 2009

" The Lord is good, giving protection in time of trouble. He knows who trusts in Him."        ~ Nahum 1:7 NCV ~

               -----------------------------------

 Dear Readers,

You may have noticed I have been sharing a lot of passages from the Word of God here and also some quotes.  I have been spending a lot of time in the Word, and it is reflecting in my blog posts. 

I am learning in my walk with the Lord that there are "seasons" in our lives........ for me , this is a "season" a time to be burried in God's word.

So as you have noticed, that is reflected in what I am posting.

There are nuggets of precious gold waiting to be revealed to you....... just open your bibles and see for yourselves.......

If you really really want to *know* God I really encourage you to dig into God's word...... for the more I read the more I know Him, and the more I know Him.. the more I seek Him....

I promise you won't be dissapointed......

~ gloria ~

Worthy to be praised! - 09:47, Saturday, January 31, 2009

        Often times the Lord answers the cries of my heart thru His word. This morning He spoke to me thru Psalm 18.......... I hope that you are often blessed by the Word!   He is SO worthy of our praise!

 Gloria                       

                                  Psalm 18 verses: 1-3

I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I will trust.

My buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from my enemies.

 In my distress I called upon the Lord and cried unto my  God:

He is faithful - 06:29, Friday, January 16, 2009

" It is the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed , because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning great is Thy faithfulness."                ~  Lamentations 3:22 & 23

                _____________________________________

Dearest Readers,

I know many of you are going thru your own personal "battles" ...... perhaps the loss of income, the loss of a loved one, illness, financial woes,  a rebellious child, a broken marriage..... whatever it is that you are challenged with at this time, may I encourage you ?   I don't share my own set of personal battles I am fighting here......at least not much, they are much too personal to share on a public blog but I can honestly say I do have my own battles I am fighting  -- and the Bible tells us we wrestle not against flesh and blood but "principalities and powers".... against rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.... ( Ephesians 6:12)

But I will say this....... GOD IS FAITHFUL!  More than able, more than capable to see us thru every single challenge, worry or concern that we may have!  He is so much bigger than the biggest challenge or trial we may ever face!  He is faithful!

This past week we expierenced some challenges on the home front......some I shared here on the blog and some I did not......but I willl say this..... as I look back upon my week, can I just tell you how faithful my GOD has been to me and my family? How faithful He will be to you & your loved ones?

I am constantly in awe of how merciful and wonderful a God we serve!  He cares about the most tiny of details of our lives........ He is aware of every little hair on our head....... do you know He even has them numbered?

He is faithful!

So to all you weary & worn ladies out there.......please please remember, He is faithful! He will see you thru whatever you are going thru !

Keeping my eyes upon Jesus,

~ gloria ~

A Lamp Unto My Feet - 12:38, Thursday, January 8, 2009

" Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. "

                          ~ Psalm 119:105 ~

  I recently purchased this lovely Bible at a local Christian book store. Isn't it lovely? It looks old but it isn't. 

God's word has become very near & dear to me. It has seen me thru many a storm and many a tearful moment. In it's pages are words of hope, words of comfort and beautiful promises from our Lord.  Truly the Word of God lights my path and is a lamp unto my feet. Like water to a parched soul, and bread to a hungry heart is God's word.  

May we all treasure up the Word of God and hide it in our hearts,

~ gloria ~

The fatherless & widows - 08:53, Monday, December 15, 2008

 This passage was on my heart today.......

" A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows is God in His holy habitation. God setteth the solitary in families."   ~  Psalms 66: 5 & 6

Truly the Lord is a Father to us all.  But He does have a special burden for those who are truly fatherless.... the countless children in this world who do not have a father in their homes and heart..... and in today's world there are so many! Many children in America are fatherless --- with more and more children being raised in homes where there is no father, God truly can be the father to these children they do not have!  He also has made special provisions for widows. Women who find themselves without a husband . In the Word we find countless passsages where the Lord directs Israel to watch over the widows and fatherless & to provide for their needs.  In James, we are told that pure religion is to "visit" the fatherless & widows in their afflictions.

God truly has a special place in His heart for the most vulnerable of our society  -- the fatherless & widows.

Many children today do have a father who is physically present, but for whatever reasons is not emotionally present..... perhaps the father is gone for long periods of time and is not able to be home...... God can be the Father to these children that their own fathers can not be! Perhaps some of you ladies feel you have been "widowed" .. perhaps your husbands are not emotionally or spiritually present or available and you feel somewhat left alone........ do not despair!  The Lord is more than able to be for you what your husband is not able to be!

My God is more than able to be everything for everyone! He is God!

How wonderful it is to know that my precious Lord is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week and doesn't take off for holidays! No! He is there -- ever present, ever faithful and ever true!

His name be praised!

~ gloria~

Cleaning House or shall I say hearts... - 12:26, Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Due to some "heart issues" with my children I have chosen the following passage to memorize for this week  memory verse:  Proverbs 6: 16-19

 Six things the Lord hates, yea seven are an abomination unto Him:

1. a proud look    ( no more snooty looks!)

2. a lying tongue     ( zero tolerance for lying!)

3. hands that shed innocent blood   ( does hitting your brother count? )

4.  a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations ( what are they scheming now?)

5.  feet that are swift in running to mischief ( oh, we have a few feet that enjoy mischief!)

6. a false witness that speaketh lies ( gossiping & tattling  is NOT ok!)

7. he that soweth discord among the bretheren ( no more arguements!)

          _____________________________

God clearly and plainly *hates* these and so shouldn't I? I hate it when my kids lie..... I hate it when they are quick to get into mischief....... or when they are not loyal to each other and are quick to tattle or gossip...... or what about the child who always seems to be arguing? Isn't that "sowing" discord? What about the child who when disciplined turns their nose up to their discipline? Is that not pride?

Hmm...........

OK, yesterday I sat down with the kids and we purposed to study these passages and commit them to memory.......I asked the kids to examine their hearts and see if they are pricked in any area of these.....

ALL of us have need for improvement.   Myself included.

These are things God *hates*.... hate is a strong word.

We have need for improvement around here.

The Bible tells us that God's word is a double edged sword..... and oh is that the truth! It divides asunder and really does convict us.

I don't need to go "on and on" with my kids and lecture them -- all I need to do is get out the Word of God and allow God to reprove and discipline.

It is not "comfortable" to be convicted of sin in one's life....... it's not supposed to be "comfty"....it's supposed be convicting. 

Taking a good hard look at one's heart always reveals "cobwebs" hidden in corners of our heart and soul..... it's time to sweep those out and clean house.......

Enough is enough......it's time  for God's Holy Spirit to clean our hearts and cleanse us...... and cleaning is seldom "fun". :)

Praising Him , even thru thru the "cleaning" process,

~ gloria ~

Lessons from Jehoshaphat - 12:35, Saturday, November 22, 2008

Last night I went to bed with a heavy burden on my heart...... crying out to God to help me to see what I needed to do to resolve this challenge -- the Lord led me to this passage in the Bible. It was exactly what I needed to read!  Isn't God great? He gives us the answers we need right from His word! Thank you Lord!

Jehoshaphat found himself in a predicament when he was told that a "vast army was coming against his people and was already at En Gedi" ( 2 Chronicles 20:3) . Alarmed, Jehoshaphat immediately turned to the Lord God and proclaimed a fast for all the kingdom of Judah.  The Bible tells us that "the people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord, indeed they came from every town in Judah to seek Him."  (  20:4 NIV)

And this is what Jehoshaphat told the people:

" O Lord God of our Fathers are you not the God who is heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. ... if calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgement, or plague or famine we will stand in your presense ... and will cry out to you in our distress and you will hear us and save us... O our God, will you not judge them?  For we have no power to face this army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do , but our eyes are upon you."    2 Chron. 20 : 6-12 NIV

So many times in life, when faced with a particular challenge, " I don't know what to do"...... but will my eyes "be upon Him"?  Will I seek His help as Jehoshaphat did for the kingdom of Judah? Will I seek His help when my family is faced with a particular trial or challenge?  I pray that I will do just as Jehosphaphat did and turn immediately to the Lord God for guidance!

As I fell upon my face seeking God' s help with a particular challenge I was having with one of my children --- the answer came so very clearly from the Lord.......

" Take up your positions, stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you ... Do not be afraid ; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow and the Lord will be with you. " 2 Chron. 20: 17 NIV

Will I take my "position" and "stand firm" and see God's deliverance?  Shall I be afraid? Shall I be discouraged because the battle seems so overwhelming? Shall I not go out and realize God will be with me to fight my daily battles?

And Jehoshaphat's response  to this counsel was:

" Jehosphaphat bowed with his face to the ground and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down to worship before the Lord.... then some levites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel with a very loud voice. Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehosphaphat stood and said, " Have faith, in the Lord your God, and you will be upheld ; have faith and you will be successful. After consulting the people Jehosphaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and praise Him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out ..." 2 Chronicles 20: 19-21 NIV

So shall I not do the same?  Shall I not gather all my children and bow down before the Lord with our face to the ground and worship Him? Shall I too not have faith in the Lord God that we will be upheld in our challenges and trials we face?  Shall I not appoint some of my children to sing to the Lord and praise Him????

I know that I am not facing an huge army -- but I am .. and "we are all" facing the enemy in some aspect in our lives.... for we fight not against  "flesh and blood" but against principalities and powers....against "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" ( Ephesians 6:12)

Shall I not do as Jehosphaphat did and call my children together and fall down before the Lord, having my eyes upon Him and then go forth without fear knowing full well He will fight the battle for me/us!

So take courage my heart! Do not be discouraged o soul! The Lord our God does continue to fight the battles of His people -- whether that be armies and legions or whether that be the daily battles that face us in our homes as we raise our children and live with the flesh.

Oh God please help me to be like Jehosphaphat! Help me O Lord to keep my eyes upon you Lord! Let me praise your name in the midst of the 'army' that stands before me! Let my children and I lift up our voices in praise of your Holy Name!

~ gloria ~

Chosing the good part - 12:10, Wednesday, November 12, 2008

" O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endures forever .  "  ~~ Psalm 136: 1

Are you giving thanks to the Lord today, ladies?

He is so worthy of our praises, is He not?

His mercy is forever...... forever is a long time......

Aren't you glad that He is always there 24/7 ready to meet with us, to fellowship with us?

Have you done that today?

Have you met with the Lord today?

 Have you lifted your hearts in praises to Him?

Have you shared your burdens, your concerns?

Remember, He is waiting for you.... anxiously......

I love the story of the 2 sisters, Mary & Martha....

Martha loved the Lord.

So did Mary, Martha's sister... but when Jesus came to their home, it was Mary who "sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word".....

The living Word was before them..... and Mary chose to stop, and listen and hear......

Meanwhile, Martha was "cumbered about much with serving" ( Luke 10:40) ... she expressed her frustration that her sister , Mary was not helping out....

And Jesus' response to Martha was:

" Martha, Martha, you are careful and troubled about many things, But one thing is needful and Mary has chosen the good part and it will not be taken away from her."  ( Luke 10: 41,42)

Both of these women loved Jesus....

But when the living Word was presented to them, it was Mary that stopped and "heard" and sat at the feet of the Lord.....

What about me?

Am I sitting daily at the feet of the Lord?

Do I "hear" Him?

I have the living Word before me.... His word will never be taken away....do I make time for the Word?

Do I make time in the busy-ness of the day to read His word?

Am I a Mary or a Martha?

Each day I  have a choice to make.

Serving is important. Jesus did not say it was not.  Doing the laundry, making meals, schooling the children, etc. are all important.....

But one thing is needful ---- and will I  choose the "good part"?

Will you?

Will you join me in choosing the "needful" thing?

It's so easy ladies to "get caught up" in serving.... it's our nature to serve.... our families... our husband, our home, our church, our community......

Have I become too busy to meet with the Lord and sit at His feet?

Have you?

Let's remember, Mary chose what was "needful"......

Jesus did not say serving is not important... but "needful" is of greater priority.

It's difficult at times to prioritize our day and our time...

Let's remember to carve out time each day to sit at HIS feet... to "hear" His word.....and when you do, it will "not be taken away from you".

This is my prayer for myself and for you!

~ gloria ~

Resting - 02:08, Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Dear friends,

I wish to share with you this passage from the Word of God. It is one of my favorites and I believe it is so fitting for today. Many of us  may be filled with fear right now over the election results. Dear ones, I encourage all of us, including myself, to place our  trust in the Lord God, who rules and reigns. He does not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and a sound mind.  Let us rest in His promises. They are sure!

 " For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love  and of a sound mind".             ~ 2 Timothy 1:7 ~

 Resting in Him,

~ gloria ~