Lady of Light
We speak alot about "faith' - our "faith" and the sharing of "faith". In Hebrews Chapter 11:1, we have God's definition of faith.
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we undersstand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen wer not made of things which do appear.
As we listen to news reports about things going on in the world and as we deal with our daily struggles in our personal lives, let us realize that God is in control and that the world is "framed by the word of God". So, we can take heart and be not discouraged because God is truly in control. When we pray, we know he hears our prayers and our wishes for personal healing and for the healing of our great country.
In verse 6, it tells us:
"Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is , and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
This is a wonderful promise - that God is a rewarder.
This chapter also gives biblical examples of men of great faith: Chapter 11:4 tells us:
"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness, that he was righteous."
Chapter 11:5: "By faith Enoch awas translated that he should not see death and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation, ne had this testimony that he pleased God."
Chapter 11:7 "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith."
Chapter 11:8 "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed: and he went out, not knowing whither he went"
These examples of faith are written in detail in the book of Genesis. Today, God may call you to go somewhere or do something like he did Abraham - we all need to be willing to live by the biblical definition of faith and respond to God's call and to view the world as being "framed by the word of God with God in control."
May you have a positive vision of your faith today and live accordingly.
Have a great day and God bless you!
Lady of Light
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Seek God's Will
Lady of Light
In John, Chapter 5:30, Jesus spoke and said - "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me."
For some reason, I was very distracted this week. My mind was filled with busy thoughts and there were alot of extra summer activities and doings. As I sat quietly yesterday, I could hear a still small voice saying - get into my word and stop thinking all of your own thoughts. I took this to be a prompting and so I realized that when we spend time in God's word, it does alter our thinking process.
In discovering Jesus' words as stated above, I realized that it is through the power of God and his word that directs us to think and do His will. This helped me to stop getting "caught up" in alot of unnecessary thoughts that weren't really edifying or productive.
We all need to take a cue from the Lord and seek not our own will but the will of God in our lives. Going into the word of God brings us back when we "stray".
Have a great Day and God bless you!
Lady of Light
In John, Chapter 5:30, Jesus spoke and said - "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me."
For some reason, I was very distracted this week. My mind was filled with busy thoughts and there were alot of extra summer activities and doings. As I sat quietly yesterday, I could hear a still small voice saying - get into my word and stop thinking all of your own thoughts. I took this to be a prompting and so I realized that when we spend time in God's word, it does alter our thinking process.
In discovering Jesus' words as stated above, I realized that it is through the power of God and his word that directs us to think and do His will. This helped me to stop getting "caught up" in alot of unnecessary thoughts that weren't really edifying or productive.
We all need to take a cue from the Lord and seek not our own will but the will of God in our lives. Going into the word of God brings us back when we "stray".
Have a great Day and God bless you!
Lady of Light
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Isreal's Disobedience to God
Lady of Light
In the Book of 2 Kings, Chapter 12, there is a long account of how the Isrealites sinned against God. In Chapter 12:7 it says "For so it was that the children of Isreal had sinned against the Lord their God, which had brought them out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other Gods."
When we think of all God has done for us, yet we still commit sins, we must pray for God's mercy and confess our sins that the blood of Jesus will cover them and that we will be forgiven because eventually, God removed Israel from His sight.
We never feel quite right with God when we do something wrong and so we must claim the verse in 1 John 1:9 that says "If we confess our sins, He is just and faithful to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
We must be careful not to turn to idols or other Gods or to rely on the powers of the occult as the Isrealites did. We have the bible and the results of all of this as a guide.
Whenever we have thoughts about doing something wrong or have wrong attitudes towards people, let's try to think of all God has done for us and does for us before we get ourselves into any problems. I guess you have probably heard "Gratitude changes attitude."
Have a great day!
Lady of Light
In the Book of 2 Kings, Chapter 12, there is a long account of how the Isrealites sinned against God. In Chapter 12:7 it says "For so it was that the children of Isreal had sinned against the Lord their God, which had brought them out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other Gods."
When we think of all God has done for us, yet we still commit sins, we must pray for God's mercy and confess our sins that the blood of Jesus will cover them and that we will be forgiven because eventually, God removed Israel from His sight.
We never feel quite right with God when we do something wrong and so we must claim the verse in 1 John 1:9 that says "If we confess our sins, He is just and faithful to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
We must be careful not to turn to idols or other Gods or to rely on the powers of the occult as the Isrealites did. We have the bible and the results of all of this as a guide.
Whenever we have thoughts about doing something wrong or have wrong attitudes towards people, let's try to think of all God has done for us and does for us before we get ourselves into any problems. I guess you have probably heard "Gratitude changes attitude."
Have a great day!
Lady of Light
Monday, July 20, 2009
BLESSED
Lady of Light
In Mathew 5, Jesus gives us his well known "Sermon on the Mount." Most of us are familiar with this but the thing that struck me interesting as a reread this today is the fact that every verse begins with the word. Blessed. It really speaks of a God who loves his children and wants to bless them.
My favorite is "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God. The bible directs us in other places also to "Pursue peace." We can apply this in our live because when we pursue this goal, God gives us the grace and the needed patience to accomplish it.
This can be as simple as not tail gating in traffic. Or not trying to push ahead of someone in line at Dunkin' Donuts. Or not arguing unnecessarily with people over minor things. There is a saying I like: "You can win and argument and lose a soul."
It is important that we speak up about certain things - certainly we shouldn't compromise our values or our faith, but there are usually peaceful ways in which we can do this with the "grace of God".
Remember in this day that you are blessed. If you get a chance to read the "Sermon on the Mount", you can experience many individual blessings that God has for you.
God bless you and have a great day!
Lady of Light
In Mathew 5, Jesus gives us his well known "Sermon on the Mount." Most of us are familiar with this but the thing that struck me interesting as a reread this today is the fact that every verse begins with the word. Blessed. It really speaks of a God who loves his children and wants to bless them.
My favorite is "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God. The bible directs us in other places also to "Pursue peace." We can apply this in our live because when we pursue this goal, God gives us the grace and the needed patience to accomplish it.
This can be as simple as not tail gating in traffic. Or not trying to push ahead of someone in line at Dunkin' Donuts. Or not arguing unnecessarily with people over minor things. There is a saying I like: "You can win and argument and lose a soul."
It is important that we speak up about certain things - certainly we shouldn't compromise our values or our faith, but there are usually peaceful ways in which we can do this with the "grace of God".
Remember in this day that you are blessed. If you get a chance to read the "Sermon on the Mount", you can experience many individual blessings that God has for you.
God bless you and have a great day!
Lady of Light
Sunday, July 19, 2009
OUR SOLDIERS
Lady of Light
We are so blessed to live in a country where we have freedom of religion and can
attend church, read the bible and share our faith. Let us not forget to pray for our soldiers who give their lives to protect our country and to preserve those rights.
I offer you a poem that I was inspired to write:
SOLDIERS
You leave your friends, your loved ones and your families behind,
No one could possibly imagine the things that go through your mind,
As you are continuously making sacrifices to defend our country,
Constantly facing a near death experience.
The courage God has gifted you with
Is a true blessing to those in our country
Back home, living safe and happy lives.
While you are out there in the front line
Hoping and praying that everything will be fine.
God will give you your reward some day
In the meanwhile, I can pray
For you, your families and all whom you love,
Will be held forever in the Everlasting arms
Of our God Above.
In the book of Philippians, it tells us:
"Look not every man on his own things, but also on the things of others."
Philippians 4:2
I just heard today on Charles Stanley's broadcast that In Touch Ministries is
sending spiritual materials to the troops. If you are interested in doing something
like that, go to Intouch.org and see what you can do to contribute.
There are many ways to help the soldiers but the most important is to give them the gift of your prayers.
Have A Great Day!
Lady of Light
We are so blessed to live in a country where we have freedom of religion and can
attend church, read the bible and share our faith. Let us not forget to pray for our soldiers who give their lives to protect our country and to preserve those rights.
I offer you a poem that I was inspired to write:
SOLDIERS
You leave your friends, your loved ones and your families behind,
No one could possibly imagine the things that go through your mind,
As you are continuously making sacrifices to defend our country,
Constantly facing a near death experience.
The courage God has gifted you with
Is a true blessing to those in our country
Back home, living safe and happy lives.
While you are out there in the front line
Hoping and praying that everything will be fine.
God will give you your reward some day
In the meanwhile, I can pray
For you, your families and all whom you love,
Will be held forever in the Everlasting arms
Of our God Above.
In the book of Philippians, it tells us:
"Look not every man on his own things, but also on the things of others."
Philippians 4:2
I just heard today on Charles Stanley's broadcast that In Touch Ministries is
sending spiritual materials to the troops. If you are interested in doing something
like that, go to Intouch.org and see what you can do to contribute.
There are many ways to help the soldiers but the most important is to give them the gift of your prayers.
Have A Great Day!
Lady of Light
Thursday, July 16, 2009
The Work of the Holy Spirit
Lady of Light
We read in Mark, chapter 13: 10-11 that Jesus spoke the following:
"And the gospel must first be published among all nations> But when they shall lead you and deliver you up, take you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost."
We need to spread the gospel, share the word and witness to others. Sometimes we may think that we are not equipped or do not know what to say but Jesus made the point that we don't have to concern ourselves about that because it is the work of the Holy Spirit in us that will guide us as we speak. This is an encouragement to me because I find myself in many situations with people and I am continually amazed at how the spirit works to put God's word and witness on my tongue. I praise him and thank him for this.
I hope that you will go forth in faith, and share with all the people you come in contact with because "you may be the only "Jesus" that they ever see."
God bless you and have a great day!
Lady of Light
We read in Mark, chapter 13: 10-11 that Jesus spoke the following:
"And the gospel must first be published among all nations> But when they shall lead you and deliver you up, take you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost."
We need to spread the gospel, share the word and witness to others. Sometimes we may think that we are not equipped or do not know what to say but Jesus made the point that we don't have to concern ourselves about that because it is the work of the Holy Spirit in us that will guide us as we speak. This is an encouragement to me because I find myself in many situations with people and I am continually amazed at how the spirit works to put God's word and witness on my tongue. I praise him and thank him for this.
I hope that you will go forth in faith, and share with all the people you come in contact with because "you may be the only "Jesus" that they ever see."
God bless you and have a great day!
Lady of Light
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
God Gives Wisdom, Knowledge and Joy
Lady of Light
It appears that from reading Ecclesiastes 2:24 - 2:26 that we depend on God for everything good.
"There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit."
To quote the words of Bible Commentator William Macdonald, Solomon says that the ability to eat and find enjoymentcomes from God. Without Him, we cannot enjoy the most ordinary pleasures. We depend on Him for food, appetite, digestion, sight, hearing, smell, memory, health, sanity an all that makes for normal, pleasurable experiences."
Solomon tells us, in V. 25 tthat he was able to enjoy all of these things more than anyone.
There seems to be a principle in life that God rewards righteousness and punishes sin.
"If a man pleases god, God will give wisdom and knowledge and joy. But to the habitual sinner, He gives the burden of hard work, accumulating and piling up, only to see it taken over by someone who strikes God's fancy. What could be more fruitless and defeating than that?" From Believer's Commentary by William MacDonald)
It is awesome when you really realize that every good thing comes from God and he deals with us according to whether we are pleasing to him or not. The ability to enjoy life comes from God above. Perhaps this is why the bible declares, "The Joy of the Lord is my strength."
We need to trust God, put ourselves in his loving care, and reap the benefits of joy, wisdom and strength. May you be aware of all the good things God is doing for you.
God bless you today!
Lady of Light
It appears that from reading Ecclesiastes 2:24 - 2:26 that we depend on God for everything good.
"There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit."
To quote the words of Bible Commentator William Macdonald, Solomon says that the ability to eat and find enjoymentcomes from God. Without Him, we cannot enjoy the most ordinary pleasures. We depend on Him for food, appetite, digestion, sight, hearing, smell, memory, health, sanity an all that makes for normal, pleasurable experiences."
Solomon tells us, in V. 25 tthat he was able to enjoy all of these things more than anyone.
There seems to be a principle in life that God rewards righteousness and punishes sin.
"If a man pleases god, God will give wisdom and knowledge and joy. But to the habitual sinner, He gives the burden of hard work, accumulating and piling up, only to see it taken over by someone who strikes God's fancy. What could be more fruitless and defeating than that?" From Believer's Commentary by William MacDonald)
It is awesome when you really realize that every good thing comes from God and he deals with us according to whether we are pleasing to him or not. The ability to enjoy life comes from God above. Perhaps this is why the bible declares, "The Joy of the Lord is my strength."
We need to trust God, put ourselves in his loving care, and reap the benefits of joy, wisdom and strength. May you be aware of all the good things God is doing for you.
God bless you today!
Lady of Light
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