“God is far less interested in our activities and accomplishments as He is in knowing the character of our being,” -TLV
“For the Lord sees not as man sees… the Lord looks on the heart.”
-1 Samuel 16:7
“God is far less interested in our activities and accomplishments as He is in knowing the character of our being,” -TLV
“For the Lord sees not as man sees… the Lord looks on the heart.”
-1 Samuel 16:7
“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is Yours.
Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;
You are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from You;
You are the ruler of all things.
In Your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give You thanks,
and praise Your glorious name.”
1 Chronicles 29:11-13
“I came to You with my heart in pieces
And found a God with healing in His hands
I turn to You, leave everything behind me
And found the God that makes all things new
I look to You, drowning in my questions
And found the God who holds all wisdom
I trusted You, I stepped out on the ocean
You calm my hand among the waves
‘Cause You’re the God of all my days
Each step I take You made a way
And I will give You all my praise
My seasons change, You stay the same
You’re the God of all my days
In my worry, God You are my stillness.
“…Come out from among them and be separate, says ADONAI. Touch no unclean thing. Then I will take you in. I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says ADONAI- Tzva’ot.”
– 2 Corinthians 6:17-18
ALSO: https://biblereasons.com/yoga/
“If you died with Messiah to the basic principles of the world, why – as though living in the world – do you subject yourselves to their rules? Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”
Colossians 2:20-21
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For Believers, “living your best life now” is not found in this world or it’s ways. Our best life is yet to come for an eternity of days. But we can absolutely and most assuredly live our “blessed life” right now!
Jesus said,
“I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly!” – John 10:10 TLV
This is the blessed life, the abundant life, the “I get to walk with Jesus everyday and experience His love and goodness!” life.
Praise God!
Psalms 23:6 says,
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,(that’s now!)
and I will dwell in the House of the LORD forever!” (that’s for eternity!)
So with that,
We can happily say, with peace and assurance, “I’m living my blessed life now!”
“Wait! Wait!
Let your waiting be on the Lord! He is worth waiting for.
He never disappoints the waiting soul.
While waiting, keep up your spirits.
Expect a great deliverance, and be ready to praise God for it.
“He shall strengthen your heart”
– Charles Spurgeon
“Wait on the LORD; and be of good courage, and He will strengthen your heart;
wait, I say, on the LORD.”
– Psalm 27:14
Jesus said: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
– John 14:15 TLV
“There will be no peace in any soul until it is willing to obey the voice of God.”
– D.L. Moody
I’m coming back to the heart of worship,
and it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus.
I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it,
’cause it’s all about You
It’s all about You Jesus.
-Lyrics from “The Heart of Worship” by Matt Redman
âHumble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, like a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, Who has called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.â
âTo Him be Glory and Dominion Forever and Ever. Amen.â
I Peter 5:6-11
“Do not remember the former things,
nor consider things of the past.
Here I am,
doing a new thing;
Now it is springing up…”
– Isaiah 43:18 TLV
Who am I
That the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt?
Who am I
That the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart?
Who am I
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
and watch me rise again?
Who am I
The the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me?
Not because of who I am,
But because of what You’ve done.
Not because of what I’ve done,
But because of Who You are.
“I am a flower quickly fading.
Here today and gone tomorrow.
A wave tossed in the ocean.
A vapor in the wind.
Still You
Hear me when I’m calling
Lord, You catch me when I’m falling
And You’ve told me who I am
I am Yours… I am Yours.”
“Who Am I?”- lyrics by Mark Hall; song by Casting Crowns
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” …Thanks be to God who keeps giving us the victory through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah!”
– 1 Corinthians 15:57
“Look, He is coming in the clouds and every eye shall see Him…” -Revelation 1:7
“Jesus is all the world to me;
I want no better friend.
I trust Him now; I’ll trust Him when
Life’s fleeting days shall end.
Beautiful life with such a Friend;
Beautiful life that has no end!
Eternal life, eternal joy,
He’s my Friend.”
Hymn – “Jesus Is All The World To Me” by Will Lamartine Thompson
“Jesus is all the world to me;
My friend in trials sore.
I go to Him for blessings, and
He gives them o’er and o’er.
He sends the sunshine and the rain;
He sends the harvest’s golden grain:
Sunshine and rain, harvest of grain–
He’s my Friend.”
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Hymn- “Jesus Is All The Word To Me” by Will Lamartine Thompson
“O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
In His hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His… He made it: and His Hands formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.”
Psalm 95:1-6
âWhen the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion,
We were like them that dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the nations,
The LORD has done great things for them.
The LORD has done great things for us; and we are glad.
Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the South.
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.â
Psalm 126:1-5
There is none like YouâŚ
No one else can touch my heart like You do,
I could search for all eternity long and find
There is none, there is none
There is none like You. -Michael W. Smith
âLORD, there is no one like You!
For You are great, and Your Name is full of power.
Who would not fear You, O King of nations?
That title belongs to You alone!
Among all the wise people of the earth
and in all the kingdoms of the world,
there is no one like You.â
Jeremiah 10:6-7
âLord, I love the house where You live, the place where Your glory dwells.â
Psalm 26:8
âAs for God, His way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried:
He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him.
For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
It is God that girdes me with strength, and makes my way perfect.
He maketh my feet like hindsâ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up,
⌠thy gentleness hath made me great.â
Psalm 18:30-35
Be anxious for nothing, but in all things by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
âWrite the vision, and make it plain upon tables, so he may run that reads it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie:
though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay.â
Habakkuk 2:2-3
“… but the word of our God will stand forever.”
– Isaiah 40:8
To trust in God means that He is our confidence; our minds are at rest, as we rely on His word, His integrity, His veracity, His faithfulness, and His unfailing love.
We donât often hear stories about King Hezekiah, but he is one of my favorite examples of trusting in God. II Kings 18:5, says that Hezekiah trusted God like no other king before or after him.. What a wonderful way to be remembered, as someone who truly trusted in God. In the face of danger, at the threat of war from Sennacherib, king of Assyria, and even after the prophet Isaiah warned him that he would soon die, Hezekiah prayed to God, trusted Him to hear and answer, and God delivered him every time!
King Hezekiahâs sincere, unshakable, trust in God, serves as a great encouragement and example for us today, as we face lifeâs trials and difficulties. Like him, we too can be assured, that God cares, He hears our prayers,He sees our tears, and will not fail to deliver us, as we place our trust in Him.
“…Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”
“Put on the whole armor of God, so that you are able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”
“…Buckle the belt of truth around your waist, and
Put on the breastplate of righteousness.
Strap up your feet in readiness with the Good News of shalom.
Above all, take up the shield of faith with which you will be able
to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
And take the helmet of salvation
And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
_ Ephesians 6:10-17
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“I will call those who were not My people, “My people,”
and I will call her who was not beloved “Beloved.”
and it shall be that in the place where it was said to them,
“You are not My people,”
There they shall be called sons of the living God.”
“…Yes, I have loved you
with an everlasting love…”
Romans 9:25-26 and Jeremiah 31:2
“The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” – Psalm 92:12
“Palms and Cedars are “trees of the Lord,” and it is by His care that they flourish. So it is with the saints of the Lord: they are His own care.
These trees are evergreen and are beautiful in all seasons. Believers are not sometimes holy and sometimes ungodly; they stand in the beauty of the Lord under all weathers. The followers of Jesus are the observed of all observers; like a city set on a hill, they cannot be hid.
The child of God flourishes like a palm tree, which pushes all its strength upward.
It has no growth to the right or left, but sends all its force heavenward and bears its fruit as near the sky as possible.
The cedar braves all storms and grows near the eternal snows, the Lord Himself filling it with a sap that keeps its heart warm and its bough strong.
Lord, so let it be with me.”
-Charles Spurgeon
“I am Your child, beloved.
And all of my days
My future is laid in Your promise
Jesus,
To the end of the age
I am not alone or forgotten
So I will not worry or fret
My God is the God who will never forget
All of His goodness and all of His promises
He’s holding my world in His hands”
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Lyrics Excerpt from “Holding My World” -by Kristian Stanfill
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“So letting your sinful nature control your mind, leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” – Romans 8:6
“There will be no peace in any soul until it is willing to obey the voice of God.”
– D.L. Moody
“Jesus is The Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6
“May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way…”
– 2 Thessalonians 3:16
“Who is like the LORD?….. NOBODY!
Who is like the LORD?…..No- no-no-no-no- NOBODY!
If God is for us?
Who can be against us?
He will keep His promise.
There’s nobody like Him, NOBODY LIKE HIM!
What can separate us from the love of Jesus?
He will keep His promise!
There’s nobody like Him, NOBODY LIKE HIM!
There is none in heaven or earth like You. There is none in heaven or earth like You!
Lord we declare, who can compare?
Who would even dare?
THERE IS NO ONE LIKE YOU!!!!!
Who is like the LORD?
No-no-no-no-no NOBODY!”
Praise and Worship Song, “Who is Like The Lord” -by Israel Houghton
“And I say “Hallelujah!!! and Amen!!!” to that.
“And even to your old age I am He; and even to gray hairs will I carry you: I have made and I will bear; even I will carry, and deliver you.” Â
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…”Â
Isaiah 46:4 and Psalm 23:6
I am Thine, O Lord
I have heard Thy voice
And it told Thy love to me
But I long to rise
In the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee
Consecrate me now
To Thy service Lord
By the power of grace divine.
Let my soul look up
with a steadfast hope
And my will be lost in Thine
Hymn- “I am Tine, O Lord” – by Fanny Crosby / W.H.Doane
May teaching tickle like rain,
My speech distill like dew —
Like gentle rain on new grass,
Like showers on tender plants.
For I proclaim ADONAI’s Name,
Ascribe greatness to our God!
From the “Song of Moses” – Deuteronomy 32:2-3
All the way my Savior leads me;
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy
Who through life has been my Guide
Heavenly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell
For I know whate’er befall me
Jesus doeth all things well.
Yes, I know whate’er befall me
Jesus doeth all things well.
Hymn- “All The Way My Savior Leads Me” by Fanny Crosby
Isn’t This Beautiful!
Blessed be my Lord! Day by day He bears our burdens- the God of our salvation! Selah -Psalm 68:20
via Day by Day â A Lamp & A Light
 “When I survey the wondrous cross   On which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain I count but loss   And pour contempt on all my pride
Were every realm of nature mine  My gift would still be far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Hymn-Â “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” by Isaac Watts
“Give, and it shall be given to you– a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, overflowing, will be given into your lap.” – Luke 6:38
“Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for happiness and song;
As the burdens press, And the cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long?
O Yes, He cares, I know He cares! His heart is touched with my grief;
Though the days are weary, The long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares… O Yes, My Savior cares!”
Hymn- “Does Jesus Care?” –By J. Lincoln Hall and F.E. Graeff
“Humility can be summed up in just two words… “You first.””
“The Bible verse that Dr. Martin Luther King quoted most often was Amos 5:24,
“But let justice roll down as waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.”
The prophet Amos was saying,
(As most of the Hebrew prophets were saying)
that what God wants is justice and right living rather than religious ceremonies for their own sake.”
Quote from: Steve Hollaway@Harbor Church
“Rescue those being dragged off to death,
Hold back those stumbling to slaughter.”
“If you say, “Look, we didn’t know this.”
Won’t He who weighs hearts perceive it?
Won’t He who guards your soul know it?
Won’t He repay each one according to his deeds?”
Partiality in judgement is not good.
Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent,”
People curse him
And nations revile him.
But for those who convict the guilty
There will be delight– good blessing will come upon them.”
-Proverbs 24:11-12 and 23-25 Tree of Life Version
“He has told you, humanity, what is good, and what ADONAI is seeking from you:
Only to practice justice,
to love mercy, and to
walk humbly with your God.”
– Micah 6:8 TLV
“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.”
-Ecclesiastes 3:1
And Jesus answered…
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Mark 12:29-31
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.”
-Psalm 23:6
“See! The winter is past… the season of singing is here.” ~ Song of Solomon 2:11,12
“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
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you are able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the worldly forces of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places.
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist when the times are evil, and after you have done everything, to stand firm.
Stand firm then!
Buckle the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.
Strap up your feet in readiness with the Good News of shalom (peace).
Above all, take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Pray in the Ruach (Spirit) on every occasion, with all kinds of prayers and requests.
With this in mind, keep alert with perseverance and supplication for all the kedoshim (saints).”
Ephesians 6:10-18 – (TLV) Tree of Life Version
“To learn strong faith, is to endure great trials. I have learned my faith by standing firm amid severe testings.”
– George Mueller
“There are depths of love
That I cannot know
Til I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy
That I may not reach
Til I rest in peace with Thee.
Draw me nearer, nearer,
Nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer,
Nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.”
Hymn- “I Am Thine, O Lord” – Fanny J. Crosby/ W.H. Doane
“O the pure delight of a single hour, that before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee my God,
I commune as friend with Friend!”
Hymn- “I Am Thine, O Lord” – by Fanny J. Crosby/ W.H. Doane
“I am Thine O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Consecrate me now to Thy service Lord,
By the power of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.”
Hymn- “I Am Thine, O Lord” – Fanny J. Crosby/ W.H. Doane
“In the beginning… the Spirit of God hovered over the waters…”
â… I have loved you with an everlasting love.
Therefore, with loving kindness,
I have drawn you.âÂ
âHe chose us in Christ,
[actually selected us for Himself as His own]
Before the world began…âÂ
 -Genesis 1:2 – Jeremiah 31:3 – Ephesians 4:1
“Tho’ the clouds may hover over us, There’s a bright and golden ray,
It’s the promise that in heaven God shall wipe all tears away.
No more sorrow, no more weeping, Peace and joy will hold full sway,
For beside life’s crystal river, God shall wipe all tears away.
Every care will be forgotten, All our burdens we shall lay,
Safe within the walls of jasper, God shall wipe all tears away.
O the joy of meeting Jesus, Mortal tongue cannot portray,
But we know when we behold Him, God shall wipe all tears away.”
Hymn- “God Shall Wipe All Tears Away” by Antonio L. Haskell
“My Lord ADONAI will wipe away tears from every face…” “He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes…”
– Isaiah 25:8- Revelation 21:4
“Father God,
I thank You
that
Your Truth
is
Greater than
my difficulties.”
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE, and I will dwell in the House of ADONAI forever.”
Psalm 23:6
“Let us run the race with endurance
the race that is set before us,
focusing on Yeshua,
the initiator and perfecter of faith…”
Hebrews 12:1-2 ~Tree of Life Version
“Count it all joy… when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance” – James 1:2
“…Boast in suffering — knowing that suffering produces perseverance, and perseverance character, and character hope.” – Romans 5:3-4
“For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed in us.” – Romans 8:18
“So then, those who suffer according to God’s will — let them trust their souls to a faithful Creator while continuing to do good.” – 1 Peter 4:19
“After you have suffered awhile, the God of grace– who has called you into His eternal glory in Messiah– will Himself restore, support,strengthen, and establish you.“
-1 Peter 5:10
“He was handed over for our transgressions and raised up for the sake of setting us right.” – Romans 4:25
“…Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name,
You are Mine.”
Isaiah 43:1
I know a great Savior, I do; don’t you? I live by His favor, I do; don’t you?
For grace I implore Him, I worship before Him, I love and adore Him, I do; don’t you?
I need Him to lead me, I do; don’t you? Heaven’s manna to feed me, I do; don’t you?
Whatever betide me, I need Him beside me, In mercy to hide me, I do; don’t you?
I love to be near Him, I do; don’t you? He speaks and I hear Him, I do; don’t you?
For me He is caring, The cross I am bearing, I love Him for sharing, I do; don’t you?
I want Him to use me, I do; don’t you; For service to choose me, I do; don’t you?
I want Him to bless me, To own and confess me, Completely possess me, I do; don’t you?
Hymn- “I Do, Don’t You?” by E.O. Exill and M. Miller
Jesus said… “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall  he live.”– John 11:25
“But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon Him;
and with His stripes we are healed.”
– Isaiah 53:5
“And He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.” Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” Luke 22:19-20
There are many traditions, holidays, and ceremonies, that we observe and hold in remembrance, and many of them in the name of Christianity. We celebrate birthdays, and Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter, and that’s fine, they are special days, and it’s good to celebrate, but there is one thing that the Lord has asked us to observe, in remembrance of Him, and the sacrifice that He made to redeem us, saying;
“Do this as oft as you will, in remembrance of me.” II Corinthians 11:25
As we remember the last supper today, we are also reminded of Christ’s sacrificial love for all of us. We are reminded of His tremendous suffering, and the price that He paid to save us. We are reminded that by His grace, through faith, we are saved.
Thank you, Jesus.âĽ
“God is most glorified in us,
When we,
Are most satisfied,
In Him.”
– John Piper
God rest ye merry gentlemen; Let nothing you dismay,
Remember Christ our Savior, was born upon this day!
To save us all from satan’s power, when we were gone astray.
Oh- O, tidings of comfort and joy.
Comfort and joy!
Oh- O, tidings of comfort and joy.
We three kings of Orient are. Bearing gifts, we traverse afar.
Field and fountain, moor, and mountain,
Following yonder Star!
Oh- O, Star of wonder, Star of night, Star with royal beauty bright!
Westward leading still proceeding, Guide us to thy Perfect Light.
Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain, Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never, Over us all to reign.
Frankincense to offer have I, Incense owns a Deity nigh
Prayer and praising, All men raising, Worship Him, God on High.
Myrrh is mine, it’s bitter perfume, Breathes a life of gathering gloom,
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in the cold stone tomb.
Glorious now, behold Him arise, King and God and Sacrifice.
Alleluia!!! Alleluia!!!
Peals thru the earth and skies.
Oh- O Star of wonder Star of night, Star with Royal beauty bright!
Westward leading, Still proceeding
Guide us to thy Perfect Light.
-William Hone/John Hopkins
From: “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, and “We Three Kings”
There was once a man who didn’t believe in God, and he didn’t hesitate to let others know how he felt about religious holidays like Christmas. His wife however, did believe, and she raised their children to also have faith in God and, His Son, Jesus, The Christ, despite her husband’s disparaging comments…
One snowy Christmas Eve, his wife was taking their children to a Christmas Eve service in the farm community in which they lived. She asked him to come, but he refused. “That story is nonsense!” he said. “Why would God lower Himself to come to earth as a man? That’s ridiculous!” So she and the children left, and he stayed home.
A while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard. As the man looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening. Then he heard a loud thump. Something had hit the window. Then another thump. He looked out, but couldn’t see more than a few feet. When the snow let up a little, he ventured outside to see what could have been beating on his window. In the field near his house he saw a flock of wild geese.
Apparently they had been flying south for the winter when they got caught in the snowstorm and couldn’t go on. They were lost and stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter. They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles, blindly and aimlessly. A couple of them had flown into his window, it seemed.
The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help them. The barn would be a great place for them to stay, he thought. It’s warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm. So he walked over to the barn and opened the doors wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. But the geese just fluttered around aimlessly and didn’t seem to notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them. The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them and they moved further away. He went into the house and came with some bread, broke it up, and made a breadcrumb trail leading to the barn. They still didn’t catch on.
Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward the barn, but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where they would be warm and safe.
“Why don’t they follow me?!” he exclaimed. “Can’t they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm?” He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn’t follow a human. “If only I were a goose, then I could save them,” he said out loud.
Then he had an idea. He went into barn, got one of his own geese, and carried it in his arms as he circled around behind the flock of wild geese. He then released it. His goose flew through the flock and straight into the barn–and one by one the other geese followed it to safety.
He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind: “If only I were a goose, then I could save them!” Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier. “Why would God want to be like us? That’s ridiculous!”
Suddenly it all made sense. That is what God had done. We were like the geese–blind, lost, perishing. God had His Son Jesus, to become like us so He could show us the way and save us. That was the meaning of Christmas, he realized.
As the winds and blinding snow died down, his soul became quiet and pondered this wonderful thought. Suddenly he understood what Christmas was all about, why Christ, the Messiah had come. Years of doubt and disbelief vanished like the passing storm. He fell to his knees in the snow, and prayed his first prayer: “Thank You, Jesus, for coming in human form to get me out of the storm!”
Author Unknown
“Darkness was cheap, and Scrooge liked it.”- Charles Dickens
“And this is the condemnation, that Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light…”-John 3:19
“But even old Scrooge came around, and let the light shine on his ways” :)
“Just to be close,…Â and cling to You, ADONAI, is enough.” -F.C.
This is brilliant!
“Believe your beliefs and doubt your doubts.”
– Greg Laurie
This morning,
I checked with Google to find a Bible verse, (it IS the quickest way, you know!đ).
I hit the search bar and typed only two words, that’s right just two words:
 “shall supply“.Â
I was hoping that the scripture address that I was looking for would pop right up
and, to my happiness,… IT DID!!!
In fact, it was the first site on the page.
See? Even Google recognizes what these two words refer to!
And I’m sure you do too.
… “My God shall supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus”
– Philippians 4:19
“At the top of the page… online, and in our hearts.”
Trust In God.
â¤ď¸
Be still my soul-
The Lord is on your side!
Leave to your God
To order and provide-
Be still my soul-
Your best, your heavenly Friend
Thru thorny ways
Leads to a joyful end.
– Jean Sibelius
“… Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you;
You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Luke 2
My stubborn will at last has yielded,
I would be Thine, and Thine alone
And this the prayer my lips are bringing,
Lord, let in me Thy will be done.
Thy precious will, O conquering Savior,
Doth now embrace and compass me;
All discords hushed, my peace a river,âĽ
My soul a prisoned bird set free.
Sweet will of God
Still fold me closer,
Till I am wholly lost in Thee.
-“Sweet Will of God” by Mrs. C.H. Morris
If life seems at its lowest ebb, because a day’s gone wrong,
Let not your heart be troubled, for a new day soon will dawn.
And we can never be quite sure, just what it has in store,
Since each one is so different, than the one just gone before.
As it penetrates the darkness, with its soft and tranquil beams,
It calms even the most restless soul, and brings new hopes and dreams.
So when a day’s been troubled, and the night is dark and long,
Lift up your fallen spirits, for a new day soon will dawn.
-Anonymous
“… I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing;
and I will cause the shower to come down in his season;
there shall be
Showers of Blessing.”
Ezekiel 34:26
As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples,
âLetâs cross to the other side of the lake.â
So they took Jesus in the boat and started out,
And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea,
Insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves:
But Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat…
 His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying,
Lord,… “Carest thou not that we perish?”
And He saith unto them,
Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?
Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea;
And there was a great calm.
But the men marveled, saying,
What manner of man is this,
That even the winds and the sea obey Him!”
Matthew 8:25 and Mark 4:38
-As we “cross to the other side”, through the storms and trials of life,
Jesus cares.
He is “in the boat” with us.
He cares
and He will calm the sea.”
“Let all that I am
wait quietly before God,
for my expectation
is from Him.”
Psalm 62:5
“So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, âOn the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.â
Genesis 22:14
“O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home,” -Isaac Watts
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1
“You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words
Too wonderful for comprehension
Like nothing seen or heard
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom
Who can fathom the depth of Your love
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty enthroned above
And I stand, I stand in awe of You
I stand, I stand in awe of You
Holy God to whom all praise is due
I stand, I stand in awe of You.”
-Hillsong
Because Jesus said so;
“Let not your heart be troubled:
Ye believe in God, believe also in Me.
In my Father’s house are many mansions:
If it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again, and receive you unto myself;
That where I am, there ye may be also,”
John 14:1-3
“Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the new born King
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled
Joyful all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the new born king!”
Charles Wesley
There was once a man who didn’t believe in God, and he didn’t hesitate to let others know how he felt about religious holidays like Christmas. His wife however, did believe, and she raised their children to also have faith in God and, His Son, Jesus, The Christ, despite her husband’s disparaging comments…
One snowy Christmas Eve, his wife was taking their children to a Christmas Eve service in the farm community in which they lived. She asked him to come, but he refused. “That story is nonsense!” he said. “Why would God lower Himself to come to earth as a man? That’s ridiculous!” So she and the children left, and he stayed home.
A while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard. As the man looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening. Then he heard a loud thump. Something had hit the window. Then another thump. He looked out, but couldn’t see more than a few feet. When the snow let up a little, he ventured outside to see what could have been beating on his window. In the field near his house he saw a flock of wild geese.
Apparently they had been flying south for the winter when they got caught in the snowstorm and couldn’t go on. They were lost and stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter. They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles, blindly and aimlessly. A couple of them had flown into his window, it seemed.
The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help them. The barn would be a great place for them to stay, he thought. It’s warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm. So he walked over to the barn and opened the doors wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. But the geese just fluttered around aimlessly and didn’t seem to notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them. The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them and they moved further away. He went into the house and came with some bread, broke it up, and made a breadcrumb trail leading to the barn. They still didn’t catch on.
Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward the barn, but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where they would be warm and safe.
“Why don’t they follow me?!” he exclaimed. “Can’t they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm?” He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn’t follow a human. “If only I were a goose, then I could save them,” he said out loud.
Then he had an idea. He went into barn, got one of his own geese, and carried it in his arms as he circled around behind the flock of wild geese. He then released it. His goose flew through the flock and straight into the barn–and one by one the other geese followed it to safety.
He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind: “If only I were a goose, then I could save them!” Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier. “Why would God want to be like us? That’s ridiculous!”
Suddenly it all made sense. That is what God had done. We were like the geese–blind, lost, perishing. God had His Son Jesus, to become like us so He could show us the way and save us. That was the meaning of Christmas, he realized.
As the winds and blinding snow died down, his soul became quiet and pondered this wonderful thought. Suddenly he understood what Christmas was all about, why Christ, the Messiah had come. Years of doubt and disbelief vanished like the passing storm. He fell to his knees in the snow, and prayed his first prayer: “Thank You, Jesus, for coming in human form to get me out of the storm!”
Author Unknown
Bundle up: Wednesday marks the winter solstice, the first day of winter and the day with the fewest hours of sunlight for the whole year. And in a few days, two holidays celebrating light will take place during the darkest time of year, when Hanukkah begins on Christmas Eve. The last time that this exactâŚ
via What to Know About This Yearâs Overlapping Christmas and Hanukkah Holidays â TIME
“…Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given:…and His Name shall be called
Wonderful,
Counselor,
The mighty God,
The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6
“Star of wonder, Star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, Â Still proceeding.
Guide us to thy
Perfect Light“
-John Hopkins Jr.
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee,
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not,
As Thou hast been,Thou forever wilt be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above;
Join with all nature in manifold witness,
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.
-Thomas Chisholm
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet.
Only through experiences of trial and suffering
Can the soul be strengthened,
Vision cleared,
ambition inspired,
and success achieved.”
Helen Keller
“In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
“O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endures for ever.”
Psalm 136:10
” You have turned for me my mourning into dancing:
You have put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.
To the end that my glory may sing praise to You, and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”
Psalm 30:11-12
You can count on God’s Word.
If God said it, you can count on it to come to pass.
His Word is absolutely trustworthy.
God never breaks His Word.
In Him there are no broken promises.
“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should change His mind.”
“Does He speak and then not act?”
“Does He promise and not fulfill? “
Numbers 23:19Â
“…Whosoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he.”
Proverbs 16:20
The bible says that Jabez, a descendant of Judah, was “more honorable than his brothers”and even though his mother named him Jabez (which means pain), he called out to the LORD and God heard him and gave him what he requested.
This is not a story about getting everything we want, it’s actually an example that there’s always hope when we pray because no matter what we’ve been through, or what we’ve been called, as children of God, we have His eye.
Jabez may not be as well known as Abraham or Moses but that’s just the point! God’s love is there for the “little guys”too and the story of Jabez reminds us that in Christ, each of us is special and uniquely significant. He cares for us and will answer when we pray.
“Jabez called out to the God of Israel, saying,
“If only You would greatly bless me, and enlarge my territory. Let Your hand be with me,
and keep me from harm, so that I might not suffer pain.”
And God granted what he asked.”
I Chronicles 4:10-TLV
“Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.” Ephesians 1:4
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” I Peter 2:9
“You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in My Name, He may give it to you.” John 15:16
“Turn you to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will restore double unto you;”
Zechariah 9:12
“And… the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.”
Job 42:10
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand
And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise… My soul will rest in your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You’ve never failed and you won’t start now
So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
-Hillsong “Oceans”
God is AWESOME!!!
“Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice:
Let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them:
Let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt thou surround him
As with a shield.”
Psalm 5:11-12
“My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.”
Psalm 62:5
“Love is patient, Love is kind…
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
It does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
It does not rejoice about injustice
But rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, Never loses faith,
Is always hopeful, and endures
Through every circumstance…”
“Love never fails”
I Corinthians 13: 4-7
“You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; You encourage them, and You listen to their cry,”
Psalm 10:17
“And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry…
And I am come down to deliver them.”
Exodus 3:7-8
“Circumstances are not the barometer of God’s love and goodness – the cross is.”
“Do you feel as though God isnât answering your prayers? Â Are you tempted to doubt His love and goodness?
When I feel this way, I have to remind myself that my circumstances arenât the barometer of Godâs love and goodnessâthe cross is. He has shown His love and how good He is by giving His only Son Jesus to die for our sin. We canât rely on our feelings. But day by day as we choose to trust Him more, we learn to believe with confidence that God is goodâall the time.”âĽ
-Anne Cetas