http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfGbcjCVDOs
I've been dealing with some very distressing issues of sin seemingly everywhere I turn. It is hard enough to deal with your own, but sometimes we have to deal with the sin or "issues" of others as well; some because we need to, others because God commands us to in the shoring up of the Saints. Some sin comes our way quite uninvited and unwelcomed forced on our lives by the unexplained and it leads to tragedy. God help us!
However we encounter the enemy of God, it can leave us damaged. God woke me up this morning to pray. I've been praying over this ministry, family, friends, those who I minister to and those who are sick. It is a welcome burden, but sometimes you need added strength. God took me to K Love Internet radio and immediately to a song I'd never heard. One of my favorite groups, Selah, sings "Unredeemed". Both one of the singers and his sister lost a child within six months of each other. I cannot imagine how he would have the strength to sing this song save the incredible grace of a Holy God whose might and care perfectly balance this universe.
I hope you will listen to the song and be blessed. I also implore you to pray. The Bible tells us to pray. "Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You while You may be found; surely when the waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." Psalm 32:6,7 While we may hurt, we will not be overwhelmed forever. We will be held in the hand of a mighty God whose mercy abounds toward us and we will live to sing again.
While you are praying would you commit to pray for this ministry and those we touch? They are for the most part lost children who need salvation. They are confused and it will take investing in their lives with the consistent delivery of the Word of God for salvation and discipleship. Help me in this, please, I cannot do it alone. The enemy has been working hard against this ministry and I know God has placed me here for such a time as this. It is worth it. It is worth it and it will not be unredeemed. Your comments are invited and appreciated. God bless you!
To God be the glory!
Jamie
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Getting a jump on the week today. Making copies for the UP Bible study on Friday and making notes for the Ladies' Bible study on Thursday. I will work on my AWANA verses and the Wednesday Bible study lesson shortly, we will be covering Genesis 21. It will be a very busy week this week and the next few weeks to come.
I've been thinking some about help lately. Last week in Genesis we discussed the way God helped Lot and how many times He helped Lot. The angels coming to rescue he and his family literally laid hands on them and pulled them out of Sodom. He'd been saved when his father died-he was looked out after by his grandfather, Terah. Then when his grandfather died, Abram became his guardian, and in the Valley of the kings Abram fought for he and his family. The angels rescued him from the crowd that pressed in on him. God had this man and was keeping him safe for Abraham's sake. Wow! Now, that's what I call help. That's what I'm going to need for the next few weeks. Real help.
My favorite Psalm 121 talks about where our help comes from and it is certainly true for me. "...My help comes from the Lord God, maker of Heaven and earth." Where does your help come from? Think about that. Where is your fear default set? Do you call your parents or your best friend? What about your husband or wife when you are afraid, do you call them? As a Christian your first cry should be to the One who can do something about it, Jesus Christ. How do we make sure His is the first Name we call on? By so saturating ourselves with His presence that it just is a reflex.
My favorite pastor talks about muscle memory and how athletes learn to throw a basketball by practice, so much practice that the muscles remember the shot even when the athlete is stressed, likewise you pray so much your mind remembers that even in stressful times. It becomes a reflex. There is the pathway example. You walk a certain route in your home or yard so much that the carpet or grass is worn in that path. You go to God so much that there's a path that leads straight to Him in your mind. We know all these things but some of us don't do them.
We have a need for human fellowship so in times of pain we reach out to those who can reach back. But, most people have no wisdom and even if they are Christians their default might not be set to Jesus either. Oh friends! If we reach to God first He can send the wisdom through His word or through someone He puts in your path who will have His wisdom. But, if we bypass Him, we often get worldly empathy and not mercy from the Creator God. He is help. He's Psalm 23 kind of help! That verse is not for the dead but for the living!
Let me encourage you to call on God this week. Let Him comfort you. He is the one who created you placing every hair on your head. He is the One who gives you armor to stand in. He is the One-Jehovah Jireh, Shammah, Nissi, Sabbaoth and so much more. "They that call upon the Lord shall be saved." Acts 2:21. Friends if He can save your spirit from hell, He can provide safety from your enemy, money for gas, healing for your heart and body and He can send you real help! That's what I need and I will call upon the Name of the Lord. How about you?
To God be the glory!
Jamie
I've been thinking some about help lately. Last week in Genesis we discussed the way God helped Lot and how many times He helped Lot. The angels coming to rescue he and his family literally laid hands on them and pulled them out of Sodom. He'd been saved when his father died-he was looked out after by his grandfather, Terah. Then when his grandfather died, Abram became his guardian, and in the Valley of the kings Abram fought for he and his family. The angels rescued him from the crowd that pressed in on him. God had this man and was keeping him safe for Abraham's sake. Wow! Now, that's what I call help. That's what I'm going to need for the next few weeks. Real help.
My favorite Psalm 121 talks about where our help comes from and it is certainly true for me. "...My help comes from the Lord God, maker of Heaven and earth." Where does your help come from? Think about that. Where is your fear default set? Do you call your parents or your best friend? What about your husband or wife when you are afraid, do you call them? As a Christian your first cry should be to the One who can do something about it, Jesus Christ. How do we make sure His is the first Name we call on? By so saturating ourselves with His presence that it just is a reflex.
My favorite pastor talks about muscle memory and how athletes learn to throw a basketball by practice, so much practice that the muscles remember the shot even when the athlete is stressed, likewise you pray so much your mind remembers that even in stressful times. It becomes a reflex. There is the pathway example. You walk a certain route in your home or yard so much that the carpet or grass is worn in that path. You go to God so much that there's a path that leads straight to Him in your mind. We know all these things but some of us don't do them.
We have a need for human fellowship so in times of pain we reach out to those who can reach back. But, most people have no wisdom and even if they are Christians their default might not be set to Jesus either. Oh friends! If we reach to God first He can send the wisdom through His word or through someone He puts in your path who will have His wisdom. But, if we bypass Him, we often get worldly empathy and not mercy from the Creator God. He is help. He's Psalm 23 kind of help! That verse is not for the dead but for the living!
Let me encourage you to call on God this week. Let Him comfort you. He is the one who created you placing every hair on your head. He is the One who gives you armor to stand in. He is the One-Jehovah Jireh, Shammah, Nissi, Sabbaoth and so much more. "They that call upon the Lord shall be saved." Acts 2:21. Friends if He can save your spirit from hell, He can provide safety from your enemy, money for gas, healing for your heart and body and He can send you real help! That's what I need and I will call upon the Name of the Lord. How about you?
To God be the glory!
Jamie
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Truth Will Set You Free
Wow! Truth is a liberating thing, once you find it. This world is so backwards that we often don't even know we are deceived, just as the enemy has planned. It takes so little effort to believe a lie, and so much to free yourself from it.
Why do we need truth? Because lies lead to sin and ,"The wages of sin is death," Romans 3:23. We need truth, we need God's Word because His Word is life. Oh, friends! We need to live to the glory of God! The Bible is an instruction manual on "how to". We need to know how to live. "Jesus answered, It is written, 'Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, doth man live." Take a guess who Jesus was answering. That's right! The very father of lies himself, Satan, as he tried to tempt Jesus to turn stones to bread. Could He have done this? Of course, but He was not under the direction or authority of Satan's guidance or suggestion. It seemed logical to feed himself if He had the power, but His power in the flesh of man was not to serve Himself or Satan but to serve God alone. Jesus knew in His earthly form that He could only survive under the direction of God. He would not repeat Adam and Eve's disobedience. What an awesome example. God is so good to us!
As we, the Ladies' Bible study group, go deeper into the study of "Lies Women Believe" and the truth that sets you free...I know we will uncover even more of the depth of deception that truly binds us. We were not designed to be bound by sin. We function fully in freedom.
My favorite pastor, Johnny Ellison, once described us as a train. He said that we as Christians are spirit beings. We were meant to operate under the power of the Holy Spirit. He explained that just as trains are made to travel on a track and can go anywhere that track is laid, and go forwards, backwards, do loops (roller coasters), etc that so we can function in the Spirit of God. But just as a train can go nowhere when it is derailed, and becomes a fantastic mess as cars are piled up and overturned, so our life becomes if we try to function outside the Holy Spirit's direction and power. I have never forgotten those words because they ring so true for me, because I need so much the direction of the Spirit not to sin.
There is so much yet to learn and so much deception to uncover and deal with. We must deal with sin and pain and unbelief so that God can make us a clean vessel to minister through and so we can be ready to receive His blessings.
It is my prayer that this week you will begin to ask God, also, to examine your heart and to show you areas that have not yet been dealt with. This is for our good that God not allow us to remain in a state of deception and disobedience. May He give you strength to trust Him more and more for your life and your freedom to enjoy the life He gives. I love you all so much!
To God be the glory,
Jamie
My favorite pastor, Johnny Ellison, once described us as a train. He said that we as Christians are spirit beings. We were meant to operate under the power of the Holy Spirit. He explained that just as trains are made to travel on a track and can go anywhere that track is laid, and go forwards, backwards, do loops (roller coasters), etc that so we can function in the Spirit of God. But just as a train can go nowhere when it is derailed, and becomes a fantastic mess as cars are piled up and overturned, so our life becomes if we try to function outside the Holy Spirit's direction and power. I have never forgotten those words because they ring so true for me, because I need so much the direction of the Spirit not to sin.
There is so much yet to learn and so much deception to uncover and deal with. We must deal with sin and pain and unbelief so that God can make us a clean vessel to minister through and so we can be ready to receive His blessings.
It is my prayer that this week you will begin to ask God, also, to examine your heart and to show you areas that have not yet been dealt with. This is for our good that God not allow us to remain in a state of deception and disobedience. May He give you strength to trust Him more and more for your life and your freedom to enjoy the life He gives. I love you all so much!
To God be the glory,
Jamie
Saturday, September 12, 2009
King's Kids
Wow! What a morning! I didn't want to get up but I did and I'm so very glad. I got to serve 4 of the most beautiful children this morning!
We had our first King's Kids. I made some blueberry and strawberry muffins and we had a drink of the Word. We talked about Noah and the flood. They had never heard the story of the rainbow. You should've seen the smiles when they realized the rainbow is God's visible seal of promise.
I cannot tell you how I love that! I love to teach and see the dawning of Reason appear on these children's faces. When they "get it". My goodness, THAT is good! God is Good. How I thank God for the gift of teaching. I may not be able to draw, or do just about anything else, but I can teach. Not through my own strength, but through God's. It's a twofold miracle. He opens my mouth and opens their ears! Jesus said,"But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." John 12:32. All we do is provide a vessel for Him to work through. He, who made man and made them to think, gives us the knowledge.
I thank God that though we are cracked and chipped pots, that He makes us over. He takes what we have and gives us worth beyond human comprehension. The Master's touch. Praise God for His unspeakable Gift, the gift of Jesus Christ; Who makes us worth something, Who redeemed our lost souls and Who is jealous for us and desires fellowship with us. Who among men can understand it? I am so grateful.
To God Be the Glory!
Jamie
We had our first King's Kids. I made some blueberry and strawberry muffins and we had a drink of the Word. We talked about Noah and the flood. They had never heard the story of the rainbow. You should've seen the smiles when they realized the rainbow is God's visible seal of promise.
I cannot tell you how I love that! I love to teach and see the dawning of Reason appear on these children's faces. When they "get it". My goodness, THAT is good! God is Good. How I thank God for the gift of teaching. I may not be able to draw, or do just about anything else, but I can teach. Not through my own strength, but through God's. It's a twofold miracle. He opens my mouth and opens their ears! Jesus said,"But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." John 12:32. All we do is provide a vessel for Him to work through. He, who made man and made them to think, gives us the knowledge.
I thank God that though we are cracked and chipped pots, that He makes us over. He takes what we have and gives us worth beyond human comprehension. The Master's touch. Praise God for His unspeakable Gift, the gift of Jesus Christ; Who makes us worth something, Who redeemed our lost souls and Who is jealous for us and desires fellowship with us. Who among men can understand it? I am so grateful.
To God Be the Glory!
Jamie
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Judgement and Grace
I apologize for there being such a long time since the last post. So many things have been happening and we're preparing for more!
The Next Door Bible Study met yesterday and we studied Genesis 19-the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Although some things are very unpleasant to even discuss we have to know what God's opinion is which is why we have a Bible. Our world today is just about the polar opposite of what God expects of mankind. It was an interesting time.
One question from the discussion text came from Lot's wife looking back just as she was instructed not to do. She met her end that day. We discussed the problem with starting on the right road and looking back to sin. What makes us turn back? Some of the answers are that we miss the sin-it's fun for the moment. We may have a fear of the unknown, even when it's God leading. Maybe it's rebellion because we are forced to do something we aren't ready to do or don't want to do even if it may save our life. Whatever the case, there is a time that comes when God will turn mankind over to their desires which will destroy them, "For the wages of sin is death" Romans 6:23 and "For although they knew God they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-Who is forever praised. Amen." Romans 1:21-25.
We discussed the fact that we do not understand the extent of our decisions. We don't understand the good that God can do through one obedient person, one example is Abram who became Abraham. He had much less of God's word and fewer demonstrations of God's great love and yet he trusted God.
We also do not understand the extent of our decision to sin and the Pandora's Box that opens. The sin that is so fun at the moment can lead to permanent damage done. Sodom and Gomorrah's sin and judgement literally, according to the Bible (Genesis 13:10) changed the landscape of the land. Our sin can change the landscape of our lives. A person addicted to drugs can break an entire family. A spouse's affair can leave children in a single parent home. Gambling can cause families to lose everything. The list goes on and on. Sin has an unquenchable appetite, there is no bottom to the pit, no cap on the limit and if we persist in it, God will allow the sin the destroy us.
BUT GOD, I love those words, in His wisdom, knew we needed grace and it is just a prayer away. When we are faced with the consequences of our sin we have a God who is just waiting for us to admit our failure and ask for forgiveness which He promises to give. Because God cannot lie, because He is truth, He will forgive. What an amazing God we serve! That knowledge comforts me when nothing else can. The Creator of all, who knows me far better than anyone ever could, than anyone will ever know me; who placed every hair on my head knew every sin I have committed, would commit, and will commit in the future and died for me anyway. He saw value in this unformed, spark of an idea and made me His own handiwork, His poem, according to Ephesians. I didn't then and don't now deserve it. It's all because of His grace. I am so thankful for His grace. He did the same the day He saved you, too.
I don't know where you are in your walk today. I don't even know if you are saved-that you have a relationship with Jesus Christ. If you don't, please understand that these promises of God cannot apply to you as long as you stand opposed to Him as His enemy. Please ask God for forgiveness and accept Him as the Lord of your life. But if you are saved today and fighting for peace, fall into the grace of God. Forgive yourself, forgive others and ask God to repair and remake the damage done. You may never see healing on this earth in certain situations, but once we all get to Heaven, all truth will be known. We will see everything that we couldn't say right, we'll see the love that's been hidden behind scars and lies. We will be healed. Praise God, we will be whole.
Please pray for the Ladies Bible study to begin next Thursday here. We will be studying "Lies Women Believe and The Truth That Sets Them Free" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I can't wait! Pray for the ladies who will come to be set free of the lies and bondage that holds them captive.
Thank you for supporting me and praying with me. By the way, the drug dealers that lived across the street from me and tormented the kids have been evicted and not seen since. Praise God for answered prayers!
To God Be The Glory!
Jamie
The Next Door Bible Study met yesterday and we studied Genesis 19-the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Although some things are very unpleasant to even discuss we have to know what God's opinion is which is why we have a Bible. Our world today is just about the polar opposite of what God expects of mankind. It was an interesting time.
One question from the discussion text came from Lot's wife looking back just as she was instructed not to do. She met her end that day. We discussed the problem with starting on the right road and looking back to sin. What makes us turn back? Some of the answers are that we miss the sin-it's fun for the moment. We may have a fear of the unknown, even when it's God leading. Maybe it's rebellion because we are forced to do something we aren't ready to do or don't want to do even if it may save our life. Whatever the case, there is a time that comes when God will turn mankind over to their desires which will destroy them, "For the wages of sin is death" Romans 6:23 and "For although they knew God they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-Who is forever praised. Amen." Romans 1:21-25.
We discussed the fact that we do not understand the extent of our decisions. We don't understand the good that God can do through one obedient person, one example is Abram who became Abraham. He had much less of God's word and fewer demonstrations of God's great love and yet he trusted God.
We also do not understand the extent of our decision to sin and the Pandora's Box that opens. The sin that is so fun at the moment can lead to permanent damage done. Sodom and Gomorrah's sin and judgement literally, according to the Bible (Genesis 13:10) changed the landscape of the land. Our sin can change the landscape of our lives. A person addicted to drugs can break an entire family. A spouse's affair can leave children in a single parent home. Gambling can cause families to lose everything. The list goes on and on. Sin has an unquenchable appetite, there is no bottom to the pit, no cap on the limit and if we persist in it, God will allow the sin the destroy us.
BUT GOD, I love those words, in His wisdom, knew we needed grace and it is just a prayer away. When we are faced with the consequences of our sin we have a God who is just waiting for us to admit our failure and ask for forgiveness which He promises to give. Because God cannot lie, because He is truth, He will forgive. What an amazing God we serve! That knowledge comforts me when nothing else can. The Creator of all, who knows me far better than anyone ever could, than anyone will ever know me; who placed every hair on my head knew every sin I have committed, would commit, and will commit in the future and died for me anyway. He saw value in this unformed, spark of an idea and made me His own handiwork, His poem, according to Ephesians. I didn't then and don't now deserve it. It's all because of His grace. I am so thankful for His grace. He did the same the day He saved you, too.
I don't know where you are in your walk today. I don't even know if you are saved-that you have a relationship with Jesus Christ. If you don't, please understand that these promises of God cannot apply to you as long as you stand opposed to Him as His enemy. Please ask God for forgiveness and accept Him as the Lord of your life. But if you are saved today and fighting for peace, fall into the grace of God. Forgive yourself, forgive others and ask God to repair and remake the damage done. You may never see healing on this earth in certain situations, but once we all get to Heaven, all truth will be known. We will see everything that we couldn't say right, we'll see the love that's been hidden behind scars and lies. We will be healed. Praise God, we will be whole.
Please pray for the Ladies Bible study to begin next Thursday here. We will be studying "Lies Women Believe and The Truth That Sets Them Free" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I can't wait! Pray for the ladies who will come to be set free of the lies and bondage that holds them captive.
Thank you for supporting me and praying with me. By the way, the drug dealers that lived across the street from me and tormented the kids have been evicted and not seen since. Praise God for answered prayers!
To God Be The Glory!
Jamie
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