Category: salvation

Friends

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24)

Do you have a friend that will stick by you even in your worst times? That’s the kind of friend this scripture is talking about. Proverbs 18:23-19:4, talks about friends & companions. How some, the majority rather only stay close by as long as your fortune is good; in bad times, they disappear. I’ve experienced both as I am sure you have to. I believe that is just life. Take the good with the bad. Though I am very pleased to say, I do have a few select friends that resemble this verse above, I am blessed.

The Bible describes true friendship as a steadfast, loving covenant. Loyalty, speaking truth in love, and offering mutual support in times of hardship. True friendship is NOT a one-way street. Friends should encourage one another, be uplifting when your down, helping us keep our character in tact, when we are losing our whole mind and about to make a huge mistake. Boy, the times I can thank a friend for that one. A loyal friend will love you at all times, no facade needed, they know you and they love you, that simple. They stand by you and have your back when others are attacking you from behind. They are there no matter what the season is that you are in. Of course I personally have not experienced this one, but I hear it on the news a lot, the friend that will lay down his life for you. Give it up to our men and women in blue that every day go out and put their lives on the line for each of us. That is the ultimate example of friendship, laying down one’s life for others, as modeled by Jesus Himself. John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” We have a friend in Jesus, unlike any other friend out there. The Apostle Paul in Galatians 2:20 talks about his personal relationship with Christ Jesus, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. You can have that same relationship that Paul speaks of by saying this simple prayer.

I believe that you Jesus died on the cross for me and rose from the dead. I ask you right now to come into my life and to forgive me of my sins. Help me Lord to live a life pleasing to you. Thank you Jesus, for laying down your life for mine. Amen

I have a friend in Jesus! Now you do to.

Half-Minded Living

And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? (Matthew 6:27)

Max Lucado is one of my all time favorite authors. I love to read his books and listen to him teach, he just seems to speak my language. I don’t get rid of books I have read very often, mainly because I write in them, I take notes on things that really stick out to me and later I go back and re-read them. Well, this is one of those books, I’m about to share something he said about worry. He used two words; “whaddifs” and” howells.” Here are a couple examples of what those two words look like in a sentence. “Whaddif it rains at my wedding?” Whaddif after all my dieting, they learn that lettuce is fattening and chocolate isn’t?” “Howell I know when to discipline my kids?” “Howell we pay for our baby’s tuition?” Like I said he uses my language. Worry really does empty us of tomorrow’s strength. Worry divides the mind. The biblical word for worry (merimnao) is a compound of two Greek words, merizo (“to divide”) and nous (“the mind”). Anxiety splits our energy between today’s priorities and tomorrow’s problems. Part of our mind is on the now and the rest of it is on the not yet. That’s half-minded living.

Let’s look at it from another aspect, what else does worry cause? Worry of itself is not a disease, but it causes diseases. High blood pressure, heart trouble, migraine headaches, thyroid malfunctions and a whole slew of stomach disorders. Worry has NEVER brightened a day, solved a problem, or cured a disease, yet here’s your transparency moment with Deb …GUILTY on all accounts of worry. I know one of my biggest health issues comes from just that worrying and your probably thinking, “If you know that why are you doing it?” Good question, I’m still asking myself that to. This is just another area of life I am trying to hand over to Jesus, laying it at His feet and letting Him carry the burden. It takes practice, like anything we are trying to learn in life, practice is required. I can’t think of anything I have done in life that was a true accomplishment the very first time I tried. Thank God, that He is patient. He wants us free of anything that is keeping us from living our best life. Worry doesn’t have to be one of those things hindering my best life or yours, keep surrendering it until one day victory is yours/mine. By the way the photo in the blog hangs on my bedroom wall, I see it everyday, multiple times. I love how God is constantly ministering to me while writing these blogs. Time with Him is so rewarding, I am learning and receiving so much while sharing with y’all. To God be all the glory.

A Generous God

“He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.” (Matt. 5:45)

I have four Doodles and they must have been reading the same book as this dog in the picture. I absolutely love my little fur-family, heck I bred Mama and helped her deliver 15 babies. I now have Mom, Dad, one of the daughters and one of the sons and let me tell you, Mom and her daughter Miss Pearl Jean can be mischievous. When I take one of the boys out for the day and the girls get left at home or if I am gone a little longer on a day trip then what they think I should have been, it is surprize time for me when I return. They have eaten my socks, a shoe, found goodies that I left for us up on the bar, heck they have even been known to eat a whole pecan pie and make it look like the dish was never touched. They are good at being bad. Nevertheless they know when it gets treat time, they will be getting one to.

God is universally generous. He does provide earthly, physical blessings like success or good weather, but true blessings come only through repentance. God will ultimately separate those who are doing evil from those seeking righteousness. Psalm 37:1-2: “Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.”

Though God does love sinners and does bless them, His ultimate blessing is restored relationship with Him. Romans 5:8: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Being blessed isn’t always about money or material wealth, it’s about spiritual well-being, inner peace, and eternal reward. If you want a true blessing get right in your relationship with God, not worldly success. Proverbs 13:21: “Trouble pursues the sinner, but the righteous are rewarded with good things.”

Summary: People doing bad things may receive material blessings an enjoy them for a while in this life, but that doesn’t mean God approves of their behavior. Just because I give the girls treats when the boys get one, doesn’t mean I approved of them eating my sock or pie, I’m just being generous and reaffirming my love for them. For us, the ultimate fate of the wicked/wrongdoings is separation from God. He created us and He loves us, that is why He made a way for us to leave our old ways, our sinful ways and be reunited with Him through His Son Jesus Christ, God is full of blessings of all kinds, and we can be His family FOREVER all it takes is repentance and confession. Here is a prayer you can pray that you may be reunited with the Father.

God, I confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in my heart that you raised Him from the dead. Through my confession I am saved. I ask that you to forgive me of my sins and wash me clean, make me new. Thank you Lord for loving me, receiving me and giving me life everlasting, I now belong to you, Amen.

All Have Sinned

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)

Understand, there are NO perfect people, EVERYONE has sin or has sinned and we are all in need of a Savior!

God looks at sin differently than we do. We have a tendency to see sin as; big sin, small sin, Not that bad, really bad. I just told a little white lie at least I’m not like So & So, God will forgive me. God sees sin as a serious transgression that separates us from Him, disobedience and not holding up to the standard He set before us, sin is sin and that’s that. Sin separates us from God, because God is holy, He cannot tolerate sin because it destroys the lives of His creation/us, this is a spiritual death. He loves us so much even in our worst of worst kind of sin He still gives us a way to be redeemed from the destruction of our sins. He says, “If we will confess our sins, turn away from them, and accept Christ, He promises that He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.

It’s time we quit letting sin dominate our lives, it is possible to live a holy life. Will we ever be perfect? No, but why not do what you can to be the best you can? If God is willing to provide us a way out through faith in Jesus, why not take it? It’s a free gift, who doesn’t like gifts? Underserved gifts at that. I know I don’t deserve what Jesus did for me on that cross, but He did it and that is my gift from Him. Have you ever tried to give a gift to someone and they refused it? Maybe they were hesitant about receiving it because they didn’t feel they deserved it. Do you remember how that made you feel, the giver of the gift? Maybe you didn’t have the extra cash to get the gift so you sacrificed something else so you could afford it. Maybe you made this person something, it came straight from your heart. When I think about all that Jesus went through, so that I could receive His gift, it literally tore me up inside when I realized one day that I wasn’t receiving it because I didn’t think I was worthy of it and how that had to make him feel. Like He didn’t do enough, maybe He should have suffered a little more, then I would have felt worthy of the gift. Seriously y’all? Get rid of the pride. Again, I didn’t deserve it, you don’t deserve it, but guess what? He wants you and I to have it, and though it doesn’t cost us a thing, it cost Him everything He had. I get that we have a sin nature, but we also have saving grace. I feel like I know that better than anyone. My sins have been more than I could bear so I am grateful for the gift and you should be to. I honestly don’t know what this new thing is God is doing in me, there seems to be new boldness rising up in me that I never had before. Maybe it’s because we are getting closer to Jesus returning or maybe it’s just me getting closer to going to be with Him. Whatever the reason, there seems to be an urgency within me to get the message across to everyone I can, that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). Y’all whatever your sin is, it’s not worth it, let it go, let Jesus redeem you from it, take the gift.

Faith Born Out of Fear

“Lord if it is you ….tell me to come to you on the water” (Matt. 14:28)

Peter feared what he saw on the water he thought it was a ghost, but when Jesus called out to Peter to come to Him, Peter answered Him, “Lord if it is really you, command me to come to you on the water.” So he got out of the boat, walked on the water and came to Jesus. Immediately after that he saw the wind and out of fear, (no longer in faith) he began to sink, calling out, “Jesus save me.” When Peter heard the voice of Jesus calling him, then in faith he got out of the boat; through faith he believed he could walk on water, it wasn’t until fear came back that he lost his faith. How many times in life do we fear things? I know for myself I have feared failure, loneliness, making mistakes. What if this person ends up not liking me? How will I ever recover from a bad decision I have made? What if; this, that or the other thing? But you know what? There were some pretty bold disciples in the Bible that had some honest terror in their lives, feared death and persecution, but when Jesus calls us, He also equips us to be able to do whatever it is we are called to. I have heard God’s voice speaking directly to me, not audibly, but in my spirit and out of fear I have not responded to Him. I have also heard His voice and took that leap of faith and said, YES here I am, I’m on my way, Okay, whatever you say, I trust You. Staying in faith seems to be my biggest problem, just like Peter, once he took his eyes of Jesus his faith became weak and he began to sink. God doesn’t ever reveal things to me that He hasn’t already equipped me to be successful at. The problem is I put my faith in me instead of Him, seeing what I can do, not what He can do through me. Noah had never even seen rain before, referencing (Gen.2:5-6), yet he did what God told him to do, that is some kind of faith y’all. How can we receive Jesus as our Savior who we have never seen only heard about, yet not believe God when He calls us to something that He says He has prepared for us, or already done for us, etc. What kind of faith are we standing on? There are so many promises in the Bible yet we have a tendency to only believe some of the truth. When I think about my salvation, I think that has got to be the MOST faith a person could have. Especially living in my day and age, reading a Book that is 2000 years old and more. I never lived any of the stories in the Bible, yet I believe them. As a child I received salvation partially out of fear, fear of the unknown, what “if”? Today, I know my salvation is real, I’ve come to know my Creator and I have witnessed Him personally, His promises in my life have become reality. Faith that was once born out of fear, is now Faith unshakable.

Is Your Mouth Saved?

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)

How many times in life have you said things then you pray, “if only I could take that back?”

It’s not really a mouth problem, it’s a heart problem. I have to ask God daily to search me, know my heart ….see if there is any offensive way in me. That’s scriptural y’all. If we are going to start speaking right we are going to need to examine our heart, what’s in there? Is it deep-seated roots of bitterness? I’ve had to do some up-rooting in that area. Maybe hidden sin, sin your not even aware of that is why we ask God to reveal things to us. I have battled with the unknown cause of things time and time again, then suddenly, God reveals something I had forgotten all about and in a moment of repentance everything changes. God wants to purify our hearts so when we speak, out of the mouth flows issues of life. Life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Our words are either building up or destroying, either bringing encouragement or inflicting harm and shaping destinies. I have caused so much damage in my own life due to words I have spoken, all because of the issues of my heart. That’s where the scripture verse says, “they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof,” that’s the consequences of what you say, it will eventually return to you. You know our speech reflects our internal character to. I’ve been guilty of having the character of speaking death into my own life as well as other people by, gossiping, encouraging fear by speaking possibilities of something happening “what IF?,” I have even created conflicts in relationship due to words I have spoken. These are not things I am proud of, but seriously I write in transparency. As I always say, “I am a sinner in need of a Savior.” Thank you Jesus for saving me, and yes my mouth needs saving to. I do speak life as well. I try to encourage people just like in writing the breadandwater blog or Encouraging Each Other Facebook Group my friend and I have had for the past 5 plus years. I have gotten better about speaking truth, the Word over people’s lives, building in them a hope for their future or whatever they may be going through at the moment. My husband likes doing little construction projects occasionally and I have watched him use his tools to tear things down then turn around and build something beautiful with those same tools. Words are like tools; either to build people up or a weapon that breaks spirits. So the question here, is our mouth saved? Well I’d say is your heart healthy? Do you have the love of Jesus living in you? Do you even have Jesus in you, first and foremost? If the answer is yes to those questions, then I believe you can have a saved mouth. Like all things in life, it’s a choice. How we speak is a choice. We need to start doing more self-examining, I’m speaking to myself here, just saying. Start discerning the thoughts and intentions of your heart, why you say what you say. Something else I have learned over the past year, it that it is always better to respond versus react. Response can sometimes be silent. Reaction can lead to words that may cause regret. I have experienced enough regret to last a lifetime and again. Final word for today …

Shalom

Life is a Gamble …Unless

Whatever one sows, that he will also reap (Gal.6:7)

Yesterday I was at church and my Pastor was speaking about the power of a purposeful life. Blessings and curses. Seeds being sown. Sowing seed in a famine. This past week I felt as though my life was heading into a season of famine. There just seemed to be death all around me, not physical death, though there have been those as well and several illnesses that looked to be leading in that direction. But emotional, spiritual, relational death. I realize the word famine means the most severe form of hunger crisis, an extreme shortage of food, that brings about death, but I was feeling starved in these other areas of my life. Deprivation; lacking the nourishment my soul needed. I am not a boaster, but I am going to say that my heart is BIG and when depleted it is like poverty in its most extreme way. I reach a place where I don’t see where I have any seeds left to sow. Anything left I must feed to my myself, because I am about to parish, but then I heard my Pastor say, “sow the seed even when your tears are the only watering the seed gets.” I realized at that moment I had to make a choice, I was about to gamble with life or death. I could shrivel up and die inside or I could pray. I had the choice to use the seed of prayer, watered with my tears to see life spring back. It really wasn’t that hard of a decision to make because of my relationship with the Lord. I know how many times in the past He has had to breathe life back into me due to circumstances when I was literally dying inside. Still we see it as a gamble many times trusting, if He will do it this time. When I left the church I knew what I needed to do, what choice I would make, I know what I believe and Who I believe in. Because of what I was feeling, that starvation inside of me, I knew what it would take to replenish and nourish me back to health. I knew the WORD; I will reap a harvest, “IF” I don’t give up (Gal. 6:9). I needed reminded of that Word. I believe there are many people that are gambling with their lives. Some of you are gambling with your eternal life, where you are going to spend it. You haven’t made the choice, your still rolling the dice. Can I just be honest for a minute? Gambling is not the answer EVER. You may have some good days, win Big, but it won’t last. There is only one right choice. Surrender your gambling addiction, trust the One who gave you life. There is no gamble there, it is life or death, so choose life.

God said in Deuteronomy 30:19, “I set before you life and death, blessing and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants will live.”

Stop Gambling

The Circle of Life

And I am sure of this, that he that began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Phil. 1:6)

God is the one who starts the circle of life within us and who promises to complete that work, ensuring the circle is not without purpose. I am looking deeper into the things God has already done in my life, the things He is doing right now and looking forward to the things He will do as I am approaching the end of my circle. I love the fact that He says, He will complete that work. I can know that I will not leave this world unfinished, without purpose of why I was here. Unlike the ferris wheel, just a repetitive loop going round and round, God takes everything in my life, the good and bad and weaves it together to fulfil His ultimate purpose. Again, my circle ends with purpose. The Bible describes the “circle of life”-birth, labor, and death-as a natural, repeating pattern ordained by God. In the circle of life we find hope, through Jesus Christ for an eternal life. The true fulment of God’s purpose, this is the actual completed work, His purpose in all believers. The complete circle of Life is; a life of being born; birth to eternal life on a new earth, that is completion of the circle of life. Wherever you are in your circle, whether beginning, end or somewhere in the middle and you want to finish the complete circle of life, there is a step you must take. In the Gospel of John in the Bible speaks on that. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” That’s full circle y’all. Don’t spend your life like the ferris wheel in that repetitive loop, go the full circle, ask Jesus into your heart and make sure your circle is completed.

Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Now your circle is complete

Huh …I Did Not Know That

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee” (Hosea 4:6)

Talking active rejection here, not ignorance. The passage says, “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you…” (Hosea 4:6). The people of Israel chose to forget God’s law and ignored His teachings, leading to their own destruction. When we reject God’s laws He has the right and ability to keep us from His blessings and protection over us, allowing us to face the consequences of our actions, just as he did with Israel. Good news y’all, if we will enter into an intimate relationship with Him, “Know Him,” that’s knowledge, then we can understand His commandments. We have to put forth effort, we are held responsible for our actions or lack of, so make the effort to learn. Don’t deliberately ignore God’s ways, He gives us commands/rules if you may, to protect us because He loves us and wants good things for us. I have been observing the world around me a lot lately and this is going to sound like something I heard my grandparents say when I was younger, but it is what I am seeing and hearing. Modern society is morally declining. I have been more diligent than ever before in sharing the Gospel message with ALL people. Warning guys!!! the end is only getting closer. Don’t let the lack of knowledge destroy you. Here are three scripture references in the old testament I want to share:(1) “Therefore My people will go into exile for their lack of understanding; their dignitaries are starving and their masses are parched with thirst.” (Isaiah 5:13). (2) “Because they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD…” (Proverbs 1:29) (3) “For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are ‘wise’-in doing evil! But how to do good they know not.” (Jeremiah 4:22) In summary of Hosea 4:6 is a warning that spiritual ignorance-specifically the active rejection of God’s Word-leads to destruction. Words of Encouragement, I’ve got Good News. You can have life; a good life, one with God’s blessings and protection for you and your family, it all begins with a right relationship with Jesus. Being righteous is simply being in right standing in Him. Maybe you like my past self have been uneducated in the things of God and please, like a Pastor I once sat under would say, “don’t hear what I’m not saying;” because I am still a work in progress. Maybe you don’t know what the Bible has to say regarding how you show act, talk, or live your life. You can ask God to help you with that and the other Good News is; “If any lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to EVERYONE generously without rebuke, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). Did you catch that? Wisdom is available to ANYONE. This is the kind wisdom used for navigating through life’s trials and making godly decisions, rather than relying on your thinking and understanding. You matter and the kind of life you live matters. God wants only the BEST for you. Don’t self-destruct.

Steal, Kill, and Destroy

The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

Satan has a mission but Jesus does to. The thief (Satan) seeks to ruin, rob, and kill peace and joy, to wreck a person’s life. While Jesus brings abundant, purposeful life including peace and joy that surpasses understanding and circumstances. Today as God directs me in this message I want you to know this is a very personal message from the Lord to me yet I am to share it. There are a lot of people out here under attack and you like myself need to recognize who your dealing with. This is (spiritual warfare) and it will take God’s word to overcome the attack. Do not let the negativity and earthly fears grow inside of you, instead rise up and get in the Word of God and bring down every stronghold, every thought, bringing it into captivity to obey Christ according to His Word. Use the authority your Father has given you to fight these battles in the way that takes you from being a victim to being victorious. Reminding ourselves the battle has already been won by the blood shed on the cross, but we still have to live in this fallen world until we get to our final resting place and as long as we are here we will face trials and temptations, but His Word tells us that we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:31-39) In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I heard the Spirit of the Lord speaking directly to me as my husband and I were talking and praying, that these attacks were very personal on me, because God had given me a mission, one I had become “INTENTIONAL” about giving my all to what He has called me to. The enemy was and is very unhappy about it so therefore I am being attacked in ways to try to keep me from doing just that. The enemy wants me to feel defeated and give up, but as much as he tries to destroy what the Lord has called me to, all the more strength is given me to be able to battle the storm. Like the eagle I spoke of in an earlier blog this week; Mount up and SOAR, if you have not read it I highly recommend doing so. God is doing a new thing in me, He is given me new strength, that I might fly higher than before. I can only know this because I am in my Bible, reading and believing in His promises to me. No matter the weapon that is being formed against me, it will not prosper (Isa. 54:17) Attacks and trials may arise but they will not succeed in destroying me. They cannot prevail against me for I am under God’s care. Any challenge or adversity will fail to prosper. Every tongue that rises against me in judgement will be condemned. These words are a sign of my faith in God and His Word, the words are meant for encouragement for when the enemy tries to lie to me through whatever his tactic may be. This is my confidence in God’s power as my defender and protector.

You may be reading this and do not have this kind of confidence in the written Word of God, maybe because you have never asked Jesus to be Lord over your life so that you can receive these promises from the Father. These promises are for those who believe, who are children of God. Well the good news is you can, right now. All you need to to do is pray this prayer and the same promises I’m standing on you can to.

Heavenly Father, I come to you in the Name of Jesus. I confess that I am a sinner in need of a savior. I believe that you Jesus died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead. I ask you Jesus, to come into my heart and be Lord over my life, to forgive me of my sins. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9-10)

Now if you just prayed that prayer, you are now a child of God and the promises I’m standing on you can to. If you are already a child of God but have not been relying on His Word for whatever you have been facing in your life, may I suggest today be the day you start. Don’t let the enemy win, you can be victorious by living by faith, confessing scripture over circumstances, and trusting in Christ’s finished work rather than personal strength. Use your spiritual weapons.