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Knowing Him and Trusting in His Love and Goodness

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Yesterday my niece and her husband lost their 10 month old baby girl.  In our grieving the Lord impressed upon me the words He spoke to me several years ago; “Your kingdom walk is in your knows and what you speculate about I will bring to your knowing when you need to know it.”  We cannot understand why we suffer such tragic loss in our life, but we know our Lord and that He is with us and we must rest in what we know in Him.  My wife Sherry felt impressed to write the following concerning the loss of little sweet Cate. I am posting these words because I believe they may be a salve to open wounds and a heavenly perspective for those suffering their own loss. This is the Facebook post she made:

“I by no means have been appointed official spokesperson by my wonderful family.  No one even knew I would post, nor did I know I would be posting anything on Facebook today.  The Lord has been dealing with my heart as Scott and I have been praying for sweet Brittany, Lane, Olivia and Ava, Kenny, Rhonda, Hayley (the most amazing Aunt in the world) and the entire Thompson, Baker and Roberts families.  I would first like to say that we love and appreciate everyone so much for your prayers and words of encouragement.  Where would we be without the Lord, and where would we be without all of you rallying around us so lovingly and prayerfully at the sorrowful passing of our beloved Baby Cate.  Cate was truly a precious gift from the Lord, as are all of our children.  As James says in scripture, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”  Baby Cate is a perfect gift that we have been so blessed to love and cherish and will continue to love and cherish as we remember her sweetness and beautiful face full of smiles.  Can anyone explain why things like this happen?  I sure cannot, and I will not try.  What the Lord has been dealing with me about is to trust who He is and know that there is no variation or shadow of turning with Him.  He is good all the time, His mercies are new every morning, His love and faithfulness is great and everlasting,  and there is nowhere we can go nor any pain we can go through that He does not cherish us and hold us in the palm of His hand.  We do mourn, as right now, Brittany and Lane would love nothing more than to have their little family together again, but we do not mourn as those who have no hope.  Our hope is in you Lord and the promise that we will see you, Cate and all of our loved ones in you again.  As you tell us in Isaiah, it is you, Lord, who gives us a crown of beauty instead of ashes and the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.  We will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.  If you do not know this wonderful loving Jesus we serve, you can.  Please seek Him today with your whole heart, and He will meet you right where you are.  We love you all.”

God Bless you, and thank you Lord for allowing us to have each other and the precious gift of our time with baby Cate. We are grateful she is with you and we will be with her again because of you Lord.

 

Contend for Christ in Your Thoughts

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The Lord has been putting on my heart the issue of our thought life.  Our thoughts reveal our heart.

Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV) For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…….

If entertaining evil thoughts precede and lead to the action of sin, conversely entertaining Godly thoughts lead to the action of love and confidence in the kingdom truths which leads to our kingdom walk.  Thoughts are not ours until we agree with them.  When we agree with heavenly inspired thoughts we produce Christ in us, while thoughts of worry, bitterness and strife produce despair.

Philippians 4:8 tells us:

[Meditate on These Things] Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

In any vacuum of heavenly thoughts the seeds of despair are being sown.  We must sow seed of life and life more abundantly.  Our own intimacy with the Lord is increased as a result of our heavenly thought life, the choice to cast down ungodly thoughts and rest in what we know in Him. Our heart is the soil for His word and we can prepare our soil to grow the goodness of Christ in us by choosing a heavenly thought life.

Entertaining wrong thoughts birthed the sin we were washed clean from, but we still have to contend for holiness.  We must align our thought life with Christ to be overcomers and eliminate the distractions which hinder our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and cause us to fall short of walking in a pure gospel of Christ.

Renewing our mind is essential to believe the truth of Christ to the point of trust and obedience when our natural reasoning may bring a thought or conclusion in conflict with the word of God.

Romans 12:2  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

My Prayer for you:

Dear Father in heaven, I ask you in Jesus name to quicken to our spirit the thoughts which are not yours and the desire to cast them down, to live in the truth of your word and your hope.  May our hearts be purified so that we release pure love in which the world will see Jesus Christ in everything we say and expression of our behavior and choices.  Amen.

COMPROMISE – THE SILENT KILLER

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COMPROMISE – THE SILENT KILLER

 

 

Revelation 22:18–19 (AMP)

18 I [personally solemnly] warn everyone who listens to the statements of the prophecy [the predictions and the consolations and admonitions pertaining to them] in this book: If anyone shall add anything to them, God will add and lay upon him the plagues (the afflictions and the calamities) that are recorded and described in this book. 

19 And if anyone cancels or takes away from the statements of the book of this prophecy [these predictions relating to Christ’s kingdom and its speedy triumph, together with the consolations and admonitions or warnings pertaining to them], God will cancel and take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the city of holiness (purity and hallowedness), which are described and promised in this book.

 

 

 

 

One of the greatest strongholds is compromise.  The word of God is not controversial in itself because the Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever.  People are controversial because they conform the word around their life rather than the way, truth and life of Christ Jesus.  Let the Word of God be true and every man a liar.  If we are not careful we will go by our own beliefs rather than seeking the Lord and His Word.  I often hear people make statements where there is reproof that they don’t believe.  We must seek the Lord and not our own beliefs.

 

John 14:6 (AMP)

6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.

 

Romans 3:4 (AMP)

4 By no means! Let God be found true though every human being is false and a liar, as it is written, That You may be justified and shown to be upright in what You say, and prevail when You are judged [by sinful men]. [Ps. 51:4.]

 

If it is controversial it is subject to compromise.  Jesus did not walk in compromise He walked in TRUTH for He is Truth!  He did not use the Word of God selectively for His own benefit taking scripture out of context or sugar coating it to make it more palatable. 

 

I have heard Christians make statements such as “The Holy Spirit affirms my identity”.  While that appeal to the fallen man and flesh it is not the truth.  The Holy Spirit affirms who Christ is in us.  Jesus did not die to become like us He died as us, so we could become like Him reconciling us back to our created value and image!  The Holy Spirit does not conform to man it conforms to Christ Jesus by conviction of sin leading us to repentance, holiness and sanctification.  

 

Genesis 1:27 (AMP)

27 So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. [Col. 3:9, 10; James 3:8, 9.]

 

When we remove any virtue of Christ Jesus such as HIS righteousness and truth we are left with a false and perverted love.  One that conforms to our liking and not who Christ Jesus is.  We are called to be lovers of Christ Jesus, The Word of God and to hunger and thirst for His righteousness.  

 

Matthew 5:6 (AMP)

6 Blessed and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God enjoys His favor and salvation) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), for they shall be completely satisfied! [Isa. 55:1, 2.]

 

 

 

To be true to your word is to have integrity.  God is true to His word and promises and while heaven and earth may pass the Word of God is forever.  We must partner with the promises and truth of the Word of God and with Jesus.  We must not compromise by picking and choosing what to believe.  We must embrace, trust and believe in the whole council of God and all of His Word not using partiality or picking and choosing what suits us.  Your freedom is not a natural freedom it is a spiritual freedom.  Jesus never promised life would be easy He said He overcame the world and we too could overcome the world abiding in Christ Jesus.

 

I have heard people embrace the Grace of God while denying the Power and Sovereignty of God and His resurrection power.  Ridiculous statements like he or she has only been save a few years, how can they know or discern.  Salvation is not subject to time, it is a confession of the heart and believing in faith that Jesus died on the cross on our behalf and was resurrected on our behalf bearing our sins and death to our sinful nature.  Sanctification and holiness is a continued working process of the Grace of God in our hearts renewing our minds and conforming us to the image and likeness of Christ Jesus.

 

When we compare our spirituality to other professing believers we take our eyes of the Lord and allow jealousy, pride, strife and gossip to come into our hearts.  Your “calling and gifting” is yours, mine is mine.  We are called to work together embracing one anothers gifts and callings to equip and edify the saints.  

 

Ephesians 4:12 (AMP)

12 His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ’s body (the church),

 

 

 

When you compromise you also compromise the spiritual well being and eternal life of those around you.  Humans seek humans for approval and it is easy to fall victim to compromise when you need, desire and seek approval from others regarding what the Lord God has spoken to you and called you to do.  

 

Those that hear the Lord’s voice don’t seek second opinions from man they seek quiet time with the Lord to walk in the Lord’s perfect will and timing.  God has a perfect time for everything and does not rule by hope, chance or wishes. Every Word of God will come to pass.  The question is will you parter with all of His truth, Word and promises in the fullness of your heart with total commitment standing on the Word and promises of God.

 

Don’t let emotions rule your thoughts and perceptions lead you astray.  Seek the Lord and the truth of His Word standing firm partnering with truth.  The Holy Spirit leads to all truth and is not capable of lying.  

 

John 16:13 (AMP)

13 But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].

 

 

Father I pray that if there are any lies which have become false truths in my life that you expose them now.  Father bring light where there is darkness.  Bring truth where there is deception.  Father I thank you that you never change and that you are true to your Word.  Father help me to partner with your truth and promises.  Help me to be bold in your truth, standing in your truth and speaking in your truth.  Father I thank you that you are not a God of compromise but of completion.  Father help me to partner with your promises and truth.  Father create in me a pure heart with a passion and hunger for your truth and righteousness.  Father create in me a pure and humble heart, for those with a pure heart shall see God.  I ask this in Jesus name.  

 

Matthew 5:8 (AMP)

8 Blessed (happy, enviably fortunate, and spiritually prosperous—possessing the happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace, regardless of their outward conditions) are the pure in heart, for they shall see God! [Ps. 24:3, 4.]