Sunday, June 21, 2009

Happy Father's Day to all You Dads Out There!

Good morning!
I want to encourage everyone, ESPECIALLY, ALL you fathers out there to turn your hearts to the one MAIN Father, which is our Heavenly Father, our Lord in Heaven. He reigns over all and is the Father of ALL TIME! Trust in HIM today. What better gift to give to your family, than to tell them that you have been SAVED by Jesus today!
What better gift could you give your DADs today than to tell him that YOU accepted Jesus as your own personal Savior!
Have a wonderful and blessing-filled day today!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Woe to Those Who Don't Obey...

...very scary words huh? Well, I've been reading in 1 Kings Chapter 13 and a prophet of GOD didn't obey the Lord's every word and HE(the prophet of GOD) was killed by a lion(along with his donkey) and wasn't allowed to be buried with his fathers in their personal burial place.
Our church is going through some mighty changes. Changes that most feel is from our Lord and God Almighty. I feel that if we do NOT heed the advice of our church leaders and try to follow God's word to the 't', something might happen to our own church/body. I think God will 'put up with' only so much not obeying Him, and then He takes care of the problem one way or another(however HE sees fit). I have been praying for our little church and will continue to do so. I will pray that we ALWAYS seek God's will in ALL we do and that we do so willingly and with a heart of gratitude for all that He has done for us thus far.
If you haven't read 1 Kings, I strongly recommend it. Super stories from Solomon to David his son and where I'm currently at, David's son, Jeroboam. It's amazing to me how much power/control/persuasiveness one man NOT of God can actually have and that is NOT a good thing. THAT is why it is so very important that we(as believers) get ourselves ground in The Word of God so that we will be able to distinguish between the wheat and the shaft........the good and the bad/evil........the Truth and the Non Truth.
It's a scary time we live in and the only way to get through each day is to be faithful to our Lord in Heaven. Keep not only our mortal ears open, but our God-given Spirit as well. Our Spirit that dwells within us is like a conscience for us. It WILL help/guide us through confusing AND trying times IF we will only listen AND obey as good as we are able.
May God bless you all and have a wonderful blessing-filled day!
Got this quote from a lady who's in a Stampin' Up! Yahoo group and thought it was too good to not share:

Quote of the Day

"The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it."
– John Ruskin

Thursday, May 7, 2009

"The Shack"

I have been reading a neat little book called, "The Shack" by Wm. Paul Young. This book is different to say the very least. The main character has a HUGE loss and goes to 'the shack' from an invitation from 'Papa'(God). There he meets the trinity and what a unique way this author has presented them.
Just thought I'd share if anyone likes different 'out-takes' on or Lord. :)

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Do You EVER Have Doubts?

THAT is the question for the day and lemme tell ya, I DO and alot of times. Something I'm NOT very proud of either. When I/we have doubts, then that shows our lack of faith and/or trust in God and HIS love, power, grace and many others.
How does God feel when we doubt Him?
Think about it. How do WE feel when someone doubts us about ANYthing?
Do ya think God feels much differently than we do? I seriously 'doubt' it(pun intended).
I was listening to the radio last night on the way to bowl and heard something so neat. The pastor(and his name escapes me...sorry) was talking about our faith in God and he stated the verse that says...."if we had the faith of a grain of mustard seed....we could move a mountain." He said that it ISN't really a matter of OUR faith so much as our putting God's will above all else. He said that SIZE of faith isn't an issue because look how small a tiny mustard seed is BUT look at what it grows into...a GIANT Oak.
If we were to ALWAYS put God first no matter what the issue may or may not be and NOT rely on US....we could also 'move a mountain' or grow into a mighty oaktree. We tend to have faith(or know/accept) that God CAN do all things....even through US....what we tend to forget or slack on is the totally turning it over to HIS WILL and KNOWING within ourselves that HE is in control and it's gonna be just fine(even without OUR help).
Trust and Faith work together...I personally don't feel you can have one without the other.
My goal beginning this week is to start TRUSTING God with all things involving me to the point that before long when things happen, I will automatically have FAITH that HE will take care of me and(Praise God!!) He IS in control!
God bless you and let's ALL work on our Faith!!

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Deflection; It's All YOU, God

We had TWO marvelous and so inspiring msgs. today from our pastor, Brother Stan. This morning's msg. had soooo many wonderful points but I want to keep your attention here so you'll continue reading and even onto tonight's awesome msg. as well. I will try to be brief :)
QUESTION FOR YOU:
Is Christ your most treasured possession?
GET IT RIGHT and TODAY---RIGHT NOW!
Trust God as your Savior!
If you ARE a believer, then you know that being a Christian, does NOT guarantee a "trouble-free" life, tho there are those who may think along these lines(possibly non-believers).
What keeps Christians strong(or should anyways) is that GOD IS GREATER. Our salvation has very little to do with US and is all about God.
IF we strive to the best of our ability(we 'do it' God's way in other words), we can and WILL succeed in ALL we endevor. We NEED to realize and FAST that the cross(meaning Christ's sacrifice) is sufficient--Christ IS enough.
Verses I STRONGLY encourage you to study/read: Romans 8:3-4 and Ephesians 2:1-10
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Our p.m. msg. had a totally different 'flavor' if you will than this morning's msg. but was no less powerful nor meaningful.
Brother Stan read the entire passage written by David in Psalm 27. He also quoted from Psalm 73:26(read all of these for some 'enlightening' news and wonderfully inspiring reading!
TO OVERCOME FEAR WHILE HERE ON EARTH...we should:
1) Gain CONFIDENCE(in God)
2) PRAISE(God)
3) Have OBEDIENCE(to God)
4) Get CLOSE TO HIS WORD/TEACHING(Bible)
If we can do the above 4 mentioned, we will gain an INNER PEACE beyond all recognition.
Remember the verse that states, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall NOT WANT"?
God IS our LIGHT and SALVATION.
ALWAYS strive to seek God's presence ALWAYS----We should ALL make that our life's goal!
Can the God we know and love take care of us?
You bet He can AND will however He needs to!!
The TIGHTER we cling to God, the less worries/strife/hopelessness we have in this old world and our worldly flesh ties.
Joshua 1 states for us to ...'be strong and corageous'.
God IS good AND all the time.....IF we keep our faith, honor, praise to HIM, then HE in turn, will keep HIS promises to us!
Thank-You, Lord for sending Jesus to die on that old tree(cross) for me as I was a sinner so NOT worthy of YOUR Love and Grace!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Exerts...

I've been reading(yet again--makes my 2nd time!) the "Left Behind" series of books by two GREAT authors, Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins and the following are some wonderful exerts from Book #5 called, "Apollyon, The Destroyer is Unleashed". I hope you enjoy them AND will consider getting this marvelous set of books describing End Times along with MANY Bible quotes to back up what the authors say.
1) page 275
"...a picture of the sad fact that sin and rebellion have their consequences. There are scars. ...the effects of sin linger. "
It also states that if we receive Christ, God has redeemed US! AND we stand perfect in heaven's sight.
2) page 276
"...we see that evil is on the rise. Much as the world system tries to downplay it, our society has seen catastrophic rises in drug abuse, sexual immorality, murder, theft, demon worship, and idolatry."
This IS definitely true in our society RIGHT NOW!
and 3) page 276
"..with the apostle Paul I urge you to 'be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the sheild of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one(devil)."
Leaving you now with MUCH to contemplate and think about :)
Don't forget about the HUGE and FUN Easter Egg hunt tomorrow at Kemp City Park beginning at 10 a.m.!! Hope to see ya'll there!!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Easter Egg Hunt!

In case you don't know, we (Hillcrest in Kemp) is having a BIG Easter Egg Hunt along with others in the Kemp City Park this coming Saturday. There will be hot dogs and drinks and of course, plenty of eggs for the kiddos to hunt! IF you wish to help(Hillcrest folks), please meet at the park at 9:30 A.M. AND the festivities will begin at 10:00 A.M.
Hope to see ya there!
Bible verse for today is found in:
Ephesians 1:15-23

Monday, April 6, 2009

God is Good...

.... all the time. All the time......
God IS good! We used to say that ALOT in our church and it was said with excitement because we knew that our God IS good and He IS good ALL the time!
Sometimes I tend to forget just how good God really is. Do you? Do we tend to take ALOT of circumstances for granted and not give credit where credit is due and that's to God??? Think about it. Every little AND big circumstance or happening or event or whatever you wish to call it comes from God. What's so totally AMAZING to me is the fact that He knows it's gonna happen already(before the fact)! He knows the outcome and only He has the reasons(that count!) for all the WHYS. We need to trust Him totally with all our heart/soul/mind and love and show love....it says in the Bible to EVEN love our ENEMIES!!! Probably they need our love more than ever! I'm gonna make it a point this week to work on showing God's love(let it shine through me) to others that I MAYbe wouldn't normally show love to and just see what happens! I'll betcha GOOD things will happen.
ACTUALLY, I think I may try to see how MANY of the fruit of the Spirit I can show to my fellow friends and folks I don't know this week.
Do you know what the fruit(s) of the Spirit are? Also, didja notice that LOVE is listed FIRST??
OK, for those who do NOT know they can be found in Galations 5:22-23 and they are:
1) LOVE
2) Joy
3) Peace
4) Patience
5) Kindness
6) Goodness
7) Faithfulness
8) Gentleness
9) Self-Control
How many can YOU be successful with this week???
God bless and have a great Monday(and YES, that IS possible!! ;)

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Build a Boat

Today, we live in a broken, fallen, and sinful world. It's not much different than the world in which Noah lived in hundreds of years ago back when God told him to 'build a boat' and he(that would be Noah) did. I found out today that the name, Noah, means comfort or relief. When he was born, his father, Lamech was 182 years old. wow! I don't think I'd LIKE to be having kids at THAT age :) Read in Genesis 5:29 to find out why he named his son, Noah.
God was very unhappy(and that's putting it very mild) with the state of the world that He'd created. So he came up with a cure for this broken world in the form of Noah(who had found favor in the eyes of the Lord)...to build a boat....a BIG boat. Because He(God) was gonna flood the entire earth killing every living person and creature/living being except for Noah and his family.
Of course, God DID promise(by way of a sign...the rainbow) that He would NEVER destroy the earth in that manner again. But the flood did take care of the problem............for awhile anyways....but we are all sinners and come short...way short thus bringing me back to my very first statement....
Today's cure is the cross/Jesus Christ. Jesus redeemed us of the curse by becoming the curse/taking ALL sin on Himself. Read John 14....I am the way, the truth, the life---no man comes to the Father except through me...meaning Jesus.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Obeying God...How Hard IS THAT??

Well, I've decided to TRY to write down my various thoughts, feelings, etc here....my 'musings' as a servant to my Lord and Savior.
Have you ever really thought about how hard(or easy) it is to obey God? I have and for me, it's pretty darn hard. Don't get me wrong, not ALL of the time, just some of the time. I feel alot like Paul when he says something like the harder he tries, the worse it becomes or is to do right(that is a Kathy paraphrase). I feel just like that alot of the time. It seems like I WANT to do good/right....I even TRY very hard and then something(the devil) comes along and bites me right in the behind
It seems that humans have ingrained in them to WANT to please SOMEone from the get-go. We have parents, teachers, friends, bosses, spouses....we want them to be proud of us, don't we??? I know I did AND still do! BUT as I was sitting here tonight 'musing' on this.....I realized that the ONLY one who I really need to please is God! AND, if I listen to Him with my heart and spirit and then obey(or try to the best of my ability) I WILL be pleasing to Him. Yea!!
BUT, the flip-side of this is it's actually EASIER to NOT listen or obey God. The devil and all his counter-parts do all within their power(and don't be deceived, the devil has much control on this earth(for a season it IS his time) to basically make our lives miserable. It's up to us if they succeed or not; just as it's our choice and ours alone if we obey God.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Today's the First Day....

...of the rest of your life. Sound familiar? Ya know, I am not even sure WHO said that, but I've remembered it :)
Hello there!
My name is Kathy and I am a humble servant of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I felt the Holy Spirit tugging on my heart to do SOMEthing worthwhile...to have a place so I can type my thoughts and YOU can read and comment on them if you'd like :)
I am planning on having a daily Bible Verse and also just various 'musings' concerning my life as a Christian. I am so far from perfect(which is how some folks think/figure we Christians are supposed to be), it's not EVEN funny....BUT I have a real LOVE for Christ AND a BIG zest for life.
I'm 52, NEARLY 53 years of age and have been raised in church most of my young AND adult life. Does THAT make me a Christian? Does THAT make me a good person? and Will THAT guarantee me a ticket to Heaven?
NO....No...and No!
What DOES make me a Christian is God's Grace. Pure and simple! Too easy you say? You betcha! BUT, by Jesus love and blood He shed on the tree(cross) I was and AM forgiven! Praise His Holy Name!
You've probably read and re-read over and over again John 3:16. I have and every time I read it, I cry like a baby.
We are coming upon Easter. Do you know the real importance of Easter? Easter is when Jesus rose from the grave after 3 days of being dead. Do you know that He spent those 3 days in HELL for YOU and for ME???? When he died on that old cross, He took on EVERY single sin you, me, him, her...EVERYone had---HAS---and WILL HAVE.....Lemme tell ya, it was soooo horrible that even God HIMself had to turn away. He could not LOOK at sin(and at that point in time, Jesus had our sins).
If you don't know Jesus as I do. My Lord and Savior, please seek within your heart. Admit that you are a sinner and fall short of the glory of God. Ask for forgiveness and yes, God is so forgiving that NOTHING you do or have done cannot be forgiven by Him!!
It's just THAT easy too! Just follow these steps:
1) Admit you're a sinner....(read Romans 3:23 and also Romans 6:23)
Ask for forgiveness...repent or turn away from your sin(read Acts 3:19 and also 1 John 1:9)
2) Believe and KNOW in your heart that Jesus is God's Son and accept God's GIFT of forgiveness of your sins(read Romans 5:8; Acts 4:12; John 3:16; John 14:6; Ephesians 2:8-9 and John 1:11-13)
3) THEN, confess that you have faith in Jesus and believe that He IS your Lord and Savior(read Romans 10:9-10 and also verse 13)

Know that your sins are forgiven as far as east is from west.......
which brings us to today's daily Bible verse which is found in:
Psalm 103:12

Rejoice in the Lord!
Praise His Holy Name!
Thank-You, Jesus!
Amen!!