Category Archives: A Call To Look Unto Jesus!

His Grace IS Sufficient??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #189

23 Friday Feb 2024

Posted by in A Call To Look Unto Jesus!, A Father's Love, A heart of faith, God Knows, God of all comfort!, God sees your tears--sorrow is ok!, God's Faithfulness, God's grace is sufficient...always!, God's love, God's Mercies Are New every morning..., Grace, JESUS, Jesus is our peace, Jesus Knows, Jesus Knows YOUR Storm, Jesus Never Fails, Jesus Wept--You can too!, Jesus--our all in all

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His Grace IS Sufficient??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #189

I want to share a word of encouragement and a reminder that we are loved and cared for by our Great God, The Almighty God of all creation, and His Son Jesus Christ, who died willingly to provide salvation and deliverance for those who come to Him.  As Paul reveals to us, no matter the opposition that comes against us, our God is sufficient to provide all that we need.  HIS grace IS sufficient, when we come to HIM for help, rather that complain, moan, or try to fix it ourselves, or plead with God to remove the pain.  Paul gives us an amazing testimony of his experience in such a situation.  Take heart my friend—we win, IN Jesus!

“For though I would desire to glory,

I shall not be a fool;

for I will say the truth:

but now I forbear,

lest any man should think of me

above that which he seeth me to be,

or that he heareth of me.

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure

through the abundance of the revelations,

there was given to me a thorn in the flesh,

the messenger of Satan to buffet me,

lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice,

that it might depart from me.

9 And he said unto me,

My grace is sufficient for thee:

for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

Most gladly therefore will I rather glory

in my infirmities,

that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure

in infirmities,

in reproaches,

in necessities,

in persecutions,

in distresses

for Christ’s sake:

for when I am weak,

then am I strong.”   2 Corinthians 12:6-10

Jesus also wanted us to understand that following Him wouldn’t always be a ‘piece of cake’, but rather we would be in a seemingly continual warfare with the enemy of mankind, especially those who belong to Jesus by repentance and faith!  Yet in Jesus we can have victory, hope, peace and even joy “unspeakable and full of glory” (See 1 Peter 1:8).  What a mighty, mighty, God we serve—don’t give up, give in, or lose heart dear one—We Win!

“These things I command you,

that ye love one another.

18 If the world hate you,

ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

19 If ye were of the world,

the world would love his own:

but because ye are not of the world,

but I have chosen you out of the world,

therefore the world hateth you.

20 Remember the word that I said unto you,

The servant is not greater than his lord.

If they have persecuted me,

they will also persecute you;

if they have kept my saying,

they will keep yours also.

21 But all these things will they do unto you

for my name’s sake,

because they know not him that sent me.”   John 15:17-21

We must stop expecting the enemy to show his true colors, or to act like something he isn’t!  Yet in the midst of the conflict going on around us, we can have complete victory in our Lord Jesus. One of the greatest examples that Jesus gave to us, is a difficult one, yet one that we must pursue!

“And when they were come to the place,

which is called Calvary,

there they crucified him,

and the malefactors,

one on the right hand,

and the other on the left.

34 Then said Jesus,

Father, forgive them;

for they know not what they do.

And they parted his raiment,

and cast lots.

35 And the people stood beholding.

And the rulers also with them derided him, saying,

He saved others;

let him save himself,

if he be Christ,

the chosen of God.

36 And the soldiers also mocked him,

coming to him,

and offering him vinegar,

37 And saying,

If thou be the king of the Jews,

save thyself.”  Luke 23:33-37

Remember that apart from the saving grace of Jesus’ blood sacrifice we would all be doomed, yet in Jesus we can find forgiveness, victory, and restoration.  If He could raise the dead (who would sadly die again), heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and speech to the dumb, raise from the dead Himself to never die again that we might have eternal life IN HIM, then my friend HE can supply all the grace that you need; just come to HIM in repentance and faith in His substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for sin!  Today!  Even if you’re a believer already, run to His cross, it’s a place of safety, love, forgiveness, cleansing and LOVE!

“Seeing then that we have a great high priest,

that is passed into the heavens,

Jesus the Son of God,

 let us hold fast our profession.

15 For we have not an high priest

which cannot be touched

with the feeling of our infirmities;

but was in all points tempted like as we are,

yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly

unto the throne of grace,

that we may obtain mercy,

and find grace to help

in time of need.”  Hebrews 4:14-16

So my friends, may we draw closer to our King, knowing that the throne room is always open to us.  It’s never too late or too early to “come boldly” (boldness in coming, but not arrogance to expect to dictate to our God—there is a difference–) to our King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to ask for His help in our times of need!  He never fails!

“Let your conversation be without covetousness;

and be content with such things as ye have:

for he hath said,

I will never leave thee,

nor forsake thee.

6 So that we may boldly say,

The Lord is my helper,

and I will not fear

what man shall do unto me.”  Hebrews 13:5-6

Amen and Amen, remembering what Peter reminds us of:

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”   1 Peter 5:7

The News Ain’t NEW??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #186

16 Friday Feb 2024

Posted by in A Call To Look Unto Jesus!, A Father's Love, A Form of godliness?, A Witness--Good or Bad???, Advice for the journey, All Sufficient God!, Almost But Lost, Amazing Grace, Good News, Gospel, Nothing New, Now is the time...., One Day Too Late?, Perilous Times Are Here, Perseverance

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The News Ain’t NEW??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #186

“The thing that hath been,

it is that which shall be;

and that which is done

is that which shall be done:

and there is no new thing under the sun.

10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said,

See, this is new?

it hath been

already of old time,

which was before us.”  Ecclesiastes 1:9-10

Just as Solomon reminded us in his wisdom, there is “no new thing under the sun”, we can go all the way back to Cain, who hated his brother because his brother followed and obeyed God and His truth, but Cain did it “his own way”, and became so angry when God rebuked him for it, that he rose up and killed his innocent and righteous brother—and my friends, it is still going on today.  The wicked rise us and accuse, persecute, and even kill God’s own, don’t be surprised or deceived thinking that we are immune.  As Paul said, “in the last days perilous time will come”, and my friend they’re here, we’re there, and we must draw near to Jesus that we may be able to “withstand in the evil day”!  Are you standing true?

“By faith

Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice

than Cain,

by which he obtained witness

that he was righteous,

God testifying of his gifts:

and by it he being dead

yet speaketh.”  Hebrews 11:4

Abel not only offered an acceptable sacrifice, but his righteousness spoke even after he was dead.  When we live for Jesus and have HIS righteousness applied to our heart and life, the world will see Jesus in and through our witness of His saving, transforming grace.  The question is, what do others see in me now, while I’m alive?  May we ever pursue His righteousness and reveal it to the world, knowing that it isn’t of me, but Him.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ,

he is a new creature:

old things are passed away;

behold, all things are become new.

18 And all things are of God,

who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,

and hath given to us

the ministry of reconciliation;

19 To wit,

that God was in Christ,

reconciling the world unto himself,

not imputing their trespasses unto them;

and hath committed unto us

the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,

as though God did beseech you by us:

we pray you in Christ’s stead,

be ye reconciled to God.

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us,

who knew no sin;

that we might be made the righteousness of God

in him.”  2 Corinthians 5:17-21

I pray that we will heed the Word of God, and His Spirit speaking its truth to our heart and pressing us on to bring glory to God and draw others to the cross of Jesus, and His saving, cleaning blood.

“But if we walk in the light,

as he is in the light,

we have fellowship one with another,

and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son

cleanseth us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin,

we deceive ourselves,

and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins,

he is faithful and just

to forgive us our sins,

and to cleanse us

from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:7-9

And lest we forget that we are called to examine ourselves to be sure that we truly belong to Jesus, the words of The Lord Jesus will remind us, that the foundation matters—if our faith isn’t built on the blood of the corner stone, the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”, or if we aren’t sure, we need to seek God’s face and ask Him to reveal our own heart to us.

“Wherefore by their fruits

ye shall know them.

21 Not every one that saith unto me,

Lord, Lord,

shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;

but he that doeth

the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day,

Lord, Lord,

have we not prophesied in thy name?

and in thy name have cast out devils?

and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them,

I never knew you:

depart from me,

ye that work iniquity.”  Matthew 7:20-23

The “news” isn’t new, but just as it was back in the garden, the “liar” of all time (“that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world”, See Revelation 12:9) is still lying and deceiving people, and if we miss Jesus, we’ve missed it all.  It doesn’t matter what your “sin” is, what matters is that you see your sin as sin, repent, and trust to and believe in Jesus’ substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for your sin and mine on the cross!  That my friends IS the GOOD NEWS!    Come to Him today, or if you’re His already, live what you say you believe and possess!

“I am

crucified with Christ:

nevertheless I live;

yet not I,

but Christ liveth in me:

and the life which I now live in the flesh

I live by the faith of the Son of God,

who loved me,

and gave himself for me.”  Galatians 2:20

 It’s all about what Jesus did for me, how can I do less than give my all to Him, live for Him and stand for Him and His Word!

Amen and Amen!!!

Popular Or Particular??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #184

11 Sunday Feb 2024

Posted by in 'Come unto me, A Call To Look Unto Jesus!, A Form of godliness?, Hear ye HIM!, Hearing God, Heaven or Hell?, Hell's Real, Holy Living, Lead them to Jesus., Leading Or Mis-Leading?, Let You Light So Shine, Living by Faith or Entertainment?, Living Right, Living TODAY!

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Popular Or Particular??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #184

Or we could say, “Kids Matter”!  What do these three things have in common?  Well, simply put, we can lead, teach, and encourage our children to be particular in their life choices, or we can fail to regard the import of our call to instruct, direct and teach our children the ways of God, leading by our example or teach them that popularity is the ultimate goal.  It breaks my heart when I see parents more concerned with their child’s popularity than with teaching then the biblical foundations of truth.  It’s the curse of our culture—be the “idol”, the “star”, the “lone ranger” or whatever will put them in the “spotlight”!  How sad that it seems we have lost sight of the greater goal to help our children become godly, productive men and women of God making a difference in a world gone crazy.

We need to overcome the old adage of, “Do what I say, not what I do”, and lead our children to the cross not “Hellywood” and its culture!  Scripture is replete with warnings, instructions, and the call to be what God wants us to be, not what the enemy of our souls dangles in front of our children (and the adults too).  It seems that we have slept through God’s warnings in scripture.

“Love not the world,

neither the things that are in the world.

If any man love the world,

the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world,

the lust of the flesh,

and the lust of the eyes,

and the pride of life,

is not of the Father,

but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away,

and the lust thereof:

but he that doeth the will of God

abideth for ever.”  1 John 2:15-17

When we determine to live for Jesus, by His power, His might and His wisdom, the world will not like it.  How is that so many who claim the name of Jesus have no desire to follow Him.

“Behold, what manner of love the Father

hath bestowed upon us,

that we should be called the sons of God:

therefore the world knoweth us not,

because it knew him not.

2 Beloved now are we the sons of God,

and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:

but we know that, when he shall appear,

we shall be like him;

for we shall see him

as he is.

3 And every man that hath this hope in him

purifieth himself,

even as he is pure.”  1 John 3:1-3

Are we God’s children?  How?  It’s a work of grace and truth– Jesus, who saves us by repentance and faith in His substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for sin—my sin and yours!

“He was in the world,

and the world was made by him,

and the world knew him not.

11 He came unto his own,

and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him,

to them gave he power

to become the sons of God,

even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born,

not of blood,

nor of the will of the flesh,

nor of the will of man,

but of God.”  John 1:10-13 

It’s the same “new birth” that Jesus referred to in John chapter 3, when he told Nicodemus, “ye must be born again”!  Yet so many claim to belong to Jesus, but their lives match the world not The King of Kings!  We need to consider the words of James and examine our life to see where our allegiance lies—with Jesus or with the world.  Whose child are you?  The behavior will tell the tale, let’s determine to make our “lights shine for Jesus not the Devil”!

“Ye lust,

and have not:

ye kill,

and desire to have,

and cannot obtain:

ye fight and war,

yet ye have not,

because ye ask not.

3 Ye ask,

and receive not,

because ye ask amiss,

that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses,

know ye not that the friendship of the world

is enmity with God?

whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world

is the enemy of God.

5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain,

The spirit that dwelleth in us

lusteth to envy?

6 But he giveth more grace.

Wherefore he saith,

God resisteth the proud,

but giveth grace unto the humble.

 7 Submit yourselves therefore

to God.

Resist the devil,

and he will flee from you.

8 Draw nigh to God,

and he will draw nigh to you.

Cleanse your hands,

ye sinners;

and purify your hearts,

ye double minded.”  James 4:2-8

May we truly “Draw nigh to God” that He will “draw nigh to you”; seeking to know God’s will and His ways and leading our children and grandchildren to the cross and not the pit of hell.  I don’t mean to be blunt, but time is short, and our children are going to hell in a handbasket, often because we have failed to show them the “crucified life” and the Redeemer who died for their sin!  Let’s lead them to the cross and not the world—only the cross provides real life.  Do we really believe that?  I do! It’s your choice but choose wisely, there is a test.

“I am crucified with Christ:

nevertheless I live;

yet not I,

but Christ liveth in me:

and the life which I now live in the flesh

I live by the faith of the Son of God,

who loved me,

and gave himself for me.”  Galatians 2:20

Will we stand up for the gospel in this day of compromise that others may see Jesus in us?

“For it is written,

As I live, saith the Lord,

every knee shall bow to me,

and every tongue shall confess to God.

12 So then every one of us

shall give account of himself to God.”   Romans 14:11-12

Amen and Amen!!!

He may come today!  Are you ready?

Knowing The Faithful Shepherd??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #183

09 Friday Feb 2024

Posted by in 'Come unto me, A Call To Look Unto Jesus!, Abiding In Jesus, Advice for the journey, Are You Ready, Are you ready for Jesus' return?, Assurance IN GOD!, Blessings from the Psalms, Born Again, Christ IN YOU, Green pastures, Peace, Peace of God, The fourth man in the FIRE!, The Lord Is My Shepherd, The Love of God, The Only Way, The Same Yesterday

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Knowing The Faithful Shepherd? A Word from THE WORD!!! #183

As I sit here writing this morning, my heart is full of God’s grace, but at the same time it aches for the pain of loss.  A good friend will be laid to rest today; another good friend is ministering to her family as they bid farewell to their father.  When you reach my age, seeing your friends and loved ones leave this world seems to be a “state of affairs”; the question is, have I told you about Jesus?  Do you know “The Shepherd”?  I’ve told my husband lately that I’m beginning to feel like I have the plague, as all my friends are seemingly dropping like flies, and I wonder, “Is it me?”  But we all know that as scripture says:

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die,

but after this the judgment:” Hebrews 9:27

So I simply want to ask you, “Do you know Jesus, The Great Shepherd”?  Are you prepared to leave?  He is waiting for you if you don’t.  And if you have come to Him in repentance and faith in HIS substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for your sin and mine, then you can boldly say “HE IS my shepherd”!  May you be encouraged, refreshed, and assured of His presence, power and protection as you walk today in this crazy world.

“The LORD

is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down

in green pastures:

he leadeth me

beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth

my soul:

he leadeth me

in the paths of righteousness

for his name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk

through the valley

of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil:

for thou art with me;

thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest

a table before me

in the presence of mine enemies:

thou anointest

my head with oil;

my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy

shall follow me

all the days of my life:

and I will dwell

in the house of the LORD

for ever.”  Psalm 23:1-6

Oh, I pray that you know this precious Shepherd, and that if you don’t you will run to Him today!  Calvary was, is and ever shall be a place of salvation, redemption, and transformation, as well as a place of life, love, and peace.  May you find the restoration that He gives as your hope for the journey.  He has comforted me in sorrow, He has lifted me when I fell flat, He has made the way clear with the path was blocked by spiritual boulders, He has never failed, and He never will!  I praise Him and thank Him even right now for the comfort that heals the broken heart; even though its pain is often recurring, HE never fails to touch the pain and bring unexpressable relief for each moment of pain!  May you know the blessed peace of JESUS today!

“Jesus Christ

the same yesterday,

and to day,

 and for ever.”  Hebrews 13:8

Amen and Amen!!!