Category Archives: Trusting Jesus

Joy Of The Lord??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #318

27 Monday Jan 2025

Posted by in 'Come unto me, A Call To Look Unto Jesus!, A heart of faith, Abiding IN Jesus or the World?, Jesus IS Lord--bow before Him!, Jesus is our peace, Jesus IS The Gift!, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Jesus Knows YOUR Storm, Jesus Never Fails, Jesus Saves!, Jesus--our all in all, Jesus-Wonderful Counselor, Joy Is Contagious!, Joy of The Lord!, Joy To The World?, SIN, Sin IS the issue, Trusting God, Trusting Jesus, Tuned In To Jesus, Turn to God's Word, Victorious Living, Victory IN Jesus!, Walking by Faith or Sight?, Walking With Jesus, Well Done Thou good and faithful servant!, What's coming out of your heart., What's coming out of YOUR mouth?, Where your treasure is--Your heart is!, Who's in your heart?, Whole Earth Is Filled with HIS Glory, Whose Side Are You On?, YOU Can do ALL things through Jesus

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Joy Of The Lord???      A Word from THE WORD!!! #318

“And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha,

and Ezra the priest the scribe,

and the Levites that taught the people,

said unto all the people,

This day is holy unto the LORD your God;

mourn not, nor weep.

For all the people wept,

when they heard the words of the law

10 Then he said unto them,

Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet,

and send portions unto them

for whom nothing is prepared:

for this day is holy unto our Lord:

neither be ye sorry;

for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying,

Hold your peace,

for the day is holy;

neither be ye grieved.”  Nehemiah 8:9-11

While many of us are familiar with part of this passage, “the joy of the LORD is your strength”, the context is often overlooked, and that is what I want to share briefly with you this morning.

We do have an assured “joy of the LORD” and what Nehemiah, Ezra and the other leaders of Israel/Judah who had returned to Jerusalem after the 70-years in Babylon, wanted to remind the people of was that their toil in rebuilding was to be a holy encouragement to them!  They were weeping and experiencing great grief over the loss of Solomon’s temple because of their sin.  And while we can go back and read Ezra and Nehemiah in their totality and see that the people still had issues with sin,  their leaders were calling them in this passage to rejoice in The Lord and what He has done for them in this return!

Many of us have suffered through the rubble of life and there are times that the grief is overwhelming when we see the results and consequences of our sinful, selfish, fleshly choices!  But when we have repented of our sin and failure before our God, we can get up and press on in this “joy of the LORD” which truly “is your strength”!  God has made it clear in His Word that when we repent—He will forgive.  John makes this clear in his first letter.

“If we say that we have fellowship with him,

and walk in darkness,

we lie,

and do not the truth:

7 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.

10 If we say that we have not sinned,

we make him a liar,

and his word is not in us.

2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you,

that ye sin not.

And if any man sin,

we have an advocate with the Father,

Jesus Christ the righteous:

2 And he is the propitiation for our sins:

and not for ours only,

but also for the sins

of the whole world.”  1 John 1:6-2:2

In closing I just want to encourage you and myself to remember that God says what He means, and He means what He says; and when we come to Jesus in repentance and faith in His substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for our sin, we can be born again to new life in Jesus, and forgiveness of our sins.  But what so many of us forget, is that we are continuing to walk in a sinful world, and it does rub off on us—yet we have

“an advocate with the Father,

Jesus Christ the righteous:

2 And he is the propitiation for our sins:

and not for ours only,

but also for the sins

of the whole world”!

So, the question is one we all have to answer; have I been born again and received Jesus’ payment of my sin debt.  I’ll leave you with a couple of passages that make it simple and true.

“For all have sinned,

and come short

of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23

“For the wages of sin is death;

but the gift of God is eternal life

through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Romans 6:23

I pray that you will find and grow in Jesus’ knowing that “the joy of the LORD is your strength”!

Amen and Amen!!!

Trusting With Confidence??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #314

14 Tuesday Jan 2025

Posted by in 'Come unto me, A Call To Look Unto Jesus!, A heart of faith, Armor of God, Believe God?, Believe IN Jesus, Believing God's Words, Jesus Saves!, Jesus SinLESS Son of God, Stand Fast!, Still Will I Trust HIM, Storms, Study to Show Yourself Approved Unto God, Trials, Troubles, Trust, Trust God, Trusting God, Trusting Jesus, Trusting Jesus?, Truth is True

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Trusting With Confidence???      A Word from THE WORD!!! #314

I’m a bit late posting this week, but as I’ll be out of pocket for the rest of this week, I wanted to share some thoughts with you; not new thoughts, but things that I need reminding of every day, and thought maybe you would be blessed by the same reminders. This year has already been challenging, with the release of my book, and juggling orders, mailing, taxes, and keeping things straight and done in a timely manner, but God in His heaven hasn’t left the throne and I know that my confidence is in HIM not myself, and maybe you feel the same way.  But remember, as I am often known to remind those around me, “We Win!”

“And I heard as it were

the voice of a great multitude,

and as the voice

of many waters,

and as the voice

of mighty thunderings, saying,

Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”   Revelation 19:6

God is still God, God is still good, and I still trust Him!  How about you?  Have you let the strife, conflicts, confusion, and just plain old weariness beat you down? Just take a breath, look up and rest in the assurance that “the Lord God omnipotent reigneth”; put on some uplifting praise music (for me that’s the good old Southern Gospel that I was raised on) whatever lifts your heart, soul and mind upwards, then just breathe in the air that God is still supplying.  Put on that armor of God as Paul instructs us in Ephesians 6:10-19 (be sure and commit this to memory and then you can put it on every morning before you face the world—it truly helps!) and go out with confidence in your Lord!  And if Jesus isn’t your Lord yet, He can be if you will but come to Him in faith in His substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for your sin, repenting of your sin and receiving His forgiveness and saving grace!  His amazing grace!!!  (See Ephesians 2:8-10)

“Trust in the LORD

with all thine heart;

and lean not

unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways

acknowledge him,

and he shall

direct thy paths.

7 Be not wise

in thine own eyes:

fear the LORD,

and depart from evil.

8 It shall be health to thy navel,

and marrow to thy bones.”  Proverbs 3:5-8

And in Jesus’ own words, remember, He cares for His own.

“Then said Jesus unto them again,

Verily, verily, I say unto you,

I am the door of the sheep.

8 All that ever came before me

are thieves and robbers:

but the sheep did not hear them.

9 I am the door:

by me if any man enter in,

he shall be saved,

and shall go in and out,

and find pasture.

10 The thief cometh not,

but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:

I am come that they might have life,

and that they might have it more abundantly.

11 I am the good shepherd:

the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

12 But he that is an hireling,

and not the shepherd,

whose own the sheep are not,

seeth the wolf coming,

and leaveth the sheep,

and fleeth:

and the wolf catcheth them,

and scattereth the sheep.

13 The hireling fleeth,

because he is an hireling,

and careth not for the sheep.

14 I am the good shepherd,

and know my sheep,

and am known of mine.

15 As the Father knoweth me,

even so know I the Father:

and I lay down my life for the sheep.”   John 10:7-15

Jesus paid the ultimate price for our salvation, and He is able to save, keep and deliver us into His Kingdom!  You can trust to His care, no matter the trials that face you; no matter the confusion that Satan may through at you; no matter the discouragement that may assail you, remember Jesus is the Risen Savior.  We can be victorious in all things through Him.

And Paul’s great reminder to the believers in the church at Corinth is still true for us today. We can withstand “in the evil day”!

“But thanks be to God,

which giveth us the victory

through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren,

be ye stedfast,

unmoveable,

always abounding

in the work of the Lord,

forasmuch as ye know

that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”                                1 Corinthians 15:57-58

Amen and Amen!!!

A Friday Destination??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #265

27 Friday Sep 2024

Posted by in Choices And Consequences, Choose Wisely, Choosing Jesus or The World?, Christ IN YOU, Seek ye first The Kingdom of God, seizing Jesus, Trust God, Trusting God, Trusting Jesus

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 A Friday Destination???    A Word from THE WORD!!! #265

What value do we place on success?  Define success?  I think Jesus gives us the greatest commentary on not only our destination, but our journey along the way.  So many today are missing the joy of the journey because they can’t see past the goal!  As believers in Jesus, we have a call, and I simply want to share Jesus’ simple but profound message of truth for us today—for us all—every day!

“No man can serve two masters:

for either he will hate the one,

and love the other;

or else he will hold to the one,

and despise the other.

Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

25 Therefore I say unto you,

Take no thought for your life,

what ye shall eat,

or what ye shall drink;

nor yet for your body,

what ye shall put on.

Is not the life

more than meat,

and the body

than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air:

for they sow not,

neither do they reap,

nor gather into barns;

yet your heavenly Father

feedeth them.

Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought

can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment?

Consider the lilies of the field,

how they grow;

they toil not,

neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you,

That even Solomon in all his glory

was not arrayed like one of these.”   Matthew 6:24-29

As the old cowboy movies used to say, we can speak “with forked tongue”!  Western speak for lie!  But how many of us not only lie with our tongue, but we are walking a forked road!  And while we won’t look at it today Matthew 7, goes on to remind us that we must choose either the “broad way which leads to destruction” or the “straight gate which leads to life”; and as it goes on to tell us, there is a difference between the “many” and the “few”!  Read Matthew 7 and see the contrasts that Jesus makes about roads, and foundations, and fruit.  While I post it often, I’ll leave it to you to check out for yourself today and we’ll go on with chapter 6.

Please don’t miss what Jesus says about the flowers of the field; He said that Solomon, the wealthiest man to ever live, couldn’t clothe himself in more beauty than God clothed the lilies with!  Wow!  What are you focused on?  Jesus isn’t saying that we aren’t to take care of physical and material needs, but He is telling us to choose wisely where we are attempting to go, and what we want to find when we get there.  Jesus had more to say; let’s take a look at it.

“Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field,

which to day is,

and to morrow is cast into the oven,

shall he not much more clothe you,

O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying,

What shall we eat?

or, What shall we drink?

or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things

do the Gentiles seek:)

for your heavenly Father knoweth

that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first

the kingdom of God,

and his righteousness;

and all these things

shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought

for the morrow:

for the morrow

shall take thought for the things of itself.

Sufficient unto the day

is the evil thereof.”  Matthew 6:30-34

I’m not saying I am always living in a way that is seeking “first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” but, my friends, it is my top priority, and Jesus and Father God have never failed me yet!  And I know He never will.  We are called to be faithful stewards of what God entrusts to us as we work (which He also calls us to do) to be faithful servants of our King, seeking HIS Kingdom and righteousness!  As Jesus said, “your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things…”!

Are you struggling with a need?  Are you questioning what and where God wants you to be?  Get into His Word and He will reveal to you what His kingdom work is and as you grow in His righteousness, you will find peace, joy and fulfillment in His provision and direction.  Here’s a good place to start!  Be blessed my friends as you walk on God’s path, you will find life!

“Trust in the LORD, and

do good;

so shalt thou dwell in the land,

and verily thou shalt be fed.

4 Delight thyself also in the LORD;

and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

5 Commit thy way unto the LORD;

trust also in him;

and he shall bring it to pass.

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness

as the light,

and thy judgment

as the noonday.

7 Rest in the LORD,

and wait patiently for him:

fret not thyself

because of him who prospereth in his way,

because of the man who bringeth wicked devices

to pass.

8 Cease from anger,

and forsake wrath:

fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

9 For evildoers shall be cut off:

but those that wait upon the LORD,

they shall inherit the earth.” Psalm 37:3-9

All this because of God’s gracious salvation; provided by His Son’s substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for our sin on a cross.  Blessings on your day my friends.

Amen and Amen!!!

A Friday Prayer of Praise??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #262

20 Friday Sep 2024

Posted by in Abiding In Jesus, Abiding In The Vine, Creator, Creator of ALL, Jesus IS Lord--bow before Him!, Praise Encourages our Heart, Praise God Today!, PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!, Press ON!, Search me O God?, Seasonal or Steadfast?, Thankful, True Friendship, Trust, Trusting God, Trusting Jesus, Truth, Try yourselves

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 A Friday Prayer of Praise???  A Word from THE WORD!!! #262

“I will praise thee;

for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:

marvellous are thy works;

and that my soul knoweth right well.

15 My substance was not hid from thee,

when I was made in secret,

and curiously wrought

in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Thine eyes did see my substance,

yet being unperfect;

and in thy book all my members were written,

which in continuance were fashioned,

when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me,

O God!

how great is the sum of them!

18 If I should count them,

they are more in number than the sand:

when I awake,

I am still with thee.

19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God:

depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.

20 For they speak against thee wickedly,

and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

21 Do not I hate them, O LORD,

that hate thee?

and am not I grieved with those

that rise up against thee?

22 I hate them with perfect hatred:

I count them mine enemies.”  Psalm 139:14-22

This Psalm of David is an amazing account of David’s recognition of the creator of all things, including us!  How often we forget that we are God’s creation, even as David reminds us in the 100th Psalm:

“Know ye that the LORD he is God:

it is he that hath made us,

and not we ourselves…”. Psalm 100:3a

As David rehearses the wonder of man’s creation and the worth of our God, not just because of what He does, but because of Who He Is!  Even as Paul told the Corinthian believers—because we are so apt to forget in our pride and arrogance as human beings—even as born-again human beings we can be distracted by our own flesh (and of course Satan is right there handing us the fuel!)

“Not that we are sufficient

of ourselves

to think any thing

as of ourselves;

but our sufficiency is of God;” 2 Corinthians 3:5

Jesus said it Himself as He spent the last hours of His life teaching His followers truth; even knowing that they wouldn’t get it until much later!  After His death, burial and resurrection they not only got it, but shared it unto their death.  And many of them died martyr’s deaths!

“I am the true vine,

and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me

that beareth not fruit he taketh away:

and every branch that beareth fruit,

he purgeth it,

that it may bring forth more fruit.

3 Now ye are clean

through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4 Abide in me,

and I in you.

As the branch

cannot bear fruit of itself,

except it abide in the vine;

 no more can ye,

except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine,

ye are the branches:

He that abideth in me,

and I in him,

the same bringeth forth much fruit:

for without me

ye can do nothing.”  John 15:1-5

The bottom line is relatively simple—we must abide in Jesus, praising Him through thick or thin, happy or sad, simple or difficult—for we are the sheep of His pasture.  I am His and He is mine—and He has never failed me!  Ever!!!  This brings us back to the ending of Psalm 139, a prayer that I pray often, and encourage you to pray it, memorize it (if you haven’t already) and ask God to bring it to your heart as often as necessary!  May our hearts be drawn to The Master!

“Search me, O God,

and know my heart:

try me,

and know my thoughts:

24 And see

if there be any wicked way in me,

and lead me

in the way everlasting.”  Psalm 139:23-24

Amen and Amen!!!

Mindset Matters??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #261

18 Wednesday Sep 2024

Posted by in Daniel Prayed--Will You?, Daniel's choices, Dare To Be Different!, Mindset on Jesus!, Trusting God, Trusting Jesus, Truth is True, Tuned In To Jesus, Turn to God's Word

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Mindset Matters???  A Word from THE WORD!!! #261

“But Daniel

purposed in his heart

that he would not defile himself

with the portion of the king’s meat,

 nor with the wine which he drank:

therefore he requested

of the prince of the eunuchs

that he might not defile himself.”  Daniel 1:8

Our mindset matters, because as a quote from Mahatma Ghandi (among others who made similar statements, he seems to have been one of the first) says:

“Watch your thoughts,

they become words;

watch your words,

they become actions;

watch your actions,

they become habits;

watch your habits,

they become character;

watch your character,

for it becomes your destiny.”

Daniel had made up his mind because his heart was purposed on God’s Word and His ways!  Yet, Daniel and his friends were never arrogant or demanding, they had respect and worked through the powers that were over them.  And they could do that because ultimately their confidence was in their God—chapter three confirms this as Daniel’s three friends face the fiery furnace.  For you see, they had made their mind up long before this incident—in verse 8 of chapter 1!

“Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear

the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery,

and dulcimer,

and all kinds of musick,

ye fall down and worship the image

which I have made; well:

but if ye worship not,

ye shall be cast the same hour

 into the midst of a burning fiery furnace;

and who is that God

that shall deliver you out of my hands?

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered

and said to the king,

O Nebuchadnezzar,

we are not careful to answer thee

in this matter.

17 If it be so, our God

whom we serve

is able to deliver us

from the burning fiery furnace,

and he will deliver us out of thine hand,

O king.

18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king,

that we will not serve thy gods,

nor worship the golden image

which thou hast set up.

19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury,

and the form of his visage was changed

against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego:

therefore he spake,

and commanded that they should heat the furnace

one seven times more

than it was wont to be heated.” Daniel 3:15-19

The result of their faithful commitment to their God was not only miraculous but gave glory to their God!  Yet the glory only came when they were willing to trust their God to bring them through the fire, or out of it on the other side!  What are you trusting God with?  Or are you trying to do everything yourself?  Even this furious king saw what their God could do, when they were delivered “in the fire”!

“Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said,

Blessed be the God

of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,

who hath sent his angel,

and delivered his servants

that trusted in him,

and have changed the king’s word,

and yielded their bodies,

that they might not

serve

nor worship

any god,

except their own God.” Daniel 3:28

What are you worshipping?  Where are your time, energies and devotion going?  What does your speech and actions reveal about you and your “god”?

Paul had some very wise counsel for us, and I find it worthy of continual consideration.  May it speak to us today and may each of us draw nearer to our God rather than this world.  May we consider the things that Paul reminds us of and choose wisely in our daily walk.  May we be found to be devoted to the God we claim to love and serve?

“Wherefore putting away lying,

speak every man truth with his neighbour:

for we are members one of another.

26 Be ye angry, and sin not:

let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

27 Neither give place to the devil.

28 Let him that stole

steal no more:

but rather let him labour,

working with his hands the thing which is good,

that he may have to give to him that needeth.

29 Let no corrupt communication

proceed out of your mouth,

 but that which is good

to the use of edifying,

that it may minister grace

unto the hearers.

30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God,

whereby ye are sealed

unto the day of redemption.

31 Let all

bitterness,

and wrath,

and anger,

and clamour,

and evil speaking,

be put away from you,

with all malice:” Ephesians 4:25-31

Oh, that our speech and behavior would reflect the power of God that saves and keeps us!  This flesh is a constant pull against the things of God, we must be like Daniel and make up our mind and our heart to “not defile” ourselves!  Others may throw mud, but we must remain faithful to our God who is ever working to make us into the “image of His Son”!  (See Romans 8:28-29)

May we be faithful testaments of the transforming grace and salvation that Jesus bought with His own blood!  That we would spread holiness, joy and peace not corruption!

“Be not deceived:

evil communications

corrupt good manners.

34 Awake to righteousness,

and sin not;” 1 Corinthians 15:33-34a

Let’s follow Daniel’s and his friend’s example and keep a holy mindset rather than a worldly one!  It shows!  It matters!!!

Amen and Amen!!!