My thoughts for the day!

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  YOU ARE BLESSED INDEED!!

  I thought I would share with you today something I penned many years ago. Hope you enjoy this tidbit.

   Quietly I sit, watch raindrops as they come down hitting the ground and racing forward.  Where are they going?

  No where....and no where fast!  They are as life, they begin as simple particles, slowly growing to maturity.  Once they reach maturity they are no longer tiny particles but become a complete drop of rain.

  They all vary in size and they make their descent.

  Some have a long way down, some short, as is life, to some life is short, others it is long.

  Then the raindrop hits the ground and breaks into many tiny particles, joining other drops and form a flow of water.  

   We are as raindrops, grow to maturity, join with family and friends, and "flow" our way.  However, unlike raindrops, we do not shatter and break apart.  We come to an end, yet we continue on, joining bands of angels praising God for eternity.

  God is good.  Thanks for reading. Love y'all. Hope this makes sense to you.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

How do you handle pressure? With or without God?

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!

   Pressure-- when under pressure how do we respond?  Do we stand and fight, do we take flight, or do we shift the blame?

  In the Bible we see this through Adam and Saul, just to mention two that shifted the blame.

  When God asked Adam (after taking of the fruit) "Who told you you were naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat"?

  Adam, under pressure from God shifts the blame to God saying: "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat"?

  So Adam is tossing Eve under the bus, but it was God's fault for giving him the woman.  PASS THE BLAME!

  With Saul, going into battle with the Amalekites was told to slay everyone including all the livestock.  Saul saved the livestock to present an "offering to God".  Samuel told Saul he did not obey. Saul then blamed it on the people saying, "but the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed to sacrifice unto the LORd thy God in Gilgal".   It's the peoples fault.  Passing the blame.

  Samuel tell Saul "rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry".

  Under pressure Saul fell, blamed others.  Hmmm!  Have you ever done this?

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

   How do you stand up under pressure?  Take it or pass the blame.  Don't be a politician, but be a MAN OF GOD!!!

    Thank you for reading with me today. Love you all, stay cool and God bless.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Proverb 16

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  Are you committed to GOD?

  What is commitment?   Commitment is being willing to give your time and energy to something.

   Proverbs 16:3 Commit your works unto the LORD and your thoughts shall be established. 

  So often life gets in the way of commitment.  When we allow the "worldly" things to cause us to sway, our commitment to GOD is dimensioned. verse 7 When a man's ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

  Commitment comes from the heart. verse 9 A man's heart plans his way: but the LORD directs his steps.

   The question here is where is your commitment?  Is it with the LORD; or, only with the LORD on Sundays and maybe Wednesday night? 

   We are not perfect, yet we should strive to be a glowing image and likeness of JESUS, who was perfect.  Perfection will come one day, when we see God, until then we need to strive to let others see more of Jesus and less of ourselves.

  Let me leave you with this from verse 28 of Proverbs 16:  A perverse (contrary or wicked) man sows strife: and a whisperer (gossip) separates best friends.

   Where are you today my friend?  Committed to..........what?  The LORD, your job, your money, your "things", or just what?  Thoughts to meditate on. Love you all. Thank you for reading.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Way maker, miracle worker, light in the darkness, that is who GOD is!!!

 Good morning everyone!  God is good all the time, all the time God is good. TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!

  Do you wake up with a song in your heart?  Then wonder why you were singing that in your mind?

  I woke this morning with this song going through my mind and felt like I needed to share.  If you think about the words, meditate on the words, then I pray, the words will touch your heart.

   Way maker, Miracle worker, promise keeper

Light in the darkness,
That is who you are
Way maker, Miracle worker, promise keeper
Light in the darkness, my God...
That is who you are

  The whole song talks about God moving in our mist, is here with us. God is touching our hearts, turning our lives around, and healing every heart.   Jesus is the answer.

   God is working in even though we don't see him or feel him, HE IS WORKING IN OUR LIVES.

   Take time to listen or sing with the video below.  Thank you for reading today. Love you all.

https://youtu.be/29IxnsqOkmQ?t=30

In Christ's Love and Grace,

Johnny

Have you gone before the LORD and prayed?

 Good morning all!  God is good all the time, all the time God is good!  Have you gone before the LORD and earnestly prayed this morning?

   In 1 Samuel, Hannah is hurting.  She is barren and Elkanah, her husband has another wife, Peninnah, who has children.  Because Hannah is barren she is treated harshly by Peninnah, and not given much by her husband.

  She is desperate and goes to the temple to pray.  Eli, the priest is there, thinks she is drunk and scolds her. She saids she is not drunk but her soul is in sorrow.  Eli tells her that the pray she cast forward will be answered.

  To shorten the story, yes, she became pregnant and dedicated her child, Samuel, to the LORD.

   What did she do in her desperate and hurting time?  She went before the LORD and asked GOD to take away her pain.  There was not an immediate answer, but an answer when God saw it to be.

   Do you, do I take the time to go before the LORD and ask for help in our time of desperation, time of need, time of hurt?  OR, do we try to solve it ourselves?

  How we respond to our fears, our weaknesses, our time of desolation determines the person we are or will become.  Where do you run first?  To God or yourself?

   Often I have the tendency to want to "fix" it myself.  But I am learning to lean on and depend on God more and more.  Just be patient, HE will answer.

Thank you for reading today. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

When/How often/ & where do you commune with God?

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  Clean heart, clean mind, good Godly relationship.

   Today, in my Bible study the thoughts crossed my mind.  When and how do I communicate with my heavenly father?  Then I thought about my communicating with my mother in the past, and now my daughters currently.

  If you have children do you want to hear from them only when they have trouble?  Do you want to hear from them once a month or once a week?  No, we love our children and would really like to hear from them daily.  Why?  To know how their life is going; if they are okay; and just to talk to them.

   Well, God is the same way.  He doesn't want us to only call on Him when we have a problem, yet he will respond.  He doesn't want us to just sit in church once a week to "show" we are there. God is our Father in Heaven.

  He wants to hear from you daily, anytime, day or night.  God is there.

So often we are so busy in our lives that we forget the little things, the quiet times, a time when we can just sit, see God's wonders and talk to him. 

  Psalm 46;10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

God loves you and want to hear from you.  Your earthly father loves you and wants to hear from you.  Take time today and reach out.  Thanks for reading. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Do you have a hidden place for your quiet time?

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good!  Finish this sentence----my quiet time or hidden place is __________.

   Where is the quiet time for you?  What do you do in your quiet time? If you do have a place to spend your quiet time how well do you commune with God?  Do you stop and listen or just spend time telling God what you want, your needs, your demands?

   Seeds planted develop in their hidden or quiet place, they germinate.  Does your faith "germinate" during your quiet time?  OR, are you thinking I need to mow the lawn; check my email, check the latest news, check my phone to see if anyone is following my posts, have errands to run and go to......... , and this could to go on and on.

   The big question is can you persevere and WAIT ON GOD to answer or talk to you?  Are you so caught up in the world you don't have time to go to your quiet place and talk one on one to God?

THIS QUIET TIME PREPARES YOU FOR WHAT GOD HAS IN STORE FOR YOU!

  Romans 12: 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

After your quiet time do you have a Godly glow?  Do you feel like you have been in the presence of the LORD?  Take time today, please!  Let God in!  Thank you for reading with me. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Childlike excitement of Jesus!

 Good morning all.  God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  Today, may you have a childlike excitement to be alive in JESUS CHRIST!!!

  God's creation is all around us, yet do we appreciate it all.  Yes, we have been having more storms than we would prefer, yet you look out and see people helping people.  People being more Christ like.  Is there a reason for these storms?  Jesus can calm the storms, move them away, yet we have them.  Maybe we need to stop and see the beauty in the storms.

   Are the storms pulling more people together. Working alongside others we know not well?  Why the storms?  Only God knows.  We can complain about too much rain, trees falling and hitting people, cars, or houses; however, we know not the reason.

   Take time to visit with God.  Where is your quiet place, your quiet time?  Do you invite God in?  OR, are you just going through the motion?

   When children learn something new or see something new and different you can see the sparkle in their eye and the excitement in their face & voice.  Do we still have that when we read the Bible?

    As Christians we always hear about tithing 10%.  If you are on your phone 2 hours (120 minutes), do you spend 12 minutes in the Bible or with God.  If you do 4 hours on your phone-- i.e. games, facebook, instagram, tic tok, etc. then do you spend 24 minutes in the Bible or with God?  Food for thought!!

   Psalm 24:1 "The earth is the LORD's and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein."

  Genesis 1:31 "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good......"

  We are God's!! Earth is God's!!  and You, Me, and everyone & thing are very good.  Take time to dwell on this!

    May you, today, go through the world as small children do and enjoy the wonders of God.  Let us all enjoy life through JESUS CHRIST!

   Thank you for reading with me today. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Where are you? Hiding from God?

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good. As a child of GOD your ARE BLESSED!!

  Today, please pray for the storm victims from last night and the storms already passed.  God is there, HE is in control, our decisions make HIS job harder as we fail many times to consult HIM.

  Heb. 4:16 I am helped by God.   Romans 5:11 I am reconciled to God. and 2 Cor 5:20 I am Christ's ambassador.

  We should not put God in a position where he says (Genesis 3:9) 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

  We should always be where we can openly and freely visit with God.  Talk to God today; don't hide as Adam and Eve did when they sinned.

   Thank you for being here today. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny 

Did you speak to God today?

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!!

  Question--Did you go to a quiet place and was still, and knew God; spoke to God; and had a conversation with God?

  I found my quiet place, knelt, and prayed.  After this study I am going to have a conversation with God---just me and God!

  We, you, I, may be in the car and we can pray; maybe walking and then pray; maybe just sitting still and pray.  Whatever the case you find yourself--put down the phone, tablet, ipad, ipod, or whatever and take time to just visit with God.  It is very refreshing AND relaxing.  

  As a child of God we have an inheritance. First, in John 1:12 know that you are a child of God.  Once we are a child of God (Roman 5:1) I have peace with God.  Because we have accepted Christ (1 Cor. 3:16) The Holy Spirit lives in you.  Since the Holy Spirit resides in you,me,--(Jas 1:5) We have access to God''s wisdom.

  So, just take time today--now, at noon, driving, this afternoon or evening to just stop, put down whatever "squirrels" you are chasing and spend time with God.  If you say you don't have time you are only lying to yourself.  We make time for what we want to do.

  Now, just a side note.  Share the gospel of eternal life with someone. An atheist, Penn Jilette (we know him as Penn & Teller from tv) once made this statement and to think an atheist would say this should cause us to reflect on our sharing the gospel.  To quote Penn, "How much do you have to hate someone to not share the gospel of eternal life."  Think about this statement from an atheist.

   Will you share the gospel today?  Love you all. 

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Where is God?

 Good morning all, God is good all the time, all the time all is good.

   Well, I have been quite remiss in my daily study and walk with the LORD. I just ask your prayers in this regard.

   In my devotional today talking about Be Still and Know that I am God, Psalm 46:10, really struck me.  How oft do we not because of:  tv, phone, computer, or just anything.  I am 100% guilty.  As my wife say I am going this way and then SQUIRREL!!  Off on another direction.

  In the beginning God would walk with Adam and Eve in the Garden. A special time with just the LORD GOD.  Then one day, this happened: Genesis 3: 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

  How often do we hid from God, or just put God on the back burner because we are TOO BUSY!  When can you be too busy for your Father in heaven?

   I am guilty.  What about you?  It is time for me to quit "squirreling" and get right with God.  What about you?

   My friend it is time.  Thanks for listening to my woes. Prayer for me, America, Israel, and all mankind.  Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny