Three young Jewish men were thrown into a fire! Daniel 3

 Hello and good morning all.  God is good all the time, all the time God is good.

YOU ARE BLESSED TO BE A CHILD OF GOD!!!

  These 3 young men offended the leader.  Their names are Mishael, Hananiah, and Azariah.  They were to be cast into a fiery furnace and burned alive. 

Well, we know these young men as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 

       King Nebuchadnezzar said to them is it true you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I set up?.

    And they replied, "we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand O King".

  

  What was interesting is when they were thrown into the fiery furnace nothing happened to them.  What?  How could that happen?

   While in the fire the King, yes ,you know who I am talking about, King Nebuchadnezzar.  Suddenly he (the king) said didn't we throw 3 in the fire, I see 4 and they are what????  Just walking around.  (we know the fourth is Jesus)

  Then, of course, things changed and your can read more about this in Daniel chapter 3.

  The point here is that no matter the circumstances we are in, God is with us. Whether it be addiction, death, finances, marriage, children, job, church, a fiery furnace, wherever or whatever, all we have to do is STOP, be STILL, and LISTEN.

   God is large and in charge and if we will just let Him, he will take care of all our situations.  Our tendency is to take control ourselves and then ask God to bail us out.

  Please take time today to spend just 5 minutes alone with God. It may be in your car, lunch, bathroom, walking, or wherever.  Give God some time. He will take you out of the situation you are in!!

  Love y'all and thank you for being patient and reading with me.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

 

God is headmaster of missions! Matthew 28:19-20

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

  God is a missionary.  Yes, His chosen people were the Israelites, however, He sent Jesus into the world to be the salvation for mankind.  This means Jews and Gentiles alike.  

   God is God and we are to have no other images before us.  Whether it be an asherah pole (a sacred tree) or Baal, we are only to give GOD the glory and reverence.  (this includes letting our material things become gods)

   When Jesus came, he did wonders and was it to save people?  Partly, however, the purpose was to give GOD the GLORY!!

  When Jesus came he gave glory to God in several ways.  Openly giving God the credit for miracles such as feeding the large crowd with a few loaves of bread and fish.  But Jesus also gave credit to God through his obedience and teachings. 

   This is why I say God is a missionary; HE wants all people to be saved, Jews and Gentiles, and HE has commissioned us to be HIS missionaries in the field. God is the headmaster of missions, Jesus is the teacher, and as students we are to be obedient and share the good news.

   I pray that this all makes sense to you who are reading this.  May today, and each day going forth be your personal mission field and share the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.

   Matthew 28:  19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

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

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Where are you in the storm right now? Isaiah 43:2 & James 1:6

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  DO NOT BE AFRAID IN THE STORM, GOD IS WITH YOU!!!

  The last post was "do you think God hears you"; well, He does.

Many of us are going through storms at this time, all kinds from family to career to our own personal faith.  Do you think God cares.  Of course HE does. But we hae to be of good and strong faith. When Jesus was asleep in the boat and the storm came up what happened?  He calmed the storm and then said o ye of little faith to the disciples with him.

   God is with us. No matter what storm, HE is with us. Be of good faith!!

 Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters,

    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.

Whether through the watery storms or fire God is with us.  We have to be strong in faith and truly believe.  God will heal me and carry me through this situation.  BUT, you must be strong in faith and must not waiver.

James 1:  6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

   God has this. Now you and I must just be patient, don't doubt, and wait for God's timing.  Often we push ahead and God may have to remind us HE is large and in charge.  

    Today, I know some of you are feeling stranded, alone on an island, and no ship in sight.  Hold on to your faith, the ship is coming and when it does, it will bring great things.

   It will bring greater things than you would have ever expected. Be strong my fellow brethren, God is coming and His ship is full of joy and relief.

   Thank you for reading with me today. Love y'all.  Happy Easter. Tomorrow is Good Friday.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Do you think God does not hear you? Psalm 86:1

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

Psalm 86:1 Hear me, Lord, and answer me,

    for I am poor and needy.

King David is reaching out to God.  Is he poor and needy?  World wise NO, however, he sees that his spirit with God is lacking or needing work.

  David feels that he has a spiritual poverty and is struggling.  Do you feel this way?

  David is saying "Lord, I need you, help me."  Have you or are you saying this?

  David feels like he needs to be saved from desperation. Oh, how often have you and I felt this way?

  We do need a spiritual revival in our souls. You do and I definitely need one.  A pastor from Uganda, Jackson Senyonga, who has seen revival in his country made this comment about America.

"You in America are not desperate enough.  You are addicted to a spirit of ease and comfort."

   How spot on he is.  We have the "Life of Riley" (for you older folks) and take a lot for granted.  If we were as hot for God as we are for football, basketball, golf, or whatever, wouldn't America be such a different place?  Wow!!

  That won't happen until you and I make the change and share Jesus with each person we encounter.  Today, steal another one from hell and share the gospel with them.

   Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Psalm 90:1 God is our dwelling place

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD, BLESSED AND SAVED!!

   Where is home?  Often growing up I heard home is where I can hang my hat. Some will same home is where my wife/husband is.  For Ruth, home was to be with Naoemi.  For Moses, he said "LORD, you are my dwelling place."

  So, again I ask---where is your home or dwelling place?

God is God. He was before the earth, before the mountains, before the land, before man. God is everlasting as He was, He is, and He will be.  Our home should be with one whom we have a strong relationship.  My home is with my wife.  I raised daughters, however, their home is with their husbands now. 

   So, my home should not be only with my wife, but first and foremost, my home should be, as Moses said, with God.  God needs to be my dwelling place.

   Where is home?  An easy, yet strong question. This will bring to light you set of values.  Who is first in your life?

   Food for thought.  Thank you for reading.  God is first, spouse and family second. Love y'all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Your Master's voice - John 20:11-16

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  WHOSE VOICE DO YOU RECOGNIZE?

  As we were growing up we definitely could tell the difference between our mother or fathers voice and the voice of a stranger.

  Livestock are the same way.  When we would go to feed the cattle in the winter, drive out to the pasture and make the yell we usually did to feed them, the cattle would come running.

    Sheep in the ancient days could recognize the voice of their shepherd.  When shepherds would let their sheep graze together, when it was time to leave or go bed down, when the shepherd called out, his sheep would come to him.  Why?  They recognized his voice.

   Do you recognize the voice of the one who saved you?  Gave his life for you? The true son of God---Jesus?  Read this story about Mary at the tomb.

   

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.   13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”   “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.   15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”   Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”      16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”   She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

Mary Magdalene recognized Jesus' voice.  My question to you, friend, is do you recognize Jesus' voice and acknowledge when HE is talking to you?

  Take time my friend, stop, be silent, listen, and talk to God.  He wants to spend time visiting with you.

  Thank you for reading. Love y'all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

My rant today----LYING for your personal agenda! Is it okay?

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

  Take a moment to thank God that we live in the land of the free and home of the brave called AMERICA!!

  LYING!  Why do people lie?  Usually to get out of possible trouble, to further their agenda, or just out of hate, or as some say great dislike.

   Exodus 20:16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."

Who is your neighbor?  I'll let you look that one up as we all should know.

  Proverbs 12:22  "Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but they that deal truly are His delight."

  Proverbs 14:5 "An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies."

  In Acts 5:3 Peter rebukes Ananias and Sapphira for lying.

  Colossians 3:9: "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices."

  So, Johnny, why all this about lying?  Pastor gave a sermon about lying a while back and then I was reading, yes, on the internet, about the Kennedy files being released.

   Now, I am not being political, just truthful.  I saw where someone one had "pulled up a letter" from JFK to Joe Biden and in there JFK called Biden a traitor.

  Okay, all a lie!!  Why? (just so you know I am not a Biden fan). November 22, 1963 John F. Kenedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.  OK?

    Joe Biden was born November 20, 1942.   OK?  He graduated from Archmere high school, Delaware, in 1961 and then received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1965.

      He received his law degree from Syracuse University in 1968.  Then served in the U.S. Senate from 1973-2009.

     Sooo, Biden was not even in the picture when JFK was shot and killed.

    People harbor HATE IN THEIR HEART, and either lie, mis-hear, or plan to defame someone.

Do I like Joe Biden?  I do not and I believe he did a lot of damage to America. Do I hate him?  No!   Will he be invited to a social event at my house? No! But, I do not hate him and think the truth should be told about him, either for or against.

   Yes, I put scripture in, and I felt like I was led to lay out the facts in case anyone else read what I did.  Due to AI, lots of misinformation can be put out there that looks authentic.  I don't want to be a fact checker, but would like more truth and less hate and lies.

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

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Someone needs encouragement today!

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

OUR GOD:

 

     WAY MAKER,

           PROMISE KEEPER,

                MIRACLE WORKER,

                    LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS,

OUR GOD, THAT IS WHO YOU ARE!!!!!

Someone needs to read this and believe it. God is large and in charge. May your day be wonderful, safe, and in step with the Living God.

   Thank you for reading today. Love y''all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Psalm 63:1-5 Praising God!!

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

    David (King David) had a heart for God. I will put some comments among these verses.

Psalm 63

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

1 You, God, are my God,
    earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
    my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
    where there is no water.

David is in the Desert of Judah and he is seeking God.  How? David wants to be in the presence of God, thirsting and wanting feverishly.

2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
    and beheld your power and your glory.

There was no sanctuary in the desert, but David was talking about just God and him, being in a quiet place together.
3 Because your love is better than life,  my lips will glorify you.

Here David is saying God's love is better than life. Can you say this? Can I say this? Choose God's love or life?  Which one?
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
    and in your name I will lift up my hands.

We must do this. In good times and in bad times we must praise God continually.  Sometimes it may be hard, but lift God's name up high.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
    with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

We must be content in God's love. Content as in eating your most favorite food.  Then let praises to God flow from our mouths. Praising God for all he has given us now and in the future.

This is tough, very hard to do. But if we give our heart completely over to God it becomes a simple task.

   Today, there are people losing jobs, losing loved ones, losing homes, and otnd on; yet there is always one salvation and that is God.  HE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU (ME) NOW AND FOREVER!!

Thank you for reading with me today. Love y'all.  Pray today for the ones who have lost a loved one.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burdens on...........

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

   So, you think you have troubles, huh?  Well, what do you do about them?

You know there are times when the burdens we meet seem to be overwhelming.  So hard and heavy we feel like we are being crushed.  Thoughts come to mind that you may never get out from under this situation.

   Well, when faced with, or meeting a problem we can turn to our source that will encourage us and give us the strength to carry on.  And what is that source you say?   Try God!!  

No matter how big or how small the burden or problem is, God can take care of it.  The biggest problem is we want it all to be done in 'MY TIME' instead of waiting on God. 

   God does not wear the same watch for time that you and I carry.  He sees the big picture and will take care of it as He knows it should be taken care of.

   I am not righteous in and of myself, but I am righteous because of Jesus.  His grace made me righteous and right with God.  God gives us a promise in Psalm 55:22.

Cast your cares on the Lord
    and he will sustain you;
he will never let
    the righteous be shaken.

So, fear not, God is large and in charge. This is a promise from God, memorize it, claim it, and cling to it. GOD IS GOOD!!!

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

In Christ's Love and Grace,

Johnny