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

Psalm 46:10 One of the hardest things to do

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

   The title - One of the hardest things to do -- and what is that?  It is be still and know that I am God.  Look at 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.”

While we are here on earth we look at the devastation around us. A friend has cancer, another on drugs or alcohol, one lost his/her job, foreclosure on a house, earthquakes, fires, murder, theft, and on and on.

    In wake of all this we have to remember God is in control.  Is it difficult?  Yes, it certainly is.   We have to remember when the earth collapses, when your world falls apart, be still and know that God is an ever present help in trouble.  Just be still and know that

                                            GOD IS GOD.

  To read all of Psalm 46 click here.  Thanks for reading. Love y'all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Psalm 42:1 Do you pant for the LORD???

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

   Wins, aka good news in Christ.  A friend had good results from her cancer treatment and a young man in mid 40''s had a heart attack and is okay.  Another friend had surgery and is healing up despite the pain, and another is in pain management.  All wins for God!

   Psalm 42:1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.

David truly had a heart for God.  When a deer (any animal) is desperate for a drink of water they will search out and seek that stream or body of water to quench their thirst.

   This is the way we should be for the LORD, our God, our Salvation, our Savior!  Mother Teresa was asked once how she dealt with and continued with the crying needs of Calcutta. Her response:

  "I GET UP AND SPEND FOUR HOURS WITH THE LORD EVERY DAY BECAUSE HE IS THE DEEP WELL AND I NEED TO DROP MY BUCKET INTO THE WELL EVERY DAY."

  We may not spend 4 hours, however, all of us need time, unhurried time with the LORD every morning.  Jesus is my deep well, Jesus is your deep well, and we need to drop our buckets into the well every day.  

  DO YOU?  If not, WHY NOT?  What is more important than your salvation? Well, the house needs............the yard needs........my car nees...........I need to...........  I want to.........  

     Spend time with God, on your knees, in your chair, in the car, anywhere, just go to the well and drop your bucket in and spend time with Jesus!!

    Thank you for reading. Love you all.  Again, I am preaching to myself and if it touches you so be it.

In Christ''s Love and Grace

Johnny

Psalm 27:8 Seeking God's face

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!!  You are a child of the LIVING GOD!!!!  Rejoice and be glad!!!

   Psalm 27 8  You have said, "seek my face."  My heart says to you, ""Your face, LORD, do I seek."

   we should seek Gods hand in all we do.  As in the LORD's prayer, "Give me this daily, my daily bread:"  We need to seek God's wisdom, his favor in all we do, but is that enough?

  Not only should we seek God's hand in our lives, but we should be seeking God's face.  This means seeking God himself.  It is not just for us, but to know who God is, what He does, and take away our self-centeredness.

   To know God better is to draw closer to Him, to love Him, To worship Him, adore Him, sing to Him, just let go of all inhibitions and pour our heart out to God.  

   JUST TO BE NEAR GOD, BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT HE IS THE GREAT I AM.

  A missionary in Paraguay saw a Maka Indian come sit on his porch. When he went out to see what he needed the Indian said, "Ham, henek met".  The meaning of this phrase is---I don't want anything, I have just come near.

   This was the Indians' way of honoring the missionary.  He was satisfied and pleased to just be near.

   This is where we all should be---wanting to be near the LORD, to honor God and just be still.

  Thank you for reading today. Love y'all.  Again, when I do these devotionals I am preaching to myself, and if it touches you so be it. 

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Psalm; 27:4 A heart for GOD!!!

 Good day friends.  God is good all the time, all the time God is good. TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED.

  PSALM 27: One thing I ask from the Lord,

    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
      and to seek him in his temple.

King David's heart was for the LORD. Where is your heart?

    We need to take time with God, plenty of time. Don't hurry through your time with God daily.

  The purpose of life is to know God and love him.  This will not happen by paying time 1 hour on Sunday and maybe 1 hour during the week.  The time with God needs to be daily, taking time and not rushing, and just talk to God.

   God wants to spend time with you, his child, just as you want to spend time with your children.

  By spending more time with God he will rescue you from pride, jealousy, self-centeredness, unbelief, hurry, worry, and more.  The key here is to spen time with God. You do not have to be on your knees, saying all the "proper" things, just a nice quiet place to visit with God, speak to Him and hear Him.

  If you think I am pointing fingers at you, you are incorrect, when I do my devotions, they tend to always point the finger in me. I am preaching to myself.

   Thank you for reading. Love y'all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Psalm 24:1

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

  

Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,

    the world, and all who live in it;

If a man owns a business and hires a manager, then the manager is responsible to see that the owner's business is taken care of.

  Well, God created all we have, starts, sun, moon, mountain, trees, the world and universe.  God created you and me.  Therefore God is the owner and we are the managers.

  Wise people understand the difference between owner and manager.  So my question to you and to me is:  "Are we being good managers of what God has given us?"

   Food for thought. Love y'all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

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

   Have you looked around the world lately?  I mean really looked around!  Many things are spinning out of control, in chaos, or just not real.

   In the 1990's Hillary Clinton thought Donald Trump was good and mentioned he should run for president. Hmmm!  Elon Musk was/is a great innovator and the democrats and liberals loved him for his electric cars. Once he sided with Trump he is constantly attacked.

   The transgender mutilation of teens and young people is awful, but many think this is the truth, that ""I" was not born to be a male or female. Not factual.

  I say this all not to be political but to see how the world views affect our perception of the truth.  It warps the truth.  So often our worldview and past experiences shape our version of truth.  How do we know?

  If the Bible does not line up with the current belief, then it is not of God and is not the truth.  If you do not believe this, then please examine you heart.  Do you really love God or just a mouthpiece saying you do?

  Roman 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.

  2 Corinthians 10: 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

  Examine your thoughts and actions,do they align with what the Bible says?  If not, what is your next step?  Put God's word ahead of our feelings and beliefs and to do so consume yourself with the word of God.

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

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Psalm 20:7 Where is your trust

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

Psalm 20: 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

We all have the tendency to put God's word aside and then trust in ourselves, others, the news, the internet, our money, possessions, or any thing other than God.

 Things aka problems will jump up in front of us and then where do we turn.  Do we turn to God, to Jesus?  Chances are we don't.

  Words are strong and powerful and can cause us to either believe or doubt.  Satan is roaming the earth, seeking to lie, cheat and destroy; but we must remember that our power is in the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

  Here is what Jesus said in John 16: 33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

    Let your words be strong and of the Bible. Repeat that you are a child of the living God and believe!!!  Thanks for reading today. Love y'all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Life heavy? Need relief? Try the Bible

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  HE HAS RISEN INDEED!

  Many times in life we become heavy burdened with "life". Sometimes confused, lonely, and may struggle with doubts and fears.  Often disappointment, anger, guilt and shame infiltrate our minds.  When this happens it goes to the heart and then we feel lost, desperate and want some relief.

  It may sound cliche, but if any or all of the above attack you go to God's word.  Take time to be with God and meditate on his word.  No, don't "READ" but "MEDITATE" on God's word.

   Open the Bible, read the word, think about what God is telling you.  Open to John if you don't know where to go and read, read, read, meditate, meditate, meditate.

   King David in Psalm 19:7 tells us the law of the LORD is perfect, and it revives the soul.  Not only that, but you can trust God's word.

   Psalm 19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect,  refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

   God's word, the Bible, is alive and if taken seriously and if you revel in the word a fire, a flame in you will be stirred and come alive.  All the troubles of the world then are able to be conquered. This renews the soul (spiritual soul) in you and you will feel rejuvenated.

   Oh, what a wonderful book God has given us.  We can read all kinds of self help books, how to over come books, but the really true over comer is God, and He gave us instructions.  Read your Bible.

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

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

The Big Bang is our existence!! Really??? Psalm 19:1

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!!  GOD IS GOOD/ GOD IS GREAT!!!

   Could the big bang have happened?  It is possible.however --  Genesis 1:1-2 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  (2) Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was governing over the waters."

     Could this have been a cosmic explosion and then all came together?  Maybe, we really don't know, but , as Christians, we do know that God was involved. Could the atoms, molecules, etc. come together to form golf, silver, iron, etc.?  Maybe, but was it just happen-chance?  I think not, I believe God was the maker and put it all together.

    As scientist believe the universe/cosmos was here and continuing to be an expansion by causes of heat, explosions, and other theories.  Really?  So the universe is continually expanding?  Does God know?  Of course,       God is in control and if there is expansion it is because God is involved, not just involved, but creating it Himself.

   So, if we had a big bang from heat, explosions, atoms, molecules, etc. how did the human race come about?

  Here is what a scientist says: Professor Abarzhi said it was fascinating to see the complexity of how the Universe might have been formed.

“Human beings essentially started as hydrogen atoms and energy, swirling around to create other chemicals and these interactions resulted in life,”

   So we are hydrogen atoms and energy?  Hmmm!!!  Well,  Genesis 1:26 "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'"

  People will always argue this point about how the universe came to be and how man came to be.  I tend to trust the Bible and believe what King David said, 

Psalm 19::1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

   This all came to me when reading my devotion in the above scripture.  Where do you stand?  With God, OR, with the scientist theories?  

  Just look around and see the wonderful creations God has made. Stars, sky, clouds, mountains, animals, fowl, oceans, and on and on.  Only a supernatural could do such a beautiful thing and that is GOD!!

  I do hope this all makes sense to y'all. Thank you for reading today. Love ya.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Psalm 18:2 Who do you call out to? God or others?

 Hello on this great Saturday.  God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  MY ROCK OF SALVATION IS THE LORD!!

   Hey, don't forget to "SPRING FORWARD" with your clocks tonight.

There once was a man who faced a lion and lived; then a bear and lived. Then face to face with a huge giant of a man and lived; then pursued by the powers of the country and lived; even his own son tried to kill him, but he survived.  WHY?

   This man was a man after God's own heart.  Yep, you guessed it, KING DAVID!!

Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

   We also face fearful times, there are giants in our lives and things we think will set us back physically, emotionally, financially, and personally.  It can be difficult, but we need to depend upon the LORD for our deliverance.

  David used 7 expressions to show the faithfulness of God.  We know these to be true and we just need to trust and obey; for there is no other way.

  To quote from Jeff Wells devotional book:

  When troubled, cry out: the LORD is my rock.

  When discouraged, cry out: the LORD is my stronghold.

  When weary, cry out: the LORD is my strength.

  When fearful, cry out the LORD is my deliverer.

  When overwhelmed, cry out the LORD is my fortress.

  When worried, cry out: the LORD is my refuge.

  When alone, cry out: the LORD is the horn of my salvation.

  When tempted, cry out: the LORD is my rock.

For all that we need, just cry out to God who is our rock and our refuge.  Yet, be patient as God is always on time, but not always our time.  Love y'all.  Thanks for reading today.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Psalm 18:1 I love yo, O LORD, my strength! PRAYER

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good. BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD!!

  What is prayer all about? It is talking to God; listening to God; confessing to God; but it is all about loving God.

  Prayer is a way to connect with God and in communication we draw closer to God.  Prayer is about a love relationship between you and God.  When you love someone you communicate with them, share with them, and tell them things that come from the heart.

   When you love someone you enjoy their company and want to be with them, hang around, and just enjoy the moments together.  This is where we should be with God.

  Do you have a thirst or hunger to be with God?  To be in His presence? To share, laugh, cry, be angry, be happy, just share all your emotions?  Prayer is not a duty or something we do out of commitment.  Prayer is the overflow of love for the God of the universe.  1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

   DO YOU?!?  If your heart is not right with God, now is the time. Give it all to God.  Thank you for reading today. Love y''all.

In Christ''s Love and Grace

Johnny

JOY in the LORD? Yes? No? Psalm 16:11

  Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  Do you take JOY in the LORD?

   Life is interesting.  Churches are even more interesting.  There are churches that teach "unity", that there is good in every approach to God and has no one particular creed or ritual requited.The focus is on the potential good in all.

   Then you have the "prosperity" churches.  They believe you need to GIVE to GET.  The way to gain riches is to give more money to the kingdom, especially to their churches and ministries.

   And we could get into Muslims, Buddhists, Hinduism,Judaism, Sikhism, Taoism, Shinto, Atheism, Folk religion, Confucianism, Jainism, Chinese Salvationist, Indigenous and more.

   All beliefs are "similar" in the fact they believe in a "HIGHER BEING", however, only 1 religion has a true LIVING GOD. and that is Christianity.

  Being a Christian does not mean I am a Methodist, Lutheran, Assembly, Church of Christ, Catholic, etc. but it means we believe in and have a relationship with the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  The only Son of God who died for our sins.

   And because of this God wants us to have joy and pleasures in our lives.  But why do bad things happen?  So often it is a result of our actions, especially when God is not involved in what we do.  But things do happen to good people and we know not why.  Why is that?

   Because God's ways are not as man's ways.  God sees the BIG picture, whereas we see the here and now picture and not the end result. God picked David, the least of all his brothers.  Why? He knew David's heart. Does this help us?  To some, yes; to others no. Obedience, patience, and loving God is a key.

 But why does my friend have terminal cancer?  He loves the LORD.  Ask God for an answer.

   1 Thessalonian 5:17  Pray without ceasing.  This is where we get the answers.

God is the happiest person in the universe and he wants happiness for you and me as well.  John Orterg commented, "Joy is at the heart of God's plan for human beings."

 Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life;

    you will fill me with joy in your presence,
    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Thank you for reading. I welcome your comments. Love y'all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Troubles weighing you down? What to do? Matthew 11:28-29

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

   Often the troubles of our life get us down; we look at the world events and that frustrates us; and we see others that seem to be just happy and without a care in the world.  

  Why me?  Why am I feeling this way?

   So often we forget who is actually in charge.  There is only one who is in charge and it is not me or you.  Yes, it is God.  So often we forget to give everything to God.

   If you are feeling down, feeling alone, feel like you are in this battle by yourself, do not despair.  Take heart in what Jesus said:

   Matthew 11: 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

   Don't forget who is our father in heaven and who really cares for you. Thank you for reading with me today. Love y'all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Is one of your burdens reading the Bible daily? Hmmm Psalm 1:2

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  DELIGHT IN THE LORD IN ALL THY WAYS!!!

   What is your favorite dessert?  I like chocolate and frozen yogurt swirl cones.  Hmmm, good.  It is hard for me to pass Braum's without stopping for yogurt.  It is like a pulling, a magnet, a force that wants me to come in.

   Well, what about your Bible?  Does it pull you in or do you do it out of duty?  Or maybe just a ritual and you don't fully comprehend what you are reading?

   Psalm tells us to "MEDITATE" day and night on God's word.  This does not mean to ''read it through'' as a duty, but to think about what your are reading, maybe talk out-loud to yourself, but read for clarity and to understand.

  Once you get into reading the Bible to absorb and understand it will become the chocolate or yogurt that pulls you.  You will delight in the word of God.

   Just like your favorite treat, the more you engage with the Bible, the more you will like it and yearn for it.  Many people "know" the Bible, but do not resonate or relate to God's word.  It is just a big book of history that the main parts are remembered, but not taken seriously.

   God's word (Bible) helps us in knowing God's will and want for us.  That is the eternal life that is promised by God, who never breaks a promise.  So, are you a casual reader of the Bible, OR, are you totally engaged in God's word and working for the kingdom of the LORD and you are walking with JESUS?

   Start today, reading the word, set a time aside each day to be with God and absorb HIS word.  Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

   If you read daily you will become as is Psalm 1:3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither.  In all that he does, he prospers.

   Read on, absorb much, share lots, and delight in the word. Thanks for reading today. Love y'all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Do you praise God in all things? Job 1:21 (13-22)

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

   Last time I wrote about do we suffer because of sin.  Today we will look at the faith, trust, obedience and loyalty of a man named Job.

  First what happened to him?  One, the Sabeans came and stole his oxen and donkeys and killed the servants.  Two, fire came and burned up his sheep and servants.  Third, the Chaldeans came down, took the camels and killed the servants. Then a mighty wind came and collapsed the oldest son's house and killed all Job's children.

   Can you imagine. Being the wealthiest man on earth when you woke in the morning and then by days end you have lost everything, wealth, possessions, and offspring.  What a tragedy.

   So what did Job do?   He was definitely upset and then maybe his most famous verse  Job 1:21  Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.  The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away may the name of the LORD be praised..

   During all this catastrophic happenings Job refused to stop trusting God.  He did not turn away, ignore, or renounce God in any way.

   Suffering is always a test of faith for the believer.  Will you, or have you trusted God despite your suffering and pain?  We all have suffering, some really big happening, some not so big, but in the end DO YOU TRUST GOD?

   We may want answers and only get them when we get to heaven, but, in the end, we need faith, hope, and trust.  We may not understand now, but one day we will.

  When darkness falls upon you, cling to the living God. Stand on Gods promises in his word.  God is with you every step of the way and we do not understand his ways, but only to trust and obey. Just remember what Job said Job 19:25-26 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.    And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God.

   Trust God in the good times and the bad.  Thanks for reading. Love y'all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Do we suffer because of sin?? Job 1:1

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

HE IS RISEN!

  Have you ever heard of someone telling someone else the reason they are not healed is because of lack of faith?  Why would a Christian say something like this to another?  How hurtful.

  You are where you are because of your sins?  If I drink, get drunk and fall down the stairs, then yes, it is due to my sin.  But this is not always true and why would we want to think this was so?

   Take Job, he was an upright person before the LORD and he lost everything, children, livestock, wealth, everything.

  His friends accused him of past sins and that was why he was in this situation. Job experienced excruciating pain and agony.  We can not imagine what all he went through, yet his "friends" did not come to support, but to accuse.

  Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.

  Are you able to look beyond the idea of sin in my past, your past, others past, and support each one through LOVE? 

    If sin is our reason for suffering, what sin did JESUS commit?  He suffered terrible beatings, pain, cursing and taunting. So what sin did he commit?  NONE!

   We live in a fallen world.  This is not heaven.  Bad things happen to good people, and worst things happen to some of the best people.  This is not because of sin.  Living in a fallen world, satan is alive and well and comes to steal and destroy.

   Stand strong on the word of God.  Forsake him not, and be a faithful servant to the one and only living GOD.  God, please bless each person that is reading this and let each one be loving and kind to those around them and accuse them not without cause.  Thank you. Love y'all.

In Christs Love and Grace

Johnny

Courage: doing the right thing in the presence of fear. Ester 4:16

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

   Wow! What would you do at a time when you and your whole family could be eliminated? 

  Most of us know the book of Ester. Haman, an evil man who hated Mordecai and the Jews manipulated the king to pass a decree to annihilate all the Jews.  King Xerxes was okay with this as he trusted Haman.

   When Mordecai heard of the decree he was in despair, tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes and wailed in the hallways and streets.  When Queen Ester heard of this she made contact with Mordacai.

   He asked her to go before the King and ask for mercy.  At first Ester was hesitant because anyone before the king who was not summoned could be put to death.  Mordacai said she would die anyway if the decree remains.  This is when Queen Ester gave the famous "If I perish, I perish".

   Ester's response after communication with Mordacai was said in

 Ester 4: 16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

    Courage is not the absence of fear; courage is doing the right thing despite the presence of fear.

  Are you in a bad or fearful situation at this time?  Maybe God is calling you to trust him.  Be in obedience to God. Trusting and keeping our eyes focused on God will help us act courageously.  Maybe it is sharing the gospel, talking to family members, being involved in your church, or whatever.

   Just as Ester, will you be willing to say, "If I perish, I perish!".  Thank you for reading today. Love y'all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Who do you cry out to in time of despair? 2 Chronicles 20:12b

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

   What do we do when we experience tragedy?  Financial problems?  Marriage problems?  Employment problems? Parenting problems?  Health problems? or anything else---

   Usually WE ( you and I) try to FIX it ourselves.  Do we call upon God. Probably not.  We look to ourselves or other "men" to help with the situation.

   What did King Jehoshaphat do?  2 Chronicles 20:12 For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us.  We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.

   He is speaking to God and what?????   His eyes are on the LORD!!!

So, where should our eyes be?  What did Jehoshaphat do? He and all the people gathered to fast, pray, and cry out to God.  So why did they do this? Because they were in terrible trouble, desperate need of help.  What did they know?  1- they were powerless against the approaching army; 2- they did not know what to do; and 3- they then focused on God for deliverance.

    When we stop and give it all to God we are showing dependence, humility, trust and obedience to the living God.

   Do you have a problem that is festering in your iife?  Then say a prayer to the LORD.  Maybe like this::  O God, the only power that can solve this is your mighty power, I don't know what to do, but I will keep my eyes focused on you.

    Take time today to thank the LORD, pray, be honest with God, and maybe even fast for your particular situation. 

Humble, pray, & repent 2 Chronicles 7:14

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

  2 Chronicles 7: 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

   First, this was to the people of Israel, yet it relates to us today as well.  We, his chosen need to do 3 things.  One, call on the LORD and Humble ourselves.  Admit God is God and we are not; let God do His work.

   Second, we must pray and seek the LORD.  This does not mean Oh God help me, but be in fervent prayer and speaking to God. Just you and Him.  We are talking about continual and sincere prayer.

   Third, turn from our wicked ways.  This means to repent, truly repent, not just being sorry for what you did and getting caught, but turn away and don't repeat what you have been doing.  This is in being OBEDIENT to God and what He asks of us.

  If we do these three things then God promises to answer us three ways.  One, He will hear us. Two, He will forgive our sins. Three, God will heal our land and pour our His blessings on us.

   The hardest for us to do is be patient, follow God, and believe He will follow through.  Too often we want to push it ourselves. LET GO, LET GOD!!!

   Thank you for reading today. Love y'all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

p.s. Abraham Lincoln set apart a day of prayer and humiliation 30th of April, 1863. To read his speech click here. 

Giving to God what is His 1 Chronicles 29:14

 Good Saturday to all.  God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  REJOICE IN THE LORD!!!

   David gives credit to God for all he has and the joy of his people who also rejoice in giving back to God.

   How often do we give out of obligation, commitment, or what we feel is our duty.  Then we take the time to share that "I pay my tithes".  This should be an humble experience between you and God.  

  We want praises from men?  I hope not when giving back to God what is already His and He was gracious enough to share with us.  David was humble in his rejoicing of giving to God as should we.

  We should not see giving to God as a duty, obligation, or commitment, but yet a PRIVILEGE TO GIVE BACK TO GOD.

  Look at 1 Chronicles 29: 14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.

  We are not nobly serving God, but have the privilege to serve God.  Thank you God for all you have given us. 

Love y'all, thanks for reading.  

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Where is your focus? On God or worldly things?

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

   This morning in one of my devotionals the following came through and it definitely spoke to me.  I want to share this with you and it came from Time of Grace devotional.

Fix your eyes

by Katrina Harrmann

 

My husband is an avid cyclist. As he was teaching our kids to ride their bikes, he offered a piece of wisdom I’ve never forgotten: “If you see something in the road that you want to avoid, don’t look at it or you’ll ride right through it.”

 

I thought he was crazy. But as I learned to navigate a narrow road bike tire down the shoulders of busy roads littered with sticks and rocks—and sometimes big chunks of glass—I was shocked to find that he was quite right!

 

If I saw a big rock in my path, for instance, the more I stared at it, the more my bike seemed to veer directly for it! In fact, my bike would unerringly lean toward whatever hazard had caught my eye. But when I looked through it to the safest path, I sailed through free and clear.

 

Life is like that too sometimes. We tend to follow what we keep our eyes on.

 

Sometimes this is not great stuff. It’s stuff that is bad for us or can cause addictions. There are many things we shouldn’t be looking at or investing our time or efforts in. But when we focus on Christ, we tend to veer in his direction, which is a lovely way to veer! 

 

Remember. In life (and in cycling!) … you tend to follow what you keep your eyes on.

 

“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1,2).

Thank you for letting me share with you. Love you all

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny