Blessed are the poor? Huh? Some preachers preach we should prosper. Luke 6:20-22

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

  Okay, let us look at Luke 6: 20-21 for a moment.  This follows yesterdays study about just touching the hem of Jesus' garment being a healing power -- the spirit.

   20 Looking at his disciples, he said:“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.  21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.  Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

   First, Jesus was looking at his disciples and this is not just the 12 apostles, but many disciples who are following Jesus at this time.  There is a multitude of people, but he is talking to his disciples.

   When Jesus says blessed are the poor - he is not necessarily referring to the earthly wealth only, but he is saying they gave up their secular positions to follow Him.  Sooooo, what does that mean?  The next part of the verse says: "yours is the kingdom of God".  

   These disciples have given up their secular, their worldly position to follow Jesus and will be in heaven, have eternal life.

   Again, in verses 21 and 22 Jesus is not saying you are going to starve to death or be sad always.  He is saying that the worldly things are but temporary and that one day there will be no hunger, no weeping, we will all be rejoicing in the LORD.

  Jesus is passing on eternal blessings to these disciples who gave up everything to follow HIM.  This is for you and me as well.  This does not mean go sell all your worldly possessions, live on the street, preach the word of God and beg for alms.  NO!  Jesus is saying our earthly possessions should be second, third, fourth, way on down the list; but the NUMBER 1 item should be salvation through Jesus Christ and spreading HIS word to others.

  So, now the question for you and for me is:  "IS GOD NUMBER 1 IN YOUR LIFE"?  If the answer is NO, then WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?  Thank you for reading. Love you all.  Think about Luke 6:

22 Blessed are you when people hate you,

    when they exclude you and insult you
    and reject your name as evil,
        because of the Son of Man.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Just the Spirit - Mark 5:30 - Luke 6:19

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

  Please pray for all the COVID victims; for their healing and comfort.  It is an awful disease to have.

   We are living in a physical world where we see, touch, smell, and work with things.  However, we always need to be aware of our spiritual realm and how powerful it is.  The Holy Spirit resides in you and within you are the gifts from God.  Often we do not realize the power we have as being a disciple of the savior Jesus Christ.

  When Jesus walked the earth people would like to just touch him to be healed. Luke 6: 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

   Jesus left us the Holy Spirit whereas we may do the same, IF, it brings glory to God.

   Others had the belief that if they just touched Jesus' garment as the lady who was bleeding. Mark 5: 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

   Yes, if we could only touch his garment we would be healed.  WELL, we were saved and healed when Jesus went to the cross for our sins.  Now the Holy Spirit is here to help us in our times of need and times of jubilation.  

   You are in a spiritual war and need to keep your eyes on Jesus.  As Bill and Gloria Gather's song:  "Jesus is the answer, for the world today; above HIM there is no other, Jesus is the way!"

   Stay strong, stay in the spirit, and touch or be touched by others to strength the stand for Jesus.  Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Are you abiding in Christ? What does ABIDING in CHRIST really mean?

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

   Today, as I often wonder where I am in Christ I find John 15 with the first few verses that we will look at together.  The question:  Are you abiding in Christ?  What does ABIDING in CHRIST really mean?  Well, let's look at these verses now.

  “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

Jesus is saying HE is the true vine, meaning the life line to any fruit that may come about.  my Father (GOD) is the gardener who cares for the vine and does prune it as necessary.

 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. Here Jesus is saying that a branch that is not bringing forth fruit is taking away from the branches that do produce fruit, therefore, they will be pruned or cut off.  These are people who appear to be disciples of Christ, yet bear no fruit. But, we pruned ones will do even more.

 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  Here, you, me, - we are clean - the WORD is powerful and what Jesus gave us is powerful.  God spoke the universe into being---HE spoke it, did not create it with his hands, saw, materials---HE SPOKE IT!

4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  If we are in Christ, then we are a branch that is bearing fruit; BUT , we cannot bear fruit by ourselves--we have to have the vine to give us the energy, the power, the supplements to produce fruit.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  The self made man is only kidding himself - it is God, Jesus, that makes us who we are.  If we remain in Christ the fruits of our labor will be seen.  I, myself, am nothing without Jesus Christ.

 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  If a branch remains but does not remain in Jesus Christ then that branch will be severed from the vine, it will wither and then burned by fire. 

 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is a truth, however, many take if out of context. If HIS words remain in you, me, then when we ask it will be done.  This means what will be done?  Keep in mind the phrase "my words remain in you" and you will understand this means within God's will and also bring glory to God.  So, don't stand on the corner and say it is God's will you win the multi-million dollar lottery - it ain't gonna happen my friend.  

8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.  It is important that God receives the glory, by doing so we (you and I) will bear much fruit - show people the way to eternal life,- and we will be good disciples of Jesus Christ, of God, of our Father in Heaven.

  Thank you for reading. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Envy! Frustration! Strife! Does it eat at you often? Listen to Asaph

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

   Today, in the world we live in it is so easy to be able to sit back in our chair and complain.  Complain about the election, the covid, the violence in the world, the total unrest of America.

   Then we sit back and look and say, "well, look at ole "xyz", he doesn't follow God and his life is so easy.  He continues to prosper while I struggle.  That just is not fair.  Why doesn't God make this right?"

   Well, that is somewhat the way Asaph felt in Psalms 73.  Here, let's read a moment.  This is a rather long read, but take time to see what Asaph is saying and reread the last part for your assurance in God.  Thanks for reading. Love you all.

A psalm of Asaph.

1 Surely God is good to Israel,
    to those who are pure in heart.

2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
    I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4 They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.[a]
5 They are free from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
    they clothe themselves with violence.
7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity[b];
    their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;
    with arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
    and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
    and drink up waters in abundance.[c]
11 They say, “How would God know?
    Does the Most High know anything?”

12 This is what the wicked are like—
    always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.

13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
    and have washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been afflicted,
    and every morning brings new punishments.

15 If I had spoken out like that,
    I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this,
    it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God;
    then I understood their final destiny.

18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;
    you cast them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly are they destroyed,
    completely swept away by terrors!
20 They are like a dream when one awakes;
    when you arise, Lord,
    you will despise them as fantasies.

21 When my heart was grieved
    and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast before you.

23 Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart
    and my portion forever.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Faith? Where does yours lie? Does your faith waiver? Why??

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

    Oh, how often do we forget from whence we came.  We came from a male and a female to physical body, but first HE knew us before the womb.  We come from God Almighty.  But so oft we fail to remember and offer the reverence to our LORD and Savior that we should.

  In 1 Samuel 17 a mere boy child took food to his brothers and others when they were camped and fighting the Philistines.  This young shepherd boy came, and then saw what was going on and asked questions.  Here is a young man that is taken back that the ARMY OF GOD is being held at bay by a large, loud mouthed giant -- WHEN--- the Israelites had GOD as their support and back.  

  Why is nothing being done against this giant who hurdles insults and demeans the Israelites?  David's attitude is God is on our side why are you, the soldiers of Israel doing nothing?  David says he will go to meet the giant.  You can read the story, but he does go forth and slays the giant.  A hero through the power of the LIVING GOD!!  A VICTORY FOR GOD'S PEOPLE! 

   Then we travel on down the road to when David is king.  You can read about his ups and downs in getting to the throne, but we are moving on to 2 Samuel 24.  However, just before we move there let us revert back to 2 Samuel 22, this is a song of praise from David to God. Praising God for all HE has done for David and bringing great acclamations to the LORD.  Okay, now we just go to chapter 24.

   David decides to take a census of all the fighting men in Israel sending out Joab and the commanders to take the census.  NOW, let us stop here.  1 Samuel David stands on the power, strength and faith of GOD; 2 Samuel 22 David sings a long song of praise to God for carrying him through.  And now, HE WANTS A CENSUS OF THE FIGHTING MEN IN ISRAEL!  Whoops!!  Where is the faith in God here???

   Where did David's faith wane?  You and I both know where this doubt came from.  David was a man after God's own heart, however, he was not perfect and satan is a great light of deception and doubt.  SOOOOO, doubt crept into David's mind about his defenses, forgetting God is in control of all.

   Taking this census angered the LORD.  God sent Gad, the prophet, to David to tell him this:  “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’”

  13 So Gad went to David and said to him, “Shall there come on you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”

 So a long story short, David chose the plague and 70 thousand Israelites died.  This brought David back to reality, built an altar to God on the threashing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

    The point I am trying to make here is in good times and bad times we must constantly put our faith in the Living God, not our own judgment.  When we start to take things into our own hands we open the door for satan to cast doubt darts in our path and we have a tendency to be led astray.

    Keep the faith my friend.  Look up, remember who is in control, even you may question it, GOD IS IN CONTROL.  The world is in a spiral and we have to take refuge in the LORD. Thank you for reading with me today. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Do BLACK live matter??? Really? REALLY????

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

  Well, what a wonderful day to be alive in the LORD Jesus Christ, our saviour.  Today, as I was watching some of my Christian devotionals this came across and I was truly appalled and started looking up the information.

   Do you know who Margaret Sanger Is?  She was the product of a large family of over 10 children and her mother died in her 40's, but dad lived to his 80's.  Her dad did stone images for the Catholic church.  Margaret saw, as a nurse, a young mother who had a difficult 3rd birth and the doctor told her no more children or she could die. A year later this happened and Margaret was there.  This turned her into the activist she became.

  In 1929 she formed the National Committee on Federal Legislation for Birth Control, which served as the focal point of her lobbying efforts to legalize contraception in the United States. From 1952 to 1959, Sanger served as president of the International Planned Parenthood Federation.  Are you beginning to see the picture here. Let us proceed.

  Margaret was a racist, even gave a talk to the women of the KKK.  Now Planned Parenthood will tell us this is not true, however, that is fake news.  The truth is 900 BLACK, yes BLACK AFRICAN AMERICAN babies are killed daily by PPH, yet the Black Live Matter organization could care less.  They are more for themselves than for their population.  Two young black women (in their 20's) just lost their lives through a botched abortion and where is the outrage?  Sanger was evil dressed in a nurses outfit.  Here is a direct quote you can look up for your self.  In a letter to Clarence Gable in 1939, Sanger wrote: "We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population, and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members" (Margaret Sanger commenting on the 'Negro Project' in a letter to Gamble, Dec. 10, 1939).

  She also was for the sterilization of the feeble-minded, insane, and syphillitic.     . Here is her quote: "While I personally believe in the sterilization of the feeble-minded, the insane and syphilitic, I have not been able to discover that these measures are more than superficial deterrents when applied to the constantly growing stream of the unfit. They are excellent means of meeting a certain phase of the situation, but I believe in regard to these, as in regard to other eugenic means, that they do not go to the bottom of the matter." ("Birth Control and Racial Betterment," Feb. 1919, The Birth Control Review).

  She was even called one of the most influential Americans of all time.  I guess so, between 2007 and 2010 64% of the abortions in the US were on minority children.  This held to her legacy.  To read more on her here are some links -  M.Sangerhttps://www.frc.org/op-eds/margaret-sanger-racist-eugenicist-extraordinaire;

   She was also a Nazi "supporter" if you will and targeted other groups:  Sanger - Nazi and targeted groups

  So, again, my question is:  Do black lives matter?  Not to the BLM, but to us as Christians everywhere we should definitely be concerned as to the LIVES OF EVERYONE!   Evil comes dressed in pretty clothing and smooth talking.  The health of women is a screen for PPH; Woman's Right is a screen for PPH. 

    Church, it is time WE, stood up as Deitrich Bonhoeffer stated in the 30's, and go against the hypocrisy happening in America and around the world.  If the church is silent-----then the church agrees with what is going on.

   Thank you for reading today. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny Holcomb,

Healed by HIS mercy

 

Are you healed?

 Good morning everyone!  God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  WE ARE BLESSED BECAUSE WE ARE CHILDREN OF THE KING!!!

   Well, most of you do not know, but, I tested positive for covid-19.   Went to doc, have had video conferences, am on meds and getting better.  So often when illness or struggles come drifting out way we tend to forget about God and become self concerned or absorbed.  We, I did this and because my partner, provided to my by God's own hand, has reminded me that GOD is our resource. 

   God is my strength, my healer, my confident, my protector and I must not forget all my sins, griefs, struggles, and illnesses are covered by Jesus sacrifice.

  I am going to insert a link about some healing verses for you to share if you know of anyone who is ill or struggling at this time.  The LINK! 

   Psalm 30: 2 Lord my God, I called to you for help,

    and you healed me.    Psalm 23: 1The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

   There are others.  I have to ask forgiveness that I have not been diligent about my Bible studies, praying, and staying in tune with the LORD.  This I ask of God and ask that you take time to pray for your friends, relatives and neighbors that they will be healed or protected from this virus.  Thank you for reading.  I'll see you tomorrow.  Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny