Job - Faithful to the LORD

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

   I am reading the Bible in a chronological Bible.  At this point I am in Job.  He did so much right in the eyes of the Lord.  Yet, satan was allowed to try to turn him away from the LORD.  

  Through losing everything Job remained faithful to the LORD.  Did he understand?  No, definitely not.  Did anyone else?  No!  His wife told him to curse God and die.  His 3 ""friends" came, sat quietly for seven days before speaking, then basically they became accusers that Job had done something wrong in the eyes of the LORD.

   Job rebuked them, but they still maintained he had sinned and was reaping what he had sowed.

   How often in our world is this our plight as well?  People accusing you or assuming you are to blame for something that was, in fact, not valid at all.

   How quick we are to point fingers and not accept the blame ourselves.  Then once this happens our pride will not allow us to admit we were in error and go to the party offended and apologize??

   Words hurt, words last, words cut deeper than the sharpest sword.  The old saying when we were kids;  "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me" was basically to try to get people to forgive and forget.  We can forgive, but forgetting is near impossible as the words cut very deep.

  I am certain all of us have been on either end of this situation. or possibly both.  A hard pill to swallow and hard to admit I was wrong.  I have had to do this with my daughters and it is difficult, yet necessary.

   Where are you today?  As Job wondering why?  Or as his friends pointing fingers and accusing?  Read Job.  It will make you think.  Thank you for reading. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and grace

Johnny

UNCLEAN????

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

   What is unclean to you?  Exactly what does this mean?  Hands are dirty? Foul language from someone?  Clothes dirty?  OR............could it be......it might be..... .. it could be what comes from the inside of you....HMMMMM!

  In Mark 7:  14 And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:  15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. 16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

  You can give your heart to Jesus, and your heart is still with Jesus and you know you are saved.  Then why do I have these ugly and evil thoughts.  Our hearts are with Jesus, but our mind has to have a reset so we think and believe what comes out of us.  Jesus says what enters us does not defile or make us filthy, BUT, what comes out of us.

  Hey, did you hear about..............and continue with dirty words or a dirty joke, or possible gossip.  This comes from the mind, and until the mind is as pure as the heart you gave to Jesus, vile and ugly things may come out.

   Jesus is talking about the food that goes in,  goes to the stomach, and then out of the body. So Jesus declared all food clean.  Yet, what comes out of a man is what makes him unclean.  Our mind may have evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.  All these come from in side, our minds.

  Can they pollute our hearts?  Jesus says this evil comes out of men's hearts.

If you are struggling with any of these thoughts just take time, on bended knee, or arms held upward, however you pray, then give it all over to God and let HIM take the unwanted evil from you.  You have to proclaim it, stand on it, and KNOW THAT GOD WILL TAKE IT FROM YOU.

   I do hope you followed me today.  This message is more to me than anyone else.  Ugly thoughts pass through my head daily, I do ask forgiveness, yet as Paul, why do I do what I know not to do, and don't do what I know to do.

  Thank you for reading.  Your feedback is always appreciated.  Or just delete. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

A Pencil---which pencil are you? Sharpened or dull?

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  You are so blessed to be a child of the living GOD!!!

  This morning I really felt God woke me with this word.  Talking to me, yet available to share with family and friends.

  Are you like a pencil?  When you get a new pencil it is blunt on one end and has an eraser on the other end.  Between the blunt end and the eraser is simply wood and graphite.  What can you do with this object?  You can look at it; hold it in your hand; lay it down somewhere; yet it has no real purpose.  So what do you do?

  Well, often this is what we do with our Bible.  It sits on the shelf, you can hold it in your hand, look at it, dust it, put it out for display,and yet it serves no purpose.

   So, we sharpen the pencil.  Now what?  We can write with it; draw with it; and do many more things with a sharpened pencil.  It comes to a point and is just what we need.  This can be our relationship with Jesus.  We sharpen our knowledge, go to him in prayer, go out into the world sharing the good news,and can produce good in his name.

   Then, the more we use the pencil it becomes dull.  Sometimes this is our relationship with the LORD.  Our relationship is still there, but becomes dull. We don't have the prayer time we used to have; we don't do the Bible study like we used to, and our relationship is still there but dull and only "when we think about it".  What do we do?  Just like the dull pencil, we have to sharpen it, so we get back into our Bible study, prayer time, and become closer to the LORD.

   As we sharpen the pencil it becomes shorter and shorter.  Yes, this is as our lives.   Our live span becomes shorter and shorter.  Once the pencil has been used up it can serve no more.  As are we, once we have served our purpose for the LORD, HE will then say "Well done good and faithful servant" and then call us home.

  You say this is all well and good, but you have not mentioned the eraser.  Oh yes, the eraser.  Just what is the purpose of the eraser?  The eraser on a pencil is there for the sole purpose of me, you, making a mistake.  We then turn the pencil over, erase the misteak------uh----mistake and continue on as if it never happened.  This is God in our lives.  He forgives us our mistakes and brings us back into fellowship, continues on and we continue to serve HIM.  

   Is your Christian life as the new pencil, sitting on the counter and doing nothing?  OR, as the sharpened pencil that is in relationship with the LORD, working for HIS kingdom, reading, praying, and sharing the Good News?

  Please pray for me and others that our lives will reflect activity and production as would a sharpened pencil.  Thank you for reading. Love y'all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

The final Pay day!

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

   Many thoughts are racing through my mind so I thought I would share some.  When is the final "PAYDAY"?  This is when we talk and walk with Jesus.  Okay, well......

   If I gave you a crisp $100 bill you would most likely take it and thank me for it.  But think about this, I am wearing my clothes where I just finished working on my car.  Grease and oil are splattered about on my clothes, my hands and arms are dirty and greasy.  Then you decide to come visit with me.

  When you show up, of course, I am greasy and dirty.  I am happy to see you and we fist bump so you won't get all dirty.  We sit and visit a few moments and then I say, "hey, I wanted to see you and I have something to give you".  

   Then I reach into my pocket and pull out a waded up, dirty $100 bill and offer it to you.  The bill is still worth $100, whether clean and crisp or dirty.  You take it and say thank  you.

   What you see is a $100 bill, whether it is crisp and new or dirty.  You still take the bill and thank me for it.

    Now, think of it this way:  That is the way Jesus sees you - you are worth something and He does not look at all the dirt in our lives.

   Everything we see, hear, and experience in life creates the creature we are. Whether it is clean and crisp or greasy and dirty, it fills our heart; yet, when we have Jesus as our savior He accepts us as we are.  However, if we are in a relationship with Jesus we will strive to be better in our daily lives and our hearts will grow in love for Jesus, God, the Holy Spirit.

    So, when the final payday does come Jesus will welcome us with open arms and we are with the savior of the world.  Praise God!

   Isn't GOD great!?!?    Thank you for reading with me today. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Content? Are you really? Hebrews 13:5

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

  Are you content?  In Hebrews we are told to be content. Hebrews 13:5 "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have because God has said, "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you."".

Quote from Benjamin Franklin:

So, where are you today my friend?  Striving for more and discontent. OR, are you a rich man in your contentment?  Thanks for reading. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Do you read and hear the words of the Bible?

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  BLESSED BECAUSE OF JESUS CHRIST!!

  How often do we read the Bible and then think, "Hmm, what did I just read"?  So often we see text, the written word, yet fail to absorb the meaning.

  In Revelation 1:3 John says:  "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand".

  So, here is my question for you to meditate on.  What have you read in the Bible lately that stuck with you, you understood what you read, and were able to apply it to your life?

   Are you at a point in your Christian walk that God would say: "Well done my good and faithful servant"?  

  I, for one, am working on this.  I have the faith and my works need to demonstrate that faith.  Thanks for reading. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Invisible? Really, am I invisible?

 Good day to all!  I do pray that this comes to you in good health.  God is good all the time, all the time God is good. TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!

  Okay, Invisible!  Exactly what am I talking about?  Just stop and think for a moment.  Have you ever been in a group or committee meeting and made a statement that went unheralded, then someone else said the same thing, and WOW, what a great statement.  You can't help but think, "I JUST SAID THAT, WHY DID NO ONE LISTEN"?   INVISIBLE?

   Or maybe you had been attending a Bible study group, or another type of gathering and due to circumstances had to miss for 2 or 3 times or weeks.  No one called to check on you, see how you are doing or if there is a problem.  INVISIBLE?

   Maybe working at a job, doing above and beyond and someone else gets credit for your work?  INVISIBLE!

  Well, you may be invisible to any of the above, however, take stock and rejoice that you are NOT INVISIBLE TO GOD!!  He has known you since the womb, even before and now, today, God knows who you are and that you are alive and well.  God wants to tell us "well done good and faithful servant", and that should be what keeps us looking up and praising God.

   You may be invisible to the ones around you, but those people are not who you are trying to please or be acknowledged by; working for God is the key!

  Matthew 16: 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

  2 Samuel 22: 21 “The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;

   You are not invisible, you will be rewarded according to your righteousness.  So, when being ignored, when trouble, when anything crosses your path you need to remember who is your Father and how HE has cared for you.

  TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

Thank  you for reading with me today. Love y'all and wish and pray the best for you.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny