You cannot serve two masters. If I am truly your Master, you will desire to please Me above all others. If pleasing people is your goal, you will be enslaved to them. People can be harsh taskmasters when you give them this power over you.
If I am the Master of your life, I will also be your First Love. Your serving Me is rooted and grounded in My vast, unconditional Love for you. The lower you bow down before Me, the higher I lift you up into intimate relationship with Me. The Joy of living in My Presence outshines all other pleasures. I want you to reflect My joyous Light by living in increasing intimacy with Me.
Matthew 6:24
English Standard Version
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."
Verse Thoughts - I have always struggled with this verse, not so much the understanding, but the application. Two masters? I feel like I have more than 2 masters - God, money, security, fame, entertainment, health. Somehow I live in this idea that I can have it all. So I'm still working on the mindset that He is to be my first love, my Master.
Revelation 2:4
English Standard Version
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
Ephesians 3:16-17
English Standard Version
16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
Psalm 16:11
English Standard Version
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
My Prayer (2018)
O Lord, I do know you must be my master for my life to be all that it can be. But I struggle with this. I often thank you for trials because they remind me that I am not in control. Keep teaching me. Keep training me. I want You to dwell in me, be rooted and grounded in your love, have power through the Holy Spirit in me. Help me to acknowledge You throughout my day, in whatever I experience. I am lost without You. Thank you right now for the abundance of providence you have bestowed on me. Help me to not just make my surroundings more beautiful but to help others in need with that which you have given me.
Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.
Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.
I've been reading this blog for years and so glad to see updated comments! I need to be reminded everyday that God is in charge of my life; He is the master. I need to let go and be his servant doing His work here on earth. My new job is challenging so I must remember I work for God not people who will fail me.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing new comments too. Saying prayers right now for your job
ReplyDeleteIt is human nature to be led by our base desires of the flesh, putting God in 2nd place. To be like Christ is to live above these base desires, submitting our will to His.
ReplyDeleteSuch a meaningful prayer today in 2018. I am so thankful I was led to your blog a couple of years ago when I was traveling. Your comments and prayers are so helpful to start off my devotions each day
ReplyDeleteJust have to give a short testimony. I have developed a nasty case of singles. Between the pain of the singles and a reaction to the medication it has been rough. It was hard to pray so I just remembered the prayers and love that is generated fom this site used them as a healing balm. I applied them to my head all the way down to the soles of my feet. What a comfort and peace. The Lord richly bless all connected to this site in anyway! Great Love to this JC family from Kansas.
ReplyDeleteRise up and give God the Glory! Its GOOD MORNING JESUS!!
ReplyDeleteThis is the day the Lord has made, yes, lets rejoice and be glad in it, because He has given us a Spirit of love, peace and a sound mind, NOT fear!
It's TGIF (what some mean: "Thank God It's Friday"), I say:
T= Thank
G= God
I= I'm
F= Forgiven!
Glory to the King of Kings and Lord of lords, He is worthy to be Praise this morning!
It's interesting how yesterday's (May 2) devotion, The Lord urged us NOT to loose sight of His Presence when we are with people, for fear of displeasing them and making us bondage to them!
Today May 3rd, He speaks to us AGAIN about serving 2 masters: trying to please Him and making it our goal to please people, enslaving ourselves to them.
"A word to the wise is sufficient", let's take heed of this warning because
we put our relationship with The 'MASTER CREATOR' in jeopardy if we submit to man and the things of this world! God will share His Glory with NO ONE, and rightfully so!!
Dear Lord, we have heard Your warnings about serving 2 masters because You love us that much and desire for us to be in Your Kingdom with You when Jesus come again. We commit our ways to You, our MASTER and FIRST LOVE, please disconnect us through the power of Your Holy Spirit from any and every desire to please people and run after the things of this world (man, money, fame, status, jobs, material possessions etc..), they can never take the place of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! You are the giver of our lives, You live and reign in and through us! We desire to serve You only so that we can be rooted and grounded in Your vast unconditional Love.
Forgive us of all sin to please people and worship the things of this world . You are our Provider, You promised to meet ALL of our needs. May we know that the lower we bow down before You, the higher You will lift us up into an intimate relationship with You.
As You lead me Lord, when I pray, it's not just for me and my household, but also for this group of believers (my JC Family). You opened the avenue for this gathering through Payton, I lift him and his family to You.
Father, You know the needs of everyone here, their families, the requests that have been placed in Your capable hands morning after morning. We say thank You, thank you for hearing us and working behind the scenes to make ALL of our crooked places straight and when it doesn't seem like it, please Lord, help us to Hold On a little longer!
You promised and You are Faithful. Thank You!
For all of Your Promises are YES and AMEN in the name of JESUS!
A good and Blessed morning JC family!
Maplewood, NJ
Yes Lord! Yes Lord! Yes! Yes! Yes! Amen!
DeleteWow! The devotion itself hit home but this comment- YES!!!
DeleteYES LORD! YES LORD! YES!YES!LORD! AMEN.
DeleteAmen!!
DeleteThank you Lord!! We are thanking you for your faithfulness to bring us out of this confusion into a bright new beginning. Bless this faithful family in all things and keep us and our loved ones safe under Your mighty wings.
Thank you. May God hear our prayers.
DeletePraying for you dear Min Ahadi that God will provide for you and you will find he money to pay the rent. He loves you and He will take care of you and your dear daughter.
DeleteThank you Lord for providing us with more than enough for everything we need as we trust in you and your timing for provisions.
DeleteWhat a powerhouse of a prayer Maplewood! So many nuggets that I need and freely 'claim' for me!.
DeleteAmen! What perfect words for me! Had to read several times! I agree 100%. This blog and these warriors help me stay the course and focus on our Heavenly Father, his Holy Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit! Thank you All! ❤️🙏
DeleteAmen! So true! Such a blessing each of you and this blog! God is at work right here.
DeletePrayers and blessings for each of you
Love, prayers and blessings
🙏❤️🙏
Brandy
Joining in prayer with all of you 🙏. YES and AMEN! God bless!!! Peace be with you all!!!
DeleteYAWEH I come before YOU through your son Jesus Christ, praising YOU for this day! LORD in a world where our governments are doing everything they can to ultimately make us completely dependent on them. As they strip our rights, means to make a livelihood, price out the necessities one needs to survive, it puts us in a place where we may not even realize we are serving them -man & not YOU
DeleteFor so many believe the government will save them, that they will “fix” everything, even many of my fellow Christian brothers and sisters
I pray for our country to turn away from its evil policies and tyrannical practices. LORD I don’t have to go any further, YOU know exactly what is happening right now, we are being destroyed from within at lightning speed. So I come to YOU for guidance & I pray for my fellow man to have the eyes to see our only hope is in YOU and we must put YOU before EVERYTHING else. Remove the fear leading some to “bow” down to another in order to obtain the necessities they need. Remind them, lead me to them so I can remind them, that YOU will always provide for us LORD, we simply must love and worship YOU , and once a person has learned all they can about YOU, how on earth could one not Love YOU and thirst to learn more and serve only YOU. Oh I praise YOU LORD
and I thank YOU for relieving so much of my pain, restoring my son and roommates health, for remaining at my beloved’s side, for encouraging my daughter and motivating her to find gainful employment so she doesn’t have to struggle
I praise YOU LORD, for today 🙏❤️ for today is all we have, no guarantee we’ll even make it through the entire day, only you know, so let us not waste a minute in this day, worshiping YOU and glorifying YOUR name every step in our day💗
In YOUR son’s name Jesus Christ I pray
Amen
A🙏❤️
Thank you Lord for your love, grace, and mercy.
DeleteI pray to embrace only God's guarantee and promises and focus on those instead of the evil at work all around us.
Delete🙏 🙏 🙏 with you Audra.
DeleteNothing is new under the Son.
Just as in the times when Jesus walked the earth, people and politicians can still be harsh taskmasters. He did not give them power over Him, neither do His Followers have to give them power over us.
When God is the Master of our life, then that is our First Love.
Dear Heavenly Father God,
Would You turn my eyes toward Jesus, rather than the nightly news, 24 hour newsfeeds, murder and abuse 'programming' etc. which are designed to put me in a choke hold, get me off my mark, prevent my eyes from focusing on You, serving You, finding joy in You, tuning into Your Strength surrounding me, Your Fortification of my feebleness, Your Enrichment of my destitution, Your Guiding Light to Jesus' Love for me and His Peace fulfilling me? Thank You. In Jesus' Name, AMEN!
❤️ DESPERADO.
Ha
DeleteI, too, thank God that I'm forgiven. For thinking I know better than Him. For thinking I can solve people's problems. Glad that today is a new day, that is bright with the promises of God (in spite of the rain). :) Prayers for all of my JC Family!
ReplyDeleteAmen!! I was just singing aloud this morning the song; “this is the day, this is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!! My daughters used to sing it in angel choir ;) now they’re all grown and living their lives. At Easter they were on either side of me at church singing hymns. PRICELESS. If my master is God I serve Him and not this world and rejoice in all the gifts I’ve been given. Forgiven!! REJOICE If God is in charge I have no worries and all will be well
ReplyDeleteAmen 🙏.
DeleteHello
DeleteThough I am a Hindu, I love reading Jesus Calling first thing in the morning. The verses uplift me and gives me profound peace.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the JC Family Siva! This is such a great community!
DeleteColorado JC Friend
Joining my JC family in rejoicing and thanking HIM for my salvation. Thank you heavenly father for being in charge of my life.
ReplyDeletePraising the Lord again!!!! Thanking Him for the uplifting scripture from my JC family. We are all singing "This is the day..." I repeat "Thank you HEAVENLY FATHER for always guiding my path, loving me, being in my presence, etc. I love my JC Family!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jesus for always loving me. I pray that I am content with what you have blessed me with and remember to share these blessings with others. May my life today reflect your glorious love and hope. And I put my Lord and master 1st and not be a slave to pleasing others. I am reminded if I live for you Lord, I am a walking testimony to those around me. I pray for an opportunity to share your grace with others today.Amen and Praise your name!
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say thank you to the community of believers here. I enjoy reading everyone's comments and being privileged to partake in prayer with and for others. I praise Jesus for all that He has done and will continue to do for me in my life. Today is my seventh day without a drink, and that is certainly something I have struggled with. I praise Him for His persistent provisions. I found this book of my mother's after she passed. I picked it up and read that day's devotion, and immediately I was overcome with a sense of repulsion. The words appeared to directly speak of my situation, however they were words claiming to be Jesus's. Are we not told that to any who adds to the Word of God, a world of plagues will be added to them? Satan speaks to us as "an angel of light". It was the Word of God that Satan quoted when he attempted to trick Jesus. While I greatly value having a place to gather online and pray with other Christians, I tread lightly amongst any claim of Higher revelation. Can God directly speak to His children? Absolutely. I only advise great caution when dealing with the spiritual world. I believe that horoscopes, pschyics, and mediums are permitted a great deal of power, but the Bible tells us to stay away from these things. I simply wish that all who are deceived by the dark magic of this world would see the True Light found in Jesus Christ alone and repent from their ways. Just as those who burnt their books of sorcery in Ephesus, my prayer is that those grasping tightly to their wicked ways of wealth and worldy wisdom would see the True Power of the only real God and do likewise. Maybe I'm wrong in my interpretations and convictions; May God the Father shine brightly His Truth. I ask for continued prayer in this particular area of discernment for myself. Does anyone else experience a sense of unease regarding this book? Whatsoever be your thoughts, any feedback would be appreciated. -ZD
ReplyDeleteZD: The devotional uses scripture and simply creates a short "conversational" rewording to create the message in a way that our Lord would speak in her opinion. This is NOT a devotional using no scripture and implying it is Jesus talking through the writer. To me it is no different than Bible translations rewording Jesus' quotes by the Apostles. NIV vs. ESV vs. King James vs. original Greek.
DeleteFurther, I commend you for your success to date, and another poster who is at day 20ish, to keep seeking God and Christian mentors to remain sober. As someone who has lived in an addictive household just know as AA says, that it will be a lifelong struggle.
In summary, I find Sarah's Jesus Calling scripturally sound, incredibly on point, succinct, and easy to understand. Jesus was a man of brevity and wit. She seems to capture that. However, if you struggle with the premise of Jesus speaking fictionally but scripturally then I would recommend You don't let it cause you to stumble and seek His word in other formats and/or the Bible directly. All the best on your sobriety and Godspeed.
Thank you MadFox for your perspective and encouragement. You kind of nailed it with the last of your words. Romans 14:2
DeleteFor instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables.
Indeed I spun Paul's words... with intention! Truly, if it's not your "cup of tea" then I think it is sound to not feel "uneasy" and use something else. In Him and peace.
DeleteThanks for sharing ZD! Your prayer for discernment will bring an answer, because God's WORD through the Bible states:
DeletePsalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
It may be helpful for you to start with the Scriptures. As you get the discernment you are praying for, then you may want to increase your read to include Sarah and Chris writings as well as those of our JC family; if discernment leads you to another God given - God led path, by all means take it! Congratulations on your one day at a time sobriety! And I will keep your quest for both sobriety and discernment in my prayers.
Good morning a dear friend sends me this heavily word everyday. God's word is awesome and it adds peace into my life I'm greatful for my relationship with Jesus, my friend .
DeleteHow are you today. ZD?
DeleteI am still praying for your sobriety and discernment.
In Jesus' Name. AMEN!
ZD- I have always loved this devotion book. As of late I have found this wonderful JC family through this Blog. There are feelings just recently of unease of this book. I love how Chris Payton actually puts the actual scriptures and I feel blessed and closer to God through prayer and through the prayers of others in this Blog. God bless you and each of you JC family.
ReplyDeleteTexas friend
You're right Unknown. God certainly can use all things including this blog to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.
Delete-ZD
Good morning everyone,
ReplyDeleteI've been praying for you as my JC family. I'm blessed to be able to start my day here with you.
I just want to say thank you. I learn a lot from you and your expressions of faith and your sharing of Biblical truths. May you find peace and joy in your lives. The death toll is huge and scary, but we can remind ourselves throughout the day that no matter what is going down, The Lord is on the throne. All praise and glory to our Lord!
I agree with you Kmertens. Our JC family knows scripture well, Bob Malsack, MadFox, Norah, Sassy Mom, JJ, Maplewood, TJ, so many others. I enjoy reading and it expands my biblical knowledge. I am so thankful. KS
DeleteKS ---Oh, KS, you have the sweetest posts. You are such an encourager--one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit! A while back I was missing your post---happy to see them. Still missing Keith, Jan Gridley, CO. Sending prayers over their lives. And Kmertens, thank you so much for your prayers. So thankful you are apart of the JC FAMILY/WARRIORS! When this Incredible Group comes together, we are indeed on Holy Ground! Great Blessings and the Lord's unusual favor upon this FAMILY! In His Grip of Grace from Kansas
DeleteAmen Kathy! He is still on the throne and still in charge of this world too. He guided us to come together here in love, thanksgiving, trust and praise.
DeleteYes JJ! We are on Holy Ground. Amen and Amen.
My First Love, it is with great joy and gratitude that I humble myself before You this morning and say thank You! As I start my day, I put on the 'armor you've daily provided for me,the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the belt of truth, the shoes of peace, and the sword of the spirit'. Search and disconnect me from anything that takes more of my time and efforts, rather than serving You nd You alone. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.
ReplyDeleteReading Today’s devotion- “You Cannot Serve Two Masters….If I Am The Master Of Your Life, I will also be your First Love”, points me back to the Topic of last night’s message by Dr. Charles Stanley. “Our intimacy with God—His highest priority for our lives—determines the impact of our lives”.
I’ve analyzed the topic of his message with today’s devotion this way:
If we say we truly love God and serve Him alone, we must have a Spiritual Intimate Relationship with Him. In order to have this kind of relationship with the Father, we must be opened, honest and free with Him. We must trust Him with all aspects of our lives, obey Him, have an open, sincere and transparent relationship with Him, holding back nothing. God is our Faithful Companion who desires a two way communication with Him (we talk, He listens, He talks, we listen). This requires our time and efforts. Time spent in His Word and time spent on our knees in prayer. This Holy God that we claim to love and calls our Father, walks with us and listens to us each time we reach out to Him. He encourages us when we are exhausted, He empowers us, equips us, guide us, provides His best for us. We must worship Him alone, trust Him, obey Him, and wait patiently for His answers to our petitions. He has secured eternity for us and He expects us to expect the Best from Him because He makes no mistakes. He has forgiven us our sins and loves us with an unconditional Love. The imperfect King David can be our example to walk with the Lord alone and declare as He did in 2 Smauel 7:18-29 and Psalm 63.
Here are some results or benefits of our Spiritual Intimate Relationship with God:
“STABILITY (God desires for us that even as this world changes and the systems of man fail, we His children will remain stable through faith in Him- see Ephesians 3:16-17)
SECURITY (King David gives us three aspects of security in God- God is my rock, God is my salvation, God is my fortress- Psalm 62)
SERENITY (True acceptance as in the ‘Serenity Prayer’. God promises a supernatural peace when we bring our worries and concerns to Him in prayer- Philippians 4:7)
SENSITIVITY (To be spiritually sensitive is to always be on the alert and aware of Satan’s trap to ensnare us-1 Peter 5:8. It was in this exact moment of spiritual carelessness that Satan caught David in his weakness for Bathsheba. In fact, David was so weak that he did not even recognize his own sin until it was pointed out to him (2 Sam 12:7-12).
SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING (Everyone needs to really know Him and His will. Therefore, we should seek to be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all spiritual understanding- Colossians 1:9-10).”
Our Father in Heaven, there is absolutely NO other god, person or thing that can do or give us what You have already given us. May the joy of truly living in Your Presence outshines all other pleasures of ours and thrust us into an increasing intimacy with You and You alone, in Jesus name we pray! Amen.
Blessings and Peace this Sunday!
Maplewood, NJ
Joining in your beautiful prayer, Maplewood. Being in His presence is all we need. All other things will follow. God bless you all and have a wonderful and safe Sunday.
DeleteAmen sweet Maplewood. Thank you for your benefits of our Closer walk with the Lord. He understands us better than we do.
DeleteTaking these words with me: We must worship Him alone, trust Him, obey Him, and wait patiently for His answers to our petitions. He has secured eternity for us and He expects us to expect the Best from Him because He makes no mistakes.
Thanks dear Maplewood. Amen.
Amen!Right on.
DeleteThank You God for our Sunday Morning Wake Up Call, all the way from Maplewood NJ.
ReplyDeleteI refer to this as my "Getting Dressed for Work" prayer and say it while I am getting dressed: As I start my day, I put on the 'armor you've daily provided for me, the helmet of Your free gift of salvation (as I am combing my hair), the breastplate of righteousness (as I am putting on my bra, or undershirt), the shield of faith (my purse, backpack, bag, tie or scarf), the belt of truth (my belt, or my underpants with elastic), the shoes of peace (shoes or flip flops), and the S/word of God's Holy Spirit (brushing my teeth, applying my lipstick or chapstick) then out the door I go! Ready!
VERSE VS LIFE THOUGHTS:(WINNER: VERSE!)
ReplyDeleteYesterday, on 3 different occasions, and again today on 2 more different occasions I came across this verse, Psalm 16:11 You have let me experience Your Joys of life and the exquisite pleasures of Your Own eternal presence! You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are good pleasures and treasures forevermore! I wondered why and how this Scripture would unfold in my life. Because this verse came into my life repeatedly, I knew The Great Someone was about to unfold Something, Somewhere, Somehow! I wondered what? Unrelated to me, I had previously prayed for assistance to be loosed in joy! After weeks of waiting, this morning, I received an email regarding it! Only God and His Blessed Mother Mary knew my prayer; they heard me and took their time too provide an answer! I felt humbled and cared for amidst the throng! I received the pleasure of My Lord and My Lady personally responding to me! Thank You for being here! The Joy of living in Their Presence outshined all other pleasures for me! Yes, the prayed for assistance took second stage to the first stage of God's presence and God responding in my life! I am holding that treasure in my heart. God's magnificent appearance made the assistance's appearance seem insignificant! Thank You Jesus! You got me this far. I know You can and will work it out knowing what is best for me. I just want to say, Thank You Lord! Praise and Thank You, Lord! Amen.
Woke up Friday AM with very swollen blood shot eye. Thank God for a MIRACLE 9:45 AM appointment on Saturday with optometrist. I have a very contagious left eye infection that will be treated with drops for 7 days. Please join me in prayer that I refrain from transferring infection to the other eye.
ReplyDeleteWow Sassy Mom. I know this is an older post but yesterday I woke up with a pain in my eye when blinking. It got worse. I treated it as a stye with warm wet compresses. Now it's swollen and red and it hurts even more. I will try to get an appointment with my eye doctor before my Sister flies in from Missouri on Wed. Thank you all for your sincere prayers.
DeleteSending up prayers for you Jeanne. May God put His Healing hand on your eye and you be healthy and ready for a blessed visit with your sister.
DeleteLoving prayers for you and for Our JC family
Love, hugs and prayers for you Sassy Mom 💖🙏💖🙏
Prayers going up right now for you, Sassy Mom, so blessings are coming down. He got you this far, and He will work it out the rest of the way. Blessed wishes with love!
ReplyDeleteSassy Mom--- Father God, I resist the enemy in every form that he tries to come against Sassy Mom. I require her body to be strong and healthy, and I enforce it with Your Word. I reject the curse for Sassy Mom, and I enforce life into her eyes and whole body. Father, by the authority of Your Holy Word be healed and made whole Sassy Mom. In Jesus' Name AMEN and AMEN.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you do when you are so depressed that you just can not get moving. The anxiety is so much that all you want to do is crawl into a hole. Tried praying, medication, therapy, etc but just am so depressed.
ReplyDeleteIt would appear that you recognize that depression is real and it stems from feelings, either real and/or imagined (projections of the future). One thing I recommended to family, friends, or employees is take any of the numerous online self-assessments to see if you need to seek immediate help. Since you've had some previous therapy, this may be redundant; but here is one: https://www.psycom.net/depression-test/ If you have depression as outlined, then stop reading here and seek professional help NOW, or Monday morning! I pray for the right person (recommend a Christian counselor) to help in your situation and for healing. Amen.
DeleteNow, after taking the test, if it is extreme sadness or some temporary despair, which many are suffering from right now, I can only provide my experience and suggestions that helped me. From a spiritual perspective, when I've had these feelings of despair (I don't suffer from depression), they are real feelings that I KNOW God as Jesus understands personally. He, Jesus, had friends betraying Him, true innocence of insurrection charges, and an unjust capital punishment by one of the most cruel methods in history. So, He can relate to our business setbacks, worries for adult cbildren or grandkids with issues, the pandemic, loss or death of loved ones, Knowing that He has had these same fears gives me peace. I then lean on my wife, close friends, and pastor to help me through this season.
I suspect that you have real depression based on the symptoms described. Counseling is probably the only resolution as it appears that you don't have the support network to carry you through. Godspeed. Will pray for a solution emerging and that makes sense to you. Amen.
Keeping you in prayers Anonymous. But please seek help and know that You are not alone. People are out there ready and waiting help you. God bless you.
DeleteMaplewood NJ
The fact that you are reaching out to others for help is a great step toward healing. Know that we are praying for you and stronger united (even if it is through a blog, we are!) I'm not sure if someone mentioned music being helpful, especially uplifting Christian music. I love the song PEACE by hillsong. It's a beautiful reminder of His peace. Worship God and thank Him for anything you can think of at anytime written, spoken, in thought, however. Thankfulness is a weapon. Worship and glorify Him. Also, make sure this is not stemming from a medical reason: problems with blood sugar, caffeine sensitivity, thyroid issue, lack of adequate sleep. Diffuse some lavender essential oils and breathe while dwelling on Him. We all struggle with this sometimes. I hope you know you are not alone and we are praying for you.
DeleteYour sister in Christ,
B
Sassy Mom, Praying your eye infection gets better right away. God is so good. Anonymous, I agree that you're seeking help is the first step and proves you are trying to get better. Believe me, I can relate. I had a terrible postpartum depression many years ago with my third son. I was absolutely devastated and even wanted to end my life. I was sick for a year and couldn't even see a pin prick of light in front of me. But I never let go of my faith and God guided me to a wonderful doctor who found the right combination of medicines and counseling to bring me back to my old self. You sure came to the right place for encouragement. Our prayers will help a lot. God hears every one of them. I am also putting you right on my prayer list. Rest in Him who loves you and believe that this too will pass!!! Be anxious in nothing but in all things through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests unto God and the peace of God which passesth all understanding will guard your heart and mind through Christ Jesus. God bless and guide you to the right treatment and show you His light in front of you.
DeleteDear Anonymous. Thank you for sharing. Here is what helps me: 1) I go for a walk outside, imagining God beside me, and I thank God for everything I see; 2) After 20-30 minutes, I come inside, I pray and thank God in advance for helping me; 3) I call someone I care about to check on their day; 4) I pack up something good that I already have and bring it to another human being who needs it; 5) I open my Bible and read, read, read it; 6) I then read Jesus Calling posts; 7) I eat something healthy and refrain from eating anything sugary; 8) I drink herbal tea free of caffeine; 9) I pray and ask God to help me! 10) Repeat.
ReplyDeletePlease keep in touch via this blog. We care that you make it through OK and bettered by the experience. We are praying for you. Blessings to you now!
Brilamar! I love your advice. It is right on!!!! Love you too.
DeleteThank you to you both for the advise. Most appreciated. I will follow up on your suggestions. God Bless.
ReplyDeleteLet us know how you make out, We'll keep the prayers going and the light on for you.
ReplyDeleteBrie, Still good advice. Just wanted to say I love you and I'm praying for you and your brother Keith, and your husband. Also lifting dear MadFox, and Min Ahadi, and Janet, and Norah's husband, and Dottie and Chuck, and JE's husband, and Amanda's husband, and her cousin David, and Ellen's daughter, and her friend's granddaughter, and Norah's DH and Woman of God's son's grandpa. And so many more. Let's just keep praying together and for each other. Thanks for prayers to heal my stye in my eye. Having a hard time with it. God bless and strengthen and heal you all. Praying for traveling safety for my Sis on Wednesday. And for this whole month of driving back and forth from White Plains to Brooklyn. God has us in His Hands. So grateful for His infinite love.
ReplyDeleteJoining in prayers with you Jeanne and praying for healing of your eye. Travel mercies. God bless you 🙏.
DeleteJeanne, I join you in continuing prayers for all listed and not listed. God knows each person and what they stand in need of. You are added to those prayers as well and covering you under the wings of the Lord as you travel back and forth.
DeleteWe are in a month of Bright beginnings and trusting God for wellness of health and other areas. It shall be well in Jesus's name!
Maplewood NJ
All is well as we pray and trust in Jesus name. ♥️🙏✝️
DeleteThank you dear sisters!
DeleteI really appreciate your prayers and encouragement.
God bless you in all things.
Praying also for GraceTakesTime's good husband's legs and feet after his elevator accident. Thank You Father for healing him and all our JC Family. We trust in You.
ReplyDeleteThank You Jesus. Praise the Lord continually and always 🙏.
ReplyDeleteFather, I so desire to be in You perfect presence. It can be so daunting to live in this world at times. There is so much going on and circumstances change and troubles arise all the time, but You are always there and You are always the same -- today, tomorrow, and yesterday. Let my faith be rooted and grounded in You and Your unconditional love for me always. Let nothing ever take Your place in my life, heart, soul, mind, or body. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen. Thank You Jesus. Praise You Lord always and continually.
ReplyDeleteAmen!
DeleteAmen dear Janet!
DeleteHelp Me to always serve You as my one and only Master. Be with me when I am tempted to follow "worldly masters" who are deceiving and seek to remove my attention from You! Thank you Jesus, I do trust in You! Amen.
ReplyDeleteMorning glory and honor to the ONE and only KING of kings and LORD of lords! I am blessed and delighted to be in Your Presence this morning. What a gift, and I’m thankful to You. I pray that with the help of the Holy Spirit, I remain devoted to You my sole Master (John 6:44). If I’ve had any mixed loyalty to You consciously or unconsciously, or wanting more ‘stuff’ than Your kingdom, I seek forgiveness and cleansing, renew me by Your Spirit and remake my heart to desire You more, in Jesus’ name.
ReplyDeleteThis morning I say Lord,
Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow with ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
EVER, ONLY, ALL FOR THEE,
EVER, ONLY, ALL FOR THEE
(Excerpt from the song: "Take My Life, and Let it be).
The truth is, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24,). This is not just limited to money as we all know, but anything and anyone that consumes our mind and thinking more than the Creator of this universe. We tend to follow what captivates our hearts, but Jesus made it clear that we cannot serve two masters.
God is rightfully and is righteously jealous for our affections because we were created to know and love Him ONLY (Colossians 1:16). He needs nothing from us and His jealousy for us is because we need Him, yes we need Him more than we sometimes want to admit! He is not jealous for His own sake, but for ours. (Psalm 50:9–10; Mark 12:30; Matthew 22:37). Serving another master robs us of all we were created to be, but most devastatingly we rob God of His rightful position. God will NOT share His throne with anyone or anything. He gave the blood of His only begotten Son and delivered us from our former master, sin!
Whenever we spend more time worrying about money or other worldly things, rather than seeking the kingdom of God, mammon will demonstrate its grip on our hearts. Serving two masters means you will have divided loyalties, and this goes against God’s desire for us. May that NOT be our portion in Jesus’ name! We must understand that we cannot place ultimate priority on God and another at the same time, we must choose which is more important and that my friends, is choosing the LORD only and putting Him first place in our lives!
Blessings and Peace.
Maplewood, NJ
Lord may I always put you first. Please take Maplewood's words and by your Holy Spirit reveille in us anything that we are allowing to compete with our devotion to you. Lord we desire to have you be our first love. Lord show us how to put you first and to never let our focus off of you.
DeleteAmen Maplewood. I love that song.
DeleteSo very true. We must only follow the Lord. I was upset today because my Eye doctor told the secretary to have me send a picture of my eye and she would prescribe a medicine for me to heal my stye. I said sure but make sure she calls my cell and I gave her the cell number and sent the picture. I was out but had my phone with my all day. When I got home there was a message on my home machine that she had called and she could send in a prescription for me. I called the office and was told she was with a patient. I asked her to call me back on my CELL NUMBER. She never did. I got so upset and that was not what Jesus wanted. I stopped because I wanted to be a good witness to my faith in front of my husband. When I started my Bible group, I explained what had happened. Turned out everyone had a bad day and a story to tell. After we had our group we prayed and I felt so much better. God sure has a way of turning everything around. I am so thankful.
DeleteHere are the words and link to a beautiful song by Julie Miller called All My Tears.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH4qZj8ON4A
When I go, don't cry for me
In my father's arms I'll be
The wounds this world left on my sou
L will all be healed, and I'll be whole
Sun and moon will be replaced with the light of Jesus' face
And I will not be ashamed, for my Savior knows my name
It don't matter where you bury me
I'll be home and I'll be free
It don't matter where I lay
All my tears be washed away
Gold and silver blind the eye, temporary riches lie
So come and eat from Heaven's store
Come and drink, and thirst no more
So weep not for me, my friend
When my time below does end
For my life belongs to him
Who will raise from the dead again
It don't matter where you bury me
I'll be home and I'll be free
It don't matter where I lay
All my tears be washed away
Thank you for sharing the song
DeleteAll my tears, by Julie Miller. I’ve never heard it before & loved her version. Peace Be With You
Praying for everyone on here and thanking God for another day to bless and serve. Love and Blessings to all!
ReplyDeleteCome out, come out,
ReplyDeletecome out of that life of sin
Let go, let go,
let go of mistakes and begin
Rise up, rise up,
rise up and walk with Him
I am coming and going and a rising with Him. Thanks Janet!
DeleteThanks for your prayers Norah. Praying with you and for you.
ReplyDeleteLove that, Janet!
Thank you.
Dear JJ. You have covered us thoroughly. Thank you for that powerful prayer you posted yesterday. Love & blessings 💞🙏
ReplyDeleteThank you warriors. As dental visits go it was pleasant. The bridge got glued back on, options discussed just in case. Very hopeful. Praying for your eye Jeanne. Love & blessings for each of you.💞🙏
ReplyDeletePraise God from Whom All Blessings Flow!
DeleteHallelujah for a good outcome dear Jan! Thanks for your prayers. All the prayers for my eyes are being heard. I'm thankful I was seen by my doctor and I know it's just a bad stye and now I have an ointment to use. It should take a week or so to go away but God is healing me from the inside out. Waiting on the Lord. Picking up my little Gabriel from school tomorrow. I'll be wearing shades. Cool Grandma.
ReplyDeleteHow strange I find it that we have been praying for your eyes the years in a row, Jeanne? Is there anything challenging your "clear vision" at this time of year? If so, I pray for God's healing over any and all things in your life. Blessings dear one, you are one cool grandma!
DeleteI had the same thought, Audra. Doctor, my eyes
DeleteTell me what you see
I hear their cries
Just say it's not too late for me
Doctor, my eyes
They cannot see the sky
Is this the prize
For having two too many styes?
Peace out Cool Grandma, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Much Love, Brie
Thank You Lord Jesus, I trust You Lord Jesus.
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/n0FBb6hnwTo
ReplyDeleteThank you Min Ahadi for a beautiful song. All my life He has been faithful.
DeleteI have always loved that song! Thanks for sharing it dear Min Ahadi!
Delete♥️🎶! Thanks for cueing it up, Min Ahadi!
DeleteMy Beloved JCFAMILY --- We seem to be living in a time when the right is called wrong and the wrong is called right. This is not a time to fear. Our precious Lord has a Great plan of Justice, Revival and Redemption/Restoration. He has given us everything we need to be VICTORIOUS and OVERCOMERS in every area of our lives! He has NOT left us helpless or defeated. That is what your adversary the devil would love for you to believe. He wants you to believe that you have nothing; that you are nothing, helpless and hopeless. He wants you to believe that things are too impossible, too dark, too hard--everything negative. These are the days to raise up HIGHER than any adversary you are facing. NOTHING is to big or too hard for our God!
ReplyDeleteMy Papa God, I thank you in Jesus' name that no matter what the precious souls of this FAMILY are facing in this world today, that everything satan meant for their harm, You are turning it into something GOOD right now! I thank You Papa God, they see through the eyes of Christ. They see they are MORE THAN CONQUERORS! Thank You Papa God, for healing them from the top of their head to the soles of their feet. Whatever their adversaries have done to keep them chained down or held back, I thank You, Papa, they are no longer enslaved to the enemy. They are no longer subject to what he is doing in their lives, because of the NAME and the AUTHORITY of Jesus Christ! Papa, show them that Your love surrounds them, the Blood of Jesus covers them and Your angel armies are protecting them. Papa, You have given them armor and everything they need to be OVERCOMERS in Christ Jesus!!! HALLELUJAH!!! Thank You , Papa, AMEN and AMEN.
Loving, loving, loving my JCFAMILY -- JJ
Beloved JJ, I receive your loving kindness and very encouraging, uplifting, anointed prayers. Thank you for loving me. Jesus loves you and so do I. Abundant blessings to you.
DeleteI too thank you, JJ, for your powerfully and solely needed prayer in these uncertain and unsteady times. God is our “steady”, right?! We must focus on and trust Him!
DeleteSharing from my Daily Devotions.
DeleteO Jesus . . . open thine arms, and take me in . . . and love the faithless sinner still.
Charles Wesley
You fed me all the encouragement I needed to face this day dear JJ! You are truly a beautiful instrument in the Lord’s Hands. Mayra will need my help today and I was feeling a bit weary but now I feel empowered. Thank you sweet sister! Thank You Jesus!
DeleteThank you, JJ! It is an upside down world that thru God we see rightly. Turn off the news, if something"big" happens, you'll hear about it and HE will guide you to right action. Stay in the present moment, and as spring returns the earth to new life, walk in it with the ONLY ONE who matters as we go about our days. I trust you Jesus! Keeping you all in my prayers today! 🙏
DeleteThank you JJ. You put a song in m u mpith, a hy. To the Lotd our Father God and Faithful Friend..
DeleteOVERCOMER by Mandisa
https://youtu.be/v24tLxsxGHM
May the soul of Mandisa and all other dearly departed souls, REST IN HIS PEACE IN HIS ARMS. In Jesus' Name
DeleteAMEN!
I have two, rather lengthy but informative updates from Alex & Kristen regarding Baby Joseph or “JoJo” as they have started to refer to him as…I copied and pasted only because I wanted you all to feel the gravity of their thankfulness and ALL God has done and is doing in this little baby’s life (5 days old)…. Here's the latest in case nick hadnt fwd it to you: We got a call from the neurologist at 5pm today with the results of the mri. No seizures since his new medication at 8pm Friday. He had a stroke cause unknown origin, either genetic or from the tough labor Kristen went through. Partial chance to develop weakness in his right hand(cerebral paulsy) and could affect his ability to walk as well as cognitive impairment. Therapy could help so it may be treatable. Lots of this will only come to light as he ages and we are able to observe test and support healing. We had an incredible day today with friends family and neighbors at our home (about 30 people) to offer prayers, support, and communion. He is now off his breathing machine and stable. Kristen got to hold and snuggle him tonight for 2.5 hours as we read the hobbit and prayed together as a family. Looking forward is going to be ramping up milk intake, weaning off the iv, eventual reduction of anti seizure medicine (since it's believed it was caused by the stroke) a followup eeg and mri and coming home to kick off the rest of his life. We are so thankful to have this opportunity to make memories and hold him. 48 hours ago we almost lost our sons life, last night we feared that we may have a completely incapacitated child. Now we are filled with hope and love. The next days weeks months and years will no doubt be a challenge but we will take it a day or even an hour at a time. We have had an unbelievable pouring out of love from all over the world and can't thank you enough for supporting our family and being a a part of this testimony.
ReplyDeleteThat was Sunday night and this is this morning at 2a.m. First from Kristen then Alex chimes in (They’re in WA state). Again, I apologize for the lengthy texts but wanted you all to feel their deep faith, know your prayers for JoJo are being heard and ALL our Jehovah Rapha is doing!… (next one from Kristen then switches to Alex…)
Here is the text I received at 2am this morning… Kristen: We spent the whole day with Joseph, bottle feeding and skin to skin time with Alex this morning. Then I got to breastfed him this afternoon, we read The Hobbit and Alex worked to get Jo Jo's medical records sent over to Uncle Tom for review. Tom gave a lot of encouragement regarding potential outcomes and they had a great chat.
ReplyDeleteJo Jo had an evaluation from the Occupational Therapist this afternoon and he passed with flying colors. She said, "if I hadn't seen his chart or known his story, I would say this is a completely normal baby." She tested his mouth sucking using her pinky and said, "this kid could suck the blue off my glove!" We had a good laugh and felt so encouraged by how well he is doing.
Tomorrow we will get to meet a neurologist who partners with Dr. Sortero, and we will be able to see the visual imagery from his MRI. We will also be staying overnight in the hospital for extra snuggles at night time.
We are working on stimulation through soft touch and engagement of his fingers and toes. He slept most of the day so I wasn't able to show him the finger puppet book I brought, but that's normal and fine as he is only on day 5 of life and needs his recovery rest.
His last meal was 32ml of milk, which he scarfed down, and tonight he will get 60ml at his next feed time.
Tonight we prayed over Joseph along with our nurse, Heidi, for miraculous healing. We are feeling truly blessed with how things are progressing.
We are all attending (my mom included) a class on first year infant safety so we are working to prepare and keep ourselves informed.
Because Joseph is doing so well they graduated him to the next stage (12 hours ahead of plan) and he is now in a crib! The bonus is we get to have a family slumber party. He is temporarily in a partially private room across the desk from the nurse station but it has a bed for Kristen and a cot for me. The best part is you get all the pictures!!!! They don't allow cellphones on the other floors or the rooms
where there are more than one baby. But we get the extra special treat tonight. He is now up to 46 ml per feeding and will be at full volumeome by 9am and potentially come off the iv in the next day or 2. We'll meet with the neurologist at 4ish pm tomorrow to talk next steps and see the mri images and ekg results. He is getting a panel of tests done tonight; a couple for a metabolic disorder, a few for different genetic related blood clotting disorders and some others I can't remember. Next Steps would be continued transition to regular feeding, then reduction of iv medicine to an oral medicine then a follow up eeg and mri. He is regulating his own temperature, eating and pooping like a regular baby. Goooooooooo JOJO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Praying for another great night for Jo Jo Bean and another great day tomorrow. 🙏
Prayers work. Miracles Happen. God is real
NJS, awesome witness by the family... and praying for JoJo. May the incredible healing continue. Amen
DeleteNJS --- My eyes are filled with tears of joy for what my Lord is doing for Jo Jo and family! Praise and Honor to the King of kings and Lord of lords! He watches over his WORD to perform it! " being confident of this, that he who begun a good work in you (Jo Jo) will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ!"
DeletePhilippians 1:6 Continuing to lift up all the family up to The Throne of Grace! Great Blessings and Love to you all. JJ
I see answers to our prayers in every encouraging word. I am wrapping dear Jo Jo in my prayers with Alex and Kristen! I believe we will continue to hear many more victories because our God is Awesome! Praying for you too dear NJS! Much love.
DeleteGod is so good all the time, all the time, God is good! What a beautiful testimony! Continuing prayers for daily improvements.
DeleteAmen. Prayers Continue. More importantly, HIS VICTORIES continue!
DeletePraise Jesus, our King! Praise him for all that is seen and unseen, the glory of his majesty. All thanks, praise and honor to our mighty king. The great I AM. The Prince of Peace! Our healer, our redeemer, our great hope and salvation. Thank you Jesus for your unending love, being there with me through it all. Thank you for answered prayer and your amazing grace and mercy.
ReplyDeleteBlessings JC family! 🙏
Amen dear Rich. Thank you.
ReplyDeletePraising Him with so much gratitude, trusting in His faithfulness and resting in His love !
Amen to this incredible healing!
ReplyDeleteAmen and AAAMEN! to all of these lovely prayers and victories. NJS, what an amazing miracle to behold in little JoJo's life! Keeping him, Kristin and Alex in my prayers - for the long-haul.
ReplyDeleteI'm also praying for all of you, my JC Family. Jan - I was on here looking for your Victory Report from the Dentist - what a blessing. And Jeannie - praying that your eye is healing quickly. Audra and Brie - every time I read your posts about moving, I take a look around my home of 25+ years and kind of shudder. I've been saying for years that it's time for a major down-sizing and it looks like another dumpster in our future - between our house and our son's family next door. At least we can split it - cost and space and fill 'er up!
Love and Blessings to each of you - for your powerful prayers, insight and abounding love - a reflection of our Heavenly Father's through his Son (our Lord and all of the mighty things you posted, Rich C. This is such a lovely break to take - starting early in the morning and checking in throughout the day. God Bless each of you!
Sweet Norah, Thanks so much for your prayers. My eye looks bad but I know in about a week's time, God will show me His faithfulness. Now I'm being patient in prayer. Praying with you for all our JC Family and baby Jo Jo, and for you always. Much love.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete...Your serving Me is rooted and grounded...
We know you serve the lord! Praying for the rooting and grounding of your teeth, when you have your oral surgery, Sassy Mom! Also praying relief for the #4. Much Love and Many Blessings, In Jesus' Name. AMEN! Brie
Joining my prayers with dear Brie for you Sassy Mom. You are going through a very long valley but God's light is always present in it and He is holding a bright future for you. It's a new chapter without your sweet Debbi but God's love can lift you up out of the sadness because there is no darkness in Him, only sweet bright Light, and He loves you dearly. I put the 12th on my calendar. The 11th is my Oncologist appointment. We are both trusting in God's faithfulness as our dear Brie is too. Love to you all.
ReplyDeleteAlso keeping you in my prayers Sassy Mom❤️🙏
ReplyDeleteThinking of you this morning, Sassy Mom. Lifting you up and praying for the light at the end of the tunnel to be near.
ReplyDeletePraying for your surgery on the 12th SassyMom. I know what that's like. He will hold you as He held me through that. Thank you for your prayers for me during my sickness. Still recovering. I read your prayer for bp & pulse to become normal & God honored yours & the rest of the JC family. Thank you all so much. Much love to each of you. 💞❤️
ReplyDeleteSending GIANT thanks,virtual hugs and PRAYERS to my dear BELOVED JC Prayer Warriors for SURROUNDING this blog with comforting love, prayers and ENCOURAGEMENT.
ReplyDeleteA very special thanks to Chris Payton for this blog.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. John H.
DeleteSo thankful with you to Chris Peyton for this safe refuge in Christ. I come here to be filled and renewed and to lift my dear family in word and prayer as God’s spirit instructs me. Continuing to pray for your comfort, dear Sassy Mom and that all will go well on the 12th, and for you dear Jan that you will recover completely. We will continue to wait together on the Lord. May we and our loved ones all receive God’s healing power, help, and comfort in Jesus’ Name we pray with gratitude and trust. Amen
DeleteIndeed! I come here everyday as a kick start in the right direction for myself, but have become invested in the lives of all who post here! Praying for healing, encouragement, comfort and strength, especially for those who are battling addiction of any form.
DeleteSome days are just harder than others and this group, with its collective big heart, warms mine and helps direct when I have any doubts or fears of failure! Thank you so much and may God Bless you and Keep you and make His face to Shine upon you🙏❤️
Helen in San Diego County
Thanks dear Helen in San Diego County! God bless you and your family in every little thing and keep you safe and in good health. Thank You Jesus!
DeleteCheers and prayers to the collective big heart that has grown from the seeds Chris Payton planted years ago!
ReplyDeleteYes. We are blessed to have been led by God to be a family in this sweet place.
ReplyDeleteThen Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'" (Matthew 4:10).
ReplyDeleteAMEN!
DeleteAmen! Thanks Janet
DeleteFirst love - highest priority, everything else is a lower priority:
ReplyDeleteMatthew 6:33 NLT
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
MSG
Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
AMPC
But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.
Thanks for that truth, dear Peter!
DeleteCorinthians 13
ReplyDelete13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body [a]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not [b]puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, [c]thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is [d]perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
At the end of life on earth, it appears that love is all that really matters. This love need becomes more and more apparent each time I visit a Senior Living Facility. Like Jesus, may I learn to Love 1st. In Jesus' Name. AMEN!
DeleteWonderful breakfast for my soul dear Anonymous KY! Thanks for filling me.
DeleteSo true, sweet Brie! I receive so much love from my dear mom. I’m in the doctor’s with her now. She tells me she loves me all the time! She knows I’m with her because I love her and above all we know we are loved and blessed by God! As we all are!
What Hell Is Like
ReplyDeleteBy Michael Youssef, Ph.D.
Read Luke 16:19-31.
During His earthly ministry, Jesus talked more about hell than He did about heaven. Hell is serious business, and He wanted people to understand that apart from Him, that's where they are headed. Out of love, He warned people about hell in the most caring, heartbroken, and compassionate way. Today, however, hell is not a popular subject. Many pastors avoid it altogether, not wanting to be labeled a "fire-and-brimstone preacher." But if Jesus thought it was important to talk about hell, shouldn't we?
Some people wonder, If God is so good, how could He send people to hell? But the Truth is the everlasting fire was "prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41). While Satan and his demons have no choice about their eternal destination, every human being can choose to escape from hell. We can choose to come to Christ in repentance, faith, and confession, receiving the gift of forgiveness and eternal life from Jesus' hands. But Satan cannot be redeemed. Revelation shows us the future, when the devil "was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur" to "be tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Revelation 20:10).
Can you see why Satan wants to keep the church quiet about hell? Not only does he not want to be reminded of his eternal destiny, but he wants to take as many people with him as he can. Brothers and sisters, that is precisely why we cannot remain silent. Pastors must preach the full counsel of the Word of God, including the reality of hell. And all of us must allow the seriousness of hell to spur on our own zeal for evangelism.
In Matthew 18:34, Jesus says hell is a place of torture. In Matthew 25:30, He tells us it's a place of utter darkness, "where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." And it is not only physical darkness; hell is a place of moral and spiritual darkness, a domain without God's presence or goodness. It's a prison for the soul and the spirit (see Matthew 18:21-35). We might say it is like a nightmare, but no one has ever had a nightmare as horrible as hell is. Those who are confined to hell will experience constant agony and relentless regret.
The Bible speaks plainly about hell, but every person must decide for themselves what they will do with the grace that God offers. May we who know Truth share it boldly—the eternal stakes are high.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your mercy and grace that have saved me from hell and to heaven. Help me to boldly share the Good News of salvation through Christ, and may many come to know Your goodness through the work of Your Spirit in my life. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. THANK YOU JESUS FOR LOVING ME WITH THE CROSS.
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels'" (Matthew 25:41).
Thank you dear Sassy Mom for sharing that! I’m doing my best to follow after the Spirit and righteousness instead of the flesh and the world. You blessed our day. Lead me Lord right into eternity. Thank You Jesus.
DeleteAmén Sassy Mom!
ReplyDeletePsalm 5:3
ReplyDeleteIn the morning, Oh Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.
Amen. Seek Him early and remain in His peaceful presence.
DeleteAmen. We run a farm. Sometimes running from one trial to another. This week felt overwhelming, needed a vet, went to the road to retrieve a dog, saw the vet driving down our road, she had all we needed. God was reminding us He is in control, He takes care of us, we anxiously think we just do this life on our own. May He give us the grace to Abide in Him. Thank you for this blog. I can’t always bring my book with me and I love to read Jesus’ Words every day❤️🙏
ReplyDeleteThank you dear Anonymous for your testimony of God’s provisions and faithfulness! God bless your day. We are well taken care of. God knows those who trust Him with a sincere heart of faith.
DeleteAmen for the TESTimony Anonymous ❤️ 🙏 .
DeleteGLORIOUS VICTORIES are ALWAYS HIS.
How Blessed are we to be His Children. In Jesus' Name. AMEN!
Amen!!!
DeleteOnly God can fulfill me
ReplyDelete