Let’s Be Faithful One To Another

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 55. The importance of faithfulness to one another is addressed in this psalm. This is important, not only in friendships, but in all our relationships. There’s a heads-up here on just how easily and readily the enemy uses those closest to us to wreak havoc and destroy. How easily we can fall to his devices.

Verses 4-8 give us a picture of the heartache and spiritual distress caused by unfaithfulness. “My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me, and horror overwhelms me….” That death doesn’t have to be a physical death; the end of a close relationship is death to a lot of things. Things like trust, joy, peace, and security are destroyed. Verses 12-14 are eye openers. “For it is not an enemy who taunts me—then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me— then I could hide from him. But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend. We used to take sweet counsel together; within God’s house we walked in the throng. ” (ESV) Do you see the reference made to being within God’s house? That’s so unfortunate! God’s children especially should be on alert against those wiles of the devil. And of course, he knows the ones who know you best can hurt you the most.

Verse 15 is also a powerful one. “Let death steal over them; let them go down to Sheol alive; for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.” (ESV) That lets me know I need to be aware of what thoughts I’m entertaining-daily, hourly, from minute to minute. This is where Proverbs 11:27 comes to mind: “Whoever seeks good finds favor, but evil comes to one who searches for it.” (NIV) When we entertain thoughts of envy, malice, judgment, bitterness, etc., our hearts become filled with them. Your mind and heart are your spiritual dwelling places. What goes in comes out. When we determine not to impute or assume the worst (no evil intent) to anyone, but seek the good in one, about that one, in that situation, etc., we will be inclined to do good unto that person, and in that situation. You can’t do good without it coming back to you. We reap what we sow.

Jesus said, “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” (Matt. 20:26) That’s so easily accomplished, and means so much more than we allow it to, or acknowledge it does. Romans 13:14 says it best: “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.”

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Let Him Encamp Around You

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 53. It was written by King David. I have to wonder if it didn’t come to him the way it comes to all of us; after the fact. You know, you’re going through the storm, waves coming over the edge of the boat, wind tearing the sails apart…JESUS where are you?!!!!! All of a sudden, it’s over, and you don’t know how. And, here you are, still in one piece, still breathing, and the enemy is seen in the distance…limping away with his tail tucked between his legs. Praise God! That’s when it hits you: “O you of little faith…” And you realize just how awesome God is; how fiercely protective of you He is, and how swiftly and silently He can get the job done. He’s the original stealth bomber. LOL

As I read the psalm, I couldn’t help but look to time ahead, when there will be only a remnant left to deal with the evil. That remnant will be those who perhaps heard the gospel and came to believe when the church disappeared into thin air. As I think about that time to come, and the present darkness we live in now, I’m inclined to bow my head and pray even harder for those who will be left here. I’m also finding myself so very grateful for those who taught me about Jesus; from my grandmother, to the Sunday school teachers, Summer Bible Camp teachers, pastors, etc., and most of all, Jesus, Himself. Just think, if He hadn’t come and talked to us…If He’d only come and died for us…what we would be missing in terms of love, peace, power, and joy.

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Making Straight The Path

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 50. It is God calling us out; God calling us to account. There’s a good checklist within, from verses 14-20.

We’re told to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform our vows to the Most High. This brings Jesus’ words home so powerfully to me. “Go first, and learn what this means: I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” I learned something about blessing my enemies, and especially those who bait, curse, and persecute us. That thanksgiving sacrifice helps me refocus on my Savior, and what’s important to Him. I believe when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, all the Words in the Bible become “law” to us; or they should, anyway. 2Timothy 3:16 tells us this. I’m thinking of my dad whenever he would say, “What your mom says is law.” So, when we set out to do the will of God in all things, we’re essentially, taking, or making, a vow. We’ve made a vow to obey His Word.

As I read the psalm, I am convicted. There’s hope, though. Praise God! Verse 23 tells us: “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” As we thank God, we’re glorifying Him, which brings us closer to Him, creating a stronger desire to please Him. This really pleases Him, and sets that salvation in motion. We’re shown the error, the thorn, whatever it may be. We’re guided by the Spirit to correct ourselves and remedy the problem. The path is once again made straight.

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Fearless In Times Of Trouble

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 49. The psalm begins with a call to all the inhabitants of the world, both rich and poor alike. Verses 3 &4 make me think of Jesus. “My mouth will speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will be understanding.” We can apply this personally as a determination and checkpoint. Yes, I’m a work in progress just like you. LOL V-4: “I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle with the music of the lyre. (ESV) This reinforces Romans 10:17, and also gives us a little glimpse of the power of music; especially quieting music.

Verse 5 asks the question: “Why should I fear in times of trouble…” Why, indeed? We can be fearless in troubled times, regardless of what the rest of the world is doing. I’ve seen a lot of things happening throughout this COVID pandemic; some unsavory. Supplies are limited and rationed in some cases, prices are actually going up, some people do react out of fear and frustration, etc. This 49th psalm addresses exactly that. It speaks of those who trust in their wealth, and those who live based on that survival instinct, rather than on the truth and promises of God. I learned a long time ago to hold fast to the words in the 91st Psalm; and especially in troubled times.

Psalm 49:7 is a powerful twofold revelation. “Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life…” First, this lets us know that we do not have what it takes, and have never had what it takes, to pay the price Jesus paid on Calvary. He was the only One who could save us. He has to be the Son of God! Jesus did that for us because,-and this is the second part of that revelation-you, your life, your being is that valuable and that precious to God. Not only that, but it’s that valuable to mankind. Every human being has a purpose and a destiny. That’s why Jesus came. He also said, “In the world you’ll have tribulation. But, be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.” This is daily life for us, isn’t it? Yes; it is. But, it’s going to take all of us to help as many of them (lost and unsaved) as we can to overcome this world; especially in times of trouble.

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Yes, Over ALL The Earth!

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 47. It is a praise offering to the LORD, by the sons of Korah. The psalm is a short one, so I’ll post the whole thing here.

Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth. He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.
He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah God has gone up with a shout,
the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! God reigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne. The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted!

Does that stir you up? It fills me with a deep and awesome joy; and I can’t help but praise Him! Verse 1 tells us God is a great king over all the earth. That means there is nothing outside of His control; nothing. Verse 4 confirms that God chose us! Not only that, but He chose us to be His children! Is that awesome?! Hallelujah! In verse 8 we are assured that He reigns over all the nations, and that He is definitely on the throne! In verse nine our royal status is confirmed. But, when Jesus died and rose again, He raised that status. We are kings and queens in the earth. We are, in Christ Jesus, seated at the right hand of the Father. That’s both awesome and more than a bit scary, isn’t it? It lets us know though, that we have a responsibility to the earth and its inhabitants. Remember Jesus’ words? He came to serve; not to be served. There’s a reference in this verse to the shields of the earth. When I researched it, I found that Jupiter, the magnetosphere, and the atmosphere are called shields of the earth. Here, actually on Earth, “a large area of exposed Precambrian crystalline igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks that form tectonically stable areas. These rocks are older than 570 million years and sometimes date back 2 to 3.5 billion years.” These are also called shields. They have to do with the earth’s crust, and plates that shift or don’t shift. Can you imagine God’s workload? These things are changed every time there’s a fire, flood, earthquake, or tornado and hurricane. (volume and weight) He has to adjust for all the depletion of the forests, the strip-mining, etc. WOWWWWW!!!!! Just think, if the weight of the earth was thrown all to one side? We could be careening through outerspace at breakneck speed and on a collision course with another planet. We might even be shot straight into the sun. No God? I beg to differ with you! This made me think of Psalm 104-a must read! That one will leave you awestruck and breathless.

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Forget Your Father’s House

Today’s message comes from Psalm 45, and it is inspiring and empowering. It fills me with new energy every time I read it. The psalm makes me think of Jesus.

Verse 10 of the psalm changed my life. “Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear: forget your people and your father’s house, and the king will desire your beauty. That king will bestow on you a beauty that is desirable. It’s the Proverbs 31 kind of beauty. *I’ve said this before; it works for you guys too. Moving on to verse 12: This is not so much people seeking your favor with gifts, I believe, as it is people realizing that we have something different, something special. Verse 13 speaks about white robes interwoven with gold. Jesus takes our filthy rags and gives us bright white robes…and that gold?…well, once again, He takes your past and uses it to pave the road ahead of you. Those many colored robes in verse 14 are all those great things inside you, that you never even dreamed were there! Jesus reveals those to you. *I think of the word, multifaceted; like a prism. Those virgin companions are your new attitudes, thoughts, your new horizons, and new joys. Finally, the last two verses-16&17: “In place of your fathers will be your sons…” Your parents may have dropped the ball…but your generation leads the next generation in overcoming the mistakes and iniquities of the past generations. Your legacy will live on and on.

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The Power Of Knowledge

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 44. “We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us the work You did in their days, in the days of old.” This is the very first verse of the psalm; and it speaks loudly to us of the power of knowledge. Here’s how it works: Until you can see/realize the truth, you may not be able to discern the right or wrong of something you’re doing, something that’s going on, etc. Until you see/realize, and accept that truth, you cannot change it. Satan is a master of deception, illusion, and a false sense of security, pride, and worth.

Verses 2-8 of this psalm tell us who’s responsible for that empowerment. “…You are my King, O’God…through you we repel our foes…you save us…” We need to choose life for our children, and make it our creed. (Joshua 24:15) It’s through our standards and boundaries that they overcome the darkness and destruction in the world. *This works both ways. When we choose the wrong standards and don’t establish boundaries, or enforce them, the darkness and destruction in the world overcomes them.

Verses 23-26 Let us know that they can’t do it without us. Without us they will be afflicted and oppressed. This makes me think of Jesus’ words: “In the world you will have tribulation.” (John 16:33) “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” (John 15:18-19). When we teach our children God’s Word, testify about His love and working in our lives, we are empowering them with the knowledge of God. *Actually, God’s Word empowers us with the knowledge of good and evil. When we do this, we empower and reinforce, and redeem, identity, dignity, peace, power, and authority. We also strengthen and preserve the bond of relationship.

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Your Story’s Just Beginning!

Happy Resurrection Sunday! And Happy Easter, one and all! I spent all day Friday thinking about the disciples and the women with Jesus, waiting, holding their breath, unsure and afraid. Peter, especially, was on my mind. This song by Casting Crowns come to mind as I did. Peter was probably sure he was a complete failure to the Lord. I can almost hear the enemy taunting him. But Jesus has a surprise for the enemy, didn’t He? Yes! Peter’s story was really just beginning. Thanks to what our Lord, Jesus did for us on Calvary, and then in Hell when he stripped Satan of his power, and the keys to death and hell…in front of all the principalities and powers…everybody’s story was just beginning. Your story really is just beginning when you come to the Lord. He takes everything behind you, and paves the road ahead of you with it. That’s the road to glory; His, and yours! “Today, when you hear His Voice, don’t harden your hearts.” (Isaiah 40:10) “Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.“

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Saturday Silly-April 3, 2021

Boy, all this COVID updates have got my head spinning. First things are getting better, then they’re not, then half the world seems to be shut down, then we’re on the brink of opening up again…AAAAAGGGGHHHH! I had the strangest dream recently, too. I’ve been estranged from my siblings for the last eleven years because of some stuff they pulled. But the other night, I dreamt I was talking to two of my sisters on the phone. One said the other one had COVID and needed help. I said, “I’ll come help.” The one with COVID replied, “I thought you said you were going to kill me!” Now, can you just imagine that?! I mean, my goodness; what kind of monster do these people take me for?! I said to her, “Oh, honey, I wouldn’t dream of killing you while you’re sick.” LOL

We always have baskets of goodies and dyed eggs to celebrate Easter Sunday. We do this because Resurrection Sunday coincides with the beginning of Spring, when life begins anew with baby animals being born and the flowers and greenery coming pushing their heads through the dirt. It’s also a great way to help teach kids how Jesus makes life new for us. My grandmother had a way of making sense of things for little ones. Anyway, I thought I’d share a quick and easy little “Easter basket” for your co-workers, siblings, and friends…etc. I found some great plastic water goblets on sale at the 99Cents Only store one year, and filled them with a little Easter grass and some goodies. You can tie a ribbon around the stem, or decorate them with some stickers. The ladies I made them for loved them. You can use mugs for the guys; and they love them just as much. They also make great table decorations.

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As Strong As Jesus Is

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 43. This is perfect for Holy Week. When I read this psalm, I thought about Jesus steadfastness from the beginning of His ministry, right to the last moments before His ascension.

“Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people, from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!” When I read this line, the word “cause” speaks to me of Isaiah 61. Jesus read this one in the synagogue. I also think of Isaiah 58:5-7 “For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you rejected me?” God doesn’t reject us, but the enemy sure would love for you to believe that; and goes to great lengths to get you to. If you’re feeling like God has rejected you, check your attitude and your thoughts. Then, praise, praise, praise Him, and seek His face. David, in spite of some of the stuff he did, was a man after God’s own heart. “Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” Why indeed? God ordained that the enemy might bruise your heel, but you will crush his head! The oppressor’s power is an illusion. Your life is hid in Christ Jesus! Stop mourning and start dancing!“Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.” “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” Jesus had to fight the same battles we did-with fatigue, frustration, even anger. Still, He kept right on walking out God’s plan for redemption for the world, refusing to be daunted. When I read the gospel accounts of His ministry, arrest, trial, suffering and death…and finally, His triumph over even death, I can only fall to my knees and say “Thank You, Lord, Jesus! -and please give me your strength.” God’s light and truth will led you and bring you up over your enemy, and to your next level of strength; and, always, always, back to glory and praise!

This song’s been playing as I was working on this. Casting Crowns with Here’s My Heart. It fits; because it’s when my heart is in His Hands that I’m the strongest!

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu