Choose To Open It

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 95. We’re encouraged to enter the gates of Heaven with thanksgiving and praise on our lips-and in our hearts. We’re also admonished not to harden our hearts if/when we hear His voice.

These are the two things I want to focus on. Not too long ago, I began to sing my praise to the LORD/Lord before I say my morning prayer. I can’t tell you how much more peace and joy I have within, how much stronger I feel that bond with the LORD/Lord, and how much more energy I have. I believe we set the tone for the day through praise and prayer. It’s so much better than setting the tone for a bad day by grumbling and complaining. LOL I think it helps us to open our hearts to receive whatever God has for us. Not only that, but it also helps us to “see” more of God’s hand in everything around us. Jesus spoke about the seed and the sower, and the ones who could receive the word spoken, and put it to work for them. He also showed us what happens when we allow our hearts to be hardened. We can’t receive the seeds God wants to plant there. (Matt. 13:3) Choose to open your heart. Choose to begin your day with praise and thanksgiving. It’s like running to jump into your Daddy’s arms first thing in the morning.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

God’s Salvation Grows In Us

Today’s message comes to us from Psalms and Proverbs 21. “O LORD, the king rejoices in Your strength. How greatly he exults in Your salvation! You have granted his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah For You welcomed him with rich blessings; You placed on his head a crown of pure gold. He asked You for life, and You granted it—length of days, forever and ever. Great is his glory in Your salvation; You bestow on him splendor and majesty. For You grant him blessings forever; You cheer him with joy in Your presence. For the king trusts in the LORD; through the loving devotion of the Most High, he will not be shaken.” Psalms 21:1-7(BSB) WOW!!!!! Can you wrap your heart and mind around that one?! We can exult in our salvation because God, from the moment we give our hearts over to him, welcomes us as His children. Just like the father welcomed his prodigal son in (Luke 15:11-32), God welcomes us with joy and celebration when we repent and accept Jesus’ gift of salvation. (Luke 15:7)

I like what I read in verse 8 of the Psalm. Because of God’s loving devotion to us, we will not be shaken! That’s a two-fold revelation about how we need to deal with our children; and how we need to treat ourselves. Love yourself better than that! (self bashing, defeatist attitudes, words like “can’t”, etc.) Setting your expectations too high is also not loving to your child, or to yourself. We have a tendency quite often, to want to complete the whole journey in one step. Then we get overwhelmed, confused, and defeated within. This makes me think of the song they sang, in Santa Claus is Coming to Town, about putting one foot in front of the other. Then, just watch what God can do with you!

Proverbs 21:1-8 are all about keeping our heart right before the LORD/Lord. Verse 4 warns us that haughty eyes and a proud heart are sin. they are the lamp of the wicked. Jesus warned us of the same thing in (Matthew 6:22-23) “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” In this passage, I believe Jesus is talking about our understanding, and conviction; referring to them as our eyes. Verse 22 is an admonition to tear down the strongholds that keep us from living effective lives. This goes with (2 Cor. 10:5) “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Strongholds are false beliefs, attitudes, excuses, and denial. We have to root these out, and cast them out first and foremost. We have to do it every time they rear their heads. We can stay on top of this by giving thought to our ways, and by staying disciplined to stay on track, and get back on track, every day, every time. As we do this, God’s salvation grows in us.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Saturday Silly-February 27, 2021

February is American Heart month, Spunky Old Broads month, Creative Romance month, and Canned Food month…so, The old hobo was head over heels in love with the little old lady that pushed her cart past him on the sidewalk every day. He decided he would invite her to share a meal with him one evening. She accepted his invitation. That old hobo was a romantic, and he decided he would recreate the scene from Lady and the Tramp-(one of my favorite Disney movies). He served up a can of spaghetti and meatballs, a couple of almost stale rolls, and a small bottle of red wine. The two of them sat by the fire enjoying their meal. He saved the last bite from his plate, and offered it to the lady. She, being a spunky little old thing, put one end of a noodle into her mouth, and offered him the other end.(She wasn’t born yesterday, you know; she knew what was up.) Just as their lips touched, the cell-phone in the hobo’s shirt pocket started beeping. The little old lady grabbed her chest and shouted, “Oh, my God, don’t take me now! I think I’ve found the love of my life!” The old hobo, quickly took the cell phone from his pocket and shut it off. “I’m sorry,” said he. “I forgot to shut off the alarm. It’s to remind me to take my heart pill.” “Oh, thank God,” replied the little old lady. “I thought it was my heart monitor going off and warning me of an oncoming heart attack!” Doggone it! I really love spaghetti too! I’m going to have to ask my cardiologist about that one. LOL Ha! I’m a spunky old broad too, you know!

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

This Present Darkness…

Has been with us for such a long time already. Today’s message comes to us from Psalms 12. Psalm 12 gives us a picture of what happens when, as is told us in verse 8, what is vile is honored among the children of man. When I read about the lies and flattering lips, I think about some of the ways we’re lured into sin. In terms of generational curses, and dysfunction, I think about having learned all the wrong ways. I think about denial, living behind facades, etc. We live this way when we fear, doubt, or feel dejected. Those things are meant to put us beneath the devil’s feet. He is to be beneath our feet. I spoke about poverty of spirit in a previous message. Generational curses and dysfunction and denial plunder our spirit. We are robbed of dignity, sense of worth, or value, our confidence, self-respect, the power to choose, and power to BE ourselves. The word power here, denotes strength and capability. Pure words are true, they show the way, and they infuse us and empower us with life.

The powers, principalities, and hosts of spiritual wickedness , if you can picture it, kind of circle humankind, like a shark circles its prey. They’re always ready to snatch their next victim. When what is vile is exalted among the children of man, we open doors to bondage and destruction of life/lives. Some of these things are demon worship, witchcraft, adultery, illicit sex, hedonism, pornography, hatred and violence, racism, sexism, etc. These things make everyone involved vulnerable to the bondage and destruction, or the fallout from them.

Check back tomorrow for the second part of the message on this Psalm. I found an interesting connection between verse 6 and proverbs 6, that brings an awesome revelation and lesson.

In this present darkness, and in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. who fought to bring light into it, I offer this song. Thank you, Jason Upton. This is so beautiful; and remember, we’re not alone either.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

A Freewill Offering Of Prayer

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, bids us to pray for a situation to be righted, or for a person to be changed-immediately as an adversity is occurring. We’re told that it’s our responsibility.

I never really thought about it like this before, but it’s just like stepping in between the bully on the playground and your brother or sister. Only the fight is in the Spirit, isn’t it? Hosea 14:2 (NIV) says it this way: “Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips.” Isaiah 58:12 (ESV) tells us, “your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.” When I think of this, I have to rejoice; especially in today’s hurting world. We have the power to change the tide for someone in a future generation, just by praying for someone. That brings me to what Jesus said in the sermon on the mount. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matt. 5:9 -NIV)

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu