Let His Salvation Set You On High

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 69. It gives us some insight into our part in our salvation. Verse 2 of the psalm lets us know that there is no foothold in the mud. If it isn’t clear, or understandable to you, or the truth is obscured, and hidden to you, you have the responsibility to seek the truth, to get it clarified, and to gain understanding of it. One of the reasons I drank to excess was because I couldn’t hear my conscience when I did.

Verse 5 reminds us that we cannot hide anything from God. He sees, hears, and knows, even your most secret thoughts and feelings. The good news is that God loves you, and He’s on your side. He wants you to win. So you needn’t fear Him.

Verses 6-12 are powerful. I think about wanting to break those curses off for my children and grandchildren. I think about some of the things, precious things, I lost before I got serious with God about breaking free from it all. And, yes, there will be mockers, scoffers, deserters, and even haters. It’s designed that way by Satan, so he can keep you bound.

Verses 14 through 20 give us an idea of how we ought to help our children; especially when they’re struggling with sin, and the world’s view of it. Peer pressure can be a killer; literally. We make truth clear to them, and give them stable footing by clear and strong standards and boundaries. We deal with them according to mercy, not mood, not circumstance, not cost, etc. Verses 17 & 18 are very powerful. We sometimes have a tendency toward denial, ignoring the truth. We don’t do our children any favors when we ignore the truth about their behavior, or their goings -on. We leave them vulnerable to the enemy when we do that. We need to ask questions, and insist on getting answers. We rush to their aid.

Verse 29 says: “But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, O God, set me on high! We need to humble ourselves and ask God for help. Then, we need to remain humble to obey Him; to do it His way. In this way, we will be set on high (over the enemy). We need to set our children on high through our teaching, correction, and salvation. That means we make empowerment with knowledge, instruction, and with dignity-even in the thing, the goal. This verse makes me think of Jesus’ words: “… the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” When we strive to break off those generational curses, we can ransom many. Think about the generations coming up behind you.

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Your Enemies Are His

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 68. The psalm is one of encouragement and assurance to God’s children.

Verses 1-3 tell us that when “God arises, His enemies will be scattered.” The “haters will flee His presence“; and yours. Have you ever watched the “in crowd” thin as you’re talking God and your new life with Him? Yeah, you can plan on losing some friends when you come to Jesus. There’s a twofold revelation in that scripture. First, God will scatter and drive away the enemies within you, or the strongholds of your old way of thinking. That would be things like anger,bitterness, confusion, doubt, fear, hatred, etc. Secondly, those who oppose you in your efforts to overcome your past will usually leave you. The good news is that if you just put your nose to the grindstone and keep going forward toward your new life, when you look around at the end of the battle, you’ll realize they all practically melted away while you weren’t looking.

Verses 5-10 give us the assurance of God’s love and caring for us. He’s a father to the fatherless, and the protector of widows. Widowhood can be physical and spiritual. That’s why we’re told not to be unequally yoked. There’s also that widowhood in the spirit when the body of Christ lacks good leadership, for whatever reason(s) God steps in and sees us through. (Isaiah 54:13) God settles the solitary/lonely in a home. He always leads you to where you need to be-for Him, and for yourself. He leads the prisoners out to prosperity. There’s a powerful revelation in that statement. When you live under generational curses, oppression, depression, etc. you are a prisoner of spiritual poverty and lack. We lack the truths we need to see clearly, the courage to face the truths we need to, and the power and authority to overcome them. God causes the real truth (s) to prosper in you so you become empowered to gain the victory over your past. He gives rain in abundance. That’s what I just said about the truth prospering in you.

I’m not going to tell you what came to mind when I read verses 11-13. Suffice it to say, you know what happened in the town where that woman talked with Jesus at the well. An avalanche starts with one flake of snow, you know. LOL

Verse 24 has me thinking about the powers and principalities, and the hosts of spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places, when they see you taking it to the LORD/Lord. I had to laugh, because I thought back to the last two cigarettes I smoked, The first one, I lit up right in the church parking lot after the service I’d just prayed for freedom in. I know today that that was Satan laughing at me and Jesus, in mockery. Then, I thought about the last cigarette I had; it was later that afternoon. Now, I can hear Jesus saying to that devil, “That’s the last one. Now what, devil? Now what?! Because it’s in my hands!” Praise God! April 26 of this year was 19 years smoke free. And you know what? I think of Isaiah 11:6 little child will lead them. Jesus said, “whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.” That kingdom includes the heavenly places where those powers, principalities, and hosts of spiritual wickedness reside. I had to humble myself and ask Him for help to be free of those cigarettes; to admit I wasn’t strong enough to do it myself. When we humble ourselves before the LORD/Lord, we are exalted over those powers, principalities and hosts of spiritual wickedness, because Jesus, Himself will remind them who you are in Him! That’s why He’s the King of kings!

Verse 30 reinforces exactly what happened with that smoking habit. God, Himself rebuked that devil!

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Saturday Silly – May 1, 2021

Most of you know I crochet. I love to take my little odds and ends of leftover yarn, and make doll clothes or other fun little things for children. I recently gifted a friend with a couple of little purses, and some Barbie clothes and accessories I’d made. I was told that the two year old loved the purse; and Grandpa put a dollar in it for her. She ran to Mommy and asked if they could go to the store, and stated that she was going to buy something for Mommy, because Mommy always buys her things. Mommy was so touched by this, that she gave the little lady another dollar, and told her to save it and the one Grandpa gave her. Mommy insisted that she was going to buy the little princess something as a reward for her thoughtfulness and generosity. I, having had four two year olds myself, when I heard this, couldn’t help wondering, “Do they know that they’ve just been robbed by a two year old?” LOL! Great job with those girls, Mommy! Hugs and kisses to you all.

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The Roots Must Keep Growing Deeper

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Happy Memorial Day, One and All! May your day be beautiful, and blessed with precious memories.

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that we must continue to dig deep into the things of God-His Word, Encouragement in the Spirit, People places and things that build up and strengthen faith and spirit, etc. Keeping faith and spirit strong is crucial to a child of God. This ensures that we are rooted and grounded firmly in Christ Jesus. It is vital to empowering us to continue to walk as His children and serve as ministers of His gospel in this world. You can’t bless others if you, yourself have nothing. Life in this world drains a spirit of real life, of power. If we aren’t rooted and grounded firmly, we’ll tire, wither, and even give up. God doesn’t want to lose a single soul; so we can’t give up. We only have a little further to go. When I read this message, I think of Jesus praying alone in Gethsemane. “Couldn’t you watch with me for one hour,” He asked the disciples who had fallen asleep.

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Forgetting Myself

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us not to expect a world in which all is in harmony with us. Rather, we should humble ourselves, forgetting ourselves, and remembering God instead. I thought I got this the first time I read it. But it goes so much deeper and reaches so much farther than just striving to do things God’s way. It’s about so much more than trying to be a good Christian.

Forgetting myself and choosing God instead frees me from injury to ego, and to my spirit. When I choose God’s way, I’m looking through His eyes, I’m operating according to His heart (grace and mercy, and compassion). This frees me from feeling rejected, or from fear, and even anger or indignation. When I’m operating out of God’s heart and according to His will, I can more easily perceive the other’s need, the other’s heart. I don’t even hear the insult(s) or feel the disdain and/or rejection.

Romans 15:3 – “For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” That’s a powerful revelation for us. When we operate out of God’s heart, forgetting our “self,” those insults and rejections, the fears and doubts, the weariness and hopelessness are absorbed by God, Himself. They are changed by His mercy and grace, becoming tools and stepping stones for us. Through them, we are empowered to feel and extend mercy, grace, love, peace, power.

Our task is not to force others to come into accord with us, or to be in harmony with us. Rather, we are to come into harmony, or to remain in harmony and unbroken accord with God. When we do this, we maintain our own heart’s peace. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:32)

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