You’re Not Forsaken

Today’s message comes to us from Psalms and Proverbs 27. The verses in Psalm 27 that stick with me-still today- are verses 10-12: They address generational curses, abandonment, dysfunction, and despondency that comes with those things. “Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. Teach me Your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path, because of my oppressors. Do not hand me over to the will of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.” Jesus said, “Come to me all ye who labor and are heavy laden.” (Matt. 11:28) God will not turn you away when you come to Him! And, He will be that father and mother you needed back then. The oppressors in generational curses are all the negative things we’ve been told, all the wrong beliefs we’ve held (I’m stupid, worthless, unlovable, etc.), and all the habits we need to change. You know, the procrastination, the sloth, the denial-especially of our feelings. Your foes are the powers and principalities, and the hosts of spiritual wickedness who whisper all those negative things into your ears to remind you of them, and who whisper things that cause fear and self-doubt, which cause you to doubt God. Those are the false witnesses who rise up against you breathing violence.* Destructive of your progress, power, and freedom.

Proverbs 27:5-6 are enlightening in regard to generational curses: “Better an open rebuke than love that is concealed.” Love does not let you do wrong and allow you to think it’s right. Love needs to be expressed often, as well. “The wounds of a friend are faithful, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. When you’re trying to overcome negative habits, negativity expressed, and all the false things, you have to consider them your enemy-or at least that your enemy, the devil, is waiting to jump on them and use them against you. So, you must be on your guard, and weigh those things carefully. Verse 17 is a good thing to keep in mind: “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” If it isn’t empowering you to be better, take a closer look at it. You may need to toss it out. If it’s a person, you may need to spend less time there. Verses 23-27, I think, are important, really, for everyone; but especially in recovery. “Be sure to know the state of your flocks, and pay close attention to your herds; for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to every generation. When hay is removed and new growth appears and the grain from the hills is gathered, the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field. You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed you—food for your household and nourishment for your maidservants. This is an admonition to be wise in living. You are a king/queen in the Earth, but it is the meek who will inherit the earth;, and as the proverb tells us, any generation can fall right back under that curse. We need to remain humble and teachable, and strive to walk with integrity according to God’s Word. That needs to be our priority. This passage lets us know that nothing just comes to us; we have to work for it.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

A Great Meditation Piece

Today’s message comes to us from Psalms and Proverbs 26. Psalm 26 is actually a prayer of King David’s. I think it’s a great piece to meditate on.

Vindicate me, O LORD! For I have walked with integrity; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. Test me, O LORD, and try me; examine my heart and mind. For Your loving devotion is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth. I do not sit with deceitful men, nor keep company with hypocrites. I hate the mob of evildoers, and refuse to sit with the wicked. I wash my hands in innocence that I may go about Your altar, O LORD, to raise my voice in thanksgiving and declare all Your wonderful works. *This is about getting your heart right before the LORD/Lord. Confess if you have something to confess, ask for His forgiveness and help, and then your praise and thanksgiving won’t be hindered and robbed of its power. O LORD, I love the house where You dwell, the place where Your glory resides. Do not take my soul away with sinners, or my life with men of bloodshed, in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes. *Don’t let me fall into their hands, or be taken in by their schemes.* But I will walk with integrity; redeem me and be merciful to me. My feet stand on level ground; in the congregations I will bless the LORD. I’ve italicized the points I meditate on; their my checklist when I’m doing self inventory. One thing I found is that, even when it’s been a week or stumbling and/or I find myself more than a little apathetic, God’s love has not changed, and He’s always ready, willing, and more than able to reveal, refresh, and restore me-body, mind, heart, and soul.

Proverbs 26 is an entire listing of some dos and don’ts for the child of God. It’s also a good meditation piece; maybe even one that one can take some notes on from time to time, in regard to personal happenings.

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

Ah, That Tongue Thing Again

Today’s message comes to us from Psalms and Proverbs 15. Psalms 15:1 Asks the question: Who shall be welcomed and able to dwell with God, in His presence; and who will be able to walk in the power of the Kingdom of Heaven, or the Holy Spirit? We have a whole list that begins in verse 2, and ends in verse 5.

“The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.” (NIV) *Most other versions do not include the word poor in that statement about lending money without interest. Also, that word despise means to avoid, in this sense. God hates the sin; but He loves the sinner. However, we can fall into some dire straits by hangin’ out with the wrong crowd; and by letting the wrong people into our inner circle…*living proof, I am.

When we move on to Proverbs 15, we find all kinds of revelation and admonition about keeping our hearts pure and our speech edifying, and honorable (Eph. 4:29) “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Verse 15:19 addresses sloth. Sloth is laziness. When we get lazy-in doing, in learning, and in being perfected in love, we’re in dangerous territory. Sloth/laziness will immobilize you, imprison you, and incapacitate you. All three of those are interchangeable in order.

I hope this song by MercyMe blesses you today. We don’t have to fall to the circumstances; we can, in Jesus’ Name, overcome them all.

Love you from Cafe du Mondicu

Saturday Silly – January 16, 2021

My goodness, what a week it’s been! I had my cardiology appointment; hit the floor running to make it on time. I don’t know why, but it seems as if the buses are crawling along at fifteen miles an hour whenever you need them to hurry. Then, some of them go at breakneck speed, only to jump on the brakes with both feet and all their body weight behind them. Passengers and baggage come up out of the seats. LOL I think they need to serve cocktails on some of those buses, just like they do on airplanes. Speaking of airplanes, I was on a bus the other day, and there was a car wash just short of the stoplight. This guy was out front waving a white rag like crazy. I couldn’t figure out if he was trying to flag us down, or land a plane…we are right by the Air Base.

There are some characters on the buses, too. We passed a construction site, and someone asked what they were building there. A lady on the bus said, “Its an Amazon Warehouse.” “Oh,” replied the guy, “what’s if for?” “It’s where they’re going to lock up all the strong and angry women,” replied the lady. LOL

I got my ID renewed recently. I couldn’t believe it when I got the new card. My goodness; I need to get some good facial serum and face cream. My grandbabies will be calling me Grandma Sharpei. Sure enough, I sent a friend a selfie – of myself, and he texted me back: “Can she sit up and beg?” Hmm, maybe I could get one of the kids to take me to the dog shows; I could use the money. Ah, never mind…I can’t wag my tail like that anymore. Besides that, I’m not going to sit up and beg for anybody!

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Stir Yourself Up Before The Enemy

Today’s message comes from Psalms and Proverbs 9. Psalm 9 is an awesome way to stir yourself up right in the midst of adversity; right in the height of the storm. Our enemies are fear, doubt, shame, guilt, dejection, etc. It is with these things that the enemy strikes us, and through them, that he binds us. I believe that the crown of thorns they pushed into Jesus’ head, represents a hedged in mind. Then, your hands are helpless, and your feet lame. You can’t do anything, and can’t go anywhere except where the enemy wants to take you; which is Hell-here on Earth, and then in eternity. I love verse 6 of this psalm: “The enemy has come to eternal ruin…” Jesus did that through His death and resurrection. “…the very memory of them has vanished.” The longer you walk whatever it is, out with the LORD/Lord, and according to His Word and Ways, the weaker the power of that sin, that dysfunctional mindset, that fear, etc., becomes. Pretty soon, it’s all gone! Hallelujah! I have no more thoughts of smoking, and no more thoughts of running to drown my sorrows, frustrations, etc., in alcohol. The “triggers” have been rendered powerless by, and through, God’s love. Verse 9 assures us that we are never forsaken by God; He is a stronghold in times of trouble, and especially in oppression-be it physical, mental, or spiritual. Verses 10-14 tell us that God lifts us up from the gates of death. Every bitter end is a death. But, thanks to Jesus, through His resurrection, we have a hope of a new beginning. When one door closes, another opens. Some bitter ends include divorce, loss of another kind, perceived failures-dreams, goals, etc. God lifts us to the next level – even from those. Verse 16 tells us the wicked are ensnared by the work of their own hands. This is why we’re told not to lean on our own understanding. We live what we learn, and we learn what we live. Let’s live with, and for, God.

Proverbs 9 speaks of the seven pillars of wisdom. I came up with these: 1. Honor the LORD 2. Receive instruction/take it to heart 3. Increase in learning 4. Obtain guidance/seek the LORD/Lord 5. Treasure God’s commandments 6. Walk in integrity 7. Hold fast to steadfast love and faithfulness – He is faithful and has promised never to forsake us or leave us. And He loves always, and anyway. We should too! He is love…so should we BE. Jesus said, “be perfect, therefore, as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” When we surround ourselves with these pillars, and stay within their boundaries, we can overcome the world.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

He Gave Us The Power

Today’s message comes to us from Psalms and Proverbs 8. Psalm 8 is a psalm King David wrote, glorifying the LORD. King David recognized, not only who God really is (our Heavenly Father), but also, he knew who he was, in the LORD. Verse 1 tells us God’s glory is set above the heavens – over the powers, principalities, and hosts of spiritual wickedness. There’s only so far they can go. Verse 2 tells us that God has ordained praise to silence the enemy and avenger. “Out of the mouths of children and infants” -that’s us when we’re reborn. Right then, the devil is rendered powerless to accuse and exact payment. Verses 5 & 6 tell us that we’re made a little lower than the angels, and crowned with glory and honor. He has made us ruler over the works of His hands! That means, in Jesus’ Name, the powers, principalities and hosts of spiritual wickedness (the spirits) are subject to us; they must obey. Jesus gave us the power to master good and evil, and gave us the same authority He has over the spirits.

The only thing I’m going to tell you about Proverbs 8, in this message, is that Jesus is the wisdom of God personified. You’ll see that in verses 22-31. The whole proverb is a list that shows us the benefits of seeking and embracing wisdom. I encourage you to delve into it. Verses 15 & 16 tell us that it is by wisdom that kings rule. We are kings and queens in the earth. Whether we rule/govern our homes, or our communities, wisdom is what empowers us to do so justly. *Our treasuries are spirit, heart, mind, and soul.

Thank you, Paul Wilbur, for such beautiful praises for me to sing to the LORD/Lord!

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

You Are Hotly Pursued

Today’s message comes to us from Psalms and Proverbs 7. The first part of Psalm 7, 7:1-9 is a prayerful song sung by King David regarding his enemies. Verses 1&2 give a very clear picture of how hotly you are pursued by the hosts of spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places. “Lord my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me, or they will tear me apart like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.” (1Peter 5:8) tells us: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” When you watch lions hunting, you’ll see they go into hot pursuit of their prey; they don’t stroll after it. Never take your souls safety for granted. Satan wants to destroy it.

What’s really awesome in this psalm is verse 8: “The LORD judges the peoples; vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and integrity.” You know that saying, “and idle mind is the devil’s playground?” Yeah, ever find yourself battling with the same thoughts over and over? My battle with that when I quit smoking comes to mind. Even long after I’d given cigarettes up, Satan was lurking and waiting to lure me back there. I had an argument with my husband one day, and the first thing that came to my mind was: “I should just start smoking again; that will show them!” The next thing that came to mind was, “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!” I knew that my smoking would hurt me; not anyone else. (See how the Truth rushed in there?) The Holy Spirit nipped that one in the bud! When I think of this vindication, I think about catching my children doing right. Praise is doubly as important as reproof. Here’s why: Verse 9-“Put an end to the evil of the wicked, but establish the righteous, O righteous God who searches hearts and mind.” The more we celebrate our doing right, the stronger the desire to do right becomes, and the less power the lure of evil, the wicked, and sin has over us. *This works on adults who are being renewed in the knowledge of God, as well.

Proverbs 7 Speaks of the adulteress, but when in spiritual context, it is the lure of sin and sinners. This includes false religion, idolatry, peer pressure, etc.) When we make our children strong against these in the LORD/Lord and His Word, they’re better able to resist and walk away. (2Cor. 10:5) tells us: “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.” The more truth you have within you, the stronger you are to stand against the wiles of the devil; and against deception.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Our Father; Full Of Mercy & Grace

First, let me apologize for this being delayed today. I needed to take some time off yesterday due to a foot problem, and didn’t get to do my posts as I wanted to.

Today’s message comes from Psalms and Proverbs 6. Psalm 6 gives us a picture of how detrimental to our soul, that sin can be. It also gives us an assurance that God sees, and hears-even when we’re besieged by sin-ours or that of others. When we cry out to the LORD/Lord, be it in fear, in dismay, at the end of our rope, etc., He answers us according to His steadfast love, with mercy and grace. When we fall into sin, or our heart gets a little hardened, and we finally come to the end of ourselves, God does not rebuke us or chastise us, in anger. God hates sin; but He loves the sinner. Verses 8-10 show us that just the knowledge that you are heard and cared for by God, gives hope and strength. That’s a good reason to stir your spirit up in the knowledge of God’s love for you every day!

Proverbs 6 gives us an idea of how much God hates sin and sinfulness. Verses 16-19 outline seven things, specifically, that God hates. Thus, going back to verses 1-11 admonish us to be careful of getting entrapped in sin, especially with our own words. (Words have power) We encouraged to bolster ourselves timely with God’s Word, to ensure a good harvest, or good fruit. We need to turn back immediately when we find ourselves in temptation, or in sin. The earlier we turn back, the more adversity and soul anguish we can avoid.

Proverbs 6: 20-25 let us know that the Commandment (standard and boundaries) is a lamp and the teachings of the LORD/Lord, a light to preserve us. Reproofs are admonitions, or warnings that we need to correct our actions. Correction is a way of life; we are not infallible. Correction empowers life, and life (truth, way, life) empowers self-correction. God’s admonition protects our soul, and empowers us with clarity, and strength to turn away from sin. If you look at verses 27 & 28, and think in terms of things that go against God’s standards and boundaries, you can see the danger of seduction by sin. The longer you dwell on something, the more apt you are to be swayed by it, to take it to heart, and to be ensnared by it, if it’s sin. Wherever you mind wanders, your heart is sure to follow, and then, there you’ll be. Wander into God’s Word, His Love, Peace, and Joy.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Be Beautiful In It All!

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that He is the Lord of all our moments! As long as we keep hold of His hand, we can be beautiful too -in everything ! When I read this message, one song comes to mind. It is “You Make Everything Beautiful.” Here’s Big Daddy Weave with their rendition.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu