Don’t Fear Him; Fear Him

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 111. It’s in praise of the LORD, His love, and His works. When I read it, I recall being just filled to overflowing with a sense of wonder at some of the things I’ve found in God’s Word, or at some of the things He’s allowed me to experience or be part of. I never would have gotten that much out of my relationship with Him, did I not respect (fear) Him and trust Him; because I never would have been looking for Him. I want to focus on verses 7, 8, and 10.

“The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy; they are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”

When I read these verses, that making the bed thing comes to mind. The , “do it even if and whenever you don’t want to,” thing comes to mind too. That’s what that performing it with faithfulness and uprightness means. And the victory over the chaos, confusion, struggle, etc., is why we do it faithfully and uprightly. It is when we lay aside the fear (terror) of the LORD and fear Him, that we can begin to really have relationship with Him. That’s when we begin to grow in spiritual knowledge and power.

When I think of these verses in terms of generational curses, I can see how important it is that the works of our hands (deeds) and our precepts (rules/standards/boundaries) be faithful, just, and trustworthy. This is what makes us respectable, and makes our kids able to trust and respect us.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Sit At My Right Hand

Today’s. message comes to us from Psalm 110. It is an awesome one! I’m reading from the ESV, or course.

“The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” he LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.”

I want to focus on the first verse. “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” Not too long ago, I was recalling some of the things I learned at my dad’s right hand. I once told someone that the powerful queens in the world were the ones who sat at their fathers'(kings) elbows, quietly doing their handiwork (embroidery and such), and learning about the business of running a kingdom, while nobody thought they were listening. LOL There’s truth! If you’ll notice, God’s telling us that it is by learning at His right hand that we will triumph over our enemies. We are told to rule in the enemies’ midst. That means we need to know the business of the kingdom, doesn’t it? We need to know everything that God does, and how to do it. We are to shatter those kings (powers, principalities, and hosts of spiritual wickedness in the heavenly realms), execute judgment among the nations, shatter chiefs over the earth, etc. Those chiefs are the same powers principalities, and hosts of spiritual wickedness again, but we need also to be concerned with whom we put in power here on earth, the laws that are enacted, etc. At first glance, someone will say, this is about Jesus, the Lord. It sure is. And, Jesus said it is the Father’s good pleasure to give us the Kingdom. Thank, you, Daddy! I’ll be right there with my crochet work!

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Saturday Silly – June 26, 2021

First, shouting out Happy Birthday, Sis! Sorry, it’s a day late. I love you, though, JM! Hope your day was filled to overflowing with all things beautiful, and with wonderful memories. Hugs and kisses to ya by the tons!

Okay now, let’s get down to business. I keep hearing all this stuff about lazy homeless people. It’s starting to bother me just a little, because I’m homeless…but, I am not lazy! There happen to be some very hard working and enterprising homeless people out there. I talked to some guys just the other night, who were on their way to their spot. They were loaded down with bags of stuff. I said, “Wow, you guys are loaded down! Where’d you get all that stuff?” “It’s our pay for lifting shops,” they replied. I never realized the desert sands make the buildings shift like that; so they have to be lifted.

I’ve worked on my crafts the last few days. I’m making some halter tops, and a hat. I’d like to participate in a couple of Farmer’s Market events this year, and maybe even some First Friday events. But, crafts isn’t my only enterprise. I also write (as you can see), and I’m planning on going into the hospitality business. I’m going to buy an extra tarp and one of those portable and rechargeable evaporative coolers. Then, I’m going to rent it out at night to the homeless. See, some of us are business minded, and work very hard!

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Keeping The Glory

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 106. The Psalm is a long one, recounting the struggles and backsliding of Israel. I’m not going to post the whole psalm, but I do want to focus on one verse.

Psalm 106: “They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.” (ESV) This verse leads us right to the story of Nebuchadnezzar. He went from being one of the most powerful rulers on Earth, to wandering aimlessly through fields and eating grass, like an animal. That very thing can happen to us when we stray from God’s side. We come out from under that glory, and are then ruled by instinct; basically, animal instinct. Instead of the Holy Spirit controlling us, our flesh controls us. It’s not just losing it for a few minutes. It’s not just giving in to the craving for the cookies on occasion. It’s so much more than giving in to temptations. We slip out from under God’s glory when we cultivate and insist on maintaining an attitude that it’s alright to let sin rule over us. “It’s just sex. So what if they’re not married. So, what; everybody cheats on their spouse.” That type of attitude shift pulls us farther and farther away from God’s side, and closer and closer to that dangerous edge of the cliff. “If you are the son of God, throw yourself down; for the scripture says “He’ll give His angels charge of you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” -(Matt. 4:5-6)

Jesus replied to the devil that we are not to tempt the LORD our God. That’s a powerful statement regarding sin. Don’t ever take your salvation for granted. You might not lose your salvation, but I guarantee you God will call you to account. God will never bully you; He is a gentleman. But, He will let you have your way…until your way sends you running back His way. And, it will. He’ll be right there waiting with open arms; but God is not mocked. We reap what we sow. (Gal. 6:7)

The thing some people don’t realize is that you’re really, really playing with fire, when you let the devil get a foothold in your life. that’s why vigilance, diligence, and perseverance are so important. Turning immediately and getting back on the right course is what God wants from us. If we do wrong, correcting it, making it right, is expected of us. God is faithful and just to forgive us when we confess our sins to Him. (1 John 1:9) It is when we don’t do those things immediately, that we find ourselves headed for trouble.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Even Before You’re Settled

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 105. It is another one recounting God’s presence with, and for His people. The psalm is a long one, but I’m focusing on verses 12-15; reading from the ESV.

“When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it, wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account,
saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!”

There’s a powerful revelation in this scripture. Even before we are settled into the kingdom of Heaven, while we’re still wandering from one thing to another, one person to another, one belief to another, etc., God is still watching over us. When you read, “touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm,” keep in mind that you were destined to be an anointed one, a preacher, a pastor, a prophet, a choir leader, etc., from the beginning. Another interesting, and powerful revelation here is this: God will rebuke a KING, a leader, an authority, etc., on your account. And, He did that before you came home and got settled in. See? When Jesus said, “Fear not, it’s the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom,” He meant it. It was a done deal when Jesus said, “It’s finished.”

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Happy Father’s Day

When my youngest was born, this show was the rage! My baby girl took her time getting to know Daddy, and until she did, this was pretty much her attitude: “You are NOT THE MAMA!” Yes, she did become Daddy’s Girl. LOL! When I found this pic, I couldn’t resist! God bless you, Daddies!

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Saturday Silly – June 19, 2021

I just realized that I haven’t been camping since 2007. That’s waaaaay too long! I was reminded of a couple of times when we thought we were beating the crowds at the popular camping spots. They turned out like this…

Yes, I know I’m homeless…that is NOT camping! That’s a crying shame; especially, considering the circumstances behind it!

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Write Them Down

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 103.. King David wrote it, and it is so awesome! The first five verses, alone, just get your spirit stirred up. Beginning with verse 2-5: “Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Forget not His benefits. Make a list, just like the one in this psalm. There’s more all throughout the psalm. Those verses just kind of sum it all up for us.

The rest of the psalm lists more of those benefits, and tells us how much God loves us, and how compassionate and tender He is toward us. (V8-14) “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.”

I had an incredible experience in the spirit, over this very psalm. My father-in-law was in a nursing home, and dying. He was afraid to die, because He didn’t believe that God could really forgive Him for the things he’d done. My sister also happened to be his daughter-in-law, and she visited him regularly. I never went to the nursing home, myself. I referred her to the 103rd psalm, when she expressed concern about his being afraid to die. She visited him twice more, but each time, he was asleep, and didn’t wake up. I copied the psalm down on a piece of paper, and put it under a prayer candle. I would light the candle and pray that psalm for him. One night, approximately 1: 30 a.m., my baby girl woke up for her bottle, and since I was awake, I decided to pray for him again. Laying beside her, I began to pray. I almost always say the Lord’s prayer before I pray other prayers; so I began to pray the Lord’s prayer. Suddenly, I was standing in my father-in-law’s room at the nursing home. I called out His name, and He said, “Who’s there?” I called out His name again, and then I said, “In the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, your sins are forgiven; accept your peace.” Right then I woke up, and it was about 7 a.m. My father-in-law passed away at approximately 1:30 a.m. the next morning. Verse 19 of the psalm says, “The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.” That includes time and space.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Recognize His Glory

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 102. The psalm is a prayer of one in the throes of affliction. “All the day my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse. For I eat ashes like bread and mingle tears with my drink,…” (V9) We can see how the enemy wears us down in our weakness. This makes me think of those times when you’re doing that self talk, convincing yourself that God could never forgive you, never love you, or love you after all that, etc. Words like, “stupid, worthless, hopeless, etc.,” come to mind. That’s the enemy taunting you. He loves to put those doubts about God and His love for us into our hearts. He loves to beat us up with lying words. He’ll tell you everything you aren’t. God sees you in Christ Jesus. You are precious and honored in His sight. Precious, because He came to die for you; to pay the price to redeem you from Hell. Honored, because you are created in His image, after His likeness, and He believes in you. If God didn’t believe in you, He wouldn’t have entrusted you to care for His creation; to manage it, and to harness it’s power. And, He hardly would have died to save you from going to Hell, if He didn’t think you could overcome the world and worldliness, and the devil, who rules it.

Verse ten is the one that gets me. Every time I read it, I just want to shout, “No, no, no! God doesn’t pick you up just to throw you down!” We, unfortunately, have this tendency to sabotage ourselves. We squirm and fuss and fight Him, until we slip from His arms and fall. I finally figured out that I need to check myself for self-sabotage when I feeling not in sync with God. This is usually the case whenever I’m stepping into new territory, or moving on to the next level in something. See, that’s the devil pushing your doubt and confusion buttons again.

Verses 16-17 are powerful. “For the LORD builds up Zion; he appears in his glory; he regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer.” God always builds you up. He’s never the one who casts you down; we do that to ourselves, or allow others to do that to us. He appears in His glory. This is an important statement. At first glance, you’d think, “Oh, I need to expect bells and whistles, and radiant blinding lights, etc.” God is love, so His glory is love also. Do you know who that little old lady was, that walked with you from her house to the corner of your block when you got lost? Yeah, that was God; His glory resting on that little old lady. That little birdie on the wire, that flirted with me that day a few years back was God. Same thing, His glory on that little bird. That scripture in Philippians 4:8 comes to mind. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” These things are some of the things that make up God’s glory. They’re all in His character. We need to learn to look more closely at those little, seemingly insignificant things and events. God is in everything; and is everything. His glory fills the earth.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

How Great Thou Art

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 104; another one extolling God’s great love and power.

I hope you’ll read the psalm, and check each and every thing listed in it out. This psalm reminds me of a day when I stood in the ocean’s tide. Let me tell you how to get a clear picture of how immense God is: Stand in the ocean for a few minutes. I was absolutely overwhelmed with awe; awestruck, I was! I can also recall more than a few nights spent looking up at the moon and stars in the sky. In Montana, you can see them quite clearly. They blew me away every time I looked at them.

As you begin to think about all the things God does, and how much He loves His creation, you can suddenly find yourself snuggled up really close to Him. LOL Oh, my goodness, what an awesome God, and what an awesome love. And, oh, LORD/Lord, thank you so much for everything you are, and everything you do! If this psalm doesn’t stir your spirit up to absolute awe and sheer joy in being God’s child, I don’t know what will. Read it from the ESV; that’s the most up to date translation.

I can only think of one song to go with this message. Thank you, Lauren Daigle, for this beautiful rendition.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu