Admonition Of God’s Love=Power

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 64. It speaks to us about the power of the admonition of the LORD/Lord. In terms of generational curses, it gives us a glimpse of the destruction caused by anger and violence.

Psalm 64:1-6 paint that picture for us. “Preserve my life, O, God, from dread of the enemy. How many times did you dread going home, or dread your mother, father, or even your mate, coming home? We can either be a child’s (or a mate’s) best friend, or his/her worst enemy. We need to ask ourselves, “Am I instilling and inspiring fear and animosity; or am I inspiring and instilling courage and security in this relationship?”

Let me tell you what the enemy’s secret plots are. They are to kill, to steal, and to destroy you and everything God has for you. Not only that, but the enemy wants to destroy every generation after you! The goal is to destroy love-love for God, for yourself, and for others. Love is the divine in man, because God is love. You are created in His image and after His likeness.

Verses 3 and 4 tell us they: “whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows, shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear.” Have you ever chewed out your mate, or your children, and couldn’t even believe the stuff coming out of your own mouth? That often comes from a generational curse. Let me say this now: A generational curse isn’t some mysterious religious thing. Generational curses are wrong and destructive habits, beliefs, attitudes and ways that we pass on to our children-because they were passed down to us from our parents. There is a spiritual significance to those things; but that’s because the devil knows your weaknesses just as well as God does. Now, look at the part of that scripture describing ambushing the blameless, and suddenly. That has to do with two things. First, God doesn’t impute evil to us; so we should always assume the best intention of our children, our mates, etc. Secondly, remember what I just mentioned above? You had the very best intention when you started out with that correction…and the enemy just jumped right in there with anger and bitterness, and reminding you of “your rights,” etc. Now all those feelings of being unappreciated and disrespected just blew up inside you, right? Yeah, the enemy, Satan is the accuser, and he will seek out injustice within you-your mind and heart. But, there’s good news! Gods Word will always refute and defeat the accuser!

Verses 9 & 10 tell us that the admonition of the LORD/Lord causes us to think about, explore, and be willing to implement His Word and Ways. By and through God’s steadfast love, mercy, and grace, we are emboldened to approach Him-not only that, but to RUN to Him! We’re emboldened to exult in His love for us, even when we mess up, because we know and cannot be shaken in our knowledge that God loves us! When we deal with our loved ones the way God does, they’re emboldened to run to us and exult in our love as well-even when they mess up.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Sing For Joy

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 63. It is King David’s, written while he was in the wilderness in Judah. He stirred himself up recounting the goodness of God. Sometimes all you need is a little real and deep worship to clear the mud out of your eyes…The whole psalm is awesome! I hope you’ll read it for yourselves.

In the meantime, this song never fails to make me feel as if I’m right in God’s embrace! Thank you, Kari Jobe.

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Resting In God

I apologize for the error in yesterday’s post. The message comes from Psalm 61, not Psalm 60. Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 62. It speaks to us about resting in God, for one thing. If anybody’s living proof that one needs to do that more often, it would be me. I get moving on my projects and start picking up speed, and the next thing you know, I’m sprawled out in front of Jesus praying, “Help me get up, Lord.” LOL We can get going so fast that we lose track of where we’re at, and we end up losing focus.

God is a fortress of rest for one’s soul. When you truly get into that fortress with Him, nothing can shake or disturb that peace there. Verse 7 is a great spiritual booster when we get hold of it. “My salvation and my honor rest on God.” That tells me I don’t need to try to “look like I got it goin’ on.” In Christ, you have got it “goin’ on!” And, it’s always going on, because the law of the kingdom of Heaven is progress. Verse 8 tells us to pour out our hearts before Him. You know, God is the best listener I’ve ever known. Yes, He does care about your heart. The issues of life flow from it, and He told us to guard our hearts well. Verses 11 and 12 are our assurance that God’s got it; and God;s got us. “God has spoken once; I have heard this twice: that power belongs to God, and loving devotion to You, O Lord. For You will repay each man according to his deeds.” That can also be found in (Romans 2:6) God will repay each man according to his deeds.

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Increasing Your Days

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 61. it’s a psalm of King David’s, and a short one, so I’ll post the whole thing for you.

(Psalm 61 -ESV) “Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah
For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations! May he be enthroned forever before God;
appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him! So will I ever sing praises to your name,
as I perform my vows day after day.

The NIV reads: Increase the days of the king’s life. I like that word better than “prolong.” Here’s the reason: Increase also means to make greater in size, intensity, or degree. This tells me that I don’t have to live an ordinary, or humdrum life. When we allow God to lead us to that rock that is higher than we are, we can increase in every way. -Dear Jesus, I do not need to increase an;y more in size, by the way. Jesus said, “The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.” (John 3:31)

King David prayed that he might be enthroned before God forever. This is what Paul meant when he said, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24) In this way, we are truly enthroned before the LORD, because He sees our striving and serving.

When we allow steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over us, and to guide us, we learn to go the extra mile; we learn to give that extra whatever it is that makes for excellence. An example would be not only doing the dishes, but drying them and putting them away, cleaning the sink, sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor, etc. for Mom or Dad, or for your mate. That’s an increase in your thoughtfulness, in the quality of your work, and in your sense of self-worth-because you’re striving to do an excellent job. This is growth on your part. Can you see the increase? When we make a habit of following the path of love and faithfulness, we increase our days with so much love, peace, and joy. And in a family, we actually increase everyone’s days.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Saturday Silly – April 24, 2021

Hmm…on this day, in 1908, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Murdock became the first to travel across the country in a car. They traveled in a Packard, from LA to New York City. It took them 32 days, 5 hours and 25 minutes. Today is also Pig in a blanket day. What does one have to do with the other? Well, as I’ve said before, I’m an Army brat, and my family did some travelling. I was just thinking, and thanking God, I didn’t have to spend more than, oh, probably seven or eight days on the road with my brother and four sisters…the little pigs in a blanket. LOL And, speaking of pets, we traveled from Virginia to Montana with a poodle and a parakeet-all in that old station wagon. Now, can you imagine doing that in this old Packard? It’s a 1908 Packard Model 30. OMG! That box on the back is NOT big enough to put a kid in! Thank God for whoever invented the trunk. I never did go back and find the sandal I lost on that trip.

This pic is from classicdriver.com. Thanks to them for sharing. I love old cars, by the way!

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Get Up And Keep Going

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 60. It causes me to think about back-sliding, and then running in the wrong direction. “Oh, God…you’ve made my sinfulness so HARD for me to enjoy!” LOL That’s the theme of the first few verses. Then, there’s the realization that God is in charge, God has decreed, and God will accomplish His purpose(s) for you! He’s not about to let the enemy prevail against you after everything you and He have been through together.

In verse 11, we realize that we cannot save ourselves. And verse 12 brings the truth: “With God we will perform with valor, and He will trample our enemies.” I’m reading from the Berean Study Bible, by the way. God will literally trample your enemies (fear, doubt, weakness, anger, everything that would hinder you.) You just have to pick up where you left off and get right back to it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found myself in this position. I can’t tell you how many times I went back to the Word of God, and back to the Word of God, and back some more, trying to find the way to get through something (back on track, etc.), and stay through with it! Sometimes I would write it down, and put it where I could see it daily-first thing in the morning. The enemy will always try to dissuade you by convincing you that you can’t go back. Satan is a liar! Get right back up, and go right back to the LORD/Lord and His way! Keep going; this isn’t a spring, it’s a marathon. I don’t know why, but I just thought of Forrest Gump. Remember when he started running and running…and then one day, Forrest was done. That’s kind of a picture of what this life is, isn’t it?

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A Good Day Starts In The Morning

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 59. King David, once again, is entreating the LORD because Saul’s having his house watched, so that he can kill David. The psalm ends up with a couple of key verses.

Psalm 59:16 & 17 – “But I will sing of Your strength and proclaim Your loving devotion in the morning. For You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. To You, O my strength, I sing praises, for You, O God, are my fortress, my God of loving devotion.” (BSB) Not only does this speak to us of the importance of stirring our spirits up in God’s love and devotion, and praising Him. It speaks to us of stirring our children’s spirits up in our love and devotion for them. Not only that, but of singing their praises; of building them up in their spirits. This builds their confidence and readiness to face the day. A good day always starts first thing in the morning.

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Right In Deed, Indeed

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 58, and it’s a powerful one in terms of dealing with generational curses, and parenting.

“Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods? *(Mighty Lords) Do you judge the children of man uprightly? No, in your hearts you devise wrongs; your hands deal out violence on earth.” (V-1&2)(ESV)

(Proverbs 31:9) tells us we are to judge rightly and defend the cause of the poor and needy. Our children see us as all powerful. Jesus looks at the heart, and condemns no one. He said, “I’m not come to condemn the world, but to save it.” So our first order is always to save. We save dignity, self-respect, courage, and conviction. Yes, conviction. You’ve heard that expression, “living right down to their expectation, of him/her.” That’s what happens to our conviction about right and wrong when we’re constantly accused, belittled, and punished. The opposite of these is saved/helped, encouraged and instructed, and rewarded with the self-respect, courage and dignity we all deserve.

When we suffer under parents who live out generational curses, our hearts store up all that stuff. The next thing you know, that stuff comes out when we’re parents. We need to fix our hearts on God’s love for us, nurturing our own spirits on it. What goes in comes out; so when we do that, we can be better parents to our children. The reward for us (righteous) is strong children who know who and whose they are, what love is, and what it isn’t, and that they are covered in and through everything. Finally, that the authority over things in their world is theirs, not the enemy’s. That’s where that thing about “the choice is yours,” comes from. The choice is ours; and when we make good choices, we are loving ourselves the way God wants us to.

PS – When I read the part about the recompense of the wicked, I think, not of celebrating. I think about praying for them. Verse 19 speaks of the righteous bathing their feet in the blood of the wicked. I think about all the things that used to trip me up, hinder me, slam me with fear, self-doubt, etc., and even cripple me with depression. Those are all things that come on us when we live generational curses. I thank God every day that those things are beneath my feet now. But believe me when I tell you, it’s a lifelong battle. There are still days when I have to fight my way through. But, if God is for us, who can stand against us?

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Stay Beneath Those Wings

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 57. It reminds us of the safety and surety to be found beneath those wings. It’s easy to become fearful and panic in those storms. There’s good news! The longer you know and walk with the LORD/Lord, the harder it becomes to become fearful and panic. So, when those storms hit, make every effort to stay beneath those wings.

You’ll find all kinds of stuff coming at you in the storms. Yesterday’s message addressed how Satan tries to throw all that old stuff back into your lap. Right at the height of the storm is when you need to see it coming. The wind carries all kinds of debris from your old life with it (those are the old ways of coping, the past failures, and every insecurity driven reaction you used to have). The rain pelts you and soaks you. Fear and assails you, you’re second-guessing yourself again, and it gets harder and harder to keep going.

Verse 2 tells us that God’s Word spreads itself over and around you, though; to protect you. He fulfills his purpose for you. That lets us know that there’s a purpose for you in every storm! Got takes whatever’s meant for evil against us, and turns it to bring Himself, and us, glory. He will be exalted above the heavens. Here’s some more good news. You are seated at His right hand with Christ Jesus. It isn’t you who is hemmed in by the storm; it’s the enemy who is. Praise, as I’ve said before, activates that power that brings His glory down over all the earth. When I read the word “earth” here, I think of myself, my flesh. Yes, it really is in the hallelujah. The more we do that, the more powerful the hallelujah becomes.

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Satan Found Your Suitcase

Psalm 56 brings us today’s message. King David wrote it when the Philistines captured him at Gath. As I read the psalm, I couldn’t help thinking it sounds like the devil found your suitcase. You know…all that old baggage from back in the day…hmm. When you’re going through recovery-be it from alcoholism, drug addiction, and other manifestations of generational curses, you can bet Satan’s got a bloodhound tracking you. And, every opportunity he see, he’ll open that suitcase you left by the way, and start hurling that old stuff at you!

Rest assured. God sees, hears, knows, and answers! Verse 12 gives us they key again, to activating that power of God. It’s is praise and thanksgiving. And, Verse 13 is your promise: “For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.“(ESV) You don’t have to hide, don’t have to hang your head, etc. Just keep walking, head held up, in the light of life; real life!

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