For, Which is Easier to Say – and Do

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that what we do and say are seeds sown.  Not only are they seeds sown into the hearts and lives of others, but also into our own hearts.  I hope you will all visit twolisteners.org and read the whole message; it’s powerful.  I want to concentrate on this one statement from the message that really impacted me.  “Always seek to understand others and you cannot fail to love them.”

As I read this message today, I thought of 1 Peter 4:8: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”  When I think about making God’s Word personal, in regards to this scripture, it means that sin is covered to my eyes as well.  The twofold message is that God’s love covers our sins, –daily.  However, He doesn’t impute wickedness to us; meaning He looks for the best in us.  He looks at, and weighs the heart.  That’s what seeking to understand is about.  So, when we apply that scripture to any situation, we are empowered by love to look past the sin and see the heart of the person.  Love also seeks truth, because love tells the truth-always.  Therefore, we look at the truth of the circumstances, the situation.  

I’m using women in shorts as an example because that seems to be a big problem, and a serious error in perception to some men.  In fact, I heard a comment last evening about me “showing out.”  All I was doing was sitting in the shade, reading my book.  My shorts were entirely appropriate-not “booty shorts,” or the like.  First of all, the truth is that it’s very hot, sometimes dangerously so, outside.  Secondly, not every woman wearing shorts is looking to sell herself sexually; not all of us are advertising services.  Thirdly, why is your mind in the devil’s playground?   If you were really walking in the Spirit, your mind wouldn’t even be in the devil’s playground and thinking about sexual services or the like.  Sex belongs between a man and his wife.  I’m not your wife; why are you thinking about me sexually?   Take some responsibility for yourself,  and stop trying to pass the buck, Sir.  Get your mind where it belongs.  You don’t have to stand in the judgment for anybody but yourself.  You can’t stand there for me because you’re a sinner too.  And, for the record, Jesus already did stand; for both of us.

Here’s how the second part of that love cover works for us:  Love also covers your own eyes in the face of sin, so that you can see -and admit- the truth, apply this truth, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice,” and not sin, yourself.   When we practice this principle, we are empowering love, and love conquers all sin.  I’ve had to check myself more than once, I’m ashamed to say, in regard to this principle.  But, thank God, He is a loving and merciful Father, and His mercies are new every morning.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Copyright by Marina Morrison (aka) Eden Stillwater, June 29, 2019, 10:57 a.m.

 

Neither Do I Condemn Myself

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that there is now no condemnation in Christ Jesus.  We are bid to remember that faith, hope, and charity, or love, are what remain…”but the greatest of these is love.”

“Remember now abideth these three, Faith, Hope, and Charity.  Faith is your attitude towards Me. Charity your attitude towards your fellow man, but as necessary, is Hope, which is confidence in yourself to succeed.” -from the message in God Calling.

The really powerful revelation in this is that it’s not over when we falter, fall, or even fail.  There really is no such thing as failure in Christ Jesus.  It stops being falter, fail, and failure, the instant you get back up.  The very instant you begin to get up, or turn around, or cry out to Jesus to take it off of you, it’s gone…as far as the East is from the West…it’s in the past…and you’re still in the race.  Isn’t that awesome?!

I can’t tell you how many times I tried to quit cigarettes, because I lost count sometime after about 20-30…maybe even more than that.  But I can tell you that I never heard Jesus say, “well, you wouldn’t be hooked on ’em if you’d never started smoking them.”  He never said, “It’s about time you got smart.”  He never even said, “Finally!  I wondered how long it would take you to realize you can’t do this without me.”  You know what I did hear?  I heard, “I love you, Marina.”  I heard, “I am the truth, the life, and the way.” -yes, the way.  I heard, “Daughter, your faith has saved you; go and sin no more.”

Sometimes, I think I’ll probably get to Heaven, and Jesus will ask me if I want a cigarette just to see the look on my face.  I’m kidding-Jesus wouldn’t ever do that.   Oh, my God! -That last cigarette…I can just imagine what my face looked like.  I lit up a cigarette right after walking out of church where I’d prayed, not a half hour earlier, and asked the Lord to help me.   It tasted so nasty…but I smoked it to the filter.  My very last cigarette, I lit later that day.  I couldn’t get past the second puff because it tasted so bad.  You see, I’d told the Lord, “You know me, Jesus.  You’re going to have to make them taste and smell so nasty that I can’t smoke them.”  Do you all know that God answers prayer?  I’m sure Jesus and I will have a great laugh when we talk about my eyes being big as saucers -and that “deer in the headlight look,” when I realized Jesus really did it.  But there was no condemnation when I lit up the second to the last cigarette, or the very last one.  That’s what we need to realize, and put into practice whenever we’re struggling, faltering, falling, or failing!

Don’t beat yourself up; pick yourself up by lifting yourself up.  Lift yourself up to the feet of Jesus.  It’s there you’ll find the mercy and grace, and the fierce, fierce love of the One who’ll get you across the finish line – Victoriously! -No matter how long it takes!

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Copyright by Marina Morrison (aka) Eden Stillwater, June 26, 2019, 3:10 p.m.

The Sabbath Rest Empowered

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that God’s friendship is truly deep, intimate, and abiding.

Quoting directly from the message: “But to My subjects I have given the right to enter My Presence when they will, nay more they can summon Me to bedside, to workshop – and I am there.”  We have access to Him any time we want or need it.  We have but to call Him, and He’s there.  Isn’t that a wonderful assurance?!

When we cultivate a constant awareness of this truth, all fears, worries, doubts, etc., truly do vanish.  The Sabbath rest of walking in God’s abiding love, His presence, is empowered.  The longer and stronger our walk in that Sabbath rest is, the more our faith is empowered.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Copyright by Marina Morrison (aka) Eden Stillwater, June 24, 2019, 3:33 p.m.

Saturday Silly – June 22, 2019

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bb04e6109a02681586e08ae274c2e94b_with-two-daughter-clipart_1468-1600The doctor said he found a heart in my chest, girls, so I don’t want to hear anymore of that “Mom, you’re heartless!”  Your brothers?  Umm, I’ve cut them out of my will!  LOL  Just kidding, kids.  I love you.

Husband to surgeon:  “Well, doc, tell us the truth; there’s no heart in there is there?  Wife to husband:  “Knock it off, Aaron!”                                                                                             Surgeon to husband:  “I’m sorry, Sir, but there’s definitely a heart in there…and it says, “I love you forever, Enrique`!”  Ha ha!

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Copyright by Marina Morrison (aka) Eden Stillwater, June 18, 2019, 12:28 p.m.

 

 

Prayer & Praise Move Things In the Spirit

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that we need to value prayer and praise much more than we do.  I don’t think that we, as Christians, really fully understand the concept the Spiritual Realm.  That’s what prayer and praise are given to us for.  Do you know that when you pray or praise God, you are doing battle in that realm?  The Holy Spirit is not the only spirit operating here on Earth.  Jesus spoke about unclean spirits.  There are a couple of examples, one in Luke 13:11, and another in Acts 16:16.  I’m sure one can find more.  Fear is also a spirit.

The message tells us that service for God is not always activity in the flesh.  We’re admonished regarding a life apart filled with prayer, and told that God’s Spirit could accomplish much more if we all made a point of following this instruction.  That doesn’t mean that we cease doing…the poor and hungry still need to be fed and clothed and ministered to.  But I have to agree with the message here, and say that I think we could minister much more powerfully if we waited on the Lord/LORD and did some battle in the spirit through prayer and praise first.

God willing, I am recuperating from my angiogram today.   Have a beautiful day!  This is the song I want to share with you today:

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Copyright by Marina Morrison (aka) Eden Stillwater, June 13, 2019, 11:29 a.m.

One Day at a Time

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that it doesn’t matter who you were yesterday, or what you did, or what someone else did to you, for that matter.  What matters today, is that Jesus loves you just at you are-even now.  What matters is that you have another opportunity, another day to win the race.  And, in case you didn’t know it, or didn’t read me before…Every day you wake up is another day you’ve won, Honey!  The battle, the storm, all of it is just a distraction.  Don’t let anything distract you.  That’s why we’re told to look straight ahead, and not to the left or the right.  Just keep right on walking with Jesus.

Psalm 25:5 is referenced in the message: “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” (NIV)

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Copyright by Marina Morrison (aka) Eden Stillwater, June 10, 2019, 11:12 a.m.