Moses

5 reasons to pray & pollen

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Good evening y’all! It’s Wednesday. That means I get to go have fun with a bunch of 1st and 2nd graders at church! I just cherish the little class I have on Wednesday nights. They help me make it through the week.

By now, everybody probably knows how I love prayer. Someone may ask the question- Why Pray?

Well, wonder no more! I will give you 5 good reasons to pray.

It works. Moses was the leader of a bunch of the biggest complaining complainers ever was. God was not amused with them a lot of the time. He set fire to their camp to try to put a stop to it.  But Moses prayed & the Lord heard.

Numbers 11:1-2 Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. 2 Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was [a]quenched. (NKJV)

It builds your faith. Nothing builds your faith more than praying & then watching things play out for our good.

Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”(NKJV)

It makes a difference. If prayer didn’t make a difference, what good would it be?

Mark 11: 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.(NKJV)

For healing & forgiveness. I wonder if people ran to the Lord for spiritual healing, as quick as we bust up in the urgent care, every time we have an inconvenience,  we would be much better off? My mama used to tell me, “You better get down on your knees and pray.” So thankful I had a praying mama.

James 5:15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.(NKJV)

Because the Lord says to. If God is not in the business of taking our troubles and making them blessings, why pray? If we are going to worry about everything why pray? Because prayer changes things, y’all. I have seen many times, situations changing, because praying people were involved.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (NKJV)

So, give it a try. Make it a practice. Why, even make an event of it.

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. It looks like Spring brought her pollen with her. Oh well. Something new to look at for awhile. And in case you were wondering, my grands are doing awesome. Mr. Sweetie Pants has shown quite the enthusiasm for song leading at church. He is so excited that a 7 year old boy can get up and belt out songs, at the front of the church building, & not get in trouble for it. Because perhaps sometimes there are rules at worship service. Like being quiet. I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week. As for me, I will be going, because I should be washing clothes.

 

photo credit: www.marshallramsey.com, www.pinterest.com

Trust me. I know what I’m doing.

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september

Has anyone seen August?  Now, where did that guy go?  I turned around & he was just up & gone.  May I also be the bearer of bad good news that Christmas is only 17 Fridays away.  Lord help us all.

I did want to make mention of something that’s been on my mind lately.   I believe if you take a poll with Christians everywhere, I bet everyone would say they trust in God. They trust in God’s providence, they trust in God’s ability, they trust in God to take care of the world.  But really do they?  Y’all, I’ve always heard people say,

“Your actions are speaking so loud, that I can’t hear what you are saying.”

When we get in a bind, do we pray?  When we aren’t in a bind, are we praying?  Are we complaining about our blessings?  I think sometimes, I would be right in there with the children of Israel, sadly.

The children of Israel were quite a fickle group. Even though,  Moses,  through the power of God had just parted the Red Sea for them to walk over on dry land.  Safely.  From the Egyptians.  (Exodus 14:21-24) Even though, God gave them everything they needed.  Their clothes never wore out, (Deuteronomy 29:5) they never had to worry about shelter, & they had food every morning (Exodus 16:35).  Even with all of these miraculous happenings , they still weren’t happy.  They just didn’t get it.  They grumbled & complained.  And when they did, God heard them & made sure they were provided for(Exodus 16:13) But you know what?  Their needs weren’t met right when they thought it should happen or in ways they thought it should be, it was on God’s time.

We have to remember that, too.  But just like the children of Israel, I know how desperate a situation can become before it gets better.  And then what do we do?  We start to question God, y’all.  That is just the human side of us. Our trust might just need a little dusting off every once in awhile.  (I know mine does.)

Psalm 9:10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You. (NKJV)

We might need reminding that God is able to help us every day of our lives.  We just have to do our part by obeying & asking.

Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (NKJV)

Acts 5:29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.(NKJV)

I hope you all have a blessed Labor Day weekend.  We will be doing the norm, cooking, eating, & visiting with friends & family.  My Daddy’s birthday was this past Thursday.  So, we will throw in a little birthday celebration in the mix.  Until next time, I love all y’all & will be thinking about ya while I should be washing clothes.

Happy-Labor-Day

photo credits: http://www.lovethispic.com

 

 

 

 

Was God in Oklahoma?

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oklahoma

I am a “Why” person. I like to know “Why” things happen. Sometimes my curiosity gets the best of me. However, I have learned that sometimes it’s not necessary to know why, but to know how. It’s no secret there was a tornado in Oklahoma City this past week. Some people like to start with the why’s when tragedies happen. “Why did God let this happen?” “Why did this happen to innocent people?” “If God loves us, why did he not keep those people safe?” These are all very good questions, but maybe the answers are outside the box. Some people might get angry at tragedies & ask, “Where was God?” I will tell you where God was. He was in heaven ready to help. The Bible tells us in Psalms 46: 1 He is a “very present help in time of trouble”. All through the Bible, God was there, when people were experiencing a hardship or problem. God was not with these folks to answer their whys. He was there to show them how He loves & cares for them all through hard times.
God was there with Joseph. Early in his life, it would seem that Joseph had problems. His brothers were jealous of him, so they sold him as a slave. They deceived their father Jacob into thinking Joseph was dead. Later in life when his brothers needed him, Joseph responded with kindness. He told them how God was working in his life in a special way. (Gen. 50: 20)
God was there with Moses. When he was placed into the water by his mother to escape being killed, God was there. Through divine providence, Moses ended up being the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. Later, God chose him as His mouthpiece. (Ex odus 4: 15)
God was there for Jesus. Even though Jesus was despised and rejected by many. (Isaiah 53:3) God was with Him. When He hung on the cross, He was carrying out the plan of God. Jesus was doing the will of the Father. (Luke 2:42; John 6:38)
God was there for the apostle Paul. Paul suffered for the gospel of Christ. Among those problems were being shipwrecked, beaten, and in perils. (II Corinthians 11:23-28). He also prayed that God would remove his thorn in the flesh. (II Corinthians 12:7) Yet through it all God was with Paul. Paul declared, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (II Corinthians 12:10). This strength was not his own. In prison, he stated, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”(Philippians 4:13)
The Bible makes the simple point that God does not prevent trouble from happening. He is there in the midst of our troubles. A small child can fall with a parent close by, however, the parent is there to help and pick up the child. God works in the same way. He will be there for us when trouble comes. The Christian has the assurance that, “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (I John 5:14) The Bible promises us that, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are open to their prayers.” (I Peter 3:12) God has promised to be with His people (Heb 13:6) When a person is a Christian, trouble may come (II Timothy 3:12), but God is there.
I am so glad you have come by to visit with me today. It just makes my heart happy when you stop by! I have been so busy here lately with kids, Miss Neenee’s softball & school coming to an end. I may have to change my blog to I should be washing dishes because they are about to take over my kitchen! I do have to go now, because I should be washing clothes.
Parts of this article was taken from “The Messenger” from the church of Christ at Marion, IL with Brother Bill Brandstatter

Into the Word Wednesday-My aha! moment

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big & powerful God

Few things take me by surprise, anymore.  However, this week, as I was into the Word, I had an “Aha!” moment.  I had been studying in the Old Testament about Moses, Aaron, & the Levites.  During my study, I was curious to what Moses & the children of Israel were learning.  They had plague, after plague, then fussing & griping & in the end poor Moses still did not even get to see the promised land.  I got to thinking why in the world would God treat his children like this?  Shouldn’t they live a life with no worries or heartaches?  No pain & sorrow.  No problems to be burdened with?  After all, they were God’s chosen people.  God chose those people.  Then all of a sudden it hit me:

Moses killed a man.

Noah got drunk after he left the ark.

David commited adultery.

Paul persecuted Christians.

Peter denied he even knew who Jesus Christ was.

I have been divorced, my Mama died at an early age (after years of needless suffering), my relationships have been strained with some of my family, I have been through my share of trials.  But God is still good.  Even though He lets tragedies happen to the best of us.  He could be doing this to mold us into the people He needs us to be so that He can use us.  Otherwise, we may get so full of life & pride that He can’t use us for His will.

I read in Hebrews 12 starting with verse 6

For whom the Lord loves, He chastens….(0r corrects)- so then the Lord must love me, more that your average bear ALOT.

verse 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful:nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

How many times do we say, “Thank you Lord for all these problems, because I know this is going to help me be more like you want me to be?”  Uh, yeah, not me.  But that’s what He says is going on (Heb 12:11) My deal is I need to submit more to His will in the 1st place, then, maybe I won’t have to endure such correction from the Lord (in the form of troubles).  My “Aha!” moment made me realize I need to thank God for thinking enough of me, to not let me remain as I am.  That I am worth His time, effort, & energy to be disciplined by trials to make me into what He wants me to be.  For that I am truly humbled.

I will be linking up with Falen & Laura at Upward Not Inward’s Into the Word Wednesday.  Come on over & see what’s going on.  We always have a good time sharing what the Word of God is saying to us.  Thanks for stopping by to visit!  I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes.

100x100UpwardNotInwardinto the word wed

The Real Recipe for Happiness

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So many times I have heard or read about people who say,” I just want to be happy.”  Then it is proceeded by some life changing event like divorce. There are books written on how to be happy.  There are people who give seminars or talks on how to be happy.

What makes you happy?  Is it your favorite breakfast from your favorite resturant?

Best omelet ever from Hazel’s- this makes me happy!

Is it being close to the ocean?

The beach makes me happy!

Is it family?

These faces make me happy.

However,  I want to take just a minute to look at what Jesus says what it means to be truly happy.

In Matthew 5:2-12 (the Beatitudes) Jesus gives us the total instructions on how to be truly happy.  So, while you read over these ask yourself, are you truly happy?

  1. Are you poor in spirit?  v. 3  We should seek to be enriched by God, who is a spirit.
  2. Do you mourn? v. 4  Can you mourn your sins & short comings with Godly sorrow?
  3. Are you meek? v. 5 We should allow God to rule our thoughts & actions instead.  We should be more concerned with God’s way than what we think is best.
  4. Do you hunger & thirst for righteousness? v.6 Is the Bible a regular book on your reading list? We don’t go one day without eating food for our physical bodies. We should not go without feeding on God’s word for our spiritual bodies.
  5. Are you merciful? v.7 We should show appreciation for what God has done for us.  Have you ever heard someone say they just won’t forgive someone for being wronged?  A refusal to forgive will make you one of the most unhappy people on Earth.
  6. Are you pure in heart? v.8 If our hearts are full of Godliness, wholesomeness, & righteousness, then we won’t have time to let bad things in.
  7. Are you a peacemaker? v. 9  Do you stir up strife or drama in your home, church, work, or wherever you go?  Are you always miserable & just can’t help but spread it around?  That’s where the the term misery loves company comes from.
  8. Have you been persecuted for righteousness? v. 10 Are you the one who is not going to be swayed by wrongdoing, no matter what?  No matter if someone gives you a hard time about it? Or do you give in?

If you will remember the Hebrew writer speaking of Moses in Hebrews 11: 23-25 stated that Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.  It’s all a discipline thing.  We have to bring ourselves into subjection to Christ.  We live in the world, with sin.  So, we are not immune to trials, problems, or bad things happening to us.  But we do have an awesome God that we can turn to. We must be patient & know that no matter what the Lord will take care of us & our situations.

In v. 12,  of the Beatitudes, it tells the ending of the story on how to be happy.

Matthew 5:12  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Abraham Lincoln once said, “ Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be.”

We should make an effort to be happy, God’s way.  That’s true happiness.

*** I must make mention the biggest part of this blog was from a sermon from church.  I asked our minister  could I use it to share with my friends on my blog.  He happily agreed.  Thank you Bro. Brad for such a great message from God’s word!

Thank you so much for stopping by today.  I have enjoyed you visiting.  I must be going now, because I should be washing clothes…….

When God says apologies are not enough

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Sometimes being sorry, for faulting someone, is just not enough. Let me explain myself. When you are hurt by angry words or when someone treats you unfairly, an apology can do wonders. However, forgiveness does not always put everything back together like it was before. Many people may feel that they can treat others with hatred & discontent-but should be put right back in good graces once they breath an apology. While apologies & seeking forgiveness for wronging someone is essential to mending relationships, sin in any form is at a cost. And yes anger & lashing out at others is a sin.

Let’s consider what the Bible teaches-

Ephesians 4:26 says this:

“Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath.”

On in verse 27 it says “ nor give place to the devil.”

Then on down in verse 31 the apostle Paul writes to the Ephesians,

“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice.”

What’s the cure for anger? Verse 32 says,

“And be kind to one another , tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

There is a price for sin & not listening to God’s teachings. Take for instance, one of the most remarkable men of the Bible- Moses. In Numbers 12:3, it states “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth. Verse 7 of the same chapter indicates God saying Moses was faithful in all his house. Verse 8 says that God spoke to him face to face. God must have had a really high opinion of Moses. In Deuteronomy 34:10 it says But since then there was not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.” Now, with all the wonderful things the Bible says about Moses, there was an incident that happened in Numbers 20 starting in verse 7, which God did not approve of.

Numbers 20:7 Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying v. 8 Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.

Moses took the rod, as He had commanded. Moses & Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock. Then for whatever reason instead of speaking to the rock, he struck the rock twice with the rod. And you know what happened after that? The water came out in abundance. Enough to give water to the congregation and their animals. It looked like everything went well, until the Lord had His say. If Moses did not think God would notice he disobeyed him, he found out pretty quickly, He was not amused. The Lord said in verse 12 to Moses & Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore, you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have promised.”

Moses picked right back up & kept on following God. In Deuteronomy 3:23-25 he pleaded with the Lord to see the promised land. Even with the faithfulness & forgiveness He bestowed upon Moses, because of his sin, He would not go back on His word. Finally, the Lord got tired of his apologizing, & angrily responded in verse 26 to Moses“Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter.”

Moses was a great leader of the Bible. He wrote five books of the Bible. He was the deliverer of the Lord’s commandments which is thus referred to as the Law of Moses. This Law was what Christ lived under. However, because of his sin, he was not granted the gift of entering the promised land. Sin can be forgiven, however there is responsibility for those sin. Take for example someone who is a prisoner in jail.  They may truly be sorry for the things they have done.  God can forgive them.  However, they still have time to serve.  Somethings can just not be regained after sin. Many times things cannot ever be as they were before. God will forgive. However, people need to consider the damage, that can be done to others, before letting the devil have his way with their actions & words.

I believe we should all make efforts to right our wrongs. Especially in relationships. However, we should not be surprised when saying you are sorry does not put everything back together again. This is why we should consider the long lasting detriment sin can have. Perhaps this will be enough help us to bridle our tongues & be watchful of what we do. As a southern girl we are groomed to be mindful of someone else’s feelings. I can remember my mama teaching me to not say this or that or do this or that. Why? Because it might hurt a person’s feelings. Let’s do our best to be kind & tenderhearted to one another. That way, we don’t have to worry about making apologies.

 

I appreciate so much you stopping by to visit with me. I have to be going for now, because I should be washing clothes……….