Earthly Good and Heaven Bound Too!

Luke 12:27-40
27 "Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 

32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

35 "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. 39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."  NIV

Seek His kingdom and these things will be given to you..........not like the pagan who runs after the world and the things of the world, but we seek those things that bring life to us.

What God provides for us is that which always gives us life! It is that which will multiply us and not subtract from us. It is having a faith in the life God meant for us to have. It is place where there is an abundance of treasure that never runs out. It is a place where nothing wears out..............including you and me! Amen. Like Moses, we too, can be 120 years of age and our eyes are not dim, our vigor is not diminished and our youth is restored to us.

Deuteronomy 34:7-8
7 Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was perfect and he was as strong as a young man. 8 The people of Israel mourned for him for thirty days on the plains of Moab.  TLB

Now this man was as strong as a young man, his eyesight was perfect...........ah yes, he attained his youth in his body. How? By submitting to Him, and having faith that God would do what He said He would do for Moses himself and for Israel!

Psalm 138:2-3

2 I will worship toward Your holy temple,

And praise Your name 

For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;

For You have magnified Your word above all Your name. 

3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me,

And made me bold with strength in my soul.    NKJV

As the psalmist wrote, You have magnified Your word above all Your name. In the day when I cried out, You answered me and made me bold with strength in my soul. 

God's Word strengthens us in our mind, will and emotions. And we certainly need His power in our lives bringing health and strength when facing that bad report or trying to get past some PTSD.........that post traumatic stress syndrome or any other traumatic hurt or injury.

Because, like any abuse to another, we must forgive them, move on, and live for God.
Well, that certainly sounds simple.............Shelley, but in truth, when one is hurt so bad, many feel hurt long after those who afflicted the pain are dead and gone for good.
 But that is why it is important that we have knowledge of the Holy One that helps us in that self-control issue. Many who are hurt will try to put up those walls to keep them safe! In reality though, that living with a lack of control in our daily lives causes us to fall short!  It is only God Who can give us peace and control in dealing with traumatic issues in our lives. Our trying to handle it our way can and will cause more injury to us, and hurt us worse than that caused by another person in time of war, abuse within families, or just being abandoned by a parent or a spouse!

Peter told us in 2 Peter 1:1-11.........that those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you and me in the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.........! 

We are to have knowledge of Him, spend time so our faith grows.  We....who..have been given divine promises...those precious promise are for the righteous.....(verse 4) who have become partakers with God and no longer operate in the world or its ways. So in that gaining knowledge of God, we should be the 1. diligent.....in everything we do as the individual, as the spouse, as the parent, in our jobs or in ministry. WE are to be the DILIGENT! AND IN OUR FAITH, we are to put on that moral excellence. 2. Those morals should be a behavior and belief........in that which is acceptable to God. And that code is found in His Word! He speaks of those values, especially in the book of Proverbs. 3. Then self-control is put on or applied to our lives. That control is dependent on us being disciplined in the Word. It is that ability to control with God's Word any one emotion or any desires that may be harmful to us. We can usually find the "real us" in a difficult situation. Especially if we have built a safe place with just certain "peeps" and hear only what Word of God makes us feel good. Again that is Picking and Choosing what comforts us instead of allowing God to heal what is broken in us.

From there we put on.........add to our faith........that perseverance (5).......that we never stop doing what we know we are to do. Spend time with God........Know His (6) godliness............have brotherly kindness (7) and add love to our faith. (8)

For when we have these.........and this is Peter speaking in verse 8 of same chapter 1.......Yes, having these qualities and are increasing in us...........we will never be the blind or short-sighted........still the one dealing with sin..........not letting go of old situations and difficult situations as well. Because verse 11 says that when we PRACTICE THESE THINGS........WE WILL NEVER STUMBLE........AND (11) AND ENTRANCE IS SHOWN TO US..........a way into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who will abundantly supply us. Amen.

Jesus said that we were to keep our lamps burning like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet.  So that when He comes and knocks, they (you and I) can open the door immediately. He who is expecting the Lord is the one who dresses himself to serve. He is the one ready for action. And ready for His return. 

Luke 12:32-40

32 "So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give to those in need. This will fatten your purses in heaven! And the purses of heaven have no rips or holes in them. Your treasures there will never disappear; no thief can steal them; no moth can destroy them. 34 Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be. 

35 "Be prepared-all dressed and ready- 36 for your Lord's return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. 37 There will be great joy for those who are ready and waiting for his return. He himself will seat them and put on a waiter's uniform and serve them as they sit and eat! 38 He may come at nine o'clock at night-or even at midnight. But whenever he comes, there will be joy for his servants who are ready! 

39 "Everyone would be ready for him if they knew the exact hour of his return-just as they would be ready for a thief if they knew when he was coming. 40 So be ready all the time. For I, the Messiah, will come when least expected."    TLB

So be ready........be the equipped, ............the armed and dangerous with God's Word...and with....the breastplate of righteousness. Our moving forward is always an action move..........it is a move against the enemy, the devil.  Putting on truth around our waist...........to gird up..........shod with the gospel of peace...........wearing the helmet of salvation and carrying the sword of the Spirit that Word of God in our hearts and speaking it loudly as we move continually forward to meeting Christ at His return! We are to be the fearless. We are to speak of all those mysteries of the gospel and give people the Word of the hope in our hearts.

We are to be the alert and always praying for all saints. (Ephesians 6:18)

Below: we see that being self-controlled...........not throwing temper tantrums, but ready for action, holding on to hope on the grace given to you and me when Jesus is revealed.

1 Peter 1:13-25

13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."  

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. 

22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.  23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For, 

"All men are like grass, 

and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; 

the grass withers and the flowers fall, 

25 but the word of the Lord stands forever." 

And this is the word that was preached to you. NIV

Obeying truth, is purifying ourselves from the world. We are to live as strangers here in a reverential fear toward God. We were purchased with the precious Blood of Christ, that lamb without blemish or defect. Our faith and our hope are to be in God, not in the things of this world. We are to be ready for action, setting our minds on the things of God, to be self-controlled.

So we know " all men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field". "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." So knowing all this, we should not desire to move off the word of the Lord that stands forever, right? It is through Him that we believe in God, who raised him (Jesus) from the dead and glorified him, and so our faith and hope are in God. TRUTH!

Our faith is to be in the One True God! Our faith should be established and growing. It should be in that which is in imperishable............the living and enduring of God...........His Word! Our abiding is in that which brings life to what God desires for us. It is not in "old wive's tales".

1 John 2:24-29

24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that He has promised us--eternal life. 26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. 27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. 

28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.    NKJV

That anointing is truth.........it is not a lie.

Our abiding.........means that we believe.........with no doubting and we put His Word first in everything we do and everything we speak.  For those who truly have faith abide in Him and will abide alive eternally. Those who do not abide in Him, abide in death.....with no life!

If we know the Holy Spirit is in us.......then would we be so lax to mention His name or think about to  mention how glad we are that He is with us?  That anointing came through Jesus. And He sent the Comforter to reside with us. That anointing is powerful and it is within us. That new and living way is into the Kingdom of God through the salvation we received when we first believed.

If we would only realize, our faith can grow and when it does, we can see what we read in the Old Testament.

Isaiah 54:2-5

2 "Enlarge the place of your tent,

stretch your tent curtains wide,

do not hold back;

lengthen your cords,

strengthen your stakes. 

3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;

your descendants will dispossess nations 

and settle in their desolate cities. 

4 "Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame.

Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.

You will forget the shame of your youth 

and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. 

5 For your Maker is your husband--

the LORD Almighty is his name--

the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;

he is called the God of all the earth.    NIV

The place we stand when we receive Jesus is the place we grow up in. We leave the baby side of things and grow with the "meat" of the Word. When we choose to use our faith, we can see the place we stand enlarge............like a tent if you will! Stretch it out...........your growing up...........stretching........changing, becoming who God planned us to be. Now do not hold back.........lengthen those cords..........strengthen those stakes.........for you and I will surely spread out to the right and to the left.................our descendants will dispossess nations.............and settle those desolate cities..............Do NOT be afraid...........YOU will suffer no shame.............YOU will not be humiliated...........YOU will forget the shame of Your youth and remember no more reproach.........for the Maker is our husband...........the LORD Almighty is his name.........the Redeemer..............is called the God of all the earth. Amen.

 We are built up as living stones (1 Peter 2:5) As the spiritual temple..........we sound like Jesus, act like Jesus, and have momentum. We are moving to the place of those who are taught by God.........(Isaiah 54:13)

John 6:45

45 It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. NIV

May we not forget from where we came from. May we never forget the Cross and the Blood shed for us on that eventful day.............when man was saved  who would believe............forever.........who would receive the Son of God, the Savior of the world. 

Ephesians 2:8-10

 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.   NKJV

For it is truly by faith that we gained a gift..........life eternal with the God of love, with the Son of His love........empowered by the Holy Spirit.............to stand, face the enemy..............and be victorious..........as He our Lord Jesus was victorious on that day that forever changed our destiny. Ah yes, that we are His workmanship.............created in Christ Jesus for good works...............which God prepared beforehand that you and I should walk in them. 

Come on, let's go together now..............forgetting what lies behind and reach for that call in Jesus Christ...............Philippians 3:13-14

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 

As Jesus was led by the Spirit in Matthew 4:1 and Luke 4:1.....may we be led by the Spirit of the Living God.........Romans 8:13-15
 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.

Come Kingdom of God, be done will of God in our lives, in our families, our children, our jobs and in ministry. May we have full knowledge of the Holy One who shows us how to have self-control in the most difficult situations. We have not been given a spirit to fear, to lash out to others when someone is giving us God's word that corrects us, but we have been given the Spirit of son-ship. We are to act like YOUR sons Father God. Truly we have gained a gift of eternal life with You the God of love with the Son of YOUR love.  We are...the.....empowered! We are led by Your Holy Spirit today.Father we, desire to be producers in the fruit that is life in God and bring a good to those dwelling on this earth. Help us to be bold to talk about YOUR kingdom, and how faith is to operate in our lives. For we are to agree with sound instruction and  godly teaching ( 1 Timothy 6:3) We are not to heed anything false.   For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it.
Our treasure is what is laid up in our hearts and where our heart is found, Jesus will be in the midst to us for life eternally. We now give You all the praise for what You are doing in this place right now and give YOU all our thanks for Jesus and the opportunity to have a life of faith...............and may we too, be found with those in the Hall of Faith in Jesus' name we pray. Amen!

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV

No Sluggards Around Here

Proverbs 22:5.....5 In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares,
but he who guards his soul stays far from them. NIV

Proverbs 24:30-34......30 I went past the field of the sluggard,

past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; 

31 thorns had come up everywhere,

the ground was covered with weeds,

and the stone wall was in ruins. 

32 I applied my heart to what I observed 

and learned a lesson from what I saw: 

33 A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest-- 

34 and poverty will come on you like a bandit 

and scarcity like an armed man.   NIV

Yesterday was a beautiful day, with warm sunshine and warm temps to match, and a short ride to see the view of the beautiful scenic gorge was a wonderful idea. There were many boaters on the water fishing and  I even caught a view of some fine big hawks waiting their turn for the fishing event as well! I love this area and am delighted to see it everyday when the sun rises to shine on the majestic mountains that rise and fall into gorgeous valleys of green and ribbons of blue as the waters dance and move along the gorge that sport their diamond sparkles for everyone to see.

But as we continued to travel along some of the roadways, I was caught off-guard by the debris that dots some areas by the river way.There was trash and boxes scattered around, tarps and old vehicles, old boats and abandoned travel trailers with green moss growing on the roofs of said trailers, and even some black bags of trash and I thought of the scriptures above.

It also reminded me of a pastor who came to visit our church back about eighteen years ago now, but he had expounded on the Proverbs 24 scripture. He had mentioned that he was on his way home from some errands on a bright and beautiful day and had been praying in the Holy Ghost. He went by this house in a nice neighborhood, but it did not resemble any of the other homes there. He said the fence was falling down, weeds were almost as high as the porch on the fairly new home and the house needed a new coat of paint! He told us that the Holy Ghost told him that the man who owned that house had the same heart condition as that which appeared outside of his home with over-grown weeds and all! Yikes!

Now when I was growing up, I knew all about keeping our room clean. That cleaning included keeping the inside of the dresser drawers as well organized as the top of the dresser free of "dust bunnies"! And yes, my mother would inspect with that "white glove" treatment to make sure my sister and I had done a good job. She liked everything smelling clean and looking top notch, so to speak.

My dad was one that kept all vehicles just as clean and spotless. He did not like anything thrown down in the floorboard or left on the seat of the car or his truck. The only time we could eat in the vehicle was when we were at a "drive-in" movie. And you guessed it, he was out the next day cleaning everything from the top to the bottom of the vehicle we road in to enjoy the evening movie.

No, today, my life is still the same, and being married am very aware that my husband keeps an immaculate garage. Everything in its place and everything in its own container, so there is a clean walkway to walk through our garage. He even has some in-door, out-door carpet on the floor area from the doorway to the garage door for people to walk on. Yes, it gets vacuumed as well.

In reflecting on those scriptures from above, I am always aware of the first time I read them and kept them in my heart knowing importance of keeping and taking care of that which God has entrusted to our care. Another scripture that comes to mind is, "As in the water face reflects face, So a man's heart reveals the man"...Proverbs 27:19.

I know those qualities extend far into helping those who have a ministry, a management position, a job of bringing different companies with different people, fish and technology, mix them together to form companies, or to run a city like the mayor and police department.

Any promotion to do a job comes from God and when it comes slowly, we can expect to do that which God has for us to do!

I had learned valuable lessons on the way from dusting those bunnies around to straightening our dresser drawers to being able to open a daycare and set up for the day's business. My husband, too, had valuable lessons with dairy cows, horses, and even an occasional stubborn sister. He had sisters that were so much younger and had to watch over them while his parents were busy with other work on the farm. He was always pitching in to help another and it showed in his work within the work-place. He was never arrogant about it, he just got in and helped another to get the job done. But one thing for sure of his family, they always worked like a "team".

For me and in my observations today, sports and military do not always reflect a hero. The best examples I have found are in the Bible and in our children's lives.

Proverbs 22:6.....6 Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.  NKJV
Yes, this scripture follows the one on snares and thorns. (verse 5).....it is a simple word but a powerful one in training up a child and the way he should go, to travel and become.

Do we desire our children to be failures or successes? Do we desire them to be the "leaders' this country needs? Will there be allurements or deceptions that our children, and grand-children should and can avoid to keep to the path of life and godliness?

The best example to me has come from the writings of  King David and the importance to walking in integrity and being humble before God and man. That humility is a trust in the God Who created us. That is a "confidence" that recognizes virtue. A confident person will always give credit to another for their success. It can be a parent or parents, a teacher or teachers, but all comes back to the Lord directing our pathway and if we "are teachable". In leadership over others looks like a willing heart. It is a willing heart looking to delegate leadership to others, to delegate to them and see them run with it. Hopefully we are not the one watching over them to think we can do it better, but really being a leader who wants others to excel in their gifting's as well. And another important thing is to keep a check on those "emotions"!

For me, and I only know my testimonies to write about, but seriously we have to regard our start in life. For me again was the waging war on "dust bunnies" and the emotions that could rise out of that if I did a "bad job" to wisk them away.  I could always find an excuse or some reason for doing my best job. My mother would point me back to doing the job "right". But each step brought me closer to where I am today. Today, I have had opportunities opened to me that I call God's favor on my life. I have opportunities to minister His word to women and men alike through church and the Internet.

I have seen our grand-daughter being taught the importance of being a "team member". I daily and weekly see how everyone works together for an accomplished end that brings a clean home, harmony and praise to God Himself.

I am thankful to my mother for all that she taught me about cleanliness and how God gave me another example through my husband. I have much on my plate to see come to pass and am grateful for the promises He has given to us help get from point A to point B!

So daily and yes, weekly, my husband and I take inventory of what needs to  change, to be cleaned, gotten rid of, and what needs covering of God's word. But in this walk with the Lord, and my husband said it accurately yesterday. He said, " our walking with the Lord, exercising everyday with His Word helps improve our heart condition." And I believe that whole-heartedly!

Paul said in Ephesians 4:31-32...........31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. NKJV

The next trip I take out to view the gorge,  I will keep in mind those who have been there before and left their belongings for others to view. But I will also take note that God in His great mercy has put my sin far from me through His Son Jesus. I will pray for those who left some of their baggage behind and pray for them to be constructive and not critical. For our attitude is truly known when as children, young adults and even a senior-citizen.

My prayer: Father, help us to be like child-like in our spiritual life with You. May we be mature in our knowledge of You, but oh so child-like with anger and bitterness. Help us to see that "emotions" should not rule us as an individual, or even as a nation! It is not about me and my thing but all of us together in the same boat! Lord, today, I am praying for those who may have a background of coming from a church foundation in Your Word and I am praying for those who have none. I pray for those who do not know You to be saved this day.  That those who left their belongings along the river, may they confess with their mouth and believe in their heart that Jesus was raised by You Father God. May everyone be saved as they confess Jesus as Lord. For He is the Lord of all! I pray for all to have a fire in their bellies to seek those heroes of the Bible and through their testimonies, see their failures and successes. May each who reads this find those testimonies to follow truth and godliness and know that God is not through with them yet! I pray for all who read this to be surrounded by motivating examples of godly people, those living examples of God's enduring love to us. Father, You are not absent from the scene but in the very midst of each of or lives to direct our pathway to freedom in who You have called us to be! As like King David, may we not have that "chip on our shoulder" but learn to delegate those into leadership from all areas of life that they too, can be a part of Your great move in these last days! Thank You for parents who gave us life and gave us family life to see victories and achievements. For all the bruises and hurts we might have experienced You have used them for our good and gave a good kick to the adversary to block our destruction. From dust bunnies to proclaiming truth You have been a part of our lives. Our waging warfare is good warfare through God-given weapons to overthrow the adversary. Show each who pray this the very moment You moved in on their behalf and guided them through to victory. Today I give You praise for Your Word and for life abundantly that just keeps getting better though the Blood of Jesus. Your will be done today in our lives as it is in heaven. Amen.

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV