The Ability to Say NO

There are times we must say "NO"!

Proverbs 13: 16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool lays open his folly.

Proverbs 13:16 Message Bible: A commonsense person lives good sense; fools litter the country with silliness.

He who follows after the Lord considers the path set before him. We are to act in each step of life in the knowledge of God. We are not to act on what the local news is giving if it operates in false news. Our God is spirit and truth and He will lead us on level paths in His peace and truth!

Proverbs 2:11 Discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you, 12 to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things, 13 from those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness; 14 who rejoice in doing evil, and delight in the perversity of the wicked; 

Understanding that   discretion will facilitate a way of escape from those who are evil, who speaks perverse things, it will also preserve us from those who choose to walk away from upright behavior into the ways of darkness! Those who compromise will be either male or female.   

Of the female: Proverbs 11:22 As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion. (taste) Yes, that discretion is like taste. It is what taste we have for fine furniture, fine dining or what is considered that which wealth can buy for the most elegant tastes in luxury living with penthouses, jets, and big yachts! Still God is to lead us in that which is discrete. He directs us by leading us to hear Him. That will appear as the Shepherd leads us by still waters, to lie down in green grass where our needs are met without the extra hassle of adding extra expense to taking care of all the luxury when the greatest gift is God's Son to us. Things are good but they should not have us, but we should have them and limit the amount of them in our lives when it proves to appear as an important priority in our lives that includes the extreme in luxury and prestige. For in this man can fall into the pride thing indeed!

 Of the male: Proverbs 19:11 the discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression. Proverbs 16:32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. Discretion of a man is to make him slow to anger and it mentions that his glory is to overlook a transgression!

In the New Birth (John 3:3) those of the New testament …and us who have received Jesus as Lord, have repented sin, and have the Holy Spirit. And by the Holy Spirit of Grace we walk in the Spirit and we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. As we read of in Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

It is the Holy Spirit Who will subdue the lust of the flesh when we continually submit ourselves to His power and to His control!

Reading again Proverbs 16:32, it does not say “He who never gets angry is better than the mighty”. It says that “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty!

Jesus got Angry: Mark 11:15-16 NKJV So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 16 And he would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Luke 19:45 Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it.   In this Jesus was cleansing the temple: the priests had benefited financially by vendors and dishonest practices to put money in their pockets. It was using business in the temple area! Jesus took an authority to say NO to that which interrupted the House of Prayer. Business is to be done outside. The relationship with God is our prayer life and anything that intrudes on that is out of order and out of bounds!

          

Commanded to Be Angry without Sinning: Ephesians 4:26 “ Be angry, and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath.” As  Christians, we are to avoid intense wrath.  That raging wrath is a desire for revenge. It is of an intense passion that can “kill”.

Wisdom Keeps Anger under Control: Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate. Solomon made an observance of anger: Ecclesiastes 7:9 do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.  James 1:19-20 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

We are to listen before we speak. We keep anger under the control of the Holy Spirit. In that respect we appear as the wise! Let's understand that any help from God is a plus for you and me. When we stay connected, we can ask Him to show us things we need to know and ask about those things that conflict with His word. We know that human beings can be unreliable. One writer wrote they blow hot and cold! And that is true if you have been alive as long as I have been. They are those who have their self-interests and sometimes they can align with what God is doing but other times it is the heart issue if they are deciding to go for self-satisfaction.

Psalm 146:3   NKJV   3 Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.

Those who might have titles or listed as the leader may not always have the best interests in mind for those involved in goal setting, financial aspects of spending too much and lack of counsel. They will most likely have their personal agenda and possible political goals to chase after. They will desire to spend too much and put a cap on that counsel!

But God, however, is the greatest Leader in this world and all the other world's He created! The "I AM" in our midst is always about what is best for us. It is the level path where the light grows brighter to the full light of day. Moreover, He is always faithful to what He has promised (I Corinthians 1:9), so if we go to Him and ask Him for help that He has pledged to us, He will give it.

In the New Birth, we regained sanity! And we certainly know from scripture that it is the fool who rejects God and not the wise man or wise men. Psalm 14:1 The fool has said in his heart, "there is no God." They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.
And in keeping with sanity, we replace or put in what is of God! We put in spirit and truth. We also know of "right mind" listed in Mark 5:15 Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.

Can you imagine that when people are in their right minds, those who have Jesus as Lord can scare those who do not have Jesus?
This man who had been taken over by demons was now in his right mind, dressed and seated and he scares folks! So being or having self-control is that where our thoughts and actions align with the Lord's thoughts and ways. For that which was not controllable is now under control.

When evil is revealed it is seen in those who cannot control their desires. We have heard of this "madness" that is seen today in the streets of every large city in this country. It is seen in those where crime of the criminal is listed as their profile. Yet we have a living way of God that is revealed in the life of Christ Jesus, where the captives are set free. Within that it is almighty God Who provides the right mind to produce the fruit of Spirit.

I do not want to be the fool who litters the country with silliness. I desire to make a difference that speaks God is in my life, I have on the full armor of God and I set my mind and heart on things that are above and not scattered around my feet. I will know that which God reveals as the path in which to walk and I will have the ability to speak "NO" to the enemy and rise like an edifice in my faith walk, knowing God is with me because He has called me to this day and to this walk by faith in Him. Amen.

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The Image

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WARNING

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For God So Loved the World....

For God so loved the world that He gave.....

In keeping with the year that is coming to an end, we are ever mindful of that what 2020 may hold for each of us on this earth, still God so LOVED the world that He gave. He gave of His great love to each and every person the opportunity to receive that love through His Son Jesus Christ! To live through Him is being reconciled back to God that was given away for lust in the Garden of Eden!

Jesus Who lived the perfect life, interrupted lives of those whom He came to save: those living for themselves, those living only for a religious life and those who sought out God. And Jesus, the perfect expression of the Fathers' love on earth appeared. He expressed God's love that sickness could not have a hold on anyone. He expressed that at the Pool of Bethesda that man could take up his mat and walk away from disability and pain.
In John 5:4-9 we are told of the angel that would come and stir the water and whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. (John 5:4)

Now of the multitudes lying in this place surrounding the pool that day, Jesus only came to one person. Of all those that had laid there for years, He only approached him. Jesus asks him in John 5:6 "Do you want to be made well?" Verse 7 gives us the answer of the man: he gives an excuse that he has no help to get in the pool! But Jesus tells him in verse 8 to "Rise, take up your bed and walk." And immediately the man was made well, he took up his bed and walked. And it was the Sabbath!

Certainly if we have made our bed to lie down in something and think we require others to get us out is wrong thinking. No excuses when Jesus appears! When Jesus, the Son of love came to those with diseases and disabilities they did not have to stay in that condition. But our hearts must be willing to hear His speaking and then do it! Our heart must be determined to not take sickness to our body. Our heart must be ready to hear life and a truth that delivers!
It is Christ's life-giving power that came to that man to live out what he was purposed for in that life. Many think God makes people sick, but God did not come to kill, to destroy, but the adversary did in the beginning in the Garden of Eden. 

Purpose was killed by the pursuit of the flesh nature. Relationship was initiated by God. We find this in Romans 5:6-11 NKJV For when we were still without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Yes, God initiated the relationship with us. He made the way possible so that we can have fellowship with Him. Through relationship, trust appears! It is love reaching out in expressive joy to connect with God the Creator to the man His creation! So faith is working, yes active in God who first expressed relationship that is true and is life! God has purpose for man on earth, although many will not heed His word or obey His call to live for Him. 

Nonetheless, Jesus came to set captives free from things that began in the garden of Eden. Human nature got in the way of the divine plan of God. The devil was wanting to destroy the purpose God had set for man and we can see this continue today. We wonder why a young man would choose to strap a bomb to his body to kill others. We wonder why someone would choose to go into a mall, not walking but driving an SUV just to plow down those shopping at the Mall! What is in their thinking to derive at such an attitude to kill others and possibly themselves? Most likely they are living without the one true God, the Creator of heaven and earth. For hate is only found in the devil and again this was seen in the Garden of Eden. Know anyone like this?

Relationship was certainly thought of in that given in the book of Luke. Jesus comes upon a scene that is a funeral procession in progress. And Jesus interrupts the world!

In this a young man who had died, is being carried out in a coffin as Jesus passes by. We can see this in Luke 7:12-15 And He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." 14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, "young man, I say to you, arise." 15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.

Jesus saw the broken heart of a mother weeping for her son!

Can you imagine the conversation between this young man who was dead and his mother? Can you imagine how long they talked on the subject from when he had died and when he appeared alive again to be with his mother and care for her as before?  Do we even notice when God is trying to interrupt our lives? They did this particular day and the dead young man sat up and lived!

You may be dealing with sickness that the enemy has placed on you or you may have made a bed to lie in that others will comfort you in that bed of comfort, for warm thoughts but no life in reality of that which God holds for us all. We have life to live through Jesus Christ. Without Him we remain the weak without strength, but in Him we can walk out of silly circumstances and painful death- causing situations when we arise to His word, to hearing Him speak and become what God the Father purposed for us to live and be lived out now in this lifetime.

Do not let the enemy tell you that your days are done or that you have nothing to give to others. If you are alive and breathing, there is still opportunity for it has not been taken away, but you have to choose release what God placed in you back to Him, yes, through the salvation message and make Jesus your Lord.  But you must then promptly make time for God to praise Him for your new life, thank HIM that majesty on high has appeared to you.  Yes be thankful He has appeared and He came in love to save you!

Yes, that babe was wrapped in swaddling clothes and He was placed in a manger but He is the Risen King and is Lord of Lords! He is ever present to bring us to wholeness and life that releases us into the prosperity of goodness in God. It is by faith to do what the Lord has planned for us to do now.

Enjoy this time, enjoy family and enjoy friends but also remember the babe grew up. He is manifested wisdom to us. 

Though the world appears to be spinning out of control. Despair is being found in the hearts of men, still God is alive and He holds those who by faith who believe in Him. He has gripped us with His hand of strength, holding us in the heart of His love, that we would be encouraged in the promises sent from heaven.

We do not require Ironman nor Spiderman.....no we have Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory!

 For what lies before us in 2020 and beyond that might be unsettling to some. But you and I do not have to despair for the difficult or the suddenly's of life for our hearts are set on and with Jesus Christ. And on the other side we rule and reign with Him. ( 2 Timothy 4:18) The Lord will deliver us from every evil work and preserve us for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

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Fear and Trembling

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Wrapped UP IN JESUS

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A Funky Place

Salvation is not in a trophy!

Proverbs 4:19 the way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.

This word stumble has the meaning to totter by decay!

When we are led by the world we get into some very complicated things that lead to death. For the man or woman who chooses their own way can find hardship, and of course, death! 

Our Father’s word teaches us that those who are in the flesh cannot please God found in Romans 8:8. Those who walk in their own ways of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life find the paths of the destroyer. 
Psalm 17:4 concerning the works of men, by the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.
So ultimately being away from God and His word, is being led away from life, truth and eternity with Him!

John told us in 1 John 2:16 for all that is in the world---the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life---is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away; and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

There has been evil operating in this world since Eve was deceived in the Garden of Eden. And many, many people still fall to the schemes of the devil, although he has no new material to try out on any one person!  No he just listens to those times when covetousness speaking may be heard from our mouths and hearts!  He pays attention to those times we whine and complain and then he pulls out the same old trip-up he used some years ago.

 God demonstrated His love toward us that we might live for Him and have life!

Romans 5:8-10  NKJV 8 But demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

God initiated that relationship with us. AND He made it possible, paving the way so that we can have fellowship with Him. In this relationship, He made possible through the gift of His Son, those things He desires to develop such as trust in us. So by His love, He gave us His best gift. In this we respond by faith: that trust in God who has purpose for us that is for good and not evil. Without that gift, without that expression of His love, the relationship never would have begun. So without faith there is no love of God present… and it ends up being about Me, Me and Me…!!!

We know God continued the Message of His love by sending His prophets. He kept the relationship alive by being faithful to see those created in His image would hear truth and live by it.

The last time He sent a Prophet, the Prophet was also the Son of God who was the example of:  Obedience, loyalty, & devotion to Him the Father…… By His Son Jesus, He extended His hand forever beckoning us to come back to the relationship. This is so clearly seen in the way God dealt with Israel in the Old Testament. And from old testaments teachings, we find the Israelites were reminded when they were brought out of Egypt, when they were brought out of slavery to serve the living God.

 Luke 1:70-75 NKJV  70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began, 71 that we should be saved from our enemies & from the hand of all who hate us, 72 to perform the mercy promised to our fathers & to remember His holy covenant, 73 the oath which he swore to our father Abraham: 74 to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, 75 in Holiness & Righteousness before Him all the days of our life.    

While writing this, I was reminded of watching the video of Matthew, that story of Jesus in His ministry. And the young man who played the role of Jesus always makes me think of how Jesus is waving to us, still walking but beckoning us to come to Him and to know Him as He really is. Bruce Marchiano is the man who played that part of the Visual Bible Film series. With the smile he presents while walking and turning using his hands to wave us to come, I am forever thinking of Jesus' compassion for us. He died for us that we might have life through Him.

But rejection can appear when man becomes obsessed with the power of self and self worship. It can appear in those who really live on the edge of danger in life: like bull-riders, horse-tamers, high-wire walkers, Wall Street moguls, or even those with both feet on the ground as the mother with several children, the one who sings like a sweet nightingale, the basketball player who scores more points than any other player on the team. Yes, these can start to worship themselves and will not voluntarily submit themselves to God's rules or laws.
                                                             

The ‘terrible’ thing about this is that many die early and usually is the result of suicide. We have known some people who have died in the last 15 years due to that suicide 'thing'. Both were friends, one of mine from my early years and high school and another, a young man we met at church.
Was that God’s plan for them? Certainly not, but the devil had his schemes and anything outside of God and His word of truth lies under the rule of the devil.

Sometimes people get caught up in the applause, the accolades, that cheer of the crowd, the cheer of the grateful husband who works all hours to make a living for the wife and children, or the cheer of the cowboy star who lives his latter years remembering his former glory days in the saddle as a star.

We are reminded in 1 Corinthians 15:33  Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits" . Amplified Bible: 33 do not be deceived & misled! Evil companionship's (communion, association’s ) corrupt & deprave good manners & morals & character.

If our mind is clutter with yesterday, when do we think about God and His goodness? If our mind is in the gutter, we cannot live a virtuous life. If we have received Jesus as Lord of our lives, there is hope in seeing that part of our hearts healed in His name. As Christians, we can never escape all the negative influences of sin around us, such as that which is spoken over the news by fake media, or the negative of that which assaults another by intruding on the personal space of another like men against women in serious acts by sexually immoral people of the world.

 Paul said this in one epistle or letter he wrote to the church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 5:9-10 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous or extortioners or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.

Now what Paul wrote was that we were not to have associations with those known as a Christian who have the lifestyle as sexual immorality. Yes, immoral people can claim to be Christians! For a follower of Jesus will not openly persist in sin & will not heed the corrective counsel….Jesus regards this in  Matthew 5:27-30). Adultery in the heart is wrong and a rigid moral self-denial should be in place.

God our Father sent us a way out of the world, but it is to live for HIM through our life here on this earth. He sent Jesus our Savior.  God told us that He redeems our souls when we put our trust in Him according to what is written in Psalm 34:22 The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

If your walk through this life has taken you in to the business arena, the life of the mother who is the nurturer, the doctor, the debater, the guidance counselor and meal maker, the cowboy who knows horses and wild rides, the basketball player who knows the court and players better than he knows God, then we can come under a funky thought like: not good enough, aging quickly, my body is out of condition and strength, will my kids remember me when I am older!  It is then our thoughts are not good thoughts, and a person can fall into a pit where the controlling things like depression, anger, anxiety, jealousy, hopelessness, fear or even suicide can become a part of your demeanor.  How does one come out of that 'funky thing'?
Funk has the meaning of being panicky! Also means to be overcome by great fear!

Suicide by ones own hand will end like Judas'. He hung himself when he had become a traitor to Jesus. For thirty pieces of silver he betrayed the Lord of glory. God is love and He loves all and will we receive His love or choose Me, Me and Me?
When someone's identity has been in themselves, they cannot possibly continue in that for long. I cannot have my identity in my husband. I must have an identity as Shelley, but must also be in Jesus who is life to me! My identity is within that which Jesus died to give me. But someone who has their identity in their children can suffer many bouts of anxiety, empty nest syndrome and even abandonment. The one who receives accolades from their sport ventures will find those trophy's cannot give back any love or remembrance of the winning moment when that point came to take that coveted gleaming silver cup!
Interesting that some of the games that people play all have the winning cup and I wonder how many end up drinking from the cup that provides nothing at the end.

Please take this seriously that any anxiety, any depression, fear or suicide is not of God. These are things the enemy can use against a man or woman made in the image of God. Please hear the voice of the Good Shepherd today and turn to Him who can deliver you from these terrible afflictions. Holy Spirit can guide you through the healing process. Find your identity in Him and not in other people or things.

 Today, we pray for you to hear, receive and know the Father’s love for your 'life' right now. We pray in Jesus’ name that you are delivered from controlling emotions (Psalm 40:17)

We also pray for you to be healed and restored to what the Father’s purpose for your life is. We speak words of life over you right now and believe you to be free to share your deepest feelings with those qualified to help.  We pray for you to have the gift of laughter and the ability to find humor in even serious situations. 

May you take your eyes off the circumstances that cause you dread or be in terror and be reminded that God sent the Son of His love for you to have salvation and that ‘relationship ‘with HIM! We pray you to have patience to possess your soul and the ability to take charge of it. (Luke 21:19)

Father, refresh your child now in the mighty name of Jesus. Refresh him with Your Holy Spirit and set him free today from any negative emotions that would cause him harm. We believe the best for Your child who YOU made for Your glory. May they run and prosper in Your name. Amen.

New teaching at: Voice of Prayer  

And Holy is His Name

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New teaching at: Life Giving Wells

Day of the Lord

https://youtu.be/zUxSFseDVPo

Also visit Life Giving Wells You Tube Channel for more teaching

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