Psalm 23 - "Grace Got You"

When I woke at 2:30, my thoughts were on Psalm 23. I thought it was because of it being the lesson for the children last night but God told me to pray for the Hall family. I thought about how this Psalm is one that is read at many funerals yet it is a comfort through any tough time in life. 

 He is there for us as we know our loved one is preparing to leave this earth. He gives comfort for those who are in relationship with Him through the knowledge we will see them again. He also gives comfort in the knowledge they are no longer suffering in their physical bodies. This Psalm is about what it means to live in relationship with Him. He will watch over us, provides for us, and satisfy us (vs 1); He gives us rest and peace (vs 2); He gives us strength and guidance (vs 3); He enables us to stand-up against fear and protects and comforts us (vs 4);  He prepares for our eternal life and anoints us (vs 5); and He loves us and gives us the knowledge of eternal life with Him (vs 6).  

David wrote this Psalm after he had experienced many years of life. He did not write it as the unexperienced shepherd boy nor as a king with great power. He wrote it with a history of many ups and downs in his life. As you read through the 23rd Psalm you see it is penned by one who trusted and loved the Lord greatly. He wrote it with confidence. That is the desire of my heart. I want to trust Him with a faith that continues to go deeper. I never want to stop growing in my relationship with Him. I know it takes daily work on my part to grow my faith. I know it means being in His Word, communicating with Him 24/7, etc. It is a way of life I have come to love. It also is a way of life I have come to depend upon. He is my strength not only in the midst of storms but in my everyday life. Nothing is done without asking Him first. There is such freedom in Kingdom living. I am so grateful for the way His peace is greater than the struggles of life. There are so many people in my little world who need His peace to be their way of life. I continue to pray for those with physical issues such as Paula, Nancy, John, Carletta, and Doc. I also am praying for those with emotional issues such as a couple families who the enemy has torn apart. There are some who are on my list for financial issues. Some need to find Him as their Savior before their financial issues can be addressed. The financial decisions they are making have nothing to do with Him so there is no way they will be resolved. The ones who do not have His peace are the ones I am praying for the most. Some need to accept Him as their Savior while others need to go deeper in their relationship and give Him all of themselves. I love the song "Grace Got You" where it goes...

So when you're standing in the rain again
You might as well be dancing
Why?
'Cause there ain't no storm that can change how this ends

Nothing that happens on this earth has to change my eternity. I do not have to give into the enemy and walk away from God. Instead I can trust Him through the storms of life. I am so thankful for the day I realize I do not have to know the end of the story but need to just relax and be a part of whatever the plot holds. I do know the end will be whatever God thinks is best for me and I accept that. There is no manipulation needed. I just need to trust. These last couple of months have been hard financially but He has provided just what was needed when it was needed. In my humanness, I hope Doc returns to work after his appointment Friday but yet I know I need to continue to trust the Lord in this storm. He provided a discount on the first hospital bill; grocery and gas money from some friends; and income from another source. When we thought Doc would have been back to work already, we knew how the end-of-the-month bills would be covered. We knew. Two small words with great meaning. God did not want it figured out on paper. He desired to stretch our faith and not have him back to work. Here we are looking at July bills and I do not even want to do the paperwork to see them. Instead I am choosing to trust Him with providing. If I fret, the enemy will have a foothold. He does not need that. He is destroying people all around me. I refuse to allow him to destroy me. I am standing on the comfort of Psalm 23.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the opportunities You gave me to love on people yesterday. Thank You for the way You blessed me through those opportunities and gave me the physical strength to be Your servant. Father, I pray for Doc's situation today. I pray You will be greater than the enemy. I also pray for a cleansing in my spirit so You can fill me to overflowing so I can minister to him. I pray for my dear friends who have made arrangements for their Daddy's funeral. May You be their peace. I also pray for many who need to ask You into their heart to realize You are the answer in this fallen world. My prayers go out for those who need to get to the end of themselves to allow You to be their Lord of Lords. Father, may Your grace come down upon those who will come into Your presence today. Thank You Jesus for being My Peace. Amen. 

Isaiah 43 - "I Am Not Alone"

cThroughout the night the Lord woke me up to pray for four people who feel like they cannot  bear one more thing in life. Once again He had the song "I Am Not Alone" going through my mind. He had me pray for them to realize the depth of these words...

When I walk through deep waters
I know that You will be with me
When I'm standing in the fire
I will not be overcome

Through the valley of the shadow
I will not fear

I am not alone
I am not alone
You will go before me
You will never leave me

All four of them know Him and have a relationship with Him. They all believe in Him as their Savior. They also have all depend upon Him. Their faith is wavering as everything seems to go wrong in life. One door after another not only closes but is slammed in their face. I prayed for them to go deeper in their faith and hold onto Him during these tough days. I asked the Lord to reveal Himself to them in a deeper way. I prayed for physical, mental, emotional, financial, and most of all spiritual strength. I also prayed the enemy would be knocked down in their situation. In some of these situations the enemy has been given too much credit. He thrives in such places. He has their eyes blinded to what they need to do through the Lord's strength and empowerment. Oh how I pray for the Lord to open their eyes. I not only pray for their relationships with the Lord but with their relationships with others. I pray for healing in their spirits. 

He took me back to Isaiah 43 again this morning as I prayed for these ones. The first seven verses show God's love for us. It shows how His love never changes. Even when we seem to be slipping away from Him, He never leaves us. We do not have to fear the enemy because we have the Lord's strength to stand up against him. Even when going through fire and water we can know He is with us. As we stand in His faith, others will see and marvel at how we live life. They will desire the same as Isaiah talked of in verses eight through thirteen. Verses fourteen through twenty-one are exciting to read of the way He will deliver us from the 'junk' of this world. He will be glorified when we allow Him to direct us through life. The last verses of this chapter reiterate the need to repent and stand upon His promises. I pray each morning for the Lord to cleanse me. This is the only way He can fill me with His Holy Spirit. As I walk in His Spirit, I live in His presence. That is where true peace is found in the midst of the storms of life. I am praying His peace over these four. I pray they will soon realize the words of Isaiah 18-21...

“Forget about what’s happened;
    don’t keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.
    It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?
There it is! I’m making a road through the desert,
    rivers in the badlands.
Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’
    —the coyotes and the buzzards—
Because I provided water in the desert,
    rivers through the sun-baked earth,
Drinking water for the people I chose,
    the people I made especially for myself,
    a people custom-made to praise me." (MSG)

Tough days will not last forever but while they happen we need to continue to seek God and realize He is greater than the 'junk' the enemy throws our way.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for giving me the privilege to pray for these four people who are going through tough days. Father, draw them closer to You so they can feel Your empowerment to stand firm in their faith. Where their faith is wavering, may You be the strength to enable them to stand strong. Lord, I also pray for a cleansing in my spirit so You can fill me with more of Your Holy Spirit. I pray for a physical, emotional, mental, financial, and most of all spiritual strength today that will be greater than ever before in my spirit. May You be the Healer of every aspect of my life. May You continue to guide me with my school work. Lord, I also pray for one who is not in relationship with You to find You as the decisions she is making are affecting not only herself but her family and friends. Thank You Jesus for being My Peace. Amen.

Isaiah 43:1-3 - "I Am Not Alone"

Last night I watched a video from the ordination service from the East Ohio District. The special music was the song "I Am Not Alone." As I listened to it, I thought about how appropriate it was to have that song for an ordination service. It was a great reminder for pastors that the Lord is always with them. He is with them in the 'good' days and in the 'bad' days. This is not just for pastors but for everyone. We all go through days where we feel like we can't continue on. There just seems to be more of those such days in the life of a pastor. Part of this is because of the heavy load a pastor carries with other people's burdens. Another part is because of the knowledge we are responsible for sharing the Gospel so others will be saved. We must remember we are not responsible for saving people but only to be the instrument in the process as God leads. Another reason a pastor feels alone many times is because they cannot share with another human being what is on their heart. They can only share with God. That can give a feeling of being separated from other humans. The thing we must always remember is that God loves us and desires what is best for us. He sets us apart for His will when we accept Him in our heart and allow Him full reign of our lives. He gives peace in the midst of the storms. He provides in unimaginable ways in times of need. Matthew Henry writes of the beginning verses of Isaiah:

True believers are precious in God's sight, his delight is in them, above any people. Though they went as through fire and water, yet, while they had God with them, they need fear no evil; they should be born up, and brought out. The faithful are encouraged. 

No matter what life throws our way, God is there with us. His strength will not only get us through tough situations but it will strengthen our faith in the process. His love is greater than the evil one. His presence in our life will snuff out any fear that tries to overtake us. There are no truer words than these...

You’re my strength 
You’re my defender 
You’re my refuge in the storm
Through these trials 
You’ve always been faithful 
You bring healing to my soul

I am not alone
I am not alone
You will go before me
You will never leave me

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the reminder of this song. Thank You for never leaving me. Thank You for the three hands that were raised yesterday to go deeper with You. Father, may You be their strength as the enemy will try so hard to knock them down this week. May You cleanse me today and fill me with more of Your Holy Spirit. May You be my words, actions, and attitude throughout this day in a different, new way. This morning I am praying for pastors who are feeling like they are alone. I pray they will realize You are there for them. I pray for spouses and families of pastors who have a different life than most. May You be the center of their homes. I also pray for You to be the strength of many who are going through tough physical days. I pray for Joshua, Nancy, Paula, Ben, Nada, Clarence, Carletta, little JJ, Waitman and Cindy who need Your touch on their bodies. I continue to pray for the ones who need an emotional touch with the death of their loved ones. Most of all Lord I pray for those who need a spiritual healing to come to the end of themselves and allow You to be their Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Thank You Jesus for being My Refuge in the Storms of Life. Amen.

John 3:22-36 - "Different"

Before going to sleep last night I prayed for pastors. I reminded God of how tired I was but I told Him if He needed me to pray, He would need to wake me. At 3:08 He woke me to pray with these words to "Different" going through my mind...

I wanna be different
I wanna be changed
'Til all of me is gone
And all that remains
Is a fire so bright
The whole world can see
That there's something different
So come and be different
In me

I told Him I thought this was a strange song to have as I prayed for pastors. This should be the way of life of all believers but most especially pastors. If we don't ask God to cleanse us daily so He can fill us, it would be mighty hard to live in His presence. Then He gave me some specific ways to pray for pastors. He said there are many who fall into these traps of the enemy. Those who...

• trust but only to a point and then they begin to doubt.
• listen to man instead of Him or who try to please man instead of Him.
• rely on their own personal strength first instead of allowing His strength to pour through them.
• are in blatant sin yet are denying it.
• know they are not living in His presence but have made the conscience decision to stay where they are.
• are in a disagreement with another person yet refuse to be the one to take the first step at reconciliation.

In the third chapter of John we have the account of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus. There were some who questioned John about Jesus. His reply was there was no one greater than Jesus. He explained the only way to have anything in life was through Christ. He also said in verse thirty-one, "He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heave is above all" (NKJV). This shows the Lord's superiority over man. John continues speaking of eternal life with the Lord will happen when we believe. Christ desires all to live for Him. He desires all to live in His presence. That takes work on our part. During the night and again this morning I prayed specifically for pastors who have slipped out of a close relationship with Him. Some of them are going through tough times in their church, others are going through tough times in their personal relationships, and others are going through dark days of doubt of Him. Some feel He has left them but it is them themselves who have wandered away from Him. I pray they will come back to Him. All is takes is realizing "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). 

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the blessing of praying for pastors on Saturday nights. Thank You for the privilege I have to preach this morning. May You be exalted through what You have given me. Father, cleanse me so You can fill me. I pray that same prayer for other believers but especially pastors. I pray they will get to the end of themselves and allow You to work in and through them. Lord, be greater than the things of this earth. Open eyes that need opened. Close doors that need closed. Most of all be greater than all believers. I praise You for the 87 years You gave me with my earthly Daddy. I miss him so greatly but am blessed in knowing he is with You. Thank You Jesus for being My Heavenly Daddy. Amen.

Psalm 64 - "Fear Is A Liar"

The Lord woke me up this morning with two things on my mind. The first was He told me to read and ponder upon Psalm 64. The second were these words from "Fear Is A Liar"...

Let Your fire fall and cast out all my fears
Let Your fire fall Your love is all I feel

These words are ones I need reminded of from time to time. The enemy tries to cause fear in my mind but God is greater. The enemy uses people and circumstances to cause doubt but God is greater. The enemy thinks he has control over me but God is greater. Plain and simple, God is greater. I get frustrated with people and the way they will let the enemy have control of their lives but just because they allow it does not mean I have to. Even when their circumstances affect my life, I still do not have to allow the enemy any foothold. Psalm 64 ends with this verse...

Yes! I am praying this morning for the Lord to empower me to stand up in Him against the ways of the enemy. I am praying for the Lord to open people's eyes to the way the enemy is working in their lives. When David penned this Psalm, he realized God was the only way to help him as he dealt with his enemies. The same is true today. God is the only way to stop the 'junk' that is going on. He is the only way to get people to realize how far they have gone away from Him. Matthew Henry writes of verses seven through ten of Psalm 67...

When God brings upon men the mischiefs they have desired on others, it is weight enough to sink a man to the lowest hell. Those who love cursing, it shall come upon them. Those who behold this shall understand, and observe God's hand in all; unless we do so, we are not likely to profit by the dispensations of Providence. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord; not glad of the misery and ruin of their fellow-creatures, but glad that God is glorified, and his word fulfilled, and the cause of injured innocence pleaded effectually. They rejoice not in men, nor in themselves, nor in any creature, or creature enjoyments, nor in their wisdom, strength, riches, or righteousness; but in Christ, in whom all the seed of Israel are justified and glory, and in what he is to them, and has done for them.

I do not desire people to be miserable but if that is what it takes to open their eyes up to the way they are living, so be it. The desire of my heart is to see Him glorified. In order for that to happen people have to allow Him to take the enemy out of their lives. The enemy will not go without a fight but oh how I pray for people to realize the enemy's ways are not the way to live. He needs taken down where he is messing in relationships. He needs to be out of marriages, families, work places, etc. He needs out but the only way that will happen is for people to allow God to be their strength so He will be glorified through their circumstances. My heart breaks for so many believers who are allowing the enemy free reign in their life. The Holy Spirit is the only one who should have such a privilege. Unfortunately, the enemy has wormed his way into them and has them fooled. May the Lord open eyes up to his deceiving.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for Your love, mercy and grace. Thank You for being greater than anything else in life. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit who has free reign in my life. Father, cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. Be my strength when the enemy comes knocking at my door. I pray for people who have allowed him into their lives to realize it and stand up against him. I pray for their hearts to be filled with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Lord, go before those who are hurting today in their physical bodies. I pray for Paula, Nancy, Nada, John, and Ben. I also continue to pray for those hurting in their emotional bodies with the death of a loved one. Be their strength in a way they will realize only can be from You. Lord, I also pray for believers who have allowed the enemy into their lives to have their eyes opened. They don't even realize what they have done yet he is prowling around so greatly. Lord, protect us from them. Empower us through Your Holy Spirit to be who You desire us to be even as we are attacked. Thank You Jesus for being Our Fire. Amen.

Isaiah 40:31 - "Fear Is A Liar"

Today is a day that will be so hurtful as my friends go through the funeral of their loved one. I believe today will be when the Knox family lay their precious Mark to rest. This morning my dear friends will be going through the funeral of their wife, mother, sister, aunt, etc. as Connie is laid to rest. They have been down this road many times before. I've been with them through tragic accidents and through long times of illnesses to the point of their loved ones death. No matter what the circumstances, death is hard. It is hard to let go of your loved one but it lessens the hurt when one knows their loved one is with Jesus. It also helps when we know we are living for Him ourselves so we have the hope of eternal life with our loved one. 

I said these words at the revealing of Laura's headstone. "And even though she has left our midst, we know she will never leave our hearts where her memory will endure as a blessing forever." We must hang onto the memories we have of our loved ones. We also need to not only have them to reflect upon but we need to share them with future generations so they will 'know' them too. One of Laura's favorite Bible verses is on her headstone. It is one we all need to hang onto during the tough days we go through on this earth.

As we wait for our time to leave this earth, we must make sure we are not only in relationship with Him but we must be walking the road of obedience with Him. He must be our Lord of Lords and King of Kings if we want to see our loved ones again who are with Him. We must live in His presence as we seek the desires of His heart to be what we desire. There will be new memories made by my friends today. Most will be hurtful memories but during these days we must remember our loved one would not want us to just have 'bad' memories of this day. They would want us to be celebrating their life. We do not have to fear the days ahead when the Lord is in control. Only when we allow the enemy a foothold should fear be a part of our life.

Fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
Cause fear he is a liar

The enemy puts lies in our path to tear us down. He makes us question the spiritual life of our loved one who has left this earth and our own spiritual life. God is the only One who knows these things. He is the only One who can knock the enemy down. We must allow Him to love on us and strengthen us through days such as when we lose a loved one. He will be our strength as we allow Him to work in and through us.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the empowerment over the enemy You give. Thank You for the way You work in and through us. Thank You for Your strength to get us through tough days. Father, I pray today for a cleansing in my spirit so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. I pray for my friends who will be dealing with the funeral of their loved one today. Touch them with Your healing touch. Be their strength. I also continue to pray for Paula, Nancy, Ben, Nada, and Doc who need a physical healing. I pray for You to be greater than their pains and diseases. Thank You Jesus for the way You continue to be My Strength. Amen.

Hebrews 13:5 - "Miracle of the Moment"

I woke up this morning with these words going through my mind...

So breathe it in and breathe it out 
Listen to your heartbeat 
There's a wonder in the here and now 
It's right there in front of you 
And I don't want you to miss  
The miracle of the moment 

There are so many people who are looking for the next best thing. There are many who live paycheck-to-paycheck with the hopes they will make it through without overdrawing their checkbook or having an emergency. I remember those days. There was a time when we were so in debt with multiple car payments, credit cards maxed out, etc. Then the Lord woke us up to the realization that is not how to live. Buying everything in sight is not the way He desires of us to live. 'Stuff' is not what is important in life. The desires we have are not what is important unless they are the desires of His heart. I did not think we would ever get out from under the mess we were in but after a couple of years we did. Praise His Holy Name! It was only by listening to Him that was accomplished. It was not easy but it was well worth the effort we put forth. Learning to not buy unless you had the money was one of the most important lessons to learn. Going out to eat occasionally instead of regularly was hard yet saved so much money. Learning to put God first was the lesson that truly blessed me. As He brought people to my mind to bless instead of spending money on myself, I was blessed. These last few months of going back to bare minimum income have been challenging yet God continues to bless us. Do I know where the money is going to come from to pay the thousands of dollars of medical bills? No but I know who does and that is all that matters. I am grateful for the way He gives peace in such situations. I also am grateful for the way He gives wisdom in how to deal with them. Even though the assistance we thought would happen fell through...He has a plan. I am looking forward to seeing Him glorified throughout this situation. Woo hoo!

There's only one who knows  
What's really out there waiting 
In all the moments yet to be 
And all we need to know 
Is He's out there waiting 
To Him the future's history 

Yes....what is ahead is history to God. There is no second guessing with Him. He already knows what will occur and will take us deeper in our faith in the process. Praise His Holy Name!

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace. Thank You for the knowledge that what lies ahead is in Your hands. Father, cleanse me so You can fill me. Take anything that may separate us out of me. Forgive me for allowing people/situation to steal my joy. You are my Joy and I do not want anything to ever separate us. No matter what is happening in life, no matter what struggles occur I desire Your peace and Your joy. The only way for that to happen is to live in Your presence. Father, be with my friends today who are going through tough days. The Jones, Knox, and Nead families with the death of loved ones. Paula as she goes for an appointment today and Nancy as she recuperates from surgery. I especially pray for those who are struggling spiritually to find You today in the midst of the trials of life. Thank You Jesus for being My Past, Present and Future. Amen.