Through The Years

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Have you ever awakened on Sunday morning prior to getting ready for church, and tried to decide whether to pull the covers over your head or get up and get dressed. Last Sunday, this was the situation with which I found myself confronted. Well, Thank You Heavenly Father for getting my attention. Pastor Keith Grimes seemed to be preaching directly to me. What a wonderful blessing.

December blessings will be my area of concentration this month. We can bless the individuals around us without spending any money. Just look around you and many opportunities can be seen. All it takes is a little observation and a small amount of effort.

God has blessings ready to rain down from Heaven. These blessings are not for a chosen few, nor for perfection. Give something that is a sacrifice. Give generously so you may be blessed according to His riches.

When you give with a spirit of thanksgiving and praise it will lead you to give generously. Giving generously vs sparingly is not indicated by the dollar amount. It is the portion of what you have.

The closer you are to God, the more you know Him. And the more you know of His character and will– the greater your expectation of such a great God!

Then, He exceeds it. What great news!

Please pray for all God’s Children as I am praying for you.

The true light which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him; but to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:9-13.

Think of this, Creator God walked among His Creation for the purpose of saving them, and they had no idea. Why would they notice Him? He was too average looking to be noticed. in Isaiah 53:2, it says He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him; He had no beauty which would make us desire Him.

He was too poor to be impressive. According to the Law, a lamb was required as an atonement for sin. Mary and Joseph were too poor to provide a lamb. All they had to offer was two doves or pigeons. Also, He was from Nazareth, a small town off the beaten path , considered to be backwoodsy and uneducated.

Yes, it would be difficult to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. In the same respect, it is said we entertain angels in our daily life. How many angels have you entertained lately? They come in different forms, shapes, sizes, colors, backgrounds, etc. Use your feelings in searching for angels.

Please pray for God’s Children and for the opportunity to entertain angels. I am praying for each of you.

“You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭56‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”
‭‭John‬ ‭19‬:‭30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

In his sermon Sunday morning, Pastor Keith Grimes made it perfectly clear that when Jesus uttered the words, “It is finished!” there was no other sacrifice necessary. God made the ultimate sacrifice when he sent His only Son to die for our sins and the sins of Adam. The only perfect man to walk on earth died for our sins.

I have often heard that God collects our tears in a bottle. WOW!!! I think I have cried enough tears to fill up all the lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams in Lake Park, Georgia. There have been tears of joy, sadness, pain, grief, happiness, sorrow, regret, love, and agony! Now I finally realize what It means by “It Is Finished!”

Clinging to Jesus in submission and total surrender prepares me and you for eternity with our Precious Savior Jesus! He paid it all. His blood cleansed us and made us whole All we need to do is follow His commandments and serve Him. Always ask yourself “WWJD” What Would Jesus Do? He Would Love First “HWLF”!

Please pray 🙏🏻 for God’s People as I am praying for each of you.

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Matthew‬ ‭24‬:‭36‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24‬:‭35‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The signs of the times truly bring reality to the words in the Bible. As Christians we all have our own interpretations of the and times. However, all believers have the hope for Christ’s return. We are all told to discern His Plan and anticipate his return. Jesus tells us in a number of places in the Gospels of HIS return. He will not return as a servant to die for us again, but He will return as ruler over all.

He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19:16). Jesus confirmed He would return; He even expressed this fact in the book of Revelation when He said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End…who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8).

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:15–17). Those who have died in Christ will be taken up first, followed by those of us who are still alive. We will be transformed in an instant.

In the first century, the end-time signs that Jesus described had yet to be fulfilled. Today’s generation of believers can know with great certainty that Christ’s appearance in the clouds is imminent—not just because we believe this to be the case, but because the signs are being fulfilled.

We all need to pray continuously without ceasing for mankind. Scriptures are being fulfilled. Please pray for our country, our world, and especially the unsaved and our enemies. I am praying for each of you.

“It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time To recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭11‬:‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Stretch out Your hand from above; Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters, From the hand of foreigners,”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭144‬:‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭31‬:‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Throughout God’s Word, we are reminded that we should be reaching out to others. we are told to go out and make disciples of God’s children. He chose each of us to increase His Kingdom. Everything we do should be to gather all God’s Children into the fold.

“Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭14‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Our Heavenly Father makes it very clear what he expects from HIS Chosen! We need to be aware, busy, and dedicated to what God expects from us, HIS CHOSEN!!

Please pray for all GOD’S People. My prayers are always inclusive of HIS people which includes each of you. Please pray for me that I am always in God’s Will.

“So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭20‬:‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.” Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We are all members of The Family of God because HE chose us to be HIS. What a wonderful reality. He LOVES us even when we are unlovable. He never promised the journey would be easy, but He did tell us the path was narrow. That means we have to watch for obstacles, twists, turns, and surprises. The fact that He is always with us even when we are not aware of His Presence should give us the confidence and assurance that HE is working constantly to keep us safe.

In the series “The Chosen”, we are introduced to Jesus, His Disciples, and people from the Bible. The Scriptures are straight from the Bible, and portrayed in a way that they grab your attention and help you to understand what is happening! The scenery is authentic and gives one the feeling of actually being there.

Personally, I am thankful for the opportunity to take part in this amazing event with the group of believers in our community. The Bible actually comes alive and leaves one with an “Ah, I understand” feeling.

Please pray for Israel 🇮🇱 and all God’s people , as I am praying for you.

Posted by Hester Guest

As I have gotten older, I have discovered that my brain and my body have begun to have some difficulty communicating! No! Really!! I am completely serious. A few years ago, I realized this phenomenon when I began having a problem just walking on a flat surface. It really became evident when I added bumpy terrain and steps. It doesn’t matter if I am going up or coming down. My brain stopped telling my feet to step higher or lower. Please don’t laugh! Oh, go ahead and laugh to your heart’s content! After breaking my glasses twice and receiving a concussion, I also began to laugh at myself. I even learned how to stop, drop, and roll with some expertise.

Along with the art of walking, I have discovered that sometimes I forget my age and try to act like a teenager. When I attend ballgames and concerts, I forget that I am not a teenybopper and get completely carried away by the excitement. At a ballgame recently, I felt like someone was watching me. Now, I cannot imagine why anyone would be watching me because all I was doing was screaming like a banshee and jumping around like a cheerleader! Yes, me! A retired teacher, grandmother, and supposedly a lady! My only explanation is I have been left unsupervised for tooooo long! Clyde always did a pretty good job of keeping me under control. I guess I need to think about seeking some type of supervision. The reality is I already and always have had a supervisor– His Name Is God!

“Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” John‬ ‭8:47‬ ‭NIV‬‬
I know I belong to God, but sometimes I don’t listen as closely as I should. Those still small voices sometimes have to include other reminders that He truly is in control. Our relationship with God has to be tended to just like a garden. It requires constant watering, weeding, and fertilizing, too, if we are to reap the benefits and blessings God has in store for us. This is true for all relationships. Kindness and respect can really help in relationships. Thinking about the words that leave our mouths and the actions that are done can alleviate many miscommunications that are a part of our problems. At times, as soon as a statement is made or an action completed, we find ourselves wishing we could undo it. The problem is it is easier to apologize than it is to forget. It is difficult to forgive someone when they have cut us right through the heart. However, forgiveness is what we must give.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians‬ ‭4:32‬ ‭

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians‬ ‭3:13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Matthew‬ ‭6:14‬ ‭

Soooooo. . . . . My goal is to work on my brain’s listening skills, or maybe I need to work on my feet and body’s listening skills. I am not sure, but I will really tend to my relationship with God because I truly want to reap the Blessings and Happiness that are a result of His Love, Mercy, and Grace!

Please pray for me as I am praying for you.

“Oh, how I wish that God would speak, that he would open his lips against you”. Job‬ ‭11:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Have you ever wished you could sit down with God and actually carry on a conversation? Well, over the years, I have often craved the idea of talking with God. I have this vision in my mind of me sharing my thoughts and concerns with Him. To be perfectly honest, I have carried on many conversations with Him.

God’s answers to my questions and comments are revealed all around me. This week alone, I cannot count the times He has reminded me, “I AM here with you!” Sometimes it is a little nudge that I need to pray for someone. Other times it is a flat out shove to get in my right frame of mind. Three times, or more, this week alone, three different precious people came to my mind and lay on my heart; and all three told me they needed to talk to me when I called.

I am honestly feeling like HE Is more concerned about the state of our country than we are! Please be observant of all the signs we are being given. God IS The GREAT I AM! He is speaking to us continually and is SERIOUS about HIS Business! If you think He is talking to you, don’t shrug it off. Take a chance and follow HIS Lead. Please pray for me, as I am praying for you!

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. — Romans 5:1–5

To be human is to suffer, and suffering is at the center of the experiences of people who lose hope and seek help from professionals who deal with pain and suffering. Moreover, hope feels desperately out of reach, often seen as a mirage that evaporates anytime a person with the sensations of their affliction becomes overwhelmed. Each person’s suffering is unique to the individual; each of us is unhappy — we suffer — in our own particular way. The reality is that we all suffer, even if we are often unaware of it. Suffering — while not God’s ideal intention — is a necessary element in our becoming our truest, most beautiful, most Heaven-ready selves.

It is an unavoidable reality of life. One that God plainly does not fully deliver us from in the time frame we would like, if ever. Yet it is a reality that he seems just as plainly committed to using suffering to transform us into who He wants us to become. However, it remains something that we most often choose to avoid if possible instead of accepting it as having anything to do with becoming who we actually long to be.

All of this is both very hard and very good news. It’s easy to imagine why it is hard, but to approach understanding how it could be good will require us to address what is needed for us to form deeply embedded, durable hope, not only in the presence of our pain but as a direct result of it. Personally, I have had to accept that there is nothing that can solve the source of some pain and suffering, but the reality is by depending on God’s Promises I know for a fact pain and suffering will not be a part of our eternity. There will be “No Tears in Heaven!”

Please pray for me, as I am praying for each of you and all God’s Children.