Through The Years

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. — 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

Fear has never written a symphony or a poem, negotiated a peace treaty, or cured a disease. Fear never pulled a family out of poverty or a country out of bigotry. Fear never saved a marriage or a business. Courage and Faith did that. Fear serves a healthy function in our lives. It is a warning of potential danger. Fear is the appropriate reaction to a burning building or growling dog. Fear is not a sin, but it can lead to sin.

If we approach fear with angry outbursts, drinking binges, sullen withdrawals, self-starvation, or viselike control, we exclude God from the solution and broaden the problem. We subject ourselves to a position of fear, and allow anxiety to dominate and define our lives. Worries, dread, and bouts of insecurity that paralyze us consume us.

Fear may fill our world, but it doesn’t have to fill our hearts. It will always knock on the door. Just don’t invite it in. We don’t mean to, but it happens. We open the door, just a crack, and anxiety creeps in. He’s not a considerate guest. He doesn’t care that his companionship stinks. He invites his freeloading pals — worry and fear — over to crash on the couch. When you need help kicking this crew to the curb, remember this

The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. — 2 Chronicles 16:9 NLT

God’s Promise to Us

God’s Spirit within us is greater than any anxiety, any worry, any fear. We can turn to Him, and He will strengthen us. He will show us what is real and what is true. Fear is serious business. God takes it seriously and so should we. God tells us again and again in His Word not to be afraid and yet we still let fear in the door! Today, let’s kick him out and remember that God is in control and He loves us!

Exchange your anxieties for God’s peace

In an uncertain world, it’s not always easy to put our worries into God’s Hands

Please pray for me and all God’s people, as I am praying for you!

Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. — Luke 12:32 NKJV

Fear feels terrible. It pulls the life out of the soul, causes us to curl into an embryonic state, and drains us of any feeling of contentment. Then, safety becomes our god, and we worship the risk-free life. The safety lover cannot do anything great and cannot accomplish noble deeds for God or for others.

The fear-filled cannot love deeply. Love is risky. They cannot give to the poor because they have no guarantee of return. The fear-filled cannot dream wildly. What if their dreams sputter and fall from the sky? No wonder Jesus wages such a war against fear.

Jesus’s most common command emerges from the “fear not” genre. The gospels list more than 125 Christ-issued commands or warnings. Of these, twenty- one urge us to “not be afraid” or “not fear” or “have courage” or “take heart” or “be of good cheer.” The second most common command, to love God and neighbor, appears only eight times. If quantity is any indicator, Jesus takes our fears seriously. The one statement he made more than any other was this: don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid. So easy to say; so not easy to do.

However, our Heavenly Father never gives us a directive without the tools to carry it out. He equips us with His presence and His strength, covering us with His protection. When fear comes tapping on the door of your heart, remember this:

The Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed. — Deuteronomy 31:8 NKJV

Please pray for me and all God’s people as I am praying for you. Next week we will continue to look at fear and how it handicaps us.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“He was in the beginning with God.”
‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭27‬-‭28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭29‬-‭31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The World was without sin until Eve ate the fruit from The Forbidden Tree and gave Adam the fruit which he ate. From that point on Man was broken. God creates only Good, and the Hebrew word for Good is the same as the Hebrew word for beautiful. Therefore, when God declared that all HE created was good, HE was also saying everything was beautiful. When HE escorted Adam and Eve from Eden into the wilderness, HE introduced suffering into the equation. Man was created for love, and now suffering became a part of the love relationship.

God always provides a way to return to HIM. We behold him as our Heavenly Father; and when we seek forgiveness, we are wanting to Be Held in his loving arms of forgiveness. HE suffered greatly when he sent His Beloved Son to die for Man’s Sins. We look upon the scarred face of Our Savior as his nail pierced body hung on that old rugged cross, and we witness a beautiful sacrifice of true love.

All the suffering each of us endures can never compare to the suffering of an unblemished life sacrificed for the sins of humanity. Praying for forgiveness brings us closer to Our Heavenly Father. Praying for others shows our love for them. Please join me in praying for the suffering and burdened in our world.

Posted by Hester Guest

“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭14:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭16:17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I am revisiting this topic because it has been on my mind a lot lately. I remember as a very young teenager thinking about the many ways love can be shown and shared. Lately, I have been dwelling on this same idea of sharing my love for God, family, friends, and country. I truly believe we are responsible for sharing with others, especially our experiences and lessons we have learned. We have to remember we are all different and our earliest memories and experiences are are as varied as snowflakes drifting from the sky. We all bring our past with us into the present and into the future.

God loved me before I was formed, and I know HE Loves me now. I know HE has blessed me even though I am unworthy because His Love is never dependent on anything I do or do not do. I realize I am a disappointment to him over and over, BUT HE STILL LOVES me. HE is constantly blessing me, forgiving my imperfections, smiling on my life, protecting me and keeping me from harm, providing happiness and miracles to me. Through friends, family members, former students, and even strangers, HE continues to bless me over, and over, and over again! For all these blessings, I am forever thankful. 

For the remainder of my life, I want to share God’s Love with everyone I meet. God’s Love will lift you to your highest high from your lowest low. He will never forsake you or leave you. By sharing God’s Love, we can make sure everyone has the same opportunity to welcome HIM into their hearts and lives! However, most importantly, we can spend eternity rejoicing and praising Our Heavenly Father.

We have many ways to show our love, but the most important way is to give our love without any expectations of receiving anything in return. It is amazing to sit back and just watch someone on the receiving end of acts of love as simple as a smile or an unexpected helping hand or gesture. The surprised reaction is priceless. You can almost feel the reaction for yourself. Joy is spread with very little effort or thought.

Please pray for me as I am praying for you. God loves you, and so do I.

We live in a world where people are searching for their identity. We are surrounded by others who are looking for their identity in every way possible and in everything with which they are in contact. We ask ourselves “Am I enough? Do I truly matter in the grand scheme of things?”

• God chose to create us. When God created the earth, He created us in His image.
• God created us with a unique plan in mind. Scripture tells us that God not only created us but has a plan for us and gives us hope and a future.
• God has called us by name. We are His.
• Nothing can separate us from God’s love.

How do we know if we are enough? The truth is we are not enough if we are alone. With Jesus we are enough. God sent Jesus to save us from our sins, and HE loves us so much that HE saved us from our sins.

No matter what kind of a relationship you had with your earthly father, you have a Heavenly Father that loves you in a precious and special way. His love for you is a miracle. Take a moment, and just let that sink into your heart – God, your Father, loves you, and you are enough.

God knows us better than anyone because He created us. The truth is who He says you are is enough. Today, ask God to help you trust His Word and that what He says about you is true.

“Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13, NKJV) 

You are a miracle! Please pray for me and all God’s children, as I am praying for you.

What we love most is the most important thing of all and that determines everything else. When God comes into our life, He changes our “loves”, so that we can love him above all else. He will continue to pursue us and remove our shame even though we don’t deserve it because of the amazing work of Jesus.

“When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, everyone, to his own way; And the  Lord  has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:4,6, NKJV.)

A moral life is not the same thing as a faithful life. God wants to have a person with a broken heart more than one with an unbroken record. Jesus said that the tax-collectors and the prostitutes will receive the kingdom of heaven before the Pharisees. Their actions were upright but Jesus said that they were like whitewashed tombs (Matthew 22:27-28). In other words, they were clean on the outside but dead on the inside. Religion is not simply about changing bad behavior! It is about heart change.

As a Christian, our faith will show in our actions and choices. Moral actions do not create a faithful person. Moral, godly decisions come from a changed heart. Morality always accompanies authentic faith but one can have a lot of morality without authentic faith. Moral behavior can be limited to outward actions but faith has to do with real heart change.

God longs for someone with a contrite heart rather than a person focused on the appearance of good behavior. No one is without sin. The Pharisees thought of themselves as having a perfect record since they followed the law carefully. The truth is no one has a perfect record. Anyone who thinks they live a sinless life is actually so full of pride that they have ruined their record. True religion and faith in Jesus are about unconditional love, grace, and forgiveness and not simply about moral decisions and behavior.

Heavenly Father, help us to keep unconditional love, grace, and forgiveness in our hearts. Please be with those who are suffering from physical pain, emotional distress, and grief. To YOU be the praise and glory. Amen

“For my soul is full of troubles, And my life draws near to the grave.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭88‬:‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Sunday’s sermon really grabbed my attention. When our pastor said the only cure for hopelessness was having Jesus in our hearts, that little lightbulb above my head shined brighter than it has ever glowed before. Yesssssss!!! The truth can set you free!! I think about the time and money spent on trying to cure depression, loneliness, hopelessness; and my head and heart feels as if an explosion is about to happen! All we need is a heart full of Jesus and a brain full of God’s Word!

“Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭143‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth;”
‭‭Job‬ ‭19‬:‭25‬ ‭NKJV‬

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Instead of dwelling on loss, guilt, being alone, being broken, we fill our lives with love, joy, and happiness by filling our time with words, actions, and love like Jesus does! HE is our Role Model. I have learned to ask the question What Would Jesus Do? The answer is always He Would Love First! It is amazing how quickly my life changed when I started doing this! The problems don’t disappear, but the fear and hopelessness does.

Please pray for me and all God’s Children as I am, also, praying for you. Remember God Loves You.

When you no longer listen or care what I say. I’m still your Mimi. When you decide I’m old fashioned and want to go your own way. I’m still your Mimi. When you talk back, complain and argue. I’m still your Mimi. When you figure you know more than I do. I’m still your Mimi. When you move away and take a piece of my heart with you. I’m still your Mimi. I will love you still as much as the first day I held you in my arms. I’m still your Mimi. I will pray for you and make sure your wings are strong enough to soar. I’m still your Mimi. I’ll want what’s best and will sacrifice my plans for yours. I’m still your Mimi. I’ll always have room for you and a hug to welcome you. I’m still your Mimi. I promise until my last breath, I’II keep carrying your love with me. When you have your own family with children of your own, I will be their Mimi, and I will thank God every day for the privilege and joy it’s been to be called – your MIMI and their MIMI.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” (2 Peter 1:3-4, NIV)

“But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

As a mother, grandmother, educator, and friend, I have always tried to keep all promises I have made. However, life happens and sometimes circumstances prevent promises from being kept. As I live my life, I hesitate to make a promise unless I am sure without a doubt I can fulfill it. Our Heavenly Father has given us promises that HE is fully committed to fulfilling. We NEVER have to remind God of His promises OR to question whether or not He will keep His promises! We have EVERYTHING that we need for a godly life! The more that we know about Jesus, the more we believe that all things are possible. God’s promises hold us to the truth that we can live a victorious life that is free from the corruption of the world. What a promise!

God will keep His promises every time! He is a good, good Father, and He never breaks a promise. ALL things are possible. Not some things. ALL things! We may be facing an impossible situation today. However, the first prerequisite for a miracle is an impossible situation. We have the promise of God that all things are possible. Always be encouraged by God’s promise and never forget, each of us is a miracle!

After removing evil from the earth through a global flood, God made a promise. “And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” (Genesis 9:12-16, NIV)

God gave us a beautiful promise of protection, restoration, and hope! God has been keeping His promise for hundreds of years, and the lesson that comes with it is enlightening. We cannot have a rainbow without rain. The storms and challenges of today remind us that with Jesus, there is always the promise of beauty arriving when the rain subsides…and the rain WILL subside. We will get through the storm, and when we do, God will paint His love and His promise in a way that we cannot miss!

Please pray for me as I am praying for you! Remember God LOVES you.

The sermon of Pastor Keith Grimes on Sunday, July 9, led me to study about Prevenient Grace and how it affects my life. When I search my heart, my mind, and the habits I have cultivated, it actually scares me because I realize that I allow evil to occupy parts of me that I am not even aware is happening. I truly believe I belong to Jesus, but I still allow little things to overwhelm me. I know it is important for me to give every single cell in my body to Jesus so that I am totally in HIS control. That includes the thoughts I have and the decisions I make.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

There is no longer the need for our souls to be oppressed by guilt, to feel weighed down, and burdened by mistakes. We can share our hearts with God. We can tell Him about any area that we feel shame or guilt. We are declared righteous and welcomed into the family of God. My Heavenly Father loves me and wants me to do HIS Will. He is always with me and wants the best for me. I have to listen for His voice and follow His Plan for me. If we listen to the voice of Jesus, and if we follow Him, we will have eternal life and never have a Christ-less eternity.

Please pray for me as I am praying for each of you. God Loves You!