Christian Newsletter Online

 Psalm 55: 19, “¹⁹God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.”

The NIV says it like so:  “¹⁹ God, who is enthroned forever,
       will hear them and afflict them—
       Selah
       men who never change their ways
       and have no fear of God.”

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2055&version=NIV

I was talking to a Pastor today.  We got on the subject of how some people don’t want to change their ways.  There are those who want their own selfish ways and they don’t ever plan on turning away from their sins.  They may even be sitting in a church near you.  

All the people that come through the church doors are not necessarily people that truly want to do things God’s way.  A friend of mine was once married to a man that she met in church.  He attended church with her all the time.  He had asked Jesus in his heart and he was one that many people most probably thought to be a good man.  My friend said things were very different at home behind closed doors.  She spoke of the ways he treated her in a wrong fashion. 

I pondered on the sad truth that many people have to face ugly things behind closed doors.  The type of people that pretend to be Christians in front of others but they are able to be abusive to their own family members when God is the only watching them truly must have no sincere fear of the Lord.  If they believe in God then surely they know God can see everything they are doing. 

I told the Pastor I was talking to today that I heard of a person that declared they did not plan on changing their ways even though their closest family member let them know that the things they were doing behind closed doors just is not right.  The Pastor told me about Psalm 55:19. 

I read the passage and found myself sorrowful again realizing that there are people that don’t yet know the fear of the Lord.  Some of those people may walk through the church doors, they may say lovely prayers, and they may even spend a lot of time in the Bible studying it but if they are not doing what the Bible says they should do by showing love in their own homes they are definitely out of touch with God.

God wants His people to do good and not evil.  He wants us to turn from evil ways showing kindness to everyone especially the people in our own homes.  God wants His people to hate evil. 

If you really have the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom you will most probably read Ps. 55:19 and ask God to help you go through any changes He wants you to go through.  You will pray to turn from evil ways and you will believe God will help you change.  God’s Word clearly tell us that repentance is needed in our lives.  Repentance is turning away from sin.  It’s like taking a U-Turn and saying, “I don’t want to do wrong things any longer.”

You won’t change if you don’t want to change.  If you fear God you will welcome change with open arms.

A person can stubbornly choose their own way and end up eating the bitter fruit of having their own way or they can turn away from evil and be blessed.

God is able to do anything.

We’ve heard it before and we will probably hear it again and again.  God is able to do anything.

I read from Ezekiel this morning.  Ezekiel 37 talks about a valley of dry bones.  Ezekiel was led by the Lord to see this valley of dry bones.  He was told to prophesy over the bones and then he saw a reminder of what God can do.

God can do anything.  God can even make a valley of dry bones have tendons get attached to them, flesh can come upon them, and skin can reappear.  This was all symbolic of how God planned on restoring the people of Israel to be alive again.

The life that is most important to the believer is the connection they have with God.  If a Christian isn’t alive spiritually then it’s as if they have no hope and they are as dead as the dry bones talked about in that valley of bones. 

God asked the prophet if those bones could become alive.  The Priest stated that God alone knew if that could happen. 

God can bring those who are divided into a place where they unite again. 

Have you ever thought restoration looked impossible?  Have you wondered if something broken could ever be fixed? 

When all looks lost remember the valley of dry bones.  Remember you have a God that can repair anything. 

God wants people to live in unity.  God wants His peace, love, and life to be yours. 

I almost cried when I read this passage from the Bible today.  I’ve seen so many people that are hurting because of the things they face and how impossible some of their circumstances look to them. 

The tears I had were tears of joy.  I knew when I read from Ezekiel 37 I was reading about things that our God is able to do.  God can restore.  God can heal.  God can do anything.

Whatever hardship you are facing right now look up to the Lord.  Your Redeemer lives.  God is able to bring health and healing in a perfect way. 

Put your trust in the Lord.  Trust God to handle things in a perfect way and in a perfect time frame. 

Be encouraged!  God is able to do things exceedingly abundantly far above what you can ask or think.

I love because God taught me how to love. I pray God will help me learn to love even more. I fall short more times than I’d like to.… Thanks for the reminder that it is as important to love as it is to be loved.

♥_♥___ ♥_ ♥_ Put This
♥___♥_♥___♥ Heart
_♥___♥___♥_ On Your
__♥_____♥__ Page If
___♥___♥___ You Love
____♥_♥____ Someone
____ ♥______

I joined one of those network sites where people share a lot of stuff openly online.  I saw this heart on someone’s profile today.  I copied it and thought about how God teaches us to love.  I know I fall short in showing love in the same way Our Jesus showed His love to us.  It is my prayer that somehow God will help me get better at showing His love.  The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

We all battle the arm of the flesh.  I heard a couple of ministers talking today.  One minister talked about how our own feelings could be our worst enemy.  Another couple of ministers have recently talked about how our selfish ways keep us walking in sin.  The devil is the one that wants us to follow selfish ways.

Jesus told us to take up our cross to follow after Him.  He did not follow after the arm of the flesh.  He denied His selfish ways and he walked after God.  He is the example of perfection.

I am thankful to be reminded that it is important for us to love others.  When we love others we are following the golden rule.

May God help us love others the way we are supposed to love others.

If you have ever been a waiter or a waitress you know what it’s like to take someone’s order.  You have to wait on them to make up their mind about what they want to eat.  You have to watch over all the needs of the customer while they are waiting for their food and it’s nice to check on them consistently to see if they have any needs.  The job is not complete until the customer walks out the door of that restaurant.

A friend of mine had worked as a waitress most of her life.  She told me that she felt like God spoke to her about waiting on Him.  She said she felt like God reminded her that waiting doesn’t necessarily mean you are not active while you wait.  Yes, there are times when you have to be still and wait but there are also times when you can actively do other things while you are waiting.

I think of what she said and believe I understand what she meant.  I was a waitress when I was in my teens.  There were times when the restaurant wasn’t very busy and I’d have to wait for a customer to arrive.  I’d keep busy while I was waiting.  I would make sure the tables were clean and tend to other things while I was waiting.  Once a customer did arrive I had to give them the menu and then wait for them to tell me what they wanted.  Sometimes the waiting didn’t take a long time and other times it seemed the customer was very slow about making their decision.

I think that is a good way for us to respond to the Lord when He tells us to wait on Him.  We can look forward to God’s way of tending to our prayers.  We know He does not make mistakes.  Patience is required of us while we wait for Him to do things we cannot control.  We wouldn’t really want the control anyway.

God knows how to make every circumstance to work together for our good.  God is wiser than us.

I heard about a couple of families that are facing the deaths of a loved one.  They know that if there is no miracle from God it is expected that their loved one will be leaving this old earth.  The diagnosis has been given and the family is in waiting.  Oh…….. what a time.  It isn’t a pleasant time.  It is something that we can’t control.  We have to leave it all in the hands of God.

Even if all the people involved know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior and they know there is a better home a waiting for their loved one they are not always able to think about the reunion in the sky.  The one leaving  the earth may be thinking about the fact that they are leaving people they dearly love.  The ones that realize the person that is terminally ill probably won’t be with them much longer have sorrowful thoughts, too.  It is not a pleasant experience.

Still we must wait on the Lord trusting that He has everything under control and He will make all things work out for good.

See some passages below that mention waiting on the Lord ~

Isaiah 40:31 says this:

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

^{Psalm 27:14}Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psalm 37:7, ⁷Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

Isaiah 30:18, ¹⁸And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

John 10:9-11, 9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-k-RhPhJhc&feature=player_embedded#

copy paste it & put it in your web address window to hear this song on youtube

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This is one of many songs that help people recall that the loved ones who have gone to be with Jesus are no longer in pain.  They are absent in the body but present with the Lord.  No more pain, sorrow, sickness, or death for them.

Mark, Kate, Jeff, Ann, Torree, AJ, Chuck, Vicki, Lynn, Carla, Bud, Susan, Maritza, Joyce, Justin, Louanna, Deborah, Esther

Frames are used to give structure to things.  God wants us to read His Word to learn how to do things His way.  Our focus should be on God’s Word so we have what we need to help us build a strong walk with God.

Maybe this acronym for the word frames will help us learn a few simple things to rid the self of so we can follow God’s ways:

Filthy Language

Rage

Anger

Malice

Evil Lies

Slander

Positive thinking can help alleviate stress and anxiety.

God’s Word tells us to be anxious not.  I find that if I’m busy doing the things I am supposed to be doing I am less likely to spend time worrying.

Today’s devotional talked about using the gifts God has given you.  If you are doing things God wants you to do you will most probably have a lot less stress in your life.

I hope the positive thoughts that came to me this morning will enrich you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDxvBNR7ciI

you may have to copy paste the http above in order to find it — I’m not one that always knows how to make the links work properly on here — it is nice to hear someone singing words that Jesus told us to pray