happy

June 5, 2020

“I Am Going Away”

28 Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. – John 14:28 NLT

I Am Going Away

​Jesus is telling the disciples and us that He must leave but He will return one day. If Jesus doesn’t go to the Father, then the Holy Spirit will not come to abide with us. Jesus knew and understood that the time was swiftly approaching when He would not be able to see and talk to all the people that needed to hear the Good News. But the Father already had a plan in place, His Spirit would come and abide in each of us, so that none of us would ever be alone again. The Holy Spirit will teach us, lead us and prepare us for the return of our soon coming King. Jesus is also telling the disciples and us that satan is not defeating Him, but still, He must do what He must do. It has been the plan since eternity that He would be the perfect, sacrificial Lamb that would redeem fallen man. The time was quickly approaching for Jesus to complete His mission here on earth. He needed to return to the Father because He had work to do in heaven.

24 But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. 25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.—Hebrews 7:2​4​​-​2​5​ (NLT)

“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” -Anonymous

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December 16, 2016

Secure Now and Forever!

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39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
— Romans 8:39 NLT
Romans 8:35-39 NLT

We should live rejoicing each day because of what Christ has done for us. Yes, we have rough times when we aren’t happy, but happiness and pleasure are temporary conditions caused by earthly situations. Our joy is caused by the indwelling of God’s Spirit within us and no one can take that from us. Don’t focus on the temporary, set your focus on the eternal Jesus and the joy He provides for us. He hides us under His wings, He provides for us, He gives us every good gift. Rejoice and again, I say, Rejoice!!


“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” -Anonymous

Post 12-16-2016

August 14, 2016

Sing A Song of Praise

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1 Come, let us sing to the Lord!  Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation
— Psalm 95:1 NLT
 
Psalm 95:1-7 NLT
 

Have you ever been reading the Bible or praying or just spending some down time with Jesus and suddenly a song of joy and praise comes to your mind and without a thought, you just burst into song?  The purpose of the Scriptures, after salvation, is to teach us about the great mercy, love and care that God has for us.  I believe there are certain Scriptures that the Holy Spirit included for the sole purpose of bringing us great moments of joy.  Joy that overflows our hearts and bursts forth into praises for what God has done for us.  The next time satan has us on the run and we feel the weight of the world on our shoulders instead of having a pity party, let’s commit to finding some of these verses and let them come alive in our hearts and minds.  In fact, why don’t we memorize a few of them just so we can quote them to the old liar.  That’s what Jesus did.  God does not want us to be miserable one second of our lives.  He has given us freedom to choose to be joyous but we have to reach out and access the joy and peace that He offers.  For me, nothing can dispel darkness, gloom and doom as quickly and effectively as a few good verses and a couple of praise songs.  Put some in your memory arsenal and fire away.

Post 8-14-2016

January 21, 2016

His Sake or Our Mistake?

even-smaller-bug-light120 Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. — John 15:20 NLT

In His lifetime here on earth, Jesus suffered rejection, ridicule, mockery, and finally death on a cross.  While he was living out His life as an example to us, He promised us that we would be offended and suffer persecution as well.  When we suffer for His sake, we should be happy that He has chosen us to suffer with and for Him ​because we will receive a blessing here and a reward later​.

 

11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.– Matt. 5: 11, 12 NLT

God also disciplines His children and the discipline is for our benefit so that we grow and mature in His service.
 

19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. — Hebrews 3:19 NLT

​I like the NLT translation of this verse because the way most of us Chrisitians sin is through indifference.  So what, if my neighbors are lost, I am not going to get involved.  Yeah, I felt that little nudge to speak or act but I am not going to do anything.  Yes, I should visit the sick but I just don’t have the time. Woe unto us!!  Jesus will not ignore these sins of indifference, there will be discipline for His children in this world, not in eternity.  The kids of satan may prosper here because they are not God’s children to discipline but they will suffer punishment, the full wrath of God’s anger, for an eternity.  So, we don’t need to concern ourselves with how God handles them. 
We need to be concerned over why we are suffering:  Is it persecution for His sake or discipline for our mistake?
Post 01-21-2016
January 1, 2016

Glorious, Joyful Eternity!

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5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”  — Revelation 21:5 NIV

 ​In the beginning, God created everything exactly as it should be.
 
​31  God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. — Genesis 1:31 NIV
 Then sin came into the world and the pefect creation and creatures begin to grow old and decay.  ​  It wasn’t what God wanted, but there is a price to be paid when we sin.  Since then, humans have been born in sin into a sinful world . The evil and the decay continue and get worse every day.  God had a plan in place to redeem the world, so He sent His son to die on a cross. But, sin was and still is, in the world. So things continue to grow old and will continue to do so until Jesus comes back again.  Even nature groans to be renewed while we wait for His return.  One day that will happen and we will see a new heaven and a new earth.  Our salvation will be complete and we will have new, glorified bodies that will last forever. No matter what the day or the date is, one day, it will happen and we will have had our last Happy New Year.  That day when everything is made new could be called “Glorious, Joyful Eternity”  and that is my hope and my prayer.  My new year’s resolution is to practice spending more time with Jesus now because I believe it is possible to have a little bit of heaven here on earth.  
I believe that is what Jesus meant when He taught us to pray “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
 Happy New You! Happy New Year!
Post 01-01-2016
May 7, 2014

Suffering for His Glory

God is waiting to show you the way.

God is waiting to show you the way.

24 I am happy in my sufferings for you. There are things that Christ must still suffer through his body, the church. I am accepting, in my body, my part of these things that must be suffered. 25 I became a servant of the church because God gave me a special work to do that helps you, and that work is to tell fully the message of God. 26 This message is the secret that was hidden from everyone since the beginning of time, but now it is made known to God’s holy people. 27 God decided to let his people know this rich and glorious secret which he has for all people. This secret is Christ himself, who is in you. He is our only hope for glory. 28 So we continue to preach Christ to each person, using all wisdom to warn and to teach everyone, in order to bring each one into God’s presence as a mature person in Christ.29 To do this, I work and struggle, using Christ’s great strength that works so powerfully in me.–Col. 1:24-29 (New Century)
​Just​ as Jesus suffered, we, His followers must also suffer. All the disciples and early followers of Jesus were persecuted. Christ is still suffering through His body, the church. Just as Paul was given a special work to do in revealing the message of God to the Gentiles, God has given each of us a work to do in revealing His plan to those that are placed in our paths each day. The secret is not that Jesus would come as the Messiah; it wasn’t that Jesus would die on the cross, be buried and be resurrected after 3 days. Then He would ascend into heaven to remain in God’s presence interceding for us. All these things were prophesied and well-known. The secret was that He would abide in those who believed on Him. His Holy Spirit would dwell in us all the time. He ascended, yet He is here living in each of us, giving all believers that hope of eternal glory. This is what we are to teach in order to bring each Christian into maturity in Christ Jesus. Just as the Creator suffered, so will we suffer as we are faithful to spread the Good News. We will struggle, but we have access to the strength and power that resurrected Jesus from the dead. We are never alone.

February 3, 2014

Where Has Our Joy Gone?

God is waiting to show you the way.

God is waiting to show you the way.

6 You want me to be completely loyal, so put true wisdom deep inside of me. 7 Remove my sin and make me pure. Wash me until I am whiter than snow! 8 Let me hear sounds of joy and happiness again. Let the bones you crushed be happy again. 9 Don’t look at my sins. Erase them all. 10 God, create a pure heart in me, and make my spirit strong again. 11 Don’t push me away or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Your help made me so happy. Give me that joy again. Make my spirit strong and ready to obey you.–Psalm 51:6-12 (ERV)
​Have you ever had those times when you didn’t “feel” saved? I certainly have. But we have to remember that salvation isn’t about feelings, it is about a decision. Sometimes those feelings cause us to feel separated from God. When we realize that we have sinned, we do feel alone and far from God just as David in this Psalm. Our reaction needs to be the same as David’s. We need to ask God to make us pure and loyal to Him so that we can hear those sounds of joy again. Ask God for His forgiveness and He is always ready to restore us. Some people have the idea that God is just looking for reasons to punish them, nothing could be further from the truth, It is His joy to restore us and bless us. We, as human parents, want our kids to have everything they need and be happy and joyful. God loves us and our children much more than we can ever imagine. He is faithful to forgive and His mercies are new every morning. God promises us in Romans 8:37-39 that “nothing can separate us from the love of God”. Nothing means no thing, no person, no creature in heaven or on earth. So, if something is bothering you, just practice the three Rs–Repent, Relax, Rejoice!
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November 6, 2013

Be Wise and Innocent

God is waiting to show you the way.

God is waiting to show you the way.

Romans 16:17-20 (NLT) 17 And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. 18 Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people. 19 But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus[g] be with you.
If you have just accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord or if you have been a Christian for a long time, satan will always be firing His fiery darts at you and trying to make you doubt your standing with Jesus. He is a roaring lion going around seeking those he can destroy. He does this through our thought life and through other people. Those people can be people that you have always looked up to in a spiritual sense. There is only one perfect Man and that was Jesus Christ. Everyone else is going to fail in some aspect of their life. Not willingly and not intentionally, but we will fail. God tells us to ask for His forgiveness and move on. But some of us let pride get in the way and we continue in a lifestyle that is displeasing to God. These are the people that Paul is referring to here in this passage. Today, so many churches are willing to water down what the Bible says to attract bigger crowds or to please people. Measure everything you see, hear or read by the Holy Scriptures. If it doesn’t fit, then discard it and move on. This may sometimes require you to leave the church you are now attending. If it does, then go, God has a better place for you. Don’t stay in a church that does not teach Biblical truth all the time. This is wisdom and it will help you to stay obedient and innocent in God’s eyes.
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September 29, 2013

Jumping With Joy!!

God is waiting to show you the way.

God is waiting to show you the way.


John 15:9-14 (NLT) 9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
Every day we read about violence and all kinds of bad news. It almost seems if no one in the world has any happiness or joy. But, as Christians, we should be filled with the joy of the Lord. If we are still having days when we are feeling down and out, remember that God’s salvation does not depend on our feelings. Ask God to restore the joy of your salvation to you.
In 2 Peter 1:3 we read this: By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.
If we believe what the Bible tells us, we should be so excited that we are always jumping with joy!

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