Tag: repent

Satan Trembles Before the Spirit’s Might!

“Lo Satan trembles and gives place

Before the Spirit’s might!

The power of reconcilable grace

Puts all his demons to flight.

His kingdom falls, and his spells and charms

By Jesus are o’erthrown,

The Spirit wields victorious arms,

And holds the field alone.

– Author Unknown

God is on the throne. Yesterday, today, and forever:

“Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.  Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”

Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.  And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank” Acts 9: 1-9, emphasis mine.

GOD is on the throne.

This Saul, who breathed out threats and set out to destroy “believer’s in Christ” was met by none other than Jesus Himself.

“O Spirit of the Lord, prepare
All the round earth her God to meet;
Breathe thou abroad like morning air,
Till hearts of stone begin to beat.

Baptize the nations; far and nigh
The triumphs of the cross record;
The Name of Jesus glorify,
Till every kindred call him Lord” (Original Trinity Hymnal, #253, Mendon).

“Dear Lord, give us more and more grace to “trust You more.” You alone are worthy. You alone are able. We believe. Help our unbelief! In Jesus’ name, amen.”

So Many Questions. Do We Seek God’s Word for the Answers?

When the picture is dim. Futures look foggy. The ways of man seem right in their own eyes. (Proverbs 14:12).

God’s Holy Word stands alone, unchanged. (Numbers 23:19). 

What do we do?

Do we open His pages?

Do we call on His name? (Romans 10:13).

Do we believe He’s faithful? (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

Do we thank Him? Do we give Him praise? (Psalm 148: 13).

Do we have comprehension? (Ephesians 1:13-15).

Are we growing in grace and the knowledge of Him? (2 Peter 3:18).

Who is the Lord? And what is His name? (Exodus 15:3).

His name is Jesus. There is none greater. There is salvation in none other. (Acts 4:12). 

He was, and is, and will always be. (Isaiah 43: 13-25).

There will be a day when all will eyes see. (Philippians 2).

He alone is in control. He is before all things. (Colossians 1:17).

He’s coming again. (Matthew 24:44). 

All eyes will behold, every knee will bow. (Romans 14:11).

God hates lies. God hates evil. (Proverbs 6:16-19, Amos 5:15).  

The enemy of God is the father of lies. (John 8:44).

Satan comes to deceive and  accuse. (Luke 22:31).

Satan seeks to destroy . . . me and you. (John 10:10).

As Moses in the wilderness with a multitude of faithless complainers, against God and His ways. Serpents were sent among all the people. 

The serpents bit. People were afraid.(Numbers 21:4-8).

What happened next?

God instructed Moses. Make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. Lift it in the camp. All who look on the bronze serpent will be healed.

What will we choose? Do we look up? Do we look away?

Do we bow today?

Or do we wait for some other day?

 His Word is Love. (1Corinthians 13).

What do we believe?

This is a life or death question. What answer does the Bible give:

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 

 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 

Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.

 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. (John 3:14-21).

What is sweeter than the grace of God? 

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,  who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory! Ephesians 1:13-15, emphasis mine.

If you want to receive Jesus in your life. Simply bow your head and heart and ask His forgiveness for sin. He washes all the past shame and sin away. Then ask Him to fill you with His love. He will flood your heart with His sweet love. Accept His love and forgiveness and ask Him for the Holy Spirit to help you to grow in His grace and knowledge. He is faithful. he will surely do it!

Then tell someone. Tell the whole world that you are a new creation in Christ. And find other believers to grow with in a Bible teaching church.

Rejoice in Him. Worship Him. He alone is able to accomplish all that concerns all who seek Him, today.

In Jesus name, Amen.

God says to the anxious and panic-stricken heart, “Be strong, fear not!” Do I believe Him?


Encourage the exhausted, and make staggering knees firm.

Say to those with an anxious and panic-stricken heart,
“Be strong, fear not!” (Isaiah 34:3,4).

“I don’t feel strong,” we might say.

“Fear not!” The Bible tells us with an exclamation point.

Indeed, your God will come with vengeance [for the ungodly];
The retribution of God will come,
But He will save you.”

The eyes of the blind will be opened
And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped . . .

These are words of hope. The Bible is the Good News to those who believe. But when I look left and right I see chaos and violence. How about you. We must fight to look up and believe God:

A highway will be there, and a roadway;
And it will be called the Holy Way.
The unclean will not travel in it, But it will be for those who walk on the way [the redeemed];
And fools will not wander on it . . . (Is. 34).

How offensive this might sound to the natural ear, mind, and heart. But those who have tasted and seen the goodness and forgiveness of the Lord in His willingness to take all our sin on the cross, we’re reminded time and again,

“This is all my righteousness, nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

But just as winter turns to spring, work must be done:

Sow righteousness for yourselves,
    reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;
    for it is time to seek the Lord,
until he comes
    and showers his righteousness on you Hosea 10:12.

It’s time to return.

And the ransomed of the LORD will return . . .
They will find joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing will flee away Isaiah 34: 3-5,8, 10, Amplified.

My open Bible changes me. It is true as Psalm 19: 7 proclaims:

The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul; (Psalm 19).

I’ve found revival for my weary soul in only a short reminder in God’s Word. Is anyone else being revived in the process of turning to the Lord in His Word for help?

The testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple; 

But I wrestle with God. “What about this? How is this going to work out? What am I supposed to do?

Do we wrestle with God? Yes. We’re broken. We have stories and testimonies in our Bible pages of this.

But God never changes. He’s the same, yesterday, and forever. We can grow to trust Him more if we spend time with Him:

The precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
    enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
    and righteous altogether Psalm 19: 7-9.

If this is what God says will bring rejoicing in my heart, then I will seek Him now, with my whole heart . . .

join me in this need to know Him more?

“Dear Lord, we believe. Help our unbelief!”

President Abraham Lincoln’s Words to America, 1863

Do we remember words of Abraham Lincoln in 1863? Perhaps, they need to be heard again today.

“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown.

But we have forgotten God.

We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.

Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!

It behooves us, then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”

April 30, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln’s Proclamation for a National Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer.

America. God whispers His warning. Are we willing to listen today? 2018? How can we respond to old words brought to light? Over 150 years ago. Today America, “Be still and know . . .”

God.

Sometimes a poem expresses best.

God speaks every day.  America, please listen with open ears and willing heart. Stop striving. Believe again, and pray.

 

America, America

Where is your heart and mind?

Have you truly turned your back to Me?

Are you lead by greed and pride?

“O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!” (1)

America, America

What do you prove today?

People divided. Hatred, fights, and lies?

America, a nation falls this way.

 

I, the King of heaven can see.

On the throne of glory, I reign.

Whether or not a man believes,

I, Almighty God, forever unchanging, remain.

 

America, America,

Of My grace, undeserved favor you sing.

But mercy and grace aren’t found in you.

Stop now. America, and heed My warning.

 

“Repent, for My Kingdom is at hand.”

John proclaimed in Bible years,

America, wake up! His message is for you!

Put off pride and indignation, and put on reverential fear.

 

America, America

Repent, Remember, Return to My Word.

With contrite spirit and broken heart,

“Be still and know, I am the Lord.” (2)

 

Isaiah 40:15,

No, for all the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more than dust on the scales. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand. NLT

 

One heart at a time. Let us turn our faces to God. Let us ask God for His mercy and forgiveness. Perhaps again, we will acknowledge Him, and obey Him in all we do and give Him glory, praise, and honor as He graciously sees us through., “And crown Thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.”

“In Jesus name,” (and who joins me in saying,) “Amen.”

 

 

(1) America the Beautiful, Katherine Lee Bates

(2) Psalm 46:10

Pictures credited to The Rebirth of America. The Arthur S. Demoss Foundation

 

 

 

Where's the App? Directions? … God's word

Where’s the App that will let me know what’s ahead? Where’s the GPS to guide me through the next step?

“Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the Lord has spoken:” Make no mistake, the prophet reveals,  this is the word of the Lord, and He bids all to hear.

This is the voice of God’s Holy Word.  He seems to call aloud to everyone. Exclamation points in place, New International Version, Isaiah, chapter 1. 

Breathed out by the breath of God, the One who made us, not we ourselves. He sees, He watches, He’s ever present and powerful. He knows our name. He has a plan, He knows what He’s doing. His thoughts are not ours. He is God Almighty, He’s the great I AM.

Do we hear? Do we remember? “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Psalm One Hundred, eleven. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning,” found again, in Proverbs 9:10.

At this time, do we care? This is important to ask. Who’s voice do we hear?  Oh children of the world, “Wake up, fast!”

“I reared children and brought them up,
    but they have rebelled against me.
 The ox knows its master,
    the donkey its owner’s manger,
but Israel does not know,
    my people do not understand.”  The Lord speaks to he who has ears. Words printed in Isaiah 1.

These words came off the tongue of the Lord. His heart speaks. There are no contractions. Do we take time to see for ourselves, or do we simply think we know it all too well?

 “Woe to the sinful nation,
    a people whose guilt is great,
a brood of evildoers,
    children given to corruption!
They have forsaken the Lord;
    they have spurned the Holy One of Israel
    and turned their backs on him.” These are the words spoken by the prophet, Isaiah chapter 1. 

The Book is living water. Are we thirsty for the well?

Where have we turned our backs, is the question. Have we turned them on God? Let’s stop and have reflection.

  “Why should you be beaten anymore?

    Why do you persist in rebellion?
Your whole head is injured,
    your whole heart afflicted.
6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head
    there is no soundness—
only wounds and welts
    and open sores,
not cleansed or bandaged
    or soothed with olive oil.” Isaiah 1: 2-6.

Which direction? Is there a remedy? Where is a reliable fix? If peace is what is desired, the accuser is not the Lord. The accuser is the devil- sin is the reproach.

But God has made a way. He is the Way, you know. He sent His Son – His blood poured out. To atone us, everyone.  To make us at-one with Him. His blood was shed to redeem us. His arm is not short, His ears hear. His name is forever, to bring hope, and peace and salvation, to all the children everywhere.

“Wash and make yourselves clean.
    Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
    stop doing wrong.
17 Learn to do right; …” Isaiah chapter 1:16,17. But don’t think for a minute, that this is about you! The only righteousness in you, can be in be-liev-ing.

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18.

It is time to seek the Lord.” …seek justice.
    Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
    plead the case of the widow.” Isaiah 1 proclaims,  but the power behind all of this – 

is in the name of Jesus.

Remember the angel and the words proclaimed: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” Luke 2 verse 10.

The Messiah is born, and a sign was given: A baby in a manger. The shepherds, the star. Have we forgotten? Are our hearts far?

Let’s turn around as John the Baptist suggested and see,  “… the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” John 1:9. 

Instead of our backs, let us turn our face – to the Lord. Acknowledge Him. Believe He came for us. Call out His name,seek His promises to guide us.

His name is Jesus, sad hearts weep no more. He has healed the broken hearted open wide the prison doors, He is able to deliver – evermore.”

If you need help with the praise part, open Psalm 111. Read aloud and watch your mind be transformed:

“Praise the Lord.

I will extol the Lord with all my heart
    in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

2 Great are the works of the Lord;
    they are pondered by all who delight in them.
3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
    and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
    the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
    he remembers his covenant forever.

6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
    giving them the lands of other nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
    all his precepts are trustworthy.
8 They are established for ever and ever,
    enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He provided redemption for his people;
    he ordained his covenant forever—
    holy and awesome is his name.

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
    To him belongs eternal praise.” Psalm 111. Amen.

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