This Walk By Faith Thing

This walking with God thing is real. 

We walk by faith, for we cannot see with the naked eye where our next step will take us. We believe God's Word is Faithful and True (Revelation 22:6), and as such, we know that when we walk in The Spirit (Galatians 5:25), our God walks with us.

We plan, we prepare; but, really, what is around the corner, what is up ahead we do not know. I did not plan on being disabled and unable to work, but there it is. And, yet, I know that I am on the right path, because it is the path God has set me on. So, until such time as I am led off this path, I know that God is walking it with me. 

It is He who upholds me with His right hand. (Psalm 63:8) It is He who makes my feet like hinds' feet to walk upon my high places. (Psalm 18:33) It is God and none other who walks with me. It is my choice to walk with Him. 

Life is the Valley of the Shadow of Death for the believer. There is nothing for us to fear in the shadows, for we have the Light of Christ (John 8:12) living, breathing, shining through us. It is He who makes bright our path and leads us along the way. What do we have to fear, when we have Jesus walking with us? Nothing. 

Nor is this walk a prideful walk. We need to stop being proud to be a Christian and start being humbled before our God. Our lips say one thing, our hearts another. Which one do you think God is going to listen to. He hears what we speak, but He is also aware of how we think and what our heart truly believes. This false humility impresses no one. 

This walk by faith thing is revealed by our actions, not just by our words. If we really are walking by faith, then we will have the evidence of Jesus' peace on our lives (Philippians 4:7; John 14:27). We are content in Him (Philippians 4:11). 

This walk will bring us low; at times we will stumble and fall, but we will get right back up. There will always be someone at that moment chosen to help us not only get back up, but also help us carry the load that caused us to fall. 

Before Jesus was made to carry His own cross through town and up the hill, He was beaten beyond recognition. The loss of so much blood weakened His body, making the cross that much heavier. He fell beneath the weight of it. But someone, a man named Simon, was chosen to help Him. (John 19:17; Mark 15:16-21; Matthew 27:27-32; Luke 23:26) 

This walk by faith thing is the evidence that draws people to Jesus. Who would ever choose to walk another way, another path, when the one that leads to righteousness is the one that brings us peace? It is such a chaotic, hateful world we live in. It always has been. Ever since sin came into the garden, this world has known nothing but heartache. But God. 

But God made a way to overcome sin. And that Way is Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God. (John 14:6). Only when we walk in that Way will be able to walk with complete trust and belief that God works all things together for our good. (Romans 8:28).

Ballad of The Body of Christ

Yes, that is me singing. My song.

Waiting On God

Waiting on God does not mean doing nothing on our part. In this passage 'waiting' means 'to bind together (by twisting {think braiding] ). Waiting on God means to 'wait upon'. We wait for Him to speak to us, then we obey what we have heard Him say to us. Each of us has a purpose which God wants to fulfill in us. Each of us has at least one mission field to which God not only sends us, but goes with us.
Do you not understand even yet that God goes with you? In His Word He tells us that He will never leave us: "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (cf. Genesis 25:15, wherein God makes a promise to Jacob).

Wherever God is fear is not. Speaking to Joshua: "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for The LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest". Joshua 1:9.

Speaking through King David to Solomon: "All this, said David, The LORD made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern. And David said to Solomon, Be strong and of a good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for The LORD God , even my God, will be with thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of The LORD." 1 Chronicles 28:19-20.

So, don't be afraid to wait on God. Be more afraid of not waiting on God.

When Samuel first heard God speak to him, he did not know it was God speaking, for "he did not know The LORD yet". He ran to the man he thought was calling his name, only to be informed on the third call that this was God's voice, not Eli's. It is only when we know The LORD that we will learn to listen and obey His voice.

You are not past the point of no return. You can still learn to listen to God, learn to know His voice. It is the voice of love, mercy and patience.
God is patient with us. Way more patient than we are with each other.
God is longsuffering. He puts up with quite a bit of our unrighteous acts. Why? Because He loves us and He only wants to bless us. He can't do that unless we obey His Word.

Obedience to God's voice brings God's blessings. Disobedience to God's voice brings God's curses, His wrath.

See this little scale? God has treasures set aside for each of us on a daily basis, when we obey His voice, His Word. But on the other end of the scale? Nothing. No blessings, no treasures, no gifts.

Waiting on God means to go where He sends us and to not be afraid when He sends us in a direction we are fearful of going. That bend in the road will glorify God. That steep climb will glorify God. That speech, that marathon, that song will glorify God. Whatever it is you think you can't do even though God has called you to do it, you can because God will be with you wherever He sends you, whenever He sends you.
Waiting on God means to be patient. (Warning: do not pray for patience. God will give you trials to learn to be patient in). Actually, when we are filled with The Holy Spirit, we have patience: we just need to exercise it. It is, after all, part of the fruit of The Spirit -- Galatians 5:23 -- "longsuffering".

Waiting on God means to live in love, as Christ loves us. John 15:12 "This is My commandment, That you love one another as I have loved you." How has God loved us? Unconditionally. Sacrificially.

Waiting on God means to do God's will. "And this is the will of Him that sent Me (Jesus speaking), that every one which sees the Son, and believes on Him, should have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:40

Waiting on God means to serve Him, not as slaves, nor servants, but as friends. We like to do things for our friends, do we not? To show them how much we love them. We bring them smiles on cloudy days. We clean their houses, when they are laid up. We care for their children when they are overwhelmed. We prepare meals when they are grieving. Because we love our friends we choose to make them happy, at times meeting their needs before meeting our own. Why? Love.

God loves us and wants us to obey Him in love. "We love Him because He first loved us". 1 John 4:19

Are you truly waiting on God? Do you wake up in the middle of the night, when you hear Him speaking to you? Are you digging into His written Word, eagerly turning pages, seeking Him out? Have you heard Him speak and known it was God who was speaking?

It's not too late. God is calling you right now. Some of you He is calling to salvation. Some to service. Some to healing. Some to rest. Some to the baptism of His Holy Spirit, to be filled with power to walk in His Word. Some of you He is calling for the last time. I hope you are ready. I know I am.

River Blessings

The river of life that flows out of the born again believer can only flow with the power of The Holy Spirit. For it is The Spirit of God that calls us all to salvation. 
He woos us into God's holy presence, where we realize we are sinners: unholy, unrighteous. Our hearts break with the weight of our sin and shame. When we believe in Jesus Christ for our salvation, that only He can save us from the punishment for our sins, then God forgives us and wipes away the tarnish from our souls. 

When we ask for God's Holy Spirit, we are asking for power to walk/live in, and according to, God's holy Word. The disciples could not witness of God's redeeming grace until The Holy Spirit had filled them with power to testify.
For we know that after Christ died and was buried, each went back to what he had been doing before walking with Jesus. Their understanding of His Words was not fulfilled until they had received the baptism of fire, of The Holy Ghost, upon each individually.
Even now those who only read the surface of The Word of God are not able to grasp the intent or wisdom of The Word. This only comes about through The Holy Spirit living in us, flowing through us.
The Holy Spirit guides us in God's Word. He is Wisdom. The Wisdom of God reveals God through God's Word. We need this blessed Holy Spirit to reach us, to teach us, to bring us, into God's eternal presence.
Revelation 21:17 reminds us that "..The Spirit and the bride say, Come...." That is God's Holy Spirit speaking to all who will listen:
"....And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely".

A Church On Fire

A church on fire will accomplish great things. But the fire must be of God, that it might consume and burn up all that is not of God. Hebrews 12:29.

The fire must be of God and fulfill God's requirements in order to fall where God desires 1 Kings 18:30-39 & Acts 1:13-15; 2:1

Baruch Hashem Adonai - Messianic praise (with lyrics)

Deep Well

John 4:1-42 tells us of the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well and her encounter with Jesus Christ. 
Here we focus on 10-14, their conversation at this well. 

When we first meet Jesus, it is not the water that is murky, but the veil covering our eyes that makes it difficult for us to see Jesus clearly. It is only when we believe what we are hearing, that the veil is torn from our the eyes of our heart, allowing our soul (*the mind, the will, the emotions) to view Jesus Christ clearly.

We drink that Living Water when He pours Himself into us through our belief in Him: that He Is Lord, that God sent Him to die for us, that He rose from the dead and walked out of the grave. When we believe, our thirst is quenched. 

To hunger and thirst after righteousness is to hunger and thirst of the Righteousness of God: Jesus Christ. JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU: THE LORD MY RIGHTEOUSNESS. 1 Corinthians 1:30 "But of Him are you in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption." 

I have that Living Water living in me. And when The Holy Spirit of God moves upon that water, The Word of God flows out of me.  John 7:38 "He that believes on Me, as The Scripture has said, 'out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water'. Proverbs 18:4 "The words of a man's mouth are as deep water, And the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook." 

So, today I am giving you a cup of cold water, Living Water. I am sharing Jesus with you and inviting you to drink deeply with me.

I've Got A River of Life

Jordan Feliz - The River (Lyric Video)

My husband got me turned onto this song by playing it everyday and on repeat. I love it.

Freedom To Choose

In becoming a Christian we have chosen to surrender not only our hearts, but our very lives, to The Living God through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. As such, we have a responsibility to obey God according to His Word. We should not take this responsibility lightly, but obey it willingly.

"We love Him because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19

It is because of this great love that we are able to love others, especially the unlovable. Once we thought we were unlovable. Until we came to the realization that God loves us so much He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins. That's Love.

Through the blood that Christ shed on the cross our sins are forgiven AND forgotten. We are healed in every way by the stripes on His back: physically, emotionally, mentally; our very soul is healed in His Name. That's Freedom.

It is not freedom To sin, but freedom From sin. Through The Word we can overcome sin and temptation. That's Power.

As Christians, people who have chosen to follow Christ and the path He walked, it is our responsibility to pray for others. Praying not just for friends and family, but their friends and families. Praying for our neighbors, whether we know them or not. Whether they are likable or not. Praying for strangers, people we may never meet, or meet once and never again.

Praying for our enemies, those who seek to destroy our faith in Christ. Praying for those who come against us in the name of their god that their eyes would be opened and they, too, would become God's called people.

Praying for God's chosen people, Israel. As Psalm 33:12 states, not only is the nation who chooses God blessed, but the people whom God has chosen are blessed. It is a dual reminder that we must not only support them with our prayers, but acknowledge that it is Israel whom God has chosen to be His own, also.

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: They shall prosper that love thee." Psalm 122:6. Whether individually, or as a nation who has chosen God, this is our responsibility to pray for Jerusalem's peace. ""Brethren (brothers and sisters in Christ), my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." Romans 10:1. As the nation whose God is The Lord, this should be our desire and prayer: the salvation of Israel, God's chosen people, the people whom God has chosen for His own.

A nation without God condemns itself and is not blessed by God. If a country wants God's blessing on it, that country, that nation, needs to choose The Almighty God as her own God. But it is not enough to say, "I am a Christian". One's words must be backed by one's actions. And one's actions must be motivated by the love of God which lives in a person through Christ.

Be vigilant. Watch and pray.