Thinking upon the word of our testimony my thoughts are turned toward the goodness and greatness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How great the Lord is and how He redeemed those who are His for a purpose. The word of our testimony will enable us to reach this generation and touch the nations for His kingdom. Faith, hope and love can reach those in our lives just as it did during the times Paul preached to the church of Thessalonica. These are great spiritual treasures and they come by hearing the Word of God preached in truth, studying it and living it out in our daily walk. We must remain steadfast in the word of truth, not to be easily deceived. Some thoughts to ponder:

• Do we have a passion and zeal for the reading of His word?
• Do we share in the glory of Christ and His redemptive love?
• Do we remain faithful, abounding in love and peace to all brothers and sisters in Christ?
• Do we encourage one another and help to build up?
• Do we long to see Jesus one day?

2 Thess. 2:13-15 But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

Paul, Silas and Timothy preached the message of Jesus Christ, believers and workers grew and remained strong in the Lord. The word of their testimony seemed to be a continual flow of loving Jesus Christ and preaching His word of hope, faith and love. The same lessons of old are good news for today as we walk with Christ we can live out our testimony daily. Holding fast to the word of truth and remain sure follower of Christ, He is faithful and He will establish you.

2 Thess. 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil.

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. (Hebrew 11:8)

Can you imagine what it would feel like to leave everything and everyone you know and strike out now knowing where you’re going? Can you imagine what family, friends and those who know you would say? That’s exactly what happened to Abraham.

The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.

“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.

I’m sure Abraham and Sarah may have wondered what was going to happen to them, but in faith they obeyed God. That kind of trust is what faith is all about.

I’m in a couple of places in my life that I don’t know where the Lord is leading me or how things will turn out. My daily prayer is that I will have the kind of faith Abraham and Sarah had to just obey my Lord. Is this easy? Not always. Is it impossible? Absolutely not. The Lord never puts more on us than we can bear. Neither does He ask us to do things we can’t do.

Lord God, when my faith gets weak, I pray that You will help me to trust you. Help me to listen for Your still small voice and obey, no matter what You say. I want to always remember that you are my rock, my shield and my hope. It’s in You, Lord, that I place my hopes, my dreams and my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Blessings,

Joyce

Pondering this thought today it reminds me of the stuff in our lives that seems to grow with time. Too much stuff is what I am thinking about this week. Stuff that gets in the way of our daily walk with Christ, stuff that seems to take over our time thus making it time that is wasted. It’s stuff that clogs our thoughts when it is not filtered with the cleansing Word of God daily. This kind of stuff takes away the thoughts that should inhabit praise rather than burden our lives. Are you feeling like the stuff in your life, family or home has become saturated with some of the world? If so, it’s time to de-clutter, get rid of the stuff and put on a garment of praise. Let us bow our knees before God and shout praise, let stomp out the stuff.

Romans 14:11 It is written: ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.

Psalm 47:1 Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.

Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 

To God be the glory for great things He has done!

And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. (John 10:28)

With all of the bad news in todays’ headlines, here’s some good news:

Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” (John 10:24-30)

There are at least three things to shout about in this passage of scripture:

#1 - You Have Eternal Life

When you accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, you received eternal life. Though your time on this earth will come to an end, because of salvation, you will spend eternity in heaven.

#2 - You Will Not Perish

Physical death comes to all of us, but those of us in Christ, will never experience spiritual death. So, when the storms of life seem more than you can bear, remember that they can never consume you - you will not perish!

#3 - You Can Not Be Snatched Out of God’s Hand

Remember that song that says, “He’s got the whole world in His hands?” That’s true, but just as important is the fact that God holds you in His hands, too. And, there is absolutely nothing or anyone who can remove you from His hands. You can be secure in knowing that He won’t let you fall.

The next time you’re tempted to be drawn into the bad news of the day, remember that there’s still a lot of good news right at your fingertips - your Bible.

Blessings,

Joyce

What Christians see as freedom, the world sees as bondage.

Loving and accepting Christ as Lord and Savior is true freedom. We must hold fast to the Lord in the midst of every negative thought, attitude of the heart or stronghold the enemy may bring your way today. Setting your hearts and minds on things above is needed for every believer and especially for the day we live in. We are bombarded on every side with bad news, destruction, devastation and tragedy, but through it all; Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. He will never leave us or forsake us.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

We must be carriers of the cross, bearers of the light in order to shine in a world saturated with darkness. All hope is not lost no matter how bleak it may look; for the Lord draws near to those who call upon Him. Come to Him today!

 James 4:8  Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

If you are in a place of uncertainty and unrest lean upon Christ; placing all hope and trust in Him to see you through. He cares for you!  

Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

A hymn of old:

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, The emblem of suffering and shame; And I love that old cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain.  So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown. Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, Has a wondrous attraction for me; For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above To bear it to dark Calvary. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, A wondrous beauty I see, For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died, To pardon and sanctify me. To the old rugged cross I will ever be true; Its shame and reproach gladly bear; then He’ll call me some day to my home far away, Where His glory forever I’ll share.

When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. (Matthew 8:1-3)

Jesus’ healing of this man with leprosy is just one example of His healing powers. There are many other exmaples of His healing of physical infirmaties. Sometimes, however, Jesus only spoke a word and healing came. (Matthew 8:13)

We live in a world filled with hurting and wounded people. Some need physical healing but others are in need of mental, emotional and spiritual healing. Jesus can heal them all, no matter what their circumstances.

You never know when someone in need of the healing that only Jesus can bring, will cross your path. It’s more important than ever to be vigilant in sharing the Gospel. We serve a God who is all powerful; who can do anything but fail. Someone needs to hear that today and you are the one who can tell them.

Blessings,

Joyce

Today Christians nationwide will unite together in prayer on 9/11 at county courthouses across all 50 states to pray for their community and for the spiritual condition of our nation. If you are not able to make it to a court house to pray, stop and pray where you are; pray for our nation to come back to the Lord.

2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

I do pray for the Lord to comfort all who mourn and weep for the lost and hurting. Draw us back to You Lord, heal our land, heal the broken and tormented Lord Jesus. I pray for Your Sweet Spirit to fall today. May we as a people cry out for our nation once again.

Isaiah 51:11 The ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads.  Gladness and joy will overtake them,  and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Favor; (definition): to treat gently, a privilege bestowed on us, an act of kindness, considered the favorite.

We belong to God once we’ve accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and thus we have found favor with God. In the quietness of this hour; God’s favor is a gentle reminder that He is in my heart. The day we choose to follow Him and receive Him in our heart(s) as Lord and Savior, there He has been; ‘in our heart’. Taking time daily to be thankful for His continued hand and favor upon our life is so important. May we grow to know the loving kindness of our Lord and Savior as He abides in our hearts. May we always praise Him for being so gracious and yet so long suffering.  To God be all glory!

Psalm 119: 58 I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.

Dear Lord, today when our hearts feel so far away, we are reminded that you are always there ‘in our hearts’. Thank you for being in our heart(s) and for the continuous favor you’ve bestowed upon our life. May we learn to share the good news with others and the love You impart to our heart(s).

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. (Hebrews 8:10-12)

I meet so many women who are still beating themselves up over things that happened in their lives a very long time ago. They have asked the Lord for forgiveness, yet still don’t feel forgiven. Their heads know one thing, but their hearts are saying something else.

First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” That’s a promise for every Believer. Not only does God forgive us our sins, but He also remembers them no more. What a promise!

If you have trouble wrapping your mind around this, remember that Christ died for all your sins. (1 Corinthians 15:3) When you go to the Father to ask forgiveness, you stand before Him covered in the blood of Jesus. God forgives you and then as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove your transgressions from you. (Psalm 103:12)

If the Creator of the universe forgives you, how can you not forgive yourself? You are not wiser than God. Accept His forgiveness of your past, so that you can look forward to your future.

Blessings,

Joyce

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”—2 Corinthians 3:17.

True freedom is found in the pardon of our sins once we confess and commit our life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you know Him as Lord and Savior today? Have you come to the altar to lay down your life for His robe of righteousness? Liberty and freedom is found in none other than the one who is the way, the truth and the life. Surrender your all to Him today and let Him be the King of your heart. Come to Him today! He loves you and wants to set you free.

Read the following written February 18th, 1855 by C. H. SPURGEON

Do you understand how it is that the very guilt of the sinner is taken away? Here I stand to-day a guilty and condemned traitor; Christ comes for my salvation, he bids me heave my cell, “I will stand where you are; I will be your substitute; I will be the sinner; all your guilt is to be imputed to me; I will die for it, I will suffer for it; 1 will have your sins.” Then stripping himself of his robes, he says, “There, put them on; you shall be considered as if you were Christ; you shall be the righteous one. I will take your place, you take mine.” Then he casts around me a glorious robe of perfect righteousness; and when I behold it, I exclaim, “Strangely, my soul, art thou arrayed, with my elder brother’s garments on.” Jesus Christ’s crown is on my head, his spotless robes are round my loins, and his golden sandals are the shoes of my feet. And now is there any sin? The sin is on Christ; the righteousness is on me. Ask for the sinner, Justice! Let the voice of Justice cry, “Bring forth the sinner!” The sinner is brought. Who doth the executioner lead forth? It is the incarnate Son of God. True, he did not commit the sin; he was without fault; but it is imputed to him: be stands in the sinner’s place. Now Justice cries, “Bring forth the righteous, the perfectly righteous.” Whom do I see? Lo, the Church is brought; each believer is brought. Justice says, “Are these perfectly righteous?” “Yes they are. What Christ did is theirs; what they did is laid on Christ; his righteousness is theirs; their sins are his.” I appeal to you, ye ungodly. This seems strange and startling, does it not? You have set it down to hyper-calvinism, and you laugh at it. Set it down for what you please, sirs. God has set it up as his truth; he has made us righteous through the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. And now, if I am a true believer, I stand here freed from every sin. There is not a crime against me in the book of God; it is blotted out for ever; it is cancelled; and not only can I never be punished, but I have nothing to be punished for. Christ has atoned for my sins, and I have received his righteousness. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”