Dee2rites Blog

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  • Do You “Have a Dream”?

    “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.” Acts 2:17

    Do you have a dream for your life? I’m not talking about just a general dream or idea of what you’d like to do with your life or how you’d like to live. I’m talking about a God-given, God-inspired dream? Something so big that only God could bring it about?

    We all get ideas and have dreams of doing something – a career, a family, success in life, financial security. But how can we tell if the dream we have is something from God or just our own imagination or desires? There are “good ideas” and there are “God Ideas”. We want to pursue the God Ideas.

    To understand what God’s dream is for us, first we need to believe that He has a dream or a plan for us individually. Then we need to set ourselves apart to learn what it is. Habakkuk 2:1 says “I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected.” Put yourself in a position to hear from God. Does He speak to you while you’re sitting alone in your house reading your Bible, or maybe while you’re listening to music? Where ever you need to be, get quiet before Him and ask the Holy Spirit to speak into your heart.

    The Scripture goes on to say in verses 2 and 3 “Then the Lord answered me and said: ‘Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.’”

    Write out what you think God is saying, whatever the dream or idea is, write it out in detail and look at it. Pray over it, submitting yourself and your plans to God’s will.

    Question it.

    • Is this something that will bring glory to God or only something that you want for yourself? 
    • Will it enlarge the Kingdom of God, will it bless or encourage other believers or is it something that will only benefit you? 
    • Is this something that will cause you to grow in your walk with Christ or pull you away from Him?
    • Does what you have written about it have a Scriptural basis, is it Biblically sound or does some part of it go against God’s Word?

    As you continue to pray and seek God’s will, He will reveal to you either Yes or No, whether it is for Now or for Later.

    When Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr wrote his now famous “I Have a Dream Speech”, was he only thinking about himself, or was he thinking about other people, the multitudes suffering from injustice? He was a minister of the gospel, and had the heart of a pastor. His concern was for others and for the generations to come else he would not have risked so much for the dream God had planted in his heart for equality for all people.

    Rev. King risked all to follow the dream God gave him. And ultimately it cost him his life. But he was obedient and today we can see the fruits of his labor. Our society still needs improvement, the world will never be entirely just and righteous until Jesus returns to reign on the earth. But we have come a long way from where we were in 1963 when Rev. King gave his speech towards the day when men and women, boys and girls are not “judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

    Do you have a vision or dream for your future or your life? God does and He wants to reveal it to you. Jeremiah 33:3 says ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

  • A Strong Foundation of Faith

    “For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness’ …Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.” Romans 4:3, 16 (NKJV)

    Abraham, called the Father of Faith, shows us how to build a foundation of faith. It starts with hearing God. God spoke to Abram (Abraham as he was called later), Abram heard and obeyed.
    “Now the Lord had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.” (Genesis 12:1-4)

    God told Abraham to leave the place where he was and go to a place that He would show him. Years before God had lead Abram’s father, Terah, to leave Ur the land of the Chaldees (in modern day Iraq) to go to Canaan, but he only made it as far as Haran (Turkey) and settled there and there he died. God spoke to Abram and he heard and he obeyed.

    The first thing we have to do if we’re to have a strong foundation of faith is to hear God and then obey. How do we hear God? By taking in His written word, by reading and meditating on what is given to us through the Scriptures. Once we have it in our hearts, then we have to be obedient to it. It’s not enough just to read it or hear it preached; we have to apply it by being obedient, doing what we hear God telling us to do.

    “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.” (Hebrews 11:8, 9)

    If we desire to live a life for God, we have to learn to be obedient to Him and be fully surrendered to His will. It requires faith to be fully surrendered to God. When we doubt, or lack faith in God and His Word, it hard to give up our plans and desires to surrender to His. It requires spending time in the Scriptures to come to the place where we can genuinely say “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
    But when we know the Word, we can also know that God’s plans for our lives are far better than anything we can imagine. He tells us in Jeremiah 29:11-13 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

    Seek Him with you whole heart, through His written word, and you will find Him. Dwell on that Word and your faith in it will grow. Then you will have a strong foundation of faith that can stand against any circumstance that life on this planet gives.
    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee
    Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

  • Cleaning Out the Clutter

    Deena | Joy | Dee | Leslie | Patty | Shawnee | Shaunta

    Day 17 Outfits

    Today’s Challenge Outfit called for black blazer, white shirt, skinny or straight jeans, leopard belt and nude heels. Since the black blazer I’d ordered had to go back because it didn’t’ fit, I subbed in a black cardigan. And because I’m hard to fit in heels, I don’t have nude heels so I chose my comfy neutral flats.

    Since joining this wardrobe challenge, I’ve done a lot of cleaning out. First of all, I had to clean out my closet. The closets in our house are very small, so there is no room for unnecessary items. And even though I use a second closet to store my off-season clothes, my main closet can get very crowded and cluttered.

    The first thing I did was pull out any clothes, including the shoes, that I just don’t enjoy wearing. If I don’t enjoy wearing something, I don’t wear it and it just takes up precious space in my closet. Second, I pulled out all the things that don’t fit any more. There is no room for things that I can’t zip unless I take off the weight I’ve slowly put on the past few years. It’s time to be honest with myself: I probably will never be that thin again. Off to the Good-Will they went. By that time, I’d made room for the new things I wanted to purchase to update my wardrobe and participate in the challenge. Now all the clothes in my closet fit the following criteria:
    1. Do I enjoy wearing this?
    2. Does this fit?
    3. Is it on trend or can it be styled with something new to refresh it?

    Then I cleaned out my dresser drawers and reorganized all my accessories and my jewelry. And in full disclosure, no jewelry went to Good-Will; I enjoy it all, even the old stuff from my mother.

    All this closet clearing set me to thinking about my personal life. What things am I holding on to in my life that are just using up time and not contributing to my life? What am I allowing to steal minutes, or even hours from my day? I am taking a hard look at the things that occupy my mind and my attention. Maybe instead of listening to talk shows of people just mouthing their opinions about things they know little about, I could spend more time working on my writing. Instead of playing a computer game, I could spend more time talking to my husband or writing letters to far away friends and family. Yes, more than just my closet needs cleaning out. I’m still a work in progress, inside and out.

    “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16 (NKJV)

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

  • New Challanges

     

    Deena | Joy | Dee | Leslie | Patty | Shawnee | Shaunta

     

    I’ve always loved pretty clothes. Playing dress-up was my favorite pastime when I was a little girl. When I became an adult and got a grown-up job, first as a graphic designer, then art director, then freelance designer and eventually back to the corporate world as an executive administrator, I had to look professional and dress accordingly. Somewhere along the way, I lost my joy of dress-up and even worse, lost my sense of personal style.
    That is why I signed up for Build Your Wardrobe Basics Challenge. I want to re-learn style and to find once again my own personal sense of style. And I can tell you, it is already beginning to pay dividends. I’m feeling more confident every day I dress. I’m figuring out what really works for me, and even finding out things I’d never tried before can work. I am back to being that little girl playing dress-up!

    I love this color blouse.
    I love this color blouse.
    Had not planned to leave the house, but was so happy when I did need to that I dressed to go!
    Had not planned to leave the house, but was so happy when I did need to that I dressed to go!
    Day 4 Outfit
    Putting together individual pieces.

     

    So the moral is this, keep on having fun and playing dress up!

    “Her clothing is fine linen and purple.” Proverbs 31:22b

    Grace and peace to you all in our Lord Jesus Christ,

    Dee

  • I Give Thanks

    “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” Psalm 107:1

    I love Christmas. Without the first Christmas, we would have nothing to celebrate. Without the first Christmas, there would have been no Calvary, no perfect sacrifice for our sin. Without the first Christmas, most of us would be without God. I love Christmas for all that and more.

    Having said that, I don’t want to rush into the Christmas season bypassing Thanksgiving. Since I was a child, Fall has been my favorite time of year. The colorful fall leaves, pumpkins, scarecrows and candy corn in October, cooler days, turkey and pumpkin pie, and then of course my birthday in November were all my favorite things.

    Thanksgiving Day is primarily an American holiday (the Pilgrims and all that) but setting aside a special time to give God thanks for all He has given and done for us should be so much bigger than just a single feast day. A day that is being diminished more and more as we all seem to want to rush right into the Christmas season. I want this year to be more. I want to really stop and consider what I have to be thankful for, as an American and as a Christian.

    This nation was born because men and women came in search of a place they could worship God as their hearts desired. My ancestors left Wales in the 1700’s to escape the tyranny of religious persecution. They were Separatists and Separatists were not approved of by the Church of England therefore not by the Crown. Even in the colonies, there was disagreement about religion, but the idea that all men had the right to choose how to worship won over have an authorized state church. A nation that had true religious freedom was born and people from all over the world and from every ethnicity have come to participate. I give thanks that today I have the right to choose how and where to worship God.

    This nation has been under attack from the beginning, but God has protected it and held it together. The War of 1812 tested the United States ability to defend itself but the nation proved itself strong. In 1865 the nation was tested again when it was divided regarding slavery, but freedom won and the nation was restored. Through two world wars, in Korea, Viet Nam and the Middle East, with God’s help and protection, the United States has defended itself and its friends against common enemies. For this I give thanks to God.

    It’s easy to look around and see moral decay all around us. Unborn babies are killed at the mother’s convenience and it is legal in all 50 states. Sexual depravity is rampant and in our faces every time we turn on the television or if we’re not careful every time we use the internet. Drug addiction and alcoholism continue to tear families apart and destroy lives. Students are not allowed to carry Bibles on school campuses. It appears that God is no longer a part of this nation and that the Christian voice and influence is being silenced. But that is not all there is.

    I know students who are standing up for God and for what they believe and are telling their friends about Jesus. I see good men and women in government trying to right some of the wrongs that have been done. I know men and women of God who are preaching and teaching the gospel, working to bring lost people to Jesus. Every week at our church, and other churches, men and women, boys and girls are giving their hearts to the Lord. For this I give God thanks.

    God has always had a remnant of people He could work through to bring about the things He desires. In the Old Testament we have the account of Elijah, God’s prophet in Israel. Elijah had defeated the prophets of Baal, the false god the people had begun to worship. He was on the run for his life because Jezebel had vowed to kill him. This mighty prophet started feeling sorry for himself and decided he just wanted to die because things were so bad. He thought he was the only one left serving God and he just wanted to give up. But God spoke to him saying, “Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” (1 Kings 19)

    I may not always be able to see what God is doing around me, in my nation, in community, or in my family. But I know that He is at work. God brought this nation into existence for a reason and a purpose and He’s not done yet. For that I give thanks!

    Psalm 107:1-9, 17-22, 43 (NKJV)

    “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
    For His mercy endures forever.
    Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
    Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,
    And gathered out of the lands,
    From the east and from the west,
    From the north and from the south.
    They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way;
    They found no city to dwell in.
    Hungry and thirsty,
    Their soul fainted in them.
    Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
    And He delivered them out of their distresses.
    And He led them forth by the right way,
    That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.
    Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
    And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
    For He satisfies the longing soul,
    And fills the hungry soul with goodness.

    Fools, because of their transgression,
    And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.
    Their soul abhorred all manner of food,
    And they drew near to the gates of death.
    Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
    And He saved them out of their distresses.
    He sent His word and healed them,
    And delivered them from their destructions.
    Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
    And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
    Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
    And declare His works with rejoicing.

    Whoever is wise will observe these things,
    And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.”
    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

    The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

  • Sadie and Bethany

    “Therefore…whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

    In these strange times where the national news is dominated with stories of terrorists threats of violence and even their beheading of Christians; fears of a deadly virus spreading, and other unsettling news, it is refreshing to see on television young women doing what they do in the grace and beauty of their Christian lives and witnesses.
    Jesus said in Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Sadie Robertson and Bethany Hamilton are doing just that in what could be considered an unusual way. They are each competing in a national network television show and are earning the admiration and respect of millions of viewers as well as their fellow competitors and/or judges.
    Sadie, the 17 year old daughter and granddaughter from TV’s reality show “Duck Dynasty”, is competing on “Dancing With the Stars”. From the very outset, Sadie made it clear to her partner, pro dancer Mark Ballas that she is a Christian and that she would not compromise her morality while dancing on the show. Not only that but that her dad would have a say in approving her costumes. And to Mark’s and the producers of the show’s credit, they’ve honored that request.
    Week after week Sadie has amazed the judges and the audience with her performance. Last Monday it was her turn to do the Rumba, a dance usually noted for its raunchiness and sexuality. But Sadie and Mark proved that it doesn’t have to be that way in order to score high marks. Their performance was chaste and beautiful. As one judge said, it told the story of falling in love. They scored 35 out of a possible 40, in 3rd place out of nine remaining contestants. I can’t wait to see what she does this week!
    Over on another network and on a different night, Bethany Hamilton (“Soul Surfer”) and her husband Adam Dirks are participating on “The Amazing Race”. Week after week Bethany completely amazes us with the way she meets every challenge with dignity and grace, completing challenges that are hard even for teams without any physical limitations, and she and Adam treat each other with such respect as they work together as a team. This last week, Bethany chose to do the Road Block challenge (a task that only one member of the team has to do without any help from their partner.) She had to remove the hair from 3 animal skins, load them on a bicycle and then deliver them to a tanner in order to get their next clue. And did I mention, this was in the middle of a Moroccan market?! She completed it, without complaining or making excuses, and at the end of the night Bethany and Adam finished second.
    Will Sadie dance to the finals and compete for the mirrored ball trophy? Will Bethany and Adam race to the finish for one million dollars? Only time will tell. But whether they only compete one more time, or until the finish, Sadie and Bethany are already winners. They have shown the world what a Christian can look like – letting their lights shine, living their faith out loud and in public. And in a world full of crazies, terrorists and other bad news, how refreshing is that!

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

  • “Come With Me”

    “Come to me, all of you who are tired and are carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIRV)

    I was recently asked by a friend to write a short Bible study lesson on love. That was her only directive – just write a short study on love. Wow, that a huge subject. As I prayed about what to write, God kept bringing me back to the directive He had given me years ago when I first started writing. “Tell my daughters how much I love them.”

    You may wonder, doesn’t everyone know God loves everybody? Probably, in their head if they ever been in or near a church. Most people can quote some version or form of John 3:16 “For God so loved the world”, but in their hearts they may wonder if or how He loves them personally, individually. Even Christians who have a real relationship with God can have periods of doubt, they may wonder about God’s love for them.

    This week in our ladies Bible study at church, a lady shared that she was coming out of a period of darkness, she’d been through some struggles with her faith. As I listened to her, I thought about how I’d been through my own periods of darkness and struggle. I knew right then that that was the reason God had led me to write about God’s love for us.

    In 1981 Del Shannon recorded a song originally written and recorded in 1959 by Phil Phillips called “Sea of Love”.

    Come with me my love
    To the sea
    The sea of love
    I want to tell you
    How much I love you

    When I hear that song or read those words, I think of Jesus and what He said in Matthew 11. “Come to me, all you who are tired…” Yes, there was a time when I was very tired, and not just physically but emotionally and spiritually.

    In 2001, about a year after my mother had graduated to heaven, I went through a deep depression. I was angry at God for taking my mother and not preparing me for her leaving. I felt that some of the people in my life had not given me the comfort and support I thought I needed. I was fighting with my sister over care for our dad. Some individuals at church, instead of reaching out to me, judged me because I wasn’t acting right in their opinion. So I dropped out of church for a period and stopped reading my Bible. From there I continued to spiral downward. My husband and I began having problems in our marriage. Sins I’d not struggled with for decades began tempting me. I don’t know what would have happened had God not loved me enough to pull me back. But He did and He did it in through a secular magazine of all things! But since I’d stopped reading my Bible, listening to Christian music, or going to church I hadn’t left Him a lot of options. I opened a Woman’s Day magazine I’d bought that day on a whim and saw these words:

    “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 The Message


    As I read those words, it seemed as if Jesus were sitting right there beside me, speaking directly to me. “Are you tired and worn out?” He asked. Yes, I was very tired and worn out from my hurts, doubts and fears. “Are you burned out on religion?” Yes, I was totally burned out and let down by church members. “Come to Me, not the church, not other people. Just come to Me.” Jesus gently and loving wooed me. There was no condemnation in His words, just love. Tenderly and lovingly God reached out to me when I was at the lowest point in my life.

    I’ve learned about the “unforced rhythms of grace”, I’ve recovered my life. I’m leaning how “to live freely and lightly”. I run to Jesus every day to hear Him tell me how much He loves me. Good circumstances or bad, I rest in His love.

    Jesus calls you to come with Him, come to the sea of His great love and let Him tell you how much He loves you. Wherever you are in your life, He calls “Come to Me. Come learn about my grace. Come with Me and learn how to live. Come receive My love. Come with Me, I want to tell you how much I love you.”

    Jesus loves you, my friend!

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

    New International Reader’s Version (NIRV)
    Copyright © 1996, 1998 by Biblica

    The Message (MSG)
    Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

  • “But God…”

    “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

    One of my top favorite phrases from the Bible is “But God”. The reason I love it so much, it reminds me that whatever may be going on now in my live, it is always subject to change. I was totally unlovable, but God loved me anyway and sent Jesus to die for me. And that was just the beginning!

    Depending which translation you use, there are approximately 104 times in the Old and New Testaments that say “but God”, and the phrase “but the Lord” appears 155 times! Every time things look one way, God comes on the scene and with one word, it all changes.

    Tempted to go where or do what you shouldn’t? Ask and God will show up with a way out. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

    Going through difficulty or hardship? “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Psalm 34:19

    Right now there are terrible things happening in our world that seem so hopeless. Every day Muslim terrorists attack Israel and Israel is defending them self (and rightly so), and they are being criticized by our government. Christians in Iraq are being told to convert to Islam or die. All these things and more seem to be out of control. “But God…”

    The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3 “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.” But the Lord is faithful… If anyone knew about persecution for his faith, it would be the Apostle Paul.

    We can’t let our hearts and minds dwell on the things going on in the world so that we become consumed with fear or worry. Yes, we need to be informed, but only as much as we need in order to pray effectively and call on God. He has the last word. We have to first of all know His Word (the written Word), then have faith in His Word and finally pray according to His Word.

    “…but the Lord’s faithfulness overwhelms the one who trusts in him.”     Psalm 32:10b¹ Thank You Father.

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

    ¹NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
    All other Scripture references from The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

  • What’s That Smell?

    “God, create a pure heart in me. Give me a new spirit that is faithful to you.”  Psalm 51:10 (NIRV)Image

              A few days ago I noticed a slight odor in the refrigerator when I was getting my morning yogurt. I was getting ready to go to work so I noted to myself that I needed to clean out the refrigerator when I got home from work that day. By the time I got home, I was too tired and decided it could wait until the next day which was Saturday. Saturday morning I went to younger grandson’s baseball game, ran some errands on the way home and by the time I got home, I had other things on my mind and forgot about it. Since hubby was out of town, that evening I went out to dinner with a friend from work and didn’t open the fridge again until Sunday morning. Ugh! It was worse, but no time to do anything about it. Went to church that morning and since it was Mother’s Day I met my daughter and her family for a special lunch. By Monday I didn’t even have to open the door to smell the odor coming from the refrigerator. Good thing I’m off work this week, because there was no more putting it off. It had to be cleaned out now!  
                 I emptied the contents of the fridge, checking expiration dates on every bottle and container. Finally I found the culprit – a plastic container of leftovers that had gotten pushed to the back and forgotten. As I was wiping down the inside walls and shelves of the fridge, God began speaking to me about how just as those rotten leftovers created a bad odor in the refrigerator and finally the kitchen, that is what unconfessed sin does in our lives.
               We go to church, pay our tithes and keep the Ten Commandments. Everything is good, right? Ok, what about that little white lie we told to get out of doing something we’d promised to do but really didn’t want to do? Cover it up and push to the back the fridge. What about that word muttered at the driver who cut who cut us off in traffic? Wrap it up and put it on the bottom shelf. There they’ll stay and grow mold. Any sin, even ones we consider small are an affront to our God because He is holy and He calls us to be holy. “For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy.” Leviticus 11:44a (NKJV)
               John the Apostle writes in I John 1:8 “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”    We all sin, even after we are born again we all say or do things we know are not what we’re supposed to do. And we fail to do things we know God has told us to do.  Even the Apostle Paul struggled with this. “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” Romans 7:19
                So what is the answer? Paul continues on to tell us – Jesus. Jesus has made the way.  “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:24,25a
    Then John continues his message in First John. “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” 1 John 2:1, 2
                We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)  All we have to do is confess and Jesus will cleanse us.
                Just as I not only had to clean the refrigerator interior with baking soda to eradicate the smell, I also had to throw out the leftover food that was causing the odor.  Jesus cleanses us of all unrighteousness the moment we confess, but we have to remove it from our lives. Stop doing whatever that sin was. If it’s a bad habit, ask the Holy Spirit to help you. He abides within you once you are born again and He is called to help us and to guide us. If you have unforgiveness towards someone who offended you, start praying for them. It’s hard to hold a grudge against someone you’re praying for!

    Father, thank You for cleansing me of all unrighteousness. I pray that my life will be holy, a sweet aroma to You. In Jesus Name, Amen

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

     

    New International Reader’s Version (NIRV)
    Copyright © 1996, 1998 by Biblica

     New King James Version (NKJV)
    The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

  • He’s Coming on a White Horse!

    “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.
    And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 19:11, 16

              When I was a little girl, my mother would read to me every day at nap-time and every night before tucking me into bed. My favorite stories were always the ones that ended with the handsome prince riding in on his white stallion and rescuing the princess from the evil witch. He would carry her away to his kingdom and they would live happily ever after. I daydreamed that someday my prince would come carry me away on the back of his beautiful white horse to live in his castle. When my prince did come, he was driving a green Plymouth and we lived in a small apartment!

             The desire to be rescued, or saved, is ingrained in our soul. Try as we might, deep down we know we are incapable of saving ourselves. We all need a savior. The only one capable of saving us is Jesus Christ. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

              The first time Jesus came, it was a helpless baby born in a manger. He lived a sinless life, was crucified for our sins, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. It is only by faith in Jesus Christ and His completed work that we can be saved. We are spiritually born again, saved from eternal damnation for our sins, and saved to eternal life with Him. We are saved from dead works and saved to do good works, not to earn salvation, but to glorify God with our lives.

              And He is coming again! This time it will not be as a helpless baby, but He is coming as KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS! He is coming to judge the nations and to rule His kingdom on the earth. Ever wonder where the idea that the good guys come riding in on white horses came from? Here it is in Scripture. When Jesus returns to establish His kingdom on earth, He and all the saints with Him are coming on white horses! My prince may not have come on a white horse, but my King is!

              “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’  Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” Revelation 22:20

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

     

    New King James Version
    The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.