Essential Jesus Blueprint for Kingdom Living ~Word of God Speak ~

I often close my eyes and try to imagine what it would have been like to be in the crowd that day so long ago as the Son of God climbed to the top of the mountain. His Father wanted him to be placed above all others, so all could hear and see his son as he spoke with an authority that only He could have given to Him. Such a loving father (as many of us have discovered), one who had prepared his son for this day as any good father prepares their sons for important things. 
A father who knew exactly how many people would be there that day; people who had traveled, some for days, many on foot, to hear the Son of God speak. 
To catch a glimpse of  Him. 
I can just imagine, trying to edge my way as close as possible so I wouldn't miss one single word, can't you? Your heart would be beating wildly as you anticipated  His very being; His very words...Him. To  just touch the hem or sleeve of his garment. To be in His  presence as His voice boomed from the mountain top.
  Gives me goosebumps just thinking about how God spoke directly to us through himself as a man! wOw!!

His teaching that day become known as  The Sermon on the Mount' 

 Matthew 5:5 Seeing the multitudes, He went up  onto the mountain; and when he was set, his disciples came to him. and He opened his mouth and taught them...

" Blessed are the Poor in Spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven "  He spoke of those who are hungry to learn as much about the Lord Our God as they possibly can during their time on earth. Making it clear that we must be empty before we can be full. Our sufficiency is not of ourselves. (2 Corinthians 3:5) 

4."  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted "  We have become so casual about sin and seeing others sin even though we know sin breaks God's heart. Those who want to be good, try to be good and have sincere sorrow for the sin in their hearts and the sorrow for those who see no desire for good in others and themselves.

5." Blessed are the Meek: for they shall Inherit the Earth "  Meekness is not weakness, Jesus was meek, yet he drove the changers from the temple, (Matthew 11:29) Moses was meek, yet he judged sinners and even faced Aaron with his sin. Christians are to show meekness even though we are prone to be self willed. (Ephesians 4:1-2, Titus 3:2)  Meekness means not asserting my own rights, but living for the glory of God. 6." Blessed are they who do Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness: for they shall be filled." 


Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness show a desire to step up, to learn what is good and to come to desire it. A true Christian has  an appetite for Spiritual things, Ask people what they desire and their answer will show you what they are truly like. Don't ever be mistaken, this is tough stuff...

7."  Blessed are the Merciful, for they shall obtain Mercy "  The "merciful" are those who love their fellow people. If we show mercy, because Christ is merciful to us, then mercy  will come back to us  (Luke 16: 1-13; James 2:13; Proverbs 11:17) We do not earn mercy, but we must have hearts prepared to receive it.

 8." Blessed are the Pure in heart for they shall see God "  The "pure in heart" are those who love only what is good. Not sinlessness (1 John 1:8) but the truth within (Psalms 51:6) . It means a single heart, not divided between God and the world. 

9. Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God "Peacemakers"  are those who are in harmony with Father God, gaining knowledge from Him and wanting what He wants. And to be "persecuted for righteousness sake" means acting out of love and care for others, even though you are condemned by others for it.  Ephesians 6:1-5, so that wherever they go, they bring peace, This is not, "Peace at any price", for holiness is more important than peace based on sin. (James 3:7-13, Hebrews 12:14) Compromise is not peace, but Christians should not be contentious as they contend for the faith. 

(Note) Can you feel the progression as He spoke? At first He was addressing those who simply want to learn; but as He continued, He moved on to those who understood enough to realize that they actively want to be good people, acting out of love for others. There are obvious steps He wants us to take in our walk with Him. Have you ever noticed that the more you press in, the more changes you see in yourself. It's so amazing! Praise you Father!   

10 " Blessed are they which are Persecuted for Righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven." 
Not that we should be accused "Falsely" . We should never be guilty of deliberately asking for persecution. If we live Godly lives, suffering will come! Notice the rewards: We are in the same company as Christ and the Prophets, and we shall be rewarded in Heaven. (2 Timothy 3:12. 1 Peter  4:15) 

11."Blessed are ye, when men shall Revile you, and persecute you  and utter all kinds of evil falsely against you on my account. Being a Christian is not an easy road to tow. People will hate you for being Holy and full of grace. They will despise you when you try to show them their sin. Do it anyway, the reward is the love that you feel in your heart that only he can supply and that will make it worth it. 

12. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for greater is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted, they the prophets who were before you."  The world will go on persecuting those who trust, and live their lives for Christ. Men do not like to be reminded, or convicted of their sins, all those who bring the light of Christ into the world do just that. And until Christ returns to judge the world, persecution will follow those who truly believe. 

He went on to explain how we, who call ourselves by His holy name, are in fact, the Salt of the Earth and the Light of the World. He stressed that He had not come to abolish the laws or the Prophets, that each and every one of the commandments of God were and always will be of the utmost importance. He was very clear that those laws should never be challenged or disobeyed. He went on and spoke of anger, lust and divorce. He warned of taking oaths using his or his fathers names, or that of Heaven or Earth. Or of taking an oath on your own life when a simple yes or no would serve as the best possible of replies. He ended his sermon that day by addressing how we are to pray. 

So many people try to tell us that we have to do this, or do that; say this or say that. I don't know about you, but I prefer to listen to the instruction that came from the Son of God, himself...  

Matthew 6:5-15 Jesus said "When you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (ironically enough; He speaks to me the most frequently when I am driving my car or taking a shower) 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (If your not certain what to pray, the Holy Spirit will intercede for you; He knows what is in your heart) 


9 Pray then like this: 
Our Father, who art in Heaven. 
Hallowed be thy name. 
Your kingdom come, your will be done, 
on Earth as it is in Heaven. 
Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our debts (trespasses) as we (forgive those who have trespassed against us) also have forgiven our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 
(For if you have forgiven others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 
But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.)
For  thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory Forever. 
Amen 
Many of us know that prayer and have recited it all of our lives, I know I have.  It has become the words I often speak as I approach His throne; full of the highest form of adoration, respect, love and  fear.... 

Offering  Him myself for I know what He has done for my life. For I will give you my life, it's all I have to give, because you gave your life for me... 

Third Day; Lead Us Back




     

Sanctuary of Tranquility: That's Why He Got the Job.

Sanctuary of Tranquility: That's Why He Got the Job.: When God ask you to be patient, be patient.  I listen to the conversations of some of the people in my life; people who are Christians,...

That's Why He Got the Job (Putting things into perspective)

When God ask you to be patient, be patient,
He has a great deal on his plate.
 

As I live my daily life I can’t help but take part in, and overhear the conversations of  the people around me. Some of these people are frequently a part of my life, some I see mainly at church on Sundays and others I only see at Christian based community events. These people, for the most part would refer to themselves as Christians. 

Peter referred to us “a peculiar people” who should have all the faith in the world, yet, for some reason, many don’t. Instead they chose to doubt you when you tell them that God speaks to you, even  though the Bible clearly says, “My sheep hear my voice” John 10:27-28. 
Others, who have heard his voice still choose to put him in a box and will only believe he says things that make sense to them. Out of doubt, disbelief or even ignorance they say, “God would never say that”, or   “That’s not Biblical”, or even, “I don’t know who you’re listening to, but I don’t believe it’s God”. 

There are also the faithless, who don’t have to say a word, the doubt is in their faces, and eyes, or the way they whisper things when they see you, and Discus you when you’re not around.

Some of those same people insinuate that the things you know full and well were Gods doing must have been a coincidences, some even believe that miracles only occurred in Biblical times and don’t even happen any more.            

I don't know about you, but I don't believe in coincidences, I believe in God, 
AND, what’s more, I believe everything happens for a reason.

You see, God is not just fooling around up there in the clouds, he’s busy, and being busy working things out for those who love him is only a very small part of it. 
Do you ever stop and think about how blessed you are to have such an extraordinary God? A God who loves you so very much that He not only created you, He redeemed you (Isaiah 43:1). Before He even formed you in your mother's womb, He knew you (Jeremiah 1:5) because He knows his own and they know Him (John 10:14-15). He numbered the very hairs on your head. (Matthew 10:29) and He can call us each out by name (Isaiah 43:9) for He has searched us and knows us. He knows when we sit down and when we rise up and He discerns our very thoughts from afar. 

He searches out our paths and is acquainted with all of our ways. (Psalm 139:1-23)

All because we are His and part of being truly His is the knowledge of the truth and the truth will set us free (John 8:22).
If we truly belong to Him, He will forgive our iniquities, heal ALL, not some, ALL of our diseases, He will redeem our lives from the pit AND crown us with steadfast love and mercy (Psalm 103: 1-22).  

Furthermore, He promises that everyone who calls on his name will be saved (Romans 10:13) and that we can do All Things through Him who strengthens us (Philippians (4:13) He hems us in, behind and before and lays His hands upon us (Psalm 139) and because He holds fast to us in love, we shall deliver Him (Psalm 91:14) and the most important thing to know is this. 


"For God so loved the World, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believed in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life".
With all of that in mind, does He sound like someone who is too busy to remember our problems? Too busy to hear our prayers? He has us! You see, the thing is this: He is so good, that He doesn't have to attend to each and every little detail one at a time. Nope, not Our God...He looks down at our situations, the stuff we are running around like a colony of ants trying to take care of, the stuff we think we can fix all alone because we are so smart and the stuff that is keeping us up all night and bringing us to our knees and He knows immediately how He is going to use it for the good of His Kingdom. He knows how He can chisel away at one problem or another and solve three or four or even more problems just like that! 
He knows where we each need to be, where he wants us to be and where we are both mentally and physically each and every minute of our lives. He knows what we're reading and what we're watching on TV. He knows about that Bible Study we haven't completed. He knows if our cupboards are a mess and if it's time you cleaned out the garage.

That's why He's God. Make no mistake, there is none like Him. That's why He got the job!
He is The Master of Time Management! My entire lifespan will only take up about ninety minutes of one of His super busy days, and even in that brief span of time, 
He remembers every little detail about me, and has ever  intention of completing the good work He began in me.  
That's how incredible He is??
That's Our God!!
Be patient, He hasn’t forgotten you.
He'll get to you real soon.

Who Doesn't Want A Brand New Beginning?

Each and every one of us has experienced a time, or times in our life when something happened that just threw us for a loop.I mean it totally knocked us down emotionally! 
Maybe it was a series of things. 
Life seems to work like that.
Whatever it was, you had no idea how it got started, but it snowballed and made no sense at all to you...

No matter how much effort you put into trying to fix things, nothing seemed to work. In fact, the situation seemed to get worse and worse each and every day!  
You searched in vain for that one person who would understand your situation, but there was no one. When you tried to explain yourself to people they looked at you like you’d lost your ever loving mind. You knew there had to be a missing piece, you just didn’t know what it was. 

Well-meaning friends suggested that you ”talk to someone” like a "really good life coach" or " a Christian Counselor." As if adding the word Christian before the word counselor would make you feel like anything less than a basket case. 
Yet beaten and bedraggled, you take their suggestion and pour your heart out to a total stranger in exchange for advice that made no sense at all. 

What is that missing piece? We search everywhere but where we should.Why does it take so long to realize that Jesus is that missing piece?" 

Matthew 6:33 tells us that we must “Seek First” the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all things will be added to you. 

He’s in the waiting, right there with you, tugging on our heart and soul, beckoning us to give it up to Him. 
Do we truly believe that the creator of the universe, yup...the same guy who holds up the moon and stars would want us to suffer through any of this tough life stuff without Him? 

Here’s the thing, I knew I was a mess and I was clueless what to do about it. What I didn’t know was how very willing Jesus was to respond to my cry and help me, I didn’t realize that he had big plans for my life and they were just getting started. 

So, when I didn’t get an immediate response, I wondered if he had even heard me. What I didn’t realize at the time was that he is always listening and always had been. He knows every thought we think and hears every word we will speak before it even comes out of our mouth. He knows where we are every minute in all respects, physically, mentally and spiritually! He knows our prayers even when they are unspoken.
That’s just wild! 

Why don’t we realize is that since he has the power over life and death, he can certainly take advantage of any situation to get our eyes focused on him.

The answer should be so easy, after all, it was Jesus who invented the game of hide and seek. He wants us to seek him first all the time. He wants our attention focused on him, and he has the ability to get our attention when he wants it. He does it all the time. He’s sneaky like that, he even admits to causing calamity! 

Isaiah 45:5-7(ESV) I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make well- being and I create calamity. I am the Lord, who does all these things. 

People go through so much pain and agony before they realize just what that day in Calvary was all about. It was about Him... Giving His Life For Us. 

He wants to deliver us...

and all we have to do is ask...

Matthew 7:7 Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks, finds and to the one that knocks, it shall be opened.

HE is the ultimate problem solver. For Jesus, the bigger the problem, the better. HE is the forgiver, the one with the empathy others won't give you. HE is the one with the time for you that no one else seems to have, & HE is the one who doesn't judge you or expect you to explain yourself when you don't even understand what's going on yourself.  HE is the one who listens to you rant and rave & HE is the one patiently waiting for you to cry out to him.

So, you finally figure it out, you NEED HIM.

But you can't just politely knock on His door and ask for help.                                                                                                                     Nope, not if your anything like me...
I cried out in anguish; sobbing deep, pain filled sobs; desperate to be heard & HE heard!  

But crying out is just the beginning, the beginning of the most amazing relationship I will ever have in my life! Crying out to Him is also the ultimate invitation for Jesus to step into our lives, an invitation to a sacred friendship.

 Psalm 34:1 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their trouble

Praise you Father for loving us so much that you not only died for us, but you now live for us, and you’re eager to help us overcome anything that is preventing us from being who we were designed to be. Praise Him and ask him in prayer to change you. Ask him to make you into all he wants you to be.
Praising Him delights Him and His presence becomes real. Ask him in prayer for all that is promised in your portion of the Book of Life. He promises us each a life rich with spiritual giftings and joy.                                                                                           He has written a wonderful story about each of us, A story full of joy and promises that no one on this earth can deprive us of.
All we have to do is ask. He's waiting; and He will reach right down with His great big love and whisper, “Thank you for asking me. What took you so long?"

*He Hit Me Like a Bomb...        
                                        
And then His work officially begins...
His repairs are seldom a quick fix, He takes his time because we matter to Him. We were his in the first place, so he knows just what to do to transform our lives and about how long it will take. He has the ability to meet us right where we are. He knows what people to bring into your life to change you and He knows exactly who to take out. He knows just what kind of difficulties you need to experience to shape you into the person He intended you to be all along. He knows what you're doing every minute, day and night, light and dark.

Although money really doesn’t matter to Him, He knows how much you have and how much you will need. He knows what your good at because it was He who gave you those skills, He knows what annoys you and what areas He needs to chisel away at, and which to polish to a radiant shine. He works and works and then He tests you to see how far you've come. If you're not ready, He doesn't look at you like your a failure, He simply chisels and shines some more.

Isaiah 64:8 But now oh Lord, you are our Father, we are the clay, and you are the potter, we are all the work of your hand.

He talks to us, encourages us and tells of things to come. He asks us to be patient; unbearably so, (much of the time) and He asks that we trust him. As we get to know Him, we discover that He not only comforts us, He changes us. His work is slow and not painless by any means, but very satisfying.
He makes promises to us which are never in vain because Our God is NEVER a liar, He is always a gentleman, and He always keeps his word, although, He exercises the right to do everything on His own time, deviating from time to time as needed.

Numbers 23:19 says that God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? or has he spoken and will not fulfill it? 

He has known us all of our lives so He knows who we are, what we have done. Why we are the way we are and exactly what to do to wash us clean, make our pain and sorrow vanish and give us hope for a future filled with joy. He knows what characteristics He doesn't like and He is more than willing to rid us of them.
The thing that is truly amazing is the way you start to feel! You know your different and what's more, you like it. It gives you confidence and joy! You start thinking differently about all kinds of things. Things you used to do no longer interest you. Your style changes,you have more patience and fewer words. You no longer worry about what anyone thinks about you, but Him. You're filled with joy and you don't even know what happened.

I'll tell you exactly what happened, God happened.



He saw your mess,  and He heard you’re cry. He saw you racing around trying to fix the damage you were inflicting on your very own life without any success and HE: Jesus Christ, THE GOD  OF PERFECT TIMING seized the opportunity to jump right smack dab into the middle of your life and change everything

 *That's how He works.    
                                                                             

He makes everything beautiful in its time....                                                                                                                                             Because you see, Jesus specializes in making the impossible, possible and the hopeless, hopeful, and He’s personally in the waiting with us, because He is the author and the finisher of our story.
 So, “if it’s not good, it’s not the end of your story.” You can count on that.
I believe it with all of my heart.

On a personal note; If I told you of all the miraculous and wonderful things He has done for me, you wouldn't even believe me.
*The tracks, Born Again and Hit Me Like A Bomb are from the Third Day,  Lead Us back CD

The Napkin

This little story is so jam pcked with faith! As you read it, try to imagine what went through John’s mind when he entered the tomb and saw the very napkin laying there folded,  that had been used as a facecloth on his beloved Jesus just hours before. Claim for your own hearts and minds the truth in it’s message. 

The Gospel of John (20:6-9) Then Simon Peter came, following him and they went into the tomb He saw the linen clothes lying there, and the face-cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen clothes, but folded up in a place by itself. 8. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed, 9 for as yet, they did not understand the scripture, that He must rise from the dead.

~ This scripture tells us that the napkin, which had been placed over the face of Jesus, was not thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded and placed separately from the grave clothes.~

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? 

Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and John, the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, "They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they put him!" Peter and John ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. he stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. 

Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side. 

Was that important?

Absolutely! 

Is it really significant? 

Yes! 

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about the Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. 

When the servant set the table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way that the master wanted it. 

The table was furnished perfectly and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch the table until the master was finished. 

Now, if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it on to the table or the floor. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done.'

But if the master got up from the table, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because....

the folded napkin meant, 'I'm coming back.'  

HE'S COMING BACK!!!

Don't be afraid...just continue to look up and watch for signs and wonders!

Luke 21:35-38 

The Return of the Son of Man 

25. "And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26. people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now, when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."  

Sanctuary of Tranquility: Being a Warrior

Sanctuary of Tranquility: Being a Warrior: Ephesians 6:11-17  Put on the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.12 For we wrestle not ag...

Being a Warrior

Ephesians 6:11-17  Put on the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God

I read some place or another quite recently that there are over 60 Bible Verses about Praising God in the Storm. So it must be pretty important to Him that we do it. 

My experience with storms has taught me that although things may get really rough, almost unbearable at times, there is always a blessing of some kind that comes with them. 
During those seasons I sometimes think it is never going to end and when it finally is behind me I feel like a new person. So I can say this without any question in my mind... 

Praising Him in the storm is important for us too. It keeps us going and makes us more aware of the things He is doing to help us get through it and how much more He appreciates us if we are fighting a tough fight. 
But the fact is this...God doesn't like us to be cry babies. He likes us to be warriors.

He wants us to be warriors and warriors have no time or desire to have self-pity or anxiety attacks (at least none that last longer than 5 - 10 minutes) and no room for self-doubt, even if we're scared to death. 
Being a warrior means putting on that whole armor every day and going out into the world and stepping up in His Holy name. It means fastening on that belt of truth and facing the music...whatever it is and no matter how loud or angry or shocking or devastating it gets...
Face-the-music. Because that's what God's warriors do.      

Being a warrior can mean facing a bill collector, answering the phone when you don't want to talk to the person calling and talking anyway, telling a friend the truth about their behavior even if that truth may end your friendship for a season...or forever. 
That James kind of honesty where being a friend is more important than having a friendship... tough stuff.    
It means doing those difficult things because it needs to be done...it is what's right.

Sometimes facing that really tough stuff is unavoidable. But we are given a little choice. When those unavoidable things pop out in front of us like a deer on the highway. I'm talking tough stuff like losing your job or your home. Getting the news that you have lost someone you love or learning that you are facing the unthinkable,  terminal illness. 

Those are the times when we need to praise him the most. He's waiting to hear it and He will be delighted with your faith in Him! 

Our Bibles remind us that 'We know of the plans He has for us, plans for our welfare and not for a future without hope.' (Jeremiah 29:11)
We demonstrate our devotion to Him when we call upon Him and pray to Him and trust in the knowledge that He will and He does hear us.
We who belong to Him know instinctively that when we Trust in the Lord with ALL of our heart and lean not on our own understanding, He will direct our steps. (Proverbs 3:5-6) 
Because He promises us that... when we seek Him with all of our heart, we will find Him and when we acknowledge Him in all ways He will be our director...He will be Our Guide in life.
He even says this about US...
My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand.' (John 27) 

Praise God, 
For your wisdom and love are without boundaries and your comfort is huge! 
Trusting in the knowledge that He will and does hear us takes a lot of faith! 100% warrior Faith is what He desires from us because, without it, we can't even begin to form the kind of relationship with Him that He so desires. Faith is so huge it is mentioned 475 times in the Bible. That means we have to have faith that everything is going to turn out for the good for those who love Him. Even on the darkest conceivable days...

It's gonna be alright. 

Have you ever stopped and looked at a Mustard seed? Wow, they are so tiny. 
Yet God told us that if we have the faith the size of one of those tiny seeds we can move a mountain!
Can you imagine what we could do with faith one-quarter that size, or even one tenth?
That certainly puts our level of faith in perspective, doesn't it?

The really wonderful thing I have found about having faith (even the shamelessly small amount I must have) is that it always comes full circle. He never lets us down, He is always on time and He knows exactly what we need!

It is all too easy to lose sight of the fact that Our God is a Sovereign God. Nothing escapes Him. He listens to our conversations, and He knows everything that we think about, and everything we pray about even in silent prayer. 
We are exactly where we are supposed to be each and every moment. Everything is under His rule and control! Nothing, I mean nothing, happens without His direction or permission. 

The book of Ephesians is a good place to start reading if you want to understand who He is and just what He is doing in our lives. 

In Ephesians, Paul wrote: In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will. 12. so that we, who are the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14. who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.   

That tells me that God has my life pretty much covered and that feels pretty darned good to me!

Stay Blessed & Trust in Him...He has this. Please take a moment and read John Pipers excellent article entitled, 'Don't Waste Your Cancer."   It may be just the salve you or a loved one needs today. 

This blog is dedicated to Steve and Marsha.
May your Armour Of God bring you strength in the days ahead.  

Blessings.