His Desire to Give Us An Abundant Life

2 Corinthians 4:13(MSG) 

13-15 We’re not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, “I believed it, so I said it,” we say what we believe.

How often do we speak prophetic words into the universe concerning our own lives? We speak of the plans we have for ourselves and we speak of things and people we want no part of. We make proclamations concerning our lives totally convinced that we know exactly what is best for us; what we should and shouldn't have, what we want and don't want. We believe in our hearts and heads that being alive gives us the right to make bold, important decisions concerning our futures with little to no thought to what our Heavenly Father planned for our lives before time began.

We arrogantly blaze our own trails until things don't go the way we hoped, and then we ask God why He is denying us happiness. We allow the disappointments we created for ourselves to incite bitterness and regret instead of the joy we should and could have experienced if we had only allowed Him to take the lead. It is our own stubbornness and arrogance that trips us up, not God, never God.  

As I reflect on my own life there were times when I charged ahead, ignoring the feelings of anxiety the Holy Spirit was giving me only to discover, down the road that my impetuous behavior had been responsible for my own dilemma, my own failure, my own heartache. 

Sadly those very impetuous actions spill over into the lives of other people; our friends and families...and of our children.  


I remember the anxious feelings I had before I got married. I have since learned that when He gives me that restless, anxious feeling in my heart and soul, I need to spend time with Him in prayer. 

All of His messages to us are passed along with great love, affection, and wisdom concerning our lives. We love Him because He first loved us, right? My love and gratitude for Him is so great that although it's difficult some days, I only want what he wants for me. If he wants me to move, I'll move. If He want's me to change jobs, I will gladly change jobs. He is forever working behind the scenes to improve our lives. Sometimes it doesn't make sense at the time but I know without a shadow of a doubt that He loves me so much that He wants only what is best for me. Through prayer I have come to realize that the man I marry has to love God more than he loves me because when God whispers to him that I am the one, he won't have even one moment's hesitation, he will want to marry me because it is what God wants for his life as well as mine. I remind myself every day that I am nothing without Him. He is my beginning and my end ...He is my first and last breath.  

Jeremiah 29:11(ESV) 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 

Wehave no right to deny ourselves happiness because of the poor choices we have made in our past. We have inadequate, clout to make decisions concerning our lives when the fact is, our lives actually belong to Him, the one who made us. Our Father in Heaven wants us to have a life filled with good days and an abundance of every good thing. 

So the words that challenge His marvelous plans for our lives must stop! Instead, we must boldly proclaim: "In the name of Jesus, I command blessings, favor, health, prosperity, protection, dominion and power to fill my life! God's words tell me that the good things are already promised, they are already here. I, therefore pronounce my life blessed. I pronounce my life prosperous. I pronounce my life great. Darkness and gloom, poverty and sickness, defeat and depression will not be in my life."

This will be ours when we give Him the power to make all things come together for our good....

A Fight to the Finish

"Let us Run, with steady and active persistence, 
the appointed course of the race set before us." Hebrews 12:1

When I think of all the moments in my life that God prompted me to do something and I didn't, it makes me kind of sad and a bit disappointed in myself.
 I missed out on something truly wonderful because I didn't  listen for whatever reason; embarrassment, pride, insecurity, or in some cases unsure of where the prompting was coming from. 

In any case I missed the chance...missed the opportunity...missed the boat. Will I ever get the chance to do some of those things again? Who knows, that would be up to God. 


Like so many others; and I do believe most of us are similar, I miss out daily on the Holy Spirit speaking to me. He speaks to us in so many ways...every day. Through other people, books, dreams, shows on television; nothing is impossible for Him. 
He loves his children and wants us to all have wonderful lives, lives  full of joy and when we don't listen, we do miss out on joy. Someone told me one time that if it is in your heart to do something it can't be wrong and I believe that with all of my heart and I try to follow that advice every day. When God prompts us to do something, no matter how difficult it is we must ask ourselves, is it is Biblical?  Is it kind? Will it be beneficial? 

 If the answer is yes, no matter how frightening it seems at the moment, we need to obey. For He is encouraging us to do something that will better prepare us for other things down the road. 

This video from Beth Moore is a wonderful example of God prompting us by overwhelming our hearts. Beth has a flair for the drama which is both unique and lovable. If you have ever experienced anything like this you will easily relate. Sometimes you have no time to think about if you should or shouldn't do something and other times, if we wait, it will be to late, and we miss out on the opportunity that our Father has given us.  

Ephesians 6:10-18(MSG) 

10-12 And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

13-18 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

Blessings to you as you run your course.

A Fight to the Finish

"Let us Run, with steady and active persistence, 
the appointed course of the race set before us." Hebrews 12:1

When I think of all the moments in my life that God prompted me to do something and I didn't, it makes me kind of sad and a bit disappointed in myself.
 I missed out on something truly wonderful because I didn't  listen for whatever reason; embarrassment, pride, insecurity, or in some cases unsure of where the prompting was coming from. 

In any case I missed the chance...missed the opportunity...missed the boat. Will I ever get the chance to do some of those things again? Who knows, that would be up to God. 



Like so many others; and I do believe most of us are similar, I miss out daily on the Holy Spirit speaking to me. He speaks to us in so many ways...every day. Through other people, books, dreams, shows on television; nothing is impossible for Him. 
He loves his children and wants us to all have wonderful lives, lives  full of joy and when we don't listen, we do miss out on joy. Someone told me one time that if it is in your heart to do something it can't be wrong and I believe that with all of my heart and I try to follow that advice every day. When God prompts us to do something, no matter how difficult it is we must ask ourselves, is it is Biblical?  Is it kind? Will it be beneficial? 

 If the answer is yes, no matter how frightening it seems at the moment, we need to obey. For He is encouraging us to do something that will better prepare us for other things down the road. 

This video from Beth Moore is a wonderful example of God prompting us by overwhelming our hearts. Beth has a flair for the drama which is both unique and lovable. If you have ever experienced anything like this you will easily relate. Sometimes you have no time to think about if you should or shouldn't do something and other times, if we wait, it will be to late, and we miss out on the opportunity that our Father has given us.  

Ephesians 6:10-18(MSG) 

10-12 And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

13-18 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

Blessings to you as you run your course.

end times?

I keep seeing and hearing references to Esther 4:14 
"Born for such a time as this" 
These are words that could, in fact, have been applicable to various times in history. Beliefs about the world's impending end are at the foundation of Christianity. 
Jesus, himself taught that the end was near. In the book of Mark, Jesus promised spectacular events will occur in the world's last days. These events include the sun being darkened, the moon covered or turned off as to prevent it from giving light, and stars will start falling from heaven. When this happens, Jesus claimed he would be coming through the clouds with great power and glory and he would be sending angels to gather the chosen from all over the earth.
Before this happens, there will be other changes, changes we are seeing in today's world. 

2 Timothy 3:5- But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Matthew 24:10-12 “And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets  (already present) will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.”

The Olivet Discourse is the end times according to Jesus and is worth the time to read. There are many scriptures, as well as the current events in the news, which match the descriptions in the Bible perfectly, all adding up to one thing, Jesus will be returning soon...(or at least sooner than when those words were first spoken).
There are those who say He has already returned; I certainly hope not, because if this is post- tribulation, I am really disappointed. Most of us are waiting on the Lord and many wonders when, and some make an effort to predict the day and hour, something Jesus didn't even know himself. 

Mark 13:32 "But concerning the day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

1 Thessalonians 5:1-9:1 
Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Wow! For me, that all means that  Jesus waits also for the Father to say "Today Son, go get your bride today" ... Matthew 24:36 (ESV) ". #Jesus #Lion of the Tribe of Judah our soon & coming King who is Without Rival!

No One Knows That Day and Hour

36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

The second coming is not going to be the picnic some believe it will be. For many, grasping the concept that "Every Knee Shall Bow" is incomprehensible. Bowing will not only apply to those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, it will apply to every last person on this planet. We will all have to be accountable for everything we have ever done in our lives. That's huge! Every lie, every deception, every time we were mean to someone, every time we ignored his promptings to give more, do more, be more. How we treated others, including and especially, our parents and the strangers who we didn't realize were angels. 

Hebrews 13:2(ESV)  Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

With all of this in mind, what are we doing to prepare for is return? Are we participating in Kingdom work when he invites us to do so, or are we ignoring His requests, out of fear or selfishness? Are we using the spiritual and other gifts he gave us or ignoring them in an effort to make more money or just do what we want? 
What will Jesus find here on earth when He arrives? If He suddenly knocked on your door, what would He find you doing? 

Luke 18:7-8  And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Would you even let Him in or would you make excuses and ask Him to come back on an appointed day at an arranged time?
If you did invite Him in, would you be proud of the things He would see, or would you be making excuses?
What's on your bookshelves, and what might you be listening to on your stereo or watching on your television or what would he find on your computer that would convict you? 
Are we worthy of His presence, or do we just waste one day after another? Do we put off reading the scriptures, studying His words with our families and friends? Do we surround ourselves with people who are worthy of us, as well as Him? Do we truly want to be a part of His world...His Kingdom or not? 

If we were arrested and charged with being Christians, would there be enough evidence for a court of law to declare us guilty? 

Romans 14:11(ESV)  for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

If you're not prepared, there's no time like the present...

False prophets video is worth a listen, even if you don't agree with its entirety. 

Reference points included. I have added some additional links that may be of interest:  
http://trackingbibleprophecy.org/olivet.php
https://www.gotquestions.org/Olivet-discourse.html
https://bible.org/article/parables-olivet-discourse-matthew-25
https://www.tms.edu/m/tmsj13f.pdf
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/olivet-discourse/
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/the-olivet-discourse/
 

Sanctuary of Tranquility: Sovereignty...It's All About Him, Not Us

Sanctuary of Tranquility: Sovereignty...It's All About Him, Not Us: "Sovereignty is God's control over His creation, dealing with His governance over it: Sovereignty is God's rule over all rea...

Sovereignty...It's All About Him Loving Us

"Sovereignty is God's control over His creation, dealing with His governance over it: Sovereignty is God's rule over all reality."                                  ~ Dr. Norman Geisler

One of the biggest lies we tell ourselves is that God is not sovereign. As a society, we convince ourselves that we are 100% free thinkers.
We believe in coincidences and we doubt the power of our own words spoken into the universe. We give up on our prayers if we don't receive instant gratification and, as much as we try to convince ourselves that we know God, we are clueless of the greatness and mighty power of Our Heavenly Father. 


He wants to bless us in a great way, the questions are these, are we wise enough to trust Him without seeing what the blessings are in advance? Will our doubt and stubbornness get in the way of our receiving all that He has for us? And are we so determined to believe that everything is all about us that we either ignore His promptings, or we go after change, full throttle and miss out on the daily wonders and blessings He provides in our lives?

He knows what we're doing, how we're trying to run the show, how our desire is to make things happen our way and in our time. I wonder what His thoughts are about that? 
A question for later. 

Waiting on His blessings is part of His plan. He wants us to trust in Him *daily* which is not always easy. I struggle with it all to often. "Dad, how much longer?" "Dad, when will we get there?"  
I am certain that like any father He either grins and keeps moving along or makes me wait even longer because of my lack of patience. We get so caught up in our desire for something that we miss the other daily blessings.

For example, this morning I noticed wild Morning Glories have intertwined themselves with my tomato plants. In the early hours before the sun was to bright, I spotted them, they're brilliant violet was amazing. Sadly, I walk by them every morning in my rush to go to work and I have overlooked  them until today. What a shame. How in the world???


Waiting on the Lord is a test of obedience, a test of endurance and a huge test of faith. When we behave like humans and try to make things happen that we have absolutely no control over, He makes note of it, yet He understands. He has told me that I think too much, I guess that's the research psychologist part in me (one of my passions). At any rate it is not beneficial to me in any scenario where I need to wait. This alone makes it wise for me to give it all to Him, each and every worry, and every concern! 
I know in my heart that He loves me so very deeply that every single plan He has for me will be amazing. My gift back to Him is my endurance which makes being patient easier. Without patience we have no faith and without faith, we have no patience. 

James 1:2-4 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Because of His sovereignty, anything that He does is mighty and filled with wonder. 
Because He knows all things concerning all people, we can be assured that the affect will be huge, the  ramifications a plenty and the changes...whatever He desires. A guaranteed trickle down affect, things and people constantly altered and changed; many of those changes will and do go unnoticed. Within ourselves we won't even be aware of them at all or at first. He makes all things new. 
He tells us so. 

Isaiah 43:18 Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old, Behold, I am doing a new thing now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and springs in the dessert. 

Revelations  21:5 And he who is seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." 

That is why His timing is so crucial. And it is also why it is so important to be patient. He is always behind the scene moving in our lives in ways we are clueless of. Putting each and every detail of His marvelous plan into place.  He is so amazing.

"The sovereignty of God means that He has total control of all things past, present and future. Nothing happens that is out of His knowledge and control. All things are either caused by Him or allowed by Him for His own purposes and through His perfect will and timing (Romans 11:36, 1 Corinthians 8:6) He is the only absolute and omnipotent ruler of the universe and is sovereign in creation, providence and redemption."  


There is no way to hide from Him, avoid Him or run from His love. He knows us inside out. Where we are and what we're doing. He knows who we talked to on the phone and who's calls we ignored. He knows how much time we spend on Facebook or chasing Pokemon. He knows all about that picture you sent someone on your phone and He knows how they reacted when they saw it. He knows what our thoughts are at any given moment. How else would He know when we need to experience something that will change our attitude or make us grow?  

He knows what we buy, and where we put it. He knows if we lost something and He knows exactly where it is. He knows what we have stashed in our attic, garage, storage units and each and every cupboards and He knows exactly the right time for us to find it. 
Last Winter I kept getting a vision of something like a Birthday card or a book and I couldn't figure out what it was that He was trying to show me. I was having some difficulties at work that were making me crazy. I kept praying for wisdom and the confidence to handle the situation with the wisdom and grace that would please Him. I had seen the vision several times before I finally asked Him to help me. He advised me to clean out a specific cupboard in my living room.There in the cupboard I found a series of Bible Studies from Women of Faith. There were two left on top of the stack that I hadn't completed. The top one was the very image of the book I had been envisioning. 
                                                                        The title, 'Trusting God' A Life Without Worry  

                                    A bit of priceless advice from our maker Himself. 

                                            Trust Him. Never doubt. Never Worry 
                       He loves each of us more than we could ever begin to imagine. 



Daniel 4:34-35 At the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar lifted my eyes to Heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I praised and honored Him who lives forever, for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His Kingdom endures from generation to generation  35.all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and He does according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?"

Sanctuary of Tranquility: I called on Him, but He did not answer. Song of P...

Sanctuary of Tranquility: I called on Him, but He did not answer. Song of P...: When the things we pray for seem out of reach,  unobtainable,  or even impossible; instead of bemoaning it to God,  we must press in with ...

I called on Him, but He did not answer. Song of Psalms 5:6

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Have you ever wondered if God hears your prayers? I am fully confident that He does. Often times the things we pray

Although i am fully confident that he does, sometimes our prayers seem too big, out of our reach, unobtainable, or even impossible, but I believe that those are the prayers he loves the most. After all, Our Lord created the universe and everything in it, so surely anything we could possibly pray would not present a problem. 

The song says, “Nothing, Nothing, Absolutely Nothing. Nothing is too Difficult for Thee”. 
I can say with total confidence, that what we view as difficult, is His comfort zone. Praise God! 

So, instead of moaning and groaning to God and saying things to Him that we really don’t mean or have no proof of, we must press in with total confidence that the plans he has for our lives are on a spreadsheet on his desk, and he’s working on it. 

Biblical Scholars have determined that most of our hearts desires, and the things we pray for were ideas planted in our hearts and minds by God, himself, which makes perfect sense to me.  I can’t count the times when someone I know will suddenly be on my mind and in heart and I know very well that he is prompting me to pray for that person. 
It is his desire to open our eyes, and test our faith. What’s cool, is that he puts each of us in other peoples minds as well so that they npmay pray for us. He is so amazing. 

The Lord has given varying amounts of faith to his people. It has been said that he gives you what you need to get you through his plans for your life. Although that may very well be true, he also gives us countless opportunities to stretch or deepen that original faith, and it has been up to us to determine if we are up for those challenges or not. 

He has been known to test us with long delays when we feel forgotten, or we’re certain He is ignoring us. It has been said that “He will allow the voices of His saints to echo in their ears as if their prayers were rebounding from a contemptuous sky. Believers have knocked at the Heavenly Gate but it has remained immovable, as though its hinges had rusted.”
And like Jeremiah, they have cried, “You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through” Lamentations 3:44 

Have you ever felt like that? I know I certainly have. In fact I’m waiting on a promise right this minute. Waiting, and wondering if He has forgotten about me, or perhaps He changed his mind. Even though these things cross my mind, i know it’s all about His timing and My Faith. 

How does one acquire great faith? 
My answer, obedience. Even when it scares you, be obedient. 

Believe. Press in. Seek him daily, Pray about everything. Talk to him as if He is seated next to you, and pour your heart out...every detail
He hears you, and He will respond. 

Invite him to go everywhere you go, work, school shopping. He wants to be with you and help you make decisions. 

Talk to Him, He will respond. 
Joke with Him, He will joke back.

Certainly you will go through storms, but He never leaves your side. DurHe will each one greater than the one before to examine and strenthen your faith. Pray for Mustard Seed Faith and expect storms. During these storms, cry out to him. Sometimes it is ok to even be mad at him, like any good father, he understands.  
Psalm 56:8 (MSG) You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn through the sleepless nights. Each tear entered in your ledger, each ache written in your book. 

He is the best friend you will ever have. and when He knows we trust Him, he stretches our faith. Certainly there will be hormonal days, or days when the evil one attacks you, and tries to convince you that God is a liar, but we know who the real liar is. This knowledge gives us the ability to laugh right in the devils face and tell him to be gone! Remind Him of where he’s heading and praise Jesus for chosing you and loving you so very much. 
Scripture for Today: Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted. (Matthew 15:28)
Faith is the key to receiving, not doubt. If you want God to move in your life you have to believe he will. He knows each of us and what degree of faith we have. Don’t let your blessings pass you by because of unbelief. Be blessed and be encouraged. True saints of God have endured lengthy times of patient waiting with no reply, not because their prayers were prayed without intensity, not because God did not accept their pleas. They were required to wait because it pleased Him who is sovereign and gives, “according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13) 

Mark 4:35-38 TPT “Later that day, after it grew dark, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” After they had sent the crowd away, they shoved off from shore with him, as he had been teaching from the boat, and there were other boats that sailed with them. Suddenly, as they were crossing the lake, a ferocious tempest arose, with violent winds and waves that were crashing into the boat until it was all but swamped. But Jesus was calmly sleeping in the stern, resting on a cushion. So they shook him awake, saying, “Teacher, don’t you even care that we are all about to die!” Fully awake, he rebuked the storm and shouted to the sea, “Hush! Calm down!” All at once the wind stopped howling and the water became perfectly calm. Then he turned to his disciples and said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Haven’t you learned to trust yet?” But they were overwhelmed with fear and awe and said to one another, “Who is this man who has such authority that even the wind and waves obey him?” 

When you think that God has forgotten his promisses to you, remind yorself of the storm that night, and how before they ever got on the boat that night, Jesus told them they were going to the other side. When the Holy Spirit tells you of things to come, they will happen. It pleases him to cause our patience to be excercised. As a father, should he not do what he feels is necessary with his own children?

Hebrews 11:6 Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God, must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.