HANDY LITTLE CHART - GOD HAS A POSITIVE ANSWER

I received the following in an e-mail a while back and found the message so powerful that I hung onto it. I take it out and read it every once in a while, and it always nourishes my heart and spirit. I wanted to pass it on in hopes that it will lift you up as well:

 

YOU SAY/GOD SAYS
BIBLE VERSES 

 

You say: 'It's impossible'
God says: All things are possible 
( Luke 18:27) 

 You say: 'I'm too tired'
God says: I will give you rest
( Matthew 11:28-30) 

 

You say: 'Nobody really loves me'
God says: I love you
( John 3:1 6 & John 3:34 ) 

 You say: 'I can't go on' 
God says: My grace is sufficient
(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15) 

 

You say: 'I can't figure things out'
God says: I will direct your steps
(Proverbs 3:5- 6) 

 You say: 'I can't do it'
God says: You can do all things
( Philippians 4:13)

You say: 'I'm not able'
God says: I am able
(II Corinthians 9:8)

You say:'It's not worth it'
God says: It will be worth it
(Roman 8:28 ) 

 You say: 'I can't forgive myself'
God says: I Forgive you
(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1) 

 You say: 'I can't manage'
God says: I will supply all your needs
( Philippians 4:19) 

 You say: 'I'm afraid'
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear
( II Timothy 1:7)

 

 You say: 'I'm always worried and frustrated'
God says: Cast all your cares on ME
(I Peter 5:7) 

 You say: 'I'm not smart enough'
God says: I give you wisdom
(I Corinthians 1:30) 

 You say: 'I feel all alone'
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you 
(Hebrews 13:5) 

 Consider passing this on. You never know who may be in need. The first sentence is pretty powerful!

Father, God, bless all my friends in whatever it is that you know they may need this day! And may their lives be full of your peace, prosperity and power as they seek to have a closer relationship with you. Amen. 

Good Friday ~ What It Means For Us

Today is Good Friday, and I believe it to be a solemn day, but also one for having a grateful spirit. So, in contemplating what I could write today, I wanted to say something that would give meaning to the sacrifice that Jesus made so that we could have eternal life. I finally decided that the scripture in John 19:17-30 said it best, and I am reprinting here for you:

Paradise Reopened ~ See How to Get Your Foot In The Door

This is the holiest week of the year, yet we often go about our lives without paying much attention to it until Easter Sunday, when we bring out the dyed eggs, the Easter baskets, and celebrate the Easter Bunny. Wait a minute...the Easter Bunny?

Overwhelmed? Here's Hope!

 

Are you overwhelmed with the difficulties of life: a financial crisis; a relationship falling apart; the loss of a loved one; or any one of the plethora of tribulations we are bound to encounter at some time in our life. I am currently dealing with one of these issues myself, and while I don’t much believe in the “stick your finger anywhere in the Bible and God will give you an answer” theory, this morning I have renewed faith in the thought that God knows what you need, when you need it. This is why:

Here's the Truth About You

In reading Hebrews 9 from the New Testament, I was reminded of something so fantastic that the words alone can lift us up, bolster our self-esteem, and allow us to soar to greater heights in all that we seek to accomplish. It also happens to be one of God's enduring truths. Reflect on this:

Guaranteed Salvation or Judgment ~ Which Is It?

The Bible teaches us that if we believe in Jesus as the son of God and that he died on the cross for our eternal salvation, we will have eternal life with him in heaven. That is God’s promise to use. It is written:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” ~ John 3:16

This is God’s grace; it’s given to us freely. It is only through our belief in Jesus, that he is the Way, the Truth, and Life that we can redeem his promise. Nothing else we do can get us to heaven.

Okay, we might get that, but then what about this verse:

It's Friday ~ Finish Well! See How

 While reading my devotional pamphlet "Portals of Prayer" this morning, I noticed that there were prayers at the back of the booklet for each day of the week. Reading Friday's offering it occurred to me that I had more things to finish today than I had initially planned. This is what it said:

"Forgive me for not completing Your assignments and thus delaying blessings that others would have received."

What struck me about this was

Complacency vs the Great Commission

  

This is part 3 of a 3-part blog on complacency. In Part 1, we looked at how being complacent keeps us from having a closer walk with Jesus. In Part 2, we found out what happens if we are complacent in our tithing. In Part 3, we will look at reasons for complacency in bringing others to know God.

In the Bible, it is written:  “He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 15-16 This verse describes what is referred to as the “Great Commission”.

Still, it can be a bit scary to stick out our necks for God, especially if we are unsure of another’s view on the subject. We don’t want to appear as a “Jesus Freak”, being a freak in the worst use of that term. I know what that feels like. When I was a teen,

Complacency ~ How it Hampers Faith

The heart of the discerning
acquires knowledge
Prov. 18:15

Complacency. The word came up in a church council meeting this week, regarding how easy it is for us to fall into it when it comes to our faith.

Oddly enough, the word traveled through my dreams last night. Over and over again I heard it, coupled with thoughts about finding a way to write about it. So here goes:

Sometimes there are no words...sigh...there are no words to describe the sorrow that we feel for the people suffering from horrific tragedies, as we see in Japan today ~ an earthquake big enough to create a potential tsunami in the United States.

We don’t understand why these tragedies happen; why innocent people are lost. We have no capacity to understand. The only words that come to mind are from my bible:

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5

And

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

How to Renew a Right Spirit

As a Christian, I am thankful for the fragment of verse in Psalm 51:10 ~ “Renew a right spirit within me.”

As life would have it, we can sometimes get a little grumpy. It could be the old cliché that we woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, the sky is too gray for us today, or the dog peed on the carpet (again!). Sometimes we are grumpy because we feel we’ve failed someone, or even ourselves.

That last one is a double whammy. For example (and I know of this from experience, but I’ll try to keep this in the all encompassing “you” perspective):

How Well-Aquainted Are We

The Christian poet, Evangeline Fedor, in her “For Prayerful Reflection” collection said, “The Lord is acquainted with all our ways.” I read that just as I was considering Psalm 139, in which David speaks of how well God knows us. It’s like a parent who knows and loves her own child ~ and you can imagine how deep and far-reaching that is! ~ but God’s relationship with us goes far beyond that love and knowledge.

And like an earthly parent, God loves us unconditionally, guides us, protects us, and doesn’t give us everything we want ~ because it might not be good for us. When our prayers don’t seem to ignite an immediate answer, it could be