Sunday, December 10, 2017

RE: Post from February 5, 2017

Hello Beloved,

I am going to add to a earlier post ( Feb. 5, 2017) called Darkness v. Night. In this post I shared with you the meaning of " darkness and of night. I know I am not the only one who has ever felt this way.
Today in church our Pastor made a comment about what a fellow said in his testimony last week.  It was on  the word " suddenly".  How all the sudden ly's we have experienced have had to take time, preparation, and effort to become our ' suddenly'. It is a process.  ie....  a football player does not get to be the star player without time and effort put forth. It takes practice, practice, practice, it does not happen overnight.  Our suddenly takes time too.... I know mine sure did.
 I spent a lifetime beating myself up; to get to the place I was at 650' below  the surface of the earth.   I was always taking the wrong path in my thoughts..  I read something in a book of fiction  that went something like this.  God speaking; I don't wonder what you will do or what you will chose I already know... God knows how many times it will take to reach you or that you will hear Him. It may be 50 times but, it all starts with the first time and goes on until ....  God says good we are almost there and then when you reach # 50  and you get it!  Then you can start to build ... Honey, there is no freedom in guilt.
I always thought I was in control and could do what I wanted...  My safe place was darkness.  I knew what it felt like and there were no surprises..  I could opt out at any time.  It would be my time and choice...  BUT God.
At 650'  below the surface I found my safe place in the darkness, a place I could not see in nor feel in.  It was a place of NO HOPE, NO LIGHT, and NO GOD.   When I look back on that time in the darkness  of no hope , no light, no God I feel like I was in Hell. By God's grace I came back to the surface not only did I see natural light but I think for the first time I saw HOPE.  I am on a new path now and it has the LIGHT on it every step of the way ... Christ Jesus is the LIGHT in this cruel and evil world we live in . I am so grateful that He is choosing to walk with me.    I had a suddenly this morning when the Pastor spoke so briefly on the word.... suddenly.

Remember to Smile:  It is a free gift from God for you to share with all you meet. You are at your most beautiful when you do. God Bless In the love of Christ Jesus, your sister in Christ ,vickie

Sunday, October 29, 2017

How Are You Preparing For Your Future

Good Evening Beloved,

I have a question for you.  How are you preparing for your future?  Let's say you are still in school.  Have you put much thought into what you want to do with your life after high school?  Maybe your in college and you have just finished your degree, now what?  Have you put any thought into that?
Okay, now you are married . Have you thought about your future?  Now, you have kids , what about the future?  Are you reaching the time of retirement?  What about the future?

The future I am asking you about is not what you want to be or what your degree is in nor is it about marriage and children and retirement.  The future I am asking you about is more eternal then that.  When you are in school did you ever think about where you would spend eternity?  It is probably the most important thought you could ever have. No, not probably but it IS the most important thought you will ever have..

Death will take us all sometime..  Maybe in school, or college, or it could be after we are married and maybe have some children.. It could happen just after we retire.  It will happen to us all at some point.  So, don't you think that knowing where you will spend eternity is pretty important?   So , how are you preparing for your future ?

In  Corinthians 15:1-4 tells us the Gospel. How Jesus Christ died on the cross , was buried and rose on the third day , that my beloved is the Gospel.  John 3:16 we all know that verse., For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotton Son, that whosoever believed  in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. In John  14: 2, Jesus Christ tells you that in His Father's house are many mansions, and He is going to prepare a place for you.  In John 3:3 ,5 it tells you what you have to do to prepare for that eternal future..  You have to be born again of the water and of the Spirit. So simple to do . So ,  how are you preparing for your future?

It is so simple to just ask Jesus Christ to be the Lord and Savior of your life , Have you done that? If you have not and want to then just ask Jesus to come in to your heart.  Maybe something like this....
Lord Jesus I am a sinner and I want to have you be the Lord and Savior of my life would you come in and fill me with your Spirit and guide me in to all truth ?  I love you Jesus and I do believe you are the Christ. Thank you  Amen
Pretty simple pray but oh....... your future is now planned and waiting for you..  This is the day  the Lord hath made  go and enjoy it .

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Names Have Meaning: Part One

Good Morning Beloved,
 
Names have meaning and I looked up the names in the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matthew and Luke.
Matthew 1:1-16 KJV
 Abraham( father of many), Isaac ( laughter) , Jacob( supplanter), Judah ( praise), Phares ( breach), Esrom ( fenced/walled) , Aram ( highness, curse), Aminadab ( my kinsman), Naasson ( diviner), Salmon ( peace) Booz( swiftness), Obed,( servant, worshipper),  Jesse ( gift) , David ( beloved--friend)_ Now David was the 14th generation from Abraham.  Solomon ( peace), Roboam( the people are enlarged) , Abia ( God is my Father), Asa( physician), Josaphat (Yahweh has judged) , Joram ( Jehovah is exalted), Ozias ( strength from the Lord), Joatham ( the perfection of the Lord) , Achaz ( one that takes or possess) , Ezekias, ( God strengthens), Manasses ( cause to forget), Amon ( faithful- true), Josias ( may Jehovah heal), Jechonias ( one who Jehovah establishes) this was 14 generations from King David and this was about the time they were taken to Babylon. Salathiel ( asked / lent of God) , Zorobabel ( stranger at Babylon/ dispersion o confusion), Abiud( father of praise), Eliakim ( God will develop) Azor ( helper, a court) Sadoc ( just justified righteous) , Achim ( God will judge) Eliud( God is my praise),  Eleazar ( God helps), Matthan ( gift of God), Jacob ( supplanter), Joseph ( he will add)( husband of Mary who was the mother of Jesus Christ. ) Jesus was the 14th generation from the time of Babylon.
I found this all interesting . When you are reading and see one of the names here then stop and put the meaning of the name in your mind of what is being said. It just makes the story so much richer . Or at least it does for me.   I will do the names in Luke next time.
God Bless and remember Smile, when you do you are your most beautiful!!

Monday, May 22, 2017

Romans Chapter One

Hello Beloved,

What is your mission / purpose in life?  Well, are you a believer in Christ Jesus?  Then your mission/purpose is to tell people everywhere ALL the great and wonderful things God has done for you. e
We are to encourage each other , pray for each other and we are not to be ashamed of  all that God has done for us, nor should we be ashamed to tell  others about it.
This Good News about God is  to be shared with believers and non - believers . This Good News about God is what makes us get ready for heaven when we put our faith and trust in Christ Jesus to save us. How ? It is accomplished by faith.
Now, God also shows anger against sinful, evil men( human) who push the truth away from them.  Truth about God is instinctive ,  God put the knowledge in their hearts. So there will be no excuse when they stand before God on judgment  day.

They worship idols made by their own hands.  Did things with their bodies that was  unnatural . God gave them up to it because of their disobedience .  Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness and sin. Greed and hate, envy, murder, fighting , lying, bitterness, and gossip.  There were backbiters, haters of God, insolent ( disrespectful) , proud braggarts, disobedient to parents, breaking promises, heartless and without pity.
Fully aware of God's death penalty they went ahead and did them and also encouraged others to do them too.
 This is what I got from Romans Chapter One.
Now , like me when I read it what do you see of yourself in this?   
Chapter Two Romans later.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Double minded?

Hello Beloved,

I am reading a book called : Fervent"  by Priscilla Shirer.  It goes along with the movie she was in called " War Room".. Great movie!  Well as I was reading this evening this is what I took from it.

Just how important is it to be in the Word of God every day?  Are you ever tempted by your old self?
Do you ever feel like your prayers go only to the ceiling of the room your praying in? Don't we know that  no temptation is harmless?  That the consequences are never minimal? That sin does have consequences.
 When we are not aligned with the Word of God that would be called disobedience.  We should not -expect  to receive from the Lord then.  In James 1: 7-8 (KJV)
v7." For let not that man think that he shall receive  anything of the Lord." v.8 " A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."  You need to change.
Sin creates separation  from God.  That  is what the enemy is out to do to you..... separate you from God.  You can not handle that alone, you need God, Jesus Christ in your life every day. That is why it is important to be in the Word of God everyday. 
Christ Jesus bore your sins on the cross. ( 1 Peter2: 24-25 read it)  You are to walk in the Spirit ... Galatians 5:16, read these scriptures too... 1 Corinthians 10:13; Ephesians 6:14 .
 " But I have prayed for thee , that thy faith fail not: and when thou are converted , strengthen thy brethren.  Luke 22: 31-32

We should all be in the Word of God everyday getting ourselves ready for His soon return.. 
May God Bless you and keep you. Smile: you are most beautiful when you do.

Monday, March 20, 2017

How Serious Are You?

Good Evening Beloved,

How serious are you about your prayer life?  How serious are you about your family? Mom? Dad? Brother? Sister? Son? Daughter? How serious are you about your friends? What about the town you life in?  Neighbors? Grocery Store? I know, how serious are you about the folks you go to church with? Your favorite eating place, job, co-workers?  What about where you would like to spend your vacation? How serious are you ?
Are you asking yourself , is she serious?  This is just plain silliness.  Well, to me it is not silly.  I pray a lot BUT, am I praying correctly?  My prayers would go something like:  I pray for strength and peace Lord for ............. and I ask for your will in Jesus Name. Amen.  See this is a very generic type prayer, not at all specific.  This is why we should pray. It is how we communicate with our Father.  We need to be specific , focused , consistent and pray biblical truths, not  empty words.
So, again , how serious are you about your prayers?  Do you want answers to life's  real problems?  Then the answer is to know what truth is.  For me that would be biblical truths.  So to know that I need to search out what the Bible says is truth. 
I will leave that for another post. 
PRAY SPECIFICALLY AND WITH PRECISION. KEEP FOCUSED AND CONSISTENT WITH BIBLICAL TRUTHS. BE DILIGENT.
Remember: Smile, you are the most beautiful you can be when you smile.
God Bless !! Vickie, your sister in Christ Jesus .

Saturday, March 11, 2017

You Have to Choose

Good Morning Beloved,

Sun is shinning and oh what joy that brings!!!

Have you heard about the movie " The Shack"?  I went and saw it yesterday afternoon after I had read the book last week.  I am going to take something from it and share it with you okay? 

Have you ever judged someone?  They may have hurt you deeply, made you so angry, or abused you in some way.. And , you have prayed and ask God to punish them.  They were so evil in your eyes. They deserve to be judged harshly and you have done that and you want God to do it too.  Has this ever happened to you?  Well,  it has happened  to me...  I have been lied to, lied about, stolen from , cheated , and have even had thoughts of hate.   Yes, I have been that person who has judged and executed in my own mind the people who have in my own eyes, hurt me.   Now.... it is choice time.
You are getting the chance to stand before God and He is going to give you a choice to choose who goes where.  Ready?
First I want to ask you a question.. Do you have children? Do you love your children? Would you do anything you could for that child?  Let's say your children were  guilty of a serious crime, would you still love your children  or would you turn your back on them?  When it came to judging those children for their crime, how would you react to a severe and harsh judgment?  Would you rather take their place and punishment? Well, right now you have a choice to make..  Which child are you going to send off for punishment?  Your son or your daughter?  You have to make that choice right now. You can't make the choice? Why?  Oh! I see you love them both .  Well, sorry you have to chose one right now.   You say you still can  not make that choice, but you will go in their place and take the punishment for them. 
Think about that for a moment.
   Isn't this what God did when He sent Jesus Christ down to die for our sins?  He choose to die in our place and take our punishment.  Just remember the person who may have hurt you or your loved one is still a child of God and even if they have not lived like they belong to Him , God still loves them.  Will they get away with whatever they have done? No. God is Righteous and Just.  We can not judge by our own standards . We will be judged by God's standard. EVERYONE will be judged by God's standard.  So, we need to learn how to forgive those who have hurt or done us wrong not for their sake but for our own.
If you get a chance to read the book The Shack or go and see the movie by same title, do.  It is a good read and good movie... I know it is fiction but you can still pick up some pretty interesting facts from it...   God Bless and remember to Smile : it is a free gift from you to everyone you meet.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

How To Receive Eternal Life

Good Morning Beloved,

What do you need to do to have Eternal Life?  Well, lets turn to the One who can tell us.
In John 3:1-21:  You learn from Christ Jesus what you need to do to receive Eternal Life.
" Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
So when you see the Verily, verily, it means Double Truth. 
Nicodemus wants to know , how can a man when he is old enter his mother's womb again and be born again?   Christ Jesus answers , " Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."
Nicodemus asks, How can these things be?
Christ Jesus answers, "  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak things that we do know, and testify that we have seen, and ye receive not our witness. I have told you earthly things and you believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things?'   As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.  That who so ever believeth in him, should not perish but have eternal life." God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that who so ever  believeth should not perish but have everlasting life."   This is a  promise!!!!  For he that does evil loves darkness, but he that does truth comes to the Light.
Christ Jesus is the Light.
So, to have Eternal Life, all you have to do is : believe, be born again of the water and the Spirit.
It is really just that simple.  My prayer is that you would make your calling sure today, don't wait , it is so very, very worth it.  Would you please say a simple prayer with me to receive Christ Jesus as your own personal Savior? 
Dear Father , I want to receive everlasting life, so I confess all of my sins to you. I have broken each of your commandments and I am so sorry . Would you please forgive me ?  Would you please come into my heart and my life and show me the way to eternity with you? Thank you Lord Jesus for dying on the cross for my sins. I  love you  Lord  Jesus. I pray in Jesus name . Amen.  Now, find a church that will teach you about Jesus Christ and go there and be blessed.

I truly hope that you have made a decision  to follow Christ Jesus , because even when you make no decision you have made a decision  .  If you prayed this prayer or one similar  then let me be the first one to say Welcome Brother/ Sister..  You have just made the very best decision of your life.
Smile:  You are the most beautiful you can be when you smile.
In the Love of our Savior Jesus Christ, vickie


Friday, February 17, 2017

How to kill the Giants in your life

Hello Beloved,

This is something I wrote on  February 16,2016  and wanted to keep it here .

I listened to a preacher on T.V. this morning and it was about how to kill the giants in your life.. I took notes and wrote off them , hope I got it  right.  1 Samuel 17.
What do you need to kill the giants in your life?
1)  You need to be able to be under authority.  Whose?  God's.
2)  You need discipline ( you need to put God 1st in every part of your life, first on rising in the morning with praise and prayer.)
3) Get up out of that valley or low place in your life. How? SHOUT!!!! What?  Praises to God . When you shout you win the victory ( look at Joshua 6:16)
4)  Look toward the reward. What is the reward?  Heaven and time with Jesus .  How? With confidence and trust  in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
5)  Be the same in the dark as you are in the light.
6)  Be determined.
7) In this assembly. Where/who is the assembly?  It is whoever you are with and wherever you are. You need to be the same.
8) And now you are equipped to defeat the giant, But,  you have to take off his head( authority) and kill him, then you will have the victory.
This is pretty much what I got from the preaching this a. m..  David who would become King of Israel did all this when he killed Goliath. Goliath in Hebrew means splendid.  This helped  me in my prayers this morning sure hope it will help you.

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Old Testament & New Testament Book Name Meaning

Hello Beloved,

This is really more for me than you I suppose, but  today I went through and looked up the names of the Bible and wrote down what I found. So I will put them here so I will have them if I need them for later.

OLD TESTAMENT :                                           NEW TESTAMENT :

 Genesis:  The Book of Beginnings                      Matthew: Gift of YAHWEH
 Exodus  : Departure; Emigration                         Mark: Hammer, straight or level
 Leviticus: The Book of Levities                           Luke:  Light 
 Numbers: Putting in Order                                   John: YAHWEH is Gracious
 Deuteronomy: Second Law                                  Acts:  Acts
 Joshua:  YAHWEH is Salvation                          Romans: Romans
 Judges:     Judges                                                  1&2 Corinthians:  Corinth Church
 Ruth:  Be a friend, companion or friendship        Galatians: Galatians Church
 1&2 Samuel : God has heard                        Ephesians: Ephesus Church
 1& 2 Kings: Authority                                   Philippians: Anointed One
 1 & 2 Chronicles: Time                                  Colossians: Colosse Church
 Ezra : Help                                                            1&2 Thessalonians: Church
 Nehemiah: The Lord is Comfort                           1&;2 Timothy: Honoring God
 Esther: Star                                                            Titus: pleasing ( USA meaning)
 Job: Persecuted                                                       Philemon: Beloved
 Psalms: Song of Praise                                           Hebrews: passed over,
 Proverbs : Likeness                                                Hebrews: Flower Fourth
 Ecclesiastes : The Preacher                                   
 Song of Solomon : Solomon means Peaceable     James: supplanter
 Isaiah:  YAHWEH is Salvation                             1&2 Peter: rock, stone
 Jeremiah: My high place is the Lord                    1,2 &;3 John: YAHWEH is Gracious
 Ezekiel: Strength of God                                       Jude: The Praised One
 Daniel : Judge                                                         Revelation: Revealed
 Hosea:  Saved, Salvation
 Joel : The Lord is God
 Amos: strong, carried, brave
 Obadiah: Servant, worshipper of the Lord
 Jonah: Dove
 Micah: poor, humble
 Nahum: comforter
 Habakkuk: he that embraces, wrestler
 Zephaniah : The Lord is my Secret
 Haggai: Festival of the Lord, Celebrate
 Zechariah : Memory of the Lord
 Malachi: my messenger





Sunday, February 5, 2017

Darkness v. Night

Hello Beloved,

DARKNESS: entirely or partly without light;  neither giving or receiving light;  hidden;  not easily understood;  gloomy, evil; sinister ;  unenlightened; ignorant; uninformed; obscurity, absence of light

NIGHT: period of darkness in a 24 hour period; from sunset to sunrise

We have all experienced night if we have lived a 24 hour period; but not ALL have experienced darkness.  Darkness of night is different than darkness of darkness.  At night you will have the stars and or moonlight. In darkness of darkness there is NO light.

Want to share an experience I had this past November out in Kansas at a Salt Mine.  This mine is 650 feet below ground.  They have electric lights running throughout the mine.  You take a tour of the mine by doing some walking and reading of the different  exhibits and you also get a  train ride  to see different parts of the mine.  There is a tram you can ride that takes you to a part of the mine you are not allowed to walk in.  The reason is they have no lights there. The guide will take you into this part of the tunnel and shut the lights on his tram off and you can see NOTHING!!!  You can not even see your hand touching your nose!!  It is TOTAL, COMPLETE, ABSENCE OF LIGHT DARKNESS!!!!!!!!
I was so totally lost in the darkness of that mine. It filled my whole being  permeated( to pass into and affect every part ) of my whole existence ( state or fact of being ).  It wasn't long that we sat in that darkness but it was long enough for me to learn something very important about myself.  I needed time to digest ( think over and absorb) what I had just experienced .  It was HUGE !  At least to me. 
I was sitting at home alone the other day  talking to God. Pouring our all of my hurts, anger, bitterness, and all the SINS I could remember.  Purging ( to cleanse of impurities) myself. And sure enough the darkness I felt in that 650 foot deep underground , NO LIGHT salt mine popped up!
So, I asked out loud , why did the darkness feel so right to me, why so safe?  There was no fear in the darkness for me----yet when I go out into the night I am very cautious ( wary)  Why then  no fear in the total , complete, absence of light darkness ?  
Well at night when you go out people can see you.. Can see if your afraid or not.  But underground with no light at all , even the people I was with, sitting next to could NOT see me.  I was as completely alone as you can get ...BUT...GOD.  No one could see me; not my fear, not my agony (great mental or physical pain; struggle)  they could not see how rapid my heart was beating or how shallow my breath was, nor could they see the calm that came on top of all the fear and agony I was experiencing at that moment of truth.
For just an instant moment in time I saw for myself-----myself.  Someone who did not like herself. Why?  Oh my the list goes on and on..  In a nut shell. I was not like everyone I was around.  I have held onto that moment like no other.   I thought I had lived in the darkness ( my mind, thoughts)  but being in that mine 650 feet below the surface showed me more about who I was than probably anything I have ever lived through.
In Scripture in talks about weeping and gnashing of teeth.   When? Where? Why will there be weeping and gnashing of teeth?    When is when you die.  Where is in Hell.  Why is because of final judgement of sinners, those who have chosen NOT to follow the One True God..  You will find this phrase in several places in scripture used in reference to final judgement.
To me Hell will be a place of darkness, TOTAL, COMPLETE, ABSENCE OF LIGHT..  I have been there and seen that and I DO NOT WANT TO SPEND ETERNITY THERE.     Christ Jesus is the Light of the World and I wish to spend eternity with Him.
I wrote this to remind myself that this was but just a step. Psalms 37: 23-24 ,  The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord:     these verses are a promise  The Lord holds us in His hand.
Smile:  this is a gift from God for you to share with all you meet.
In the Love of Jesus Christ our Savior, your sister in Christ  vickie