Breakfast For Your Soul

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

TIMING

Good Afternoon Beloved,

I love the Biblical account of David.  It is one of the greatest human redemption stories in the Old Testament.  Remember, this was before Jesus’ sacrifice.  God saw something in David so precious that He called him “a man after His own Heart”(Acts 13:22) … wow… that gets me every time!  What an honor.  David was no where near perfect, but he never let his issues separate him from his God.  Last night I saw a movie on television, that was a pretty accurate portrayal of the life of David.  It was saturated with David’s psalms and prayers to God, but did not gloss over his weaknesses and indiscretions.  It included terrible incidents in David’s life, such as when his son Amnon raped his daughter Tamar, incurring the wrath of his son Absalom who later killed Amnon, and years later took the kingdom from his father… briefly.  David’s love for his children (especially Absalom) is clearly seen throughout scripture. Not long after usurping the throne, Absalom meets his fate at the hands of David’s captain and David is put back on the throne.  So many happenings in one life!  All stemming from a young boy singing songs to God, while faithfully tending to his daddy’s sheep.  He could have never in his wildest dreams imagined that he would be God’s choice for King of Israel. Many years passed between the time Samuel anointed him as king and when he actually received the crown.  Timing.  We may never experience the level of drama in our lives some of the ”bible people” did, but we’ll have our own mountain-top/valley low experiences.  Realizing that perfect timing only comes from a perfect God will make our life so much more satisfying and productive.  I wish that I could have met my brother and his wife years ago.  I wish I could have met my sister and her husband years ago.  I wish I could have attended their weddings, sat in the hospital as their children were born, gone to the graduations, spent holidays together etc… etc.. etc.  They are all such wonderful people, and we would have really enjoyed each other.  However it did not work out like that.  They were all ’suddenlies’ in our life.  One day they were complete and total strangers, the next day we were family, feeling as though there was no separation.  I don’t know how or why 2009 became the year of “reconnection” but I’m grateful that it was.  Timing.  I don’t know what all The Father has in store for us, but His Word tells us that it is good.  The circumstances around us may be hard, but His promise is that He would not put any more on us than we are able to bear.  With every temptation, He has already provided a way of escape.  Every question has an answer.  We may not like the answer, but there is one nevertheless.  Some seasons in our life when we feel as though we’re getting cut left and right, it’s just God pruning us like a fruitful tree… that we will be able to bear even more fruit… healthy fruit… not corrupt, worm-laden, rotten fruit!  Each step we take towards God, we will find a new obstacle trying to block our path, but remember we are more than conquerors through Him that loves us.  The bottom line… no matter what….

“all things work together for the good of them who love GOD, to them who are the called according to His purpose”

(Romans 8:28)

Y Stress? … U Blessed!

Have A Fabulous Day

Regina

“Never Seen His Face”, The Williams Brothers w/K&K Mime

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQwYnagGw1A

“I Give You Praise”, Darwin Hobbs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c48LkI0ZQTE

“Take Me In”, Kutless

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0cuOawD_I8

“Breakthrough”, Israel & New Breed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVbsab0j3vE

“For Every Mountain”, Jackson 2 Mime

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRnVqQsmJuU

“Tomorrow”, King David Productions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZBCv7ChP38

“Be Grateful”, The Hawkins Family

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUEkRp69aIU

“Son of Man”, Tye Tribbett & GA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzQuwfoeTx8

 Thursday, April 23, 2009

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Luke 19:10

“There is None Like Jesus”

Good Morning Beloved,

Jesus is real and He is awesome!  I mean when we really stop to think about His character He is fabulous!  Years ago, I had to fly to Atlanta for a business meeting.  It was my very first time on a plane and, let’s just say terrified could not adequately describe the fear I felt.  I did what any new born again believer would do…. I prayed, told God my life was in His hands, that He was the same God who protected me everyday on the ground, and this would be no different.  Then I promptly …. continued to be scared out of my wits … until I grabbed my little ‘purse’ bible and started to read.  As I read about through the Gospels, I saw a picture of our Savior.  Jesus… wise, kind, powerful, no-nonsense, straight-forward, compassionate with a great sense of humor.  He loves people, but He is not controlled by them.  He knew His purpose and even through His crises in the Garden of Gethsemane, there was no doubt that He would complete His mission, and glorify The Father.  There is none like Him.  Many put themselves in harm’s way every day to save the lives of perfect strangers.  Some even save people they don’t like.  Our Lord Jesus loved us so much that He sacrificed His life to place us back in fellowship with Himself.  He was the only One that could do it.  He is complete perfection.  We didn’t even know what was missing… but He did.  We didn’t know how lost we were… but He did. We didn’t know the horrors that were waiting for us… but He did.  After His bloody, horrific death, He was buried.  The blessed truth for the Child of the Living God is that He didn’t stay there.  He went to Hell and took the keys to death, hell and the grave and on the third day He got up.  He didn’t forget His disciples, hiding in fear.  The King of kings appeared to them, comforted them, gave them instructions, endowed them with power, and ascended to His Heavenly Throne.  What a mighty God we serve! He is so unique and all encompassing, that He can dwell on high and in our hearts at the same time.  How does that work?  He is God.  He is the God of all who embrace the gift of Jesus. 

 
But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name…

John 1:12 

There is none like Him… and that my friend is Good News!

U Blessed

Have A Fabulous Day!

Regina

“There Is None Like You”, Women of Faith

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMKsDlyDIjA

“There Is No Greater Love”, Fred Hammond

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBLYdxVe7Gg

“Calvary”, Richard Smallwood & Vision,

(feat. Maurette Brown Clark, Darlene Simmons, and Carolene Hatchett )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl7kCi2MUsg

Leap of Faith -Acts 4:12 109 of 119   Living in the Sin building may seem pleasant for a while, but it’s a firetrap, and eventualyeventuallyt will burn down around you. Thankfully, there is a way of escape: the saving grace of Jesus. January 26, 2009 Symphony -Romans 15:5 101 of 119   The church is made up of diverse peoples,with different cultures and styles. But, we can come together in unity when we are all following Jesus. November 9, 2008 Proposal -Hosea 2:19,20 110 of 119   Jesus has made His proposal to the world, offering gifts of love and righteousness. The people of the world would be crazy not to accept his offer. February 9, 2009 Fishing Lure -Matthew 4:19 112 of 119   People don’t need to be beat on the head with the bad news that they are condemned for being a sinner. We should be telling them the good news, that Jesus loves them and died to redeem them from condemnation. February 22, 2009

Rescue Copter -Psalm 89:14 1 of 119   Our God is a God of justice, but also a God of mercy. Through the blood of Jesus, God’s mercy is available to us now. It is up to us to decide to accept it. We don’t want to be camping out in “Sin Forest” when judgment time comes.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

    “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lamp stands:   “I know all the things you do.  I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance.  I know you don’t tolerate evil people.  You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not.  You have discovered they are liars.  You have patiently suffered for Me without quitting. “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love Me or each other as you did at first Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to Me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lamp stand from its place among the churches.  But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do
“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches.  To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.

[Revelation 2:1-7]

“First Love”

Good Afternoon Beloved,

There is a song from a few years back by Avant featuring Ketara Wyatt (I didn’t even know the person’s name, but I still remember the song) … “My First Love”.  The chorus really struck a chord with me:

Long as I live (my first love) you will be my first love.
And I choose you again.

The bible lets us know that before we even knew who He was, God loved us.  There are millions of people who still don’t know, and that is such a shame. 

    If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.  You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.  For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the Face of Jesus Christ.

(2nd Corinthians 4:3-6 New Living Translation) 

If people only knew the gift God is offering them, accepting Jesus would be a ‘no-brainer’.  Incomparable riches are bound in Him.  What we don’t always fully understand is that the richest person in our world today, no matter how many material items they possess, is a pauper in comparison to a God who owns the universe.  I read of a wealthy gentleman in India who told his family to bury him in his car when he died… and they did.  Now, it was his to do with as he wanted, but … wow.  A person who dies in Christ, no matter how much or how little they had on earth, will gain infinitely more than they could have ever imagined.  Remember:

Eyes have not seen, nor ears heard, neither has entered into the heart of humanity the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

… those who love Him.  It also stands to reason, that if we love God, we love those that He loves also.  You know … the world that can sometimes get on our nerves with their irreverence, arrogance and nastiness, as well as, our brothers and sisters in Christ who don’t always seem very ‘Christ-like’.  These are the very ones He died to save.  Notice, God affirmed His people for their hatred of wickedness … not the wicked.  We are not to tolerate the deeds of evildoers.  There are standards.  There is a time to speak out.  If we see someone heading down a road (in the natural), and we know that the bridge is gone, and they are about to end up in the sea or off a cliff, how cruel would it be for us to let them continue to drive…. and not say anything.  If we tell them, and they reject us, the consequences are theirs alone, but if we don’t tell them, then their blood is on our hands.  We can only do that in the strength, love and wisdom of our God.  When we discover (or rediscover) our “first Love” and we would say in the words of the song…

“and I choose You (Jesus) again”…

… and that Beloved of God is Good News!

U Blessed.

Have A Fabulous Day

Regina

“So Easy To Love YOU”, Israel & New Breed

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osn-cUuJwro

“I Will Run To You”, Hill Song

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s2wCVcmYOU

“How Deeply I Need You”, Shekinah Glory

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMq6670Llrw

“Lord You Are Awesome”, Pastor William Murphy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frYfNGC4ObU

Walk In The Light -1 John 1:7 50 of 111   The world around us is dark & scary & full of sin. But if we stay close to Jesus, we will be safe in His light.

Friday, January 2, 2009

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:14 

Philippians 3:14 

 
But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place, unless you repent.

….pressing on… no looking back

“Press Toward The Mark”, Saints In Praise

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kKSzAUqZA4

“No Looking Back”, Damita Hadden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a__5VVFNoWw

Refreshment Station -Romans 15:32 65 of 105   If you are becoming weary in your faith walk, perhaps it’s time to draw on the strength and refreshing that God provides through the force of joy. Nehemiah 8:10 tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. February 3, 2008

Unwanted Intruder -2 Corinthians 10:5 56 of 105   This cartoon is an illustration of the battle that goes on inside our mind. Wrong thoughts may try to come into our mind, but we must remain on guard, and usher them out as quickly as they came in. November 25, 2007

Ranger Rescue -Isaiah 52:7 52 of 105   This cartoon is an encouragement to the church to get out of the “ranger station” of the church building, and up on the “mountain” of the world, where people are in need of rescue. October 28, 2007