To Know Him More: April 2008

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

April!

Hello April!
Girl, we have been WAITING for you!
(Just a bit of Southern influence there.)
There's been so many new flowers popping up and buds bursting out that I can't help but rejoice at your coming. Welcome! We're glad you're here.

Don't you just love the photo above?
Doesn't it look good enough to eat?
Hang around a few months and you'll be able to!

I'm so glad you've stopped by.
I've been publishing this little blog for almost a year now. If you're new to blogs, you can look there on the side and you will find an archive of past posts listed month by month that you can click on.
I hope you enjoy your visit here.
May your heart be filled with
love, joy and peace as you come to know Him more.

Just Be Yourself

It's okay!
Just be yourself.
Don't hide who you really are.
And please realize that people change, too.
Who you were 10 years ago might not be who you are today.
God loves you just the way you are and so do I.

Do You Know Him?

Do you know Him?

I know I've asked this question before but I want to ask it again.

Do you know Him?

Is it possible that you think that He is beyond knowing?

He's not.

He wants to have a relationship with you.

He wants to speak to you and He wants to hear you speak to Him.

Seek and you will find.

You CAN know Him.

Please don't ever forget that.

It All Depends On How You Look At It

I like Dandelions.
I see them as a happy sign of Spring.
I even eat the new ones battered and fried!
But I haven't always felt this way.

Years ago, I had a tiny green lawn. I liked to think that it was one of the nicest lawns in town and I made sure to keep the dandelions OUT of it! But then my mother in law came from Texas to visit.

As we went out walking one day, we passed a yard FULL of dandelions.
"How pretty!" My mother in law exclaimed. "I wonder what all those pretty yellow flowers are!"
~ Smile~
I sputtered and stammered as I tried to explain that those pretty little flowers were weeds and that we didn't like them and that we tried to get rid of them.
~ Blush~

So often, life depends on how we look at it doesn't it?
I want to look at life with positive eyes.
Sure, there are some ugly things out there,
but we can think about how God will one day change it- that's positive.
We can think about the joy that will one day come.
We can rest in the knowledge that God knows how to comfort the broken and the broken hearted. Suffering DOES come to an end.
We can think about how Paul said that the sufferings of this time cannot be compared to the glory that will be revealed. (By the way, I believe him.)
The prophets have said that all flesh will see the salvation of God and that all will know Him. That's positive! That's something to look forward to.
And that's how I deal with the ugly things.
One day- somehow- someway- all and everything will be redeemed!
Even the dandelions.

~Smile~

What If?

What if?
What if you met a child who was sad most of the time?
Would that make you sad?
What if when the subject of his dad came up, that child would hang his head?
What if he then made statements such as, 'I'm no good. I'm always messing up.
My Dad is disappointed in me. Why would my dad want to do anything for me?"
What would you think?
Would you think that there was something wrong with that child?
Or would you think there was something wrong with his DAD?
My guess is that you would suspect abuse on the part of the dad.
You might even feel anger toward that dad and have a desire to meet the guy!
Children should be happy!
Children should feel secure in their Daddy's love.
They should know that he desires to help them and do good things for them.
And when we hear of a dead beat dad who doesn't do these things, we feel sorry for a child.

That's sort of how I feel when I met a grown child of God who makes the same type of statements and then hangs his head. The only thing is, I KNOW his Dad! I know he's not abusive! I know that He is a loving and kind parent.

So what's the problem? Could it be that they really don't know their heavenly Dad? Could it possibly be that someone or something has clouded their perception of who God really is- what His character is like?

The Lord my God is my Dad. Is He yours? If He is yours, is He a "good dad'? How are we representing Him to other people? Let's Think about that.

The Lord Is A Good Shepherd

My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me;(John 10:27)

Jesus gave His life for all the sheep. He's the GOOD Shepherd! He loves to lead us and guide us and save us. He loves to speak to us. He said we hear His voice.

When we can focus on what the Shepherd is saying to us, it is such a peaceful and restful graze. When we are focused on what we think other sheep are supposed to be hearing, that's when we can get agitated.

Please, don't overly concern yourself with what others are doing. The GOOD Shepherd is well able to direct and guide. I promise you, He is a good Shepherd and none of the sheep will be lost.

Are You Confused?

Are you confused?
Are you tired of trying to figure every thing out?
Are you demanding answers that don't seem to come?
I don't like confusion.
To be honest, I don't like puzzles or riddles either.
Some people do but I am not one of them.
Some people thrive on stress and challenges. Not me.
I like to float on the breeze.
I'm a dreamer. I enjoy peace and quiet.
Fighting is not for me.
I'm not comfortable around anger.
I like to smile and laugh!

If there is something that you don't understand,
just ask the Lord about it and then rest.
Striving does not bring answers.
Dwelling in anger will not bring relief.
The Lord our God delights in fellowshipping with His people.
He does!
He is willing and able to answer your questions
but it's when and IF He sees fit.
He knows what is best for you.
He knows just what you need to know.
He IS God.

Can you try and rest in His timely answer or His holy hush?
Can you trust and relax in His will?
There is peace and joy in such a place.
That wonderful place is available to you.
I pray that you will enter into such rest and find quiet for your soul.

Give Your Heart A Home

Are the words of this song for you? Is He calling you?

Give Your Heart A Home
by Don Francisco

I hear your hollow laughter -your sighs of secret pain

Pretending and inventing just to hide your shame

Plastic smiles and faces- blinkin' back the tears

Empty friends and places all magnify your fears

If you're tired and weary, weak and heavy laden

I can understand how -it feels to be alone

I will take your burden- if you'll let Me love you

Wrap My arms around you

Give your heart a home

It hurts to watch you struggle- and try so hard to win

But trade your precious birth right for candy coated sin

Wasting precious moments- restless and confused

Building up defenses for fear that you'll be used

If you're tired and weary- weak and heavy laden

I can understand how- it feels to be alone

I will take your burden- if you'll let Me love you

Wrap My arms around you

Give your heart a home

Take My yoke upon you and walk here by My side

Let Me heal your heartaches- dry the tears you've cried

Never will I leave you- never turn away

Keep you through the darkness
Lead you through the day

If you're tired and weary- weak and heavy laden

I can understand how -it feels to be alone

I will take your burden- if you'll let Me love you

Wrap My arms around you

Give your heart a home

Wrap My arms around you

Give your heart a home

Life Changing Scriptures

Turn to me and be saved all ye ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself. The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to me every knee will bow, every tounge will swear allegiance. (Isaiah 45:22-23)
The Lord's lovingkindess indeed never ceases. For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. (Lam. 3:22-23)
For the Lord will not reject forever, for if He causes grief then He will have compassion according to His abundant lovingkindness. (Lam 3: 31-32)
And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11)
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. (Luke 3:6)
The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)
In Him was life and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4)
There was the true light which coming into the world, enlightens every man. (John 1:9)
Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am." (John 8:58)
Jesus said to him, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me. (John 14: 6)
"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture." (John 10:9)
"I am the Vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)
No one can come to me, unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, 'AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to me. (John 6:44-45)
Again Jesus therefore spoke to them saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me shall not walk in the darkness , but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12)
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." (John 6:35)
"If any man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. "He who believes in Me, as the scripture said, 'From his inermost being shall flow rivers of living water.' " (John 7:37-38)
Jesus answered and said to her, "everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14)
"I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." (John 10: 11)
What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety- nine in the open pasture, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? (Luke 14:4)
But He turned and rebuked them and said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. (Luke 9:55-56)
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:27-28)
"Fear not, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)
"Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; abide in my love." (John 15:9)
..."If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free." (John 8: 31-32)
"If therefore the Son of man shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36)
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26)
"But an hour is coming and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:23-24)
"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." (John 6:63)
All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. (Matthew 11:27)
Come to me, all who are weary and heavy- laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my load is light." ( Matt.11:28-30)
"If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him. (John 14:23)
"O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known; that the love wherewith You did love Me may be in them, and I in them." (John 17: 25-26)
"In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. (John 14:20)
But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7)
But when He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. (John 16: 13)
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of Truth Whom the world cannot receive because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. (John 14:16-17)
Now judgement is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself. (John 12:31-32)
"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes and they will condemn Him to death and will deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him and on the third day He will be raised up." (Matt. 20:18-19)
And when they came to the place called the skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23: 33-34)
...Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that He was buried and that He was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, (1 Cor. 15:3-4)
This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim. 2:4)
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor. 5:21)
and he died for all that they who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. (2 Cor. 5:15)
He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. (Eph. 4:10)
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11: 36)
And He is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the church; and He is the beginning, the first born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. (Col. 1:15-20)
So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. (Romans 5:18)
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. (1 Cor. 15:22)
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of the Father. (Phil. 2:10-11)
Therefore I make known to you, that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed'; and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. (1Cor. 12:3)
But now we have been released from the law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:6)
I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles, WHICH IS CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of glory. (Col. 1:25-27)
For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Phil. 2:13)
Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Cor. 3:16)
Now you are Christ's body and individually members of it. (1 Cor. 12:18)
but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. ( Eph. 4: 15-16)
...I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ. ( Phil. 3:8)
...that I may know Him and the power of His resurection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; (Phil. 3:10)
It was for freedom that Christ set you free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. (Gal. 5:1)
Walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. (Gal 5:16)
As you therefore have recieved Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. (Col. 2:6)
If you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. (Col. 3:1-4)
And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that God might be all in all. (I Cor.15:28)
For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God who is the savior of all men, especially of believers. Perscribe and teach these things. (1 Tim. 2:10-11)
And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, and everyone his brother saying, "Know the Lord" for all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest of them. For I will be mercifull to their iniquities and I will remember their sins no more. (Hebrews 8:11-12)
All the earth will worship You, and will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to your name. (Ps. 66:4)
...Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first- born of the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Rev. 1:5)
And the Spirit and the bride say, "come." And let the one who hears say, "come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes, take the water of life without cost. (Rev. 22:17)

To Know Him More

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

April!

Just Be Yourself

Do You Know Him?

It All Depends On How You Look At It

What If?

The Lord Is A Good Shepherd

Are You Confused?

Give Your Heart A Home

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Life Changing Scriptures