Journaling

I (Nina) was reading through my journal this morning; some of the first entries I had written in my (then) new journal I got for Christmas from my dear husband. The year was 2002.

At the top of the journal page is this scripture, "I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me." Proverbs 8:17

Dated, April 28, 2002 (and I quote)

     "(I do not set aside the grace of God.) We went to church early for prayer time. I developed a stomachache and it seemed to be getting worse. I had thoughts (the devil) of going to the car or just sitting in the bathroom, but I said 'No, I'm going to pray.' The Lord told me, "I am holy and that is all that matters right now."

I thought of the angels in heaven crying, 'Holy, holy holy.' The Lord gave me a song about His holiness. As I was singing it...my stomachache was totally gone. I related God's holiness to a consuming fire. He burns away all that is 'self,' if we allow Him to.  Sickness is part of 'self.'

As I focused on Him and His holiness - He was able to consume the sacrifice. I am reading a book called, "Forever Triumphant." by F.W. Huegel. Revelation is coming. Give me a deeper revelation, Lord, of "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." Amen!"

I don't normally share my personal journal thoughts/entries, but I felt in this case, it was important. Someone needed to hear this. And probably more than a few 'someones.'

                               Blessings on your life in this new year!

Happy New Year All! 2019

We pray that each one reading this would enjoy a most happy (blessed) and prosperous 2019! 

As believers, we all have a part to play. We need to stop "playing around." We need to "take our place" in the body of Christ. What a privilege to be called a child of God, the most high God! We are His family! He needs us (and is requiring us) to work in partnership with Him. You may not believe that, but it's true. And speaking of that....

We can't think of anything better to share with you on this 5th day of the New Year, than what we are about to share with you. The following link contains the prophecy that the Lord gave to Kenneth Copeland on New Year's Eve-12/31/2018.  It resonates with our spirit and we hope it will with yours as well, as you watch and/or read the content.  So, here it is...please take it to heart.

Click the link below

Kenneth Copeland Prophecy for 2019

God is our refuge and strength, 

A very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear,

Even though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Though its waters roar and be troubled, 

Though the mountains shake with its swelling.  Selah

There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, 

The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High, 

God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;

God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.

The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;

He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

The Lord of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge.  Selah

Come, behold the works of the Lord,

Who has made desolations in the earth.

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;

He burns the chariot in the fire.

Be still and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!

The Lord of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge.  Selah

Psalm 46

How to Know for Sure You'll be in Heaven

The Bible tells us in Romans 10:9-11

" That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." "

The choice is up to you. Nobody else. You.

Father God has given all of us the invitation to spend eternity with Him in heaven.  Ask Him to take your life and do something with it.  It will be the best decision you ever made in your life. I promise you that!

We hope that you and yours have a wonderful celebration of Thanksgiving together.

Good Good Father w/ Lyrics (Chris Tomlin)

He is a GOOD, GOOD Father!  If you grew up believing anything else, they told you wrong.

Ask Him for a revelation of Who He is.  He will show you.  He loves it when His children seek Him in all of His fullness. And if you're here, and you can't say that you are His child, that can all change today, this moment.   Just say, Jesus-I want to know you as Savior and Lord of my life. I give my life of sin and shame to you; take it and do something with it. Live Your life big in me. Thank you Jesus!
Amen!

Now-if you prayed that prayer just now-you have been born (again) into the family of God! It's that simple. You have been saved BY GRACE through FAITH. Your job now is to find out who you are in Christ Jesus and to find out just how much God loves you! He wants to reveal Himself to you through His word (that's the main way He does it). I always tell people to begin by reading the book of John in the New Testament.

God has been so maligned and lied about throughout the years.  The enemy of our souls does not want us to KNOW the Father, because if we find out how GOOD He is, our lives will be forever transformed.  He wants to give us life and prosper us in all things. Then we can go out and share His love with others.  That's His plan. Will you be part of His plan?  He would love nothing better!

God's Word ~ the Best Seed

Did you know that God's word is seed? The Bible says that when we are 'born again,' we are born of the incorruptible "seed" of the word of God.

    (having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 1 Peter 1:23)

We all know what seeds are meant to do. They are meant to produce a plant...and eventually, fruit. The same way that people plant cucumber seeds and tomato seeds and expect to receive a harvest from their efforts, we need to plant the word of God in the soil of our hearts~and expect a harvest!

This morning, I was thinking about soil. The farmer spends more time preparing the soil to receive the seed than he does actually planting seed. Jesus talks about the soil producing "some thirty, some sixty and some one hundredfold" returns.

   (But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred. Mark 4:8)

The seed always has the potential of producing a one hundredfold return. The seed was all the same seed. So, the condition of the soil of our hearts plays an important role here.  We want our soil to be "good soil." How do we get good soil? I believe that it comes by seeking the Lord/Spirit of the word and asking him for understanding as we read His word.  Matthew 13:23 says that it's he/she who hears the word and understands it - that is the one who produces the harvest.

It seems to follow that a greater understanding of the word would bring a greater harvest. There are many things we can do to prepare the soil of our hearts. Stop letting the world dictate how you should spend your time. Humble yourself before the Lord and believe what He says about you. Stop listening to the world's advice. Go to the word of God for counsel. Be thankful and give God praise for all that He's done in your life.

"And He (Jesus) said to them, He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Mark 4:9  Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

Make room for Him.

Amen?

Dananjaya Hettiarachchi World Champion of Public Speaking 2014 FULL SPEECH

Jason Gray - Remind Me Who I Am (Official Music Video)

Because...sometimes we need reminding. Amen?

Post Holiday Depression?

Are you suffering from post-holiday depression?

Are you looking at a stack of bills and wondering how they will get paid?

If you live in the "north" as we do, maybe you are feeling the sting (literally) of winter and all that goes with it...putting on boots, coats, scarves, gloves and hats...just to depart the doorway. If you've seen "A Christmas Story" you know what I'm talking about. Then the fun of sweeping the snow off the car, and scraping the windows. Who doesn't love to do that in subzero temps?
[sarcasm intended]
Then we get to let our car's engine run for about 15 minutes to warm it up...to coax the remaining ice to melt from the windshield.  We've had some very cold temps here in the north (MN) this winter season. I'm sure most of us are looking ahead to spring right about now, trying to remember what it was like!

Maybe you don't live in a cold weather state, but you are experiencing a "winter" time of life.

None of us are above having these feelings of hopelessness at times. None of us.  I want to assure you of that...and of the fact that you are not alone.

This is where we need to focus on Who we belong to. Our Father is with us. He left us His word to bring comfort to us in our time of despair and/or lack. This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where we decide (again) to live by faith. The best thing we can do is not always the thing we wish to do.

I urge you to go the Word, find a passage that speaks to you and brings you comfort (which is what the word was designed to do). Can't think of one?  I'll get you started...

                Eph. 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. 

                    Eph. 2:1   And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins (vs 4) But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us (vs 5b) made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)

                      Jude 1:20  But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.    

         Rom. 4:8   Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin. 

                              Phil. 4:8   Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.

                              Phil. 4:19   And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 

Col. 3:2-3   Set your mind of things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 

Ps. 145:19   He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. 

Ps. 130:5   I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. 

God's Love Letter to You

I want my readers to know that this is the truth about our Father's love for you.
He is the perfect Father. He is your Provider and He meets all of your needs.
He is your Comforter, your Protector, your Guide.

If you have not received Him, do it today.  We come to the Father through His Son Jesus.
He is waiting for you.

Will you be His child?

Christian Counsel

Are you feeling alone, discouraged or maybe you have just felt sad for too long and feel that you may need to speak with someone about it? We believe it's important to seek out Christian counseling, especially if you're a Christian. We believe the answers are in the word of God and Christian counseling can help point you in the right direction.

Here is a link to an online Christian counseling group. We have not used them and cannot guarantee your results, but thought it was important to share the information with our followers. 

https://www.faithfulcounseling.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=BHvaluebase&utm_content=river&gor=home_start_t

God tells us not to be afraid or discouraged. He has given us His word, which brings us comfort and love. We care for you and your life matters! You are important to us and to God. 

If you are in immediate need or are feeling suicidal, please call 911 and ask for help. 

MercyMe - Greater (Official Lyric Video)

He's greater!!

He calls me redeemed!

Would you attend a 'gay wedding?"

A question for you.  Would you attend the wedding of a friend who says he is gay?

I have thought about this topic over and over and prayed about it. God tells us to LOVE our neighbor, right? God tells us to treat others the way we ourselves would want to be treated, right? God tells us that we shouldn't judge, right?

So, why is this such a tough question?  Whether or not to attend a gay wedding?

First, we should define the word 'marriage.' If you believe the Bible is true, then it follows that you should believe a 'marriage,' by God's definition, is between a man and a woman,  Not a man and a man, or a woman and a woman, or a child and a parent, etc.  (see Romans 1:26, 27 specifically, but you should read Romans 1 in its context)

(Although if you read below, Merriam Webster has caved to what is now 'legal' in some states/countries, rather than holding to the TRUTH)
The text below is taken from www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marriage/

Usage of marriage

The definition of the word marriage—or, more accurately, the understanding of what the institution of marriage properly consists of—continues to be highly controversial. This is not an issue to be resolved by dictionaries. Ultimately, the controversy involves cultural traditions, religious beliefs, legal rulings, and ideas about fairness and basic human rights. The principal point of dispute has to do with marriage between two people of the same sex, often referred to as same-sex marriage or gay marriage. Same-sex marriages are now recognized by law in a growing number of countries and were legally validated throughout the U.S. by the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015. In many other parts of the world, marriage continues to be allowed only between men and women. The definition of marriage shown here is intentionally broad enough to encompass the different types of marriage that are currently recognized in varying cultures, places, religions, and systems of law.

 The legality of a matter has no bearing on whether something is right, true and moral. Abortion is legal, but that certainly does not make it right or moral. Our modern day society is taking words and phrases and trying to change them into what they would like them to mean, rather than what they truly mean. I hope we are all intelligent enough to see what is happening. Basically, if your sin doesn't fit within the context of a word or phrase, then you must change the word or phrase to fit your sin. This is a shameful practice that needs to be condemned.

That's why the whole 'gay marriage' phrase hit the fan with most Christians. There can be nothing homosexual,  perverse, or twisted about 'marriage.' Marriage cannot be between two pigs- or a goat and a man. Marriage is..at its core...a heterosexual union between one man and one woman. There is nothing or nobody who can change that fact.  But on they try.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all for every person deciding what kind of life they choose to live, but don't try to steal time-tested, God-ordained institutions and make them into what they are NOT. If a person wants to live a gay/lesbian lifestyle, that is his or her choice. If you want to partner up for a lengthy period of time...fine. But, don't call it a marriage. A civil union or civil partnership is what you should call it. I am all for people having the benefits they should have in life, i.e. medical and life insurance, etc.  A 'civil union' contract should allow that to happen.

I came across an article that I thought was very adept at addressing this issue.

Click here to read the online article

As Christians, we cannot allow ourselves to "go with the flow" of the world.  We have been set apart, separated to God- to bring glory to Him, and to bring as many others with us as we can. God bless you for taking the time to read this. I hope it brings clarity.

God's Righteousness, Not Self-Righteousness-by Conformity to His Death

This is David's newest (and very powerful) booklet. It is available to purchase at the top right (make your choice and click the yellow Buy Now button). It contains 30 power-packed pages and the size is 3.5"X 5" You can order just one, five or ten copies.  

If you have any confusion regarding the topic of righteousness, this little booklet will set you on the right course. It is only 30 pages in length, so it's a quick read, but very concise and to the heart of what it means to be righteous; more accurately, to be the righteousness of God. I would urge you to order your copy (or copies) today. Easy to carry in your pocket or purse. You will be blessed!

Real Love - Two Minute Message

What is Real Love?

It's beyond anything we have thought it was. Real Love is God's kind of love.
If you are looking for a mate with which to travel through life, ask God to bring that
person to you. Don't go about "looking" for that one special person.
He knows who is right for you! Go to Him; seek Him, especially in this area of your life.
He won't disappoint you...I promise you that.  Watch the video for more info on this topic.

(Disclaimer: this is not my material below. It was taken from youtube.com

Kari Jobe - The More I Seek You w/lyrics

Seek Him...and He will be found by you.

Compelled to Tell

As believers, we have a responsibility to share what we know regarding salvation.

If somebody wins the lottery, she is not going to be silent about it...she is going to shout it from the housetops, most likely! She would have a tough time holding in the joy that she feels as that moment. She just received "good news", especially if she had overdue bills, a house in forclosure, and was in need of some cash.

In the same vein, we as believers have the BEST news possible; that our sins are forever forgiven, we have new LIFE in Christ, we have a heavenly home to go home to one day, we have access by our faith to healing, deliverance, comfort, acceptance, provision, love beyond measure, PEACE, did I say unconditional LOVE? We have so much in Christ!

In this time coming up to the Celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus, let's remind ourselves of how much we have to be thankful for. We were once dead in our trespasses and sins; Jesus came and gave us LIFE. Life eternal. Life to live forever with Him. And that life starts here and now.
We are so blessed!

If you haven't yet found LIFE in Christ, 

you can pray the following prayer and receive Him today.

God, I realize my need for you today. 

I know that I can't do it. 

I can't be in charge of my own life. 

I want to make the great exchange with you. 

My life for Your life. 

Jesus, I know that you came as a Man to redeem me; to save me.

You died on the cross, forever removing my sin. 

You were raised from the dead to give me new life

and You are now seated at the right hand of God.  

Come in Holy Spirit and live in me. 

Take my life. I know I'll never be the same. 

Thank you for saving me!

Thank you for loving me!

Child of God

What does it mean to be a child of God?

Well, first off, it means that you made the decision to receive Jesus. You made the decision to become born-again. You made the decision that YOU could not make it on your own; you could not do it! You made the decision that you NEEDED Jesus to give you LIFE! You recognized the deadness of your old self/spirit, and you knew you needed the LIFE that only God can give. That's the first thing.

Then you begin to grow in your knowledge of God; the Holy Spirit teaching you through His word. You find out about all of the promises that are for a child of God (you), in covenant with God. You learn about the nature of God, (He is love) through the example of Jesus' life. Jesus is the express image of the Father. You begin to see changes, little by little, in your demeanor, your actions, your language. Jesus transforms you from the inside out.

It means you now have a heavenly Father who is always with you to listen to and answer your prayers. You are not alone in this world. The Word says that "as He is, so are we in this world." You have been adopted as a son (daughter). It means that nothing can ever separate you from the love of God. It means that God has removed all of your sin-and the best part is that He remembers it no more! It means that Jesus is interceding for you in heaven. It means that you have angels to watch over you in all that you do.

In your old life, you were a slave to your father, the devil. You were not able to change, be good, or quit doing the things that you hated. But now, you have a new nature; old things have passed away, behold all things have become new! (ref. 2 Cor. 5:17)

John 1:12New King James Version (NKJV)

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

Weariness of Soul

Happy Saturday! We are having a rainy summer here in MN this year. I feel like we are living in London.  Not able to get outside and do anything fun today...again!; it's just kind of dreary and when it goes on long enough... it tends to make you weary.

It can be that way with our Christian walk, as well. 

I'm talking about the soul. We can become weary in our souls. There are times when we just don't see the hand of God at work...at least not the way we think we should be. We have our own expectations, don't we? I know I've said a time or two, 'Lord, I'm not getting any younger here.'

We also have our own time frames. Back to the... 'Lord, I'm not getting any younger.' We sometimes wonder, 'Why hasn't it happened yet, Lord?' or we might be asking, 'What am I doing wrong?' I can pretty much conclude that we have all had these thoughts and feelings at times.

Patience (the word), which is what we need at times like these, is from it's root word, Patient. The meaning of Patient is to be "able to remain calm and not become annoyed when waiting for a long time or when dealing with problems or difficult people." Herein lies the problem.

I think, as a society, we have become a less and less patient people. We are in the day and age of McDonald's fast food, microwave ovens, high speed internet, fast cars, faster airplanes, even self check-outs (so that we can move faster and get out of the store even quicker). It's a fast-paced world - for sure.

Having patience helps us to learn how to deal with problems and how to get along with difficult people. Is that what God would want for us? Of course! We are promised in the Word that we have the peace of God - to be able to stay calm in trying situations. Patience is a very good thing. A lack of patience can bring about things like road rage, quitting a job and even anger to the point of taking another person's life.

We are not the center of the universe. I hate to burst your bubble, but it's true. 

Just remember that God is outside of time. Time does not constrain Him. He is not limited by time. He is not watching His clock. So, this is where trust comes into play. This is where we trust in His promises to us. This is where we trust in His strength in our lives. Romans 4:20 says, "He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and it says in Col. 1:11, "strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;"

I pray that today you would be strengthened by His might for whatever you need or are waiting to happen.  Pray in faith, declaring His promise over your situation.  Then be calm, resting in Him that things will turn out for your good and according to your faith in the Word of God. God loves you!

He waits with His arms open wide.

Good morning! I have a question for you...probably the most important question of your life.
Have you come to the end of yourself yet?

What do you mean by that, you ask?

Well, in order to find God, through Jesus, I've come to believe that we really need to come to
the end of ourselves; our own sufficiency, our own ideas
about who we think God is, our own ideas about salvation & going to heaven.

We need to come, even, to the end of what we think of ourselves; how we value or de-value ourselves.

We need to come to the conclusion that we are not capable of saving ourselves.

We need to come to the conclusion that we are not even capable of running our own lives
properly, because our thoughts are all askew.

We need to have our minds renewed by the Word of God. That's where Truth is found.
And it's that Truth, the Truth that we know and believe, that sets us free.

You can know Him today...just talk to Him from your heart.

He's been waiting for you.

No condemnation

This is a word of prophecy from a former pastor and friend in Dallas, TX..take it in and see if it agrees with your spirit. It definitely agrees with mine. Blessings to you.

I hear in my spirit...

I am bringing much revelation to My church in these last days to show who you really are in Christ so that the world can run to you and find refuge in My Son.

But you are wearied by guilt, shame and condemnation because there is a lack of understanding that Jesus bore it all for you. I am raising up a confident robust church who knows their identity is in Christ alone that that the world can run to you to find Him.

Let revelation come even now and believe that I saw your life from start to finish on Jesus as He hung on the cross. Nothing from your life has been hidden from Me because I saw it all on My Son as He poured out His soul unto death. He offered His soul as the final sacrifice so that your soul would be saved to the uttermost. (Isaiah 53:10-12 & Hebrews 10:12) …… It is finished.

Man is inherently desperate for acceptance and much of My church is too. I want you to understand once and for all that you are eternally accepted by Me because you put your faith in My Son. No longer look at yourself to measure your righteousness, but look at your Savior for that is where I look. He was your perfect final sacrifice…the spotless Lamb and when I see you, I see My Son because I've placed you in Him. Let a boldness be upon you because your right standing with Me is because of Him!

Signs and wonders will always draw men, but they cannot save a soul. I use them to show My power, but only the knowledge of Jesus and His grace causes man to experience My great love. I will increase signs and wonders in these last days, but the preaching of My free gift of salvation must increase also. Who will declare Him to this generation? Know who you are because of Jesus so that you can boldly preach the Gospel with no conditions. Freely you have received, now freely give.

Pastor Ann Hinson