Dear friend in Christ,
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4
A few days ago the Spirit of the Lord began to speak to my heart very clearly about the goodness of God, even in the midst of tribulation and trouble. He is always there, and you can trust Him with your life. We're living in an hour that the Bible describes as "perilous times". 2Timothy 3:1, "But know this, that in the last days, perilous times will come..." The Strong's concordance describes "perilous" as: harsh, savage, difficult, dangerous, painful, fierce, grievous, and hard to deal with. And I believe that most of us can agree that this certainly describes the economy and the moral status of the entire world. We hear about wars and rumors of wars, and nations rising up against nations, and about great famines, pestilence and earthquakes happening all over the world.
Matthew 24:6-7 tells us, "And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you NOT be troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines and pestilence, and earthquakes in divers places." Just look at how the earthquake in Haiti has caused such a tremendous crisis and time of grief in the lives of all those precious people.
So many people are facing times of trouble in their personal lives. But God is still on His Throne and He has promised that He will never leave you nor forsake you. He told us in the Book of Matthew "not to worry about tomorrow... sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Time after time, the Bible talks about God's goodness, and Psalm 145:9 sums it up this way: "The Lord is GOOD to all." Now, you might think, "I've always heard this." Many people believe that God is good, but head knowledge alone doesn't affect their daily lives. It takes more than just knowing His Word to change the circumstances in your life. It takes a revelation from the Word of God. Revelation is a truth that becomes so real to you as the Holy Spirit shines light on His Word, that it becomes a part of your personal life. It's not something you hear and forget. It's something that you act on, and it's that knowledge that is acted on that brings results.
Jesus Himself told us in Matthew 6 NOT to worry. One of Satan's greatest weapons is to bring worry to our minds. Both real and imagined worries attack our minds daily as the pressures and the stresses of these end times press in from every side in an attempt to discourage and defeat us. But Jesus commands us to put aside worry. He pleads with us to see that our Father has faithfully provided for all of our needs. And He assures us that our Heavenly Father KNOWS what we need even before we ask, so there is no reason for us to worry.
2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us: "Cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." That means we are to take those thoughts that come into our heads and line them up with the Word of God. Do those thoughts agree with what God has to say about whatever it is you are dealing with? If not, cast them down! I'd like to tell you that this is easy, but it's not. In this busy world it's easier to get our priorities out of order. We can become so caught up in the cares of daily life that we don't make time for God and His Kingdom. And as a result, the Word gets choked out by the cares and the distractions, and what Jesus called "thorns".
In Mark chapter 4:18-19, Jesus talks about the thorns choking out the Word. And among other things, "the cares and anxieties of the world...creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless."
It's easy to yield to worry. And that spirit of worry and fear can literally take over your life and stop the Word of God from producing any fruit. So don't feed on it. Worry is just meditating on the lies of the devil, or on the circumstances that you are facing in your own life.
So, how do you stop? You replace worry with faith in what the Word of God tells you. Run to the Word and feed on it day and night. Find scriptures that apply to you situation and keep them in front of your eyes; keep them going into your ear and your mouth until that truth gets into your heart. In other words, meditate on the Word of God. That's exactly what God told Joshua to do in Joshua 1:8, "...but you shall meditate therein day and night that you may observe to do according to ALL that is written therein; for THEN you shall make your way prosperous, and THEN you shall have good success."
Meditating on His Word is fixing your mind on what God has to say, and you will gain revelation and insight into His ways and the Holy Spirit will make it a reality in your heart. Carefully ponder how the Word of God applies to your own life and change your situation. You are placing yourself in agreement with what God has to say about you; seeing yourself as He sees you, and most importantly, you will then be seeking His Kingdom, instead of giving way to worry.
The revelation of God's goodness will help you receive from Him whatever you need. Perhaps you have not yet taken the first step of your journey of faith because you've never received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. Maybe you've heard about Him, an you might even believe the things that you've heard as truth. If so, you are not alone. Many people, even good churchgoing people are in the same condition right now. They know ABOUT Him, but they don't have a living relationship with Him.
If you don't know the Lord as your personal Savior, or you would like to have a deeper relationship with the Father, you can contact me through this blog and I will write you back and pray with you.
love,
Paula
Showing posts with label goodness of God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goodness of God. Show all posts
Monday, June 14, 2010
Sunday, December 27, 2009
December Newsletter
Dear friend in Christ,
Christmas is truly my very favorite holiday! My heart and my mind are bursting with wonderful memories of my own childhood, but more importantly, I am filled with the knowledge of Jesus Christ as my own personal savior. The day Jesus was born is the day the Kingdom of God had come to the earth, and the Father's great plan for the fullness of the blessing without measure went into it's final phase!
As I sat before the Father this week and asked Him what He wanted me to share with you this month, He told me to tell you about His Love and His peace. Luke, chapter 2:13-14, says, " And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, PEACE, good will toward men." The angels were praising God because peace was being declared between God and man; between heaven and earth. Not between men or among men, but peace from God toward you and me.
But how could peace be declared between God and man before Jesus had faced one test, or before He had gone trough even one temptation, or before one person had ever been healed or delivered under His ministry? How could God send the angels to say such things when the battle for our redemption was still 33 years away? Jesus was just a tiny infant lying in that manger.
Romans 4:17 tells us that God calls things that be not as though they were. So as as far as He was concerned, it was done. He had already set His faith on our redemption. He began treating men as though they had never sinned. And He reached out to them in His great love and totally offered Himself to mankind as though Jesus had already gone to the cross.
1 John 4:16 tells us, " And we have known and believed the love that God has for us." We've all read about His love. We've all heard about it, but I don't think that most of us really believe it. If we really believed the Love He has for us , it would totally change everything about us and everything around us. Jesus told us in John 13:34, "A new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you..." What a change that will make when you get the revelation of just how much He loves you and then you begin to walk in THAT love toward others. The Scriptures tell us that "God is love"! And He is so in love with us that He has given you and me everything He has through His grace. Jesus said, "I have come to give you life and to give life more abundantly."
Hebrews 4:15-16, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in ALL points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come BOLDLY to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need." Jesus has personally experienced everything that we've ever had to face. And in the Book of John 14:27, He told us, "My peace I give you, not as the world gives..." In other words, He is the true source of our peace because there is no peace in this world without Him.
Our heavenly Father loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should NOT perish but have everlasting life. Jesus is the first born of every creature, and as the first-born, He is given a privileged position. He existed before all creation and God the Father appointed Him heir and legal owner of all things. As born again children of God, we are joint-heirs with Christ.
He was in the beginning with God, Who spoke the world into existence, and He was ONE with God. "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was WITH God and the Word WAS God...", and yet He stripped Himself and laid aside His Glory and His Divine abilities and came to earth in the form of human flesh, with a Divine purpose...to destroy all the works of the devil, to break the power of sin and death, and to restore us to our original position of holiness and righteousness!
His Blood has made you whole! Colossians 1:21-22, "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present YOU holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight." The moment you received Jesus as your Savior, you were not only cleansed of all sin and clothed with His righteousness, you were made whole!
We started this letter with the words the angel spoke on that first Christmas morning: "...and on earth, PEACE, good will toward man." God has planned for you to have His peace right in the midst of all the problems that seem to be facing us in this hour. His peace is IN and THROUGH the Blood of Jesus Christ. He paid the ultimate price so that you would be able to have His peace. It belongs to you, but you have to appropriate it in your own life by faith. So no matter what you may be facing today, God has made the way for you to come boldly into His very Presence and receive His Grace, His Mercy, and His Peace.
This Christmas Day as we gather together with family and friends, let's reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, and let's celebrate the blessing! Let's celebrate Jesus! Let's celebrate His peace, His righteousness, and His love. That's what Christmas is all about. It's about the joy of the celebration! God the Father gave us Jesus Christ, and in Him, He has freely given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. He has provided everything we would ever need to open our hearts to His blessing and to walk in His peace and His Love.
Have a very Merry Christmas!
love,
Paula
Christmas is truly my very favorite holiday! My heart and my mind are bursting with wonderful memories of my own childhood, but more importantly, I am filled with the knowledge of Jesus Christ as my own personal savior. The day Jesus was born is the day the Kingdom of God had come to the earth, and the Father's great plan for the fullness of the blessing without measure went into it's final phase!
As I sat before the Father this week and asked Him what He wanted me to share with you this month, He told me to tell you about His Love and His peace. Luke, chapter 2:13-14, says, " And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, PEACE, good will toward men." The angels were praising God because peace was being declared between God and man; between heaven and earth. Not between men or among men, but peace from God toward you and me.
But how could peace be declared between God and man before Jesus had faced one test, or before He had gone trough even one temptation, or before one person had ever been healed or delivered under His ministry? How could God send the angels to say such things when the battle for our redemption was still 33 years away? Jesus was just a tiny infant lying in that manger.
Romans 4:17 tells us that God calls things that be not as though they were. So as as far as He was concerned, it was done. He had already set His faith on our redemption. He began treating men as though they had never sinned. And He reached out to them in His great love and totally offered Himself to mankind as though Jesus had already gone to the cross.
1 John 4:16 tells us, " And we have known and believed the love that God has for us." We've all read about His love. We've all heard about it, but I don't think that most of us really believe it. If we really believed the Love He has for us , it would totally change everything about us and everything around us. Jesus told us in John 13:34, "A new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you..." What a change that will make when you get the revelation of just how much He loves you and then you begin to walk in THAT love toward others. The Scriptures tell us that "God is love"! And He is so in love with us that He has given you and me everything He has through His grace. Jesus said, "I have come to give you life and to give life more abundantly."
Hebrews 4:15-16, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in ALL points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come BOLDLY to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need." Jesus has personally experienced everything that we've ever had to face. And in the Book of John 14:27, He told us, "My peace I give you, not as the world gives..." In other words, He is the true source of our peace because there is no peace in this world without Him.
Our heavenly Father loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should NOT perish but have everlasting life. Jesus is the first born of every creature, and as the first-born, He is given a privileged position. He existed before all creation and God the Father appointed Him heir and legal owner of all things. As born again children of God, we are joint-heirs with Christ.
He was in the beginning with God, Who spoke the world into existence, and He was ONE with God. "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was WITH God and the Word WAS God...", and yet He stripped Himself and laid aside His Glory and His Divine abilities and came to earth in the form of human flesh, with a Divine purpose...to destroy all the works of the devil, to break the power of sin and death, and to restore us to our original position of holiness and righteousness!
His Blood has made you whole! Colossians 1:21-22, "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present YOU holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight." The moment you received Jesus as your Savior, you were not only cleansed of all sin and clothed with His righteousness, you were made whole!
We started this letter with the words the angel spoke on that first Christmas morning: "...and on earth, PEACE, good will toward man." God has planned for you to have His peace right in the midst of all the problems that seem to be facing us in this hour. His peace is IN and THROUGH the Blood of Jesus Christ. He paid the ultimate price so that you would be able to have His peace. It belongs to you, but you have to appropriate it in your own life by faith. So no matter what you may be facing today, God has made the way for you to come boldly into His very Presence and receive His Grace, His Mercy, and His Peace.
This Christmas Day as we gather together with family and friends, let's reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, and let's celebrate the blessing! Let's celebrate Jesus! Let's celebrate His peace, His righteousness, and His love. That's what Christmas is all about. It's about the joy of the celebration! God the Father gave us Jesus Christ, and in Him, He has freely given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. He has provided everything we would ever need to open our hearts to His blessing and to walk in His peace and His Love.
Have a very Merry Christmas!
love,
Paula
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