I don’t believe everything I hear these days. Maybe that’s the wisdom that comes with getting older. I used to believe everything anyone ever said. I was so naive. Really.
My heart is sad today. I went to visit another church and found out the old Worship Leader and band had left. Another Church had offered them more money for their service. Why is our worship for sale?
And then the girl who came to church playing the ‘victim’. Months later to realize she had told the same lie to 3 other Church families. We gave, she took, and when confronted with Truth, she left. Why is our compassion taken advantage of?
And the woman who came looking for money. We gave and she left. There is so much more available here. How about healing? Why not stay for the real Living Water? Jesus can heal those wounds and give you things money could never buy.
And those in the Church who have money, yet treat those who don’t have money as if they have lesser value to God. In Christ we are all the same. We are all equal. We were CREATED EQUAL, by God. Money doesn’t matter. The widow and the fatherless are just as important as the millionaire.
My heart hurts, for all those who see people through dollar signs.
For those who have money and those who don’t.
For those who think money can buy people and then they ‘own’ them. They think they can order people around because their wallet may be fatter that particular day.
People are worth so much more than money.
Money is made of paper! It will burn up in the End Times anyway. And all those funds will be gone in a day when the Internet crashes. Really.
Now I understand why Jesus tipped over those tables.
The Kingdom of Heaven is not for sale.
The Blood of Jesus cannot ever be bought.
Help us Lord – to value people, not things or money, in Jesus Name
We may not feel amazing. We may not look amazing right at this moment. But that is not what matters. God says we ARE Amazing! We are created by His hand, and everything God touches is BEAUTIFUL! It really doesn’t matter what others say about us. What is true is what God says. And He doesn’t make junk!
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you. (Psalm 139:13-18 NKJV)
Our attitudes are our choice. We can make a new choice today and choose to trust God even when we don’t understand everything that is going on.
“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.
Lift your head my friend – the King of Glory is coming into your situation to heal your heart and restore your life. There is hope. Let Him love on you today.
RECYCLED HEARTS
~Copyright 2015 Diana Rasmussen~
God is a Master Recycler.
Give Him your empty heart – He will fill it with Living Water.
Give Him your hopelessness – He will fill you with renewed hope and promise.
Give Him your old life – He will give you a fresh, new start.
Give Him your past – He will open up your present and bless your future.
Give Him your empty bottle – He will fill it with the oil of the Holy Spirit
Give Him your heart – and He will fill it with love.
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (Romans 5: 3-5 NLT)
During this Christmas season, we will hear, sing and meditate on Jesus’ role as our Wonderful Counselor. This term comes from Isaiah’s Messianic prophecy of a child that would be born into this earth to redeem us from our sins and bring us into…
This song REMEMBER made it in the TOP 10 at Broadjam, Inc. today for Modern – Jazz. I remember I wrote it for my brother, John Roelle, for his birthday last year. I have such fond memories of growing up together on the farm. Feeding the cows from the bottle, riding the horses, baling hay, and even rolling around the driveway in an empty barrell just for fun! John is a Project Manager in Reno, NV. and has some amazing skills with CAD drafting, and putting up buildings, and managing people. Love you John!
God remembered us when we were down, His love never quits. Rescued us from the trampling boot, His love never quits. Takes care of everyone in time of need. His love never quits. Thank God, who did it all! His love never quits!
Still, when God saw the trouble they were in and heard their cries for help, He remembered his Covenant with them, and, immense with love, took them by the hand. He poured out his mercy on them while their captors looked on, amazed.
Hallelujah! You who serve God, praise God! Just to speak his name is praise! Just to remember God is a blessing— now and tomorrow and always. From east to west, from dawn to dusk, keep lifting all your praises to God!
“Do you have any idea how powerful God is? Have you ever heard of a teacher like him? Has anyone ever had to tell him what to do, or correct him, saying, ‘You did that all wrong!’? Remember, then, to praise his workmanship, which is so often celebrated in song. Everybody sees it; nobody is too far away to see it.
“Think about this. Wrap your minds around it. This is serious business, rebels. Take it to heart.Remember your history, your long and rich history. I am God, the only God you’ve had or ever will have— incomparable, irreplaceable— From the very beginning telling you what the ending will be, All along letting you in on what is going to happen, Assuring you, ‘I’m in this for the long haul, I’ll do exactly what I set out to do,’ Calling that eagle, Cyrus, out of the east, from a far country the man I chose to help me. I’ve said it, and I’ll most certainly do it. I’ve planned it, so it’s as good as done.
Mark and remember, God, all the enemy taunts, each idiot desecration. Don’t throw your lambs to the wolves; after all we’ve been through, don’t forget us. Remember your promises; the city is in darkness, the countryside violent. Don’t leave the victims to rot in the street; make them a choir that sings your praises.
Hallelujah! Thank God! Pray to him by name! Tell everyone you meet what he has done! Sing him songs, belt out hymns, translate his wonders into music! Honor his holy name with Hallelujahs, you who seekGod. Live a happy life! Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works; be alert for signs of his presence. Remember the world of wonders he has made, his miracles, and the verdicts he’s rendered— O seed of Abraham, his servant, O child of Jacob, his chosen.
I’m feeling terrible—I couldn’t feel worse! Get me on my feet again. You promised, remember? When I told my story, you responded; train me well in your deep wisdom. Help me understand these things inside and out so I can ponder your miracle-wonders. My sad life’s dilapidated, a falling-down barn; build me up again by your Word. Barricade the road that goes Nowhere; grace me with your clear revelation. I choose the true road to Somewhere, I post your road signs at every curve and corner. I grasp and cling to whatever you tell me; God, don’t let me down! I’ll run the course you lay out for me if you’ll just show me how.
I’ve posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem. Day and night they keep at it, praying, calling out, reminding God to remember. They are to give him no peace until he does what he said, until he makes Jerusalem famous as the City of Praise.
My Prayer for You:
Dear Lord,
I thank you that you remind us of how big you are, especially in the times when we feel small. I thank you that you REMEMBER us and that You will work all these things out for our good. Help us Lord, when we don’t understand. Surround us with your presence like the morning fog, because in your arms – everything is good, in Jesus Name.
In a new post created for this challenge, share a picture that says In the Background.
The River of Life
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. (Revelation 22:1-3 NKJV)
For the story and message of the cross is sheer absurdity and folly to those who are perishing and on their way to perdition, but to us who are being saved it is the [manifestation of] the power of God.
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 3:4-6)
God’s Sunrise will break in upon us, Shining on those in the darkness, those sitting in the shadow of death, Then showing us the way, one foot at a time, down the path of peace. (Luke 1:78-79 MSG)
GOD’S PROMISE TO YOU:
The Biblical meaning of “mercy” is to be spared or rescued from judgment, harm, danger, or trouble.
Psalms 4:1 says, “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have MERCY upon me, and hear my prayer.”
Psalms 6:2 says “Have MERCY upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.”
Psalms 9:13 says, “Have MERCY upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:”
1 Timothy 1:12-13 says, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained MERCY, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.”
Titus 3:5 says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his MERCY he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”
Jude 1:21 says, “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the MERCY of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
“To kick this off, grab your phone and head out the door. That’s right — get on your feet and go outside to explore — and document — where you live. I want to see your neighborhood: The path you take for your daily morning run. Your local coffee shop or dive bar. The nearby alley of street and community art. A shot of the intersection that perfectly captures the bustle of your own corner of town. Or a serene landscape view of your village”
Around the corner from our house is a Golf Course. I took this picture with my phone a few days ago during our last snowstorm. I think that day we got 6-12 inches here in Wisconsin.
It is a tree (obviously), no leaves, surrounded by snow. In winter. Sometimes that is how I feel, it’s winter in my soul.
But yet, It is still a tree, no matter how it looks today. It may look desolate, but Spring is coming. No matter how I feel, Spring is coming. A new season is just around the corner.
The leaves will bud soon and it will turn green, and so will I, and so will you. We just may not see it yet.
This tree is on a golf course, surrounded by green grass and pools of water – you just can’t see it yet.
That is what faith is, believing in what we can’t see yet. Even though it looks like winter with our senses, we are still a green tree, planted by living waters. God says so.
Let us look through our Faith and not our eyes:
Here is the same Golf Course 🙂
GOD’S WORD FOR YOU:
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV)
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3 NIV)
MY PRAYER FOR YOU:
Dear Lord,
Let us look through our faith, and not our eyes today. Thank you for planting your Word and Your Promises deep in our hearts. They will sprout up and they will grow. We choose to trust You and Your Word today, no matter how things look on the outside, in Jesus’ Name.