From the book, "New Day, New You." by Joyce Meyer

"Years ago, out of my selfish, self-centered lifestyle, I began to cry out to God, "What is wrong?" God showed me how selfish I was. The truth changed my heart. Now I just want to help people. It's the reason I write, travel, and speak. I don't do things to impress people; I just want to please God.

If we can forget about our little aches and pains, our little personal trials and tribulations; if we can get ourselves off of our own minds and go find somebody else to help, our lives are going to get better. This is an marvelous discovery."

I have a chronic illness. Because of this, I think about myself a lot. I feel sorry for myself sometimes, even though I know many people are worse off than me. I think about my physical limitations, instead of rejoicing in what I can do. I feel useless, even though I am not - my family needs me. Selfishness. Yes, I know about that.
I pray God will help me to think of him and others more than myself. I pray he will use me to help people.

Simple Prayer

This is an excerpt from Joyce Meyer's book, "The Power of Simple Prayer."

Prayer is so much easier than many people think. In fact, Charles Spurgeon, who had a very sophisticated mind, said succinctly: "When we pray, the simpler our prayers are, the better." God hears the simplest, faintest cry and receives the most childlike requests. I have raised four children, and as of this writing, I have eight grandchildren - and I can tell you that one thing children are not is complicated. Children have no trouble letting you know what they want, running into your arms when they are afraid, or giving you a big generous kiss, sometimes for no apparent reason. They need to be encouraged to do things that are hard, but they will gladly do almost anything that is easy. They are not sophisticated enough to hide their hearts or feelings very well, and as a result, communicating with them can be easy and refreshing.

That's the way God wants us to be when we talk to him. We need to approach God with childlike simplicity and faith. Just as children are naturally inclined to trust their parents completely, we also need to be guileless, pure and free from doubt as we trust God. When we pray with simple childlike faith, we can experience God's miracle-working power and see things change."

Christine is Doing Well.

I just thought I would continue on yesterdays blog. Christine was in a lot of pain at first, but today she is much better. She can talk and eat soft food. I even went out and got her some baby food. She isn't allowed to chew for a whole month because they had to chip some of her jaw bone out.

Well, I thank God for his kindess in helping us through this. There were no complications, for which we are all grateful. Thank you Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

I Will Comfort You

"As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you." Isaiah 66:13


My daughter, Christine, had surgery on her wisdom teeth today. She has been worried and afraid about it for weeks. I was worried too, because she has had problems with other surgeries, and also because I knew she would be in a lot of pain afterwards.

I've been praying for her all the while, but last night I could feel my stomach go in knots about it. I felt a little panic well up inside. But immediately I felt God's Spirit say, "It's alright, don't worry." I just relaxed and felt better.

I'm so thankful for God's comfort and strength in times of need. I know he wasn't telling me that she would have no pain or troubles, but that he was here with us, with my family. Thank you God.

The surgery went well, they had to cut into her jaw bone and she is in pain of course, but I know God will help her.

Forget the Past.

"Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward." Philippians 3:13

This is an excerpt from the book, "New Day, New You," by Joyce Meyer.

I spent many years hating myself for each of my failures. I desperately wanted to be a good Christian. I wanted to please God. But I still thought it was my perfect performance that would please him. I had not yet learned that he was pleased with my faith.

If you made a mistake twenty years ago or ten minutes ago, there is still nothing you can do about it except ask for forgiveness, receive it, forget the past, and go on. There may be some restitution you can make to an individual you hurt; and if that is the case, by all means do so. But the bottom line is that you still must let go of the past in order to grasp the future. Until you do so, you will not enjoy life the way god intended when he sent Jesus.

What to Rejoice About

Here are some things the Bible tells us to rejoice in.

Rejoice in your work, family and food.
Rejoice in God's blessings.
Rejoice in every good thing.
Rejoice in salvation.
Rejoice in God.
Rejoice in the shadow of his wings.
Rejoice in God's word.
Rejoice in your wife (or husband). Rejoice in the Second Coming.
Rejoice in good government.
Rejoice in Jerusalem.
Rejoice in the birth of Christ.


Rejoice your name is written in heaven.
Rejoice when the lost are found.
Rejoice in hope.
Rejoice with those who rejoice.
Rejoice when Christ is proclaimed.

Paul said, "Even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your raith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all." Phillipians 2:17

Jesus: "For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

Rejoice Always? Yes.

"Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10


Awhile ago I said I was going to try to rejoice in the Lord even when I felt upset or depressed. I have been doing that each day and I can testify that this has made my life calm and serene. I rejoice because of who God is, and because "my name is written in heaven."

Joyce Meyer says to, "Think on purpose." We shouldn't let our thoughts control us. If they are sad thoughts or bad thoughts, we can give them to God, quote some scriptures and go on with your day not dwelling on negative ideas.

A few days ago someone hurt my feelings. I talked with God about it and told him how I felt, then I told him I would not dwell on it but leave it with him. I realized that God is my best friend; even if other friends hurt me, he would not. He would always be there for me and he is all I need.

Whereas before I would have felt sad for a long time, it was only a few minutes this time. In fact, I felt happy for I felt God understood and was helping me.

We cannot rejoice over bad things that happen, but we can rejoice in the Lord. For the joy of the Lord is our strength.

The House On a Rock

"Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on a rock.

And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of
it." Matthew 7:24-27

Be Yourself

Proverbs 16:7
When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.


This is an excerpt from the book, "New Day, New You", by Joyce Meyer

"Whatever I thought people wanted me to be, that was what I tried to be. I wore many masks, trying to be accepted by everyone.


This type of behaviour can become a real problem if it is not addressed and changed. God will never help us be anyone other than ourselves. At times I felt like a vending machine. Everyone who came near pushed a different button, expecting a different thing...

I said yes to everything until I finally became sick from stress and realized that if I did not learn to say no, I was in for serious health issues. I wanted everyone to love and accept me I desperately wanted their approval - but I was trying to get it the wrong way. The Lord told me that he would give me favor with people if I would pray for them and trust him."

Jesus told this parable:

"If a woman has ten silver coins and loses one of them, she will light a lamp, sweep out the house, look in every corner until she has found it. And when she has, she calls her friends and neighbours together, and says, "Rejoice with me! I have found the coin I lost." In the same way, I tell you, there is joy among the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:8-10

This is an excerpt from the book, "Faith That Works," by Morris Venden:

In this story Jesus is telling us, through the symbol of the coin, that it is possible to be lost and not to know that we are lost, and not to know the way back. And the One (Jesus) goes out and looks for this lost coin...

It is just a piece of silver, yet it is still of value, and the value of one soul can never be overestimated in the eyes of Heaven."

Rush Limbaugh

I was watching the news last night, and they showed Rush Limbaugh looking at pictures of President Obama while he said, (I'm paraphrasing) "I don't know, but I think I see something demonic in his eyes. I'm not saying he's possessed, but I think I see something demonic there."


Well, maybe I see something demonic in Rush Limbaugh. How do you know if God is speaking through someone? It is plain in the Bible.

1 John 4:1 Jesus said, "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."

Matthew 7:15-16 "Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?

So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

So then, you will know them by their fruits."


Galatians 5:22 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

John 15:8 "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples."

What am I to do with my life? Joyce Meyer writes about how to know the answer to this question.

Excerpt from the book, "New Day, New You".

"God answers these questions through our natural gifts and abilities. He leads us to our purpose through the natural skills and unique talents he bestows upon us. God-given gifts are the skills a person easily performs without formal training. We derive great pleasure from doing what we are naturally good at doing.

If you aren't sure of your purpose, just do what you do well, and then watch God confirm you by blessing your endeavors. Don't spend your life trying to do what you are not gifted to do. I tried to grow a garden and can tomatoes and sew my husband's clothes. I wasn't at all good at any of these things, and I even despised trying!...

We know we are operating in our gifts and calling when what we do ministers life to others."

The Lord is a Shield

Psalm 3:3-6


You, O Lord, are a shield about me,
My glory, and the one who lifts my head.

I was crying to the Lord with my voice,
And he answered me from his holy mountain.
I lay down and slept,
I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.

I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people,
Who have set themselves against me round about.

This Scripture is Fulfilled.

Luke 4:16-21


"Jesus was in Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and as his custom was he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read...

'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
Because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.'

And he closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he said to them, 'Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.'"

According to Mercy.

Titus 3:4-8

"When the kindness of God our Saviour and his love for man appeared,
He saved us, not on the basis of good deeds which we have done,
But according to his mercy by the washing and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

He poured the Holy Spirit upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
For being justified by his grace we would be made heirs
According to the hope of eternal life.

This is a trustworthy statement,
And concerning these things I want you to speak confidently,
So those who have believed in God will engage in good deeds."

Think On These Things.

Phillipians 4:8

Whatever is true


Whatever is honorable

Whatever is right

Whatever is pure


Whatever is lovely

Whatever is of good repute

Whatever is excellent


Whatever is worthy of praise

Think on these things.

Consider the Ravens...

Luke 12:22-31

"Don't worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.


Consider the ravens for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds.
And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life span? If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?

Consider the lilies, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even King Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.


But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will be clothe you? You men of little faith!

And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things.

But seek his kingdom first, and all these things will be given to you."

Luke 17:21

Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is! or, 'There it is!' For the kingdome of God is within you."

Matthew 13:31-32

"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."




"The kingdom of heaven is like yeast, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it had risen."




"The kindgom of God is like a man who sowed good seed in his field..." Matt:13:24


The kingdom of God is not a place, event or something to be seen. It is the Spirit of God working inside you to change you into a more beautiful person. You slowly become more like God as the seeds he has implanted in you grow into maturity.

This is not something others see working, nor even ourselves. How God does it, we do not know. Growth and maturity take time - a life time. This is why we can never judge someone else, for we cannot see the heart and the work God is doing.

Ezekiel was given a vision of heaven. He had no words to describe what he saw, so he compared the vision of God on his throne to things he had seen on earth. To see God must be amazing and wonderful.

Ezekiel 1:25-28

There came a voice from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings.


Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man.

Then I noticed from the appearance of his loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of his loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around him.


Like the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.

The Company God Keeps

This is an excerpt from the book, "The Bible Jesus Read," by Philip Yancey.


You learn a lot about a person by the friends he selects, and nothing about God proves more surprising than his choice of companions, the hand-picked objects of his intimacy. Abraham pimped for his wife, Jacob cheated his brother, Moses murdered, David murdered and committted adultery both - yet all of these ended up on God's list of favorites...

God has it out with loud complainers like Job, Jeremiah, and Jonah. He engages Abraham and Moses in lengthy arguments - and sometimes lets them win! In his wrestling match with Jacob, God waits until daybreak to inflict the wound; till then, Jacob hold his own. Quite obviously, God prefers honest disagreement to dishonest submission. He takes human beings seriously, conducts dialogues with them, includes them in his plans, listens to them.

If the Old Testament's overwhelming lesson about God is that he is personal and intimate, its overwhelming lesson about human beings is that we matter. What we say, how we behave, even what we think and feel - these things have an enormous effect on God. They have, in fact, cosmic implications."

Don't Be Discouraged

11Corinthians 4:16-18

Don't lose heart, even though we age and our bodies may become sick. Our inner life is being made new every day!

This transitory suffering that we go through is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory, far beyond all comparison.

Don't look at the things which are seen with your eyes, for they will not last. But look at the things that are unseen, for these things are eternal.

Forgotten

Isaiah 49:14-16


Some have said, "The Lord has left me, my Lord has forgotten me."

God replies: "Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the child she has borne?"

This is possible, yet I will not forget you. Look, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Your life is continually seen by me."

Don't Worry

Phillipians 4:6-7

Don't worry about anything, but in everything by prayer, and asking with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Contentment.

Philippians 4:11-13
"I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with little money, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and ever circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

I can do all things through God who strengthens me."

You Are My God.

Psalm 63:1-8

"Oh God, you are my God; I shall seek you earnestly.
My soul thirsts for you, my flesh yearns for you.
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Thus I have seen you in the sanctuary, your power and glory.
Because your loving kindness is better than life.
My lips will praise you.
So will I bless you as long as I live.
I will lift up my hands in your name.

When I remember you on my bed,
I meditate on you in the night watches.
For you have been my help,
And in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
My soul clings to you;
Your right hand upholds me.

The Way of Love

1Corinthians 13:1-13

If I speak with the tongues of men and angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own way, it is not easily provoked, and does not take into account a wrong suffered,

Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails; prophecy will be done away, tongues will cease; knowledge will be done away.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.

But now faith, hope, love abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

The Spirit.

Romans 8:26-27


"The Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words.

And he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love him, and to those who are called according to his purpose.

How Blessed.

This is my husband's favorite verse. He used to quote it to me when we were dating.

Psalm 1:1-3

"How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord
And on his law he meditates day and night.


He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

You Have Done This To Me.

Matthew 25:31-40

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne...

Then the King (Jesus) will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat.

I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink.




I was a stranger, and you invited me in.


I was naked, and you clothed me.


I was sick, and you visited me.

I was in prison, and you came to me.

Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink. And when did we see you a stranger, and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick, or in prison and come to you?"

The King will answer and say to them, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to me."

Sin

Romans 7:14-25 and 8:1-2

Paul writes about himself:

"For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate...

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want...

I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, But I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my body.

Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did in sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as an offering for sin. God condemned sin in the flesh."

1 John 1:8-9

"If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Hope

Romans 8:18-25
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

For the anxious longing of creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.

For the creation itself was subjected to sin, yet has hope. For creation itself will also be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
For we kinow that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we groan within ourselves waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughter and the redemption of our body.


For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it."

I Desire Mercy

In Jesus' day most people hated tax collectors. They were usually dishonest and charged more money than they should have.

Matthew 9:9-13

As Jesus was walking he saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector's booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him.

Later, as Jesus was eating a meal at Matthew's house, many tax collector's and sinners came also and were eating with Jesus and his disciples.

When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples, "Why is your teacher eating with tax collector's and sinners?"

But when Jesus heard about this he said, "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

The Pharisees thought that because they kept the letter of the law of God they were righteous. But they did not take to heart all the other teachings in the Old Testament about mercy, forgiveness and helping the poor. They judged harshly the people who did not keep the law as they did. They shunned these people and thought Jesus should too.


Even in the Old Testament God told Samuel, "God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7

"Let the wicked return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him,
And to our God,
For he will abundantly pardon."
Isaiah 55:7