What do these three words mean for me?

Luke 24:6-7 6 He is not here but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

So, in asking the question, “what do these three words mean for me?”, everything!

Had Jesus not risen from the dead I would be forever lost in my trespasses and sin. I would have absolutely no hope of anything better than what is. I know myself and I know my sin, l know how desperately I need a savior.

Because Jesus walked out of that grave, I have a hope and a future. Because Jesus walked out of that grave I can be forgiven of my sin, because Jesus walked out of that grave I do not
have to fear death, I am promised eternal life, not just a life here on earth with all the trials and tribulations, but a life free of anything that causes me hurt, or pain, death, disappointment,
sickness so many other things. I’m not getting those things because I’m good, I’m getting them because he’s good! To think that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Creator of the
universe had me on his mind, was willing to take my sin upon himself so that I might be saved it’s almost too much for my mind to believe, but all of my heart accepts it, this free wonderful gift of salvation.

Because He arose from the grave, I have His Sweet Holy Spirit living inside of me that enables me to live in a way that pleases the Lord. I have his righteousness that makes me able to stand before God one day. Because He is alive my sin will never be counted against me, because he arose I am forever changed.

On my worst day, any day that is filled with heartache and pain; I cannot fathom the amount of pain that my Lord went through on my behalf. When he looked through time and space and saw the sins that I would commit, he did not say she isn’t worth it, what he did say is I will gladly lay down my life for her.

Because He arose I cannot be overcome, I live a victorious life! Trials come my way all the time, but I have an advocate that prays on my behalf constantly; Jesus is constantly interceding for me before the father. And because Jesus poured out his blood for me, and he endured being beaten and pierced with a sword, He endured the tearing of his flesh; his blood that has been poured over me allows me to stand before God as white as snow, looking as though I have never committed one sin, having his righteousness inside.

Christ the Lord is alive today, I am eternally grateful, I sing those words with a joy in my heart that words cannot pen.

HE HAS RISEN, HE IS ALIVE! Amen!

Daniel 4:34-35
At the end of time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most- High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His
dominion is an eternal minion; his kingdom indoors from generation to generation. 35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done? ”

King Nebuchadnezzar was a powerful king, people feared him throughout the world. When he invaded a country, their defeat was certain, he would take very talented and useful people back
to Babylon with him. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are three that he had taken. They served God and would not bow down to the gods that he had made. They did not fear what the
king might to do to them because they knew their lives were in the hands of the Lord. As a result, they were thrown into a furnace of fire. If you know the story you know that when the king looked into the furnace he saw four men walking in the furnace, the Lord was with them walking in the furnace and when they were let out there was not a hair on their head that was scorched, neither were there clothing singed.

God was about to teach Nebuchadnezzar a lesson on who he was. He had allowed him to live and do as he pleased until one day Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that upset him and made him
afraid. Nebuchadnezzar was about to find out that the Most -High God is sovereign over all the kingdoms and over all men, that He gives to anyone He wishes and sets them over men, or he
could take it all away at any time.

As the king was walking on his roof of his palace he was bragging about all the power he had and all the glory and majesty he thought he had, while the words were still on his lips he heard a voice from heaven saying: “Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live in the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you and to your knowledge that the Most- High God is sovereign over all the kingdoms of men and give them to anyone he wishes.” and that is exactly what happened until finally, he came to his senses, and his sanity was restored.

King Nebuchadnezzar was unwilling to bow the knee to the Lord until the Lord showed him that he was sovereign and in control of all things. His hard head and hard heart cost him a lot. You
and I can learn from this valuable lesson, and save ourselves a few hard knocks lessons. God is in control do not be deceived, God is not mocked!

We love to think that we are the ones deciding our “right now” and “our future”, but that just is not so. God has already set our course, He had a plan for our lives before we took our first breath. So many times people, even Christians want to think that God is only sovereign over the things that make them happy and feel good, that He can not actually be over anything bad or tragic.

Psalm 103:15-19 “As for man, his days are like the grass: As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16 When the wind has passed over it, it is no more; And its place acknowledges it no longer. 17 But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children. 18 To those who keep His covenant, And who remember His precepts to do them. 19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.

Personally, I am very thankful that my life is under the guidance of a loving God, who gives to me from the vastness of His grace and mercy. The things that touch my life have been filtered through loving hands, they are not just random moments, a pot-luck kind of thing. They are intentional for me, and all given with the purpose of drawing me closer to my Lord and making me look more like him. He is preparing me for my future home in Heaven with him.

Take comfort in knowing that God has you, every moment is His moment and He will stay by you through all of this life’s ups and downs; and if necessary He will take very extreme measures to bring you into a right understanding of who He is and a right relationship with him.

FIRST, WHAT IS ” MUCHNESS?”
HERE IS WHAT WEBSTER’S SAYS IT IS: A QUALITY OR STATE OF
BEING GREAT IN QUANTITY, EXTENT, OR DEGREE. AND THE URBAN DICTIONARY SAYS IT THIS WAY: THE
INNOCENCE AND IMAGINATION THAT APPEARS IN THE HEARTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN. AS THE CHILDREN
GROW OLDER, THEY BECOME MORE MATURE AND GAIN RESPONSIBILITIES. THEY LOSE THEIR MUCHNESS
.
I believe we have lost the quality of our witness in many ways. We have lost the wonder of Salvation and Faith in
Christ; we have matured in our walk to the point that we are no longer “child- like” in the way we worship or witness; our excitement has dimmed. Are we as bold as we can be? Do we seek to be a light to those lost in this harsh world? Let’s take a moment to look at just one disciple a little closer. They certainly never seemed to lose their muchness, their wonder, their excitement, and sacrifice.

Paul was radically saved and transformed, he was zealous in his approach and willing to suffer for Christ and to make Christ known to others: 2 Corinthians 11: 24-27 tells us this about Paul
“24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.”

I can learn much from these and others in the Bible. I pray that my child-like excitement and wonder grows with each passing year and that I will let my “muchness” for Christ and his word motivate me to tell others about him. I want to be bold and willing to sacrifice for him. My life has been radically
changed since He called me and I desire to be faithful in all things especially telling others about Jesus. I hope that you to will let your “muchness” lead you to be bold in living your life in a way that will draw others to Christ and that you will experience a renewed sense of wonder in your walk with Christ.
We are never too old to be used by God. If we are still breathing and walking this earth then we are to let our light shine brightly for all to see. We need to ask him to fill us once again with His Holy Spirit that we will let our ” muchness” grow.

We are told in Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

This life we live is for Christ. We are his ambassadors on this earth. We need to keep our “muchness” and be about the business of being Jesus to others and by letting them see Jesus in us. I want my “muchness” for Christ to be evident to all who see me and know me. I want to constantly have that childlike faith that says Jesus is…He is all I need, He is everything to me, He is able to do, He is able to help, He is…

I love The Lord…with all my heart! I hope my “muchness” is on display for all to see and hear and that I am faithful with whatever he calls me to, big or small.

Philippians 2:14
Do everything without grumbling or arguing.

Such a simple verse, but packed with a punch!

I hate to be around complainers, they are always grumbling about something and someone. They seem to suck the life right out of the room, their mission is to make everyone else join their sad wagon. People like this are hard to be around. I try really hard to be empathetic with complainers, I try to see their point of view. I try to listen and really get whatever it is that has then tied in knots, but I tend to be a perpetually “glass full” to overflowing type person, so it is hard for me. I have actually had is stated as a complaint that I am entirely too happy all the time and I do not worry enough! Scripture is clear about how God views worrying, Matthew 6: 35-34 [Do Not Worry]
“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? …

So, my philosophy is this; NO worries, BE happy! I want desperately to be a light in a dark world, I want desperately for others to see Jesus in me. I feel I can say this with a lot of confidence; I am pretty sure Jesus was not a (Debbie downer). Think about it, if he had been I do not think others would have wanted to be found near him, spent time walking and talking with him. All men, the righteous, the liars, the losers, the cheats, and thieves all crowded near to The Lord. Men and woman gave up their lives to follow him. I do not believe for one moment they would be drawn to a grumpy and complaining person, they most certainly would not have left house and home to spend their time and resources on that type of person
.
Clearly, I was not on this earth when Jesus walked it, but I can imagine that he laughed often, he had a joy that radiated from the inside, the kind that will make people take notice and want to be near you. I can imagine that he did not complain about people, circumstances or the why me moments. He had a contentment and joy that came from time spent with the Father.

Worrying and grumbling seem to go hand in hand. I have a suggestion, why not lock hands with Jesus, study his word and spend time with him. Time with Jesus changes you. As we read his word and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us and lead us into truth and life, we naturally start seeing the cup as half full or at the very least we become a more settled person, and maybe just maybe you will find yourself resting more in Jesus and worrying less. Then as you meditate on the Lord and his goodness your very countenance will change and others will be drawn to you and to Jesus by the light you now have.

Smile it’s easy! A smile costs nothing, but a smile can change the atmosphere in a room. It can defuse anger. It is a gift and yes a tool that God has given us.

I pray that you will find joy bubbling up from within, spreading across your face and spilling out on all those around you.

Blessings!

What does it mean to fight the good fight of faith, it doesn’t mean hitting someone or arguing scripture. It does mean we are to preserve what has already been given to us from Genesis to
Revelation., this gospel that has come down through the ages that is life to us. We are to be the carriers of the good news, we are to tell others what has been revealed to us. There is no other
Revelation coming, we have all we have needed and all we will ever need.

1 Timothy 6:12 says: “12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. We are to be a
witness to those we come in contact with through word and deed.”
In Jude 1:3 we read this, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for
me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

There has always been a battle raging for truth and it seems to
heat up each and every day, we are to strive to preserve this truth and spread it to as many as we can, but we must remember in doing this that it is not people we are fighting, we find in
Ephesians 6:12 this, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

There is spiritual wickedness everywhere you look, our news hour is spent usually telling about a war, a murder, lawsuits etc. So, what should we do first?

Ephesians 6:11 tells us: “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”.

While we are suited up, we need to be in prayer asking God to give each of us the wisdom to know what to say, when to say it, what to do and when to do it. If we persevere and fight the good fight this is what James 1:12 tells us to expect: “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

And when all is said and done we find this nugget in scripture in 2 Timothy 4:8 “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing; and if that does excite you, this should, “The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” Exodus 14:14

We are never left to our own, God is always with us and for us, so go fight the good fight joyfully, love with the kind of love Jesus had, no matter the color or belief. We are all created in His image, we are all in need of the “good news”, the “life” we find in scripture and in a relationship with Jesus. Be His hands of flesh on this earth to a confused and dying world.

We can never argue someone into believing, we can never shame someone into believing and we should not try. We to love them, show them Jesus by the way we live, love them and let God be God. He does all the saving, we are just privileged to participate in a small way, by the way we talk our talk and walk our walk. Just be sure your armor is on…and your smile!

Ephesians 3: 14-15, For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.

Many times when we read through scripture we come across a verse that causes us to stop and think, this is one of those verses for me. What does it mean? Well, we know that God created everything, he is the head of everything, and he has chosen to demonstrate his love towards us by adopting as sons and daughters. And if we are his sons and daughters then he
is our Father. He is the prototype for all fathers. All things stem from him. He is the pattern for our earthly fathers. He loves, he disciplines, he helps etc. He shows us the proper role of the family.
He is both are the literal father, as he created us, and our spiritual Father, at least for Christians, because we have been born again into his family. For non-Christians yes, he is still their father
he created them, but the father they obey is their spiritual father the devil.

The church as a whole is God’s extended family, (the church being those who have been born); because we are descent from God it affects our nature. We model ourselves after God
and Jesus Christ desiring to be more like them. We can trust our Father to always be with us and to guide us through until the end. He never leaves us and his intention toward us if for our
good. God formed the family, obviously family is important to him. He has given us the model by which we too can have the earthly family life we all desire.

I take great comfort in knowing that God calls me his own. I have been hurt and disappointed in my life by my earthly father, his intentions toward me were not always good, often times they
were very bad, this was at a time before he was born again into the kingdom of God. When my earthly father obeyed the call upon his life and surrendered his heart to Jesus everything about him changed. He no longer obeyed his father the devil and as a result, he began to have the nature of his Father God. It was an amazing thing to see how radically different he was; he was so
changed that he himself could not believe how he had behaved before his transformation in Christ.

When we are born again and become children of God we go through the process of sanctification and justification. When we are sanctified we are declared Holy and when we are justified we are made righteous in God’s eyes. God is Holy and righteous and we become more like him every day. When the devil looks at me he sees a person that he cannot have. Yes, he may be permitted to aggravate me from time to time, but he can never have me!
I am the daughter of The King, He calls me His own, I have been bought with a price and it was a mighty high price that was paid.

I am not sure if it is just me or if others feel the same way, but I constantly feel as though I “fall short”. I am always thinking things like, “I am not quite as smart as other people”, “someone else can do it better than me”, “if I do this, people will know how really stupid I am.” Do you ever feel this way? My hope is that I am not alone.
I look at other people’s successes and wonder why I cannot seem to attain a certain level of “greatness” for lack of a better word. All I know to do is go to God’s word, it is there that I find my peace, my purpose, my worth.

In Genesis, we read these words: Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” What does this tell me? I have value simply because I am created in the image of the “very creator himself.” I am created in the image of God, wow! Then I read in 1 Peter 1:18-19 these precious words: “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold…but with the precious blood of Christ.” Jesus not only was willing to shed his blood for me but actually went to the cross and died for me. If I had been the only person on this earth He would still have died to save me.

I may not be the smartest, the prettiest or the most well-spoken person you will ever meet, but in God’s economy, it does not matter. I am his child, his daughter. He has a plan and purpose for me and one day He will call me home, to be with him for all eternity. While I walk this earthly sod I am going to have some hard days, I am going to feel rejected, alone, cold, hungry and so many other emotions, but it is a temporary existence.

Moses did not feel he was the right person for the job either and look at all that happened because of his obedience and dependence on God to help him. God knew Moses felt inadequate for the task ahead, but he wanted him, no one else would do. This gives me courage and hopes to know that God sees me differently than I see myself and differently than others may see me. We are all created differently with unique talents and abilities. If we were, all the same, how boring would life be?

God does not call the equipped, he equips the called. So, whatever the task he has assigned you to do, know that he has already prepared you for it. It may not look or sound like someone else, but it will sound like you. A unique child of God, created in His image. He wants available, not perfect! I like to think about this verse from 1 Corinthians 1:27 that says: “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” Maybe just maybe He chooses me sometimes because I am weak, I do feel inadequate, I do feel foolish. If so then I say thank you Lord for choosing me!

I want to be used by God, I want a “yes” on my lips for him. I want to step out in faith, trusting that He is able to give me all that I need in any circumstance. I am the “apple of his eye”, what peace that brings. Yes, there will always be the smarter, the prettier, the more accomplished and so on out there, but sometimes, just sometimes, he wants the one who feels not quite up to snuff, I can raise my hand on that one. God wants your yes! Trust him to help you in whatever he calls you to do!

Have you ever wondered if God is in every moment, those times when something terrible has happened to you? It is easy for us to blame evil on the devil; he is the cause for all things wrong, surely a loving God would not allow a person to suffer, Would he? If God is love, why do bad things happen?

I was sexually abused as a child, it is a terribly hard thing to have experienced; and when it is a father who is supposed to be your protector, to love you; it just adds insult to injury. For years I struggled with the “why me” questions. I felt that God must hate me to allow such a horrible thing to happen. I wondered ” where was God?” Thinking that God was absent from the
equation, or that he had no control over what was going on, no ability to stop the evil; but God was not only there with me, yes in that very place; I was never, ever alone! God allowed this to touch my life, God ordered my steps, these things were ordained for me before time began. Rather than this knowledge making me angry, it gives me great peace. Yes, peace, just knowing that God was with me, that God decided and allowed this for me, and God prayed to
The Father on my behalf gives me such a sense of well -being.

All of my life has been designed by God, good and bad measured out by a loving, omnipotent, sovereign God; nothing has been random and everything has and will be used for my good and His glory. Satan tries his best to convince us that God does not care, God is not there, but do not believe the lies, God is with us, has been and will be.

I no longer ask ” why me”, I thank God that he has trusted me with this testimony. I thank God that I can look back, revisit those moments and feel his presence with me. I thank him that he has bottled up all my tears and he has brought me through, pulling me ever closer to his precious side. God is bigger than my hurts, bigger than my sin, bigger than anything that has or can or will ever touch me.

His word says:
Psalm 56:8
8 You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have
recorded each one in your book.
Ephesians4:6
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Romans 8:28-29
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are
the called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his
Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Most people want to think that our life experiences are just random moments in time, somehow outside of God’s ability to help, or stop, or even know, that somehow God is impotent to help us or stop a bad situation. Not true, God is the very one who orders our steps. God is the very one who plans our life experiences, He is the very one who calls all of it good. Why does He allow the sin in the world that we see on a moment by moment basis? The enemy of our souls, [the devil], has been and is still being allowed by God to roam the earth and create havoc and hurt, but rest assured his day is coming, one day his time will come to an end. However, he is not out of the hands of the Almighty, he is subject to God’s yes’s and no’s. Remember Job, Satan had to ask permission from God to come against Job, and it was God’s idea!
[Job 6-22] Because of its length I will not type it, but please go read it.

God allows for reasons that we in our finite minds cannot understand things to happen on this earth and to us that make no sense to us. Sometimes they seem too random, too awful for words, but still, they come from the throne and have been filtered through loving hands. If they were not filtered then surely we could not bear them. And when something happens to us it can shape us for the good or the bad. We can use it as a blanket to envelope us and justify bad behavior or we can take it back to the cross of Jesus with our wounded heart and allow him to heal us and grow us through it.

When we look through the spectrum of eternity, a good or bad moment in our lives is really just that, a moment. Eternity is a very, very long time. Allow this bad thing to be a catalyst to move you forward, closer to your Father in Heaven. Bring your tears and fears to the One who knows, who has allowed it and see that he will use it for your good and His glory! Romans 8:28 says
“And we know that in all things [good and bad], God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Think about it! You can choose to let it hinder and continue to hurt you or you can choose to lay it at the foot of the cross and let Him carry it and bring healing to your soul. I personally chose and continue to choose the healing that can only come from Jesus. I hope you will.

As I sit here gazing upon lush green grass, beautiful trees swaying in the wind; I hear birds
chirping, and the sky is an amazing blue with not a cloud in it, I am amazed. I have seen beautiful paintings of beautiful scenery, but no one can paint scenery like our God. My
grandmother used to say that the reason everything was growing upward was in praise and adoration to the one who created it, and I believe that all nature recognizes his majesty.

I’m not sure how people can go through life and not take the time to look around them, we tend to rush through life without taking it all in, but at least for me on this day I am consumed with the
beauty I see, and consumed with the sights and sounds and smells of God’s creation. I wonder sometimes why he made earth so beautiful, and then I wonder, if God has given us this kind of
beauty to gaze upon, how much more breathtaking can heaven be?

I wanted to see what scripture had to say and this is just a sampling of what I found:
Job 12:7-10 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee, and the fowls of the air and they shall tell thee:
8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
9 Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
Psalm 96:11-12 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice.
Psalm 33:5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

When we look around we can have the assurance that God created all this. It was not an accident, it wasn’t some big explosion, this is very detailed and thought out, an amazing work of the creator, the master planner. All the earth worshiping and praising him, shouldn’t we as believers do the same each and every day? Shouldn’t we have such an expression and attitude
that sets us apart from the world, and causes people to ask, “what is it that makes you look so joyful all the time?” I think it is possible. We are told that we are a city on a hill, we are to be an
example for others in a dark world, are you? What is your excuse?

It takes less than a second to smile at someone or nod your head to them. It will not only make them feel good it may just make you feel good as well because more than likely they will smile back. We all like a friendly face. God has given us just a glimpse of what Heaven is like. Looking at it, being able to enjoy it with all our senses is a wonderful thing. I want to be more aware of my surroundings and look for the beauty that God gave us.
Try it, you might find that it clears your head, improves your disposition, or simply fills you with a sense of well -being. I guarantee if you really look it will only bring good thoughts to your mind and a warm feeling to your heart.