The Greatest Love

Posted on March 20, 2019 by Tracy K

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The one most important thing to all of us is to feel loved. I know of one who truly loves you more than you can ever know.  To say that a person loves us is something that we all hold dear to us.  Jesus, the son of the most high God loves you with an overwhelming love.  …A love that we can not fully grasp.  ….A love beyond measure. …A love that protects us, feeds us, guides us, shields us.  …A love that is willing enough to die in our place.  ….To become the everlasting sacrifice.

Jesus is the son of the most high God.  He is the king of kings.  He was in the beginning with God.  He had no worries.  He was protected in his own kingdom.  He was an eternal king.  ….The richest king that had everything.  ….Including love.  He left his kingdom to come to an earth full of sorrow, troubles, hardships.  Why?  Because he had a love that not one of us can truly know until we see the Father.  See God the Father is the very definition of love.  He created us in his own image.  He loves his own creation.  He wanted fellowship with his creation in the beginning.  He made Adam and he talked with Adam and gave him a help-meet; a woman named Eve.  Until one day sin entered the world through the disobedience of man.  Sin separated him from walking with man, so he sent his only begotten son to become the sacrifice; the atonement for sin.   God tells us in his word, the Bible, that without shedding of blood is no forgiveness.  Hebrews 9: 22-without shedding of blood is no remission.  So Jesus became the sacrifice on the cross.

Jesus suffered a lot on the cross; he suffered excruciating pain in our place.  See Jesus didn’t die for himself; he died for us.  We are the ones who have sinned.  We are all guilty. 1 John 1:8 says: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  John 3:16  says: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

We can have that everlasting life if we trust in Jesus as our Savior. Acts 4:12 says:  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Revelation 1:5 says:And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

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Poem: Be Nice, Loving and Kind

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Tracy K

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Be nice, loving and kind,
For one day you may find,
that how you treat others
will return back unto you.
God’s word teaches a great deal
such as not to lie, steal or kill.
And that what you sow,
will be what you reap or bestow.
Speak to others in a kind way,
For it really does matter what you say,
Words can harm and cut very deep,
Causing others to cry and weep.
Never talk down to someone else,
It may cause their heart to melt,
Changing the way they act,
Returning the behavior in a reenact.
Showing love instead is so much better,
Spreading goodness as a trend-setter.
For we must be a Christian in word and deed,
Sowing the word of God and spreading the seed.
Telling others about Jesus our Lord,
Defending the faith and sharing the word.

 

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Be Careful How You Treat Others

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Tracy K

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Have you ever looked at someone else and thought, how can they act that way if they are a Christian.  Recently I have noticed that there are a lot of people who really don’t seem to care how they might affect someone else’s life.  Perhaps they bully them, talk down to them, hurt their feelings or belittle them in some ways.  This has really gotten to me lately.  I recently heard about a nurse who had jumped from her job at a local hospital.  I really don’t know all the details but I know that people are hurting.  Either it is their job that has been difficult to bear; perhaps it is a coworker or classmate that has bullied someone else; perhaps its financial.  There are so many things that depress us and stress us.

So recently I saw a woman talking down to someone else and I wondered how she could do that and not have some regret about it.  Then today we ordered some food from the restaurant and the order was completely messed up.  The waiter didn’t listen to any of the instructions we had given and top it all off, the food was not fresh.  Probably had been made for someone else and they had decided against it.  So I got really upset and told the waiter that I didn’t appreciate getting old food and my order was completely wrong, etc… I know the waiter didn’t make the food, perhaps it was the cook that misprepared the order.

Then as I sat there starting to eat my food, I realized that I had done the very thing, that I had noticed the other person doing.  I had talked down to the waiter because I was upset by my wrong order.  Then I realized that I was just taught a lesson.  I had become the person who I didn’t like.  The person who had made someone feel bad.

Be careful how you treat others because “You Reap What You Sow!”  However you treat someone, it will come back to you.  It doesn’t feel good being on the receiving end.  Probably 99.9% of people have been bullied or critized one time or another in their life.  Probably 99.9% of people have bullied someone else.  So stop it!  You can hurt someone by your words, actions.  Learn to love others and treat others with the same respect you would want to be treated.  Watch the words you speak, and also the tone you say things.  Tone can sometimes mean much more than the words you say.  Show kindness, thank people for their service.

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Is Your Name Written in the Book of Life

Posted on February 24, 2019 by Tracy K
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I just read a great post about a wedding where a guest was turned away.  She forgot to send in the RSVP.  She was the singer at the wedding so she thought that made her automatically get into the wedding reception.  She was wrong.  This story made me think of the wedding in Heaven.  The reception of the saints of God.  Without a wedding garment on, the guest will be turned away.  You cannot work your way into Heaven.  Riches and Fame can’t pave your way.  The only way is through Jesus.  Matthew 22:12 says: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.  He was speechless because he didn’t know the groom.  He tried to crash the wedding, but he was turned away.

The Wedding garment signifies a covering that was precisely given to the guest of the wedding.  But without the blood covering of the Lamb of God (Jesus), no one will be able to enter the wedding of God.  No one will be allowed into Heaven without this sin atonement.  In case you don’t know how to have the blood applied to your sin atonement, you must accept Jesus.  Jesus is the only way to Heaven.  Why?  Because it is his blood that became a sacrifice for your sins on the cross.  It is by his blood alone that allows you to have forgiveness and acceptance of God.

  • 1 John 1:7- But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
  • Colossians 1:14-In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Revelation 17:8-The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.  Revelation 20:15-And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
The wedding is soon!  Don’t delay or you might miss the wedding.   Get your invitation and RSVP now!  Repent and ask Jesus into your life as your Lord and Savior!  He can save you!  Read more here on Salvation!
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Live For Others

Posted on February 10, 2019 by Tracy K

helping When things look bad around us we don’t turn to God like we should, we dwell in our self pity.  Coming home the other day from work, something hit me pretty hard at work and I was upset by the circumstance.  I started praying and asking God to help me to change my outlook on life.  I asked God to help make me a better person, a better Christian.  I wanted to change how I was living, acting, and even talking to people.  Sometimes we don’t even realize how we carry ourselves in front of others.  We might see ourselves one way but others see us completely different.

So I asked God to help me change where people could see me as a devoted Christian, kind, humble and loving.  I wanted to learn how to change to be a better person.  I didn’t want to just dwell on myself and how I was offended or how things affected me.

See everyday we get in our cars and we drive to work.  We might get offended at other drivers who jump in front of us, wondering how they had the nerve to get in front of us.  Or someone offends us somehow and we snap back at them, trying to defend ourselves.  We worry how things affect us….  How someone will look at us…… How late we are going to be…. How someone treated us….  We worry about us and self, more than others.

Christ wants us to be humble, loving and kind.  He wants us to care about others.   He wants us to look at how we can help others.  He wants us to have compassion for others.  How do I know?  Because he wants us to be like him.  Christ died for mankind.  He was innocent but he took our sins on his body at the cross.  He had compassion for the sick.  He had love for others and helped their needs.  He didn’t dwell on how people talked to him or how they treated him.  People spit on him, mocked him, whipped him and what did he say?  Luke 23:34 says: Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

This life is not about how much money we can make.  It isn’t about what great job we can get.  It isn’t about how big a house we live in.  This life is about caring about the souls of mankind.  Jesus sent out twelve to carry on his mission.  He wanted people to know him and that he died for them on the cross.  We are to continue this mission; to share the gospel.  The gospel that Jesus Christ died on the cross and that he can save those that turn to him and seek them with their whole heart.  John 3:3,16,17  says: Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

 

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Our God the Almighty

Posted on February 3, 2019 by Tracy K

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As I sit here this morning reading God’s Holy Word, I am of awe of how Great and Almighty our God is.  Not only did he create the universe and mankind, but just his movement upon the earth and his voice shakes mountains and the wilderness. God was always here and had no beginning.  He can stop time and keep the sun from shining.  He can do things that man cannot even comprehend.

God is able to deliver us from death and the grave.  He has an overwhelming love that we cannot fully grasp upon this earth.  His mercy is great and plentious and is everlasting.  God loved the world so much that he gave his only son for the sins of the world so that we could have eternal life with him.

God is powerful that he can create and speak from the whirlwind.  He can calm the sea and storms.  He can keep the sea in its place and keep it from overflowing.  He creates the treasures of the snowflake, not one is alike.  He created the stars of Heaven and keeps them in their place.  He feeds his people and the animals upon the earth.

The Lord is great and powerful, who can know how great his power truly is.  Job talked with God of all his wonderful works, but Job knew he could not answer how great God was.  Job said: I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.  God knows the heart of man. He is able to make even the vilest sinner free and cleanse him from his sins.

Psalm 68: 8-The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

Psalm 29:8-The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
Isaiah 12:2- Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Psalm 68-17-20-The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them. Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death.
1 Kings 8:23- And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart:
Deuteronomy 7:9-Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
Psalm 103:8-The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Exodus 6:3-And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them.
Job 38:1,22-Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind. Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail.
1 John 1: 9- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Psalm 51:2-Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Revelation 1:7,8- Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Revelations 4:2-6-And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

 

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Comfort from the Holy Spirit

Posted on January 27, 2019 by Tracy K

dove5There have been times in everyone’s life that they need some comfort; whether it is from a death in the family, losing our jobs, a tragedy in our lives or poor health.  There are just too many to name.  Last week I need a little comfort in my life.  I was Depressed, tore apart emotionally and in despair.  I don’t want to go into much detail but I felt unloved.  It wasn’t too long after praying for God’s help in my life that I felt his comforting hand upon me.  I felt his peace dwelling all around me.  The tears that I shed upon my bedside suddenly stopped and I felt release.  It always feels good to cry when you are upset but God’s love can bring you an overwhelming peace. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

The next day I attended the Wednesday night service at my church and heard a sermon about the Holy Spirit.  When we have tribulations in our lives it is for our purpose and strength.  God is working out something in our lives for the better.  Romans 5:1-12- Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

The Holy Spirit is a comforter that God gives us to comfort us in times of need or sorrow. John 14:16,17,26-27 says: And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

1 John 4:2,6-15-  –Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

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A Muslim found Jesus.

Posted on January 20, 2019 by Tracy K

After reading this amazing story of how a Muslim found Jesus I thought I would share this story with you.

His father brought American-born Hazem Farraj back to Jerusalem to teach him the ways of Islam. But the then-12-year-old stunned his parents by adopting a different path, one that would lead to his family’s rejection. Farraj committed himself to his father’s plan to rediscover his roots. But the more he prayed and practiced the rituals […]

via He sought Allah. He found Jesus. — Mustard Seed Budget

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God’s Word is Powerful

Posted on January 13, 2019 by Tracy K

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The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. It is powerful! There is a lot of scripture related to the truth of Gods word and how it can sanctify, teach, be a shield and buckler; it is the very ground for which the Gospel stands. These scriptures of Gods word can lead us unto Salvation through Jesus Christ. John 14:6 – Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 17:17-Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. Psalm 86:11-Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. John 8:32 -And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Psalm 119:142-Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth. Psalm 119:30-35- I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me. I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O Lord, put me not to shame. I will run the way of thy command-ments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. John 17:17-Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Psalms 91:4- He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 2 Thessalonians 2:13- But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 1 Timothy 2:3,4- For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 3:15-But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. Proverbs 23:23-Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

Ephesians 1:12-14-That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

2 Corinthians 6:4-10-But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

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Quit Kicking Against the Pricks

Posted on January 3, 2019 by Tracy K

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Last week I kept quoting “It’s hard to kick against the Pricks!”  I used it when talking about things that were going on in my life, the life of my family.  I really don’t know why it kept coming to me, until Sunday. I usually pray before going to church that God would talk to me today through his holy Scripture.  Then Sunday, the preacher preached on Paul, who was first Saul.  Jesus visited him on the road to Damascus when Paul was headed there with letters to bound Christians and throw them in prison (Acts 9).  Jesus said to Paul, “ It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”

This phrase, it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks, has always confused me.  I couldn’t quite get the concept of what it meant.  Then all of the sudden, I’m quoting it in my everyday life.  It became quite clear Sunday night when the preacher preached on the subject.  First of all I’m going to share what others have said about the subject, then what I believe was revealed to us Sunday night.

  • An ox goad was a stick with a pointed piece of iron on its tip used to prod the oxen when plowing. The farmer would prick the animal to steer it in the right direction. Sometimes the animal would rebel by kicking out at the prick, and this would result in the prick being driven even further into its flesh. In essence, the more an ox rebelled, the more it suffered. Thus, Jesus’ words to Saul on the road to Damascus: “It is hard for you to kick against the pricks.”   (Got Questions)

Now I was amazed Sunday night that the preacher had preached about this, considering I had quoted it several times in the days before.  Then it became clear what it meant.  The sermon was about the old man vs the new man, and how sometimes God tries to help us by showing us or teaching us how to live a better, Christian life.  Perhaps he wants us to do something, but we fight hard against it.  Or he is trying to get our attention but we rebel, just like the animal against the prick.  God allows trials in our life to get our attention and help us grow as Christians, and become a new man (better Christian).  As long as we fight God, than trials will continue. When we allow God to be our guide and master in this life, then God brings us through those trials and we are the better man.

To use an example of how I used the term: I was talking about someone that was living a hard life.  They could have a better life if they would only submit to God.  He wants to bless them with a happy, successful life, but they are kicking against the pricks.  They are battling God, even though they are a Christian.  They are seeking things they shouldn’t in this life.  They are prideful and won’t listen to others that can help them.  Ever notice that a true born again Christian that is committed to serving God, God has blessed them.

So I was so excited to hear this Sunday, about this scripture, I had no doubt God was showing me and my family something.  Trust God, obey God, allow God to work in your life.  Then God can pour out blessings and make your life so much easier.

Hope you enjoyed this post and hope you have all the blessings that you want in the New Year! Happy New Year 2019!

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