Saturday Wisdom Search

For this week, I was going to post that sermon I promised for you all to read, but then I thought better of it, thinking that it might prove to be a bit long and tedious. So, instead, I'll post the link to the sermon so that you can listen to it. I highly encourage and challenge you all to take just 40 min. of your time and dedicate it to listening to this, and allowing God to speak to you through it. I'm assuring you that it will give plenty of food for thought! Not only that, when you're in the service of the Great King, it's our honor and joy to spend time thinking of God and pondering His word~ So, I hope you all will find this very encouraging and uplifting, as I did! Blessings!

Sermon: How To Change Your Heart 

(This link will take you right to the player)

Share your thoughts!

Surreal....

Photo Credit

  My life seems a bit surreal right now~ you know when you come to one of those cross roads in your life when you're not sure what's next, but you are contentedly observing other people do exciting things? That's where I seem to be. It's rather a peaceful place~ going about, living daily life, and loving those around me. Still, the exciting anticipation of what may be around the corner....

  I've really been thinking and praying about what things may be in my future, and I've been so encouraged to just wait patiently on God~ know who I am in Him and focus on His word as I invest in my family and friends and reach out to those who are lost. This, I am content with.

  So with the encouragement and exhortations that I've been given, I also would like to encourage and exhort you.  Seek the Lord while he may yet be found, and wait patiently on Him! You never know the wonders and blessings that are given to those who are patient and content in Christ. And He loves a cheerful soul!!!

Keep the faith and be strong!

~Dani

Saturday Wisdom Search

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for your names are written in heaven!

Recently, (over Thanksgiving), I had the God given opportunity to stand as a witness for the truth on facebook. I don't usually do much on facebook except keep in contact with friends, but I do use it as a tool to reach the lost. On this occasion, one of my friends posted a particular picture (having to do with God) on her wall that she thought was hilarious, when in truth, it was a sobering matter. So I lovingly rebuked her and prayed that God would touch her life. Then some of her friends got on there and started to comment and revile God, calling him every filthy name they could think of. But I used my sword with power and grace~ which cut to the quick of their wicked hearts. They went on still, hardening their hearts in their naughtiness. God however, was working, and conviction fell on them. If nothing else, He used my voice to show His mercies to their stony hearts once more, however ungrateful they were. These verses came to mean so much more to me, as I was being persecuted and ridiculed....

Matthew 5:10-12 

 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 

 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

 Never ever back down from sharing your faith, whatever it may cost. Christs' church is here on earth for just such a purpose! Forgiveness and love~ when the world sees this, they will know we are Christians! One thing though, is that one of the friends that commented actually gave what to me was a compliment, when she meant it to be a snide remark. She told me, "...and since you're so obsessed with your God...."~ that made me so joyful! That's exactly what I want the world to see in my life! I want them to see that I am indeed obsessed with God, to the point that I care enough about their souls to warn them of the coming judgment, tell them of forgiveness, sin, and repentance. That I count a compliment!!!

So go out and be valiant for Him; fight the good fight of faith, and rejoice~ be exceeding glad when men persecute you, for yours is the kingdom of heaven!

Be encouraged!

~Danielle~

Saturday Wisdom Search

Hi all~ it's been a little while since I wrote a Saturday wisdom search post! I really apologize for the lateness of this; I would have liked to publish it last week but I caught a pretty bad head cold, and it has had me in bed half of each day for nearly a week trying to catch up on the sleep I didn't get the night before. So I'm almost over it except for a slight cough, which is easier to tolerate.

What I wish to share with you is a few thoughts and verses that have been in my mind for a while now~

Ephesians 4:29  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Colossians  4:6  Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Psalms 141:3  Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

These verses are such good reminders. Often we may find ourselves letting hurtful or unkind words slip from our mouths, or saying things that do not build one another up. My prayer of late is that God would give me a carefulness of speech, that it might be edifying and uplifting, administering grace to the hearers~  thus showing love to those around me.The Bible makes it very clear that this is something of great importance, for;    

Matthew 12:34 & 35  O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

The words that we speak tell the world what is in out hearts. Angry words speak of an angry heart, resentful words speak of a resentful heart, loving words speak of a loving heart, and uplifting words speak of a heart that wants to encourage others and edify them. You can tell what things a person loves and hates by the things they talk about all the time. That's why the Bible says this:

Matthew 12:36 & 37  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

According to your words will you be either justified or condemned because your words are a direct show of what is in your HEART.

I truly hope that this post is an encouragement to you! Stand strong, keep the faith, and be valiant for Him!

You Never Can Tell

You never can tell when you send a word

Like an arrow shot from a bow

By an archer blind, be it cruel or kind,

Just where it may chance to go.

It may pierce the breast of your dearest friend,

Tipped with its poison or balm,

To a stranger’s heart in life’s great mart

It may carry its pain or its calm.

You never can tell when you do an act

Just what the result will be,

But with every deed you are sowing a seed,

Though the harvest you may not see.

Each kindly act is a an acorn dropped

In God’s productive soil;

You may not know, but the tree shall grow

With shelter for those who toil.

You never can tell what your thoughts will do

In bringing you hate or love,

For thoughts are things, and their airy wings

Are swifter than carrier doves.

They follow the law of the universe ~

Each thing must create its kind,

And they speed o’er the track to bring you back

Whatever went out of your mind.

               

~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Saturday Wisdom Search

I know~ this post is late by a few days. Better late than never though, I guess!
I finally decided that for this week, I'd post a video about the true grace of God~ and how it is abused by the mainstream church. My personal opinion is that it is a must see; as well as this other video that I had wanted to post. Next week, I think I'll share a video about repentance by Jesse Morrell. And Flame, I truly am sorry that you can't view youtube videos. I wish I could find these sermons in type so I could actually post them in words. But these videos are worth the seeing~ *food for thought.*

 The true grace of God~

Wake up church~

Share your thoughts!

Saturday Wisdom Search

I've seen a fad in blogs, where they have certain days that they post certain things like 'What I Wore Wednesday' or something about recipes on Tuesday, etc. So I thought I'd have a day where I posted a few verses and such for thought. I may not post every Saturday, because I don't know how much time I'll have, working at the ranch and all, but I'll try to have something new every week.
 So, that being said, I'll start...

I was in a conversation with some friends yesterday evening, and one of my friends brought up the point that 'really only God knows who is saved and going to heaven, and who isn't...that's not really for us to say'. This seems to be a popular belief among Christians. I've run into it a lot, and thought about it a lot. If this is true, then....what have we got to do with these verses:

Mat 7:15-20  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 
 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.


Ye shall know them by their fruits...Beware of false prophets...Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. So it sounds like Jesus is telling us to beware, and know a person by their fruits. Here's a few more verses to support:

2Th 3:14  And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.  ...In this verse, we are told to have discernment, and make a clear judgment about other people.

2Co 3:2  Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:   ...An open book for all men to read and see whether their deeds be evil or good.

Pro 20:11  Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.   ...Even a child is KNOWN for his doings, good or evil.

Mal 3:18  Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.  ...God calls us to discern between the righteous and the wicked.

So, with those scriptures, you can clearly see that God DOES call us to be discerning and careful. Everyone is an open book for all the world to see, which is why we are responsible for setting a good example. 2 Th 3:14:...note that man, and have no company with him... How could we fulfill this command if it's not our place to examine someone to know whether their deeds are good or evil? How do we avoid evil flatterers and two tonged people? Well, actions speak much louder than words!We MUST have discernment! God does know the heart of every man, but the heart is also an open book for all men to read.

Just my thoughts...anyone else?

Are We Ready?

Take Corrie Ten Boom for example- imagine you were suddenly thrust into a situation like her's. In a concentration camp, under the power of cruel masters, starving and lonely- with many hungry souls surrounding on all sides looking for hope and something solid to cling to. Would you be ready, if that happened to you today, to minister to those poor souls- ready with a word of hope, salvation, and peace in troubled times- derived from the word of God hidden deep in your heart? Or what about Gladys Aylward, fleeing China with a hundred precious children? Would we be ready to face such things? But how can we truly and fully prepare for such horrible circumstances? It's very shocking to be taken from a 'normal' life and thrust into such surroundings. Honestly, I don't know if you could be fully prepared. But I do know and believe this: that we should be preparing for these possibilities by memorizing the word of God- hiding it in in our hearts deep and solid; for that no man can take from us. We need to know that we know God, intimately. For He is the only thing that will get us through the hard times. You know, Christians here in America have it pretty easy- for the most part we live normal lives, have jobs, nice homes, cars, etc. Not so today in countries like China, Korea, Russia, and Iraq to name a few. Christianity is not taken lightly there. Basically, if you're a Christian, you're a dead man/woman. They live in secret, meet in secret, and avoid public for fear of their lives. But God is working in those countries, and here in America. Which brings me to my point- persecution of the true Christian faith is coming to America soon. It's a fact. The Bible tells us this will happen, and we're seeing more evidence of it as time goes on.  Are we ready to stand firm in our faith, even unto death? Would we make it if we were thrown into a concentration camp today, or would we regret that we hadn't prayed more, memorized more of God's word, grown closer to God? Many Christians in the world today face this possibility every day. I think about this often, and pray that God would be near and help me to be ready. With His help and grace, I shall be, to the utmost best of my ability. I believe God is calling us to prepare- for who will be His light in the darkest of times? So, are YOU going to be ready? Just my thoughts...

~Dani