I am very grateful for the opportunity to write here at WordPress. I am especially thankful to the readers who have followed this blog site within the past six years.
Hopefully, my writing has improved along with my spiritual growth through this Christian blog experience.
My old posts will still be here for 2022 but I’m not sure after that. My best to all of you and may God’s blessings rain down upon you in torrents! I will still be subscribed to all as before, and read your posts, so I don’t have to miss you!
Happy Thanksgiving to ALL! Thank you for following this blog. I sincerely hope to see some of you at
32Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” 35And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”
John 6:32-37 NKJV
What a wondrous promise to ponder from Jesus today! Thank you, LORD! And Jesus continued …
38“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:38-40 NKJV
Isn’t it amazing how when God speaks, His words carry power and authority, clarity and purpose, leaving no doubt about His meaning? In this scripture passage, Jesus connects every phrase to the previous sentence, so that we will understand in our spirit what He means for us to hope for and believe in.
Thank you, Jesus and Holy Father, for Your love and redemptive promises to us. Thank you that You never change and Your Word is truly about salvation forever; and for making it so easy to understand.
Have a blessed winter day and thank you for following Jesus!
This writer was re-baptized last Sunday. It didn’t overshadow my first baptism wayyyyyy back when. I still remember the feeling of total cleansing as I came up out of the water that first time. There were many witnesses at the church. My own mother was baptized that evening, too. We accepted the Lord Jesus as our Savior together and we were baptized together. It was a double testimony of our faith in Christ.
So why this second baptism?
Have you ever re-dedicated your life to God? Me too. When the pastor suggested that any who had re-dedicated his or her life consider being re-baptized, I prayed about it.
11But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ~ 1 Timothy 6:11-12 NKJV
His answer: Re-baptism is my good confession to many witnesses of my re-dedication to faith in Jesus. It says that I haven’t always been as obedient as He commanded. My re-baptism shows that I am still pursuing a right standing with Jehovah through belief in His Son, Jesus. There is major spiritual warfare going on around us and I am re-engaging in the good fight of faith, even in blindness. I can’t see the battle, but I know it exists. My God is strong and all powerful. Studying His Word equips and shields me against the arrows of the enemy who would slay me with false knowledge. We know who wins this war of souls, and I still want to be counted among those who trust Jesus as our foundation for hope and a future of eternal Life with Him. Jesus is MY Lord of lords and MY King of kings.
This time as I came up out of the waters, it didn’t feel as exhilarating as it did that first time. But it was life-changing; full of wonderment at what Jesus has done for me, a sinner. It impacted the witnesses, too. Many in church this past Sunday told me later that they were encouraged, hearts were gladdened, spirits were uplifted, and more positive comments confirmed to me that my step of faith was God’s will. See, it brought contentment to the brethren, and it blessed me.
That is my good confession for you today. Trust in Jesus. He rules and reigns. He is ALL.
Tribulations shall come; and we are told to glory in them (Romans 5:1-5 NKJV).
1Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4and perseverance, character, and character, hope. 5Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t say that I glory in times of testing. At times I have been so gripped by fear that I was virtually stuck – powerlessly overwhelmed by worry, doubt, and loss. My nights were sleepless and when I called out to God in prayer for peace of mind, it did not come.
What is wrong with me?
I was not earnestly contending for the faith (Jude 1:3). I lacked boldness and confidence in my Lord that He not only provides for all my needs, but He is more powerful than any circumstance. I was not living by faith in Jesus, but faith in myself.
I can’t fix anything! Once I turned everything over to Him, my burdens were lifted as He carried me through one difficulty after another. The more I trusted Jesus to take control of my life, my prayers were heard and answered according to His will. I can now see how giving God the glory fits with tribulation, as his solutions to problems are perfect compared to mine. Where was the evidence of my faith? Sadly – gone. But praise God, once I repented and began to live according to His Spirit guiding me, I learned:
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” ~ Romans 1:16-17 NKJV
3Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4Delight yourself in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass… 7Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret – it only causes harm. ~ Psalm 37:3-5,7a, 8 NKJV
Jesus keep me from stumbling! Keep me from taking back any burdens You have freed me from so I can rest in You always. Thank You LORD!
28Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me, as I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, 30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. ~ Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV
And also:
20But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. ~ Jude 1:20-21 NKJV
Today I am thankful that God made a divine plan for my life way back before the world was formed. He had the angels write it all down in a book – my book.
Now if I could just learn how to walk out what is written there – ahh, that would be the fullness of life.
Are you living out the fullness of what God planned for your life? Have you asked Him prayerfully what He wrote about you in your book?
My pastor told a personal story during his sermon last Sunday. Pastor was fishing and tossed his coffee dregs over the side of the boat into the lake. He watched as the coffee instantly disappeared into the waters of the lake and described the Holy Spirit as telling him,
“That coffee is your sin and this lake is My grace.”
The sermon topic was about the people of Nineveh and how the greatness of their sins had reached God in Heaven (Book of Jonah); yet God loved them in spite of their sin. God sent His servant, Jonah, to preach repentance to the people of Nineveh. The people did repent so God forgave them.
I hope that sharing my pastor’s personal testimony about the sufficiency of God’s grace encourages repentance in someone out there today. God loves us, and His mercy is so wondrously kind – He forgives “seventy times seven“.
“And the grace of our Master was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Messiah Yahshua.” ~ I Timothy 1:14 RSV
“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” ~ Psalm 12:6 KJV
Purity is absolute: Pureness means flawless and undefiled. God’s words are Truth. They can be tested for eternity and never change. God wants us to know that we can rely on His words. God’s words stand up to any test. God’s words are a testament to who He is. That is clearly understood by man, as throughout history, even an imperfect man is known by whether or not he keeps his word:
“For I am the LORD, I change not: ….” ~ Malachi 3:6 KJV
Properties of silver: The more times heat is applied to silver, the more pure it becomes. This is true of any metal such as gold. Why does King David describe the words of God as being pure “as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times” instead of gold? Well, not all silver is pure silver unless the impurities are removed by the process of smelting. The heat of a furnace (or crucible) extracts silver or gold from the slag (bronze, iron, lead, or tin), leaving the desired metal in its pure state – undefiled. Only silver that is refined in a furnace of earth (in those days) seven times is pure enough to describe God’s words.
The number seven: In God’s Word the number seven is known to be symbolic of completion; i.e. the priest sprinkled the blood of a bull before the Lord seven times at the veil of the sanctuary in the tabernacle (Leviticus 4:6); the leper was to be sprinkled seven times for cleansing from leprosy (Leviticus 14:7); the Israelites marched around the city walls of Jericho seven times before the Lord caused the walls to fall, giving His people a complete victory over the Canaanite city (Joshua 6:4) – it was the first battle victory of many to follow that enabled God’s chosen people to inhabit the land that God had promised to them. God’s words are complete. They are final and unchangeable.
Value of silver: We understand that gold is more valuable than silver even today – just as it was in the ancient world. So why not describe God’s words as being pure as gold instead of pure as silver?
Durability: Who was David’s audience? A people whose economy was based upon silver currency would understand the high value placed upon silver as a traded commodity and also its availability to the common people in everyday life. God inspired David around 800 B.C.E to describe His messages to man in common terms that man could understand across the millennia of time. Even today silver is more commonly minted as coinage than is gold, so the average person is more familiar with its monetary value than gold.
Most coinage is silver, since gold is softer than silver. Gold is good for beating into stunning and valuable temple ornamentation or jewelry, but its soft properties do not meet the standards of coinage. It is so awesome that God’s Word never fails to explain His messages to man in terms that man can best understand. God’s message here is to the ancient generations of Hebrews living during King David’s rule of Israel. Yet it is also easily understood in modern times.
Silver as a symbol: Silver symbolizes wealth and position. Palaces, temples, kingly furnishings and other royal objects of wealth have been adorned or traded in silver. One example given at the link below of traded silver is that of Solomon’s Egyptian chariot bought with 600 shekels of silver (I Kings 10:29).
Old Israeli Agora Shekel Coin
The smelting or refining of silver as well as the trading of silver assigned a symbolic value to the virtue of wisdom for the Israelites:
“For You, God, tested us; You refined us like silver.” ~ Psalm 66:10 NIV
“Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.” ~ Proverbs 3:13-14 NIV
God’s Promise and our hope:
“So that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” ~ Hebrews 6:18-20 NASB
Prayer: Abba, Father, thanking You today for drawing us a picture using silver to explain how Your words are pure, absolute, complete, lasting, valuable, and worthy of our attention. We accept Your words as holy and full of wisdom. Help us to remain faithful to read Your Word, the Holy Bible, daily; and keep Your words in our hearts. Give us opportunities to share them with others, and to apply Your words to our lives. In the Name of our our Redeemer Jesus, King of Kings and LORD of Lords, Yeshua Messiah. Amen.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. ~ I Peter 1:3 KJV
The more we praise Abba, our Father, the more we embrace the “lively hope” of our inheritance in heaven, through the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our praise opens the pathway for love to invade our spirits, and renews our faith.
It is only by the power of God that we are kept strong in faith until the great revealing and salvation of our souls at the second coming of Yeshua Messiah.
Prayer: Mighty are your wondrous works on our behalf, Father, and Your Name is greatly to be praised. You are YHVH, my Elohim. Not just someone else’s god; but I declare to heaven and earth forever that You are MY GOD! Thank you for Your mercy and love for all; for sending your Son Jesus to die in our place and that our sin debt is paid in full. In the matchless name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus; PRAISE! PRAISE!! PRAISE!!! Amen.
If you have not yet received God’s gift of redemption and promise of eternal life through believing in Jesus, the important stuff you need to know is found in God’s Word. He wrote you a love letter to explain what you need to do to escape eternal judgement and it is found in The Bible. Another helpful salvation guide with more links is found at our home page..
Special thanks to Dan Dyer, a believing obedient servant of God, for MTM – his Message through Music ministry. You can help support the ministry by partnering.
I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation. ~ Psalm 118:13-14 NIV
Even if we think that God has never done anything for us, His Name is worthy to be praised!
Sometimes in the midst of life’s defeats, people may curse God; blaming Him for calamity. When I passed this historical home in Old Town, Kenai, I had to stop and reflect: Who lived here so long ago? Who cut the trees, and hewed the timbers? Most likely the neighbors helped out, since that was still the culture when I arrived in Alaska over half a century ago – and this house is much, much older than that.
How did they survive the harsh climate? There were no modern appliances or conveniences to ease their daily burdens. Did they attend the old Russian Orthodox Church around the corner? Were they people of faith? Old Town is situated on the bluff overlooking Cook Inlet. It is an old fishing town. Was God their strength when loved ones perished at sea; or when the hunt for moose produced no meat for the winter? How many families lived there before it had to be abandoned to the wind and snow? It most certainly rode out the great Alaskan earthquake of 1964 also. But finally, it succumbed, and is now teetering on the brink of collapse.
I am thankful to the Father of all, that He sent His Son, Jesus, who is the cornerstone and will never be shaken. He is my Rock of Salvation.
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. Lord save us! Lord grant us success! ~ Psalm 118:22-25 NIV
I sat there a long time, reflecting upon my own life’s defeats. There have been too many to count. Through it all, the Lord has been with me. He picks me up, and sets me upright with my feet pointed in the direction I should have been headed – always drawing me nearer to Himself – to safety. He does not want us to fall.
I still stray into circumstances that test my abilities to cope. At times I feel that I am reaching the tipping point and only then remember to call upon Jesus to save me!
“What are you doing here?” He lovingly inquires. He does not accuse me in my desperate state of exhaustion over fighting some battle on my own – in futility, without Him.
“Am I the only one?” I cry to the Lord, “Where were You?” – still casting my cares upon Him; not as an obedient servant, but as an afterthought; the bleating of a wayward lamb who lost its way again.
Are you reaching the tipping point? Cry out to God – and quickly. He will not linger, but rush to save us from any circumstance. Trust in Him, for He is right there; waiting for us to call upon Him. He is mighty to save and deserves our praise:
You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, and I will exalt You. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. ~ Psalm 118:28-29 NIV
My pastor told a personal story during his sermon last Sunday. Pastor was fishing and tossed his coffee dregs over the side of the boat into the lake. He watched as the coffee instantly disappeared into the waters of the lake and described the Holy Spirit as telling him,
importantstuff 