How Great Is Our God!!!
"These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way
of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the
dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in
your purses, Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy
of his meat. And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till
ye go thence. And when ye come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but
if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words,
when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more
tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. Behold, I send you
forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men:
for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought
before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up,
take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For
it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you." (Matthew 10:5-20 KJV)
way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter
ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of
heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely
give. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats,
neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter,
enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. And when ye come into an house, salute it. And
if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever
shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of
your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment,
than for that city. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents,
and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in
their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and
the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given
you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh
in you." (Matthew 10:5-20 KJV)
I was thinking
about my comfort zone this morning. So many times the Lord
tries to pull me out of my comfort
zone and I reject it. Then I read chapter 10 of Matthew. Oh boy. Look at the list line - "For
it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you." Even yesterday,
so many conversations I was placed in where I could have spoke up, but my mind talked me out of it. What a shame. How many opportunities did I miss because I was afraid or
intimidated. But just as I share a word from my heart here - it is not me, but Jesus working
through me to encourage others in His name. A lot of us are afraid to get out of our comfort
zones and we just talk to other Christians about the Lord instead of people who are not living
according to His Word - that need His Word and they need to be encouraged. Let's remember
that last line of this verse. I like the way The Message puts verse 17-20 ... "Don't be naive. Some people will impugn your motives, others will smear your reputation—just
because you believe in me. Don't be upset when they haul you before the civil authorities.
Without knowing it, they've done you—and me—a favor, given you a platform for
preaching the kingdom news! And don't worry about what you'll say or how you'll say
it. The right words will be there; the Spirit of your Father will supply the words." I love
the last line - The right words will be there - because I will supply them. Jesus will
supply all we need. Just go to Him in prayer and know He love you and He will
supply all you need.
I love the song The Voice of Truth, by Casting Crowns - look at the words of
this
verse ... "To step out of my comfort zone Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is And
He's holding out His hand." That is the promise of verse 20.
I hope you all have a great Thursday. Go to the Lord in prayer for all your
needs. Count
your blessings! For you are blessed! Love, Tracy
No Matter Where You Are - Jesus Will Be With You
"Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of
fools. Say not thou, What is
the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this. Wisdom is
good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun. For wisdom is a defence, and money
is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. Consider the work of
God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in
the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing
after him. (Ecclesiastes 7:9-14 KJV)
Are you in tune with the plan
that God has for your life? Sometimes I am
puzzled with the direction my life is headed and then
the Lord opens my eyes to see the blessings that await me. Placing all my faith and all my trust
in Jesus to guide me through these days. I may not always understand "why" but I know that without the faith I have in Christ I would be nothing. I could not go on.
I think a lot about people who have no walk with Christ, how do they get through any trial in
their life. Where do they turn for peace in a circumstance?
That is why I find it
so important to share an encouraging word each day. It is what the Bible tells us that our mission is
here in this world. Share a word of testimony. Some of us are seed planters, we plant seeds of
the gospel out there for people to hear and as the Lord starts convicting hearts those seeds begin to grow. Some of us are soul winners, we lead someone down the road to discovery
of what that conviction is and why someone needs Jesus in their life. Some of us are encouragers.
We encourage others to grow daily in the Lord and encourage a desire for the walk with Christ
that we need to have daily.
Whatever gift the Lord has given to you - use it for His glory. Let your
light shine
for Him. He loves you and He will always be with you through every trial and every valley ...
you are not alone! I hope you all have a great Wednesday. Give a word of testimony today and
encourage someone in His name! Count your blessings ... for you are blessed!!!! Love, Tracy
The Lord is My Strength!
"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly
rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him." (Psalm 28:7 KJV)
Where is your hope? Where do
you find your strength? If you find strength in the things you do on your own, do you find that ends? The strength
of the Lord is endless. I find as I am getting older I depend on the Lord more and more. My heart is constantly
touched by the lives of others. Sometimes it is even people I don't know. Isn't it amazing how God's
timing is always perfect timing! Did something ever happen to you and you just say "oh, perfect timing."
Did you realize at that moment that is a "God moment"? The Lord knows everything we need and if we would just
trust in Him - He is going to provide everything that we need. Sometimes we can be hard headed and
not believe we are worthy of deserving such mercy. We don't deserve it, but Jesus says we do. His desire is
that we all live in eternal peace with the Lord and what He wants is for us to desire a close walk with Jesus.
Have you examined your heart today?
Are you walking where you should be walking? Are you touching the hearts of others by glorifying God? Someday
when you do pass on, what is the legacy you will leave behind? Are you having "God Moments?" Do you
have a quiet moment alone with Him every morning. How long has it been since you've talked to the Lord? How
long has it been since you felt the closeness in your heart and knew that everything was OK because God is bigger than anything
we face today. As we face this new day today, are you willing to make a commitment to the Lord regarding your walk with
Him. Are you willing to not only go to church on Sunday, but have at least 15 minutes alone with the Lord each morning
at your dining room table, in the living room or even sitting on your bathroom floor? No distractions, just you and
Jesus. What a difference it will make in your day.
I hope you all have a great Tuesday. Lift someone special up in prayer today. Count
your blessings ... for we are all truly blessed! Love, Tracy
Lift Your Eyes Up To The Lord
"Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not
be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which
transgress without cause. Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for
thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses;
for they have been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember
thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD. Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. The
meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto
such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. What
man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and
his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. Mine
eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. " (Psalm 25:1-15 KJV)
Did you
ever listen to the words of the Hallelujah chorus? I think it is also known as Handels Messiah. I don't know
why I woke up thinking about that song. "King of King and Lord of Lords ... and HE shall reign forever and ever!!!"
Now I am sure I've put that tune into most of your heads. :-) typically the song is sung at Christmas,
but I think it should be sung more often than that. I found a little history about the composer on the Internet ... "The composer was in
despair. Struggling to earn a living in London, he knew days when he could not afford to buy meals. One night
in 1741, depressed and defeated, he wandered the lonely streets; it was almost dawn when he returned to his shabby room.
On a table was a thick envelope. It was from Charles Jennens, the man who wrote his librettos. Examining the pages,
he found them covered with Scripture texts.
Wearily,
he tossed the pages aside and crawled into bed. But he could not sleep. The words he had read returned to him:
Comfort ye, comfort ye,
my people, saith your God ... The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light ... For unto us a Child is born ...
Glory to God in the highest ... Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Too stirred to sleep, he got up and went to his piano. The music flowed
from his heart-rich, majestic, triumphant. He began to write. Night and day for three weeks, he wrote feverishly.
He forgot sleep, food, rest. He refused to see anyone. At last, on the day the work was finished, one friend managed
to gain entrance.
The composer
was at his piano, sheets of music strewn around him, tears streaming down his face. "I do believe I have seen all
of Heaven before me, and the great God Himself," he exclaimed.
Millions
of people have been able to believe that. The first audience to hear the composition -- in Dublin in 1742 --gave it the greatest ovation in the city's history. Weeks later, London
heard it for the first time, and again it was a triumph. The King was so impressed during the Hallelujah Chorus that
he rose to his feet -- a custom that still prevails.
This
Christmas, in churches and concert halls around the world, millions of people will once again find hope and faith in the message
what has become the most beloved composition of all times --
George Frederic Handel's
Messiah.
Can you imagine being so in tune to the
Lord working in your life that you forget to eat and sleep for three weeks? When I think about Heaven, I think of the
majestic scenery and how awe inspiring it will be when we are there worshiping Jesus! What an awesome site
and an awesome experience that is going to be. It is so easy to get caught up in the daily woes of life Our Choir
sang a song yesterday, "Long As I Got King Jesus" That will preach a Word to you
right there! It will get your feet tapping and your hands clapping. Because as long as you have King Jesus - you
don't "need" anything else! Turn to Him Trust Him. He loves you!!! Have a Blessed Monday -
for you are blessed! Count your blessings!!!!
Long As I've Got King Jesus
I've been lied
on, cheated, talked about, mistreated, I've been used, scorned, talked about sore as bone, I've been up, down, almost
to the ground
But long as I got king Jesus, long as got king Jesus, long long long as I got I don't need
nobody else
I've been lied on, cheated, talked about, mistreated, I've been used, scorned, talked about
sore as bone, I've been up, down, almost to the ground
But long as I got king Jesus, long as got king Jesus,
long long long as I got I don't need nobody else (bridge 4's)
Mother, father sister, brother, no doctor
nor lawyer, nor preacher, nor teacher,
But long as I got king Jesus, long as got king Jesus, long long long as I
got I don't need nobody else (Bridge)
No father, mother, sister, brother, no doctor nor lawyer, nor preacher,
nor teacher,
But long as I got king Jesus, long as got king Jesus, long long long as I got I don't need
nobody else
I've been lied on, lied on, lied on, lied on
Have you ever been lied on x 2
Do you know
what I mean
But Long long long long long oh oh oh oh
Long as i got king Jesus x2
I know he's
a burden bearer,
I know he's a heavy load sharer,
I know, a bridge over water,
Oh lord, a doctor and a
lawyer
Good God, a friend when you're friendless,
Oh lord a mother when you're motherless,
he'll
be, bread when your hungry
He'll be, a comfort when you're lonley,
Long as i got, long as i got king Jesus
I know he's a burden bearer,
I know he's a heavy load sharer,
Good God, a bridge over water,
Oh
lord, a doctor and a lawyer
Long as i got King Jesus x2
Wait a minute, wait a minute hey,
I got him Jesus,
I got him Jesus
He's a lily of the valley,
he's a praying morning star
He's a rose, i said,
He's a grave, i am
He walks with me, and talks with me
He's Jehovah, jara, jehovah, raffa,
Jehovah,
jhama
he's the alpha and the omega,
He's the beginning and the end
He's my first, last,
he'
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
for the Lord God
Omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
The kingdom of this world is become
the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ,
and of His Christ;
and He shall reign for ever and ever
and He shall reign for ever and ever
and He shall reign
for ever and ever
and He shall reign for ever and ever
King of Kings,
for ever and ever. Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
and Lord of Lords,
for ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
King of Kings,
for ever
and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
and Lord of Lords,
for ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
King
of Kings,
for ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
and Lord of Lords,
for ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
King of Kings, and Lord of Lords,
and He shall reign for ever and ever
and He shall reign for ever and ever
King of Kings
for ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
and He shall reign for ever and ever,
for ever and ever,
King of Kings,
and Lord of Lords,
King of Kings,
and Lord of Lords,
and He shall
reign for ever and ever,
King of Kings,
and Lord of Lords.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
|
