Shake The Dust

When Jesus sent His disciples out to bring the gospel to others, He told them if they were not received to shake the dust off their feet and move on. He however did not mean that we should stop praying for these people, but that we should not continue to stay in their presence any longer. In other words, we should not hang out with them, for light and dark do not go together.

Matt. 10 v 14...".And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet."......

Sometimes we as Christians have the most difficult time understanding why those that are closest to us, our children, our parents, our siblings do not want to accept the gospel of Christ. But often times, we are not the ones that were meant to disciple them. Sometimes we just plant the seed, and then someone else comes along and waters it, and then another comes along to harvest. But we are to continue to pray for the lost everyday.

Some people take this verse out of context and think, well if they are not going to receive what I am telling them, then I will just move on, and let them have what they get. That is the wrong answer. We are to continue to pray for those and for Christian laborers to cross their path each day. Thank God, the people who witnessed to me and prayed for me did not quit praying. It was almost 20 years later before I came to know the LORD as my personal Savior. Oh, I knew who God was and I believed that there was a God, but I was missing out on the best part. Being a highly favored child of God. That means having His peace and His mercy and His grace over my life. Having His forgiveness and being totally in love with Him. And most importantly having Salvation through Him and living eternally with Him and the Father one day.

Even the Devil and all the demons believe in God. They know He is real, and they also know that their time of being able to go about and reap havoc on the non-believers and some believers as well is about to come to an end. Just as we as Christians have an urgency to tell others about Christ before He returns and they get left behind, so does the devil and his demons have an urgency to harden the hearts of those who still will not believe, or who still continue to live their old lives, so as to win them over to their wicked ways of living. You see, you will spend eternity somewhere. Whether it is in God's kingdom, or the devil's pit of hell, it will go on forever. And for those who think that this earth is Hell, I have to tell you, you are mistaken. Hell is real, and it is a lake of fire, with gnashing teeth and pain. As grim as that might sound, you have to be told the truth, and the word of God is the truth.

It is with the utmost urgency that I feel the need to tell those who still are not living for Christ, now is the time to get your life on the right path, the one that leads to salvation with the LORD JESUS. Things are changing very quickly everyday now, and I feel the LORD will not tarry much longer. Please if you have not accepted the LORD as your personal Savior, do so now. Just ask Him to forgive you your sins, and mean it in your heart. Turn away from your old ways and turn to Him. He will show you the way, He will help you to stay on His path. Confess Him before men, and He will confess you before the Father. AMEN!

So remember, when you share the word, and it is not received, do not be discouraged, but continue to pray for those, and then shake the dust and move on to share the word with more. Don't get stuck where you are, keep moving, keep sharing the gospel, and keep praying.


Neta

What Is Lack

When asked, what do you lack? Our first thoughts go to material things, such as money, food, shelter, etc. My thought today is the word. The LORD wakes us up sometimes early in the morning hours, so that we can have some quiet time to listen to Him, to seek Him out for the answers we need. He showed me this morning where my lack was. It wasn't finances, love, good health. It was in the word.

He showed me these scriptures today.

Deut. 5:32-33.....So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in all the ways that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess......

If our finances are not where they should be, maybe we need to check to see whose ways are we walking in.

1 Cor. 15:33......Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character".....

Who are you hanging out with each day?

Prov. 11:2-3........When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.....

Do not let the unfaithful pull you down with them; do not fall into the trap of being prideful.

Prov. 13:6.... Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner....

PS 57:2......I cry out to GOD MOST HIGH, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me.....

What is God's purpose in your life, are you fulfilling His purpose or your purpose?

Ephes. 2 :10.....For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do....

Jer. 29:11...."For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"........

Is your future looking bright or bleak, do you have peace in what you are doing, or are you just working to make money, where is God's will in your job? Can you see a purpose that He has for you to be where you are, or do you only see your purpose in being there? Are you in line with God's word on your job, or are you in line with those around you?

Luke 18 v 1....Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up....

Ps 29:11....The Lord gives strength to His people; the LORD blesses His people with peace....

Sometimes, we are not giving up to leave where we are, we are simply following the LORD, and keeping in doing His will and not our own will. Do you have peace in what you are doing? Are you constantly stressed to the max? That is not peace, and that is not in line with the word of God.

Prov. 14:30...A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones......

John 16:33...."I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."......

1 Cor. 14:33.....For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.....

If there is chaos in your life, in your work place, then somewhere you are out of line with the word of God. God does not want us in a place day in and day out where we have no peace but only disorder and chaos.

Romans 12:2....Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, His good, pleasing and perfect will.....

Exodus 15:26....He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.".....

Whose voices are you listening to each day? Who is shaping your character each day? What is being fed into your spirit each day?

Mal. 4:2....But for you who revere My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves releases from the stall.....

Prov. 4:20-23...My son pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.....

Pay attention to what your body is telling you; listen to the Spirit within you. Save yourself some doctor bills, and troubles. If your body is falling apart because of what you do day in and day out, seek God on what decisions need to be made in your life.

2 Cor. 6:14....Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

2 Cor. 6:17....Therefore, "Come out from among them and be separate says the LORD. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD ALMIGHTY."......

Who are you working with? Who are you spending the majority of your time with each day? How is it affecting your life? Seek God for His answers in what it is that you lack. Have faith in Him to show you what you need to do and then do it.



Neta

What Do You Need More Of

God only asks you to give what He wants you to have more of. What a profound statement. This was the title of one of my devotionals this morning. If this doesn't make you want to just stop and meditate on what He is saying here, I mean exactly what is it you need more of? Is it time, is it money to pay your bills, is it gasoline in your car, is it more groceries, is it love, patience, kindness toward others? No matter what it is, if you will seek God, and start sowing whatever you lack into someone else's life, then God will multiply it back to you. It is a promise. And He does not break promises. He says when you give with the right heart, it will be pressed down, shaken together, running over into your bosom will men give back unto you.

Sometimes we just need more time. We are so busy and overwhelmed these days with our jobs, and our home lives, that we do not stop to take time for ourselves. In one of my health books I am reading, they were telling you to take just a few moments to get quiet, and do some breathing exercises and just this 2-3 minutes of calming yourself, can really revive you. I tried it yesterday. We were so busy, and I could not catch a break, so I excused myself went to the ladies room, and just stayed there and breathed in and out for about 2 minutes, and I was relaxed and ready to go again. While breathing in and out, I thanked God for His blessing of having a job. I asked Him to bless me and my co-workers as well with peace and harmony, and with wisdom to do our jobs correctly. (when you are giving out drugs, you want to make the right decisions) you do not want to be overwhelmed to the point that you start to make errors.

The same is true in our Christian lives. We want to be of a sound mind, with wisdom in our decisions that we make in regards to how we conduct ourselves, how we treat others, how we raise our children, how we take care of our finances, etc. This is why it is so important to spend time with the LORD on a daily basis. The world is changing everyday, and you need to be prepared to deal with that change.

Today, I will stop and meditate on what it is I need more of, and how can I sow this into the life of another. It seems weird to say, if you are short $20 each month on your bills, that you need to sow $20 helping someone else. Or if you need more time in your day, then give part of your time away to help someone else. This is where our faith kicks in.

Luke 10 v 40-42....But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "LORD, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."......

You see Mary needed time to worship, she needed time to be alone with her Lord, time to meditate on Him. She wanted to serve Him, more than serve others. She was more concerned about spending time learning from Him, than what her sister or anybody else thought about her. He knew she needed this time and like He said, it will not be taken away from her.

God knows your heart, He knows your needs. And this is why He tells you, to do unto others what you would have them do unto you. What is it that you need?
If you do not remember anything else in this tid-bit today, remember this.....God only asks you to give, what He wants you to have more of.....

Neta

Who Is Putting Words In Your Child's Mouth

Who is putting thoughts and words in your children's mouths? Are you feeding them the word of God on a daily basis? Are you making sure they know the Lord in such a personal way, that they grow up without fear, but with peace, power over their situations, and a sound mind. How many children today are on medications because of their minds? It is sad, but I see it every day, so many children taking strong narcotics for their minds. What is being fed to these children that their minds need this strong medication?

How much time does your child spend each day with the LORD? How much time do they spend reading His word, listening to what He has to say to them? How much time do they spend on the computer playing games, how much time in front of the TV watching who knows what? How much time at school listening to who knows what? So when they come home from school, do you talk with them, do you spend time with them, or do you send them on with a sugary snack to play on their computers, watch their tv shows that you recorded for them, or go out with more friends, that are influencing them?

This is not a time is this world to be ignoring your children. This is not a time to let the opportunity pass by of teaching your child what the word of God says. I read something yesterday, that may or may not have been true, but just the implication of what this letter from a Jewish woman was saying about when Hitler came into office, and the things that started happening, got me to thinking about our children. Who is going to teach our children the righteous ways of the LORD, who is going to teach them what God says about abortion, about stealing, about fornication, about being honest, trustworthy, about telling the truth, about facing their fears, about Who will bring them through their trials and tribulations? Who will they turn to when they need help? Who will they seek out when they have a secret that is tearing them apart?

Here is what God says....

Jer. 1 v 5-9.....".Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." Then I said, Ah, LORD God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.' But the LORD said to me; "Do not say, 'I am a youth', for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you", says the LORD. Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, "Behold I have put My words in your mouth.".........

Who is putting words in your child's mouth? Who is forming what they believe in their hearts? Because what goes in has to come out. Just like the law of gravity, what goes up has to come down, it is the same with what we feed into our hearts has to come out. I pray today that no matter how young or old your child is, that you pay attention to what is being fed them. What sort of mother would give their child sour milk to drink? Think about that when you let them play a computer game full of violence, or watch a questionable TV program, or who you are letting them hang out with.

Christian Parents it is time to take back the raising of our children and quit letting the world babysit them. There are too many age appropriate Christian activities out there to keep our children happy. They do not have to go to the world to seek happiness, and to get medication for peace in their minds. AMEN!


Neta

What Are You Keeping In Front

What are you keeping in front of you, in front of your eyes, your mind, your hearing? If something came against you today, would you have the word of God in the foremost front part of your mind, so that you would be able to rebuke it as soon as it tried to come against you? In other words, if someone told you today that you had some fatal disease and that there was no cure would you say "Oh my God" What am I going to do?" and then break down? or would you say, Praise God, that He says the devil is a liar, and I am not sick, according to My God, His Son has already bore that sickness for me on the cross. HALLELUJAH, and I rebuke that sickness off my body and away from me in the name of Jesus!

That is just one example. What we keep in front of us, is what will come out when we are faced with trials. It is like in your job, you do the same thing day in and day out, so if a problem comes up, you know just how to address it to keep things running smoothly. Or like you are driving down the street in your car and someone pulls out in front of you causing you to slam on your brakes, and all your groceries go flying into the floorboard. What is your first reaction? This reaction will tell you what is in your heart. If you are around gripey, grumpy, negative people all day, then you will most likely be gripey, grumpy and negative. However if you are around positive influence all day then you will most likely have a more positive attitude.

My point is, this is a good reason you need to be in the word of God daily, and you need to be in church being taught on a regular basis. One lesson I learned from my pastor and the way he conducts the services at home, is that we always had the word before us. We always had our bibles with us in church and we were always turning to scriptures with him. This taught us not only where to find the scriptures, but helped us to keep the word in front of us, and to keep it alive in our lives. We are going to a new church now, and it is a good church, the pastor is different though in the method he uses to teach the word. He uses more drama. He has the word on the screens for you to read along. I am not saying this is a wrong way of teaching, but for me personally, I believe that you bringing your bible to church and opening it up and searching out the word yourself, is a good habit for you to take home with you after church is over. If you never bring your bible to church, and you just read along on a screen, how do you know that what you are reading is right, and how often then do you open your bible when you are at home. There are a lot of people who only come to church on Sunday mornings, and that is the only time they hear the word of God being spoken. They don't read or may not even have their own bibles at home. Some may just bring them on Sunday mornings, and that is the only time it gets aired out by opening it to follow along.

God showed me again yesterday how important it is to keep the word in front of you, and foremost on your mind. I don't know why He is revealing this to me again, but I am sure I will find out. Maybe someone out there needs to be reading the word more. Yesterday, a young customer of ours came in and he was telling me how he has so much trouble sleeping at night, and how he is constantly worrying about things that may be coming up a week away, how he never has peace. My heart broke for him, and then I knew why God was showing me this about keeping the word in front of you. I asked him what he did before he went to bed, how often does he get into the word of God. I shared with him how God helped me with sleep by taking a fast from TV, and keeping His word in front of me all day long. By keeping a song in my heart, when I can't actually sit and read His word. A song of praise to Him. In keeping His word in front of me, I could re-call His promises to me, the promise of power, peace and a sound mind. I shared with him, how I started reading the word every night before bed, instead of watching TV, and spending time with just talking to the LORD, and how a peace would come over me, and I would be able to sleep. I pray my words were sown onto fertile ground. Then, I knew why God showed me again earlier that day, about keeping the word in front of you. AMEN!

PS 119 v 15.....I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.......

Don't miss out on your chance to share the word, because you have not kept it in front of you, so that you can not re-call what it says. What will you re-call when faced with a situation? What the world tells you, or what God is telling you?

Neta

For The Sake Of Ten

I received an email just the other day from a friend back home, that a radio announcer had sent out concerning how unappreciative the evacuees in LA. were regarding the help they were given there. At first upon reading this, I too was caught up in the anger of this person, but then the Holy Spirit started working on me, about how many times did I come to the LORD, and how many times did He forgive me, when I did not deserve forgiveness, and how many times have I been selfish in ways that I am not proud of. I thought this is the work of SATAN, through this man, by hardening his heart toward the victims of a tragedy. I thought, If I let my heart be hardened, then I too am falling into this trap of Satan. Yes, there may be some who do not appreciate the help, but there are also those that do appreciate. Maybe, there are more that do not, but this brought to my mind, the scripture in Genesis, where Abraham is pleading to God for the innocent people.

Genesis 18 v 23-24......And Abraham came near and said, "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?....

Gen. 18 v 26....So the LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.....

Gen. 18 v 29....And he spoke to Him yet again and said, "Suppose there should be forty found there?" So He said, "I will not do it for the sake of forty."...

And this goes on until Abraham is pleading for just 10 righteous people found in the city.

Gen. 18 v 32.....Then he said, "Let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak but once more; suppose ten should be found there? And He said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.".....

And so this is a copy of my response to the email to my friend. This response was sent out of love for her and all others who have felt the way I did, so as not to harden our hearts, and get off track from how God tells us in His word how we are to treat others.


Hey homey,
I said a prayer for this radio owner. I prayed the LORD would not harden his heart toward his fellow man when in crisis. There is a reason the red cross uses volunteers to help in these matters, it is to keep organization in what they are doing and not a bunch of mayhem from hungry, grumpy and yes probably alot of unappreciative people. But God did not tell us to get angry with them, He said feed them, clothe them, minister unto them. Just think what if God treated us that way when we came to Him, after we lived such sinful lives, and unappreciative lives. Think how many times did God have to call us from our sinful pasts before we gave in and listened to Him? I know I got just as angry as the next person, but after reading this, I feel ashamed of how I felt toward those people. I know first hand how they trash the things they are given, I cleaned up after them for the church. I know first hand how unappreciative they can be. But I also saw first hand how appreciative some were and how they did all they could to take care of what they were given. It is just like people throwing Christians all into one basket, saying that church goers are hypocrites. We can't throw them all into one basket, and we can't stop helping just because we do not feel they appreciate the efforts. We have to remember like in the word, when in Genesis chapter 18 v 16-33, Abraham pleads for the people when God wants to wipe them out because of their sin, and he says to God, Lord if only ten are found innocent will you spare them. And the Lord said, if ten are found, I will not destroy it for the sake of ten. Not ten thousand but 10. AMEN!
I love you homey, do not let the anger of others get into your heart and feed your spirit. It is hard to be around those type of people and not let their ways and thoughts soak into our spirits, but we have to re-call His WORD and stay on His course. AMEN!

neta

What Is God To You

How do you feel when you think of God? Do you get a warm fuzzy feeling, or do you get this huge overwhelming feeling of awe? Do you feel like you can conquer the world with God by your side, or do you just believe that there is a higher being out there somewhere?

As a child of God, you should have the overwhelming awe of how big and how great our God is. You should not only feel like you can conquer the world, but know that you have the power of God on your side to bring you through whatever faces you. You should be like David running toward his problem with sling shot in hand instead of shrinking from attacks against you. Now you know that big giant had to stop for just a minute and wonder, who does this little shrimp think he is, running at me like this, and it is probably that moment of arrogance that hesitation, that allowed David to land the single shot he needed to bring this giant down. God will do the same for you. When things look hopeless, when it looks like you have a Goliath coming against you, God will show you where you are the one in control, you are the one with the power, because as a child of God, you are given the power of God over your enemies. You too, like David can run forward at your attacker and slay your giant.

God is a Warrior King and He is on your side.

2 Sam. 22 v 7-20.....In my distress I called to the LORD; I called out to my God. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came to His ears. The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook; they trembled because He was angry. Smoke rose from His nostrils; consuming fire came from His mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds under His feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness His canopy around Him...the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of His presence bolts of lightning blazed forth. The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the MOST HIGH resounded. He shot arrows and scattered the enemies, bolts of lightning and routed them. The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of breath from His nostrils, He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters, He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me...........

WOW! Can you just see the breath of God coming from His nostrils and parting the earth, laying back the layers of earth and drying up a vast sea with one snort from Him in anger, because someone or something is trying to come against one of His children? What an AWESOME< AMAZING< WONDERFUL< GOD we serve. AMEN!

Does this not make you want to find out all you can about God and His love for you? All the answers are in His word. Read it everyday and be reassured during these troubling times that you will Conquer and come out the Victor. AMEN!


Neta

What Is Your Giant

Just like David defeated Goliath who was probably at least 4 ft taller, and a whole lot larger than him, you can defeat your giant. Whatever you are facing, nothing is bigger than God. God says that as a child of God you are the head not the tail. Just like David, cut off Goliath's head, you can cut off the head of your problem. David did not go against Goliath with a sword, he went against him with Faith in God. The words of the Lord were his sword. Because they were in his heart and his faith was built upon them. He was able to defeat this giant with the power of God, and then used the giants own sword to cut off his head.

Speak to your problems today, strike them down with the word of God, and then stand on the neck of your problem and cut off its head. It is as simple as that. It is called FAITH.

1 Sam. 17 v 45......David said to the Philistine, "you come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD ALMIGHTY, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.".......

1 Sam 17 v 50-51....So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.".....

After you defeat your problem with the word of GOD, cut off the head of the problem, so that it does not rise up against you again. In other words, don't keep dwelling on it afterwards, forget it, believe in your heart that it has been defeated, and give it no place in your heart to ever raise up against you again. AMEN!

Remember your giant only has as much power as you allow it to have in your life. You have the authority as a child of God to overcome that giant, nothing is bigger than GOD. AMEN!
Make sure your sword is sharpened daily with the word of God.

Neta

Watch Our Tongues

Pull your tongue out and look at it. It is not a very interesting piece of the human body, yet it is the most dangerous piece of the human anatomy. Even the smallest, most petite woman could do irreversible danger with her tongue. That is what we need to think about when we go around complaining about this or that. We never know who is listening.

Yesterday, a customer came in and was griping and complaining about how much money he had already given to his church to build this multi-million dollar facility and then he even goes on to say the preacher can't even preach.

God showed me several things that happened through this one statement from this man.

1.) He gave his money to the wrong person. Instead of releasing his money to God, he released it unto man in his heart.
2.) He made the comment about the man not preaching, but does he not realize that a preacher gets his message from God, so you might as well say, God can't preach.
3.) He was doing the work of Satan, by complaining about God's house to another, and everyone within ear shot of him, was being influenced by his idle words.
4.) Satan was working through this man to destroy seeds that I had been planting earlier at work.

The main problem here was I had just had a conversation earlier with one of the people I work with about going to church, and why we go to church, to Worship the Lord, not to see how many hypocrites we find there. That was her excuse, just like so many others, the church is full of hypocrites, she said. My answer, so is the world outside of church. So what? Do you not go out your door everyday, because there are more hypocrites in the world than there are in church. Are you just going to stay holed up in your house all the time so that you won't run across a hypocrite? I mean really, chances are strong that as soon as you walk out your door, you will run across a hypocrite. That is the oldest and most used excuse for not going to church. So what does that make you when you use that excuse? When you get to heaven and Jesus says why did you not come and worship me in my house? And you tell Him that His house was full of hypocrites, He will reply, who says so?

If people would just remember the price God our Father paid for each one of us, then I think running across a hypocrite at church while going to worship Him and give Him praise and thanksgiving, is a small price to pay. The price of His Son's blood, His Son's life dying a brutal death on a cross was the price He paid for you. Is your chip on your shoulder about someone not living up to your standards worth the price God paid? I don't think so.

Try this, when you go to church.

1.) Give God all of your attention while you are there.
2.) Release all of your energy into praising Him
3.) Listen to what God is saying to you through the pastor's message
4.) Soak in the presence of the Lord, instead of the presence of those around you
5.) Give from your heart not your conscience

I promise you will have a much more pleasant experience and you will not even realize that there are any hypocrites in church with you, if you will focus on the Lord and not man.

I know some are saying, well I do not have to go to church to worship the Lord, yeh, well, I will get to that excuse in another tid-bit. If you have to go to church then something is wrong with your thinking to start with. You should be delighted to go to church, excited to worship with other believers, excited to know that the presence of the Lord will be there with you.

Remember, our words are like poison when we complain. If you want to complain, go to the throne with your complaints, take your concerns to the Lord. Let Him help you, let Him show you His plans.

Matt. 12 v 36.....But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken......

Matt. 12 v 34b.....for out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.....

Jesus tells us, that we speak what is in our hearts. Think about your words and what they will bring to the listener before you speak them. We need to daily cleanse our hearts with the word of God.
Amen!

Neta
www.godstidbitstome.blogspot.com

Changing Colors

With Fall in the air, the beautiful golds, reds, and yellows are showing up everywhere as the leaves reach their peak in changing colors. What happens to the leaves when they change colors? Why do they do this? When the days grow shorter and there is less sunshine, the leaves do not get all of the nutrients they need to stay alive, therefore they start dying. It is during this process that they change colors and then fall to the ground, to be raked up, burned, or mulched to nothing. Then the new leaves will take their place.

We are alot like these leaves in our lives we live. When we come to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we change to a new creation. We give up our old ways of life and start living new lives. When we get to our peak of not being able to live without Christ, without the light of God, then we will hopefully call on the name of Jesus and be born again. That old man and our old ways will fall off and be forgotten by Christ, and our new man will begin to blossom and grow. And as long as we stay in the light (with Christ) we will continue to grow, but it is when we get away from that life, that our colors start changing and we fall, only to be trampled down, and beat down and mulched to nothingness.

Have you ever felt that way? Well maybe it is time you got back on the path, the path leading you to eternal salvation with the Lord Jesus Christ, so that your leaves will not wither and die, but will always have more than enough light to survive whatever the world can throw at you. Get back into the word of God and make Jesus Lord over your life instead of the things of this world. AMEN!

And if you have never been on that path, then stop right where you are right now, and pray this simple prayer of salvation, so that you too can experience the wonderful life God has for you through His Son Jesus Christ.

Lord, I am a sinner, I come to you and ask for forgiveness of my sins, I believe Jesus that you died on that cross for me and that your blood covered all of my sins. Lord, come into my heart, I will confess you before men, and make you Lord over my life. Teach me your ways Lord, and keep me on your path. Holy Spirit come alive within me, lead, guide and direct me in all of the ways of the LORD. AMEN!

2 Cor. 5 v 17...Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new........

Romans 6 v 4....Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.....

Romans 6 v 7....But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.....

Ephes. 4 v 24....and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness....

Col. 3 v 9-10.....Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.....

Romans 10 v 9-13....that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him, for "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved".......

It is never too late, to keep your leaf from falling off God's tree of life. I believe He is calling each of us now more than ever in this world of troubled times, to share His love with others. Don't just sit and wait on the leaves around you to fall, share with them the nourishment of the Light that lives within you. AMEN!

Neta

What Are You Thinking

What kind of thoughts do you have during the day? Is your mind so intent on your work that nothing else around you even affects you. Or is your mind so intent on something that has been told to you, like a bad diagnosis about your health, that you can think of nothing else and are unaware of your surroundings?

God tells us to meditate on His word. He tells us to keep His word in our hearts. The reason for this is because He knows that things will come against us and when they creep into our every thought, they will consume us and we will have no choice but to believe whatever our thoughts keep telling us to be true, that is why we need to be able to shut them out by speaking His word over them.

The other day, I saw this exercise on TV, while watching Creflo Dollar. I don't know how well this will work with doing it like this and not actually speaking to you myself, but let's try, and then you can try it with someone there with you.

I want you to count to 10 to yourself, and then when I will tell you to say your name, then I want you to say your name out loud.
Ready..... count
1
2
3
4
say your name
........what happened to your counting? It should have been interrupted, when you said your name out loud. you should have forgot to keep counting and said your name. You see it is like that with our thoughts. If something is trying to come against you through your thoughts then you need to interrupt it with the name of Jesus being spoken out loud, and then quoting scriptures over yourself out loud, and then the process of that thought trying to tell you something is wrong with you will be interrupted and more importantly replaced with the word of God telling you that you are all right. AMEN!

That is why it is so vitally important that you know the word of God. That is why we are told to keep in front of our eyes, and written in our hearts, and around our necks. We are to be covered in His word, so that we do not forget that we are covered by His blood. AMEN!

Ps 18 v 30....As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him....

Ps 33 v 4....For the word of the LORD is right, And all His works is done in truth.....

Ps 119 v 15-16..I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways, I will delight myself in Your statutes, I will not forget Your word....

Ps 119 v 50....This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.....

Ps 119 v 89....Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.....

Ps 119 v 105.....Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light to my path.....

1 John 2 v 5....But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.....

And if we teach our children now the word of God, then they have the promise that if they keep the word, they are protected.

Prov. 6 v 20-23....My son, keep your father's command, and do not forsake the law of your mother, bind them continually upon your heart, tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you, when you sleep, they will keep you; and when you awake, they will speak with you. For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life....

What parent would not want their child to have this peace of knowing that God is their protector, their Savior, and they can have peace in their minds when things try to come against them, and attack them through their thoughts by keeping His word in their hearts.
Let us each keep His word close to our souls by storing His words in our hearts everyday, and sharing them with our children, so that they will know how to fight when a fight comes against them in their thoughts. AMEN!!

Next time your thoughts are being consumed by the devil (who by the way is a liar), then replace those thoughts with the word of God, (which by the way is the TRUTH) and see who wins. My money is on the LORD every time.

Neta

Whose Path Are You On

Whose path are you following? Your own, or God's? Sometimes we think we are on God's path when we are living right, doing all the right things, saying all the right things, going to church and feeling good about life. But are we really on His path for our life, or are we just comfortable in our own little world that we have created for ourselves?

A question we can ask ourselves is this, are we producing fruit for His kingdom? When was the last time we shared the gospel with someone? When was the last time we sowed into someone's life the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ? What are we sowing, if not the word of God? What type of seeds are we planting? What does our harvest look like? Just like Fall brings in a season of Harvest, what will you bring in this year?

Here are some words to live by, and to help you have a bountiful harvest this season.
Prov. 3 v 5-10......Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes, Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones. Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase. So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine......

Those verses cover it all, if you trust in the Lord and not yourself, He will keep you on the right path, so that you will be healthy, strong, and riches overflowing into your life. Your barns will not be empty but you will have more than enough to get through the cold Winter months, through Spring, and well into Summer, if you will trust Him and put your faith in Him and not your own abilities.

So when the cold and flu season come around, don't fret over it, just keep feeding yourself on the healing scriptures from the word of God. When the butane looks like it is going to run out, and the paycheck hasn't gotten there yet, trust in His word where He says He will provide, and you will stay warm, when the bones start feeling the cold and you feel like you can't move around good, read where He says trust in Him and feed on His word and depart from evil and He will bring strength to your bones.

In other words in all things Trust in the Lord and not in your own ways. Sow into His kingdom, and not just into your own world and watch your increases come and watch the fruit of your harvest grow.

And remember in all things give Praise and Thanksgiving unto the LORD!
Hope to see you on His path.

Neta

Do You Give Your Best

When you give something to someone to help them out, do you give your best, or do you give what you no longer want or need? When you take things to the Good Will box or to the shelters, do you take junk that needs repairing? Do you take clothes that are worn out? Or do you first fix the torn pieces of clothing, do you put batteries in the toy and clean it up, do you make sure that what you are giving is worth something to someone?

What about your worship time? Do you give God your best when you are worshiping Him? Do you sing praises with all your heart, or do you just read the words off the screen and sing with no feeling? Or worse yet, do you just stand there and not even open your mouth or your heart to Him? How about when you are facing a situation that you need His help, how well do you praise Him then? And then when He answers your prayers, do you go back to praising Him with little or no feeling again?

When you are at work, do you give 100%, or do you just give what the next person is giving, so that you are not working harder than anyone else? Do you go in everyday with the attitude, I am going to give it my best today, and treat the people around me with the love of Christ. Or do you drag yourself out of bed and mope around until you have had your caffeine fix and then start speaking with your co-workers?

When you speak to your family members, your spouse and your children, do you speak to them with love and respect? Or do you just call them when you need them to help you with something? In other words do you spend quality time talking with your children each day, genuinely interested in what they did that day? Do you even know what your children did that day or who they spent the day with? What is your spouse feeling right now? Are they well, and happy, or are they stressed and overworked?

Matt. 7 v 12.....Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets....

2 Cor. 9 v 6-8....But this I say, He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work......

Gal. 6 v 7....Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap......

Those verses pretty much tell us the way we are to sow. First of all we give with our hearts and not just so we can get back. Second we give our best, because what we sow is what we will get back into our lives. Third, the first memory verse many of us as children learned was "Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you". In other words, you don't give something to someone that you would not want for yourself.

And most importantly, when we praise Him, we praise Him with all our hearts, our soul and our minds. We do not stand looking around to see what everyone else is doing during praise and worship. This is not the time of service to the Lord to visit with your neighbor about what they did yesterday. This is the time to prepare your hearts to receive the word of God, so that the word will fall on fertile ground, and not fall into a pile of mulch because you've got so many things going on in your head that you are not even listening. When you walk out of church feeling the same as when you walked in, you missed the message! You missed the presence of the LORD!

Don't miss out on what God has for you. He gave you His best when He gave you His Son, Jesus to die on that cross for you. Can't you at least give Him some time in your day everyday to praise and thank Him for what He did for you? How much time will you give Him today?

Remember you reap what you sow. Think about that the next time you need the Lord, how much time have you invested in Him and His word? He is always there for you, but you have to know where to find Him. AMEN! For instance if you need healing in your body, do you know where to look in His word to receive that healing? If you need help with your relationships, do you know where to look for His instructions on how to build better relationships? If you need assurance of His provisions, do you know where His promises are in the word to you?

God loves us each and everyone, regardless of how bad we have messed up in the past, His Son has paid the price for our past, that bill is marked PAID IN FULL! We just need to grow in Him, so that we can sow into others lives the riches He has sown into ours. AMEN!
Neta

God Said Become One

God never intended for man to have more than one wife. He said what He has joined together, let no man put separate. In other words let no one come between them. He said they would become one flesh.

Gen. 2 v 24.....therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.....

Matt. 19 v 4-6.....And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.",,,,,,,

Sunday at church we were talking about being barren, unable to produce. Then we moved on to how when Sarai was barren and could not give Abram a child, she gave him her maidservant so that they could have children through her. Only afterwards when Sarai gave birth to a son, Sarai became very bitter toward her. You see God told Abram he would be father of many nations, but Abram knew Sarai was barren, and he and she were getting old. But Abram listened to Sarai, and gave in and took Hagar and she conceived a son. This was not God's plan or His will for Abram and Sarai. He said from Abram's own loins would come his descendants. Remember what He said above, that they were one flesh, so if they were one flesh, then these descendants would also come from Sarai as well.

Gen. 11 v 30.....But Sarai was barren; she had no child....

Gen. 12 v 7... Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land"......

Gen. 13 v 16......And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered.....

Gen. 15 v 4-5....And behold the word of the Lord came to him saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir." Then he brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And he said to him, "So shall your descendants be."........

Over and over God told Abram he would be father to many and they would come from his flesh. Now Abram's faith would have to be strong to believe that he and Sarai would have many descendants.

Gen. 17 v 3-6......Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying; "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you."......

Gen. 17 v 15-16....Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be from her.".........

Then we have the story of Elizabeth, who also was barren. She was the wife of Zacharias, who were the parents of John the Baptist. She also was old in age and past child bearing years when God told them they would conceive a child. Here again, he did not tell Zach to go out and find a younger woman to have his baby. No, He said Elizabeth would give birth to a son.

Can you imagine how much faith it took to believe the Lord for these children? I mean these women were not like 40 or 50, they were more like 80 or 90. Abraham was over 100 when Issac was born.

Luke 1 v 5-7....There was in the days of Herod, the King of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.....

Luke 1 v 13.....But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.".......
You see from the beginning, Abraham and Sarah did not have to go to Hagar, all they needed was faith in what the Lord told them.

The same with us. We need to have faith in what the word of the Lord tells us and to know that our fate is in God's hands and His timing for us, not our own. We need to remember, He will complete in us what He has started.

And remember when it comes to marriage, He said One flesh! Not two or three. AMEN Neta

Missionary On The Job

Some of us are missionaries on the job. We should count ourselves lucky. At least we are getting paid a good salary for a missionary, and we are not sleeping in grass huts on dirt floors, having to use outhouses, eat who knows what. I spoke of this recently, that sometimes we are like missionaries on our job because of the people we work with or have to deal with. I have been struggling with whether or not to stay at my work place being constantly around foul language, corrupt morals, and I could go on. And then God showed me something yesterday while sitting in church waiting for the message. He showed me who better to deal with this person than someone who was exactly the same as she was before I met Jesus. Who better to understand her and why she behaves the way she does? Who better to deal with the people who come in there with the same lifestyle I used to have? It was a WOW moment.

We are always asking God to help us in being a better Christian, in doing His work, yet when His work is staring us in the face everyday, we are still looking way beyond to some magical moment that He will put us in some foreign place, when we are in that foreign place now. Once we become a new man in Christ, these people who act and behave just like we used to become foreign to us. We are like foreigners because we do not think or believe or behave the same way as they do any longer. The problem with that thinking is, that they are still our brothers and sisters and they need our help just as much as the lost over in Indonesia, or Africa or wherever.

While reading in Beth Moore's devotional of Missionaries around the world today, I was reading one where every time the missionary would offer help or food to someone, their first question was, "how much does it cost"? The cost has already been paid by Jesus. It doesn't cost anything to receive prayer, healing, or help. Not if we look at the cost Jesus has already paid.

How much does it cost for you to stay on that job, and do the work of Christ? It is a blessing to you not a cost. For Christ gave you a missionary job where you get paid everyday to show up and do His work. AMEN! We are all missionaries on our job sites. We just need to start praising Him for the blessing of being able to work for Him and get paid for doing what should be our hearts desire in the first place. If we would all look at our jobs as the mission field and going to work for Christ each day, instead of going to work for man, then we would have a much less stressful time at work. Hallelujah! I am excited about my mission trip I will take each day now.
Father, help me to be the best missionary for Christ that I can be on and off the job. Thank you Father, for showing me how blessed I am to be working for you, and getting paid at the same time. Lord, let my co-workers and customers experience your love and kindness for them through me. AMEN!

Rev. 21 v 6.....He said to me: "It is done, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life."......

1 Cor. 9 v 19, 22-23......Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. ......To the weak, I became weak, I have become all things to all men, so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.".....

Sometimes, we are not there to teach but to be taught. Sometimes, we are there to share, sometimes we are there to bring healing, and sometimes we are there to just listen.
Whatever reason God has you on your job, remember you are there as a missionary unto the LORD, to do His work. Sometimes you will not even have to open your mouth.

Neta

Aree Your Fruits Ripe or Spoiled

Gal. 5 v 22....But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control......

Are you like a cornucopia filled with the fruits of the Spirit?
Do you practice love toward your neighbor, do you have peace in the decisions you have made in your life, do you show kindness toward your neighbor, do you show self-control over matters that arise against you, do you show gentleness toward those that are in need of your help, do you endure trials with so much faith in the word of God that you are not moved off His course for you?

Are you like the compost bin, holding rotten fruit? In other words, do you just give up easily when you are faced with trials, and throw your faith into the bin, or when you see someone in need do you stop to help or just say someone else will stop, do you get easily offended and show lack of self-control, how much kindness do you show toward others when you really do not feel very kind that day?

Where are we in our lives? Do we need to do some Fall cleanup? If so, there is no better time. Start today with working on your fruits. Get rid of the bad fruit in your life and replace it with the good. You know the saying, "one bad apple can spoil the bunch" this is true in our lives. We need to take a look and see what is keeping up from showing the love of Jesus toward others? Are we walking in the fruits of the Spirit or the fruits of our flesh?

Ephes. 5 v 8-11....For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them........

Gal. 5 v 1-2....Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma......

When people see you, do they see beautiful fruit or smell a spoiled aroma?

Neta

To Pray or Not To Pray (for Patience)

Yesterday while talking with a friend of mine via email, we are sort of both in the same situation at work. With some people you need a lot more patience to endure them. Well, this morning while reading one of my little daily readings, I got this AHA moment about patience. We always hear you are not suppose to pray for patience but I never really understood why. Now, I know. Anytime you want to get better at something you practice it over and over again. (How many of you just got that AHA moment) When you pray for patience, God has no choice but to give you situations so that you may practice patience. How else would you develop patience unless you have situations to cause you to need to use patience? HELLO! So I say to my friend today, we are praying the wrong prayer, STOP NOW, don't pray for patience any longer, let's pray for deliverance! (I am kidding)

No we need to pray for those who cause us to have to use so much patience where they are concerned. We need to pray for love in our hearts toward those people, and for the Spirit of Jesus to overflow from us to them. I find it very easy to be so loving toward others when I am sitting at home studying the word all day, and not being confronted by others. But now that I am out in the public eye, I find myself falling short on the love stick toward my neighbors. I find myself getting irritable with people and their attitudes instead of practicing what I hear from the Lord. Pray for me today, as I am as human as the rest of you out there. I want the light of Jesus to shine off me, so that everyone I encounter will feel the Lords presence and His love for them through me. Pray that the Lord will change my heart in the way I feel toward those who have problems with their medications. I know the Lord has not had me in this field for 32 years for nothing. I pray the Lord give me compassion for those who abuse their medications and that I will have a heart to pray for those instead of losing patience with them. AMEN!

Luke 8 v 15....But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.....

Now, I know that this is not the normal scripture for people when they are talking about patience, but this one says it all, we must have a good and noble heart when we receive the word of God, so that we will have patience with our seeds where we plant them, and we will someday bear fruit from those seeds. AMEN!
Neta

Bring It All To The Lord

A friend of mine emailed me about some things she was struggling with, and told me she finally saw she couldn't take it any more so she went to God. You might say, yes, that is what we are suppose to do, but she showed me another way of going to God. Through her journal. WOW! I thought what a great idea. You know when I was in the hospital for depression years ago, they taught us we should journal instead of keeping things bottled up inside of us. Also, that journal is a healthy way to let go of things. This is true to some extent. But to journal to God, what a great way of spending time with Him. You know we have long lost the custom of writing letters to each other. Now we have email, so we can chat any time we want to. But what about sitting down and journal our day with the Lord.

You know when you give voice to your problems, your problems grow stronger. You give your problems more strength each time you complain about them to someone else out loud. Not only are you giving your problem strength but you are also now involving someone else in the mix. Why not voice your concern to the LORD, who has the strength to overcome your problem?
Why not just do like He says in His word and bring your burdens to Him? Why are we so hard headed when it comes to taking care of our own problems, but we are so quick to offer advice to someone else on how to take care of theirs? (often times unsolicited advice) Why do we not just obey the word, and come before the throne, and come boldly with our problems? The answer is our Faith level. Where is our faith? Is it in the world and what they say about our problem, or is it in God and His word and what He says to do? Sometimes we misplace our faith by sharing with others instead of sharing with God.

Matt. 11 v 28-30...."Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."........

Now I am not saying that is a bad thing to talk with others when you need advice, or help with something. God did not put us here together on this earth, only to live isolated from each other. What I am saying is sometimes when we complain over and over about the same thing, but we have done nothing to change the problem, then that is when we are giving strength to our problem. I read something the other day in one of my tea bottle caps, that said, "if you do not change the way you are going you will get to where you are going" in other words, if you do not change the direction in the way you handle things, you will stay where you are headed. You will continue to live in this problem.

But what a beautiful thought to go to the Lord each day with your thoughts, and write Him a letter. Then listen as He replies. His reply will be in His word. He has already written you a letter for every letter you could possibly write to Him. It is the word of God. We just need to get still and listen for the mail being dropped off in our Spirit. Open the word of God, and see what letter the Lord has mailed to you today.

Neta

Don't Stop With Your Vote

The time is drawing near that we as a nation will be electing a new president, a new leader of our country. We must all take our responsibility serious to vote. But if we stop with casting our vote then we have dropped the ball, we have let our country and our leader down. You would not send someone to a destination they had never heard of before, and then expect them to start out toward that destination without any direction as to which way to go would you? Or have you ever tried to put a puzzle together, that you have no picture to go by, you have no idea what the finished product is suppose to look like, much less what shape it will be? When we vote in our leaders, then we stop right there and we do not continue to lift them up in prayer, then we have done the same thing. We have given them a puzzle without the picture.

All authority is ordained by God, Himself, and will answer to God.

Romans 12 v 21....Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good......

Romans 13 v 1-10......Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore, you must be subject not only because of wrath, but also for conscience sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, You shall not covet, and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.......

I know that is a mouthful, but let me break it down how God showed it to me this morning.

1. All authority is ordained by God

This means that whoever is in authority will answer to God, Himself for the actions they take while in authority. We need to pray for this person in authority

2. If you resist that authority, you are going against God, Himself

God will avenge this authority, He doesn't need your help in judging this person. We need to pray for this person in authority

3. For our own conscience sake, we are to obey the authority, and do what is right and legal.

We must pray for this person in authority, instead of complaining and whining and doing nothing

4. We must pay our taxes to whom our taxes are due.

And fear is given to whom fear is due, and honor to whom honor is due. We all know that we as children of God are not given a spirit of fear, so therefore this would be talking about the fear of God, and this person will fear God and honor God. We need to pray for this person in authority

5. God's commandments will not be overridden, They can take them out of the White House but they can not take them out of His people. We as Christians must make every effort to keep God's commandments alive by living them out ourselves. Just because someone takes them off a wall, or plaque does not mean they take them away from us. It is our responsibility as Christians to uphold God's law first and foremost.

When we do this, when we act with the love of God, we will be able to easily keep all of His commandments and serve the authority He has appointed.

So first we must Pray, then vote, then pray for who is appointed. The power of prayer from faithful children of God will be heard by God, and will be answered by God. So don't stop with your vote! AMEN!

Neta

Don't Look Back

Have you ever been told, "don't look back". It is like Lot's wife, she looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. (Gen. 19 v 26) There is something about those words, that we as humans, think we have to see why? Why do I need not to look back? What is out there? It is the same with our lives, once we become a born again child of God, we need to let the past go, don't keep looking back over how we used to be, what we used to do, how we used to talk, who we used to know and hang out with. We are a new creature in Christ. (2 Cor. 5 v 17) We do not need those things of the past that we thought we had to have before.

It is like when we sold our property and moved into our 5th wheel. I miss my gardens terribly sometimes, and I miss all that land that we had to explore. I miss finding something new every time we walked to the back of the property, like a new tree, or flower, or piece of petrified wood. But most of all I miss all of the wild life and the dairy cows, and the horses, and my chickens. You see in the beginning of spring, you could sit on the back porch and watch as the new calves, and new ponies frolicked up and down the road in the pasture next door. You would see the bluebirds building their nests, and my favorite the new baby chicks. I loved my chickens! But what I loved most was the new birth all around me. New buds on trees and flowers poking through the ground. It always reminded me of when you become a child of God, and you decide to give your life to Christ, you have a new birth. Everything is new, your sins are washed by Christ's blood and forgotten by God. So why do we look back?

When God leads us in new directions, why do we question Him? Because we are having to give up something we want in order to follow Him. We have to die to ourselves and live for Him. Missionaries do this every day of their life. Some of them are constantly moving from place to place, having to learn new languages, new ways of living, new food. Now that is one. Most of us could not make it as a missionary simply because we are so picky about what food we eat. Something so simple as changing our diet could be stopping us from responding to God's call on our lives. Has God called you to be a missionary? If so, when you walk away, don't look back. Don't get out there and continually think about what you had but open your eyes wide and see with God's heart what you have.

Now, I know we are not all of us in some foreign country working as a missionary, but sometimes just going to work each day is a mission trip for some of us. The language we have to listen to at work from co-workers, and the lost people we are surrounded by, can be just as challenging as being in a foreign country for a Christian sometimes. So here are some words to carry us through each day and to keep looking forward and not back.

PS 143 v 8........"Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for I trust in You; teach me the way in which I should walk; for to You I lift up my soul."........

Let every day of your life be as if on a mission trip for God. Treat everyone with loving kindness, and with the love of God. Most of the time you will not even have to open your mouth to carry out these orders from God, your actions will speak volumes for you. AMEN!

Neta

Are You Comfortable or In A Comfort Zone

Are you comfortable with your worship to the Lord? I mean, does it fit you? Do you let yourself totally escape into His presence when you are worshiping the Lord, or are you aware of what is going on around you? Are you concerned with others looking at you, are you concerned with what others think about your way of worship? If you are, then you are not comfortable with your worship. Are you truly comfortable with your worship or are you just in a comfort zone, trying to fit in?

If you raise your hands, and dance and just let go, are you wondering, if someone is watching you? If you sit quietly, while everyone else is raising their hands and praising God, are you wanting to raise your hands, but you are scared of what someone might think of you?

We all have our own way of worshiping the Lord. For some it may be raising holy hands, for some it may be keeping still, and being quiet and reflective. There is nothing wrong with either of these ways of worship unless, you feel intimidated, or forced, or restrained. You see it is not about you, it is about giving Him the Glory, Honor & Praise. It is about being focused on worshiping Him, and not being focused on what someone might think of you.

I was reading today in one of my bibles, a little study guide about Extravagant Worship. Now for those of you who sit quietly you might think this means, those of us who like to shout, and raise hands, and dance. But you would be wrong. Extravagant worship can also pertain to those who sit quietly and never say a word. Extravagant worship is worshiping Him with all your heart, mind and soul, that you are not even aware of the other people around you. That is the way it should be for all of us, no matter what our outward appearance may seem to others, we should not even be aware of anything or anyone but the LORD HIMSELF, when we are worshiping Him. AMEN!

She said it like this, "worship is a time of intimacy between you and the LORD. Don't let a desire for the approval of others prevent you from offering loving abandonment to God."
She is right, we should not concern ourselves with anything while we are in worship with the LORD.

2 Sam 6 v 14-16....David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets, As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.......

Why did she despise David and his way of worship? Whose honor and reputation was she worried about?

Luke 7 v 38...and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them.....

Luke 7 v 39....When the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching Him and what kind of woman she is, that she is a sinner"......

Don't be like Michal, who was worried that her reputation would be ruined because of her husband's action in the way he chose to worship the Lord. Or like the Pharisee who thinks that someone who had a past sinful life can not worship the Lord.

We need to make sure when we are worshiping, no matter what our style, that we are not into ourselves, or what others are thinking of us, but that we are only focused on Him, and totally unaware of what is going on around us, then we will know that we are in true worship. AMEN!

Give the Lord your best worship this week at church and at home.
Neta

How Big Is Your Cup

While reading through my devotionals this morning, there was one of Andrew Womack's that got me thinking about how we can have more to give. This is nothing new, but he showed it in a different light, and it caught my attention.

2 Cor. 8 v 15....as it is written, he who gathered much had nothing over; and he who gathered little had no lack......

He was talking about how you will always have enough. But do you want just enough? I want more than enough, so that I may give unto others when there is a need. He was explaining how God's word is our cup. So the more you are into God's word and know and understand God's word the bigger your cup. He talks about how God gives you what you can handle, and will not give you more than you can handle. Remember the story about the guy who hid his talent in the ground until his master came back, and the other two guys invested theirs to make more. Well, the guy who hid his in the ground did not understand how to invest, so his master took his away, and gave unto those who were wiser with their money. It is the same with us today.
You know the story about the manna, when they were told to gather enough for themselves and their household and anything over would spoil and be rotten. Well, it is like with us today, we need to invest in the kingdom of God with our overflow so that we will not be stuck with spoiled goods.

Our cup will only hold so much, so if we give back to God, and give into His kingdom, our cup will always be full. You can not out give God, so the more you give, the more your cup is being replenished. Have you ever thought about how people who win the lottery almost always end up broke, and broken. Because they did not have the understanding and wisdom over what they were given. They could not handle what they had, they were not ready for such growth and so their manna spoiled.

Andrew said it like this, "God tells us if we will build a bigger cup, the prosperity will come. It is not up to us to find more prosperity. That's God's job. Our responsibility is to enlarge our capacity to handle His blessings. Once this is accomplished the additional prosperity will come."
You see sometimes instead of praying for more in our finances, we first need to pray for God's wisdom over our finances.

I think that the more we empty of our cup into others needs and lives, the more God gives us. In other words the more we give, the more He continues to pour into our cups. Remember your cup is your understanding of the word of God. I have found over and over again, the more I bless someone in their work with the Lord, the more God pours into my cup. Your desire should be to always have more than enough so when the need arises you are able to meet that need. AMEN!

Lets each get into the word of God today and build bigger cups. AMEN!
Neta

All We Have To Do Is Drink

I was talking with my sister-in-law this morning, and I said something that made me think about this. (You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink)

I thought it is the same with us and following the LORD, and His will in our lives. The Holy Spirit can lead us to the well, but we have to choose to drink. God says over and over in His word, that we are healed by the stripes of Jesus, but we choose whether or not to take a drink of that healing water. He tells us we will prosper in everything we set our hands to, that Jesus became poor so that we might become rich. Notice the word might in there. You see we have to have faith in what He says in order to take a drink of that well. God provides us with a well of water for every area of our lives. We just have to choose to drink or not!

It is the same with ministering, or witnessing. We can bring the word all day long and put it out on the table. But if the person is not hungry or refuses to eat, they will not receive it. But our job is to bring it to them, to serve them the word of God, and the living, healing waters of the Lord.

I also read this morning about not giving up. Naaman had to dip 7 times in the Jordan to be healed. This reading said, he probably wasn't showing any signs of healing the first 6 times and then on the seventh time he came up healed. That is how faith works, we have to believe without seeing. So sometimes, whomever you are speaking to about the word of God, may go away as if they did not want to eat, but just maybe you didn't catch them sliding that one little crumb into their pocket, to partake of later in their time.

2 Kings 5 v 14...."Then he went down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh came again like unto flesh of a little child, and he was clean.".......

Don't give up, don't stop, you may be only on the sixth time in the spiritual realm, don't miss out because you stopped one time short. Keep bringing the water and the food. Then let God and the Holy Spirit take over. AMEN!

Neta

Just For The Privilege

How many of us serve God just for the privilege of serving Him. Not for what we get out of it, Not for the blessings that we know will come our way, but just for the privilege of being able to serve Him.

That is what a missionary's life is all about. They serve just for the privilege of serving. I mean why else would you go to these third world countries, with no inside toilets, no running water, sleep on dirt floors in grass huts, eat who knows what? How many of us would be able to do this and not complain? I mean there will not be any air conditioning, and in the harsh winter in some of these areas, they have no heat. How many of us are willing to live like this? Not just for a few days or even a couple of weeks or months, but for a much longer period of time. I knew one couple who only got to come home once every 5 years. Something to do with the way the visa worked.

Yet we are here to do God's work and we sometimes struggle with trying to witness to those around us. Why is that? We are proud to be God's people, we call ourselves Christians, we are ready to talk to other Christians about the LORD, but how many of us spend time talking to the lost about the LORD? Are we embarrassed, or ashamed, or intimidated maybe? We talk about how powerful our God is and how greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world, but then when we see someone who is in need of the Lord's grace, we curl up in our corner of ourselves and not share the gospel with them. Why do we let the lost intimidate us? What are we afraid of? The worst they can do is say they are not interested and walk off. But what if just one stops long enough to listen, and a seed is planted on fertile ground? And then one day this person becomes a Christian and shares the gospel with thousands of others?

We never know when that one person is the one we are speaking with at the moment. I read a scripture this morning that got me thinking of how we sit here in our cool air conditioned houses, and we eat whenever, whatever we want to, we go and come as we please and we get so comfortable in our comfort zones that we forget we have the privlege of serving God. Not because we have to, but because we get to. What a honor it is to serve Him. But how many of us see this as an honor and privilege? When we go to church on Sundays, or Wed. nights, or whenever and we give God our little bit of time, we need to stop and think about the missionaries around the world, who are all day long working for the Lord everyday. AMEN!

Let's get out of our comfort zones and ourselves and get into God's zone and really serve Him. AMEN!

2 Cor. 8 v 3-5....."for I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord, and then to us in keeping with God's will"........

How many of us give to the Lord first everyday before we give to ourselves? In other words how many of us get up each day and start the day feeding on His word before we start feeding our mortal bodies? Just like in the Bible, before anyone went out to do God's work they would do a fast, we should fast and get into the word of God each day before we get into ourselves. I promise you will see with a much clearer mind what the Lord is saying to you. And if you are getting ready for a mission trip, remember to fast and seek God before you go. AMEN!

It is our privilege to serve the LORD!
Neta

It Takes Everyone

It seems as though everywhere I look, and everything I read, is talking about missionaries, and the people who are sent out to help in relief efforts. Now I know these devotionals were written years ahead of today that I am reading, so it is just confirmation to me that the LORD is telling us, it takes all of us to make a difference. I mean when these people wrote these devotionals they could not have known about the hurricanes that just passed through here. I am not talking about one or two, no, I am talking about several different devotionals that I read each day. And then this weekend while visiting at my Brother-in-law's church, I was told of a mission trip that they are going on at the end of the month to help in relief efforts. So I feel God leading me in writing the tid-bits today on sending forth His word.

Romans 10 v 14-15.....How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? ANd how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!".......

I sent you all out a weekly devotional from Jame Robison from LIFE TODAY, as he was talking about the same thing. Then when I got into reading my other devotionals (which were written long before), God showed me over and over again, that it takes all of His people to do a missionary's job. It is not just about going, it is about the sending. Those of us who can not go ourselves have to do our part in the sending. Now, this is not just in relief efforts, so after the disaster is over for where you are helping out, don't just sit down. No, missionary work goes on everyday all over the world. God says we are to send His word out. In other words, if you are not the missionary then your part is to fund that missionary's way with what you can. So many times when there is a disaster we all get our adrenaline up and want to rush off to help, but then when the initial shock of the disaster runs its course, we just all go back to our happy little lives. Every church should support missionaries all around the world.

When your church sends money to missionaries in Africa, or China, or East Asia, or wherever, it is the same as you building a church there yourself. When you give your finances into that mission, it is the same as you building that church with your funds. AMEN! How many of you would like to say, I built that church! AMEN!

Let's all this week, put our focus on missionaries and their work all over the world. See who you can help this week. I know I get excited every time I send money to LIFE TODAY, to build a water well, to feed the children, to build shelters for the abused little girls in China, and now they are getting ready to buy shoes for all the little children for Christmas. I am excited to know that I can probably buy 40 pairs of shoes for 40 children. Maybe the first shoes these children have ever owned. What a wonderful Christmas present. If you want to know more about these missions, go to WWW.LIFETODAY.ORG, and check out Life's Christmas Shoe project.

May you each have a blessed day, and have all you need today.
Neta

Are You Holding Up Your Pastor's Arms

Your Pastor was sent to you by God to bring you the word, and to feed His sheep. A pastor's job is not a solo act however. It takes many people to fuflfill a calling from the Lord. It takes, nursery workers, secretaries, choir members, ushers, greeters, teachers, janitors, it takes an entire congregation to hold up the arms of your pastor.

When we read the scripture of the battle where Joshua went to fight against Amalek, Moses had to hold up his arms during the entire battle, for if he let down his arm, the enemy would start defeating them, but as long as he held up his arms they were winning.

Exodus 17 v 9-12.....And Moses said to Joshua, "Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand." So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword......

It is the same in your church, if you do not help support your pastor in the way he is leading the church, whether it be with building new buildings, or sending out missionaries, or youth camp sponsors, whatever it might be, then you are letting the enemy get a foothold in your church family.

Our pastors just do not wake up one day and decide to build a new building or start some new project. Most of the time these things are areas the LORD has showed them that they need to build on. So they pray about it, seek the LORD on what his word has to say about it, then bring it before you. Then it is up to you to either stand under him and hold up his arms, or walk away and let the enemy start taking over. This may seem like a small thing to you, you may say, my little bit won't help, but that is just the point, you need to take your eyes off your little bit, and put your eyes on GOD and what He can do with that little bit. He will defeat an entire army with your little bit. AMEN!

So make sure you support your pastor's arms when he comes before you with a battle plan. Because when you build buildings, and send out missionaries, etc., you are fighting for the LORD, by bringing His word to more people. AMEN!

We can not all be Joshua's out in the battle, but we do each of us have the ability to become Aarons or Hurs and support our pastor. Ask your pastor how can you best support him? AMEN!

Neta

There Is Power In The Word

There is so much power in the word of God, that we do not even realize sometimes how much power we have against our enemies. Today while reading in 1 Sam. chapter 5, I came to the fact that we have more power than we need to defeat whatever comes against us, we just have to have faith in that power. But each and every one of God's children have the same amount of power available to them. We just have to look into our hearts where the word of God is stored and use that power. Now some may have to dig and dig to find it, because you have not been into the word lately. Some of you may not have gotten to the point in your life where you read and study the word of God, some of you may be weak in your power. Not because your power is any less, but because your faith in that power is not manifested yet in your heart.

This is why some people believe so strongly in the healing power in the word of God, and believe that what they speak is what they bring about. It is because their faith in that part of God's word has manifested itself into their hearts.

Lets read in 1 Sam. what happens when the word of God is captured and the Philistines place the ark which contains the word of God in their temple with their fish God.

1 Sam. 5 v 2-4......Then they carried the ark into Dagon's temple and set it beside Dagon. When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. But the following morning, when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained.....

Philipians 2 v 9-11......Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father....

God is clear in His word, no one will stand before Christ Jesus who is God, everyone just like this fish God will be brought down prostrate before Him and will acknowledge that He is God. AMEN!

You see false Gods can not stand before the word of the LORD. Today your enemies can not stand before the word of the LORD. Jesus has already defeated them. Your heart is like the ark of the Lord, when you have the word of God in it. There is no greater power than that which is in the word of GOD.

Lord, I pray that every believer fighting in this war, on this anniversary of that day, will use the word of the LORD to protect themselves and those around them. Father, I pray that their faith will not waiver in your word, and that they will share your word today with those who have not yet come to know you as Lord. Lord, I pray today that you send your angels out to surround our men and women today, that no harm or evil may come nigh them. I pray, that your presence be known to all today, that you are God, and your word will stand against all enemies. AMEN!

Lets each one take time today to remember those who have lost their lives during 9-11 and the war following fighting for our Country. AMEN!
Neta