We've all done it, whether we know it or not, and should repent and ask God's forgiveness and ask Him to show us when we're being unkind, pushy, disrespectful, etc., with our words! It requires a Godly "attitude adjustment." We're going to be judged on every idle word we say! (Hint, hint: I think that's why we have 2 ears and only one mouth?). "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." (Proverbs 18:31). How about this one? "By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:37). There's just one thing we all need to remember. Words DO matter so please? SPEAK LIFE!
"Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6). Everything is beginning to change, and the inertia is unstoppable. It's like going full bore at a brick wall and your brakes are out! I was greatly encouraged by President Trump recently. I've also begun to see people going back to work and continuing to rebuild their lives after 8 years of redistribution of wealth. What really lit me up was how he spoke of our Creator. He was modest, reverent and respectful. I've heard several scholars say that every prophecy about the return of Jesus from Matthew 24 and Mark 21, have all occurred already, so the rapture could happen in the next minute! Time to get on our faces, pray and humble ourselves, seek Him and you will find Him! Pray to be found worthy! As Billy Graham says "I'm a wretched sinner, who needs Jesus' forgiveness every day." I feel exactly the same way. It's time to get right with God because His son, who died for our sins, is coming soon to snatch the church right off the face of the earth! I know I've been away, but there's a very good reason for that. I've been having severe short term memory issues & I also sometimes start a sentence and then forget what I was going to say. It's begun to happen a lot more. It's not just "writer's block" anymore. It happens so often now, I never even try anymore, so please forgive and pray for me? I know God's still at work on me. He's working on all of us. We're just Unfinished!
I'm done with pain so I'm giving myself a wonderful Christmas present! I've got an appointment to see a neurosurgeon on December 21st, to schedule a surgery that could get me back up and walking! I've been running scared for 9 1/2 years due to 3 infections that nearly killed me in 1990, 1993 and 1995. All of them occurred after being hospitalized but I'm hoping that if I get the surgery done at the same hospital, they'll know exactly what to do if I spike a temp! Seems I always do that when in the hospital, which is why I'm scared stiff! I've decided however, to feel the fear and do it anyway. This whole thing started when God whispered to me one day, "How is it that you were willing to trust Me with your daughter (who had cancer), all those years ago, but you won't trust Me with you?" That one hit me like a ton of bricks! So, it's time to stop running and deal with my fear. The bible says specifically that fear is associated with punishment. "There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18). The devil works us constantly when we have an irrational fear such as this one? It is kind of a risky surgery so he's workin' me double time right now. I wish this wasn't happening but I know that God is in control, which does bring a certain amount of peace to my soul. I appreciate and pray for everyone who reads this blog and I apologize for being away for so long. Thank you for being so patient with me. God bless you all. I hope you all have a terrific weekend!
Fear can make you feel very alone. Even worse is when you say you're trusting God for everything in your life, when what you really mean is "everybody in your life." I was telling my little cancer survivor who is now 28 years old, that she needed to be on high blood pressure meds and that she should go and get a physical. She told me no. When I began to "complain" about it to the Lord, I heard a little voice inside, as clear as day, say "How is it that you trusted Me with your little girl all those years ago, yet you don't trust Me with you?" Talk about God's timing? I just had the lumbar and cervical spine MRI's this afternoon. By the time I got home, my doctor had already scheduled me for next Monday, but I have another appointment I simply can't miss for another malady that popped up recently. I really like my new doctor. He researched the furuncle situation, which is just another nice word for "MRSA" or Medically Resistant Staph. He put me on an antibiotic that nobody put me on before, and it was gone within one week! That now frees me to get the Enbrel shot I need for the Psoriatic Arthritis as well as the two surgeries I'll need for decompressing the lower spine, and the more dangerous surgery, which involves the upper spine, or the neck? It's a cord nightmare, or so I've read. After I got home, I turned on the TV, but quickly got bored. I decided to listen to some Christian music from my iTunes play lists. When I heard this song, I began to cry. God has always had control over this situation. This song reminded me that He will never leave you or me, nor will He ever forsake us, the way we do Him! I need to get well, so I can get out there, get a job, feel some self respect again, gain back my dignity and start to live for the Lord, and I mean, live out loud for Jesus! I hope this post will help the hearts of others who are facing difficult surgeries with uncertain outcomes. If you need prayer, please send me your prayer requests at BeABarnabus@Gmail.com.
Remember, when we see "broken beyond repair," God see's "healing beyond belief." I have a feeling the timing of all of this is just perfect, because God never makes mistakes. That means my testimony will be just crazy amazing! God bless you all and thank you for reading this blog. I pray for all of you because even though I may not know you personally? God does!
"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." (Revelation 3:15-16). I've never heard a preacher say it, but I believe that this is the "final warning" to us as Christians who have one foot in Christ and the other in the world. Our God is a "jealous God!" (Exodus 34:14). He wants ALL of us, not just half! I believe this verse is a WARNING & time is growing short! "Let him who has ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the Churches." (Revelation 3:22).
God wants to be in the center of your life. There's a saying that goes, "When you put God in the center? Everything else comes together." I love that quote, though I don't know who originally said it. What we all deserve is death and eternal separation from God. As believers in Jesus Christ, we'll receive a Crown of Life in heaven, which we will cast at His feet as we kneel before Him. He died a horrible death to save us! God sent Him here for that one purpose alone and "God made Him who had no sin, to be sin for us so that in Him, we might become the righteousness of God in Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:21). Do you have one foot in the world and one in Christ? It's time to get rid of the "grey area's" in our lives and be fully committed to Jesus Christ! My prayer for all who read this post is that the Holy Spirit will convict you of your sin so so you can ask God to forgive you. There is an old saying, a quote, actually from A.W. Tozer."Complacency is the death to all Spiritual growth." So don't wait! He's waiting on you. God loves you and wants the best for you. Eternity! You see, when we get stuck, with one foot in Christ and the other in the world? It puts us "Somewhere in the Middle."
