Author: Sonja

Child of the King; Christian WP Blogger; Grandmother or five; retired 55 years; Property Landlord; Buckner International missionary for 10 years; struggling unpublished memoirs writer of non-fiction personal life events!

God Challenges Us To Be Faith-bent Rather Than Hell-bent!

On By SonjaIn Uncategorized2 Comments

Dear Readers, your inner most conscience has one last question to ask you before 2022 is over. Is your life today what you pictured it to be this time last year in 2021? Folks, let’s get real and ask the question a different way. (That inner voice of yours, yes, your conscience.) For the past 365 days, have you truly relinquished your heart, mind and soul to your spiritual guide? Have you allowed Him (or Her) to be your guide to the rightness or wrongness of your behavior? When it’s all said and done, do you have a guilty conscience or a remorseful one?

Let’s pick up a magnifying glass and examine that voice of yours. Why? Because there is no other spiritual teacher to do the searching than your very own soul. And, as you know, life consists of performing works and/or deeds everyday. But, by performing either one diligently does not gives us a license to salvation. John 2:26 says, “Faith Without Works Is Dead“

But what if by our faith-bent works they could actually make us be made more alive and less hell-bent on dealing with others?…

When a person is hell-bent on carrying out a task, that means he or she is determined to do something reckless even if this causes problems or difficulties for someone else. Below are 2 pictures that depict images of what sneeky little hell-bent acts looks like.

Satan may come disguised in little innocent forms, but is none the less destructive. Beware where it will take you!

Now, let us suppose that the majority of your works/deeds were faith-bent…always searching with keen eyes like eagles!

“But those who wait on [and trust in] the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, they will walk and not grow tired.” (Isaiah 40:31)

One night, in a boat, on a stormy billow-roaring sea, the Apostle Peter demonstrated a faith-bent kind of action. You might even call what he did reckless. The holy scriptures remember Peter’s action as performing an awesome selfless act although he could have done deadly harm to himself. For one moment, Peter’s faith blinded his judgement as to what was liquid and what was solid and upon seeing Jesus walking towards the boat, Peter, in his excitement, bid Jesus to invite him to come meet Him. Peter did so by stepping out of the boat and demonstrating what could be called reckless faith in earthly terms. Peter acted without thinking about the consequences. In other words, Peter was hell-bent on not going to that place. According to Scripture, Peter’s action bolstered the faith of others. (Matthew 14:33)

Will your actions, as far as leading others to Christ Jesus in the New Year of 2023 bolster the actions of others? Lord, please have mercy and sanction our call to emulate your Son.

The conclusion of the matter…

So, do not succumb to being willfully disobedient or hell-bent on stifling others from knowing Christ. Change your sinful ways. Look at the rivers in your life, pretend the waters are stagnant and walk (by faith and not by sight) on them without trepidation. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Scripture Lesson: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasures of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!

God’s Desire For Us Is That We Live In Tranquility And Peace

On By SonjaIn Godly Living and Maturing, Prayers For Peace, Prayers For Spiritual Growth4 Comments

Are you familiar with Mr. and Mrs Tranquility? If not, I’ll give you some hints as to who they were. Their first permanent home was in a town called Eden. Although the weather there was never neither hot nor cold, they seldom had to worry about what clothes to wear. Their place of residence was completely self sufficient. This special town had everything they needed. Oops! I almost forgot. There were two things that the town did not have… a pharmacy and no other residents.

Now, this Special Town was built, and governed by a Lone Self-made Benefactor who incorporated his own municipal rules and by-laws. He advised his only two residents as to what they could eat and could not eat. But you guessed it! The very one thing that the Benefactor told the couple not to eat…they ate it anyway after listening to some bad advice from a strange-looking creature. Of course, they became mortally sick and soon realized they were out of the arch of eternal mortality when they could not find a pharmacy where they could purchase a remedy.

The couple’s Benefactor found them hiding and suffering in excruciating pain, arguing about which one of them was to blame for their terminal illnesses. After that damnation caper of disobedience, the couple was no longer basking in a mindset of tranquility and peace but transitioned into a mindset of blame, shame and pain.

So, the First Man, whose real name was Adam, and the First Woman, whose real name was Eve, engaged in their first argument and envy; each one blaming the other for the wrath of their Benefactor which surely was to come, not only upon them, but even their future offspring, as well.

The bitter lesson that the First Couple learned was that disobedience towards The Creator will separate you from God and deprive you of a mindset filled with tranquility and peace.

What is in the Cup of Tranquility and Peace?…

Pixel Mixers
  • The essential ingredient is obedience to the One True God. You do not want your life to be characterized by sin and rebellion against God. The latter actions will separate you from him. Isaiah 59:2 says it best: “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you.”
  • There are many ways to communicate in a positive manner with God, namely: through prayer, meditation, connecting with the Holy Spirit, memorizing the many names for the One True God and learning about God’s Son, Jesus Christ…just to name a few! By performing these actions through faith, we can embrace the written word in the Holy Bible Book of James 4:8: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
  • How would you formulate a tranquil prayer for that young mother in the picture to the left of this sentence?
  • Imagination is in the Cup of Tranquility and Peace. Use it! Nurture it!
  • Build and strengthen and perform those good things you can do for others. Imagine and embrace all those good feelings of having accomplished all those things that God has ordained you to do. Be sure to thank God in advance for keeping his promises.
  • Never let anyone separate you from the love of God.
  • Learn to accept and be content in what ever state you find yourself in, knowing that God will bring you through it. Study the life of the Apostle Paul and say what he said in Philippians 4:11, 12b, 13: “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances (now, that’s true tranquility). I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through Him (Christ) Who gives me strength.

Again, I say: whatever state you are in embrace peace, reassurance, hope, understanding, faith, calmness, strength, etc., etc., etc.

Prayer To Walk By Faith And Not By Sight

A Prayer To Walk By Faith And Not By Sight…

Dear Jesus:

By Your grace, I will walk by faith and not by sight.  Your nearness is my good.  And how abundant is Your goodness to those who fear You and obey Your commands.  I will trust in You. I will seek You in those tranquil and peaceable places while walking on the shores of life and meditating under the fig trees (under God’s wings of protection.) Thank You Dear Lord for salvation and eternal life. I ask these blessings in the Precious Name of Christ Jesus. Amen and Amen!!

Scripture Lesson: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers [and sisters], whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” (James 1:2-3)

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!

God’s Three Attributes…The ‘Omni’s’

On By SonjaIn Uncategorized2 Comments

Believe it or not, I’m going somewhere with this! And mostly, it is for my own understanding, pleasure, and also to empower you guys to draw nearer and nearer to God by mastering some of his eternal attributes.

Question…

If you were asked ‘What are at least three important omni’s attributed to God’, what would you say? Perhaps, if you were like me, you might guess two of them with no problem: Omnipresence and Omnipotence…but… that third one might just escape from memory. Well, maybe, I can help you conquer this problem once and for all.

The reality is that a person’s own character (or attributes) just might be surmised by the spiritual influences they service and worships. And most Christians claim to serve the One True God described in Genesis Chapter One of the Holy Bible. But, do you really know him? And that question should help you recall the third attribute of God!

The first thing to remember is that the three attributes of God we are talking about start with omni and end with ent! Two of these attributes begin with om-nip, and one with om-nis. ( ‘omni’ means all.)

GOD IS OMNISCIENT- ALL KNOWING

GOD IS OMNIPOTENT – ALL POWERFUL

GOD IS OMNIPRESENT…EVERYWHERE (SKY, SUN AND MOON (ECLIPSE)

The conclusion of this matter…

Omniscient means that God has no restrictions on knowledge. God knows everything there is to know! God is the ultimate criterion (*) of truth and falsity, so that his ideas are always true. (Psalm 139:1-4)

Omnipotent means that God is in total control of himself and his creation. He does not need help from anybody or anything! There is nothing artificial about God. (Genesis 1:9, 11, 14)

Omnipresent is the status of someone or something that is present everywhere. God’s creation is everywhere. There exist nothing that God did not create. Since God’s power and knowledge extends to all parts of his creation, especially the planets, sky, moon, sun, and galaxies, he himself is present everywhere his creations exist. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

(*) Note: In the beginning God – (see Genesis 1:1, 3, 5)

My prayer for you…

Dear Heavenly Father:

I praise You for the promise that I can sleep soundly at night with the sure knowledge that You are Omnis-cient and know exactly where I am. I also thank You because personally You care for me no matter what situation I find myself in and You have the power to rescue me because you are Omnip-otent. And furthermore, Dear Jesus, I praise You because You always take good care of me and take each of my life’s concerns on Your shoulders because You are Omni-present, that is, You are everywhere and see me when I am in destress. I love You, Lord, and will faithfully continue to learn more and more of your divine attributes with the help and guidance from the Holy Spirit. Amen and Amen

Scripture Lesson: “I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.” (Psalm 3:5-6)

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!

God Receives Praise And Honor From His Saints

On By SonjaIn Building Spiritual Bridges, Prayers For Spiritual Growth2 Comments

Oh, how sweet it is to be in the service of the Lord!

The year was 1994, and I was asked to render the opening prayer at the celebration to honor all the men and women in the church who held positions as clergy, department heads, Sunday School teachers, custodians, musicians, food handlers, counselors, and anyone else who performed in a leadership capacity. As you can imagine, I was awe struct and filled with mixed feelings of reverence, wonderment and humility.

The first thing I did was to seek the aide of the Holy Spirit, and I also called on the Name of the Lord. In my pursuit to pray an all inclusive prayer that would somehow make each category of recipients experience the gratitude intended by our pastor, I set aside a special time each day to search the Holy Bible for examples of how God called his leaders together to instruct them of their duties and how those saints of old responded affirmatively.

I learned from searching the scriptures that those persons who are put in authority should already know that it is not enough to just mentally recognize that there is a God, but they also should know that they must do what God commands them to do and with the right attitudes. (Especially with a grateful heart.) For it is written: Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 KJV

Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart [with lyrics for congregations]

https://www.youtube.com › watch

3:15

“Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart” was written by Henry Smith and published in 1970. It is performed here by Maranatha Music.YouTube · Chet Valley Churches ·

Featured below is the prayer the Holy Spirit directed me to compose...

Dear Heavenly Father,

The sons of Jacob and the daughters of Israel who are members of the household of faith at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, have gathered in this place to once again give all praise and honor to Your Name.

For we realize, Dear Master, that all gifts, special skills and benefits come from You.  And we rejoice in the knowledge that had it not been for Your Son, Jesus, we would not have had free access to any of Your bountiful blessings.

Also, Precious Lord, the sons of Jacob and the daughters of Israel wish to thank You for keeping us sturdy and on track in the Celebration of Men and Women's Day for 1994.  For we have not traveled this spiritual road before as a diverse group.  So, we thank You for not giving up on us and for keeping us perfectly joined together in love and in harmony.

We vowed never to take our eyes off of Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith...so, Dear Master, because You sit high and look low, and may have caught a glimpse of someone murmuring; or received a report of another voicing displeasure at someone's leadership capabilities, we humbly ask your forgiveness and confess that by the love of Jesus Christ, we will strive to learn to be more considerate of one another and to cultivate our Christian lives on a common plain.

Never let it be recorded that any of us said, "I'm on Paul's side." or "I'm for Apollo." or "Peter is my man."  For neither of those men hung, bled and died for our sins, nor did neither give to humanity the gift of eternal life.

So now Lord, as I close this prayer on behalf of the men and women of this age in the life of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, I sincerely thank you once again for personally calling each of us by name to be in Your service.  For not just anybody or shall I say not everybody would have heeded Your call.  But thanks be to God You took a bunch of nobodies and made them Somebodies in the Family of God...and for that we give you all the praise, and all the honor, and all the glory.  Amen!  And Amen!!!

Glad to Be in the Service – YouTube

https://www.youtube.com › watch

4:37

Scripture Lesson: “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” Romans 12:11

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!

God’s Buzzword…’Faith Based!’

On By SonjaIn How To Witness To Others, Prayers for Families, Prayers For Spiritual Growth5 Comments

I wonder if the LORD God has indicted the Christian community (faith-based, of course) for indiscriminately affixing a fashionable phrase (Buzzword) to their work/service obligations for mankind for the mere purpose of making themselves sound authoritative or important.

Here I am, you guys. You can trust me. Send your donations to…

When the Holy Spirit gave me the subject, ‘Faith Based’, to blog about for this week, He whispered and said to me, “ My child, you must first define ‘buzzword’ before you continue, because it is often misunderstood. So, I looked it up, and according to Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, a buzzword is a word or phrase, often sounding authoritative or technical, but actually is a vogue term (fashionable) used in a particular profession, field of study (i.e., ecumenical), or popular culture, etc. Buzzwords are generally used to impress or persuade rather than to inform. Also, at the same time the Holy Spirit had a second request. He said to me; “My child, in addition, you must define ‘faith based’ before you continue, because it, too, is often used out of context.

That’s when our discussion became more personal.  I was harnessed with a challenge which I am ‘obligated’ to pass on to you.  My/our charge is to stock the trunk of our cars with brand new socks, under garments, winter gloves, and used winter coats and skull caps.  I am /we are to deliberately program our driving directions to pass through neighborhoods where homeless souls are visually apparent, and freely distribute the contents of our car trunks, indiscriminately, during the remaining months of 2022.   The fruit of this spirit filled jester is that we should not have none of these items remaining in our cars come January 2023.

If this task is accomplished, (along with other similar acts of kindness), then and only then can we profess that we are affiliated with a‘faith based’ church that believes it is better to obey than to sacrifice.  And also, our places of worship can honestly proclaim that they are a faith based organizations and it is better to actually ‘show some love and compassion’ than to falsely boast, criticize or place blame.

So, let’s all take off our clown persona and be for real…

We can do this by claiming the three-fold directive Jesus Christ gave to Peter, His lead disciple. Jesus ask; “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” (Notice that Jesus referred to Peter(*) by his earthly name and that he belonged to an earthly father.) (Perhaps, all the time Peter was walking with Jesus, he was performing under a buzzword…I’m just sayin’.) Is your response to Jesus’ three-fold command, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You’.

QUESTION: What is the Greek translation of your name?!!!!

My prayer during this thanksgiving season is this: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You very much for the promise that You are with us, and that You are a refuge and a shelter for your people. Moreover, that You are a help in times of trouble. Thank You for using us and allowing us to be Your helpmates during this winter season. BUT before we step up to this challenge, we want to thank you for being our Father and changing our names. You are an awesome Father that made it possible for us to be more than conquerers of buzzwords. Pease continue to melt hearts and minds to be servants and not serpents towards our fellowman, but to show compassion and empathy towards one another. Lord Jesus, please make us children of light who will from now on do all that is good and right and true. Help us to expose sin and be willing to work on our relationships with other people. We ask for this because we want our services to be truthful and in accordance with faith based principles. Amen and Amen!

Take a listen to the inspirational song below...

Faith of Our Fathers, Living Still – The Tabernacle Choir

https://www.youtube.com › watch 4:18 minutes

Before embarking on your mission trip stop by the “Faith Based” gas station and fill up your car with empathy.

Scripture Lesson: “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness righteousness and truth”. Ephesians 5:8-9

(*NOTE) Simon, which means ‘small stone, in Greek, had his name changed by Jesus to Peter, large stone, on whom God ultimately built his church.

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!

God Wants To Know Are You Listening!

On By SonjaIn How To Witness To Others, Prayers For Life Changes2 Comments
100 Jokes 21

How hilarious! But seriously, do people with whom you often converse with, really hear what you are saying?

I struggled with my own question above that I am asking you to answer. And I believe this is because of the way I was brought up by my adult relatives as a child. My paternal grandmother would always admonish her grands and great grandchildren by saying, ‘children should be seen and not heard’. To a child this meant you would be in big trouble if you dared to ‘butt-in’ to grown folks conversations. (No matter that this old English proverb dates back to the 15th century.)

While I am on the subject of reminiscing about my childhood with you, let me share with you another mis-step in learning from my peers. My grandmother also liked to be known as The Mother Hen. And she would often gather her little chickens (us grands and great grands) around her and teach us bible songs. Grandma’s favorite was “Bringing In The Sheaves. I always thought she was crazy because we didn’t have any sheep! Take a listen to the song below and tell me what you think a child heard. Especially if the singer had an accent.

“Bringing In The Sheaves“

YouTube · Gandalf1948

Now, can you see why God wants to know if we are really listening?…

The skill of understanding others helps us predict what people feel in a certain situation. It also allows us to make sense of how people react. Perhaps God is looking down from Heaven with irreverence at our reactions to life’s circumstances, and is wondering if we listened to the right gospel message concerning his Son, Jesus Christ. For it is certain that many of us are not operating as God’s ambassadors.

How do I actively listen? To find out just click the yellow box below and watch this short video.

00:29Use door openers00:56Take notes during important conversations

My prayer for us all:

Dear Heavenly Father. I confess that I do not thoroughly know Your word although I am earnestly trying to hear, learn, apply and live out its principles each and every day. Why? you might ask. Because that is also Your desires for me. I truly realize that there is so much insight and wisdom locked up in Your Word that perhaps I will never quite understand it all. Nevertheless, please help me to study to show myself approved, rightly dividing Your Word. Unstop my ears so that my listening skills are sharp. Guide me to scholarly Christian commentaries so that I may gain a deeper understanding of Your life, death, burial and resurrection. In so doing, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I will be more equipped to know my Bible and use it to answer people’s trick questions. I ask these blessings in the Precious Name of Our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. Amen

Scripture Lesson: “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance. Proverbs 1:5

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!

God Does Not Tolerate Fools!

On By SonjaIn Prayers For Spiritual Growth, Prayers For Understanding5 Comments
Proverbs 19:1 Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.

A rich man who was an avid golfer, especially on Sundays, finally got a once in a lifetime chance for an audience with the Pope. After standing in line for hours, he finally got to the Pope and said, “Your Holiness, I have a question that only you can answer. You see, I love golf, especially when I am invited to join my 3 rich friends on Sunday mornings. They play every Sunday, but I can’t afford their life-style. I feel a real need to know if there is a golf course in heaven where I can play golf all the time and every day. Can you tell me if there is?”

The Pope considered for a moment, and replied. “I do not know the answer to your question, my son, but I will have a conversation with God and get back with you.” The next day, the man was summoned for another audience with the Pope to receive the answer to his question.

He anxiously stood before the Pope, who said, “My son, I have some good news and some bad news in relation to your question. The good news is Heaven does not have a golf course, but Hell has the most fabulous golf course that you can imagine and is in eternally perfect shape. The weather is rather hot, but besides that, it puts all other courses on earth to shame. The bad news is that you have a tee time for tomorrow morning.

Don’t laugh…

Ask yourself this question: Where do I spend my Sunday mornings? Perhaps, in the driveway washing my car. Or, in bed catching a second snooze. Or better yet, in front of your television set…yes, you’re shouting because of the message, but from watching one sports game after another. Some of us may even spend our Sunday mornings on the telephone doing what we do best…gossiping!

Do memorize the following Bible verse…

“He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you except to be just and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion), and to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]? (Micah 6:8 Amplified version)

Do get wisdom and an understanding…

The dictionary defines ‘perverse’ as someone who deliberately deviates from doing what is good; a type of evilness. The quality of being morally wrong in principle and in practice. Now, I’m not saying that golf is an evil sport nor am I implying that playing golf is a sin. I’m just sayin’…

02-20-quote.jpg

The term ‘fool‘ appears approximately 360 times throughout the Old and New Testaments. The holy scriptures defines a fool as a person who does not display wisdom nor an understanding. A fool’s behavior is described as “folly” which is silliness and craziness. We are commanded to love them, and to pray for them, but not to join them.

The epilogue and Scripture Lesson:…a biblical teaching about anxiety.

Solomon not only teach us Proverbs 19:1, but Jesus also teaches us from Luke 12:22: “And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body, what you shall put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens; they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Or how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his span of life. If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?” Luke 12″22-26

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!

God Alone Sanctions…We Are To Serve

On By SonjaIn How To Witness To Others, Uncategorized2 Comments

“Wow! What is he talking about! I would never do that! And I thought he was a Christian.”

“Sssphew! These two are really way out there. And I thought they were born-again Christians!”

Have you ever realized that most people just don’t think or talk like you do. You say potato, I say potahto! You say tomato, I say tomahto! Potatoe, potahto, tomato, tomahto…let’s call the whole thing off!

STOP IN THE NAME OF LOVE! YOU DON’T WANT TO DO THAT!

God’s message to the energetic person who is witnessing to new converts, seasoned Believers or total strangers is to think BEFORE you speak:

Several places in the New Testament we can read of the two greatest commandments God gave to the world: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this, love your neighbor as yourself.’ Those two commandments are what is called a divine sanction. (Luke 10:27)

It means to convey a legalistic term (used in church law) the idea that mankind is ultimately answerable to God for his or her actions while here on earth. So, as a suggestion to those of you who take on the role of a missionary, it may not be necessary for you to impose your own examples or reasons why you perform some of God’s edicts the way you do. Your references or examples should always be WWJD…What Would Jesus Do!

Let’s say you are witnessing to either new believers or seasoned saints on the subject ‘Cultivating Good Relationships’ which the Apostle Paul is referring to in Romans 14:1. You are expressing your strong opinion on what foods you eat. Your choices of the intake of foods are totally different from the people you are witnessing to. You realize that this discussion is going no where, yet, you continue. Paul suggests that due to the fact that multiple backgrounds might be at play, certain meats and/or vegetables may be hindering obtaining a mutual understanding about the matter…which should be about surrendering to Christ!

What’s important in all of this is the fact that God should receive the glory at the end of the conversation and not the personal thoughts and preferences of either the speaker or the listeners. Why? Because both parties are the guests of God at his table. And God knew before he invited you both to dine with him what your food preferences were. After all, just where does that leave you if you have to condescend to another. You may look pretty silly. For it is also written in Romans; “‘As I live and breathe,’ says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; and every tongue will tell the honest truth that I and only I AM God,'” (The One Who Sanctions)

Now, please allow me to share a personal example with you…

In the past, I have been criticized for naming this blog, “Conversations With God Using Scripture”. It is difficult for some people to comprehend that the Holy Spirit engages me in conversations. As you know, there are numerous books out there on the subject of conversations with God. Most of them are nonfiction literature based on data collected from persons who have experienced some sort of an encounter with the Master.

I refer to these people as seekers of divine revelations. Some received a heavenly response, while others sought an explanation to their query from a friend or an acquaintance. It was the title of these books that peeked my curiosity. For, rarely do you find a book with the title embracing conversations with God actually using God’s word to speak for him. Generally, it is the author’s interpretation.

It was my desire to compose the entries for my blog posts to be a totally accurate and bold approach to use to record divine messages I was blessed to receive from on High. Hopefully, it is obvious that exhaustive research of the scriptures was necessary to compile the dialog exchanged herein. Also, one can surmise that the composer of these blogs would have to have the aid of the Holy Spirit in order to retain and or recall matching scriptures to validate what was written.

You can also imagine that as I internalized these criticisms, concerning my personal relationship with God, I began to feel low and unworthy. But then, the Holy Spirit whispered in my ear and said…WWJD? Prayerfully, I begin to reread many of my blog posts I have written in the past. While taking this stroll down memory lane, I was lifted unto heights resembling the 3rd Heaven that Paul viewed on one of his divine journeys. And I said to myself…’IF NOT ME…THEN WHO, MY LORD?’

God’s response was…My child, is not my grace sufficient? Forget about deciding what is right. Here is what you need to be concerned about: that you do not put a stumbling block in another’s path, nor make another’s life more difficult than it already is. Be more concerned about your service unto the Sovereign God and how I AM using your life to bless others as I set it right, put it together, and complete it with great joy. Keep on keeping on attending to your services for my kingdom.

My Prayer for you…

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that You will give us a pure heart for those in need and clean hands that will offer them help and hope so that we will be merciful as You are merciful. May the message we relay to others always be true, helpful, inspiring, necessary and kind. In Jesus’s Name I pray…Amen!

Scripture Lesson: “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!

God Commissioned The Apostle Paul To Leave Us A Legacy of Golden Wisdom

On By SonjaIn How To Witness To Others4 Comments

It was not always what the Apostle said that was more precious than gold…but when he witnessed to others, it was what he didn’t say that you could take to the bank!

Many, many, many years ago, the Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart to strive to get an understanding about the divine information that He was about to impart to me. The Holy Spirit was acutely aware of the fact that in my adolescence years, I was labeled as an extremely gullible child. And this character trait often made me the butt of school yard bullies’ jokes. Yes, I was very naive and trusting of others, and could easily be persuaded to believe something that wasn’t true. Even my own siblings often teased me.

Another characteristic that I had was my ability to remember and recite my dreams which often got me into trouble. Probably because in my dreams I was someone who was accomplished…like a famous movie star, or a world traveler, or a gifted teacher, or a notable writer or poet, or a lady of means. And you guessed it…no body believed me or encouraged me to pursue my dreams.

But God knew my destiny and guided me all the way..

During my ensuing years, I did began to walk in my own destiny. As a young woman, I adopted my epitaph from Proverbs 4:7; “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” Longevity of 22 years of gainful employment with a fortune 500 company, afforded me numerous promotions. Initially, I rose from a lowly job in the typing pool, to becoming an Executive Secretary, and after time, finally achieved the title of Building Office Manager of the company’s remote central office in another city. While in that position, I mimicked my superiors investment strategies and learned how to invest in real estate and bank securities. To memorialize my life’s journeys, which had taken so many turns, I began to write a weekly blog on a platform called WordPress. And as the Lord would have it, during my first 10 years of retirement, His spirit prompted me to become engaged in international missionary work. This calling allowed me to travel to many countries all over the world. So, needless to say, this gullible, naive and adventurous girl has lived out her destiny under the influence of her dreams and with the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Now, let me share what the Apostle Paul deposited in my bank account…

Along my journey, the Holy Spirit continues to softly and tenderly speak to me. His message is for me to always present myself in a godly manner, for the Good Lord has much work for me to do in His vineyard. Examine your interactive virtues with others and do not allow your meek and mild personality to be overrun by boisterous and animated dialogue. Consider the Apostle Paul’s messages in at least four gospel letters in the New Testament:

  • “Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” (Ephesians 4:1)
  • “Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” (Philippians 1:27)
  • “Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.” (Colossians 1:10)
  • “Walk in a manner worthy of God.” (1 Thessalonians 2:12)

What are the two take-a-ways from these holy scriptures…

The first lesson to be learned is that the deposit slip says it all and the precious message written therein to us all is the equivalent to gold nuggets and is simply this: Always be mindful when we witness to others, to relate incidents that will come across as a duplicable task…if God did it for me, He can surely do it for you. Especially if you want to relate a supernatural experience, you must tell it the way Paul did in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10. Paul presented that event as if it happened to someone else that he knew, instead of inundating the egotistical pronoun “I” repetitively.

Paul’s wise wisdom recorded in verses 6-7 helps us to understand why…”I have plenty to boast about and would be no fool in doing it, but I don’t want anyone to think more highly of me than he should from what he can actually see in my life and in my message. I will say this: because these experiences I had were so tremendous, God was afraid I might be puffed up by them: so I was given a physical condition which has been a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to hurt and bother me and prick my pride.”

The second lesson to be gleaned from Paul’s teachings is although he was a great orator, disciple, church planter and did much more to further the kingdom of God, he had a big problem. He had a defect in his body and mind. He had an impediment. And in all of Paul’s “getting”, he had not gotten an understanding about Who imposes afflictions. (Paul identified his handicap as coming from a messenger from Satan.) Paul thought he had nothing further to deposit in his bank account, so he prayed for God to withdraw it. To Paul’s deposit slip, God added His grace and told Paul that was sufficient for him to take to the bank.

God’s message to Paul and to us is to always speak modestly and not boastfully when attempting to convert nonbelievers. Allow the workings of Jesus Christ to break the bank! Why? Because if anyone should stumble on the way to the bank and misplace a nugget or two, Christ Jesus can relocate it or replace it with another gold nugget for His edification.

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9b, 10

My prayer for you…My Lord, thank You for hearing our prayer. We ask You to please protect us from becoming so used to the message of salvation that we will neglect to accept it for ourselves. I beseech thee to instill in us a belief in You and not our enemies; to speak of our faith spontaneously and not in a puffed up way; to adhere to the fact that it was through Your crucifixion that You made it possible for us to be reconciled with God. Please help us to carry out these golden nuggets of truth as we proclaim Your message and take it to the bank and not keep it to ourselves. In the Precious Name of Jesus…Amen!

Scripture Lesson: “When the Gentiles heard this they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.” Acts 13:48-49.

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!

God Wants Us To Yield Not To Temptation

On By SonjaIn Prayers For Life Changes, Prayers For New Beginnings, Prayers For Spiritual Growth

Wow…wait a minute. Let me make myself clear. God is not talking about a famous singing group ‘back in the day’, called The Temptations, of Motown Studio, located in Detroit, Mi. He is speaking to you and me, in a cautiously way. It is God’s intent to warn us to avoid taking or making risky choices in our lives, that can lead to damnation.

But first, I thought you might like to reminisce a little. Take a listen to the video below by clicking the website under the picture. Instructions: Skip the commercials; notice who produced the Temptations’ record; listen to a bit of the music; then come back to my blog post to receive a biblical message.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eepLY8J4E6c

The ‘tempter’ of Jesus’ day was ‘Ole Slewfoot’;…the devil himself!

According to Biblical Scriptures in the NT Book of Matthew 4, Jesus was tempted by the Devil at least 3 times: through physical persuasion, 4:3-4; through emotional inquiry, 4:5-7; and through attempting to control Jesus’ actions, 4:8-10. Satan was defeated by Jesus, nevertheless, he fled from Him for a while. Not so with mortals! We are tempted by Satan on a continuous daily basis.

Real life confessions…

In order to yield NOT to temptation, we as Believers have to recognize, perceive or participate in an act that would require confessing it privately to God and/or in a corporate setting. And after we have repented, solicit others to pray for you. Remember, if Jesus was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit when Satan approached Him in the wilderness and attempted to undermine Him, how much more will Ole Slewfoot challenge us? (Especially if we are out of the arch of Safety.) Jesus refused to submit to His adversary and was so steadfast and unmovable in His allegiance to His Father, that God sent Angels to comfort Him after His ordeal. And if we mimic Jesus’s teachings, God will do the same for us!

A word from another wise saint…

Another man, Saint Augustine, who was born in 397 A.D., and who was 47 years old when he wrote his famous book entitled, “The Confessions“. Within the book’s pages Augustine confessed a few of his sinful acts as a young man, and what he believed were the motives for his doing so. Following are 2 quotes from the book’s page verses: (Source of information from Google Search.)

“It was not the takings that attracted me but the raid itself, and yet to do it by myself would have been no fun and I should not have done it. This was friendship of a most unfriendly sort, bewitching my mind in an inexplicable way. For the sake of a laugh, a little sport, I was glad to do harm and anxious to damage another; and that without the thought of profit for myself or retaliation for injuries received! And all because we are ashamed to hold back when others say ‘Come on! Let’s do it!'” (v. 2.9).

“And in the games I played with them I often in order to come off the better, simply because a vain desire to win had got the better of me. And yet there was nothing I could less easily endure, nothing that made me quarrel more bitterly, than to find others cheated them. All the same, if they found me out more and blamed me for it, I would lose my temper rather than give in.” (v.1.19)

So, what methods can be employed to help someone not yield to temptation?…

Saint Augustine suggests that we apply some practical applications: (Paraphrased)

1.  Perhaps you might consider sharing your faults with a mentor, clergy, Sunday School teacher or a friend.

2.  It is a foregone conclusion that mischief metastasizes in the dark as well as in the light.  And when confession is made, it exposes the dark sin in the light and aides in its purification.  Try it!

3.  Odds are that we have already confessed our sin to a close friend, family member or other confidant, so why not have a conversation with the Holy Spirit who can actually help you process it and build resistance against it?
Today’s hymn is “Yield Not To Temptation”. YouTube TheNCrew – Sept. 2, 2020

PREVIEW (Click to hear this hymn.)

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My prayer for you…

Dear God: I humbly ask that you do a new work in me and others who have decided to follow your Son, Jesus Christ. But first, I want to thank you for your creative work as recorded in the Holy Bible. For I know that you are able to perform all things in the atmosphere, especially on earth and also within mankind. So, with sincere pleadings, please teach us how to harness our thoughts and actions. Make them afresh so that we will not only be a new person, but will also think and act in a new way. In other words, lead us not into temptation for yielding only brings about sin.

From now on, Lord Jesus, we want to be like someone who lives only for You. We desire to reach for those things that are above and not beneath. We want to excel to the highest heights where You reside, so that one day we will have sufficient treasures in heaven where we will study want no more. We ask all these things in the Precious Name of Jesus…Amen and Amen!

Scripture Lesson: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2)

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!

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