Category: Godly Living and Maturing

God Really Does Love Me; He Truly Knows My Name

On By SonjaIn Building Spiritual Bridges, Godly Living and Maturing, Growing In The Lord, Prayers About God and Me, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Two weeks ago I published a blog about the spiritual name I believed the Holy Spirit had anointed me with: My name is “Sought After.” For further proof of this special anointing that transpired all those many years ago, please allow me to enlighten you as to what happened to me this week in regards to assembling my thoughts for this current blog.

Upon retrieving an old folder from my file cabinet, I came upon a rough draft copy of a letter written by me to the Dear Heavenly Father! The once white typing paper was now yellow stained, tattered and wrinkled, with a faint pencil notation on it that read ‘1994’!

As I re-read the letter that I had penned to Our Heavenly Father approximately 55 years ago, I was astonished at how I had identified the subject matter of the senders of its contents. Although the letter was being sent to God on behalf of the Deacon and Deaconess Boards of my church of which I was a deaconess at that time. HOWEVER, I actually used 2 pseudonyms to identify the senders. (Naming them the sons of Jacob and the daughters of Israel.)

The blessing revealed to me was that the Holy Spirit miraculously led me to this ancient 1994 communication letter to identify and clarify for me that my name, Sought After, is translated and recognized as God’s daughters of Israel. Therefore, I invite you to read my 1994 conversation letter to God using scripture and be enlightened on how to connect his glorified dots because: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting get understanding. 

Dear Heavenly Father,

The sons of Jacob and the daughters of Israel who are members of the household of faith at Mount 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 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, Dear Lord God, 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 travelled this spiritual road before.  So thank you for not giving up on us and for keeping us Perfectly Joined Together.

For we never took our eyes off 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, we will strive to learn to be more considerate of one another and to cultivate our Christian lives in common.

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 none of these persons hung, bled and died for our sins nor none of those persons can give to us eternal life.

So now Lord, as I close this prayer on behalf of the men and women of this age in life of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, I thank You again for personally calling each of us by name to be in Your service.

Not just anybody, nor will everybody heed the call, but You took a bunch of nobodies and made them somebodies in the Family of God...and for that we give You the praise, all the honor and all the glory.  Amen and Amen.



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



God…The Author And Finisher Of Sacred Music

On By SonjaIn Building Spiritual Bridges, Godly Living and Maturing, How to Broadcast the Good NewsLeave a comment

O Happy Day (Click title to play. Click exit arrow at top of page to return to blog. )

Lyrics: “He taught me how to watch and fight and pray…fight and pray. And live rejoicing every day…every day!” O Happy Day.

The original lyricist composer of the song featured in this blog was named Philip Doddridge. He was the twentieth sibling born to his parents in London on June 26, 1702. Due to his frail health conditions, he moved to Lisbon, Portugal. In 1751 he died from tuberculosis at the age of 49.

Have you ever wondered who some of the most famous gospel song writers were. Or what life-events inspired lyricists and poetic writers to set words to melodies? Well, during Philip’s adult years, he served as an English Nonconformist minister. Philip credited his saintly Dutch mother for planting a marked Christian foundation in his spirit filled life. The stories she related to Philip helped him develop a foundation that prepared him to become useful to the Savior.

My question for you…

Are the decisions that you make in life reassuring that they compliment the agenda the Almighty has for your life? Have you not heard recited “Only what you do for Christ will last?” I have heard it recited so often. I actually thought it was a direct quote from a chapter in the Bible. Not so! This phrase is only a reference to 2 Corinthians 7:1: “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.” (NIV)

It should be noted that Philip Doddridge did not write the famous chorus for his original poem “O Happy Day”. The famous chorus was only added by an unknown writer over one hundred years later after Philip’s death.

(Confidently, I often wonder will any of my blogs be around for future generations to read after I bid adieu.)

Below are two stanzas of this marvelous poem written by Philip Doddridge. 

O happy day that fixed my choice,
On thee, my Savior and my God!
Well may this glowing heart rejoice,
And tell its raptures all abroad.

Now rest, my long divided heart.
Fixed on this blissful center, rest;
Nor ever from my Lord depart,
With Him of ev'ry good possessed.

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








			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
God Desires That We Behold His Great Physician!

						

				On  By SonjaIn Godly Living and Maturing, Growing In The Lord, Mankind's Relationship With God, Prayers For Spiritual Growth4 Comments			

					


		

			

This week in my quiet time with the Holy Spirit, his guidance allowed me to take a trip all the way back to Genesis Chapter 22, the first book in the Holy Bible. 












 I distinctly heard the Spirit ask me if I really understood the reasoning why God told Abraham to go to the land of Moriah and to take his son Isaac with him.(*)  





God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains that God would point out to him.





(Free pexel image of Modern Day Abraham and his son, Isaac.)










































So, to answer the Holy Spirit’s question, I searched my file cabinet because deep down in my spirit, I remembered delivering a teaching to a group of women in my Tuesday Morning Bible Study class in February 2018.  And sure enough, I found it!  So, as I skimmed through my presentation, I soon realized that  back then, 6 years ago, the Holy Spirit distinctively told me to present the Lord to the ladies as The Great Physician.  (The background biblical text for my teaching was based on Matthew 4:32 – 5:12).





"REMAIN IN ME, AS I ALSO REMAIN IN YOU."

This morning we are going to learn about how to be at peace and in good health even when our bodies are racked with pain and troubled with disturbing thoughts and our spirit is questioning our faith.  In other words, like our magazine story suggests, although we have put our physical dilemmas into the hands of medical professionals, we are going to look to the Word of God and discover how to get to the real source of the matter...HOW TO ARRIVE AT A BETTER HEALTH POSITION.

With the help of the Master Teacher, the Holy Spirit, I will attempt, by using Scripture, to apply a certain reasoning to why Jesus used so many examples of life's emotions to teach on how to be blessed and content when all hell is breaking loose around you.

Our Scripture comes from two chapters in Matthews, chapters 4:23 to 5:12, so let's read and get our foundation.

While living down here on earth we ought always to be salt and light to the world regardless of what physical, mental or material state we find ourselves in.  If we are to be disciples of Jesus Christ, our ways and demeanor should bring illumination and savor (preservation) to our fellow man.  Living in a manner befitting the atmosphere of the Kingdom of God!

The word "Blessed" means more than just happy.  It takes on the ultimate well-being and distinctive spiritual joy of those who share in the salvation of the kingdom of God.

So, Jesus is referring to the broader meaning of "blessed" when He says blessed are those who are poor in spirit, who mourn and who are meek.  Why?  Because they are dependent on God and not the world.  They are sensitive to their spiritual faults and seek God's help and comfort.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.  Why?  They have a deep longing for both personal righteousness and justice for the oppressed. 

Blessed are the merciful...they both forgive and have compassion for others.  When you are sensitive to God's forgiveness it frees you from feeling guilty and brings comfort.

Blessed are the pure in heart...they have no guilt trip as they engage in their devotion to God and therefore are spiritually able to feel God's presence.

All of these qualities or emotions allow us to bring peace to others.  But it is also a catch 22 situation because it can also make us vulnerable to persecution.

Jesus goes on to teach Blessed are the peacemakers...they will be called the Children of God.  Here on earth, our only reward may be to be called "Sons and Daughters of God".  And we may have to experience God's kingdom rule while here on earth by becoming a peacemaker thus proving our fitness for the kingdom by suffering.

Jesus wanted to make clear to his Jewish audience that with this new teaching style, He did not come to abolish The Law of Moses.  But to say that it was not enough to be righteous according to the Law...you must be righteous according to what would Jesus do. (WWJD)

Take up your cross (your idiosyncrasies) and follow Him.

Reference Isaiah 61 Jesus' mandate.

REMEMBER, sickness and infirmities can come about through bad habits, weak constitutions, exposure to danger, crimes, accidents, birth defects, etc.  But while experiencing sickness it can also reveal attitudes, values and motives which must be transformed if human beings are to be truly in harmony with God.  Matt. 5:19-48











(*) NOTE OF IMPORTANCE:  Have you ever wondered why Jehovah Jireh is another Name attributed to the Son of God!  In the Book of Genesis where in God provides a lamb as a substitute for the life of Isaac (Abraham’s beloved son), God himself would repeat this very same act when he put Jesus Christ on the cross and shed His blood for all mankind (Gentiles and Jews) to give salvation and eternal life to all those persons who confessed their sins and who believed on the Name of Jesus Christ and received Him as the Son of the Living God.





SO OBVIOUSLY, THE HOLY SPIRIT WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR RECOGNITION OF THE ABRAHAM/ISAAC/SUBSTITUTE LAMB STORY meant more to the reader than just God not having to kill little Isaac. The Holy Spirit wants readers of each generation to see God’s redemptive plan for man’s initial sin (perpetuated by Adam and Eve) in the Garden of Eden.





For if it had not been for Jehovah Jireh, Our PROVIDER, the Lamb of God, Christ Jesus’ shed blood, death on the cross, burial, resurrection and ascension;  eternal death, hell and the grave would have been man’s epitaph instead of eternal life with the Son of God in heaven.  Amen! 





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







			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
God, I Need Your Wisdom, Part 3

						

				On  By SonjaIn Godly Living and Maturing, Prayers For Spiritual Growth, Prayers For Understanding2 Comments			

					


		

			

To my dear readers…Thank you so much for finding an interest in the first 2 blogs posted on this subject matter.  I realize that I have delved into a very personal and confidential family matter that could seem to some too private to blog about.  And if that was your thoughts, I apologize.  My only thoughts were of perhaps there were other siblings out there that had surmountable disagreements that needed closure.   It is my hope and prayer that this series of blogs on the subject of WWJD (What would Jesus do!) that could shed some light on how to deal with the problem.  I am finding closure and in all my getting, acquiring an understanding on the matter (albeit biblically).





So, let us continue to digest the good and perfect advice given to me by the Holy Spirit on how to continue to love and respect others (including relatives) who might just disagree with us from time to time.






Gay priests brake the silence. Homosexual clergymen should speak out about their sexual preference






And God said to the Apostle Paul, His prisoner… (Column 1.)





And God said to me, His prisoner…(Column 2.)





17. This I say therefore, and testify
in the Lord, that ye henceforth
walk not as other Gentiles walk,
in the vanity of their mind.

18. Having the understanding
darkened, being alienated from
the life of God through the
ignorance that is in them,
because of the blindness
of their heart.		The Gentile does not believe 
in God, but his own might.  So
even though God has given him
a measure of grace (because
the word says he has given it
to everybody), the Gentile is
blind (or living in darkness)
and thus ignorant.  Because 
if he was in the “know”, he
would be “in God” because
knowledge comes from God.
19.  Who being past feeling have 
given themselves over unto
lasciviousness, to work all
uncleanness with greediness.

20.  But ye have not so learned
Christ;

21.  If so be that ye have heard
him, and have been taught by
him, as the truth is in Jesus;

22.  That ye put off concern-
ing the former conversation
the old man, which is 
corrupt according to the
deceitful lusts;

23.  And be renewed in the
spirit of your mind.

24.  And that ye put on the
new man, which after God
is created in righteousness
and tru holiness.		Now you Ephesians are
just like everybody else. 
You’ve received your
gift, through grace, but
you are greedy…not
sharing.  You act like you
don’t even know where
the gift came from and
I’ve told you all about
Christ.

So it’s about time you
forget what you knew 
before Christ came
into your life (deceitful-
ness, lusts, etc.) and
be renewed with the 
Godhead knowledge
about the flowing of
the Spirit, in your mind.

And that you become 
one in the Spirit, etc.,
and let God account
it unto you as
righteousness.






Part 4  will be presented next
Friday		Part 4 will continue to
show you how God
revealed it is impossible
to only believe in him
and not his Son, Jesus
Christ.





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


			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
God Provides Visible Signs To Worship By

						

				On  By SonjaIn Godly Living and Maturing, Mankind's Relationship With God, Prayers About God and Me2 Comments			

					


		

			

Hello my dear friends.  Can we talk?  I truly would like to know if you would like to receive a few components on how to develop a daily Spiritual Life Support System.  It’s easy if you have the right tools.  Let me show you how it’s done.





Let’s say you wake up in the morning and right off the bat, all hell breaks loose.  Your clock alarm didn’t go off and now you’ll have to drive the kiddies to school because time wont allow them to be ready to catch the school bus.  You didn’t wake up in time to let the dog out and he messed all over the kitchen floor.  You reach in your closet for that black business suit and remember that you forgot to pick it up from the dry cleaners on yesterday after work.





There you stand in the middle of your bedroom floor, disarrayed, asking yourself what’s wrong with me.  I didn’t use to be this unorganized!  A still small voice whispers inside you and says, remember the 4 B’s and start reciting them out loud.





But dear Jesus, you said I am a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.  Your own special people, that I may proclaim the praises of Him who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light..."
(...continue praying with the help of the Holy Spirit concerning how your day has gone so far.)

Because, did You not say that he who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life?"  (...continue in your own words on just how much you trust Him.)

So, behold, Lord Jesus, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.  Therefore, my Lord, I will call my best friend right now and ask her to pray with me that I might be stead fast and unmovable in serving You no matter what the circumstances.

At the end of your day, when you have had time to reflect on your conduct and interactions with others, seek God's approval by praying this prayer:  Dear Heavenly Father, did You not say to Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed.  Rightly dividing the word of truth?  How did I do?











Thank you God for once again instructing me and your children on how to stay in harmony with you and your many blessings, directions and loving care.  We love you Lord and always want to be under Your protection and guidance.  Continue to instruct us through constant prayer on how to conquer our fears,  oppositions, disillusions and Ole slew foot…the devil himself!  We ask it all in Your precious Name.  Amen and Amen!





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





 


			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
God’s Word Reminds Us That Confession Is Good For The Soul

						

				On  By SonjaIn Godly Living and Maturing, Growing In The Lord, Prayers For ForgivenessLeave a comment			

					


		

			

(*) NOTE:  THIS BLOG IS A REPRINT FROM THE AUTHOR’S FILES





Two girl friends meet for coffee and show confession is good for the soul





“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” 





This week I prayed mightily for a fresh anointing from the Holy Spirit.  What caused this extra indulgent in my prayer life.  Well, it was because I was pre-occupied with worldly matters that the Holy Spirit had already convinced me that He would take of.  I’m sure you know what I mean.  It’s when you take a matter to the Lord with the intent to leave it there…but when you leave your prayer room, you discover that what has totally consumed you has hitched a ride on your back.





What did you say…’been there…done that‘…or were you more emphatic…’My bad!’





Well, as for me, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” Ps 37:25 KJV. So, I shall be obliging to God’s Word and confess to my blog readers an incident that I told only to my diary at 7:00 A.M., on October 14, 2007.





Dear Diary, my Bible fell open to Ezekiel, Chapter 14:1-23.  Israel's elders were led to seek the prophet Ezekiel and ask him to inquire of the Lord on their behalf.  But God would not hear of it. Why?  Because these elders had issues (idols) and felt inadequate to inquire of the Lord on their own.  What the elders did not know was that the prophetess among them had issues, too; although she had experienced some successes in the past while doing the work of the Lord.  In short, God said if both the elders and the prophetess do not repent and allow God to take control of every phase of their lives, He will set His face against them.  This word from the Lord to Israel was definitely for me this morning.

There are two families in my life that have come to me for help, (I identified one family as my best friends), and has over the years, referred to me as 'the prophetess'.  Both of these families are seeking financial advice from me because they have seen some financial successes in my life.  (Recently, I purchased two rental properties, furnished them and secured a three-year lease on them.)

But because there are a some short falls (idols) in my life and I imagine in the two families' lives, too, God is saying before He will allow any more successes in all of our lives, we had better get our acts together and surrender all of our 'idols' over to Him.







Depending on group answered prayer





Depending on self





Depending on God







So now, my friends, I have confessed an old misdeed in my younger life that I mistakenly thought was pleasing to God. But, actually, the Holy Spirit told me differently…it was not pleasing to God. He and He alone is to be gloried in all that we say or do and NOT we ourselves.





"Dear Lord, thank You for caring enough for Your weak, pitiful children to send them a warning.  Now, please give us the strength to overcome."  Amen.





I closed my confession time into ‘diary’ by making a list of my habits that the Holy Spirit brought to my attention that were unpleasing to God.  And over the years, the majority of them have been replaced for the better through prayer and fasting and striving for a closer walk with the Almighty.  My personality has mellowed and I am continuing to learn how to let go and let God.










Donnie McClurkin – We Fall Down But We Get Up – YouTub










Global Gospel GroupYouTube · 850.8K+ views · 9 years ago










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







			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
God’s Word Reminds Us That Confession Is Good For The Soul

						

				On  By SonjaIn Godly Living and Maturing, Prayers For Understanding1 Comment			

					


		

			

Two girl friends meet for coffee and show confession is good for the soul





“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” 





This week I prayed mightily for a fresh anointing from the Holy Spirit.  What caused this extra indulgent in my prayer life.  Well, it was because I was pre-occupied with worldly matters that the Holy Spirit had already convinced me that He would take of.  I’m sure you know what I mean.  It’s when you take a matter to the Lord with the intent to leave it there…but when you leave your prayer room, you discover that what has totally consumed you has hitched a ride on your back.





What did you say…’been there…done that‘…or were you more emphatic…’My bad!’





Well, as for me, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” Ps 37:25 KJV.  Therefore, I shall be obliging to God’s Word and confess to my blog readers an incident that I told only to my diary at 7:00 A.M., on October 14, 2007.





Dear Diary, my Bible fell open to Ezekiel, Chapter 14:1-23.  Israel's elders were led to seek the prophet Ezekiel and ask him to inquire of the Lord on their behalf.  But God would not hear of it. Why?  Because these elders had issues (idols) and felt inadequate to inquire of the Lord on their own.  What the elders did not know was that the prophetess among them had issues, too; although she had experienced some successes in the past while doing the work of the Lord.  In short, God said if both the elders and the prophetess do not repent and allow God to take control of every phase of their lives, He will set His face against them.  This word from the Lord to Israel was definitely for me this morning.

There are two families currently in my life that have come to me for help, (I identified one family as my best friends), and has over the years, referred to me as 'the prophetess'.  Both of these families are seeking financial advice from me because they have witnessed some financial successes in my life.  (Recently, I purchased two rental properties, furnished them and secured a three-year lease on them.)

But because there are a number of short falls (idols) in my life and I imagine in the two families' lives, too, God is saying before He will allow any more successes in all of our lives, we had better get our acts together and surrender all of our 'idols' over to Him.

"Dear Lord, thank You for caring enough for Your weak, pitiful children to send them a warning.  Now, please give us the strength to overcome."  Amen.






So now, my friends, I have confessed an old misdeed in my younger life that I mistakenly thought was pleasing to God.  But, actually, the Holy Spirit told me differently…it was not pleasing to God.  He and He alone is to be gloried in all that we say or do and NOT we ourselves.









To Whom gets the glory?









To God be the glory.









We all should confess.                              














I closed my confession time into ‘diary’ by making a list of my habits that the Holy Spirit brought to my attention that were unpleasing to God.  And over the years, the majority of them have been replaced for the better through prayer and fasting and striving for a closer walk with the Almighty.  My personality has mellowed and I am continuing to learn how to let go and let God.





Donnie McClurkin – We Fall Down But We Get Up – YouTube (Click Here)





 





This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image-3.jpeg





Scripture Lesson:  “Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;  He rises to show you compassion.   How gracious He will be when you cry for help!  As soon as He hears, He will answer you.  (Isaiah 30:18-19)





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


			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
God Wants Us To Grow In Communication With Him

						

				On  By SonjaIn Godly Living and Maturing, Prayers For Life Changes, Prayers For New Beginnings2 Comments			

					


		

			

Growing In Communion With God Matthew 6:9-13 King James Version





 Speak, Lord, for it is my desire to hear You…and my hope is that You hear me.  Come in today; come in to stay; come in to my heart, Lord Jesus.





Have you ever prayed the above prayer?  Do you remember what happened?  Did you experience a message from on High or were the voices too numerous to count?  If that was the case, please allow me to interject some solutions.





After scoping out a quiet place to commune with God, double check to make sure all distractions have been silenced, and or removed, and necessities supplied.  In other words, dismantle or enhance your atmosphere.  It is always a good idea to anticipate, expect and desire the Presence of the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, to show up first.  Therefore, you will possibly need a handkerchief, a glass of water, pad and pencil and most certainly your bible.





The posture you position yourself in is up to you.  Just make yourself comfortable.  (I would strongly suggest if you have any indoor pets, make sure they are boarded in a secure place and will not interfere with what you are attempting to accomplish.)





The next thing you might want to do is to take some deep breaths and begin singing or humming a hymn or Vacation Bible School song you learned in your youth.  Concentrate on the words while singing, clapping, waving your hands or even walking around the room.  Just become relaxed and know that you are engaging in a conversation just between you and God, with a smile and with great anticipation.





As you slowly enter into praying, properly address the Lord by His Name and location.  Always include some of His attributes and don’t forget to offer your thanksgivings.  Before you proceed to any other subject, know that you have entered into the presence of the Lord.  All else should be silenced.





Address God again by rehearsing out loud His sovereignty.  Reverently and majestically express how He is Lord over all other authorities.  Here is a good place to recall some of the creations God made.  You should also acknowledge the role of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and His role in becoming our Sacrificial Lamb.  Breathe!  Take a drink of water!  Auditably, invite the Holy Spirit to come in to join you!





Only now should you begin to present your needs and your desires and hope for others to God.  Breathe!  Remain silent for a little while.  Listen for any constructive instructions from your heart.  Have your paper and pencil ready.  Repent and ask for forgiveness for any negative experience that arises in your mind.  Do not allow doubt, accusations or disturbing thoughts to hinder you.  Just audible give that mindset over to the Lord and ask for His strength to engulf you.  Ask God to empower you with His Holy Spirit and keep you from all sorts of temptation.





Close your time with the Lord with praise, adoration and thanksgiving.  Singing a sweet song wouldn’t hurt, either.  Breathe!  Begin reading your Bible more and more.  And in all of your getting, get an understanding.






Prayer - Let's Talk To God! Matthew 6:9-13 King James Version






Let’s talk to God…





Dear Heavenly Father, You have made Your people a little lower than the angels and we want to act like heavenly beings.  Please teach us how to change our thoughts and actions and make them new so that we might not only become new creatures, but that our actions, thoughts and pathways might forever be directed towards heaven.  Amen!





Scripture Lesson:  “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievance you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.     Colossians 3:12-13.





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





 































			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
God Speaks To Job Through James (Part One)

						

				On  By SonjaIn Godly Living and Maturing, How To Pray For Others, Prayers For UnderstandingLeave a comment			

					


		

			



Job loved God above all else!





This Book of Job in the Bible depicts the greatest love story.







(To My Readers…This is vacation time for me.  Therefore, I will be Reblogging the next four weekly blog posts.)





In my younger days, I participated in various Sunday School classes as a teacher and had the privilege to teach just about every age group.  If I had to select which group was the most challenging, I would have to pick the young adult classes.  Why this particular group?  Well, the truth is the young adults hardly ever came to class prepared.





Also, the young mothers were constantly late for class because they had to deliver their little children to their respective Sunday School classes.  The young men would dominate the discussion time with job-related situations, New Age commentary, sound-bite buzz words from popular television preachers and other personal life experiences that often had nothing to do with the subject at hand.





As we all know, there are great physical demands placed on the lives of our young people and a number of extra curricular activities are vying for their attention.  Devoting time to study their Sunday School lessons was a low priority on their agendas.  Once a student told me that because I was so well prepared as the teacher, she did not feel she had to study!  This disturbed me greatly because I knew what the Bible said about studying…’to show yourself approved‘ (2 Timothy 2:15).  I also knew what it said about teaching…’teachers will be judged more strictly‘ (James 3:1). 





And further more, as a servant teacher called by God, I was under the holy job description written in  2 Timothy 2:24-26:  “And the Lord’s servant must not  be quarrelsome but kindly to every one, an apt teacher, forbearing, correcting his opponents with gentleness.  God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.“





So I had a little talk with the Holy Spirit…





Subsequently, I categorically began to pray for every member of that class.  I asked God to deliver fresh blessings on their jobs, children, educational pursuits, finances, emotions, health, marriages and other personal relationships.  I begged God to open their eyes and ears; to whet their appetites; to give them a hunger and thirst for his holy word.  Soon, I discovered that praying was not enough.  Strongholds needed to be broken down.  That called for fasting as well as prayer!





The fruit of my labor began to unfold when we started to study the Book of Job.  Because of the students’ weak foundation in the Old Testament and their difficulty in understanding God’s treatment of Job, I found myself defending the scriptures instead of teaching the scriptures.  I was just about ready to ask the Sunday School superintendent for a transfer out of the class when the Holy Spirit spoke to me a second time.  (This time more forcefully.…)





I was led to read the first chapter of the Book of James.  There I began to discover the answers to Job’s predicament…and my own.  Revelations were coming so fast until I had to ask God to please slow down and allow me a chance to get a pen and paper.  Praise God!!!  These divine messages needed to be immortalized.  The litany, “God Speaks To Job Through James” was the result.





PLEASE TUNE IN NEXT FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023, TO READ HOW CHAPTER ONE OF THE BOOK OF JAMES COMPLEMENTS THE ENTIRE BOOK OF JOB. IN THE MEANTIME, PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS SONG BELOW.





English Christian Song | “Job’s Attitude Toward God’s Blessings”





https://www.youtube.com › watch










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



























			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
God’s Beauty Is All About His Excellence!

						

				On  By SonjaIn Godly Living and Maturing, Prayers About God and Me, Prayers For New Beginnings2 Comments			

					


		

			

Have you ever stopped to realize that when mankind becomes aware or conscious of something or someone having beauty, it is usually based only on a physical attraction or the functionality of the object.  Not so with God.  The Holy Scriptures revel that God determines a person’s beauty by their  character traits and personality:  In other words; the good, the bad and the ugly.  





Notwithstanding, the more a person is basing their observations on WWJD (what would Jesus do), the more ‘beauty‘ shines thru to God and to the world.  Because the attributes of God(*) are what makes God beautiful!  Therefore, the more we know about our own personalities and character, the better decisions and choices we will make as we fine tune our actions to reflect God’s Son as His  ambassadors.





One Thing I Have Desired – YouTube  







           Read Psalm 27:4-5.





(Click YouTube song title above to play)





One thing I have desired of the Lord,





That will I seek:





That I may dwell in the house of the Lord





All the days of my life,





To behold the beauty of the Lord,





And to inquire in His temple.












There is actually a Bible verse that talks about the beauty of the Lord.  It is found in Isaiah 33:17 and it says:  “Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty; they will see a land that stretches afar.  





For your information, the “king” is God.  He resides in His “beauty”, aka His attributes.  That land that stretches afar is Heaven.  And I, yours truly, the author of this blog, am a witness that every time I sit down at my computer to write my WordPress Friday blog, the “beauty” of the Lord comes miraculously  through my humble home and allows His Holy Spirit to bless me with His “beauty”.  I pray a simple prayer and ask Him for His guidance and what is my subject matter for this week’s blog.  





This week the Holy Spirit responded by reminding me of a small hand made bean bag that hangs on a door knob in my home with the inscription, “Let the Beauty of the Lord be upon us.”  And sure enough, my fingers began to type the blog that is before you.





I have learned to rethink what I previously imaged about what things are beautiful and what things are lovely.  I began to realize that my thoughts were tainted and most of what I thought denoted beauty was borne out of ‘lust’ of the eyes and not out of visions of WWJD.   I whispered a quick atoning prayer and asked God to order my steps, renew my mind and truly cause me to walk closer and to think more like Him.





God’s thoughts on beauty are all about Him and His beautiful attributes and should NOT be about me.  





Scripture Lesson:  “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; bring an offering, and come before him;  worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness.”  1 Chronicles 16:29





(*) Note: Attributes of God: His love, holiness power, eternal, infinite, unchangeable being, full of goodness and truth…just to Name a few.





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