What's In A Name?

I know that when my husband and I found out I was having our first baby we wrote down a list of names for girls, boys, and even twins. It was fun. 

As I was reading my personal devotions the other day the Lord told Hosea what He wanted Hosea's children named. We find their names in Hosea 1:4-8. Here are the names: Jezreel was the first son. Then came a daughter and her name was to be No Mercy. Then a third child was born, a son, and his name was to be called Not My People. Pretty strange names for children.

The reason why these names were chosen is because the Lord wanted to put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. So Jezreel got that name. No Mercy was given for there was no more mercy on the house of Israel and no more forgiveness. And Not My People was named to show that that Israel were no longer His people or He their God. 

I am glad we just chose Kimberley, Jeremy David, and Jason Matthew.

How The Bible Tells Us To Live

I don't usually do this but I used the information that I put on my other blog. I thought the information would help here as I pray it helps those who read it on the other blog. 

Highlights of the Sermon On The Mount

Matthew 5-7 (ESV)

The Beatitudes 5:1-12

Salt and Light 5:13-19

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law 5:17-20

Anger 5:21-26

Lust 5:27-30

Divorce 5:31-32

Oaths 5:33-37

Retaliation 5:38-42

Love Your Enemies 5:43-48

Giving to the Needy 6:1-4

The Lord's Prayer 6:5-15

Fasting 6:16-18

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven 6:19-24

Do Not Be Anxious 6:25-34

Judging Others 7:1-6

Ask, and It Will Be Given 7:7-11

The Golden Rule 7:12-13

A Tree and Its Fruit 7:15-20

I Never Knew You 7:21-23

Build Your House on the Rock 7:24-27

The Authority of Jesus-7:28, 29

Thought

There are a lot of great lessons, truths, and it is exciting to see all that the Lord wants us to know. Almost all subjects are in just this section of Scripture. 

Question

Do you have any that pop out at you? Are there some favorites here that you like? I like the one about asking and it will be given to you (me). I need to ask in the right motive, but that's alright. Build my house on the rock is another good one. I could go on but you get the idea. There are many more I like. 

Prayer

Father, thank you for giving us your word and helping us know how You want us to live. It is so helpful to have a guideline to help us along the way along with Spirit who reminds us of these truths. We love You. In Jesus' Name I pray this prayer. 

Blogs

http://housecreatio.blogspot.com

http://www.disciplesnook.blogspot.com

Don't Let Satan Win!

I belong to a small group in our church. We are studying about warfare. Warfare that doesn't come the world but from Satan. We are talking about putting on the full armor of God. We are doing our study from Chip Ingram's book The Invisible War.

I find when anyone is trying to become closer to God and talks about Satan and how we can resist him there is always going to be trials coming our way. Last evening was no different.

I would like to leave you with a few verses, and I must say that my computer has shut down on me three times already as I am typing this post. Here are the *verses:

Ephesians 6:10-12 (NASB)
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."

I John 4:4 (NASB)
"You are from God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world."

I John 5:4-5 (NASB)
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Revelation 12:11 (NASB)
And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death.

James 4:7 (NASB)
Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 

*NASB is the New American Standard Bible. If you have a Bible version that you like better or use yourself look up these verses in your own Bible.

These verses can be used to help you resist the devil when he attacks. The next verse I am going to share is one that I believe if we can use each day it will help us to fight better and become closer to God. 

Psalm 139:23, 24 (NASB)
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way."

Art Is In The Sight Of The Beholder

What Do You See In This Picture?

As I was setting at my desk and looking toward my window thinking about what I would be writing today I saw a shadow on my curtain that to me looks like it could be the face of Jesus. And He is watching me as I am typing this post. My husband just came up and I asked him what he saw. "Nothing," he said. I tend to see faces in art work or shadows or whatever it might me.  In this case I think because was just reading my daily devotions in the Old Testament and the verses were all about the Lord speaking to His people in Israel, that this was on my mind.

I like the idea of being reminded that wherever I am the Lord is watching over me. It is comforting and helps me to want to please Him in all I do. I want to be one that when I meet Him face to face He will be able to say, "Well done my faithful servant." How about you? Is that your desire also?

It Happened Again

The message for Sunday, January 31, 2016 at our church was "What About Good Works?" One of the verses that the Pastor used was found in Ephesians 2:10, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

Does good works get us into heaven? No! But if you have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior then you become a member of God's family. Then by doing good works for the right reason, pleasing God, then this will show others that you are a child of God. 

On Sunday, January 31, 2016 I began reading a new book I received on Kindle entitled, A Different Kind of Wild by Debbie Alsdorf.  One of the first verses she uses in her book is Ephesians 2:10. Here she uses it referring to God who has plans for us and He desires to change us in order for us to fulfill those plans. Wild means Women In Lifelong Development. More on this book and author in another post.

I just get excited and sometimes a little nervous when I hear or see verses keep coming up more than once during a week. To me it is like the Lord is trying to tell me something. 

The verse in Ephesians was a big help this week for me.  

Parking Lot Rage

I have often heard my husband get angry with a driver who goes into a parking space that we were headed for, but I have never heard anyone else yell at a person. We had such a person do such a thing to us the other day.

I have the right to park in a handicap space. I have a sticker and as we came into Barnes and Noble we saw a handicap place open. My husband drove into it. I saw a car that was near the sidewalk but didn't see a blinker or any indication that the driver wanted to pull into the same space. Next thing we know this person found another space and when we both got out of our cars this guy was yelling and screaming at us and talking real loud with the people he was with saying that we knew he wanted to park in that space.  Even when we got into the store he was still yelling at us.

I was very shaken up because I know if we saw that he was going to turn into the space we would have found another one.

Between road rage and parking lot parking I don't know which is worse. I am glad that my husband does most of the driving so I don't have to deal with. It is scary time in both cases.

I am so glad that God knows all about what is going to take place. We as Christian need to have the right attitude, but sometimes other drivers gets the best of us. If we act upon our anger that is sin and we need to confess it to the Lord. Most of the time can not confess our anger to others and ask for their forgiveness.

Question
How about you? Do you get a feeling of road rage or anger when someone takes your parking spot?

Verse For The Day

Psalm 46:10

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."

It's A Good Good Day!

When I went to visit my niece a few years back my nephew kept singing the lyrics to a song which I never heard, "It's Going To Be A Good Good Day" it might even be a good night. Every time I hear the song played I think of my nephew.

I also can say today so far it has been a very good good day.

 I had my quiet time with the Lord and He gave me instructions of what I was to do this morning. In my private devotions  I am reading the book of Micah. I would recommend  if you have an opportunity to read the Old Testament, especially the lasts books in the Old Testament,  it is amazing all the information, blessings, and closeness to God you can receive from reading these books. They give a very good picture of who God is and how He feels about His chosen people the Israelites. It also helps me see what I should or should not be doing in my own life as the Bible has the same principles for us today. God never changes and neither does His Word. (Note: we may have many versions of the Bible, but the original Words written were given to the writers by God.)

Now back to getting done the next thing on my list to do.

May you all have a very good good day also.

Verse For The Day

Isaiah 30:18 (ESV)
Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.