Hidden Treasure

Have you
found
what was hidden
Do your findings
brighten your day
your heart
are you filled
with joy and gladness

Or are you glum
unhappy
unsatisfied
Do your findings
only bring you down
to the pit
of despair

Signs
of the
Lord’s Presence
are everywhere
even when
your days
may be cloudy
or dark
or foggy
or rainy
His Presence
can brighten
your
own little corner

See the blessings
He gives
See the goodness
all around you
Be thankful
in everything you have
and receive

If you only see
what is wrong
what is incomplete
what is unfinished
what is negative

You have not found
the treasure
of God’s eternal truth
undying love
everlasting joy

Jesus.

What do you do
when
you’ve found
the treasure
and share
the treasure
but
allow life’s circumstances
to seep into every fiber of your being
and you,
for all you have
found
are failing to believe
failing to trust
failing to focus
failing to obey
failing to ask
failing to plead
failing to love
failing to hope.

Where
is the treasure
hidden
... from your eyes
...from your heart

(c) March 30, 2015

“I AM the Lord, and there is no other;
I form the light and create darkness,
I make peace and create calamity;
I, the LORD, do all these things.”  ~ Isaiah 45:6b-7

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”  ~Jeremiah 29:11-13

The time is coming

“For the Lord will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3)

The time is coming
It could be around the next bend
you – believer!
nearer,
nearer still
The time
of our salvation
when we first believed
and accepted
The Lord
Jesus Christ
as our Savior
That time
is coming
Stay in the Light
Remain in the Light
Give up, cast off
all that keeps you
secluded, on the fringe
of the darkness

 You toil
you rest
Do not let your rest
bring strife,
envy, anger, fear
But walk in the way
of the Lord
uprightly, without prejudice
without scorn
 Put on Love
The Love of
The Lord
 You will see His Love
You will see what is hateful
what is unnecessary
 You will hear His commandments
You will hear what is unimportant
the world
 You will understand God’s purpose for you
You will understand what is wrong
 You will walk toward the ungodly
and bring the freshness
of the Lord’s saving grace
into their midst
You will walk away, turn away
from negativity
You will bring possibilities
and you will be at peace.
(based on readings in Romans 13: 8-14)

 (c) March 16, 2015

Is His message foolishness to you?

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
~ I Corinthians 1:18

You say you are a Christian,
but are you?

You say you turned your life around,
but have you?

You say He is with you always,
but are you always with Him?

You say you pray,
but is it unceasingly?

You say you are wise and knowledgeable,
but do you read and study His word regularly?

You say you understand what the Lord says to you,
but do you apply it to your life?

You say you are saved,
but where is the power of God in you?

where is His love in you to share
with those around you?

where is His strength in you
to enable your every weakness
to be under His control? 

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."  ~ II Timothy 1:7 


Be still
and see
Be still
and hear
Be still
and consider ALL
He has to say
and understand
and
give Him,
The Lord God,
all glory and honor. 

(c) March 13-14, 2015

A - S - K

Ask
God
for wisdom
in faith
without doubting
and
it will be given
you will receive
answers

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” ~ James 1:5-6

Seek
God
through prayer
through Bible study
through worship
through praise
through Thanksgiving
through the day
above everything
and
you will find Him
and hear
His voice
His still small,
calming voice

“Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!”  ~  I Chronicles 16:11

“But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” ~ Matthew 6:33

Knock
a chance encounter
may lead
to opportunities
wherever
God directs
our willingness
to go
to do
to preach
The Gospel
of Jesus Christ
in word or deed
however  the Lord
prepares, instructs
The door
is
opened
to you
by the Lord
to plant
the seed of faith
to water
and to give
all glory and honor
to God
the rescuer
of the perishing
from
death
to
life
through
His Son,
Jesus.

“…to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord.” ~ 2 Corinthians 2:12

“For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. … Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.” ~ 1 Corinthians 16: 9, 13-14

(c) March 10, 2015

The sun / Son is always shining

The sun / Son
is always shining
in the sky
in our hearts
if we
believe
in God Almighty
and Jesus Christ,
His Son

The sun / Son
is always shining
It’s the clouds
in the sky
and in our hearts
that cover the light
of day
and the Light of His Presence

The sun / Son
is always shining
when gladness and joy
fills our hearts
and God’s love
fills our souls
as each new day
begins …
and ends,
bringing rest
and peaceful slumber.

(c) March 6, 2015

Do not let the ways of the world destroy you

We cannot
fix – repair - change
the one (s) we love

It is
not
our
responsibility

We
are
held
accountable
only
for
ourselves

The best
The very best
The most excellent
we
each
can do
for him
for her

 is

to love them
unconditionally

 to forgive them
without fail

 to pray for them
unceasingly

and in between
to listen
to laugh
to cry
to live!

Change
if you already
proclaim yourself
a Christian
happened
the moment
God brought you
to Himself
and you became
His child

You are not
what you were
You are different
You are changed
and you change every day.
If you are
the Christian
the follower of Christ
you claim to be
your allegiance
is to Jesus
not
to yourself

If you want
to be
a better parent
a better husband
a better wife
a better person,
go to God
First,
Second,
Third,
Always
He is your first
resource,
your first
line of defense
never your last

Ask
Seek
Knock

“For everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds and to him who knocks it will be opened.” ~ Matthew 7:7-8

If you do not ask God in prayer
how will you receive all that the Lord has for you?

If you do not seek God’s wisdom,
how will you find the answers to every life issue faced?

If you do not knock at God’s door
how do you expect His blessings to be opened to you?

How can you know Him better … Trust Him more?

If you do not Ask, you will not receive
If you do not Seek, you will not find
If you do not Knock, the door will not be opened

You are not
what you were

If you say you are
If you proclaim
“This is who I am. I can’t change.”
Then perhaps
you are NOT
the believer
in Jesus Christ
that you say
you are

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Prove yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you are disqualified.”  ~ II Corinthians 13:5

You cannot be
who you were
and who you became
in Christ Jesus

You are one
or the other

You live to yourself
and your selfish desires
and wants

or

You live to Jesus
whose very life and death
transformed you
made you whole
and complete

If you claim
allegiance to
the Lord Jesus
our Savior
for all eternity
then it is to Him
you must live your life
You must repent, turn from
all that goes against
His way
For it is His way
you must follow
and not your own

He knows more
about us
than you or I
who we are
what we need

Listen to Him
Open His Word
Study His Life

Come again and again
to The One
who constantly seeks
you out
to fill you
with His Light
His Love
His Presence

“Do not be deceived. God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh, will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the spirit will of the spirit reap everlasting life.” ~ Galatians 6:7-8

Do not grow weary
Do not lose heart
Do not hunger for that which destroys the good work God put in you. 

“And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” ~ Galatians 5:24-26

Satan seeks control over your every move.
Satan has no desire to see you live or walk in the Spirit of God’s Love .  His plan of attack is for you to live and walk in the way of selfishness, to be forever blinded to what you know is wrong, to what God has said is unrighteous.

You know what is wrong – you know what is right.

 Do not be jealous

Do not be argumentative

Do not be envious of another

Do not look for a quarrel

Do not be negative-minded

Do not be hateful

Do not be scornful

Do not be resentful

Do not be filled with destructive behavior

Do not look for revenge

Do not be overcome with intense anger

Do not lie

Do not be a know-it-all

Be loving

Be joyful

Be peaceful

Be patient

Be positive

Be kind

Be faithful

Be gentle

Be respectful

Be helpful

Be prayerful

Be grateful

Be thankful

Show goodness

Have self-control 

Everything changes when God is in your life. 

Everything changes when you take God out of the equation as well. 

Don't take the wrong path.  Don't stay on the wrong path. Don't give in to desires and wants. Do not let the ways of the world destroy you. Turn away, turn from what is wrong, and turn to God. 

(c) March 3-4, 2015