The Heritage of the Righteous and the Calamity of the Wicked

Hello friends.  Are you looking around the world and seeing all the chaos.  Can you even believe what you see or hear?  I gave up on the news and social media when it all became unbelievable.  I turned my heart towards God and His Word and haven't looked back.  I studied this Psalm today and thought I'd share it.  It is a warning for the wicked, which is basically most today.  Things haven't changed in thousands of years and we are almost at  full circle.  Prophecy is now happening all around us.

After doing some serious Bible study over the last several years, I'm at the conclusion of the Second Coming around the corner.  Are you spiritually ready for this?  Most think they are, but truthfully are not.  More and more you see our youth do not believe in God, where did we as their guidance drop the ball?  Many places.  Examine your life and their upbringing and you will see many places it happened.  Our government, education, the entitlement we think we are to be given and on and on.  Some is out of our control, but mostly we dropped the ball as parents. 

 

A Psalm of David.

37 Do not fret because of evildoers,

Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,

And wither as the green herb.

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;

Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

4 Delight yourself also in the Lord,

And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit[a] your way to the Lord,

Trust also in Him,

And He shall bring it to pass.

6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,

And your justice as the noonday.

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,

Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;

Do not fret—it only causes harm.

9 For evildoers shall be [b]cut off;

But those who wait on the Lord,

They shall inherit the earth.

10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;

Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,

But it shall be no more.

11 But the meek shall inherit the earth,

And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

12 The wicked plots against the just,

And gnashes at him with his teeth.

13 The Lord laughs at him,

For He sees that his day is coming.

14 The wicked have drawn the sword

And have bent their bow,

To cast down the poor and needy,

To slay those who are of upright conduct.

15 Their sword shall enter their own heart,

And their bows shall be broken.

16 A little that a righteous man has

Is better than the riches of many wicked.

17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,

But the Lord upholds the righteous.

18 The Lord knows the days of the upright,

And their inheritance shall be forever.

19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,

And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

20 But the wicked shall perish;

And the enemies of the Lord,

Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish.

Into smoke they shall vanish away.

21 The wicked borrows and does not repay,

But the righteous shows mercy and gives.

22 For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth,

But those cursed by Him shall be [c]cut off.

23 The steps of a good man are [d]ordered by the Lord,

And He delights in his way.

24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;

For the Lord upholds him with His hand.

25 I have been young, and now am old;

Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,

Nor his descendants begging bread.

26 He is [e]ever merciful, and lends;

And his descendants are blessed.

27 Depart from evil, and do good;

And dwell forevermore.

28 For the Lord loves justice,

And does not forsake His saints;

They are preserved forever,

But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.

29 The righteous shall inherit the land,

And dwell in it forever.

30 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom,

And his tongue talks of justice.

31 The law of his God is in his heart;

None of his steps shall [f]slide.

32 The wicked watches the righteous,

And seeks to slay him.

33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand,

Nor condemn him when he is judged.

34 Wait on the Lord,

And keep His way,

And He shall exalt you to inherit the land;

When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.

35 I have seen the wicked in great power,

And spreading himself like a native green tree.

36 Yet [g]he passed away, and behold, he was no more;

Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.

37 Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright;

For the future of that man is peace.

38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together;

The future of the wicked shall be cut off.

39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;

He is their strength in the time of trouble.

40 And the Lord shall help them and deliver them;

He shall deliver them from the wicked,

And save them,

Because they trust in Him.

The righteous path is narrow and most are not on it.  I pray you find it before the 7th trumpet sounds, if your don't hear it, you'll be left behind.  

The Second Coming of Christ

When the Trumpet Sounds

The Native Americans of this Country

Sounds of Silence

 

Do not live in darkness, Sometimes He allows darkness so we cand see He is the true light in our life. Seek Him and you will find the light.

This song reminds me of Psalm 88

88 O lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:

2 Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;

3 For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:

5 Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.

6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.

7 Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.

8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.

9 Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: Lord, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.

10 Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.

11 Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?

12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

13 But unto thee have I cried, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.

14 Lord, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?

15 I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.

16 Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.

17 They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.

18 Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.

The Sound of Silence

Simon & Garfunkel

Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams, I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a streetlamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light, I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never shared
No one dared
Disturb the sound of silence

"Fools", said I, "You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
In tenement halls"
And whispered in the sounds of silence

 

 

1Joel 19 - 20 and The Revelation 15 and 16

I'm sharing this with you today.  This is what has been happening for awhile now, some of you see it but most of you ignore it.  This is the Plague of the Locusts, or Nations,  you will also find this in Revelation 15:5  The Bowls of Plagues.  The Locusts is another word for Nations. We will see 7 plagues, we have seen several so far.

The first bowl. The first angel pours out the first bowl on the land, “and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image” (Revelation 16:2). This plague is targeted at those who have committed themselves to the Antichrist; tribulation saints will not be affected by these sores.  

The second bowl. The second bowl is poured out on the sea, turning the water “into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died” (Revelation 16:3). A third of the sea life had already perished with the sounding of the second trumpet (Revelation 8:9), and now the rest of the sea life is gone. The oceans are dead.

The third bowl. When the third bowl of God’s wrath is poured out, the rivers and freshwater springs also turn into blood (Revelation 16:4–5). The angel in charge of the water says, “You are just in these judgments, O Holy One, you who are and who were; for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve” (verses 5–6).The altar in heaven responds, “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments” (verse 7).

The fourth bowl. The fourth angel pours out his bowl on the sun, “and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat” (Revelation 16:8–9). Rather than repent of their sin, the wicked inhabitants of the earth “cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him” (verse 9).

The fifth bowl. The fifth of the seven bowls causes the kingdom of the beast to be plunged into great darkness. The pain and suffering of the wicked intensify, so that people gnaw their tongues in agony (Revelation 16:10–11). Still, the followers of the Antichrist “refused to repent of what they had done” (verse 11).

The sixth bowl. The sixth angel pours out his bowl of judgment on the Euphrates River. That river is dried up in preparation for the kings of the East making their way to their own destruction (Revelation 16:12). John then sees three unclean spirits “that looked like frogs” coming from the mouths of Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet (verse 13). These demons perform miracles and deceive the kings of the earth and gather them to the final battle on the Day of the Lord (verse 14). Under demonic influence, “the kings [gather] together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon” (verse 16).

The seventh bowl. The seventh bowl is emptied into the atmosphere. A loud voice in heaven says, “It is done!” (Revelation 16:17). The seventh bowl results in flashes of lightning and an earthquake so severe that “no earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake” (verse 18). Jerusalem is split into three parts, and the cities of the world collapse (verse 19). Islands are flooded, and mountains disappear (verse 20). Giant hailstones, “each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on people” (verse 21). Those under judgment “cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible” (verse 21).

One of the angels of the seven bowl judgments then shows John the fate of Babylon the Great (Revelation 17), as God avenges “the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth” (Revelation 18:24). The world mourns the fall of Babylon (chapter 18), but heaven rejoices (chapter 19). Jesus Christ then returns in glory to defeat the armies of the Antichrist at Armageddon (Revelation 19:11–21) and to set up His kingdom on earth (Revelation 20:1–6).

 The Locust Plague

2Hear this, you leaders of the people.

    Listen, all who live in the land.

In all your history,

    has anything like this happened before?

3 Tell your children about it in the years to come,

    and let your children tell their children.

    Pass the story down from generation to generation.

4 After the cutting locusts finished eating the crops,

    the swarming locusts took what was left!

After them came the hopping locusts,

    and then the stripping locusts,[a] too!

5 Wake up, you drunkards, and weep!

    Wail, all you wine-drinkers!

All the grapes are ruined,

    and all your sweet wine is gone.

6 A vast army of locusts (Nations) has invaded my land,

    a terrible army too numerous to count.

Its teeth are like lions’ teeth,

    its fangs like those of a lioness.

7 It has destroyed my grapevines

    and ruined my fig trees,

stripping their bark and destroying it,

    leaving the branches white and bare.

8 Weep like a bride dressed in black,

    mourning the death of her husband.

9 For there is no grain or wine

    to offer at the Temple of the Lord.

So the priests are in mourning.

    The ministers of the Lord are weeping.

10 The fields are ruined,

    the land is stripped bare.

The grain is destroyed,

    the grapes have shriveled,

    and the olive oil is gone.

11 Despair, all you farmers!

    Wail, all you vine growers!

Weep, because the wheat and barley—

    all the crops of the field—are ruined.

12 The grapevines have dried up,

    and the fig trees have withered.

The pomegranate trees, palm trees, and apple trees—

    all the fruit trees—have dried up.

    And the people’s joy has dried up with them.

13 Dress yourselves in burlap and weep, you priests!

    Wail, you who serve before the altar!

Come, spend the night in burlap,

    you ministers of my God.

For there is no grain or wine

    to offer at the Temple of your God.

14 Announce a time of fasting;

    call the people together for a solemn meeting.

Bring the leaders

    and all the people of the land

into the Temple of the Lord your God,

    and cry out to him there.

15 The day of the Lord is near,

    the day when destruction comes from the Almighty.

    How terrible that day will be!

16 Our food disappears before our very eyes.

    No joyful celebrations are held in the house of our God.

17 The seeds die in the parched ground,

    and the grain crops fail.

The barns stand empty,

    and granaries are abandoned.

18 How the animals moan with hunger!

    The herds of cattle wander about confused,

because they have no pasture.

    The flocks of sheep and goats bleat in misery.

19 Lord, help us!

The fire has consumed the wilderness pastures,

    and flames have burned up all the trees.

20 Even the wild animals cry out to you

    because the streams have dried up,

    and fire has consumed the wilderness pastures.

The only way to save this world is for the people to repent and leave their wicked ways behind.  This is not an easy thing to do because we are surrounded by evil and our leaders are deceiving us daily.  Do not trust them, they are leading you to a path of no return.  

We are in the end times. Our Heavenly Father has reserved many of His most noble spirits, perhaps His finest team for this final phase.  Those noble spirits, those finest players, those heros, are you.  We are in the end game.  Stay firmly connected to God.  We have a divine purpose and mission.  We were made for these times.

The Narrow Gate - Mathew 7:13

13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 

14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

Will you be one of those who find the Narrow Gate?

Isaiah 65 and 66 Judgement and Final Salvation

Hello friends!  I'm am finishing up the Book of Isaiah for the second time.  I woke up in the middle of the night a couple of weeks ago with a voice in my head that was telling me to read Isaiah.  This happened to me one other time, that voice was telling me to read the Book of John.   This post is about the last 2 chapters in the Book of Isaiah and an observation I have connected to it.  

When I read the Bible I see so many similarities in today's world and when speaking with others I see that things come back full circle.  You know the saying the "World Goes round and round", well it certainly seems to be doing that.  I feel like I'm watching God's plan unfold right in front of me.

There is 2 passages I want to share especially today as we watch the fires consume the City of Angels, better known as Los Angeles.  

The Lord tells us that everyone will see his anger against his enemies and the earth will be consumed by fire.  Is the Lord rebuking the unbelievers? The sin he sees all over this area?  It's not just LA by the way, he will consume the world with fire and by his sword (His sword is the word of God, His Bible is his sword).  The bible tells us he will judge the earth and many will be killed by Him.  Look around, we see fire in many of our states over the last years, especially California.  We are watching people lose their lives and everything they own.  Is the sin of fornication, greed, idol worship, human trafficking, theft and all the other corruption coming to a head?  This isn't just happening in the United States but all over the world.

I heard another theory for these fires, are they destroying evidence of the crimes against humanity of the Diddy arrest and all involved? Or is it an Land grab like Hawaii? Interesting observations.  Is it God's wrath or the human hand  behind these fires? Not sure about it but it's definitely an interesting theory and one to think about.  My humble opinion is this is the wrath of God.

So here is what the Lord says about the punishment for the world and their sins.

66:4  I will send them great trouble—
all the things they feared.
For when I called, they did not answer.
When I spoke, they did not listen.
They deliberately sinned before my very eyes
and chose to do what they know I despise.”

14  Everyone will see the LORD’s hand of blessing on his servants—
and his anger against his enemies.

15  See, the LORD is coming with fire,
and his swift chariots roar like a whirlwind.
He will bring punishment with the fury of his anger
and the flaming fire of his hot rebuke.

16  The LORD will punish the world by fire
and by his sword.
He will judge the earth,
and many will be killed by him.

Judgment and Final Salvation

1  The LORD says,
“I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help
I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’
to a nation that did not call on my name.

2  All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people.
But they follow their own evil paths
and their own crooked schemes.

3  All day long they insult me to my face
by worshiping idols in their sacred gardens
They burn incense on pagan altars.

4  At night they go out among the graves,
worshiping the dead.
They eat the flesh of pigs
and make stews with other forbidden foods.

5  Yet they say to each other,
‘Don’t come too close or you will defile me!
I am holier than you!’
These people are a stench in my nostrils,
an acrid smell that never goes away.

6  “Look, my decree is written out in front of me:
I will not stand silent;
I will repay them in full!
Yes, I will repay them—

7  both for their own sins
and for those of their ancestors,”
says the LORD.
“For they also burned incense on the mountains
and insulted me on the hills.
I will pay them back in full!

8  “But I will not destroy them all,”
says the LORD.
“For just as good grapes are found among a cluster of bad ones
(and someone will say, ‘Don’t throw them all away—
some of those grapes are good!’),
so I will not destroy all Israel.
For I still have true servants there.

9  I will preserve a remnant of the people of Israel
and of Judah to possess my land.
Those I choose will inherit it,
and my servants will live there.

10  The plain of Sharon will again be filled with flocks
for my people who have searched for me,
and the valley of Achor will be a place to pasture herds.

11  “But because the rest of you have forsaken the LORD
and have forgotten his Temple
and because you have prepared feasts to honor the god of Fate
and have offered mixed wine to the god of Destiny,

12  now I will ‘destine’ you for the sword.
All of you will bow down before the executioner.
For when I called, you did not answer.
When I spoke, you did not listen.
You deliberately sinned—before my very eyes—
and chose to do what you know I despise.”

13  Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
“My servants will eat,
but you will starve.
My servants will drink,

but you will be thirsty.
My servants will rejoice,
but you will be sad and ashamed.

14  My servants will sing for joy,
but you will cry in sorrow and despair.

15  Your name will be a curse word among my people,
for the Sovereign LORD will destroy you
and will call his true servants by another name.

16  All who invoke a blessing or take an oath
will do so by the God of truth.
For I will put aside my anger
and forget the evil of earlier days.

17  “Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth,
and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.

18  Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation!
And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness.
Her people will be a source of joy.

19  I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and delight in my people.
And the sound of weeping and crying
will be heard in it no more.

20  “No longer will babies die when only a few days old.

No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life.
No longer will people be considered old at one hundred!
Only the cursed will die that young!

21  In those days people will live in the houses they build
and eat the fruit of their own vineyards.

22  Unlike the past, invaders will not take their houses
and confiscate their vineyards.
For my people will live as long as trees,
and my chosen ones will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains.

23  They will not work in vain,
and their children will not be doomed to misfortune.
For they are people blessed by the LORD,
and their children, too, will be blessed.

24  I will answer them before they even call to me.

While they are still talking about their needs,
I will go ahead and answer their prayers!

25  The wolf and the lamb will feed together.
The lion will eat hay like a cow.
But the snakes will eat dust.
In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on my holy mountain.

I, the LORD, have spoken!”

66

 1  This is what the LORD says:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
Could you build me a temple as good as that?
Could you build me such a resting place?

2  My hands have made both heaven and earth;
they and everything in them are mine.
I, the LORD, have spoken!
“I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts,
who tremble at my word.

3  But those who choose their own ways—
delighting in their detestable sins—
will not have their offerings accepted.
When such people sacrifice a bull,
it is no more acceptable than a human sacrifice.
When they sacrifice a lamb,
it’s as though they had sacrificed a dog!
When they bring an offering of grain,
they might as well offer the blood of a pig.
When they burn frankincense,
it’s as if they had blessed an idol.

4  I will send them great trouble—
all the things they feared.
For when I called, they did not answer.
When I spoke, they did not listen.
They deliberately sinned before my very eyes
and chose to do what they know I despise.”

5  Hear this message from the LORD,
all you who tremble at his words:
“Your own people hate you
and throw you out for being loyal to my name.
‘Let the LORD be honored!’ they scoff.
‘Be joyful in him!’
But they will be put to shame.

6  What is all the commotion in the city?
What is that terrible noise from the Temple?
It is the voice of the LORD
taking vengeance against his enemies.

7  “Before the birth pains even begin,
Jerusalem gives birth to a son.

8  Who has ever seen anything as strange as this?
Who ever heard of such a thing?
Has a nation ever been born in a single day?
Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment?
But by the time Jerusalem’s birth pains begin,
her children will be born.

9  Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth
and then not deliver it?” asks the LORD.
“No! I would never keep this nation from being born,”
says your God.

10  “Rejoice with Jerusalem!
Be glad with her, all you who love her
and all you who mourn for her.

11  Drink deeply of her glory
even as an infant drinks at its mother’s comforting breasts.”

12  This is what the LORD says:
“I will give Jerusalem a river of peace and prosperity.
The wealth of the nations will flow to her.
Her children will be nursed at her breasts,
carried in her arms, and held on her lap.

13  I will comfort you there in Jerusalem
as a mother comforts her child.”

14  When you see these things, your heart will rejoice.
You will flourish like the grass!
Everyone will see the LORD’s hand of blessing on his servants—
and his anger against his enemies.

15  See, the LORD is coming with fire,
and his swift chariots roar like a whirlwind.
He will bring punishment with the fury of his anger
and the flaming fire of his hot rebuke.

16  The LORD will punish the world by fire
and by his sword.
He will judge the earth,
and many will be killed by him.

17  “Those who ‘consecrate’ and ‘purify’ themselves in a sacred garden with its idol in the center—feasting on pork and rats and other detestable meats—will come to a terrible end,” says the LORD.

18  “I can see what they are doing, and I know what they are thinking. So I will gather all nations and peoples together, and they will see my glory. 

19  I will perform a sign among them. And I will send those who survive to be messengers to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (who are famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to all the lands beyond the sea that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. There they will declare my glory to the nations.

 20  They will bring the remnant of your people back from every nation. They will bring them to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD. They will ride on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,” says the LORD. 

21  “And I will appoint some of them to be my priests and Levites.

 I, the LORD, have spoken!

22  “As surely as my new heavens and earth will remain,
so will you always be my people,
with a name that will never disappear,”
says the LORD.

23  “All humanity will come to worship me
from week to week
and from month to month.

24  And as they go out, they will see
the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me.
For the worms that devour them will never die,
and the fire that burns them will never go out.
All who pass by
will view them with utter horror.”

There is still time for repentance. Repentance will be the first step to salvation.  You will have to put in the work, freedom isn't free.  

Innocent people will suffer, God's chosen will be persecuted.  Mocking God has a high price to pay.

With knowledge comes sorrow.  The knowledge I have gained from reading God's word is immense.  The feeling is indescribable. The fruit I've acquired is unmeasurable.  The journey is one I'll never forget.  The goal is the narrow path that leads to salvation.  The wide path is the one most are on, It's before your eyes.  Those who have eyes to see will see, those who have ears to hear will hear.

Jesus, the Way to the Father -  John 14

1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 

2  There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you. 

3  When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

4  And you know the way to where I am going.”

5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

 7  If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”

2Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 

Praying for our nation,

 Love to you all,

Debbie

How Many Times Have You Heard This?

 You Reap What You Sow - Galatians 6:1-7

Hello again! I feel like an expert on this one! My past occasionally haunts me with some of my actions and words that were harshly spoken. I have never mocked God that I am aware of, but I have asked Him for forgiveness on this one.  Because I was an adolescent as we all were at some point, I spent a lot of time away from the Word of God.  

It was a time of trouble for me and while I thought I was having fun, I didn't realize that Satan had taken over my life in many ways.  I paid a high price for many things.  He still tries to take me over, but I fight him off.  You see he doesn't come after the people he controls, he comes after God's people.  They are the ones who are a challenge to him.  

It took some really bad things happening in my life to wake me up again.  Divorce was one of them.  I was a battered wife for many years and my son and I suffered for a long time.  I do forgive my ex and I pray for him, because if I didn't I would have that hurt haunting me forever. It gave me freedom again and I don't live with resentment.  I was able to move on  and live my life happy and free.

 I was always a believer in the Lord but I'm also a sinner as everyone is.  I was raised Catholic and God was always a part of my life. My mother is a devout Christian as is most of my family.  When I need to understand the Word of God, I turn to my Son as he has the best understanding and knowledge of the The Word of God.  Better than most I have met.   I also turn to my Mother as she has a great understanding and knowledge too.

Both read the Bible everyday and my son and I talk almost daily on new discoveries we have found in God's Words.   He helps me to understand when I misinterpret what I'm reading.  It's awesome!  We have built an amazing relationship centered around love and God.  What more can you ask for in life!

While some relate Karma to sowing and reaping, it is different because one usually doesn't see see good things coming from Karma.  I understand Karma because I grew up in the 70's.  John Lennon sang a song about Instant Karma.  Karma is way different than reaping what you sow. Then, there’s grace! Karma believers don’t often take grace and mercy into account. God’s law of sowing and reaping includes much grace and mercy. You can learn from the good things you do, and you can also learn from the wrong things you do. You can learn from successes as well as mistakes. You can pay a high price for mistakes.  Mistakes can destroy relationships, jobs, marriages and so much more.  I don't really believe in Karma anymore.  

These verses in Galatians are some I love!  Paul the apostle is the Author of Galatians and I love the way he teaches about reaping and sowing.

Galatians 6:1-7

6 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 

2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 

4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else,

 5 for each one should carry their own load. 

6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 

8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 

9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 

10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

When you help others, you feel rewarded, it's called the "fruit of the Holy Spirit."  We all have a calling, most are not compassionate enough to see it or understand what they have been called for.  I see the "fruit" in most believers, by their words and deeds.  When you have the fruit of the Holy Spirit within you, it's effortless to help others who are suffering.  There is only one way to get that "fruit" and that is to read God's Word everyday and follow it.  You will know when you have the fruit, because it brings you joy and you feel it in your heart. You can also see the fruit of others.  It's very obvious as soon as they begin speaking.  Sometimes they don't have to say a word, you can just feel it.

 There is a joy in finishing good works for the Lord ( John 4:34) and that joy isn’t dependent on the harvest that may come later.  

Doing good without any expectations of reward is an amazing feeling, even when you don't see any of the rewards. In other moments you get rewards you never expected. By the Grace and Mercy of God. If you can't find a way to help, pray for them.  

Sowing generously, there is always some kind of reward. Some rewards are  easy to see and  others harder to see, no need keep score, it will be obvious eventually.

I've learned many  lessons, and been given many second chances even when I do wrong things. God is extremely generous with both grace and mercy!

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously ( 2 Corinthians 9:6). 

“Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy” ( Psalm 126:5). Even when bad things are happening, remember that it will get better.  Everything happens for a reason.

( John 4:37-38) God’s kingdom is a world of walking by faith not sight. 

God always brings many blessings—both deserved and undeserved. 

Are you reaping what you sow?   

I" m leaving you with a song by the Byrd's.  It's a song that is in the book of Ecclesiastes. For Everything there is a season.

Thanks for stopping by!

Debbie

My Word for 2025 - Restore

 Restore is my word for the year.  I have many things to be grateful for, however there are many things that need restored.  Some relationships, health issues, forgiving others and yourself.  For some it is possible to turn back time and restore your health and relationships.   Many are not that fortunate.

I spent much of my lifetime watching family members suffer with Type II Diabetes and about 7 years ago I was diagnosed with this disease.  Now mind you, this happened because of my gluttony and love of food, basically sin.  I was eating too much and not exercising, I was somewhat depressed and it was a vicious circle.  I was sitting behind a desk and too tired after 9 hour days to come home and get in a workout.

 I did my annual blood draw and when my doctor saw my weight and the results, she told me we needed to go after these problems aggressively.  My A1C was at 8.9 and normal is 5.7!  Not to mention cholesterol and triglycerides and blood pressure were over their limits by a long way.  I was a ticking time bomb.  I weighed in at the most ever. I HAD TO DO SOMETHING OR I WAS GOING TO DIE! 

Today is a whole different story. A1C is 5.8 and my numbers are as low as when I was  a teenager.  My weight is 135lbs, which is normal for me, and my doctor is very proud of me for doing what she told me to do.  I'm no longer Diabetic!

 My word for this year brings me to Isaiah 38. It's about Hezekiah and the sickness God put on him.  You see, God warned him.  God warned me too in a very subtle way.  Here is Hezekiah's story.

Hezekiah’s Sickness and Recovery 

1 About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the LORD says: ‘Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.’”

2 When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 

3 “Remember, O LORD, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you.” Then he broke down and wept bitterly.

4 Then this message came to Isaiah from the LORD:

5 “Go back to Hezekiah and tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life, 

6 and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. Yes, I will defend this city.

7 “And this is the sign from the LORD to prove that he will do as he promised: 

8  I will cause the sun’s shadow to move ten steps backward on the sun dial of Ahaz!’” So the shadow on the sundial moved backward ten steps.

Hezekiah’s Poem of Praise

9 When King Hezekiah was well again, he wrote this poem:

10 I said, “In the prime of my life,

must I now enter the place of the dead?

Am I to be robbed of the rest of my years?”

11 I said, “Never again will I see the LORD God

while still in the land of the living.

Never again will I see my friends

or be with those who live in this world.

12 My life has been blown away

like a shepherd’s tent in a storm.

It has been cut short,

as when a weaver cuts cloth from a loom.

Suddenly, my life was over.

13 I waited patiently all night,

but I was torn apart as though by lions.

Suddenly, my life was over.

14 Delirious, I chattered like a swallow or a crane,

and then I moaned like a mourning dove.

My eyes grew tired of looking to heaven for help.

I am in trouble, Lord. Help me!”

15 But what could I say?

For he himself sent this sickness.

Now I will walk humbly throughout my years

because of this anguish I have felt.

16 Lord, your discipline is good,

for it leads to life and health.

You restore my health

and allow me to live!

17 Yes, this anguish was good for me,

for you have rescued me from death

and forgiven all my sins.

18 For the dead cannot praise you;

they cannot raise their voices in praise.

Those who go down to the grave

can no longer hope in your faithfulness.

19 Only the living can praise you as I do today.

Each generation tells of your faithfulness to the next.

20 Think of it—the LORD is ready to heal me!

I will sing his praises with instruments

every day of my life

in the Temple of the LORD.

21 Isaiah had said to Hezekiah’s servants, “Make an ointment from figs and spread it over the boil, and Hezekiah will recover.”  (Did Hezekiah have Sepsis?) 

22 And Hezekiah had asked, “What sign will prove that I will go to the Temple of the LORD?”

Cont.

Do you listen for the Lord's warnings?  I spent many years not hearing the Lord, today I find quiet time for prayer and reading His Word every morning and listening for His Voice.  I spend 2 hours in the morning, I get up at 5:00 am and study and read until 7:00 am.  I dedicated this time to the relationship I want with the Lord. Like any relationship, you have to work at it.

I literally also prayed for my health many times just like Hezekiah and I felt that no one was listening, then one day I heard Him.  You see I spent many years doing everything I shouldn't have been, eating and partying.  Once I started cleaning up my bad habits and repented my sins, I could hear Him.  

I feel like God Restored me in many ways this past year and this year I will be reflecting on that restoration and continuing my journey.  There is more that needs fixing but I will get to that this year.  I will be getting back to my artwork very soon, but it will be different than anything you have seen from me.  I used to paint.  Oil, Acrylics and Watercolor. This will be my next restoration.  

Never hesitate to reach  out to the Lord, He is always listening and ready to help. It may not be in the manner you want but you will learn important lessons along the way!  In the end, you will understand His Wisdom.  The best restoration was my relationship with the Lord, I feel His spirit in my heart and the journey he has taken me on in this life is one I wouldn't trade for anything.  

Thanks for stopping by!!

Debbie