Spending Time With God is More Important Than You Think

time with God

Okay, it’s true confession time.

I hate to admit it, but here goes.

There have been a few days when my schedule has been so jam-packed that I’ve neglected to read my Bible.

I’ve always regretted it later that night when I’m tucked into bed and saying my prayers.

There’s no doubt, our lives can get so busy that we miss out on spending time with God.

Even so, He is always ready and waiting to hear from us.

Missing a few days of Bible reading is understandable – but, it’s our loss.

We miss out on so much when we don’t have that precious time alone with our Savior.

Why should we read the Bible?

We should read God’s Word in order to know Him more.

Do you remember when you were first saved?

Like me, I’m sure your spiritual thirst went through the roof.

I never want to lose that joyful feeling that I am His child and He knows my name.

The Bible is the portrait of Jesus Christ.
– John Stott, Christian pastor (1921-2011.)

Reflections on the Busyness of Life

Distractions of all kinds can get in the way of what’s really important in our lives – spending time with God.

With that in mind, I wrote the following poem as a reminder.

Convict My Heart

Please don’t be mad, Lord
that I didn’t pray.
There were so many things I had to do today.

Please don’t be mad, Lord
I’ve got so much work.
My job’s real important, and the boss is a jerk.

Please don’t be mad, Lord
my Bible’s in a drawer.
I’ve been meaning to read it,
but someone’s at the door.

Please don’t be mad, Lord
I’ll just worship later.
I’m still looking for a church
where the music’s much greater.

Please don’t be mad, Lord.
My devotions weren’t read.
Just one more post on Facebook
then it’s time for bed.

I’ve put You behind
other things in my life.
I have no excuse,
it must cut like a knife.

Tomorrow’s the day
for a brand new start.
My precious Lord and Savior, please convict my heart.

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²John Stott quotation, as quoted from Christian quotes.info

Our Exceptional God

Helpful Bible Pronunciation Guides

October 19, 2020 Gracie

Helpful Bible Pronunciation Guides for Honest People

helpful bible pronunciation guides

Okay, be honest.

Do you have trouble pronouncing some of the names and geographical locations in the Bible?

You can tell me, it will be our little secret. 🙂

My friends, I have been in your shoes.

Take it from this once “star speller” in the seventh grade, some Bible names and locations are hard to say and difficult to spell.

But, because I love the Bible so much and because it is His Story, it’s important to get help when needed.

Say What You Mean to Say

how to pronounce bible guides

Let’s take the Book of Isaiah for example. In chapter 8, we read about a very real person named Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

That’s 18 letters!!!

What were his parent’s thinking, right?

Maher-shalal-hash-baz was one of Isaiah’s sons, and the Lord Himself prescribed the name.

When the Lord says do it, you do it.

As little Maher-shalal-hash-baz was born, his name had great significance concerning the coming Assyrian invasion.

God always knows best.

Let’s take a look at another one.

Take the name “Sennacherib.”

Important person, right?

He was the boastful and godless Assyrian king who sought to invade Judah.

The Lord had other plans and Sennacherib failed.

Every time I came across his name in my Bible reading, I pronounced it differently.

I needed some help, obviously.

My Four Picks: Helpful Bible Pronunciation Guides

bible pronunciation guides

Here are a few resources for Bible name pronunciations that you may not have heard about.

Here are my go-to’s:

Now granted, these resources may not have absolutely every single name and every single geographical location in the Bible, but they have many.

If the first resource doesn’t have the name that you’re looking for, try the second resource and so on.

If you visit each website you will see the little audio icon that corresponds to the Bible verse containing the difficult name you’re potentially having trouble with.

I hope these resources are helpful to you.

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Our Exceptional God

A Friendly PSA – You Need The Great Outdoors

Dear Christian friends reading this – this post is going to be a little different.

This has been a very tough year for all of us, hasn’t it?

We’re dealing with a horrible virus, alarming statistics, escalating violence from the godless – and on top of all that, it’s a volatile election year, the likes of which I’ve never seen.

To go with all of the above, we have governor-signed mask mandates that end up killing businesses and entertainment venues, putting a damper on family get-togethers, including every holiday so far this year since March.

The psychological damage this virus has caused to our most vulnerable, like our senior adults and young children, is very real.

Chronic stress, PTSD, and even depression from being isolated are all valid concerns. – Dr. Parker Huston, Pediatric Psychologist.¹

Dr. Huston adds, “Some kids will report fears in other areas that are triggered by general anxiety – I’m too scared to play in the backyard, or too scared riding in the car . . . Appetite changes, drastic behavior changes, those are things we look for and tell parents to keep an eye on them.”

It’s all enough to make you want to stay inside your home under the covers all day, just to shut the world out and have some peace.

Fresh Air in the Great Outdoors

Trust me, I get it.

This year has been awful, but. . .

You knew there was a “but” coming, right?

If you are healthy, please do not stay cooped up inside all day.

You have to get outside during the day, even if you don’t much feel like it.

Turn off the 24/7 television news and, at least, go for a walk outside with your loved ones every single day.

Consider at least 15 minutes of sunshine and exercise every day. (Call your doctor if you have any questions).

You need your intake of D3, which you can get from food, but also from being safely outside in the great outdoors.

fresh air in the great outdoors

We need the fresh air, we need the sunlight, and we are blessed when we can get outside and enjoy God’s creation.

Your health is worth it.

How can we be effective for the gospel if we get sick?

I’m not talking about sick from the virus here, but from ailments triggered by a lack of vitamin D3, such as potential “bone deformities and pain.”

Spending a little time in the beautiful outdoors can be a mood-lifter, and who doesn’t need that these days?

You need the great outdoors

If we increase the amount of fresh oxygen we are breathing in, it will help our white blood cell count and let our white blood cells function properly. Our white blood cells are what we need to fight and kill bacteria and germs, and right now we want our white blood cells to be functioning at the highest level that it can. – Haley Hiller, Clinical Educator, UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital.²

Here’s Something Worth Celebrating

God is not silent during all of this world mess.

You won’t hear it on the news, but people are being saved all over the world.

That’s something to celebrate!

Becoming a Christian is not a secret; it’s a celebration! Tell all who will listen about Christ’s work in your life. In some cases, other people will come to faith in Jesus through the example you share. Just before Jesus ascended to heaven, He commanded His disciples to make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:18-20). Today, Christians are still called to share the hope within us with others (1 Peter 3:15-16). – Got Questions website.³

worth celebrating

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¹ Quotation from Dr. Parker Huston, Pediatric Psychologist from Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “Mask Side Effects on a Child’s Mental Health are real.” [10 WBNS-TV interview]. August 19, 2020, Web. Accessed October 9, 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.10tv.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/mask-side-effects-on-a-childs-mental-health-are-real/530-c9e2a21d-6983-40ab-9f88-21d8d5b50839

² Quotation from Clinical Educator Hailey Hiller, UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. “Checking in with Susan Koeppen.” [2 KDKA-TV interview]. April 9, 2020, Web. Accessed October 9, 2020. Retrieved from: https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/04/09/sunshine-fresh-air-coronavirus-pandemic-going-outside-advice/

³ Quotation from gotquestions.org, from “I am a new christian. What is the next step?” n.d., para. 11. Web. Accessed October 10, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.gotquestions.org/new-Christian.html

Our Exceptional God

Be Prepared Not Scared

October 6, 2020 Gracie

The Lord Wants Us To Be Prepared Not Scared

Has 2020 been a disaster or what?

It certainly feels like the world is going, to borrow an old expression, to “hell in a handbasket.”

heartbreaking world events None of this craziness is a surprise to God, though.

So, what next?

Can we pull ourselves out of this mire – where the world is drowning in perversion, hatred, idolatry, and anti-God rhetoric?

No – not alone we can’t.

The fact is we can’t pull ourselves out of any of this spiritual backslide.

Our help comes only from the Lord, in His timing.

The verse below is a lovely reminder, and a great one to memorize.

Psalm 121:1-2

Our help (whether it’s looking towards the hills of Jerusalem like the Psalmist, or out our own front door) comes from the Lord.

We see evidence of His grace everywhere.

Our problems become smaller when we think about how big the love of God is.

Can I get an Amen!!

Be Prepared Not Scared

No matter what happens next in this crazy world, we should be prepared not scared because He promised to never leave us.

be prepared not scared

When the headlines about the rioting and violence cause alarm, take a moment, stop and pray.

There’s comfort in knowing that your prayers will reach all the way up to Heaven – quicker than you can blink your eyes.

When I look at the world with all its problems, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed when I pray. And it certainly is overwhelming, until we look to the greatness of our God and realize that with Him, nothing is impossible. By His grace we can see this nation turned around, healed both of its plagues and the sin that plagues all of us. – Ray Comfort, Evangelist, founder of Living Waters Publications. ²

I know it looks scary out there. I’ve seen the headlines too, and watched incredulously as foul-mouthed bullies try to take over Christian Facebook pages.

The godless may win some battles, but folks – they will lose the war.

The Spiritual Battle Rages On

This is a spiritual battle between Good and Evil.

Now’s not the time to back down and keep our mouths shut because of fear.

Now is the time to share the hope that we have through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We have a responsibility to shine His light in this present darkness.

I know that there are some who’d rather not bother: I hate getting involved in politics and I’m not going to vote. Can’t we just keep quiet?

No, we can’t.

America is in trouble.

Socialism is a godless, ugly, ideology lurking right on our doorstep, and it’s up to all of us to exercise our right to vote.

We must be prepared not scared to take a bold, courageous stand for Jesus Christ and godly values.

We as Bible-believing evangelical Christians are locked in a battle. This is not a friendly gentleman’s discussion. It is a life and death conflict between spiritual hosts of wickedness and those who claim the name of Christ. Where is the clear voice speaking to the crucial issues of the day with distinctly biblical answers? We must be the voice of reason. May we not sin through silence. – Francis Schaefer. well-known theologian and apologist.

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² Quotation from Pastor Ray Comfort, “Revival Amid Riot.” Courtesy of Living Waters. [blog post]. May 29, 2020, para. 7. Web. Accessed September 30, 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.livingwaters.com/revival-amid-riot/

³Francis August Schaeffer, (1912-1984), evangelical Christian and theologian. Schaeffer quotation, courtesy of Dobson Digital Library. [blog post]. “Socialism: The Enemy of Christianity.” n.d., para. 3. Web. Accessed October 5, 2020.

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Will We Get Through This?

September 29, 2020 Gracie

will we get through this

Will We Get Through This Election?

Political signs are everywhere.

“This is exciting!”- said no one ever.

Please tell me, is it over yet?

In just a little over a month, the big Election dominating the headlines will come to a close.

Will we get through this?

You bet we will.

No matter what the outcome is – as Christians, we will get through this.

Why?

Because God is on our side.

I’m not talking about our political affiliation here.

I’m talking about our salvation through Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

A World in Need of God

God is not the God who thinks, “Gee, I wonder what man will do next?”

Nothing is a surprise to Him.

All of our future sufferings, political frustrations, and dismay over the world’s backslide into darkness are only temporary.

In Romans 8:18, the apostle Paul’s words instill a reminder of the timeless hope we have in Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:18

Undescribable glory That glory the apostle talks about – God’s indescribable majesty – will outshine any suffering we are experiencing in our current battles.

Nothing and I mean nothing, will compare to seeing His glory.

As Christians, when we finally get to witness it, we will understand the journey.

Jesus Already Took the Wheel

The spiritual battle rages on.

Now is not the time to let abrasive social media posts get the best of you.

Don’t fall for the bait to argue.

No matter who wins this election, God is always in control.

Not the Republicans, and not the Democrats.

“What virus?”

Don’t you long for that day?

I am so grateful that we can escape all of this chaos some day at God’s appointed time, aren’t you?

If you profess your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, you too will be with Him in Heaven when the rapture comes “like a thief in the night.”

¹⁶For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. ¹⁸Therefore comfort one another with these words. – 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. (NASB).

The godless will be left behind.

Are we ready for the next prophetic and historical event to take place?

Don’t get caught up in date-setting, just be ready.

Will We Get Through This?

Please turn off the 24/7 news and try to spend time encouraged by the Word of God.

We could hide out in our homes, scared of a virus, fearing what disaster is coming next.

Or, we can remember Who our God is.

I’ll take the “Who” anytime.

I like what Pastor Farag says about this, essentially the wrath of man (so evident in our crazy world), will always backfire. God will have the last word. Always did and always will.

God is always good and He will get us through.

He never breaks His promises.

God will see you through – no matter how bad it is, or no matter how bad it gets. I promise you that, on the authority of who God is and how good God is. It doesn’t matter how bad it is. It only matters that God is always good. – Pastor J.D. Farag, Calvary Chapel, Kaneohe.²

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² From Farag, Pastor J.D., “You’ll Get through This – 1 Timothy 1:17-20.” Podcast, [6:53-7:21]. August 9, 2020. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/4I-HsmH-65k.

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