“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. ²In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be. ⁴And you know the way where I am going.” ⁵Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?” ⁶Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. – John 14:1-6, (NASB).¹

When trouble seems to be over your head, remember it is under His feet.

Take your heart and your prayers to Jesus – our blessed Savior and a distinct living person in the Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You are in His powerful grip, dear child of God!

He cares for you.

What follows, I believe, is right on point.

This trial is sent for my good; it does not spring out of the dust; the Lord Himself is the supreme disposer of it; for I am sure it could not come without His sending or permission. It is very painful to bear; but let me look up to Him who sits at God’s right hand; let me believe that He has appointed me this peculiar trial; it is in subjection under His feet along with every other circumstance. He will bring about His own will therein, and remove the trial, or give me patience under it, and submission to it. – J.C. Philpot, theologian.²

Give all of your concerns to God.

Trust Him.

Let’s take a look at what Paul taught to encourage the church of Corinth.

Whatever we are facing today, no matter how challenging these afflictions are, is preparation for an eternal glory beyond compare.

# # #

²Quotation from gracegems.org, from “The Subjection of All Things Under the Feet of Jesus”, preached at North Street Chapel Stamford, November 28, 1858 by J.C. Philpot., para. 8. Web. Accessed July 18, 2023. Retrieved from: Under the feet of Jesus

Our Exceptional God

The Real Source Of Light

July 18, 2023 Gracie

Trusting in the Real Source of Light

It’s trivia time. 🙂

Which large city is often referred to as the “City of Light”?

You might be thinking Paris, a populous city and French capital that does have that nickname.

On the other hand, some might guess Las Vegas where an estimated 12 million lights illuminate the famous Las Vegas Strip. (Lit up Landmarks, n.d.)¹

Could there be anything more spectacular than all those twinkling lights?

God provides us with an answer.

The Real Source of Light Eternal

The parade of lights we’re seeing here on earth are truly amazing, but they won’t even compare to what is ahead for believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

As Christians, we know the real source of light – in view of our eternity.

Jesus!

His light was not created by human hands, but by Almighty God Himself.

Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created. – Revelation 4:11, (NASB).²

Jesus Is the Light of the World

King Jesus is the “Light of the World” – the Real Source of Light in this present darkness.

Jesus taught this to the people gathered in the temple, even those who were opposing Him:

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” – John 8:12, (NASB).²

As our world sinks into further depravity, we have the assurance of our salvation through Jesus Christ our Savior.

And, someday, we will get to see Him face to face.

That future blessing is something to look forward to and another reason to give our Father praise!!!

The Real Source of Light Shines in the Darkness

Just how beautiful and “lit up” will the city of New Jerusalem be?

We can take comfort in these promising words of Scripture which describe the celestial city of pure gold and an array of precious jewels.

Dazzling to say the least!

I pray this is encouraging to you.

I’ve heard about a city with many colors, and the God who painted the wings of a butterfly, who blended the colors of the rainbow, who is the light of the city in reflecting His radiance, these gorgeous gems is describing just how beautiful this place is going to be where we’re going to spend eternity. – Senior Pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, Dr. Jack Graham.³

Have you noticed the beautiful wings of butterflies?

None of us really know how grand our future home will be this side of Heaven, except through what the Bible tells us.

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for Your Word.

Are you ready for a future blessing?

The Holy City will be unlike anything we could ever dream of.

Blessed is His name!

but just as it is written: Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the human heart, All that God has prepared for those who love Him. – 1 Corinthians 2:9, (NASB). ⁴

# # #

¹The Most Expensive Landmarks to Light. (n.d.). Source: Smart Lighting Industries. Retrieved from Lit Up Landmarks

³Dr. Jack Graham sermon. “The Beauty of Heaven.” [YouTube]. [17:52 – 18:23]. June 25, 2023, Web. Accessed July 10, 2023. Retrieved from: Sermon on Heaven.

Our Exceptional God

God’s Children Not For Sale

July 7, 2023 Gracie

God’s Children Not For Sale: The Sound Of Freedom Movie

Have you seen the “The Sound of Freedom” movie yet?

Please go see this movie, and take your age-appropriate family members.

It’s up to us to spread awareness in order to finally put an end to the sick and demonic atrocity of child trafficking.

According to the gruesome statistics, an estimated two million children are trafficked every year to become sex slaves. (Sound of Freedom movie, n.d.)¹

Two million.

Let that sink in.

That’s a bigger number than the entire population of San Diego . . . or Dallas, etc. (worldpopulationreview, n.d.)²

The “Sound of Freedom” movie is based on the true story about the heroic efforts of former special agent Tim Ballard and others to rescue the innocents. Ballard is also the founder of Operation Underground Railroad.

Jim Caviezel (of “The Passion of the Christ”) and Mira Sorvino are two of the award-winning actors starring in this powerful film.

Right now only 0.4% of human trafficking victims are ever discovered and either rescued or exited themselves. We all have to do more. – Mira Sorvino, actress.³

God’s Children – Not For Sale

Did you know that the sex slave trade is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world?⁴

Did you know that the U.S. is the number one consumer of child porn/trafficking?

This isn’t just an overseas thing among impoverished nations, this is happening in your own hometown.

Every single day.

The kids feel abandoned and afraid of their captors – with no hope of a way out.

That should break our hearts.

So, What Can We Do?

Here are some ideas for your consideration:

Go see the movie “Sound of Freedom” before it disappears in theaters.
Don’t forget to stay in your seats for the Special Message at the end of the film. A QR code is offered where you can “pay it forward” to buy a free ticket for others to go see this movie.
Encourage others to go see it . . . friends, church groups, neighbors, etc.
Consider donating to Operation Underground Railroad.
Talk to your kids about “stranger danger” and have a family safety code word they can use over the phone if they are in danger.
From the ourrescue.org website: “It is vital for parents, young adults, teens, and children to know the signs of grooming so they can recognize when someone may have ill intent.”
Enroll your kids in a self-defense class.
Talk to your kids about texting personal information with people you and they don’t know. Adult strangers have posed behind fake ID photos as teenagers to get their next victims. You would be shocked at how easy this all is.
Have your local Crime Stoppers phone number in your contact list.

The Sound of Freedom Movie

God bless everyone involved with the making of this important film.

Children belong to God and it is our duty to keep them safe.

It is our duty to warn them about this “tsunami of darkness” infecting every city and town in America and all over the world.

# # #

¹ Two million children statistic. From “Sound of Freedom | Theatrical Trailer for July 4 | Angel Studios” [YouTube]. May 11, 2023, Web. Accessed July5, 2023. Retrieved from: Sound of Freedom Movie trailer.

²300 largest cities. (n.d.). From World Population Review. Retrieved from “The 300 Largest Cities in the United States by population 2023.“

³ Mira Sorvino interview. “Sound of Freedom actress Mira Sorvino: ‘My heart burns’ to end sex trafficking.” [The Gazette]. July 5, 2023, Web. Accessed July 3, 2023. Retrieved from: Mira Sorvino interview

⁴ Operation Underground Railroad interview. “The Ultimate SACRIFICE of One Father That Saved Thousands of HUMAN TRAFFICKING Victims.” [YouTube]. [2:30 – 2:33]. June 1, 2020, Web. Accessed July 3, 2023. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiFiXsKGR8I