Your Truth My Truth

Your Truth My Truth – Playing With Fire 

Aren’t you glad that Almighty God is eternally on His throne?

The effect of the fall of man (SIN) is everywhere, at a blatant level I bet you thought you’d never see before.

It’s getting to be where I don’t even want to look at the headlines anymore.

Do you see what’s happening around us?

your truth my truth

Here’s a case in point: the other day I saw an attention-grabbing headline on a popular website.

“Shout Your Truth!” it said in big bold letters on the landing page.

Did you catch that?

Your truth.”

Does it break your heart to see that as it does mine?

Your truth, my truth? 

No thanks.

Friends, this is insane.

We are so undeserving of God’s mercy, and yet despite a world gone mad that’s also full of hatred towards Him, He freely offers us His grace.

Out of concerns for our country, I continue to pray for a spiritual revival, but what trumps everything is to pray that God’s will be done.

I want to tell these misguided people – take off your blinders!

God will always be Sovereign and on His throne!

Not that they would listen.

If you’re getting sick of the madness as much I am, then my suggestion is to turn off the mainstream news media when you can, and tune out the obscenity-laden sitcoms and reality shows.

Focus your concentration on what God has done, and what He will do.

God is our refuge

It’s A New Day

Tomorrow morning when you wake up and you’re on your way to work, take a moment to check out the sunrise.

Thank You God, for beautiful sunrises!

It’s the first thing I see when I lift up the shades in the morning.created by God

Providing encouragement to all, King David wrote in Psalm 105:

Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Tell of all His wonders. – Psalm 105:2, (NASB).1

No doubt, in the challenging times ahead, we will have good days and bad days.

But we can’t lose our perspective.

Remember these words in 1 Peter that also apply to us today . . . 

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. – 1 Peter 5:10: (NASB).2

The world is watching Christians. We are, in essence, under a microscope.  

As Christians, we have the answer that a hurting world needs. Next time you’re approached by a person who’s hurting due to illness, death, circumstances, or a natural disaster, point them to God’s Word. Show them how death and suffering are the punishment for sin but how Jesus Christ provided the solution to that problem when He died on the Cross and rose again. Because of Christ, we have hope for now and eternity. – Avery Foley, Answers in Genesis.3 

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1 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

3 Quotation from Avery Foley (MA, Theological Studies) – writer, speaker, cohost of Answers News for Answers in Genesis. “Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen.” Courtesy of Answersingenesis.org. Web. Accessed 21, July, 2022. Retrieved from: https://answersingenesis.org/suffering/why-does-god-allow-bad-things-to-happen/

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Facing Your Giants

Facing Your Giants

Why do Cicada killers have to be so darn big?

Research has it that these wasps can grow up to two inches long!

The stuff of nightmares.

giant cicada killers

Because it’s the cicada killers’ favorite time of year, I think I’ll stay out of the backyard for a while.

And speaking of giants . . .

See what I did there.  😉

It’s time to get serious because it seems like everyone is facing some pretty big challenges right now.

Dealing with a trial can feel pretty lonely at times, but God’s Word reveals that the Lord is always with us

I don’t know about you, but that makes me feel better.

To think that the Creator of the entire universe is just a prayer away.

Facing Your Giants Together With God

God is sovereign and all powerful.

He is bigger than any trouble you might be facing.

There is no problem that is so big that God is not bigger. There is no difficulty that is so hard that God isn’t capable of helping us through it, or fixing it for us. – Senior Pastor James Kaddis, Calvary Chapel, Signal Hill. 1

Look, I get it.

Our impatient human minds want God to fix things “now”, right?

It doesn’t, and never has worked that way.

God is not at our beck and call.

It’s frustrating, even devastating at times while we wait.

But . . . keep . . .  praying.

What we do have is the assurance that He will be with us through our circumstances.  

Facing Your Giants With Comforting Words From Psalm 121

facing your giants

Remember these comforting words from the Psalmist regarding God as the Keeper of Israel?

Now we, as redeemed Christians through Christ’s blood, are all His people.

Psalm 121

I will raise my eyes to the mountains;
From where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who watches over you will not slumber.
Behold, He who watches over Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your protector;
The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not beat down on you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

The Lord will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time and forever.  – Psalm 121, (NASB).2

Don’t let the evil one distract you from prayer in the midst of a trial. He is the master of delusion and distraction.

Often we become apathetic in our lives until we face a severe storm. Whether loss of a job, health crisis, loss of a loved one, or financial struggle; God often brings storms into our lives to change our perspective, to shift the focus from ourselves and our lives to Him. Paul Chappell, Senior Pastor and author.3

Regarding humility, Pastor Chappell goes on to say . . . 

Storms can bring fear, cloud judgment, and create confusion. Yet God promises that as you seek Him through prayer, He will give you wisdom to know how to proceed. The only way you will survive the storm will be on your knees.Paul Chappell, Senior Pastor and author.4

My prayer is that this blog, Delight-in-God.com, filled with articles and collected bible verses and other inspirations, will encourage you in the challenging days ahead. 

Scoffers will mock us for emphasizing prayer, but let ’em.

God is still in control.

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1 From Kaddis, Pastor James, “Big Problems??? God is Bigger!!!” Courtesy of Calvary Chapel Signal Hill. YouTube Podcast, [6:22-6:25]. July 12, 2022. Web. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBRkqaMS_QA

2 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

3-4 Quotations from Senior Pastor Paul Chappell, courtesy of Christian quotes.info.

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Favorite Heaven Quotes

Some of My Favorite Heaven Quotes

Have you ever thought about what Heaven will be like?

God’s Word gives us glimpses.

Our heavenly home will be MORE.

Our heavenly home will be MORE

More radiant than we could ever imagine, and more joyful (all the time) than the best moment we’ve ever had in our whole lives here on earth.

But, more importantly, it will be MORE because we will be in the presence of our Lord and Savior.

Do you remember those promising words, the wonder and majesty in Heaven written about in the Book of Revelation?

John gives a firsthand account of seeing the new Jerusalem, words like:

Her brilliance was like a very valuable stone, like a stone of crystal-clear jasper. – Revelation 21:11, (NASB).

And the city has no need of a sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb. – Revelation 21:23, (NASB).

God tells us in His Word what He wants us to know about Heaven.

We have His mission here on earth to do before we even reach eternity.

However, out of sheer anticipation of our future home, I curated just a few of my favorite heaven quotes from theologians to stir your imaginations.

With discernment always and to be clear, these are not people who claim they visited Heaven (thank goodness), but Christian authors who anticipated Heaven as well.

I agree with D.L. Moody. I see no compelling reason to not think about Heaven. There is insight to be had from these Christian authors.

The Reason for our Anticipation 

Any happiness found here in this world will not even compare to what we will experience in Heaven, says Martin Luther.favorite Heaven quotes

The following gives a whole new meaning to worshipping together!

Oh, Father, we long for the day when we can be there, the incredible world to come, and see your blazing, flashing majesty and reign on the thrones alongside of you and serve in your presence. We long for that day when we meet and fellowship with the saints of ages past and gather with all the redeemed. We desire so much to spend eternity visiting the New Jerusalem, the capital city of the new heaven and the new earth.John MacArthur, Pastor and Bible teacher from Grace To You.

Delight in God and be with Him forever!

Nothing will compare to the smiles and joy we’ll experience as we worship our King.

How divinely full of glory and pleasure shall that hour be when all the millions of mankind that have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God shall meet together and stand around Him, with every tongue and every heart full of joy and praise! How astonishing will be the glory and the joy of that day when all the saints shall join together in one common song of gratitude and love, and of everlasting thankfulness to this Redeemer! With that unknown delight, and inexpressible satisfaction, shall all that are saved from the ruins of sin and hell address the Lamb that was slain, and rejoice in His presence! – Isaac Watts, theologian and hymn writer.

Where is Heaven?

Heaven is not here, it’s There. If we were given all we wanted here, our hearts would settle for this world rather than the next. God is forever luring us up and away from this one, wooing us to Himself and His still invisible Kingdom, where we will certainly find what we so keenly long for. – Elisabeth Elliot, Christian author and wife of missionary Jim Elliot.

This perverted world we now live in will someday fade away – but we won’t be grieving.

Everything will make perfect sense and we’ll be eternally joyful.

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All Scripture verses are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Martin Luther quotation, courtesy of Christian quotes.info.

John MacArthur quotation, courtesy of GTY.org/library/sermons-library. 1 November, 1987. para. 83. Web. Accessed 8 July, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-13/where-heaven-is-and-what-it-is-like

Isaac Watts quotation, courtesy of Christian quotes.info.

Elisabeth Elliot quotation, courtesy of Christian quotes.info.

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Independence Day 2022

Independence Day 2022

On this July 4th, 2022, we wanted to wish you and your loved ones a very happy and patriotic Independence Day.

May your get-togethers be full of love and gratitude for our great nation which was created by God.

There’s no doubt, more struggles and difficult challenges lay ahead for us.
Independence Day 2022

What our nation needs is for people to seek God again.

Keep fighting the good fight and encouraging others to come to Christ.

12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1Timothy 6:12, (NASB).

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Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

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Unfinished Masterpiece

The Unfinished Masterpiece in All of Us

Question: Why do I love writing about God?

I’m glad you asked (wink wink).

Simply, it’s because I’m grateful.

I’m grateful to God for His grace which I experienced first-hand.

Also, His love has put me in such a place of humility that I want to tell the world. 

When I think back about our tragic family accident and how more of us on that vacation could have been killed, I’m reminded that God spared my life here for a reason.

In fact, we’re all here for a purpose – to reach others for Christ and to glorify God with the talents that He has given us.Unfinished masterpiece

Writing is kind of my “thang” (excuse the vernacular, but this is a come-as-you are blog.)

I’m not the best writer in the world, but I do have a passion to share Christian articles, short stories, music, and poems – anything that can bring glory to our Heavenly Father.

With that in mind, I want to share a little narrative poem that I wrote called “Unfinished Masterpiece” awhile back.

Unfinished Masterpiece in the Making

If you think about it, we are all unfinished masterpieces in the making  – created by God.

Unfinished masterpiece in the making

The central character’s name in this narrative poem is Gina.

She’s a successful model with a high dollar contract. 

Not only was she beautiful, Gina also had the makings of a superstar . . . until that one day in September when tragedy struck.

Gina is a believer, but her faith took a tumble after a terrible accident.

This is Gina’s story of God’s grace and providence.

 

Unfinished Masterpiece

“You can do this!”
the nurse said with a determined smile.
I sat up and pleaded,
“Can’t this wait awhile?”

She said “I know you’re scared, it’s okay to shed some tears.
Together, and with God, we’ll face all of your fears.”
Nurse Lee was my favorite, and I knew she meant well,
But this month of hurt and broken bones was like my own personal hell.

My face covered in bandages would in minutes be revealed.
A career-ending accident, my fate was surely sealed.
As a fashion model, my whole life was the pursuit of fame.
If my face is permanently scarred, they won’t remember my name.

In my dreams, I cried, “God
I know that You’re real.
But being thrown through a windshield ruining my life
was never part of the deal.”

Nurse Lee removed my bandages, one by one and with care.
I looked in the mirror, no words for what I saw there.
A big-jagged scar right near my hairline.
One eye was black and swollen, the other slightly blind.

I vented, “That’s it, then.
It’s all over for me.”
Nurse Lee shook her head,
“No – please don’t give up so easily.”

“Remember what I told you, Gina, these weeks that you’ve been here?
God is not done with you, actually this could be your year.”
“My year for what?” I said, “living in fear?
Saying goodbye to success and everything I’ve held dear?”
She reassured me, “You’re not alone, just call, and I’ll be here.”

“Nothing makes sense, Lee, why’d this happen to me?”
With the kindest of eyes, she replied,
“Don’t you see? God sees our joys and He also sees our pain.
No matter what happens, His love is the same.
Call on Jesus, and I promise that He’ll give you rest.
I know your life seems bad right now, but please know that you’re blessed.”

“You’re strong and determined, in time you can turn this around.”
I was so comforted by her words, I didn’t make a sound.
Her unwavering faith left me in complete awe.
Unconditional trust in God, not her pity, was what I saw.

I felt a glimmer of hope, no longer was I at wit’s end,
Lee wasn’t just my nurse, she was now my friend.
My modeling career is over, but there’s more for me in store
Only God can open a window, after the closing of a door.

I wanted her kind of faith, the same joy she had in her eyes,
The kind that could stand up boldly to all of Satan’s lies.
She’s right. My whole life’s not over, there’s much more I could be,
With God’s help I’ll find out.
I said, “Lee, will you pray for me?”

She gave me a hug, and gladly obliged.
At the end of her prayer, genuine tears she cried.
“I’m going to miss you here, Gina, but we’ll keep in touch.”
I replied from my heart, “I can’t thank you enough.”

“Remember, you are God’s masterpiece, but He’s not finished with you yet.”
My doubts began to fade and I was no longer upset.
My long hospital stay now over, I have a new life to begin.
It’s very slow-going, but my heart is on the mend.

I’ll never forget that day in September,
God sent me an angel of a nurse to remember.
My long, painful journey is to finally get to a Place
Where I’ll get to meet Jesus and personally thank Him for His Grace.

@2022 Gracie Jane. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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Augustine quotation, influential early Christian church leader, courtesy of Christian quotes.info.

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