Life Liberty Happiness

Happy Independence Day!

Life Liberty Happiness

Life Liberty Happiness

Today we celebrate the anniversary of our Declaration of Independence.

None of the blessings experienced in this great country came to us, apart from God’s grace.

America is a great country.

There’s so much “good” going on, every day, and we’ll never get to hear about most of it.

God is moving!

No matter how much this whole world appears to be hijacked, God is always Sovereign and on His throne.

For the United States of America as a nation, for us as individuals to enjoy these three areas of Life and Liberty and Happiness, it is actually imperative that we do not discover them in independence from, but in dependence upon, not an earthly king, but in Jesus, Who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. – Alistair Begg, Christian pastor and author, Truth For Life Teaching Ministry.

Happy 4th of July to you and yours!

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*YouTube. “Life, Liberty, Happiness.” Online video clip. Alistair Begg. Web. Accessed 3 July, 2018. https://youtu.be/X5D-TXA9OiA

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E-Sword For Your Spiritual Armor

The E-Sword App

If I told you that I downloaded the e-Sword App on my iPhone, you’d probably think it’s a video game, right?

Actually, it’s a cool Bible app that has nothing to do with using a magical sword to fight bad guys.

The e-Sword App, developed by Rick Meyers, is a handy software tool that can enhance your study of the Bible.

Don’t get me wrong; I love my paper-based Bible.

Are they a thing of the past?

Not in our house.

I take it to church every Sunday, and nothing will ever replace it for me.

e-Sword Bible App

Call me old-fashioned, I know.

But, the e-Sword LT App makes it easy to study Scripture when my Bible is not within easy reach.

Here’s just one personal application.

When my husband is in Lowe’s – an errand I’d rather avoid – I can sit in the car and scroll through all of the App’s features.

Cool Things About The App

The e-Sword LT App has many nice features.

If you prefer, you can also download it to your PC or iPad instead. The number of features you get depends on which electronic device you’re using.

Here’s what I like: A few simple taps on my phone and I can instantly find what I’m looking for.

For example, I wanted to know where Gilgal is located. Gilgal is the site where Joshua and the children of Israel first camped when they entered the Promised Land.

All I had to do was enter “Gilgal” in the search bar, and the app brings up every Scripture reference to it.

To go a step further, when I tap on the word itself, I see the actual location of Gilgal on the map.

Gilgal historical site

Pretty cool.

There’s also a “Compare” function where you can see the same Scripture verse in different translations, side by side, all on your phone.

If there’s a Scripture word you don’t understand, click on it, tap “Define,” and you get the definition.

e-Sword app

Some of you may have a preferred commentary. With e-Sword, you have access to several well-known studies all conveniently available on your electronic device, such as John Gill’s “Exposition of the Bible” and “The Treasury of David” by C.H. Spurgeon.

The app also gives you access to Strong’s definitions from the KJV. Ever see those Strong numbers and wonder how to use them? I have.

Here’s the “Wow” factor – every Scripture word is indexed with the Strong numbering system so you can cross-reference back to the word’s original meaning for a deeper understanding.

Let’s take the word, “shepherd” for instance. Tap on it and the app takes you to a screen listing the number of times the word appears in the Bible, plus it’s Hebrew and Greek meanings.

There’s so much more this app can do, but I hope I’ve at least given you some of the highlights.

E-Sword Free Download

E-Sword is a free app if you download it to your PC. Otherwise, I paid $1.99 to download it to my iPhone. That’s not bad at all considering all the information you get at your fingertips.

To download, make sure you follow the instructions on the website.  Admittedly, although much of the app is self-explanatory, I did have to look at a few tutorials to see what all it can do. My next step is to download the free version, the e-Sword X, on my PC.

I‘m still learning it, but I like what I see so far. I’m not the only one. Over 35 million people have already downloaded e-Sword!

Be encouraged.

You are a child of God.  ♥

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I Am They – Christian Band

Are you ready to hear some great Christian music?

Perhaps even stomp your foot a little because the songs are catchy, the rhythms are engaging, and you just can’t help yourself?

I’m talking about music from a Christian band out of Nevada called, “I Am They.”

Have you heard them yet?

Let me help you out with that  🙂

There’s so much negative in the world, it’s nice to turn off the TV, and hear some tunes that can instantly put you in a better mood.

Their latest album, “Trial And Triumph” dropped in March of this year.

Here’s my favorite song on the album, “My Feet Are On The Rock.”

Am I right?

They look like they’re having the time of their lives while singing that song.

Pure joy.

It’s hard to hold back a smile when you hear them sing. This song is going in my iTunes library for sure.

I Am They Album – “Trial and Triumph”

I Am They photo

You may be wondering how the group came up with their name, I Am They. The band’s name was inspired by a chapter in the Bible, specifically John 17.

Jesus is praying to the Father for the protection and sanctification of His disciples as “they” would go forth to proclaim the Word.

8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.  – John 17:8. NASB.

I listened to the entire “Trial and Triumph” album, and loved it.

Not every song is a foot stomper like my favorite one, even though there’s a banjo involved.

What every song does have are beautiful harmonies and uplifting lyrics.

The band’s members (Matt Hein, Jon McConnell, Abbie Parker, Justin Shinn and Sara Palmer) are described as a Pop-Acoustic Worship Group.

Their music is soothing to the soul and a powerful reminder of God’s unchanging love and limitless grace.

There’s often a misconception among unbelievers that Christians have a cushy life and nothing bad ever happens to men and women of faith. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The artists are refreshingly candid in their bios. They share their testimonies to give us a glimpse of some of the difficult struggles they’ve come through, with God’s grace, from things like drug addictions to failed relationships.

Concert Dates

Depending on where you live, I Am They just may be coming to your town. You can find their tour information here.

I can’t wait to hear more from this group!

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*Band photo used with permission, courtesy of I Am They. 6 April, 2017. Facebook fan site.

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

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Spiritual Armor

Suiting Up

Do you have a favorite football team?

I’m a New Orleans Saints fan through and through. I get excited when football season starts.

Maybe, just maybe, the Saints will win the Super Bowl again.

the big game

I bet your own favorite team is probably coming to mind right now.

Here’s a question.

Have you ever tried to imagine yourself in their shoes?

Pretend you’re a football player

All 250 pounds-plus of you is getting ready to go into the game.

Now, imagine there’s a rule that says you can’t wear any protective gear.

Helmet of protection

That means no helmet to protect your head.

No shoulder pads to prevent shoulder-to-shoulder collisions.

Nix the gloves too, so your hands are now vulnerable to impact.

Your neck roll is not allowed to prevent whiplash.

You can forget about the mouth guard.

And, finally, all knee, thigh, and hip pads, plus any of the protective wear to cover your privates must go.

Sound a little scary?

Now, your coach says, “Get out there on the field.”

You’d think your coach was crazy, right?

No way coach, give me my gear back!

Spiritual armor

Spiritual Armor

As Bible-believing Christians, how can we, likewise, go into spiritual battles without our spiritual armor?

The whole world now seems like one big spiritual battle – those of us who believe in the one true God, and those who do not.

No doubt, those who mock our faith are very loud and aggressive.

Are we really prepared for this?

It is hard to imagine anyone suiting up for the (football) game without an awareness of the sometimes bloody struggle that is about to ensue. But I have yet to see a player remove his helmet and head for the stadium exit because he finds it all just too rough.
Yet when it comes to Christian living, the field is evacuating quickly because the players have never read the rules nor understood the game plan.

– Alistair Begg, Christian pastor and author, Truth For Life Teaching Ministry.

Questions to ponder:

  • Are we actively reading and studying the Bible?
  • Are we attending a church that teaches the authentic Word of God?

We’ve all seen the apostasy starting to infiltrate churches – the dumbing down of Scripture, false teachers, fake signs and wonders, false conversions, the list goes on.

If you’ve looked into an Apologetics study, but then gave up, please reconsider.

You just never know when you’ll be in a situation where you need to defend your faith in our contentious world.

Two excellent books in my iPad library that I can recommend on the subject are:

1. “God’s Crime Scene” by J. Warner Wallace.

2. “Tactics”” by Gregory Koukl.

Both are highly rated, helpful books, to add to your spiritual armor.

Let’s not forget our identity in Christ

It’s easy to get into heated debates (especially on Facebook).

Our intent to peacefully share the Good News on social media can take a wrong turn when the attacks against our faith get publicly ugly. There’s absolutely no reason to respond in kind. That’s not who we are.

Remember Who we belong to!

This short video emphasizes it well.

 God bless…

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*Alistair Begg quotation, of Truth for Life teaching ministry. Reference: Made For His Pleasure, Moody Press, 1996, p. 108. https://gracequotes.org/author-quote/alistair-begg/

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Stained Glass

The Beauty of Stained Glass

Do you love the look of stained glass?

It’s so beautiful!

stained glass work

Masterfully-crafted and hand-cut, down to the finest detail.

Dancing reflections as the sun shines through.

Stained Glass Art

I remember seeing stained glass windows in churches when I was growing up.

*Artist rendering.

Each piece of glass, from the darker shades to the light, contributes to the uniqueness of each design.

Kind of like the pieces of our lives.

We are all different – with our own distinct challenges and life story.

And, yet in our humanity, we share in something spectacular.

Each one of us is God’s creation, His masterpiece in the making.

Why say, “in the making?”

None of us are truly “good,” in the authentic sense of the word. The Bible is clear that we’re all sinners.

The Father loves us too much to want us to stay the way we are.

How should we respond?

With humility.

Spend time in the Bible, and ask His forgiveness of our sins.

Although we can never achieve “good” in our lifetimes, as Christians, we have a “best” to look forward to – eternal joy with Him.

God’s Masterpiece

Fellow Christian writer, Elizabeth Hexberg, wrote a beautiful poem I thought you might enjoy.

Think of the pieces of your own life and what awaits those who put their trust in Him.

Stained Glass

by Elizabeth Hexberg
10/17/11
Free to Share

Shards of broken glass, and more.
Littering
a concrete floor.
Every color.
Every shade.
Every shape of shattered made.

So cold, so dull and dirty
yet,
so much more,
lest we forget.

The Artist has a bigger view.
The brokenness of me and you.
Files the edges,
one by one.
Holds them up to catch the sun.
Piece by piece with Love and Sear.
Ever precious.
Ever dear.

Gentle rebirth of the soul.
A thousand shards to make us whole.
A lifetimes crafting to get right.
Lifted High to catch the Light.
To Shine with every wonder known,
when all the pieces find their Home.

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* This stained glass rendering design released into the public domain, via pixabay. It is a derivative work of the original, and is licensed under a Creative Commons CC0 License . 

**Poetry shared from article url: https://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=185177

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