Rejoicing In Heaven

April 10, 2019 Gracie

Is There Anything Sweeter Than the Rejoicing in Heaven?

There’s a Bible verse I’m thinking of right now about rejoicing that always warms my heart.

It’s in the book of Luke in the 15^th chapter.

¹⁰Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” – Luke 15:10, (ESV).

Did you catch that?

There is rejoicing in Heaven among the angels every time a lost sinner comes to Christ.

This beloved verse appears where Jesus is teaching about salvation through the parables of the lost sheep and the woman searching for that one lost coin.

Just as in those examples given by our Savior, the salvation of all of us matters to God.

Some day we will join the rejoicing angels in Heaven to praise our Lord and Savior in His Holy Presence.

What a blessed day that will be!

Rejoicing Angels

Fellow Christian writer, Kenny Whiting, wrote a delightful poem about rejoicing angels that I’d love to share with you.

by Kenny Whiting
10/26/16

Since Jesus came from Heaven above
and died for all the lost,
The angels dance and sing each time
one sinner finds the Cross!

Their praise and worship for My Lord,
sounds many times each day;
When Jesus finds another lamb,
who’d somehow went astray!

See, not so very long ago,
myself was lost in sin;
But Jesus broke the devil’s binds,
‘fore satan reeled me in!

So now I think about the joy,
when angels got the news;
I know they danced with joy for me,
I know they’ll dance for you!

Let’s give them more to shout about,
tell other’s ’bout Our King;
Let’s keep those angels on the move,
they love to dance and sing!

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

Our Exceptional God

When Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary

March 27, 2019 Gracie

Ordinary People

Do you have the good looks of a high fashion model?

The vocal talent of an American Idol?

Or, the superhuman strength of the world’s greatest bodybuilder?

Yea, me neither.

I guess by those standards, people like myself would be considered “ordinary.”

Do I Really Matter To God?

You matter to God

The word “ordinary” can have a negative connotation, kind of like you’re a “vanilla” instead of a ”Rocky Road.”

Let’s face it – being “ordinary” isn’t flashy.

But, you know what?

What the world considers “ordinary,” for a Christian, becomes extraordinary.

Do you know why?

Because God Himself, Who created you from the beginning, thinks you matter.

He created you, didn’t He?

Please consider this.

Your life matters to God and He has a purpose for it.

Wherever you are . . . right now . . . in your life.

¹⁵My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them. – Psalm 139:15-16, (ESV).

I Matter, But What’s Next?

We’re here on this earth to glorify God.

Not just on Sunday.

Your economic status, good looks, athletic ability, talent – those are all fine and good, but none of those have anything to do with your effectiveness for the Kingdom

Unless . . . you’re open about your faith when you’re receiving all of those accolades.

So what can we “ordinary” people bring to the table?

Bring your ordinary self and your heart for God.

Bring your prayerful heart and your willingness to reach out to others

and tell them about Jesus.

When Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary

Recently, I read a memorable quote from Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest America that addresses this very thing.

God isn’t looking for talented people, gifted people, or handsome people. I’m not saying that He won’t use those people. But God is looking for available people, and He can do a lot with a little. He can do extraordinary things through very ordinary people. God uses ordinary people to change the world. – Greg Laurie, Harvest Devotion.

Please be encouraged. You may not always see the results of your faith-sharing, but in Heaven you will know.

Pray for those opportunities.

Not that long ago, I had one of those unexpected and grace-filled opportunities. It came right out of the blue. I was able to share my faith and testimony, uninterrupted, with someone. It was a powerful moment and I’ll never forget it.

I know the Holy Spirit will take it from there with this dear person . . . in God’s providential timing.

Call On Jesus

Friends – you are not ordinary in the eyes of God.

We have work to do!

Grammy Award-winning vocalist, Nicole Mullen, performed a song several years ago that comes to mind. When I first heard it, I was drawn to the encouraging lyrics and the pretty melody.

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** Quotation from Pastor Greg Laurie, Bible teacher, pastor, and author. From Harvest.org, “Ordinarily Useful.” Online Devotion. Accessed March 24, 2019. https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/ordinarily-useful/

Our Exceptional God

The Battle Is Already Won

March 6, 2019 Gracie

When Animals Attack

Did you ever watch the TV show, “I Was Prey”?

It aired on the Animal Planet Network a couple of years ago.

Considering the show’s title, I’m sure you can imagine what it was about.

A wild and dangerous animal attacks an unsuspecting person, and he or she may (or may not) make it out alive.

The show was scary and captivating at the same time.

Each episode was a vivid reminder that we should never completely let our guard down when we’re in the great outdoors.

Don’t Touch A Dead Snake!

We are vulnerable, but not defenseless Out of all of the scenes on “I Was Prey”, there was one that really stuck out in my mind and sparked some interesting conversations afterward.

During the episode, Tennessee firefighter Kyle Watson and his family were out having a fun day hiking in the woods.

Along the trail, they came upon a rattlesnake. Kyle killed the snake and cut it in half to make sure it was dead.

He wanted to show it to his kids and then move it off the trail to protect other hikers. As he bent down to retrieve the dead snake, the severed head reared up and bit him on the finger.

A severed snake head, seemingly harmless at that point, was still able to bite.

Eek! Creeps me out.

I had to look it up and sure enough, it’s not all that uncommon.

Vulnerable, But Not Defenseless

You don’t have to be hiking on a wooded trail to suffer the bite from a serpent.

I’m talking about life for us as Christians.

None of us are immune from spiritual attacks by the devil.

The adversary is alive and well today, just as he was in back in Jesus’ day.

In the Bible, 1 Peter 5: 8-11 says this:

⁸Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. ¹⁰And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. ¹¹To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. – 1 Peter 5:8-11, (ESV).

The Battle Is Already Won

Satan is a cunning liar.

He will tempt you to doubt God’s love and he will reinforce any insecurities you’re having about yourself and your relationships. He’ll also try to convince you that God doesn’t care.

But we, dear Christians, know better.

The battle is already won.

We don’t belong to the Enemy.

We have a Champion – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Fire will rain down from Heaven and the devil will be thrown into the lake of fire for eternity.

Please remember this: the devil hates your prayers.

If you’re in the midst of a spiritual attack, put on your spiritual armor and pray.

Our Father in Heaven will hear you.

the battle is already won

Amen to that!

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**A.W. Tozer quotation, as quoted from Christian quotes.info

Our Exceptional God

Merry Christmas 2018

December 24, 2018 Gracie

Merry Christmas 2018

Merry Christmas 2018 everyone!

All glory to God in the Highest

Jesus Christ is born!

Can you imagine what that blessed day was like?

As Luke tells us, an angel from God appeared to the shepherds in the field and proclaimed to them the Good News of the birth of our Savior.

¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹²And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” – Luke 2:11-14, (ESV).

Heaven was celebrating!

This Christmas, may we never forget the miracle of Jesus’ birth.

God’s blessings to you and yours!

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Our Exceptional God

Our Creator And King

November 14, 2018 Gracie

The Wonders Of Our Creator

There are countless reasons to delight in God – our Creator and King.

He is the maker of all things, including you and me.

Creator and King

The sunrises and sunsets that we enjoy today, wouldn’t happen were it not for His commands during the creation of the world.

¹⁶And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. ¹⁷And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, ¹⁸to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. – Genesis 1:16-19., (ESV).

All living creatures – from the dinosaurs of old to your family pet sleeping over there on your couch, to every amazing creature that ever existed in the wild – all designed by God for His great pleasure.

And He put us in charge, under His Sovereignty and reflecting His glory.

It’s very humbling, if you think about it.

That’s why I love the videos I’ve seen from Illustra Media. I’ve only watched a few. They’re not only intellectually stimulating, but also amazing visuals pointing to God’s creation.

Allow me to share a short one about hummingbirds with you.

God’s Exquisite Workmanship

His exquisite workmanship

Have you ever seen a hummingbird lighting on a tree outside your window? We have one who visits us occasionally. When he flies by, I have to stop everything I’m doing just to watch in awe.

Hummingbirds are not only beautiful, if you consider the fact that they beat their wings over eighty times a second, all day and every day, their very nature is extraordinary.

We know “Who” we have to thank for their amazing design.

Please enjoy.

God bless

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Our Exceptional God

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