How Do We Magnify God??

O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together-
(Psalms 34:3)

Hey Neighbor!

How Do We Magnify God??

Well, First things First…We can’t make God BIGGER than He already is…Lol!!

But We can make Him BIGGER in Our Everyday Lives.

We Magnify God when We Give Him First Place each day…Making Him our Top Priority.

In Sunday School, the children and I did a little activity and I thought it was an awesome activity to start the morning…

And not just for the children, but for ALL of Us…both BIG and small!!

It was an activity that showed the Children How to start their Everyday ‘WITH’ God.

Sometimes, I think We make prioritizing God in Our lives into a difficult process, or even a chore, as We try to systematically and legalistically, set aside a special block of time for God.

Then, We find Ourselves frustrated and discouraged…when We realize that We just can’t maintain this activity with any regularity…And eventually quit!!

But…I really enjoyed this Activity…and I think it is ‘Simplistically,’ Awesome!!

Here’s the Activity…

First – The Children were asked to pretend to: Yawn and Stretch…And ‘Pray.’

Easy Huh??

Praying is simply…talking to God!!

It Doesn’t matter how long or short You make the conversation…

Just Talk to Him!!

Try Greeting God with a simple, yet cheerful, ‘Good Morning!’

I suggest You aim to be Cheerful…On purpose…Even though You woke-up Grouchy…Lol!!

So…In Practice, The kids and I pretended to Yawn and Stretch, as We Greeted God with a Cheerful ‘Good Morning!!’

The next activity was to pretend to: Comb/Brush Your hair…and ‘Pray.’

So…as We pretended to brush Our hair, We Thanked God For A New Day and asked Him to help Us with Our Hair…and with choosing the right outfit for the day.

Wow!!

You mean…God really wants to help Us with Our Hair/makeup…and getting dressed??

In Romans 8:28, The Apostle, Paul writes,

-We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.-

Notice the Wording, ‘All Things.’
This is another easy concept!!

Because ‘ALL…means…ALL.’

So Yes!!…God really IS concerned about the BIG… and the small details in our lives.

God Already has a Good plan for Your Day…So Pray and Ask Him to help make You Look Fabulous!!

The next activity was to: Pretend to Eat Breakfast and ‘Pray.’

Now, Sometimes I forget to Say ‘Grace’…but even for those who diligently and faithfully say grace, before eating…Remember to Pray that Others will have enough food to fill their bellies as well.

So…In practice, As we pretended to Pour the milk over Our cereal, We Prayed…asking God to bless and provide for families and children that may not have enough to eat today.

My Friend, who is a Minister, reminded me of this recently, when she shared how God had sent someone to bless her family with an entire meal…Isn’t God Awesome!!

Finally…the last portion of this activity suggested that We ‘Pray’ as We walk out of our homes to face the issues of the day…that is…enroute to the school bus, the bus stop, or before heading out to your car.

The lesson plan left no suggestion for how We should ‘act-out’ this last activity…but I would like to suggest this:

Pretend to open Your door…Pause for Just a moment, before You Walk Out…And Pray this Prayer:
‘Lord, Give Me YOUR Grace to do the things that YOU would have Me to do today, as YOU order My steps, according to YOUR Plan and YOUR Purpose.’

My Favorite Prayer to Add On Is This:
‘Lord, Make Me Salt and Light in the World, today!!’

Salt – So that Others might thirst for The Living Well of Water…Who is Jesus Christ, in Me!!

And Light – As Jesus’ Light shines in and through Me, providing Light and Guidance for lost Brothers and Sisters…leading them out of the darkness…and into YOUR Marvelous Light of Salvation!!

-But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.-
(1 Peter 2:9)

So Keep it Simple…As You Magnify God!!

Start Your Day…Keeping God First Place, as You Incorporate Him into the daily routine of Your Everyday Life!!

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Do You have a Simple, Morning Routine…As You Keep God First??

I would Love to Hear it!!

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Tomorrow I will post your Super-Faith Sunday Answer to this weeks Riddle.

Some of You are Sooooo close to the Target, but You are still missing the Servant’s actual Name.

Keep Seeking and Searching…You’ll find it!!

Until Tomorrow

God Loves 💕You and So Do I!!

-Tam

30 Pieces of Silver!!

Hey Neighbor!

Recently, I was asked by one of the ministers of my church to participate in a new online outreach program called ‘Thirty Pieces of Silver.’ 

During Covid- Our Membership at Bethany had drastically declined and 30 pieces was initiated as an attempt to reach out to the members of the church who were hindered from attending Sunday Services in person. 

We were also hoping that 30 pieces would appeal to the online listeners- who have not yet visited the church, but still had a desire to come out. These are the folks on our radar- The Silent Membership- those that have been watching the Sunday Morning Message, but would like to gain more information about the individual members of the congregation, before they take their next step. 

We are about 3 months in now and 30 pieces is thriving and we are successfully reaching our target audience, so I thought I would share a couple of the messages with you. 

We are first-time Facebook amateurs, so please be patient with Us!!

My girl-friend, Kim and I were the first of the members to take the baton for 30 pieces and our first Lesson was 2/8/2022. Our Topic was on The Holy Spirit. 

https://m.facebook.com/BethanyColumbiaIL/videos/?ref=page_internal&mt_nav=0

This is Our Second and Most Recent Video dated, 3/29/2022. Our Topic was on Friendship and Support For Our Disabled Adult Children.

https://m.facebook.com/BethanyColumbiaIL/videos/?ref=page_internal&mt_nav=0

Thanks For Stopping By!!

Don’t Forget Tomorrow is Trivia Thursday!!

Until Next Time, Remember…

God Loves 💕You and So Do I!!

-Tam

Don’t forget to Share The CareBibleStudy Blog with YOUR Family, Friends, Co-Workers and Your Neighbors also –

Loving 💕Them As You Love Yourselves!!

The Pit Before the Palace – Part 1

⁃ And they said one to another, See, here comes this dreamer and master of dreams. So come on now, let us kill him and throw his body into some pit; then we will say [to our father], Some wild and ferocious animal has devoured him; and we shall see what will become of his dreams (Gen 37:19)

Hey Neighbor!!

I was reading this morning about Joseph, the ‘master’ of dreams, as he was ‘so called’ and viciously mocked by his ‘green-eyed’ older brothers, who had grown to hate him.

Yes! I did say that Joseph’s brother’s hated him.

Why??

Well here is some family background first, which should help us understand why:

Joseph was the 11th son of 12 boys born into a household filled with jealousy and envy. Their father, Jacob, had 4 different wives… and 2 of those wives (Leah and Rachel) were sisters, who were constantly in strife, competing for their husband’s love, time, and attention, even though Rachel was openly recognized as Jacob’s favorite wife.

Now Jacob still had two 2 more wives, Bilhah and Zilpah- they originally served as handmaids to each of the sisters, but were now given, (in the spirit of competition) to Jacob, as concubines (secondary wives.)

Can you imagine the ongoing arguments inside of their tents??

Drama! Drama!! Drama!!!

Well…it didn’t make things any better after Jacob unashamedly proclaimed Joseph (Rachel’s boy) as his ‘favorite’ son and openly bestowed upon him a coat of many colors!

Now this is when we first learn (from Scripture) that Joseph’s brothers’ jealousy had been building and fermenting in their hearts and had matured into full grown hate! – Scripture tells us that they hated him so much that they would not speak to him- not even so much as to say Good Morning to him- Nor Good Night!!

I would imagine that each time they looked at Joseph wearing this beautiful, colorful coat…feelings of covetousness overcame them and thus they became even more enraged.

Now we know that Joseph did not hide this coat away in some secret drawer, as to calm and/or pacify his brothers’ rage.

And why would he??

Joseph both loved and honored his father, therefore he felt blessed to receive this precious gift and he was happy that his father had chosen to honor him with it – above all of his sons.

I’m sure that Joseph diligently cared for his coat, as this young shepherd had also cared for his fathers’ flock. I’m sure he was dutiful to keep it fresh, and crisp, and spot free. I’m sure that Joseph and his colorful coat were inseparable. In fact, We know that he was wearing his coat on the very day that his hate-filled brothers conspired to take his life.

-When Joseph had come to his brothers, they stripped him of his [distinctive] long garment which he was wearing; Then they took him and cast him into the [well-like] pit which was empty; there was no water in it (Gen 37:23)

Well you may say- what kind of dream did this boy have that would tick his brothers off to such an extreme that they would conspire against him and throw him into a pit??

Well….Here is Joseph’s 1st dream:

-We [brothers] were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright, and behold, your sheaves stood round about my sheaf and bowed down! His brothers said to him, Shall you indeed reign over us? Or are you going to have us as your subjects and dominate us? And they hated him all the more for his dreams and for what he said (Gen 37:7)

At this point, these wicked brothers were burning with anger and hatred. They were just about fed up with Joseph and these dreams, perceiving that Joseph viewed himself as superior to them. They feared this 1st dream was a prediction that Joseph would have dominion over them, and thus they feared that they would eventually become servants to Joseph.

Perhaps they were even more concerned that their much loved little brother, might usurp them chronologically and be given the birthright by Jacob- that is the double portion of their father’s blessing – which is traditionally given to the eldest son- that would be Reuben.

How could the youngest brother reign over the oldest?

How could this one son- reign over the many?

Well God explains why this thing would come to pass in 1Samuel 2:30 in regards to Eli’s two wicked sons- when He says:

-I will honor those who honor Me and I will lightly esteem those who despise Me.

Although the brothers were much offended by Joseph, his coat, and his dreams, God was using all of these these things for stumbling blocks to them, because they had despised their brother and their F(f)ather(s).

God had lightly esteemed Joseph’s older brothers because He knew their hearts to be wicked and He had witnessed their deceitful behavior. They had repeatedly dishonored their earthly father, Jacob and had therefore dishonored their Father in Heaven.

But God also knew Joseph’s heart. And… in Contrast, He had seen Joseph’s faithfulness- in that he was dutiful to his ‘dear old dad’ and all that Jacob possessed- Therefore, God chose to honor Joseph above all of his brothers, by causing Jacob to make this ‘son of his old age,’ a beautiful coat, which represented his future ‘prince-hood.’

Yes! Joseph’s dreams were indeed confirmation of things that were certain to come to pass.

And God had blessed Joseph ‘the dreamer’ with a prophetic peak into the Palace.

Yes! Joseph, the younger would indeed reign over the oldest- in fact, He would receive the birthright instead of Reuben.

Yes! Each of Jacob’s 11 (eleven) sons would indeed bow before the more righteous, (1) one- and they would once again call him ‘master’- in all his splendor!!

After all, God says the wealth of the wicked is stored up for the righteous. And very soon, Joseph will find himself in the Palace – Prince over great abundance, in a wicked land called Egypt.

We will continue this lesson next time and learn about Joseph’s 2nd dream and we will also learn why he would first find himself in the pit.

Along the way, we will gather some more history/background about the nature and character of Jacob’s brothers, who would continue to dishonor their F(f)athers.

Thanks For Stopping By, Neighbor!

Until Next a Time, Remember…

God Loves You and So Do I!!

-Tam

Don’t forget to Be a Blessing…
Share The CareBibleStudy Blog with YOUR Family, Friends, Co-Workers and Your Neighbors also –
Loving Them As You Love Yourselves!!

God Has Heard Your Cries and He Has Sent Deliverance!!

-LORD, HOW they are increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are saying of me, There is no help for him in God. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears and answers me out of His holy hill. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that.

Psalms 3:1-4

 

Hey Neighbor,

The Lord sits high upon his throne and looks low onto the earth at His people. He sees our tears. He’s witness to our suffering and his hands long to remove the heaviness of the world from our failing flesh. He says Look unto me, reach out your hand and take upon my yoke and release the hefty weight of your burdensome load. Cry out to me! Ask me for help! I hold the heart of the king in my hands and I can turn it in your favor or I can crush it, if in his vain, futile rebellion he does not submit.

Remember God always wins and He also causes us to triumph…as one songwriter says…that means He makes Us win!!

Look at the Hebrews that suffered under Pharoah in Egypt…day after day, their baby boys were being mercilessly thrown into the River Nile, but the cries of those weeping mothers had mounted up to the heavens and were heard at the throne of Grace. And God, in His mercy, sent deliverance…In the form of a beautiful baby boy who’s own little life was spared as he floated down the River Nile in a papyrus basket, bound for Pharoah’s household. He was no doubt an answer to the cries of a barren mother, Pharaoh’s daughter. She received him as her own son, in spite of him being a Hebrew child, and he was raised up as a prince in Pharaoh’s house. But as he grew…he could not bear to watch the oppressive treatment of his people, so he rebelled and would not submit to the will of his father, Pharoah, who had enslaved the Hebrews under the burdensome task of resurrecting monuments to celebrate his idolatrous rule and reign in this World. But Our God, The One who rules and reigns on high, once again heard the sound of the groans and cries that had stretched up to heaven although He had already seen firsthand the needless suffering of his ‘special’ people…Those whom he had handpicked and whom He had called ‘His Own.’ He saw how they had been misused and mistreated and forced to serve Pharaoh, who in his own vain imaginations, believed that he was the god over these People. Pharaoh had boldly usurped God’s authority, making himself Lord and King over those who were not ‘his own!’ He had no idea that he was merely a pawn on the Chess Game of God! God was using Pharaoh, hardening his Stone-cold heart as a means to turn the hearts of His Chosen People, Israel, back to Him.

Neighbor, God also holds your heart in his hand…does it beat for Him? Does it thirst for the life-giving blood of Jesus? Is it occupied by the presence of the Holy Spirit?

If Your answers are No!…Then You can change all of that right now!! God Loves You and It is not His will that you should continue to suffer.

God Has Heard Your Cries and He has Sent Deliverance!!

God Gave to You His Only Son, Jesus!!
And Jesus came to Give You Life…and Life More Abundantly!!

You can submit to God’s Will today, by receiving Jesus Christ as Your Personal Savior. There’s no hard work involved…if you will simply believe that Jesus Christ is the Resurrected Son of God. And confess with your mouth that “Jesus is Lord!” and Ask him to be the The King and Lord of Your Life….then instantly, Your heart will beat and circulate the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ into your Soul, as the Holy Spirit takes up residence in your own spirit, insuring that You have received God’s Salvation.

God is Listening…Cry out to Him today and receive Jesus!!

Give Him Your Heart and He will give You Everlasting Life!!

Thanks For Stopping By, Neighbor!
Until Next a Time, Remember…

God Loves You and So Do I!!
-Tam

 

Don’t forget to Be a Blessing…
Share The CareBibleStudy Blog with YOUR Family, Friends, Co-Workers and Your Neighbors –
Loving Them As You Love Yourself!!

Jesus Has A Warrant Out For Your Salvation!!

-Or what woman, having ten [silver] drachmas [each one equal to a day’s wages], if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and look carefully and diligently until she finds it-
(Luke 15:8)

Hey Neighbor,

 

Jesus was an Awesome Story Teller….

In Luke 15:8-10, He Tells a Parable about a woman who had lost a coin…Well this woman had obviously misplaced one of her silver coins and had begun to despair over it. Now when she realized that one of the coins was missing, it must have been in the evening time, because scripture tells us that she needed light…so she lit a lantern.

You see…this woman couldn’t rest because she needed to locate the thing that she had lost…and she needed the light to help her navigate her way through the maze of furniture, in the darkness.

So She began to clean her house…Can you picture her sweeping the dirt floor, bending down to look underneath the furniture and peering behind the doors, emptying baskets, and wiping the dust from the tables. We don’t know how long the woman searched…but it is quite possible that she was up all night…she was steadfast and determined to spot out her lost coin of silver…when suddenly, her eyes finally noticed the sparkle of the coin, reflected by the light. She had found it!!…and what did she do??

She ran to her neighbors houses, awaking them…to share the Good News, so that they might come to celebrate this joyous occasion!!

-And when she has found it, she summons her [women] friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the silver coin which I had lost-
(Luke 15:9)

The thing that was lost..was now found!!

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So what’s so significant about this story??

Well Jesus has been looking for You…He has been shining His Light of Salvation out for You!!

Stop Running!!

Stop Hiding!!

Let Him Find You!!

And Let His Love come upon you…

because No matter what you’ve done in the past…

…and no matter how long you’ve been running from Him…

Jesus Still Wants You!!

Let His Holy Spirit come in and Clean-Up Your Spiritual House – From top to bottom – From the inside out!!

Receive Jesus Today – Pray This Prayer:
I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He took on ALL of my sins on the Cross at Calvary and died in my place.

Jesus, I welcome you into my heart and want You to be the Lord of my Life. I believe that today I have received Your Holy Spirit, as a security deposit as a guarantee of My Salvation!!

Jesus, Thank You for Saving Me!!

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If You Just prayed this prayer…Guess What??

You Are Saved!!

And….Now there is a celebration going on in heaven!!

And…This Party is Just For You!!!

So Go!!…Run and Tell Your Neighbors that You have been Saved…and invite them to Your Salvation Party!!

Guess What…Jesus Will Be There!!

-Even so, I tell you, there is joy among and in the presence of the angels of God over one [especially] wicked person who repents (changes his mind for the better, heartily amending his ways, with abhorrence of his past sins-
(Luke 15:10)

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Today’s message is particularly directed to those that have not Yet accepted Jesus Christ as their Personal Savior. Share This Good News about Christ By Forwarding this Message to Someone You Love Who needs Jesus!!

Thanks For Stopping By…Until We Meet Again,

God Loves You and So Do I!!

-Tam
Don’t forget to Be a Blessing…
Share The CareBibleStudy Blog with YOUR Family, Friends, Co-Workers, and Your Neighbors – Loving Them As You Love Yourself!!

How Do You Handle Offense??

-Understand [this], my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry. For man’s anger does not promote the righteousness God [wishes and requires-
(James 1:19)

Hey Neighbor,

In our last lesson, ‘God Will Provide the Ram,’ we looked at how David learned to practice spiritual restraint and self-control, as he sowed mercy…instead of hostility and violence upon a young Egyptian, who had attacked his family.

Now David had not been merciful to this young man because it was instinctive for him to behave that way…Nope!!

That’s Was Not David’s Nature!!

‘Merciful’ would not have been a word that David’s former enemies would have used to describe him

You see… Typically, David didn’t ‘take no mess!!’ He did not tolerate any abuse against the Lord’s anointed, nor did he bear insults nor offense well…at all!!

Listen to the words that David spoke after a foolish Nabal railed insults at Him in 1 Samuel, Chapter 25…

-And David said to his men, “Every man strap on his sword!”…-

You see…David’s instinctive nature was to run you through with the sword FIRST…and THEN mourn his bad behavior later. LOL!!

David was like a ticking time bomb…and Nabal had ticked him off!!

Now David swore that he was going to kill every man in Nabal’s camp before the sun came up!!
But because the Spirit of the Lord was with him…changing him, transforming him, and teaching him self-control, David practiced self restraint and therefore…he spared Nabal’s life and the lives of his men.

David later acknowledged that…’if it had not been For God’…He would have done all that he had sworn to do to Nabal and More.

These were the words that he spoke to Abigail, Nabal’s wife, Who had come to David pleading for mercy upon her foolish husband in 1 Samuel 25:34

-For as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, Who has prevented me from hurting you, if you had not hurried and come to meet me, surely by morning there would not have been left so much as one male (belonging) to Nabal-

You see…It was the Spirit of the Lord that had prevented David from Behaving rashly, in the heat of anger…God kept him from Killing Nabal, and all his men, and from taking their women and children as captives.

See God was changing David’s hot tempered, hasty nature…teaching him how to listen, think, and speak…and also how to behave sensibly, when offense comes.

How well do You handle offense??

Are You cooperating with The Holy Spirit, as He is gently attempting to change your behavior??

-But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge-

(Galatians 5:23)

See Neighbor, when We begin to cooperate with The Holy Spirit, He can transform our lives and teach Us self-control.

He will teach Us how to be meek and humble, and when offense comes, He will be with Us…preventing Us from snapping out and acting a fool…and regretting it later.

So Let The Lord fight Your Battles…He will both protect and avenge you…If You will Exercise Self Control…Being Slow To Anger and Slow to Speak!!

And…Because David suffered Nabal’s offensive words without avenging himself….The Lord did Avenge David and Gave him his enemy’s widow.

Widow??

Yep!! Nabal suffered a stroke and died just 10 days afterwards…And David sent for the beautiful Abigail, who agreed to become David’s wife.

-Good sense makes one slow to anger,
and it is his glory to overlook an offense-

(Proverbs 19:11)

Thanks For Stopping By…Until We Meet Again,
God Loves You and So Do I!!

-Tam

Don’t forget to Be a Blessing…
Share The CareBibleStudy Blog with YOUR Family, Friends, Co-Workers, and Your Neighbors – Loving Them As You Love Yourself!!

God Will Provide the Ram!!

 -Then Abraham looked up and glanced around, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up for a burnt offering and an ascending sacrifice instead of his son-

(Genesis 22:13)

 

Hey Neighbor,

God Is So Awesome!!

Look at how He bestows mercy upon Us when We decide to Just believe God and Go-On with Him…

We’ve been reading 1 Samuel Chapter 30 and in verse 11, David’s men ran into a young man, lying in the fields…deathly ill.

Who was he??… Just some Egyptian fellow of no importance…probably just a slave, but David’s men decided to take the young man to David, who instructed them to feed and care for him. Now after this young Man had eaten and had regained his strength, David, concerned about the young man’s welfare inquired about his master.

The young man began to tell David the story of how his master, who was an Amalakite, had abandoned him after he fell sick three days before. He went on to add that his master and his troop had recently attacked and raided several of the Israelite and Philistine camps, including Ziklag, which they had burned.

So Look! This young man was a member of the very same troop that David and his men were seeking out to avenge their families!! I can imagine that at this point…both of David’s ears were tingling…this young man was one of the raiders who had invaded his home and snatched away his wives and children…and now… here David was feeding this wretched fellow and restoring life to his spirit!!

Wow!!

Now, if You know anything about King David, You will know that when an individual comes to David bearing bad news and acknowledging that he had participated in such evil acts against God’s people, David was quick to have one of his men to fall upon that man with the sword…but here we see David practicing restraint…spiritual restraint from the Holy Spirit that was upon him…and he chose to spare this Young man’s life.

David realized that God had strategically placed this young man in the field and he was David’s ram in the thicket. God had provided David with an inside scoop, someone to help him navigate his way to uncover the raiders secret location and to find his family. God had used this young man’s illness and thus his abandonment by his master, to create an enmity between the slave and his Amalakite master, but to also establish an affection for David and his men, who had fed him when he was at death’s doorstep. In his appreciation, the young Egyptian agreed to disclose the location of the raider’s camp to David and lead him directly to the troop.

Now…The Bible tells Us that David was a ‘man after God’s own heart!’ Although David was still distraught over his family, he chose to look past his own pain…and took the time to serve a starving slave…Not realizing that The Lord had miraculously planted this young man in the field to fulfill His promise to David…That he would Recover ALL!!

When David and his men reached the Amalekite camp…there they were…the wicked raiders partying and celebrating because of all the spoil that they had taken. David and his mighty man defeated the Amalekites and regained and reclaimed all that their enemies had stolen . The Lord had given the Amalekites into their hands, just as He had promised and David and his men walked out with ALL that had been stolen…not missing a woman…and not missing a child!!

Look at that…David sowed mercy…by feeding this sick slave…and sparing the life of his young enemy and setting him free from his captivity and therefore…David reaped mercy…God had spared his loved ones lives, freeing them from their captivity, and reuniting his family.

God is Pretty Awesome!!

 -So Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide – (Genesis 22:14)

Thanks For Stopping By…Until We Meet Again,
God Loves You and So Do I!!

-Tam
Don’t forget to Be a Blessing…
Share The CareBibleStudy Blog with YOUR Family, Friends, Co-Workers, and Your Neighbors – Loving Them As You Love Yourself!!

 

Slay Your Giants with the Sword of the Spirit!!

-For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds,-
(2 Corinthians 10:4)

Hey Neighbor,

As I was reading through 1 Samuel chapter 17 this morning, I was particularly taken in by verses 49-51. It just reminds me again that the weapons of our warfare are not physical, but spiritual!! When we use God’s word against our enemies, we are able to slay our dragons…and just like Goliath,…The Bigger they are, the Harder they Fall!!

So often when We have heard the story of how David defeated the giant Goliath, We have been lead to believe that David killed Goliath with only a slingshot and a stone, but when We read verse 49, scripture tells Us that after that stone sank into Goliath’s forehead, Goliath just fell on his face….verse 51 goes on to tell Us that Goliath was not killed until David drew the sword to cut off his head…

So what does that mean to You?

Well, again we must realize that, contrary to what most of Us have been taught, Goliath was not slain by a stone…but he was slain by the sword, i. e. the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Remember is verse 23, When that arrogant Goliath made his daily debut, he would come out before the Philistine armies everyday, ‘talking trash’ and spiritually intimidating the Israelite armies. Verse 24 tells Us that the men of Israel were terrified at Goliath’s approach and they fled from him.

There was not one spiritual giant in the Israelite army that had the courage and boldness to talk back to this oversized devil, except for David.

Now David knew God and he knew God’s Word and although he had come, armed for battle with sling and stone, he first came prophesying…and speaking out against Goliath with the Words that could have only come from the Spirit of the Lord that was upon him.

In Verse 45, David says, “I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, Whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will smite you and cut off your head.

I can hear David now, “Ok Goliath! Whenever you get done talking Trash, I’m gonna cut you down today with my handy dandy slingshot, in the Name of the God of Israel…then I’m gonna put that big head of yours on a platter!!

So David aimed for Goliath’s forehead and took him down with the stone, but it was the Sword that caused the fatal blow to Goliath. David Cut Goliath down with God’s Words!!

So when those oversized demons come against you ‘talking trash,’ reminding You of Your past transgressions, replaying painful defeats, and stirring up old wounds…Just CUT him!!

CUT him down with the Word of God!!

And as You take the time to read 1 Samuel Chapter 17, notice that scripture goes on to tell Us in verse 51 that after the backup soldiers of the Philistine armies saw that the mighty Goliath was defeated, they fled.

I Love That!!

So that means…that Not only can You use the Word to CUT off that GIANT demon’s neck, but then…You can also put his little backup demons on the run!!

In Jesus’ Name!!

-So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you-(James 4:7)

Thanks For Stopping By…Until We Meet Again,

God Loves You and So Do I!!

-Tam

Don’t forget to Be a Blessing…
Share The CareBibleStudy Blog with YOUR Family, Friends, Co-Workers, and Your Neighbors – Loving Them As You Love Yourself!!

God Miniaturizes Mountains!!

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-Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him-  (Mark 11:23)

Hey Neighbor

Well, my mountain manifested as three giant, rotten trees that loomed over my house for several years…and I was worried that they would become weighed down with snow this winter, causing the limbs to begin to break off and fall onto my roof. Unfortunately, I was not financially prepared to contact a professional tree cutter, so I was praying and trusting God for a resolution to my tree troubles.

Well, I was blessed to have a friend come out and cut them down for me…and not because I asked him too, but Because he was concerned about our welfare and the Lord had sent him.

He was no professional tree cutter, so after I made sure that my homeowner’s insurance was in place (lol), I agreed to let him proceed.

Again, he was a friend of mine, so I was also very concerned about his welfare…as he was standing there underneath that massive tree, so I found myself praying for his safety as the chainsaw slowly sliced through the tree…inch by inch.

Of Course the Lord Gave His Angel’s charge over Us to Protect Us and I Thank And Praise God for Miniaturizing my Mountain!!

My God was concerned about Me and my family’s welfare…and He sent Oscar to cut-down that looming threat…from over our heads.

It wasn’t long after the trees had been cut down and the logs neatly stacked along my driveway that I ran into this scripture, which I had written down this past Summer.

-Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees, so that every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. (Luke 3:9)

And so, once again I was reminded of just how Loving Our God is, because while the weather was still hot and humid in June, and I was steadily worrying about what would befall Us with those trees…whether it would be drought, or wind, or rain to cause one of them to fall, God had already designed a plan.

When each of those trees had failed to acknowledge God first, for the very moisture that they needed to sustain its life…When they had failed to sprout leaves that would whistle in the wind, magnifying Him…and finally, when they had failed to produce fruit, God cursed them, having already laid the axe to their roots.

It reminds me of when Jesus cursed the fig tree that served no fruit, yet after it withered up and died, it served for fuel.

And now, during these frigid winter days and nights of below freezing temperatures, God has kept our family warm and cozy by the fire, as we most contentedly cast our wood…from those three rotten trees…into our fireplace.

Look At God…As He was caring about my family’s welfare, with such loving kindness, He was also tending to our need for warmth throughout this winter.

God is So Awesome!!…He indeed does miniaturize mountains!!

Thank You Jesus!!

Thanks For Stopping By…Until We Meet Again,
God Loves You and So Do I!!

-Tam
Don’t forget to Be a Blessing…
Share The CareBibleStudy Blog with YOUR Family, Friends, Co-Workers, and Your Neighbors – Loving Them As You Love Yourself!!

Send Up A Smoke Signal…Pray!!

Hey Neighbor,

This Story is For Your Encouragement.

When All Seems Lost…You Are Not!!

God Knows Where You Are…So Don’t Give Up!!

Here’s The Story…

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The only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stung with grief and anger.

“God, how could you do this to me!” he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. “How did you know I was here?” asked the weary man of his rescuers. “We saw your smoke signal,” they replied.

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn’t lose heart. Remember next time your little hut is burning to the ground-it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.

Source unknown

*****

Neighbor, God has heard Your Cry and Your Help is on the Way!!

Thanks For Stopping By.

Until Tomorrow,

God Loves You and Do Do I!!

-Tam

Don’t forget to Be a Blessing…
Share The CareBibleStudy Blog with YOUR Friends and Neighbors –
Loving Them As You Love Yourself!!