Philippians 2:9-11 NIV, “9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
The name of Jesus is the name that saves. It is the name that is above every name. There is hope and victory in His name. We can call on the name of Jesus anytime of day or night. These verses are such a comfort. They bring joy in the midst of pain and struggle. Even if you are persecuted, or ridiculed for your faith, remain steadfast and know that a day is coming when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Meditate on this truth and let it continue to spur you on toward love and good deeds, as you serve Jesus Christ and continue to share His light and hope with those around you.
Photo by: Ben White (from Michigan 🇺🇸)
Acts 4:11-12 NIV, 11 Jesus is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone. 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
James 2:17 NKJV, “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
As we grow in our relationship with Christ, we also grow in our knowledge of His love for us. Knowing that He loves us, should cause us to love Him and want what He wants for our lives. God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), so wanting what He wants will mean having to step out on faith and start believing Him for more.
Believing God for more will most likely be uncomfortable, because it often causes us to have to leave behind what is familiar in order to embrace the new thing God wants to do. It requires letting go of old thought patterns, old habits, certain activities or people that we are used to.
Embracing the new thing that God wants to do, may even cause us to experience rejection by people. However, rejection is a good thing when it positions us to experience the better things that God has planned for us. Simply living to please ourselves or others will get us nowhere. Continuously resisting the changes God allows to come our way, will not take us to higher levels in Christ.
Photo by: Luis Quintero (from Panama 🇵🇦)
Since we have entered into a new year, I know many of us are waiting in expectation for the great things that are ahead. With that, will come opportunities to learn to step out on faith, believe God for more, and take action. Whatever the more is that God has placed in your heart, don’t let fear of the unknown keep you from being obedient and taking action. Make your requests known before our all powerful God (Philippians 4:6). He is willing to give you what you need. Follow the little promptings the Holy Spirit gives you, because little things mean a lot on the journey to the bigger things He has in store.
God will strengthen your faith and take away any fears you may have as you believe Him for more. 2020 will only be a year of change, if we are willing to make the changes God requires of us.
If you would like prayer as you believe God for more, you can let me know in the comments or via email, I’m thankful to pray for you!
God bless you big brother Matt, thanks for thinking of me for this tag! I pray your 2020 will be blessed beyond measure, and that your ministry on and off line will continue to grow for God’s glory! ✝️I wasn’t planning on sharing a verse, but this verse just came to my mind for you, so be encouraged…3 John 1:2 NIV, “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” ❤️🙏🏿
Photo by: Cottonbro (from Saint-Petersburg, Russia 🇷🇺)
1- Share a link back to the person who tagged you. 2- Share a link to the person who created the tag- jesusluvsall.wordpress.com 3- Share a favorite New Year’s Memory 4- Answer the questions of the person who tagged you. 5- Tag whoever you want. 6- Use any picture that you like for New Years.
My New Years celebrations have mostly consisted of going to New Year’s Eve service at church. The service would start around 9:00pm and go until midnight. There would be a sermon, and then the pastor would pray us into the new year. When I wasn’t in church, me and my family would watch the ball drop on T.V., then we would have prayer at midnight to thank God for another year. It has also always been a tradition to have Hoppin’ John or black eyed peas for the new year. But no matter what, I can say I always remember prayer, and thanksgiving being a part of all my New Years. For that, I’m thankful.
1- If you could celebrate the New Year anywhere, where would it be? I’m not sure but hopefully it’s somewhere beautiful with not too big of a crowd.
2- What is your favorite snack food for New Years? I don’t have a favorite snack food for New Year’s. But this year my cousin brought us some homemade ginger cookies and fruit cake that she made.
3- Have you ever kept a New Year’s resolution? If so, what was it? I honestly don’t usually make any New Year’s resolutions. But one year in the past, I think I did exercise for the first 5 months of the year consistently lol.
4- What do you want to do with your blog next year? I don’t have a specific laid out plan but I will keep praying and being lead by the Lord. I love blogging though and want to keep it up.
5- Do you prefer a big party or a small gathering to celebrate? Definitely a small gathering!
Isaiah 40:31 AMP, ”But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.
Happy New Year to you! It is my prayer that you have a Spirit lead 2020 as you wait in expectancy for all God has planned for you. May you continue to draw closer to Christ and find comfort, peace, healing, and direction in the truth of His unfailing Word. I pray that you would find security and strength in knowing that God’s presence is with you and that His love for you will never cease.
As 2019 comes to a close, I’m so thankful for the guidance and protection of the Holy Spirit. It’s been a very busy year for me, full of changes, challenges, and victories. My proudest moment this year was seeing my daughter graduate from college in May. Throughout the year, God gave me strength, and allowed me to successfully do what I needed to do. Of course there is always something more that could have been done, but that’s where we get to rest in Jesus and believe that everything that needed to happen, happened. And whatever else needs to happen, will happen in the future, at His appointed time.
Psalm 36:5 NIV, “Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.”
I can’t imagine starting this new year without the assurance of God’s love and faithfulness. Knowing that He watches over us, as His children, brings the ultimate peace of mind. He holds every moment of our lives in His hands. We don’t have to fret over people, situations, or the disasters that are happening in the world today. We can just trust in God. It’s His grace that sustains us through every twist and turn that life brings.
Proverbs 3:25 NIV, “Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,”
I love astronomy and was watching a program last night on black holes. It always amazes me to hear the facts about what is going on out there in the universe. In case you didn’t know, there is a supermassive black hole sitting at the center of our very own Milky Way Galaxy that’s about, 14.6 million miles in diameter, which is about, 4 million times the mass of our sun.
As I listened, I couldn’t help but think of the majesty of the Creator behind it all. He keeps the chaos of the universe in perfect order, including our planet Earth that makes its way around the sun at 67,000 miles per hour!! How much more will He see to it that we, His children, created in His image, have all that we need?
1 Corinthians 2:9 KJB, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
Photo by: Wendy van Zyl (from South Africa 🇿🇦)
I believe that through daily surrender and prayer, God will open our hearts to experience things with Him that we have yet to imagine. Taking time to reflect on the ways God has worked in your life, reviewing the facts of His Word, (and the universe 😁) will keep us reminded of how BIG our GOD is.
I pray that your 2020 will be one where you walk closely with the Creator of the universe, and stand in awe of His presence and creativity as He works in your life daily. I’m excited for you as you continue walking by faith and seeking the kingdom of God. Open your heart to receive all God has in store for you! May you be blessed beyond measure in the coming year.
Thank you for all the love and support that you have given to me and my blog this year, and also thank you for your prayers! I thank God for each one of you.
Thank you Barb at My Life In Our Father’s Worldfor nominating me for The Sunshine Blogger Award. 🌻 I’m grateful you thought of me. Please visit Barb’s blog, where you will find daily inspiration to encourage your faith in Jesus.
The sunshine blogger award rules: 1. Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you and provide a link back to their blog 2. List the rules and display an award logo on your blog post 3. Answer the 11 questions the blogger(s) asked you 4. Nominate 11 other bloggers to receive the award and notify them by commenting on any of their post 5. Ask the nominees 11 new questions
Barb’s Questions to Me: 1. How did get started blogging? I used to send email devotionals to a small group of family and friends but then God lead me to start the blog in May 2017. I stated blogging more diligently in early 2018.
2. Other than Jesus what Biblical “character” would you most like to spend time with? Without a doubt, Daniel! I love his resolve to be obedient to the Lord and do what was right.
3. How many places have you lived? I’ve lived in Virginia, Florida, Michigan, Alabama, and during my time in the military, South Carolina, Maryland, Indiana, and South Korea.
4. Where/How do you blog? (ie home office on PC, in my recliner on lap top) Mostly in my room on my cell phone using the WordPress app when I’m writing blogs. When I’m responding to comments and reading other blogs I do it in many different places.
5. How has your life changed since you started blogging? It has become a part of me and I enjoy it. I feel thankful to be part of the blogging community.
6. If you had zero subscribers, would you still blog? Yes. I started with zero and it was a while before I had any followers.
7. Do you attend a small, medium or large church? I haven’t joined a church yet since I just relocated, but my church in Florida had a main campus that was large and about 12 satellite campuses that were smaller. I attended one of the satellite campuses.
8. Why did you choose that particular congregation? I liked the sermons that the pastors taught.
9. How long have you been a Christ follower? I accepted Christ when I was 9.
10. What is you favorite holiday & why? I never really thought about a favorite holiday. But if I had to choose, it would be Christmas. It’s a joyous time of year and it’s nice to remember the Savior’s birth. The decor is pretty too.
11. Other than blogging are you involved in any other ministry? As I mentioned I just relocated and haven’t joined a church but in Florida I was on the Teacher’s Ministry to help encourage teachers and the Single’s Ministry.
My nominees are below. If you choose to participate, please answer Barb’s questions. Thanks so much for your blogs, you’re an inspiration. 🤗❤️
Jeremiah 17:14 NIV, “Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”
“Lord your love just keeps on healing me, no matter how I bruise, if I just trust you, your love just keeps on healing me.” These are words from a song by Deniece Williams called, “Healing”.
God’s love does bring us healing from the brokenness and pain we have experienced in life. There is nothing that can’t be cured as a result of His healing power working in our hearts. Even the damage that sin has done can be repaired by God’s love.
Although at times we do have to endure the consequences of our sinful choices, we’re never alone as we go through the process of healing and restoration. God is always there, sending us the help we need. He places the right people and resources in our paths to help bring healing to our hearts and lives.
Photo by: VisionPic .net
Everyone is different, and so we all process things differently. However, through it all God is faithful. The prophet Jeremiah called out to the Lord for healing. He knew that all He needed was in God’s hand. Life sometimes brings some very heavy burdens our way, but God promised to carry our burdens when we give them over to Him.
Psalm 55:22 NKJV, “Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”
Whatever you may need, cry out to God and expect to see Him bring the healing you need for your exact situation, regardless of what it is. Don’t allow fear to hinder you from calling out to God. Fear tries to convince us that nothing will ever change. There is no situation that is beyond the reach of God’s healing power. There is hope in His love. Allow His Holy Spirit to bring you comfort, peace, and healing today. Like Jeremiah, we can praise Him in the midst of our trials and disappointments because we know His love brings healing.
Drawing Closer to Christ 