BLESSED IN PRAISING GOD AND BLESSED TO PRAISE GOD

31 Oct, 2015, No comments

The dead cannot sing praises to the LORD, for they have gone into the silence of the grave. Psalm 115:6

I am currently browsing through a book by Don Gossett entitled “There’s dynamite in Praise.” It hit me that we do thank God for many things but PRAISING Him goes to another level. It is a more intense and expressive form of saying thanks and it goes to the very heart of His character. As it relates to my life, praise includes adoration, adulation, deep thankfulness and gratefulness. It also includes an unbridled excitement about God’s working and His plan.

For most people praising God is fine when everything is going the way they want it to go, there are no detours or curves in their journey. As we grow with God and mature with Him, He will teach those who want to be taught and are teachable, just how to give Him the sacrifice of praise, just how to give Him acceptable fruit from our lips.

Praise is not seasonal: I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1

Praising God is a way of returning an acceptable ‘offering’: By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Hebrews 13:5. Job 6:25 says: ‘ How forcible are right words’.

I do not consider myself ‘old’, retired yes, but not ‘old’. I want to think that I am like fine wine, aged to perfection! And even for the aged ones, we are told in Psalm 92:12 They shall bring forth fruit in old age. So, for the rest of my journey on this earth I am on a trajectory ( I love that word Lol!!) of praising God. It just came to my thoughts that in one of my ‘Prayer Letters’ I write about an encounter with a man I called “Brandon”.

I have written about so many different folk in those letters under pseudonyms, that sometimes I have forgotten the person’s real name! Anyhow, I had several telephone conversations with Brandon and the obvious was obvious! I visited him in hospital on a particular evening. He could barely talk and his very last words to me that evening, uttered in a hoarse, raspy voice were: “Praise God!” The next morning, a relative called to inform me that he had passed. I was neither surprised nor disheartened. He ‘ went down’ praising God.

This is what Gossett says on page 76 of his book: “Those who have formed the habit of praising God receive wonderful answers to their prayers. They not only enjoy good health, but they also have perfect peace, joy and victory in His service. Those who praise God are often the happiest people this side of Heaven.” So, let me play devil’s advocate for a moment. So is he saying that once I praise God I will always have good health and wonderful roses will be constantly strewn along the pathway of my life?

He gives a clarifying comment that may bring us some balance. But, before I give that comment though, let me say that I think that some folk may be ‘tricked’ into the Christian life by promises that God never gave! You can solidly trust God for what He says, not for what He did not say. We need to remember the ‘Count it all joy WHEN ye fall into divers temptations’ and Peter’s admonition: ‘Beloved, count it not strange concerning the fiery trial that is to try you…’ if folk think that becoming a Christian will insulate them from testing and trial and only bring them their concept of ‘prosperity’ and ‘blessings’, they have been sadly deluded by fallacious teachings. The grand and most revealing test of whether we really really understand what it means to praise God will come to us when ‘ adversity’ strikes. But many times in the life of the child of God, I underscore, the child of God, what appears to be adversity is in fact a mammoth blessing. You can see it and you know it because God has given you a spiritual vision and perspective, as you look through the binoculars of faith.

For clarification, in a general sense we are all children of God, descendants of Adam. The Bible always speaks of ‘ children of the devil.’ We en in dah category! The Word says that the Lord knows those who are His, he knows those who really trust Him and that those who really know Him will put their trust in Him. And I would add that those who really know God will praise Him, no matter what.

But, back to the quote from Gosset. After showing that it was the praises of Paul and Silas at midnight, while in prison, feet in stocks, that occasioned their deliverance, this is his comment:

“There are prisons not made with bars. Perhaps today, you are in a prison of doubt and uncertainty. Or you may be in a prison of sickness and suffering. Begin to praise the Lord – sacrificing praise unto Him for His love, His tender mercies, His healing power. You will discover yourself coming into a realm of grace where faith for healing will be easily grasped and deliverance from all forms of oppression will be yours. Praise His name.” Wonderful!

So, I am a praise girl! Though at times I do wish I did not feel so inhibited being expressive in public. I was not religiously raised in a culture of expressive praise – raising your hand, standing up etc. And, of course there are the extremes! But for me, praise is more about your life. The outward thing is fine once it is a sincere representation of reality – a life being lived to the glory of God and in full submission to His will. Not a perfect life….. but a perfect heart toward God! We cannot do enough to give to God all the praise that He really deserves. I will tweak Joshua’s words a bit and say, ‘ as for me and my house, WE WILL PRAISE THE LORD. You on the band wagon? Excellent!!!

BLESSED IN THE WORK OF YOUR HANDS

25 Oct, 2015, No comments

I WILL BLESS THE WORK OF YOUR HANDS!!

"The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto.......

The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand:

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭28:8, 12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The promise that God would bless the work of my hands is not a promise that I claim. No please!!! I thank God for its fulfillment. Only last night one of my church sisters gave me the details of what I think was a divinely orchestrated " occurrence" with the publication:The Big Secret to Unlocking The Power of God's Word...Simply Believe It! Nothing major really but still something major!

But before I tell you about it, let me say one or two things. When God first impressed me in September 2003 to write about my faith and health adventure, I had no idea how things would mushroom. However, I knew, and still know, by a faith, which is still most active that the body of 'Prayer Letters' would one day be published. That there would be an introductory book, so to speak, I had no idea whatsoever. Whoever knows what God has in the pipeline? I like to say that He has a long sleeve and has things tucked away up there for His children.

One of my prayers which I have written down and which, believe you me, I have prayed very very earnestly about, is that whoever reads my book "The BIG SECRET" will be very richly blessed. I know that prayer IS ANSWERED! Unequivocally so! How can I be so confident?

How do you know when a prayer is answered? Well, I have three simple ways of knowing. The first is that I am very earnest and deeply sincere about what I have requested. But that is not all of course. Some folk ask sincerely and insistently for the wrong things ....with later regrets!

The second way I know is that the Word says if you believe that your prayer has been heard then you KNOW that you have what you have requested.

I just LOVEEEEE this powerful Word!!

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 1 John 5: 14 & 15

The third way should actually be the second and IS THE MOST IMPORTANT! We would save ourselves a lot of headache and stress if we did not try to dictate to God but submitted to His will. But let me tell you a 'li secret' .... a lotta lotta people frighten fuh de will ah God. Of course I do not mean you. You have gladly embraced His will! or have you? The other 'secret' is that nuff people see God's will as being 'bad' and against them. so they set themselves stoutly to resist it will mouthing Jeremiah 29;11. Our human nature is surely capable of amazing incongruities.

As long as a request is according to the will of God, God hears and answers. So I have no doubt whatsoever that my praying that those who read the book would be richly blessed is an acceptable prayer.

How could it not be according to the will of God when He is the One who inspired me to write the book and gave me the running stamina to accomplish it? I become extremely excited when folk who are reading give me feedback. I do not need feedback to validate the worth of what is written. I know that what is there is solid and will inspire people to get to know God for themselves and be freed from the caricatures of His character formed in our heads that have imprisoned many of us at some point in our lives. God is mean. He is out to get you. Cruel! Vindictive! Unforgiving! On the other hand, He is so soft and sweet and nice, I can ignore Him all my life, slight his love and entreaties and still claim His promises! Yeah right!

But, back to " Laura's " story.

Laura told me that she was on a plane and was " going down" in the book and having a great time. She likes to mark up her books as she reads. Some of us read books like how some folk "tear way in a piece a chicken!" Her enjoyment of the book was so evident to the flight attendant that as he passed her, he actually stopped and flipped the book back to see the cover. Then he looked at her and gave her a thumbs up sign. Well, Laura continued reading but the thought became more and more insistent in her mind: Give him the book. Seemed as though she wrestled with the thought for a bit. She did not see him again. A male Causacian, he was actually the chief flight attendant and therefore was not walking up and down as much as the other flight attendants.

When the plane landed, Laura decided to exit through the back, maybe hoping to see him at their little station. She did not, but she gave the book to one of the other flight attendants with very careful instructions to give it to the young man. The flight attendant took the book and agreed to do so.

Laura followed her heart, as I also followed my heart when I too was on a plane and gave the publication to a young lady sitting next to me. It was only later in the baggage claim area that I realized that the real target for the book was a gentleman who was keenly watching and listening to my conversation with the young lady next to me. The details of the amazing incident are in my FB archives. It's an encounter worth reading. I will see if I can dig it up and repost it.

Laura will never know the results of her generosity. We can never know the ripple effect of obeying the voice of God. Maybe, Heaven will reveal the repercussions of her actions, my actions. Who knows? God always knows!!

THE BLESSINGS OF HEALTH

23 Oct, 2015, 2 comments

THE BLESSINGS OF HEALTH

The quotation below is to say the least bit very very very powerful. Now as a Seventh Day Adventist, I respect the writings of E.G White. And, by the way, for those who are reading this and are of another denomination the SDA Church is not " founded" on her and we not not have to " believe in her" to be saved. Those are grotesquely erroneously held beliefs by some. We consider that she is a TRUE Prophet and that she was inspired by God to give timely messages to His children at the end time. God's children are in all churches.

She calls her work the Lesser light which points to the greater light. She is held in high esteem as one of the most, if not the most prolific American female writer. Recently she was honored in a most outstanding way.

Anyways......the point I want to make is that sandwiched between the Word of God and what we call The Spirit of Prophecy which is an incredible and mind boggling collection of her writings, God has guided and fed me with information on what real faith is all about and that there are laws of health that cannot be ignored with impunity. God has preserved me to be alive today. He never promised me immortality but we could go for longevity.

The statement below resonates with me very strongly for several reasons.

I see that we are quick fix thinkers. We cannot be so presumptuous as to tell God what he must and must not do and call it faith. In various ways I keep touching on faith in my book. Read the book!!

Most of us take our health for granted. We think it runs on auto pilot. We cannot throw any and everything down our stomachs, pray over it and that makes it good. It is ONLY when your health changes in a way that requires effort on your part to turn things around that you more fully appreciate the gift of " perfect health " so to speak.

The issue of presumption is one that resonates with me too. There is so much to be said on that. Some are in apparent good health but each day they are breaking the laws of health ignorantly and at times most deliberately, and asking God to preserve their health......the reading below speaks to that.

My adventure with God has taken me through the deaths of over fifty persons. I interacted with all of them. I have written about many of them. Some prayer letters are dedicated to recounting my experiences with some of them. I have learnt many things!

I have learnt repeatedly that God is merciful, no matter what. He never changes. But he does want us to be healthy and to grow in grace and knowledge. it has been reinforced to me that spiritual healing is more important than physically healing. While some folk may be physically healthy, as meets the eye, they are in very spiritually ill and what is worse they are not aware. Whether physical or spiritual, God in His love will awaken us to our danger.

We do have a purpose in this life. It is more than about eating and drinking. While impressing people can be short lived and performance oriented, impacting people for eternity should be the ultimate goal of our lives. Sometimes, most times, all times, maybe, you can only learn what you must learn when you are ready!

Do not rush through. Read it slowly and engage me if you disagree and maybe you agree. Be blessed!!

Education Better Than Miraculous Healing

Some have asked me, “Why should we have sanitariums? Why should we not, like Christ, pray for the sick, that they may be healed miraculously?” I have answered, “Suppose we were able to do this in all cases; how many would appreciate the healing? Would those who were healed become health reformers, or continue to be health destroyers?” – {CME 34.2}

Jesus Christ is the Great Healer, but He desires that by living in conformity with His laws, we may co-operate with Him in the recovery and the maintenance of health. Combined with the work of healing there must be an imparting of knowledge of how to resist temptations. Those who come to our sanitariums should be aroused to a sense of their own responsibility to work in harmony with the God of truth. – {CME 34.3}

We cannot heal. We cannot change the diseased conditions of the body. But it is our part, as medical missionaries, as workers together with God, to use the means that He has provided. Then we should pray that God will bless these agencies. We do believe in a God; we believe in a God who hears and answers prayer. He has said, “Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”—Medical Ministry, 13. – {CME 35.1}

When Prayer for Healing Is Presumption

Many have expected that God would keep them from sickness merely because they have asked Him to do so. But God did not regard their prayers, because their faith was not made perfect by works. God will not work a miracle to keep those from sickness who have no care for themselves, but are continually violating the laws of health and make no efforts to prevent disease. When we do all we can on our part to have health, then may we expect that the blessed results will follow, and we can ask God in faith to bless our efforts for the preservation of health. He will then answer our prayer, if His name can be glorified thereby. But let all understand that they have a work to do. God will not work in a miraculous manner to preserve the health of persons who are taking a sure course to make themselves sick, by their careless inattention to the laws of health. – {CME 35.2}

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BLESSED IN FOLLOWING GOD'S RECIPE FOR YOUR LIFE

16 Oct, 2015, 1 comment

The COU COU expedition came off well yesterday. Just dying with laughter at the various remarks!!!!
Was impressed to connect one cou experience with another and then to make a spiritual application.
God has a recipe for our lives and that recipe is spelt out throughout the Bible in various texts. When they are all connected up they help you to appreciate that God is a strategic planner and that in the life of the child of God, nothing happens by chance. in fact, in another by book by C.B Haynes the writer of the book 'God Sent a Man', has a chapter entitled A Life In Which Nothings Goes Wrong. That chapter is sooo deep.

Though we like to say that ALL things work together for good, it is another story for some folk when the rubber meets the road. Notably the caveat in that text is ..."to those who love God". So all things do not work together for the good of some folk because they have not really met God as yet and therefore cannot love Him. Hence, they have a very negative response to the vicissitudes of life. They do not understand the recipe concept.

The metaphor of the recipe allows us to better understand that to create the end product, let's say a for a macaroni and cheese pie,( Bajans love that ) for example, you need to put together a number of ingredients. It is the combination of the ingredients in the correct proportions that enables the dish to come out well.
When it comes to our lives now, God the Master Chef, writes the recipe for our lives even before we were born. No, it is not fate!! He would never design for someone to be a criminal or to overdose in a brothel and end up in a life threatening situation.
That he does write a recipe in the cookbook of our lives is revealed in Psalm 139:16 &17 AMP
“Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them. How precious and weighty also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! [Ps. 40:5.]”
Jeremiah 29:11 is very popular with many of us. It would be good to consider the context of that promise. Though God writes a recipe, which is His perfect plan for us, we can deviate from that recipe by the choices we make in life.
In the unpublished manuscript in one of the Prayer Letters # 52 entitled Disaster or Design written in 2009, I described my experience with making cou cou for the very first time. That episode came to mind yesterday as I prepared to make some for Andy.
So let me take you back to that unforgettable experience:
Extracted from Prayer Letter # 52 Disaster or Design 2009

"Let’s see, where shall we start? Maybe, I should begin with the metaphorical idea of God’s recipe for our lives. All of the ingredients to bring us to the final product may not be appear desirable. However, when they all are all mixed together, the result can be quite palatable. Romans 8:28 is about God’s recipe. This adventure has been about me following God’s recipe for my life. It is only as we follow God’s recipe that we can have the final product that God intends. It is when we deviate from His instructions that we find ourselves in difficulties with which He did not intend for us to grapple.
How can I forget when I failed to follow a recipe I had been given to make cou-cou? Flying fish and cou-cou is considered as our national dish. Most Barbadian women therefore pride themselves on being able to ‘turn a good cou cou.’ I was not to be left out. I wanted to ‘try my hand’ and surprise my husband, who had never known me to make cou-cou. His mother was an excellent cou-cou maker so we frequently benefited from her culinary skills.
On that memorable day, I joyfully turned my cou- cou and it looked good. I wanted it to be very creamy, you know, mellow and smooth, just like my mother-in-law’s. I followed the instructions given, well….. for the most part. But I decided to add more and more of the okra water to increase the cou-cou’s mellowness. I had the flasks ready into which I would place the cou cou. Andy would have it nice and hot when he arrived at home. Mummy Estwick’s cou cou always came out in a nice symmetrical ball which gently tumbled out of the flask. While putting the cou-cou into the flask, I momentarily pondered its slightly soft consistency. However, I felt that in the flask it would more or less congeal.
The moment arrived. I did not tell Andy what a wonderful meal awaited him. I wanted to see his eyes twinkle with surprise and pleasure. I remember that evening very vividly. For some reason there was a little gathering around the table. The children looked on, eagerly like me, to see Daddy’s face. Taking up the flask, Andy removed the cover and tilted it.
Much to my consternation, yeah horror, instead of a well-rounded symmetrical balI of cou cou, what gushed forth was a thick, lava type substance which galloped madly to the plate’s edge. Maybe, it was its viscous nature which prevented the contents from cascading on to the table’s surface. There was a momentary silence as we gaped at the flattened mushy spectacle which bore very remote resemblance to what Mummy Estwick produced!
Suppressed tittering eventually gave way to unrestrained outbursts of belly aching laughter. Andy surveyed the cooled lava and decided that it was not edible. Not even for the cat. We turned my mangled sloshy efforts into the bin. Enough for surprises and ironic twists! There was an encore however which did not end disastrously, as I followed the recipe more carefully. When we stick to God’s recipe for our lives, I think we can get some wonderful surprises. I expect that when God turns me out, I will not be a disaster!"
Genesis 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.That Prayer Letter Disaster from which the extract came is one of my favourites and I added on the comments of three young persons who read it and spontaneously responded. I am tempted to post it on the blog. Instead I will send it to anyone interested in getting a jump start on reading the next book. It would be better sent to an email address but I could message it as well.
Blessings!! Stick to God's recipe. The soothsayers and naysayers did not write your life plan, God did and though folk may think " evil" against you, God can make all things work together for your good!

‭‭

BLESSED WITH THE PEACE OF GOD

16 Oct, 2015, No comments

Blessed with the Peace of God. Part 1 of ??? Parts!
Does God drop peace on us from the granaries of Heaven? Are there conditions for walking in the peace of God? Can anyone actually rob us of our peace? Can the peace that God gives fluctuate, or is it constant? Can it be destroyed? Can you fake being peaceful? Why do some of God's children give place to misery and fretfulness when things go awry?
Can we maintain peace under difficult and stressful situations? Does God expect it of us? Well, let's call my friend Job. He was suddenly thrown into a very difficult situation to say the least and interestingly enough the very day it happened someone sent him the following quotation, saying that they were impressed to do so.
It was indeed a preparatory message. My friend was not discomfited, but remained calm in God. Here is the quote:

"None who receive God’s word are exempt from difficulty and trial; but when affliction comes, the true Christian does not become restless, distrustful, or despondent. Though we can not see the definite outcome of affairs, or discern the purpose of God’s providences, we are not to cast away our confidence. Remembering the tender mercies of the Lord, we should cast our care upon Him, and with patience wait for His salvation. – {COL 60.4}l
In other words when the tests of life come, however they are manifested, we should not fall to pieces but remain in peace. Peace and worry are strange bed fellows. Yet some folk would seem to suggest that there can be some alliance between them.
Aeons ago one of my colleagues said: "Nola could get long with de devil heself."LOL!! Not that I would have a desire to be in cohoots with the enemy of our souls! But most folk who know me well, consider me to be a peaceful person. I really do not like noise, strife and conflict.
But the peace of God is more than about having a peaceful personality because some persons are peaceful as long as you do not step on their toes. The peace of God is different and is not merely skin deep. You cannot give yourself the peace of God. It is a gift. And you need to be positioned to receive it. While God loves us unconditionally, his gifts to us are conditional.
The peace of God is available to all Christians, at all times, under all circumstances. God was never a " Scrooge" doling out His bounties with a mean hand. I saw the peace of God in operation in one of His children a few years ago when we lost a dear family member. His wife walked through that entire period of his illness, degeneration and final passing with nothing less than the peace of God. She kept up with doing her duties at work, while running up and down to the hospital.
I never quite told her but I admired so much her demeanor and quietness in God. It was no doubt a very painful experience that I could never fathom but she was blessed with the peace of God throughout.
So, how do we get this peace and how can it be manifested in our lives? Will leave that discussion for the next post. We will be satisfied with the morsel for today.
Have a peacefully powerful day!!!
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace because he trusteth in thee. Isa 26:3

THE BLESSING OF GOD MAKETH RICH AND ADDETH NO SORROW

11 Oct, 2015, No comments

THE BLESSING OF GOD – MAKETH RICH AND ADDETH NO SORROW

The blessing of Jehovah, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow to it. Proverbs 10:22 (Darby Bible Translation)

There are general blessings that all receive as God causes the rain to fall and the sun to shine on the just and the unjust. It is God’s intent to bless us. I totally agree with this comment from one of the sermons I referenced yesterday:

“God has the desire to bless us, rather than curse us. We know and serve a good and gracious God. He is not vindictive, perverted, licentious, or in need to be appeased. Jehovah, the God of the Bible, is loving, kind, holy, true, long-suffering, and gracious. He longs to bring His people into the promised land, a land of blessing, flowing with milk and honey. He is a good God who wants only the best for His children.”

God’s blessings do not always look like blessings though. Some of them are disguised. They are pearls couched in the shell of an oyster. It is these kinds of blessing that most folk would find hard to unwrap and discover the nugget of gold hidden away. Since we all operate for the most part on “nowsight” we judge based on our senses, what we see. To access a blessing 'differently wrapped' God would have to give us Divine insight to correctly interpret events.

Initially, back in 2003 when I started this mysterious weight loss I was perturbed and even shed a few tears at the doctor when I realized I had lost even more weight since the last visit. When I prayed about my course and got clear Divine direction, my thinking changed as it was a “ it is done while it is being done stance” I took. The very first and real blessing was a complete trust and reliance on God which had room for expansion and growth.

To be able to trust God and have faith in Him, His character and His good will for your life is not to be taken for granted. I think that many people even though they are ‘okay’ Christians lack the ability to let go on themselves and trust God. You cannot hold on to self and fears and trust God at the same time. While God does all in His power to encourage our trust in Him as being capable, reliable and worthy of our complete surrender and submission to His will, there will always be room for doubt. Why? We need to always have free will to choose whether to doubt or to trust.

But I would say once you make that initial step of trust, God lights your way ahead, one step at a time. We draw down the blessings of God through our obedience: “And all these blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the lord thy God” Deut 28:2

It is to be inferred that we can actually hear God speaking to us. ( not audibly, but through providence, wiser counsellors, impressions from the Spirit etc, but in tandem, not a one off thing) The very best way to hear God is in the context of an ongoing relationship with Him. So, am I saying that the only way you can hear God is if you are in a relationship with Him? No, of course not. God also speaks to those He wants to draw to Himself, those whose lives have got all messed up in one way or another and secretly they want a way out, they want something better than what they now have.

A real blessing is to know when it is God speaking and to follow the way He is leading, even if His instructions seem strange and illogical. If we take the attitude that God must explain everything to us first, dot every I and cross every T, before we move, we will never walk in the destiny God has planned for us.

Though part of God’s leading is to bring us into positions to develop our character and to teach us and deepen us in ways that would not be otherwise be possible, this cannot be seen at the start of your adventure. If you are reading or you have read my book, you will note that I have used the word ‘adventure’ to describe my experiences with God.

The blessings in a journey with God cannot be seen at the outset but are realized and even intensified as the journey progresses. This is a text that I only took note of in the last few years. Much can be extrapolated from it. Before I share the text with you, let me say that it is our human nature to look to people, whoever they may be, to direct us and tell us what to do. But as much as folk love you, they cannot bless you or make you profit, in the fullest sense of the word. That alone is God’s prerogative. I never asked the two persons closest to me, my mother and husband, what they thought I should do. I went to God in prayer as was my custom over many many years and asked Him for His take on the matter.

A life of prayer is a life of blessing. And prayer is really a heart to heart conversation with God. I must be honest and say that at times it seems that we have turned it into a boring, unattractive, castor oil drinking and spinach eating experience. My goodness! We got de young people running from these long boring cliché prayers that get churned out…aw well. That was a digression.

But to succinctly say: Prayer is what connects you to God and once you have heard Him and you know, that you know, that you have heard him, you do not have to be concerned about who says what because your confidence is in God. Neither my Mum nor my husband ever questioned my decision and neither have they ever had need for trepidation.

So what is the text? “Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:” Isaiah 48:17-18 KJV

Let me pull out and juxtapose these two sentences from Deuteronomy 28 and Isaiah 48: “ if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the lord thy God” and “O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments”. One word is common: the word hearken. So one text says if you obey, this and that would happen. The other text presupposes that you did not obey and it is with a certain measure of pathos that God says if only you had obeyed then you would have been so blessed.

In critical matters as we have to make choices and we do not have foresight to see the repercussions of our actions, we need to admit our ignorance and ask God for his help. I firmly believe that God blesses you where He has placed you. While people may be " cursing" you, God is so abundantly blessing you. The Bible says He prepares a table for you in the presence of your enemies. it is a table of blessing and amazingly, this is done in the 'valley of the shadow of death.' it is amazing how the Bible synchronizes ideas.

Have you checked the chapter in my book Blessed in the Land of famine? If you have not done so, please do.

There are blessings galore in trusting God, to the very last day of our life on this earth and on that day He also has blessings reserved.

I sure encourage you to release yourself to God in the way He shows you how to do it. You cannot possibly lose. It will always be a win win situation!!

Next set of posts I want to chit chat about Blessings and your mouth, blessings as it relates to health, can we be blessed in presumption and, personal blessings received. There is so much swirling around in my head. I mean to say I was writing those prayer letters from 2003 to 2011 so I feel like a huge artesian well….bubbling. This blog gives me room to overflow. I do not know who is reading except they reveal it but if it is two persons, it does not matter because I know these words are not falling to the ground and will find the right ears at the right time!!

CHASED DOWN BY THE BLESSINGS OF GOD

10 Oct, 2015, No comments

CHASED DOWN BY THE BLESSINGS OF GOD – PART 1 of …many parts! LOL!!

Text: Deuteronomy 28:1-2. "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all His commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God."

Deuteronomy chapter 14 is such an intriguing chapter. It speaks of blessings and curses. I am intrigued by the concept of how God blesses a person, how those blessings can be drawn down and how they are manifested.

In 2003, as noted in my publication, a change came about in my health with unexpected and unexplained weight loss. As the years rolled on, I suspect that some folk may have been tethered in Psalm 41:8 while I was living moving and having my being in Psalm 118:17. If you know me well, you know that I have a sense of humour, wry and dry though it is.

I decided to do some research on Deuteronomy Chapter 14 and came up with much interesting spiritual insight. I also have my own thoughts and application which I will share. But let me tell you what others have to say about the blessings of God. The insights come from two sermons I found on line. I have pulled out the salient points of these messages. But if you are interested in reading the messages in their entirety, message me and I will send them to you.

One Pastor says that there are Four Principles Concerning God's Place Of Blessing

Principle one: God is the source of all blessing and those blessings are attached to His commandments. Principle two: God's blessings are activated by our choices. Principle three: God's blessings will overtake us. Principle four: God's blessings come in all shapes and sizes.

Pastor Ron Thomas of the Baptist church then fleshes out each of those principles, doing some excellent exegesis. I could paraphrase it but I encourage you to read the message yourself.

The other sermon takes another slant and speaks of how you can know if God’s favour is on your life. YOU REALLY NEED TO READ THIS ONE! The words favour and blessing are used synonymously. The following markers are given: 1. The abiding presence of God.
2. Tangible benefit in the lives of others.
3. The fingerprints of God left on the lives of others.
4. Personal refreshing.
5. The work of our hands blessed.

My thoughts and application Part 1.

There is a song called “God Favoured me.” ( http://youtu.be/OeZvzX218qk ) The lyrics are quite compelling. Though not all relevant to my experience, I do see some application. Let me share them with you and if you have never listened to the song, check it out.

LYRICS:

This is my testimony everybody, how God favored me in spite

Of my enemies, and if God did it for me he'll do the

Same thing for you. Don't worry about your haters your haters

Can't do nothing with you. Listen to these words

[Verse 1:]

Love is patient, caring. Love is Kind. Love is felt most when

It's genuine, but I've had my share of love abused, manipulated

And it's strength misused, and I can't help but give you glory

When I think about my story, and I know you favored me

Because my enemies did try but couldn't triumph over me

Yes they did try but couldn't triumph over me.

I'm still here, I'm still alive, I'm still blessed, on my way to

My destiny, because the favor of God is on my life. Let me

Tell you about love.

[Verse 2:]

Love is patient, caring. Love is Kind. Love is felt most when

It's genuine, but I've had my share of love abused, manipulated

And it's strength misused, and I can't help but give you glory,

When I think about my story, and I know you favored me

Because my enemies did try but couldn't triumph over me

Yes they did try but couldn't triumph over me.

They whispered, conspired, they told their lies (God favors me)

My character, my integrity, my faith in God (He favors me)

Will not fall, will not bend, won't compromise (God favors me)

I speak life and prosperity and I speak health (God favors me)

[x2]

Say Yes (Yes), Yes (Yes), Yes (Yes) God favors me

Say Yes (Yes), Yes (Yes), Say Yes (Yes) God favors me (God favors me)

[x2]

The Bible, would you believe it, seeks to the issue of whispering: Psalm 41:7 which precedes verse 8 which I have referenced above. Whispering could be another term for gossiping. Funny enough when folk are taking about others, usually in a negative fashion, it is done in low tones and the tones dip a decibel if the subject under discussion approaches. Now we all know that is true because at some point in our experience, some way along the line it may have happened to us.

“They whispered, conspired, they told their lies (God favors me) My character, my integrity, my faith in God (He favors me) Will not fall, will not bend, won't compromise (God favors me) I speak life and prosperity and I speak health (God favors me)”

When Hezekiah sings it he adds to the words: ‘My character…..my faith in God’ saying they were all held up to question. And indeed he is correct! Such can and does occur when we are travelling a journey people cannot understand. And who can understand your journey, since it is impossible to walk in another person’s shoes! Poignant are the words: “I speak life and prosperity and I speak health (God favors me).” As he sings the song he says: I EVEN spoke health. There is much connotative value in that word. Because the path of faith is very often misunderstood, maligned and misrepresented, some pelt the baby out with the bath water! Such a pity. But the baby is real! Because she has a counterfeit called presumption, sometimes, (as I say in my publication,) she has to come naked and take her blows.

Those who would pummel her to death do not realise that that they will need her as a strong ally when they reach a learning curve in their life’s journey. One of my own made up quotable quotes is: 'Presumption can manage a hundred yard dash, but faith has the strength to run a marathon." I love it!! we run our race in God and he determines when we reach shall the finish line. Very powerful are the words God gives us in Psalm 68: 19 and 20.

Well, I thought this would be a one posting thing but as it is, I have barely scratched the surface of what I want to say. I am making a commitment to be back and share specifically on the blessings of my surrealistic journey with God. Using Deuteronomy 28 as my base, I want to take you along with me on a reflective journey. I will pull in some of what I wrote as far back as 2003 and I think we will have a super duper time. Whoever said the Christian life is boring, why, he never lived it!! See you next post!

A Jabez Appointment

13 Sep, 2015, 1 comment

THE JABEZ APPOINTMENT is one of the providential ways God sends a message to us. There are five ways He communicates with us but I want to focus on this unusual way which cannot be fabricated by any of us....and serves as a very strong and irrefutable message to our hearts that we are tracking with God. The term A Jabez Appointment is coined I believe by Bruce Wilkinson in his book The Prayer of Jabez. Quite simply, it is where God arranges for you to meet a person, at a particular time and place, either for you to bless that person or the other way around....or it could be reciprocal.

I have had a few of those appointments and one in particular is jaw dropping!! I have an entire "Prayer Letter" on it.

But that is not the one I want to talk about now. My most recent JA ( Jabez Appointment) was in Trinidad. It was started out Sabbath September 5 with my attending the Good News SDA church. The girls wanted to go to different places. So the same morning I was impressed to go with Debbie Ann to Good News and Andy went to USC with Dereka-Lynn.

I told you about the sermon already and how it impacted me. It was POINT ON and what captured and riveted me was the fact that the Pastor's sharing was like a continuation of what I had been mulling over in my quiet time earlier in the morning.

In the midst of the preaching I wrote a note on my IPad to Debs which said: I WAS TO BE HERE!!!

I made an appointment to meet with the Pastor. Busy as he was, he told me he would schedule an appointment and he did. Last Monday, he me invited into his spacious office on the USC campus.

For nearly an hour we sat and talked and it was.....not sure what word to use here....deep, energizing, chilling.....because as we chatted back and forth I knew it was not by accident I was speaking with him and we were sharing experiences.

We prayed to start and end our conversation. So prayer book ended a conversation that was most memorable for both of us.

How I further know that our meeting was meant to be is that he told me he was really could have been elsewhere. He had an invitation to be overseas at a big gathering but he declined it as he had that appointment with Good News first. I took a copy of the publication along and a very quick perusal of it and its endorsers propelled him to secure one.

I was impressed to share one of my favourite prayer letters with him. One thing I have certainly understood is that what one person will see spiritual worth and value in something and another person will trample upon.

In the early stages of my writing and sharing the prayer letters I came to understand in a new way what Matthew 7:6 meant as it related to my experience and my excitement at sharing my journey with God. Everyone cannot relate to spiritual pearls. Naively, as admitted in my writing I did not understand this.

But with Pastor " Mark" ( Pseudonym) that was not the case at all.

Where it goes from here, only God knows but as this little chapter of the journey unfolds, I will keep those interested updated.

Nola's Journey

28 Aug, 2015, 2 comments

Finally, I have a blog! Now I can let loose!! Just kidding!
Thank you for joining me! The Journey continues! I do look forward to sharing a potpourri of thoughts, inspirational insights and whatever tasty spiritual tidbits I happen upon. I pray that as I share with you, you will find the posts inspirational, spiritually uplifting and encouraging. May God be glorified.
Thank you once again for joining me.
I am so excited! Can't wait for you to be a part of my journey!
A very special thanks to my young friend, Danny, for helping out a little dinosaur!

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