Are You Salt?

I have been reading in Matthew. God started speaking to me in Chapter 6 and then I went back to Chapter 5.

Matt 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength its quality) how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men"

Okay, so in the verses before he is talking about being persecuted for the Lord's sake and how blessed it is to be persecuted. Then you read this verse. And I was puzzled for a bit. Wanting to know what the Lord was trying to say to me.

I looked up the definitions of some key words.

Salt - we all know what it is. One of its definitions though is an element that gives liveliness, piquancy or pungency; wit. Salt is a product formed by the neutralization of an acid by a base.

Strength -we know it as - the quality or state of being strong; bodily or muscular power, vigor.

But it also means - Moral power, firmness or courage (among several others).

Looking at that I said wow! Salt is formed by the neutralization of an acid (the world, satan etc) by a base (God/Jesus). By that base we are given our liveliness, piquancy, pungency, and wit - our salt.

If we lose that saltiness, then we are not worth much as a witness. We can not be counted as blessed as the verses above speak about when we are not walking in the liveliness, piquancy, pungency, wit, moral power, firmness, or courage that comes from God and God alone. And losing our salt means that the world can "walk all over us". In that I equate it to the fact that we have victory over death and this world with Christ. With out HIM we have nothing.

Are you Salt?

Have you lost your saliness?

I pray today that you, like I am, take a look at your salt and see where you are at with Him. 

Be blessed!

Worry?? Not ME!

Matt 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

In the verses before hand he's talking about not worrying about what you will eat, drink, wear etc.because God provides it. And then says do not worry about tomorrow it will take care of itself, each day has enough trouble in its self. This has been spoken to me in that we have to trust God that He is taking care of EVERYTHING and we should not be consumed with what is going to happen tomorrow.

Since the miscarriage I have had joy and peace, but at the same time it has been hard. Walking this road out, trusting the Lord through all the doctor's appointment's and believing God for our baby to live here on this earth, then to have a miscarriage and the pain that comes with that with no joy of a child at the end - it was hard.

BUT I knew in me that God was in control that I need not worry about this child nor the future. I know that we will get pregnant again and that it will be joyous just as this one was. I know that He will provide what is needed for our family and for another child.

But as this passage says, I have to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness then all these things will be added unto me. So what is seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness? I believe we are to be doing what He has called us to do in His kingdom. We are to be reaching out for the harvest that is ready until Jesus' return. We are to live according to the life of Jesus - seeking His righteousness (through the blood shed and grace we received on the cross), knowing our righteousness is just filthy rags. It's a higher standard more than just being a Sunday or Wednesday night Christian. It's a daily walk in the Lord, knowing that we fall short, being lead by the Holy Spirit and repent when we fail.

But you know, sometimes it's easier said than done.

So here's my reminder...


"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matt.6:34 NAS

The Feasts

I love it how God speaks through His word and shows us what He has already done and then what is yet to come!
Pastor has been teaching about the Jewish Feast's and how they are a type and a shadow. The first 4 have already been fulfilled.

They are: The Fest of Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of First Fruits, and the Feast of Pentecost. As Christian's we can look back and see how Jesus fulfilled these through His death and resurrection. The Jewish people are bound to these fests because they do not believe in Jesus Christ the son of God as the Savior of all people. They were and are looking for a man to come in power and establish the kingdom right then and there. But that isn't God's plan and we can see that in the word.

The next Feasts that happen in the fall are a type and a shadow of what is to come - Jesus' return. The Feast of Trumpets seven days later is The Day of Atonement and then The Feast of Tabernacles (when the Jewish people would leave their homes and build a booth to spend time with God).

I just love this! We know that the scripture is inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16) and He wrote it so that we could be aware of what has happened and what is going to happen.

2 Peter 1 Simon Peter is talking about how they witnessed with their own eyes what Jesus did and the power that Jesus had and that these are not just stories they they put together - they were there - and that we have the prophetic word...vs 19 And we have the prophetic word [made] firmer still. You will do well to pay close attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dismal (squalid and dark) place, until the day breaks through [the gloom] and the Morning Star rises (comes into being) in your hearts. vs 20 [Yet] first [you must] understand this, that no prophecy of Scripture is [a matter] of any personal or private or special interpretation (loosening, solving). vs 21 For no prophecy ever originated because some man willed it [to do so - it never came by human impulse], but men spoke from God who were borne along (moved and impelled by the Holy Spirit.

We have the Word to light our path. We can see that the Feasts that are in the Jewish culture (Jesus was a Jew remember) shadowed Him. They show what He was going to do in dying upon the cross, being the first fruits offering and sending the Holy Spirit. Then it also shows is second coming through the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement.

Tonight Rosh HaShana (Feast of Trumpets) begins and during this time -10 days - the Jewish people reflect on what they have done against God, their family, and community. They think about their sin. I mean truly think about it and repent and make things right so that they will have a good year (the Jewish new year). They believe that the destiny of all man kind is written in the Book of Life on Rosh HaShana. With out salvation through Jesus Christ they are bound to their religion of laws and duties praying that they will be given mercy and grace. WOW!

Ponder that for a minute. As a Christian I know that I have salvation through Jesus Christ shedding His blood on the cross and believing in Him just as Romans says. I know that grace and mercy is given to me when I repent of my sin because I am saved, but I also think that I and Christians in general take that grace for granted. "Oh I can just repent later...I know what I'm doing is wrong but I'm under the blood...." We are under the mercy of Jesus but that does not mean we get to live and do what we want. As James 1:22 says be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth}.

We are not bound to the laws that were given but we can not think that we are not to do and be as Jesus was. That is what Christianity is - being Christ like. We have the Word to light our way to live a Holy and separated life and to be a light in this dark world. We are to be examples of Christ's love and show people the way to salvation. Jesus is the way the truth and the life and NO ONE can come to the Father but through Him. He is the door we have to go through.

As I think about the Jewish feasts I am grateful for what God has done, He made a way for us without works - doing the rituals and practices of the Jewish people. We have the blood of Jesus and we are priests caring the presence of God with us. The veil has been torn. We can come to the Lord on our own. Let us not take that for granted as He is still a Holy God and deserves to be reverenced, praised, and worshiped.

Jesus Love ME

Jesus loves me this I know

For the Bible tells me so

Little ones to Him belong

They are weak but

He is strong

Yes Jesus loves me

Yes Jesus loves me

Yes Jesus loves me

For the Bible tells

Me so


My sweet Faith sang this to me Sunday night. The day of my miscarriage.

I have to say I wasn't prepaired for how her sweet voice would touch me and then let alone the

tears that would fall by those sweet words that we sing so very often.

Jesus love me and loves our little one, who belongs to Him.

I can say that losing our child hasn't been easy, but it hasn't been something that has made me

lose hope or my faith in my Lord and Savior. While I am sad at the loss, God has given John and I

such a peace and joy through this that I know that He is only going to give back to us even more

than what we lost. We know that He's in control and He has a better plan what we can see.

We have been blessed with a wonderful church family who's been so wonderful through this! I can

express how greatful I am for my brothers and sisters in the Lord who have been praying

for John and I. I am also greatful to those who read this blog and have prayed for me during this

time! Thank you for those sweet prayers and your time. I pray that God blessed each one of you

abundantly!!




Blessings!

He Is In Control

Thank you all so much for your prayers for this pregnancy. I know that God has heard them and continues to move on behalf of this baby. He is the one that creates life. He only can open the womb (naturally). I trust Him to take care of this life and believe what the word says.
I have been praying the word over this baby, that I will not cast my seed before its time and He knew this child even before it was in my womb and he has a destiny for this child to fulfill.

My counts are rising, but not "normally". My wonderful OB is concerned about the development status and I will be getting blood drawn again on Thursday with results Friday morning and then an ultrasound scheduled at 12:15pm. My hcg counts should be at a level that we can see something by ultrasound. Once we do then hcg testing will stop and ultrasounds will be done to check the development.

I'm trusting God and know that He is in control and has the final say. I believe His word and it's what I am praying. Jer 1:5 which I mentioned above - He knew this baby before it was in my womb and he has set it apart a a prophet to the nations. I know that God has a destiny and purpose for this baby and I'm believing for that destiny to be fulfilled in a full and prosperous life.

Blessings!

I AM

The recent events in my life brought an unexpected curve in the journey. I didn't see this coming at all. Although I had two people ask me if I was pregnant in July and that made me wonder...but I wasn't pregnant then.

I can not say that walking this road the past few weeks has been just a smooth jaunt. It's been a little bumpy. But the bumps weren't something that should have been there they were bumps that I made by fear and doubt.

Something that God has been speaking to me and John about is negativity. Negative thinking. Negative speach. Anything that goes against the word of God and what He says is negative. Now I know that circumstances in this world may say something that is contrary to God's word and promises for us, that's where we say BUT God says ____________. It's important to not let negative thinking and speach to control me.

God says that we will do greater things that Jesus did. That means that in this world we should expect to walk in the awesome power that Jesus walked in. I dare to believe God and take Him at his word. He says he Honors His word even above HIS NAME!! Now come on...HIS NAME that is huge! He told Moses that he was I AM. He is everything that we have need of. I say I need a miracle in my finances-He says I AM JEOVAH JIRAH the Lord is My provider.

I have been at this place where I am realizing that so much of what we say determins what happens. If I believe in the Almighty that is I AM then I should be walking as His daughter full of His power. To get that power requires something. It requires my time in His prensnce. Being filled with His word so that when satan comes to tempt me I will know what to say. I know that satan will come just as he came at Jesus. But Jesus had the response - the Word. That is what I have to repond with...not what I feel or think.

Being told that I am losing this little one has faced me with this very thing. Saying what God says or getting down and negative about the report that man says. Now the nurse said to me that I've already blown her away! They expected my counts to drop when I lost those 5pt over that one weekend. But it came back and doubled in 72 hrs and has continued to rise. I'm expecting it to rise even higher by my next visit.

What is God dealing with you right now? What challenge are you facing that seems to be so big?
Remember that God is bigger than any circumstance and that He is in control we just have to stay in His prensence and allow I AM to speak and move in our lives.

New Life

Well, as I posted several days ago there was some uncertainty about the new life growing with in my womb. I've been back and forth to the doctors for blood tests. Today I was scheduled to go in do see my OB and learn of my results from yesterday.

I have to tell you that I was nervous going to the doctor this morning. John and I have been praying and believing God for HIS report not man's report on this new life. He's the one that gives life and we know that He is in control no matter what. I was still nervous. I was believing for the best but also preparing for the worst. Which when I think about that that really doesn't show much for my faith in my God. I should know with out a shadow of a doubt that this little one is in the shadow of the Almighty and that HE is taking care of this child. I told myself that I wanted to be prepared if it went the other way...and that made me fear.

Back to the doctors office...

I had to wait in the waiting room and then the nurse called me back. They all know me there - pretty much (I have 3 kids under the age of 5 so I've been there a lot). She was really sweet and asked "How are you doing Hun?" in this kind of sympathy tone.

Nerves are going crazy now

I get into the room and she says "She'll talk with you in a little bit".

WAITING

WAITING

WAITING SOME MORE

I was about to cry when I heard the nurse say "She's in room 8 what do I need to prepare?"

I waited over 30min for her to come in.

And then...the results....went up from 75 to 114!!!!!

It was like this weight was lifted from me and instantly we just began talking about the plan and what she was concerned about. I had an ultrasound to check things out and then we were done. Scheduled to do blood tests again Monday. Just awesome!!!

God is faithful!! Even when I was still believing, but questioning/doubting what was going on...He knew and was in control the whole time. So often we do that with any situation that arises, but even more so when we have absolutely no control over what is happening. All I could and was to do was trust and believe God and that is what we are to do at all times. Have faith.

I'm so excited for this report and I know that it's only going to go up from here!
Thank you all for your prayers and support. We are continuing to pray for this new life and every part of this pregnancy.

Blessings!