Hope in faith

For whatever was written in former days 

was written for our instruction, 

that through endurance and 

through the encouragement of the Scriptures 

we might have hope.

Romans 15:4 ESV

*****

Please join me this week in praying for someone who lacks faith. Ask God also for the opportunity, words, courage to share the Good News with that person(s).
I'll post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Shield of faith

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, 

with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;

Ephesians 6:16 ESV

*****

Please join me this week in praying for someone who lacks faith. Ask God also for the opportunity, words, courage to share the Good News with that person(s).
I'll post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Anything's possible

So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; 

for assuredly, I say to you, 

if you have faith as a mustard seed, 

you will say to this mountain, 

‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; 

and nothing will be impossible for you. 

However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Matthew 17:20-21 ESV

*****

Please join me this week in praying for someone who lacks faith. Ask God also for the opportunity, words, courage to share the Good News with that person(s).
I'll post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Faith is a gift from God

I believe that God hears my prayers and answers all of my prayers; sometimes 'yes', sometimes 'no' and always in His time and not mine. When we pray for the salvation of the unsaved, He hears our pleas. George Muller prayed every single day for a handful of people to be saved and as they came to faith, he prayed for additional people. Every single person he prayed for came to faith, except for one (if I'm remembering the story correctly). I look at some people and think they're an impossible cause because of their convictions, but then I remember Saul. If God can convert Saul (Paul), then He can convert anyone.
People come to Christ by hearing the Gospel, so be a messenger for God, but also pray for those who aren't saved and see what a difference it makes.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. 

And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Ephesians 2:8 ESV

*****

Please join me this week in praying for someone who lacks faith. Ask God also for the opportunity, words, courage to share the Good News with that person(s).
I'll post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Father's hand

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, 

and they follow me. I give them eternal life, 

and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 

My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, 

and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

John 10:27-29 ESV

I will prepare a place for you

And if I go and prepare a place for you, 

I will come again and will take you to Myself, 

that where I am you may be also.

John 14:3 ESV

Good courage

For the wages of sin is death, 

but the free gift of God is 

eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23 ESV

So we are always of good courage. 

We know that while we are at home in the body 

we are away from the Lord, 

for we walk by faith, not by sight. 

Yes, we are of good courage, 

and we would rather be away from the body 

and at home with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 ESV

Many rooms

“Let not your hearts be troubled. 

Believe in God; believe also in me. 

In my Father's house are many rooms. 

If it were not so, would I have told you that 

I go to prepare a place for you? 

And if I go and prepare a place for you, 

I will come again and will take you to myself, 

that where I am you may be also.

John 11:25 ESV

The greatest Gift

*****

Let's pray with thanksgiving for the hope and comfort of eternal life in Christ Jesus. I'll post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

The peace of God

Daily Bible Verse

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, 

to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Colossians 3:15 NKJV

Dwell in the secret place

Daily Bible Verse

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalms 91:1 NKJV

Have you not known?

Daily Bible Verse

Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the Lord,

The Creator of the ends of the earth,

Neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

Isaiah 40:28 (NKJV)

God searches our hearts

Daily Bible Verse

I, the Lord, search the heart,

I test the mind,

Even to give every man according to his ways,

According to the fruit of his doings.

Jeremiah 17:10 (NKJV)

Daily Bible Verse Philippians 4:4-7

Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)

Final Exhortations

Rejoice in the Lord always. 

I will say it again: Rejoice! 

Let your gentleness be evident to all.

The Lord is near. 

Do not be anxious about anything, 

but in every situation, by prayer and petition, 

with thanksgiving, 

present your requests to God. 

And the peace of God, 

which transcends all understanding, 

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Daily Bible Verse Ephesians 3:14-19

Ephesians 3:14-19 (NIV)

A Prayer for the Ephesians

For this reason I kneel before the Father, 

from Whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 

I pray that out of His glorious riches

He may strengthen you with power 

through His Spirit in your inner being, 

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 

may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, 

to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that 

you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

The Gift of God

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

The Gift of God

For it is by grace you have been saved, 

through faith—

and this is not from yourselves, 

it is the gift of God— 

not by works, so that no one can boast.

In other words, you can't get into Heaven just by doing good deeds. You have to have faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Good deeds are done by those who follow Him, and those deeds are rewarded in Heaven with crowns which we will throw to the feet of Jesus. Like a famous Pastor once said, 'I don't want to meet Jesus empty handed.' To read about the Five crowns, click here.

Annual Post

It seems my good intentions (aka "resolutions") start out pretty well with each new year, but, by the end of the year, it's all "try again after January 1st." So, now that the first of the new year has rolled around, it's time for all of my do-overs. I'll try again to do things that I deem important, but most of which are just day-fillers; things to worry about, focus my attention on.

This new year's focus, and daily focus, I want to be rooted in the bible, and I'll tell you why.

I wrote a sort of "poem" the other day, or maybe it was just a ramble, about death. Towards the end of the piece, it was clear to me that I was the "Observer." The focus of the poem was to show how dying looked to two different men. The one man, named "Hope", didn't want to die, but towards the end, he saw hope, he saw his family and friends who had passed before him, and he was at peace. The second man, named "Dread", thought he wanted to die, but when he saw the gates of hell open before him, he was terrified; he could find no friends or family because in hell, there is only isolation. I picture it as an eternal sensory deprivation chamber, but maybe that's just me. The thought of anyone I know dying in that way, and especially, spending eternity that way sickens me, especially if there were something that I could have said or done to prevent it. We're all called to be witnesses and disciples for Jesus, but I've always felt uncomfortable coming right out and saying anything for fear of offending someone, or angering someone, or being questioned and not knowing the answers. By being merely an "observer" to this life, I have no purpose. God has given me the gift* to write and create (or at the very least, the gift to believe that I have such a gift), and there's no excuse for not using that to tell what I do know. If anyone has any questions, I can find someone to give you an answer, or, surprise of surprise, I may know the answer.

So, we'll see if my newest, latest resolutions last past today. I'll post that poem tomorrow (at least, I intend to.)

Happy 2017.

*To learn about Spiritual Gifts, read 1 Corinthians Chapter 12.

Dance

I received this as an email.  It explains some of the thinking I've been doing the past year and a half.  Life is such a gift, we need to cherish every minute of it.  

The email contained a link to this webpage.  I've copied the text below:

This was written by an 83-year-old woman to her friend.
*The last line says it all. *

Dear Bertha,

I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting in the yard and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the  garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time working.

Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not to endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.

I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, or the first Amaryllis blossom.

I wear my good blazer to the market. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties, but wearing it for clerks in the hardware store and tellers at the bank.

"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now

I'm not sure what others would've done had they known they wouldn't be here for the tomorrow that we all take for granted. I think they would have called family members and a few close friends. They might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think they would have gone out for a Chinese dinner or for whatever their favorite food was.

I'm guessing; I'll never know.

It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and parents often enough how much I truly love them. I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, tell myself that it is special.

Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God.