“God is able to do abundantly above all we could ask or even imagine! (Ephesians 3:20)
I am a 'word' person. I like to study and analyze words, so I am fascinated and greatly blessed by the "verbs of God". I like to study and analyze words and have found that God is not silent. He is at work and active on our behalf all the time. I just wanted to share some of the "verbs of God" with you to bless you.
God holds and strengthens us with His right hand when we are too weak to stand. (Ps.73:23-26; Ps. 94:18; Isa.41:3) Remember, “Footprints in the Sand?”
After all He will receive us to glory because He has already received us into His family. (II Cor.6:17; II Pet.1:3; I Jn.5:1)
God guides us when we need counsel. (Ps.5:8; 23:3; 25:5; 32:8)
He comforts us when we grieve. (II Cor.1:4)
God provides for us when we are needy. (Phil.4:19)
God enables us when we are unable. (Phil.4:13)
God answers us when we call. (Jer.33:3)
God loves us although we are unlovely. (Rom.5:8)
God corrects us when we are rebellious. (Prov.3:12)
God saves us when we are in trouble. (Ps.27:5)
God delivers us when we are in bondage. (Col.1:13)
God will never leave us nor forsake us. (Heb.13:5)
God is our light in our dark places. (Ps.139:12; Jn.8:12)
God fills us when we are empty. (Ps.107:9)
God refreshes us in our desert times. (Ps.23)
God enlightens us when we are blind. (Ps.27:1; Rev.3:17-18)
God sees us through His eyes of unconditional love. (I Cor.13)
God calls us by name when we are lost. (Jn.10:3)
God reaches out to and seeks us. (Jn.4:23)
Jesus died, arose, lives, ascended and sent the Holy Spirit. (Jn.19-2l; 16: 7-8)
Jesus will live and walk with us and will be our God. (II Cor.7:16)
Jesus lives in us. (Eph.3:17)
God will give you the desires of your heart if you delight and trust in Him. (Ps.37:4,5)
Jesus is alive. (Rev.1:18)
God's Word is alive and full of power, making it active, operative, energizing and effective.(Heb.4:12)!
God commands: go, wait, put on, put off, walk, run, seek, pray, repent, humble yourself, hunger & thirst, study, meditate and much more. Time nor space will not allow me to list all of God's verbs. Read and find for yourself more. It will excite you and build your faith. Make God's verbs your own.
Hallelujah for God’s verbs!!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
THE "BIG HAND" ON GOD'S CLOCK
Along the fence row at the end of our street there are many blackberry vines on which we patiently (?) wait every year to bloom, produce small, green berries which turn red and then black. When they are fully black they are the sweetest and will easily fall into your hand when picked. If we get there before other watchful eyes we can have at least one big blackberry pie. If we are impatient and try to pick them before they are fully ripe they are not sweet and very disappointing. Waiting until the perfect time results in a very beautiful pie or preserves.
Waiting is not easy for us. It is human nature to want things now, in our time and in our way, which brings about disappointing results. But when we are dealing with an omniscient, omnipotent, all wise God, waiting on His time and His ways will always bring about a beautiful ending (Eccl.3:11).
Isaiah 40:28-31, is a beautiful illustration of how “waiting” on the Lord lifts us above the worldly thinking and lifts us up as on wings of eagles to soar above the problems, questions and hurts of our circumstances. In the Hebrew the word “wait” means “to bind together (by twisting).” I believe this is a picture of us patiently and expectantly yielding our desires and plans to the Father of Lights until our will is so blended with His that we are one with Him and therefore joyfully wait for His miracle in our situation. I’ll share a very poignant experience that taught me this very valuable lesson on waiting on the Lord.
Mark met Ladan at ETBU during the hostage crisis in Iran and for fear of her student visa being revoked and her being extradited, they married in 1980. In 1992, Ladan, then the mother of three children, was told she had cancer with a prognosis of three years. Ladan was from Iran and had been raised a Moslem. Her father sent her and her three brothers to the U.S for safety after the Shah had been deposed and a radical Khomeini had replaced him having all those loyal to the Shah either killed, imprisoned or their jobs compromised to the point of no influence. Ladan’s family was very loyal and even friends with the Shaw.
Ladan made a profession of faith while in college (she later said it was so the students would stop harassing her to become a Christian). Because after several years of marriage she seemed to revert back to her Moslem faith, Mark lost hope that her profession of faith in Jesus was genuine. He had shared his fear with us but in my heart I had peace about her salvation. So as we prayed and waited on the Lord it seemed as if I couldn’t pray with faith for her physical healing but prayed for a confirmation of her salvation.
After three years of Ladan battling the cancer Mark called us one afternoon saying he was taking her to the hospital because she had gone into respiratory arrest. We quickly packed a bag and traveled to the hospital close to Cedar Hill where they lived. All in God’s plans, Mark was not there when we arrived but had gone to the airport to pick up Ladan’s Father who had planned his trip a month before. The nurses led us into Ladan’s room where she was alone. She was hooked up to all kinds of life support and was in a coma. I noticed her eyes were open and were dry and glazed over with a film.
I called the nurse in and asked her why they hadn’t closed her eyes. The nurse said it was because if there was any awareness or responsiveness in Ladan it would be in her eyes.
I began talking to her and stroking her dark hair that had grown back since her Chemo. I then felt very impressed to have Wendell agree with me in prayer – to come, in the mighty name of Jesus, against destruction, deceit, the powers of darkness and spiritual death. As I began praying this in my spirit large tears began coming from Ladan’s dry eyes and rolling down her face. This was the miraculous confirmation I had been praying for. What joy and peace filled my heart. If I had not waited on the Lord for His perfect timing I would have missed this miracle. The best things are worth waiting for!
At Ladan’s memorial service here in Marshall her English professor and close friend and another close friend who had treated her as a daughter, shared with us how after Ladan professed faith in Jesus Christ she wanted to be baptized. Then in the church chapel she planned a public testimonial of her conversion. She came down the aisle in a white robe (signifying her robe of righteousness) and carrying a lit candle (signifying the light of Jesus in her life). We don’t understand a lot that went on in her life since then but we know the devil is the deceiver but he couldn’t snatch Ladan out of the Father’s hands. Hallelujah!!
The ‘big hand” on God’s clock is like a miracle wand. When His “big hand” reaches His purposed hour our ugly circumstances become beautiful. (Eccl.3:11)
Waiting is not easy for us. It is human nature to want things now, in our time and in our way, which brings about disappointing results. But when we are dealing with an omniscient, omnipotent, all wise God, waiting on His time and His ways will always bring about a beautiful ending (Eccl.3:11).
Isaiah 40:28-31, is a beautiful illustration of how “waiting” on the Lord lifts us above the worldly thinking and lifts us up as on wings of eagles to soar above the problems, questions and hurts of our circumstances. In the Hebrew the word “wait” means “to bind together (by twisting).” I believe this is a picture of us patiently and expectantly yielding our desires and plans to the Father of Lights until our will is so blended with His that we are one with Him and therefore joyfully wait for His miracle in our situation. I’ll share a very poignant experience that taught me this very valuable lesson on waiting on the Lord.
Mark met Ladan at ETBU during the hostage crisis in Iran and for fear of her student visa being revoked and her being extradited, they married in 1980. In 1992, Ladan, then the mother of three children, was told she had cancer with a prognosis of three years. Ladan was from Iran and had been raised a Moslem. Her father sent her and her three brothers to the U.S for safety after the Shah had been deposed and a radical Khomeini had replaced him having all those loyal to the Shah either killed, imprisoned or their jobs compromised to the point of no influence. Ladan’s family was very loyal and even friends with the Shaw.
Ladan made a profession of faith while in college (she later said it was so the students would stop harassing her to become a Christian). Because after several years of marriage she seemed to revert back to her Moslem faith, Mark lost hope that her profession of faith in Jesus was genuine. He had shared his fear with us but in my heart I had peace about her salvation. So as we prayed and waited on the Lord it seemed as if I couldn’t pray with faith for her physical healing but prayed for a confirmation of her salvation.
After three years of Ladan battling the cancer Mark called us one afternoon saying he was taking her to the hospital because she had gone into respiratory arrest. We quickly packed a bag and traveled to the hospital close to Cedar Hill where they lived. All in God’s plans, Mark was not there when we arrived but had gone to the airport to pick up Ladan’s Father who had planned his trip a month before. The nurses led us into Ladan’s room where she was alone. She was hooked up to all kinds of life support and was in a coma. I noticed her eyes were open and were dry and glazed over with a film.
I called the nurse in and asked her why they hadn’t closed her eyes. The nurse said it was because if there was any awareness or responsiveness in Ladan it would be in her eyes.
I began talking to her and stroking her dark hair that had grown back since her Chemo. I then felt very impressed to have Wendell agree with me in prayer – to come, in the mighty name of Jesus, against destruction, deceit, the powers of darkness and spiritual death. As I began praying this in my spirit large tears began coming from Ladan’s dry eyes and rolling down her face. This was the miraculous confirmation I had been praying for. What joy and peace filled my heart. If I had not waited on the Lord for His perfect timing I would have missed this miracle. The best things are worth waiting for!
At Ladan’s memorial service here in Marshall her English professor and close friend and another close friend who had treated her as a daughter, shared with us how after Ladan professed faith in Jesus Christ she wanted to be baptized. Then in the church chapel she planned a public testimonial of her conversion. She came down the aisle in a white robe (signifying her robe of righteousness) and carrying a lit candle (signifying the light of Jesus in her life). We don’t understand a lot that went on in her life since then but we know the devil is the deceiver but he couldn’t snatch Ladan out of the Father’s hands. Hallelujah!!
The ‘big hand” on God’s clock is like a miracle wand. When His “big hand” reaches His purposed hour our ugly circumstances become beautiful. (Eccl.3:11)
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Were We Promised a Rose Garden?
Several years ago, Lynn Anderson, a popular country-western singer, sang a song written by Joe South and made it very popular, “I Never Promised You A Rose Garden.” Some of the words are still meaningful to life in this world, “Along with the sunshine, there’s gotta be a little rain sometimes. When you take, you gotta give, so live and let live, or let go.”
If you know me well you know that I am a gardener and love flowers. I have a lot of other kinds of flowers that are beautiful but I have always loved roses but was discouraged from growing any because “they are too hard to grow and take a lot of work.” Well since when did hard work keep me from doing something I really wanted to do :)? So I bought my climbing rose, planted it in the sun, fed it, watered it, put up a trellis on which to grow and now I have red roses growing outside the picture window of my bathroom. But I have since come to know by the experience of cutting, pruning, digging, feeding and watering that my beautiful roses have thorns which latch onto clothing and skin alike, stabbing, tearing and bringing profuse blood at times. But this light suffering is not to be considered for the pleasure of seeing these beauties outside my window.
How analogous the rose is to the Christian life. Contrary to the focus some teachers have on material things, the "name it and claim it" gospel, we are promised tribulation as long as we live in this world (Jn.16:33), but, don’t you love God's "buts," – “but I have overcome the world.” To become that beautiful, fragrant flower God intended us to be we have to be pruned, dug around, fed, watered and grown in the “Son.” Jesus, the Master Gardener, knows that to grow us up into His perfect image we have to endure whatever He sees it takes to bring us to that place of being a desired, beautiful, fragrant and mature Christian.
Tyler, Texas, is called the rose capitol of the world. I used to see their roses being sold at roadside stands along the interstate outside of Tyler. Because of their fame and beauty, the roses were a sellout every day. Is the beauty of Jesus shining so in us that others who think they are wealthy and have need of nothing want to obtain the beautiful roses of peace, joy, love, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and humility (Rev.3:18, Gal.5:22-23) they see in us? These qualities only come from “the Rose of Sharon” and cannot be purchased with money, only with a repentant and pure heart. In fact, all these beautiful things come in the package when we receive Jesus. When that happens the Master Gardener begins cultivating and perfecting our rose garden.
Yes, we were promised a rose garden. Although the thorns come with the roses it is worth it. (People without Jesus have all thorns, no roses :( ).
Mary Jones
If you know me well you know that I am a gardener and love flowers. I have a lot of other kinds of flowers that are beautiful but I have always loved roses but was discouraged from growing any because “they are too hard to grow and take a lot of work.” Well since when did hard work keep me from doing something I really wanted to do :)? So I bought my climbing rose, planted it in the sun, fed it, watered it, put up a trellis on which to grow and now I have red roses growing outside the picture window of my bathroom. But I have since come to know by the experience of cutting, pruning, digging, feeding and watering that my beautiful roses have thorns which latch onto clothing and skin alike, stabbing, tearing and bringing profuse blood at times. But this light suffering is not to be considered for the pleasure of seeing these beauties outside my window.
How analogous the rose is to the Christian life. Contrary to the focus some teachers have on material things, the "name it and claim it" gospel, we are promised tribulation as long as we live in this world (Jn.16:33), but, don’t you love God's "buts," – “but I have overcome the world.” To become that beautiful, fragrant flower God intended us to be we have to be pruned, dug around, fed, watered and grown in the “Son.” Jesus, the Master Gardener, knows that to grow us up into His perfect image we have to endure whatever He sees it takes to bring us to that place of being a desired, beautiful, fragrant and mature Christian.
Tyler, Texas, is called the rose capitol of the world. I used to see their roses being sold at roadside stands along the interstate outside of Tyler. Because of their fame and beauty, the roses were a sellout every day. Is the beauty of Jesus shining so in us that others who think they are wealthy and have need of nothing want to obtain the beautiful roses of peace, joy, love, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and humility (Rev.3:18, Gal.5:22-23) they see in us? These qualities only come from “the Rose of Sharon” and cannot be purchased with money, only with a repentant and pure heart. In fact, all these beautiful things come in the package when we receive Jesus. When that happens the Master Gardener begins cultivating and perfecting our rose garden.
Yes, we were promised a rose garden. Although the thorns come with the roses it is worth it. (People without Jesus have all thorns, no roses :( ).
Mary Jones
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