We Shall Be Like Him! by Myra Boozer

James 3:13-18 talks about wisdom...earthly wisdom and also wisdom from above (from God). He stated that it is pure...peaceable...gentle...easily entreated...reasonable...full of mercy and good fruits...merciful...without partiality...steadfast...without hypocrisy...sincere.

Wisdom's consequences are "the fruit of righteousness." Purity is the first characteristic, and James underscores its priority. Originally it meant freedom from ceremonial defilement, then came to include much more than that. It is used of the purity of God Himself! “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure,” I John 3:2-3.

In the context of the discussion, it implies freedom from anything that would contaminate or soil one's integrity. I found a great illustration for this meaning. There lives, in the forests of northern Europe and Asia, a little animal called the “ermine.” It is known for its snow-white fur, the most beautiful fur in the world. In some countries the state robes of judges are lined with it as emblematic of purity and honor. Ladies of means prize coats for their beauty and warmth. The “ermine,” it seems, takes a peculiar pride in its white coat and goes to great lengths to avoid soiling it. It is said that some fur hunters have taken advantage of this fact to capture the “ermine.” Instead of setting a trap, they find its home, a cleft in the rock or a hollow tree, and daub the entrance with FILTH. Then the dogs start the chase. Sounds like our day!!!

Frightened, the “ermine” flees to its home, its place of refuge. Finding it daubed with uncleanness, rather than soil its pure white coat, it faces the yelping dogs and is captured by the hunters, preserving the purity of its fur at the price of its life.

The “ermine” is right: purity is more precious than life (this life). "...The wisdom that is from above is first pure...,” James 3:17. With all the evil and corruption in our world, I pray that we will be like the little “ermine” and remember that staying pure is more precious and valuable than our own life. Jesus is coming for a Bride that has no spots or blemishes in her wedding gown...pure and white...unspotted by this world's filthy sin…"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure." We Shall Be Like Him! 

The Beauty Of Holiness!

Psalm 29:2, “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”

God requires that we come before Him in holiness. If we are to enter into His presence, we will do so under the covering of Holiness. The Psalmist said it best: if we are to give God the glory that is due Him, if we are to truly worship Him, we will do so in His holiness. Holiness is an indispensable element of our relationship with God. Hebrews 12:14, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”

God Is Holy! Man was created in the image of God, and until he sinned, he was the reflection of God. After the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, God pronounced the curse of sin upon all creation. All that God had created would carry the scar of man’s failure.

The sin in mortal man cannot be representative of God. Therefore, the sin must be cast aside and abandoned. That is done in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus provided everything we need to be a true disciple through His cleansing blood. Look to the cross, believe in the cleansing of Christ, be washed in His blood, and He will make you clean and holy. The believer is wholly washed, becoming a child of God and prepared to be the reflection of His Father. Amen! 

An Everlasting Kingdom! by Myra Boozer

God is so good! I want to tell you what happened this morning. As I was sitting in my bedroom doing some Bible study, I heard a bird hit my pineapple plant and patio door. I got up and opened the blinds to see what was going on. No bird, but lying on the cushioned glider was my camera. Wow, it had been a couple of days since I remembered having my camera out back. Well, all I could think of was that God sent a little bird to my window to alert me to my camera. It wasn't long after that we got a short but hard rain.

As I continued to read and study, one of my scriptures reminded me of how great God is, even in small things. Daniel 4:2, “I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. 3 How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.”

I am so thankful for the God I serve, and of whose kingdom I am a part. His Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom! God is still receiving new citizens through His Son Jesus Christ and His death on the cross. However, you must resign from all other loyalties and commit to His rule and His authority. That sounds hard for those who love to be in control. But once you have given yourself to Him and received His Lordship, your soul will rejoice, and you will be confident in your decision. You will have no desire to leave the Father and His great provision. He is such a great, great Father full of mercy, so I thank Him for all He does for me, including the small things. (written July 4, 2016) 

Empowered To Finish The Kingdom Work!

Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

Are we willing to allow the Holy Spirit of God to fully possess our mortal bodies and be transformed into vessels of His Presence? God is looking for willing souls given to His service and the completion of His Kingdom work! However, we must empty ourselves of self-will and submit to being poured out as the anointing oil of His Presence upon a sick and dying world. Jesus came to save that which was lost, and He still wants to save and deliver lost humanity. Can we allow the Holy Ghost to invade our minds, our hearts and souls and reveal to us our role in His Divine Will? Are we willing to wrestle with the conflict within us as Jacob of old until God brings our deliverance and empowers us to finish His mission here? (see Genesis 32)

Can we sincerely pray this prayer? “Father God, Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon us today. In this frail mortal tabernacle, we strive to become the best that we can be. Possess this clay vessel and make it unto honor and glory for Your Name's sake. Fill us again and again with the nectar of heaven that we may be poured out, emptied in the perpetuation of the Gospel and building up of the Kingdom of God. Refresh us in the power of your Spirit that we may be strong, resilient, and victorious. Capture our minds, our hearts, and our souls and hold us in reserve to your Divine purpose and will. Constrain us to entertain your presence and your voice until your revelation comes. May we be like Jacob, engaged in heavenly warfare until your deliverance comes to us. Pour into us your strength, your courage, and your faith. Sustain us in this present conflict with the manna that only you can provide. Walk with us today, instructing us and guiding each step we take. Open our eyes to what you are doing and where you are going. Anoint us that we may go with you to the consummation of all things and time without end. In Jesus' name! Amen.” Empowered to Finish The Kingdom Work! 

Know The Enemy! by Myra Boozer

So much unrest in our world today! So much talk about people having a RIGHT to freedom of speech...even to disrespect our Country and what we STAND for...the things that were once recognized as moral and sacred...the things that our nation upholds because God and His Word say so. When they are aborted, cursed, rejected, denied, protested against...even to publicly disgracing the American Flag and National Anthem all because of hatred and rebellion, how can this be for the good of a people, a country, a nation? How can this be about Freedom?

Some people are on a Campaign to destroy all Freedom because they want the right to destroy those who uphold Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. When the Lion comes to live in your home, he is there for one reason: to eat your family. Do we allow that because "everyone," even lawbreakers, should have free speech and act out however they desire? When this is regarded as acceptable, the Enemy wins. We lose!

Tolerance of All actions becomes a prison to the people of a nation. Where is Freedom in that? Don't allow every thought and every campaign to win you over. Don't be a friend to the enemy! His character is to destroy you! Know your enemy! Know those who stir up strife and bitterness. Know those who call good evil and evil good. Know those who do not respect life, born or unborn. Know those who leave God out of the equation and expect you to do the same. Know those who have come to steal, kill, and destroy! THEY ARE THE ENEMY...WE MUST NOT GIVE RIGHTS TO THE ENEMY...Know The Enemy! 

Let Jesus Take Control!

1 John 3:1, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

We will face trials and testing in the days ahead! But we have a companion who walks with us to provide for every need. Jesus will make a way through every difficult experience. 1 Cor. 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” We will not face any trial or test that is not experienced by other human beings. The testing is the same for all, just different faces, with the determining factor for victory being the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in one’s life.

The challenge we face today is allowing Jesus Christ to fully control our lives. It is a struggle for us to relinquish our independence and allow Him to lead the way. However, He is immensely more qualified than we are to determine the correct path. He knows the way that we should go. Our heart cry should be to go where He is going. Therefore, we must submit to His leading to go along with Him. Let Jesus Take Control!

Can You Believe? by Myra Boozer

Can you believe how fast things are falling apart in this country and the world, for that matter? God will not put up with evil running rampant for an extended time. He will come and fight against these evil people who seem to prevail.

God has all power, and those who think they are so high and mighty to come against God and His Holy Word will find that they can ONLY do what God allows them to do. One day they will tremble in His presence, bow their knee and confess He is LORD. But that will be too late! NOW is the day of salvation!

Somehow, I believe these, that have turned to such rebellion against God and the Truths that our country was founded upon, at some point rejected the still small voice of a loving God who offered His only Son for their sins. But they rejected Him! When any person keeps on rejecting God, they are falling deeper into the arms of an evil master who will consume them with his deceitful ways and carry them with him to the pits of hell.

God has given us another day (well, He could come at any time, before the night has ended), but we have this time right now to surrender our hearts, our minds, our wills. It could be too late for those who don't have ears to hear, but for those who have ears, let him hear what the Spirit is saying. Call on the Lord while He is near! Seek Him while He can still be found. Please don't take God for granted and spurn your opportunity to know Him as Lord and Master of your life.

"For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled," 1 Peter 3:12-14.

There is a song that says, "God is fighting for us. He is on our side. We will not be shaken. We will not be moved." God is so faithful to His children! He will not allow them to be defeated. Can You Believe?