Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Need Confidence? by Myra Boozer

If you are in need of confidence (trust, reliance, assurance), turn your eyes to the Lord Jesus. That is where our help comes from. There is no greater power or greater force than God. Yes, God uses man sometimes to take care of the things that we may need. But, for the one who created this whole universe and hung it in space, He really doesn't need anyone to help Him, but He allows us to be part of His great plan.

Put your trust in Him and your confidence will rise, knowing this. Psalms 40:11, "Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD, let thy loving kindness and thy truth continually preserve me." It is He who gives us life and all that we need ONE DAY AT A TIME. “For in thee O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God,” Psalm 38:15. 

When we truly BELIEVE this we will be filled with confidence, not in ourselves, but in God. "Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies," Psalm 40:4.

Jesus Wins This War!

Galatians 6:9, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Don’t grow “weary in well doing.” Persecutions and afflictions are synonymous with being a disciple of Christ. Actually, tests and trials are the anthem of the “born again.” Paul testified to the deliverance of Christ because Christ brought him through persecutions and afflictions. 2Tim. 3:10, “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.”

The Lord Jesus delivered Paul out of them all. That was Paul’s testimony. Paul “endured” hardness (to suffer, be afflicted) as a good soldier of the Cross therefore, he could instruct Timothy to do the same. 2 Tim. 2:2, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 3Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”

Persecution will become more intense as we approach the coming of Jesus Christ and the consummation of all things. 2 Tim. 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;”

Though the enemy rises up to interfere with our mission, our victory has already been secured. Jesus declared victory at Calvary when He embraced the role of His sacrifice. Psalm 22:14, “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.” Jesus poured Himself out on the cross and there is power in the blood of his sacrifice to empower us to finish His mission here.

Take heart, be encouraged, we’ve read the last chapter in His Book. Jesus Christ is victorious. Put your trust in Him. Walk in His strength. He will provide everything we need to successfully complete our mission. Jesus Wins This War! 

Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The Lord Is My Refuge! by Myra Boozer

A word from "The Word." Psalm 5:11, "But let all who take refuge in you be GLAD; Let them ever SING for JOY. Spread your protection over them, that those who LOVE Your Name may rejoice in You. 12 For surely O Lord You bless the righteous; You surround them with Your favor as a Shield,” NIV. I love the scripture and song that says "For thou O Lord art a shield for me the glory and the lifter up of mine head." Don't be troubled or cast down. The ONE you love, the ONE you adore, the ONE who gave His very life for you is watching and waiting to come and restore His Kingdom here on this earth. And He will rule and reign forever and ever.

No question about it, He has everything under control and He knows your name. Don't worry, stay close and let nothing pull your thoughts aside from His will for your life… "Not my will but thine be done," is the prayer for us to pray. He knows our path and He knows our hearts. 

There is Favor for you as His child, when you walk with Him...not that everything will go the way WE think...but that He knows what is best and will work all things for our good. He is our Faithful Father! Trust in Him! It isn't that much further and we'll be HOME!

He Restores My Soul!

Psalm 23:1, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

God is enough for any person that will put their full trust in Him. The writer of this passage knew that very well. Speaking from the perspective of one who spent his young life with sheep, David knew the attributes of a good shepherd and made the comparison to his relationship with God.

David had learned that God would provide all that he needed in life. But more than that he knew that God would lead him in the direction that best pleased Him for His honor and His glory. He also knew that God would be with him every step of the way though he had to travel through the enemy’s camp. God’s anointing would be sufficient for all his days and in the end, he would dwell in the presence of God forever.

Jesus Christ is enough for us today if we will put our full trust in Him. He will provide all that we will ever need in this life. He will do that for His name's sake! We carry His Name as followers of Christ. It is His reputation that He will defend and protect. In the presence of our enemies, He will raise up His Standard. We will walk in His anointing all our days and in the end rest in His presence forever. 

How can anyone pass up this glorious opportunity? How can we neglect such an awesome invitation? He Restores My Soul!

Monday, November 18, 2019

My Safe Place! by Myra Boozer

Life is so full of troubles, trials and disappointments and many days our hearts can be broken because of all that is going on in our world. Neglected children, the forgotten elderly, the sick and dying and the lonely with no one to share the day. It is a beautiful thing to know that God has a place that provides protection and shelter, a place one can turn to for help, relief, and escape. The Lord tells us He is with us at all times. But we must leave our little world of survival and focus our hearts and minds towards Him who is our refuge.

When we give all our TRUST to Him alone, then it happens. He comes and sits with us and talks with us wrapping His big arms of love around us. It is then we realize we are not alone or overtaken by any burden that He cannot handle.

When we allow the Holy Spirit to renew our mind we are actually surrendering to what is going on and receiving our life vest for survival during our storm. Spiritually, we are taken into that safe place of His protection, His pavilion and none of the things of this world can defeat us. Not that we are not there already, but when our hearts don't stay FIXED on Him, we do not REST in His PRESENCE.

We must stay awake and aware that the world will pull us in, leaving us vulnerable to Satan and his lies of defeat. BUT Jesus says come unto me ALL of you that are troubled or overtaken and I will give you REST. He is our safe place in a world of calamity. He is our shelter in the time of the storm. He is the one who lifts us up above the shadows and puts our feet on solid ground.

To really know Him is to TRUST Him...To Trust Him means that your soul will be at REST... When all around us is crumbling down...Our heart is fixed on the Lord and we are safe and secure in Him...My Safe Place!

God Is Lifting Up His Standard! Conclusion

Difficulty has arisen because of a departure from the leadership of the Holy Spirit. How can we be lead by Him if we are not first possessed by Him? How can we be possessed by Him unless we believe that He exists as the third person of the Godhead fulfilling Jesus' promise to be our comforter? John 14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” The promise of the Comforter was as such to provide a Paraclete to lead and guide the Church as Christ's Advocate or on His behalf. The Holy Spirit is to lead the Church just as God led Israel and Jesus led the New Testament Church.

The Hebrews writer tells us that if we are to please God we must first believe that He exists and secondly believe that He will reward us as we seek Him. Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Consequently, we must believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, co-existing and co-equal with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost. Those who reject the Person and work of the Holy Spirit reject the whole of God's plan and that is the root of the confusion. When this basic scriptural truth is denied, every doctrine built upon that foundation is at risk of dilution or discarding altogether.

The doctrine of inclusion came into existence because religious leaders wanted to accommodate people. As public opinion has become increasing more liberal, societal pressure has expanded to include entire groups of people and lifestyles. Although the Word of God strongly condemns carnal, fleshly thought and lifestyles, the moral climate of our world demands that such behavior be accepted and embraced by the populace of the world including Christianity and the Church.

The Kingdom of God is a spiritual entity and as such has a spiritual administration. True, we all are mortal beings but God uses mortal beings in His Kingdom if they are subject to the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the work of the Holy Spirit must be embraced in submission and obedience. The tension comes in the conflict between the carnal leadership of man and the administration of the Holy Spirit. Religious leadership has succumbed to the collusion of ambition, greed, and pride. Therefore the door is thrown open wide for governance by man and the Holy Spirit has been expelled. Hence our present dilemma.

God will set apart and identify the believers in His Kingdom. By the Holy Spirit, God is lifting His Standard and His obedient followers are flowing to it, as the enemy comes in like a flood. The question today is, “Am I going to follow a religious movement or the Holy Spirit?” The answer to that question will determine our affiliation with a religious group or being a part of the Kingdom of God. And the answer to that question will determine our eternity. My prayer is that we will allow the Holy Spirit to open our ears to hear what He is saying in this late hour!

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Written In Stone! by Myra Boozer

"You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. And you shall keep My statutes and practice them, I am the Lord who sanctifies you," Leviticus 20:7-8.

A friend used to tell me quite often when we were making plans...now it's NOT written in stone. In other words, our plans could change and they usually did to some degree. The 10 Commandments are a different story.

When God gave them to Moses on tablets, they were written in stone. He believed and meant every word He wrote. They are called Commandments because they are just that. They are not suggestions. To be even more clear, they are God's Laws. Thru all these years, God has not changed them. Many would like to forget them, remove them and destroy them. But, God has not and will not allow this to happen. 

Jesus came that they might be written on our hearts. The love Jesus has for us causes us to desire obedience to God, to do what He asks! Only by seeking God and having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will we desire to obey this Word that is Written In Stone.