The Blood.. Bethel music.

 https://youtu.be/4DtiMf1xoLM

2 Corinthians 5: 17-21......Galations 6:14-15

 Living a good life without an inward change leads to a shallow or empty spiritual walk. What matters to God is that we be completely changed from the inside out.

 The Holy Spirit gives us this new life, and we are not the same anymore.  We are beginning a new life under a new Master, Jesus Christ.

 Focusing on the tragedy of the cross, can't help but change you. Because it's only by the blood that we are made new.

 Our spiritual power is in the cross. It is what defeated satan.  Jesus came because He knew what his death and resurrection. was going to do for us.  He accomplished our redemption by giving His life in substitution of our own.  If that doesn't begin to change you from the inside. I don't know what will. 

 I love hearing people's testimonies. I love hearing what Christ has done in someone's life.  I love seeing the power of Jesus Christ in someone's life, and how he is carrying them through some kind of suffering.  But what we speak first should really be like Paul in, 1 Corinthians 2:2, " For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."

 It's only by the blood. I've been washed from the inside. Hallelujah, thank you Jesus.

For Your Glory Lord

Kim D

Getting there.. Stephanie Gritzenger

 https://youtu.be/un6HKDXqC4U

 Oh what Jesus Christ has done for all of us. All the glory and the honor He deserves from our lives. How we live it. How we speak from our lips. What we allow our ears to listen to, and our eyes to see. Are we really giving Him all the glory and honor that is due His Name?  Are we only as close to Him as we want to be?  That's not honor and worship.

 We are all sinners saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. We will never be perfect this side of heaven. But a pure heart desires to get there. Are you one who continuously says, "I'm not there yet?" That shouldn't even be something that flows from our lips. Or at least it shouldn't end there. We should say, "I desire to have a pure heart that chases after God the way He chases after me."  

The Bible tells us that we were created in His image.  Question is, does Jesus see himself in you? Is he comfortable everywhere you take him?

 There is a reason for our journey and the purpose in our learning and pain. Some of us are more stubborn than others. Some get there quicker than others. Some of us God has to drag quite a few times before we realize what Hes doing.  

I was actually that stubborn child growing up. I was probably punished more than my sister was. But the love that I had, and the honor and respect for my parents, always brought my heart where it needed to be.  Obedience, not because I didn't want to be punished, but because of my love for them.

 Our lives are the altar for Jesus. Is He being magnified in us? Or are we constantly making excuses not to draw closer to him?It's a love relationship. Either you love him for your convenience of things. Or you are totally head-over-heels in love with Him.  You can't fool God, because He is the only One Who searches the depths of our heart and knows the truth of our worship. To know Jesus, really know Him, is to Love Him with your whole heart, not devided.  We certainly wouldn't want to be loved that way.  His presence is my promise. And I don't want half of Him, I want all of Him.  

 I don't know about you. But I want all that He has for me along this journey here.  I want to see Him in the land of the living.  When you desire to be so close to Jesus, you will find Him in all your questions.

 I am so in love with Jesus. I will never stop chasing after him this side of heaven.

 Are you getting there?

 Father God, we praise you for your patience, for your mercy, for the blood of your precious son. Please help us not to take that for granted.

 Always and forever Lord God for your glory.

1John 3:19-24... Genesis 1:27.. 

Kim D

It's always been you.. Phil Wickman

 https://youtu.be/BDURInx_GUk

 Thank you Jesus for never giving up on me. You let me in when I was at my worst.

 Each day as you spend time in the Lord's presence, let this thought be with you. Christ is all.... Christ is all to teach me to pray, to strengthen my faith, to give me the assurance of his love, to give me direct access to the Father, and to make me strong for my everyday.

 Christ in me. What a difference it makes if we could take the time every morning to focus on the thought, Christ is in me.

 This is something that I have told all of my grandchildren.  From the time they were little babies, I would tap their heart and say, "Jesus is in your heart."  As they got older, around 2, I would ask them, "Where is Jesus?", and they would tap their heart. Oh how I loved to see their little hands tap their heart. 

 Christ dwells in me. In the midst of my everyday, I look upon my heart as is dwelling place. John 14:20, Jesus said, " When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you." Colossians 2:9, " For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in the human body." How awesome is that!!

 But first you must believe. The Bible tells us to believe, receive, and become a child of God, John 1:12.  You will never walk alone through anything. You will never be the same.

 His love is truly the compass of my heart.

 For your glory Lord

Kim D

My Jesus.. Anne Wilson

 https://youtu.be/K6aScSPhkWI

1 John 4:11  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we ought to love one another.

 Dear Lord only with Your help. I take great pleasure in doing Your will. I set my eyes on You today, fully focus to live my faith with unselfish acts of love and kindness. May my actions and words always point others to You. Amen.

  The chief attribute of the Father and of the Son is love to each other, and love to mankind. This should be the chief characteristic of a true Christian. Life becomes a well of living water, flowing out  as love to the Lord Jesus.  We should take pleasure in doing the will of the Lord. As the love of Christ, and the patience of Christ, was shown to us, we should exhibit the same.  There is such great joy in being a witness to the world of the power of Christ that changed us. 

I have learned that it is so important to even love those who anoy the heck out of you. By that I mean. Pray for them. At that moment start praying.  God has put them in your path for a reason. Give to them the patience and compassion that God has given to me. I had this experience on my cruise.  Such a friendly outgoing person me and my sister met at  Karaoke. We bumped into him quite a bit on the ship. But one day was a little longer conversation.. I knew there was a purpose. Language was a bit much in conversation. That F word like it was nothing. But he was genuine.  Loud, but genuine. He wasn't even a drinker. It's just who he was. I prayed for the Holy Spirit to show me the open door to mention Jesus, and He did.  I asked what his faith was, because he started talking about the hardship in his family with his children and divorce.  He explained how he believed, and it wasn't just Jesus. I spoke, seed planted for Gods glory.  We continued to stay friends on the ship,  and enjoy each other's company when we happened to see each other at karaoke. He was such a great singer. Give somebody God's time when you sense it. You never know what that seed planted will do.

 Always for your glory Lord. 

Kim D

Cast your cares.. Stephanie gritzinger

 https://youtu.be/gWcE2QNQE9s

Psalm 27: 13-14

I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

 Nothing more true than this right here. Remaining confident in hope.  He is good no matter how He answers. Because He is always working good in us. And that good that Hes working in us, is not just for ourselves. But it is to encourage others of what He has done and continues to do.  Even if it's just taking us from fear and anxiety, to hope and faith.

 Remain confident and prayer. Be consistent in prayer. Prayers prayed according to God's will are already answered in eternity. Believe that!  Rest in that!  So why pray if it's already answered?  Your prayers will change from asking, to  believing the very thing you're praying for.  I believe nothing makes God more happy than hearing prayers of faith in what we are praying for.  Even if our prayers aren't being answered as quickly as we would like, we begin to sing praises of hope.  Praises of Who He is. What hes done. What He is doing in us.

Of course we would all love immediate answers to our problems. But in the waiting is where He is drawing us closer to Him.  He tells us in his word to come to him and he will give us rest.  To cast all our cares upon him.  To trust him and not to lean on our own understanding. There is freedom in letting it go and trusting him.

 So when you don't know what to do.. pray, and cast all your cares upon Him.

 For your glory Lord

Kim D

Holding on to hope.Bryan and Katie Torwalt..

 https://youtu.be/fTXtI-bIu3U

John 16:33, " I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

 This peace is truly a peace that passes all understanding. In John 8:31-32,  Jesus speaks about abiding in Him and knowing the truth, and the truth will set you free.  Knowing the truth! Jesus has said that all power has been given to Him in heaven and on Earth.  Knowing the truth, that I am in Him, and He is in me, what can come against me?  Knowing that saten was  defeated at the cross, and that he only has as much power as I give to him. 2 Corinthians 4:6-7,  What a treasure it is to have the living God make His home within us.

 The more time I spend in the word and learn about trials. The more I learn that a trial is a negative event that God either causes or allows.  But every trial is only to grow and mature us spiritually. To drive us to God at another level of knowing Him, and Christ in me. 

 I am learning more and more to fight the good fight of faith, 1 Timothy 6:12.   I love how Hebrews chapter 11:1 puts it. It tells us that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 

 There are many things that I don't see the way God sees them. The things that He allows to come my way, are for the good in moving me closer to Him. Knowing him more. That he is kind and powerful, and a good good Father.  But satan's tactic is to move me further away by keeping my eyes on the struggle, and the wondering in my mind of why?  Or how can this be good for me?

  I know that I will never understand everything and I don't need to have all the answers.  But I do know in Ephesians  chapter 6:10-13, God's  word tells us to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. And 3 times in these scriptures He says to "stand firm!"

 So as things are allowed to come my way,   I know He is with me. He will help me "stand firm" as He fights my battles as I dress in Him.  He is truth. He is my righteousness. He is my peace. He is my shield. He is my salvation. He is the word that cuts to the core. 

For Your glory Lord

Kim D

I will praise you... Hillsong

 https://youtu.be/1vXd_cSEPN4

 To be totally honest,  there are some lyrics in songs that are hard to sing, and some verses in The Bible that are hard to say Amen to.  As I am going through the process of waiting another 6 months to get a mammogram to check on things.  God has been continually speaking to me the words.. Hope, faith, trust, be still.... 

I remember when my husband passed,  it was hard for me to sing... "It is well with my soul"...  I know that God understands that, and he would do a work in me to bring it to when I sing it, I mean it. He continues to do that with me on a daily basis.

 Right now the scripture that is hard for me is,  Psalm 112: 6-8. " Surely he will never be shaken, a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news, his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord, his heart is secure, he will have no fear,  In the end he will look in triumph on his foes".....  No fear of bad news?  That's a tough one. But as you continue to read,  it is exactly what the Lord wants to build within me, within us. A heart that is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. A heart that is secure.  I want that! 

 In life we are always running into trials that build our character. They are either going to mature us, or break us. By that I mean. We could let the darkness continue to bring us down. Or we can focus our eyes, and seek Christ, hope in Him, and wait for Him patiently to reveal what is happening. John 12: 35 “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going."

 We go through things that can bring us to a dark place. Sometimes it's health issues. Sometimes it's marital issues. Sometimes it's problems with our kids. Whatever it may be. Remember what is spoken to you in the light. But that I mean. The time when you are desperately seeking God for answers and He either gives you one word, or one verse. Hold on to that. Because that is the very thing that He is trying to build in you. 

Even when we are not faithful, God remains faithful to us. Its Who He is.  Even when our hope runs low, God's hope in us never does. Even when our faith is small, God's faith in us never fails.  He is always looking our way even when our eyes wonder in every direction. Hes a good Father!

 Lamentations 3: 22-26, We are not consumed because his compassions never fail us. They are new every morning and great is His faithfulness. Never give up hope in the Lord. Never stop seeking him. He is faithful to complete the work that he is doing within us.

 For your glory Lord

Kim D