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God Talk with Kids #2
Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me”? Jeremiah 32:17,27.
When you are young, you’re always learning and growing. We should always keep learning and growing even if we’re 90 years old!
Do you like to draw and put things together?
Do you like to ride a bike? Learning is an adventure.
And what about books and learning to read?
We love books. They take us to other places.
Can dogs sit and read with you or join you in your Lego or train play?
No way. They’re animals. They can’t learn to read.
In the Bible, the first Book is called Genesis, we can read that “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
God is all-powerful. He’s all-knowing. He’s Everywhere at one time. “My God is So big, so strong, and so mighty, there’s nothing our God cannot do, for you.” This is true. Do you know this?
We learn this from our Bibles. It is truly Good News for all who will believe.
God created animals and man on the 6th day. But Adam, (the first man) and Eve, (the first woman), the Bible tells us were created
In His own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them Genesis 1:27.
The image of God? What makes us different than the animals? As we already mentioned, we can build with Legos or read a book. We know that animals can’t join us in these things, except to get in the middle of it all and make a mess of it all.
We have eyes that can see, but we know an eagle can see much better than people. How about our noses? We love to smell pizza or homemade bread, but dogs can smell amazingly better than people.
What about our hearing? Well, it is found that the moth hears best of all created creatures, as well as the elephant. This makes sense because Elephants have huge ears, but moths? Yes, they hear the sound best of all the creatures.
But think about the human hand. Think of all the things you can do with your hands. Talk about them for a bit.
When we think of amazing hands, the Bible is a huge Book that reveals the greatest of hands, unlike any other. God’s hands. And God let us see His hands, even though we can’t see God,
God gave His only Son to us. He came from heaven to earth to show us God’s ways, to walk the earth with us. Do you know who I’m talking about?
Yes, Jesus came to earth to heal and to touch hurting people, but most importantly,
Jesus came to willingly pay a debt we owed. Do we owe a debt?
Yes, on the first 2 pages of the Bible, we learn the glorious beginnings of the creation of everything including Adam and Eve, (Genesis 1 & 2).
And God created all the beautiful plants for the animals and Adam and Eve to eat. In fact, they could eat from every tree in the garden,
except one. Or they would die. All the fruit is good for food, except the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. You can read it in the Bible:
But the LORD God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die Genesis 2:16-17.
But Eve was right there by the One Tree.
And who else was there? A serpent.
He asked Eve, “Did God really say you can’t eat from this tree?
Yes, God did say. But Eve didn’t know God’s Word well, and she was tricked by the serpent and she ate the forbidden fruit. And then, Adam outright disobeyed what God had told him and he ate too. (Read Genesis 3 for this complete story).
Then Adam and Eve realized, they were naked and they were ashamed. They never were ashamed before. They didn’t know they were naked. But now they do. And they hid from God.
Who told you that you were naked?” the LORD God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat? Genesis 3:11.
Adam and Eve had covered themselves in some itchy leaves.
But God covered them. With the skins of an innocent animal, He covered their nakedness.
Right here in Genesis, the first Book of the Bible, God’s Word, we see a picture of Jesus and how He paid a debt and “covered” our sin. He is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” How do we know?
The Bible tells us so: John the Baptist in the New Testament, when he saw Jesus coming, said, Behold the Lamb of God!
Yes, He is more than a covering for the disobedience, shame, and guilt we all have. He paid our “Sin debt” in full.
Jesus willingly gave His life. He stretched out His hands for you and me. For everyone who will believe in Him, (an invitation to every person on this planet) will receive from the glorious hands of God, Eternal life. Life now and forevermore.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life..
For God did not send His Son into the world the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through Him John 3:16 & 17.
Jesus is the Lamb of God who died in our place. He is God the Son. He didn’t stay dead. He rose again on the third day. This is the good news. There’s so much to learn in our Bibles.
Now we can better understand verse 2 of Jesus Loves Me:
Jesus loves me, He who died. Heaven’s gate to open wide. He will wash away my sin. Let His little child come in. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.
Faith is believing. Believing God.
If you don’t have faith, ask God to give you a willing heart to receive His invitation of love and grace.
Also found on Toni & Kids Sing Bible Youtube.
I hope you know even better how Jesus really, truly loves you, especially you.
God Time with Children #1
Help for parents, grandparents, elementary school teachers, and more to talk to kids about God, His Word, and the Gospel message.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14.
What Does God Say About Children?
A small team of ours at present goes into the public schools for an Afterschool Good News Club.
A little kindergartener came into the room and the first words out of her mouth were, “I love God!”
Spending time with children is healthy and good for us all. We watch their joy, confidence, and curiosity. It makes us happy. It’s as if they sense God loves them before anyone tells them. The Bible tells us,
We all need to become like children and believe in God’s love. If you’re a child, be thankful to God! All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace on your children Isaiah 54:13.
Young children and old alike learn and know well one particular song by the time they’re 2. Can you guess what that song might be?
Yes, “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.”
Take a minute and sing this favorite song. Think of these words. Do you believe this is true?
To believe takes faith. Children have faith from an early age.
Jesus spoke of children and their faith in the Bible,
Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven Matthew 18:1-3.
I want to enter the kingdom of heaven, do you? We must be as a child. Why does Jesus say this? And what does this mean?
Because children believe Jesus loves them. This they know. The Bible tells them so! Children have faith. They believe in God. And they love to sing, Jesus loves me! These elementary things are the foundation that keeps our “house” steady and secure.
Here is something God wants us to know about children:
“Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.
Children born to a young man
are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!
He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates” Psalm 127: 3-5.
This is God’s Word. Parents and children are encouraged by it. Children are important. To God, especially!
It’s good to look in the Bible to find out what God says about something. God’s Word might be quite different from the attitudes and opinions of others.
Let’s continue to sing the old favorite song: “Little ones to Him belong. They are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me.”
Do you and I believe this? We know we are weak at times, but do we believe God is strong?
This makes me think about another foundational favorite “little kids” song: “My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do. For you!”
We should never outgrow needing to think about how great and strong our God is. As adults, our troubles and trials become so large we forget God.
God is strong and mighty, He is God the Creator of the world and everything in it. He is Spirit. He’s everywhere at every minute of the day.
Faith is believing in God. He is and can do impossible things, the Bible tells us so.
I faced a very scary and life-threatening sickness, and God reminded me, that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith.
Yes, to believe God is faith. I asked everyone I knew to pray. We asked the mighty and powerful God to heal me completely, in Jesus’ name. It wasn’t overnight, but He did impossible things. He guided me in His word, He directed me, and He healed me!
Jesus loves us, and this we must know. The Bible will help us grow. It’s God’s love letter of hope and rescue for all His children, young and old.
Ella sang this for me. I think it’s a great way to end our 1st God talk. And I added Created to praise Him as well.
It reminds us, we are His special creation. Knit in our mother’s womb, created to praise Him. We are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Happiness and joy are being like a child to know that very well!
See you next time.
SONG: My God is so Big.
Psalm 95 with Gospel Power!
Play the song from this Soundcloud link and read along with the lyrics:
You will begin to learn and sing Psalm 95 and remember the gospel message as well.
Psalm 95 with Gospel Power
Oh come, let us sing for joy to the Lord
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God . . .
(for He is our God)
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you will hear His voice:
“Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion . . .
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16,17).
For the Lord came down from heaven to earth for us.
He laid down His life, that we might have new birth.
The Babe in the manger, He is Creator of the earth.
The Babe in the manger, He is . . . that we might have new birth.
come, let us sing for joy to the Lord
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God . . .
For the Lord came down from heaven to earth for us.
He laid down His life, that we might have new birth.
The Babe in the manger, He is Creator of the earth.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God !
Can We Simply Let 9/11 Pass By?
As on 9/11—We are in a war. Can we not see the urgency?
Can we simply let 9/11 pass by? And live life back to normal?
We are not “back to normal” today. We must open our eyes and acknowledge, we are in a war. Do we need more evidence of heat, flame, and fires in families, public schools, city streets, and lands?
I share my 9/11 hero story.
Alfred J. Braca went to work on September 11, 2001, in the North Tower of the World Trade Center, on the 100th floor, as any other workday.
I knew Al Braca, from our church in New Jersey. Our sons enjoyed Boy Scouts together back then.
His life stirs in me the courage to make a difference this day. With all the confusion about what love is, Al Braca exemplified true love on the dreadful day of 9/11.
Do I, you, have the courage to love as he did?
A dedicated dad, husband, granddaddy, and loyal bond trader at Cantor Fitzgerald, Al set out to live a “Godly lifestyle” as a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. He turned down invites to go out for drinks and carousing and often shared how Jesus changed his life. Consistently, a target of jeers by his colleagues, they referred to him as the “Rev.”
Aware of the marriage troubles, affairs, addictions, brokenness, and pain in his colleagues’ lives, Al often prayed with his wife, Jeanie, that they would come to faith in Jesus.
This day, in a moment, at 8:46 a.m., great confusion exploded all around them as a Boeing 767 flew into the building between floors 93-99.
No warning. Just bang!
Everyone ran to the windows to see what happened. Fire, smoke, chaos, confusion.
Heat rose from below them.
No information. No exit. Then, another explosion. The second tower was hit and caught fire. No one understood what happened.
Men and women on those upper floors discovered there was no way down. Desperation. Fear. Panic ensued.
The story is told, Al went up to one of the big conference rooms on the 104th top floor and told everyone to come to the room.
“I’m going to heaven. Who’s going with me?”
Approximately fifty of his co-workers came into the conference room.
Al wasn’t worried about offending anyone. He had hope.
Al stood up on a conference table and gave them the invitation for life—eternal life.
He was going to heaven. Al shared the Way with those who knew no way.
Al laid it all out as he stood on the table. They had to know. Without receiving Jesus in their lives, there was no hope for heaven. Only death and an eternity separated from God.
Perhaps he shared,
For God so loves you, He gave His Son Jesus to die that you might live.
He suffered and bled on the cross to cleanse all your sins.
Believe in Him right now. Accept Jesus in your life and you will be saved.” (John 3:16, John 6:35.)
Al was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. He knew it was the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes (Acts 16:31).
There wasn’t time to trust in bank accounts, jobs—nothing.
Al shared Jesus. He knew He was their only hope.
He loved them enough to give them the truth.
“Who wants to receive Jesus and live?” he probably asked. We don’t know his exact words, but we know he prayed for them, right then.
How do we know?
Many of the men and women that met in that conference room that morning, made phone calls to their families.
They said, “Goodbye, I love you,” but they also said, “I will see you again. I just received Jesus. The “Rev” prayed with me to receive Jesus in my life.”
Others said, “Al stood on the conference table and told us how to be saved. I’m going to heaven. I have Jesus now. I’ll be waiting for you there. I love you. ”
These were Al’s comrades. They made fun of him in the past, but no one was jeering now. He gave them an invitation to receive the Lord and He had prayed for them.
Al laid out the truth. The only way to heaven. Jesus. They received the invitation and were saved from death. They had eternal life.
Maybe Al comforted himself and the others in those desperate moments with scriptures he had hidden in his heart:
Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you (John 14:1,2). Fear not; for I am with you, (Isaiah 41:10).
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).
Al Braca lives today in my life. I hope in yours as well. He didn’t want his colleagues to be separated from God for all eternity.
He had faith and courage to witness to them. The Holy Spirit moved him to tell the people the truth about Jesus, so they might receive His amazing grace, forgiveness, love, and eternal life.
Thank you Alfred J. Braca.
At the World Trade Center Memorial, look for this name: Alfred J. Braca.
Take notice of the names surrounding his name. These were his colleagues. Many joined him on that day to go to heaven.
Tragedy came unexpected: “I’m Going to Heaven. Who’s Going with Me?”
Will we live our day, ready to love others into the kingdom of heaven?
People in this day need hope. They need truth. They need to know the way.
There is no time for debate. Time is short. Will we tell others what Jesus said:
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6) —before it’s too late?
-tonirypkema.com
(To read Jean Braca’s story, look for Christmas Beeler’s book, Beauty from Ashes. Walking in New Life with God After Loss. The Journey of 9/11 Widow Jean Braca.)
Picture: Courtesy of Calvary Chapel Magazine. (Leading Souls to Christ as the Towers Burned.)
We Are All Hurting. Let the Children Sing a New Song to Remind Us How to Pray!
Loss.
Hurts.
Pain runs deep.
Today, there is not a child, mother, father, sister, brother, grandparent, widow, aunt, uncle, nephew, or niece, that hasn’t experienced loss, pain, sickness, and great trial. BUT GOD. HE IS.
Jesus suffered. He died. And He rose from death and lives, forevermore. He experienced every agony and uncomfortable moment a gazillion times more than any of us did.
HE DID. GOD DID!
The disciples watched Jesus retreat for hours and even days to pray to His Father. He witnessed oppression, cruelty, sickness, and pain. He experienced great persecution, was misunderstood, and suffered wrong in His innocence.
If God’s Son, Jesus, came down from heaven and retreated to commune with His Father, shouldn’t we follow His example?
“This, then, is how you should pray,” Jesus said,
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
[For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen] ” (Matthew 6:9:13 NKJV & AMP).
I share the sound of children, singing a free version of this powerful prayer.
We Are Being Fed Our Daily Bread is hope in the midst of darkness. It’s a focus on God in the midst of brokenness, sorrow, loss, and pain. This song helps remind us, God is what we need. He’s our daily Bread. And He faithfully will feed us when we seek Him in spirit and in truth.
Be willing.
Be transformed and renewed on the inside.
I pray the Lord God becomes your sufficent grace, love, and peace today as you allow children to sing His precence in your heart and mind, (as they give you a song to sing with them).
Be filled with the fullness of receiving His salvation and joy, this day:
Praise + Prayer = Faith to Conquer Any Foe
Most days, I wake up with praise to God on my lips, but as the evening comes, I often am tempted to grow weary and discouraged.
When I say, “praise on my lips,” this means a “thank You” song or a psalm, hymn, or God’s Word on my mind, instead of situations, lack, or loss.
But when my body grows fatigued, my mind begins to dwell on the happenings of this world and life circumstances, faith flies away like a bird disrupted by a loud noise.
How we need reminders of good things and words of direction and help. God’s Word is our safe place to run. I often have kid’s voices in the back of my mind, singing the Bible songs God gave me, to help me throughout my day:
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him Hebrews 11:6, NIV.
In the Book of 2 Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah became informed of a huge army coming against them. Circumstances hit us like this.
Jehoshaphat . . . prayed to the Lord. He sought the Lord for His instruction, just as in Isaiah 55:6: 8&9:
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near Isaiah 55:6.
Jehoshaphat gathered the people. Then, he proclaimed a fast for all of Judah (2 Chronicles 20:3).
Then Jehoshaphat stood up . . . at the temple of the Lord . . . and he prayed with all the people:
“Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations.
Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you . . .
If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us” (2 Chronicles 20: 6-9).
We must, I must do the same. I must remind myself of who God is and cry out to Him in faith. The time is now.
Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel . . . as he stood in the assembly.
He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you:
‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.
God’s Word reminds us of truth, when we often believe we must work it out with our own thoughts, as the kids sing the verses:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,
declares the Lord.
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts Isaiah 55:6,8-9.
Tomorrow march down against them . . .
You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”
Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord” (2 Chronicles 20: 17-19).
Early in the morning . . . Jehoshaphat stood and said,
“Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem!
Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.”
After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
“Give thanks to the Lord,
for his love endures forever.”
As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated” (2 Chronicles 20:20-22).
The battle you and I face today is not our battle. It’s the Lord’s battle.
Let’s continue to infuse our minds and spirit with God’s truth. May kids from Toni & Kids Sing Bible restore faith, bring joy, and help us keep a song of truth in our hearts and minds today:
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him Hebrews 11:6, NIV.
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,
declares the Lord.
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts Isaiah 55:6,8-9.
Has a “fiery trial come on you?”
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” 1 Peter 4:12,13.
I’m surprised. Perhaps you’re experiencing a great trial as well. Our minds are in a battle to focus on faith in God, our physical bodies are taxed beyond understanding. But God is greater than anything we can face.
“My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing our God cannot do!” I pray God enables us to stand in faith and not enter fear.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind” 2nd Timothy 1:7.
Join me to fight this battle on our knees.
What is our comfort in this time? Psalm 119:50 tells us, “Your Word has given me life.”
I share an hour’s worth of prayer to meditate on so we can think on “things above, not on things of the earth,” and because we have believed in Jesus, and have “died” to this world, “our life is now hidden with Christ in God” Colossians 3:3.
Together, today, all who are in great trial, we choose to:
“Therefore humble (y)ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
casting all (y)our care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” 1 Peter 5:7-8.
But God is greter. We will seek His presence and choose to think on His truth.
“This is the voctory that overcomes the world, even our faith” 1 John 5″4.
Jesus alone is our peace. Our hope. Our everything.
Let’s keep our minds in a safe place, “rejoiocing in hope, praying without ceasing, and giving thanks in everything, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us” 1 Thessalonians 5: 16 & 17.
Continually, Our Eyes Look to the LORD Our God (Psalm 123)
If 2023 has welcomed new trials and storms, join me to take a step on the Rock, the foundation of hope, and think on a good theme:
God is all He said He is in His Word. We can stand on His Rock of truth.
Jesus told us ahead of time, in His Word, there would be trouble:
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” John 16:33, NKJV.
Have I “built my house on the foundation of the Lord?” I can’t hide anything from God, Creator of heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them. He knows everything. He told us this story:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” Matthew 7:24,25.
“Yes, Lord! By faith, I’ve built my house on You, the Rock, the salvation of our souls.
My eyes, our eyes are on You, the Lord:
“Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us.
Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.
Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud” Psalm 123.
Why should I feel discouraged
Why should the shadows come
Why should my heart feel lonely
And long for heaven and home
When Jesus is my portion
A constant friend is He
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches over me
Cevilla D Martin, His Eye is on the Sparrow
The foundation of God is the love of Christ who paid all my debt of sin, as He willingly died on the cross for me. He rose to victory for me. For you. For all who would believe.
Let’s not feel discouraged. Because “Jesus is my portion, a constant friend is He. His eye is on this sparrow.”
Let’s pray together,
Dear Lord, we seek You. Help us believe You and Your Word. Heal our unbelief. We cry “Mercy Lord.”
Heal.
Renew.
Restore.
We walk with expectant eyes to see Your glory and power at work.
Our ears are open to hear Your Word above our fear and unknown future.
Keep us, Lord, growing in Your grace and understanding of all You are. Help us
” meditates day and night” in Your law. That we might be “like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper . . .” Psalm 1:1,2,3.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish Psalm 1:6.
Oh, dear God, You are the Rock in which we stand. You alone are our hope and defense.
I cry out for a miracle of healing.
Together we cast our heavy burdens of care on You. Many of us cry out for “grace to help in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
Help us receive Your grace towards each of us, as we “all have sinned,”(Romans 3:23), yet, Your Word tells us, “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Give us an understanding of Your merciful loving-kindness, unearned, yet received by faith in Your Son, Jesus.
We receive from You today, Your love and healing. We are new in You and through You.
“Nothing is impossible,” in You, (Luke 1:37).
and “All things are possible through You,” (Matthew 19:26).
I believe.
We believe.
Together, we praise and pray,
In Jesus’ name, amen.”
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” Ephesians 3:20,21, NKJV.
___________________________________________
Share your “storm of trial,” and I will join in to pray with you. We can lift each other up together.
Be blessed, along with me, to remember to keep standing on the Rock!
-Toni
(January 2023.)
Need joy? God Knows What we Need. Put yourself in God’s presence with Psalm 95:
It was a day, years ago, touched by the ever-living power of the Word of God, Psalm 95 had me pick up a pen and my slightly twangy guitar to put down a song.
The Lord put the gospel message on my heart as I meditated on His exhortation, “Come let us worship and bow down.
“Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker” Psalm 95:6.
We all are created by God. And His greatest gift to us, He lets us decide whether to believe or not.
He desires we all “talk to Him,” seek His Word and spend time with Him. His love is so great. He is love.
Love came down.
Joy? It’s a gift of His Holy Spirit. When we turn our hearts to Him and call on Him (for who He is, the Savior of the world), we receive (His) love. His Spirit comes and washes our sins. He makes us a new creation, today, in Him.
God the Father gives us His love through His Son who paid our debt in full and gave us His Spirit as a guarantee.
We bow down, He turns the “light on” in our souls. He breathes in us His breath of life. We become whole, filled with joy.
And we must not forget, peace. Jesus takes all our garbage and sin and gives us new birth.
“In Christ,” we become new creations. Born a second time into life, here and now, and for all eternity.
His Spirit calls . . .
“Come, let us worship.”
Talk to the Lord, not half-hearted but with all your heart.
Is it time to make Him your God, who lives and dwells with you?
A Call to Worship and Obedience
Psalm 95 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
5 The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.
6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you will hear His voice:
8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion,
As in the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 When your fathers tested Me;
They tried Me, though they saw My work.
10 For forty years I was grieved with that generation,
And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts,
And they do not know My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”
Make today, your day of salvation. Enter into the “joy” of the Lord!
And make sure you tell someone about your new-birth in Christ.
Mysterious Trials? Let’s Praise Through the Battle with Psalm 139:
When the kids were young, we set out to memorize Psalm 139. Many years have passed and this Psalm is a continual “present help” to me in times of trial.
So, I wrote a song to sing in my heart when life seemed cloudy and dark. It’s called for now, “My Psalm 139 Song.” My in the title was to imply a personal connection for anyone who “sings” this song in heart and mind, or aloud with voice.
Do you have a mysterious trial you are walking through? Are you suffering from a physical ailment? Are you suffering loss and pain?
If I say, “Surely, the darkness shall fall on me, even the night will shine as day around me. The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
On You, I wait and pray. Your Word I hear and Praise . . . “
The Kanagy kids challenged themselves to learn My Psalm 139 Song, (and what a great job they did. Thank you, girls!)
If you need a song of comfort and hope from the Lord, pray this in your heart and mind. And better yet, play it so much you can sing it through your day!
Let me know if the truths from God’s Word ministered to you today:
Psalm 139, NKJV:
God’s Perfect Knowledge of Man
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
139 O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You [a]comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book, they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.
19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, therefore, you [i]bloodthirsty men.
20 For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21 Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Who needs a moment of music therapy today? This is for you:
Before Covid, to help my own healing, I would walk into the nursing home and on occasion, the infusion room with the guitar and simply start to sing and recite scripture. There was nothing amazing about any of it, except the Lord would show up and His Spirit would revive us all.
This is for you, in need of comfort through the pain: (Cover The Joy of the Lord is my Strength by Twila Paris).
There is someone crying out to the Lord for mercy today.
Someone is hurting physically, feeling alone, and not sure about what to do next.
Someone has been harmed by others and is left in pain, isolated, and presently feels abandoned.
Are you far from home and feel displaced?
I share music therapy today with you in hopes the vibration of strings lifts your heart and mind to praise God and draw near to Him, as He then promises to be near to you (James 4:8).
Jesus came to reconcile us to the Father and has “put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, a guarantee” when we open our hearts to Him (2 Corinthian 1:22).
In this world of perfect sound and production, we don’t have the opportunity to experience the simplicity of six strings and a moment of therapy with raw vocals with the sole purpose to comfort and refresh.
May you experience the “joy of the Lord” as your strength today.
– Toni
If you have received comfort from the Lord today, let me or someone know. If today is the day you opened your heart to receive the love of Jesus and accept His free gift of salvation that He gave on the cross, tell your whole world. Tell everyone, the angels in heaven are celebrating today your new-birth-day!
The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing” Zephaniah 3:17.
Satan Trembles Before the Spirit’s Might!
“Lo Satan trembles and gives place
Before the Spirit’s might!
The power of reconcilable grace
Puts all his demons to flight.
His kingdom falls, and his spells and charms
By Jesus are o’erthrown,
The Spirit wields victorious arms,
And holds the field alone.
– Author Unknown
God is on the throne. Yesterday, today, and forever:
“Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”
Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank” Acts 9: 1-9, emphasis mine.
GOD is on the throne.
This Saul, who breathed out threats and set out to destroy “believer’s in Christ” was met by none other than Jesus Himself.
“O Spirit of the Lord, prepare
All the round earth her God to meet;
Breathe thou abroad like morning air,
Till hearts of stone begin to beat.
Baptize the nations; far and nigh
The triumphs of the cross record;
The Name of Jesus glorify,
Till every kindred call him Lord” (Original Trinity Hymnal, #253, Mendon).
“Dear Lord, give us more and more grace to “trust You more.” You alone are worthy. You alone are able. We believe. Help our unbelief! In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Choose an Upward Song Not a Worldly Whine!
As we walk through our day, does our “song” (or attitude of our heart) become a whine? There are many voices through the course of our day, and often, the voices in our own heads speak and sing the blues.
There’s a battle to choose thoughts of the “highway,” as we trudge through this dry and parched, prickly, and thorny land of our day.
A simple turn to God, and His truth, with each step we takeHeartfelt surrender to His grace and gift of His Son changes everything.
Are you walking in circles? Are you tired of the whine? Give it all to God.
(And for the believer, each and every day.) We need a filling of the Holy Spirit.
Trust Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins and allow the Holy Spirit to lift your thoughts to be songs of heartfelt praise, no matter what is going on in the terrestrial path you walk.
We can’t choose the “highway,” on our own. We need to open our hearts and lives to the Shepherd of our Soul. The One who loves us most, and more, and beyond deserved. It’s time to cry out to God and ask Him in,
in Jesus’ name,
“Let it be, amen.”
Yes, thanks be to God . . . His Voice, His Word is greater and good news for all who believe. He alone is able to transform our whine into a “new song,” because He gives us His Spirit when we receive Jesus.
Yes, Jesus.
He alone has power to give us a new song:
But thanks be to God . . . His Voice, His Word is greater and good, and able to transform our whine into a “new song,” over and over again.
Put sound on this glorious song:
“Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples” Psalm 96:1-3.
Do we choose to live as Noah in his day, focused “up” on the eyes of the Lord, finding grace and goodness? Noah “proclaimed salvation day after day” to unbelieving people who mocked and enjoyed the joke of his build of the ark and his message.
4 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.
9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of his[a] holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.
In my distress I cried to the Lord, and He answered me. Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue . . .
Woe is me, that I sojourn with Mesheck, that I dwell beside the tents of Kedar [as if among notoriously barbarous people]!
My life has too long had its dwelling with him who hates peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war” Psalm 120: 1,2,5,6,7.
The ancient Word speaks as if written today. They prove to be an accurate prayer from our heart at present.
We have not experienced anything the Lord has not walked through and experienced. The old hymn,”O Sacred Head, Now Wounded,” makes this clear in our mind’s eye:
“With grief and shame weighed down. Now scornfully surrounded With thorns Thine only crown; How pale thou art with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
Our Jesus, how He knows our sadness and losses, our persecutions, and abuses. He took all our shame and failures on Himself, on the tree:
“What Thou, my Lord hast suffered Was all for sinner’s gain; Mine, mine was the transgression, But Thine the deadly pain;
What is our response when we view so clearly His willingness to face our curse?
Do we take a hard look? Do we see Him now?
“Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ‘Tis I deserve Thy place; Look on me with Thy favor, Vouch-safe to me Thy grace. (O Sacred Head, Now Wounded. Based on Medieval Latin poem. Ascribed to Bernard of Clairvaux.)
Together, we speak aloud the next Song of Ascents as we press forward into 2021. We won’t lean on our own understanding, but boldly proclaim in an ever-growing faith:
I will lift up my eyes to the hills, . . . From whence shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made Heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip or to be moved; He Who keeps you will not slumber Psalm 121: 1-3, Amplified.
We can trust the Lord in all things. We remind ourselves these things:
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
He.
Will.
Keep.
Your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and for evermore. Psalm 121: 7,8. A Song of Ascents.
Laws are made by man to protect the people, but move to close the doors of God’s house.
God is Spirit. His Church is not a building. The hearts of His people speak in confidence continuously, . . .
despite the location:
“I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord! Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem . . . Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May they prosper that love you [the Holy City]! Psalm 122: 1,2,6.
“We pray for the peace of Jerusalem dear Lord!”
For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,
having abolished in His flesh the enmity, Ephesians 2:14,15.
He is our peace? Our peace isn’t good circumstances. Our peace is a Person! What is His name?
God saves us once from sin and death for salvation in Jesus. And to all who receive Him and believe in His name, He calls us His children. Children of God.
He saves us daily from our “natural selves.” Our brokenness, our anxieties, doubts, jealousies, hatreds, and our rage. Jesus calms the wind and the waves. He can tame our flesh. In Christ alone . . .
That He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity . . .
For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father Ephesians 2: 16,18.
We’re not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. We have access by the Spirit of God to the Father. These are not mere “positive thoughts.” God’s Word, the Gospel message is the power of God to salvation.
Step by step, breath by breath we speak, meditate, pray His Word, and become more and more empowered and hopeful:
[Earnestly] remember the former things which I did of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God and there is none like Me.
Declaring the end and the result from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying,
My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure and purpose. . . Listen to Me. . . Isaiah 46: 3,9.
He, Jesus, keeps us in perfect peace when we keep our minds on Him! (Is. 26:3.)
Psalm 123. A Song of Ascents. Unto You do I lift up my eyes, O You who are enthroned in heaven . . .
Instead of worry, we worship and wait in ever-growing faith in God, the Creator of the Universe, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the lover of our souls:
Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless. Psalm 84: 10,11.
We speak aloud and are changed from glory to glory being transformed by the renewing of our minds in Christ:
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs; . . .
They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion Psalm 84: 5,6,7.
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because He lives.
We can rest in our Jesus. He is our hope and stay. Do you join me in an “Amen?”
Amen!
A New Attitude as a Tuned-up Instrument to Sing a New Song to the LORD
My heartstrings become “out of tune,” immediately when they’re hit with news of the world today.
So, I fight to think of something good. This hymn always rescues me:
Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise, (Come Thou Fount, Robert Robinson, 1758).
This is the prayer I can’t find to pray when I’m hit with sudden heaviness. I need a heart tune-up.
“Come thou Fount of every blessing!”
So, I talk to the Lord,
“Jesus, Your greatest work is You died on the cross, for me. For the “sins of the world, You are the Lamb of God.”
I think of the two guilty men on either side of You, each on a cross. You were innocent, without guilt, shame, or sin.
Yet, one of the guilty men was changed in an instant. He watched You, listened to You, and he believed. And he rebuked the other criminal.”
So, I opened God’s Word to read the account.
Everything became crystal clear to him:
One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!”
But the other responded, and rebuking him, said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our crimes; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise”
(Luke 23: 39-43).
This thief and liar was instantly changed. In the presence of the Lord, He watched. he heard. He believed. That’s what the Lord is showing me I must do. Everyday.
My heaviness and attitude are lifted and softened. I look at Jesus in His Word and hear what He says.
The hymn reminds me: I need continual reminders of the power of God, whom I believe.
I’ve got to fight the fight of faith all day long with praise and prayer:
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount I’m fixed upon it
mount of God’s redeeming love (Come Thou Fount, Robinson).
I went to a “melodious sonnet,” in Psalm 98. I discover again, my heavy heart becomes hopeful, with faith, to believe God is great again. I have thankfulness again.
God’s Word is living:
“Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God” Psalm 98: 1-3.
God’s reminding me, “Keep your eyes on My marvelous works and pray to Me. Ask of Me!
“Do you love My ocean? The sound of My rivers? My sunrises, My sunsets?
Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity. Psalm 98:7-9.
God is Big. There’s nothing our God can’t do!
There is power in the name of Jesus. There’s life in His Word. This is my safe place.
Today, will you join me to lift our eyes, and, yes, even our hands in faith and praise the Lord, together? Today,
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here by Thy great help, I’ve come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood.
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above (Come Thou Fount, Robinson).
As an orchestra, with eyes up, yes, and even arms raised, let’s be changed in an instant in faith of God through Jesus, His Son:
Here’s my heart
Oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above.
Tell someone of your heart change, your new attitude. And let a child keep our faith on track with this: