Nancy M.’s Journal

Ephesians 5:19 - speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord. Ephesians 5:19 - Many times when we get together for Christian fellowship we talk about church and different ministries. We keep one another up to date on the lives of others. But the kind of Christian fellowship that there doesn't seem to be enough of is when we quote scripture to one another or sing a hymn, or just start talking about how great our God is. I love it when my brother and sisters in Christ test me bible quotes or a verse from a Christian song or just mention one of the wonderful attributes of our God. I love to hear what others have to say but even more, I love to hear what God has to say and when He says it through the body of Christ it makes me more aware that I belong to the family of God. -- "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them." (Act 16:25) - When we talk about Jesus using His Words we never know who else may be listening and how it may change their lives forever. Father in Heaven, I want the message of Christ to flow through me. "Let the message of Christ dwell among me richly as You teach and admonish others through me with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit." (Colossians 3:16)

Ephesians 4:19 - Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. Ephesians 4:19 - Those of us who are born again still continue to sin but the difference is we know we are sinning against the One we love and therefore our conscience bothers us. If you do not feel pain from hurting the One you love you have to wonder if you are born again. A physically dead person feels nothing and as so with a spiritual dead person. When I was a child people were living impure lives but they did not boost about or parade down the streets in pride of their sin as they do today. Then new living translation says, "They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity." Before I was saved I thought the reason we lived was for pleasure. My life was empty and without meaning. Pleasure only lasted for a short time and didn't seem worth all the effort. Today I live for God and each day of my life has meaning and purpose. I find more pleasure in life now than when I was seeking for it. Father in Heaven, May I always seek first Your Kingdom and Your righteousness. Thank You for pulling me out of that darkness and bringing me into the Light of Life.

Ephesians 3:20 - Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, Ephesians 3:20 - How far can our minds think? God's gracious power is unending, beyond infinity. As long as what we ask is according to His will, He can do it. Sometimes when I have a problem, I tell Him how he can fix it. Sometimes I even give Him 2 or 3 different ways that He can solve my problem. However, He never ceases to amaze me by having a much better plan that my mind could not have even imagined. Our God is without limits. It is His power in us that we can be made right with God. Father in Heaven, I know when I pray to You that the sky is not the limit. There is no limit with You. Therefore, I boldly come before Your throne of grace and ask You to make my family members come to know You as their personal Lord, Savior and Friend.

Ephesians 2:8 -For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- Ephesians 2:8 - And verse 9 "not by works, so that no one can boast." We are saved by GRACE! God's Riches At Christ Expense! Salvation is a free gift that we cannot earn and we do NOT deserve. Sounds like it is 90% God and 10% us.WRONG! It's 100% God's doing, for God is the author and finisher of our faith. "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."(Hebrews 12:2). It was God who began the good work in us and it is God who will complete it. (Philippians 1:6). You may think you came to Jesus because you walk an aisle, but The Word of God says, ""No one can come to Me (Jesus) unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:44). Father in Heaven I am forever grateful that you saved me. ♫ You did not wait for me to draw nigh to You, ♫ but You clothed Yourself in frail humanity. ♫ You did not wait for me to cry out to You, ♪ but You let me hear Your voice calling me. ♪ And I'm forever grateful, Lord, to You. ♫ And I'm forever grateful for the cross. ♪ And I'm forever grateful to You, ♫ that You came to seek and save the lost. ♪

Ephesians 1:6 - To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Ephesians 1:6 - I think this is my favorite chapter in the bible. It blows my mind to think who I am in Christ. I love to read this chapter in The Message bible. "How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. (Ephesians 1:3-6) It brings tears to my eyes to know that even before the world was formed, God choose us out from among others for Himself. It is an emotional decision that God made. It doesn't matter how many times or how many ways you have been reject, God accepts you, just the way you are. You cannot let Him down. He knew you from the beginning to the end and still chose you. He will never change His mind and reject you. Stop condemning yourself, don't listen to the condemnation towards you from others. Don't compare yourself to others. You look in the mirror and see how you are but God sees you as you will be forever and ever. The all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present God has accepted you and called you out to be His for His pleasure. Your life brings Him pleasure. He always greets you with a smile on his face.

Galatians 6:1 - Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Galatians 6:1 - When we know a brother or sister in Christ is doing something they should not be doing, it is our duty to restore them. Many times we tell others first, then go to that person and rebuke them or worse yet, we only do step one and never get to step two which is to go to that person and try to gently restore them. Think about it, if you found out your family member was stealing, in most cases you would go to the family member in hopes of restoring them before anyone finds out what they did. The reason why is because --"LOVE COVERS over all wrongs". (Proverbs 10:12). -- We need to love our brothers and sisters in Christ as we do our own family members. -- "Love does not dishonor others...Love always PROTECTS, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres". (1 Corinthians 13:5&7) - - "If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, JUST BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU. If they listen to you, you have won them over." (Matthew 18:15). --When we find out a brother or sister in Christ is sinning, we must be careful not to be tempted to gossip or become proud or think that we are better than they are. A biblical example would be Noah and his sons. -- "When he (Noah) drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father's naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked." (Genesis 9:21-23) Father in Heaven, help me to love others as You do with a love that protects and gently restores.

Galatians 5:4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. Galatians 5:4 - This verse reminds me of a Catholic woman I met through a mutual friend. She told me she was attending a bible study and was now saved. She didn't want to leave the Catholic Church because she felt she was serving the Lord by being a lector (reader) in her Catholic church. This made sense to me, but then a few minutes later she told me she was making one of children get confirmed or something in the Catholic Church just in case. This didn't make sense to but I was a babe in Christ at the time and figured it was ok. That was the last time I ever saw her since our mutual went home to be with the Lord soon after that. Then one day about 6 months later I was reading the book of Galatians and her word came back to me. On the one hand, she was saying she was trusting in Christ for salvation and on the other hand, she had a back-up plan. Here Paul is saying if you are trusting in Christ and something else you are NOT trusting in Christ. And your something else (back-up plan) is going to save you. Only complete trust in Christ ALONE can save you. The Mormons and he Jehovah witnesses are trusting in Jesus and (something). If someone wants to give me a new red car and I give him $5, the car will no longer be a gift. I can brag to all my friends about the great deal I just got on a new car. Oh Lord, You alone are Light and my Salvation. I have nothing to fear. You alone are my fortress, protecting me from the wages of sin, which is death. Oh how I love You. I praise You for who You are and always will be.

Galatians 4:29 ~ At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. Galatians 4:29 - - "This is allegorically speaking, for these women (Hagar and Sarah) are the two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai (where the law was given) bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar." (Galatians 4:24) - - Hagar (the law) gave birth to Ishmael (the flesh). Sarah (grace) gave birth to Isaac (the new covenant). People that are living under the law will persecute those living under grace just as Ishmael persecuted Isaac. Satan also will whisper lies into our ears telling us we are lawbreakers. Yes, we are lawbreakers but we are no longer living under the law. Sarah represents the heavenly Jerusalem. - -"But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother." (Galatians 4:26). - -We need to be preaching the law to the unsaved allowing the Holy Spirit to convict him of his sin, but once a person is saved, we are to preach grace to him. The law like a mirror shows us our need for a savior. Once we receive the Savior, He cleanses us, then we no longer need the mirror. (but we do need to have our feet cleansed by Jesus, The Word that was made flesh), Legalistic people feel guilty about their sin however; guilt leads us to more sin. They are angry with themselves and take it out on those that living under grace. We must all be careful not to become legalistic in our thinking. God told Abraham to cast out the bondwoman. Sarah and Hagar could no longer live together just as we who are under grace can no longer live under bondage. This doesn't mean we are free to sin but rather we are free not to sin. - - "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Romans 6:1-2) - - Father, You said, "It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good". (Galatians 4:18) I ask You to help me be zealous for the things of Your Kingdom. Teach me Your way, O precious Father and I will walk in Your Truth. Give me an undivided heart that I might seek You and fear Your name. I praise You Lord Jesus will all my heart. I will glorify Your Holy name forever for great is Your love towards me. (Psalm 86)

Acts 2:37 ~ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Acts 2:37 - I love this verse. People read this verse and say things like, (yeah that was then, it would never happen today). God is the same yesterday, today and forever. I have had the privilege to see people respond to the Gospel this way. There have been times when we cannot even finish telling them the Gospel and they are begging us to tell them what to do. Now Peter responded differently than I have by saying, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38). Next time it happens if the Lord shall bring it to my memory I may follow Peter's example and say the same thing. Verse 41 says, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." I like how the KJV says this verse, (they GLADLY received his word.) Imagine everyone being baptized together on the day of their conversion. I find it interesting that on this day of Pentecost the disciples were breaking bread and about 3,000 were saved. On the day Moses broke the stones tables of the Ten Commandments about 3,000 were killed. "The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died". (Exodus 32:28) Father God, I know I am so unworthy but I would love to witness something like this where people repent and be baptized on the spot. Please give me more opportunities to share Your precious Word with unbelievers and watch You transform their lives. You have transform my life and I am so grateful.

Acts 1:8 ~ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8 ~ The power of the steam in a train is not to blow the whistle but rather to power the engine to move the train. We do not receive the power of the Holy Spirit to get holy laugher, holy goose bumps or emotional highs. We receive the power to proclaim the Truth to the unsaved world around us. Jesus said, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35) How can we say we love people when The Holy Spirit has given us power to be Jesus's witnesses and we do not use it? Maybe we don't have enough faith to use it. We all possess the power of to change people's lives for all eternity but just telling them the Good News of Jesus Christ. We don't have to be well education, well versed, eloquent in speech, or dressed in fancy clothes, all we have to do it tell people about Jesus. The Holy Spirit will do all the work. We just need to be faithful. We are not to take the talents that God has given us and bury them in the ground. We are to multiply them but sharing them with others. Father in Heaven, use me to lead many people to the saving knowledge of Your Truth.