Category Archives: Uncategorized

11/6/14

Simon Cowell Made Fun of This Gospel Singer – Then Everyone is Blown Away

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

 

Ephesians 3: 17b, 18, 19 NIV

 

 

 

 

credit: Tilly Radu

Charlene’s Source: youtube

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08/6/13

The Book of Jude

Jude 1

 

 

1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James,

To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for[a] Jesus Christ:

 

2 Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.

 

 

The Sin and Doom of Ungodly People

 

 

3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. 4 For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about[b] long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

 

 

5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord[c] at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

 

 

8 In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. 9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”[d] 10 Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.

 

 

11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.

 

 

12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.

 

 

14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”[e] 16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

 

A Call to Persevere

 

 

17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

 

 

20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

 

 

22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.[f]

 

Doxology

 

 

24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

 

 

Footnotes:

 

Jude 1:1 Or by; or in

Jude 1:4 Or individuals who were marked out for condemnation
Jude 1:5 Some early manuscripts Jesus
Jude 1:9 Jude is alluding to the Jewish Testament of Moses (approximately the first century a.d.).
Jude 1:15 From the Jewish First Book of Enoch (approximately the first century b.c.)
Jude 1:23 The Greek manuscripts of these verses vary at several points

 

 

New International Version (NIV)

 

 

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide

07/16/13

Praise as Light by Ron Hutchcraft: How To Banish The Darkness

A Word With You – Your Most Important Relationship
 

How To Banish The Darkness

 

 This article will help you to see how darkness can be made light–how spiritual wickedness can be overcome, and how relying on Jesus will ease your pain. Charlene 

 

 I had taken a carload of team members from our reservation outreach team to see a scenic canyon a couple of hours from where we were staying. Someone forgot to tell me that the station wagon they loaned me had a broken gas gauge. It said we had three-quarters of a tank. That wasn’t true! It was getting dark, and I decided to take a shortcut across the reservation to get back to our place. It was a pretty deserted dirt road that traversed a very remote part of the reservation, and about halfway back we ran out of gas, forty miles from the nearest gas station. Those who understand some of what the Bible says about spiritual warfare will understand that ceremonies that summon the spirit world can bring an invasion of spiritual darkness. And apparently, we were stranded in an area that was known for a lot of that kind of supernatural activity. When we got back, a tribal man who grew up on this reservation and knew that area well, said with a look of really deep concern, “If I had known where you were, I would have come after you immediately.”

 

My passengers were obviously really nervous, and some honestly, almost freaked out by our predicament. I tried to defuse the tension with humor. That didn’t work. (In fact, my humor seldom does.) Then somebody started to sing a praise song to Jesus – then another and another. As long as we were praising, there was this peace and calm. Whenever we stopped praising, you could cut the air with a knife. Thanks to a Good Samaritan God sent, we ultimately got some fuel; we got home, but only after an unforgettable laboratory in the power of praise.

 

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “How to Banish the Darkness.”

 

That night, in our remote corner of an Indian reservation, we experienced the reality of Psalm 8:1-2 , our word for today from the Word of God. Here’s what it says: “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.” I like that. When you are praising your awesome Lord, you silence the devil.

 

Celebrate Jesus and you evacuate the devil, who can’t stand even the name of Jesus. Because it is at that name that he and all his demons must one day bow in total surrender, because the devil’s death warrant is signed in the blood that Jesus shed on the cross. So in those times when the darkness seems to be closing in, you can literally praise the darkness away. Because the one place the prince of darkness will never be is in praises to the Most High God.

 

In many ways, whether or not the light or the darkness is winning in your soul is a matter of what you choose to dwell on. I can tell you what the devil’s trying to get you to dwell on – your past, your fears, your pain, your worries, your doubts. Right? Those areas are Satan’s playground. They drown you in anxiety, guilt, discouragement and depression. God, on the other hand, wants you to choose to dwell on what He’s like, not what your situation is like. Psalm 145 says, “The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.” So, a few verses later, it says: “I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.”

 

When you’re praising your Lord, you are choosing to dwell on the awesome things about Him that have never changed and never will, including in the middle of this dark moment. You’re celebrating the good things He’s done in your life instead of frustrating over your struggles. It’s celebrating Jesus, whether you feel like it or not.

 

When it’s the darkest, when it’s the hardest to praise Him, that is when you need to praise Him the most, because praise is that blinding light from heaven that dispels the darkness and banishes your enemy.

 

 

07/5/13

Dirty God by Johnnie Moore

I’ll admit that this title stopped me in my tracks. I almost didn’t read it; but I’m glad that I did. This is wonderful, thoughtful material. It reminds us once again of the Grace of God.

  

The doctrine of the incarnation reminds us that Jesus was both divine and human. His humanity endured enormous stress as he was repeatedly rejected by the very people he came to love. It hurt.

 

In fact, on the eve of his arrest we find Jesus so distressed over what is coming that he collapsed in an olive grove, weeping, under such duress that he perspired drops of blood.

 

It was heartbreaking for Jesus. The purpose of his trip to earth was to give grace to people, but so many people rejected, or were indifferent to, the good news he brought.

 

Because Jesus wasn’t the kind of savior people were expecting, he was rejected by most, and the few who accepted him were mainly from the other side of the tracks.

 

Jesus was considered edgy by the religious establishment. He was an antiestablishment heretic who ignored certain “sacred” Jewish practices. He did his own thing, often in blatant defiance of the most respected religious leaders.

 

Jesus wasn’t the kind of revolutionary one might have expected to make history. He didn’t manipulate the crowds or pull together coalitions, gathering as much power as possible. In fact, he ignored the systems of power that made the ancient world function.

 

Yet grace was ever present in his life and ministry, even in his relationships with his enemies. Jesus wasn’t so much angry at the religious establishment as he was heartbroken over their unbelief – so much so that he once broke down as he approached Jerusalem. Looking down over the city from a high hill, he said, “If you only knew…” (Luke 19:42 GNT).

 

Choosing to follow Jesus wasn’t a respectable, admirable thing to do. Following Jesus was truly radical. It would cost you – and it might cost you everything. It was like wearing a Red Sox cap in the middle of Yankee Stadium. It was a provocation.

 

And why did Jesus go through all of this? Why did he knowingly invite so much ridicule and shame, so much pain and embarrassment? Why was he willing to start life in a feeding trough, only so he could end it by being cursed at, flogged, stripped of his clothes, and nailed an executioner’s cross? Why did he leave the Father’s side and exit heaven to wander around this heartsick place?

 

He did all of this for one reason: you. That’s right – you.

 

He caught your eye through history’s window as he stared over the bannister of heaven, and he determined that he would care for you and give you a chance. He would make grace available and give you an opportunity to enjoy peace again.

 

And maybe you already know all of this. But I’m wondering if you really know it.

 

Like a lover catching the first glance of his beloved in a crowded train station after a long journey back home from a faraway land, Jesus caught your eye and then endured the cross so that you might be invited to dine again with God.

 

Into a culture where the gods seemed to look, and behave, like superhumans with perfect physiques and Herculean qualities – came Jesus. The one true God didn’t come adorned with Romanesque glory, and he didn’t arrive to celebration in a city like Rome or Athens, Alexandria or Jerusalem. He arrived in Bethlehem, and he came as an innocent child.

 

Jesus went through hell to show his kindness, to give us grace. He was on a mission to woo back God’s long, lost love.

Us.

 

 

Reprinted by permission. Dirty God by Johnnie Moore, ©2013, Thomas Nelson Inc. Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.

05/27/13

Hebrews 10: Christ’s Sacrifice Once For All

 

Hebrews 10: Christ’s Sacrifice Once For All

 

          Sacrifice is hard, and it is not a part of the natural ways of mankind. As people, we tend to prefer the easier roads to travel, and sacrifice involves traveling the hardest roads without knowing where they may lead, just having a surety that the way will be hard. So how do we obtain the surety that our sacrifice is not in vain? We find it in clinging to Christ, the ultimate Gift of Sacrifice, where we find our joy and stability. It is through His Holy Spirit that we find the key to happiness–living for Him as our sole source of hope and strength. GOD the Father knew before the beginning of time that we would need a Savior, and Jesus, the son of GOD, volunteered to become the sacrificial lamb. Our sins can be forgiven; our hope can be restored.

Is life easy. Absolutely not. People often envy those who appear to have it all, but this is appearance only. Happiness evades those who are dependent upon the world for their identity and substance. Let us cling therefore to Him who is our everything, our identity, and our substance.

 

Praise Ye The LORD.     Charlene

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03/20/13

1 Peter 2 (Easy-to-Read Version)

1 Peter 2

 

Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

 

The Living Stone and the Holy Nation

 

2 So then, stop doing anything to hurt others. Don’t lie anymore, and stop trying to fool people. Don’t be jealous or say bad things about others. 2 Like newborn babies hungry for milk, you should want the pure teaching that feeds your spirit. With it you can grow up and be saved. 3 You have already tasted the goodness of the Lord.

4 The Lord Jesus is the living stone.[a] The people of the world decided that they did not want this stone. But he is the one God chose as one of great value. So come to him. 5 You also are like living stones, and God is using you to build a spiritual house.[b] You are to serve God in this house as holy priests, offering him spiritual sacrifices that he will accept because of Jesus Christ. 6 The Scriptures say,

“Look, I have chosen a cornerstone of great value,
and I put that stone in Zion.
Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.”

7 So, that stone brings honor for you who believe. But for those who don’t believe he is

“the stone that the builders refused to accept,
which became the most important stone.”

8 For them he is also

“a stone that makes people stumble,
a rock that makes people fall.”

People stumble because they don’t obey what God says. This is what God planned to happen to those people.

9 But you are his chosen people, the King’s priests. You are a holy nation, people who belong to God. He chose you to tell about the wonderful things he has done. He brought you out of the darkness of sin into his wonderful light.

10 In the past you were not a special people,
but now you are God’s people.
Once you had not received mercy,
but now God has given you his mercy.[c]

 

Live for God

 

11 Dear friends, you are like visitors and strangers in this world. So I beg you to keep your lives free from the evil things you want to do, those desires that fight against your true selves. 12 People who don’t believe are living all around you. They may say that you are doing wrong. So live such good lives that they will see the good you do, and they will give glory to God on the day he comes.

 

Obey Every Human Authority

 

13 Be willing to serve the people who have authority[d] in this world. Do this for the Lord. Obey the king, the highest authority. 14 And obey the leaders who are sent by the king. They are sent to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do good. 15 When you do good, you stop ignorant people from saying foolish things about you. This is what God wants. 16 Live like free people, but don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Live as those who are serving God. 17 Show respect for all people. Love your brothers and sisters in God’s family. Respect God, and honor the king.

 

The Example of Christ’s Suffering

 

18 Slaves, be willing to serve your masters. Do this with all respect. You should obey the masters who are good and kind, and you should obey the masters who are bad. 19 One of you might have to suffer even when you have done nothing wrong. If you think of God and bear the pain, this pleases God. 20 But if you are punished for doing wrong, there is no reason to praise you for bearing that punishment. But if you suffer for doing good and you are patient, this pleases God. 21 This is what you were chosen to do. Christ gave you an example to follow. He suffered for you. So you should do the same as he did:

22 “He never sinned,
and he never told a lie.”

23 People insulted him, but he did not insult them back. He suffered, but he did not threaten anyone. No, he let God take care of him. God is the one who judges rightly. 24 Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross. He did this so that we would stop living for sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you were healed. 25 You were like sheep that went the wrong way. But now you have come back to the Shepherd and Protector of your lives.

 

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Peter 2:4stone The most important stone in God’s spiritual temple or house (his people).
  2. 1 Peter 2:5house God’s house—the place where God’s people worship him. Here, it means that believers are the spiritual building where God lives.
  3. 1 Peter 2:10In the past … his mercy See Hos. 2:23.
  4. 1 Peter 2:13people … authority Literally, “every human creation,” meaning rulers, governors, presidents, or other government leaders.

Copyright © 2006 by World Bible Translation Center

01/29/13

Mandisa – God Speaking

Mandisa – God Speaking

When in the midst of all the noise and clamor–remember that GOD is always there, His Holy Spirit dwells within you. This too shall pass. Take heart, take heed, and depend on Him and His Word. God Bless You. Charlene

credit: CookieGiggles89

Charlene’s Source: youtube

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11/6/12

Ephesians 1: 9-10 New International Version

Ephesians 1

 

New International Version (NIV)

 

 

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

 

To God’s holy people in Ephesus,[a] the faithful in Christ Jesus:

 

2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

 

 

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he[b] predestined us for adoption to sonship[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

 

11 In him we were also chosen,[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

 

 

Thanksgiving and Prayer

 

15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

 

 

Footnotes:

 

  1. Ephesians 1:1 Some early manuscripts do not have in Ephesus.

  2. Ephesians 1:5 Or sight in love. 5 He

  3. Ephesians 1:5 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a legal term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture.

  4. Ephesians 1:9 Or us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he

  5. Ephesians 1:11 Or were made heirs

  6. Ephesians 1:17 Or a spirit

 

 

New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide