WHAT FAITH IN JESUS CAN DO - BE LED -

This month, our memory verse tells us that God's Word can be alive and active in our lives. It is God's Word and how it feeds His Spirit within me that makes me a better wife and mother. So, I am in the midst of sharing (over the course of 11 days) some verses that have continually been a huge source of teaching, correcting, convicting, encouraging, and guiding me. These verses are from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and today we are at the 3rd Be-attitude.

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• GOD'S WORD FOR TODAY: "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."
  

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When I think of God's family and the fellowship that we have, the only way that I know we can live together in harmony here on this earth is for God to be in control. That makes me think of horses!

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I am by nature a strong-willed, opinionated, driven, and high energy person. God's Word has tempered me over the years, so that I gently allow Him to lead and guide me. It makes me think of a horse and a rider. In fact, my mind goes back to a former post that I wrote on this topic. I believe it will give you some powerful food for thought - about the verse above. Be blessed!

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http://momstransformed.blogspot.com/2008/07/how-about-them-horses.html

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WHAT FAITH IN JESUS CAN DO... MOURN...

TRANSFORMING THURSDAY

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Happy are those who mourn...
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for they shall be comforted!

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• are you sorry over your own sin?
• are you disappointed over sinful condition of the world?
• are you saddened when God doesn't seem to have a voice?
• do you cry out to God in your struggles / despair as you rely on Him?

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This is what Jesus is talking about when He says in the Sermon on the Mount that you are blessed and/or happy when you mourn. It is the transforming power of the struggle... of begging forgiveness... of crying out for mercy... that we are changed...

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Be blessed! Be transformed!

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That's What Faith Can Do
Lyrics - as sung by Kutless
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Everybody falls sometime

Gotta find the strength to rise

From the ashes

and make a new beginning

Anyone can feel the ache
You think it's more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don't you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining
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I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
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It doesn't matter what you've heard
Impossible is not a word
It's just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody's scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
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It'll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

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I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
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Overcome the odds
You don't have a chance
(That's what faith can do)
When the world says you can't
It'll tell you that you can!

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I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise ...
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WHAT FAITH IN JESUS CAN DO - IN THE WORD -

If you come to this blog very often, you may have noticed that recently my posts have been few. Yes, I have been traveling. Steve stayed home with Jessica so I could go see the new grand baby, Perry, and Chloe. I got to see my other 3 kids and 2 daughters-in-love. And, yes, upon my return home I hit the ground running... c0-teaching a two week geometry course (and I am not a mathematician!) Should I also add that I began my first day of traveling weeks ago exhausted? Stress is cumulative and the past two weeks I have felt like I am just putting one foot in front of the other. When that happens, I tend to talk to God more but be in His Word less. The last few days, I've chosen to soak in His WORD. It's interesting, since our memory verse begins like this:
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• For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
  
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What powerful words! As I've meditated, I've thought about the many words in THE WORD that have convicted me over the years. I've thought about the ones that have sustained me. I've pondered the words that have helped me live life. For those who know me well, they know how intricately Matthew chapter 5 helps me in my day to day walk. I'd like to spend the rest of July sharing that with you (as I have shared on this blog in previous posts}.

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Years ago, I learned that Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, 6, and 7 is one of the keys to life. Each time He says "Blessed..." that means "Happy are those who...". The 9 Beattitudes are the first part of His sermon on the mount. Want to BE HAPPY? The answers to this question are in THE WORD.
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These are the attitudes to be ... AND they make no sense to most people. In fact, when I'm unhappy, it's because I've quit living by these principles. The first Be-attitude says,
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• " Happy are those who are poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

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Those are the people who don't think the world is all about them. Those are the people who understand that they must pour themselves out to be filled up with His Spirit...
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Come back tomorrow and we'll let THE WORD continue to penetrate our hearts as we look at more of the Be-Attitudes on Transforming Thursday... Love you!
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WHAT FAITH IN JESUS CAN DO... IT'S AMAZING...

Today, I am GRATEFUL FOR GRACE.... HIS AMAZING GRACE...

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I have found that the more I walk in FAITH and GRATITUDE, the more that I get a glimpse of that AMAZING GRACE. I was profoundly touched on the last Sunday of June, which was the last day our church family assembled in our building on Holly Drive. Dan and Steve both shared thoughts. Dan read a letter from Phyllis about the history of our congregation to that day. That history included Phyllis and Cornelius being the first black couple to marry in that building over 40 years ago. She wrote of the struggles, the isolation, and the misunderstandings that were happening in our world at that time - yet not in our church family. She penned about her parents' perseverence to bring the gospel to the black people of South Jersey. Then, there was her decision with Corny to begin attending this white church to reach out in the spirit of unity of God's family. She emphasized the part that the Pitman church of Christ had in opening doors for blacks in the area. Phyllis painted a picture with words to let us see the change from white to black & white to a tapestry or rainbow of colors.

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I thought of Phyllis and Corny and others when I watched this video for the first time today. I thought of the deep abiding faith of my LORD and SAVIOR. I thought of my black brothers and sisters in Christ who have clung by faith to the grace and mercy of their LORD and "MASTER". He extended a hand to them when no one else would. When everything seemed hopeless... they knew what faith could do. They knew what His faith could do. It is these same people who have given me a vision for what faith, grace and mercy can do.

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Come visit our church family and you'll get a a good look at a group of loving, transparent, grace and mercy driven people who want to make a difference for their LORD. Oh, we don't even have a church building right now... we're meeting in our local high school on Sunday mornings. We're working on building a building... not just the physical structure that should be ready by March... but the spiritual structure... the house of God... we're building by faith!!! Thank you, Jesus!

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Do you suppose Sir Newton was convicted of his past trespasses by THE WORD before writing the song AMAZING GRACE?
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Romans 5:20-21
20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

WHAT FAITH IN JESUS CAN DO...

SUNDAY IN THE SON

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Since I have been away from blogging a lot in the last two weeks, I'm all for keeping the same theme song as last week and spending some time this week connecting to it and our new memory verse. Before we do that, join me today on reflecting on THE SON:

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John 1:1-181:1

In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

2 He was with God in the beginning.

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3 Through Him all things were made;

without Him nothing was made that has been made.

4 In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.

5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

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6 There came a man who was sent from God;

his name was John.

7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light,

so that through him all men might believe.

8 He himself was not the light;

he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world,

and though the world was made through Him,

the world did not recognize Him.

11 He came to that which was His own,

but His own did not receive Him.

12 Yet to all who received Him,

to those who believed in His name,

He gave the right to become children of God-

13 children born not of natural descent,

nor of human decision or a husband's will,

but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.

We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,

who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

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15 John testifies concerning Him.

He cries out, saying,

"This was He of whom I said,

'He who comes after me has surpassed me

because He was before me.'"

16 From the fullness of His grace

we have all received one blessing after another.

17 For the law was given through Moses;

grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

18 No one has ever seen God,

but God the One and Only,

who is at the Father's side,

has made Him known.

WHAT FAITH (IN JESUS) CAN DO...

MEDITATION MONDAY

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There are a whole lot of things that I have read or heard over the years that I have "bought into". They people seem to know what they're talking about or in my limited understanding, I get excited at the possibilities at what they are saying. Yet, it doesn't take long for me to know that I have been duped!

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On my trip to see my kids and grandkids this past week, I listened to the C.D. by Kutless "It is Well With My Soul" over and over again. The theme songs from last week and this week, on this blog, are both on that album: Taken by Love and That's What Faith Can Do. As I have meditated on the words to this week's theme song over and over, I am reminded that it is faith in Jesus and Jesus alone that can really do the things that this song is talking about. The Bible is the inspired word of God... but bottom line is that Jesus is the living and breathing WORD OF GOD. I want to learn to trust my big brother... I want to grow up to be like my big brother...

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This morning I am at Jordan and Jacqueline's and will be headed out soon (after Chloe wakes up from her morning nap) to the Sikes' family reunion. This is a family whose members have many differences in personality, life experiences, and likes/preferences. Not much in this family is perfect. In fact, sometimes it can be very chaotic. Bottom line is that this is a family who has been taken by the love of Jesus and know that it is our faith in Him and ultimately His faith in the Father who will change our lives...

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WHAT FAITH CAN DO

SUNDAY IN THE SON

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That's What Faith Can Do

Lyrics - as sung by Kutless

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Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it's more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don't you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do

It doesn't matter what you've heard
Impossible is not a word
It's just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody's scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It'll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do

Overcome the odds
You don't have a chance
(That's what faith can do)
When the world says you can't
It'll tell you that you can!

I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise