Waterbucket Press
P.S. No Other Way (N.O.W.) + A Prayer of Salvation
Tag: Jesus
Ascend N.O.W.(No Other Way)
1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: Cast all your care upon Him for He careth for you.
Greetings In Grace,
And blessings be multiplied unto you in the favor of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. I thank God for His continual lovingkindness and faithfulness even toward us. One of my favorite scriptures is 2 Timothy 2:13, it states “if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” It’s a reminder that God is constant and doesn’t change, in an everchanging world and in our transitions in life. Let’s press in to His faithfulness.
The word humble (G5013) in the passage above means to bring low, lower, depress, assign a lower rank, bring ones soul(mind 🧠, will, emotions) down of its pride, think modestly/less of self. I heard someone say it like this it doesn’t mean to think of yourself as less but to think less of yourself. Then it says under the mighty (powerful) hand of God. This makes my heart ♥️ leap with joy because in the last post we were talking about feeling/touch, and God’s ability to be touched by our infirmity/ weakness, and to touch us back to impart into us His strength. When we allow God to bring us under His power, direction, and guidance He will lead us in THE WAY.
Let’s talk about some practical ways of humbling ourself. The first thing is making up in our mind that we are going to give our lives over to Him. The bible 📖 says we cannot save ourselves, Salvation only comes through Jesus. John 14:16 Jesus said to him, ” I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” If we believe in our ♥️hearts and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord we receive His eternal salvation. If you are reading this and are considering giving your life to Jesus I both encourage and admonish you to DO IT! I am going to attach a prayer 🙏🏽 of salvation at the end of this post, feel free(literally & figuratively) to use and/or share it.
Take note we are not saved by works (see!!! Ephesians 2:8-10), yet when we are saved there are works that come with and aid us in walking 🚶🚶🏽♀️out our salvation (victory, help, health, safety). These works done in sincerity of heart are ways in which we humble ourselves under God’s hand: prayer, fasting, hearing/reading/meditating/studying God’s word, serving/considering others, sacrificial giving, etc. For these are all things God has instructed us to do in His word (by His leading/strength/power) as a means of turning us away from the worlds wrong 🚫way of doing things, unto his perfect way. As we continuously turn towards God, seeking Him first, we continually grow, advance, and prosper as He changes our heart(see 2 Corinthians 3:18).
Now let’s look at the word exalt. It comes from the Greek word hypsoo (G5312) meaning to lift up, elevate, exalt, to raise to opulence, prosperity, honor, dignity, and happiness. The passage goes on to say in due ⏰time, meaning the proper/set time. One of the most important concepts i’m learning in life is time & place. Have you ever heard the saying being at the wrong place at the wrong time? Well just as that saying goes there is a such thing as being in the right ✅ place at the right time. And when we allow God to lead & guide us He always leads us in the right direction. 🧭
This is why Jesus prayed to the Father during one of His most agonizingly painful moments, if you be willing remove this cup far from me, nevertheless NOT MY WILL , BUT THY WILL BE DONE. At that moment Jesus felt all the feels, 😩 as this Generation would say, and the weight of every ungodly sin pressing on his body & soul that we would ever commit. Yet He knew no sin, He is righteous in every way! But He chose to take our failures, flaws, and mistakes upon Himself so that we would be set free from everything that holds us ⬇️down & back. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony (Revelations 12:11).
I find great comfort in the part of the passage that states, casting our cares on Him for He cares for us. The word care there means through the idea of distraction. In a time where there are so many things pressing to cause us to take our 👁️ focus off God’s Way, we must come pray like Jesus for willful determination to yield and keep our eyes on the prize. The prize is everything on the other side of where we are now, that God has promised 🌈 us (more peace, joy, love, blessings, glory, understanding, breakthrough, etc.). My friend God never runs out of goodness and He wants to 💝 gift us with it. When we trust Him with everything He exchanges our current reality for a greater one.
C.I.A. Call in Action: 💭 Ponder what things/cares have been distracting us from spending time under God’s guiding? Let’s pray 🙏🏽 and ask God for strength to surrender and strategy to press in and on to greater.
Grace, Love, And Mercy (G.L.A.M.)
XOXO K. Joi ❤
Feeling Some Kind….Of Way
Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
Psalm 63:4-5
Greetings in Grace Kings Kids,
Hope that this letter message finds you well. I speak blessing upon blessings over you, and stand 🙌🏽 touching & agreeing in the power of the Holy Spirit that it (ALL) is well with our souls!! Excuse my tardiness, last we spoke Winter was making its final appearance, but praise be to God Spring 🌺🌿 is here! I thank God for every season, for each has it’s own signifigance, but if in all transparency Winters are usually really hard for me. I live in the Chicagoland region and our cold is cold ❄️, and in addition to that there are shorter periods of daylight. And for someone with a Vitamin D (sunlight) deficiency it at time really affects my mood & momentum! Keep me lifted! 🙏🏽
Nevertheless, as the Apostle Paul stated, forgetting those things which are behind and REACHING 🙋🏽♀️ forth unto those things which are before (phil 3:13). Which is the perfect transition into todays post. We have been talking about the senses in our last few posts. In grade school we learned these 5 to be taste 😋, sight👁️, hearing👂🏽, touch✋🏼, and smell👃 . Recently I’ve been pondering on touch/feel/feeling. The scripture says we don’t have a High Priest (Jesus) who is unable to be touched by the feeling of our infirmities/weakness (Hebrew 4:15). Ohh do I thank God for that!
As I was gazing through the scriptures I came across numerous times where Jesus being moved with compassion released healing & strength to those that touched Him. Some touched Him directly and others touched Him indirectly, but either way it was their faith reaching into Him as the cure that caused them to be made whole. The word touch translates in Greek G680 aptomai which means to attach, fasten oneself to, cling to, adhere. When I read this my mind was so comforted in the thought of being able to be attached to God.
I then decided to dig a little deeper and look into the words feel and feeling, which are associated with touch. There were a few different translations & meanings for both, but for the sake of time I will just list 📝 a few that really STOOD OUT. Feel = G5584 pselaphao to handle, mentally to seek after, verify by contact, manipulate. Feel= H995 bi^n to separate mentally, distinguish, to understand. Feeling = G4834 sumpatheo to feel sympathy, have compassion. There are also some translations that have more of negative connotation to them such as to be apathetic and injure, but we will touch on those in a later post.
With these definitions in mind I realize why David (a man of many emotions)😩🤩😭😱would constantly command his soul (mind, will, emotions) to kneel or take a knee before God. He was acknowledging God’s sovereign rank above ☝🏽 all his feels, from depair to terror to cheer. I too can relate to at times my mind, will, and emotions being a rollercoaster 🎢 ride of right & wrong feelings. But thank God for the power of His word & Spirit to bring me/us into sobriety. Even as David cried Lord restore me unto the joy of thy salvation and unhold me with thy free spirit (psalm 51:12).
And my friend there has not been one time that in bowing 🙇🏽♀️ before/touching our maker that He did not (in His compassion) wittingly guide me into the Way (Him). As I was typing this I’m reminded of something my Father in the gospel often says, God was fully aware of everything about us, and everything that we would ever do when he called/chose us. Nevertheless, it’s a genuine pursuit/seek in humility that God desires/requires. One of my fav scripture is Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?
If I can be honest with you friend there have been times past where I really was straddling the line of trying to earn God’s grace vs pressing towards the mark. Until I realized that’s simply not 🛑 truth, but an impossible lie. Our righteousness is filthy rags and void/empty. It’s not until we allow the Word/Jesus to permiate our hearts ❤️ that we are changed. I’m always in awe of how when I stand on/in the Word, things are steady. However, on the contrary when my feet are hitting the ground running with life i’m weary. 😮💨
So what’s our C.I.A. (call in action) for today forward? Wake up & Word Up! Bow and make contact with the lover and restorer of our soul!
P.S. 🔜 Coming Soon ….
Grace & Peace XOXOXO ~Glam Chic~
P.S. Taste & See
Scriptures
Prayer 🙏🏽
Dear Father,
Thank you for your goodness. Cause us to recognize it in our day to day living. Forgive us for the times we were blinded by prideful cares that didn’t allow us to see You. We desire to set our gaze upon you that we would be changed into the image that we see. Teach us how to guard and guide our tongue and eyes from things that cause us to stray. Let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts ❤️ be acceptable in your sight oh Lord our redeemer.
We speak 🗣️ the word of truth that produces good fruit in our lives and those around us. We will use our tongue to build up and not to destroy. Forgive and cleanse us from gossip, idolatry, lust, envy, jealousy, greed and all forms of carnal/deadly actions. And as we turn away from those things we know that you see us and keep us as the apple 🍎 of your 👁️ eye. Again we give you thanks praise glory and honor. In Jesus name we pray Amen!
Song 🎵 🎼 🎶
Oh Taste & See pt. 2
Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him!
Glory, Honor, and Praise to our God! For He is good and HIS mercy endures FOREVER (to ALL generations). When I think on the goodness of Jesus my soul cries Hallelujah! I’m excited to share this place with you that God has had me in, with the hope/prayer that it will continously resonate to us-ward. I love that as the world is spiraling deeper into chaos God calls us deeper into Him (He= safety, security, fruitfulness, devine order & alignment). Last month we talked about how God has given us sense(s) to help us navigate not just our now but TO INFINITY And BEYOND (lol gotta love classic Toy Story)!! And when I say that word has been being tested, tried, and “trued” in me, oh my! Thus how I know God wants me to stay right there/here. And although it has not been easy, the fresh vision/outlook is well worth it! The word says ask and it will be given unto you, seek and you will find, knock and the door (Jesus) will be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7-8).
On that note 🙂 in Ephesians chpt. 1 (verse 17-18) the Apostle Paul prayed that the eyes of their (our) understanding be enlightened; that they (we) would know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints through the knowledge of Him Christ Jesus. As with all of our senses/organs of perception, first & foremost they are for experiencing God! Eyes for seeing, a tongue for tasting/speaking, ears for hearing, etc.. As simple as that may seem it does take some time, attention, and effort to obtain & develop our spiritual senses. The Bible says blessed are those who see and hear (Matthew 13:16-17), and further explains that many desire it but have not obtained. The word speaks of how being like the world disables our ability to have good sense(s). I recall moments in my own life where I became so distracted/overwhelmed by natural things that it became extremely difficult for me to see, hear, and feel God (see 1 john 2:16). It was not until I made the decision to turn my mind back to God’s word and way that my eyes were opened. I’m so grateful for the Holy Spirit of God who alerts me to pivot when i’m off. Whereas our spirit may lead us one way, God’s spirit re-directs us into truth (Jesus). I just want to encourage someone who may feel like they are drowning in cares right now to cast (aka throw forcefully) them on Jesus through the power of His spirit because He REALLY CARES FOR YOU!
Let’s start by taking a look at the eyes. The word eyes translates ophthalmos in Greek meaning eye-sight & vision, it’s where we get our word optometry/optometrist from. It also interjects the words jealousy and envy which we will touch on a little later. As stated & reiterated above God gave us both our natural and especially our spiritual eyesight for first Him. In fact the bible states that we are changed into the image of Him that we see. Our ability to see God for who and how He really is will directly affect the way we see things in life. I remember looking down from an airplane flying over downtown Chicago, and those huge skyscrapers looked like tiny ants from way up there. When we allow God to shape our perspective concerning things especially the big and/or challenging things we can respond in a greater way. Because now He imparts Himself into us so that we can be transformed (Romans 12). Remember in the beginning was the word, and the word was God (John 1). But what happens when our eyes become fixated on things other than God? Well… it gives room for the enemy to persuade us in the opposite direction and our fleshy human nature to come in agreement and carry it out. We see an example of this with Adam & Eve in Genesis 3. This is where we get things like jealousy (possessiveness/obessesion over things), adultery/perversion, envy (desiring what belongs to another), and a whole list of other things that come with lustful eyes (see 1 tim 6:5-6).
Now let’s take a look at the tongue/mouth. The book of James (one of my favorites) talks a lot about the tongue. Chapter 3 verse 5 mentions that it’s a little member(part) but boasts a great deal and likens it to a small spark that leads to a great fire. The bible also says the power of life and death are in our tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Meaning we can either cause things to thrive by what we speak or decay. How many times have we spoken things that created for us a world of trouble? I have been learning to be more conscience of what I allow to proceed out of my mouth. Because at the end of the day if it’s not in alignment with God’s truth, it’s simply a lie! And my friend lies lead to bondage (slavery) and truth leads to freedom. This is why speaking God’s word over our hearts/minds, our children, our homes, our loved ones, our cities, etc. is so important. One day as I was in the midst of a wrestling match with fear/doubt/unbelief, God said to me firmly and in love, whose report are you going to believe…Choose? Two of my favorite passages on the benefits of taste are Psalm 119:103 and Matthew 16:28, i’m not going to type them out right now but I encourage you to look them up (you can also come check them out and download them on this months P.S. prayers/petitions/scriptures/songs).
I know we spent a lot of time on using our senses to perceive God, but i’d also like to share some other beautiful ways our natural senses can be a benefit in list form just for fun & reference P.S. I’d love to see a picture or clip of you employing any of these strategies we talked about today #glamchic, email them under the contact section or post under the comments.
Taste & See List: Look at the flowers, enjoy your favorite savory or sweet dish, go bird watching, sightsee in your city, drink a hot cup of coffee/coco/tea, go on a picture walk through your phone, eat an apple or orange….
XOXO,
K.Joi
P.S. Give Thanks 🤗
Psalms 50:14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay they vows unto the most High
Happy Thankful Thursday!!! So in addition to our monthly “Letters To The Bride” God impressed upon my heart to do a monthly prayers, petitions, scriptures, and songs. I am so/sew/sow glad because this is my first post of this new series God has given me called P.S.❣️
When you look up the meaning of the abbreviation p.s. it stands for postscript or written after. 📝 The word post means to support, prop, affix, attach, a pillar. As I am/we are journeying with God and growing in Grace having prayer & scriptures as our support system is paramount. I recently began implementing more time in my routines to study & search the scriptures for greater in-sight/incite. My latest study has been on the topic of Thanksgiving. Thus this weeks P.S. Give Thanks!!!
SCRIPTURES
2 Samuel 22:50 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, Oh Lord, Among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.
1 Chronicles 16:8 Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deed among the people.
1 Chronicles 16:3 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever
1 Chronicles 16:35 And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise.
Ezra 3:11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.
Psalms 26:7 That I may publish with the voice of Thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wonderous works.
Psalm 92:1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:
Matthew 15:36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Revelations 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
PRAYERS & PETITIONS
Dear Father,
Thank you for who you and all that you’ve done for me/us. You are always good and faithful even when we are not. Help us to understand how good you are, even towards us. Thank you for not leaving us nor forsaking us. Thank you for loving us and calling us into a place of closeness with you. Help us to seek you with our whole hearts. Show us how to grow in Grace/Power. Reveal to us those things that get in the way of our ability to taste and see that YOU ARE GOOD. Wash us in your love, save, heal, and set us free from the cares/sins of this world. Teach us how to be as your children, serving you with childlike faith and love. And let us give you the glory and praise for every blessing known, unknown, tangible, and intangible. In Jesus name, Amen.
SONG & SIGNATURE
XOXO,
K. Joi (p.s.s. 😁 a printable graphic version of all the scriptures/prayers coming soon) 😘
Oh! 😋Taste and 👀See!
Greetings in Grace Kings Kids,
Happy & Prosperous New Year. 🎉🙌🏽 I pray that this post finds you & yours well, and ready to receive every good thought that God thinks towards you of hope & a future. I’ve recently been pondering on the subject of the senses.
Near the shift of every season my kingdom family takes time to pray and fast our way into the next. These appointed (set apart) times have always been a blessing to my spirit, soul, and body. Some who may come across this post might ask, well what is prayer and fasting? It is a 👑 Kingdom principle given to us by God to help us to be more connected with Him. During this time we deny ourself our daily need/pleasure of food & other earthly affairs (especially distractions/disconnectors) in order to reconnect & draw closer to God.
And as with any scientifically proven principle, when done correctly it yields astronomical results. 🤯 So much good I can say about it, but for the sake of time i’m going to list a few benefits i’ve experienced in times prior. I’d also like to invite you to please reach out on the blogs 📧 contact page if you would like to gain access to our seasonal virtual (completely remote) Prayer & Fasting gatherings (you won’t be disappointed)! So back to the spirit, soul, and body benefits here’s a list: increased ability to see, hear, and respond to God’s voice, reveals & resolves residue & issues of the heart/mind, changes to the body at a molecular level/improves health, and more!
It just makes sense, literally & figuratively. As humans we are most often driven by our senses. These include taste, sight, 👂🏽sound, touch, smell. Think about it we are usually drawn to that which registers good with our senses, and drawn away from that which registers bad.🚦Just as we do this naturally we also have the ability to do this spiritually. Once we receive Jesus as our Lord and savior we receive His spirit, who then takes residence in us (see 1 Corinthians 6:19). Just like any person, Holy Spirit, has senses. For instance the bible talks about Holy Spirit grieving (Ephesians 4:30).
The bible also says our outward man is perishing but our inward man is being renewed day by day (see 2 Corinthians 4:16). Just as we have to tend to our natural man(body) in order for it to function at maximum results we have to do the same with our spirit man. 🏆 This includes a healthy diet, exercise, cleaning/proper hygiene, proper attire to protect it, etc. Because the natural is a similitude/reflection of the spiritual it works in a similar manner. We have to work out our soul salvation with fear & trembling. 🙇♂️🙇🏽♀️And it’s day by day, step by step (Galatians 6:8 & Philippians 2:12).
1 Timothy 4:8 talks about how physical exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for everything. The more time we spend exercising in the spirit the stronger & sharper He we will grow in us. God said it like this to me one day we can have a p.o.e. mindset/life 🧠 or a g.r.o.e. mindset/life (product of environment/experiences or God rewrites our experience). My friend this is GREAT news! 📰 Because guess what, life happens. We all were born into sin, some bad choices inside(us) & out(others), the effects of them, and an agenda/hit out on us from the enemy to steal/kill/destroy us. BUT GOD! John 10:10
Good News Flash: The fight is fixed, the fight is fixed, the fight is fixed!!! 🥊All we have to do is go through the training, show up, and press in. Greater is He who is us than He that is in the world (1 john 4:4). ❓Do we at times get weary, of course. In those moments breath and remember we’ve got the best sparring partner ever! Rest, Refresh, Reset, Re Up!
In the Next 💌 Post Let’s Dive In To How Our Senses Can Be Used In Our Favor (or not 😩)!
Grace Love And Mercy XOXO ❤️ K.Joi
The Case For Grace & The Rift With Gifts
Greetings In Grace Kings Kids,
Praying that you are filled with the fullness of joy during this Holiday 🌟 Season (holy day see son) and forevermore!!! Remember regardless of our temporal circumstances we can always trust in and take hold of God’s word for hope and a future. And always may His eternal(forever) love, goodness, and peace rest upon you and your loved ones.
During this time of year where we take time to give gratitude & gifts in celebration of the holidays, I thought it would be great to post about gifting. The Bible says that Jesus led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men (Ephesians 4). It also says that the gifts of God are without repentance(Romans 11). Every person has been given 🏆treasures, talents, abilities that come from God. There are spiritual gifts, natural abilities, and skills that are deposited to be developed within us that add value to our lives and others.
Because God is so just/fair He gives them to us regardless of what we decide to do with them. Meaning we can use our gifts 🎁 in a way that does not please Him and we still would remain gifted. No take backs. However, this does not exempt us from the rewards or consequences connected to these decisions.
If you know me…I’m a list lady. They help me stay organized & productive, and the way my life is set up… I need them 😂. Side note: I am working on finishing my first 📓journal-planner this month and i’m so excited to share with you what i’ve been diligently working on. Soo back to lists, let’s list some gifts. There are gifts of prophecy, healing, helps, administration, Pastors, Teachers, Evangelists, gifts to sing, dance, write, and the list goes on.
As mentioned these gifts are to benefit/bless us and all those whom we encounter on our journey. The Bible says that we are gifted to serve in love, Him first, and others as ourselves. In fact it guarantees that when we invest into this way of life we are guaranteed a profit. However, on the contrary when we operate outside of ❤️love for Him & others it profits us nothing. My friend CHOOSE LOVE (see 2 Corinthians 13).
One of the greatest traps of the enemy is to cause us to love things of this world as a distraction from loving Him first & others. 1 John 2:15 reminds to not love the world or the things of it. In our last post we talked about how we overall have become a generation led astray by our own desires. ⁉️How many times has God told us to do something but we choose to go another way? Thankfully He is merciful and kind enough to give us another chance, but we ought not use this as an opportunity to indulge in bad behavior.
Lets not forget who (the enemy) motivates this way of life. In fact it was his pride that caused him to fall from grace. If we are not careful we will find ourselves disconnected from the power of God (Grace) to be/live our true best life, all in pursuit of a form (appearance). This is why God warns us throughout the word to ONLY put our trust in HIM, and not our ability, understanding, riches, desires, reputation, etc.
Now more than ever we must come to a place of radical relationship and obedience to God’s leading and guiding. Taking up our cross to follow Jesus can/will only lead to life and it more abundantly. This is a time where He is seeking those who will worship HIM in SPIRIT and in TRUTH. And we must turn our hearts towards the father more than Anything & Anyone else. C.O.A. Godliness + Contentment
Grace Love And Mercy
Signed K. Joi
Lord Have Mercy
2 Samuel 24:14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the Lord; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.
Greetings in Grace Beautiful Ones,
Hope this message finds you well. I am overjoyed when I get the opportunity to come and connect with you via God’s word. Not only when I’m sharing but also when I get to read 👩🏽💻 your posts as well. It’s such a blessing to be able to connect with my sisters and brothers all over the world. Regardless of physical location, situations, circumstances, demographics, or administration we are God’s masterpiece and a beloved family, Glory be to our Lord & Savior Jesus! 🙌🏽
I want to continue in the vein from a few posts ago, dealing with the mercies of God. Psalm 100:5 says “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” The word everlasting in that verse means enduring through all time, eternal, always, constant, and relentless❤️. Bible hero David had such a revelation of God’s mercy. When looking up the number of times mercy is mentioned in the book of Psalms it is noted a total of 99 times. In fact the book of Psalms uses the word mercy more than any other book in the bible.
In the passage above (2 Samuel 24) David makes a poor decision to number Israel & Judah (God’s people) and is dealing with the consequences of his misbehavior. 😩 He is faced with having to choose whether he would suffer at the hand of God or at the hands of man. In verse 14 he petitions to be given over to God’s mighty hand and not man’s. This is the same David in the book of Psalms who stated that if he ascends into heaven or makes his bed 🛏 in hell God is yet there. He knew that there was no place nor condition he could ever be in that God wasn’t present.
One of my favorite scriptures to pray 🙏🏽 is 2 Timothy 2:13, if we are faithless he is faithful, he cannot deny himself. I remember a season when I was so overtaken in depression that it felt as if there was no way I’d ever come out. Even in moments where we are suffering, and unable to see Him, He sees us 👀 and already has a plan in place to bring us out. Regardless of if we caused it, know it, believe it, or see it. This was revealed to David and caused him to proclaim FOR HIS MERCIES ARE GREAT!
In the post “Mercy Mercy Me” we talked about repentance and God’s pity on us, remembering that we are yet clay. However, I wanted to pivot a little and focus on two other elements/synonyms for mercy, kindness and favor. I don’t watch the news much, but every now and then for prayer purposes 📺 I chime in. And my friend it often leaves me feeling a sense of heaviness. It breaks my heart 💔 to see how callous and cold this world has become. Even sometimes during my daily adventures, I encounter others that seem to have no compassion, conscience, nor consideration for others, and it saddens me. Nevertheless we (you & I) must command our souls (mind, will, and emotions) to be of good cheer…. God is near/here!
The word kindness is defined by Oxford as the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. So even in a mean, stingy, selfish, and inconsiderate world that IS NOT how GOD is to usward. I don’t know about you but that makes me glad and geared up to be benevolent like our 🥰 Father & Friend! The revelation of God’s lovingkindness is such a comforting & conforming element of His nature that it encompasses every other thing working against us (inside & out)! This is why David could not be moved to cause harm to King Saul even though Saul had set himself out to kill him. A man indeed after God’s own heart.
In conclusion friends I want to encourage you to be encouraged and look to the hill’s from which comes our help. God IS a very present help in the time of need/trouble. After we have suffered a while HE will strengthen 💪🏽& establish us. Let this mind me in us that was also in CHRIST JESUS, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation. He was obedient even unto death (even the death of the cross). Rarely will a man suffer for a good man but HE died FOR US when we were yet sinners AND that we would have life (and have it more abundantly)! On that note friend… LIVE!!!
XOXO …Grace Love and Mercy 😘
Inscribed K. Joi 😁❤️
In An Err Era
James 1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
Kingdom Greetings Kings Kids,
Peace, Love, and Joy multiplied unto you. I do hope/pray that ALL is well with you, and that you can rest in knowing Jesus loves you/us. He IS a very present help in the time of need and trouble(Psalm 46). So no matter where we find ourselves God is always able and available to meet us there and take us places beyond our current “reality”. The wonderful amazing thing about our Father God is He is limitless, infinite in All we could ever need!
On that note let’s talk. So I was on social media and I came across this new trendy saying, in my ___ era. For those like me you may say huh? 😂 Well in simple terms it’s a phrase that means ___ is my current action/lifestyle and I’m owning it. I came across a few like; in my dancing, mom, sleep, spooky 👀🤦🏽♀️, single, wife, etc. era. And I’m not going to lie y’all….it really got me thinking….I’m getting older. Like really, I’m at that age where you have to take some time to think about how old you’re turning on your next birthday 😩(transparent moment).
Speaking of age, one of the definitions for the word Era is age, or a distinct period in history/time, a generation. And it really got me thinking about the times we are currently living in. God has really been dealing with me about children lately. I mentioned in my last post I have yet to have my own children, but God has graced me with the opportunity to work with children/youths since I was a teenager. Now that I am getting older I have come to realize it’s actually a calling/assignment and not just a job😩🙌🏽. It pretty much was a set up….in a good way, God’s plan.
But back to the times. As I was reading the first chapter of James, I came across verse a few things that really stood out. So in this chapter James is speaking to a scattered people, who are undergoing some tests and trials(struggles). He goes on to encourage them in their faith that these difficulties are working in them a far greater good, and to keep the faith. Furthermore, he addresses the benefits of enduring in a lowly/humble posture in contrast with the consequences for those who are rich/lifted.
When you get down to verses 13-16 he begins to address temptations, stating that God neither is tempted nor tempts man, but contrary to popular belief we are drawn away of our own lust. The lust then leads to sin and the sin then leads to death. He concludes with the admonishment to not err. That word err means to roam from safety, truth, or virtue/strength. It also means deceive, seduce, be out of the way.
As I was reading this I envisioned someone driving on a signed road who turns down the wrong way and ends up at a dark dead end. When I began to ponder this it blew my mind how closely spelled the words err and era are spelled. In addition to the spelling how relevant both are to the times we are in. That’s when I heard in an err era. My spiritual mentor/father has been teaching on the generation, noting that a generation is a step lower in the natural descent(fall) of man. And this double confirmation was both grievous and sobering.
The Bible speaks to this times (2 Tim 3) but it hits different when you see it playing out before your very eyes, knowing that so many are on that dark road. My friend seeking God with our whole heart is no longer something we can put aside. I like to use this analogy. If we knew someone was at our door waiting for us to walk out with a loaded gun to take our, our loved ones , and others lives there is no way we would haphazardly be messing around at that door. On the contrast we would seek safety, stay away from the door, call for help, warn others, and more than likely get a weapon for protection.
In the natural that makes sense to almost everyone, but so many don’t see the danger of where we are right now spiritually& naturally. My friend salvation and walking with God is so essential to our & others life/livelihood. 1 Peter 5:8 says, Be sober, Be vigilante, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom he may devour. God doesn’t say this to cause us to be afraid/in terror but for us to come into safety/shelter in Him!
COA!!! Call of action: Pray/fast, find & attend a solid church (for guidance/covering/community/counsel), read the Bible & pray for understanding, build a relationship with God by getting to know Him & spending time with Him, and Share with others!
Grace Love and Mercy,
Xoxo ❤️ K.Joi ~ In My Jesus Era~
♥♥𝔾𝕃𝔸𝕄 𝑪𝒉!𝒄♥♥ 