Live Honestly

Have Integrity

Its not always easy to do the right thing. We need to strive to be honest, have good morals and walk uprightly. Today when I was driving to the store, I went to park my car and bumped the car beside me in the parking lot. I got out of the car to see if I had any damage to my car or the other car. My car was good but I seen a long white scratch on the dark purple truck beside me. I thought , Oh, there’s no way I didn’t scratch his car, because it was the same spot I hit. I looked around to see if anyone was looking, trying to decide how to handle the situation. Truthfully, I wanted to leave and act like nothing happened! Then I thought to myself, I can’t leave, it’s not right. He was no where near his car, but I knew inside that I had to find the driver. There were plenty of other stores around, but knew he had to be close. I waited next to his car for to come back. I called my husband and told him what happened. I wondered if I should call the police, leave a note or sit and wait. I thought, it could be hours before he returns. I don’t want to sit here all day. I don’t want to report this to my insurance. So what should I do. I just wanted to crank my car and leave, but I knew it wouldn’t be honest. Despite knowing, God sees all. So I waited longer, deciding that I had to wait and tell the truth to the other driver. After about 20 minutes 2 guys come walking down the parking lot. They looked like they could be really get angry with me. I was afraid, but I approached them asking if it was there truck that I hit. Yes why, they said. I scratched your car. How, they replied. I told them that my car hit theirs when I pulled up. They looked down and said, it’s okay, it’s cheap paint. I was a little confused. Why were they so polite. I told them, I was willing to pay them to get it fixed. No, it’s okay, don’t worry about it, they answered. I was shocked that they refused my money, and gave me a pass.

It amazes me, that God gives us a pass sometimes. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our thoughts, but he forgives us. He knew my heart, and knew I was trying to be honest and so he helped me today. So I know without a doubt that God helps those that live honestly, and Godly.

So try to be honest. Tell the truth and it will work out.

The Bible says: That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more, 1 Thessalonians 4.12

All Lives Matter

Recently we have seen a lot of shootings that are racially induced.  One guy is harmed by police so another man goes on to kill a police officer.  Why?  Shouldn’t we love one another and quit judging someone by their sin color.  If someone was injured would you check out their skin color to see if you wanted to help them, Or would you run to their rescue without thinking about it.  Recently I had the chance to help some women who had been in a serious car accident.  I didn’t look at their skin color first, I saw that they were human beings with lives that mattered.

The media is race bating.  They are creating chaos and for what.   We are all people with importance.  It doesn’t matter who we are or where we live.  We should love each other like Jesus Christ loves us.  He gave his life on a cross for all mankind.  He didn’t choose a select group of people that he wanted to die for.  John 3:16 says: For God so loved the world!!!!!!  That he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish but have everlasting life.

When we start loving others more than we do ourselves, then this world will become a better place to live.  What happened to the times when someone would help out their neighbor.  We shouldn’t do things for payment but because we want to. We should look for ways to help out our fellow man.  We are all in this world together.  Time we started acting like it.  Time to show others love and forgive one another.  Love can erase hate.  No one is better than another. All lives matter to me, all lives matter to God.

Show Me How to Love

Today I asked God to show me how he loves. Today he showed me a video testimony about the love between two people, when I seen the love between Joey and Rory Feek. Then he showed me a forgiving love when a man forgave someone that had shot his wife and he asked prayers for his family. Then God showed me a compassionate love, when a man taught his son to show compassion to someone even though they might be slow to learn. Then God showed me a sacrificial love when he showed me what Christ did for us. John 3:16-16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

See God showed me how to love by example.  When I look at the love story of Joey and Rory Feek, it breaks my heart.  I see a couple who endured many tribulations and still managed to keep their love.  In case you didn’t know that Joey and Rory Feek were country singers.  Rory Feek was a country boy that met a woman that he thought was out of his reach.  He mentioned before when being interviewed that he was amazed how this vivacious woman came to him and said, “I’m going to marry you.”  He thought of it as if it were a dream.  This beautiful woman wanting to spend time with him, but it was true.  They soon married and enjoyed making songs together.  Then finally one day arrived when Joey Feek got cancer.  She had asked her husband, Rory to write about their love story on a blog.  Never did he know what impact it would have on the world.  Many people have read how their love for each other and God continued even during the trials that they soon faced.  Joey cancer took a tole on her life and Rory said that he would do anything to take her place on her deathbed.  Joey just looked at him and said, “Then who would write our story?”

See I am convinced that we see love by example.  We see love that two people have for one another even during their trials and tribulation.  We see the love for God that Joey had even when she had a terminal cancer and was dying.  We see a forgiving love that Rory had even when he seen his wife dying in front of him.  He never blamed God for what happened to him.  He just learned how to love the more.

God doesn’t give up on us when we do wrong or do something we shouldn’t.  He loves us despite our failures.  He loves us when we don’t show love for others like we should.  He loved us enough to give us his son at Calvary.  If you don’t know the true love of the Father, I asked you to seek him.  He can give you the love inside that that these two precious people had for each other and for God.  We don’t have to be perfect but we must turn from sin and ask God to come into our hearts.

For more information on love or salvation, please visit this informational blog at: Godly Witnesses

 

 

Forgiveness & Mercy of God

It is easy to lay your head down at night when you are at peace. Living in fear of past sins can keep you up at night and strip that peace that gives you comfort.  If you have accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior and Redeemer, you don’t have to fear. 1 John 4:9,10 says, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”  If we have accepted God’s son, Jesus, we have forgiveness for our sins.  We don’t have to worry about God forgiveness because when God looks upon you, he sees the blood of Jesus. 

Jesus blood was shed for you on a cross at Calvary. Leviticus 17:11 says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. ”  1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

What would life be like without forgiveness? Forgiveness is the only thing that can restore broken relationships and allow healing to begin.  Forgiveness is one of the greatest virtues that man can possess.  With forgiveness, the broken can be fixed and the crooked can be made straight once again. Forgiveness is saying that we no longer hold the offense against the offender, and neither does God hold the sin against the believer in Christ. In this we can trust that if we confess our sins to God, he will forgive us of all sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Another Forgiveness Source: Forgiveness & Mercy of God

How Much Do You Believe

How Much Do You Believe. Posted by Godly Witnesses

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recently I seen a movie called, “Heaven is For Real” and my eyes were opened to how much people believe in God.  Sadly I see some attending church, saying a quick prayer, singing in a choir, and then going on with their lives as if God isn’t present in their lives.  Belief is so much more than attending church once or twice a week; it should be incorporated into every minute, every second of your waking hours.  The definition of belief is: an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists; something one accepts as true or real; a firmly held opinion or conviction; trust, faith, or confidence in someone or something.

To have a true belief in God is to be in complete obedience to him, to have complete trust and faith that he exist and that he is in control of not a small part of our lives but in everything.  To have a true belief in God we must completely surrender to him as our Lord, Savior, Creator and Master.  If you truly believe that God exist and that he will take care of you then you must never doubt his love for you.  If you truly believe you would never doubt that he could handle things in your life that seem so big for you, because you would know that all things are merely minuscule to God.  Remember that God created the Heaven and the Earth.  Now take time to meditate on that.  God created everything that you see, that you hear, that you feel. How amazing!  He not only made everything but he can command the earth to move or the wind to blow. He can control the sea and the clouds.

Recently I was asked to prove God to someone that doesn’t believe and I have to ask, “Where did his belief fail?”  Did his parents ever teach him about God or did they believe?  Someone that truly believes in God would want their loved ones to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior, because of their love for them.  They would dedicate their time to telling others that Jesus saves.

I must tell you that from an early age, I had some belief in God which is much smaller to what I believe in now.  My belief has grown a lot by the time that I have spent in prayer and studying God’s word, etc… If you want to have more faith and belief in God you must dedicate more time to him.  He will show you things that you would have never thought of.  He will show you things that can increase your faith and belief in him.  He can help you have so much faith that you don’t care what others say about you, because you know that God is there with you.  So my question is how much do you believe?

Who is God

For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? (Psalm 18:31).
God is the creator of everything from the sun and moon to man and woman.
Psalm 8:3-4 says, When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;  What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? This is a very powerful statement.  Who is man to God? Why does he care anything about us? 
God is all powerful, all knowing, loving, righteous and loving.  You are his handiwork.
 
For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. (Psalm 96:4,5)
His voice and words are powerful. He spoke everything into existence. Psalm 29:4 says, The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. In Genesis Chapter One, God tells us that he spoke and things happened.  He formed the earth, moon, light, man, animals by his voice.

Who can know God? Deuteronomy 4:39 says,
Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.
Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; (Deuteronomy 7:9). The Lord is known by the judgement which he executeth: Psalm 14:1.

God protects his children from harm and heals them.

(Psalm 18:2) The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
Psalm 34:17 says, The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

God is a God of love! Psalm 8:17: I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. John 3:16 says, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
1 John 3:16 says, Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.
1 John 4:7-8 says, Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

God is a God of righteousness and judgement!
Psalm 7:11 says, God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. Psalms 50:6 says, And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Psalm 116:5: Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
Ecclesiastes 3:17 says, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

What does God require of us?
Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 1 John 5:2 says, By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 1 John 3:23 says, And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.  If you don’t accept his son Jesus Christ, then you are none of his. Romans 8:9 says, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

If you would like to become the child of God, you must accept his son, Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Call upon Jesus and ask him into your life and he will save you.   Go to this link to learn about salvation. 

Whose Wisdom?

Whose Wisdom? is a great post written by Eliza from the holdingforthhisword blog.  We must obey God rather than man.  If the Bible says its wrong, it’s wrong.  If the Bible says that you must believe on the name of Jesus Christ, you must believe on the name of Jesus Christ to enter Heaven.  Jesus was the son of God and not just a man or prophet.  Many are led away from the truth and say that there are other ways to Heaven.  Don’t be fooled by the wisdom of man.  God’s wisdom is true and is spoken through his holy word, the Bible.

Isaiah 53 speaks volumes what Christ did for us on the cross.

Isaiah 53:3 -He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

⁴ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

⁸ He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

⁹ And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

¹⁰ Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

¹¹ He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

¹² Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Writing to Edify

So many authors are in the world today. It is hard to know who is writing for wealth, fame, riches; I want to tell you that my main purpose is to encourage you and edify you into gaining wisdom. Knowledge is great but wisdom is from above. I recently have written an E-Book called, “Walking with the Father”. The purpose of this book was to share what I have learned with others. This book should help you with your Christian walk with God. It is free on Smashwords by clicking this link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/420758

Walking With the Father is a Christian based book that helps those that might be struggling with their faith or who simply want to increase their relationship with God. Many of us have been in a place where we have sought after God. We have been confused, broken hearted, lonely or in search of answers. We have desperately needed to find help in times of trouble. Walking With the Father is a spiritual handbook designed to give you the answers you seek. It is a Christian guidebook that clearly lays out ways to guide you in the right direction to becoming closer to God.

 

Amazon buy link is here: http://www.amazon.com/Walking-With-Father-Christian-Handbook-ebook/dp/B00J3GHC80/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401299603&sr=8-1&keywords=tracy+kauffman
I tried to give it free on Amazon but couldn’t so the price is .99 cents for Amazon’s fees.

Looking Forward to the New Year

 

I would like to wish each and everyone a Happy and Safe New Year. The New Year season represents a time to look forward toward big and better things to come. Last year came with some up’s and down’s but I hope to look forward, forgetting those things behind and pressing toward the mark of the high calling in God. See, I have decided to focus this next year on my Heavenly Father and not on worldly possessions or myself. I do not want to make any New Year resolutions but to say this. I will try to witness more, read the Bible more and praise my God in Heaven more this year.

To truly honor God, I want to thank him for all the blessings he has bestowed upon me and my family. He has guided me toward starting a new Christian blog located here. http://godlywitnesses.wordpress.com/. I have had a few followers already and the blog seems to be going in the right direction. Topics include: Fasting, Grace, Trusting in God, Heaven, Jesus, and many others. I hope this blog will help others come to Christ.

Another blessing is my new publishing company. I am starting slow by financing myself. I strive to look for decent books that would encourage, inspire or edify others. I will not compromise my values and publish anything that I consider ungodly. There are too many books that are influencing our country in a negative way. Submissions are currently closed but will restart soon!

Angels- God’s Messengers- Part 2

This post is a continuation of a previous post about Angels. To view the other post, click here.

God charges his angels to perform his judgment in different situations. Look at Genesis Chapter 19, we read how two angels came to warn Lot to leave the city of Sodom. They cause blindness to come upon the men of the city (Genesis 19:11). They were sent by God into Sodom to destroy the city (19:13). God gives his angels certain instructions on how to carry out his orders. He told the Angels not to touch the city until Lot escapes the city (Genesis 19:22).
In 2 Samuel 24 we learn that God sent his angel to cast the judgment of seven years of famine upon Israel after David numbers his people. Seventy thousand men died because of David’s sin.
One day God will tell his angels to separate the wicked from the just and will cast them into the lake of fire (Matthew 13:41, 49).
Some angels will carry out God’s judgment (Revelations Chapter 8, 9, 16). Revelations Chapter 7 talks about how they control the wind. One angel in Revelations 7:2 is described as being a leader of the other angels and he has the seal of God. One angel having a sharp sickle thrust it upon the earth and gathers the vine or God’s people.
Some Angels act as protectors. They tell God’s people what they need to hear. Genesis 22:11, an Angel stops Abraham from killing his son as a sacrifice. Some angels are here to protect us. In Psalms 91:11 the Bible tells us, “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” In Luke 4:10-11 it says, “For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.”
In Exodus 23:20, God tells Moses that he send his Angel to protect him on his journey to Caanan. The Bible says: “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.” We learn that in Daniel Chapter Six, that God sent his angel to shut the mouth of the Lion so it would not harm Daniel. God protects his people that obey him. Daniel 3:28 says God sent his angel to protect Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace. The king, Nebuchadnezzar had ordered them thrown into a hot furnace that was seven times hotter than normal.
In Matthew 26:53 we learn that Jesus could have called twelve legions of angels to come and protect him. In that time, a Roman legion was composed up of 6000 men. Psalms 103:20 tells us that angels are strong and excel in strength.
Some Angels are messengers and tell different people what they need to know. An Angel tells Hagar to return to the house of Abraham and Sarai and be submissive unto them. Then he tells her that she will have a son, and tells her to name him, Ishmael (Genesis 16:11).
An angel tells Manoah and his wife that she will have a child. He instructs them about what she should do while she is carrying the child. He tells them that they should not cut his hair. He tells them that the child will later deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines. We find out later that this child was named Samson.
In the four gospels of the Bible, angels told Mary and the disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead. To read about this, you can go to Matthew Chapter 28, Mark Chapter 16, Luke Chapter 24 or John.
One Angel was sent to Gideon to tell him that God was with him and that he could stand against the Midianites (Judges 6:12). The Angel did a miracle in front of Gideon as a sign that God was with him (Judges 6:21).
An angel went to announce the birth of Jesus to different people. Luke 2 tells us that they went and told shepherds about the birth.
Some Angels carry out different functions that God gives them to do. Some Angels are there when we die to escort us into Heaven, if we are his people, saved by his grace. If you are not a believer in Christ, you will not be escorted by the Angels into Heaven but into Hell. Luke 16:19-24 tells us that a poor beggar named Lazarus who was escorted by God’s Angels into Heaven when he died. Then there was a rich man that opened his eyes after death into a place of torment called Hell.
The minister, Billy Graham gave an account of his grandmother when she died. He said that she raised up in her bed right before she died. She was laughing and said that she could see Jesus, her husband that had died earlier, and the Angels. Immediately after that, she laid back down and died.
My maternal grandmother had told my mother before she died that her husband, that had died earlier had visited her. He had asked her if she was ready to die. A few months later, she was given a drug she was allergic to. The doctor gave her something to counteract the drug. My mother pleaded with her to fight to live. She shook her head no and pointed to her engagement ring and pointed upward. She was letting my mother know that she was ready to die. This gave comfort to my mother.
As a nurse, I have seen people that were deathly sick. They seemed to go through a miraculous recovery right before they die. They can raise up in bed. They can talk to you as if there was nothing wrong with them. Then the next day they die. It is hard for me to understand that a person who is about to die can recover so quickly, but I know God is the one who heals. When a person dies they are no longer bound by a humanly body but by a spiritual body.
I have heard other accounts of people who died say that their feet was burning right before they died. It is not a good feeling to know that someone didn’t accept Christ, and that they would end up in a place of torment.
God grants some Angels powers to perform certain things. In Luke 1:20, an Angel made Zacharias dumb and unable to speak until Elisabeth had her baby. This was done because Zacharias didn’t believe that his wife could have a baby because she was of old age.
In Genesis 19:11, Angels caused the men of Sodom to become blind because they were wicked. The men of Sodom wanted to do things to the Angels that was ungodly.
In Jerusalem we know that their was a pool called, Bethesda. An angel would go and allow healing once a season to whomever entered the pool first. So God allows angels to carry out act of healing.

To explain fully about angels, I need to tell you that there are fallen angels which have followed after Satan. They are considered his demons or evil spirits. Satan was once an angel in Heaven. His name was Lucifer and in Isaiah 13:14 tells us why he was cast out of Heaven. The Bible tells us, “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.”
Satan can transform into the appearance of an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). He is a deceiver and he has deceived the nations. He is known as the tempter (Matthew 4:3).
In Jude 1:6, These fallen angels left God to follow after Satan. God has reserved them in everlasting chains under darkness until the day of judgment.
God has control over these fallen angels. He cast them into hell and they are bound by him (2 Peter 2:4).
Revelations 12:9 tells us that Satan or the Devil, deceiveth the whole world and was cast out into the earth with his angels.
They have a destructive nature as seen in Mark 5:4-13. There are many fallen angels as told in Mark 5:9, which described them as Legion, meaning many. Their purpose is to do the work of Satan not God.
Several places in the gospels mention how Jesus or his disciples had to cast out devils from people that were possessed. One man that was mentioned in Mark Chapter Five had several devils in him. This man dwelled among the tombs and he was untamable or unmanageable and he would cry out and cut himself daily. When Jesus approached him, he ran toward him. It showed that the devils knew exactly who Jesus was.
Mark 16, we read of where Mary Magdalene had seven devils in her. Luke refers to these devils as evil spirits.

I hope that this book has given to you some clarification on what Angels are all about and what they are here for. God send his Angels to comfort us in times of sorrow, to protect us in time of trouble, to instruct us about things that God told them, and minister to us when we need it. In this world, everyone looks to evidence to prove something exist. Only a slight few have encounter instances with Angels. They do not leave behind evidence other than what people have testified of.
As a Christian, I have found several times in my life where I felt like Angels were watching over me. I believe I have seen Angels watching me in my car, at my house and felt them at other times. Some did not look like they were there for good. The fallen Angels are all around us. These fallen Angels are working evil throughout the earth. They are causing strife and working to serve Satan’s purpose. I warn you to be on guard. If you are suddenly mad for no reason, ask yourself if this could be the work of Satan.