DRAW NEAR: Week 1 Monday - The Heavens declare His glory!

     On April 13th, 2020 our Faith Tabernacle Ladies Group started a Women's Online Bible Study Group on Facebook and we are blessed to study along with a devotional created by LOVE GOD GREATLY (visit their website to learn more about them HERE). (Link opens in new window) We are following along together with the Study DRAW NEAR! In this Study we are encouraged to use the SOAP methid oof Bible Study. SOAP being, Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Now I added a second page to my SOAPing, and add additional Scriptures or pictures or thoughts that come to mind. For now I have to do it all on the computer as I can't print from home right now. We are now on Week 3, and I am gleaning so much from Holy Spirit and from the other ladies and their revelations, interpretations, wisdom and growth as well.  So I figured I would share my insights here on my blog as well in hopes that others may glean from it too! I do NOT know who sees this blog or who reads it. I haven't been faithfully posting, so my followers have probably dwindled. LOL! But for now, here we go...  I have a lot to copy and paste... LOL! Thanks for reading and feel free to comment below and add your own thoughts and revelations if you read the verses too. Be blessed.

TODAY'S VERSES to READ: Psalm 19:1-3 (our weekly memory verse) and PSALM 33:6-9

SOAP Verse: Psalm 19:1-3

PSALM 19: 1-3 NLT "The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak;  night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard."

PSALM 33:6-9 NLT "The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs. Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him. For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command."

Here are some of my notes...

God is soooo good. Well of course when I read the Scripture, the song "I Will Do the Same" came flooding into my head... and as I think of the skies and the heaven (and all of creation really) all consistently doing what they are created to do... and without sound. If "I will do the same"... then I have to display God's craftsmanship (I used the NLT translation)... and as a crafter that word has always stick out to me. The craftsmanship of God...

I am someone who LOVES life application... (and I have used the SOAP method before). Just as I am writing this, I am reminded of an object lesson I learned as a young girl (and have used the same lesson again and again to teach as well) using a needlepoint/embroidery creation. We were shown the beautiful design on the front and how our lives are like this on the hands of the Creator... but sometimes our lives can be "messy" and they flipped it over and showed the back side of the embroidery design full of yarn/thread and knots and mixed up colors. We don't display that side... same as we are to display the handiwork or craftsmanship of God. We still have troubles or trials or storms, but in the hands of the Creator we glorify Him! 

i also LOVE watching sunrises and sunsets... the promise of a new day and the hope for tomorrow... The skies proclaim God's glory and we should too! I WILL DO THE SAME!


BE BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING!

SOCIAL DISTANCING... a time to come SPIRITUALLY CLOSER to GOD!

*Please Note: All links open in another window, so you can click & look and not lose this blogpost*

SOCIAL DISTANCING... such strange words in a difficult and different time... since the last time I wrote in February... who knew that all this would happen between then and today...

My last blogpost was 'Are you ALL IN or are you IN AT ALL??' With SOCIAL DISTANCING, we may not be doing the 'norm', or we may feel that we aren't in it at all...  but for many of our essential workers, they are giving their all... thank you to ALL essential workers, but especially our healthcare workers.  The rest of us who are quarantined at home, only to go out for the essential and we have been given the gift of TIME! How are YOU using this TIME?? 

Some of us yes, still have to work from home, or do our schoolwork... but think of your EXTRA time... How are YOU using your extra time? 

Are you...

* Spending time with family (in your home, on the phone, or on social media); 

* Staying connected with extended family, church family and friends on social media (or e-mail, snail mail or porch drops, etc...) 

* Staying busy focusing on some hobbies (crafts, reading, puzzles, video games, cooking/baking, etc);

* Relaxing and watching TV or NETFLIX or MOVIES (either alone or with family)

* Doing nothing much... trying to keep from going crazy, and being depressed.

* Staying busy and catching up on chores & sanitizing your home (laundry, dishes, vacuuming, cleaning, grocery shopping, etc.);

* Cleaning, organizing, purging your home;

* And more... 

SOCIAL DISTANCING requires us to spend time away from those who do not live in our household. We need to stay at least 2-6 feet away from others if we go out of our home. BUT, social distancing doesn't include GOD. NOW is the TIME to get CLOSER to God. ONE STEP in any direction takes us into the arms of GOD. Even IF you are NOT a believer... He is HERE with YOU! You just need to TAKE a U-TURN and come to Him. He hasn't moved away... it's only us who move away. NOW is the TIME to take time out for GOD.  Social Distancing brings Spiritual Awakening...

We may have to stay apart from each other, but NOW is the time to grow CLOSER with God! However you want to do that... however you want to START... DO IT! It could be as simple as listening to WORSHIP music... listening to ONLINE services (yes there are MANY out there on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram - my church Faith Tabernacle London's YouTube channel is found here and our FACEBOOK is here)... BUT the most important is spending TIME in HIS WORD (The BIBLE) and PRAYING to Him. PRAYER is the way you can communicate with GOD, and THE BIBLE is His way of communicating with you along with PRAYER. His WORD is what will stand true in these difficult times! There are THANKFULLY online Bibles if you don't have a physical hard copy at your home. (BibleGateway.com online or the YouVersion APP are my fav's)

GET CLOSE TO GOD! Draw near to God and He will draw near to you! 

"Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty, is divided between God and the world." James 4:8 NLT 

"For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God." Hebrews 7:19 

"You are only as close to God as you want to be."

So on this GOOD FRIDAY, celebrate the GOOD... that Jesus came to DIE FOR YOU AND YOUR SINS... God had a PLAN to RESCUE and SAVE us.  Jesus only had to die ONCE for ALL! Continuing in Hebrews 7 v24-28 "But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honour in heaven.[f] Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever." 

MAKE SURE YOU AREN'T SOCIAL DISTANCING FROM JESUS, OUR HIGH PRIEST!

Remember, inviting JESUS in is as easy as ABCD...

A - ADMIT you are a sinner (we all are - only JESUS was perfect! See Romans 3:23)

B - BELIEVE that JESUS died for YOU (His death paid for our sin! See Romans 6:23)

C - CONFESS that SIN and REPENT (and CONFESS that you want JESUS to be the LORD of your LIFE and YOU will be SAVED. See Romans 10:9&10)

D - DECLARE you are a CHILD OF GOD (See John 1:12)

Now, as I have said before, being a CHILD OF GOD doesn't make your life perfect, nor does it take away all your STORMS, but now you KNOW for sure that GOD is WITH you in your STORMS and can SAVE and PROTECT you!

Be blessed in this TIME! Be Blessed to Be a Blessing!