--The Lord Knows Where He Wants Us To Go. Also To Whom He Wants Us to Minister~~

-"They tried to enter Bithynia,
but the Spirit of Jesus would
not allow them to."
-(Acts 16:7)--

--Twice in Acts 16 Paul and company were redirected by God. First, they were "kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia" (V.6) Then, "When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to" (V.7). Unknown to them, God had other plans that would be right for His work and workers. His 'no' to the previous plans put them in a position to listen to and be confidently led by Him (VV. 9-10).

Who among us hasn't grieved what we initially thought to be a painful loss? We've felt wounded when we didn't get a certain job, when a service opportunity didn't materialize, when a relocation got derailed. Though such things can momentarily be weighty, time often reveals that such detours are actually 'divine diversions' that the Lord graciously uses to get us where He wants us, and we are grateful.

--ODB/AJ
-[**Perhaps there is unconfessed sin in our lives. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 JOHN 1:9). The guilt beneath the surface will show itself by the Lord halting some work we may think is of Him. "For whom the LORD loves He chastens, (Hebrews 12:6) . We take this to the Lord in prayer, and allow Him to cleanse us, so we can go on forward being used by Him.
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" -(Romans 3:23). There is no sin that He will not forgive if we sincerely repent of it. "You are loved with an everlasting love and underneath are His everlasting arms." ~~
/-"Shine On Us" / Phillips, Craig and Dean ~ -<https://youtu.be/i51ZYgVFCUo>
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--SET FREE FROM GUILT!

---We are incarcerated by our past. We have been found guilty! Our executioner’s footsteps echo against stone walls. We sit on the floor of the dusty cell, awaiting our final moment. We don’t look up as he opens the door. We know what he’s going to say.

“Time to pay for your sins.” But we hear something else!
“You’re free to go. They took Jesus instead of you!”
The door swings open, the guard barks, “Get out.”

And we find ourselves shackles gone, crimes pardoned, wondering what just happened? Grace just happened! Christ took away your sins. Romans 3:24 says, “God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us.” What happened? Grace happened!--

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." --(Ephesians 2:8-9)
--"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." -(1 JOHN 1:9)

--GRACE/ML~~--
[We must remember we are not saved by works. After we are saved, however, we will want to help spread the Word of God. By email, telephone, letter, text, person to person, etc. We love Jesus and will want to help spread His Word. Remember, Jesus told us "If they hated Me, they will hate you also." The enemy of our soul will try to discourage us, We must say, "The Lord rebuke you, devil." [JUDE 9] Jesus is the Word of God. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. --(JOHN 1:14) Hallelujah! Jesus paid our sin-debt by dying on the Cross. ]

---BECAUSE OF JESUS'S LOVE FOR US, WE ARE FORGIVEN, AND WE FORGIVE OTHERS ~~

--"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her
tongue is the law of kindness." -(Proverbs 31:26)--

--A FRIEND of mine has been talking about all the women she knows and how so very many have silent scars and hidden pains and secret sins--things they only reveal to their deepest friends. And then we get to talking about how tough and sinewy women are, how they look so slender and gentle and empathetic, but they are tougher than the toughest men, quite often.

My friend says, "A woman I know gave away her first child. She was only eighteen. She never told a soul. Not her parents, not the father, not her husband, not her best friends, not either of her sons.

"But she never forgot her daughter. Not a day went by that she didn't yearn for the child and worry over her and wish to make it right again somehow, sometime, somewhere.

"Years later, matters conspired so that she did meet her daughter at a farmers' market in the city. The daughter said, 'I will be by the blueberries.' The mother was terrified. Would the daughter hate her? Could the daughter ever forgive her? Could she ever forgive herself? What if the daughter was a cold, wordless, grim, glaring accusation?

"But when they met, the daughter flung her arms open and said, "I have been waiting for you all my life! I love you, Mom!" The mother was so overcome she couldn't speak. The daughter took her by the hand and led her to a bench, and they sat for a while holding hands.

--"Anyone who doesn't get that love is why we are here is missing the crucial memo. We are here to be His light, until Jesus returns for us, His church. For now, we go forward and tell others about His forgiving and saving grace. ~~" For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." ~~
----(Ephesians 2:8-9)--
--DAILY GUIDEPOSTS~~
---"MAJESTY =(Here I Am) / Michael Janz <https://youtu.be/IcOLw3HA51Y>
---------------------

[Yes, the Lord tells us not to worry. "Do not fret it only causes harm." ~ ""Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." --(John 14:27)
--"Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you." --(1 Peter 5:7) ~~"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You; because he trusts in You."--(Isaiah 26:3)

Why do you suppose the Lord gives us all these Scripture verses? Because He knows we are living in a fallen world, and we will worry. We do get discouraged. When He brings it to our remembrance, we repent, and move on.
"That if you confess your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive you of your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness." -[1 John 1: Verse 9] ]
"There is none righteous, not even one." "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." - (Romans 3:23) We have Jehovah G-D who forgives us immediately. As the Holy Spirit brings our sin to mind, repent and move on.
We do not lose our salvation. "We are saved by grace through faith; and that not of ourselves, it is a gift of God not of works lest anyone should boast" -(Ephesians 2:8-9) ]


-----DEALING WITH DISCOURAGEMENT~
--(Please Read/ Psalm 42:1-8)

How can we conquer discouragement? Let me suggest some specific tips:

1.) Look within. Examine yourself for the underlying cause.

2.) Admit that you are discouraged. This is something that’s easy to avoid, ignore, or lie about, but denial doesn’t help you grow.

3.) Identify precisely what you are discouraged about. Name it—then face it.

4.) Recall the nature of discouragement. Disappointments will come and go, but discouragement is a response, and we can respond in other ways.

5.) Begin meditating frequently on Scripture. God’s truth can help you accurately evaluate what you feel.

6.) Take your area of discouragement to God in prayer. Ask Him to reveal what He wants to teach you in this area of your life.

7.) Focus on the Lord, not your situation. Ask Him to help you see this disappointment and its lessons from His perspective.

8.) Confess three things: 1) The Father is with me in the pain; 2) He’s in control of my life and 3) has allowed this for a reason; He is a good God, who will not let this disappointment be in vain. Perhaps, try speaking these truths out loud. Don't allow the enemy of our soul to constantly accuse you of sin. You can say, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan." (JUDE1:9)

Discouragement may sound harmless enough, but don’t underestimate its power. By keeping watch, you can avoid its deadly trap. Perhaps write down these steps on an index card, and then review the list whenever disappointments start to consume your thinking. Thank the Lord for His forgiveness. Try to avoid whatever it is that causes the discouragement.
---IN TOUCH~

---"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;
whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith." ~~ ( Romans 3:23 thru 24)--

---SALVATION AND SIN~~
--[Please Read / 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:1-2]

----One of the main reasons Christians doubt their salvation is the presence of sin in their life. According to 1 John 1:6, people who profess faith while continuing in a sinful lifestyle are deceiving themselves and walking in darkness. Verse 7, however, offers reassurance to those who are truly saved: Though they’ll still sin at times, this doesn’t mean they’ve lost their salvation. Today’s passage explains how believers are to deal with sin when it occurs in their life:

Confess your sins (1 John 1:9). Confession should be our first response when we stumble and fall. It means acknowledging to God that we’ve acted in a manner inconsistent with His character and standards and are in need of His promised forgiveness and cleansing.

Know that Christ is your Advocate before the Father (1 John 2:1-2). It’s never God’s will that we sin, but when we do, Jesus is our Defender in God’s courtroom. His sacrifice fully atoned for our sin and satisfied divine justice. When we repented and believed that Christ died for our sins, we were justified and declared righteous before God.

Know that sin is not a continuing practice in the life of a true believer (1 John 3:9). Since we’re born of God and the Holy Spirit abides in us, we cannot continue in sin. Although there may be brief periods of transgression, God’s Spirit works in us to change our desires and practices.

A believer’s disobedience brings the Lord’s discipline, not loss of salvation. However, as God’s children, we should never excuse our disobedience or abuse God’s grace by living in sin. Instead, we’re to pursue obedience and holiness.
--IN TOUCH~
[Friend, we are all sinners, saved only by His grace. (If you have not received Christ Jesus as your Savior and Lord, please do it now. We are not promised to be here tomorrow. Jesus died
an extremely painful death on the Cross to forgive our sins. ~~ "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 'Whoever will call on the Name of the LORD will be saved (Romans 10: 9,10,13.) ]
---"LISTEN TO OUR HEARTS"/ CASTING CROWNS~~<https://youtu.be/LxqHo2Pvfm0>
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[--Friends,-- I find it amazing that few people want to read this post, "Guilt Beneath the Surface.' Why is that? Because people don't want to admit they are sinners. We all are sinners saved only by Jesus's grace. If we don't get that, then we miss the reason He died on the Cross. He died to forgive each one of us.
Even the Israelites did not (and most still do not), face up to being sinners in need of our Lord Jesus as Savior. We must understand this scripture= "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." [Romans 3:23] ~ Yes, we are justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.
This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for by demonstration I say of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. IT"S ALL SUMMED UP IN FAITH. We must keep short accounts. When we sin, (and we all do), we confess our sins and ask for His forgiveness. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleans us from all unrighteousness.
"If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us."" --(1 John 1:9-10) ]--


---TIMES AND SEASONS ~~

--“And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”
-----(Acts 1:7) --

~~~Just before Christ ascended into heaven, His disciples asked Him, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (v. 6). Christ refrained from answering their question as they had hoped, but in His wisdom He used the occasion to teach them that some information is for God alone, including the “times and the seasons.” In our finiteness, we are unable to handle too much information, and should we know even a small part of the “knowledge [which] is too wonderful for me” (Psalm 139:6), we would use it improperly.

Isaiah taught the same lesson many years before: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). God has graciously revealed enough that we know He has a wonderful plan, but the details are known by Him alone. They are under His “own power,” or authority. Certainly He knows the future, but more than that, He controls it.

And why not? He created time (Genesis 1:1); surely He can exercise authority over it. Surely the “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last” (Revelation 22:13) can control the destinies of individuals and nations. “Power” to work out His good pleasure rests solely with “the only wise God our Saviour . . . now and ever” (Jude 1:25).

Even though this “power” is His alone, His promise to the disciples that “ye shall receive power [a different word than that in verse 7, here meaning strength]” (Acts 1:8) has been fulfilled in the person of the Holy Spirit. We have what we need to be “witnesses” of that which we know of Him to “the uttermost part of the earth.”

--ICR/JDM --"Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise"/ Steve Green [You may need to click on the little round wheel, to get lyrics to this beautiful song.]<https://youtu.be/j0_vB1dFtC4>
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~~~THE PROBLEM WITH UNRESOLVED GUILT ~~

~~~What kind of person does unresolved guilt create? An anxious one, forever hiding, running, denying, pretending. As one man admitted, “I was always living a lie for fear someone might see me for who I really was and think less of me. I hid behind my super spirituality but this lie was exhausting and anxiety producing.”

Unresolved guilt will turn you into a miserable, weary, angry, fretful mess. In a psalm David wrote after his affair with Bathsheba, the kind said, “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.” (Psalm 32:3-4)

As Paul told Titus, God’s grace is the fertile soil out of which courage sprouts! “God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone!” (Titus 2:11, 15 MSG).
---"Anxious For Nothing"//ML~
--"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" - [Romans 3:23]. - There is is! Straight from the Word of God. You and I are sinners, saved only by His grace.

-["For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
"These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you." --[Titus Chapter 2 / Verses 11 thru 15 /NASB]

--Friends,
~~Please pray for our Nation. Your Nation. Wherever you are, we have forsaken our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray as a collective body of believers, His Church.

-"Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
"Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. --

"For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;
For it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
"Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake.

"Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law" ~"
--(Romans 13 verses 1 thru 5 / and 8)
--"Heal Our Land"/ (lyrics) ~Kari Jobe Carnes // <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yHNKgA8vdQ>
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