Humble Yourself

3-year-old grandboy and sweet Bell

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time." (1 Peter 5:6-7)

The best picture of humility that I can think of is our sweet Bell —meek, respectful, submissive, quick to forgive, eager to please, and putting her masters' needs before her own. 

God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Beloved, humble yourself before the Lord, and He will lift you up (James 4:6, 10).

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Beyond My Ablities

 

my beloved friend
Mattie B. Taylor
1907-2006

"God will make this happen, for He who calls you is faithful." (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

My beloved friend, Mattie B. Taylor, learned to read as a custodian at Carver Elementary School. She told me that she would clean the classrooms "real slow" and listen to the teachers.

God's next-year's book assignment for me is exceedingly beyond my abilities and extremely out of my comfort zone: write an Alabama story set in the  the 1960s during integration. 

Help, Lord!

(I was a third grader when schools integrated in my hometown. So, I'm contacting classmates and listening to their stories. If you have a story to share from integration days, I'd love to hear it. You can contact me at: misjill413@aol.com) 

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221.2

 

Grandgirl 2020

Jesus said, "You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to Me!" (John 5:39)

As part of our daily health routine, my Phillip and I weigh every morning. Normally, weight varies a few ounces from day to day, but for six days straight, Phillip has weighed 221.2 pounds.

Today, I said, "You think God's trying to tell us something?" So, I grabbed my Bible and read every chapter 22 verse 12 from Genesis to Revelation. And here ya go:

"Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done." (Revelation 22:12)

And the point of this post is? Jesus will come back. Be ready, beloved, and go tell the world!

Troublesome times are here, filling men's hearts with fear

Freedom we all hold dear now is at stake

Humbling your hearts to God saves from the chastening rod

Seek the way pilgrims trod, Christians awake!

Jesus is coming soon, morning or night or noon

Many will meet their doom, trumpets will sound

All the dead shall rise, righteous meet in the skies

Going were no one dies, heavenward bound! 1

1 JESUS IS COMING SOON. R. E. Winsett, 1942.

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His Church

 

Phillip, grands, and me
Howard's Chapel on Lookout Mountain
2019ish

Jesus replied, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." (Matthew 16:16-18)

On this day #18 in 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, we (Christians around the globe) are praying for Christ's Church.

In the Gospel of John, chapter seventeen records Jesus' prayer for Himself (v.1-5), His disciples (v.6-18), and all believers — His church (v.20-21). Jesus asked the Father to give the body of believers two things: complete unity and to be with Him in heaven.

"My prayer is . . . that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are one—I in them and You in Me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and loved them even as You have loved Me. Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory, the glory You have given Me because You loved Me before the creation of the world!" (John 17:20-24)

Beloved, pray for Christ's Church today. Pray as Jesus prayed. Ask for unity for today and to be with Him forever and always.

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Adios Butterfly

 

grandgirl and butterfly friend
2013ish

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Our good-bye salutations with the grands go something like this:

"See ya later alligator!"

"Bye-bye housefly!"

"After while crocodile!"

Sunday, as we were leaving, the three-year-old grandboy yelled, "Adios butterfly!"

Like an unsightly caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly so is the lost soul transformed into a new life in Christ by God's grace.

You are beautiful, beloved.  

Selah. 

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Lighthouse in the Sea of Humanity

 

my Phillip and me
Sanibel Island
2018

For this is what the Lord has commanded us: "I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth." (Acts 13:47)

I believe the Holy Spirit instructed, "Pray Palm City Church will be a lighthouse in the sea of humanity through which I save the nations!"

Palm City Church launched yesterday in Wesley Chapel, Florida under the leadership of Pastor Brian Bagwell and his wife, Kristen. Four hundred and two people attended the genesis service. Nine people believed the Good News of Jesus Christ, and God snatched nine souls from the flames of hell and gave them the free gift of never-ending eternal life with Him!

Lord, as You have commanded, make us lighthouses in the sea of humanity, proclaiming the life-saving Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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The JOEL Prayer

 

kids, grands, and me
fall 2021



"Consecrate a fast,
Call a sacred assembly,
Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land
into the house of the LORD your God,
And cry out to the Lord!
(Joel 1:14)

My Bible study ladies and I are currently digging into the Old Testament minor prophet book of Joel (pronounces YoEL in Hebrew). Joel's three chapters are custom made for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting.

The first week, we studied chapter one and memorized and prayed Joel 1:14 (above) for Christ's church. God's answer: Hundreds of churches around the globe consecrated a fast, called a sacred assembly, and are crying out to the Lord our God! Thank You, Holy Father!

This week, we studied chapter two and are memorizing and praying Joel 2:13 for our nation:

"Rend your heart and 

not your garments.

Return to the LORD your God

for He is gracious and compassionate.

slow to anger, and abounding in love,

and He relents from sending calamity."

Next week, we'll study chapter three and memorize and pray Joel 3:16 for the world:

"The LORD will roar from Zion

and thunder from Jerusalem;

the earth and sky will tremble.

But the LORD will be a refuge for His people,

a stronghold for the people of Israel."

As the prophet Joel warned hundreds of years before the birth of Christ: the Day of the Lord's judgment is coming. Therefore repent and respond to Father God's personal invitation into relationship with Him through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. 

Beloved, will you join us in the JOEL prayer? 

Fast.

Gather.

Cry out to the Lord your God.

Rend your heart.

Return to the Lord.

For God is gracious and compassionate.

He is slow to anger

He is bounding in love.

God is our refuge and stronghold.

And perhaps He will relent from sending calamity upon our land.

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Within Reach

 

three-year-old grandboy and Granddaddy

"But only if you listen obediently to GOD, your God, and keep His commandments and regulations written in this Book of the Law. Nothing halfhearted here; you must return to GOD, your God, totally, heart and soul, holding nothing back. This commandment that I'm commanding you today isn't too much for you, it's not out of reach. It's not on a high mountain . . . And it's not across the ocean . . . The Word is right here and now . . . as near as the heart in your chest. Just do it!" (Deuteronomy 30:10-14 The Message)

Yesterday, we hiked Greenway Trail in Mt. Laurel with the grandboys and stopped at a large poplar to see if a granddaddy and a boy could reach around the tree.

In the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy, Moses encouraged the people to reach around the Word of God. "Observe to do" is the theme of Deuteronomy given by Dr. Henrietta Mears. She wrote: "Moses wanted the people to be 'doers of the Word, and not hearers only' (James 1:22)."

In chapter 30, at the end of their long 40-year journey in the wilderness, Moses stressed the point that God's Word could be comprehended. No one must go up to heaven or across the sea to grasp it. The Word of God was within reach because God made His law readily available to His people.

God's Law was readily available to His People in 1405 B.C., and God's Word is readily available to His people in 2022 A.D. The problem is not that God has not done enough for us to hear and understand His Truth, the problem is the refusal of people to embrace and obey God's Truth. 

Got a Bible, beloved? Reach out. Grab it. Read it. Think about it. Obey it!

"How blessed the reader! How blessed the hearers and keepers of these oracle words, all the words written in this book! Time is just about up." (Revelation 1:3 The Message)

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Fresh Wind in Your Sails

 

L-R Daddy, brother Mark, friend Steve
Tennessee River, 1968

"Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you in everything good for doing His will and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Christ Jesus, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:20-21)

Like a sailboat drifting aimlessly down a lazy river on a windless day, so is a life without the power of the Holy Spirit.

Beloved, may Almighty God fill your sails with His all-powerful breath. Renew your vision. Restore your strength. Enlarge your hope to complete your God-given assignment for His glory!

"The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it!" (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

Day #11, 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting

www.churchofthehighlands.com

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Tell Me the Story

"Gandalf"
by my talented grandgirl, Anya

"Jesus told them a story to teach them that they should keep on talking with God and not give up." (Luke 18:1 WE)

Writing The Schoolhouse in 2011 was great fun. Afterward, I said, "Lord, if You'll keep telling me stories, I'll keep writing them down," and we've published a book a year ever since.

Fish Fish is scheduled for release spring 2022, and I'm sitting at the feet of Jesus, waiting for the next story.

Need to know what's next, beloved? Sit at the feet of Jesus, and He will tell you the story.

 

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Great Faith

 

my daddy and me
Easter, April 6, 1958

"But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." (James 1:6)

Beloved, great faith is not strongly believing in what you want but greatly trusting the One you are asking.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not depend on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5)

Selah.

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Mystery

 

Great-great-great Grandmother
Unity Brown Beason
(1834-1910)

Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been granted." (Matthew 13:11)

My cousin, Deborah, and I have been piecing notes together trying to figure out which grandmother was the half Cherokee Native American we were told about as girls. Documents show conflicting information, but we're pretty confident the mystery is solved: Unity Brown Beason (1834-1910).

Wanna know the answers to the mysteries of life, beloved? Read the Bible —the undisputable, irrefutable truth of God.

 

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Dig Another Well

 

my boys and grandboys
Orange Beach, Alabama
2021

"Jacob went from there and dug yet another well. But there was no fighting over this one so he named it Rehaboth (Wide-Open Spaces), saying, "Now God has given us plenty of space to spread out in the land." (Genesis 26:22)

In my eleven years of writing, although I've experienced small accomplishments, I have yet to author a successful book by the world's standards. Therefore, with each publication, I ask, "Lord, am I to write another one?" 

In Genesis chapter twenty-six, we find Isaac struggling for the land's resources. But each time Canaanite herdsmen confiscated a well the patriarch had dug, he moved on and dug another. Isaac's story inspires me to "dig another well," — write another children's book that offers the Living Water of God's Word to the Father's sheep and lambs.

Beloved, thinking of throwing in the towel? Persevere and dig another well. 

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Clean and Pure

 

upper falls
Desoto Falls
Fort Payne, Alabama

"Therefore, if anyone cleanses [purifies] himself from these things [which are dishonorable—disobedient, sinful], he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified [set apart for a special purpose and], useful to the Master, prepared for every good work." (2 Timothy 2:21 AMP)

The theme for 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2022 is great faith. The theme God gave me personally, I believe, is clean and pure in body, soul, and spirit.

So, for a cleaner body, I'm eliminating all processed sugar, dairy, gluten, and preservatives for 21 days and consuming only water, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, meat, nuts, eggs, and occasionally oats seasoned only with fruit juices, spices, pepper, a little salt, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil. 

kale fruit salad with lime juice dressing

For a cleaner soul (mind, will, and emotions), I'm replacing television (with the exception of the National Championship game) and movies with biblically-based messages by great speakers such as Priscilla Shirer, Rick Warren, Gary Hamrick, and Chris Hodges.

For a cleaner spirit, I'm confessing my sins to God, repenting, and feeding on God's Word and the voice of Holy Spirit.

In Paul's second letter to Timothy, the old Apostle laid out the foundation of purity and encouraged the young pastor to turn away—to cleanse himself—from the influences of false doctrine and lures of youthful lust, becoming a vessel of honor who pursues righteousness (right-side-up living), faith, love, and peace. In doing so, Timothy would be useful to the Master, prepared and equipped to do God's good work.

Wanna be useful to the Master, beloved, and prepared for His good work? Clean the vessel.

"Search us [thoroughly], O God, and know our hearts; test us and know our anxious thoughts; and see if there are any wicked or hurtful ways in us and lead us in the everlasting way!" (Psalm 139:23-24 AMP)

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Where to Begin

 

grandkids 2010

"Yet even now," declares the LORD, "Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping, and mourning: and rend your heart and not your garments." Now return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil. (Joel 2:12-13)

The manifestation of God in revival begins with repentant hearts and prayer. Repentance and prayer begins with me.

Lord, send a revival and let it begin in me.

Selah.

Day #3 of 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting.

www.churchofthehighlands.com

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Cry Out

 

grandboys
2017



"Consecrate a fast,
Call a sacred assembly;
Gather the elders
And all the inhabitants of the land
Into the house of the Lord your God,
And cry out to the Lord."
(Joel 1:14)

Please join hundreds of voices around the globe crying out to the Lord our God. 

21 Days of Prayer and Fasting January 9-29

Daily prayer services available online at:

www.chuchofthehighlands.com

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Fearless, Patient, Content

 

grandboys, Bell, and a boat

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying . . . " 

(Isaiah 6:8)

In our morning visit, the Lord whispered three simple instructions:

"Jill, be fearless in Christ, patient in prayer, and content in all circumstances."

Selah.

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Back to the Basics

grandgirl
2007

 “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23)

 

“Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” (Isa. 59:2)

 

“For the wages of sin is death, BUT…” (Rom. 6:23a)

 

“The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23b)

 

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

 

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)

 

“Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom. 10:13)

 

“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 man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Rom. 10:9-10)

 

“In Jesus we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us.” (Eph. 1:7-8)

 

“Grace to you [beloved] and peace, from… Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood!” (Rev. 1:4-5)

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

 

“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Ps. 103:1,10-12)

 

“The Lord will deliver [us] from every evil deed, and will bring [us] safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (2 Tim. 4:18)

And Amen!

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Eyes Fixed on Jesus

 

three-year-old grandboy

"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus." (Hebrews 12:1-2)

This Christmas, our three-year-old grandboy couldn't take his eyes off baby Jesus in the glitter snow globe.

This New Year of 2022, beloved, may we never take our eyes off the Lord Jesus Christ now seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven, ever making intercession for you and for me.

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Do You Wanna Build a Snowman

 

"How great is our LORD! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension! He sends the snow like white wool; He scatters frost upon the ground like ashes." (Psalm 147:5, 16)

As the sun dropped under Double Oak Mountain yesterday, the 6-year-old grandboy and I scraped the last remnants of snow from the deck and built a little snowman. He thought it was the grandest snowman ever!

Lord Jesus, thank you for the snow, and thank you for wonder-eyed little boys.

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A Life Well Lived

 

our Dan and 
Wayne Smith (November 15, 1933 - December 31, 2021)

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me." (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

Wayne Smith remained faithful to his Auburn tigers, his work, his church, his friends, his family, and most importantly, his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Well done, Wayne, thy good and faithful servant. Happy trails to you until we meet again!

"This life is only the trip to get home." ~Bob Snyder~

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