Reckoning Without GOD

 

Reckoning Without GOD

At times, I have been pushed

Toward places, I just didn't want to go

 I had already made up my mind about where

I'd planned to go, but I had reckoned without GOD

But I found out that my plans didn't matter

Because GOD taught me some things that

I did not personally know

And when the Lord finished with me,

I, like Jonah, went where my life‘s plan did flow.

I’ve been led to places that,

When I was younger, I had no idea that I would go

But I learned to let go and let GOD and

Have been pushed into places that have had me agog

But I just kept on working and among

Other things, ended up writing a blog

That talks to boy, girl, woman, and man

To say, "Put Jesus at the head of your life,

 Because HIS plans always get carried out

About this, fellowman, have no doubt."©

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At the Crossroads

Some roads are posted with clear signs

As to the road's final destination

And sometimes you can find yourself being

Pushed pell-mell down said road

But you can always turn around

As long as you’re breathing and your mind is sound.

 

Never think that you have lost so much

That you have nothing else to lose

Because, as stated above, as long as

You’re alive, you have the option to choose

Your soul, not to lose.

 

So, I try to be careful in whose footsteps I walk

I watch what a person does and I watch how they talk

And if their actions and their talk seem to be

In alignment, then I look at the roadmap

Of the road on which they travel

And I decide as to whether they’re

Walking on a smooth highway or a path of fiery stones.

 

Make of these poems what you will

But understand this, I am making my way

Up VMBS HILL (Victory Marked by Saints’ Hill)

For I know that GOD, JESUS, and the Spirit will

Assure me of victory by keeping me strong

And not allowing the fiery darts of the

Enemy, my faith in GOD, to kill.©

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Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

And I Asked My FATHER

[caption id="attachment_2721" align="alignleft" width="300"] Words like showers, fall into my heart to be shared with you...[/caption]

 

You know, I was blown away, yet again this morning by the way that the LORD allowed my thoughts to flow as I walked along the well-worn path of the garden of HIS word. I am humbled and awed by the sweet aroma that wafts from the trees that I pass under as I walk through the leaves of the pages in GOD's book, the Bible. Only The MASTERMIND of all creation can create a vessel (me) and continue to finetune it over years of use. Only GOD, and as I have told you before, if I  live a hundred lifetimes, I could not tell all there is to tell about our amazing FATHER!

How Do You Know

Do you think that I love the LORD? If you said, "Yes," and why wouldn't you, then I have another question for you. What makes you think that I love the LORD? Your answer to the question just asked could be in the order of your saying that GOD is WHO I mostly talk and write about. And you would be correct. In other words, I showed you by my walk and by my talk how much I love the LORD GOD.

And I asked my FATHER to bless

Me in my endeavors so that

When I leave here to walk

These rocky shores no more

I will have left a little essence of myself

To help you, fellowman, make it o’er.©

(Thought taken metaphorically from Zechariah 10:1)

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And so, I have been blessed with showers of words that have culminated in five books to date. And it happened all because I asked my FATHER to allow me to work in a capacity to show you love, as HE has shown and continues to show it to me. And again, remember, I told you that I told the LORD a long time ago that if I were on top of the tallest mountain in my world, I would still be shouting about HIS lovingkindness to us and about my love for HIM. And because I told the LORD that, you can see the evidence of my love for HIM, can't you? Uhm, hmm.

New American Standard Bible 

Zechariah 10

10 Ask rain from the Lord at the time of the spring rain—

The Lord who makes the storm clouds;
And He will give them showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each man.

A Question for You

Here is a question for you? What do you do to show and tell the world what GOD means to you? Nope, don't go there. You do not have to be a writer to showcase your love for GOD. You can do it by a myriad of other things. Think about what you love to do and think about how you can use that talent or hobby to let the world know about the greatest ASSET as a Christian that you have, the LORD GOD. Put your brain on it, okay?

Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

Monday Reminder

[caption id="attachment_2781" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Replace the tears with stars.[/caption]

The tears that have been shed

HE saw them all

And HE knows who

Caused them to fall.

Spread love, not hate

And, whatever you do, fellowman

Don’t wait too late

To extend a helping hand

Whenever and wherever you can.©

(Based on Zechariah 7:9-10 and 8:16-17) 

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Zechariah 7:9-10

⁹ “Thus has the Lord of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; ¹⁰ and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’

 

Zechariah 8:16-17

¹⁶ These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates. ¹⁷ Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate,’ declares the Lord.”

Be blessed, one and all.

Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

Perfect Peace

 

 

I know that my FATHER loves me

Yes, I know that HE cares

And because I am secure in

The knowledge of HIS love

I have that perfect peace that

Can only come from above.

So when you see me leave my home

On a given LORD's day

To attend worship service

Know that attending is just

One of the ways

Of my telling the world,

He is the LORD of my life and the means

By which I move and have my being

Yes, my love for, need for,

And gratitude to HIM

Is what you are seeing

Each Sunday morning as I

Visit the church house where

I join the other saints of God

In thankful and fervent prayer.

So, when the cares of this

World get to be a bit much

I can hardly wait for Sunday morning

Where I can meet with the Saints

And experience, through communal prayer,

GOD's loving touch.

Cares about everything the world has said

And everything the world has done just fall away

When the saints bow their heads to pray

Because we are again reminded in WHOM

We have our hope and stay

And that HE listens to what we have to say.©

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Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

No Shame

I was reading in the book of  Zephaniah this morning, and there were several scriptures that captured my attention. I could do lessons for the next three days on them, but that remains to be seen. However, I chose to talk with you today about an apparent lack of shame. Have you ever been appalled at the sheer nerve of some folks; I mean, the ones that seem to have no shame, no sense of fair play, and/or no sense of right or wrong?

Well, the verse below let me know why some people have no shame. In Zephaniah chapter 3, verse 5, you find these words:

But the unjust knows no shame. (NASB)

 

Now, I know why people can do some of the things that I’ve seen them do to folk and not be bothered by it at all. It’s because they are unjust and because they are, they have no shame. That means that they think and feel that anything is fair game, that whatever they want to do, they can.

I remember my Momma telling me something that a lady told her back in her younger days. My Momma (preacher's daughter that she was) was so appalled at some of the things that she saw people doing that finally, one day just said, "But that’s just not right!" The lady she was talking to said, "You know, it’s not what’s right; it is what you can get away with." I remember my mother telling me that she was so shocked that her mouth just fell open.

My Momma told me that that’s when she realized that everybody didn’t have, whether they had a godly upbringing or not, reverence for God and respect for HIS desires about the way we should live. She said that some folk just didn’t care because it was all about them and theirs and what they could get, and they didn’t care who they walked over to get to it.

 

Oh, But One Day

But you know in Chapter 2 of Zephaniah, Verse 3 (KJV), I read these words:

Seek the LORD, All you humble of the earth Who have carried out HIS ordinances; Seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden In the day of the LORD‘s anger.

And then another scripture came to mind that I’ve heard all of my life, 1 Peter 4:18-19. (KJV)

 

¹⁸ And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

¹⁹ Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of GOD commit the keeping of their souls to HIM in well doing, as unto a faithful CREATOR.

The latter two scriptures above seem to be saying the same thing. That it behooves everyone to do the best they can and continue to do so because, on the day of the visitation of the LORD, they scarcely were to be saved. To me, that says, "Do all you can, while you can, and keep doing it as long as you’re walking on this earth. Keep doing it and keep going because God sees, he knows, and he will remember all in the day of his visitation, on the day of his anger. This scripture says that there will come a day of reckoning for all deeds done, every single one of them…
Causes some sober thinking, doesn’t it?

Yet we have hope in our ANCHOR, and I'm trying to live for the LORD through HIM, JESUS CHRIST.
Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whoa!

Usually, the title of a piece is not punctuated, except in rare cases. But, I punctuated this title because I was astounded by what I just read. Yes, I have read my Bible through several times, and I should not be surprised by anything that I find within, but I still am from time to time. I am going to give you the scripture that grabbed my attention as I was walking through Habakkuk this morning. While reading Habakkuk, Chapter 3, verse 2 grabbed my attention and held it. So I read the verse again, made a mental note about it, and went on with my reading. When I got down to verse four and it talked about the LORD's radiance being like the sunlight, that didn’t surprise me because I’ve heard that before. Oh, but when I got to the next part of verse four where it says,

HE has rays flashing from HIS hand, And there is the hiding of HIS power. (NASB)

 

let me tell you folks, that grabbed my attention and held it as nothing else has in a long, long, long time! And then when I got down to verse 13, and read this:

THOU didst go forth for the salvation of THY people, For the salvation of THINE anointed. THOU didst strike the head of the house of the evil To lay him open from thigh to neck.

I was flummoxed! Folks, I know that the LORD can do anything; I know that, but I don’t think I knew that this was in the Bible. This passage may be speaking metaphorically, or it may not be, but my mouth fell open and I was like, "Whoa!" I went back to verse 2, that talks about the writer's having heard of the LORD and that the writer has fear because of what he has heard. And I joined the writer in his fear, for I can say, "So do I!"  My, my, my, my, my! Oo-oo-wee-e!

Yes, I love the LORD and yes, I respect him, but this morning I have a newfound level of fear and I could quake if I allowed myself to. But, then I take solace in my mind by reminding myself that this GOD WHO has the rays flashing from HIS hand, WHO makes the rivers, WHOSE splendor covers the heavens, WHOSE radiance is like the sun, WHO has pestilence going before HIM and plague coming after HIM, WHOSE one look can startle all the nations, WHOSE very presence made the mountains quake, loves me, even little me...

And my fear is calmed further when I read verses 18 and 19 of Chapter 3 of Hababak for this is what it says"

 ¹⁸Yet I will exalt in the LORD, I will rejoice in the GOD of my salvation.

¹⁹The LORD GOD is my strength, and HE has made my feet like hind's feet And makes me walk on high places.

In other words, HE can do anything that HE wants to do and I am so glad that HE’s mindful of me and takes me and uses me in HIS service and plans things for my good. HE loves me and I love HIM, and I’m so glad, so very glad that HE cares for all of mankind, too. Aren’t you, fellowman?

HE uses me in HIS service and

Makes sure that I am equipped

For the mountains that I may

Have to climb by giving me hind's feet

That make sure that I don't fall

For that sure-footed grip makes

It so that I can leap from precipice to

Precipice and my assigned tasks, complete.©

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Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taken Aback

 


When my eyes landed on verse 3 of Habakkuk, chapter 2, thoughts started whirring in my brain.  Below is how the verse reads:

For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay.

Whirring Thoughts

Sometimes things happen in life and I am taken aback

Because I just don’t understand

The fierceness, ferocity, rapidity, and

Often the seemingly utter hopelessness

Of certain situations or occurrences

But then I remember that God made the plans

For this whole world without my help

And I know that I can leave my life

And all things pertaining, in HIS capable  hands

Because HE is the great I AM,

The ONE WHO CAN!©

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I call to mind the words of the scripture, Jeremiah 9:24

For I know the plans that I have for you plans to prosper you and not harm you.

That is a good scripture to have in your repertoire to fall back on. So, practice saying that scripture to yourself during the day and you will find that it will pop up in your mind to soothe you during stressful times. How do I know? Easy, this is a process that I walked through to get to where I am today, where people listen hard to words that I say.

I have compared myself to Job of Biblical days somewhat, but I never thought to liken myself to him in this way. Which way? Just read below:

Job 29:11
For when the ear heard, it called me blessed;

When people hear the words of the books that I’ve written about the LORD and HIS goodness and love for mankind, they call me blessed and scarcely believe that I wrote it all. But I tell them, "It’s not the mind of Alma that’s turning out this work, but the glory of God shining through me."

Often during these pandemic times, people turn to me for something, anything to make them feel better by renewing their assurance that everything will be all right. Sometimes I launch into the story of Job, depending upon the audience or length of time to respond, but I always use scriptures such as the three listed below:

Job 14:14
All the days of my struggle I will wait,
Until my change comes.

The scripture above allows me to pull from things that have happened in my life when times were dark and I thought that GOD had forgotten all about me. This is the time that I tell them with conviction, "You see, I know that HE cares, and I know that HE will take care of me just like HE did Job. And so, I am going to wait on HIM!

Isaiah 40:31

³¹ But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Psalm 27:14

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

And then I read in the book of Job, Chapter 42, verse 5, and it reads  thusly:

I have heard of THEE by the hearing of the ear but now my eye sees THEE.

And I might end my conversation with them by saying something like, "Just like Job, I have done too much living with HIM walking by my side to give up on HIM now. I am in this for the long haul if that be the case. Why? Easy, I know what He did for Job, David, my Momma, and so many others. And I know that HE loves me and that is a fact that I will carry with me for the rest of my life, wherever I go! Yep, HE loves you, too.

And one day I will be able to watch the world be taken aback with the sweetness with which the LORD delivers me. Me? I'm still working while I wait...

Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

The LORD Is Good

Nahum 1:7
The LORD is good,
A STRONGHOLD in the day of trouble,
And HE knows those who take refuge in HIM.

Our GOD is good and a

Merciful STRONGHOLD

So, do not be disheartened

When trouble darkens your days

Hold onto your trust and hold onto your faith

Because the GOD of your fathers,

WHO is full of forgiveness and mercy

Will drive old trouble out of your way.

Just you remember to thank HIM and

Acknowledge HIM as your HOPE and STAY.

Yes, Y'all, leaning on GOD has stood

The test of generations of time,

So use that teaching about GOD's goodness

That has been passed down to you

And remember to pass your faith-building

Lessons on to the generation that comes

Next, so that they can have

Perseverance power, too.©

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Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

HIS Purpose

Micah 4:12

But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord, and they do not understand HIS purpose; (NASB)

 

"Why does she have to have this

And why does she have to get that?!"

That is the voice of envy talking,

If they only knew...

The road that the recipient of envy travels

Does not make for smooth walking

But rather is strewn with stones

And tossed debris

From the rockslides of many harbingers of envy.

Yes, envy has spoken and worked

Down through the years

And has caused many folks

To shed bitter tears

But a chosen vessel has no choice

Because they must carry out

The will of GOD, with or without

Said vessel's voice,

So the best thing for the harbinger of envy

To do is to decide to let said vessel be

Or risk the wrath of the PLAN-MAKER,

GOD Almighty!

For from whales to shipwrecks the

Plans of GOD will be

Whether envy sees or doesn't see

The reason for the "this" and "that"

That pertains to she

For GOD's purpose determines

All that is and will be.©

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What you have to do is determine to carry out the plans that have been set forth for you and not worry about checking the material assets or accomplishments of others because you would change your tune entirely if you had to walk in another's shoes. Just sayin'...

Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

My STRENGTH My REDEEMER

To THEE, LORD GOD, I turn

My STRENGTH, my REDEEMER

To THEE, LORD GOD, I turn

When the vagaries of life

Cause my soul's peace to churn,

But, I hold on to YOUR life-saving hand

And keep working my way toward

The Promised Land.©

********

 

Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

 

My HELP

 

Yesterday, I was in the doctor's office for a routine visit when a lady that I did not know decided to strike up a conversation out of the blue. Of course, you know that these days the thing that complete strangers want to talk about if they are of a mind to talk is this pandemic thing. And true to form, that was what her opening remark was about. She mentioned the mask-wearing and wondered if we would ever get back to "normal" again.

Now while she addressed comments to the room in general, her eyes lit on and stayed on me. And ever cognizant of not leaving someone in a conversational lurch, I stepped in and commented when it began to be painfully obvious that nobody else was going to answer.

But, before I answered her, I noticed people shanking their heads and/or dropping their heads and drooping their shoulders with seeming weariness and discouragement. Well, being the teacher and soul-nurturer that I am, I smoothly stepped into the conversational void with comforting, soothing words.

Now, I had not planned to have a conversation much with anybody about this, so I do not recall my exact words, but the words that I addressed to the room-at-large went something like this:

"Yes, most places that you go, you will see people wearing masks because that is an easy enough thing that we can do to protect yourself and your fellowman." To that remark, someone sighed with seeming weariness, and I, with ever vigilence when it comes to tring to eradicate hopelessness and discouragement, said, "As far as normal, this is our normal that we live with right now. But I am not worried overmuch because I know WHO holds my hand and walks with me day by day, and I know that HE did not bring me thins far to leave me now. So, I put my little mask on when I have to go someplace and step on with GOD beside me."

And then I said, "You know, as Americans, GOD would not have allowed this country to become the great country that HE has, if HE were going to leave us now. We are a GOD fearing country with our belief in HIM written on our currency! So, I know that all we have to do is maintain our faith in HIM and continue to live for HIM, and HE will make everything all right.

By then, I had some murmurs of assent and I could see people hanging on to my every word with hungry ears. So, I mentioned the pandemic of 1918 and how HE tamed that disease that was walking this world just like this current pandemic is doing. I told her that I believed that HE wanted everybody to remember that we are all on this planet together and as such, hatred needs to be wiped out and brotherhood embraced.

I told them, you remember that there seemed to be words that could have possibly led to a nuclear war, but now we have all heas of countries with their sharpest minds working together to get a vaccine for this virus. You don't hear as much about how much better one place is over another. Everybody on this planet is working for and/or praying for a cure, and we all are turning to GOD more often during the day than was our usual tendency.

Folk, there was a general nodding of heads and a murring or assent. I ended my little impromptu speech with, "I know that I am my FATHER's child, so I leave it all in HIS hands because I know that HE cares for me. And I step on."

Y'all, there was a collective peace in that waiting room that you could almost cut with a knife. I dropped my head back to my IPad to finish playing my game, though I could feel eyes on me. But, before I could get back into my game, the nurse called my name to go in and see the doctor. I could feel every eyeball on me as I walked through the room and out of the door.

I wondered for a few seconds and forgot about it as I went on back to see the doctor. It only came back to me this morning as I read from Amos and composed a poem from my reading.   I hope that this blog has blessed you this Sunday morning; it has me by my remembering the impromptu conversation from yesterday.

In this pandemic time, if the LORD has ever brought you through, this is the time for you to tell sosmebody. There are people out there who may not have a story to tell about the GOD that we serve because they do not know HIM. This is the time for you to tell the world about your HELP!

 

It is not by the stamina of my little hand

That you see me continue to take my stand

But by the grace of God that I continue to make my trek

Though weary, across this land.

And you, just like me, have found

That people come and people go

As the faces change of the ones that

Get in line to take us down

Or keep us from reaching our goal

But we must ever look to the hills

The source of our help and

And keep on stepping down

The road of life, though sometimes

We may be forced to frown,

But not for long because we remember

Verses like Amos, Chapter 5, Verse eight

That call to mind that there is no need to

Worry about the whims of disease nor man,

But to remember that it is by

The CREATOR, GOD, HIMSELF

That we continue to stand

For HE holds light, healing, peace, you, and me,

In fact, this whole world in HIS hand.©

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We must always remember to hold on to the source of our help, GOD. We have to keep our faith and continue to broadcast to all who will listen that GOD is able, and willing to take care of us because HE knows that we live and breathe by HIS good pleasure. Once again, I'm humbled and reminded that all of my hope comes from my HELP, GOD Almighty.

Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

No Place

The harboring of hatred has no place in my life

Though it has caused me misery

And yes, it has caused me strife

But I see past hatred to a higher goal

And I cannot be studying about

Things that injure my body

But have no lasting effect upon my soul.

But make no mistake about it

When I am asked, I will tell

My FATHER about what you did

When I get home

As HE wipes my eyes

And discards my tear well.

But, will I bear animosity about the things

That went down between you and me

Nah, I won't have time nor place

To dwell on negativity

Because I will be too busy enjoying

And marveling at GOD's provisions

And Heaven's beauty.©

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Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

Golden Moments

The LORD GOD has allowed me to arise to see another golden day by allowing my golden moments to roll on a while longer. And in keeping with such sentiments, I have revisited a poem of mine.

 

Another Day's Journey

Another day's journey and I'm thankful and glad

Sometimes I think about the myriad of other days

That I have already had

And wonder, "Did I do good things or did

I do things that could be deemed as bad?"

Then I remember that it does not matter

What I did before

Because the blood of my SAVIOR

Has already evened the score.

Be blessed, and happy day everyone

And remember to BYDWP

Because you will need a FRIEND

When time gives way to eternity.©

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Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

Stand-and-Salute-Attention

[caption id="attachment_3445" align="alignleft" width="300"] Only GOD![/caption]

Good Thursday Morning.
What are the chances or the coincidence that the very thing that I talked with an acquaintance of mine about, who lives in Florida that I had not spoken with in several years, would be the main focus of my blog this morning? You might think that that is a plausible thing to happen, and you would be right. But what about the fact that we talked about the pandemic and the strange times in which we live? Talked about the fact that never in our lifetime had something like this happened, and we talked about the need to be ever ready in times such as these and the need to explain the significance of these times to our children. Okay, nothing really significant in that, but to get up this morning to read my Bible as is my custom, and to begin reading at Joel chapter 1 and the first three verses say exactly what my friend and I had talked about yesterday! My mouth fell open, and I thought, "What are the chances of that?!" And then I said to myself, "Only GOD can command our attention in such a way." Here is the passage of scripture:

Joel Chapter 1, Verses 1-3

1 The word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel:

² Hear this, O elders,
And listen, all inhabitants of the land.
Has anything like this happened in your days
Or in your fathers’ days?
³ Tell your sons about it,
And let your sons tell their sons,
And their sons the next generation.

Only God can command conversational words and thoughts between two long lost friends to fall right in line with Biblical passages that are hundreds of years old, with that passage being my next reading choice (since I had already read Hosea) only God!

Now, if that doesn’t give you pause for thought and grab your attention, then I don’t know what will, my friends.

 

Another Attention Getter

HE has my stand-and salute-attention now

And my desire and my aim

Is to be even more steadfast as I move

Toward the conclusion of this life-game.©

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Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

 

 

 

The Great GOD WHO

Feeling blessed this fine Wednesday morning? I am, so I decided to do today's blog to show that gratitude to GOD, the SUSTAINER of life.

I wanted to confess that I am who I am because of the great GOD WHO:

• Planted every smile that ever landed upon my face


• Gave me every aha moment that I've ever had while running my race


• Allowed my every open-mouthed moment of awe and wonder


• Loves me enough to send me forth with favor to work in HIS vineyard


• And allows me to tell the world about JESUS, my SAVIOR, WHO came from Heaven above


• And continues to allow me to thrive in HIS abundant love as I run my race and continue to tell the world about HIS saving grace.

That is the GOD that I’m talking about to you

My fellow man, HE is the great GOD WHO

Can do anything HE desires to

And this GOD that I serve waits

With patience for you, too.

This GOD, my FATHER,

The great GOD WHO!©

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Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

Commanding Respect

What do you do during a thunderstorm? There are some thunderstorms where you have just a modicum of thunder. And you have others where the thunder roars with such seeming ferocity that it commands most folks' attention in a way that nothing else can. I am talking about the kind of thunder that booms so loudly that you can hear it coming before it gets to where you are, and you can simultaneously feel its approaching through the soles of your feet. That’s something to think about, isn’t it?

And I am sure that most of you were taught to sit down and be still during a thunderstorm because, "The LORD is doing HIS work," or some other phraseology from the adults around you that meant, "Be still and be quiet!" That kind of thunderstorm commands and gets respect, doesn't it? Uhm, hmm, well, here is something for you to ponder on:

• Your Boss - When your boss on the job decides that you need a dressing down, you take it, don't you? Yes, most likely, you do. Why, because he has the power of firing you and you need that job because jobs are scarce. So, you give him respect and try to stay under his radar because you know what he can do if he decides to put his firing power to use.


• GOD - Now what did you say that you did during a thunderstorm? And why? Uhm, hmm, well just remember that the voice that thunders until it makes you shake belongs to GOD and that HE can do anything HE chooses. HE can do much more than your boss ever could. He can thunder until your bones rattle, HE can send a wildfire (several in fact at the same time), He can send two hurricanes to the land at the exact same time, He can cause rivers to overflow their banks at record levels, He can put a wild beast (tiger) loose in the area usually inhabited by men, etc. Oh yeah, sort of like some of the things that have been happening in our land... Hmm, gives me pause for thought; how about you?

Here Is My Point

If you were the men in the Bible (scriptures listed below) that saw the visions and heard the thunderous voice of GOD as they did, what would you do? Yeah, you would fall on your face just as they did; that's what you would do. Why, because that voice, that fire that often came with it, commanded your respect! That's why. I am not blaming you because I would do the same thing. But, here's the thing, I am not going to wait until I see a fiery vision or can understand what the thunder is saying before I decide to give HIM the respect that HE is due. I am going to get myself in line if I am not already, and stay there! It is not going to take anything else for me to do the right thing and give HIM the honor and respect that HIS omnipotence commands. No, siree, not me. Uhn, uhn, nope, not this one!

Ezekiel 43

Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing toward the east;² and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. ³ And it was like the appearance of the vision which I saw, like the vision which I saw when He came to destroy the city. And the visions were like the vision which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face.

 

Job 37

“At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
² “Listen closely to the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.
³ “Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,
And His lightning to the ends of the earth.
⁴ “After it, a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard.
⁵ “God thunders with His voice wondrously,
Doing great things which we cannot comprehend.
⁶ “For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
And to the downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’
⁷ “He seals the hand of every man,
That all men may know His work.
⁸ “Then the beast goes into its lair
And remains in its den.
⁹ “Out of the south comes the storm,
And out of the north the cold.
¹⁰ “From the breath of God ice is made,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen.
¹¹ “Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud;
He disperses the cloud of His lightning.
¹² “It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,
That it may do whatever He commands it
On the face of the inhabited earth.
¹³ “Whether for correction, or for His world,
Or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen.

¹⁴ “Listen to this, O Job,
Stand and consider the wonders of God.
¹⁵ “Do you know how God establishes them,
And makes the lightning of His cloud to shine?
¹⁶ “Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds,
The wonders of one perfect in knowledge,
¹⁷ You whose garments are hot,
When the land is still because of the south wind?
¹⁸ “Can you, with Him, spread out the skies,
Strong as a molten mirror?
¹⁹ “Teach us what we shall say to Him;
We cannot arrange our case because of darkness.
²⁰ “Shall it be told Him that I would speak?
Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up?

²¹ “Now men do not see the light which is bright in the skies;
But the wind has passed and cleared them.
²² “Out of the north comes golden splendor;
Around God is awesome majesty.
²³ “The Almighty—we cannot find Him;
He is exalted in power
And He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness.
²⁴ “Therefore men fear Him;
He does not regard any who are wise of heart.”

Psalm 18:13

¹³ The Lord also thundered in the heavens,
And the Most High uttered His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.

Job 40:9

⁹ “Or do you have an arm like God,
And can you thunder with a voice like His?

Ezekiel 3:23

²³ So I got up and went out to the plain; and behold, the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar, and I fell on my face.

Ezekiel 1:28

²⁸ As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.

Yes, fellowman, I played to the dramatic a bit this morning, but in the times of our lives right now, the dramatic might be just what is in order. Well! So, let's all get our do-right shoes on and step on.

Keep Stepping Fellowman

Keep stepping until

We meet in glory land

Because that is where

Everything will play out

And the lives that we

Lived here will determine

Our final whereabouts.

Capeesh?©

Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

Blessed for HIS Name's Sake, Even I

I told you that we would we finish the topic of the last two days under the subject of Blessed for HIS Name's Sake, Even I.) And so we shall.

I told you yesterday that I think about the law of reaping what you sow... 

And from now on, since I know that I am a part of spiritual Israel, I will rest a bit easier within myself, despite myself. I know; I know; it seems as if I am talking in riddles, but I am not. Let me explain by giving you some scriptures as reference points. Then we will get into the meat of our blog for today. The scriptures that I want to call to your attention are all found in Ezekiel. They are:

Ezekiel 36:20-22 & 32

²⁰"When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned MY holy name because it was said of them, 'These are the people of the Lord; yet they have come out of HIS land.'

²¹"But I had concern for My holy name which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.

²²'Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the LORD GOD, "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, but I am about to act, but for MY holy name, Which you have profaned among the nations where you went.

³²I am not doing this for your sake, declares the LORD GOD, let it be known to you.

 

 

Chapter 37, Verse 11
Then He said to me son of man these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.'

You see, GOD knew that Israel felt so unworthy and that they were so downtrodden that they felt that they would never be whole again. Stick a pin here folks! For those that have ever felt that you were not worthy to serve GOD any longer because of this sin, that sin, etc. The scripture above, as well as Matthew 19:26, lets you know that with GOD all things are possible.

If you read the entire chapter of Ezekiel 37, you will get to hear, in your mind's eye, the bones rattle as each bone connects to its bone. And what I like about this bone scenario so much is that the finger bone did not try to connect to the shoulder bone, etc. We know this because each bone connected to its bone!

I like this passage in Ezekiel because it says to me that no matter the sin I commit, if I ask forgiveness and show Godly sorrow, GOD will forgive me and gather me back again for HIS name's sake, not necessarily because of anything that I did, but for HIS name's sake. Because I have let the world know that I am living for HIM, that I am HIS child, and that I represent HIM in the things that I do or don’t do, GOD forgives me if I ask. Why? Yep, you got it; let's all say it together, "For HIS name's sake!" All I have to do is work earnestly to try to do HIS will and keep the faith.

And that gives me hope folks for my life and all of our lives. We learned in yesterday‘s lesson that HE wants to forgive us, so, forgiveness in the name of Jesus is already waiting for us when we ask and show fruits of repentance as we travel down this road of life.

Don't you just feel the exuberant gratitude just like Israel felt when Ezekiel proclaimed the word of GOD to them? That's why I said earlier, "As long as you are breathing and in your right mind, you can always get forgiveness for your sins, always."

 

Just Like Job

These verses are representative of living the good life again. We know that Job, unlike Israel, had committed no sin that caused his downfall. But I still chose to use the change in Job's life toward the end to compare to the change in Israel‘s status, when the Lord God forgave them for their egregious sins. You can see how HE gathered Israel back together under HIS wing. And HE remembered the sin no more, not Israel's and not ours. Do you see the outpouring of love that HE is showing, because of HIS name? Such tenderness, such love...

Praise and bless HIS holy name! I am so glad that I am HIS child and I know that you are, too!

Ezekiel 36 verse 11

'And I will multiply on you man and beast and they will increase and be fruitful; and I will call you to be inhabited as you were formerly and will treat you better than at the first. That you will know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel, Chapter 39, Verses 25-29
Therefore that says the LORD GOD, now I shall restore the fortunes of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I shall be jealous for My holy name.

²⁶And they shall forget their disgrace and all their treachery which they perpetrated against me, when they live securely on their own land with no one to make them afraid

²⁷When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations.

²⁸Then they will know that I am the LORD their GOD because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then gathered them again to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer.

²⁹And I will not hide My face from them any longer, but I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Lord God.

Israel no longer had to feel hopeless, for GOD had forgiven all. How blessed they were/are and how blessed we are.

And That's Why

And that is why you will see me smile sometimes when it seems that I should have nothing to smile about. And to that sentiment I say,

 

I Smile

"Oh, but I do

GOD loves me and you, too

And HE forgives us

In all that we do

That might be contrary

To HIS will

Because for HIS name's sake

HE forgives us through

JESUS, still."©

********

Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

 

Those That Bless (Part 2)

 

Good Sunday morning! Here is the final verse that I left you with yesterday.

Ezekiel 35:11

Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord God, I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I have judged thee.

In these strange times in which we live, we need to be careful about how we treat folk because we never know when the next person that we meet just might be our test case. I know; that is a sobering thought, isn't it? And it might cause you to wonder just what is to be done if you did commit a sin against an angel of GOD or against GOD's representative (your test case)?

Fix It

All in not lost; as long as you are breathing, you have the opportunity to fix it. This is the thing that the LORD GOD would rather that you do. How do I know? Read the verses cited below and you will see that HE stands ready to forgive; in fact, HE prefers that you repent of sin(s).

New American Standard Bible, Ezekiel 33

¹¹ Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord ^[e]God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’ ¹² And you, son of man, say to ^[f]your fellow citizens, ‘The righteousness of a righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he will not stumble because of it in the day when he turns from his wickedness; whereas a righteous man will not be able to live ^[g]by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin.’ ¹³ When I say to the righteous he will surely live, and he so trusts in his righteousness that he commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; but in that same iniquity of his which he has committed he will die. ¹⁴ But when I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and he turns from his sin and practices justice and righteousness, ¹⁵ if a wicked man restores a pledge, pays back what he has taken by robbery, walks by the statutes ^[h]which ensure life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die.¹⁶ None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has practiced justice and righteousness; he shall surely live.

Chapter 34

⁴ Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them.

Strange Times Indeed

If you are a Bible reader, then you will recall the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Before that destruction was begun, angels of GOD came down to see if the outcry against those cities was as great as was reported. They walked the earth and we know they talked to Lot. I said that to underscore my point:

• You do not know who you talk to on a daily basis or a not-so-daily basis. And because you don't, treat everyone with kindness.


• If the men who killed JESUS had known who HE was, I mean who HE really was, do you think they would have acted as crass as they did? I think not!

And when people mistreat me, slight me, cheat me, lie on me, steal from me, hate me for no cause other than my zealous work for the LORD, I don't give in to the desire to retaliate, instead I think about the law of reaping what you sow... 

And from now on, since I know that I am a part of spiritual Israel, I will remember the verses quoted above, and I will rest a bit easier within myself, even in spite of myself. (Tomorrow {Monday} we will finish this topic under the subject of Blessed for HIS Name's Sake, Even I.)

Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

Those That Bless

 

In these strange times in which we live, we need to be careful how we treat folk because you never know when the next person that you meet just might be your test case.

You might be wondering just what I mean by that. Well, I will tell you, but first, will you admit to me that we are living in strange times? I mean, have the things that are happening on such a massive scale worldwide caused you to pause and think about GOD more than ever or at least a little bit? And if you who had not previously been given to thinking about a HIGHER POWER at all, have found yourself feeling not so self-reliant and uttering or, at least, thinking a prayer of some sort, take note.  Maybe you have found yourself thinking, "If there is a GOD, and if YOU can hear me, will YOU help us down here? I mean, I haven't put much stock into thinking about YOU until now because I did not believe. So, as I said, if YOU are real and can hear me, please help us here. And if YOU are of a mind to, will you give me, an unbeliever, a sign that YOU are real and are listening?" Then you might have immediately felt foolish for thinking such a thought, but the fact remains that you did, right?"  When you get by yourself and all of the hoopla has died down, do you find yourself thinking about the prayer that you uttered and wondering if you will see an answer today or wondering what form the answer will be in and then vacillating back to unbelief? Uhm, hmm. Strange times, my friend, strange times.

And while you are amazed at the fact that I just seemed to pull some thoughts right out of your head, don't be. I can assure you that I cannot look into anybody's head and see what they are thinking, but I have a FATHER WHO can. If you are not a regular reader of my blog, you may not know that I read a passage of scripture each day and take a lesson from the said passage. What are the coincidences of my choosing the very topic that you had uttered a prayer about, hmm?

You might be thinking, "It was meant to be, probably." Just keep living a bit longer, and you will discover what this preacher's granddaughter, daughter of a preacher's daughter, and minister's wife has known for quite some time, "There are no such things as coincidences." So read this blog and think hard on it because it seems to have been tailor-made for you. Well! You prayed the prayer, didn't you? Uhm, hmm...that got your attention again, didn't it? (: ) That's okay; it has gotten us all at some point or another.

 

Now back to my point that I was about to make about three paragraphs above. As I was attempting to read my way around the metaphors and happenings from the Bible in the book of Ezekiel this morning, I came across several verses that gave me pause to just be still. Here are the passages of scripture:

Those That Bless Scriptures

Joshua 2

2 Then Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as spies secretly from Shittim, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there.  It was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” ³ And the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.”⁴ But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them, and she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. ⁵ It came about when it was time to shut the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” ⁶ But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them in the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof. ⁷ So the men pursued them on the road to the Jordan to the fords; and as soon as those who were pursuing them had gone out, they shut the gate.

⁸ Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof,⁹ and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. ¹⁰ For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. ¹¹ When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. ¹² Now therefore, please swear to me by the Lord, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father’s household, and give me a pledge of truth,¹³ and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, with all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” ¹⁴ So the men said to her, “Our life for yours if you do not tell this business of ours; and it shall come about when the Lordgives us the land that we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.”

The Promise to Rahab

¹⁵ Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall, so that she was living on the wall. ¹⁶ She said to them, “Go to the hill country, so that the pursuers will not happen upon you, and hide yourselves there for three days until the pursuers return. Then afterward you may go on your way.” ¹⁷ The men said to her, “We shall be free from this oath to you which you have made us swear, ¹⁸ unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather to yourself into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your father’s household. ¹⁹ It shall come about that anyone who goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be free; but anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. ²⁰ But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be free from the oath which you have made us swear.” ²¹ She said, “According to your words, so be it.” So she sent them away, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

²² They departed and came to the hill country, and remained there for three days until the pursuers returned. Now the pursuers had sought them all along the road, but had not found them. ²³ Then the two men returned and came down from the hill country and crossed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they related to him all that had happened to them. ²⁴ They said to Joshua, “Surely the Lord has given all the land into our hands; moreover, all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before us.”

Hebrews 11:31

³¹By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she welcomed the spies in peace.

Matthew 10

⁴¹ He who receives a prophet in thename of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. ⁴² And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”

Vice-versa Scriptures 

New American Standard Bible, Ezekiel 35

 ¹Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

² Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it,

³ And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate.

⁴ I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.

⁵ Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end:

¹¹ Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord God, I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I have judged thee.

Now, I did not have my mouth open, but my mind was somewhat agog. Here's why. I'd had a thought to come into my mind before I even began my reading and before I even began my habitual prayer before reading. Here is that thought: "Those that bless and those that blessed you will be blessed and vice versa."

I don't know where this thought came from and why it landed on my mind so strongly this morning, but it may have something to do with the crass lack of love that we see displayed on a daily basis. At any rate, that was my thought.

It's Hard

In this strange pandemic, pre-election time, me-first time, it is hard not to feel put upon by the next man. And thus, it is hard to not forget about our fellowman. But, I try to always remember that I am GOD's representative, and as such, must display brotherly love and brotherly kindness. And so, as I watch the news and just life, in general, these days, I think, "We have to be careful how we treat people because we may be 'Entertaining angels unawares.'" After all, we are in strange times, my friend.

So here's something to ponder on:

• if you steal, it might be from an angel


• if you lie, it might be on an angel or to an angel


• if you neglect to feed someone, it might be an angel


• and so on and so forth...

We never know when angels of GOD walk the land, and how would you like for your mistreatment of one to be brought up at the final judgment? I wouldn't want that, and I suspect neither would you. So, I persevere in the work of GOD and in the name of GOD. (On tomorrow's lesson {Sunday}, I will deal with what to do if you have committed a sin against your test case or an angel of GOD or GOD’s representative, so come on back for a reassuring and soul-soothing touch from the pen of a servant of the LORD GOD.)

And when people mistreat me, slight me, cheat me, lie on me, steal from me, hate me for no cause other than my zealous work for the LORD, I think about reaping what you sow. And from now on, since I know that I am a part of spiritual Israel, I will remember the verses quoted above, and I will rest a bit easier.

Be safe. (Part 2 of this post will be posted tomorrow.)

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

Be Ye Great

[caption id="attachment_3433" align="aligncenter" width="300"] In My FATHER's Hands, I Continue to Do All I Can.[/caption]

Let brotherly kindness fan the flames of love as we remember…

 

Be ye great
Be ye small
All must answer
To eternity’s call.©

********

Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

Thrown Away - Not

Handle with Care

Have you ever seen a person who seemed to catch all the breaks fall from the pedestal that they seemed, at first, to be permanently attached to? And did you notice that there was always a chorus that openly clapped at the fall or, at least, seemed to gloat about it? If you have done much living at all, and have been a student of human nature, then you have probably seen such an event play out. And you know, when I look back down the annals of time, I see some people whose fall was of short duration and others, whose fall was of a prolonged period, sometimes to such a length that people looked upon the used-to-be-pedestal-sitter as a has been. Know what I mean? Uhm, hmm.

Well, in my reading today in Ezekiel, I saw the end result of such a situation. In chapter 29 verses 7-9, I got a thought that said to me, "If you are GOD’s child HE is ever mindful of what is happening to you, is aware of how you handle adverse circumstances that come upon you, and of how others treat you during these circumstances."

Chapter 29, Verse 7

"When they took hold of you with the hand,
You broke and tore their hands;
And when they leaned on you,
You broke and made all their loins quake.".

Verse 8
"Therefore, that says the Lord God, "Behold, I shall bring upon you a sword and I should cut off from you man and beast.

Verse 9

"And the land of Egypt Will become a desolation and waste. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

Verse 12

"So I shall make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated lands. And her cities, in the midst of cities that are laid waste, will be desolate forth years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands."

 

We see here that HE is going to repay Egypt for the way they treated Israel in their adverse times. Well, HE, in like manner, will treat people in a similar fashion that mistreat HIS children today (meaning us). Just like HE spoke swift destruction upon the people that mistreated Israel in Biblical times, in today’s times, GOD is still in the rescuing and avenging business. That’s why the scriptures say, "Vengeance is mine, and I will repay." (Romans 12:19)

 

And so, if as a Christian, you have the problems of enemies and it seems that you cannot win no matter what you do, and the more you try to work for the LORD, the harder you are hit, I just wanted to remind you that GOD is long-suffering. But when HE has determined that enough has been done, then HE moves in and does what I call HIS GOD thing, and everybody that needs to be taken care of will be.  Just like in the Bible where HE had a very powerful nation come in and take the Egyptians down, I’ve seen HIM take people that had power and use them on the behalf of HIS child or HIS children.

So don’t feel that you’re like the Lone Ranger; don’t feel like GOD doesn’t care, because HE does things in HIS good time. And remember, as we talked before, HE laughs up in Heaven because HE has plans for those that are misusing you. So you don’t worry about it; you just stay faithful, and keep praying to the LORD, and know that if you are HIS child HE has never ever left HIS children totally alone unless HE was teaching them a lesson and then, they weren’t actually totally alone. Even then, HE was watchful.

 

Not Thrown Away

You just keep your faith and make

Sure that you maintain your loyalty

To the LORD GOD, and everything will be

All right because, in the end, as I always

Tell you, GOD has the final say

And HE never has thrown HIS children’s

Faithfulness to HIM away.©

********

Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

Shouting Time

There come times in life when you have to give everything over into the hands of GOD. It might be a time when you don't know anything much about anything anymore, a time when all of your answers and solutions have been tried, times such as...now.

But folks, I have come to tell you what I gleaned from my reading this morning as I read the 28th chapter of Ezekiel, particularly verses 25 and 26. Take a look at what Ezekiel says below:

Verse 25

Thus says the Lord God, "When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and shall manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they will live in their land which I gave to my servant Jacob.

Verse 26

And they will live in it securely; and they will be old houses, plant vineyards, and live securely, when I execute judgment upon all who scorn them round about them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.""

 

We can see from reading the entire chapter that Israel had been scattered as a nation. But in the verses above, we can ss the hand of GOD planning to gather them back and bless them in front of all nations. When Isreal had learned their lesson and turned wholly back to GOD, then the blessing were promised and quickly to come. Do you know what that says to my sometimes tired and beleagured soul? It tells me to hold on and that when lesson time is over blessing time begins. United States of America, did you hear me? Well, if you did, act like it and hold your head up. Above all, keep working on loving others as yourself. GOD sees your dedication and all that goes on within. We will be victorious as long as we remain a GOD fearing nation.

 

 

 

You know we have been in the midst of this

Pandemic for several months long

But you know what America, we are

 Still managing to sing our song

And how are we able to do that

By keeping our faith in God, praying to HIM,

And asking HIS help to make us strong.

We know that everything happens for a reason

And that this has happened to us as such,

But when the time for the weeping is over

Our joy and relief  will be so much

That we will glorify his name and stand

With pride and yell to the world

"America, America has been saved

America, the home of the brave

For the United States, a God blessed enclave,

Lesson time is about over and blessing time is near!

 

It's going to be all right

Just you wait and see

That same GOD WHO

Cared for your and my forefathers

Will continue to care for you and me.©

********

 

Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

Note - I put a video on my Twitter feed that will help to encourage you. Listen as the lady singing pours her heart into the song. I hope it blesses you as it did me.

 

Just Over the Way

The smile that you see me wear

Is tinged with sadness, yet

I have had to learn not to care

Overmuch about the vagaries of life

So that a semblance of peace

Can be brought to bear.

But I won’t have to worry about

That when I get home

When I get over there

For I’m going home one day

To the city across the way

And there I’ll see my mother

Whom I have missed so much

And I will be gathered in the sweet embrace

Of my Momma’s touch.

No longer will I be numbered among

The ones that have been left alone

For I will be with countless generations long gone

Ah, I will,  at last, be home

And I will join my forefathers

As we sing hallelujah

Around GOD’s throne.

Yes, I will have made it to that land

The thought of which has kept me going day by day

I’ll be living in that wondrous land

Just over the way.©

********

 

We have something great that we are working toward, so let's keep the faith. Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

 

 

 

Extraordinary Times

In the 2020 extraordinary times that we have had

We've seen occasions to be happy

And occasions to be sad

Play out in this year's brief timespan

And I am reminded that in extraordinary times

Extraordinary things happen, such as

Having angels of GOD walk the land.

Now you might think that just

Cannot be so

But, I say to you, "Who are you

Fellowman that you should know?"

Because back in Biblical days, the LORD

Walked the land at will, so who is

To say that HE cannot walk it still?

And too, HE travels on the storm

Walks on water and does anything

Else HE chooses, for there is

Nothing too hard for GOD

And it gives me chills and makes me

Think, "Oh my! Have I placed my

Unworthy footsteps in a place where

An angel of GOD has trod?!"©

********

 

Just thought I would give you something to ponder over on this Labor Day. Wow!

Be safe.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

 

A Sunday Morning Praise Prayer

ALJ Renewal of Joy eBook

 

 

To my FATHER, my GOD

The GIVER and KEEPER of my life

For this fine Sunday morning

That you have allowed me to see,

I thank YOU for, and all of YOUR mercy

And for your tender care of me.

 

I thank you for the blood

That, for me, Jesus shed

I thank you for your loving hand

By which I have been and continue to be led.

What, as a tender vessel of clay,

I am trying so very hard to say

Is that, like the grass, without you I am nothing

And without your presence, I can do naught

But be dismayed and wither away

That is the truth at the end of the day

So, I ask YOU to keep my soul

Until presented back to YOU at eternity.©

********

Be safe, Y'all.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones