Monday, May 3, 2010
You will be missed!!!!
With great sadness I said goodbye to Nancy, my wife and best friend, Sunday afternoon. She was an incredible lady who touched the lives of many people. It's hard to believe she is gone, but I know she is dancing with Jesus. Thank you sweetheart for a wonderful 25 years together. I love you and I will miss you so so much. Dance twinkletoes, dance. I love you! Brian Bass
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Faith in the Faithful
Good evening everyone,
I was replying to an email today and I kind of got on a roll, so I decided why retype it, so I didn’t. I typed it for me but you make it true for you, ok? Anyway, thanks everybody for keeping me and especially my family in your prayers. Also please remember to pray for my brother in law Brett and his family in Oklahoma. He is battling cancer.
When it comes down to brass tacks, doctors really aren’t that amazing. I mean thank God for them, but they don’t know a whole lot, really. More often than not, they are just managing symptoms. Real medical cures are few and far between with the exception of antibiotics. No, we need something better, something more powerful, more reliable. We need a Healer.
Good news, we have one! Jesus Christ, the faithful and true, is our Healer.
Recently things have not looked good around here. At times my vision for the future has shrunk to just getting the next breath.
I have to admit, my hopes have faded, but the Lord is restoring them, thanks be to God. Even though man’s faith fails, God is still faithful. His grace brings me back, time after time, to the truth. God is real. He is living, from forever to forever. He loves me, really truly loves me !! jesus was really born of a virgin,, really lived on this earth as a man, really died a horrible criminal’s death, for my sins. Really was beaten, not just by the soldiers, but by the hand of God. He bore my sicknesses, He carried my pains. He was sentenced to death, which I deserved. He went to hell. I should have, but He took my place. He defeated the devil stripped him of all power, and paraded him around heaven and hell. He took His blood, the most costly and precious substance in the universe, and cleansed the temple in heaven with it. He put that blood on the altar, forever erasing my sins, even the ones I haven’t done yet. He was actually raised from the dead, walking physically among us for forty days or so, then he ascended into heaven where He sits today at the right hand of God the Father, forever living to make intercession for me. I have access to the Creator, my Father, through the blood of Christ. Now, when God looks at me, He sees me through the blood and I am clean, pure and free. Free from sin, shame, sickness, poverty and every other curse, free to live long and be well , free to be a blessing to others. Jesus loves me! He is real and he loves me!
While things in this earth are not yet perfect, and I may not yet be obtaining everything He bought for me, yet, this I know ; Jesus loves me. He has never and will never leave me. He paid it all for me. When everyone else has spent every last shred of patience and they are way past done, His has just barely begun.
Keeping Him in mind is the challenge.
You would think it would be easy to remember the truth. why does the world get in the way of the truth? I know the truth and the truth makes me free. And so, the world must yield to the truth. Praise God!!
Healed and whole,
Twinkletoes
I was replying to an email today and I kind of got on a roll, so I decided why retype it, so I didn’t. I typed it for me but you make it true for you, ok? Anyway, thanks everybody for keeping me and especially my family in your prayers. Also please remember to pray for my brother in law Brett and his family in Oklahoma. He is battling cancer.
When it comes down to brass tacks, doctors really aren’t that amazing. I mean thank God for them, but they don’t know a whole lot, really. More often than not, they are just managing symptoms. Real medical cures are few and far between with the exception of antibiotics. No, we need something better, something more powerful, more reliable. We need a Healer.
Good news, we have one! Jesus Christ, the faithful and true, is our Healer.
Recently things have not looked good around here. At times my vision for the future has shrunk to just getting the next breath.
I have to admit, my hopes have faded, but the Lord is restoring them, thanks be to God. Even though man’s faith fails, God is still faithful. His grace brings me back, time after time, to the truth. God is real. He is living, from forever to forever. He loves me, really truly loves me !! jesus was really born of a virgin,, really lived on this earth as a man, really died a horrible criminal’s death, for my sins. Really was beaten, not just by the soldiers, but by the hand of God. He bore my sicknesses, He carried my pains. He was sentenced to death, which I deserved. He went to hell. I should have, but He took my place. He defeated the devil stripped him of all power, and paraded him around heaven and hell. He took His blood, the most costly and precious substance in the universe, and cleansed the temple in heaven with it. He put that blood on the altar, forever erasing my sins, even the ones I haven’t done yet. He was actually raised from the dead, walking physically among us for forty days or so, then he ascended into heaven where He sits today at the right hand of God the Father, forever living to make intercession for me. I have access to the Creator, my Father, through the blood of Christ. Now, when God looks at me, He sees me through the blood and I am clean, pure and free. Free from sin, shame, sickness, poverty and every other curse, free to live long and be well , free to be a blessing to others. Jesus loves me! He is real and he loves me!
While things in this earth are not yet perfect, and I may not yet be obtaining everything He bought for me, yet, this I know ; Jesus loves me. He has never and will never leave me. He paid it all for me. When everyone else has spent every last shred of patience and they are way past done, His has just barely begun.
Keeping Him in mind is the challenge.
You would think it would be easy to remember the truth. why does the world get in the way of the truth? I know the truth and the truth makes me free. And so, the world must yield to the truth. Praise God!!
Healed and whole,
Twinkletoes
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Stormy Weather
Good afternoon everybody,
Matthew 8 tells a familiar story, one that I want us to ponder today.
18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake.
23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. 24 Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26 Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
27 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!”
Notice that right at the start of this story, Jesus gave His disciples a job to do, a goal, a directive. So in His mind, it was as good as done. So he decided to get some shut eye. Even when the waves literally broke into the boat, soaking Him, He refused to let the devil steal His rest. Remember, He said cross to the other side. So they will.
Now the disciples were not that confident. Sure they heard from the Lord. They had a job to do and they were putting everything they had into it. Completely sold out, living for Jesus.
But while they were out there, a deadly storm appeared out of nowhere. It looked like and felt like there was no way possible, no cure, no escape. In their eyes, this was it. They were goners. BUT did the goal change, ‘cross to the other side’? No. And who is with them in the boat? The Man who they watched cast out devils, feed multitudes, and heal scores of thousands of sick people. He is right there with them, but… Is He aware of the situation? I mean, fast asleep while being drenched. Not very aware.
How many of us have been there, in the middle of a storm that screams, ‘I am taking you out’? And it seems as though if Jesus is there, He somehow doesn’t quite understand the gravity of it all. In another account of the same story, the disciples asked Jesus if He cared that they were drowning. Have you been there?
I, and my family, are in that kind of storm right now. Medical reports go from bad to worse. In the natural, all hope is gone. BUT, did the goal change? NO!! Did Jesus say to try to cross to the other side, unless you run into a problem? No. He said that He would be with us, never leave us. He said he overcame, to be of good cheer.
Friends, it will look like you have lost your marbles when you say God’s word about your situation. They will think you are in denial. Nuttier than a fruitcake. But when your boat is sinking and there is only one lifeline, the living Word, you have a choice.
The disciples were sure they were sunk. Water was coming in faster than they could bail it out. As soon as they could get up, another wave would knock them off their feet again. But when they woke up Jesus, did he say ‘I understand, boys, this problem is a big problem. Good thing you got me up!’ no, he didn’t say that. He apparently had expected something more from them. He said why are you so afraid? Where is your faith? (if I were there, I might have thought, ‘it left with that last wave that knocked me down.) =)
That is a tall order. Not being afraid. Were they supposed to just keep rowing as if there was no storm? No, that would be denial. Did Jesus actually expect them to do something about the storm? Like He did?
We are not the healer. We can’t scrunch up our eyes, say Jesus name three times and make the symptoms disappear. But we can do something. We can focus on the goal. There is a destiny, a plan for our hope and future. We can agree in our hearts and out loud with what the living, powerful Word says about our storm. This is not denial. It is setting the thermostat of our lives with the most powerful heat pump in the universe!
Recently I have been full of fear, absolutely tormented by it night and day. I gave the devil a place and he took it. Today I renew my commitment to be fear free. Sounds impossible, but with God all things are possible. Please pray for me and my family. I love y’all dearly!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
Matthew 8 tells a familiar story, one that I want us to ponder today.
18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake.
23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. 24 Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26 Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
27 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!”
Notice that right at the start of this story, Jesus gave His disciples a job to do, a goal, a directive. So in His mind, it was as good as done. So he decided to get some shut eye. Even when the waves literally broke into the boat, soaking Him, He refused to let the devil steal His rest. Remember, He said cross to the other side. So they will.
Now the disciples were not that confident. Sure they heard from the Lord. They had a job to do and they were putting everything they had into it. Completely sold out, living for Jesus.
But while they were out there, a deadly storm appeared out of nowhere. It looked like and felt like there was no way possible, no cure, no escape. In their eyes, this was it. They were goners. BUT did the goal change, ‘cross to the other side’? No. And who is with them in the boat? The Man who they watched cast out devils, feed multitudes, and heal scores of thousands of sick people. He is right there with them, but… Is He aware of the situation? I mean, fast asleep while being drenched. Not very aware.
How many of us have been there, in the middle of a storm that screams, ‘I am taking you out’? And it seems as though if Jesus is there, He somehow doesn’t quite understand the gravity of it all. In another account of the same story, the disciples asked Jesus if He cared that they were drowning. Have you been there?
I, and my family, are in that kind of storm right now. Medical reports go from bad to worse. In the natural, all hope is gone. BUT, did the goal change? NO!! Did Jesus say to try to cross to the other side, unless you run into a problem? No. He said that He would be with us, never leave us. He said he overcame, to be of good cheer.
Friends, it will look like you have lost your marbles when you say God’s word about your situation. They will think you are in denial. Nuttier than a fruitcake. But when your boat is sinking and there is only one lifeline, the living Word, you have a choice.
The disciples were sure they were sunk. Water was coming in faster than they could bail it out. As soon as they could get up, another wave would knock them off their feet again. But when they woke up Jesus, did he say ‘I understand, boys, this problem is a big problem. Good thing you got me up!’ no, he didn’t say that. He apparently had expected something more from them. He said why are you so afraid? Where is your faith? (if I were there, I might have thought, ‘it left with that last wave that knocked me down.) =)
That is a tall order. Not being afraid. Were they supposed to just keep rowing as if there was no storm? No, that would be denial. Did Jesus actually expect them to do something about the storm? Like He did?
We are not the healer. We can’t scrunch up our eyes, say Jesus name three times and make the symptoms disappear. But we can do something. We can focus on the goal. There is a destiny, a plan for our hope and future. We can agree in our hearts and out loud with what the living, powerful Word says about our storm. This is not denial. It is setting the thermostat of our lives with the most powerful heat pump in the universe!
Recently I have been full of fear, absolutely tormented by it night and day. I gave the devil a place and he took it. Today I renew my commitment to be fear free. Sounds impossible, but with God all things are possible. Please pray for me and my family. I love y’all dearly!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
See yourself well
Good afternoon everybody. This is from Kenneth Hagin’s devotional, Health Food Devotional. He is telling someone a snippet of his life story, and it really blessed me. I think you might get something out of it, as well.
Let them [God's words] not depart from thine eyes.... (Prov. 4:21)
I shared with this dear old woman, "The doctors said I was dying. I lived and relived my death over and over in my mind. In my mind's eye, I saw the doctors turn my body over to the undertaker to prepare it for burial. I saw them take the casket and go to the church. I saw them roll the casket down the aisle and set it before the pulpit.
"I heard the people sing the last song and pray the last prayer. I saw them close the lid and roll the casket down the aisle. I saw the pallbearers put it into the hearse. I saw the funeral procession. I saw all of this many times in my mind.
"I watched as a graveside prayer was said. I saw everyone leave. I saw them put the casket into the ground. I saw the flowers on the fresh mound of dirt. I saw the flowers wither and die. I saw the hot sun of summer beat down on the grave. I saw myself dead.
"But I got hold of Proverbs 4:21 and began to see myself alive. I asked myself, 'What would I do if I were up?' I said, 'I'd preach. That's what I'd do.' So I began to make sermon notes and get ready to preach."
I said to the woman, "See yourself well. See your huge stomach shrunk down to its normal size. See yourself preaching again. See yourself traveling and holding meetings. It doesn't matter if you are eighty-two years old. God doesn't want you to die like this. God wants to heal you."
Ten months later, I went back to that church, and that woman was perfectly healed! She was traveling and preaching. Instead of looking eighty-two years old, she didn't look a day over fifty-five.
She said to the pastor and me, "I'm sure glad you didn't let me die. I just came back from my first meeting since I received my healing. I'm going to preach all summer and the rest of the winter.
"I did what you said, Brother Hagin. I began to see myself well. I looked at my huge stomach and saw it flat." She had kept the Word of God before her eyes.
Confession
I see myself well. I see every symptom leaving. I see myself living a normal and healthy life.
Source: Health Food
What do you see?
I see myself breathing without help. I see myself eating.
I see myself walking. I see myself hugging my children.
I see myself dressed up, going places.
I see myself sharing the gospel. Around the world! With my family.
I see us financially able to make a difference in the lives of everyone God puts in our path.
If you don’t see God’s bright future for you, change your mind. Renew it like romans 12:2 says.
I love y’all dearly!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
Let them [God's words] not depart from thine eyes.... (Prov. 4:21)
I shared with this dear old woman, "The doctors said I was dying. I lived and relived my death over and over in my mind. In my mind's eye, I saw the doctors turn my body over to the undertaker to prepare it for burial. I saw them take the casket and go to the church. I saw them roll the casket down the aisle and set it before the pulpit.
"I heard the people sing the last song and pray the last prayer. I saw them close the lid and roll the casket down the aisle. I saw the pallbearers put it into the hearse. I saw the funeral procession. I saw all of this many times in my mind.
"I watched as a graveside prayer was said. I saw everyone leave. I saw them put the casket into the ground. I saw the flowers on the fresh mound of dirt. I saw the flowers wither and die. I saw the hot sun of summer beat down on the grave. I saw myself dead.
"But I got hold of Proverbs 4:21 and began to see myself alive. I asked myself, 'What would I do if I were up?' I said, 'I'd preach. That's what I'd do.' So I began to make sermon notes and get ready to preach."
I said to the woman, "See yourself well. See your huge stomach shrunk down to its normal size. See yourself preaching again. See yourself traveling and holding meetings. It doesn't matter if you are eighty-two years old. God doesn't want you to die like this. God wants to heal you."
Ten months later, I went back to that church, and that woman was perfectly healed! She was traveling and preaching. Instead of looking eighty-two years old, she didn't look a day over fifty-five.
She said to the pastor and me, "I'm sure glad you didn't let me die. I just came back from my first meeting since I received my healing. I'm going to preach all summer and the rest of the winter.
"I did what you said, Brother Hagin. I began to see myself well. I looked at my huge stomach and saw it flat." She had kept the Word of God before her eyes.
Confession
I see myself well. I see every symptom leaving. I see myself living a normal and healthy life.
Source: Health Food
What do you see?
I see myself breathing without help. I see myself eating.
I see myself walking. I see myself hugging my children.
I see myself dressed up, going places.
I see myself sharing the gospel. Around the world! With my family.
I see us financially able to make a difference in the lives of everyone God puts in our path.
If you don’t see God’s bright future for you, change your mind. Renew it like romans 12:2 says.
I love y’all dearly!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
You will Reap
Good evening everyone,
Psalm 126 has beautiful words of hope,
1 When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem,[a]
it was like a dream!
2 We were filled with laughter,
and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said,
“What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”
3 Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!
What joy!
4 Restore our fortunes, Lord,
as streams renew the desert.
5 Those who plant in tears
will harvest with shouts of joy.
6 They weep as they go to plant their seed,
but they sing as they return with the harvest.
Do you feel like every day you are planting seeds in sorrow? Not only financial, but seeds of love, time, faith, forgiveness, anything. If it seems difficult, like you don’t have anything left to give, this is for you. You have the promise of the Lord of Hosts, the God who cannot lie, guaranteed by the Blood of Jesus. You will reap in joy. You WILL!
Merry Christmas everybody, I love y’all dearly!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
Psalm 126 has beautiful words of hope,
1 When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem,[a]
it was like a dream!
2 We were filled with laughter,
and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said,
“What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”
3 Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!
What joy!
4 Restore our fortunes, Lord,
as streams renew the desert.
5 Those who plant in tears
will harvest with shouts of joy.
6 They weep as they go to plant their seed,
but they sing as they return with the harvest.
Do you feel like every day you are planting seeds in sorrow? Not only financial, but seeds of love, time, faith, forgiveness, anything. If it seems difficult, like you don’t have anything left to give, this is for you. You have the promise of the Lord of Hosts, the God who cannot lie, guaranteed by the Blood of Jesus. You will reap in joy. You WILL!
Merry Christmas everybody, I love y’all dearly!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
Monday, December 21, 2009
Psalm 118
Good afternoon everybody,
Psalm 118 is simply wonderful! In the old testament, physical enemies are types, or examples, of the forces we fight daily in the spirit. So check this out.
10 Though hostile nations surrounded me,
I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
11 Yes, they surrounded and attacked me,
but I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
12 They swarmed around me like bees;
they blazed against me like a crackling fire.
But I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
13 My enemies did their best to kill me,
but the Lord rescued me.
14 The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.
15 Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly.
The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!
16 The strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph.
The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!
17 I will not die; instead, I will live
to tell what the Lord has done.
So I (we) have his promise, we will not die but live to tell what the Lord has done. Why? Because the strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things! When a king extends his scepter of authority, it is with his right arm. The Lord has extended His authority to us. We bear His name and everything that name means. Talk about marrying UP! =)
Did verses 10-12 say that the Lord destroyed the enemies? No, it says we destroyed them with the authority of the Lord.
Notice that the Lord HAS DONE glorious things, not someday in the sweet by and by, but in the here and now. He GAVE us His authority, we use it, and He backs it with His strong right arm. How do we use His authority? With our words. Every word we speak carries His authority, even the not good words. So, ‘be careful little mouth, what you say’ (children’s song)
The end result is triumph!
I love y’all dearly!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
Psalm 118 is simply wonderful! In the old testament, physical enemies are types, or examples, of the forces we fight daily in the spirit. So check this out.
10 Though hostile nations surrounded me,
I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
11 Yes, they surrounded and attacked me,
but I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
12 They swarmed around me like bees;
they blazed against me like a crackling fire.
But I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
13 My enemies did their best to kill me,
but the Lord rescued me.
14 The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.
15 Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly.
The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!
16 The strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph.
The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!
17 I will not die; instead, I will live
to tell what the Lord has done.
So I (we) have his promise, we will not die but live to tell what the Lord has done. Why? Because the strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things! When a king extends his scepter of authority, it is with his right arm. The Lord has extended His authority to us. We bear His name and everything that name means. Talk about marrying UP! =)
Did verses 10-12 say that the Lord destroyed the enemies? No, it says we destroyed them with the authority of the Lord.
Notice that the Lord HAS DONE glorious things, not someday in the sweet by and by, but in the here and now. He GAVE us His authority, we use it, and He backs it with His strong right arm. How do we use His authority? With our words. Every word we speak carries His authority, even the not good words. So, ‘be careful little mouth, what you say’ (children’s song)
The end result is triumph!
I love y’all dearly!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
Saturday, December 19, 2009
AbraHAM, please
Good afternoon everybody,
In Genesis, there is a man named Abram. He had been blessed by God, beat kings in battle, walked through the blood in covenant with God Himself, and had Ishmael in his own strength. He has been shown the stars in the sky, representing the number of children he will have. And still does not have the child of promise. Abram is ninety nine, and Ishmael is thirteen. And now God promises specifically that Sarai will be the mother, and he laughs. She is 90. Abram asks God to bless Ishmael, so he won’t have to work his faith anymore. You know, walking by faith is not easy. With each passing month, Sarai was getting older. She was barren all her life, and gave up hope when she gave her servant to Abram for bearing a child.
So Abram laughs and asks God to bless Ishmael. God has another plan, though, and it involves (uh huh) more faith. He calls Abram (meaning ‘exalted father’) a new name, Abraham (meaning ‘father of many’) and Sarai Sarah.
Now Abraham has a choice… every time someone calls him Abram, he can ignore it and leave well enough alone or he can say, ‘I am Abraham now.’ He can make it a private thing between him and God, or risk being a laughingstock by making everyone call him Abraham. I mean, he had hundreds of servants, he was envied by kings. They might have been snickering behind his back.
Did he know that if he kept quiet, he could hinder the plan of God? I don’t know. But he did make it public, gave God glory ahead of time, and had Isaac about a year later!
So why did I choose this story? Because I was given a name a few years back, when I was walking with a walker. Several ladies called me by this name, but I was, well, a little embarrassed by it. I wasn’t sure it was really from the Lord. I didn’t think it was that important, and maybe it isn’t. But then this year someone else called me by this name, so maybe it is from the Lord. Maybe I should not be embarrassed by it. Well, here goes. The name is twinkletoes. Sounds ridiculous to me. But I bet Abraham sounded funny to Abraham while he was still Abram.
So I am twinkletoes. :} quite a faith statement. It refers to a dancer who is especially graceful on her feet. Usually little girls.
Has the Lord given you a name, or a word for your future ? Remember, every word in the New testament is written to you personally. Every word in the old testament is an example for you. He calls you righteous. He calls you His child, His brother, His bride. He calls you healed. He calls you blessed. He calls you strong. He even calls you rich. It’s all in the new testament. You!
Now the question is, will you call yourself all that? Will you, will I, look at the ‘seen’ stuff to dictate who we are, or will we call ourselves what God calls us? God looks at us only through eyes of faith. Why? Because it is who He is! Ephesians 5 says to imitate Him. Why? Because it is who you are!
I call myself righteous, His child, brother and bride, healed, blessed, strong and rich. And yes, I call myself twinkletoes, too. I believe I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. You will too!!!
I love y’all dearly,
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
In Genesis, there is a man named Abram. He had been blessed by God, beat kings in battle, walked through the blood in covenant with God Himself, and had Ishmael in his own strength. He has been shown the stars in the sky, representing the number of children he will have. And still does not have the child of promise. Abram is ninety nine, and Ishmael is thirteen. And now God promises specifically that Sarai will be the mother, and he laughs. She is 90. Abram asks God to bless Ishmael, so he won’t have to work his faith anymore. You know, walking by faith is not easy. With each passing month, Sarai was getting older. She was barren all her life, and gave up hope when she gave her servant to Abram for bearing a child.
So Abram laughs and asks God to bless Ishmael. God has another plan, though, and it involves (uh huh) more faith. He calls Abram (meaning ‘exalted father’) a new name, Abraham (meaning ‘father of many’) and Sarai Sarah.
Now Abraham has a choice… every time someone calls him Abram, he can ignore it and leave well enough alone or he can say, ‘I am Abraham now.’ He can make it a private thing between him and God, or risk being a laughingstock by making everyone call him Abraham. I mean, he had hundreds of servants, he was envied by kings. They might have been snickering behind his back.
Did he know that if he kept quiet, he could hinder the plan of God? I don’t know. But he did make it public, gave God glory ahead of time, and had Isaac about a year later!
So why did I choose this story? Because I was given a name a few years back, when I was walking with a walker. Several ladies called me by this name, but I was, well, a little embarrassed by it. I wasn’t sure it was really from the Lord. I didn’t think it was that important, and maybe it isn’t. But then this year someone else called me by this name, so maybe it is from the Lord. Maybe I should not be embarrassed by it. Well, here goes. The name is twinkletoes. Sounds ridiculous to me. But I bet Abraham sounded funny to Abraham while he was still Abram.
So I am twinkletoes. :} quite a faith statement. It refers to a dancer who is especially graceful on her feet. Usually little girls.
Has the Lord given you a name, or a word for your future ? Remember, every word in the New testament is written to you personally. Every word in the old testament is an example for you. He calls you righteous. He calls you His child, His brother, His bride. He calls you healed. He calls you blessed. He calls you strong. He even calls you rich. It’s all in the new testament. You!
Now the question is, will you call yourself all that? Will you, will I, look at the ‘seen’ stuff to dictate who we are, or will we call ourselves what God calls us? God looks at us only through eyes of faith. Why? Because it is who He is! Ephesians 5 says to imitate Him. Why? Because it is who you are!
I call myself righteous, His child, brother and bride, healed, blessed, strong and rich. And yes, I call myself twinkletoes, too. I believe I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. You will too!!!
I love y’all dearly,
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
Monday, December 14, 2009
A Heart of Thanks
Good evening, everyone.
A dear friend shared this poem with me; she was in her quiet time when the Lord gave it to her. Our special time with the Lord may not always produce poetry, but He always brings something. And He enjoys His time with us, like we enjoy our time with our children. So don’t forget to spend time with the Almighty Creator, your loving Father. the more you do, the more you have to share with your family. And you will be happier too!
I love y’all dearly, and Merry Christmas!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
Here's the poem...
A Heart of Thanksgiving
By Marilyn Jaderlund 11-26-2009
Your love so deep, Your love so wide; A mountain strong where I may hide.
Your waves of love flow over me as endless as the deep blue sea.
What love is this, such mystery. This endless love gave all to rescue me.
Upon the cross, Your crimson flow to wash me clean, as white as snow.
How great this love that knows no end; To go wherever You may send.
A debt of love, no sum could pay. What you redeemed that victorious day.
So great a love beyond words to say; You gave up all to show the way.
I heard Your call and opened wide; My heart to fill with this love inside.
A heart revived, alive, renewed; I surrender all with gratitude.
How great this love that knows no bounds; My heart now beats with heavens sound.
This love to give where You may send. Eternal life - the promised end.
And when I finish this lifes race; His loving arms around me embrace.
This love so deep, so long, so wide; Now face to face, I became His bride.
His banner of love, does He now raise; My heart will sing with endless praise.
A dear friend shared this poem with me; she was in her quiet time when the Lord gave it to her. Our special time with the Lord may not always produce poetry, but He always brings something. And He enjoys His time with us, like we enjoy our time with our children. So don’t forget to spend time with the Almighty Creator, your loving Father. the more you do, the more you have to share with your family. And you will be happier too!
I love y’all dearly, and Merry Christmas!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
Here's the poem...
A Heart of Thanksgiving
By Marilyn Jaderlund 11-26-2009
Your love so deep, Your love so wide; A mountain strong where I may hide.
Your waves of love flow over me as endless as the deep blue sea.
What love is this, such mystery. This endless love gave all to rescue me.
Upon the cross, Your crimson flow to wash me clean, as white as snow.
How great this love that knows no end; To go wherever You may send.
A debt of love, no sum could pay. What you redeemed that victorious day.
So great a love beyond words to say; You gave up all to show the way.
I heard Your call and opened wide; My heart to fill with this love inside.
A heart revived, alive, renewed; I surrender all with gratitude.
How great this love that knows no bounds; My heart now beats with heavens sound.
This love to give where You may send. Eternal life - the promised end.
And when I finish this lifes race; His loving arms around me embrace.
This love so deep, so long, so wide; Now face to face, I became His bride.
His banner of love, does He now raise; My heart will sing with endless praise.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Dead Ant, Dead Ant
Good afternoon everybody,
I was really encouraged by the following :
If you measure the disease or sickness—or test or trial—you're going through against God and His ability rather than against you and your ability, there will be no comparison! There would be no more comparison than there would be between an elephant and an ant! – Kenneth E. Hagin, excerpt from Health Food Devotional
The problems we face don’t come from God. God does not tempt us with evil, the Holy spirit said through James. Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of lights.
But our Good Shepherd is with us through every valley, and He is always leading us out! And… He is the elephant, remember. Do you remember that pink panther theme song? Sing it with me, ‘dead ant, dead ant,… ‘ The ant is not only small, it is as good as dead. Just follow Him, Jesus, your Good Shepherd, right on out of the test, trial or disease. Praise God for your answer because your answer is “YES!!” 1 Corinthians 1:20. Or, 2 corinthians 1:20.
Thanks be to God who ALWAYS causes us to triumph in Christ!
I love y’all,,
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
I was really encouraged by the following :
If you measure the disease or sickness—or test or trial—you're going through against God and His ability rather than against you and your ability, there will be no comparison! There would be no more comparison than there would be between an elephant and an ant! – Kenneth E. Hagin, excerpt from Health Food Devotional
The problems we face don’t come from God. God does not tempt us with evil, the Holy spirit said through James. Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of lights.
But our Good Shepherd is with us through every valley, and He is always leading us out! And… He is the elephant, remember. Do you remember that pink panther theme song? Sing it with me, ‘dead ant, dead ant,… ‘ The ant is not only small, it is as good as dead. Just follow Him, Jesus, your Good Shepherd, right on out of the test, trial or disease. Praise God for your answer because your answer is “YES!!” 1 Corinthians 1:20. Or, 2 corinthians 1:20.
Thanks be to God who ALWAYS causes us to triumph in Christ!
I love y’all,,
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Even if we did nothing but praise Jesus 24/7 for the rest of eternity, He would still deserve more. Isn’t it great that although He deserves it, He does not get mad at us if we don’t?
Yet the bible teaches us to bless the Lord or give thanks or praise Him ‘at all times’, ‘continually’, and ‘in everything’. Why? Like everything else He tells us, for our good. When you are thinking about and talking about what is good, by thanking God, you are happier and healthier in the natural, and spiritually you are shutting down the devil and opening the windows of heaven. Make it a lifestyle! Something so second nature you do it by instinct.
Now thanks be to God who ALWAYS causes us to triumph in Christ!! 2 cor. 2:14
I love y’all dearly,
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
Even if we did nothing but praise Jesus 24/7 for the rest of eternity, He would still deserve more. Isn’t it great that although He deserves it, He does not get mad at us if we don’t?
Yet the bible teaches us to bless the Lord or give thanks or praise Him ‘at all times’, ‘continually’, and ‘in everything’. Why? Like everything else He tells us, for our good. When you are thinking about and talking about what is good, by thanking God, you are happier and healthier in the natural, and spiritually you are shutting down the devil and opening the windows of heaven. Make it a lifestyle! Something so second nature you do it by instinct.
Now thanks be to God who ALWAYS causes us to triumph in Christ!! 2 cor. 2:14
I love y’all dearly,
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
Monday, November 23, 2009
Giving Thanks
Good evening everyone,
I’ve been thinking, is it ‘giving’ if the Person to whom you are giving deserves far more than you can ever give? But then, what would we call it? Paying? Offering? I don’t know, it was just a thought.
Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever!!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
I’ve been thinking, is it ‘giving’ if the Person to whom you are giving deserves far more than you can ever give? But then, what would we call it? Paying? Offering? I don’t know, it was just a thought.
Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever!!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
Friday, November 20, 2009
Learn of Him
Good afternoon everybody,
Matthew 11:28-30 (again) has been playing around in my head.
28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
You see, a singing group called Take 6 has recorded it in a song, so the song keeps coming back to me. The Lord brought up a different part of the scripture to me this time. Right smack in the middle of the promises for rest, Jesus said “learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.” Why would He choose this place for describing Himself? Why did He choose those two attributes, among the many He could have chosen? He could have said ‘I am anointed’ or ‘I am holy’ or lots of things, but He chose meek and lowly in heart. Why?
The Lord impressed on my heart that this is key to the rest He is talking about. Meekness, or humility as some translations say, is how Jesus stayed in the rest of God. And thankfulness is completely intertwined within humility… You can’t be humble without being thankful. Just think about the most humble person you know, really humble, and you will hear thanks from them a lot.
So again, thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
I love y’all dearly! Oh, look. It’s almost thanksgiving! :D
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
Matthew 11:28-30 (again) has been playing around in my head.
28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
You see, a singing group called Take 6 has recorded it in a song, so the song keeps coming back to me. The Lord brought up a different part of the scripture to me this time. Right smack in the middle of the promises for rest, Jesus said “learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.” Why would He choose this place for describing Himself? Why did He choose those two attributes, among the many He could have chosen? He could have said ‘I am anointed’ or ‘I am holy’ or lots of things, but He chose meek and lowly in heart. Why?
The Lord impressed on my heart that this is key to the rest He is talking about. Meekness, or humility as some translations say, is how Jesus stayed in the rest of God. And thankfulness is completely intertwined within humility… You can’t be humble without being thankful. Just think about the most humble person you know, really humble, and you will hear thanks from them a lot.
So again, thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
I love y’all dearly! Oh, look. It’s almost thanksgiving! :D
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
Thursday, November 19, 2009
How big is your Cup?
Good afternoon everybody,
I was told a word picture years ago, and it has stuck with me. It was a picture of God, standing next to a water tower of His blessings. It was bigger than the sun! The faucet He was ready to open was as big around as the earth. And here we come, asking Him to fill us up, and we have this little teacup!
Can we limit God? He is infinite! Can we keep Him from doing what He wants to do in our lives? If you are like me, you are asking, ‘where is the scripture?’
Psalm 78:40, 41 says about the children of Israel…
40How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
41Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
So according to scripture, we can limit God, as far as what He can do for us. It is we who decide how big our cup is.
This leads to the question,, ‘how do I make my cup bigger?’
A lesson series from Keith Moore’s sermons online (www.morelifenow.org ) called ‘Thanksgiving Victory’ directly addresses that question. And basically the title says it, but there is so much GOOD information I wish I could get across to you. It doesn’t come across in writing. He talks about Hannah, Ahab, Jezebel, Rachel, Joseph and the brothers, Jesus, etc. And, he links them all up in thankfulness and humility, or unthankfulness and pride. VERY enlightening!! I guarantee that he will step on your toes somewhere in there, but not in a bad way. You can hit the audio button and listen while reading email or doing facebook, or cooking or whatever. Really, at least listen to the second message, about Jesus and self-pity. Absolutely life changing!!
So the question is, how do I increase my capacity to receive more from the Lord? The answer is as simple as a drop of water, and as infinitely deep and complex as that same drop.
(go ahead and listen!) ~:D
I love y’all dearly! Thanks be to God who ALWAYS causes us to triumph in Christ!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
http://nancysministry.blogspot.com
I was told a word picture years ago, and it has stuck with me. It was a picture of God, standing next to a water tower of His blessings. It was bigger than the sun! The faucet He was ready to open was as big around as the earth. And here we come, asking Him to fill us up, and we have this little teacup!
Can we limit God? He is infinite! Can we keep Him from doing what He wants to do in our lives? If you are like me, you are asking, ‘where is the scripture?’
Psalm 78:40, 41 says about the children of Israel…
40How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
41Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
So according to scripture, we can limit God, as far as what He can do for us. It is we who decide how big our cup is.
This leads to the question,, ‘how do I make my cup bigger?’
A lesson series from Keith Moore’s sermons online (www.morelifenow.org ) called ‘Thanksgiving Victory’ directly addresses that question. And basically the title says it, but there is so much GOOD information I wish I could get across to you. It doesn’t come across in writing. He talks about Hannah, Ahab, Jezebel, Rachel, Joseph and the brothers, Jesus, etc. And, he links them all up in thankfulness and humility, or unthankfulness and pride. VERY enlightening!! I guarantee that he will step on your toes somewhere in there, but not in a bad way. You can hit the audio button and listen while reading email or doing facebook, or cooking or whatever. Really, at least listen to the second message, about Jesus and self-pity. Absolutely life changing!!
So the question is, how do I increase my capacity to receive more from the Lord? The answer is as simple as a drop of water, and as infinitely deep and complex as that same drop.
(go ahead and listen!) ~:D
I love y’all dearly! Thanks be to God who ALWAYS causes us to triumph in Christ!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
http://nancysministry.blogspot.com
Monday, November 16, 2009
Worship!
Good evening, everyone,
I am, right now, watching (well, listening to, since I am typing) a live worship webstream from the International house of prayer in Kansas city. It is WONDERFUL music and worship, and it is free from six to midnight until Saturday night! Check it out, if only for a minute or two. The link is www.ihOP.org. Be blessed! I love y’all dearly!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
http://nancysministry.blogspot.com
I am, right now, watching (well, listening to, since I am typing) a live worship webstream from the International house of prayer in Kansas city. It is WONDERFUL music and worship, and it is free from six to midnight until Saturday night! Check it out, if only for a minute or two. The link is www.ihOP.org. Be blessed! I love y’all dearly!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
http://nancysministry.blogspot.com
Sunday, November 15, 2009
A Perfect Fit
Good evening everyone,
Matthew 11 is still on my heart. I have learned a little about yokes and burdens since last email… The best yoke for an ox or horse will fit him perfectly, so that it works with him and not against him. If it does not fit right, he will have callouses or actually wound himself. A wounded workhorse can’t do his work at full strength, so a wise owner will spare no expense to have a perfect fit.
Our owner, who paid the highest price in the universe for us, custom designed an easy yoke for you, and for me, before the universe was born. It fits like a glove! There is nothing to be afraid of, being in the center of His will for you.
28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Jump right into the center of God’s will for you, it’s a perfect fit!
I love y’all dearly,
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
http://nancysministry.blogspot.com
Matthew 11 is still on my heart. I have learned a little about yokes and burdens since last email… The best yoke for an ox or horse will fit him perfectly, so that it works with him and not against him. If it does not fit right, he will have callouses or actually wound himself. A wounded workhorse can’t do his work at full strength, so a wise owner will spare no expense to have a perfect fit.
Our owner, who paid the highest price in the universe for us, custom designed an easy yoke for you, and for me, before the universe was born. It fits like a glove! There is nothing to be afraid of, being in the center of His will for you.
28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Jump right into the center of God’s will for you, it’s a perfect fit!
I love y’all dearly,
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
http://nancysministry.blogspot.com
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Come Unto Me
Good evening everyone, (morning )
I have had this scripture on my mind for days.
Matthew 11,
28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Light burdens, easy yokes… Praise God!!
‘nuf said. I love y’all dearly!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
http://nancysministry.blogspot.com
I have had this scripture on my mind for days.
Matthew 11,
28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Light burdens, easy yokes… Praise God!!
‘nuf said. I love y’all dearly!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
http://nancysministry.blogspot.com
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Psalms 12:6
Good afternoon everybody,
Psalm 12 held a treasure for me today.
6 And the words of the LORD are flawless,
like silver refined in a furnace of clay,
purified seven times.
The Lord is a man of His word. He has never, nor will He ever, in fact He cannot, tell a lie. He has never exaggerated. He always tells His children the truth.
My mother once gave me some really good advice: don’t put anything in writing unless you want the world to know. Well, our Father put lots in writing because He wants the world to know. He wants us to know, because to know His word is to know Him. Every promise is reliable and sure. And what He promised, He is able to perform, says sarah in Hebrews 11. Plus the Lord said in Jeremiah, He watches over His word to perform it. What a deal we have! Love Himself is our Father and He is reliable and faithful to His word. Thanks be to God who ALWAYS causes us to triumph in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:14)
I love y’all.
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
http://nancysministry.blogspot.com
Psalm 12 held a treasure for me today.
6 And the words of the LORD are flawless,
like silver refined in a furnace of clay,
purified seven times.
The Lord is a man of His word. He has never, nor will He ever, in fact He cannot, tell a lie. He has never exaggerated. He always tells His children the truth.
My mother once gave me some really good advice: don’t put anything in writing unless you want the world to know. Well, our Father put lots in writing because He wants the world to know. He wants us to know, because to know His word is to know Him. Every promise is reliable and sure. And what He promised, He is able to perform, says sarah in Hebrews 11. Plus the Lord said in Jeremiah, He watches over His word to perform it. What a deal we have! Love Himself is our Father and He is reliable and faithful to His word. Thanks be to God who ALWAYS causes us to triumph in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:14)
I love y’all.
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
http://nancysministry.blogspot.com
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Healing Scripture Romans 8:11
Good afternoon everybody,
Romans 8:11 (KJV) “. . . the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead . . . shall also quicken your mortal bodies . . . .”
We have within us, the Spirit of the living God! And this Spirit is the same one that raised Jesus from the dead. And when Jesus returns, the bible says that this Spirit will change our mortal bodies into immortal! Forever young! Do you believe it?? I know you do.
Well if this Spirit can do all that, then it is a simple thing, EASY, for Him to do a little repair work on it to keep us going strong!! Romans 8:11 doesn’t say He can, however. It says He SHALL! Glory to God, He shall quicken our mortal bodies. These bodies, in the mortal here and now. Yahoo! I love y’all dearly! Speak out romans 8:11, for you and me today!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
http://nancysministry.blogspot.com
Romans 8:11 (KJV) “. . . the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead . . . shall also quicken your mortal bodies . . . .”
We have within us, the Spirit of the living God! And this Spirit is the same one that raised Jesus from the dead. And when Jesus returns, the bible says that this Spirit will change our mortal bodies into immortal! Forever young! Do you believe it?? I know you do.
Well if this Spirit can do all that, then it is a simple thing, EASY, for Him to do a little repair work on it to keep us going strong!! Romans 8:11 doesn’t say He can, however. It says He SHALL! Glory to God, He shall quicken our mortal bodies. These bodies, in the mortal here and now. Yahoo! I love y’all dearly! Speak out romans 8:11, for you and me today!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
http://nancysministry.blogspot.com
Friday, November 6, 2009
Redemption
Good evening everybody,
We are redeemed! What does that really mean? Redemption is a big word! First,
Jesus became sin so He could make us righteous. That erases all our guilt and condemnation. We get to be near Him forever! And would have been enough, but our Father loves us so much, and Jesus loves us so much, that they didn’t stop there. Redemption means something in the here and now. Jesus conquered sin, death and the devil! He paid the highest price for our health and safety too. Look at Psalm 91. I copied the Message, for variety.
Psalm 91
1-13You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow,
Say this: "God, you're my refuge.
I trust in you and I'm safe!"
That's right—he rescues you from hidden traps,
shields you from deadly hazards.
His huge outstretched arms protect you—
under them you're perfectly safe;
his arms fend off all harm.
Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night,
not flying arrows in the day,
Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
not disaster that erupts at high noon.
Even though others succumb all around,
drop like flies right and left,
no harm will even graze you.
You'll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance,
watch the wicked turn into corpses.
Yes, because God's your refuge,
the High God your very own home,
Evil can't get close to you,
harm can't get through the door.
He ordered his angels
to guard you wherever you go.
If you stumble, they'll catch you;
their job is to keep you from falling.
You'll walk unharmed among lions and snakes,
and kick young lions and serpents from the path.
14-16 "If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God,
"I'll get you out of any trouble.
I'll give you the best of care
if you'll only get to know and trust me.
Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times;
I'll rescue you, then throw you a party.
I'll give you a long life,
give you a long drink of salvation!"
Now, that is redemption! (-:
I love y’all dearly!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
http://nancysministry.blogspot.com
We are redeemed! What does that really mean? Redemption is a big word! First,
Jesus became sin so He could make us righteous. That erases all our guilt and condemnation. We get to be near Him forever! And would have been enough, but our Father loves us so much, and Jesus loves us so much, that they didn’t stop there. Redemption means something in the here and now. Jesus conquered sin, death and the devil! He paid the highest price for our health and safety too. Look at Psalm 91. I copied the Message, for variety.
Psalm 91
1-13You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow,
Say this: "God, you're my refuge.
I trust in you and I'm safe!"
That's right—he rescues you from hidden traps,
shields you from deadly hazards.
His huge outstretched arms protect you—
under them you're perfectly safe;
his arms fend off all harm.
Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night,
not flying arrows in the day,
Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
not disaster that erupts at high noon.
Even though others succumb all around,
drop like flies right and left,
no harm will even graze you.
You'll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance,
watch the wicked turn into corpses.
Yes, because God's your refuge,
the High God your very own home,
Evil can't get close to you,
harm can't get through the door.
He ordered his angels
to guard you wherever you go.
If you stumble, they'll catch you;
their job is to keep you from falling.
You'll walk unharmed among lions and snakes,
and kick young lions and serpents from the path.
14-16 "If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God,
"I'll get you out of any trouble.
I'll give you the best of care
if you'll only get to know and trust me.
Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times;
I'll rescue you, then throw you a party.
I'll give you a long life,
give you a long drink of salvation!"
Now, that is redemption! (-:
I love y’all dearly!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
http://nancysministry.blogspot.com
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Faith Working by Love
Good afternoon everybody,
A wise bible study teacher once said they try not to teach on something they are still working on, not to say they are perfect or they have mastered it, but only that they have settled into the Word about it, and they know the Way. So I am not perfect in this love thing (I can see Brian now, FOFLOL). There is a certain scowl, a look that oozes contempt, and looks very similar to my squinting to keep the air from leaking from my breathing mask into my eyes. So am I mad or just windblown? I’d like to say windblown all the time. Again, pick Brian up off the floor – he needs to breathe; no more laughing now!
So you understand I am not a master, but I know the Master. He is perfect! He never rolled His eyes in disrespect. He is recorded as cutting off someone only in one case, and He said ‘get thee behind me, Satan!’ to him. Somehow I think that would be a rare case where we had permission to say that! He had lots of hard words for people. He drove out the animals and greedy people from the temple, but He was not out of control when He did it. He was angry but never sinned.
What is ok, what is not? You would think that by 43 I might have some answers. Well, I have some. Generally speaking, if our feelings are screaming, we should not act on them. Screaming feelings are never the fruit of the Spirit. Peace doesn’t scream. When feelings scream, take charge of them like you would a two year old having a tantrum. Yes they scream but they are not in control. At least not in a healthy family. So we are spiritually healthier as we control and discipline our feelings. That ‘umpire of peace’ that the bible talks about is the voice of the Lord inside. Jesus always listened to Him for everything. Ephesians says be angry but sin not. Many times today I wanted to backhand someone, and I did yell this morning, but after that I did better. Of course my yells sound like squeaks in the mask. Not exactly intimidating, but sin all the same. That whole seventy times seven thing comes to mind. I lost count, but I guess that is how it should be. Right? Love keeps no record of wrong. Jesus didn’t, even though people spit and slapped and ripped out His beard. He didn’t even when they yelled all sorts of insults at Him while He hung naked and exposed, dying on a cross where every breath moved and tore against His hands, feet and raw back. And He still keeps no record of wrong even though we act like I did today.
Here is the point… (finally) my faith, your faith, whosoever’s faith, will not work if our mind is full of strife. And strife happens. So take a deep breath and remember that you have a choice, I have a choice. Even with red faces and screaming feelings, we have a choice. Love listens to the umpire of peace. Now thanks be to God who ALWAYS causes us to triumph (over our feelings) in Christ.
I love you all! I really do!!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
A wise bible study teacher once said they try not to teach on something they are still working on, not to say they are perfect or they have mastered it, but only that they have settled into the Word about it, and they know the Way. So I am not perfect in this love thing (I can see Brian now, FOFLOL). There is a certain scowl, a look that oozes contempt, and looks very similar to my squinting to keep the air from leaking from my breathing mask into my eyes. So am I mad or just windblown? I’d like to say windblown all the time. Again, pick Brian up off the floor – he needs to breathe; no more laughing now!
So you understand I am not a master, but I know the Master. He is perfect! He never rolled His eyes in disrespect. He is recorded as cutting off someone only in one case, and He said ‘get thee behind me, Satan!’ to him. Somehow I think that would be a rare case where we had permission to say that! He had lots of hard words for people. He drove out the animals and greedy people from the temple, but He was not out of control when He did it. He was angry but never sinned.
What is ok, what is not? You would think that by 43 I might have some answers. Well, I have some. Generally speaking, if our feelings are screaming, we should not act on them. Screaming feelings are never the fruit of the Spirit. Peace doesn’t scream. When feelings scream, take charge of them like you would a two year old having a tantrum. Yes they scream but they are not in control. At least not in a healthy family. So we are spiritually healthier as we control and discipline our feelings. That ‘umpire of peace’ that the bible talks about is the voice of the Lord inside. Jesus always listened to Him for everything. Ephesians says be angry but sin not. Many times today I wanted to backhand someone, and I did yell this morning, but after that I did better. Of course my yells sound like squeaks in the mask. Not exactly intimidating, but sin all the same. That whole seventy times seven thing comes to mind. I lost count, but I guess that is how it should be. Right? Love keeps no record of wrong. Jesus didn’t, even though people spit and slapped and ripped out His beard. He didn’t even when they yelled all sorts of insults at Him while He hung naked and exposed, dying on a cross where every breath moved and tore against His hands, feet and raw back. And He still keeps no record of wrong even though we act like I did today.
Here is the point… (finally) my faith, your faith, whosoever’s faith, will not work if our mind is full of strife. And strife happens. So take a deep breath and remember that you have a choice, I have a choice. Even with red faces and screaming feelings, we have a choice. Love listens to the umpire of peace. Now thanks be to God who ALWAYS causes us to triumph (over our feelings) in Christ.
I love you all! I really do!!
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass
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