Joy and Strength (Christian life and music)

God is Omnipotent.  There is no higher or greater power than Jehovah God. When we are born again, He comes to live in our hearts via the Holy Spirit. We now possess all that He is!  We are not God - nowhere near.  That is for the New Ager's way of thinking. No.  Where once our spirits were dead, darkened, and lost, they are now made alive!  We now worship, love, and obey God only because His Spirit lives inside us.  Up until then, we may choose to be "good" people, and do the right things in life.  But there is a vast difference between a person living a "good" life in the flesh, and the born again Christian who allows the life of Christ in her to rule and live His life through her. There is a power to God's goodness.  His Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  All of these attributes live within us as born again believers in Christ. Our job now is to allow  the Holy Spirit full reign in ou

Whoa.  Wait a minute, you might be thinking.  How could this mess I am going through be a blessing ? Let us review, dear friends!   Here's a short list of how trials formed the saints of Scripture: - Daniel experienced firsthand God's supernatural power in protecting him from the voracious lions - Jesus was in  the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (and He is with us in our "fiery furnace!") - God protected David from Saul's murderous plans again and again, bringing him into his destiny as King - Job was doubly blessed - more than he had been - after he lost everyone and everything in life - Paul's letters to the churches are the most-quoted Scripture of all time; he wrote them from a prison cell - Jonah needed to learn that God's grace is for all - even for those he couldn't stand; he finally learned obedience - Joseph was left for dead by his jealous siblings; he ended up ruling over them eventually - Jesus endured severe hunger and

When we are in the thick of it - being tempted to give up, walk in the flesh, doubt God - this is when we are called to practice patience. The meaning of patience in this case is long suffering.  God knows that we suffer when tempted.  Remember, He was tempted by the devil in the desert and it was no fun!  But Jesus resisted the devil by knowing Who He was and by knowing and speaking Scripture.  Jesus was not passive in this and neither should we be. Verse 4 in the King James translation reads, "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire , wanting nothing."  The purpose of the trial is to produce patience in us which makes us whole.  When we are whole, we are healed, "wanting nothing." Why does it have to work this way?  I have no idea.  And trying to deny it or fight against it only causes great turmoil and stress. Isn't that the way?  We are tempted.  We feel rotten.  We are uncomfortable and not at peace in that moment. Now here