Hard Assignment | Fuel For The Weekend

Welcome back to another Fuel For the Weekend blog post. I am excited about today! My husband is off work. He is not feeling the best. Javan and I are under the weather, as well, but we are still getting things done and that feels good. What are you doing this weekend?

Today I want to give you something to think about, talk about, and dig deeper in this weekend. It is in the book of Ezekiel. We are going to discuss five verses in the second chapter. But first, I would like to give a brief overview and background of where we studying. Ezekiel is a prophet of God. He is also a priest and he is ministering during the darkest days of the tribe of Judah's history. They are in captivity in Babylon and he will use parables, signs, and symbols, along with prophecies to get God's message across to His people in exile. Ezekiel has a very tough mission because God's chosen people are rebellious and hard-headed. This is why they are in exile; they would not respond appropriately to God nor would they observe His laws and commands. Now, they are in a place they do not want to be, severe oppression and depression overtake them, and it is up to Ezekiel to share God's message with them. What an incredible quest. Has God given you a task that you did not ask for, maybe one you do not want, but you have to do it? Has He called you to help others who seem like they could care less about God or anything He has to say? Ezekiel has been so commissioned.

Today's text is Ezekiel 2:1-5 but I want to start with chapter one verse 28 for a clear picture of why Ezekiel is no longer standing. So if we back up one verse, Ezekiel describes seeing something like a rainbow after the rain. This rainbow and it's brightness was how the likeness of the glory of God appeared to this prophet. When he saw this image he dropped to the ground. He fell on his face and then he heard "a voice of one that spake." Let's pick up our text in Ezekiel 2:1-5 and I promise there will be some hope and encouragement at the end of today's blog post for you!

Ezekiel 2:1 And He said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.

In this verse, when it says "son of man" it says in the expanded Bible that it means "human being" and it is used 93 times in this book to address the prophet. It is a title that refers to Ezekiel's frailty as a human in comparison to the great Sovereignty of God. God, the Creator, the LORD of all the earth, is speaking to Ezekiel and wants him to stand up so they can have a conversation. He recognizes that Ezekiel is flabbergasted and has hit the floor in overwhelm. He needs Ezekiel's attention, because He has to give him some instructions and He wants Ezekiel to hear everything He is saying.

In the book of Acts, Saul is on the way to Damascus so he can persecute God's people. He thinks he is doing God a favor by consenting to the death of Christians in the early church. But as he goes to Damascus a light surrounded him and it was so bright he fell to the earth. Let's read it. Acts 9:4-6 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?  And he said, Who are Thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (goads). And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

God will get your attention when He needs you to step into your destiny. He has a specific call on your life and He knows what language to speak to get your attention. You will find yourself humbled and feeling very small in contrast to the vastness of God.

Ezekiel 2:2 And the spirit entered into me when He spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard Him that spake unto me.

In the book of Daniel, we see a similar situation. Daniel 8:17-18 So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep, on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.

The supernatural is scary. It is overwhelming to experience God in that way, and yet there is great significance for it. God will help you when you are in that situation. He picked up Ezekiel and Daniel and he helped Saul who later became Paul and wrote a huge portion of the New Testament. Do not be afraid to seek God and experience His Sovereignty and power. You may not have the same experiences as these prophets but when God puts something in your heart that scares you, it's your big purpose and it can be frightening to think about. The good news is you are not alone.

Ezekiel 2:3 And He said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation, that hath rebelled against Me: they and their fathers have transgressed against Me, even unto this very day.

Would you be excited about this assignment? If God tells you to witness to people who are too hard-hearted to listen to the voice of God, would you want to go? Would you be excited about talking to them and telling them what God had to say? I know I have had to speak to people who were so prideful and haughty they would hardly listen. They wanted things to be all about them and had no room for the correction of God's Word. Through much prayer and exhortation I was able to share what God wanted them to know. I was in awe as I watched Him chip away at their ego and their carnal nature. It was amazing to see Him work in ways I never knew were possible.

Remember they are not rejecting you if you speak God's Word, they reject Him. It is imperative that we share the Gospel and allow Holy Spirit to do the rest.

1 Samuel 8:7,8 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken Me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.

Ezekiel 2:4 For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.

I love that God does not expect us to come up with our own speech when we go where He sends us. He does not leave everything up to us. He just asks that we be willing vessels to be used by Him to reach the ones who have gone astray. This is pivotal because we are not in the control chair, He is! That is the key to all of this!

Psalm 95:6-11 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. To day if ye will hear His voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known My ways; Unto whom I sware in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest.

Jeremiah 5:3 O LORD, are not Thine eyes upon the truth? Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction; they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

Jeremiah 6:15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

If you have time, read Isaiah chapter 58. It is another instance of the stiff-necked, rebellious people that God loves and wants to redeem but they refuse. These are not accounts of the heathen, pagan nations. This is God speaking directly to and about the children of Israel that He rescued and delivered and provided for. He blessed them and helped them and they rejected Him and disobeyed Him over and over and over again.

Ezekiel 2:5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

Why would God send Ezekiel to such a people? Why bother with them at all? So they will know that God loves them enough to send a prophet to be His mouthpiece. They can never say He did not try to show them the right way. They will be without excuse. He comes in love and mercy but the choice is theirs. It is up to them whether or not they receive it. They cannot receive the message from God without the messenger so God chose Ezekiel. Did He choose you? Do you have unsaved loved ones and friends who are doing life on their terms? Do you have family or friends who think they are enough, and that by doing good things, or donating to charities they will somehow squeeze into heaven? Friends, it is up to you and me to tell them!

One final thought and it is in Romans, the first chapter. We can read it together:

Romans 1:16-21 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold (suppress) the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Friends, we must take our assignment seriously. God is calling all of us to specific people in our lives. It may be a neighbor, a coworker, a friend, a family member, or even a stranger. Be sensitive to Holy Spirit and allow Him to use you to lead others to Christ. Yes, it may seem hard, because it is hard. It may seem impossible and hopeless, but it isn't. God is with us and we can do all things as He strengthens us according to Philippians 4:13. Remember with God nothing is impossible according to Luke 1:37. God bless you friends!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 16 | Wednesday Bible Study

Welcome back to another Wednesday Bible study. We are in the book of Psalms this year. Today we are looking at the sixteenth Psalm. If you have not already done so, I hope that you will take the time to read the eleven verses found in this chapter. Pray and ask Holy Spirit to teach you what He wants you to know about this passage and He will do it. Ask for fresh revelation of God's Word so you can hear and obey what the Scriptures say. Leave your Bibles open and grab something to take notes if you want. I will be sharing what God has given me today.

Psalm 16, Psalm 56, Psalm 57, Psalm 58, Psalm 59, and Psalm 60 are all classified as Michtam. What is a Michtam? I looked at the website Got Questions to learn more. Here is a part of what they shared on their website.

Some scholars see the word michtam as meaning “golden,” a definition that would similarly assign great value to a song so labeled. A michtam could be “a psalm as precious as stamped gold”; if so, today’s top-selling songs that are “certified gold” could be considered “michtams” of a sort.

Sounds like these are very special psalms. We are going to examine each of the eleven verses in today's passage.

Verse 1

David establishes relationship in this first verse. He can ask God to preserve, save, protect, or guard him because he is in relationship with Him. He knows the nature of God is to protect and shield those He loves. David is asking for this security now.

Do you need a safeguard today from what you are facing? Are you in relationship with God? Simply pray this verse back to God and watch Him work in your life.

Verses 2-3

David continues this prayer. My Bible translates the phrase "extendeth not to Thee" as meaning "is nothing apart from Thee." So David is actually saying, "O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness is nothing apart from Thee. David recognizes that God is good and apart from Him there is no good in us.

Verse three is connected to verse two. David is saying the people of God, (the saints), in the earth bring him joy. He is delighted in the excellent people. There are so many people compromising in today's society and it is a welcome change to hear about people who are sold out because of God's love and mercy evident in their lives.

Verse 4

David says that pain and suffering will be multiplied to those who run after idols that have no power. They offer drink offerings of innocent blood shed to these false gods. David takes a stance against this counterfeit worship and says he will not offer these sacrifices up and he refuses to even mention the names of these false deities.

How do you respond to those who chase after fortune, fame, power, popularity, and bow at the altar of sacrilege? Will you say it is their life, let them live it? Will you separate yourself from the detestable practices and only serve the One and True God, Yahweh?

Verse 5

God is David's part of his inheritance. God is the substance in David's cup. Blessings pour into his life because his eyes are on God, the Creator. It says, "Thou maintainest my lot" which literally means God upholds his abundance. Do we think of God like this?

Verse 6

David is bragging on God. He says that his boundaries are in pleasant places. He has a wonderful inheritance. We, who are children of the Most High God, can say the very same things. He has put your soul in a pleasant place and you inherit eternal life. What a beautiful picture of God's love and provision.

Verse 7

David blesses the LORD GOD for wise counsel, sound advice, and sage wisdom, even in the nighttime, to instruct him on what to do and where to go. Do you need God's wisdom? Ask God and He will give it to you according to James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally , and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Ask Him right now and He will give it to you. 

Verse 8

This verse may be the biggest key to this whole chapter. Have you continually put the LORD before you? Is He always on your mind? Are you praying and communicating with God throughout your day? Or is He only on your mind at church? We must make room for Him in our day at the start of the day and then throughout the day. When we have pockets of time to think we must have our minds stayed upon God.

David says God is at his right hand. That is a powerful place to be. Is God your right hand Man? Is He your Advisor, Mentor, Counselor, Redeemer, Protector, Helper, and Healer? God should be so close to us that we can sense Him regardless if we are happy or sad, mad or glad, discouraged or encouraged. 

Because David keeps God in the forefront of His mind, and He's so close to Him that it feels like He is right beside him, David proclaims, "I shall not be moved." David lost a wife, his son (because of his own sin), had heartache over his children who acted all kinds of crazy, and was betrayed by friends. He is saying because of the relationship he had with God it caused him to not be shaken when his world was falling apart. Remember he was drawing closer to God while shepherding sheep. It was before he was known as a giant slayer, a battle warrior, a king of Israel. Will you draw close to God even if it means not getting more likes, follows, or comments? Will you seek God when no one is watching and you won't get a pat on the back? These times of being isolated and hidden is the best time to grow deep roots into God and let Him grow you into the man or woman of God He wants you to be.

Verse 9

Because David has stability in God when the world around is sinking sand, he has a reason to be excited. He says this is the reason my heart feels such joy and gladness. He says his innermost being rejoices in God who has redeemed him. He says his entire body will rest in hope. Can you say that you are stable in God's provision and grace? Or, would you say you are shaken when the winds and storms come? Does your vessel get wrecked by the crashing waves of unforeseen circumstances? Or do you run to the refuge of God and allow Him to protect and preserve you?

Verse 10

David says to God, "You won't leave me in the place of death. You will not suffer the Holy One to see corruption." You see God did not leave Jesus in the tomb. If David could look down the corridors of time to see that, it had to be a great source of encouragement to him. Today we know how the story ends and we know that God did exactly that, resurrected Jesus from the dead, and He promises we won't die either if we trust in Him. 

Acts 2:29-36 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with him an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, He would raise up Christ to sit on His throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell, neither His flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, Until I make Thy foes Thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Verse 11

Last verse, David acknowledges God as guiding him through this life. (Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.) In the presence of God is joy full and complete. You will never ever feel more joy in anything else. There is freedom and love and joy and one hundred percent absence of fear in the presence of God. He ends with declaring that pleasures forevermore, no end to the blessings, is at God's right hand. Have you experienced that kind of joy and fulfillment? It was not just for David. That is not just an Old Testament thing. It is a beautiful glimpse into the relationship David had with God.

If you have a real relationship with God aside from church events and services, you will experience these things in your life too. You can add a big, "ME, TOO!!" to this psalm. It is absolutely possible to have these things in the year 2022 (or whenever you read this). God is the same. He does not change (Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to day, and for ever.) and He wants to offer us the same blessings and benefits. Have you taken Him up on the offer? If not, let today be your day. If you have, then you know exactly what I am talking about.

I hope you have been encouraged with today's study. It has been so beneficial to me. I love the way the LORD teaches me right along with all of you. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Thankful For Salvation in Jesus | Thankful Thursday

John the Baptist had a special connection with Jesus. While in their mothers' wombs they had an encounter and John leaped inside his mother according to Luke 1:41 and Luke 1:44. Now John is a man and has been paving the way for Jesus, the Messiah, and as his eyes lock on Jesus this is what he said. John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Can you imagine standing there with John and hearing him say this? Finally the man he has been preaching about and teaching about and baptizing people who have repented and believed on this man! Jesus is here in the flesh! What an introduction!! I do not know what I would have done.

When Jesus was doing miracles, the crowds loved Him. When He fed the multitudes they followed Him. On what we now celebrate as Palm Sunday, Jesus is riding a donkey descending the mount of Olives and look at what the Scripture says. Luke 19:37-38 And when He was come nigh (near), even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. They rejoiced for all the wonderful things He had done. Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, caused the lame to walk again, and saved multitudes. He cast out demons. He challenged humanity to think about religion in a whole new way: and He desired for those who listened to Him to have a relationship with His Heavenly Father Yahweh.

Fast forward toward the end of the week. Now Judas has betrayed Jesus. Jesus is arrested and alone. The disciples are hiding. Peter denied He knew Jesus THREE TIMES just as Jesus told him he would do. Every man, woman, and child that ate the loaves and fishes were gone! The blind that can now see turned their eyes away from Him. The deaf that can now hear, were no where to be found. What about the demon possessed and those who heard Him preaching daily in the temple? Where were those who supported Jesus just a few days ago?

Mark 15:6-25 Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired (requested). And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as had ever done unto them. But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for (because of) envy. But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. And Pilate answered and said unto them again, What will ye then that I shall do unto Him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify Him. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath He done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify Him. And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged Him, to be crucified. And the soldiers led Him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band (cohort). And they clothed Him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about His head. And began to salute Him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote Him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon Him, and bowing their knees worshipped Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple from Him, and put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him. And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear His cross. And they bring Him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. And they gave Him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but He received it not. And when they had crucified Him, they parted His garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.

Do you want to know what I am thankful for this Thankful Thursday? Friends, I am so thankful that Jesus loves us so much that He did that for us. He went through torture and pain and suffering like we will never know. The crowds that wanted Him to heal them, save them, help them, and feed them were the very ones crying out CRUCIFY HIM! And not one person could ever say why they wanted it done. No one could give an accurate account of anything wrong Jesus had done. He was sinless! He was the Supreme Sacrifice for our sins. We could never pay for it. I am so thankful that He loved me so much that He looked beyond my sin and shame and thought I was worth saving.

My precious Jesus took the nails in His hands and in His feet for me! He wore the crown of thorns that were driven deep into His head with a heavy reed for me! He bled and died to pay for MY sins! That makes me sick to think about. My selfishness, my greed, my sins, my unforgiveness, my bitterness, my shame was all laid upon His shoulders along with yours and the whole world and He SUFFERED for it! He willingly laid down His life for us! The Shepherd laying down His very life for the sheep. That breaks my heart! My God!!! What a love that no one else can give!

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We did not deserve it. We were not good enough. We did NOTHING to earn this! Jesus loved us so much He did it willingly. God loves us that much that He sacrificed His only Son for us! John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Sin is the worst thing we can do because it separates us from the very God who loves us! Forgiveness is free and no strings attached. Our Heavenly Father loves us so much He sent Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son to die for us in the cruelest death in history. Sin cost Jesus His life's blood. Sin DOES hurt other people. It hurt Jesus so much and you know what He said? He looked out at the angry mob who wanted Him to hang on the cross and this is what He said: Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted His raiment, and cast lots.

No one will ever care for you as much as Jesus; not your mother, not your father, not your grandparents, not your spouse, NOBODY! You are loved unconditionally! Is Jesus your Savior? If He is not, please make Him the Lord and Savior of your life right now. Today! Just tell Him that you believe that He is the Son of God. You recognize you are a sinner and need a Savior. Repent of your sins and ask Him to forgive you and He will do it! Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. It is that simple and that easy. It is a free gift from God.

I pray that you have been born again. If you have not, let today be your day of salvation. Jesus is the best friend you will ever have. He is all you need to guide you and govern your life. Trust Him. He is so worthy of love, trust, majesty, and honor.

I am thankful that Jesus Christ saved my soul and He is with me every single day. Jesus is alive. He rose from the dead and is alive forever more. He is seated at the right hand of the Father and one day He is coming back for you and me and all those that love His appearing. What a day that will be!

God bless you friends!

~Bridgett Owens

No Compromise | Fuel For The Weekend

 

We have made it to the end of another week friends. I am delighted to share with you all today something God put on my heart. We are in the book of Daniel, chapter one. For a brief background, Daniel was deported to Babylon at 16 years old. He is handpicked for government service and we will see throughout the book of Daniel that he is God's prophet, interpreting dreams and visions. Daniel had strength and courage to do the right thing even when it was unpopular or against the law. Today's passage takes us to where King Nebuchadnezzar tells Ashpenaz, the master of the eunuchs to bring certain children of Israel, and children of the king and princes. There was a condition, though. These young men needed to meet specific requirements: no blemish, well favored, skillful in wisdom, cunning in knowledge, and understand science. These handpicked young men would then serve in the king's palace and learn the language of the Chaldeans. We see the same thing happened to Moses, another great leader and mighty man of God. Acts 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

Daniel was chosen along with Hananiah, who was later renamed Shadrach, Mishael was renamed Meshach, and then Azariah was renamed Abednego by the prince of the eunuchs. Daniel's new name was Belteshazzar but we will know and remember him by the name Daniel. Now Daniel was a young man, very talented and gifted, but he also knew the law of God given to Moses. It must have been at the forefront of his mind what it says in Leviticus about what to eat and what not to eat. Leviticus 11:43-45 (43)Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby. (44)For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (45)For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. Daniel did not want to compromise and even though he was just a youth, he still had the strength and courage to stand up for what is right. Let's read it.

DANIEL 1:8-17 (8)But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. (9)Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. (10)And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink; for why should he see your faces worse liking (looking) than the children (young men) which are of your sort (age)? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king. (11)Then said Daniel to Melzar whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, (12)Prove (test) thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse (vegetables) to eat, and water to drink. (13)Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. (14)So he consented to them in this matter, and proved (tested) them ten days. (15)And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat (food). (16)Then Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse (vegetables). (17)As for these four children (young men), God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

I know it is hard to go against the grain sometimes. We may be afraid of what others may think of us. We may be afraid of rejection or being told no. Daniel was willing to risk it and God allowed him to have favor with man. Why? Because Daniel was willing to obey the strict rules of what to eat and not eat that God had given Moses. Daniel was willing to stand out and be different for the sake of being holy.

Is there something God is asking you to do or not to do? Have you been worried what your peers might think? Daniel's peers may not have liked vegetables and to know that they had to give up meat and wine for vegetables and water may have made them upset. Daniel was not taking votes, he simply obeyed God. It might feel uncomfortable but the cross was uncomfortable for Christ. It was excruciating! Jesus said this in Mark 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and My Words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in glory of His Father with the holy angels. This is so serious, friends. We choose to live holy lives, free of compromise, because it will please Jesus. It honors God. Why would we choose to please this wicked world and be ashamed of our relationship with Jesus Christ, our Redeemer? If we are ashamed of Him and do not want to stand up for the right things and the holy things, because we are ashamed to admit we love God then just know that in glory, Jesus will be ashamed of you and say He does not know you in the life to come. Sit with that for just a minute!!

Friends, as we go about our day, and head into the weekend, let's be mindful of the decisions we are making. Let's choose wisely and not compromise. May we honor God with the words that come out of our mouths this weekend. Let's choose to magnify God and speak about good and praise worthy things. Let's allow our minds to meditate on God's Word so that we might not sin against God. (Psalm 119:11) Let's purposefully act in ways to please God and not compromise or give in to things we know are not going to glorify God.

I pray something I have shared on this blog today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Healing Broken Hearts | Thankful Thursday

 

ISAIAH 63:1-3 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me: because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified.

Jesus quoted this passage of scripture in Luke 4:18, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." What a beautiful description of who Jesus is. He was sent to heal the brokenhearted and I can tell you that He is still healing broken hearts today.

I had just come off a fast. I was weak in the flesh but strong in my spirit. I was prepared to give a Word of Knowledge that God had given me for a specific church. I felt as though my chest would burst if I did not get the word out. I was given the word during a time of fasting and consecration to God. But, unfortunately someone misspoke something about me before the service and so I was not allowed to give that message. I was told to wait until later. I cannot tell you how grieved I felt in my soul and how grieved I felt the Holy Spirit had been.

I was confused and hurt because no one asked me if the accusations were true. The person who twisted the information did not do that to hurt me. They did not want to cause strife and division. They apologized and I believe they were sorry it had happened. I forgave them of course, but I was crushed. I did not want to go back to their church. I was so wounded I wanted to just leave. God did not want that for me though. I just kept thinking that my integrity should have made them question what was being said. But God wanted to teach me something in this situation. God said for me not to try to justify myself because He would exonerate me. God loves me and He wants me to keep growing and to keep pushing past obstacles and adversity. I know that He is still healing broken hearts because He did that for me. I was crushed and upset but my dear friend that I cherish reminded me of this:

2 CORINTHIANS 4:7-10 (7)But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power be of God, and not of us. (8)We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; (9)Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; (10)Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:16-18 (16)For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. (17)For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; (18)While we look not at the things which are seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

My friend really encouraged me with these verses. We can be wounded by friends, family, or anyone. (Zechariah 13:6) So what can I do? God gave me a gift. He allowed me to be hurt so He could teach me some things. He is my helper. He is my healer. He is my source of joy. He is my dearest friend. He is always with me. That does not change! Someone may choose to believe the worst about me, but that is between them and God. Like the Bible says in 2 Corinthians, these light afflictions are working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

Sometimes I get so caught up in wanting to please God that when I cannot do what He asked me to do, I feel like God is going to be upset with me. That is a lie from the enemy. The truth is He isn't upset with me. God knows I tried, but it was no use. God reminded me that it is not me they are rejecting, but it is Him. (1 Samuel 8:7)

I was able to pray for those who hurt me and ask God to bless them, encourage them, cause their ministry to grow, and for God's favor on their lives. I still care about them and want God to give them everything He promised them. You see it is not about me. Once I stopped feeling grieved because I could not give the message like God asked me to do, it did not hurt anymore. I know that God's words will not return void. God gave me the opportunity to read the message to my friend and then again to my husband and children, so the word went forth. I was still able to share the message, just not like I thought it would be. That is okay because God showed up in a big way for my friend after I shared that message. We had an opportunity to pray together and what an amazing experience that was to feel God's presence in the room.

If your heart has been broken, you feel sorrow instead of joy, and you feel wounded and rejected, take it to God. He will heal your broken heart. He will send others to you to minister to you. I have had so many words of encouragement spoken over me in the past few days. God is pouring the healing balm of Gilead into the deep recesses of my heart. (Jeremiah 8:22) He stopped the pain and lifted me up out of the pit. (Psalm 40:2) God will do the same for you. He loves His children and He is our Healer.

If you do not know Jesus, Friend, do not keep trying to do life on your own. It is so much better with Jesus. He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother according to Proverbs 18:24. If you believe Jesus is the Son of the Living God, you can call upon Him and be saved. Acts 2:21 says, "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Let this be the best day of your life. Ask Jesus to save you. Repent of your sins. When you recognize you need a Savior, all you have to do is call on Jesus and you will be saved. It is that simple. It takes child-like faith. If you do this, let someone know. Get into a good church with solid Biblical teaching. Read your Bible and if you do not have one, let me know and I will get one for you.

Life is so short. Let's not waste our days feeling sad and rejected. Jesus loves us all and He has not rejected us. We must focus on Jesus and not get caught up in what others say or do. Leave it all in the hands of the Master. God's Word will not return void. It will accomplish what He sent it forth to do. (Isaiah 55:11)

I hope that sharing my story will help someone else. It is hard for me to talk about my personal struggles because I am a private person and do not like to share things like that. I am doing so today to give God all of the praise, honor, and glory for picking me up, dusting me off, and healing my broken heart. This Thankful Thursday I have so much to thank God for. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Truth About Fear | Fuel For The Weekend

When was the last time you read in the Bible that God commanded us to live in fear? Not the reverent fear of God, but when did He ever tell us to be afraid of our circumstances, our health status, our bank balance, our world? Let me help you out. The answer is... NEVER! I have read the Bible all the way through every year, (this is my seventh year) and there is not ever, not even one single time where God ever tells us to be fearful.

I have read so many posts on Instagram today where people are talking about feeling depressed, oppressed, down, discouraged, losing hope, and feeling awful. For many people living in this day and age, they feel despair, desperate, and fearful. I want to share what the Bible says in Isaiah.

ISAIAH 43:1-2 (1)But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. (2)When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

This is a beautiful passage, isn't it? Imagine God our Father who has created us and He made us, forming and fashioning us in our mothers' wombs (Jeremiah 1:5, Psalm 119:73, Psalm 139:16). He calms us as He says, "Don't be afraid. I have won you back, bought you with a price and I have called you by name. You are Mine. You belong to Me and You have this promise that even though you may feel like You are drowning in your situation, you may feel like the rivers are too deep and too wide for you to cross, I will be with you and they will not take you under. When you walk through the fire in the heat of the battle and all hell comes against you, you will not be burned and the flames will not even touch you." What a promise! And He keeps that promise. As we put our hand in His, He keeps His Word. When the enemy comes in like a flood, He will raise up a standard against it (Isaiah 59:19). When we feel like we are in the fiery furnace of trials, He is walking in the midst of it with us.

The children of Israel saw God keep this promise as He parted the Red Sea and they walked across on dry land, but their enemies were drowned (Exodus 14:22, 28). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego experienced the truth of this passage when they found themselves walking around in the blazing hot furnace and they were not burned. The fourth Man was in the flames walking with them, it was the very Son of God (Daniel 3:17, 25). They did not even smell of smoke when the king ordered the men to come out of the flames (Daniel 3:27).

Keep reading this chapter in Isaiah. Do you see how much He loves us? We are precious in His sight. He created us for His glory (Isaiah 43:7). He is wooing us to Himself. He loves us (1 John 4:19). He redeemed us. He saved us and He keeps us. What more do we want Him to do?

ISAIAH 43:10-12 (10)Ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD, and My servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. (11)I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no saviour. (12)I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God. 

We are His witnesses, too. He has chosen us to serve Him, that we may know and believe in Him. We understand who He is. He is God alone. There was no God made before Him and there will never be a God made after Him. He alone is the LORD and He is the Savior of the world. Jesus is the Savior. No other name given among men whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). He has declared and saved and shown His power. He proved Himself to us over and over. He is powerful and wonderful and mighty to save and there is no other God. We are His witnesses.

Keep reading and you will see that He makes a way in the sea and mighty waters. He causes mighty armies to become extinct. We must look back, reflect on all the times He came through for us, all the times He heard and answered prayers, the miracles He performed, the healing He gave, the times He mended our broken hearts and gave us beauty for ashes. Now He is going to do something new. He is going to take the dry, deserted areas of our life and cause fresh water to flow. He is about to bring healing, hydration, and satisfaction to every burned up, dusty dream He has ever given us. We will show His praise among the nations because of the wonderful ways He has blessed our lives.

Will we do it? Will be live in the freedom and liberty He has given us? Will we turn away from the free gifts He is handing us? Will we ignore His call? Will we try to keep doing life on our own terms? Will we keep sinning and expect Him to turn the other way, to give us a free pass because we are His children? In verse 25 He said, "I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." Are we sorry? Do we have a heart of repentance? Are we ready to turn back to Him?

We do not have to live in fear. In fact, He tells us not to live that way. We are to put our footsteps in His and walk with the Master all of the time (Luke 9:23). When life gets too hard and we do not see clearly the path in front of us, we must walk by faith and trust Him (2 Corinthians 5:7). We have to stop leaning on our own understanding and just trust Him to meet our needs and help us face every difficulty with grace and mercy and peace (Proverbs 3:5-6). Are you ready?

I hope something I have shared this weekend has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you.

~Bridgett Owens

Siblings Pray Together Stay Together | Thankful Thursday

I walked into the kitchen as I was getting ready for work. I wanted to make sure my son got on the school bus with no issues. My daughter was just leaving for work. When I stepped in the kitchen I saw my children holding hands and Kadesia was praying for Javan. She was blessing him and praying for protection and a good first day and so many wonderful things. Javan was just receiving it and this momma's heart was elated!

The Bible says, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6) I taught both of my children how to pray when they were very small. This verse is so true because when someone is hurt or something doesn't go the way we expected it to, one of my kids will suggest for us to pray. They both know the power in prayer and they both pray out loud very well. It is an honor to raise them to love and respect God. I am so thankful they know they can call on His name anytime.

We read in 1 Timothy 2:8, "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." No matter where we are we should be in a position to pray and speak to God in faith. Kadesia shared a post yesterday about the situation she was in and today God took care of the entire problem. It was awesome to see Him working out every detail.

We are reminded in Psalm 34:1 "I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall be continually in my mouth." There are times that it feels so bad or hopeless and it seems impossible to praise God, but that is when we must push past our feelings and just do it anyway. If we can get past how we feel, and praise God for who He is and for how worthy He is to be praised, our whole situation will turn around. Praise breaks barriers. 

The walls came down when Joshua and the company with him shouted at Jericho.

Joshua 6:15, 16, 20, 27 (15)And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times. (16)And it to came to pass on the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city. (20)So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. (27)So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.

Gideon and three companies of men shouted a praise and they won the victory without fighting!

Judges 7:19-21 (19)So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew their trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. (20)And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. (21)And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.

Paul and Silas praised their way out of the prison cell and shackles!

Acts 16:24-26 (24)Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in their stocks. (25)And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. (26)And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

I don't know what situation you may find yourself in today. You could be looking for a victory and all you feel is defeated. You may look around and feel outnumbered and helpless, but God in heaven is capable to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. (Ephesians 3:20). God is on our side. He always wins! He is giving victory to every one of His children. If you are born again, that means you are victorious through Christ Jesus. His blood paid it all!

If you are not born again, you can ask Jesus to save you. Confess you are a sinner and in need of a Savior. Confess that you believe Jesus is the Son of God and died to save you. Ask Him to be the Lord of your life and watch Him do the impossible for you! He is a loving God and He wants you to be His son or daughter. Choose life! Choose Jesus.

This Thankful Thursday I am very thankful for the victory we win in Jesus. I am thankful for the gift of prayer. I am thankful God hears and answers prayer. I am thankful my children do not have to be told to pray, but they see an opportunity and they take it! God is so good! I am thankful that my children choose to honor God. We do not always know if what we are teaching them sinks in, but it's moments like this that make me smile and I know it is all glory to God. He takes the credit for this!

I hope something I shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you.

~Bridgett Owens

5 Things To Do In The Waiting Season | Fuel For The Weekend

I am thankful for another weekend to spend with my family. I am a nurse and before that I worked in the medical field for decades and mixed in retail as well. Many weekends were spent working and while I am thankful for the opportunity to help provide financially for our family, it is a big blessing when I have a job that allows me to be off Saturday and Sunday. This particular job I currently have allows me to have Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays off, but like I mentioned yesterday this week has been crazy so I was able to work today to make up for some missed time and I am grateful.

I have been wondering what Holy Spirit would have me share for this week's Fuel For The Weekend blog post. I learn as much as I teach many weeks as Holy Spirit opens my eyes to hidden truth found in God's Word. I hope you are learning and growing as you join me on this blog each week. For those of you who check back each Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: thank you so much.

I want to offer five things we can actively do in the waiting season. We do not have to sit and wait, we must be doing something while we wait on the promises of God to come into fruition. Let's look at what the Bible tells us to do while we patiently wait for God to answer our prayers.

#1 BE BRAVE

PSALM 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

The dictionary definition from Oxford Languages defines courage as "the ability to do something that frightens one," and "strength in the face of pain or grief." Often we do not know how or when God is going to answer our prayer. While we wait we must be brave in the face of the unknown. It requires a spiritual strength when we have lost something to keep hoping and believing. You can be in a place of provision, where God clearly has His hand on you and your situation but it can still feel like loss and grief because the promise is not fulfilled yet. We are waiting on our home. We have no idea when we will get it or where it will be, and honestly we are praying for guidance as to where to look, but we know God has the perfect home for us in mind and it is reserved for us. He has promised it to us so we will have good courage and press on.

The beauty of this scripture is the promise that when we wait on the LORD with good courage God will strengthen our heart. He will give us the strength to face the pain or grief. He gives us the ability to do something that scares us. We wait and trust and continue to hope and He strengthens us to have the courage we need to keep believing when our circumstances do not change. Are you willing to do this? I am!

#2 KEEP PRAYING

ACTS 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of Me.

ACTS 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren.

In the book of Acts, Luke tells us that Jesus had commanded them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father. They did not know exactly when the promise would come. They were told to go and wait. Later in the same chapter we know that 120 were gathered in the upper room waiting for the promise. The Bible says they continued, so that means they did not pray once or twice and give up. They continued with one accord. If you are praying with others get into the same accord. If you are praying by yourself, then get into accord with Holy Spirit because no matter who all is praying, you must agree and have the same mindset: not doubting, but believing. They continued in one accord in prayer and supplication.

Prayer and supplication are similar but different.  Prayer is asking God for something or thanking Him for something. It is when we request something for ourselves or make intercession for others. Supplication is more urgent. It is like begging, pleading, urgently requesting, in an earnest, humble way.  We know God heard our request for a home. We still pray and ask God to order our steps, lead us to the right bank lender, the right realtor, the right home. Every step we take we are asking God. Sometimes we are praying for His favor and His help, and other times we feel so desperate we begin in prayer and it turns to urgent seeking God in supplication for our home. We must not stop praying. We must continue to not only ask, but wait for the promise.

Everyone is waiting in the upper room in the same mindset in prayer and supplication. They continued day after day seeking God and waiting on the answer. We must do this, too. Do not give up or think that your prayer didn't matter to God. It does matter and the answer is on the way. Keep praying and keep seeking the answer, with expectation that the answer is coming!

#3 EXPECT IT

JAMES 5:7 Be patient, therefore, brethren unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

It is springtime and many people have started planting seeds for their gardens. Some plant flowers, but many have been showing their plants for lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. The Bible says we are to be patient like a farmer who waits for the precious fruit of the earth and has long patience for it. This is some long waiting, some long-suffering. We are told to wait a while on some things. Yes, this is encouraging us to wait on Jesus to return, but it can also be true of waiting a while on things God has told us He would bless us with and we just don't see it yet. 

Let's think like a farmer for a moment. The farmer has to get the ground ready first. There is some plowing that goes on. The ground is turned over, the rich soil revealed and things get messy. Anyone following me? Has things in your life got messy as God is turning over the rich soil buried beneath the crusty core of the surface? He is about to plant some seeds and it's going to be amazing! The seeds go into the fertile soil. The farmer does not spend any length of time planting and get up the next day only to throw his hands up and walk away in disgust that there is no harvest! He knows it is going to happen. He knows he has to wait. He knows it is going to take some time for the seed to take root and then burst through the surface of the ground and then be taken care of so weeds and pests do not destroy the crop. God is giving us blessings that take a lot of work and God is the worker! He is doing a lot of things behind the scenes, underneath where we cannot see what is going on. In the spiritual realm He is lining things up, moving some things, strategically placing things in order so He can give us what He promised us. Will we wait with patience? Will we continue to expect the answer, or just walk away when God's calendar and ours don't line up? I promise you, His timing is best!

#4 BE CONFIDENT

HABAKKUK 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

What an incredible verse! The promise God gave us is for a specific time. God knows the house is not for us right now. It is coming soon and I believe that with all of my heart, but this is not the right time. This verse is saying to wait for it. That was such a popular saying on television a few years ago, "Waaaait for iiiiiit!" That is what we are being told now. Wait for it! It is going to happen just like God promised and we have to keep on trusting that it will. We can have confidence because the Bible says it will surely come. It is going to happen. It is not delayed. It is strategically planned by God for an appointed time to happen. If it has not happened yet then we have to just keep waiting with confidence knowing it will come soon! God is keeping His promises to His people. He is not a liar. He is not being mean. He is not overlooking us. He is not forgetting us. He is not changing His mind. He is not giving the promise to someone else. We will have what He has in reserve for us when it is the right time. His timing is not ours, but it is always right on time!

#5 HAVE HOPE

ROMANS 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

How do we wait well in this season? I think this verse spells it out perfectly. If we hope for what we do not see, then we wait patiently for it. We must not lose our hope. The devil comes to discourage us. He tells us lies that we are forgotten, or we misunderstood the promise God made to us. He distorts the truth until we lose our hope and give up. Friends, let's not lose hope! If you have lost hope, then get your hope back! Hope in the Lord! Psalm 38:15 says, "For in Thee, O LORD, do I hope: Thou wilt hear, O Lord my God. He hears us and we can keep our hope in Him. It does get tiresome waiting, but we must not faint. We must not grow weary in well doing, according to Galatians 6:9. And one final scripture that I want to add is in Isaiah 40:31 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. Yes, we hold to hope and wait on the LORD to answer our prayers. We know He hears us when we have become His children and earnestly seek Him. He is listening. Do not believe the lies of the enemy. God is for us and not against us. He is making good on every promise He has given. Trust Him and keep hoping! Get your hope back if you lost it. Just meditate on the scriptures and the hope will rise up in your heart!

Father God, I want to pray for all of us in this season of waiting. God I know that many of us are in the long-suffering season, but as the farmer waits for the good crop in time, we know we can wait with expectancy, too. God I ask that You strengthen my brothers and my sisters as we wait on the promises we were given. We thank You and praise You for hearing and answering our prayers. May this blog post uplift and encourage my brothers and sisters who read this message of hope and encouragement. God we know the waiting season is long, but that only means we have a wonderful season of harvest just beyond the horizon and it's going to be so worth the wait! Thank You for being patient with us and for strengthening us! Thank You for the refreshing and renewing You are doing in our hearts and lives. Thank You that the answer is on the way! In Jesus' precious name! Amen!!!

Friends, I hope you have a safe, fun weekend. I hope you are able to enjoy it and get some time to be alone with God. I will be doing these five things as I walk out this tiring season of waiting. It has been fruitful and productive and oh, so necessary! I pray that something I have shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

The Truth About God | Fuel For The Weekend

Some people still believe there is more than one way to heaven. Some people believe in many gods. Some worship statues and idols. Even though the intricacies of nature, the miraculous human body, and the awesome wonder of the constellations shout His majesty, many people refuse to believe in the one true God.

There is no other religion that has ever existed that compares with God. He is love. He is light. He is pure. He is holy. He is righteous. He is perfect. He is just. He is merciful. No other religion can say that about the false gods they serve. What other religion has the God of all creation, so in love with His creation, that He pursues them relentlessly with His love and power and grace. He gives blessings to us daily and yet many do not even know Him.

PSALM 14:1-3 (1)The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. (2)The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. (3)They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

It says the foolish person says there is no God. The people who make these claims have done detestable things. None of them do good. One may argue that not believing in God does not mean that they do not do good things. I argue that how could they even know what is good? God is good. He alone is good. We have a sinful nature. The core of who we are is sinful. Eve wanted to be like God so she ate the forbidden fruit and shared with her husband Adam. Together they violated God's law and sin became our nature. We were born and shaped in iniquity, which is sin.

PSALM 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

We are lost and undone without Jesus saving us. If we have not come to God the Father through His precious Son Jesus then we are not saved and we are not good and we can never be good enough. Jesus had to be our sin sacrifice because none of us were ever good enough. We could not even keep the law of God. Jesus fulfilled the law. He did not break the law. He did not do away with the law. Look what Jesus said in Matthew.

 MATTHEW 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

And then read His words in John.

JOHN 17:1-5 (1)These words spake Jesus, and lifted us His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee: (2)As Thou has given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou has given Him. (3)And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. (4)I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do. (5)And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.

Jesus did everything God sent Him to the earth to do. He fulfilled the law. He loved, healed, forgave. He sacrificed His very life for the sin of the whole world. He says in verse five how that He had shared the glory with God, His Father before the world was. So, now the people on the earth, that was created by God, who say there is no God, have no idea what they are saying! God is Elohim. He is our Creator. He made everything and nothing was made without His design. He did it all. He is real. He alone is the true God.

God is not in competition with anyone. ISAIAH 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even My witnesses. Is there a God beside Me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. God has no equals. He has no rivals. He alone is God. He is all powerful, all-knowing, omnipresent. He is everywhere all the time. There is no place where God is not.

JOSHUA 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

I am with Joshua. You can choose today whom you will serve. It can be a statue, a dead person, a false god, an idol, but my choice is to serve God and the risen Savior Jesus Christ. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. We do not need to stop and think about it. We do not need more evidence. We do not need to have a meeting. We serve God and we will serve Him until the day we die. He is all we need. He is all we want. He is our all in all.

In the book of Acts, after Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown in prison, which was unlawful to do because Paul was a Roman, and they rocked the jail house with their praise and worship service. God set the captives free LITERALLY! The jailer was going to kill himself thinking all the prisoners escaped but there was not one who left. Let's read:

ACTS 16:29-31 (29)Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, (30)And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? (31)And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

It is that simple. Salvation is a gift from God but it is not truly free. It cost a lot more than we can ever imagine. Jesus paid the price of our salvation with His blood. We will never know what that felt like. We will never know what He endured because of our sin, our unbelief, our disgrace. He paid it all. No one made Him. He laid His life down and He had the power to pick it back up again. He is the risen Savior. He did not just die and that's the end of it. He died and rose again so we can have eternal life. Choose life. Choose Jesus.

1 PETER 2:21-25 (21)For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps: (22)Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: (23)Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously: (24)Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (25)For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Father God, I pray for every single person reading this blog post today. LORD God, I know that You love us so much. You demonstrated Your love by giving us Jesus, Your only begotten Son. Jesus did not love His life to the death. He was obedient even to the cross and with His precious blood we are saved. We are made new in His death. We are born again. I pray for every person reading this today that they may know You and come to You through Jesus Christ. I pray that today would be their day of salvation. I pray for the ones who know and love You already. I pray You would strengthen them for their journey, and equip them unto every good work. I am confident that You who have begun a good work in us will continue until the day of Jesus Christ. I ask a special blessing for all my readers LORD God and pray that all would come to saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. May something I have shared today be strength for their journey and light for their way. In the precious name of Jesus, amen!

God bless you! Have a wonderful weekend friends!

~Bridgett Owens

Stoned To Silence - #Are We Next | Wednesday Bible Study

 

Hello everyone! Welcome back to another mid-week Bible study. Instead of taking on an entire book of the Bible, I want to discuss a hot topic in our world today: Censorship. Christians have been censored since the time of Jesus. We knew that following Jesus would cost us something, many don't realize that commitment to Christ requires giving up everything. Jesus said, "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour." (John 12:25-26)

The multitudes followed Jesus for the miracles He performed and the provision that He gave, and honestly many Christians do the same thing. There is a superficial relationship many have forged so shallow that it's very posture reveals the true heart. Instead of hands raised in complete surrender and adoration to our Lord and Savior Jesus, their hands are extended and open waiting for another blessing to be given. Jeremiah 29:12-13 paints a different expectation of the follower of God. He says, "Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart." There's a requirement of our whole heart in following God. We know that from the commandment Jesus repeated in Mark 12:30, "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment."

There are men and women all across this country and around the globe who are fired up for Jesus! There are people, a remnant, who have not bowed the knee to Big Tech, who have not compromised to gain followers, subscribers, sheep, whatever you want to call them. There are men and women, children, teens, people diverse from one another who seek God daily, who look for His face more than His hands, and who are sold out believers, ready to die for Him if it required it. Make no mistake, God has a Church! He will one day gather all of us and what a glorious day that will be! But until then, we are to go and make disciples, and in so doing, do not expect to make friends with the world. Friends, we will be hated of the world. In John 15:18-19, Jesus said, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." And we have seen so many examples of that recently in censorship of the Christian faith.

We read in the book of Acts in the sixth chapter that out of necessity to ensure the needs were being met of all the people, because the number of disciples continued to multiply, the 12 disciples gathered the multitude of disciples for a meeting. They said it would not be good for the 12 to stop preaching the Word of God to serve food to the poor and the widows. They recognized the importance of the mission and it was not "beneath" them, but they knew there were others who had those gifts that could be utilized in that way, so the 12 disciples could continue to reach more people and the poor and widows could be served as they should be. So they appointed seven men who had a good reputation, full of the Holy Ghost, and wisdom. Stephen was one of the seven chosen for this task.

The Bible says that Stephen was full of faith and power and did great wonders and miracles among the people. He was living what he was speaking and preaching and teaching. When our lives line up with God's Word and what He wants us to do, we are a threat to the enemy of God. When we walk in the gifts and callings God has given us we are a threat to the god of this world, and his name is Lucifer. Stephen is preaching and teaching with signs and wonders following. He has good fruit and it is evident. No one can dispute it, but then a group of Libertines, or Freedmen, got upset. The liberal crowd got offended and began disputing with Stephen and they were not able to resist the wisdom and Spirit that enabled Stephen to teach with such boldness. Since they had no real argument against Stephen, they just disliked what he stood for, they secretly bribed men to lie on Stephen. These false witnesses claimed they heard Stephen blaspheme against Moses and against God. His life was a living, breathing, walking testimony of His commitment to Christ. Of course he was going to be targeted by the religious sect who had no desire to be transformed and changed by the power of Christ.

The group grabbed Stephen and dragged him off to the council where they lied about his character. They lied about his message. They wanted to stop Stephen from speaking things they did not like, they did not agree with, and they did not want to have to think about. The false witnesses were in place, and the bible says, in Acts 6:15 "And all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel." Pure innocence and yet the high priest continues with this mock trial. Do no think that this was "way back in the Bible days" and that it cannot happen here in American in 2021. You must not be so blind.

I want you to read Acts chapter seven. Read the compelling last words of this man of great faith. Carefully examine the words of Stephen and decide for yourself what he said that was worthy of death. What did he do that you and I, in the free country of America, with liberty of speech and liberty of religion, cannot also do? Have we said some of these same things? Are we pushing back against Cancel Culture? Because censorship of the Christian is real and rampant. It has been going on for a LONG time and it is only getting worse as we are stripped of our rights every single day.

ACTS 7:51-60 (51)Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so did ye. (52)Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: (53)Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. (54)When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. (55)But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. (56)And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and Son of man standing on the right hand of God. (57)Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, (58)And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. (59)And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. (60)And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

 Let's pause for a moment.

A man stood up for God and for Truth, revealed the heart behind the wicked accusers, but the religious customs were more important than the relationship Jesus wants to have with us, so they killed Stephen. They took up big stones and threw them with great force in anger and an adrenaline rush to silence God's messenger. What do you think they will do to us?

What might happen when we stand up for Biblical truth? What could happen to Christians in America when we stand up for the unborn, the disabled, the elderly, the chronically ill? What will happen when we call out Big Tech for dropping the hammer on those speaking truth?

I was censored on YouTube when my video was posted on my channel. I got shadow banned because I offended them when I told my viewers to put their trust in God and trust Him more than a vaccine or a government official. That was the offensive statement: that we should put our faith in God and not man or man-made things. You may think I am over-reacting and that I should not compare that to Stephen. I am not comparing what happened to me with the cruel, inhumane way they murdered precious Stephen. I cannot read that passage without mourning and crying! What a huge cost for someone who did not love his life to the death! That is what it means, friends, to take up your cross daily. Stephen counted the cost. My YouTube channel shadow ban on a video is not the same, but it is evidence that we are going in that same direction.

God sent my family and me to Alabama to live and serve and we did so for 16 months. God called us back to Indiana and during my time in Alabama, God had me praying for the city of Mobile. Day after day, I would drive back and forth to work, around the city on errands, going to and from church and I prayed for the city of Mobile, for deliverance, for salvation, for freedom from addictions and bondage. We get back to Indiana and the other morning I get a text message from a  friend and this is what it said:

Monday, February 22, 8:48 am: "a big revival broke out in mobile yesterday.folks getting babtized in their trucks and masses giving life to the Lord."

A man named Sean Feucht has been going across the country and stirring up revival in the heart of God's people. He has been sharing video clips and testimonials and it's been incredible to see the power of God moving. So many of us have been praying for a move of God and it's sweeping the nation and people are hungry for it. Sean was putting out a worship album and he really believed it was going to be life-changing for many people. He prayed it would turn people's hearts toward God. The company that was going to release the album in just a few days from the moment he announced it chose to ban it! It was denied!!  Just after sharing incredible testimonies of people being healed by the power of God, he announced the excitement of this new release, and then bam! Denied! Saints of God everywhere began to pray. People started sending messages to the company and after being inundated with people's cry for the album to release, they decided to release the album.

So, it's a YouTube video on a channel that has less than 1500 subscribers, and a worship CD. Should we care? Yes! We should care! We should care because it was the cake baker who owned their own business and chose not to bake wedding cakes for weddings that didn't honor the man-and-woman marriage God designed. A business owner can choose who to cater to and who not to. The baker had politely declined to bake the cake for the homosexual couple and even told them of other bakers that would do what they wanted. Instead of leaving the store and finding a bakery that could accommodate them, they sued the baker! A Christian woman worked for a company who does many things, one of which is selling marriage licenses. Her beliefs did not allow her to make the transaction for the same-sex couple. She went to jail! The woman who stood up for what she believed in, God's Word, was thrown in jail!!! Not in the days of Daniel or Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. This is our lifetime, our modern day times! 

James Daly, president of Focus on the Family, has a wonderful ministry to help families in America grow closer to God. Every episode is helping fathers be more like Christ and strong leaders of their homes, or teaching women how to love well in the midst of insecurities and pressures of society to be and conform more like the world; and resources are available for parenting, financial needs, health concerns, and mental stress. Actively walking out their faith with boldness and love, they were even targeted for a tweet they shared. You can read all about that here. Church wake up, please!! We are being watched and targeted and anything we say or do can and will be held against us!

If we were doing everything sinful, ungodly, and unimaginable, we would be celebrated and rushed to the top of the ladder of success. We would be indulged, never censored, never held accountable. We would be seen as loving and good. The evil ones, according to the world, are the people like you and me who choose to stand up for truth and justice. The Bible told us it would be this way. It should come as no surprise if we are reading the Word of God for ourselves. 

2 TIMOTHY 3:1-7 (1)This know also, that in the last days perilous times will come. (2)For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. (3)Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, (4)Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God: (5)Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (6)For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, (7)Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Friends, we could literally be reading America's profile today. Money lovers, irreconcilable, reckless, liars, haters of those that are good. We must not fall asleep on this topic. Do not think it's just the way things are nowadays. We cannot conform to this world and remain reconciled to Christ. It will never happen! I'm going to ask you to speak up when you see others getting targeted and bullied by Big Tech. Support ministries and organizations that are sharing God's truth. Keep speaking truth to those around you. Do not let one day go by without sharing God's message of hope, love, and forgiveness with the world. Tell someone. Call a friend, family member, coworker, anybody and tell them that Jesus loves them and has a plan for their lives: a hope and a future, something that will produce good results and great success. Introduce someone to Jesus today. Let's go and be disciples. 

Let me leave you with this familiar scripture, that bears repeating:

ROMANS 12:1-2 (1)I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2)And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

I hope something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens