Ezra Chapter Eight | Bible Study Wednesday

 

Welcome back to this week's Bible study. We continue in the book of Ezra, picking up in chapter eight. If you have not read these 36 verses, I encourage you to take a few moments and do so. If it has been a little while since you reviewed the text, you may want to refresh your memory on the passage. Keep your Bible open and if you choose to take notes, have a pen or pencil and notepaper handy. I am not doing a line by line study of this book. I will be dividing each chapter into sections and hitting some of the highlights. I am so thankful for those of you who take the time to participate in these weekly Bible studies. Let's begin.

Verses 1-14 Those Who Went With Ezra

You may be tempted to gloss over these verses as it lists the names of those who joined Ezra on this journey, I encourage you to compare these names with the list in Ezra 2:3-15. Do you see repeated names? Now 80 years after the first roll was called, we see the descendants: family lineage, continue on just as they had before.

The trip these brave men, women, and children took with Ezra was not for the faint of heart. It was dangerous. This 1,000 mile trip through the desert made them an easy target for robbers. It appears as though 5,000 said yes to this journey and just the fact that they all made it safely to Jerusalem was another testimony of God's hand on them.

We may be going through tough, dry, desert times, too, but remember the God who had His hand on Ezra and the 5,000 men, women, and children has His hand on us, too!

Verses 15-20 No Levites

They reached the point where the river runs to Ahava and they camped out for three days. A long journey like that would require rest stops. The humans and animals would need to rest and eat and regain their strength before going on. Ezra started looking around and he noticed there were people and priests but no Levites with them. Ezra called for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, Meshullam, Joiarib and Elnathan who were men of understanding and had good insight. He sent those men to a city called Casiphia to speak with Iddo and his brothers and the temple servants. They were to request ministers for the house of God. 

So God's hand was upon them again and they sent Ezra a son of Mahli, Sherebiah. Sherebiah came to serve in the temple with his sons and brothers, 18 men! What a great answer to a big need they had! But that was not all! Hashabiah and Jeshaiah with his kinsmen and their sons added another 20 men! That was not including the 220 temple servants king David and his officials had set apart to attend the Levites. The Bible says they were all named. It was not just any group of men. They were sent with a purpose. You and I may feel like we are lost in a sea of other Christians who are working for God, but He knows our names. We matter to God.

Verses 21-23 Fasting and Prayer

The best thing Ezra could do was start out with prayer and fasting. He did not want to ask the king for supplies and provision. He knew the king would honor his requests, but Ezra had already bragged on God. Ezra decided God would provide everything they needed, so he called a fast where they were camped out. This denial of their flesh gave them an opportunity to hear from God clearly about what they should do. They fasted and God heard and answered their prayer.

Sometimes we find ourselves in situations that we just don't know what to do. We realize we are in over our heads and since God is the one who is telling us to do the thing, we must pray and fast and wait for Him to answer us. He will do it. The answer will come. The clarity will come. The provision will come.

Verses 24-30 Priests and Treasures

Ezra selected 12 leading priests and weighed out the silver, gold, vessels, and offerings for The Temple of our God that had been given by the king, advisors, and Israelites. There were:

25 tons of silver

100 vessels of silver valued at 3.75 tons of gold

20 gold bowls weighing 18.5 pounds

2 vessels of bright red copper, as valuable as gold

Ezra instructed the men to guard them until they could be properly weighed in their tradition. Ezra told the leading priests that they were holy and the vessels were holy. Sometimes we need to remember we are holy and our work for God is holy. We are to guard and watch the things God trusts us with until we can properly do with it as He has called us to do.

Verses 31-36 Journey To Jerusalem

Verse 31 tells us that God's hand of protection kept them as they went on this incredible journey. The robbers and criminals hiding out, watching the large caravan, wanted to attack, but God was with them. He kept them safe, all the way to Jerusalem.

They made it to Jerusalem and they stayed there three days. Meremoth and Eleazar were with Jozabad and Noadiah as they numbered, weighed, and recorded the treasures in the house of God. Upon their return, the exiles offered burnt offerings to God: 

12 bulls representing all Israel

96 rams

77 lambs

12 he-goats

And finally they delivered the king's orders to the king's provincial administration, whom gave support to the people and the house of God. God can do anything and will do anything for His mission to be a success. If we put our hope and trust in Him, we will all succeed. He is the God that cannot fail. When we throw our plans out the window and fully embrace the journey we are on as we yield to His leadership we will do everything He wants us to do. 

My goodness! I never realized what an encouraging book Ezra was. I know I keep saying that but it is so good for the season that I am in right now. We will spend two more weeks in this book as we wrap up this study. I have a really fun idea for July's Bible Study Wednesday blog posts. I hope you'll join me. It's a little different than I have done on here before but I really hope we can have fun with it. Until next time, friends. I hope that something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

In the Garden | Wednesday Bible Study

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! I love this holiday. Our family tradition is to make cookies, cake, or cupcakes with green frosting and then we talk about what the holiday means. I love everything about Ireland, shamrocks, and rainbows. I don't believe in luck. I know we are blessed. I don't believe in leprechauns or magical creatures. I do believe the rainbow is a sign of God's promise and the real pot of gold is knowing He loves us! I think of three leaf clovers and am reminded of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. But today I want us to study a different topic. I want us to study John 20. There's a lot to unpack so let's begin!

John 20:1-2 (1)The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. (2)Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid Him.

Let's take a look at what has already happened. Jesus has been brutally crucified at Golgotha, The thieves on either side of Jesus had not yet died so the soldiers came and broke their legs. Jesus was dead so they did not break His legs. One soldier took a spear and pierced our Lord's side; blood and water flowed. There was no doubt Jesus was dead. 

One of Jesus's secret disciples, Joseph of Arimathaea had begged Pilate for the body of Jesus and Pilate granted him permission. Nicodemus, another secret disciple of the Lord, brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes and the two men wound the body of Jesus in these spices and linen grave clothes according to the Jewish tradition of burial. 

John 19:41-42 says, "Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand." In this garden was a new grave that no one had ever used before. The grave was nearby so they chose to lay the body of Jesus there.

Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James and Jesus and other women had gone with spices to the garden tomb that held Jesus' body. They may have gone while it was still dark so they were not seen. This was a very tumultuous time.

Jesus was so young, only 33 years old. He had loved well, taught well, healed well, and forgiven well even on the cross. The Bible tells us Jesus' back looked like an open plowed field and now these women who have suffered shock and grief like none other are going in mourning and deep sadness to anoint the body of Jesus with these special spices but when they got there they were in for a shock!

Pilate had ordered soldiers to place a boulder at the entrance of the tomb. Soldiers stood guard to make sure the tomb was not disturbed. Pilate knew Jesus said in three days He would rise again and they wanted to prevent anything from happening that might cause people to believe in Jesus and lead to a revolt. They hoped that since He was dead things would settle down and people would forget about the things Jesus taught.

There were no soldiers standing guard when the women arrived and the stone was rolled back. They did not see the body of Jesus. What must have been in their minds? Grief, shock, anger, disbelief, fear! Any of those emotions and maybe all of them could have flooded their minds. What have they done with Jesus? Where is He? What is going on? Hadn't they done enough when they crucified Him? Is this some cruel joke? Where is Jesus?

Mary Magdalene ran to Simon Peter and the disciple Jesus loved. She must have felt panic rise in her throat as she told them what she saw and what she did not see. She told the men that someone had taken Jesus's body but she did not know where.

Sometimes in our own lives we think things will be one way, and as we walk in grief, pain, and loss we believe that nothing could feel worse than what we are going through, until we encounter another set of circumstances that leaves us reeling. I can understand the fear and uncertainty that must have filled their thoughts. The confusion and questions that started to form. Who did this? Why? Where is Jesus now? What could be done about it?

John 20:3-10 (3)Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. (4)So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. (5)And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. (6)Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie. (7)And the napkin, that was about His head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. (8)Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. (9)For as yet they knew not the scripture that He must rise again from the dead. (10)Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

The two men run to the grave. They didn't believe Mary. There was no way it could be possible. They saw Jesus die on the cross. They saw the tortured body hanging there and heard His cry to the Father as He gave up His Spirit. They knew He was buried with a stone rolled in front and guards at the entrance. 

Peter lagged a little behind the other disciple but once at the grave he went straight to the place Jesus should be laying. He wasn't there. The grave clothes were in one spot in a bunch but the napkin that would was around Jesus's head was folded neatly in a different place. Who would have taken the time to fold the napkin? If this was the job of a grave robber, why wasn't the linen clothes and the napkin all in a pile together?

The significance of the napkin and grave clothes was steeped in Jewish tradition. According to Citizen Times, the Jewish boys would set up a meal for the master and they would wait, out of sight, for the master to finish eating. If the master left the table the servant would know they could clean up if the napkin was wadded and tossed aside. This meant, "I'm finished." The grave clothes indicated what Jesus had declared on the cross, "It is finished!" (John 19:30)

If the master needed to leave the table but was not done eating, the napkin would be folded and the servant would know not to disturb anything on the table. The folded napkin implied, "I'm coming back!" And so we realize the folded napkin was Jesus telling us that He is coming back!

John 20:11-16 (11)But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, (12)And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. (13)And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him. (14)And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. (15)Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing Him to be the gardener, saith unto Him, Sir, if thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away. (16)Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto Him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

To recap, Peter and the other disciple left and Mary stayed behind. She was crying. The grief was more than she could take because she did not know where Jesus was. Sometimes in our grief and pain, we can honestly question where is God. We may wonder are we supposed to suffer alone? The answer is no. Jesus knows how we feel and He is with us in our suffering, offering a way of escape. She stooped down to look in the grave one more time. Sometimes we get so low and we have no hope but we think maybe I need to look again. Maybe He is near!

Mary looked inside the grave, the place of death, the shattered dreams and hopes, and she saw two angels dressed in white. They were not in dark mourning clothes because He was no longer there. One sat at the head and another at the feet. It was to let her know Jesus was resurrected but she didn't see it. 

In her grief and despair, she did not even realize she was speaking to angels. She was so distraught and undone that she could not even be comforted at their presence. They asked her why she was crying. She said it was because someone took her Lord away and she doesn't know where they put Him. She doesn't even ask them if they knew anything about it. Have you ever had such despair and loss that you miss important clues that God is in the midst of your circumstances? Have you been so upset that even those who are there to console you are unrecognizable?

Mary stopped looking in the tomb: the place of death. She stopped looking at the finality of everything she hoped for and believed in. She turned around and saw Jesus, but she did not even know it. When tragedy strikes in our lives, and we have more questions than answers, and we feel lost and hopeless: Jesus is there. He comes to our rescue and if we will turn around we will encounter Jesus.

Jesus asked her the very same thing the angels had. She thought he was the gardener. She is in the garden after all: a place where things bloom, blossom, flourish, and thrive; a place of beauty, hope, and peace. She did not recognize his voice in that moment. Sometimes God will take us into a place of transformation that is so incredible, we do not immediately recognize what we see and hear. 

She feels hope spring into her heart. She doesn't tell Him why she is crying. She has hope and she says if you know where they took Him, please take me to Jesus. There is something about being in the presence of God that you just need to be where Jesus is. You have hope. You don't rehearse your problems. You request something from Him because you have hope that it just may happen.

She must have turned aside looking for Jesus. He says her name: Mary. That is all He has to say to us. He simply says our name and immediately we know! We know the voice of our sweet Shepherd and immediately the problems, worries, doubts, and fears all fade away. Mary knew the gardener was Jesus! 

Rabboni means teacher and she was respecting Him. She could have called Him a thousand different things but she chose to call Him teacher! 

John 20:17-18 (17)Jesus saith unto her, Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God. (18)Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto her.

Mary Magdalene started to embrace Him, but He could not let her do that yet. He sends her back with a message. She was to go back and tell the others the incredible news that Jesus is alive! It must have been all she could do to not run and cling to Him; so thankful and grateful to see Him again.

John 20:19-23 (19)Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. (20)And when He had so said, He shewed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. (21)Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father has sent Me, even so send I you. (22)And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost; (23)Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Imagine the mixture of emotions. Relief, gladness, joy, peace, hope all springing up in the hearts of all who saw Him. He enters with a blessing of peace. His sudden presence in the room must have startled them. The door was shut and secure.

Jesus offers proof that He is the same Jesus who took the nails in His hands and feet and the spear pierced side. He was wounded for our transgressions. He spoke peace to them again; the nail scarred hands and pierced side must have reminded them of the cruel way He died just a few days prior. The emotions still so raw, and so He gave them His peace. He then breathed on them and gave them His Spirit. He empowered them to forgive or retain sins. What a special view we have of the Savior. He has been resurrected and now He empowers His disciples to do a special work for Him. Can you imagine the celebration?

Jesus gives us His peace, too. No matter what we are going through, He will speak peace over us and breathe His precious Spirit over us. We have Holy Spirit inside us leading us, guiding us, and comforting us.

John 20:24-29 (24)But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. (25)The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe. (26)And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. (27)Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing. (28)And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God. (29)Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Thomas had not been with the others when Jesus came to them and breathed His Spirit on them. The others told him what they experienced but Thomas did not have the faith to believe it. He remembered the Lord being crucified. 

The circumstances may not match what others are telling you. Maybe you have praying family or friends and they are telling you Jesus can help. Maybe you are reading this blog and I am telling you Jesus is a way-maker, a promise keeper, a hope giver, a healer, a friend that is closer than a brother and it may not feel like that's true. Maybe you struggle with having enough faith to believe God is going to do everything He said He would do. Friend, don't be like doubting Thomas. He said he would doubt unless he was able to have proof he could actually touch and see. He did not believe hear-say; it seemed too outrageous, too impossible. Friend, don't doubt; only believe.

Eight days passed and Thomas had no encounter with Jesus. Day after day he never saw Jesus face to face. He may have replayed the conversation over in his mind. Maybe he hoped they were telling the truth but he just couldn't believe it for himself.

Eight is the number of new beginnings. He gave Thomas a fresh start. Eight days later He revealed Himself to all the disciples and spoke directly to Thomas to feel the wounds in His hands and shove his hand into His side. Thomas was face to face with Jesus and declared My Lord and My God. 

One day all will proclaim My Lord and My God, but not all will enter heaven because they wanted to see it before they believed it. Look what Jesus said to Thomas. He told him to believe and not doubt. He said you believe because you see it, but blessed are those who believe and cannot see. He is talking about us. We cannot see Jesus in the natural right now. We cannot touch His nail scarred hands and feet. We cannot see the holes where the sword pierced His side or the thorns were shoved into His precious head. We can choose to believe anyway.

Maybe things are really bad. You may have lost your job, lost a loved one, had sickness and a bad diagnosis yourself, but Jesus is with you! He loves you. He will help you through the tough seasons. He will carry you through the grief. Maybe you received bad news and feel like it's out of your hands to fix it. Give it to Jesus and He will fix it for you!

John 20:30-31 (30)And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: (31)But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God: and that believing ye might have life through His name.

What a precious end to this chapter. For us, it is not really the end, but simply the beginning. We read about the events at the empty tomb to remind us that whatever grave markers are in front of us, we still have hope when we have Jesus. We may have lost some things in the past year, but God is walking with us. He sent His only Son Jesus to die for our sins and then raised Him from the dead so you and I can have life through Jesus. 

I know the waiting season can be so long. The winter season is so hard with death, frozen dreams, impossible circumstances, loss, grief, pain, discomfort, and sorrow, but spring is coming! The ground will thaw. Everything the enemy stole from you will be returned in better condition than it was taken. God is a giver and a lover. He is a good, good Father and He cares about us. He tells us to cast our cares on Him because He cares about us. (1 Peter 5:7)

Next month is Resurrection Day! We celebrate the grave could not hold our Savior. Jesus is alive! But let this truth be ours every single day! No power is stronger than the power of God. Is Jesus in your heart? Is your heart His home? Have you called on His name? Have you believed in Him? If you haven't, now is the time!

Are you struggling in your faith? Is the season you are going through hard and long and feels like it never will end? Take hope in knowing Jesus is with you.

He loves you.

He helps you.

He protects you.

He equips you.

He provides for you.

He wants to fix what is broken and all we have to do is ask and believe He will do it.

Genesis 2:8-9 (8)And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden: and there He put the man whom He had formed. (9)And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

It all began in the garden of Eden. Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane before He was arrested. He was buried in a garden near the place He died. Jesus appeared as a gardener after the resurrection. We are still in a beautiful garden, tended to by the Master. He plants us, waters us, makes us grow and thrive, and when we have done everything we needed to do, He gently removes us from this earthly garden and takes us Home.  

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

~Bridgett Owens

Should Christians Self-Censor? | Fuel For The Weekend

Hey everyone!

This weekend I want us to think about the topic of censorship. It is a very real occurrence in our world today, especially to those who follow Jesus Christ and believe the Bible is true! For Wednesday's Bible study post, I spoke about censorship and recounted how Stephen was stoned to death for sharing the Gospel. It serves as a reminder that Christians are targeted for censorship. As the world loses their grip on strong morals and values, intolerance grows for God's design on marriage, love, liberty, equality, and the importance of family. If your message reflects the words of Jesus, you will be watched closely, possibly censored or banned from social media platforms that are easily offended by the truth in God's Word. 

For today, I want to discuss self-censoring, times censoring is necessary, and scriptures to encourage and guide us as we think about this topic over the weekend. Hopefully we can break it down in a practical way that we can incorporate in our every day lives. The idea is to glorify God in the words we say and the things we do not say.

What does it mean to self-censor? It is what some refer to as having a "filter." It is not intentionally speaking about things that will offend and upset others. Self-censoring is important because it reflects self-control, a fruit of the Spirit. It is not picking and choosing who will respond well to the Gospel message. It is knowing with whom we speak and their character. Self-censoring does not mean being ashamed of the Gospel, but rather being sensitive to Holy Spirit as He guides us what to say.

Times self-censoring is necessary could be when someone is deliberately baiting you in an effort to make fun of the Gospel message, slander God, and argue over Scriptures. We must not engage in debates that do not create an environment of learning from one another. We must communicate the Gospel message with everyone, but be sensitive to know when to keep silent. We should know why we believe what we do and be able to give an answer when asked, but we must be careful not to allow these conversations to divide us as a body of believers. The Scriptures tell us what we must do, as believers. Let's look together.

ECCLESIASTES 3:1 & 7 (1)To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: (7)A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

COLOSSIANS 4:6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

MATTHEW 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again to rend you.

The verse in Matthew may leave you wondering what that could mean. I looked up the Barnes' Notes on Bible Hub. They said, "The meaning of this proverb, then, is, do not offer your doctrine to those violent and abusive people who would growl and curse you; nor to those especially debased and profilgate who would not perceive its value, would trample it down, and would abuse you. 

The word profilgate, according to Merriam-Webster means, "recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources." So the take away is that if we know the character of the person we are speaking to is blatantly against anything that is Holy and will become violently angry and abusive when broaching the subject, it is best to remain silent. Live your life in a way that honors God and that silent witness will speak volumes. If God gives you the unction to speak with that person and share your faith, pray and ask for wisdom and discernment. Pray for God to fill your mouth with what to say and then remain sensitive to Holy Spirit as He guides when to speak and when to be silent.

We do not want to hide our faith or allow those who disagree with us to silence us. We are not to be shamed into only speaking words of faith and truth around other believers. We are called to be salt and light on the earth. We are to live unashamed of our love for Jesus. We also must use wisdom and not create disputes to make others uncomfortable or feel judged. We must not water down the truth of God's Word to compromise. Sin is never okay. We should not brush sin under the rug. The Bible says the wages of sin is death so it is vital that we talk about it, but we must not condemn others. Jesus did not come to condemn and we are to live like He did. We are to follow His pattern and example.

Jesus was not afraid to speak up and correct the religious leaders who thought they knew everything about the Word of God. They knew nothing because when face-to-face with the Word made flesh they rejected Him. Jesus was not embarrassed to clear the temple, overturning tables, and driving out the hustlers with a whip. He was not so meek and mild that He would not set the record straight when the Scriptures were twisted and misquoted. Make no mistake, we are not to be mealy-mouthed Christians who cower at the idea someone may disagree with us, but let's not go looking for fights either. Let's not stir up debates and arguments just to prove we are right and the other person is wrong.

Let's sit with this topic this weekend. Have some discussions about it with your family, friends, small group at church, or zoom calls. Get some dialogue going about how we can share our faith in a way that honors God. Will the world try to shut us up? Of course they will! Is there a time to speak up? Yes! Is there a time to be silent? Yes! Is there a time for boldness and meekness for every believer? Yes. Allow Holy Spirit to teach us discernment and help us grow in our faith as we do our best to live our faith out loud in this dark world.

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

~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

Are You A People Pleaser? | Fuel For The Weekend

God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. It's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend.

I hope everyone's weekend has started well. I am late sharing my Fuel For The Weekend post. We all have times we want to do something and have the best intentions but it just simply can't be done and that was what I experienced yesterday. I do apologize for that. I want to jump right in to what I am going to share this week because it is so good! God keeps blessing me and teaching me so many new things and I love sharing it with you all. I appreciate the text messages and emails and comments. It means so much to me to hear what God is doing in your hearts and lives through this blog.

When I was growing up and through most of my 20's I had a strong desire to please others. I wanted their approval. I did not have confidence in who I was as a person, let alone as a follower of Christ. I always needed affirmation that I was enough. The truth is, I never got it because I never studied the Word to discover what God thought about me.

Don't get me wrong. People told me nice things. I was loved. I was appreciated. It was just that the approval I was seeking from people could never satisfy my desire to feel complete. That can only come from God. I did not understand that God loved me unconditionally. I always thought I was one bad deed/word/thought from slipping into hell's flames. The truth is God loves me and God loves you so much that He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins and in so doing He gave us an opportunity to be the sons and daughters of God!

GALATIANS 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

This was eye-opening when I first read it. The first question this verse poses is whose approval are we wanting: people's or God's? We need to really think about that. Our quick response is God's approval, but if we look at our lives and the way we speak, act, react, respond, think, and behave it may not be God's approval that we are truly after. Let's ask God to shine His light of love into our hearts and expose any hidden agendas we may not realize we have. If we are trying to please our parents, our spouse, our kids, our boss, our pastor, our government officials we are not a servant of Christ. When we seek to please Christ we honor others in our life because He calls us to a life of Holiness that cannot be found apart from Him.

GALATIANS 1:15-16 (15)But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by His grace, (16)To reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

Paul shares with the Galatians, and now with us, that when God called him to minister to the unbelieving, he didn't check with his family and friends to see if they thought it was a good idea. He didn't look for confirmation in his small group leader or his neighbors. When God puts a calling on our lives, we don't need to ask anyone else if they think we should do it. This goes back to not trying to please people. Many times when God gives us something specific to do, we don't have a tribe following us and cheering us on. We don't have a lot of support and encouragement. In fact, often the opposite is true. We need to seek God's approval and His direction for our life and when we follow Him and do what He says to do when He says to do it, we will see an amazing transformation in our lives.

Sometimes we start out on fire for God and we are doing great. We may experience great faith and see our prayers answered quickly. We get excited and we want to do so much for God. We are hungry for the Word. We have drifted away from certain people who were holding us back. We stopped doing things that displeased the LORD and then a trial comes at us and we get knocked off course. We have two choices: get back up and go stronger for God, or stay down and think of old solutions to get through the tough times and slowly slide back into the old way of living and thinking.

GALATIANS 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Paul warns us that we need to stand fast, don't move, don't look back at how things used to be. We are made free in Christ Jesus. When we start listening to family or friends who advise us to handle our problems in ways other than on our knees before God, we can easily get trapped into sin. If we are looking to anything or anyone other than God to help us we are not trusting God is able to help us through. We may not say that but our actions indicate we trust more in other solutions than we do in God's ability to do the impossible! If we stand strong and hold onto our liberty, we won't get trapped into slavery to sin again.

GALATIANS 5:7-9 (7)Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? (8)This persuasion cometh not of Him that calleth you. (9)A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

Paul says to the Galatians then, and now to us, "You did run well, so who hindered you? Someone has persuaded you to do things that you shouldn't do and it wasn't God." Who are we talking to? Who do we take advice from? When trials come and we are running along, keeping our eyes on Jesus, we may trip over a stumbling block in our path we didn't see. As our foot catches the edge of the stumbling block, we fall face first into the dirt. We can stand back up, brush ourselves off, and then start running again. Let's warn others as they approach the same obstacles to use the stumbling block as a stepping stone. We can remember for ourselves to jump over those hurdles. God will give us the strength to overcome these trials and tests in life. When Paul says a little leaven leavens the whole lump, it means that it's the small things that can get us. A little bad advice, a couple twisted scriptures, or a slight compromise here or there causes your heart to grow cold and indifferent to God's Word. Seeds of doubt are planted where seeds of faith should grow. We have to be careful that no matter who we get advice from, we need to hold that information up to the reflection of God's Word and if it doesn't match, we need to discard the information. God's Word is true. God's Word will stand. If it does not match exactly what God's Word says to do, it is not good advice and it will take you off course quickly.

GALATIANS 6:9-10 (9)And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (10)As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

I want to close this post with some encouragement. Brothers and sisters, I understand what it feels like to have a heavy yoke around my neck, always desiring to please others and make them happy. I was miserable inside. I was worn out. I could never do enough good things to help others because that is not how I could find fulfillment. It was exhausting. Sometimes it feels like we do these good things for nothing, and perhaps in some ways we do. What is our true motive? If we are trying to please God it is not in vain. If we are trying to win over others, we will never succeed and it is a tiring process.

Let's not get tired of trying to please Jesus. Let's work hard to do things that honors Him. If we do not faint, and if we will not give up, we will see a great harvest of blessings. We must hold on and stay on track. Keep our eyes on Jesus and He will guide us. He will help us overcome every obstacle in our way. His plans are best.

As we get a chance to help someone else, let's do it! Encourage your family and friends and coworkers to keep going strong for Jesus. Remind them that God is for them and not against them. If they are in a low spot, pray for them, encourage them, and lift them up! That is what we are to do for everyone, especially fellow Christians. We all need strengthened and uplifted from time to time. It feels good to know someone is whispering your name in prayer. I certainly appreciate all the prayers that are prayed for me. If you need some encouragement, please reach out to fellow believers and ask them. God can give them the words to say that bless and encourage you.

I am thankful for all those who read my blog. I do not take it for granted that you share a part of your day with me here. I pray something you have read today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

 

Way Maker | Thankful Thursday

The LORD impressed on my heart to carve out a section of my blog to share what I am thankful for. I started it on a Thursday and decided to call it "Thankful Thursday." Each week I share what I am thankful for. Come back each week so we can count our blessings together.

I am so glad that before I knew God He knew me. In the book of Jeremiah we read a beautiful passage where God speaks to the prophet about His view of Jeremiah. We can read starting in verse 4 that God knew Jeremiah before his mother conceived him. Isn't that a beautiful picture of God's love, purpose, and plan for each one of us? 

We have so much to be thankful for every single day. God knows everything about us. Before we were formed in the womb, He sanctified us and gave us a purpose. 

JEREMIAH 1:4,5 (4)Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (5)Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. 

My daughter had a very specific plan for her life. She loves to write and she is very good at it. She has always been involved with anything to do with writing. It didn't matter if it was a blog post, something shared on social media, or journaling in her quiet time, she would always share her thoughts in that way. She took classes, workshops, and attended seminars with the goal of becoming a journalist. Her dad and I always encouraged her dream. God had other plans.

Throughout her high school career she worked on yearbooks, newspapers, and other periodicals. It seemed she was headed in the right direction when she was accepted at Alabama State University. It was not long before God showed her and everyone around her that He had very different plans for her life.

She worked as a salesman at a motorsports shop and excelled above her peers who were much older and more experienced than she. She set goals and exceeded them week after week. She enjoyed the friendly banter with her customers. She seemed to have a real gift for closing deals. The commission checks were nice and she thought perhaps she should go to a community college for a business degree. Before she got the chance to pursue that dream, God changed the course of our lives yet again and moved us back to Indiana. 

Kadesia has always been quick to help others. She loves deeply and unconditionally. She can't stand to see others suffer. We had talked many times about the possibility that she might become a nurse like me. She volunteered in the nursing homes and the residents loved her. She became a home health aide and became CPR certified in no time. She felt God calling her into the nursing field and had a strong desire to further her education at a community college here in Indiana. 

I am so thankful that she is independent and strong and desires to do things on her own. She wanted to pay for school herself and while I admire that, God had other plans to help build her faith as she learns to trust in God to supply all her needs. This morning she wanted to pull her hair out when she couldn't get through to the financial department of her school. She had been given some money but it was only a fraction of the down payment. I reminded her that God directed her steps to pursue this degree with this school and He would make the provision. Before 3 o'clock today she had been given the rest of the down payment. It reminds me of what God said to Jeremiah.

JEREMIAH 1:6-10 (6)Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. (7)But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. (8)Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. (9)Then the LORD put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put   My words in thy mouth. (10)See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant. 

God's Word tells us that our God will supply our every need. He ordained Jeremiah to be a prophet to many nations before he was ever formed in his mother's womb. When Jeremiah gave God his limitations, God gave His provision. He had already equipped Jeremiah with everything he needed to accomplish his purpose on the earth. 

God has a special plan for all of us. We must seek Him for what He wants to do through us to further His Kingdom. Whatever He tells us to do, like Jeremiah, and like Kadesia, we will find that God equips us and furnishes us with everything we need to fulfill His plan for us. 

PHILIPPIANS 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

2 CORINTHIANS 9:8-15 (8)And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (9)(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; He hath given to the poor: His righteousness remaineth for ever. (10)Now He that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seeds sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) (11)Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. (12)For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; (13)Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; (14)And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you (15)Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift. 

This Thankful Thursday I am thankful that God supplied my daughter's financial needs for school this semester. I am thankful to have the reminder that God met Jeremiah's needs too. No matter what you're facing, how bleak it looks, encourage yourself with these scriptures. Remember how many times God has come through before. He didn't bring any of us this far to leave us now.  Take hope in knowing that we can tap into unlimited resources from our Heavenly Father who is ready with arms wide open to bless us with everything we need to do what He has called us to do. 

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

 

PSALM 27 | Wednesday Bible Study

I heard in my spirit "Psalm 27" and I was in a rush to get out the door, and making sure my kids were good to go for the day, and my hubby was home sick and I made sure he had all the things and I looked at my Bible. I knew if God was telling me to read this chapter it was going to be worth slowing down and listening. What a great and encouraging chapter it turned out to be for this very season in my life! Of course it is. After all, God the Father has selected it for me to read. So, let's talk about it! It's only 14 verses but what power and encouragement and hope there is in these verses!

This is a Psalm of David. He begins by magnifying God and in doing so all his problems instantly shrink! The LORD is my light and salvation. Yes He is! He shines light on my path so I can see where to walk. He saves me from trouble when I listen to Him. He saved me from eternal separation, and He also saves us from the snares and traps the devil sets for us! So who should we be afraid of? No one has that kind of power and ability but Almighty God! He alone can light up the darkness and shine hope into our souls. Only God can save and set free. There is nothing anyone can say or do to put fear in our hearts when we focus on how good and awesome and marvelous our God is!

How many of us can testify with David, arms raised and say, "Yes! He is the strength of my life! He is our stronghold, our refuge, a mighty fortress we can run to! He is our protector!"?There is no one we need to be afraid of. When we begin to magnify our God and talk about His light and love and salvation and strength, what is left to fear? Nothing!!!

Are there times you have felt surrounded by people who just want to harm you? Maybe you have been in a situation where people are watching you, just hoping you will fail! David knows what that's like. He knows God is on his side, and he says even when others wanted to devour me and wished harm to me, God caused them to stumble and fall! They couldn't do anything to us! They are powerless against God. They tripped and and tumbled. They were the ones eating dirt! I stood firm as I ran to the Mighty Fortress-- our God!

Even if there were so many people we couldn't number against us, we do not have to fear. Our hearts do not have to be fearful. We can stand firm in God's love. Even if war breaks out and it's all around us, we can be confident in this: "There is one desire we have, one thing of the LORD that we will search for, that we may dwell, live, abide, stay, inhabit the house of the LORD every single day of our lives, to look and see the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His temple. We can search things out in His house. We can look for answers and behold the beauty that is not comparable to any other thing in life and friends that is what my soul longs after. That is what I want more than anything else anyone can offer me.

You may ask why I have this much confidence in God. It is that every single time trouble comes knocking, God answers the door. He hides me in His pavilion. He hides me in the secret of His tabernacle. It makes me so happy and full of joy that I start to sing. I sacrifice a song of praise and joy because I don't feel like singing in the middle of the turmoil. I don't feel like praising in the middle of the bad news and the bad reports, the new diagnosis, the financial struggles, the sickness, the pain, the worry, the torment. I don't feel like throwing up my hands and praising and singing but my God is so worthy that I will sacrifice it. I will praise Him because He is worth it. My circumstances don't dictate when I praise my Savior. He is always worthy!

Isn't verse 7 our heart's cry so often when things are going wrong? Hear us LORD when we lift our voices and cry and have mercy on us. Answer us God because You alone are the answer! You are what we are searching for. You alone fulfill us! You complete us! Not another person, another job, another car, another home, another degree, another material possession. No, LORD, You, and You alone fill our hearts to overflowing and not another.

God when You said to seek Your face, may our hearts say, "Your face God we will seek!" God may we stop running to see what is in Your hand, and just kneel at Your nail-scarred feet and thank You for what You have already done for us! God may we stop short of asking for something else and just pause to reflect on Your goodness and grace. God instead of looking into Your nail-scarred hands for gifts and answers, may we gaze into Your beautiful face and just lock eyes with You and be content to be welcomed into Your presence! God may we run to seek Your face and not Your hands!!

Please don't hide Your face from us. Don't make me leave in Your anger from when I choose the wrong things! You alone God have been my help! You alone are where my help comes from. God may we stop looking at You as though You are our partner and we somehow help You. May we remember we can do NOTHING apart from You God. Please do not leave us or forsake us. Oh, what a beautiful promise that Your Word says You will never leave us nor forsake us, but You will go with us until the end of the world! What a mighty God we serve! What a loving and gracious Master we have! God You are the source of our salvation!

When my parents throw me away, God, You will take me up! When my family abandons me and calls me crazy, You call me Your own! You pick us up God when we are despised by others and left as an outcast. You brush us off and clean us up and welcome us into Your family. You give us Your name and You wipe away our tears. You pour healing salve into our wounds! Who but God can do such things as these!? There is none, LORD. You, alone.

Oh, Heavenly Father, teach us Your ways. Help us to follow hard after Your example. God show us how to live like You want us to. Show and teach us how to please You Father. Lead us in smooth paths because of our enemies. When the bumps in the road, and the potholes threaten to wreck us, God go before us and make our way smooth so we can follow You closer.

Don't let the enemies win. They that come against us and want us to suffer and crash and burn. God don't let them see us fail. False accusers slander us. They say things that are cruel and untrue, they lie and self-promote, and literally breathe out cruelty. God don't let us fall into their traps.

It's so hard God when the pandemic is all around us. I hear so many say they are weary of it LORD. It's so hard when things are not normal and it seems like it may never be. It is hard God when there is so much evil and wickedness in the world, but I am like David. I would have fainted and fallen out by now God if I had not seen the goodness of You LORD in the land of the living! God if I couldn't find a cloud of witnesses I would have given up! If I had not been encouraged by what I see You doing in our lives every day it would have been too much! 

Teach us to wait upon You Father God. Help us to be strengthened and have good courage. Give us bravery in our hearts to face this world head on. Give strength to Your people Father as we wait upon You.

I cannot tell you all how much God caused my spirit to soar over this Word today! If you read my blog today in conjunction with each of those verses I hope it will spark a fire in your hearts too. God is busy! He is working! He is on the move. He is unstoppable. He is doing amazing new things. He is building. He is causing things to bloom, grow, and flourish. We are not surviving this life...no we are thriving! We are more than conquerors! Hold your head up high! We are sons and daughters of the King of kings and LORD of lords. He is magnificent in all of His ways! Don't you love Him? I just cannot stop thinking about Him. I cannot get enough of His Word. I cannot get my day started without Him and then we commune all day long. He is my everything, my all-in-all.

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

~Bridgett Owens

Seeing Father God | Fuel For The Weekend

God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. It's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend.

I have had an incredible time with God this morning. He has given sweet peace to me. I am full of His love and His Word and His joy! What a beautiful way to end the work week and start on the weekend: in His presence!

In my quiet time the LORD directed me to today's verse. I read it, then read it again, and underlined it. It is so beautiful and this one verse is packed full of insight, encouragement, and hope. If you need any of those things, then I invite you to sit at the table with me as we break the Bread together!

ZEPHANIAH 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty: He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing.

Isn't that a beautiful verse? God is in the midst of us. In the middle of our struggles, in the middle of our pain, in the middle of our loss, in the middle of our sickness, God is in the middle of it and He is mighty! He is powerful. He is not weak. He is not scared. He is not concerned. He is not frantically searching for answers on how to handle our problems. He is in control. He is mighty! He is the solution to every problem we face. He knows what to do! Sit in that knowledge for just a moment.

What are you facing right now? What hardship are you going through? You may be struggling with difficulties and maybe you thought this year would be better. It may have started off worse than last year started. There is hope! If you are a child of God, He is with you in the middle of the suffering and He is mighty! He is powerful! He is extraordinary!

He will save. Are you saved? Are your loved ones? Your friends? Your coworkers? I have a list of people I am asking God to save. It breaks my heart when I think they may leave this world without the Blessed Hope of God in Christ Jesus. So many people think if they are good people and do nice things that they don't have to have a relationship with Jesus and they are still going to heaven. That is a lie! The Bible tells us that if we try to go in any other way than through the door of Jesus Christ we are a thief and a robber. (John 10:1) God wants to save you and your loved ones, your friends, your coworkers...and the whole world. He sent Jesus for that purpose. (John 3:16)

I love this next part. He will rejoice over you with joy. When we line up our thoughts and our lives to reflect His ways He rejoices over us with joy. There is great happiness inside God that wells up and He rejoices over His children when they are walking upright before Him. I have an image in my mind of God, our loving Heavenly Father, sitting on the edge of His throne, looking down below, and seeing the ones who struggle and strive but never lose hope, never lose faith in Him and He begins to rejoice. He is happy! It pleases the Father when we obey and do His will. It makes Him glad to see us walking fully in our purpose. He loves us so much and He rejoices over us with joy! He takes great pleasure in us. Isn't that precious? I am holding this scripture so close to my heart this morning.

He will rest in His love. Some translations say He will quiet you with His love. Just as a parent soothes their child with hushed tones and gentle hands, our loving Heavenly Father rushes to us to quiet us with His love. He soothes us. The pain, the torment, the aggravation, the loss... it melts away when we are enveloped in His love. We are soothed and quieted. The storm that rages around us is not as scary in His arms!

Another translation says He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins]. And one other translation says In His love He will no longer rebuke you. Isn't that another beautiful illustration? He loves us so much He will not bring up the things we have done wrong in our past. The things He has already forgiven us for, He forgets. He does not drag up past deeds and sling them in our face. He does not condemn us. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1) He loves us so much He would never condemn us for things He has already forgiven us for.

He will joy over us with singing. So many times God brings a song back to my remembrance and Holy Spirit will sing just a few lines from the song to my heart. It comforts me. It blesses me. It encourages me. I have sang over my children silly little songs when they were young and they would giggle. I can imagine God, our Heavenly Father, leaning into His children, getting so close to our faces, and with great happiness and pleasure singing over us. What a beautiful promise!

I don't know what you're going through. I know life is tough and things get tougher by the minute sometimes. I don't know what big obstacles stand in your way, what giants are hovering over you today, but I hope you will read this verse and find hope and strength. I hope you will breathe in this amazing promise God has given us and rest in it today. Let it lift you up. Let it speak to you. May you read this passage today and see our Heavenly Father in a whole new way.

As you get ready for the weekend, take heart! Be encouraged! I hope that something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

21 Day Fast | Thankful Thursday

The LORD impressed on my heart to carve out a section of my blog to share what I am thankful for. I started it on a Thursday and decided to call it "Thankful Thursday." Each week I share what I am thankful for. Come back each week so we can count our blessings together.

I know I say this every week, but I truly have so many things to be thankful for. God is so good to me! I have not shared on my blog that I was on a 21-day fast. I do not like to tell others unless there is a reason they need to know. I want to thank God for getting me through these past 21 days. It was not easy but I have seen the hand of God move in my circumstances and in my life so much! He has answered so many prayers and done so much for my family and me that I just cannot even begin to tell you what all it was in just the past three weeks! It was that much!

Sometimes I look back in my prayer journals and I am amazed at how much He has done for me. Not amazed because I doubt His ability. Amazed because of the sheer volume of things He is able to accomplish in such a short period of time. The incredibly hard things, the big things, the impossible things that only He can do!

This fast was special because my husband, our children, and a very close friend of mine fasted for 21 days. Today is the last day of the fast and we have shared our struggles, prayed for one another, encouraged one another, and just grew closer to one another. I look back to where we all were January 1 and where we are now and my mind is blown! I am so thankful for family and friends to help encourage and strengthen me as I go.

I am thankful for the excitement and creativity He sparked in me just in the past 24 hours. He has been giving me insight and deeper understanding of His Word and that in turn helps me help others. I am learning and growing and gaining strength. There are some BIG things He has asked me to do for Him and it's not going to be easy but I know that I can do them as He strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

I have been getting group texts from my sisters, my niece, my daughter, and my brother. It has been so encouraging and uplifting to receive messages of hope and love and just sweet reminders of how good God is. I am thankful to have this ability to communicate with them because we don't live close to each other and even though it's not far to a couple of their homes, it's not as easy to fellowship with Covid concerns, so it's a true blessing to pick up my phone and get that daily reminder that others are thinking of me and praying for me.

I am also thankful for my blog. It's not a fancy blog. I don't get paid to do this. I don't have a big following. It's not about that for me. I do this because I love God and I love His Word and I love to share with others. I want to be an encourager. I hope this blog is encouraging to all who read it. I am thankful for those who read my blog and send me messages to tell me how the posts I share have helped them in some way. What a blessing and an honor to get to do that! I am truly thankful I have this opportunity and I do hope one day more will read these blog posts but only so they can see Jesus in a whole new way. I just want to share my faith with as many as I can!

I know I will have even more to thank God for next week. Do you keep a gratitude journal? It is such a great tool for when the journey gets hard and strength fails. I look back and see the hand of God all over my life and I thank Him for that and it starts to breathe new life into me. I get uplifted and encouraged to read what God has done for me! Reminds me of my memory verse this week: Psalm 73:28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all Thy works. Isn't that so good?

Thank you for joining me this week as I count my blessings! Be sure to visit my blog tomorrow when I give you all a little fuel for the weekend!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Overcomer | Wednesday Bible Study

I have been fought today! In the Spiritual realm, it has been a battle! I am in a spiritual valley, the fight is on, the noise of the battle is in my ears, and everywhere I look I see destruction. It's hard in the valley to remember what it was like on the mountaintop. All I can think about is the daunting task ahead of me to climb another mountain! God reminded me of someone in the Bible who was on the mountaintop but a deep, dark valley was up ahead and he didn't even know it.

Genesis 39:2-6 (2)And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man: and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. (3)And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all the he did to prosper in his hand. (4)And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had put into his hand. (5)And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house, and in the field. (6)And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand: and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly (handsome) person, and well favoured.

Joseph had a special calling on his life. Even though he had been sold into slavery by his brothers, his own flesh and blood, he was now in a prominent place and successful. He may have thought this was what the dreams meant. He was in a place of honor and all that he put his hand to was blessed. He had no idea that very soon everything would change and he would find himself in prison for fictitious rape charges.

God wanted me to remember that Joseph's mountaintop experience helped him in the prison. He knew God placed him in the Egyptian's house. He remembered his success and he remembered his dreams. These memories served him well in prison. He was able to rise in ranks in prison and even was given a place of honor to oversee the other prisoners.

I'm not so much like Joseph. I do remember the promises God gave me and the blessings He bestowed on me, but I have a hard time not looking at the prison cell walls instead of thinking about what I will do when I get out. In this valley it is hard and I don't like feeling so far away from God. I know He is with me and He always will be, but it's hard to hear over the noise of the battle.

This week I am memorizing 1 John 4:4 "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." This verse has been pivotal for me. It forces me to remember that the battle is not won by me or anything I do, but by the God who lives inside me and goes before me and fights on my behalf. I am an overcomer because He has made me so.

You may be facing a difficult situation and things just seem to be getting worse instead of better. Look up, for your redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21:28) Remember the God inside of you is greater than the devil in the world. You are an overcomer. You will get through this tough time. You will soon be on the mountaintop where the view is amazing. Don't give up. Don't grow weary. (Galatians 6:9) The valley season is not forever. 

Joseph found that he made a connection in the prison. He met someone who worked in the palace. He forgot Joseph once he was back at work in the palace until someone needed the very gift Joseph had. He was brought before Pharaoh and eventually became second in command. His dreams came true and he was promoted by God to save many people. 

Use this dry season, this valley season, this tumultuous season to make connections and use your gifts whether you see any change in circumstances or not. God is moving. Soon everything will come together and you and I will be exalted to a place of honor by God. He never takes His eyes off us. He has us in the palm of His hand. He is going before us and He stands behind us. He is all around us protecting us and helping us. Be encouraged! The battle belongs to the LORD and He wins every single time!

You are made an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony. (Revelation 12:11) Let's take up our cross, with our full armor on, and suit up for battle. If you are not going through a tough season, just rest in His presence and regain strength, because before you know it, you will be back in the valley fighting the good fight of faith. Let's pray for each other and help each other make it Home!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Pacifier | Fuel For The Weekend

God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. It's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend. 

My mom told me that when I was a baby I loved my pacifier! She said I would have a fit if I lost it or couldn't find it. She tried to hide it in the cabinet from me but I would just keep crying until she gave it to me. 

Some kids love pacifiers and others don't want them at all. My daughter, Kadesia did not care for a pacifier. She was content without it. I offered it to her because I knew how much my mom said I enjoyed one and was surprised when she would try it and spit it out. It was not for her!

My son, Javan took a pacifier for a while. It was longer than his sister but apparently still not as long as I had one. It was a little hard to wean him off the pacifier because he liked to chew on it more than anything.

According to Merriam-Webster's definition, a pacifier is to soothe the anger or agitation of; to restore to a tranquil state. Babies may enjoy pacifiers, regardless of the various names everyone calls it, but adults do, too. Adult soothers may include drugs, alcohol, sex, overspending, overworking, violence, or overeating. These lead to more problems that require more soothers, but for Christians we have soothers that include prayer, reading the Bible, Bible study with others, attending church, encouraging and uplifting one another, singing, praising, and worshiping God.  Our soothers do not create more problems for us, and are available in abundance! We have hope that this life is not all there is.

What happens when Christians do not use the pacifiers we have, and we instead turn to other things to soothe us? We must be careful because God alone is the source of our peace and hope and joy. We can search but we will not find what we are looking for if we do not seek God.

JEREMIAH 29:12-13 (12)Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. (13)And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.

This is the beginning of a new month in a brand new year. Many people are hopeful that things will turn around and be like they were before March last year. The truth is, it might not. Covid is a terrible problem all around the globe. There's a new president going into office, and whether we like it or not, that will also be a change. We must remember things are never going to be perfect. I hear so many say they will be glad when all this is over. Some trust in the government. Some trust in money. Some trust in the stock market. Some trust in their jobs. Some trust in their spouse. Some trust in themselves. We must put our trust in God. He is the author and finisher of our faith.

PSALMS 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

The news is not going to tell us how to have hope; it is a joy killer. The world is not going to teach how to get closer to God; they hate Him. The economy will let us down. Look at the stock market through all the years. It is up and then it is down. It is good then it is bad. People gain a lot of money. People lose a lot of money. Bright, talented, and incredibly gifted men and women, young and old have taken their own life because of the outcome of the stock market. It is heart-wrenching.

What if things get worse this month? You want to be encouraged and I am going to encourage you; but, for a moment imagine that things don't improve this month? Are we looking at our circumstances? Or are we standing on God's Word and what He said about it? Whose report will we believe?

HEBREWS 4:14-16 (14)Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. (15)For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (16)Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

God loves us! He loves His children. Jesus died for our sins. Jesus paid the price for our healing. He is in control. He sits on the throne and He is not shook or scared about the condition this world is in. He hates the wickedness; He hates the sin; but He is not nervous. He is all-powerful. He is in charge and He told us over and over again in His word to Fear Not! We cannot give up!

PSALMS 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Life may not go as planned. We may have to change course in the middle of what we thought was a good idea. We may have to get creative in finding ways to connect with other believers, but we must not give up or give in. We must refresh at the feet of Jesus. Let's help each other make it Home!

PSALMS 90:14 O satisfy us early with Thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

ISAIAH 58:11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Take comfort in the Scriptures. God will guide us continually! He satisfies our soul in dry seasons. He makes our bones healthy! We are like a watered garden. We are growing, thriving, and flourishing because the Living Water does not fail. Instead of reaching for the carnal pacifiers that can never satisfy, tap into God's unfailing love and mercy and grace. Read God's Word and find joy in His presence! There is nothing else like it.

In 2020, while the world was in an uproar over Corona Virus, racial tension, politics, and the various storms and natural disasters that occurred, I was in perpetual peace. The Bible promises to keep us in perfect peace as we keep our minds on Christ. I was not always care-free or worry-free but I had peace. I had peace in my soul, peace in my marriage, peace in my home, and there is nothing like the peace God gives.

If our year is not starting out the way we thought it would, or if we find ourselves looking for ways to soothe our fears, let's turn to Jesus. He will return us to a tranquil state. He will soothe the agitation and anger we feel. He pacifies us. He is all we need.

I hope you have a blessed weekend! Be sure to check back next week for more inspiration. As you enter the weekend I hope something I shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens