Category: Soul (Blessings, Miracles, Prayer, Spiritual Growth)

Psalm 37: 7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!

8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.

Who could have ever envisioned the way in which 2020 has played out? Here in my part of the world, we are re entering yellow phase due to uptick in Coronavirus cases. Restaurants are closing left and right, some temporarily and some permanently. Our local economy has been devastated by the decisions that have been made. Lives are literally being turned upside down. Drug and Alcohol abuse is up, suicide is up, physical abuse is up… society is crumbling before our eyes, and people are watching it happen because they have bought into the fear that the media wants us to feel.

Our media local government has lied about statistics, and created division among citizens in bot racial issues and health (to wear a mask or not). Evil prevails across our entire nation. My heart is broken I’ve the ugliness I see in people…

… and in my daily devotion today, I read Psalm 37. it is David’s acknowledgement that Gods got this under control. “In just a little while the wicked will be no more”

God will take care of His people. I am His People and trusting that He’s got me covered. I doing my best to refrain from anger and forsake wrath because I know it leads to bitterness… the same bitterness that makes me sad.

I don’t know how long “a little while” is in Gods timetable, but I continue to Pray and Trust in my Heavenly Father and will keep doing what I believe He’s called me to do until he returns.

Be blessed today, my friends,

SB

As you know, I’ve chosen my word of the year 2020 to be PRAY, which somehow seems oddly appropriate for all that has happened in the first half!

A few weeks ago, I told my friend Rob that I had been given a burden to pray for him. He was taken aback and told me he didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. I thought about my choice of words, and said that maybe I had chosen them poorly… that a “burden to pray” for someone was more of a privilege or special assignment from God.

I thought about the phrase I had used, somewhat cavalierly, and wondered where it originated, so I googled it…. because, of course, google would know…

What I came across was this blog post by Stephan Neilson, an excerpt from the book, Principles of Prayer.

Burden of Prayer

The blog articulated what I could not… I am blessed by the burden to pray for Rob that it’s hard to describe. When he faced uncertain medical issues last summer, I literally became prostrate and cried out to God because I had absolutely no control over anything that was happening and the ONLY thing I could do was pray.

Turns out it really was the only thing I could do… and the most powerful. God heard my prayers, my pleas with Him to show the doctors what was happening, to remove roadblocks, to heal Rob… and then I watched it happen. Rob began to heal… it wasn’t instantaneous it occurred over several months, with some relapses along the way. And then again in December and January, I found myself prostrate once again, begging God for healing as Rob once again faced uncertainty…. and I knew my word had to be PRAY.

Over those months, God would tell me my job was to keep moving Rob and praying for him, allowing him room to continue to grow… and God reminder me that it was His desire to use Rob. At times, I felt my “control” creep in and I would begin interjecting my opinion, God would remind me that’s not my job… my job is to love and encourage growth, even if I feel it’s not fast enough… not my gig… God’s gig.

Because I am a very take charge type of person, I have a hard time relinquishing control of things I can affect. I learned a very valuable lesson in that experience, where I literally had no control… it is in those times that we can be most open to seeing God work.. for me, it was spiritual growth… for Rob too, as he began to see that God had truly answered my prayers.

As I look back over the past year, I see all the things that have happened, I remain convinced that my prayer life is a privilege… my time communing with my Heavenly Father… asking does guidance, for healing, for salvation, and more.

I absolutely love the God of the universe… and am so very blessed to be able to talk to Him as my best friend every day. My mind is blown all the time at the things I see happening, where His hand is so clearly evident.

“Are you going to trust Me when things get ‘really bad’”? I heard my Lord say…. yes, Lord, I will trust You… because I’ve seen what You do… am I know I’m Yours.

We are all called to be used by God, and we learn to do it by learning to trust Him… for me, the way that happened was first by me being obedient to step out of my comfort zone to do something for Him… then by continuing to seek Him by reading His Word and listening to sermons and praying… then, as I began to see answers to prayers, I grew deeper and deeper… I don’t know where God is taking me… all I know is wherever it is, I am going. 100% committed. 100% vested. 100% trusting that He will guide and provide. 100% praying.

Be blessed today my friends, and rest assured in the promise that God hears your prayers.

SB

God uses broken people like you and me to reach broken people. I’ve seen it throughout my lifetime… and, in fact, it’s the reason I wrote Masquerade I want the world to know what He did for me… and that He can do it for them, too!

What a privilege for me to witness this come to fruition! God is using my friend, Rob, to reach lost sheep and lead them home. Rob, my friend and business partner, who, himself, was lost not that long ago…. who is growing closer and closer to God, listening and obeying the Holy Spirit directing him to help another lost sheep.

I pray God’s protection on both as I was reminded by our Sunday sermon our battle is not against flesh and blood but against evil. I ask you to join me in prayer for “Sam” who is in need of salvation and sobriety. I ask you to pray for Rob as God uses him and his experiences to reach a lost soul… that this experience would continue to strengthen Robs resolve; prayer for protection from relapse himself.

I am absolutely convinced that our time is short. I believe we are seeing the book of Revelation unfold before our eyes. It is our responsibility as Christians to reach a lost world while we can.

I recall earlier discussions with Rob where he asked me why I work so hard to share Jesus with people. “After all,” he said, “you can’t save them all.” It reminded me of the starfish analogy where the boy is throwing starfish back into the ocean after the tide left them. A man asks what he’s doing and when the boy says he’s saving them, the man chides him with, “you can’t save them all”… the wise boy replied, as he tossed another into the water, “yes, but I can save THAT one”

If we all just allowed ourselves to let God use us so that ONE soul would be saved, and that soul would do the same, and those souls would do the same, imagine the impact we could have on a fallen world.

I am far, far from perfect… not even good sometimes… and I am a sinner in constant need of Gods Grace; but I will continue to allow God to use me however He will to make whatever impact I can for His kingdom.

Be blessed today, my friends.

Father, I thank you today for picking me up out of the depths of despair and putting my feet on solid ground. Forgive me when I go astray and bring me back to the path You have for me. Help me to love your people and bring Your light to a dark world. Be with those in need of salvation and sobriety today, Lord, that through Your Holy Spirit they would be awakened. Give Your Children courage to be used to lead others home, and protect them while they reach into dark places to pull others to the Light. In Your Holy Name I pray.

SB

Three different verses… 3 different writers (same Author)… both Old and New Testament. …same message… think it’s important?

Isaiah 6:10
“Render the hearts of this people insensitive,
Their ears dull,
And their eyes dim,
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their hearts,
And return and be healed.”

Matthew 13:15
For the heart of this people has become dull,
With their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes,
Otherwise they would see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart and return,
And I would heal them.’

Acts 28:27
For the heart of this people has become dull, And with their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes;
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart and return,
And I would heal them.”’

Yesterday, in our studio, we held a prayer meeting.. we’ve called it Grace Notes because we owe everything we have to God’s Grace…. only my business partner and I were there, but we spent time in prayer for our country, our city (both Greensburg where the studio is and Pittsburgh). When we opened the studio, we promised God to do our best to honor Him and give back to Him…. our prayer meeting was one way to do that… and, despite the fact that no one else showed up, we will continue to hold prayer meetings for God ha said that where two or more are gathered, He is in our midst.

As a nation, we have fallen far, far away from God. As a citizen, I pray for our return… I pray that people will open their eyes and return to God.

Time is short. God will be using all of His people to reach other people and share Gods Grace with them. My prayer is that, as individuals, people will turn to Him, even is the nation, as a whole, does not.

Be blessed today, my friends!

SB

Lord, reveal Yourself in us today, and show us what You’d have for us to do. We pray for the people You’ve put in our lives, that You’d use us with them and them with us to bring lost people home to You…. that the whole world would know Your glory, Your peace, Your mercy.

Forgive us for the sins we commit, the filth that we are. Restore us and make us whole for Your names sake.

May we bless others by sharing our experiences to mentor and guide those who need it, may we look to those who can mentor us. Give us words to speak when we don’t know what to say. Open our eyes to see Your vision and use us for Your glory.

In Your Holy name I pray, amen

SB

Dreams have long been a love of mine… the stranger, the better. Last nights’ dream told of a journey to a place far away. In preparing for the trip, I turned to my iPad and used an ap to pinpoint the location of my trip. This ap not only showed the physical location, but the population of my destination. As I zoomed in to check it out, I realized I was being sent to the far corners of the earth, where there were hardly any inhabitants….

Mmmmmm

In my dream, I was excited but apprehensive to go. What will I find there? Will they accept me? Will they accept the news I am to bring them?Would I be alone? Would I find what I need to survive?

Have you been given a destination and a mission? Will you go?

Life is not a destination. It is a journey.

Be blessed today, my friends

SB

(A special psalm by David for the music leader. Use with stringed instruments.)

Betrayed by a Friend

Listen, God, to my prayer!Don’t reject my request.2 Please listen and help me.My thoughts are troubled,and I keep groaning3 because my enemies attack with loud shouts.They treat me terribly and hold angry grudges.4 My heart is racing fast,and I am afraid of dying.5 I am trembling with fear,completely terrified. 6 I wish I had wings Like a dove,so I could fly far away and be at peace.7 I would go and live in some distant desert.8 I would quickly find shelter from howling winds and raging storms. 9 Confuse my enemies, Lord!Upset their plans.Cruelty and violence-are all I see in the city,10 and they are like guards on patrol day and night.The city is full of trouble,evil,11 and corruption.Troublemakers and liars freely roam the streets. 12 My enemies are not the ones who sneer and make fun.I could put up with that or even hide from them.13 But it was my closest friend,the one I trusted most.14 We enjoyed being together,when we went with others to your house, our God. 15 All who hate me are controlledby the power of evil.Sentence them to death and send them down alive to the world of the dead. 16 I ask for your help, LORD God,and you will keep me safe.17 Morning, noon, and night you hear my concerns and my complaints.18 I am attacked from all sides,but you will rescue me unharmed by the battle.19 You have always ruled,and you will hear me.You will defeat my enemies because they won’t turnand worship you. 20 My friend turned against me-and broke his promise.21 His words were smoother than butter, and softer than olive oil.But hatred filled his heart,and he was ready to attack with a sword. 22 Our LORD, we belong to you.We tell you what worries us,and you won’t let us fall.23 But what about those people who are cruel and brutal?You will throw them down into the deepest pit long before their time.I trust you, LORD!

2 Corinthians 2

Forgiveness5 I don’t want to be hard on you. But if one of you has made someone feel bad, I am not really the one who has been made to feel bad. Some of you are the ones. 6 Most of you have already pointed out the wrong that person did, and this is punishment enough for what was done.7 When people sin, you should forgive and comfort them, so they won’t give up in despair. 8 You should make them sure of your love for them.9 I also wrote because I wanted to test you and find out if you would follow my instructions. 10 I will forgive anyone you forgive. Yes, for your sake and with Christ as my witness, I have forgiven whatever needed to be forgiven. 11 I have done this to keep Satan from getting the better of us. We all know what goes on in his mind.

2 Corinthians 2:-11 | CEV

In my prayer time this morning, these two passages stood out in my mind. I was led to both of them, though unsure if they, together form the message God wants you to hear today… but here they are.

Let me be a vessel for you, o Lord, to do what You’ve asked me to do. Strengthen and equip me, and open my eyes to Your plan, keeping my ever vigilant to be aware of my enemy. Let my enemy never dwell over me. Give me grace and wisdom. Give me words when I have none. Let not the Enemy have authority of my life but let my life be pleasing to You and you alone. Give me courage and wisdom to carry on. In Your holy name I pray….

SB

From the depths You called me out

Tear stained pillow neath my head

Buckle up, gird your loins

For a different plan instead

Hesitating, cautious intrigue,

Starlight dancing, Ere romancing

Beckon deeper, onward go

Through the thick and smoky fog I see

The vision

Clouded in confusion

Intrigued me yet to follow

Beckon deeper, onward go

As suns heat burns the fog

Sneaks a peak at

The rocky path revealed below

Beckon deeper, onward go

“Are you sure?” My senses thought

As Doubts begin to grow

“Surely not”, I must conclude,

Seems much too hard to go.

But from within the

Heavenly Host reminded, gently chided,

“Beckon deeper, onward go.”

“But show a sign”, I say,

So I may know

The path I’m on is right

I’ve chosen the right way

Nothing from the echos

Save a distant raven cry

Leaves me restless

Ever doubting

Forks unwinding, intertwining

Make it difficult to see

The end from the beginning

Still the Host sings ever faintly

Beckon deeper, onward go

The vision, once so crisp and clear, now

Obscured by the fog in my mind

Fades as the sunlight dims on a dismal day

Battered about by the waves of despair,

against the current borne back ceaselessly into the past

Delicate sorrow fills my heart, the world as we once knew it, spirals to its fateful end

Ugliness replaces beauty in a world now sterile and cold

Once adorned by loving hearts now flattened by deceit

The lies, imploring action lest they lead to bitter end

Rob us of our freedoms by those we might offend

Take shape and gain momentum

Spin a deceptive web of death;

Death to life and liberty, wistful epithet

The meloncholy whisper of the past that we once knew

The rainbow, now slightly faded, turns a muted, milky hue

It’s arch tries hard to remind me that Your promise is still true

Confounded by the chaos, melts to many shades of blue

I’m going back to the places I’ve never been, missing people I’ve never met

Take me back to the places I’ve never been

To see the faces I’ve never seen

Take me back to Your promises

To where you wanted me to be

The fog it lifts

But The dream

Like the red balloon

Drifts slowly away

it dies

Deflated by the lies

…Missing what I thought I never had

Going back to the places I’ve never been

As the entire world has changed literally within an 8 week period, I find myself thinking about things I loosely been aware of but never really imagined would unfold in my lifetime

I find I cherish my early morning devotional time with the Father more than ever.

I find my mind overwhelmed at times with the amount of information bombarding is at every turn. I can’t view my Facebook feed without seeing friends I’ve had for years literally tearing each other apart for differing views.

I have seen videos and read articles, and seen criticism of conspiracy theorists and the like…

I don’t know what tomorrow holds. I only know that I boldly proclaim the name of Jesus in my life… for me, there is no king but Jesus… and I will serve him boldly forever.

Kings and kingdoms shall all pass away, but there’s something about that name….

Be bold… be ready.

SB