WHAT IF – A POEM WARNING OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF TRUSTING MAN’S WORD OVER GOD’S WORD

This poem comes with many warnings intended to cause Christians — and everyone — to think very carefully about what you choose to believe and accept as truth. It is actually a prelude to a post that — Lord willing — I will be writing later on this year in which I will be exposing certain false teachings that have been taught by some very prominent pastors and Bible teachers.

In this upcoming post you will be presented with very detailed information that will bring you to a point of having to make a choice. Will you choose to believe God’s Word that will clearly reveal the truth on the certain issues I will be addressing? Or will you continue to place your trust in the man (or woman) who is teaching things that are contrary to the unchanging truth of God’s Word? The choice will be completely yours, but the choice that you make may come with eternal consequences. Heaven or hell. There are only two places to choose from concerning where you will spend eternity. 

In whom have you place your trust? Is it in God and His Word alone? Or, without even realizing it, have some of you placed your complete trust in the teachings and words of certain men or women in ministry that you highly respect, and you see no reason to even consider the possibility that they may be in error, and therefore you don’t see the need to even search the Scriptures to see if the things they say are true or not? If you answered yes to that final very long question, then you are one of many who could easily be deceived by the teachings of men.

All of us have probably been deceived at one point in time in some way, but in order to avoid being deceived we must stay alert and never forget the many warnings in Scripture concerning false teachers. We must be certain to test the words of every pastor and teacher we listen to, as God’s Word warns us to do. (Acts 17:11) (1 Thessalonians 5:21,22)

Satan, the great deceiver, comes as an angel of light. Some Christians have lost sight of the fact that God’s Word warns us in that same passage of Scripture that “his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness” and therefore have failed to stay alert to the fact that “even from our own number, men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.” (Acts 20:30)

It’s time for us as Christians to be alert and sober minded. Biblical truth is being compromised by many Christian leaders today, and oftentimes it is sacrificed for the sake of unity. Many pastors have lost sight of their mission to teach God’s Word to believers and to equip them so they can discern truth from error. Instead they are seeking to build their own kingdoms based on their own vision casting ideas, and therefore they are building on a foundation of sinking sand instead of on Jesus Christ, the solid Rock.

I am one of many Christians who have been deceived and disappointed by Christian leaders in whom I highly respected and placed my trust in. However, when God opened my eyes to see the truth, I finally realized that we are to be followers of Jesus Christ alone, and believe in His Word alone, regardless of how highly respected a pastor or teacher may be.

By refusing to test the teachings of every pastor and teacher against the truth of God’s Word, we as Christians are elevating them to the same level as God because we are acting as if the words of these men (or women) are infallible. What if these teachers are wrong? What if they mislead you because you are failing to test their words against God’s Word? What if you’re placing your eternal destiny on the line by believing their word over God’s Word?

I wrote the following poem hoping that God will use it in some way to cause you to carefully consider the many warnings in Scripture concerning false teachers and to take these warnings seriously! Please do not place your trust in any man! Test their every teaching against the truth of God’s Word to see if what they say lines up with the truth of God’s Word. Place your trust in Jesus Christ alone and in the truth of His Word alone so that you will never be led astray!

Thank you for stopping by and taking time out of your busy day to read some of my poems and posts.

God Bless You

~Mary Dalke/Living4HisGlory

 

RELATED SCRIPTURES

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” (Psalm 20:7)

“In You, LORD my God, I put my trust.” (Psalm 25:1)

“But I trust in You, LORD; I say, “You are my God.” (Psalm 31:14)

“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in Him.” (Psalm 40:3)

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.” (Psalm 40:4)

“Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!” (Psalm 52:7)

“Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” (Psalm 62:8)

“I will say of the LORD,  “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:2)

“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.” (Psalm 118:8)

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” (1 Peter 1:23-25) KJV

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when  men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 3:16,17-4:1-4)

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:6-8)

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1)

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in your name drive out demons, and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them — bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.” (2 Peter 2:1-3)

“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:11)

“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:16)

“Therefore I declare to you that I am innocent of the blood of all men.  For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.  Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.  Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood.  I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.  Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.  Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” (Acts 20:26-31)

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11)

 

WHAT IF

What if it turns out that what you were taught and firmly believe to be

true, simply is not true

What if the intended important meaning in a passage of Scripture is

obscured by what is taught instead to you

What if the pastor or teacher in whom you place all your trust, teaches,

at times, from human reasoning, instead of from the truth of God’s

Word

What if you continue to reject the many warnings concerning these

teachers, warnings that you presently hear and so often have heard

What if you fail to test the words of these teachers against God’s Word,

truth that God has promised to preserve beyond the end of days

If it’s because you think so highly of them and believe they could never

err, then you are giving men undue  praise

Are you being taught by the Spirit of God, or are your thoughts under

man’s control

What if you are led to believe a lie that will cost you your very soul

Do you think that you can blame these teachers on the day you stand

before the Lord

Your refusal to test their teachings may come with eternal consequences

that you can’t afford

I pray that, with reverent fear, you will seek God in His Word for the

truth; ask Him to give you eyes to see

His truth that will set you free to rejoice, now, and throughout eternity

Copyright©2015 Mary K. Dalke/Living For His Glory/Living4HisGlory All rights reserved.

Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible New International Version®1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society.  Used by permission of Zondervan.  All rights reserved.

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YOU’RE MY EVERYTHING

INTRODUCTION

Life can become extremely overwhelming: a loss of a job, financial problems, relationship problems, health issues, concern for loved ones, desiring loved ones to come to know who Jesus truly is so they might have joy and the assurance of salvation…the list can go on and on! At times it may seem that all we deal with are problems, one after another, many even coming at the same time which may cause us to begin losing our peace and hope! Truth be told, that’s how I’ve been feeling lately. Not only because of certain  circumstances in my life right now, but also because of many of the things I have been writing about recently, and therefore I found the need to express some of my feelings through the following poem.

As always, when I find myself beginning to lose hope, I must make the choice to put aside my feelings and choose to rely on God’s grace that is always sufficient, and His strength that is always made perfect in my weakness. When times like this come, I find my hope, strength, and encouragement in His Word. Soon I am then able to, once again, fight against the battles that rage all around me as I hide myself in Him and make the choice to place my trust in the fact that He is still in control even when the circumstances of life try to say otherwise. It is God alone who restores my hope as I reflect upon His faithfulness to me in the past, and the ultimate sacrifice He made by sending His one and only Son — Jesus Christ, God in the flesh — who lived the perfect, sinless life that I could never live, to become the perfect, once for all sacrifice, by giving His life in my place to reconcile me, a wretched sinner, to a completely Holy God. It is dwelling on the good news of the gospel and the risen Christ, that enables me to once again press on.

If you, dear reader, have not come to the point of placing your trust in the complete and finished work of Jesus Christ’s once for all sacrifice on the cross for your sins, I encourage you to get a Bible and begin reading the Gospel of John, the Book of Romans, Hebrews, Colossians, Ephesians, and wherever else God’s Holy Spirit may direct you. God’s Word, the Bible, is not a book one can understand with their intellect, but rather it is understood spiritually as God’s Holy Spirit opens your understanding to see the truth and to expose false teachings that have blinded you from seeing the truth. Ask God to open your mind to the Scriptures that you might come to know the truth and have hope and strength to face life, one day at a time, and have the assurance of life eternal in heaven.

Thank you for stopping by and taking time out of your busy day to read my poems and posts.

God Bless You

~Mary Dalke – Living4HisGlory

RELATED SCRIPTURES

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)

“We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us.” (2 Corinthians 1:8b-10a)

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  (Romans 15:13)

“Whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. But whoever disowns Me before men, I will disown him before My Father in heaven. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ” ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’ — a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ ” (Matthew 10:32-36)

“I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:10-14)

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God,  for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9,10)

 

SONGS FOR YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT

STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN – HIS STRENGTH IS PERFECT

TWILA PARIS – WARRIOR IS A CHILD

TWILA PARIS – MY LIPS WILL PRAISE YOU

SELAH – PRESS ON

 SELAH – YOU ARE MY HIDING PLACE

SELAH – BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD

 

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I found the rainbow/ocean picture on Photobucket and used the ‘edit’ feature to add the Scripture.

YOU’RE MY EVERYTHING

You’re my joy in the midst of deep sorrow

You’re my hope when I see no hope for tomorrow

You’re my peace when all of life seems so out of control

You’re my strength that calms my weary soul

Jesus, You’re my everything

You’re my hiding place when it seems like no safe place can be found

You know what weighs heavy upon my heart without me uttering a sound

You’re my Savior, my God, the one who reigns on high

You’re aware of all things; nothing escapes Your watchful eye

Jesus, You’re my everything

Your promise to those who love You, is that You will work all things together

for good

Your children, who are called according to Your purposes, rest in this truth

as we should

You’re my provider, my covering, my soon coming King

You’re the only one who now gives me a reason to rejoice and sing

Jesus, You’re my everything

Your Holy Spirit comforts me when I feel I just can’t go on any longer

Your Word gives me wisdom that encourages me and makes me feel stronger

Your sinless life, and the blood You shed unto death in my place, washed all

my sin and guilt away

Your resurrection gives me true hope and assurance, that enables me to face

the trials of each new day

Jesus, You’re my everything

Our world is growing spiritually darker, because many reject what You’re

unchanging Word has to say

All the evidence surrounds us, and not all things will change for the better

when we pray

We can never bring peace to this broken, sin-filled world, no matter how hard

we may try

Your Word is clear; there will be no peace — or unity — until You, the Prince

of Peace, returns and reigns on high

Until my final breath, or until I’m caught up to meet You in the air, from the

depths of my heart I will say

–Jesus, You’re my everything

Copyright ©2015 Mary K. Dalke/Living4HisGlory/Living For His Glory All rights reserved.

Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible New International Version® 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society  Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

 

CHRISTMAS REFLECTIONS

(One of my favorite Christmas pictures of my daughter and son when they were little).

INTRODUCTION

Making Christmas crafts with my children and decorating the tree together, staying up until 2 a.m. assembling and wrapping their presents after they were snuggled in their beds and fast asleep, remembering the joy on my precious children’s faces when they’d open their gifts on Christmas morning…these are just a few of the special memories of Christmas past.

Then there are the ones that still linger in my mind that bring feelings of heart-wrenching sadness, like the one Christmas when my son was older. It was around five or six years after his dad had left us. My daughter was playing either in her room or the family room to pass the time, while my son sat on the couch and waited patiently for his dad to come as he had told him and my daughter that he would. When minutes began to turn into hours, the sadness and disappointment that my son was feeling grew more evident on his face, and my heart broke for him. Then the phone rang, and his dad gave them both the frequently given reply on Christmas day:

“Dad can’t come today, but I’ll come and take you out during the week.”

Even though their dad did call them every day after he left, and came over twice a week to take them out, to tell your children that you are coming on Christmas day and to get their hopes up only to disappoint them, was cruel and totally uncalled for!

Christmas for me personally was very hard. Especially when I had to go to the mall and shop for gifts and watch many different men and women walking hand in hand and laughing together, and I was all alone, but still faithfully waiting and praying that my husband would return home and love me the way a husband is supposed to love his wife.

The Christmas before my ‘husband’ left, when things were tense and I was being completely rejected by him, temptation literally came knocking at our door:

It was about a week before Christmas, and it was after 10:00 p.m. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. As usual, my ‘husband’ was out with his friends, so I was not about to answer the door when I was home alone with two little kids. My daughter, who was nine years old at the time, but very wise for her age, kept telling me to open the door, and I kept telling her all the reasons why I shouldn’t. However, I gave in when she said, “Mommy, maybe God wants you to open the door.”  Hesitantly, I opened the door, keeping the screen door locked. There in front of me stood a tall, dark, and handsome man. He said,

“Hi. I know it’s late, but my car died out in front of your house, and I just wanted to let you know that I called the police to let them know, and I will be back tomorrow with a friend to help me get it started.”

I said, “Okay,” and closed the door. The verse “make the most of every opportunity” came to mind, and since it was almost Christmas and I had a box of New Testament Bibles and would give a New Testament to people who would come to my door whether they were Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons, or selling magazines or windows, etc., I decided to give him one, as well. After all, it couldn’t be a coincidence that his car just happened to die out in front of my house when his car could have died out a few houses further down the street. I knew that God wanted me to share the gospel with this man, so I wrote a short message inside of the New Testament that I was going to give him. I said something like this:

“I don’t know what you have gone through in life, but I know that it wasn’t a coincidence that your car happened to die out in front of my house. I believe that God allowed your car to die out in front of my house because He knew that I would be faithful to share His love and truth with you. He wants to bring healing to your broken heart and hope for your future that can only come by receiving His love and forgiveness.”

In my message I clearly shared the gospel with him, and included a tract, as well. In front of the Bible was a list of questions that led a person to the knowledge of the fact that we are all sinners in need of a Savior, and the need to repent of sin, and listed many Scriptures where these truths could be found. When I finished writing the letter, I put it inside of the Bible and wrapped it in Christmas paper so I would be ready for when he would return  with his friend the next day hoping to get his car started.

The next day he did return with his friend, and after his car started he came and knocked on our door to let us know. I then held out the wrapped Bible, and said, “This is for you.” He said,  “What’s this?” I said, “Well, it’s almost Christmas, and I wanted to give you this.” He looked stunned and appreciative as he took the package and thanked me and went to his car. I closed the door but stood there and prayed strongly as I watched him walk to his car through the tiny window in the door. He sat there for a while, so I figured he was opening his gift, so I closed my eyes and strongly began to pray for him. I prayed that God would prepare his heart and mind to receive the message of the gospel and all that I had shared with him. Suddenly, I heard the door bell ring, and opened the door to see him standing there. With tears in his eyes, he said, “How did you know?” He proceeded to tell me that he had been in Viet Nam and how when he came back his wife had left him. Everything that happened I recorded in my diary, but basically I said the following to him:

“I didn’t know. I just knew that God allowed your car to die out in front of my house and knew that He wanted me to give you a Bible and to tell you that He loves you.” 

His eyes filled with tears as he thanked me again, and he went back to his car and drove away.

Little did I know that he would return less than a year later, just a couple of months after my ‘husband’ left us. To make a loooong story short, he came to our door and said the following words to me:

“I thought about you a lot over the past year. I didn’t come back to start trouble; I just needed to come back to see if it was you, or Jesus in you that I was attracted to.”

I stood strong, and in my mind I kept saying, “Jesus in me! Jesus in me!” I loved and feared God too much to give in to temptation, and I loved my ‘husband’ in spite of how he treated me throughout our marriage to ever consider getting involved with another man when I was still married to him.

In an attempt to stop him from continuing to talk about me, I turned the focus of the conversation on to Jesus, and shared the gospel with him again, making it clear to him that we are all sinners in need of a Savior, so that he would see his need to turn from sin by having a true godly sorrow in his heart for the things he had done. I asked him if he would like to receive God’s love and forgiveness, by placing his complete trust in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of his sins, and he said he did. I led him in a prayer, and he repeated it after me, and when we were done he looked as if the weight of the world had lifted off of his shoulders.

After encouraging him to continue reading the Bible, I tried to end our conversation so he would leave, because he was saying all kinds of things that every woman would like to hear. Especially a woman like me who rarely ever heard those kind of things from her husband; a ‘husband’ who had now left me. There was no sexual overtones to anything he said; he just made comments about the thoughts he had concerning me over the past year. Things like how he thought I was pretty, and how he thought about my “big brown eyes.” As I firmly tried to end our conversation, he handed me a ripped piece of paper with his phone number on it and told me that I could call him if I wanted to, and then he finally left.

I could have tried to justify calling him in my mind by telling myself that ‘he needs my guidance,’ but the  thought to do that never crossed my mind; I knew this would not be God’s will, and I would be setting myself up for temptations if I ever did. He was completely in God’s hands now. I never called him, and he never came to my home again. It was one of those opportunities that I made the most of, at a time when I could have been sad and depressed, but I chose instead to share the love of God and the gospel of grace, hope, and forgiveness with this heart-broken man. We as Christians need to see the opportunities that God sets before us, but we need to proceed with caution! We must use the opportunities that come our way with the desire to bring glory to God by constantly being led by His Spirit and not our flesh, because  Satan will try to use some of these opportunities that come our way in an attempt to destroy us (1 Peter 5:8) if we are not constantly in God’s Word and ignore the warnings clearly set forth in Scripture!

I praised God for the opportunity that He gave me that night, and still praise Him and stand in awe at how He arranged for this man’s car to die out in front of our house that night right before Christmas so many years ago!

 

RELATED SCRIPTURES

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” (Isaiah 43:18)

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13b,14)

“Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15,16)

“Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:5,6)”Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him standing firm in the faith…” (1 Peter 5:8,9a)

“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9,10)

“We know that we live in Him and He in us, because He has given us His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.” (1 John 4:13-16)

Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible New International Version® 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society.  Used by permission of Zondervan.  All rights reserved.

CHRISTMAS REFLECTIONS

The Christmas season has a way of bringing many memories to my mind

Some are precious moments tucked away, unchanged by time

Some are best forgotten, but they linger still the same

Some bring tears of joy, some still a hint of pain

Unmet expectations, hopes and dreams yet to be fulfilled

Sorrow grows within my heart, and yet, in a moment’s time, because of Christ, my

heart is stilled

I choose instead to reflect upon that holy night, so long ago

When God sent His only Son to redeem mankind, because He loved us so

I take time to reflect upon the moment, that He gave me eyes to see

His redemptive plan revealed in Scripture, His truth that set me free

It’s then my perspective changes, before my emotions send me spiraling out

of control

I choose instead to be led by His Spirit, to find someone who is broken of heart

and soul

Someone who needs to hear the gospel message, that brings hope, forgiveness,

and grace

A message that can set a captive free, and bring a heart-felt smile to light one’s face

Though there are many longings in my heart that still remain

From dwelling on thoughts that can lead to despair and hopelessness, I must choose

to refrain

As this year draws to an end, I reflect upon one thing I know to be true

That God’s love transcends any love I’ve ever known, for He came down to give

His life for me —and you

Copyright©2014 Mary K. Dalke/Living4HisGlory/Living For His Glory All rights reserved.

Updated January 5th, 2015 (Added more thoughts to my Introduction and another Scripture).

Thank you for stopping by! And thank you very much for taking the time to read some of my posts and poems.

A BLESSED HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!

God Bless You

~Mary/Living4HisGlory

 

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BETRAYED

INTRODUCTION

To have someone betray your trust is a very devastating and painful experience to go through regardless of who the person is that has betrayed you!  It may have been your husband, your wife, a trusted friend,  or even a family member. 

Sadly, many of us are now having to add pastors to that list of people who have betrayed us!  And that is the act of betrayal that this poem will focus on.  Many men of God whom  we’ve placed our trust in for years, slowly over time or all of a sudden come to the point of  changing so drastically that we  oftentimes are left wondering why and feel we can never trust another pastor again!  Pastors who once earnestly contended for the faith are now aligning themselves with pastors who distort God’s Word and preach taking verses completely out of context!  Many pastors  close their ears to the warnings that godly men share with them, they brush off the valid concerns we express to them, they place themselves in positions of power that should never have been given to them and crush those who served faithfully under them for many years!  Some pastors rule as tyrants building their own kingdoms instead of being loving shepherds guiding their sheep in the truth of God’s Word and building on Christ as their only foundation, and living to bring glory to Him alone!

The message in the following poem is clear, and ends with the lesson that God is trying to teach us all.  And the lesson is this: We are not to put our trust in men, for they will only fail us in one way or another.  God is the only one worthy of our trust.  And even though we may not always understand why some things happen as they do, we can have the assurance that He will always be there for us and He will never betray us, deceive us, or forsake us.  Studying His Word, praying for discernment, and allowing His Holy Spirit to guide us in all truth will keep us alert so we will never be deceived.  However, in light of the drift from Biblical truth that is taking place today, please keep in mind that there’s an extremely high possibility that once again we will be betrayed by a pastor or teacher we thought for sure we could trust.

Below is another poll for you to please participate in, and this one will accept votes for an entire week.  This poll will give you an opportunity to express your frustrations, as well.  Your identity is not made known to me, so feel free to vote and make any comments you’d like.  You can also leave a comment or send me a message using the contact form below.

I’d like to express my appreciation to the one and only person who chose to respond to the last poll I posted.  If that was you, thank you very much for taking the time to do so!

SCRIPTURES FOR YOU TO REFLECT ON

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” (Psalm 20:7)

“In You, LORD my God, I put my trust.” (Psalm 25:1)

“But I trust in You, LORD; I say, “You are my God.” (Psalm 31:14)

“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in Him.” (Psalm 40:3)

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.” (Psalm 40:4)

“Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!” (Psalm 52:7)

“Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” (Psalm 62:8)

“I will say of the LORD,  “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:2)

“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.” (Psalm 118:8)

“Woe to you, destroyer, you who have not been destroyed!  Woe to you, betrayer, you who have not been betrayed!  When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, you will be betrayed.” (Isaiah 33:1)

“Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and narrow the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.  Watch out for false prophets.  They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them.  Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus by their fruit you will recognize them.  Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to Me on that day,  ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly,  ‘I never knew you.  Away from Me, you evildoers.” (Matthew 7:13-23)

“Remember Lot’s wife.” (Luke 17:32)

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13)

“Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.” (John 17:17)

“And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5:15)

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do. For it is written: “Be holy because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:13-16)

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off  everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)

“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.  But as for you continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:12-17)

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13b, 14)

Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible New International Version® 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society.  Used by permission of Zondervan.  All rights reserved.

 

BETRAYED

We looked to you to preach God’s Word, to protect

us and to help us grow

To guide us in truth, to warn us of wolves, to help us

discern so false teachers we’d know

But instead you chose them as your friends, false

teachers, who are enemies of the cross

You failed to give them much needed correction, all

trust and respect for you is now at a loss

We feel betrayed by you, our pastor and shepherd,

for you have chosen to go your own way

The ‘vision casting’ plans you presented to us, do not

line up with what God’s Word has to say

Oh, won’t you please take time to seek God in this

matter, to consider the truth that’s so clear in His

Word

And separate from those who have led you astray,

taking heed to all the warnings you’ve heard

Betrayed by you, a man who always says, “You are

loved,” but your actions speak much louder than the

words that you speak

Is it really God’s will that you desire to do, or is it only

the desires of your own heart that you seek

Many hearts and lives you’ve left broken and

shattered, by the careless, painful words you spoke

that cut deep like a knife

Will you ever acknowledge all the pain that you’ve

caused, and repent and simply preach God’s Word

that leads to eternal life

But your actions have taught us all a valuable lesson;

to trust in men is something we are never to do

We must place our trust in Christ alone, allowing His

Spirit to guide us in God’s Word to know what is true

We now realize the importance of being a Berean, to

test all that’s said and done after we’ve sought God

for discernment and prayed

It is so never again will we have to say, that ‘we have

been deceived and –betrayed’

Copyright© 2014 Mary K. Dalke/LivingForHisGlory/Living4HisGlory  All rights reserved.

WILL YOU BE DECEIVED INTO UNITY?

INTRODUCTION

The following poem came about as I began hearing the many calls for ‘unity‘ and became deeply troubled by what I was hearing!  I know that there are many other born-again, true followers of Christ who are equally as troubled by these calls for ‘unity’ as I am, and the way I decided to warn other Christians was by writing about it and expressing my thoughts through the following poem.

When I first watched the video above, I was shocked by the responses of acceptance and approval expressed by many people in the audience to what Tony Palmer was saying which obviously revealed that many lack Biblical discernment and the knowledge and understanding that the teachings of the Catholic church have not changed at all!  Below is just one of the many examples of the “anathemas” declared by the Catholic church.  This is Canon IV from the Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent which still stands today:

 

Many who claim to be Christians fail to test what is being said (by those who claim to speak Biblical truth) against the truth of God’s Word, (Acts 17:11) and therefore are sadly led into spiritual deception because they are moved by their emotions, and in this case many are thinking how Jesus would want us all to unite to bring about His desire for all of us to be as one, when this is not the type of unity Jesus was praying for in John 17…

“My prayer is not for them alone.  I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You.  May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.  I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as we are one–I in them and You in Me–so that they may be brought to complete unity.  Then the world will know that you sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.”  (John 17:20-23)

I may share some more thoughts with you – if time allows – but I want to post this poem now to give enough time for as many as possible to respond to the poll I posted below.  I would deeply appreciate your participation if the question applies to you!  Thank you, and God bless you!

RELATED SCRIPTURES

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel– which is really no gospel at all.  Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.  But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!  As we have already said, so now I say again: if anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” (Galatians 1:6-9)

“Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)

“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”  (Philippians 3:7-9)

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith,–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8,9)

“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we have done, but because of His mercy.” (Titus 3:4,5)

“The end of all things is near.  Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.” (1 Peter 4:7)

“Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.  Therefore I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men.  For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.  Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.  Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood.  I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.  Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.  So be on your guard!  Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” (Acts 20:25-31)

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1)

 

WILL YOU BE DECEIVED INTO UNITY?

Unity with those who teach false doctrine is not what Jesus had in mind

When He prayed unto His Father before He left this world behind

And yet we see this happening right before our very eyes

The call for unity that’s now taking place is spiritual deception in disguise

Lulled into a state of compromise because Christians fail to test what’s said

against God’s Word

They’re being emotionally manipulated and therefore deceived by all the lies

that they have heard

Some lies being told are, “The protest is over,” and “The miracle of unity has

begun”

And that we’ll “commit the sin of separation by refusing to join together all

as one”

A call for unity now goes out all across the land

A claim that “on doctrinal issues we all agree,” so link now, hand in hand

But nothing could be further from the truth, Vatican II sure makes that clear

All anathemas are still in place, and precious Catholics are still deceived and

bound by fear

Will you be deceived into unity by all the voices you will hear

Will you be led by your emotions that stir your heart and cause your eyes to

tear

Or will you recognize deception at the very moment it comes your way

Because you know God’s Holy Word and for discernment you always pray

Jesus strongly and repeatedly warns us of deception in His Word, so be alert;

do not be deceived

Even ‘New Age’ mysticism is being taught and accepted; doctrines of demons

now openly practiced and believed

The return of Jesus Christ could come at any moment, the signs are all around

us, it’s clear to see

So stand strong, be guided by God’s Spirit and not your emotions, don’t be

deceived into a Christless unity

COPYRIGHT © 2014 Mary K. Dalke/LivingForHisGlory/Living4HisGlory All rights reserved.

“For the preaching of the cross…” Picture obtained from  KingJamesBibleOnline.org

I found and ‘quick captured’ the shot of Canon IV from the ‘Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent’ in a Mike Gendron video.  I will post the video here in the very near future.

Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible New International Version® 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society.  Used by permission of Zondervan.  All rights reserved.

Lord willing, coming soon:

MY TESTIMONY: FROM FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY TO PEACE AND ASSURANCE — HOW GOD REVEALED THE TRUTH TO ME AS I WAS READING A CATHOLIC NEW TESTAMENT BIBLE

(In this post I will be sharing many of the teachings of the Catholic church with you and testing them against the truth of God’s Word.  I will be using an exact copy of the Catholic New Testament  I originally read back in 1980 with the hope that God will open the eyes of many Catholics so that they will  also see and receive the joyous truth of who Jesus really is, and what  His perfect, sinless life,  His  death, and His resurrection really accomplished for us!  Lord willing, I hope to have it done by the end of July –possible August.  If you’re interested I hope you’ll consider checking  back  here from time to time.  God bless you!) **UPDATE** ALREADY COMPLETED AND POSTED MY TESTIMONY. YOU CAN ACCESS ALL THREE PARTS BY CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW:

MY TESTIMONY: FROM FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY, TO PEACE AND ASSURANCE – HOW GOD REVEALED THE TRUTH TO ME AS I WAS READING A CATHOLIC NEW TESTAMENT BIBLE – PART 3 (TO READ PART 1 AND 2, CLICK AT THE VERY TOP OF THE POST WHERE INDICATED)

 

A PERFECT PEACE

INTRODUCTION

First I want to say, “I’m sorry” to all of you for not writing anything lately.  To be honest with you, it’s been rather difficult to find the time to even have a few minutes to concentrate and get my thoughts together to write a post or poem since I lost my job of 13 years at the end of October.  I am still searching for a new job, and have had no replies from anyone on the two sites where I posted my resume’, but in Christ’s strength I continue to press on. 

In spite of everything I have been going through lately, I completely stand in awe of the peace that God has given me, and that’s what inspired me to write the following poem so that I can give God the glory for blessing me with His perfect peace that allows me to rest in Him and sleep peacefully every night.  Yes, I did have a few brief moments of crying out to God for His wisdom on what to do and where to go, and I may possibly still have a few of those moments in the days (hopefully not weeks and months) to come, but because I have built my life on Christ as my firm foundation, my faith and trust in Him has not been shaken.

As I was writing this poem I also thought of the many who do not know Jesus and the hope and peace that comes from having a personal relationship with God through Him…people who have been devastated by physical, sexual, and verbal abuse…people who have tragically lost a loved one to death or an accident, and they have been hurt so deeply that they lash out at God instead of crying out to Him for His comfort and His help…people who hate themselves because of some of the wrong choices they have made and they want to end their lives because they can’t go back and change the past.  With all of that in mind, I addressed these brokenhearted people in the final six verses of the following poem, and pray that if anyone who has been devastated by life’s painful circumstances does find their way to my blog,  that God will somehow use my poem — and especially the Scriptures — to bring hope and comfort to their broken and shattered heart.

Thank you very much for stopping by and taking time out of your busy day to read some of my poems and posts.

An early ‘Merry Christmas’ to all of you!

God Bless You

~Mary Dalke/Living4HisGlory/Living For His Glory

 

SCRIPTURES FOR YOU TO REFLECT ON

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a child is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) KJV

“For  He Himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in His flesh the law with its commands and regulations.  His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility.  He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.  For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:14-18)

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” (Romans 5:1,2a)

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

“Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God,  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6,7)

A PERFECT PEACE

Amidst deep feelings of rejection, there remains a perfect peace

Untouched by man’s cruel endeavors, I now see as God’s instruments of release

A perfect peace that only comes from knowing that God is in control

His peace silences every fearful thought that comes, and stills my very soul

Like the perfect peace that filled many hearts when Christ was born that starry night

The fulfillment of many prophecies, hope was born and fear gave flight

The Messiah, the Promised One, who came to free us from our sin

And clothe us in His righteousness, and transform our hearts within

He took on flesh so willingly, and willingly laid down His life for you and me

So that those who’d place their trust in Him would be forgiven and set free

Jesus bore the full wrath of God for all our sin, though Pilate fought for His release

So the barrier of sin would be removed, and with God, His Father, we’d then have

perfect peace

A peace beyond human comprehension, no matter what circumstances one may face

His strength made perfect in our weakness, and sufficient is His grace

A peace not based on mere emotion, but rooted in Christ and in His Word

For we stand on Christ, our firm foundation, unshaken by what we see or what we’ve

heard

We can have the calm assurance that God works all things together for our good

Even when we pray and trust, and things still don’t turn out as they should

Is your life in utter chaos, do you think He’s unaware…

Of all the pain you hold inside, do you believe He doesn’t care

Do you shake your fist at God, have you even convinced yourself He isn’t real

Have unspeakable tragedies severely affected how you see things, and how you feel

Cry out to God to know what’s true, turn from sin; find sweet release

You’ll receive His healing love and complete forgiveness, and you too can have…a

perfect peace

Copyright©2013 Mary K. Dalke/Living4HisGlory/Living For His Glory All rights reserved.

Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible New International Version® 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society Used by permission of Zondervan.  All rights reserved.

Picture obtained from Photobucket –

Scripture added by Mary K. Dalke on Photobucket 

 

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN READING:

BEYOND THE MANGER TO THE CROSS (CHRISTMAS 2009)

FOR GOD SO LOVED HE GAVE (CHRISTMAS 2010)

LOOKING BACK (NEW YEARS EVE 2010)

CHRISTMAS — HOLDING ON TO HOPE (CHRISTMAS 2011)

LET’S NOT FORGET THAT JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON  (CHRISTMAS 2012)

Save

TEARS IN A BOTTLE

INTRODUCTION

While I am still working on ‘Part 2’ of my testimony and still continuing to await the arrival of the Catholic New Testament that was sent to the “wrong person” by “mistake,” (although I would like to believe that maybe God allowed it to happen so the person who received it would read His Word and come to know the true gospel and repent and place their complete trust in the fact that Jesus paid our debt to sin in full) so that I can finally complete my testimony and post it for you to read, I decided to use all the emotional turmoil I have been going through lately by expressing my heart through a poem in the hopes of encouraging someone who may be going through a hard time right now, as well.  So with that being said, I’ll share some thoughts with you that brought this poem into being…

Sometimes the circumstances that we go through in life can be pretty overwhelming.  Those of us who are Christians pray about all that weighs heavily upon our hearts, such as the salvation of our family, the loneliness we may sometimes feel, the hurt and the sorrow we have experienced because of betrayal or rejection by someone, and we think we have surrendered it all into God’s hands.  Then we go about our busy lives, caught up in the day after day cycle of getting up and getting ready for work, and trying to glorify God by the way we live our lives throughout our day, as well as looking for opportunities for God to use us to share His love and truth with someone, and we think that all is well.  Until, all of a sudden something happens to expose the hurt and sorrow buried deep inside, and the tears that we have continued to hold back for so long, now come uncontrollably streaming down our cheeks.

Sometimes we cause our own pain by making the mistake of thinking we can figure God out and what He is trying to do in each situation that comes our way.  We think that since we have been faithful to live for Him for so long, that surely now is our time that we will see His hand of blessing and that our overwhelming circumstances — whatever they might be — is finally about to change.  But when things don’t work out the way we believed God was going to do it, we end up feeling deeply sad and disappointed.  Some of us think it’s God who has failed us, but instead it’s our own fault for thinking we had it all figured out.  We just have to trust Him and know that His ways are always higher than our ways, and instead of focusing on God fulfilling our desires, we must choose to look at each situation we find ourselves in with an eternal perspective, pray for wisdom, and seek to know His will so we can somehow bring Him glory in spite of how sad or disappointed we may feel.  Then stand and wait to be amazed at what God intended to do all along, and how He may use you to bring His perfect will to pass, bringing Him the glory He is SO worthy and deserving of!  Yes, He certainly could have done it without us, but what a blessing it is when we are privileged to be used by God in some way, whether it’s to reveal truth to someone, to encourage someone, or whatever way it might be!

God bless you.  And thank you very much for taking the time to read my posts and poems.

RELATED SCRIPTURES

“Put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?”  (Psalm 56:8b)

“I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.” (Psalm 6:6)

“Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.”  (Psalm 39:12)

“My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, “Where is thy God?”  (Psalm 42:3)

“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”  (Psalm 126:5)

“A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.”  (Ecclesiastes 3:4)

“And Peter remembered the words of Jesus, which said unto him, “Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice.”   And he went out and wept bitterly.”  (Matthew 26:75)

“And when He was come near, He beheld the city and wept over it.”  (Luke 19:41)

“Jesus wept.” (John 11:35)

“He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all–how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”  (Romans 8:32)

“For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of water: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:17)

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away.”  (Revelation 21:4)

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.”  (Proverbs 3:5,6)

“For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”  (Isaiah 41:13)

“For God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”  (1 John 4:10)

“Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.  Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.  Let them turn to the LORD and He will have mercy on them, and to our God for He will freely pardon.  “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,”  declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My Word that goes out from My mouth: it will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”  (Isaiah 55:6-11)

“Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You.  Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul.”  (Psalm 143:8)

TEARS IN A BOTTLE

So many tears so many of us have, all stored up inside

Living life from day to day, from our pain we attempt to hide

Filling each and every moment so we have no time to think

Some of us may turn to God, some turn to drugs or drink

Tears of joy and tears of sorrow as I reflect upon the past and what may lie ahead

Some are treasured memories, some are things that cause me to dread

Some say we trust Him with our lives and all our future plans

And that we have ‘surrendered all’ into His loving hands

And yet we grieve for what was, and dream of how things could be

Our perspective is short sighted, only God can truly see

We are told not to worry and not to fear

At these times to the Lord we do draw near

Trying so hard to ‘be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might’

But still these tears I now continue to fight

When all at once a flood of emotions from deep within

Comes rushing forward, they overwhelm me and win

Jesus wept, but not once did He sin

He grieved and He mourned and expressed His feelings within

So from the depths of our souls to the Lord we shout

For salvation for our children and our family our hearts cry out

Sometimes we cause our own sorrow; we’re our own worst enemy

We play things out in our minds how we think things are going to be

We then blame God for not coming through

When the only one to blame, is really me –and you

We just have to trust Him, for He knows what’s best

He sees the end from the beginning, in Him we must rest

He holds our tears in a bottle, sometimes I think mine will overflow

But if in those moments of sorrow we choose to praise Him, it’s then

His grace and peace we will know

We must believe He has a purpose for all He allows to come our way

We may see His amazing reason if we’ll choose to trust and pray

If we live by our emotions, we may miss His real blessings from His hands

We must look beyond our pain so we might see His eternal plans

Our tears may become tears of joy as we see His plan revealed

Only clinging to our hurt and desires is what kept the truth concealed

His ways are always higher, sometimes beyond our ever knowing why

Trusting He is in control will cease the tears we cry

Held in a bottle each tear is kept

From every moment in joy and in sorrow, each tear that we’ve wept

God cares so much more for His own than we could ever comprehend

He expressed His love through the death of His only Son whom He did send

If He did not spare His only Son but gave Him up for you and me

Be assured of His very best both now, and throughout eternity

Yes, each tear He holds in a bottle, tears we cry when we just don’t understand

But He’ll always be there to give us peace and comfort, and He’ll guide us

as He takes hold of our hand

Copyright© 2013 Mary K. Dalke/Living4HisGlory/LivingForHisGlory All rights reserved.

Scriptures taken from The King James Version and The Holy Bible New International Version® 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society.  Used with permission of Zondervan.  All rights reserved.

Picture obtained from Photobucket

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A GODLY FRIEND IS A GIFT

INTRODUCTION

While I am still preparing to write Part 2 of my testimony, (UPDATE: ALREADY WRITTEN AND POSTED) I decided to take some time first to write a poem that I have thought about writing a few years ago. The subject of ‘godly friendships’ was also requested as  an idea for a poem by one of this blog’s faithful readers, who is also a blessing and a great encouragement to me.  So here’s another one for you, Cindy.  And thank you SO much for your encouragement and interest in reading these poems.

Thank you also to those who have subscribed to this blog, and thank you also to those who stop by from time to time.  I appreciate every one of you!  God bless you.

**UPDATED 6/17/13** As I began to think about ‘godly friendships’ in order to gather my thoughts so I could write this poem, many thoughts crossed my mind, and some of the verses of the following poem reflect those thoughts.  I thought about the godly friends that God brought into my life who helped and encouraged me through the many years of rejection and heartache that I endured through the years that I was married.  I thought of the friends I made on the Internet who crossed my path for a few short years and who always seemed to show up just when I needed some encouragement and hope, and then they were gone; some sadly never to be heard from again. 

I thought about other friends I have made on the Internet, some whom I have personally met and enjoyed getting to know, until sadly, life calls them to move on, and your heart breaks and your eyes fill with tears because you hate to see them go.  And I also thought about others whom I have interacted with but have not met, yet still a strong bond begins to form because of sharing the same deep hurt and righteous anger that one experiences when one sees their pastor begin to change and drift from constantly preaching a Biblically solid sermon, to a sermon laced with manipulative thoughts and distorted Scriptures in order to promote his own agenda, and who oftentimes chooses to reject godly advice and valid concerns from godly men and some godly sheep under his care.  It has been a blessing to meet some of you, because when I knew I had to take a stand for Biblical truth and leave my church, Harvest Bible Chapel, Rolling Meadows, a deep sense of loneliness came upon me.  And meeting some of you gave me a sense of connection and healing, because my heart in part is still there, and goes out to all of you knowing how many of you must feel.  Please know I am still praying for all of you, as well as for James, Rick, and all the elders on staff.

Even though many of us may be blessed with godly friendships, we must be cautious because some of us may find ourselves depending on these friends more than on God Himself, when He alone is the only one who can provide the peace that surpasses all human understanding, His grace that is always sufficient to see us through the trials we may face, and the wisdom that can be found in His Word and in times of prayer as we seek Him for the wisdom we need to deal with the heartache and trials that we face, which is why I posted the song below.  Truly Jesus is ‘the Friend of a wounded heart.’

Thank you again for stopping by, and thank you again very much for taking the time to read my posts and poems. God bless you!

(The only thing that bothers me about the following video is the fact that Jesus is portrayed without scars on His hands/wrists.  I wondered if the person who put this video together was part of some type of cult, but didn’t see any evidence in their other videos to support my concern.  I thought that was important to mention, and would have chosen another version of this song, but this was the best choice of the ones that had lyrics).

FAITHFUL FRIEND – TWILA PARIS AND STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN

WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS – PIANO WITH LYRICS

RELATED SCRIPTURES

“Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread has lifted up his heel against me.” (Psalm 41:9)

“You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness in my closest friend.” (Psalm 88:18)

“A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” (Proverbs 12:26)

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (Proverbs 4:9,10)

“Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up — one on one side, one on the other — so that his hands remained steady till sunset.” (Exodus 17:9-12)

“A friend loves at all times…” (Proverbs 17:17a)

“Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.” (Proverbs 22:24)

“Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”             (Proverbs 27:6)

“Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel.” (Proverbs 27:9)

“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24)

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  You are My friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business.  Instead I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:13-15)

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3,4)

“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11)

“Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”  (Deuteronomy 31:6)

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have,because God has said,  “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  (Hebrews 13:5)

“Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so you will not grow weary and lose heart.  In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.  And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:  “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son.” (Hebrews 12:1-6)

“See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.  We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly to the end the confidence we had at first.” (Hebrews 3:12)

“When I say to a wicked man ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sins, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.” (Ezekiel 3:18,19)

“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.  Carry each other’s  burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:1,2) 

“Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.”  (2 Thessalonians 3:15)

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction.  For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 3:16, 4:2-4)

“But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (Luke 13:3)

“He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.” (Proverbs 10:17)

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1,2)

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13,14)

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” (1 Corinthians 9:24,25)

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial,because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12)

“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers — not because you must, but because you are willing as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.  And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” (1 Peter 5:2-4)

“I am coming soon.  Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.  Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God.”   (Revelation 3:11,12)

A GODLY FRIEND IS A GIFT

A godly friend is a gift from heaven above

To encourage and bless you with a sense of God’s

love

They give you strength and support when life’s

battles wear you down

And spur you on to run life’s race to receive an

everlasting  crown

Many are ‘forever friends,’ some only for a season

Each one seems to arrive at just the right moment in

time, and stays till they accomplish God’s own

purpose and reason

Some may come to give you extra courage to face

paralyzing fears

Some may come to give you comfort in the midst of

blinding tears

One may come just to give you hope when all hope

appears to be lost

They help to turn your eyes back onto Christ,

reminding you your debt to sin was paid in full

at such a high cost

One may come for a brief moment just to put a smile

upon your face

By speaking words that will encourage you, or by

simply giving you a warm embrace

A godly friend will care enough to warn you when

you stray off the narrow path

So you’ll repent and find God’s mercy, and not face

God’s judgment and wrath

A godly friend will always embolden you to press on;

to finish the race

So you will walk by faith and not by sight, depending

upon His strength and His grace

A godly friend will never abandon you, in the midst of

trials and sorrow,

Yet their path in life may lead them away, after years

–or maybe tomorrow

Yes, a godly friend is a gift from heaven above, but

we should never allow them to take God’s place

We should run to Him first when life’s battles rage,

for He alone can give us His much needed strength

and grace

Christ will be a faithful friend who will stick closer

than a brother

He alone will never leave or forsake you, He is above

and like none other

Copyright©2013 Mary K. Dalke/Living For His Glory/Living4HisGlory All rights reserved.

Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible New International Version®1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society.  Used by permission of Zondervan.  All rights reserved.

Photo obtained from Photobucket – Icymorning1.jpg

(UPDATED 5/6/15 Enlarged and darkened print to make this post easier for you to read on my new blog design. Lord willing, I will be doing this to all my previous posts, as well, when time allows).

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AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE

INTRODUCTION

Little did I realize at the end of 2012 when I first began to share with you that I would soon be sharing my testimony with you, that I would now be doing so at such a highly significant time in the history of the Catholic church.  Not only is it at the time shortly following Pope Benedict’s decision to step down from his position as head of the Catholic church — being the first pope to do so in nearly 600 years — but also at the time just following the election of the new pope — Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope.  As always, God’s timing is perfect.

The reason I wanted to share my testimony with you at this point in time, is because of the fact that it was right before Easter in 1980 that God opened my eyes while reading a little Catholic New Testament Bible to see the glorious truth of what the message of the gospel really is.  Unfortunately, because life has been rather hectic lately, I was unable to have it completed for you by Easter because of all the information I intend to share with you.  So for now, I will simply post the poem I wrote last week, (which is like a Catholic version of my ‘Warning You With Tears’ poem) and I will continue to update this post, adding  my testimony, as well as important information to not only verify what I share with you, but also to help Catholics, as well as everyone else, see what the Catholic church actually teaches about salvation and many other important issues that greatly affects a person’s life, and most importantly, their eternal destination!  So, if you are interested, please consider checking back towards the end of May, when, Lord willing, I hope to have Part 1 of my testimony completed.

The reason I want to post my testimony  is because as a former Catholic, the desire of my heart is to reach many Catholics with the truth presented in God’s Word so that they may come to know how they too can have complete assurance that when they die they can go directly to heaven, all because of  Jesus Christ’s complete atoning work on the cross.  After God opened my eyes to see the truth in His Word, I went back to the Catholic church I attended and placed a leaflet containing the truth I found in the Bible, God’s Word, under the windshield wipers of each car in the parking lot during a mass, and finished just in time as all the people began to come out to their cars.  Now, instead of just reaching a few people in a parking lot, I pray that God will now use my testimony, and especially and specifically the truth presented in His Word, and send it out around the world so that many will come to know the truth, so that the truth of God’s Word will set many free!

COMING SOON: PART 1

MY TESTIMONY: FROM FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY TO PEACE AND ASSURANCE — HOW GOD REVEALED THE TRUTH TO ME AS I WAS READING A CATHOLIC NEW TESTAMENT BIBLE 

Some of the many topics that will be addressed: The teachings of Vatican II and the Council of Trent, Salvation According To Rome, The Sacrifice of the Mass, and The Sufficiency of Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross.  And most importantly, I will be sharing many more Scriptures to clearly reveal the truth of what God has to say about many of these issues and more.

***UPDATE** MAY 27th 2013 I DECIDED TO WRITE MY TESTIMONY AS A NEW POST AND NOT ADD IT TO THIS ONE, SO IF YOU’D LIKE TO READ MY TESTIMONY, HERE’S PART 1:

MY TESTIMONY: FROM FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY TO PEACE AND ASSURANCE – HOW GOD REVEALED THE TRUTH TO ME AS I WAS READING A CATHOLIC NEW TESTAMENT BIBLE

 

RELATED SCRIPTURES

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”  (1 Timothy 2:5)

“Jesus answered,  “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one can come to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

“It is I who sweep away your transgressions for My own sake and remember your sins no more.” (Isaiah 43:25)

“Blessed are those whose transgression are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.” (Romans 4:7,8)

“For I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”  (1 John 5:13)

AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE

 

“A faithful Catholic through and through”

Many people say of you

Attending Mass, even more than once a week

Confessing your sins regularly, to the priest whom you seek

Praying each penance that is given to you

Along with countless rosaries, said from a heart that is sincere and true

Doing many good works, hoping they will outweigh the bad you have done

Never having realized the complete atoning work of Christ; God’s one and only Son

Trying so hard to earn more grace

Wanting your sins to be gone –without a trace

For help in times of crisis, Mary and the saints you do earnestly implore

Always going beyond what’s required of you, yet you still deeply fear what lies

beyond death’s door

Will you find yourself in the purging fires, for temporal penalty still due for your sin

How long, you wonder, will you be left there to burn, till heaven you can enter in

O precious Catholic, learn to think for yourself

Pick up your Bible that sits upon your shelf

You don’t need the pope or priest to reveal God’s truth that it holds inside

Pray and read it for yourself, let God’s Holy Spirit be your guide

Test the doctrines of the church against what God’s Word says to you

I pray that God will give you eyes to see what’s really true

No longer will you then fear what lies beyond death’s door

Your heart can be filled with God’s perfect peace, now, and forevermore

You will find Christ has paid your debt to sin in full; nothing left at all for you to pay

It is by God’s grace alone you have been saved, out of love you now choose to obey

Be willing to turn from sin with a heart that is overwhelmed with sorrow

Jesus said,  “Unless you repent you will perish,” so it may be too late if you wait

till tomorrow

Place your trust in Christ alone, on the cross He died; He took your place

God’s wrath towards you for your sins has been fully satisfied, you can be covered

with Christ’s righteousness and His saving grace

You can then pray directly to God the Father, through Jesus Christ, God the Son, alone

He is our only mediator, and reigns in glory, and will Himself intercede for you

as He sits upon His throne

Confusion will begin to fill your mind, as God’s truth exposes much of what you

believe to be true

Will you then believe the Word of God, or still believe all that has been told to you

Pray and examine the Scriptures carefully, and God’s joyous truths you will clearly see

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free

Copyright©2013 Mary K. Dalke/LivingForHisGlory/Living4HisGlory All rights reserved.

Photo obtained from Photobucket – ‘Abandonment-1’

 

 Below you will find a very informative debate that will shed light on many teachings of the Catholic church.  (Many more videos, information, and links to information coming soon).  You will also hear many Scriptures to reveal what God has to say concerning some of those issues.

Thank you very much for stopping by and taking time out of your busy day to read some of my poems and posts.

God Bless You

Mary/Living4HisGlory

 

 

Note: John 8:32 Scripture picture found on Pinterest

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I STILL STAND IN AWE

INTRODUCTION

Even though I have been a Christian since 1980, I still stand in awe of the power and the truth presented in God’s Word, the Bible, to be able to open blinded eyes to clearly see the simple, yet profound message of the gospel.  And that is this: That we are all wretched sinners separated from a holy God because of our sins, how we are all in need of a Savior to reconcile us to God, and that our ‘good works’ — no matter how many of them we do– can never satisfy a completely Holy God.  God sent His one and only Son — Jesus Christ — who was (and is) God in the flesh — having all the fullness of God in bodily form (Colossians 2:9)– and He lived a perfect, sinless life that we could never live to become the perfect sacrifice for our sins.  God poured out all the wrath intended for us because of our sins upon His sinless Son, Jesus Christ, and He died in our place.  God’s wrath that He has towards us because of our sins was completely satisfied, as represented by not only when the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies was torn in two from top to bottom, but ultimately by Christ’s resurrection!  If we choose to receive Jesus Christ by placing our full trust in Christ alone for the forgiveness of our sins, by grace alone (undeserved favor, paid with the high price of the blood and life of Christ) through faith alone, and choose to obey Him out of love and not to earn God’s forgiveness and salvation, we will become His child:

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God–children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision, but born of God.”(John 1:12)

It is because of God’s mercy and His amazing grace, that He chooses to save any of us, and I am ever so grateful for His amazing grace!!

“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we have done, but because of his mercy.” (Titus 3:3-5a)

‘Looking Back’ upon my life, I can see how God used all the deep sorrow and hurt I was feeling in the midst of a very painful time in my life to draw me to Himself, and I continue to stand in awe of how He orchestrated every detail in order to reveal His truth to me through His Word. 

It is my prayer that God will somehow use me to reveal His love and truth to many of you who find their way to this blog through the Scriptures I share with you, and through my testimony that I will soon be sharing with you in great detail.  The Catholic religion may have an outward form of beauty because of its ceremonies, traditions, and elaborately decorated churches, but inwardly there is no beauty or life at all, because the gospel message it presents robs Christ of His victory over sin and death.  And in doing so, it robs its people of eternal life.  (I will greatly expound on that in the upcoming posts I will be writing, and will also add an abundance of documented information to back up what I will say.  So if you’re interested, please check back in a month or so).  

Through the many years that I was a Catholic I was bound by fear, and yet, in a matter of moments after reading the truth that I found in God’s Word –this one actually being a Catholic New Testament Bible — I was set free from fear and filled with joy and deep appreciation, because I came to realize that Jesus had paid for my sins and guilt –in full!  His truth set me free, and I am praying the same for every Catholic who will just search the Scriptures for themselves and ask God to reveal the truth to them.

LORD WILLING, ANOTHER POEM COMING SOON:

‘AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE ‘

I hope to have this poem completed some time in April or May, along with the first part of my testimony.  Because of all the information I will be adding to document everything I will be sharing with you concerning the teachings of the Catholic church, as well as sharing information from Vatican 2 and the Council of Trent, I decided it will be easier to write and post my testimony in separate parts, but they will all be posted under the main page, which will be the poem, entitled, ‘AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE.’ So if you are interested, please continue to check back on that particular post, which, Lord willing, as mentioned, I will write and begin posting in April or May.

Most importantly, as always, I will be sharing many Scriptures to point people to Christ, praying they will see the amazing truths presented in His Word, and that His truth will set many free!

I trust that God will not only help many Catholics come to know that they can have the assurance of salvation, but also  help them to realize exactly what the Catholic church actually teaches, which is why I will be comparing everything to the Word of God so they can see the truth for themselves. 

I would appreciate it very much if you would please be praying for God to help me write all of this, and please pray especially for God’s will to be done in the hearts and minds of the Catholic people whom I pray God will bring here to read this information.  Thank you very much!

God bless you, and thank you very much for stopping by and for taking time to read my poems and posts.

I want to end by taking time to thank those of you who are following this blog, as well as those of you who have taken the time to make a comment or ‘like’ or vote on a post.  Your encouragement means more to me than I can ever say!  Thank you very much!

SCRIPTURES FOR YOU TO REFLECT ON

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9,10)

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.  Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.  But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this, not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  (Ephesians 2:1-10)

“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.  We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.  But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we have done, but because of His mercy.  He saved us through the washing of rebirth an renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:3-7)

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16)

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.  For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”  (Colossians 2:8,9)

“Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked,  “Why do your disciples break the traditions of the elders?  They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”  Jesus replied,  “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?  For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’  But you say that if a man says to his father or mother,  ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ he is not to ‘honor his father’ with it.  Thus you nullify the Word of God for the sake of your tradition.  You hypocrites!  Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:  These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  They worship Me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.” (Matthew 15:1-9)

“Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13,14)

“Jesus answered,  “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1Timothy 2:5,6 KJV)

“When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation.  He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.  The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer  sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.  How much more then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God.” (Hebrews 9:11-14)

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death–that is the devil–and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”  (Hebrews 2:14,15)

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)

“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God.” (1 Peter 3:18)

“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:21)

I STILL STAND IN AWE

I still stand in awe of what Jesus did for me

For His willingness to endure such a painful death to redeem me and to set me free

I still stand in awe of how in the midst of all the sorrow I was going through

In my search for help You led me down the only path that led me straight to You

I still stand in awe at how You opened my blinded eyes

So I could see what I believed as truth, was based on distorted truths and lies

I still stand in awe at the power of Your living Word

To expose deception and the traditions of men, concerning all I believed and ever heard

I still stand in awe of knowing my debt to sin in full was paid

And how You set me free from the fear of death and always striving to be good enough; by my religion I was betrayed

I still stand in awe of how Your Word transformed and healed my wretched mind and broken heart

And how Jesus’ blood washed all my sin and guilt away, and You gave me a brand new start

I still stand in awe that I can come before Your very throne

That my sin no longer separates me from You; I am Your very own

I still stand in awe of the true gospel message, so simple yet so profound

I praise and thank You for revealing the truth to me, knowing deception and false doctrine continues to abound

I will always stand in awe of Your mercy and Your amazing grace

And look forward to the day when I will see You face to face

Copyright© 2013 Mary K. Dalke/LivingForHisGlory/Living4HisGlory All rights reserved.

Picture obtained from Photobucket – Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible New International Version® 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society.  Use by permission of Zondervan.  All rights reserved.

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