F4S: November 2017

Thursday, November 30, 2017

I like fresh fruit and fresh bread.. so why do holiday fruit cakes taste so hard and horrible? Man, I like other kinda loafs.. all hot and steamy.

Fresh with butter melting on it! Other people bake this bread for me sometimes (I don't know how to or desire to learn).. like during this holiday season.  I still pass on the fruit-loafs if they'll take it (not re-gifting, that's not fair). But think 'bout it.  In so much of this world "basic bread" is a staple of this natural life.  

Think about this. Our greatest need.. any of our needs, they will never exhaust God’s great supply. What's our top one?

Our greatest is for Christ – it is for forgiveness from Him. Free. He's real, He hears and no need is greater than that. The Bible says of Him...

“For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” John 6:33

“I am the bread of life” ~ Jesus (v. 5).

I love to study about and return to the basics in life, cuz life should stay simple not superstitious or religiously-spooky or complicated. I love to work and create. I enjoy it. 
“Those who work their land will have abundant food.” Proverbs 12:11
They’ll have enough bread, but it’s cool that we don’t have to work at all to receive Jesus by faith. Totally free! Sad that so many religious people still work trying to earn His love and acceptance. 
God cares about animals, provides for them and He cares about people like you -- He cares for the poor as well. So when it comes to provision, the message of the Bible is pretty practical.. it is this: Turn and trust Christ – stay tight with Him in honest relationship
Also, it’s this.. let's go work while we can, save what we can, share what we can, and yes, trust God to meet our needs ..while we can. This "Noel season" should remind us of Him and His provision. 

Christmas day is on the way -- yay! Think about the only living and considerate God.. who SO loved and loves us, who saw we had a need and did something about it.  God’s Gift to us if we’ll take hold of it.. yes, His Present if you will in Jesus Christ.. exceeds all other gifts! Christ coming here is rad-celebrate-worthy! God sent us His Son! 

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." John 1:14
The living word of God sees where we are. And we know that God totally understands the situations we all face, because He made us and sees everything that happens to us. We also know He fully understands because He Himself has been to earth here and experienced life as a human being. Yup, that's Christmas. He “became flesh and made his dwelling among us” as the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:14). Unlike that innkeeper who turned him and his family away.. you can turn, trust in, and ask Him inside now! He'll show up. Free, a bit like warm bread to receive.
Thanks  Lord, danke sehr for caring enough to humble Yourself and come to earth as a human being… as our Bread to sustain.
Check it out in your hard-copy Bible..receiving Him.. or in an online Bible (like in John 1:12-13). 
Remember, Jesus’s earthly life included a wide range of difficulties. 
He felt the searing heat of the sun, the pangs of hunger and an empty stomach, and the uncertainty of homelessness. He suffered here like so many people do. Emotionally, He endured the tension of disagreements, the painful burn of betrayal, and the ongoing threat of personal violence. Many of us in different Lands face personal violence today. Many won't tell you, but persecution and suffering at times.. is a part of the Christian life. 
Jesus also experienced the joys of friendship and family love, as well as the worst problems that we face here on earth. He rejoiced and celebrated with friends too. He still provides hope. You need that today. He is the Wonderful Counselor who patiently listens to our concerns with accurate insight and tender care (Isa. 9:6). He is the One who can say, “I know your name and situation. I’ve been through that before. I understand, I get it.. and I love you! Listen, I am SO there for you today, so let me comfort, provide, help and lead.” www.facebook.com/shareJesus

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples. 1 Chronicles 16:8

I know. It get’s hard in life at times. It’s hard to be married sometimes. It’s hard to be single sometimes. And it’s hard to be an on-fire Christian or any temperature of believer at times. Dear God, help us to pause and pray.. as well as praise cuz we love You!
But it’s too early to quit following Jesus -- it’s always too early to bail out on Him. Be encouraged in Jesus. We will win in Him. 

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It is a good day to whole-heartedly praise and know Christ well. It’s a good day to pray and make Him well known! Come to Him today.. now is good.. just as you are. Turn from sin and trust Him for forgiveness and abundant life. Is now where you are a good time to pray?
We can praise the Lord in good times, but we can also pray, serve, worship and praise Him during the bad times. Are you giving Him the praise and the glory that He deserves? 

Monday, November 27, 2017

God wants humble humans--He loves us! Wants us believers honest--longs to bless, to use and to make us stronger in Christ!

"The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation." Exodus 15:2.

We need to get back to well, to bright, to strong and to on-fire, a no-spiritual-compromise kinda Christianity--the way that Christ proclaimed it, the way the early church lived it, and the way the Bible teaches it. 

I challenge you.. to daily "appropriate strength and His vic" by faith. Be filled and aflame. Fight ..for? Well.. fight from the Cross' victory. Reflect, shine! 

I say, with transparency share your weaknesses upwards, and your strengths downward, leader. And be careful here, this could easily be misapplied. Hide zero. Too many televangelists have turned greedy ext and done that hiding of junk only to get exposed by God later on. 

Heard it said, “Let your scriptural repentance (cuz you know there are worthless religious-fake-types of that too).. be as widely known as your sin.”

When you repent..when you admit it and quit it, God can give you a second chance and make you spiritually strong in Christ. When you are regenerated in your human spirit by the Holy Spirit, forgiveness and strength are SO there for you! He is faithful when we are not. BTW No one gains entrance into God's holy Kingdom without that happening. 

We so often tend to think of our strengths as inherently part of our identity, like it's who I made me be. Like it's who I am. As if! Strengths are basically our value-add; our so called competitive edge as they say. But gifts connote free grace given. 

You know how a gift really does not originate with any of us peeps here. It’s something we receive from God (due to His work on the Cross) and then they're wisely steward for His glory. 

Since God is strong and victorious--always has been. He has given us gifts to use. But He’s not really obliged to always put us in places where we can use them fully. 

In fact, God sometimes puts us in situations and positions where we struggle a bit and feel weak for the very reason that He receives particular glory by showing His Strength through our weakness(es).

How come? God sees and wants pure humble humans representing Him. Loves us--wants to bless and make us strong! “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). Why? “So that no human being might boast in the presence of God” 1 Corinthians 1:29.

The Apostle Paul said, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” 2 Corinthians 12:9–10.

So this is Paul’s strength-finders theory: our weaknesses are when Christ’s power--our true strength--is most clearly on display. Therefore we ought to boast in and be content with weaknesses. What God really wants is for us to be “strong in the Lord” Ephesians 6:10. Not merely strong in ourselves. 

Are you currently strong? Have you recently been swept off your feet by somethin'? It is a good time to get on your knees. Comfort from God can soon arrive. Ask in faith!


God answers the prayers of His people because He really loves His people ..and delights to do that.

Never forget that. It will motivate you to seek the Lord more when you recall. There is no question that we need humble anointed preachin', prayin', walkin', talkin', reapin' and teachin' that's strong.

But wait, there's more as the salesmen like to say. There is a need for strong anointed listening too. Faith and learning can come from hearin' the Word. See Acts 17:11. 

God says, "Be strong and steadfast; have no fear or dread of them, for it is the Lord, your God, who marches with you.." Deuteronomy 31:6. Facebook.com/shareJesus

Thursday, November 23, 2017

Feelin' Thankful. Are you as well? Will you show it, and go for it.. I mean give thanks? Have there been some blessings in your life?

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall THANK Him. Psalm 28:7

Celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field. Exodus 23:16
To understand the fitting goal of a harvest celebration, we visit Noah right after the flood. God reminded Noah and his family—and us—of His provision for our flourishing existence on the earth. Earth would have seasons, daylight and darkness and “seedtime and harvest” (Gen. 8:22). Our gratitude for the harvest, which sustains us, goes to God alone. No matter where you are, go or live.. or how you celebrate your land’s bounty and blessings, please take a few moments today to express your gratitude to God—for we would have no harvest at all to celebrate without His grand creative design.

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May I ask.. what’s your Autumn been like? Where’s your heart at? Have you been cold, lukewarm or red hot with spiritual passion for the God who is the source of all you’ve ever needed. 
Perhaps this year has been kinda hard. Perhaps it's hard for you to find something to say thank you for ..cuz you are currently suffering loss or something. So sorry about that. Do you need prayer from me? Would be glad to. 

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Dear Creator God, thank You so much for the blessings, for the wondrous way You fashioned this world—with seasons, with friends here, with harvest-time, with everything that we need to exist.
Praise You Lord! Danke sehr! Please accept our sincere gratitude.

I wholeheartedly encourage.. totally exhort you if I may.. to look to.. to go to, and yes to put your full trust in the Lord today. All year long and beyond

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! Love it -- I want to listen well.. wanna sincerely thank and have no vain talk come from my tongue. The Bible says, "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt." Colossians 4:6


How can you use your words for good today?

I feel thankful for health, for my family, and to be living in the USA where we can worship freely. In so many Lands you can't without brutal consequences. Let's be content and give thanks daily -- it's based on who we know and appreciate. Verbalize your praise to God. Express your feelings and gratitude openly ..and sometimes loudly. Shout unto God with the voice of triumph. Sometimes.. we offer the sacrifice of praise to God. The Bible tell us to give thanks to the Lord (not only when we feel like it). Sometimes the things that seemed bad, really turned out to be a good thing for me. The Lord is good and for those who love Him.. He's working all things together for good.

Thanksgiving is known for being a day of conversations (sometimes with strange relatives) and to stuff ourselves before we go shopping. Do you say thanks? You know how easy it is for us to take our blessings for granted. Remember, gratitude is so important for any relationship and conversation.

Do you still pen handwritten notes of encouragement and love for those you care about? A lost art. Why not? 
What do your words say about you as a person -- are you a peacemaker or a troublemaker? Do you pray to build up and plant seeds of faith ..like during the holidays? What’s your inner spirit, motives, your tone and attitude like? 
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt. Colossians 4:6
The Jesus of the Bible prayed for us. He made peace between God the Father and me a troublemaker-sinner. Do you converse with God about your friends who are or might still be troublemakers... like before you converse with them about Him? 
Not too many words from me, God. I pray You'll guide my conversations today, Lord Jesus. Plant seeds when You want to..as I speak and listen. May the clean words I choose uplift, edify, glorify the Father, comfort the hurting, yes, minister well to You and to others. Anoint my words, bless and encourage others towards You.. and build em up rather than tear em down. Help me. Use me.. please. May You be pleased with what You hear from me. Reap the lost into Your non-stoppable Kingdom of agape love. Praise You Lord -- I love you the most.

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyoneColossians 4:6

Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Psalm 103:2
Q. How can you, me.. how can we.. make the most of the words we speak? A. By going vertical before and while (silently) going horizontal as we listen and talk.. while practicing consistently clean speech with a pure heart.. that's just filled with love and scriptural truth. 
Lord, help me get your truth through with out using many old Bible terms, and help me in the language of today define some of those terms when it's helpful to. 
Pray.. it’s just casual conversation, getting real, with gnarly straightforward and candid honesty sometimes. Be respectful, but know that God can handle it. You can trust the Lord. Pray in the name of Jesus and you’ll get through..yes, connect. 

Are you ready to talk with and get right with the Lord today? Yeah, here and now is good. Why procrastinate, why put this off.. cuz not to respond is to respond. Nothing and no relationship is more important. For Him or against Him, no in-between. Christ is so patient, but none here are promised tomorrow (we humans just don't know how long we'll be here) and not to answer Him is to answer Him. God, please make us all we were made for. 

Do you ever talk to yourself? Perhaps kind of a weird question for you? Not really sure if do... or how often I do that? Doctors says we all do that at times. But in the Bible, the psalmists often talked to themselves in the Psalms. The author of Psalm 116 is no exception. In verse 7 he writes, “Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.” Reminding himself of God’s kindness and faithfulness in the past is a practical comfort and help to him in the present. We see “conversations” like this frequently in the Psalms. In Psalm 103:1 David tells himself, “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.” And in Psalm 62:5 he affirms, “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.” 

It’s a good thaaang.. to remind ourselves of God’s truth.. of His faithfulness and the living hope that we have in Christ. We can indeed follow the example of the psalmist and spend some time praying, and specifically naming the many ways that God has been good to us. It's almost Thanksgiving now, but we can give thanks all years long and as we do, He'll be blessed and we’ll be encouraged in our faith. 
James says of the tongue, it's “a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell” (James 3:6. A false statement made here or backbiting there, a vicious remark somewhere else, and relationships are destroyed. “The words of the reckless pierce like swords,” says Proverbs 12:18, “but the tongue of the wise brings healing”. Just as fire has both destructive and useful elements, so “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (18:21).
For conversation that reflects God’s presence in us and pleases Him, let it “always be with grace” (Col. 4:6). People really need gentleness and respect, mercy, kindness, charity -- grace and truth. When expressing our opinions during disagreements, let’s ask God to help us choose wholesome language that brings honor to Him. www.facebook.com/shareJesus

Monday, November 20, 2017

Enjoy a living hope! Have a real strategy -- pray, plan and apply the word wisely.

The difference between playin’ to win and playin’ not to lose as so many do.. is the difference between enjoyin' success and lame mediocrity.  How will you proceed.. alone.. or with the Ultimate winner (Christ)?
He really succeeded.. for you. 
Having hope sure beats not havin' it, but think about it.. hope ain't really a strategy and workin' hard ain't really a guarantee of gaining success.
You want true success.. sure you do.. and it's way dif from how many people define that term. You can enjoy it -- it’s for you and God is for you. 
Enjoy a living hope! Have a real strategy.. apply the word with confidence and consistency.

Happy Thanksgiving! Have hope, take hope with. Go vertical and light up all the dark places as well. Yeah, think of others.

A life lived in fellowship with the Lord won't be dull, boring, or predictable. Expect each and every day to contain life, suspense and or good surprises!


"The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance to the full, till it overflows." #John10:10amp

Happy Thanksgiving! I have many reasons for that -- see Twitter.com/kurtwVs / IG 

Sunday, November 19, 2017

Not just any fun..that you might from time to time feel like enjoying.. cuz sin is fun for a season. In the end you and others would regret all that kind of fun. It's normal to like fun and humor, but why live for fun and pleasure? Know and live for the Lord instead -- make an impact in this world. Enjoy walking with Christ -- have righteous fun. Unrighteous fun is so lame and destructive.

Remember Mo, who denied himself when he needed to. Go re-read about Moses. What a humble man. 

"He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin." Hebrews 11:25


"Fun" there's indeed a time for it -- you know that. And serving the Lord can also be fun. Of course that's true. 


"Have fun, even if it’s not the same kind of fun everyone else is having." ~ C.S. Lewis  

"For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:11

Take up your cross and follow Christ. Deny yourself of all that's of selfishness. Really now, why live for fun, your own independent way apart from God? Why live for pleasure? That's so empty. Instead know and live for the Lord -- make an impact in this world. Enjoy walking with Christ -- have righteous fun. Unrighteous fun is so lame and destructive. Facebook.com/shareJesus