JESUS FACTS

THANK YOU AGAIN LORD!

Today I was talking to a friend who is going through very hard times right now. He is temporarily staying in a shelter. As we were talking he said praise God. He said it about three times and it seemed like he was waiting for me to say, "What happened?" I was in one of my (VERY RARE) I'm not feeling good and you are boring me so I am not about to ask what other boring thing you have to share with me type of mood. 


He realized that I wasn't going to ask so he said (with such excitement), "There was a man who dropped 2 dollars on the floor so I picked it up and gave it to him, can you believe that?" I didn't know how to respond to that and I am wondering why is that such a big deal. So I said nothing. He said "You know I could have kept the money but I gave it to him because I witness him drop it and if I were to take it, it would have been stealing." By this time now I'm thinking "Oh wonderful, "The Super Hero Good Deed Man" saved the day, Whoopee Doo ". I still didn't say anything. He said, you never know, that could have been the money he need to stay another day in this place and if I didn't give it to him, he may not have had another place to stay. I'm still quiet thinking, do you want me to give you brownie points for giving back two dollars? Call me again when someone drops $100.00 dollars and you hand it to him. Still, I did not respond.


Then he said, "In the past, I would have kept that two dollars but now I can see how God has changed my heart where I know that that is stealing. He said again. "In the past it just would have been automatic for me to take it." (Losers weepers finders keepers sort of speak is what he is saying). Then he said, "By me giving him the money back, he can see that even in a place like this, there is light.


Immediately (after he said that) I felt so ashamed of myself. This man is praising God because he realized that God worked a miracle on his heart. He was sharing with me thinking out of anyone, I would be the one who would be able to understand this wonderful thing. I actually apologized to him for my behavior. He has been my friend for a long time. Even though he lives across the country from me, we still keep in touch with each other. And, unfortunately, he caught me when I was having such a bad day. My behavior was unacceptable. I was insensitive to the fact that he is homeless. Even though I am also struggling financially, I am not homeless. Two dollars for him would do a lot if you have no place to live. That would be a great temptation for him. God can do a lot with very little. 


I made little of a huge deal and I was so sorry for that. I should have been praising God with him in the fact that he is growing. Now it doesn't mean that every time he run into temptation that he will not fall but, his whole thinking has changed. He is now more consciences of his actions and think before acting. For him, that's a great blessing. We all started out small and in some things, we are still small. Ok let's face it, in a lot of things we are still small. I learned a big lesson today. I thank God that my friend forgave me for my bad behavior and that the LORD showed me where I am weak and lacking. I thank the LORD for every lesson. I can't let how I am feeling body wise to affect my attitude and I will be more consciences of that and not let that happen again.


Thank you LORD.


As always, I love you and God bless you.


Angela R. Ingram.

THANK YOU LORD FOR ALWAYS REMINDING ME OF YOUR LOVE

I was looking at the Braxton family reunion and I was feeling kind of sad because I remember that during my childhood years and part of my adulthood, I've always wanted a sister. While I was watching the show it seemed like they were having so much fun and it was so nice to see each sister really support one another. There seems to be something very special about a sister relationship. I remember A lot of times, when I was young, that I would feel so alone because it's not that I didn't want brothers, but I always wished I had a big sister whom I could talk to for advice on girl stuff.

But then the LORD quickly (I love when He quickly ministers to me) reminded me that He gave me exactly what I needed in my life. I was born on the date that the LORD appointed. George T. Floyd and Jaunice Marie Coulson were the one's whom the LORD ordained for marriage and as a result, my brothers and I were born from that union. I have exactly what God wanted me to have and it is perfect.

Plus, I had wonderful friends who were like sisters. That was probably better that way I didn't have anyone to argue over clothes, toys and so on.

Thank you LORD for always reminding me of your love.

 From left to right top: My son Michael, me, my daughter Jessica. Middle: My niece Vivica, my mom, my brother Kelley. Bottom: My brother Chris, my niece Shyla and my sister-inlaw Dizon.

PSALM 27:4

The message I received today in my study.

If you were to ask God for just one thing, what would it be? Personal happiness? A peaceful family life? Physical or emotional health? Money to relieve your financial distress? Personal power and respect? Romance or a satisfying love life? Honestly, what is the ruling passion of your life? What gets you out of bed in the morning? What are you really seeking? What gives you hope in the life? King David gives his answer:

One thing have I desire of the LORD, that I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to envision the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his Temple.” Psalm 27:4

In this verse, King David says, “One thing I ask of the Lord; that is what I will seek.” Notice immediately that David asked for one thing-not many things. He did not come with a litany of requests. He was not double minded, wanting and hating the good. As Kierkegaard said, “purity of the heart is to will one thing.” David sought the best he could find. He wanted the “Pearl of great price.”

The verb translated “I will seek” (avakesh) comes from the verb bakash meaning “to desire.” The noun form, bakashah, means a request (in modern Hebrew the word bevakasha means “as you wish” or “you’re welcome”). The verse could therefore be read as, “The one thing I ask from the Lord is that which I will desire.”

This is a prayer for surrender. “Lord, I pray to you not as I understand you, but as you understand yourself…”The “one thing” that David wanted above all else was to know the Lord=to “behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His Temple.” This is what we need. We need eyes of wonder; we need eyes that are open to the glory and Presence of God-in everything.

Desire itself is a “neutral” thing, of course. “The flesh lusts against the spirit, and spirit against the flesh” (Gal. 5:17). Most of us desire things that do not ultimately satisfy us. This is the “default” mode. We settle for trifles. We yield to petty desires that do not quench the eternal thirst within us. We cheat ourselves of the eternal for the sake of temporal. Kierkegaard calls such boredom the root of all evil. It is the “spirit” of the flesh-the inner restlessness that leads to discontent.

Having spiritual desire is a great gift from heaven, because through it we first realize what we really want to need. Our eye becomes “single” (Luke 11:34). The mark of spirituality (ruchaniyut) is wonder and contentment. The “beauty of the Lord” is to be filled with glory and peace. If we consciously delight ourselves in the Lord, He has promised to give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4). Seek first the Kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33).

David understood that seeking God required “all the days of my life”-as preparation for eternity. This life (olam hazeh) is a likened to a shadowy corridor leading to the world to come. David wanted to dwell or to abide before the Divine Presence all his days, so that he would be prepared for his promotion to come.

So again, if you were to ask God for just one thing, what would it be?

I would like to just add that, the LORD knows the deepest desires of our heart. We can say, out loud, what we think the Lord wants us to say hoping He will see past our heart, but the LORD always know when there is a motive behind our words or request. We have to really examine ourselves to see if there is a selfishness to the request we are making. I, even when I was writing down the lesson, was thinking that it's hard not to think about the other things mentioned on the top of the page when you have bill collectors down your throat and the kids aren't acting right and the love of your life is "getting on your nerves". But I love how the instructor explained that these are temporal things not eternal things that we are focused on. We should desire what is forever and eternal. Now it doesn't mean that we can't think on these things period. It's saying what is your deepest more desired thing of all. I Love the LORD and the LORD is most important in my life but, have my actions reflected that? Do I sometimes go off track when things get hard? Do I make those (temporal) things a deeper desire I am seeking or focusing on?  I have to be reminded that the LORD knows every single need that I have. But, what he wants from me is a relationship and a deep desire for Him. To love Him more then anything including my own life. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:25. This lesson was very helpful for me and I pray that it will bless you.

As always, I love you and God bless you.

Angela R. Ingram

MOVING FORWARD

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS