Announcement of the Birth of John the Baptist

That thou mightiest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed. Luke 1:4

During the days of Herod, the king of Judaea there was a priest named Zacharias. Zacharias was married to Elisabeth, one of the daughters of Aaron. Zacharias and Elisabeth walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Zacharias and Elisabeth did not have a child because Elisabeth was barren. They were getting well advanced in years.

Now while Zacharias executed the priest's office, his duty was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord, an angel of the Lord appeared to him. The angel stood on the right side of the alter of incense. When Zacharias saw the angel he was afraid.

The angel said to Zacharias,"Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shalt rejoice at his birth. for he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God."

It was prophesied, And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Malachi 4:5

Zacharias said to the angel,"Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years." The angel answering Zacharias said,"I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God and am sent to speak unto thee and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou  believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season." Luke 1:5-20

Written by Lisa Clewis 7-1-15

The Just Shall Live By Faith

Galatians  3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.  3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.  3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.  3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.  3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.  3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.  3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:  3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.  3:15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.  3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.  3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.  3:18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.  3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.  3:20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.  3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.  3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.  3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.  3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.  3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.  3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Grace

Before the foundations of the world, God chose His elect. Has He been tugging at your heart to accept Him? The life of a Christian is not easy, but God will help you throughout your life. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Ephesians  1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:  1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,  1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.  1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;  1:8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;  1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:  1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:  1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:  1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.  1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,  1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

If you know and believe in God, give your whole heart to Him. Be thankful for his mercy and bask in His unending love.

Serve God or Man

Once again this morning going to church was a glorious blessing. The words from the Holy Bible that were spoken, the music sung to God's glory, the love and kindness shown by the people there and the tribute given to war veterans and those who have served in our nation's military continue to bless me as I ponder it all in my heart. Whiteville Assembly of God is truly a place where God's Word is taught, music lifts your heart and people join together in love and truth giving reverence to God and His Holy Word.

I was given the blessing of holding my grandson during the worship service and looking into his beautiful eyes that were wide in wonder and looking at his tiny ears that heard the music that was sung to God's praise and hearing Pastor Tim's voice as he gave tribute to our war veterans and taught the Word of God. As I held him and I heard Pastor Tim's sermon I thought about the world that my grandson is growing up in, the country that he was born in and the many people who died so that Americans can live in freedom and how not long ago our nation's president made the statement that The United States is no longer a Christian nation. How much more ground will we lose as a nation under God? How much longer will we turn a deaf ear to what is going on in our country and pretend that everything is as it has always been?

I am guilty of sitting back and doing very little. I pray, yes, I pray for our country and for God to preserve this country, our Christian beliefs, and the standards and the principals set forth in the original constitution of the United States and our freedom and I urge to you to pray for our nation. I have done little else to preserve this nation as a nation under God other than sign a few petitions and make a few post to bring awareness to the spiritual predicament that our nation is in. The thoughts of taking a political act or joining a political party in protest scares me because there is so much corruption and deviousness. Where would someone begin?

I think about the wars that I have read about in the Holy Bible and the battles that were fought by either angels or God's people, or angels alongside God's people and I wonder if we will see battles in our country? Will we see battles fought by us alongside angels defending a country who serves God, defending our people who believe in the one true God? When someone holds a sword to our throat will we deny Him or will we die like Stephen did asking God to forgive his persecutors or will we die defending a nation under God, free to worship the creator of the heaven and the earth? Only God knows the future. Only God can sort through the corruption and deceitfulness of our leaders and bring forth his people triumphant and free to serve Him, to lift the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and humble us to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. God bless America and lead us the way that God would have us to go.

Update on 'What Is Best For Me'

It was some time ago when I wrote the below article, ‘Staying True To Yourself’. This coming June I will have been a non-smoker for four years Praise God and since writing that article I have beaten fibromyalgia and other illnesses glory be to God. I can now eat some of the foods that were on my no no list in moderation without any adverse side effects. I have very little irritable bowel. My memory has improved tremendously. And I am able to do things that I didn’t think would be possible for me. By trusting in God and persevering to do his will and to do what is right for me I have overcome so much. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us and we are made strong when we are weak and he does set us free. His grace is sufficient for all and when we ask him to cover us with his grace to prevent us from committing some sin that is trying to enter our lives he is true to cover us with his grace and strengthen us. Sometimes the hardest things that we have to face in life turns out to be the most rewarding not only in diet and health but mentally, emotionally, spiritually and in relationships as well as well. My God is my sufficiency in everything and he helps me through all the hard times. He has never let me down. Sometimes I need to learn that what I want isn’t always the same as what he knows is best or right for me. God always knows best. By staying true to praying often throughout the day, staying in fellowship with him, seeking guidance and following the prodding of the Holy Spirit, and studying the Holy Bible I am better able to make the right choices for myself. It doesn’t matter how minute our question, if we seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit we will never be let down or led astray. Often we try to follow media, peers, group studies, and medical news but the truth is always hidden in Gods word and waiting to be revealed. When we go to God in prayer and talk to him, telling him our hearts desire, he is true to lead us and guide us. Often all we need to feel God is to get quiet and still. May God bless you on your life’s journey. If you dedicate your life to him ..I know he will.



Since I was a teenager I have had problems with gastritis, spastic colon, irritable bowel; diarrhea, constipation, abdominal swelling and bloating, and abdominal pain. In the past few years I have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, high acidity level, polyps, irritated stomach and esophagus, Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, obstructive sleep apnea, GERD, mitro-valve prolapse, hypertension, bursitis, hypoglycemia arthritis and then undiagnosed with arthritis. Most illnesses have been passed down from generation to generation.

I have read different articles on yoga, gluten, chemicals added to food, sugar, artificial sweeteners and studies done on the diseases and illnesses that I have been diagnosed with. I have been doing yoga for six years. My balance has improved tremendously as has my inner core strength. I enjoy the benefits of breathing exercises, meditation and as always I daily pray and sing praises to God. I am still amazed at how helpful and healing yoga is. I also like reflexology. It may hurt at the time that I am messaging my feet but I experience really good results the following day. Praise God I have been completely healed from mitro-valve prolapse which got extremely bad before I was healed.

I have struggled with my diet, smoking and alcohol because to me eating was one of life’s simplest pleasures I loved to cook and bake and eat a variety of tasty foods. And I wanted my food cooked a certain way. Being from the south I like the fat meat seasoning or bacon drippings seasoning and fried foods. Not to mention the sweet tea that I could drink a pitcher of a day along with several sundrops. And then I dealt with pain and stiffness and inability to sleep. I used alcohol to cope. Alcohol was my muscle relaxer, pain medication and sleep aid in a can. And it would actually ease off my stomach. I don’t know if it was because it flushed my kidneys or because it reduced the acid in my stomach. Now that’s in moderation. Anything over that didn’t help much and worsened some symptoms.

I struggled with smoking for many years. I would quit and start back. I prayed to quit and still started back. I smoked to calm my nerves, to calm my stomach, to relax, to suppress hunger and even to time what I was cooking. I liked to smoke. Anything more than that and it would irritate my stomach and make me nauseated. I finally decided that I did not want to smoke and asked God to take the desire to smoke away from me and to not allow me to suffer withdraw. Praise God. He took the desire to smoke away from me and I haven’t had the desire to smoke since then. That was two and a half years ago.

I quit eating fried, greasy foods. I went gluten free but would eat food with gluten in it one day a week. It takes gluten seven days to get out of your diet so I kept myself on a roller coaster ride with the effects of gluten on my body. I limited shellfish. I cut back to a half pack of cigarette a day. I limited soda and sweet tea. I saw a little improvement but not as much as I needed to function at the level that I wanted to function.

I am now completely gluten free. I don’t eat shellfish. I quit smoking. I quit drinking. I lost weight. I eat every three hours; I avoid beverages, foods and gum that are artificially sweetened. I limit my intake of tomatoes, onions, chocolate and peppermint. I continue to do yoga, reflexology, breathing exercises, meditation exercises, and I pray and sing praises to God every day. Now I only take a mild muscle relaxer at bedtime, a low dose thyroid medication, and I take eight hour Tylenol or Motrin for pain. And I don’t need pain medication every day. Praise the Lord. And where I was getting cortisone shots quiet often in every joint on the left side of my body as well as my neck and lower back I haven’t taken any cortisone shots since last spring. Praise God. He is great.

I was a complete mess. One time I got so sick and in such a dilapidated state that I had to start being active and resting in five minute intervals and increasing activity by one to two minutes over a period of time. The pain was unbearable. The tiredness was agonizing. Praise be to God, now I have entire days that I stay active. I have days that I can go all day without a nap and still function. Praise God I have learned self-control by controlling what I eat and drink to improve my health, lower my pain level and avoid brain fog. And since I have been on a controlled diet I feel even closer to God. I have changed mindsets that kept me in a rut. I have changed habits that hurt me and kept me sick. Praise be to God for helping me to change. When we are anointed with the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit teaches us and guides us. I learned what I needed to learn and I changed due to the leading and prompting of the Holy Spirit. Follow your heart. Listen to that small voice. Go with your gut. Whatever you call it, pay attention. Change to be a better person mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally and psychologically. Sometimes we have to change mindsets and habits to follow God’s will to be healed. If God healed our finger every time we stuck it in a fan we wouldn’t learn anything. When we learn to stop sticking our finger in the fan is when we stop needing for our finger to be healed.

Praise God I am free from the bondage of wrong thinking. I praise God for healing me. Praise God I no longer want the foods, beverages or habit that make me sick. To God’s glory I no longer drink sweet tea or sodas. Praise God now I do more of what he has always put on my heart to do and that is write to share God’s love and God’s word. God bless you and may you follow the Holy Spirit to a place where you are no longer in pain, no longer sick, no longer suffering every day.

Why Do I Love God?

Why do I love God? Could it be selfishness because he is always there for me? Or is it because I was afraid of getting hurt if I loved someone ...he loved me first. Maybe it's because he's always giving to me without me even asking. He knows what I need before I do. Perhaps because by him loving me unconditionally even when I didn't know how to love myself, I have learned that his love is constant, he is always watching over me,  he is always teaching me, and he is everything to me.

I remember sitting on my couch alone,  exhausted,  and in so much pain. I was bewildered. My doctor told me that fibromyalgia had taken over my body and I had to change my diet, take supplements,  and begin with five minute intervals of physical activity and rest just adding a minute at a time stretched out over a long period of time. My body couldn't tolerate any of the three drugs out there that are used to treat fibromyalgia. It seemed as though fibromyalgia had defeated me. I looked for him, God. He was there and he gave me courage. He strengthened me. He lifted me up. He helped me in ways that are hard to explain. It's like one minute I found nothing left inside and the next minute my courage and hope were renewed and I was filled with joy of what was to come.

The last words spoken to me by my neuromuscular doctor were, "You have beate fibromyalgia." Praise God. He healed me.  Some ask, "How did he heal you when you did all the work and gave up eating what you loved to eat?" He helped me to understand that just because I liked doing it or eating it didn't mean it was right for me. The food he gave us is pure. And the spiritual nourishment his word gives us nourishes us mentally,  emotionally,  physically,  and psychologically which is what someone with fibromyalgia needs. It was what I needed. And now I can eat foods with gluten, sugar, artificial sweetners, and msg in MODERATION. And I no longer need someone else's approval before I feel loved or accepted and I'm no longer riddled with anxiety from feeling inadequate and scarred.

I praise God because I know that he teaches me what is right for me, he is always with me waiting for me to say, "I tried to do it on my own LORD and I can't. Will you help me? I give it all to you because I can't do it on my own." And he gave me the courage to not give up . He gave me the courage and mental strength I needed to completely change my diet, what I drank,  and he took the desire to smoke away from me without so much as a hint of withdraw. He took empty and gave me plenty.

God hasn't promised us a perfect body or a perfect life in this world but he has promised us that we are not of this world. We are pilgrims just passing through.  And one day, that glorious day when Christ returns, we will change in the twinkling of an eye and become like him. There will be no sickness,  no disease, no sorrow,  no tears, and we will have a perfect body, in a perfect world for eternity. 

God has done so many, many things for me over the years that I am afraid that I will forget something.  I don't ever want to forget. I could write a book on testimonies and praise reports that all belong to me. Some might say I'm blessed while others say God must have had a lot to punish me for. I say I am blessed and if God counted me worthy to discipline and mold me like a Father disciplines his child than I know I am definitely blessed. If you haven't given God a chance, please do. He will take you from broken to courageous,  lonesome to loved unconditionally, depressed to filled with joy, from heartbroken to whole. I think God created man because he wants to be loved and that  he gave us freedom of will because he wants for us to choose to love him and beleive in him of our own free will. And I believe God wants to be worshipped because he is a jealous God and that God wants to be praised because  he answered our prayer whether it was what we prayed for or not because FATHER KNOWS BEST. And I believe he wants for us to believe in him because he put knowledge of him in our hearts because he loved us first and chose us from before the foundation of the world. And friend, if you have a big empty hole in your heart, if you feel a void in your life that no one has filled, if you can't find true happiness and you don't know why than your heart is trying to tell you something....choose God. He is everything you need, in every situation, every relationship,  every challenge,  every heart ache, every lost battle, every defeat and he will make you more than a conqueror in all of it. I know from experience.  He has never failed me or let me down.

So if I seem to you like a Jesus freak, a Bible lover,  or like I'm trying to be better than you its because Jesus suffered and died for me because he is my friend, the Bible is a manual to  my life,  and I can always find ways to improve myself but I love you just the way you are.

In God We Trust

Ronald Reagan Tribute -- Bel Air Presbyterian Chu…: http://youtu.be/OvN1jTkzXbY