Prodigal

If you've ever been the prodigal son and rededicated your life to God then you know what an amazing feeling it is. You're engulfed with peace by holy spirit and you get a heart squeeze. You don't forget it because all the weight you carried from guilt, shame, or just knowing you needed to do better and didn't is gone. 

We define prodigal as wasting money, living lavishly, wasting time, profuse liberality, and living in sin. Mainly, it is separation from God. We have gotten caught up in something, allowed ourselves to be distracted, and separated ourselves from God. God wants a relationship with us.  We're his children. He wants to hear about our day, our thoughts and feelings, our needs and our desires. He wants for us to trust him, lean on him, and rest in him.

In Isaiah 41:10 of the King James Bible we read, '‭Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.' 

God isn't waiting with a belt to beat us when we come back to him to regain or gain that close relationship with him that he desires. He's a loving Father full of mercy and grace and compassion for us. All you have to do is talk to him and tell him how you feel in your heart, ask him to forgive you, and move forward with the knowledge and wisdom you've gained. That's it. God will forgive you and wipe the slate clean. It's forgotten. God doesn't remember things you did in the past and bring them back up, ever. Your sin is blotted out. It's a new day. God's got you. You're his kid. What are you waiting for? 

Written by Lisa C.

Life

In Romans 8:10-11 we read ‭

'[10] And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. [11] But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.' 

The word quicken is the Greek word zōopoieō. It means:

* to cause to live, make alive, give life:

* by spiritual power to arouse and invigorate

* to restore to life

* to give increase of life: thus of physical life

* of the spirit, quickening as respects the spirit, endued with new and greater powers of life. (See Greek translation). 

We can safely deduce from this that after we have received salvation we no longer live in the flesh (metaphorically speaking). We crucify the lust and desires as a human being and put on the mind of Christ. We are to resume life as new creatures in Christ living only to please God, living holy and blameless not in our power, our minds are weak, but in the power of the holy spirit. As we put on the mind of Christ the holy spirit strengthens us, gives us a new life, spiritual power, restoring our lives as God's children. 

Live your life seeking God first, putting him first and above all else, living righteously, and he will bless you with the things you have need of. (Matthew 6:33)

Written by Lisa C

Knowledge

What is knowledge? We read in Hosea 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou (you) have rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee (you), that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast (have) forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy (your) children." The Hebrew word for knowledge in this verse is da'at. It means knowledge, perception, skill, discernment, understanding, wisdom. In the book of Hosea we read that Israel had turned from God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and become a sinful nation. God warned them and pleaded with them through his servant Hosea. God wanted the people of Israel to stop worshipping false gods and idols and living in sin, to repent so that he could remove his reproach from them. God now wants the United States to stop worshipping idols, false gods, and themselves. He wants this nation as a whole to repent and turn from their evil and wicked ways. Pray for our nation. Pray for every person in this nation to repent and worship the one true God, Yahweh, and become sanctified in the Lord. Pray for one another. ALL SCRIPTURE IS FROM KING JAMES HOLY BIBLE.

Prayer: Father, God, we come to you through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We thank you for this country which you have blessed and protected. We thank you for freedom and the rights as citizens to live without prejudice. We thank you for your love, mercy, grace and patience. Father we ask you to turn the political and church leaders of the United States back to you and your ways. We ask you to lead and guide this nation back to being 'one nation under God', a nation in covenant with you, serving you as a whole, a nation envied by the world because your protection and blessings were upon us. Father we pray that it doesn't take more terror, disease and bloodshed for this nation as a whole to see that we need your protection and should be content with your blessings. Father we pray that each and every believer be strengthened, and each and every citizen of the United States recognize you as the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the one true God, and be filled with your holy spirit. We pray for your leadership and guidance. In Jesus name we humbly ask. Amen.

Written by Lisa C

Second video of Testimonies of Healing

Watch my second video about me being healed from mitral valve prolapse, enlarged heart, hypertension, memory loss, spinal canal stenosis, and bone spurs. Please follow the link below.

Written by Lisa C

https://www.facebook.com/simplefunheaven?mibextid=ZbWKwL 

My first testimony video

A while back I said that I would start sharing my testimonies and personal experiences with God. This is my first. I hope it blesses your heart. God bless you.

Check out my video on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/simplefunheaven?mibextid=ZbWKwL 

Lisa C.

Who Are We to Not Forgive Them?

Is it not right for God to forgive people who have done terrible things to us or hurt us or others? Is it not right for us to forgive others? The Apostle Paul, afore known as Saul of Tarsus, murdered and inprisoned Christians including women. He was so feared that the the man of God Ananias feared him and did not want to minister to him for salvation nor healing. But God changed his mind and he ministerer to Paul and Paul went on to do great things for God. Another example is the prophet Jonah who ran from God to avoid preaching redemption to the wicked people of Ninevah who had done much evil in the sight of God. God was going to destroy them if they didn't turn from their wickederness and evil ways, which they did. The King of Ninevah gave an order for everyone to fast and pray for mercy and forgiveness in hope that God would change his mind and not destroy them. God had mercy on them and did not destroy them. Jonah was angry because he wanted the people to be punished. Then God caused a plant to grow overnight to give Jonah cover from the sun and heat. God also made the plant die over night. Jonah was very upset about the plant dying. We see in the final three verses of The Book of Jonah that God used the plant to demonstrate his love and mercy for people. God asked Jonah why shouldn't he, God, care about the more than hundred twenty thousand people in Ninevah that didn't know their right had from their left when Jonah cared so much about a plant that died that he didn't plant nor help to grow. Often we can see our own predicament and care most about the things that immediately effect us but not see the predicaments that others are in nor offer them mercy, grace or forgiveness. Is not God showing us in The Book of Jonah that we should do what God tells us to do, calls us to do, and care about others even if they're not who we want them to be or they're not acceptable according to our standards. Who are we to set standards as to who God does or doesn't forgive and bless? People have become so vain, so self important, that they lack sympathy and compassion. Let's ask God to help us align our hearts and minds with his and our will with his will so that our actions are done to the glory of God not our own selfish gain.

📜‭‭Jonah‬ ‭4:9‭-‬11‬ ‭NIV‬‬
[9] But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” “It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.” [10] But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. [11] And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

Written by: Lisa C

There's No Greater Pain then Losing a Child

I miss my daughter, Mazie, so very much. I am thankful for each and every one of Mazie's friends who have called me, texted me, messaged me, visited me and kept in touch these past thirteen months, and for my family members, church family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers who have  prayed for me, and encouraged me in the Lord these past 13 months. From my experience there is no pain nor loss that is worse than that of losing a child. I thank God for giving me faith, strength, peace and joy through all of this. If Mazie had lived she would be 29 years old January 6th of 2024.

About 30 years ago I prayed for God to heal me and bless me with a little girl. I was healed, became pregnant, and blessed with being Mazie's mom. My daughter was hurt, abused, lost faith in God, people, and herself. She used drugs recreationally as she lost faith in herself and others but as the hurt and abuse and depression continued she used drugs I believe to escape. People she loved and cared about used her, verbally and physically abused her, hurt her deeply, ripped away everything she held dear in this life and she lost more and more of herself and her faith in God until she no longer had any hope. I prayed and prayed, many of us prayed for my daughter to be healed, filled with God's peace and inner joy that comes only from being in a relationship with God, and to know He loved her unconditionally and strengthened her and covered her with His grace, and know he wanted to get her out of that situation. God did. She did. I give God all the glory, honor and praise. And then Mazie went home to be with God. 

God's word says for us to trust Him with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding. I trust my heavenly Father. I trust God and rejoice that my daughter was saved, experienced the peace and joy from feeling His love, and through faith and hope found a way out of all the heartache, hurt and loss that she had experienced and was experiencing trying to get out of the life she was in. She had faith again. She had hope of a better life. Would I have loved to have seen her completely out of the situation she was in and living the happy and whole life that she hoped for and I wanted for her?  Yes. But I trust God. He allowed her to die. I don't know why. But I trust Him. I know it's part of a plan. I know he loved her unconditionally. I know he blotted out all her sin. I know he gave her faith, hope, peace, joy and everlasting life. I know to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

Through the blood of Jesus we are saved and are forgiven of all our sins. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior all of our mistakes and sins are blotted out. Our sin is as far from us as the East is from the West. There's a reason why God wants us to follow the straight and narrow path. If a man commits adultery and God forgives him he still must face the repercussion of that sin against his wife and marriage. If a woman steals and God forgives her she may still go to prison for stealing. If a people have promiscuous sex and contract a disease God will forgive them and help them through it. God strengthens us and helps us through the repercussions of our sin in this world whether we've sinned against him, people, or our body. God turns even our mistakes into blessings. God loves us as his dearly beloved children. He doesn't want us to sin because sin has repercussions. 

Everything he teaches us is for our good and our benefit. God's word says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. I believe Mazie's spirit has returned to God and that she is in a constant state of joy and peace that we all look forward to experiencing one day when we go home to be with the Lord. Was she murdered? Did she have a panic attack or asthma attack and couldn't breath? Did she use again and it killed her? Did she die at someone else's hand through negligence or abuse? I don't know. Maybe I'll never know. But do I trust God and believe she's with him? Yes. Do I believe in God's justice? Yes. Do I believe God will forgive or has forgiven people who hurt Mazie, and people who contributed to her death in some way? Yes. Do I forgive them? Yes. Do I believe she's been healed and living in a state of constant joy and peace? Yes. I thank God for the almost 28 years that I had Mazie. 

I Thank God for the love, joy, happiness and blessing of being her mom. I thank God for each and every memory that she lives on in. I remember the first time that I thought about Mazie after her death without breaking down and crying. It was a happy memory and brought a laugh to my lips. It was a relief to remember her and laugh. I know that the thief (Satan) comes to steal, kill, and destroy us, our lives, our family, our health, our hope, our faith, and will do anything he can to wedge a gap in our relationship with God. I thank God for bringing Mazie back to Him through His love and for her knowing and experiencing His peace and the joy of knowing Him as a loving Father, and understanding His grace before she died. And I thank Him for me knowing this. 

People get in horrible wrecks and don't get as much as a scratch. Others get into a fender bender and die. Some fight fatal diseases and overcome. Others die quickly. Some shoot themselves point blank and live to have a change in heart and a better life. Others die from silly accidents. Some suffer for years and years then finally give their heart to Christ and live the remainder of their life in joy and peace and constant praise for the change God did in them and their life. I thank God that Mazie was His child and promised everlasting life. That gives me peace. Before she died I saw the transformation in her, her heart, her faith in God, in hope that comes from knowing we're not of this world but a better world to come, and the longing and determination to overcome her demons. I don't know of anyone who knew Mazie who wasn't changed for the better. She loved unconditionally. She believed in people. She selflessly helped and loved people.  She believed in God. She was an encourager. She believed love could change the world. She lost that belief and hope for a while. And then found it again in God's love for her, His grace he covered her with, and strength, peace, and inner joy He gave to her. It's hard to believe how much God loves us. We're flawed. We are far from perfect. 

We make huge mistakes and do stupid things. God's Word says we are as filthy rags. But He makes us clean. He is merciful. He covers us with grace. We cannot work our way into heaven. Only faith in His love for us will get us into heaven. Oh, if only everyone understood God's grace and would accept His love for them. We are not saved through our works but through faith in Him and what He did for us. Upon getting to know God better we come to know God's mercy and grace and how we are cleansed by the blood of Jesus who died on the cross for us that we might be saved and have  everlasting life. Jesus overcame death and took the keys to death and hell. The grave has no hold on us. Jesus went through the same trials, hurt, pain and temptations we do. He was wrongfully accused, beaten nearly to death, then died a sinners shameful death on a cross for us. But he prevailed. He rose from the dead, King of Kings. He overcame the world. Through Jesus we are saved, healed, strong, and overcome this world. Through Jesus we become better people and we live a better life, a life filled with the fruit and gifts of Holy Spirit.