Evil World

From a spiritual perspective, it doesn't matter where a person lives because this whole world is Satan's kingdom.  He is an equal opportunity abuser and hates everyone.

People can be senselessly killing each other, starving to death in poverty or destroying themselves with money in any country.  The types of suffering in this world are endless and it doesn't matter the location, economic level, race, size, age, sex, etc.

No matter what country people are from, trials and tribulations are the great equalizer.  The only medicine that takes away this pain is the out-of-this-world love that comes from God.

Our only source for this supernatural love comes from Jesus Christ.  He is our equal opportunity Savior because He loves everyone unconditionally. 

When filled with His love, we receive His joy for any circumstances, and all we need to do is abide in Him and let His word abide in us.  Jesus' help is available 24/7 at any location with sincere, fervent prayer.

To Be or To Do

Jesus has been teaching my husband and I about being.  This is a lot more work than doing.

We have read books on how to be like Jesus, which includes the Bible.  And the Lord has been giving us lots of insights and dreams on this important subject.

However, worldly thinking is very difficult to change because it is constantly being reinforced.  I still was not getting it and continued to pray for Jesus to give me more to do for Him.

Finally Jesus came to me when I was praying and said, "Susan, you are praying wrong."  "You need to pray to be like Me, because only then will you be able to do more for Me."

Thank You, Jesus, for this clear message that even I could not miss!  I now pray to be like Jesus, and He is available for any one, any where and at any time.

Jesus Vs. Other Gods

I just finished reading a wonderful book, Jesus Among Other Gods, by Ravi Zacharias.  Mr. Zacharias is one of the leading apologists for the Christian faith but began his life as a Hindu.

The author compares Christianity and what Jesus said to the other major religions, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, pantheism, New Age and Humanism.  All regions cannot be right because each one has a particular way of defining who God is and is not, which then defines its followers’ life purpose.

Christianity is the only religion based on a person that said He was the only way to God and that we can each personally know God and absolute truth.  Jesus Christ did not only teach His message, He was identical with His message because He is God.

Jesus gives His believers a standard of spiritual love to follow that is way above any other religion’s moral requirements.  And along with this high standard, Christians get Jesus Christ’s supernatural help in a close personal relationship with Him.

When Christianity is compared to other religions, Christ and His love is truly a miracle.  Jesus is available to any one, any where at any time for a miraculous life change.

Working For Jesus

When the Lord first called me into a ministry, I didn't want to do it.  I didn't grow up in church and didn't feel qualified.

What I had to learn was that I don't need knowledge, qualifications or church experience.  All I needed was to learn from Jesus and be available for the Holy Spirit to use me.

Recently, my pastor asked me to preach this Sunday evening at church.  I already knew this would happen because the Lord woke me up in middle of the night to tell me what to say.

I have asked the Lord to wake me up at night because I'm busy during the day and so He does.  Slowly I'm learning how to work for Jesus by relying on Him, which is not at all what the world teaches.

Thank You, Jesus, for not only being a Great Employer but my Best Friend, Savior, Teacher and Lord.  Jesus is available any where, any time under any circumstances with sincere, fervent prayer!

Why Bad Things Happen

The Lord told me to write a brochure on why bad things happen, so I did.  When I sit down to write, I never know what the Holy Spirit will say through me, and I learn as much as others do.

The basic reason on why bad things happen is because there is not enough love in this world.  God created us to be with Him and gave us free will to choose.

God is unconditional love.  If we choose to obey Him, we would be unconditionally loving, too, and what a difference that would make to this world.

God loves us to much that He came into this world as Christ Jesus to personally show us the way to Him.  When people reject God, selfishness and evil replaces His way of unconditional love.

If you want more information on this subject, sign up for my email list and you will receive this brochure free in my next newsletter.  Or pray and ask Lord Jesus to be your Savior and teach you about unconditional love, too.

The Biggest Miracle

This past week, I've seen healing and provision miracles.  And there have been lots of trials and tribulations, too.

This reminds me of my favorite book, 90 Minutes In Heaven, that was made into a movie that I recently watched.

It tells the true story of a minister that died in a car accident and 90 minutes later another minister stopped to pray for him, and he came back to life.

This story has many miracles in it, like a visit to heaven, surviving impossible odds, many Christians praying for his recovery, etc.  But the biggest miracle of all was how this man grew spiritually from his experience.

When things go our way, we rarely learn anything or even appreciate it.  But when awful suffering stops us, we have an opportunity for change by beginning or building a relationship with Lord Jesus because He gives us the supernatural support for great improvement.

My Recent Book

It took me three years to finish my last book this past week and not because it's long.  This ebook is only 14 pages but it was very challenging.

The challenging part was not writing the book because the Holy Spirit tells me what to write or directs me where to get the information.  The challenging part was the subject.

This book is about being a disciple for Lord Jesus, which requires complete submission to Him - 100%.  I didn't want to do this and found writing this book to be very convicting.

My book is done and my desire is for my will to be the same as my Lord Jesus.  Thank You, Jesus, for Your patience, mercy, love, understanding and direction!

Jesus' Birthday

We celebrate Christmas because Jesus Christ was born into this physical world.  Since it is His birthday this month, what are you giving Him as a gift?

I wanted to give out gifts here and around the world for Jesus to needy children, so I asked if He would like that.  Jesus said, "yes."

He sent people to give me money and directed me on how to do it.  What fun!

Since Jesus does so much for us all year long, shouldn't we give Him a nice birthday gift?  All we need to do is pray and ask Him what He wants.

Being Prepared

One big advantage to a close personal relationship with the Lord is how He prepares us.  I was asked to preach not long before Thanksgiving on the Sunday right after it and could easily say, " yes."

Lord Jesus had been telling me for weeks that He wanted me to preach and what to say.  I was ready when asked.

Life is so much easier when our Partner knows the future and prepares us.  Thank You, Lord Jesus!

Faith

When I was a child, I learned that faith is believing in something that I cannot prove is true.  Now as a Christian, I know that faith is based on evidence and absolute proof of its truth.

Because I have kept a prayer log, I know that 97% of my prayers are answered.  I'm still waiting on the 3% and 5% were, "no," but that still makes for a lot of, "yes."

This week two big answered prayers were for healing.  I went to visit my dad in the nursing home and found him crying and moaning in pain.

When I talked to his nurse, she said he couldn't have any more pain medicine and suggested prayer.  So I prayed for about an hour until the pain was gone.

Dad even said his strength had returned, got out of bed and went to supper.  The next day I fell down a slippery porch and landed on my right hand and foot.

I couldn't feel or move either one, so I gingerly sat up and prayed until the feeling came back, mobility returned and the pain was gone.  Every day I have evidence of my faith and know that my Heavenly Father loves me.

Heaven or Hell?

So far this year, there have been five funerals of people I've known.  Funerals are awful when I don't know if the person is in heaven or hell, because there's nothing scarier than hell.

And, it is so easy to get into heaven.  All a person has to do is accept God's plan for his or her salvation through Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, many people want to do things their way instead of God's way.  But God only wants what is best for us, and that's why He came down from heaven in human form as Christ Jesus to mend our relationship with Him.

What a glorious, loving plan!  All we need to do is accept Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior in sincere prayer, because we need God to live a fearless life now and a joyous eternal one next.

More Holy Redistribution

In my last blog I wrote about how I got things to pass on to others and still had a hospital bed, so this last week I prayed about it.  The Lord directed me to the internet, so I assumed I would be posting it on a site for getting rid of stuff.

However, as I prayed on what heading to put the hospital bed under, I was told, no, to all my questions.  So, I switched to a search and a wonderful organization called HELP popped up.

The Lord confirmed that this was where He was leading me.  St. Louis HELP is a non-profit organization that lends out hospital equipment at no charge to whoever needs it and the equipment drive had just started.

Thank You, Lord, for letting me be Your hands and feet!  For more information on St. Louis HELP, check out their website at www.stlhelp.org

All Humans Are Alike

While I knew God created us all alike, this became obvious to me after advising people around the world.  What a miracle, we all have the same problems and need the same solution.

All humans in this world experience problems to help them grow spiritually, and this growth is evident when we have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.  We all make choices every day to be like this or not.

The easiest way to accomplish spiritual growth is when we have supernatural help.  I have done spiritual growth before knowing Jesus and after being with Him.

Before, it was hard work and limiting but, after, it was easy with His supernatural help.  His love, acceptance and guidance is only a prayer away.

Christians and Muslims

The two largest religions in the the world are Christian and Muslim.  Both groups of people claim to worship the same Creator God, trace their roots to Abraham in the Old Testament and know about Jesus.

The Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet and the Christians believe Jesus is the Christ.  As Christ, Jesus came to reconcile us to God by becoming our Savior from sin and the Lord of our lives.

Both religions teach a moral code of ethics to respect others and neither religion teach to kill people of other religions, unless in self-defense.  So why are we killing each other?

All humans have free will and a sinful nature.  Because of this, we can choose to do good and follow what God wants or we can give in to our sinful side and do evil.

When Jesus is the Lord of our lives, he gives us the love, strength, joy, peace and direction to be the unconditionally loving people that God created us to be in all circumstances.  This miraculous free gift of help is only a prayer away.

Trials and Tribulations

This world is full of problems and along with death, we can count on suffering here.  I talk with people almost every day about some type of problem.

While there are many problems, I know of one sure solution for all of them.  When we allow Lord Jesus to lead our lives, the worries and stresses disappear.

We can still have the same trials and tribulations but with His peace, strength and direction it all becomes ok.  Jesus knocks on the door of everyone's heart but most people do not answer.

Even when we let our Lord into our hearts, He is often left in the foyer.  Only when He runs our whole life can we rise above the trials and tribulations to live joyful, holy lives.

Be Organized

Jesus wants us to have organized, logical minds and how we live represents how we think.  So, my next step after unattaching from things was to organize what I have left.

I found this difficult until I got help.  Our Lord God has creatively organized everything from the smallest elements to the huge universe.

He taught me to use creativity and it became fun.  What I didn't expect was how great it made me feel.

From my organizing and doing God's Will, I got His supernatural peace and comfort.  The Lord only wants what is best for us and His guidance is only a prayer away.

A Safe and Speedy Trip

I was going to pick up my sister at the airport and hadn't been there in over ten years.  After telling friends at church why I was leaving early, i got lots of advice. 

They told me I might not make it in time because of road construction and to set an intention.  I told them all I needed to do was pray for a safe and speedy trip, which I did right after saying this.

I found no road construction on the highway and arrived 50 minutes before expected.  I learned about cell phone parking lots for waiting and had time to pray in worship and thanksgiving.

What a wonderful experience we have when we turn to Jesus for help instead of listening to humans.  His supernatural help is only a prayer away!

Marital Bliss

After three years of marriage, my husband and I finally have marital bliss.  When we got married, I didn't expect the changes in our relationship that happened.

Marriage always brings new expectations and issues from the past, but I didn't think my husband would become depressed.  However, as Christians that God brought together in union with Him, we have some advantages.

When I did my Biblical counseling, it usually ended in drama with me praying for help.  The Lord gave my husband dreams and insights that changed him a little but not enough, until I got very sick in January, 2014.

I told my husband this illness was probably caused by stress and then he decided to really change.  As the Lord and us worked on the depression issue, it happened less and less until September of the same year.

Then the depression hit my husband so hard that I became depressed, also.  The Lord really reached out to us, restored us and taught us that when we follow His Words, we have sanity.

Our problem was believing untrue information from the world (which included family and church members) and lies from Satan.  After being "depression and drama" free for ten months now, we've began our marriage anew by putting Jesus first, so we are always following Truth, and it is blissful:-)

Doing God's Will

I've discovered that doing God's will can be difficult.  First I need the ability to know His directions from my own sinful desires and the devil's input.

This discernment comes from knowing the character of God through the Bible, with recognizing His voice/presence from experiences and by asking for affirmations when in doubt.  The Lord always gives confirmation of His directions, like feelings of supernatural love, signs, dreams, etc.

Sometimes the guidance I need is encouragement and this is what I prayed for this past week.  He gave me a dream with tribulations but I prayed to Jesus for help, so I could rescue a child and make it to safety, which I did.

Not only do I pray for help when I'm awake but in my dreams, also, and this one gave me the strength to persevere.  There is power in the prayers of loving, obedient, sincere disciples of Jesus.

To know Jesus and get His help, ask Him to enter your heart as your Savior from sin to be the Lord of your life.  If you have any questions, just ask through the free email on the home page of my website at www.tranquilhearts.com

Healed In Bed

My husband woke me up in the middle of the night hurting from head to toe but especially his legs.  I felt his forehead and he was burning up.

We thought maybe it was the flu but didn't know.  After giving him 2 aspirins, we prayed for a complete healing and went back to sleep.

The next morning he felt great, and we knew Jesus had healed him.  Aspirin only relieves symptoms and its effects would have been long gone.

Only the Physician Jesus still makes house calls.  Thank You, Jesus, for healing my husband!