God knows that I need courage at this age, I have many things wrong with me and if it wasn't for Him, I would give up, I still get around good and am thankful for that, still do my own housework and am thankful for that, I have pretty much given up on my yard work, at least for this year, not sure what next year will bring but hopefully will have strength to do flower beds and gardens again. I have a friend who tells me old age is not for sissies, what do you think? I think it is important that we stay strong spiritually and the Lord will take care of our minds and body. That's my thinking. He is taking care of mine. I found a few promises for the 'aged' and would like to share them with you since some of you might be as old as I am or creeping up there at least.
Psalms 92:12-15 "The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in Him."
This is why I have hope at my age, God is not through with me yet, He says, 'I will still bear fruit for His kingdom in my old age. I believe Him, this is why He has given me this site to share His truths with you and others who are reading. I pray for you each day, that you will be strengthened in the truth about God that I am sharing with you.
I believe He has a project for each of us regardless of our age, even small children can share the love of Jesus with their friends. So age doesn't count with God, He is no respecter of persons and their age.
I am encouraged that my work is not over, and neither is yours. Hold on to the truths that you have learned and share them with others so they will know them too. Be faithful to what you are learning and practice the presence of God in your lives. He is there with you and will bless you in your daily walk with Him. I truly believe that and I know for a fact that He is with me guiding me day by day and lifting me up day by day so that I do not stumble as much as I use too. He wants to do the same for you and probably is, you just need to be observant to His ways. May God continually bless you as you walk with Him. Grandma Joan
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Monday, January 6, 2014
Our Guardian Angels
We are told in the Bible that sometimes we entertain angels unaware and I know that is true, as I told you our angel story when we were on the road in New Mexico. It's happened to lots and lots of people a I have read so many stories of angels coming to the rescue, supplying needs and help when no one was there to help. God uses His Helpers to go to our side when we need it and there is no other way to get help. Like when we were stranded in New Mexico, there was no help around and no one would stop to help and when they did they could only help one way and not come back. We were out of gas and nothing for miles and miles. Then a police car shows up out of nowhere and has five gallons of gas in the trunk which I am told they don't carry gas in their trunks especially on hot days. Anyway, when he went back to his car, we turned to look and there was no car on the road that was straight as a pin for twenty miles or more. God knew what would happen to me if left alone for who knows how long while my husband tried to hitch hike to get gas. I am so thankful for guardian angels.
Remember the story of Daniel in the lions den. Daniel 6:22 "My God sent His angels and shut the lions mouths, so that the have not hurt me..." He sent his angels to protect and deliver him from the lions.
Remember Peter when he was in prison. Acts 12:7 "Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying 'Arise quickly!' And his chains fell off his hands." Read the story in Acts 12. It's a good story. There are so many good stories that help us in our Christian walk of faith.
Psalms 34:7 "The angel of the Lord encamps all around them who fear Him, and delivers them." I can vouch for that.
Psalms 91:11 "For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways."
If we reverence God, we have angels camped all around us to deliver us in times of danger. And also to keep us in our Christian walk of faith. They are there to help when we are tempted, when we stumble, we we cry and are in pain, they are there to comfort us. We have such a great God, who is interested in every little thing in our lives. Aren't we the most blessed people to serve a God like that. I am so thankful. I hope you are too. I promised a few days ago or longer that I would do a study on angels and their work and so there you have it and I needed it just to refresh my mind on how wonderful it is to have such powerful beings right beside me all the time. I love angel stories, and I have read lots of them. I have an idea that some of you have entertained angels unawares sometime or another, if you thought about it. You might share them with me, I would love to hear them.
Enjoy life more by just knowing they are there beside you. Grandma Joan
Remember the story of Daniel in the lions den. Daniel 6:22 "My God sent His angels and shut the lions mouths, so that the have not hurt me..." He sent his angels to protect and deliver him from the lions.
Remember Peter when he was in prison. Acts 12:7 "Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying 'Arise quickly!' And his chains fell off his hands." Read the story in Acts 12. It's a good story. There are so many good stories that help us in our Christian walk of faith.
Psalms 34:7 "The angel of the Lord encamps all around them who fear Him, and delivers them." I can vouch for that.
Psalms 91:11 "For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways."
If we reverence God, we have angels camped all around us to deliver us in times of danger. And also to keep us in our Christian walk of faith. They are there to help when we are tempted, when we stumble, we we cry and are in pain, they are there to comfort us. We have such a great God, who is interested in every little thing in our lives. Aren't we the most blessed people to serve a God like that. I am so thankful. I hope you are too. I promised a few days ago or longer that I would do a study on angels and their work and so there you have it and I needed it just to refresh my mind on how wonderful it is to have such powerful beings right beside me all the time. I love angel stories, and I have read lots of them. I have an idea that some of you have entertained angels unawares sometime or another, if you thought about it. You might share them with me, I would love to hear them.
Enjoy life more by just knowing they are there beside you. Grandma Joan
Sunday, January 5, 2014
What Does Your Face Say?
Sometimes I wonder what mine says. My mother, bless her heart, had a very stern countenance and I am afraid that I might have inherited it. Just a little while ago it was brought to my mind that this certain individual doesn't really like me and we have never had words, good or bad and I was contemplating on this when it seemed like God impressed me that my countenance might be the cause of people not liking me. I may have a stern countenance like my mother had. I don't mean that she never smiled, but it wasn't real often.
I decided that I had better delve into this and find out what the Scriptures say about our countenance. I think I will dwell on the good countenances and not the bad, we all know what a bad countenance is, don't we? There is the angry countenance that Proverbs 25:23 talks about. Then there is the unfriendly countenance that it speaks about in Genesis 31:1,2. I kind of think that might apply to me, not sure what mine reveals.
There is the fierce countenance it talks about in Deuteronomy 28:50.
But I want to know what a good countenance is, don't you?
Proverbs 15:13 "A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance".
Judges 13:6 "So the woman came and told her husband, saying, 'A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; ...."
1 Samuel 16:12 "So he sent and brought him in (speaking of David) Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good looking...."
I would like to have a cheerful countenance, how about you? Also I would like to have a countenance of an Angel of God, that would be wonderful and a bright eyed and good looking countenance. I think I have found the solution to having a great countenance. It's in 2 Corinthians 3:18 Here's what it says: "But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
I can tell you that I do not want a stern countenance anymore. I can see that it would scare people off and specially children. My prayer is: "Please Lord, give me a cheerful, angelic countenance that attracts others not scare them off. I am so sorry, I don't think I knew that I looked like that. Thank you for showing me what I am like."
How about you, do you need to pray that prayer too? God will give us the desires of our heart if it will help us reflect His character and you and I both know that a cheerful countenance does reflect His character.
So let's pray that prayer until we reflect the countenance of Angels, shall we? Grandma Joan
I decided that I had better delve into this and find out what the Scriptures say about our countenance. I think I will dwell on the good countenances and not the bad, we all know what a bad countenance is, don't we? There is the angry countenance that Proverbs 25:23 talks about. Then there is the unfriendly countenance that it speaks about in Genesis 31:1,2. I kind of think that might apply to me, not sure what mine reveals.
There is the fierce countenance it talks about in Deuteronomy 28:50.
But I want to know what a good countenance is, don't you?
Proverbs 15:13 "A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance".
Judges 13:6 "So the woman came and told her husband, saying, 'A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; ...."
1 Samuel 16:12 "So he sent and brought him in (speaking of David) Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good looking...."
I would like to have a cheerful countenance, how about you? Also I would like to have a countenance of an Angel of God, that would be wonderful and a bright eyed and good looking countenance. I think I have found the solution to having a great countenance. It's in 2 Corinthians 3:18 Here's what it says: "But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
I can tell you that I do not want a stern countenance anymore. I can see that it would scare people off and specially children. My prayer is: "Please Lord, give me a cheerful, angelic countenance that attracts others not scare them off. I am so sorry, I don't think I knew that I looked like that. Thank you for showing me what I am like."
How about you, do you need to pray that prayer too? God will give us the desires of our heart if it will help us reflect His character and you and I both know that a cheerful countenance does reflect His character.
So let's pray that prayer until we reflect the countenance of Angels, shall we? Grandma Joan
Saturday, January 4, 2014
A Sure Way to Receive God's Blessings!!!!
I want to make sure that I am in tune with God, don't you? I want His blessings more than anything else in this world, and I don't think it is impossible to receive many, many of them. For every promise of blessings, there is a condition that we need to abide by and none of them are hard, unless, we love sin too much to let go of it. I hope that is not my case or yours. I really do love God and have been studying to show myself approved by Him and staying in His presence as much as I can. How about you? In Psalms 119: 1-8 there are some blessings promised us and I want to share them with you.
Verse 1 "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord!
Verse 2 "Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!
Verse 3 "They also do no iniquity, they walk in His ways."
Verse 4 "You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently."
Verse 5 "Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes."
Verse 6 "Then I would not be ashamed when I look into all Your commandments.'
His Testimonies, His ways, precepts, statutes, law and commandments are all one and the same. You will find them in Exodus 20. Read them over and pray over them for guidance and see which ones you need to have changed in your life, God will do it if you are sincere. Look at the blessings that you are missing out on, I have studied them a lot and I know that I have had to give some things up in my life to be able to receive His blessings. We need not be ashamed when we look into all His commandments, if we sincerely want to follow Him all the way.
Verse 7 "I will praise You with uprightness of heart, when I learn righteous judgments."
Verse 8 "I will keep Your statutes, Oh, do not forsake me utterly!"
It is not a hopeless thing to serve the Lord our God, He is willing to do it all for us if we will get rid of self and consent for Him to live within us and do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
Sometimes we will feel forsaken, but if this happens, don't give up, keep in His presence where the help is that we need. We just need to keep learning and doing as God leads the way and the promise is that we will be blessed indeed. We don't change overnight once and for all. Jesus said in His prayer in John 17:17,
"Sanctify them by Your truth, Your word is truth."
We need to study to show ourselves approved unto God, how do we do that? By reading His word and his word is truth and we are clean through His word. John 15:3. Our journey to heaven is not an over night thing, we just keep moving upward and onward until we become so much like Jesus, He can take us home with Him when He comes. There is nothing else in this world to look forward to, is there? I don't think so.
I really am looking forward to living with Jesus forever and ever and I hope that you are too. May God help us as we journey on to that end May all His blessings be yours for this New Year is my prayer for you. Grandma Joan
Verse 1 "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord!
Verse 2 "Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!
Verse 3 "They also do no iniquity, they walk in His ways."
Verse 4 "You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently."
Verse 5 "Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes."
Verse 6 "Then I would not be ashamed when I look into all Your commandments.'
His Testimonies, His ways, precepts, statutes, law and commandments are all one and the same. You will find them in Exodus 20. Read them over and pray over them for guidance and see which ones you need to have changed in your life, God will do it if you are sincere. Look at the blessings that you are missing out on, I have studied them a lot and I know that I have had to give some things up in my life to be able to receive His blessings. We need not be ashamed when we look into all His commandments, if we sincerely want to follow Him all the way.
Verse 7 "I will praise You with uprightness of heart, when I learn righteous judgments."
Verse 8 "I will keep Your statutes, Oh, do not forsake me utterly!"
It is not a hopeless thing to serve the Lord our God, He is willing to do it all for us if we will get rid of self and consent for Him to live within us and do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
Sometimes we will feel forsaken, but if this happens, don't give up, keep in His presence where the help is that we need. We just need to keep learning and doing as God leads the way and the promise is that we will be blessed indeed. We don't change overnight once and for all. Jesus said in His prayer in John 17:17,
"Sanctify them by Your truth, Your word is truth."
We need to study to show ourselves approved unto God, how do we do that? By reading His word and his word is truth and we are clean through His word. John 15:3. Our journey to heaven is not an over night thing, we just keep moving upward and onward until we become so much like Jesus, He can take us home with Him when He comes. There is nothing else in this world to look forward to, is there? I don't think so.
I really am looking forward to living with Jesus forever and ever and I hope that you are too. May God help us as we journey on to that end May all His blessings be yours for this New Year is my prayer for you. Grandma Joan
Friday, January 3, 2014
My Yoke Is Easy
When you think of a yoke, what comes to your mind? I grew up on a farm and what comes to my mind is a 'single tree or a double tree'. A single tree was when we used just one horse, a double tree was when we hooked two horses together and they pulled equally. I am not sure if that is called a yoke or not, maybe it is where they are hooked together at the neck, no one ever explained that to me, but I know they were hooked together so that they pulled equally.
Back when they used oxen, I recall seeing a picture of something around the neck of the ox and I don't know if that was called a yoke or not but it seems like it was. Anyway, when they broke in a young ox they yoked him together with an older ox and the older ox did the work while the younger one followed along guided by the older ox. The largest portion of the burden was upon the older ox and the younger ox was yoked loosely to the older one so as he just followed where the older one went, whether to the right or to the left, the younger ox followed. This is just what I heard recently and it makes a lot of sense when you read the verses in Matthew 11:29,30.
Now, when you read Matthew 11:29,30 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for My yoke is easy and My burden is light." What picture do you get of being yoked with Christ? Walking along side of Him, while He is guiding you step by step, carrying your burden for you and you are walking along beside Him in ease. What a beautiful picture of our relationship with Christ.
Will you find rest for your soul while being yoked up with Christ? I heard this yesterday and it was such a good illustration of our walk with God, I just had to share it with you. I hope you caught the picture that I did. It was a huge helpful picture of our walk with God.
Please let Him carry your burden for you and rest in Him, because His yoke is easy and His burden is light, if we are yoked up with Him. I love that picture, I am going to carry this picture with me always, so I won't get discouraged with life's burdens, remembering Who is carrying the burden and Who I am yoked up with.
What a lesson for me, my burden will become less heavy and less painful walking along side of Him and letting Him carry them for me. Let's walk today with Christ carrying our burdens and guiding us step by step so we won't stumble. Grandma Joan
PS. How are your New Years Resolves coming? I pray you are making great strides!!!!!
Back when they used oxen, I recall seeing a picture of something around the neck of the ox and I don't know if that was called a yoke or not but it seems like it was. Anyway, when they broke in a young ox they yoked him together with an older ox and the older ox did the work while the younger one followed along guided by the older ox. The largest portion of the burden was upon the older ox and the younger ox was yoked loosely to the older one so as he just followed where the older one went, whether to the right or to the left, the younger ox followed. This is just what I heard recently and it makes a lot of sense when you read the verses in Matthew 11:29,30.
Now, when you read Matthew 11:29,30 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for My yoke is easy and My burden is light." What picture do you get of being yoked with Christ? Walking along side of Him, while He is guiding you step by step, carrying your burden for you and you are walking along beside Him in ease. What a beautiful picture of our relationship with Christ.
Will you find rest for your soul while being yoked up with Christ? I heard this yesterday and it was such a good illustration of our walk with God, I just had to share it with you. I hope you caught the picture that I did. It was a huge helpful picture of our walk with God.
Please let Him carry your burden for you and rest in Him, because His yoke is easy and His burden is light, if we are yoked up with Him. I love that picture, I am going to carry this picture with me always, so I won't get discouraged with life's burdens, remembering Who is carrying the burden and Who I am yoked up with.
What a lesson for me, my burden will become less heavy and less painful walking along side of Him and letting Him carry them for me. Let's walk today with Christ carrying our burdens and guiding us step by step so we won't stumble. Grandma Joan
PS. How are your New Years Resolves coming? I pray you are making great strides!!!!!
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Please, Deliver Me.
There are many things in this life that we might need deliverance from, some of them might be danger, maybe some sin in our life, could be fear, and you can think of what you need deliverance from. The one that hits me so direct this morning is the 'powers of darkness' that has engulfed me lately. I can feel it overwhelming me. One reason I believe that this is happening is because Satan does not like me sharing my faith with you or anyone, He is not happy when one turns away from Him and finds Jesus and wants to share what He has found.
I have been faithful with my blogs even to the point of doing some ahead in case of an emergency like this one, I have not been able to even think of anything to share with you from Monday until now Anyway, I needed time with God to figure out what in the world is wrong and why I am in this rut of darkness. God has heard my prayer and here I am blogging again. "Thank you Lord, for your immediate answer to my prayer. I really don't know what I would do without You."
This is what I found this morning as I was pleading with God for help!!!!
Colossians 1:13 "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." A beautiful promise if we fall under Satan's power of darkness. We need deliverance!!!!
2 Timothy 4:18 "And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly Kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever." This is a great promise for us when we unknowingly fall into temptation and sin. He will deliver us.
2 Peter 2:9 "The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations..." He absolutely does know how to deliver us out of temptations, so trust Him and believe that He will do it.
Do you remember the stories in the Bible how God delivered Noah and his family from the flood, how He delivered Lot and his family from the destroying by fire the city of Sodom, how He delivered Israel from the Egyptians by opening up the Red Sea so they could cross over on dry ground and then when the Egyptian army got in the middle of it, God caused the waters to flood over them and drown them. What a mighty God we serve, and Daniel from the Lion's Den and David from the Philistine army and killing Goliath, and Daniel's friends from the firery furnace, the fire was so hot it killed the men who threw them in and yet they came out unscathed.
Can He deliver you? Yes, yes, He can, He has come to my rescue again and again and I know from my own experiences that He can and He will if we just ask Him in all sincerity. He will lead us into all truth just as He has led me these past 80 plus years and again this morning, so have faith that He will lead you and also deliver you out of your darkness and temptations. I love Him so much, don't you? If you don't you should. He is with you even when you don't want Him with you, He knows your heart and what He can do with your life if you only would give it to Him. Please trust Him with your life just now as I am praying for you. You have a whole New Year ahead of you, what will you do with it? Is God included in it? Grandma Joan.
I have been faithful with my blogs even to the point of doing some ahead in case of an emergency like this one, I have not been able to even think of anything to share with you from Monday until now Anyway, I needed time with God to figure out what in the world is wrong and why I am in this rut of darkness. God has heard my prayer and here I am blogging again. "Thank you Lord, for your immediate answer to my prayer. I really don't know what I would do without You."
This is what I found this morning as I was pleading with God for help!!!!
Colossians 1:13 "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." A beautiful promise if we fall under Satan's power of darkness. We need deliverance!!!!
2 Timothy 4:18 "And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly Kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever." This is a great promise for us when we unknowingly fall into temptation and sin. He will deliver us.
2 Peter 2:9 "The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations..." He absolutely does know how to deliver us out of temptations, so trust Him and believe that He will do it.
Do you remember the stories in the Bible how God delivered Noah and his family from the flood, how He delivered Lot and his family from the destroying by fire the city of Sodom, how He delivered Israel from the Egyptians by opening up the Red Sea so they could cross over on dry ground and then when the Egyptian army got in the middle of it, God caused the waters to flood over them and drown them. What a mighty God we serve, and Daniel from the Lion's Den and David from the Philistine army and killing Goliath, and Daniel's friends from the firery furnace, the fire was so hot it killed the men who threw them in and yet they came out unscathed.
Can He deliver you? Yes, yes, He can, He has come to my rescue again and again and I know from my own experiences that He can and He will if we just ask Him in all sincerity. He will lead us into all truth just as He has led me these past 80 plus years and again this morning, so have faith that He will lead you and also deliver you out of your darkness and temptations. I love Him so much, don't you? If you don't you should. He is with you even when you don't want Him with you, He knows your heart and what He can do with your life if you only would give it to Him. Please trust Him with your life just now as I am praying for you. You have a whole New Year ahead of you, what will you do with it? Is God included in it? Grandma Joan.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Having a Clear, Clean Conscience.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!! Are you ready to start the new year with a clear, clean conscience? I am looking forward to this year as my best year yet, because I have the best Helper ever to abide with me all the time and guide me in everything I do. His name is Holy Spirit. He will be the same for you, so why don't you make this the best New Year ever for you and your family. I thought it would be great to start out the New Year with a Clear, Clean Conscience, so let's see what that entails.
Yesterday, we studied about having a working conscience and I thought it would be nice to know what having a clear conscience would be like and I am sure this will be a very helpful study and may you be blessed as we go through it.
If your conscience is clear you will have freedom from guilt feelings, wouldn't that be wonderful, I think it would with all my heart. I have struggled with guilt all my life because I didn't know how to get rid of it, but now I know and I need to know what a clear conscience is like all the time.
Hebrews 10:21,22 "And having a High Priest over the house of God let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
In order to have a clear conscience we need our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water from God's throne. The only One that can do that is God and we have to be willing to let Him do it when we ask Him, repenting of our evil conscience.
1 Timothy 1:5 "Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith."
This tells us what a clear conscience is all about, love from a pure heart, from a good conscience and from sincere faith. We cannot do this on our own, we need to ask God to fill us with His fullness so that we can have all three of these qualities of character. He has promised to do it, remember the study on the Holy Spirit, I think you can go back and check it out, if you want to.
1 Peter 3:15,16 "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed."
That verse is pretty explanatory, but we need to make sure our hearts are sanctified by God so that we can give a good answer for the hope that we have, always with humility and reverence, because our conscience is clear. Under normal circumstances they would probably be ashamed of reviling us if our answer is from a clear conscience.
Having a clear or clean conscience means that we love from a pure heart, from a clear conscience and from sincere faith. All three are very, very important for our well being, so that we may have the peace, joy and contentment that God wants us to have. Can you see what a great witness that would be to others who do not understand our faith and what it could do to help them have the same faith in God?
I pray that God gives me a clear, clean conscience so that I can be free in Him, freedom from the guilt of a plagued conscience. Freedom to witness to others of what He has done for me. It makes all the world of difference in our lives. Total freedom in Him. What more could we ask for. That would be heaven here on earth, waiting for the heaven that He has gone to prepare for us. May God bless you as you surrender to Him your conscience, your love and your faith. Grandma Joan
Yesterday, we studied about having a working conscience and I thought it would be nice to know what having a clear conscience would be like and I am sure this will be a very helpful study and may you be blessed as we go through it.
If your conscience is clear you will have freedom from guilt feelings, wouldn't that be wonderful, I think it would with all my heart. I have struggled with guilt all my life because I didn't know how to get rid of it, but now I know and I need to know what a clear conscience is like all the time.
Hebrews 10:21,22 "And having a High Priest over the house of God let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
In order to have a clear conscience we need our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water from God's throne. The only One that can do that is God and we have to be willing to let Him do it when we ask Him, repenting of our evil conscience.
1 Timothy 1:5 "Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith."
This tells us what a clear conscience is all about, love from a pure heart, from a good conscience and from sincere faith. We cannot do this on our own, we need to ask God to fill us with His fullness so that we can have all three of these qualities of character. He has promised to do it, remember the study on the Holy Spirit, I think you can go back and check it out, if you want to.
1 Peter 3:15,16 "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed."
That verse is pretty explanatory, but we need to make sure our hearts are sanctified by God so that we can give a good answer for the hope that we have, always with humility and reverence, because our conscience is clear. Under normal circumstances they would probably be ashamed of reviling us if our answer is from a clear conscience.
Having a clear or clean conscience means that we love from a pure heart, from a clear conscience and from sincere faith. All three are very, very important for our well being, so that we may have the peace, joy and contentment that God wants us to have. Can you see what a great witness that would be to others who do not understand our faith and what it could do to help them have the same faith in God?
I pray that God gives me a clear, clean conscience so that I can be free in Him, freedom from the guilt of a plagued conscience. Freedom to witness to others of what He has done for me. It makes all the world of difference in our lives. Total freedom in Him. What more could we ask for. That would be heaven here on earth, waiting for the heaven that He has gone to prepare for us. May God bless you as you surrender to Him your conscience, your love and your faith. Grandma Joan
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