November 28, 2015

Do You Have A Ready Mind?

© 2011 Debbie Turner Chavers
Matthew 11:15
Mark 7:16
Luke 9:35
Water-Man series



Acts 17
Different people and groups and how they receive the Word. 

When Paul spoke to the Jews in Thessalonica, he reasoned with them out of the scriptures for 3 sabbath days. My mind immediately grabs the word sabbath, which to me equals rest. Grace means rest to me also, a rest from my own effort to save myself. I can not. You can not. But we can facilitate the learning process of our relationship with God by having a ready mind.

Acts 17 says some believed, some did not. In Thessalonica, the ones who did not believe had envy, gathered a group of lewd fellows of the baser sort and started trouble. They all heard the same reasoning's of Paul's preaching. Yet received different results due to mind set.
Only you can change your mind.

In Berea, Acts 17:11-12 we see mind set again. If you have ears to hear, you can hear what the Spirit of God is saying. Verse 11-12 says, These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed: also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
Only you can change your mind, your ready mind to receive the truth of God's word.

I am reminded of Paul in Romans 7 and Romans 8 and Paul's ready mind to accept the rest of grace yet the reasoning of the law tried to bring him under the dominion of his flesh.

Romans 7 ends with his declaration in verses 24 - O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

We are more than conquerors when we rely on Jesus and His finished work for us.

Romans 8:4-7 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

When you hear the Word of God, be prepared to listen with all readiness of mind and you WILL find Him. Seek Him and you will find Him.

~Debbie






**If you click on the art parable painting title you will be redirected to its website for more information about the painting.
All writing, poetry, posts, art, and photography copyright © 2015 Debbie Turner Chavers. All Rights Reserved. Encouragement? http://lolo-livingoutloudonline.com Protected by US and International copyright laws. Scripture references from King James bible

Paid in Full

Love is a gift. Not a debt.
~ Debbie Turner Chavers


Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law




**If you click on the art parable painting title you will be redirected to its website for more information about the painting.
 All writing, poetry, posts, art, and photography copyright © 2015 Debbie Turner Chavers. All Rights Reserved. Encouragement? http://lolo-livingoutloudonline.com Protected by US and International copyright laws. Scripture references from King James bible

November 19, 2015

< JESUS >

© 2012 Debbie Turner Chavers


Recently, I was asked to share my testimony and so I am posting a part of it.  As with any person we all have a history of life lived, before Christ.
The entire world does, on a timeline of history, they call it BC.

But for me, Jesus birth, death and resurrection impacted me personally, not just historically. The facts of who I was and what I did before Christ are inconsequential. Suffice to say..I was a sinner.
A past life of living without the true WAY.
But now in God's eyes, my past is dead, buried, and my sins are gone. Deleted, erased.
I was what is referred to as a good person, a well meaning person.
A sinner.
A better than you a and worse than you, sinner.
A Sinner- a rebellious one who refused to acknowledge the Creator in thought or deed. One who conceptualized my ability to live and die in my own way. To walk out my life in my own way.

John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Hebrews 8:12  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Hebrews 10:16-17 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

But then Jesus became the center of me, filling in the less than and more than concept of me.
A new creation In Christ is now my identity.

I am now and can be everything He desires of me and manifests through and in me of himself.
This can be true for you as well as me.
No matter what I put on the back of or front of this equation.  Jesus must be the center. 
You and I and our abilities are less than until everything in and about us, meets and manifests "His more than."

~Debbie Turner Chavers
ABC- A Simple Salvation prayer



Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengtheneth me.

John 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away: behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin: that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Before Christ my self efforts were..
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

All of John 3--ye must be born again.
Ephesians 3:16-21





**If you click on the art parable painting title you will be redirected to its website for more information about the painting.

All writing, poetry, posts, art, and photography copyright © 2015 Debbie Turner Chavers. All Rights Reserved. Encouragement? http://lolo-livingoutloudonline.com Protected by US and International copyright laws. Scripture references from King James bible. Bible Gateway is a great resource.

November 13, 2015

Prayer Persistence



Isaiah 42:7 Art Parable
Close-up of Eyes
© 2013 Debbie Turner Chavers


Matthew 20:29-34  
And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
And, behold, two blind men sitting by the wayside, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.
And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.
And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pray..Persist in prayer. Their persistence was rewarded as they ignored the crowd and sought the Lord. 
Our persistence is rewarded also. 
I once was spiritually blind and the Lord had compassion on me as well.
There are many types of blindness.  
Do not give up. 
Keep persisting.

I noted that they were leaving Jericho, what once had been a walled city. Unbelief can be like a walled city.
I noted they were by a wayside. 
If you have not chosen Jesus as your Savior, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, you also, are on the wayside. (John 14:6)
I noted that their persistence and verbal recognition of Jesus caused him to stand still.
Amazing.
Jesus knows when we are trying to get his attention.
Ignore the opposition, call louder, more persistent, keep calling on the Lord. 

Their cries of recognition were as a prayer. And Jesus answered, What will ye that I shall do unto you?
I also noted that when their cries were answered, they followed him.
Yet in his compassion, he heard and healed them ...before they followed.
It is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. (Romans 2:4)

New Testament...
His goodness passed by, stopped, and granted their request to see. Think of that! 

Old Testament...
Remember Moses, he asked to see also in Exodus 33:19-23
And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shalt not be seen.

Jesus is our intercessor. Look at the favor and the beauty of the gift given. The Rock of our salvation , Jesus said if we see him we have seen the Father. Jesus is the Rock on which we are able to be hid in and rest on. Our Healer, blind eyes opener, Savior. We are covered. Opened eyes still see Him.

~Debbie


John 14:9 ...he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; ...

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

For further study consideration -John 5:31-47



**If you click on the art parable painting title you will be redirected to its website for more information about the painting. 

All writing, poetry, posts, art, and photography copyright © 2015 Debbie Turner Chavers. All Rights Reserved. Encouragement? http://lolo-livingoutloudonline.com Protected by US and International copyright laws. Scripture references from King James bible.