Complete in Him

by Tammy Phillips
January 23, 2023

In Him we live and move and have our being!– Acts 17:28

How could the tiny, two-letter word, “be,”  cause such contemplation? We are called human beings.   My question is what are we “being?”   What does it mean to just “be?” Is there a cost to “be?” Is there value in being?  Since God tells us to “be,”  what does that look like?  God does not lead us to something and not bring us through it.

The Bible is full of directions of who, what and how to “be.” Holy Spirit began moving me to question and seek answers about being, two years ago.   I have recorded over thirty-pages of scripture from the word of God where we are told to “be.” I am going to spend the next however long, plunging into those powerful directions.

“Be” by definition, whether from the Hebrew or Greek, means to  live, to occupy a position, to have a place and to be present.  It is a verb and  requires action.  It infers duty, necessity, or purpose. 

Look at the synonyms for “be:”  abide, BREATHE, continue, endure, flourish, fixed, go on, hold, have place, LIVE, move, persist, prevail, remain, rest, stand, stay, and survive.

Aren’t all those words a general theme throughout the Bible?   My word from the Lord from  2023 is VIVA MAGENTA.  Magenta is my favorite color.  It exudes cheer, joy, and happiness to me.  Viva means to live, breathe and be.  You can readily see from the synonym list above that those three words all mean the same thing.   God does not just tell us to live, live, live.  He doesn’t say breathe, breathe, breath, nor be, be, be.   He is so much more creative, colorful, and magnificent than that.   He does not want us to live a dull, gray, dreary life full of pain, worry, and fear.  That is just not His plan.  He wants us to enjoy every second of life…no matter what we are going through.  He wants us to walk and talk through life with Him. He wants us to rejoice in every breath and to just love being in Him. He wants us to trust in Him with our whole heart and being.

However, He leaves the choice up to us. We can live, breathe and be, or we can die, suffocate, give up, perish, quit, and stop being. Life is not easy and that is not His promise.  For many years, I just floated along very defeated and let life take me where it would.  I did not know I had a choice.  We do have a choice.  His name is Jesus. He is life and the life giver.  He gives us life and breath and our being, now and for eternity.  He died and exchanged His life so that we could live. 

God is the “I AM.”

Do you know what the Greek word being is in Acts 17:28?  I didn’t either.  I am no Greek scholar. 

The Greek word for “being” is esmen which is a derivative of eimi which means:   I be, I exist, I am.  Do you get it? God revealed His name to Moses as the “I AM.”   God is the “I AM.” 

In God, in Him, in  the “I AM,”  we are.  
We exist only because He exists.
I am because  of the one and only “I AM!”
In Him we are because He is and always has been.
In “I AM” we live and move, and we be!
We live and we move, and we be in Him.
We live because He lives.
We move because He moves.
We can be because HE IS OUR VERY BEING!
We can do all things in and through Him and absolutely nothing without Him.

Live. Breathe. Be.  It all means the same thing.  It is woven in and out of God’s words for us.

Can you wrap your mind around the word “be” and all that it means? It is a lot.

Think of it this way.  When we go to the doctor for a checkup, he tells us to breathe normally.  If you are like me, I, then, try to breathe.  Most of us do not struggle to breathe.  It is just something we do effortlessly. Seriously, how many times a day do you stop and think about breathing.  We were created to live and breathe…and be.  We make life difficult with our choices. We add the struggle.  

I enCourage you to end the struggle.  Stop worrying, stop fearing, and stop doubting. God’s word says: 

“My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commands; 
for they will bring you many days, a full life, and well-being. 
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.” [Pro 3:1,2,5,6 CSB]

His word brings full LIFE and well BEING! It makes the difficult road a straight path.  It’s life in Him. 

LIVE. BREATHE. BE in 2023…’24,’25, ’26 and forever!

 

by Tammy Phillips
repost  from January 16, 2020

“Then those who feared the Lord talked often one to another; and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced and worshipfully feared the Lord and who thought on His name.

And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special possession, My peculiar treasure). And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.” (Malachi 3:16-17)

The LORD treasures us.  We are his jewels formed by years of pressure, trials and tribulations.  He says, “’Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth [is] mine.” (Exodus 19:5 KJV)

How do we know we are His treasure?

1. 1. He said we were. So, we believe it.
   2. He, God of the universe, pays attention.
   3. He, King of King’s, stops and hears us.
   4. He is so delighted.  He loves that we are amazed and spend time talking about Him.  He has a book written to record every word that we speak about Him.  It is like how we take pictures to capture the gift of the sunrise and sunset that He often bestows on us in the morning and evening sky.
   5. He says, “They will be mine!” Isn’t that what you say when you pass by the TJMAXX counter and see some sparkly new jewel or pair of shoes? “It’s mine! I have to have it no matter the cost!”  This is exactly what God did for us by giving us Jesus. God the highest price for his jewels.
   6. He promises to declare us openly as His Jewels

I enCOURAGE you to obey His voice.  Do His word and then Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby or Diamond, you can be assured that YOU ARE HIS.  You are His peculiar treasure, His precious and prized jewel! 

Then those who feared The LORD, with awe-filled reverence, spoke, texted, emailed and called one another.  The LORD paid attention and heard it.  He had a book written of those who feared and lived amazed by Him and thought, plait, meditated, wove, and interpenetrated on His Name. “They will be mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, on that day when I publicly recognize them and make up my own jewels, my peculiar treasure. 

 

by Tammy Phillips
January 9, 2023

 Be thankful.  (Col 3:15 NKJV)

On Monday, January 2,2023, many in the United States who were on opposing teams, even “enemies,” stopped and joined in prayer over one man. The one man, Damar Hamlin,  was a football player who suffered cardiac arrest and was resuscitated after being unresponsive on the football field.  After three nights in critical care, we heard the news that he was awake, responsive, and writing, “Who won the game?”   Later the same day, his breathing tube was removed, and he was  miraculously talking.  Neurologically,  he was functioning well.  Yesterday, he tweeted, “It’s GameDay & There’s Nothing I Want More Than To Be Running Out That Tunnel With My Brothers.  God Using Me in A Different Way Today! #Prayfor3.”  The suddenly and the miracle  we all prayed for was, and is unfolding before our eyes.  God answers every time.  We may not love the answer, but He answers when we call.

In Luke 17:11-19, members of the opposing teams of Samaria and Galilee joined in a group. The ten men were united because they all were lepers.  Like many of us  did last week for Demar,  they cried out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” They were pleading for their lives. They needed salvation and healing from the Savior. 

The Healer, our Savior, answered,  “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”   Kind of an odd command, but they obeyed  and as they went. All ten were cleansed and healed. Their healing was not in an instant, but as they obeyed. They got their miraculous suddenly.

One, a Samaritan who was on the opposing team of the Jesus and Jews, when he saw that he had been healed, returned to Jesus.   He gave God a big, loud shout out.  He  glorified God, fell down on his face at His feet, and gave Him big thanks (Luke 17:15-16).  

One out of ten, turned, remembered, and thanked the Lord.  Sadly, The guys who were on the same team as Jesus did not.

Jesus answered Him and said, “Weren’t  ten cleansed? But where are the other nine? Only the enemy camp returned to thank me and give me glory?”    

 I do not want to be one of the nine!  I want to be part of the “ONE” who returned and thanked God.   I never want to take the mercy and grace of the Lord for granted ever again.  

I thank you Lord Jesus for saving, healing,  and sparing Damar Hamlin’s life.  “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2Co 9:15 NKJV). “Thanks” in this verse is a made-up word by Paul.  It had never been used before and is only used once in the Bible in this scripture. That is how I feel right now about life and Damar Hamlin.  My made-up word to the Lord is  “Lalala!”  I am living amazed by awesome Lord Jesus who heard the plea of a nation and answered.  Father, I thank you for every time I cried, and you answered my plea!!!   Sincerely, forgive me for ever being part of the nine that just kept on walking. Forgive me for not thanking you when you did not answer the way “I” wanted.

I enCourage you all to be….thankful!  Just be in the presence of the Lord and give Him a well-deserved, “thank you,” no matter your current circumstance.  The word of God instructs us many times to be thankful.

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1Th 5:18 NKJV)  and  “Give thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (Eph 5:20 NKJV)

Live. Breathe. Be…thankful.  

 

by Tammy Phillips
January 2, 2023

If anyone knows me well, they know that my favorite color is red, all shades, tones, and hues of red, particularly magenta. 

I awoke to a text on Sunday, December 4, 2022, from my dear sister in Christ whom I call Queen Fuchsia (She also has an affinity for the reds.): 

“Good morning, Queen Magenta!  I see that your color is the pantone color for 2023!”

I googled 2023 Pantone color of the year and it  was Viva Magenta…
( https://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year/2023)

I responded:

“That is crazy!  I prayed for my 2023 word from the Lord on Wednesday, November 30, and I  believe you may have just delivered it.  Will ask God for sure!”

I prayed for my word because it  is my guide, my rutter, that helps me travel through the raging sea of the year. I did not want to force anything.  I sought the Lord for confirmation and  he gave it. 

Stop.  First of all, you might be questioning, “What is Pantone?”  Pantone provides a universal language of color.  The Pantone Color Institute™ provides customized color standards.  For example, Tennessee orange is always Tennessee Orange -PMS 151.

You may also be questioning how can a color be your word?  Well, this is something new to me.  I love color.  I love words.  It looks like the God of impossible is speaking through both, color and words.

Second…What is Viva Magenta? As a color…

“Pantone’s Color of the Year, Viva Magenta 18-1750, vibrates with vim and vigor. It is a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength. Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative.

This year’s Color of the Year is powerful and empowering. It is a new animated red that REVELS IN PURE JOY, encouraging experimentation and self-expression without restraint, an electrifying, and a boundaryless shade that is manifesting as a stand-out statement. It is a color that is audacious, full of wit.”

Leatrice Eiseman
Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute

According to Pantone.com, the reds are power colors that celebrate life.  As a bright, crimson red, Viva Magenta balances boldness with a feeling of fun. It embodies an expression of fierce grace, inspiring us to show up with confidence and humanity. We can never fully understand what lies beneath the surface of the friends and strangers we meet, but we can always work to deepen our empathy. The Color of the Year 2023 speaks to our desire to take on new challenges and try the unconventional while meeting others with compassion.

Viva Magenta offers us the assurance and motivation we need to weather long-term disruptive events. Three years deep into a pandemic, facing war, an unstable economy, social unrest, and supply chain breakdowns, we need to heal. And still, we need to find the motivation to continue. Here, Viva Magenta cloaks us in both power and grace, and sends us out into the world with the verve we’ve yearned for.”

How does the name of a color, Viva Magenta,  translate to my 2023 word?

Viva in many languages mean a joyous shout of joy, a cheer to live or “long live.”  It is a cry of celebration or triumph.   I looked up “long live” in the Bible.   I found it in [1Ki 1:39-40 NIV, “Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” And all the people went up after him, playing pipes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound. [1Ki 1:40 NIV]

“Long live” in the verse above is the Hebrew word, chayah, meaning alive, revive, be quickened,  be restored to life or health, simply, live!  According to the Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon, The original idea of this word is breathing. The same original meaning is found in the Greek word, ζάω  or zao, which means to breathe, live and be strong,  to recover life, to be restored to life;  to enjoy real life, to live life most happily. 

Jesus said  in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have [it] more abundantly.”   

We need to live the life that Jesus came  and died for. 
We need to enjoy life.
We need to live out loud and in color.
VIVA MAGENTA!
Live! Breathe! Be!

How do we “VIVA MAGENTA?”
How do we joyously celebrate life?
How do we live optimistically?
How do we live  brave and fearless?
How do we REVEL IN PURE JOY?
How to we extend fierce grace?
How do we Live? Breathe? Be?
How do we “VIVA MAGENTA?”

We do not  live by bread alone, but by every word of God. (Luke 4:4)

Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. (1John  2:6)

In him we live and move and have our be!  (Acts 17:28)

We rejoice in the Lord  always. (Philippians 4:4)

We consider it all joy when various  trials come. (James 1:2)

It always, always, always comes back to…

We live…we walk…by faith, not by sight. (2Corinthians 5:7)

I enCOURAGE you to “ Viva Magenta!”  Live! Breathe! Be!  We should enjoy every second of our blessed lives.  You are blessed whether you realize it or not.

We are all on this journey and have to go through this thing called life.  Celebrate it  and live!  Walk it out breath by breath.  I intend to in my new shoes.    Viva Magenta! Just be in 2023!  Happiest New Year…all year! 

 by Tammy Phillips
December 25, 2022

Cesar Augustus, the first Emperor of the Roman Empire,  reigned during a really dark and evil time in Israel.  The darkness was a lot like our present day. Cesar was a dude who thought he knew it all.  He sent out an Executive Order; big brother wanted to know who and where you were!   He wanted money!  And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. Everybody went to be taxed, EVERYONE into his own city, even nine month pregnant Mary!

Joe went up to Judea, not to New York City, but to David’s City, Bethlehem… from Galilee from his hometown, Nazareth.  He was a descendant of King David, you know.  He had to drag Mary along with him a top some animal. The ride alone would have been so hard.  She was about to pop because she was so pregnant.  It wasn’t long after they arrived that she told Joe: “IT’S TME!” It was probably the 80-100-mile hike, the 4-7 day walk, that put her into labor.  You know that girl had to be worn out.  Joe forgot to make reservations at the Holiday Inn-Bethlehem.  Everything was sold out.  There was a big crowd in Bethlehem to be taxed.  You know how crazy the post office is on tax-day.  Bethlehem was buzzing just like that. “No Vacancy” signs were everywhere.

Mary had sweet baby Jesus in the only place they could find…a cave in the ‘hood. They didn’t have barns, fyi.  (Light brought into darkness.  God Almighty laid aside His Glory and appeared on the scene as a baby.)  She had her first son, her first child, away from home.  She probably left his onesies in Nazareth, so she wrapped him up like a peanut with what she had.  She swaddled him and laid him in a manger, hewn out of the rock. You know, the things that farm animals ate out of.   He came to the earth just like he left the earth, all wrapped up and lying on a stone.

Out in the county there were some shepherds minding their business.  They were sleeping out in the field taking care of their animals, so no harm would come to them.  Out of the darkness, “kabam-shazam,” out of nowhere, a HUGE angel appeared.  He had to be at least 20 feet tall.  He showed up from nowhere.  The mega angel lit up that whole field like sunrise over the ocean.  It nearly scared the farmers to death. They were shaking in their boots. The angel roared, “DON’T BE AFRAID!”   Look!  Listen!  I am bringing you GOOD NEWS!!!  You have hit the lottery.  It is going to make you so HAPPY.  Everybody is! It’s good news for everybody.  It is the BEST NEWS. Today. T-O-D-A-Y!  In Bethlehem…Are you ready for it?  Our Savior has been born, the Savior of the World.  He is here!  Christ the Lord is here! Our Savior, our deliverer…from Greek word “sozo” which means to save, keep safe, and sound, to rescue from danger, to save from perishing from disease, to make well, heal, restore, doctor/healer when you need him, restorer to health from the oppressor (you know the one who tries to harm and hurt you, the one who tried to keep you beat down).  

Feel like you’re missing something?  The Savior will complete you.  
Anxious? He says don’t worry!  
Sick? God has no big problems!  
Need something?  He is more than enough!  
Lonely? He will never leave you nor forsake you?  
Need a constant in your life?  He will never change.  He always has been, always is and always will be.  
Want to do well? He has the keys to the kingdom. His name is I AM, I WAS, I always will be.  HIS NAME IS CHRIST, the anointed.   He is smeared all over, bathed-in, like suntan oil at the beach…it was/is all over Him to be who He was and is supposed to be.  He was/is furnished with all necessary powers to perform his position with duties as assigned by God.

The LORD, the man of the hour, has power for decision making.  He gets things done.  He is supreme.  He has it all under control.  He is our Savior for such a time as this.  He is our SOZO now.  LIFE IS NOW.  He is not a fire policy.  He is the Son of God and he is here.

A child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace (the Chief of Completeness) – Isaiah 9:6

Get it?  I AM is here!

This is the sign. You can find the Savior of the World wrapped in swaddling clothes and he is lying in a M-A-N-G-E-R.  (A manger? The king is in a manger?)  Don’t miss the sign boys.

The heavens could not stand it anymore- the good news!

Bam! The angel’s back-up singers the Heavenly Host (Heard of them?  They were a popular group with God) I mean I am talking a platoon, a troop of hosts showed up and put on a show.  They were praising God and rocking the stage saying:

“Glory to God in the highest. Peace on Earth. Good will to men!” You could probably hear them all the way in Nazareth.  After the field concert (And Luke Bryan thought this was an original idea?), the Angel of the Lord & the Heavenly Host – poof- they jetted back to heaven in an instant.  

The Sheps chatted and thought it might be a good idea to let the flock hang out and for them to head on to Bethlehem.  They wanted to see what all the fuss was about.  I mean the Lord had dropped a concert in the middle of the field in the middle of the night to let them know the good news.  Talk about virtual reality.  The Sheps sped to Bethlehem. 

Lo and behold!  Surprise!  Surprise! Surprise!  Can you believe it?  They found Mary, Joe and sweet lil’ baby Jesus lying in the manger.  After they saw BABY JESUS, they went and told everybody about it!   Anyone that would listen, heard the story.  They didn’t go to bed for days.  Everybody they told wandered in AMAZEMENT.  You can see them just shaking their heads.

Mary was just blown away.  She kept quiet and to herself.  She thought…I birthed the King?  He’s lying in a manger?  The Savior of the world?  After the long journey, the labor, it was too much.  She just kept all this to herself and let her thoughts just circle in her tiny little brain. It was just too much to process.

The Sheps! They just kept on partying. Glorifying, praising, singing to the top of their lungs to God.  What a story, a Glory Story of the Savior of the World!

Merry Christmas!

By Tammy Phillips
December 20, 2022

The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the LORD.
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3)

“Prepare”  in Isaiah 40 :3 is the Hebrew word , pānâ, which means: turn toward; turn and look at; to face; in the presence of; to remove; to take out of the way; to clear a way; to put in order.

In the New Testament verses of Mathew 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4, and  John 1:23, John the Baptist says he is  the voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”  The Greek word for “prepare”  in the above verses is hetoimazō, meaning,  to make the necessary preparations and get everything ready. This word meaning is also drawn from the oriental custom of sending on before kings on their journeys persons to level the roads, make them passable, and clear every obstacle.

It is easy to prepare for the Christmas festivities.(Hahaha)  I have three books, a multitude of lists, a computer and phone.   I make the list and check the box. Complete. In the end, I am prepared, ready, or not.   We cannot just check the salvation box and think we are complete.  We must prepare for the day we meet Jesus face to face and attend the marriage feast of the lamb. 

Are we preparing the way of the Lord?  
We prepare for everything else
We shower and dress  to get ready for the day.
We prepare agendas for meetings and itineraries for trips.
We plan meals, whether a week ahead or a minute before.
We orchestrate wedding plans and festivities, step by step, months and years in advance.
We book flights for upcoming travel.
We  prepare for Christmas meals, parties, pictures, decorations, and gifts.  
We make exhaustive lists.  We check them twice, thrice and a multitude of times.
We have to prepare so we are ready for the events of the day and seasons.

Are you prepared?  Are you ready?

Would you go into a meeting unprepared?
Would you sit down for dinner and just think food will magically appear?
Would you go on a date without getting ready?
Would you agree to an engagement when no relationship had been built?
Would you host a wedding with no planning at all?
Would you face the day with no clothes, buck naked?  (That used to be one of my worst nightmares.)

The answer to all the above questions is “NO.”

Why in the world, when we are told to prepare the way of the Lord, do we think we can simply check off a salvation box,  enter into the gates of heaven and meet our Savior face to face?

The inspired word of God through Paul in Philippians 2:12 says, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”  [Phl 2:12 NKJV]. Marriage is work.  We have to commit to marriage for it to last. We have to work on our relationships for them to succeed.  Marriage is not a one and done act.  It is not checking off a box.  It is an everyday  surrender.

Our relationship with the Lord is worked out every day. 

It is obedience to His word, His will, and His way. 
It is following in His footsteps.
It is  surrender.
It is dying to self, minute by minute.
It is commitment.
It is taking the time to get to know Him.
It is relationship.
It is His call and our answer.
It is not just checking off the salvation box. 

I enCOURAGE you to stop playing at being a Christian and to prepare the way of the Lord in your heart.  “The idea of preparing the way of the LORD is a word picture because the real preparation must take place in our hearts. Building a road is very much like the preparation God must do in our hearts. They are both expensive, they both must deal with many different problems and environments, and they both take an expert engineer.” – David Guzik

Prepare your hearts to meet Jesus because He has been preparing to meet you face to face for a while now.

“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also. [John 14:22-23 KJV]

Have you made straight in the desert of your heart a highway for our God?
Has every valley been  exalted?
Has every mountain and hill  been brought low?
Have the crooked places been made straight?
Have the rough places been smoothed so that  the  glory of the LORD will be revealed?

Are you prepared to meet Jesus today?  He is coming again, ready, or not. 

“Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.” [Amos 4:12]

 

 

December 12, 2022
By Tammy Phillips

Today, stop, pause, and think about everything.  EVERYTHING is a REALLY BIG WORD.  Everything means all.  Everything means all that exists, and all that is important.  Everything is the whole, the complete, the total, everybody, and everyone. Everything means every single thing, family, person, leader, baby, child, place, hair, and toenail… the whole caboodle, the whole shebang.  Everything includes the whole world, the entire galaxy, the unending universe, and eternity.

Jesus changed everything.  Jesus changes everything.  Jesus will change everything.  

Can we possibly wrap our minds around everything? Can we fathom what Jesus did when he touched everything with his life?  Slow read these verses in a small attempt to grasp our LORD who is all in all.  Just imagine how the birth of  Jesus changed everything.

GOD MADE EVERYTHING

Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed (it was) very good. (Gen 1:31 NKJV)

You alone (are) the LORD; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You. (Neh 9:6 NKJV)

The great (God) who formed everything gives the fool (his) hire and the transgressor (his) wages. (Pro 26:10 NKJV)

He has made everything beautiful in its time. (Ecc 3:11 NKJV).   That’s you!

“God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. (Act 17:24 NKJV)

God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. (Jhn 1:3 NLT)

And to make all see what (is) the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ. (Eph 3:9 NKJV)

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. (Col 1:16 NKJV)

And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (Col 1:17 NKJV)

And to make all see what (is) the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ. (Eph 3:9 NKJV)

EVERTHING IS GOD’S

Who has preceded Me, that I should pay (him)? Everything under heaven is Mine. (Job 41:11 NKJV)

All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” (Jhn 16:15 NIV)

For of Him and through Him and to Him (are) all things, to whom (be) glory forever. Amen. (Rom 11:36 NKJV)

EVERYTHING IS IN HIS HANDS

“The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. (Jhn 3:35 NKJV)

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God. (Jhn 13:3 NKJV)

EVRYTHING IS UNDER HIS FEET

And He put all (things) under His feet, and gave Him (to be) head over all (things) to the church, (Eph 1:22 NKJV)

 HOLY SPIRIT TEACHES EVERYTHING

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (Jhn 14:26 NKJV)

GOD, WHO IS LOVE, BEARS, BELIEVES, HOPES AND ENDURES EVERYTHING

LOVE …bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1Co 13:7 NKJV)

GOD PROVIDES ALL AND EVERYTHING

And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need, and plenty left over to share with others. (2Co 9:8 NLT)

GIVES EVERYTHING TO RICHLY ENJOY

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. (1Ti 6:17 NKJV)

GOD CAN DO EVERYTHING

I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose (of Yours) can be withheld from You. (Job 42:2 NKJV)

EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE WITH GOD

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” (Mat 19:26 NLT)

“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” (Mar 9:23 NIV)

IN CHRIST ALL BECOME NEW

Therefore, if anyone (is) in Christ, (he is) a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2Co 5:17 NKJV)

 ENRICHED IN EVERYTHING BY HIM

That you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, (1Co 1:5 NKJV)

While (you are) enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. (2Co 9:11 NKJV)

Our part in everything…

EVERYTHING CAN BE DONE THROUGH CHRIST

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. (Phl 4:13 NLT)

IN EVERYTHING WE ARE MORE THANS CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Rom 8:37 NKJV)

EVERYTHING PRAISE THE LORD.

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD! (Psa 150:6 NKJV)

PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (Phl 4:6 NKJV)

GIVE THANKS IN EVERYTHING

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1Th 5:18 NKJV)

TEST EVERYTHING

Test all things; hold fast what is good. (1Th 5:21 NKJV)

DO EVERYTHING WITHOUT COMPLAINING

Do everything without complaining and arguing, (Phl 2:14 NLT)

 BE WATCHFUL IN ALL THINGS

But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2Ti 4:5 NKJV)

Know…

EVERYTHING WORKS TOGETHER FOR GOOD

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to (His) purpose. (Rom 8:28 NKJV)

EVERYTHING LIFTED UP SHALL BE BROUGHT LOW

For the day of the LORD of hosts (Shall come) upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up–And it shall be brought low– (Isa 2:12 NKJV)

EVERYTHING WILL BOW

For it is written: “(As) I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.” (Rom 14:11 NKJV)

THE END OF EVERYTHING

But the end of all things is at hand; therefore, be serious and watchful in your prayers. (1Pe 4:7 NKJV)

Most importantly, I enCOURAGE you…

ABOVE EVERYTHING  LOVE

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” (1Pe 4:8 NKJV

by Tammy Phillips and Kristi Stephens

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”  [Proverbs 17:22 NIV]

A cheerful heart,  a joyful middle, a merry mind, a rejoicing inner man is  good medicine.  A cheerful heart makes a merry cure and a pleasing departure of pain.    It rightly heals a wound.  It brings gladness at the removal of a bandage. It brings a joyful thrusting away of a hurt. “Rejoicing always” make us well and content   A joyful heart gives a happy healing!

BUT …

A crushed and wounded spirit, a broken mind, and a stricken breath, you know, the gut punch that takes your breath away.  Well, that dismayed self,  dries up the bones, withers our strength and confounds.  (Tammy’s Holy Spirit rhema according to the Hebrew meaning of  the words in Proverbs 17:22)  Gods word is so rich!

Well, we all need friends who can sharpen us when we get dull and prescribe us word encouragement.  My friend, Kristi, friend called one day distraught over her dog and the vets “diagnosis.”  The good friend that I am (ha ha) listened and advised her to breath, stop, and laugh.  I told her It would be okay.  Isn’t that what the virtuous wife does in Proverbs 31?

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” (Proverbs 31:25 NLT)

In the moment of pain, when we are hit, struck, broken, crushed, and wounded, our future is our next breath.  We have a choice to make.  We fold into the discouragement, or we choose to encourage ourselves and laugh at our future, the next second, without fear. 

It is so easy to dish out counsel, right?

The VERY SAME NIGHT that I had so easily advised my friend, I got an email that made my blood boil. The words contained in the email wounded my heart and brought offense.  We are not supposed to boil, be moved, nor dismayed so easily, but that is Satan’s mission to knock us off the block, our Rock.  Joshua 1:9 tells us, “”Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God [is] with you wherever you go.”

According to the Strong’s Concordance, “dismayed” means:  broken; shattered; discouraged; broken in pieces; to break down; confounded; to go down. I tried to practice what I had preached, but  I awoke the next day still on fire.  I was so mad that I was having a hard time breathing.  As I drove to an appointment, I called my friend for back up!  I was taking offense and I need help throwing it away.  She listened and gave me the BEST encouragement.  She said, “I listened to you yesterday and this is what I did.  I chose joy.  I chose to sing , ‘Jingle Bells.’”  She explained, “You know the part. ‘O’er the fields we go. Laughing all the way (HA! HA! HA !) Bells on bobtails ring. Making spirits bright…’”. She told me she sang, “Laughing all the way (HA! HA! HA !),” to the top of her lungs.  I tried the medicine she was dishing it out and added as loud as I could sing, “Fa la, la, la, la, la, LA, LA, LA! Tis the season to be jolly!”  I “joined the chorus and followed her in merry measure. Sing we joyous all together!”

God’s word worked.  Imagine that?  A cheerful heart was good medicine.  We made  a choice to turn that frown upside down AND laugh at the future.  In those two days, we “overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.” (Rev.12:11)   Glory to God.  I thank Him for friends that over whatever fields we may go, we can go laughing all the way!

I enCOURAGE you to choose a cheerful heart!  Laugh all the way.  It is good medicine.  It is healing.  It makes us whole and not broken.  It helps us laugh at the future and get past the pain.

Also, important in the healing and wholeness  process,   I addressed the email and made my peace with the person.  They had no clue that they had offended me.  They were just trying to help.

The daily encouragement below caused me to take a long pause and meditate on one question – which is the title  I gave this encouragement by Charles Spurgeon.

Go up upon the high mountain.  (Isaiah 40:9)

“Each believer should be thirsting for God, for the living God, and longing to climb the hill of the Lord, and see Him face to face. We ought not to rest content in the mists of the valley when the summit of Tabor awaits us.  My soul thirsts to drink deep of the cup which is reserved for those who reach the mountain’s brow and bathe their brows in heaven.  How pure are the dews of the hills, how fresh is the mountain air, how rich the fare of the dwellers aloft, whose windows look into the New Jerusalem!  

Many saints are content to live like men in coal mines, who see not the sun; they eat dust like the serpent when they might taste the ambrosial meat of angels.   They are content to wear the miner’s garb when they might put on king’s robes.   Tears mar their faces when they might anoint them with celestial oil.   Satisfied I am that many a believer pines in a dungeon when he might walk on the palace roof and view the good land and Lebanon.  

Rouse thee, O believer, from thy low condition!  Cast away thy sloth, thy lethargy, thy coldness, or whatever interferes with thy chaste and pure love to Christ, thy soul’s Husband.   Make Him the source, the center, and the circumference of all thy soul’s range of delight. What enchants thee into such folly as to remain in a pit when thou mayst sit on a throne?  Live not in the lowlands of bondage now that mountain liberty is conferred upon thee.  Rest no longer satisfied with thy dwarfish attainments but press forward to things more sublime and heavenly.   Aspire to a higher, a nobler, a fuller life. Upward to heaven!   Nearer to God.” – Charles Spurgeon

by Tammy Phillips
November 21, 2022 

“Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD [for] His goodness, And [for] His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And declare His works with rejoicing”  [Psalm 107:21-22 NKJV]

According to Websters 1828 Dictionary, Thanksgiving is the “act of rendering thanks or expressing gratitude for favors or mercies and a public celebration of divine goodness  AND also a day set apart for religious services, specially to acknowledge the goodness of God, either in any remarkable deliverance from calamities or danger, or in the ordinary dispensation of his bounties. The practice of appointing an annual thanksgiving originated in New England.”

The biblical definition of thanksgiving from Strong’s Concordance is:  to give praise, give thanks, a thank offerings, and a confession.  Thanksgiving finds it roots in theHebrew word, “yada,” which means to hold out the hand; physically, to throw at; especially to worship with extended hands; cast out, make confession, praise.

My simple definition of thanksgiving  is to give God a shout out!  It is to give credit where credit is due to our good, good Father.

Many of us already practice thanksgiving…to people.  We stand and clap when a performer or a person does something superior.  We raise our voices in exultation when our child or grandchild perform a great act.  How many times did I raise my hands, raise my voice, and shout out for my favorite football team this weekend?  Countless is the answer. I do not who you were giving your praise to this weekend, but I bet you gave a few shout out’s!   Do we give God countless praise?

I enCOURAGE you to “offer to God thanksgiving  and pay your vows to the Most High.” [Psalm 50:14 NKJV] Purpose this week to stop and give our Lord more “shout out’s” than normal.  Definitely, stop and give Him praise on the day that was set apart in the United States to do just that.  I challenge you to stop many times during the day this week and from now on to remember where your life, love and blessings come from.  Unashamedly, throw up your hands and give our Savior a shout out! Let’s ake the world a different place with our attitude of gratitude.

 “A Psalm of Thanksgiving.
Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
Serve the LORD with gladness.
Come before His presence with singing

Know that the LORD, He [is] God.
[It is] He [who] has made us,and not we ourselves.
[We are] His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And] into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, [and] bless His name.

 For the LORD [is] good. His mercy [is] everlasting,
And His truth [endures] to all generations.” [Psalm 100:1-5 NKJV]