Book Sale

Need a book to give to someone struggling.  Dropped the price to $5.00 this month.

http://www.amazon.com/Digging-Well-Sherry-Long/dp/1481838423/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437531190&sr=8-1&keywords=Digging+a+well+by+sherry+long

HE IS STILL GOD

When everything seems upside down and backwards. 

He is still God!  

When the judges rule in ungodly ways we disagree with.

He is still God

When the forces of evil have deceived and blinded your husband, 

your children, your parents, or your grandchildren 

and you feel hopeless.   

He is still God!

When you loose your job, your lover, 

your home or other possessions.  

He is still God!

When you can't feel him, see him and even deny He exist.

He is still God!

Nothing can change who He is but our 

minds can so easy be swayed.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? 

and why art thou disquieted within me? 

hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, 

who is the health of my countenance, 

and my God. 

Psalms 43:5

PART VIIII FINDING THE HEART OF GOD IN LIFE'S GREATEST STORM

In the last section that I wrote on the topic,

 "Finding The Heart Of God in Life's

Greatest Storm" I shared that I didn't understand

what the Lord meant in the scripture that said,

 "I will set you up upon a rock." Even though it was

a physical rock in my life, the Lord reminds

us that he is our rock.

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress,

and my deliverer; my God, my strength,

in whom I will trust; my buckler,

and the horn of my salvation,

and my high tower.

Psalms‬ ‭18‬:‭2‬

As our pastor was preaching Sunday he spoke

about the shepherd who went out after the 

one lost sheep.  He left the fold and went 

in search of that one lost sheep. When he 

found it, he picked it up and placed it

around his neck and the sheep was resting 

on His shoulders.  The great shepherd carried 

the lost sheep into the city.  He told everyone

that He had found His lost sheep. 

He invited everyone to join in on the feast.

What man of you, having an hundred sheep,

if he lose one of them, doth not leave the

ninety and nine in the wilderness,

and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

And when he hath found it, he layeth it on

his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he

cometh home, he calleth together his friends

and neighbours, saying unto them,

Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep

which was lost.

Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭4-6‬

Did you notice He said, "I have found 

my sheep which was lost?"  He didn't say I

found the sheep or my masters sheep.  He 
said, "my sheep". 

Did you also notice He didn't walk 

into the city complaining about

the sheep going astray.  His heart was

filled with love and compassion.  He

was joyous that He found the sheep 

before the wolves found it, before
It became a victim of its own 
circumstances

There are times that His 

sheep do not deliberately stray, they

may not even understand they have 

gone astray until they look up and

relialize there is no other flock close

by or the shepherd is nowhere around. 
No matter the circumstance that
Shepherd will leave the flock
in order to find the one lost one.

Upon His shoulders Is where he placed me
and tenderly, lovingly brought

me back into the pastures to safety.  

It wasn't that I deliberarely strayed but
that I found myself being circled by a predictor
who would enjoy bringing distruction
upon me had the hand of God
not swiftly set me up upon the rock, His
shoulders, high above the enemy.

For in the time of trouble he shall hide 

me in his pavilion: in the secret of his 

tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall 

set me up upon a rock. 

Psalms‬ ‭27‬:‭5‬

You may be aware that you have strayed
from the great shepherd.  You may feel you 

have wandered so far that the shepherd 

would never allow you to return.  I can assure

you, if you are reading this and feel you have

gone too far, that's a sign that you have not.  

The Lord has placed this blog before your eyes
and he is now touching your heart and wooing 

you back.  He wants to gently pick you up, 

place you upon His shoulders and carry you

back into the fold.  He longs to announce to

His friends, to the Angels in heaven that

He has found His lost sheep.  You can accept

His arms of love or you can run deeper into

the thicket, away from His care.   But that still
doesn't change the fact that He is pursuing the
His lost sheep, you! 

KEEPING OUR BALANCE

Yea, though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psalms 23:4

Have you ever really thought about

what this verse means?  As I was praying 

for our nation yesterday, I began to 

question the Lord.  My questioning sounded 

like this.  " God I just don't understand 

why our nation is falling apart.  There are

still so many believers who have their trust

in you.  I know you said the last days 

there would be a great turning away.  

I guess I don't understand because there 

are still so many believers."

As I pondered on this thought I felt

the Lord lay Psalms 23 verse 4 on 

my heart.  All day I thought about it

and kept asking the Lord what he means 

by laying this verse on my heart while 

I was praying for my nation.

I feel this was his answer.  "Yes there
are believers who are serving me.
There are American people and even
American believers that have insisted I be
 the God with only the staff,
only a God of love."

They have insisted that I am not the
God of a rod and staff.  The have
demanded I not be the God that carried
a rod, meaning to be a God who
brought judgement.  What  they don't
didn't realize is when they forced
the rod from being used for judgment,
they also lost the protection of the
Mighty Shepherd."

This rod is the rod that the
great shepherd would have used to
beat the head of the serpant, to
attack the bears and wolves.  It would have
been the rod that was used to lift
the wool and find  pestilence and disease
among my sheep and lambs.

This rod was the rod that I
gave Moses to lead my children
through the wilderness and although
the rod meant discipline, it also
was the very item that brought safety
and security.  Living in a nation that has
rejected that rod is an extremely fearful
place to be living, as we are in great need
of our Almighty Shepherds rod.

Therefore I believe as Christians we
need to stand and pray that God will break
us free from our selfishness and bring the
rod back to our nation.  This could mean
we be disciplined for our stubborn hearts
but it would also mean the rod of
protection would be lifted above us.

 Part of walking through the valley with
the great shepherd is the rod and
the staff.  You find them both listed for us,
as a balance.  It's not our place to
tell the Lord to put one down,  he wants
us to have the balance in our lives that
will carry us through valley of
shadow of death or the dark days
we may be facing as a nation.
The staff to draw us into his arms of
love and the rod for discipline and to
smite the enemy and rid us of
all our diseases.

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down
in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths
of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before
me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord for ever.
 Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭1-6‬ KJV

STANDING WHEN IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE

There are times in life that our trials become so great

that it seems impossible to stand.  We are faced with

things daily that drag us down physically, emotionally 

and spiritually.  These trials are never welcome and yet 

they are the very thing that can bring strength 

to our lives and give us the needed knowledge 

to help others face the trials in their lives.
Fanny Crosby is a great example of this. 

Fanny was born blind and had to 

overcome many difficulties in her life; 

yet she came out shinning far above
other people born during the nineteenth century.
She began to see things that no other person
could see, because of her great love and
the depth of her devotion to her God.  Fanny
Crosby left us with thousands of songs she wrote.  

Songs like, “Blessed Assurance”, “He Hideth
My Soul”, “All the Way my Savior Leads Me”,
and many more of the songs we hold dear to
our hearts. The trials she faced has given me
a greater depth and helped me survive
some of my greatest trials in life.

Horatio Spafford wrote the song, “It is Well 

with my Soul”.  This song was written after his 

four daughters were killed by a ship that wretch
out at sea.  He also lost a son a few years
later to scarlet fever and yet this song burst forth
from his soul.

Do you think that Horatio
lived problem free from that time on?  

If so, you are mistaken.  He lived with many deep 

pains and sorrows but he clung to the fact that his 

salvation was true and everlasting.   This very
song has helped so many people make it one
more day, face on more trial, stand up tall
and face tomorrow.

I believe with all my heart that Satan would
have stopped this song from going forth and
helping others.  I say this because one of the
speakers that told the story of Haratio's
life of pain and suffering and the song
that burst forth from his soul, also began
to experience great trials and tribulations
in his own life, but he had already grabbed
onto the roots of Horatio, the Word of God
and other believers who helped him stand
through his times of trouble that he faced.

This brings up the question of, “What are you doing 

With your pain?”  We all have pain and suffering
and we all must decide how we are going to
handle it.  What if you are one of those people
who have within you the power of God
to change the world around you because
of the depth of your pain and suffering and
instead you choose to let it overtake you
and it causes you to give up?

What if Fanny Crosby and 

Horatio Spafford would have chosen to do
exactly what we do each day and not give
that pain and sorrow to the Lord Jesus
Christ and hold to his promises?

There is a tree that stands taller than all other 

trees in the forrest and just as Fanny Crosby
and Horatio Spafford, this tree has many traits
that we should look at and use the roots it has
to help us to stand in the days ahead when our
faith is tested with fire, when our families
turn to other Gods, when the trials and
storms of everyday living become more than
we can handle by ourselves.

The sequoia tree the largest known living
organism on the face of the earth.  It doesn’t
have the power to stand on its own.
The only way the sequoia tree is able to stand
is with the support of all the other trees surrounding it. 

One of the largest known

Sequoias stands on the side of the mountain,
protruding over the side of the mountain
instead of standing upward towards the sky.
There is no possible way for the
sequoias to stand straight much less to be
standing protruding out the side of the mountain;
yet there it stands.  If the rangers in the park
decided at any moment to remove all the trees
that surrounded this great Sequoia, the tree
would instantly fall to the earth.  

You see, the roots to this giant sequoia is 

very shallow and long.  They are so long, they 

intertwine with all the other sequoias around it.  

Thus giving it the stability to stand.

The sequoia is different from most other trees
because when the forest fires move through the
terrain where they stand, it actually causes
them to thrive instead of die.

The places that sequias haven't been exposed

to raging forest fires, there tends to be a dying
away of the trees.  The seedlings from the great
sequoias that has survived the heat of a forrest
fire are more vibrant than the seedlings of
other sequoias.  The forest fires do not
destroy these trees but it causes them to produce
better.  Many of these trees have evidence the fire
occurred yet the tree heals completely and produces
new bark that covers over the damaged bark.

The sequoia lives an extremely long time but they do 

eventually die and when they do the most amazing
things takes place.  After the death of the tree,
the tannin acts as a nature preservative.  It slows
the decay process down.  When this takes place the tree
slowly releases nutrients for up to a thousand years.

One of the most amazing things about the sequoia 

is that when it falls to the earth a river of water 

comes gushing forth out of the tree.

With this being said I would like for us to look at 

Ephesians 6: 11-18.  As we read this scripture 

think of each thing the scripture says here as a root 

and I believe it will open your eyes in a new way 

as you see just what it means to STAND.

We live in the day where compared to other

the generations who have gone before us, 

our roots are shallow.  We have traded being

grounded in the Word of God with pleasure.  

We have chased the American dream and now 

We are trying to figure out how we are going to 

Stand in the days of evil which we see 

rapidly approaching. 

Finally, my brethren,
be strong in the Lord, 

and in the power of his might. 
Put on the whole armour of God, 
that ye may be able to 

STAND 

against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, 

but against principalities, against powers, 

against the rulers of the darkness of this world, 

against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Root 1

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, 

that ye may be able to withstand in the 

evil day, and having done all, to 

STAND.

Root 2

STAND 

therefore, having your loins 

girt about with truth.

Root 3

And having on the breastplate 

of righteousness;

Root 4

And your feet shod with the 

preparation of the gospel of peace.

Root 5

Above all, taking the shield of faith, 

wherewith ye shall be able to quench 

all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Root 6

And take the helmet of salvation, 

and the sword of the Spirit, 

which is the word of God:

Root 7

Praying always with all prayer and 

supplication in the Spirit, (for the saints)

THOUSANDS OF ROOTS

And watching thereunto with all 

perseverance and supplication
for all saints.

If you notice closely that many times we hear 

it taught to do verses 11-17 but many people leave 

out the next verse.  I believe in the days ahead that 

in order for Christians to stand, we need
to be as the sequoia tree and take our roots 

and interlock them so tight that if one of the trees
start to fall, the other trees will be so interlocked
that it will be able to STAND, when it seems
impossible to do so.

When the time comes that one of the great saints
pass from this life, may we see a river begin to 

flow from their life that will bring forth 

abundant life to other generations.

May the nutrients that our lives leave behind, 

be one that vibrates the earth for generations
to come.  May they quote our words, sing our
songs and live their lives so that others will
join in and though the fire of destruction rages
all around; they just keep on standing.  When it seems
impossible to stand there will be people pass
by in amazement at their strength and
beauty and great ability 

to STAND.

May we learn a lesson from one of God’s

great designs: The Great Sequoia Tree.

Ephesisans 6:13 

Wherefore take unto you the

whole armour of God, that ye may be able 

to withstand in the evil day, and having 

done all,

to STAND.

PART VIII FINDING THE HEART OF GOD IN LIFE'S GREATEST STORM

Photo provided by Jana Long

Taken by Mike Mezuel II

 

Does it surprise you that Psalms 27

was my life chapter.  Well, it does me.

Only a few years prior to my great storm,

I was asked to speak at Calvary Baptist

Church in Andrews Texas.  I had never

spoken in front of Adults before and I turned

down the invitation.  As the ladies

continued to pray they seemed to believe I

was supposed to go and speak. 

My sister asked me one day, "If you

were to speak, what topic would you speak

on."  I instantly knew it would be Psalms 27

and told her and then I said, "But God isn't

calling me to speak at the meeting.  As they

prayed and God worked, things started

falling into place perfectly and I knew I was

supposed to go and speak.

 

I think the Lord wanted me to share this
chapter with others so I would nail it down
deep. ever so deep into my heart. 

It was only a few years later that this

chapter began to unfold and truly contain

every verse my life would live. 

 

There have been many question me about

why I am not putting myself out there and

travel and speak on a regular basis. 

I must say that I haven't felt this is what

the Lord has called me to do.  At least this

far he hasn't put this on my heart.  What

he has put on my heart is that I am to be

in His pavilion.  This verse didn't say he

wants me to be in his sanctuary but it says

in His pavilion.  I feel what the Lord is saying

in this verse is I want you in my secret hiding

place.  I want to put my arms of protection

around you and when others see your life

they will see the covering.  That covering is

the Lord Jesus Christ and this is my desire, that

when others see me they will look right past

who I am and the details of how I fashion my

life, but they will see how Christ has fashioned his

pavilion around me and so protected me that

others will see and know that he can love the

most unlovely and he has taken the time to

hide me in His pavilion,  His secret hiding place.

Did you notice the last part of verse 5?
It says,"he shall set me up upon a rock."
I don't think anyone else would understand
this chapter the way I do.  Is it a coincidence
this very verse the Lord pressed upon my
heart to claim as my life verse and then
my offender tell me he was going to bury
my body underneath this great rock. 
I am not sure what the Lord totally means
by,"He will set me up upon a rock," but I must
say I do believe his hand of protection
was all over my life. I also noticed this
verse didn't say, "He will set me upon a
rock."  Why would it say very
specifically that "He will set me UP
upon a rock. 

I must say that those last words ring
ever so true and had you lived in my
shoes you would feel the same as I did,
as everyday was such a struggle to walk,
to breath and to carry on with life.
The one thing that kept me going and
still sustains me today is the Lord
being the strength of my heart.

Psalms 27:13-14
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see
the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage,
and he shall strengthen thine heart:
wait, I say, on the LORD.

 

 

 

 

PART VII FINDING THE HEART OF GOD IN LIFE'S GREATEST STORMS

Photo provided by Jana Long

Taken by Mike Mezuel II

With you being the canvas and Christ
being the great artist, are you willing to
allow him to paint on the canvas the
strokes he knows it takes to produce
a masterpiece?

It is so difficult for me not to grab
the brush out of his hand and say,
"What do you think you are doing? 
You are ruining my canvas!  "You
should be adding vibrant colors here,
instead of the deep dark shading,
or you should have used my canvas
to paint a beautiful mountain top
with snowcaps!"

If you would have painted it with beautiful
mountain peaks, everyone who
viewed my life would look and be awe
struck at the beauty and majesty of the
perfection you painted.  A painting
that everyone would want to copy and
have their lives look like. 

I wanted to be the one who did it all right
so that others would be drawn into the
presence of the Holy Spirit to live
and serve the Lord with abundant
happiness, joy and total contentment." 


"Oh but no! You decided to create on this
canvas of mine, dark trenches and valleys. 
You decided to make the walk dangerous
and treacherous.  You made it appear that
serving you will be a rough rugged journey."

Gently the Lord says, "You are the one that
allowed me to hold the brush of your life."  Can
you not trust me until the last stroke and
see what the masterpiece will look like?"  Can
you just allow me to finish my work in and
through you and then you can decide if
the canvas is destroyed or if it will become
a wonderful masterpiece that will not only
draw the strong but it could also be
a masterpiece that when the broken and
wounded, heavy hearted and rejected see it
that they might want to join you at the stream
that flows so abundantly through the
center of the canvas. 

Can you continue to claim that life
scripture and allow me to focus
on what I feel will be a great masterpiece at
which time I will unveil it, and let you decide?

I must say, trusting God that he knows best
isn't always easy but I have seen a few
masterpieces that he has painted and
he has proven to be the greatest artist of
all times and I pray I will wake up daily and
say, "Lord, into your hands I place this brush
and into your heart I place my trust.  Make me,
shape me, and design me how you see will
best draw others to you and help me to wait!"

Only two years before I experienced my
great storm I claimed this as my life verse. 
I had already lived much of this verse when
my mother took her own life and only those
closest to our family has known what a
an experience that has been for my
myself, my brothers and sisters 
and for my father to go
through the trials and struggles
and the dark storms that brought forth.

Yet the storms didn't stop coming they
only subsided for a period of time.  I must
say if I had not claimed this as my life verse,
I wouldn't be here today. 

So I wait to see what the Lord's final
unveiling for my life will be! 

Will he leave the dark trenches at the foot
of the mountains or will he fill them
with flowers growing abundantly at the 
crevice of the majestic peaks?

Will he leave the dark clouds or will
he move them into the distance and
add a rainbow shining through
 them radiating his glory?

Will he fill the canvas with teardrops or
will he fill the canvas with people drawn
to Christ because of the teardrops? 

Will he show me ever walking by
his side or will he show me
limping and wounded and turning
away from his face? 

What will the final canvas reveal?
Only the artist knows!


PSALMS 27

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
the LORD is the strength of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked,
even mine enemies and my foes,
came upon me to eat up my flesh,
they stumbled and fell. Though an host
should encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear:
though war should rise against me,
in this will I be confident.
One thing have I desired of the LORD,
that will I seek after;
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the LORD,
and to enquire in his temple.
For in the time of trouble
he shall hide me in his pavilion:
in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me;
he shall set me up upon a rock.
And now shall mine head be lifted
up above mine enemies round about me:
therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy;
I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.
Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice:
have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When thou saidst, Seek ye my face;
my heart said unto thee,
Thy face, LORD, will I seek.
Hide not thy face far from me;
put not thy servant away in anger:
thou hast been my help;
leave me not, neither forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
When my father and my mother forsake me,
then the LORD will take me up.
Teach me thy way,
O LORD, and lead me in a plain path,
because of mine enemies.
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies:
for false witnesses are risen up against me,
and such as breathe out cruelty.
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see
the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage,
and he shall strengthen thine heart:
wait, I say, on the LORD.