latest GOOD NEWS DAILY – May 17

Why would I return? Why am I waiting on the Lord in New Jersey as He prepares me for my return there and leads me to housing for me and the ministry’s special needs service doggies? Because I LIVE FOR THE LORD JESUS CHRIST who died on the cross to pay our sin penalty and was raised from the dead so all who turn from their sins and believe in Him as Lord, truly turning to God and His ways, are forgiven and given an everlasting relationship with God almighty. The Lord whom I love more than anything or anyone in the universe. And because I LIVE TO LOVE, WORSHIP, AND SERVE HIM FOREVER – and to LOVE OTHERS AND TELL THEM HOW TO BELIEVE IN AND FOREVER FOLLOW JESUS AS LORD instead of spending forever in hell and the lake of fire in torment away from God.

I am entirely committed to live my life no longer for myself but for the Lord Jesus Christ no matter the cost. Are you? Are you familiar with this scripture? It’s one of my favorites. Reminds me the purpose of our lives above all else is to LIVE FOR JESUS WHO DIED FOR US AND WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD SO WE WHO TURN OUR LIVES OVER TO HIM ARE FOREVER HIS!

“and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” 2 Cor. 5:15

Love in Jesus’ name,

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”” John 13:34-35

Yesterday I boarded a big New Jersey bus headed for New York City in obedience to God who despite the fiery trial I’ve been undergoing that has made me doubt much including continuing my ministry calling obviously saw fit to keep leading me forth in life and ministry. Right before boarding, I met a couple visiting the area who didn’t know how to get on the right bus and how to get a round trip ticket. How delighted I was to be able to confidently and cheerfully help them!

But if the truth be known, just two days earlier I felt scared and overwhelmed trying to figure out how to get a bus from my New Jersey hotel into New York City where the Lord is sending me back for another season of ministry work there.

The message for you and me in this? Following Jesus involves believing in Him as Lord, being filled with His Holy Spirit once we have turned from our sins and turned to God and His ways, and reading and living by the Bible as the Holy Spirit leads us. Pretty scary and overwhelming starting off, and even sometimes on the way!

But God sends us other Christ followers to help us get on the big bus of following Jesus, and then we in turn are to lovingly, patiently, cheerfully help others to get on the big bus of following Jesus also.

Do you have fellow Christ followers to help you follow Jesus, and are you in turn helping others to find and follow Him? The big bus ride isn’t meant to be traveled alone. As the Spirit of Christ leads the way, may we who follow Jesus love, pray for, encourage, help and support others as we journey forth!

Blessing #45

“I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1

Years ago, a woman I knew told me how she got through a great trial. She was encouraged to praise God through the trial. She basically gritted her teeth, got her flesh under subjection as best she could, went against how desperately uncomfortable and unhappy and challenged she was in her battle, and literally forced herself to start praising God. She was blessed in the process as she praised the Lord. Yes, blessed! At times, I have done the same, choosing to praise God aloud even when my flesh wanted to scream, whine, cry, complain, pity myself, and throw a temper tantrum. I was blessed as I praised the Lord – as the weight of my burdens lessened for the time anyway that I was praising the Lord aloud. This verse shows us we should be willing and able to praise God continually! And while our motive should be to praise and bless almighty God who deserves our praise indeed continually, we can find ourselves blessed in the process of praising Him no matter our trials. Praise, praise, praise the Lord! What a blessing is praise!

Praise the Lord!” Psalm 150:6

My ex-husband yesterday contacted me to say he was having trouble breathing and was going to get medical help. He has a deadly lung disease compounded with a long-time prescription drug addiction which seems to intensify it and is also life-threatening. So I am used to hearing from him that he is struggling with breathing and with life itself, and for years I have wondered – and worried – when someone might call me to say he has taken his last breath.

Just a few days ago, a beloved friend reminded me to breathe – to be conscious of how I breathe. She knows how much stress I have been under and was encouraging me to realize the vital importance of breathing right and well.

Breathing is something I admit I have most of my life taken for granted. But life and breath are gifts beyond measure from almighty God, and so is receiving Jesus as Lord and thereby being given the gift of everlasting life with Him. My ex-husband doesn’t take breathing for granted. He is probably conscious of most every breath he takes – and of how hard it is to breathe. And that every breath is in fact from the Lord.

How often, friend, do you and I get to busy and bogged down with life that we take for granted and neglect to be thankful to God for His endless gifts and blessings right down to our very next breath?

Let us strive not to take our breathing for granted. Let us be thankful to the Lord for every breath He gives us. Let us be thankful to Him for all His countless blessings to us. Let us be thankful most of all for the giver of breath Himself. Let us be thankful to the Lord. Let us be thankful for the Lord.

Oh, let us be thankful. May your next breath be accompanied with praise for the Lord God almighty, AMEN!

I answered the phone but didn’t hear anyone. The caller ID told me who had called, but there was no voice on the other end. She didn’t call back. I called her.

“Were you trying to call me, or were you calling [someone else]?”

“I was calling you,” my long-time friend and sister-in-Christ replied.

Then she made clear why she had called. She wanted to check in on me. See how I was. She knew I was going through a hard time.

So she called to love me. To encourage me. To listen. To empathize. To show compassion. To point me to Jesus. To bring to light part of the Bible to help me. So she carried on with her mission of loving and serving Jesus and loving and serving me in His name.

Just a phone call. Seemed that way on the surface anyway. But oh, it wasn’t just a call. It was service to Christ and a fellow Christ follower in need of love and encouragement.

God’s greatest commands are to love Him with all our hearts and others as ourselves. This was what she was doing!

Friend, is there someone or some people the Spirit of God is leading you to call to love and encourage and help to believe in and live for Jesus? Please don’t think of it as just a phone call.

My friend’s call to me blessed and helped me beyond measure.

Perhaps God is leading you to do the same for another or others.

Let’s not underestimate how God can use us in a 10-minute phone call to show His love to others and to point them to Christ.

I’ve been just under two weeks now in a New Jersey hotel waiting for instructions from the Lord as He prepares me for my next ministry season in New York City. I’ve been engaged in a raging fiery spiritual battle, and it’s only by God’s love and grace and the strong support of fellow Christ followers that I’m still standing and haven’t called it quits.

The combination of a decades-long very painful family situation, two years on the road for Jesus without a solid break, caring for up to 19 rescued dogs at a time for over 20 years, leading this ministry with extremely little financial and physical support, losing the major support for the printing of Gospel tracts and devotionals that go out around the country, and losing my beloved 15-year-old dog Dancer just days ago just a few days after arriving in New Jersey, and the devil trying relentlessly to get me to quit life and ministry, well, as you may imagine, I’m very wiped out!

That said, the Lord has told me this season in New Jersey is one of preparation, and that I am to walk by faith. To press on. To continue forward. And that the preparation right now involves resting, writing, spending time with Him most importantly, and seeking housing for my season in New York City.

If you’ve ever heard of a burned out missionary, that’s pretty much where I am right now. But I am as tenacious as a pit bull terrier dog, and I will not lose my hold on Jesus, on the Bible, and on my ministry calling that I may continue to live to love and serve God with all my heart.

My top needs are love, prayer, encouragement, financial support, and physical help with the ministry.

Thank you for your prayers!

Staying true and faithful to Jesus by the mercy of Christ,

Lara