The Secret Heart

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.” -Psalm 51:6 (ESV)

HEART 3I have fallen in love with this verse because it showed me something I genuinely believe in.  GOD IS TRUTH, AND HE DELIGHTS IN HONESTY BEFORE HIM.  To pour ourselves out before GOD is to come before Him humbly, to come before Him with a heart open ready to hear His voice and really listen to Him, to come before Him with our minds set on Him, to really think about what GOD desires and what He would have us to do, to worship and adore Him “in spirit and in truth.”

Being able to come to God in prayer is a wonderful privilege given to us by Our Creator, and even knowing what we are capable of, He still desires to commune with us.

There is no better place to be than in the presence and in the arms of the Most High God, to be there fully, with our entire being before Him.  One of my favorite examples of this is the woman with the alabaster jar.  She fell at the feet Jesus worshiping Him, and it didn’t matter who or what was surrounding her.  She poured herself out before Christ, and she gave all she had in worship to Him.

Personally, when I ask GOD to restore or renew me, I am reminded of this verse found in Isaiah 30:15, “For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength…'”  Those words of that verse have become part of me because I know I find rest and salvation in repentance, and in “quiet confidence” is where I find strength…

And in that place where I meet with Him, I can break open my alabaster box to let Him see all that is there, a place I know that is safe and where I can find healing and restoration and where mercy is granted, grace poured out, joy beyond measure, and more hope found.

And in the “secret heart” that is where God will teach us wisdom and understanding, that place from where emotions, actions, words flow out.  GOD gives wisdom to all who ask, and GOD does so generously.

Let Him teach you wisdom in the secret heart.  Let Him breathe life into you, and restore what is broken, heal what needs mending, and let Him give you times of refreshing through your genuine repentance and quiet confidence.

It is truly worth it all.

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  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.” -Matthew 11:28-30

Temptation

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

TEMPTATION 3

I wish people would stop putting themselves in temptation’s path.  It’s bad enough that temptation will find you, but why make it easy for the temptation to try to take hold by stepping in front of it?  It is one thing if the temptation comes to you, but to willingly throw yourself in its path is just foolish;  that would be like stepping into oncoming traffic expecting not to get run over.  Why give yourself the opportunity to find out whether or not you can handle it?  Why give yourself the opportunity to fail?

Let me just make one thing very, very clear:  BEING TEMPTED IS NOT A SIN.  The sin is when you take temptation’s bait and then commit the sinful act.

“…BUT I’M STRONG I CAN HANDLE IT”

When I have heard people make this statement, “…But I’m strong.  I can handle it,” I cringe EVERY single time.  For me, personally, I know that if I come to the point of saying “I can handle it” that’s when I know I cannot handle it and usually means to slow down, get a grip, and know the only reason I’m able to take anything on IS BECAUSE OF GOD’S MERCY AND GRACE.  I’m reminded pride comes before destruction and haughtiness before the fall.  For any of us to think we are standing strong is when we need to be careful, and to think we cannot fall is faulty thinking.

What are you entertaining?   The Scripture says in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”  That means, Folks, we can bring our thoughts under control.  We do not have to entertain sinful thoughts.  If sin actually showed itself to us in its actual appearance, rather than dressing itself up deliciously tantalizing, we would run clear in the other direction.

I can only speak for myself so I will.  Back in the middle of March of 2017, God had spoken to me about certain shows that were absolutely off limits and that He no longer wanted me to watch.  In keeping with honesty, my response to God was not one of enthusiasm, and it sort of went like, “Okay, God.”  The shows weren’t helpful nor were they beneficial, and most definitely, the shows would not help me at all in my spiritual growth, so television is never on during the day except at night to watch a family show.  I was confronted by God who gave me a command, and I chose obedience.  HOWEVER, I NOTICED WHEN I TOOK THE FIRST STEP OF OBEDIENCE, God removed any desire I had for those shows I previously watched.

It is amazing how God will fill you with the strength you need to carry out whatever command He has given you.  He knows when you are ready, and He knows exactly how to get your attention.  He deals with you on the level you are at.  Just as God dealt with me, He can deal with you.  He can reach you right where you are at your point of need.

In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, it states, “We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do.  We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.  We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.”

Do you struggle with temptation or a particular sin?  Then you need to ask yourself what you’re entertaining.  Whatever it is you are putting into your mind will affect you if not soon then later.

Do you want to draw closer to God?  Any show you watch that is not pleasing to God is definitely not going to be beneficial to your spiritual growth;  if anything, whatever you are taking through your ears and eyes,  may stop you from progressing in God and eventually finding yourself off to the wayside and/or separated from Him.  Your thoughts will not align with God’s thoughts unless you are spending time in the Word of God.

It is of great importance to read the Bible in order to have a storehouse of Scripture in your mind to combat carnal thoughts.  The Psalmist declared, “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”  For each carnal thought you have that opposes God and His Word, there is a biblical truth to combat each one.

Have you been rejecting the prompting of the Holy Spirit?  Do NOT say God has not spoken to you nor complain that He is silent when you haven’t opened your Bible to study or read it and if you are resisting the prompting and conviction of the Holy Spirit, and in Romans 8:12-14, it clearly states, “Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.  For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.“

Will you choose to obey God and be led by the Holy Spirit, or will you live by your sinful nature and its dictates?

Choose you this day whom will you serve.

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

2018!

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

2018

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

I hope your year is filled with joy,

and may you be blessed

beyond your wildest imagination!

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

 

MAKE A CHOICE BECAUSE TIME IS SHORT

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

THE FAVORABLE SIDE: Surrendering yourself to God and being set ablaze for Him will bring you into a glorious relationship with Him which will have you stepping into the destiny, the future, He has for you; in that, you will find His grace being poured out upon your life, finding His grace is sufficient, and His grace being your shield and covering. It is on the Favorable Side that you will find yourself walking in His grace and mercy and enjoying the blessings of God (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 5:33; Joshua 1:8; 1 Kings 2:3; Proverbs 10:17; John 15:14; Acts 5:32; Romans 2:7, 12:11; James 1:25; 2 John 1:6).

THE UNFAVORABLE SIDE: Complacency will make you stay stuck in neutral. Compromise will eventually drag you back into the muck and mire. Lukewarmness will get you spit out of the mouth of God, and coldness toward God will speed you into the depths of Hell. It is on the Unfavorable Side, you will find spiritual death, the enslavement to a life of sin, and absolutely no blessings for a life of disobedience (Matthew 5:13, 6:24, 16:26; James 3:10-12, 4:4; Romans 13:14; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 1:6-7; Revelation 3:14-22).

QUESTION TO ASK ONESELF: Which side do you want to be on? Choose you this day whom will you serve: A. God the Creator of the Heavens and Earth or B. Satan the father of lies.

 

DEUTERONOMY ch30vs19-20

 

 

From Common and Ordinary

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

Burning bush

And then this happened:

“When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’  Then he said, ‘Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’  And he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.” -Exodus 3:4-6

Oh, I would have loved to have been there for this event.  Why was the ground holy?  The ground was common and ordinary.  There were no special qualities or elements in the ground.  However, that ground became holy ground for one reason and one reason only:  THE PRESENCE OF THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB.

Just take a moment to think about that.

From common and ordinary ground to holy ground in an instant.  The presence of God, His glory, and from the inside of the burning bush, the voice of God calls out to Moses, calling him by name, and giving him a command not to come any closer.  God didn’t just command him “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet,” but God also gave Moses the reason why “for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” -Romans 8:11

The day you came to know God you went from being common and ordinary to holy and extraordinary because the presence of the Almighty God lives in you.  Never forget you have been destined for greatness with a calling on your life to do great exploits.  You are NOT ordinary.  You are NOT common.  You are a Child of the King, and no one can take that away from you.  You are the temple of the Holy Spirit, set apart, and being made holy as you are being perfected day after day.  Let no one take that away from you.

“Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” -2 Timothy 1:14

 

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

 

 

 

2018 BRING IT ON

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

PSALM 18VS2

 

And Wow, Yeah, 2017 has been an incredibly awesome year in experiencing the preservation and deliverance of God in my own life, and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for 2018.

With the New Year around the corner, it was time for me to seek out verses as a reminder of what I should always seek God for, a command to always keep at the forefront of my mind, and one that gives me a focal point for praise and worship.  

Here are my theme verses for 2018-

MY LIFE VERSE THEME FOR 2018: 

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fulness of joy;  at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Psalm 16:11

 

MY PRAYER LIFE THEME FOR 2018:

“This is what the LORD says:  ‘Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls…'”

Jeremiah 6:16

 

MY LIFE OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP THEME FOR 2018

“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;

I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

 

When my enemies turn back,
they stumble and perish before your presence.

For you have maintained my just cause;
you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.

 

You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish;
you have blotted out their name forever and ever.

The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins;
their cities you rooted out;
the very memory of them has perished.

 

But the Lord sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for justice,
and he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness.

 

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.

And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

 

Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion!

Tell among the peoples his deeds!

For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

 

Be gracious to me, O Lord!

See my affliction from those who hate me,
O you who lift me up from the gates of death,
that I may recount all your praises,
that in the gates of the daughter of Zion
I may rejoice in your salvation.

 

The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.

The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.

Selah

 

The wicked shall return to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.

 

For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

 

Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail;
let the nations be judged before you!

Put them in fear, O Lord!

Let the nations know that they are but men!”

PSALM 9:1-20

May 2018 be a wonderful year for all my neighbors around the globe, and may all of you be abundantly blessed in the new year to come!

 

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

Thank You For Never Letting Me Go

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

cropped-immanuel-2.jpg

There is no better place that I have found than to be in the arms of the Eternal God and Savior.  He is unchanging, everlasting, the First and the Last, and He is Yahweh Shammah, The Lord Is There.  

May you be filled with joy and peace in this season and beyond.

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

-Isaiah 43:2

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

-Joshua 1:9

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

-Isaiah 41:10

“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.”

-Psalm 119:114

 

 

 

You, O LORD, are worthy of all honor, glory, and praise.

Thank you for never letting me go.

 

 

 

 

 

The GOD Over All Carries You

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

ISAIAH 49vs1516

By HIS love and HIS grace which is all-sufficient, you are sustained and you are engraved in the palm of HIS hand. He has not forgotten you. Behold your GOD who is mighty. HIS recompense is before HIM. HE, as a loving Shepherd, tends to HIS flock, and HE is carrying you.

“Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’ Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” -Isaiah 40:9-11

 

 

I Choose His Joy My Strength

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

JOY 1

 

CHOOSE JOY.

I choose joy because I know the GOD who created me has EVERYTHING under HIS control and because the joy of the LORD is my strength (Nehemiah 8:10). I choose joy because the GOD of Heaven and Earth is mindful of me (Psalm 8) and has told me I can trust in HIM (Psalm 33:4-6); and because HE is the GOD of the Impossible (Luke 18:27), HIS arm is not shortened (Isaiah 59:1).

Count your blessings and learn to praise HIM. It’s amazing how praising GOD and giving glory to GOD can lift your faith and your countenance and fill you with joy as you readjust your focus to set your sight on GOD. Let the Holy Spirit bring to your remembrance the promises of GOD and all that GOD has done for you.

“Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy, now that you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

–1 Peter 1:8-9 (Berean Study Bible)

Stop Conforming To The Ways And Customs Of The World

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

CULTURE STOPS AT THE CROSS.

Just because the culture you’re living in calls something right does not mean that something is right. The children of GOD are called to be a light in this dark world, not to be conformed to the ways and customs of the world. GOD HAS THE FINAL SAY. His Word stands forever.  

#ChristIsComing #ForTheTimeIsShort #AreYouReadyForHisReturning

#RepentAndTurnFromYourWickedWays

REPENT 3

 

My God Is Able

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” -2 Kings 6:17

IMPOSSIBLE 1

The GOD I serve is able to protect HIS own children.

HE does far BEYOND what we could ever ask or think, and if GOD is for us, who can be against us? Let the enemies come at you! The battle belongs to GOD. You need only to stand your ground and be still before the LORD and watch your enemies destroy themselves. My GOD is the Captain of the Heavenly Hosts, and you’re surrounded by His armies. No need to worry because GOD has this. Open your eyes and see the power and might of the LORD who upholds you with His mighty hand. So be strong and courageous. Go forth with the tasks He has given you, and know you are protected on all sides.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7) and the LORD has made you victorious (Romans 8:37) “and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.” (1 Samuel 17:47)

To Be Effective Or Not To Be Is Your Choice

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

MICAH 6VS8

If you are not willing to humble yourself before GOD and if you do not develop the heart of a servant, if you are not walking in obedience and surrender to GOD, you will render yourself ineffective.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

-James 4:7-10

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

-Philippians 2:3-4

“Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was in the house, He asked them, ‘What were you discussing on the way?’ But they were silent, for on the way they had been arguing with each other which of them was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all.’ Then He had a little child stand among them. Taking the child in His arms, He said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes not only Me, but the One who sent Me.'”

-Mark 9:33-37