Hidden In The Cleft

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

CLEFT 1

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O You are the God in whom I trust,

You’re the God in whom I trust,

And You are the Solid Rock,

Upon which I stand;

I’m hidden in the Cleft,

Your Child I am.

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You prepare a table for me,

In the presence of my enemies,

And they will not triumph over me.

I’m determined to do Your will,.

And drink deeply from the Well.

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I shall trust in You, My Lord and My God,

As I walk this narrow road

The path of victory-

You have placed me on.

*

I will trust and obey,

Following Your ways,

Determined to do Your Will,

For it does not matter what man may say.

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I will proclaim,

“You are my God my Rock,”

For I am safe in You,

And You shelter me.

*

 

 

Legend In Your Own Mind

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

VULTURE 1

LEGEND IN YOUR OWN MIND

Written By Linda A. Knowles

You are a legend

in your own mind

and you can’t

even seem to find

a little

not even a drop

of the dirt you threw at

the one

who dared escape

your vicious claws

and all this time

you believed

that one would continue

to drag behind.

 

 

A vulture-

That you are

and your conscience

seared

and the one

who escaped

your talons

flies high and free

above the trees

to mountain heights

having mounted up with wings

like an eagle

and soaring

through the air

upheld by His powerful hands.

 

 

Set Your Face Like Flint Determined To Do His Will!

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

Romans 8.31NEVER apologize for obeying what God has told you to do (“Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.” -Galatians 1:10 and “No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” -Micah 6:8).

Always take your complaints and problems to the Lord because He is the one who can guide your steps and give your soul rest (“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.'” -Matthew 11:28-30 and “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”).

Keep your mind fixed on the things of God because He keeps you in perfect peace (“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.” -Isaiah 26:3-4).

It doesn’t matter what any man or woman says about you, what matters is what God has to say about what you do and say, and it’s more important for you to know God (“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts'” -Isaiah 55:8-9 and “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” -Hosea 6:6).

WHAT MATTERS MOST is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5) and “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14).

Be Careful For Those Dark Corners Where Sin Is Allowed To Dwell

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

JEZEBEL’S WEB

Black Widow

The widow weaves her web so steadily,

Each silk strand in its place,

That dark corner that will ensnare,

Those simpletons in her space.

*

She’ll go against the Word of God,

And set the trap in place,

And there so obvious are her victims hung

On each and every strand that’s strung.

*

Her web expands in width and height,

The depths not truly known;

But each and every single strand

Holds those known and unknown.

*

She spun them in her silken web and slowly drains their blood,

Her victims with eyes sunken and ashen faces,

So pale from her unloving embraces,

But she cradles her human slaves,

Now bound by her vicious silken strands.

*

You see her web has stretched so far and wide,

Her dungeon blackened and damp;

And fools go down into her place,

To find themselves dying in disgrace.

*

Be careful for those dark corners,

Where sin is allowed to dwell,

Where transgressions are celebrated,

Where lies are free to swell.

*

Be careful for the black widow,

Who would try to claim your soul,

For the wickedness that is her,

Her name is Jezebel.

*

Written By Linda A. Knowles

Worth It All

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

HEBREWS 2

It was that moment I knew I would be standing alone, but I didn’t see where I had a choice if I wanted a deeper walk with the Lord, if I was to do the task He called me to do.  So with every ounce of strength He gave to me, I stepped out in faith and obeyed.  It was like jumping off a cliff, but when it was done, when it was finally done, I felt like I was able to breathe for the first time in a long time, and freedom came rushing in.

It didn’t matter if those around me understood what I was doing.  The only thing that mattered was doing what God wanted me to do, what He told me to do, and simply following the leading of the Holy Spirit.  It didn’t matter if the words I spoke would be received or not.  I simply had to let go and let God, and then I had to get out of the way in full surrender and say, “It’s all yours, God.  I did what you wanted.  You take care of the rest, and I’ll stay out of the way.”

…because at the end of the day the only thing that matters is GOD’S APPROVAL, not man’s …because when all has been said and done, it is knowing and understanding GOD’S GRACE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH to sustain us …because His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts …because of what Christ did on the cross and because of His resurrection, we are able to live a life of victory.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.  Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” -Hebrews 12:1-2

You do NOT have to explain your relationship with God to anyone nor do you have to explain how God speaks to you.  Just keep following God, leaning on Him, and relying on Him alone for strength.  His grace is more than enough.

CHAIN 2Whatever God has told you to do, just obey.  Yes, it’s worth it all.  It may not be easy and the road may be rocky, but it’s worth it all.  What influences you?  What is stopping you from obeying God?  Who are you listening to?  What are you allowing your eyes to take in? What do you have to lay down in order to have a deeper walk with God, for Him to take you where He wants to take you?  What will you give up?  Do you care more about the approval of God or the approval of man?  Where does your heart lie?

Lay it all down before the Lord.

Nothing short of full surrender will do

Let Him break the chains.

Much love to all,

L.A. Knowles

Nothing Distracted Jesus

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

BIBLE 1“Jesus clearly understood the reason for His coming to earth and never allowed popularity, success, opposition, threats, or even dissention within His ranks to distract Him. He remained steadfastly focused on that mission, though not without due care for those around Him. He worked hard to make the truth plain. He often repeated the invitation to embrace the truth. But He never allowed the failure of others to pull Him off course.” -Charles R. Swindoll (Walk With Jesus: A Forty-Day Journey to the Cross and Beyond)

I am so thankful nothing stopped Jesus from completing His mission.

Where would you be without the love of Christ? Without the love of Christ, I do NOT even want to think of where I would be today. I am grateful Jesus has given us life, that He paid the ransom in full (Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45), no longer bound to sin (Romans 8:12). And out of the abundance of thankful hearts, let us not forget to give all glory and praise to Him who has redeemed us (Hebrews 13:15), loving Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.” -Hebrews 12:1-3

Nothing distracted Him from His mission, and so let us not get distracted but each of us should continue doing whatever task God has set before us to do. Do not look to the right or the left. Do not get caught up in the temporal. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, and with grateful hearts, press forward and do that which you have been called to do. The grace of God will sustain you. His love will uphold you, and His mercy will not fail you.

_________
L.A.Knowles

Mere Mortal Words Escape

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

BREAK AWAY 1…And I cry, “Abba, Father”

Mere mortal words escape me;

And I cannot express

nor convey the depths of this soul.

…And I cannot speak

But only in unknown tongue

not known to mere man,

But, You, Abba, and only You

can truly comprehend.

 

______________

L.A. Knowles

One of these sheep is not like the other….

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

MASK 6

“Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

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“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.  You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act.  Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.   A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.  So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.  Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” –Matthew 7:15-20

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

Get Ready To Throw & Then Do So

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.” -Maya Angelou

 

When we give of ourselves to help those around us, we demonstrate the love of Christ; and in the Gospels, when we see our Savior being moved with compassion, we also should be moved with compassion as we follow His example and help those around us.

May we always remember to be His hands extended.

Much love to you all,

L.A. Knowles

_______________________

BLESS 1

“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” -Luke 6:38

“For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.” -Hebrews 6:10

“And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.” -Hebrews 13:16

 

 

 

Giving Thanks Is Not Just For Thanksgiving Day

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

PSALM 138

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

I thank you, Lord, with all my heart;

I sing praise to you before the gods.

I face your holy Temple,

bow down, and praise your name

because of your constant love and faithfulness,

because you have shown that your name

and your commands are supreme.

You answered me when I called to you;

with your strength you strengthened me.

All the kings in the world will praise you, Lord,

because they have heard your promises.

They will sing about what you have done

and about your great glory.

Even though you are so high above,

you care for the lowly,

and the proud cannot hide from you.

When I am surrounded by troubles,

you keep me safe.

You oppose my angry enemies

and save me by your power.

You will do everything you have promised;

Lord, your love is eternal.

Complete the work that you have begun.

thanks

Developing an attitude of gratitude is a daily practice.

Choose joy by being thankful every day.

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

O Technology, Why oh why do you vex me so?!

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

technology<Well I came pretty close to this…

Technology and I are having one rocky relationship right now.  It’s actually a love-hate relationship especially when I’m trying to figure out what on earth is going on just on the other side of the screen…  And then I think to myself, “How is it possible technology is making me feel completely inferior when it is a stupid inanimate object that right now seems to be the bane of my existence for the moment?”

While technology is wonderful and has its advantages, there are moments I would like to knock it upside the back of its head like this woman is doing in the picture.  Yeah, Ma’am, I couldn’t have expressed myself any better…  especially since I don’t want to destroy my computer because buying another one would require I give up cash, and at the moment, I really don’t want to.

 

 

 

Does He Know Your Name?

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

follow-1

One does NOT inherit Christianity, and one cannot get into Heaven riding on someone else’s coattails. There’s a choice that must be made. The book of John tells us TO ALL WHO BELIEVED AND ACCEPTED HIM, to them, He gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12).

As children of God, we are called to live righteous and holy lives, not to live as the world does. We’re in this world, but we’re NOT of this world because this world is a temporary home, a place we’re only traveling through; and we’re chosen to bear fruit, walking the walk, not just making claims but actually living the life. We must keep in mind our faith needs to be backed up by actions, walking in obedience to God who has chosen us to be His own. It is not enough to make claims. If we love God, we’ll obey Him. We’re called to bear good fruit such as helping our fellow man/woman, encouraging one another, following the examples Christ has given us.  May we always be His hand extended.

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’” -Matthew 7:21-23

Much Love To You All,

 

L.A. Knowles