Morning Cuppas With Glenys

For God's sake put some clothes on!

Once we name the name of Christ, we automatically come under great scrutiny, not only from theworld, but from fellow Christians. Like it or not, one of the first things that is gauged about our commitment to Christ is our appearance. Unfortunately, a lot of us let the side down badly..

How we look greatly effects our witness and confession and clothing that is skimpy or immodest cannot help but reflect badly. It is bad enough that showing everyone great expanses of our flesh comes across as cheap, but it cheapens our witness for the LORD.

Goodness knows, the world sees more than enough of women's busts burgeoning out of their skimpy tops. It sees plenty of navels and thighs and thongs and see-through garments. They have come to expect that sort of cheap titillation. But what they do expect from Christian women is modesty.

Whereas the world won't raise an eyebrow at the immodesty of women, it certainly does do a double-take when it sees women professing faith in Christ who look like a lady of the night. As much as a paradox as it seems, we automatically look for something different in women of faith. That difference is modesty.

Modest dressing is the first thing the world will see of us... the evidence of the fruits of the Spirit and our gentleness that should accompany the woman of faith, is not usually apparent at first glance- but her attire is.

We are called to be separate from the world and to come away from heathen things. We are called to shine our light, not to shine a spotlight on our new body piercing in our navel. We are to show that we follow and love a Saviour Who is coming for a pure and spotless Bride- us. And a woman who is set apart waits in purity for her Beloved.

The world needs to see that there is a difference in a Christian woman. Our skimpy clothing conveys a message that we are cheap and possibly tarnished. We aren't cheap- we were bought with the priceless Blood of Jesus and we are set apart waiting for His return.

Going bra less, showing our underwear and our thighs and our stomachs may turn on the unsaved, but it turns off the One Who calls us unto Himself. Don't dishonour Him by dressing immodestly and looking cheap. For God's sake, put some clothes on!

Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing [as] they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts. Isaiah 3:16-17

Our gracious God

When we get older we often lament our mistakes and wrong choices, and I know that these regrets are not confined to the elderly- we all have them.

It is comforting for me to remember that our God is a God of grace and mercy. He is quick to forgive and then forgets...

We are loved immensely in spite of our foibles and mistakes.. what a wonderfully gracious God we serve...

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. Isaiah 30:18

So that we wouldn't have to

To be honest, in my 43 years as a Christian, I have found many Christians exuding a superior attitude. Proud of the fact they are saved and therefore in their mind, better than the unsaved.

We have no reason to be superior. We couldn't save ourselves and could not be so without the Saviour spilling His precious Blood in our place.

There's no place for pride in the Christian's life. Humility is the way of the Christian and if there's any pride, it should be in our Saviour Who drank the cup of God's wrath so that all believers won't have to...

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

Safe under His wings

Everyone knows the world has become a crazy place to live in. But in our moments of fear or danger, God gives us the promise of His heart felt and constant protection and care.

I used to be afraid at night as a child due to my father's alcoholism, and at a very young age, I memorised Psalm 91. Snuggling under my blankets, I would pray the Psalm to stop the fear...

Today, I still cling to the LORD for His protection and for His comfort. I picture myself under His wings as I find refuge from the trials and fears in the life.

In this present day of wars and worry, it is critical that we read our bibles and pray. There's a lot of deception and only the LORD can direct us to truth...

Learn and read Psalm 91... and take heart in Deuteronomy 33:12 You will be safe under His wings.

"The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders." Deuteronomy 33:12

You may be stronger than you think

Do you consider yourself a scaredy cat? It is normal to feel fear, but if you face that fear- even with trembling legs, you are courageous.

Strength comes from courage and both come from the LORD! Ask for strength and be strong in the LORD!

You may be stronger than you think!

"The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders." Deuteronomy 33:12

Closer than close

With current world events, it's easy to get impatient waiting for Christ to come for His Bride. However lots of things are happening behind the scenes.

God is not forgetting about us who long for His appearing. In fact with prophecy being fulfilled on a daily basis, we can be sure that things aren't falling apart, but coming together.

Jesus is coming soon. And just like the picture portrays here, He may be closer than we think.

What is the rapture?

and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 2 Peter 3:4

There are no unwanted children in God’s sight

How many times have we heard disbelief and dismay of relatives and friends when it is discovered that a new life is on the way? And worse still, how many people have (hopefully only for a moment), thought or worse still, actually voiced that they may very well terminate it? It’s a fact that quite a large percentage of babies weren’t actually planned, but that is only in our thinking. There are no accidents or unwanted children in God’s sight.

Do you know that God blesses us with conception and withholds conception as a punishment?

Gen 49:25 [Even] by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: That is not to say that women trying to conceive are being punished, of course. But in scripture, God encourages us to be fruitful vines and says we will be saved in childbearing.
Exd 1:7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
Lev 26:9 For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you
Psa 128:3 Thy wife [shall be] as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.
1Ti 2:15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

And again when the house of Abimelech had Sarah, Abraham’s wife in his harem posing as Abraham’s sister, God closed all the wombs in the palace. That was how Abimelech knew something was amiss in his house! Why? Because the blessing of conception was withheld!

Gen 20:2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She [is] my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
Gen 20:3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou [art but] a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she [is] a man's wife.
Gen 20:4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
Gen 20:8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.
Gen 20:9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
Gen 20:10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?
Gen 20:14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave [them] unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.
Gen 20:15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land [is] before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
Gen 20:17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare [children].
Gen 20:18 For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

God has formed us in the secret place and knits our bodies together.

Isa 44:2 Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, [which] will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
Isa 44:24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I [am] the LORD that maketh all [things]; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; He saw our form before we had one- He knows us before we are born!
Gen 25:23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations [are] in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and [the one] people shall be stronger than [the other] people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
Gen 25:24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, [there were] twins in her womb.
Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

We are all unique- even identical twins are not identical in every sense. Each person conceived is special in the LORD’S sight! How it must grieve Him when we express shock and dismay at His wonderful gift of conception!

The godly woman will understand that she is being blessed when she discovers a new life is coming- she will welcome children as a gift from the LORD.

Psa 127:3 Lo, children [are] an heritage of the LORD: [and] the fruit of the womb [is his] reward. And again we see a blessing!
Gen 29:31 And when the LORD saw that Leah [was] hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel [was] barren.

But the ungodly often will react quite differently, spurning the blessing and often taking means to reject it! My heart grieves for those blessings disposed of heartlessly when many a woman desperate for a child would be more than willing to bring it up.

God has a purpose and plan for our lives- even known before we are born. To reject the great gift of conception is to reject one of the greatest gifts and blessings that God can bestow on us. For although a child may not fit in with our plans, God can undertake to provide both materially and emotionally for that child. There are absolutely no accidents, no mistakes in timing, no inconveniences in God’s plan!

I have seen women who vowed to reject the gift of conception by terminating it, bond so intensely with the child when it is in their arms, that they give praise to God for the “inconvenience” and bless Him for their child. I also have known countless couples reject their gift of conception by submitting to sterilisation- only to regret it at a later date. Often a reversal does not repair that which was “fixed” when it was not broken. They pay a high price often, for trying to play a role of life-giver or rejecter- a role that is God’s alone!

How precious indeed is the gift of a child, and indeed the gift of conception. May we never take this gift lightly, or reject it or be dismayed! God’s plans and thoughts are so much higher than ours!

Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

For God, there are no unwanted children. If only all people would understand that!

Whatsoever things

As I got older, I became morose and sad. My good years were behind me. Chronic illness overtook my and I resented it so much. It turned inward and made me sink into a depression.

I overcame this by deciding to accept my limitations and to love myself enough to rest, eat well and be grateful for the very fact that I was still alive.

I didn't want to stay in the Pit of Despair, so I gave all my anger and sadness to the LORD. I decided to look at whatsoever things were lovely, and to count my blessings..

This helped me recover spiritually and emotionally. I didn't realise how much my self talk and negativity had brought me down.

If you want to fly, you have to release your burdens so they don't weigh you down, so tell the LORD about it, for it is He Who will release you and help you fly.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

Ordinary and good!

It's Wednesday morning here. I have just finished putting the groceries I got online away. It's so convenient for Chris and I seeing as we both are unwell

I have done a couple of loads of washing and am thinking about doing some lunch. Toasted cheese and tomato sangers sounds good and easy.

My kitchen needs to be cleaned but I am out of spoons as I didn't sleep well last night. The weather is changing as it's autumn here and we can experience all seasons in one day. It plays havoc with my fibromyalgia. It's making me feel miserable.

I am thinking of taking a nana nap before I do the kitchen. But before that I will take some Panadol Osteo to help relieve my fibro pain. Pacing and resting are not an option with fibromyalgia: it's a necessity.

After I clean the kitchen I will cook chow mein and rice for dinner and if I have enough spoons I will fold the day's clean clothes and put them away.

It's an ordinary day here and I am glad. When you think of what's happening in the world, I can truly gratefully say that God has blessed me with a day that's ordinary and good!

Get on the Ark and get saved now.

Scripture tells us that we will not know the day or hour that Jesus comes to take His Bride- the

Church home with Him. We who are looking for His glorious appearing and being with

Christ for eternity are longing for the Day. And so we should be.

“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven

or the Son himself. Only the Father knows" Matthew 24:36

Many of us are experiencing our own tribulations as the world is cast into the shadow of

the great Tribulation, and we are tired of living in this sin-filled, ungodly world. We need

to keep not only our eyes looking up, but our hearts.

As in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the final days before the Rapture also known

in the Bible as the Harpazo and Rapturo. (Yes it is mentioned in the scriptures).

We need to keep the faith, keep fighting the good fight and keep our spirits and heart

in longing for our Beloved to come for us. And He is coming!

What can we be doing as we wait for Jesus to take us Home?

I believe we should be in prayer for those people suffering under authorities such as the Taliban and for all those Christians who are in danger.
We need to intercede for the Ukrainians who are being invaded as we speak.

We should be praying for those who are still unsaved.

Keeping the faith can be difficult for some, especially as the world gets darker. We need to pray for ourselves too.

How can we overcome the anxiety and depression these end days bring?

We should bring our thoughts and minds under the control of the Holy Spirit by focussing on good things that are still here

We must remember that Christ is in control, no matter how bad a situation becomes.

We must bring everything we see, hear and read in to the light of the Word and we must remember that all these things, though disturbing, are temporary.

We must maintain an attitude of gratitude for all things in our life and dwell on God's goodness.

We simply must be a person of worship and praise.

We must be in the Word.
We must remember that Jesus has promised to take us Home before the Great Tribulation. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth- Revelation 3:10

The end is in sight and we are tired. We long for Jesus to take us to be with Him. We are continuing to fight

the good fight. We are running the race and our Saviour cheers us on.

We are being His faithful servants even in the end days.. whilst watching and waiting. Even so,

come Lord Jesus! Maranatha! There's not much time left, my friends. Get on the Ark and get saved now.

Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth- Revelation 3:10

Let your faith become stronger than your fear.

When my daughter almost died due to leukaemia and was undergoing dialysis due to organ failure, I was overcome with fear and sadness. So much so that my legs gave way under me and I slid down the wall of the small tea room whre I was making a drink to assauge my weakness. And to pray.

As soon as I made my way to a seat in the ICU waiting room, I felt a peace wash over me like a coak around my shoulders.

I knew that she was going to pull through- which she did and I still can remember the feeling of faithful assurance and peace that defied the situation.

Give your cares to Jesus and feel His peace in your life. No matter what the situation. Let your faith become stronger than your fear.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Help until He comes

Today was a busy day in that I was organising aged care help for Chris and I ... we arent coping all that well... lots of phone calls that had me on hold for at least an hour each

After nearly a whole day on the phone, I am happy to report that we were approved for help. Our aged care home package will start in 3-4 weeks. It includes transport, home maintenance, podiatry, and grass cutting. Later on as we get older it will include meals on wheels... but as long as I can cook, we would prefer our own cuisine.

I am hoping that God takes us Home soon. That is the best thing to dwell on. But meanwhile, while we wait, my house could do with a deep clean, our toenails are feral and we need them properly done. We cant take a bath and we help each other shower but a grip bar and telephone type shower have been promised to us under home maintenance, and that would stop the suffocation feeling of water pouring over our head when we can't breathe at the best of times..

We cant drive most times and we will need transport for a personal consultation with our doctor and the help they offer is needed now. Nothing to do with lack of faith or not watching- but we have to be practical.

Heart failure is a beast that stalks us both and is a progressive disease. Peripheral neuropathy in our feet and legs is a constant pain that stops sleep. A physiotherapist may be able to help or offer exercises to alleviate it.. all things that need attention now.

Including last but not least, changed bed linen that can be done without banging gnarled fingers and hands... and while we look with anticipation and longing to be Home, the daily necessities of life are calling.

We rely on God to help us and are grateful that He has blessed us with the help we need...until He comes. Our life style is always if the LORD wills.... we consider ourselves blessed that we are eligible for the help that's come our way, until He comes! God willing, it will be soon. But if not, we will be accepting help to keep going until He comes.

" So teach [us] to number our days, that we may apply [our] hearts unto wisdom" Psalm 90:12