Friday, May 13, 2022

ACTS…Then What?

Prayer ~ Lord God—I Adore You—Love and joy just spew from my heart just at the thought of You—You are an awesome great and almighty God—You are my God. I Confess to You that I just don’t think I can ever measure up to Your expectations—although all things are possible through Christ Jesus my Lord and Savior. Please forgive me for my shortcomings, particularly for my bad attitude which can corrupt all other parts of my personality and relationships. Thank You-Thank You-Thank You! You have done so much for me—beginning with forgiving me for my sins. You provide all I need—and have especially blessed me with a wonderful family and precious friends. I continue to give You thanks for all that you have done! You supply all my needs—sometimes even before I offer any Supplication. You are an amazing God—and I love seeing how You have cared for Your chosen people throughout history. ACTS is more than a prayer prompt—it is an action within our relationship, Lord. I need You…and I think that You need me…and other humans, too. Just like Adam and Eve, before their fall, I look forward to walking with You, in the cool of the day. I rejoice in Your presence.

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 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. Philippians 4:4-7

Meditate and rejoice in God’s presence and love.

 

There may be challenging days ahead of us—just as God has told us throughout the Bible. Most people don’t think that the predictions of Revelation will happen in our lifetime…and some Christian friends just laugh—we don’t know the hour or the day. Some don’t even know if that refers to when Jesus raptures His believers…or when He comes in the Second Coming at the beginning of the Millennium. Does it really matter? As Paul wrote nearly two thousand years ago…the Lord is coming soon. We just have to follow the advice of Jesus and Paul…don’t worry…pray. Be ready. Are you ready…or are you so caught up in the entertainment of this world that you don’t see what is happening? Look around you. There is a war in the Ukraine and the Chinese have surrounded Taiwan. Those may not be specific Bible predictions, but none the less these are wars and rumors of wars. Keep praying, ACTS.

 

There is a coming economic earthquake—just as many have predicted. Remember the book by that title written by Larry Burkett in 1991? What will become of the United States economy when we finally just can’t catch up with our trillions of dollars of debt and the bottom falls out? When grocery store shelves are bare and there is little if any food transported across our great country, how and what will people eat? Will the food shortage predicated by the inability of the Ukrainians to grow and harvest crops during this war in their country affect just Europe—or will it create turmoil and famine literally around the world? Think of people in Africa already starving. When we go to our own grocery stores and see the prices have increased in the last two years, we know that the COVID crisis has had an effect on us all…now there are even more pressures as the fuel prices soar. Where will this end? Jesus said to “Be ready” –and you may be asking be ready for what? Read your Bible. Don’t stay away from prophetic scripture—but delve in and try to understand it. There are a multitude of Bible teachers on YouTube who would love to explain some prophesy to you. Be discerning about their teachings. One that my husband and I trust and enjoy is Pastor Brett at Athey Creek church near Portland, Oregon. He does a Prophesy Update on the first Friday of the month, but since it is recorded, you can view it anytime on YouTube. Just stay in touch with the most important person in your life…God. Use ACTS or some other prayer prompt if you need help in communicating with Him. Keep your relationship with God open. Be ready for the days ahead. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

 

Does your fig tree have blossoms or fruit?

Verses of Salvation ~ Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. Habakkuk 3:17-19

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Memory Verse of the Week ~ You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3

 

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

I’ve made some great shortbread cookies lately—fills that carbohydrate craving! Here’s one that Grandgirl Lydia and I made this week.

 

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

1 cup salted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup cane sugar

1 tsp grated orange zest

1½ tsp vanilla

1 cup Craisins (dried cranberries)

2 cups flour (can use whole wheat), cold—I keep mine in the freezer

 

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar together. Add orange zest, vanilla, and cranberries. Mix well. Add flour.

Using plastic wrap, make two logs of dough. At this point you may need to refrigerate dough, but using cold flour will eliminate that step. Cut the dough into ¼ inch pieces and place on the lined cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 14-15 minutes—depending on the size of the cookies you created.

Enjoy with a nice cup of tea, coffee, or a glass of milk.

 

© 2022 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm

 

Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

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