This place is not my home!!

Behind these walls in this 6x8 cell,
I know it is just a temporary man made hell,
In which this earthly body may dwell,
Merely a place where I’m waiting
At this moment in time contemplating,
But not where I’m staying, surely not my eternal home,
With Jesus in my heart and on my mind,
Praise God He never leaves His children alone
He sees me even now in the heavenly places,
As temptation & hatred puts me through the paces
Testing me and my patience every hour
Knowing all along my soul satan can’t devour,
For God is filling me with His tender love,
Sweet merciful blessings and His awesome power,
Christ Jesus our Lord & Savior Who rules even here not only above,
With His graces into us He showers
His tender mercies, eternal and sweet-sweet love!!

Sandy Perry©
02/21/10

We may bend sometimes, but in Christ we will never be broken!

In the shadows he lurks with his evil he works to make us fall away
Every little crack he seeks to slither in and remind us of our sin

We may bend and sway in the wind, but this reed will not be broken
We know in our heart and trust in the Way, the Word that has spoken

Predator, liar and tempter, a scavenger of lost souls devouring his prey
Knowing he has lost the fight yet still working through the night and day

We may bend and sway in the wind, but this reed will not be broken
We know in our heart and trust in the Way, the Word that has spoken

Father You gave us Your only Son, our Lord Jesus, the Holy One
To bring us into Your kingdom only through Him is our hope for salvation

We may bend and sway in the wind but this reed will not be broken
We know in our heart and trust in the Way, the Holy Word that has spoken
Sandy Perry
02/10/10

Peace amidst the trials. God’s peace!

If anyone ever did or does read my blogs/devotions please forgive my lack over the past couple of months posting I promise to do be more faithful. Love you all!!

It really should not matter what the weather is in your world or as to whether your friends stand with you during times that are stormy or sunny. But, It is usually in these times of adversity and trials that draw our faithful friends and family to us and then we become closer in all areas of life and more personally bonded with them, building longer lasting, closer relationships and deeper understanding of God’s peace that is beyond our understanding.

A very simple rule is found in Colossians 3:15, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts.” It is as plain as the nose on our face. It really is surprising, if we are willing to admit it, how some of us love to worry. If we did not have something to worry about, we would feel very abnormal. Some Christians are laid-back in their attitude toward the problems of life. Others may be inclined to be careful about everything. But this plea really, applies to all of us. “Let the peace of God rule.” Let It. In other words, God wants to give us this gift of “my peace.” He wants His children to have rest of heart. He wants us to experience that for which the heart of man naturally hungers. It is not for the apostles only. It is not for preachers, solely. It is for every trusting believer in Christ. Everyone who is willing to trust God and have peace with God through Jesus Christ can also have the peace of God.

I have discovered it is the same way with Jesus. We will never really know Him in a personal way until we allow Him to help us in our hard times. In fact, Jesus tells us in John 16:33 that we are assured we will have hardship in our lives. It is inevitable. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." How awesome it is to know that with the troubles, we will also have peace as well.

Currently undergoing the most difficult time in my life, I have relied on my family and friends more now than ever. My family and friends have been a blessing to me and I have been uplifted with cards, emails, text messages, Music CD’s, sermons, books, and simple notes of encouragement. They have gotten me through days when I could not muster enough strength to get out of bed. I love you all and thank you.

However, beyond the generous, gracious love and support of family and friends, I have dug deep into my faith. A faith I strive to carry with me boldly, have always relied on and needed. However, through this particular trial, I met my sweetest and most faithful friend Jesus in a more personal way.

One of Ruth’s favorite Psalms was Psalms 91, and a reading at her memorial. Since this time, I got a profound message that dissected Psalm 91 and taught me how to come there to it in meditation as a reminder to me each and every day that “He is my place for safety and protection. My God in whom I trust”. That “under his wings I can hide” “nothing bad will happen to me. He will put His angels in charge of me to watch over me wherever I go”. “I can call on Him and He will answer. He will be with me when I am I trouble and rescue me.” I have prayed Psalm 91 daily and made it personal for me. It has sustained me.

A very dear freind sent me a little book called Words of Comfort with a card where she had written Psalm 34 in big letters. I looked up that scripture. Psalm 35:4 says: “I asked the Lord for help, and He answered me He saved me from all that I feared.” I found such comfort in those words. I do not consider it a coincidence that she sent me that scripture on that day. How could she know that specific day I was filled with fear? My faithful friend Jesus must have told her.

So, while I am waiting for the storm to pass. Perhaps you are weathering a storm in your life as well. I know the waiting is the hardest part. Rest assured in knowing there is a silver lining. Nothing is hopeless. Nothing. Every hurt can become a treasure. Every ending is the beginning of a fresh start. Every tear we cry is the watering of new growth. And the only moment that truly lasts forever is the one where we say yes. Yes, Lord, you are my faithful friend, my God in whom I trust.

So hold on. Hold tight. Find a Psalm that gives you comfort and peace (a peace beyond our human understanding and pray it everyday. Yes, life will sometimes fail you but your friend Jesus(found reaching in every needed direction of your life) wants you to have peace, peace through the storm.

In His love,
Sandy Perry
12/26/09

Believe the Right Things! Say what?

And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." -John 8:23-24

Because the very heart of the Christian life is confessing faith in a person, Jesus Christ the Lord, it has been quite easy for some to push this truth out of all proportion and teach that faith in the Person of Christ is all that matters. John 3:16 is just the beginning not the whole of our Christian life. Yet so often we hear it on the radio, television and even car tags “Just believe & receive”. Who Jesus is matters not, who His Father was, whether Jesus is God or man or both, whether or not He accepted the superstitions and errors of His time as true, whether He actually rose again after or was only thought to have done so by His devoted followers, these things are not important, say the no creed believer. What is essential is that we believe on Him and try to follow His teachings.

What we read that is overlooked here is that the argument of Jesus with the Pharisees was over the question of who He was. His claim to be God spurred the Pharisees to fury. He could have cooled the fire of their anger by backing away from His claim to equality with God, but He refused to do it. And He further taught that faith in Him embraced a belief that He is very God, and that apart from this there could be no salvation for anyone.

To believe on Christ Jesus for our salvation means to believe the right things about Christ and His teachings. This is an essential and there is no escaping this.


Thank You, Lord, that You are Who You claim to be and that our salvation does indeed rest on a solid foundation. Don't let me ever back down from this essential truth of Who You are. Amen.

In His service,
As always, womswf&t
Sandy Perry

What Cave are you hiding in?

1 Kings 19: 8-13 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” So he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

How so many times are we like Elijah? The almighty God defeats our enemies whoever and whatever they may be and we take off and hide in our self made caves when God is telling us to go stand on the mountain and wait for Him. I know I’m guilty of this because I would be looking for Him in all the wrong places. God will not be found in the windy words we might use to hurt others, nor will he be found in the violence we do to others by being loud and obnoxious like a clanging gong with our fiery tempers.

After the wind and the fire Elijah heard God in the silence after the storm. Even though God is there through all the storms with us we hear Him only in the gentle breeze stirring in the silence of the human heart. Once we have heard Him, God will ask as He did Elijah “what are you doing here?” in what way are you called in the world to do God’s will daily. We all struggle with this question at some point in our life and I pray you find the answer in the silence that will lead you to a deeper love of God, His holy Word and creation.

Lord guide me to the silence in all the noise of the world that I hear You more clearly and love You more dearly nd can share Jesus love more sincerely. It is in His sweet name I pray. Amen.
In Christ
Sandy Perry
09/09/09

Can I get a Witness?

But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness and handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. -2 Corinthians 4:2

Here again this week we have seen the glaring discrepancy between Biblical Christianity and that of present day evangelicals, right here at home in the United States and in our Church body.

To bring people to Christ here we are forced to play down the difficulties and play up the peace of mind and worldly success through sinful lifestyles enjoyed by those who accept Christ. Excuse me! We must assure our hearers that Christianity is now a proper and respectable thing and that Christ has become quite popular with the gay movement, well-to-do business tycoons and the Hollywood jet set. We can now rest assured, hell deserving sinners are coming in droves to accept Christ for what they can get out of Him; and though one every now and again may shed a tear as proof of his sincerity, it is hard to escape the conclusion that most of them are stooping to patronize Jesus, our Lord of glory in such a way as a drug addict might suck up to a dealer on the street in order to be have him give them a better fix tomorrow. Like the unrepentant sinner hanging on the cross beside Jesus just wanted Jesus to save him and get him down to go about his sinful life so are the day’s of our lives eh!

Lord, don't let us fall into the trap of offering a cheap salvation. Remind us often that redemption that cost the life of Your Son should never be so cheapened and your precious Word so callously brought down to sinful interpretation. In Jesus name we pray. Amen

In Christ,
Sandy Perry
08/21/09

“The Master Physician”

“And he touched her hand, and the fever left her;
and she arose and ministered unto them.” Matthew 8:15
Jesus touched her hand as only He can
With the wondrous skill of the Master Physician
With the sweet, tender touch of the Son of Man
And the feverish pain in her throbbing temples
Died out along with the flush on brow and cheek
And the lips that had been so parched and burning
Quivered with thanks that she could not speak
And her eyes, where the fevers light had faded
Looked up and by her grateful tears made dim
And she rose and ministered to her household
As she ministered also to Him

He touched her hand, and the fever left her
Oh blessed, healing touch of the Man Divine
So beautiful it is then to rise and serve Him
When the fever is gone from your life and mine

It may be the fever of restless serving
With our heart all thirsty for love and praise
And eyes all aching and strained with yearning
Toward self serving goals in our old age
Or it may be a fever of sinful craving
Some storm of sorrow that does not die down
Until the cross has at last our meekness found
And our head stoops low for our thorny crown
Or it may be a fever of pain and anger
When the wounded heart is hard to bear
And only the Lord can draw forth the arrows
Left carelessly, cruelly bothersome there

Whatever the fever, His touch can heal it
Whatever the storm, His voice can still
There is only joy as we seek His glory
There is only a rest as we seek His will
And some day after this life’s fitful fever
I think we shall say in our mansion on high
If the hands that He touched but did His bidding
How little it matters what else passed us by

Sweet Lord Jesus! You know us through and through
Each heart’s hurt and sickness, whatever it may be
Only You Lord can Touch our hands and let the fever leave us
And we shall also minister unto You our Savior sweet Jesus
Only He can put out the fevers fire and set our captive souls free

Sandy Perry
07/21/09