Heavenly Harp and Soul Devotionals

09/04/2023

God bless you as you (hopefully) get to rest your weary soul on this Labor Day!

Thank you for all you do!!!

08/11/2023

Daday Ducena and Ralph Malapre perform 'His Kindness in Me' during a youth music festival event held on March 17, 2021.SUBSCRIBE to the Youth Channel of The ...

08/11/2023

“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬-‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/col.3.12-16.NKJV

These words speak so clearly for themselves. And this song below echoes the hearts of all of us. God is amazing! Jesus is perfect in His love, kindness, and patience. We are to strive to be like Him.

Although we may know we can never measure up, we should never stop trying to demonstrate the kindness of God, the mercies, patience and peace of Christ extended towards our fellow brothers and sisters. And even more, demonstrated towards nonbelievers who we are looking to witness to for the Kingdom. We must have healthy boundaries to protect ourselves in our faith journey. We must not give away our souls. We must not allow ourselves to be trampled upon. However, extending kindness, granting mercy, offering comfort that will lead to peace. These are all part of living as Christ would live.

Remember that edifying one another through teaching of the Psalms, sharing the Words of Christ, in love, are all part of loving on one another. Especially with fellow believers.

May the peace and joy of the Lord be with you this day!!! Know God loves you and I pray for you as often as the Lord prompts me, which is surprisingly often. God bless you!

https://youtu.be/x5lWK7xex3g

Daday Ducena and Ralph Malapre perform 'His Kindness in Me' during a youth music festival event held on March 17, 2021.SUBSCRIBE to the Youth Channel of The ...

08/07/2023

But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live, says the LORD, Every knee sha

08/07/2023

“But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭14‬:‭10‬-‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/rom.14.10-13.NKJV

Note: please read all, even when it gets slightly uncomfortable for a paragraph. I raise what I believe are important issues as God has led me this morning.

To not judge our brothers and sisters in Christ is two-fold: 1) the are also a believer, 2) this is about what food should or should not be eaten, but could also stretch beyond to other things that distinguish the difference between a young believer and a mature believer.

A young believer may think that certain foods are forbidden, while a mature believer knows nothing God created for sustenance is forbidden (this is more to do with types of meats, etc). A mature believer should do nothing offensive in the eyes of the young Christian. But a young believer and a mature Christian may have other differences based on their knowledge of the Word and the strength of their relationship with the Lord. Things such as keeping the Sabbath holy, same-sex attraction, abortion, and all the other hot topics along with more general teachings like turn the other cheek.

We are all still growing in our faith walk, or at least I would hope so. If you’re taking the time to read this, then you are obviously striving to grow with God. But have you ever seen a long-time Christian seem to stumble, and maybe even fall? Could it possibly be they were so advanced in their studies of the Lord that they fell out of the habit of the daily relationship, they struggled to find a quality preacher who would continue to teach them and challenge them? Did they stop growing with God?

I bring this up as we see very mature Believers drink the contemporary Kool-aid on these clear topics and decide it’s okay, so we end up with Woke churches and believers. We MUST pray for our pastors, seminary educators, and church dignitaries!!!! I cannot stress this enough!!! The enemy is baring down on them and He coming out with both hands punching. Don’t think for a second you’re safe from His wily ways. He’s after you too.

So don’t judge your brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray for them that God will open their spiritual eyes and ears to the Truth of GOD’s Word, not some other book, not some other guys words, but only those of the Almighty! That ALL of us will find sound Bible-preaching pastors to listen to and accidentally get swooped up by a pastor who’s gone rogue.

No one is safe in this world from the attacks of the enemy. So pray for the Armor of God around you, your family, your friends, your pastors, your Sunday school leaders, your entire church community, your government. Those of us in the USA have no idea just how fortunate we are compared to the rest of the world. But that will slip away if we don’t pray.

I don’t judge, I pray. There are some things I don’t understand and do struggle with. I hurt for hurting people and I hurt for people who are not within God’s standards (including self, as I’m not perfect. I’m a born sinner and I know I need Jesus). So I hope this doesn’t sound judgmental, but rather concerned for all with the human condition.

Have a blessed day and may the love of the Lord shine down on you today!

But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live, says the LORD, Every knee sha

07/26/2023

“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/rom.6.4-5.NKJV

Covid-19 is still a concern, but it is not being used by the government as a social experiment to see what happens when the people are sequestered to their homes, churches, schools and shopping are all online; as is work, mentoring of all types, doctors appointments and more. Was it all necessary? You have your opinion and we will leave it at that.

I bring this up because Covid did not succeed in separating us, dividing us, isolating us. We remained united, together. We were suddenly talking via FaceTime and Zoom. We worshipped together online and found creative ways to have Sunday school and Bible study. We are together as Believers and that cannot be taken from us. We were together with Christ in going down and in raising up. Our turn to rise up is coming sooner than you can imagine. But this song by For King and Country is about just that, sticking together as we struggle together and we worship and praise God together. We are united as one in the body of Christ.

What the enemy intended for harm, the Lord used for good. What great things came from Covid? New ways to communicate, more open about mental health status, less judgement in general, more concern for our neighbors, better work practices for parents with young children, options for home bound and institutionalized members of the body to be able to worship with their own church family, greater respect for people with compromised immune systems, more attentive to not sharing our own germs, and the list goes on!!! God is SO good at making tasty lemonade with those lemons. And we all have a greater appreciation for toilet paper - yes? 😁

God is a wonderful provider, but let’s remember we are all in this together. Let’s not forget what we learned in Covid days. Let’s keep up with our brothers and sisters in the body of Believers. You may someday be grateful when your neighbor calls to check on you!

Don’t lose hope, take struggles and share them with a trusted friend. Then the two of you can rise up together! May God bless you in your struggles, that He will meet you down there and raise you up to a better place. His desire for you is to experience His Kingdom living NOW! No need to wait! Celebrate the goodness of God today!

https://youtu.be/lR1Hk0FVi_k

Filmed in quarantine in our homes during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. ‘TOGETHER’ with Kirk Franklin + Tori Kelly. So grateful to all 2000 of you who lent u...

07/25/2023

🎧Download hymn mp3 (exclusively on Patreon!): https://www.patreon.com/rosemarysiemens💿 Hymn CD's: https://rosemarysiemens.com/store🎼 Sheet Music: https://...

07/25/2023

““Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/jer.17.7-8.NKJV

It’s very hot these days, is it not? At least where I’m residing in the Midwest portion of the USA. It is mid-summer and the heat is crazy hot!!! Fortunately we have had intermittent storms that have brought precious rain water. Years past have been so dry, but not this year, yet our water tables are still fairly low. They had been so dry before.

But those of us who trust in Jesus are blessed. We will be like trees near water all the time, flourishing in our own unique ways according to our personal needs. God personalizes His blessings, so how He offers His gifts to the neighbor will be different than how He takes care of your needs and wants.

I am abundantly grateful for the overwhelming blessings God has bestowed upon me, despite me continuing with physical ailments. And although I haven’t heard from my daughter in 7 years, God watches over me and cares for me! There is no one I’m closer to than God, and for me, I believe that’s how it should be. I even wonder if the ongoing health issues are facilitating my closeness with my Savior because I have a lot of time available to just pray. What a blessing!!!

My prayers for you today will include that you will find blessings and joy in the midst of life challenges. How could the Almighty be using those situations to draw you unto Him?

https://youtu.be/FfVPnEhjKB4

🎧Download hymn mp3 (exclusively on Patreon!): https://www.patreon.com/rosemarysiemens💿 Hymn CD's: https://rosemarysiemens.com/store🎼 Sheet Music: https://...

07/17/2023

Several legends have grown up around the great Christian hymn "It Is Well." The primary sources help establish a more accurate understanding of the origins o...

07/17/2023

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭8‬:‭35‬-‭36‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/mrk.8.35-36.NKJV

When life gives you lemons 🍋, I mean nasty ones that are going rotten and really no longer have a purpose, what do you do with them? Do you find a recipe and bake something, salvaging the lemons, or do you pitch the lemons, or do you see if someone else wants to do the baking? Or yet another option is composting, rather than just throwing it away. There are several choices for what to do with an almost over-ripe lemon. The same is true for our trials in life, we have choices.

How many of us just like to grumble? Or at least share our true crankiness with those closest to us? For mental wellness reasons a bit of truth may need to be shared, not just our fake smile and the automatic “I’m fine” all the time. Honestly, how often are we “fine”? Life is hard! And sometimes we need a safe place to share some truth of our situation. However, is that where we want to live as Believers in Christ?

As Christians our ultimate goal is to glorify God. We should NEVER lie, we should never throw on a fake happy face and say “We’re fine” when we’re not. People care and want to know about our journey, but it’s important to show how the Lord has been at work in the midst of our struggles. Because isn’t God always at work?

There are times we have to really work to see where the Lord is working, but it’s easier to see Him is we have an attitude of gratitude. At all times and in all circumstances.

When I first had my car accident 12/14/12, the first thing I said to the Lord was, “I know you didn’t cause this, but you allowed it to happen. Please open my eyes and heart that I may learn from this.”

My attitude could have been to blame God, to be angry over my wild headache, the insurance hassles, the poor medical care, the fact I needed to keep playing concerts, and more. I could have gotten angry with God as slowly I literally lost absolutely everything: car, job, house, financial stability, friends, family, freedom, health, reputation, independence, etc. The one thing I could have lost, but never did, was my faith. I had one in particular woman reach out and take me under her wing. She did my laundry, she set up transportation for appointments, she helped figure out meals, she convinced me to file for disability “just in case” I’d need it, and so much more. I had another long time friend running me to the hospital at all hours, among other things, and a person helping to collect funds to pay my rent. Later I had a group of women providing transportation for my appointments.

My point is the miracles never ceased! And still haven’t! God is excellent at showing us what to do and when to rest, if we just listen. If we don’t listen, and say “yeah, but…”, we rob the Lord of making things well with our souls.

So an older lemon? Place it in the Master’s hand and just watch what He can do with it, unless He’s already shown you.

Try to find 3 things to be grateful for today and take time to talk with your amazing Lord!!

Song:

https://youtu.be/0nJ6wQpLmuo

About song:

https://youtu.be/iqrya00iY34

Several legends have grown up around the great Christian hymn "It Is Well." The primary sources help establish a more accurate understanding of the origins o...

07/12/2023

"NEED YOU NOW" single and title track from forthcoming brand new album Available out February 26, 2013. Get the single NOW via iTunes: http://bit.ly/PLUMBne...