Tag: peace

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Count it all Joy

Life isn’t all great times.  I wish being a Christian meant all things worked out for me every time and all the things I wanted, I got.  It doesn’t work like that, though.  Life with Jesus has it’s ups, downs, and surprises.

My favorite verse of the Bible is James 1:2-4:

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

Paradoxical?  Yes.  But that is a major theme in the Kingdom.  Things aren’t as they seem.

So, when you a friendship ends, you face rejection from a position you want, you have money problems, the person you thought was “the one” walks out, or your family is acting crazier than usual – don’t get discouraged or depressed.  This is quite possibly a test of your faith.  You are being set up to grow.

Like a plant being pruned, we must allow God to set us up to bloom.  That may be painful, but it will be worth it in the end.  Let your endurance grow so you can finish this race.

Be blessed, my friends.  God has a plan & a purpose for you!


Definition of endurance: the ability to do something difficult for a long time

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There is Purpose in the Scars

Have you ever dropped a glass and it shatter?  After it shatters, does it serve a purpose anymore?  No, not really.  It’s pretty much ruined.  My next step after it drops on the ground is sweeping up the mess and throwing it away.

When we sinned in Eden and ate from the fruit (and every time we sinned after that), we were like that glass hitting the floor – broken and shattered.  Our ability to serve the purpose we were put on this earth to do became questionable.  We could have easily been swept up and thrown out.  But God didn’t do that.  He decided that, even though we were broken, we were worth keeping around.

In fact, He sent His only Son to earth so that we might be saved and made whole again (John 3:16).  It would be the equivalent of us trying to glue the 1,000 tiny pieces of the glass that shattered on the floor.  That is a special kind of Love!

The rub is, though, no matter what we do, we would always see the glue marks on the glass we are trying to glue together.  Our glue marks are our scars.  These scars serve a purpose.  If we were made whole again, without those scars, how would we be able to be a walking testimony for our Lord?  It would be hard to show people where we once were if there was no evidence. Even Christ kept His scars so that others would understand what He endured.  (John 20:27)

Luke 14:27 declares that we must take up our Cross and follow Christ in order to be His disciple.  Part of that Cross is our bearing those scars.  It is turning from those ways and helping those who are walking in the valleys you once were walking in.  Part of the reason we need to remain marked up until we reach Heaven is because those scars share what our God can do.  It is for His glory.

Even though scars indicate that we have sinned, it also means that we have been put back together.  It means that what once were wounds are now healed.  Thus we are a walking testimony of the Grace of God.  Next time the enemy tries to shame you for a scar, for something God has forgiven you from, remind him that these scars are there to glorify God and show how great He is!  Have faith that God knows what he is doing.

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:1-2‬ ‭NLT‬

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Hold on

Have you ever been put in front of a situation that seemed impossible?  You have no idea how it is going to work out for your good?  That failure is the only solution because there is no logical way out?

Yeah, we’ve all felt like that.  We have all been in dark places where we have no clue how to get out.  It feels like you are carrying too great of weight to even take the next step.  If we only rely on our own selves, there is no solution.  We can’t do it on our own.

When Israel was faced with a giant threatening to take down the entire army, they were too scared to do anything, not knowing how it was going to work out.  Then David walked in.  The army only thought of what they could do.  But David knew what God could do.

““Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!” “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The LORD who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the LORD be with you!””

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭17:32-37‬ ‭NLT‬

When we face things with God, all things are possible.  We have to trust Him and know that He has it all worked out.  What seems impossible to overcome will be so simple to take care of if we do it God’s way and not our own.

David stepped up and did it God’s way. The giant fell only after a few stones were slung. This was the moment that he took the step in faith that set the promise of God in place so that one day he would be the king God called him to be.  It wasn’t just about the anointing, but David’s belief in His God’s ability.

I encourage you, dear reader, that it isn’t over even if it seems like it is.    No matter the situation, no matter if someone hurt you, if you sinned, if you are isolated, if your entire life has crumbled – trust God.  His Son didn’t die on the Cross for you to waste away in failure.

Trust His way, trust that with Him all things are possible and will work out for your good!  His promises will come to pass.  Hold onto HIM!!!  Don’t let go, no matter what.  Sometimes God wants to see if we will take that step of faith.

Be blessed, dear reader.  It isn’t over until God declares it is.

  

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Strength Training

I must confess something to you, readers: I’m not that physically strong.  My upper body strength is almost non-existent.  Once at the gym, I saw a barbell with no extra weights on it (about 35 pounds by itself) and almost didn’t get it past my chest.  My legs are a little stronger, but not by much.  It’s sad and I am working on correcting it.  Haha!

But in seriousness, strength is a genuine necessity in this life.  Yes, physical strength is important, but so is emotional, mental, and spiritual.  If we lived our lives without strength, then we wouldn’t live very long.

When life gets tough, that strength is what helps us continue on this journey of life.  Whether it is a physical illness, a relationship gone wrong, or financial instability – where and in whom your strength comes from determines how well you will weather the storm.

Proverbs 18:10 says: “The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.”  When we put our trust in the unmovable God who created us, we know that we will make it out okay.

All too often, though, we are like the disciples in Mark 4:38-39. We doubt that God sees our situation or even cares.  So we panic and cry out in despair.  But quickly, as Jesus awoke and calmed the storm, they realized that He knew that they would be okay all along. (Mark 4:40-41)

“Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!””

Place your trust in the unmovable, unconditionally loving God who has your best interest at heart.  Remember that God sees the whole picture and not just what you see.  Run to Him in times of trouble and you will be safe.

Blessings to you dear reader.  Remember where your help comes from!

  

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His Love Doesn’t Fail

There is a misconception that Christianity is easy, simple, and those who follow Christ have no problems.  This is so wrong.  Matthew 5:45 says it rains on the just and the unjust.  We all deal with problems.  We all have to deal with this life and all it holds.

I had a chance to participate in a virtual conference the past few weeks and I wanted to share with you some great takeaways from the wisdom provided by some amazing ministers.  Here are the awesome tidbits:

Have you ever found yourself in a place of trouble?  Whether it was at your hand or someone else’s – I’m sure you have.  Many times, these troubles bring hurt.  In this hurt, God has promised to give us a crown of beauty for ashes and joy instead of mourning.

All will be worked out in His time and for His glory. Don’t lose hope or trust in Him.  Understand that you have to go through the ugly in order to get to the great.  

God has not forgotten or forsaken you.  Just hold on.

Take this scripture to heart:

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory. They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations.

You will be called priests of the LORD, ministers of our God. You will feed on the treasures of the nations and boast in their riches.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭61:1-4, 6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Much love and blessings to you in whatever season you find yourself in.  God’s love never will fail you!

  

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It’s never too late

Have you ever messed up?  I mean really did something stupid?  I think we all can say yes to that for at least one moment in our lives.  We all know the feeling of being awakened to the reality of our humanity.

I can remember driving one day and as the light turned green and we all started to move forward -I looked down for a split second and BANG!  I totaled my car because the car in front of me slammed on their brakes & I didn’t see it.  That was such a stupid mistake!  I felt that horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that we all get when we do those kinds of irresponsible things.

There is a guy named Samson who I am sure knows what that “pit-in-your-stomach” feeling is all too well.  In chapter 16 of the book of Judges, we see how Samson meets Delilah and falls in love.  After lying to her about what makes him so strong three times, he finally tells her the truth.  This is after her repeated attempt to take away his strength and send him off as the Philistines’ prisoner.

The moment his hair is cut, God leaves him and takes the mighty strength with Him.  How awful is that?  I don’t want to ever know that feeling.  When his strength is gone, the Philistines gorge his eyes out and send him to grind grain in prison.  This was one of those really stupid, irreversabke things, right?  Wrong.

Judges 16:22 says: “But before long his hair began to grow back.” Samson prayed for his strength back and God honored the humility in that prayer and gave Samson back what he had lost.  In that gift of grace, Samson killed more Philistines (Israel’s enemy) than ever before.

When we do something wrong, even when it is really wrong, we cannot say that we can never be as good as we once were.  Yes, we have to deal with the consequences of our actions, but God honors those who humble themselves.  Our God – Jesus Christ – understands what it is like  to overcome adversity.  He overcame the world’s adversity on the cross.

Never disqualify yourself just because you messed up.  Take a note from Samson’s life: even when you mess up majorly, your life can still have meaning.  Just humble yourself and go to God.  Great things happen when we do that.

Be blessed, dear friends.  No one can go too far for the love of our father to reach!

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭139:7-10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your grace and your unconditional love! Thank you for loving me even when I sin. Help me, Lord, understand and overcome any adversity I’ve allowed in my life. I humbly come before you because I cannot overcome it by myself.  I don’t want the mistakes of my past to define my future.  I thank you for giving your Son as a sacrifice so that I may live in this amazing grace.  In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

  

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Do It On Purpose

Purpose – the reason something is done or the reason something (or someone) exists.  It is the intention or objective for an action. God had a purpose for bringing us and the rest of creation into existence.  There are reasons why we do things – the things we do are done on purpose to bring about a result.

I can admit to you that I have not always done things for a specific purpose.  I do not watch hours of TV for a specific, thought out purpose.  The ultimate purpose of that action is laziness.  I am breaking that habit along with others that result in less than favorable purposes.

2016 I am declaring my year of purpose for myself.  Not only amI going to see the purpose God put me on Earth walked out (at least the beginning of this walk), but also I am going to ensure at least most of my actions are for a known purpose.  Meaning, I am going to ensure that I am no longer lazy, careless, and thoughtless in my actions toward others, toward my spiritual life, toward myself  or toward my work life.

I am going to start taking action, being real, and being present.  I do not want to live my life in a way that would cause me to lose all that God has for me.  I want to walk in wisdom and walk in a deeper relationship with Him.  Will you join me on this journey?  Will you start to consciously make decisions to achieve a certain purpose?  Will you start walking out who God made you to be?

I am excited and ready to take on this challenge!

Be blessed everyone.  Live & love on purpose.

“The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭20:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  

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Road to you accepting you – Conclusion

After all three steps:

(1) Humble yourself before God

(2) Kill the lies of the past and

(3) See yourself through the Father’s eyes

there is only one thing left to do.  Walk boldly in who God made you to be.  Step into the future with fervor.  Don’t back down.  Don’t look back.  

I’ll leave you with a few scriptures to ponder.  My prayer is that we all, including myself, truly understand why we are here and how much God honestly loves each of us.  Be blessed friends!

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:31‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“The LORD will work out his plans for my life— for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭138:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28:19-20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

  

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Road to you accepting you Pt 3

After we humble ourselves and admit our worst faults to God (alimg with asking Him for forgiveness) & killing the lies that we have heard either from others, society and even ourselves – it is time to start seeing who we are in Christ.

I used to be baffled at the notion that I could have a significance in the Kingdom.  I had no idea how much purpose I had inside me.  Purpose the Father designed for me when in my mother’s belly. You, dear reader, have great purpose as well- designed just for you.  You were created with a plan, a reason, and for this time.  You are not a mistake.  

I challenge you, dear reader, some time this week or even tonight to stand in front of a mirror, look yourself in the eyes, and ask God –  the creator of the universe – how He sees you.  Ask Him what qualities does He love and, if you’re brave, what qualities He doesn’t.  Ask Him to reveal what your true purpose on this Earth is.  Ask Him to show you who you truly are.  And then, you wait for His response.  I am sure that you will be surprised and I am sure there will be some chains falling.  Because most of us do not know who we truly are.

Our Father loves us.  There is no doubt.  Let’s see what He says about those who call themselves Children of God:

“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” ) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:35-37‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15:16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Let the truth of who you are in Him rest in your heart and mind.  Once you understand whose you are- the lies the enemy tells us are harder to believe.

Be blessed, friends.  Remember whose you are!!

 

Prayer: Lord, there are times I have so much doubt about who I am and why I am here on Earth.  Help me understand who I am in You and how you see me.  In understanding my true self, help me walk out the calling on my life to fulfill the purpose placed inside me.  In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

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Road to You Accepting You, Pt. 2

Have you ever been lied to?  I’m pretty sure you have been…a lot.  If not by people in your life, just turn on the news & listen to someone in politics promise you something.  Good chance, at least one of their promises they have no desire to see it through.  I kid, but really, people lie all the time.

It was the first act if Lucifer did when he met Eve…he lied to her.  His lie caused her to believe something that she knew as truth to be exactly the opposite.  The snake convinced her that God was not telling the truth…that Our Father doesn’t have our best interest at heart.

Deception is Satan’s greatest weapon.  He uses it over and over on us humans and we all too often fall for it.  It’s because we are not exactly sure of who we truly are.  Satan knows this and uses it against us.

The question we all must ask ourselves is – how many things that we inherently believe about ourselves is actually a lie?  Some of the very things we are told by our family, friends, and society actually are  not true.

If you were ever told you aren’t good, you’re not enough, you’re not beautiful, you aren’t important or you’re not smart enough – you were lied to.  You were created for a purpose, a plan and a destiny.  You are hand crafted by the God of the universe.

It’s time to start walking in who you truly are – a Child of the Most High God.  Made for a reason and loved unconditionally.  Anyone who tells you differently is a lair.

Start walking in the authority God has given you.  First step to do that is declare that you are enough & denounce any lie you have been told.  Go to God in prayer and ask Him to heal the parts of your life that were wounded by these lies.

Let’s look at some scripture about how to handle the Lie-maker of the world:

 “Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me. I, the LORD, have spoken!”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭54:17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

‭‭James‬ ‭4:7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Let’s humble ourselves before God so He can continue to do great work through us.  In doing that, God will give us authority & power to walk through snakes and not be harmed.

Be blessed my friends!  Remember who & whose you are!!

Prayer: Lord, help me decern the lies from the truth, even from my past.  Start to cleanse me of the scars I carry from the lies I once believed.  Help me understand who you truly made me to be.  I love you.  Thank you.  Amen.