Friday, May 20, 2016

When you hold a grudge but realize you have to let go...

Good morning all-

Recently, I was challenged on a human level.  I know, your wondering what that level is.  It's the level called envy, desire, anger, redemption, that's what I'm talking about.  Sometimes I forget I'm one step off from being sinful and then it happens and I realize, great I don't have it all together.

God has done some great things in my life over the last months.  He's taught me how to be more trusting.  He has built a confidence and desire in me to believe that He is who He says He is.  He has stretched me, shaken me, molded me and purified me. So much so that I'm here today stronger and much better for it.

So you would think with all this growth straight off the main vine, this little sprouting would have developed stamina against anger, hurt, and envy.  Guess not?  I'm human with a whole lot of the Holy Spirit in me.  So as I wished for things that were wrong, yes, I was convicted.  Dang it, I wanted to stomp my foot like a two-year old and get my way.  That's not in the plan though, God has a different path.

That's when I realized it was time to repent and pray.  Instead of filling my heart with a grudge, hard feelings and whatever else comes with being two, I surrendered and heard "pray."  Really, that's all I do lately.  And yet, that one word kept coming in like a flood and I knew standing in the middle of an airport that's exactly what I had to do.  And, I did.  I prayed, repented and asked God to fill my heart with compassion to pray for the betterment of the person I wished got their just dues. 

Who heard it?  No one.  Who benefits from it?  Strangely enough, I think both parties will.  That one person will never know that I prayed but I know and Jesus knows.  At the end of the day, I boarded my plane happier and full of an excess of wisdom.  I learned that I'm still very human and that through faith I knew exactly what I had to do.  I will continue to capture every thought and move on from my feelings into the power of the cross.  Feelings will fail me for sure.  Hurt, anger and envy will destroy. 

If your struggling today with something similar, sit down and really assess your motives.  Do you really want something bad to happen to someone?  Do you hate someone for being human themselves? Have you lost your love, mercy and understanding for others that are as sinful as yourself?  Take it from me, it's time to talk to Jesus! He forgave me so it's time I forgave others.  It is not a tooth for a tooth as the world would have us believe.  It's grace in the face of hurt, that's where Jesus meets us every time.

Thanks for reading and if this blog helps you, help someone else and share Jesus with them.  We all need to hear that He exists, He ministers, He's wonderful!  May today bring you much joy as you examine the power of the Holy Spirit and the might of loving a Savior that forgives.

Colossians 3:12-14 NIV

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

God please help us to remember to pray for people that trespass against us and lead us not in temptation...We need YOU!

Monday, May 9, 2016

Has God been telling us something...

Good morning all-

I hope this Mother's Day finds you well and celebrating mothers all over the world.  I know I am and that's why I want to wish anyone who takes care of a child, whether it's theirs or not a happy Mother's Day, you are molding the next generation and know that God is watching and smiling on you.

Over the last couple of days, I have really been thinking about the devastation of the Canadian fires and thinking about world events.  And in my head, I'm wondering if they are all signs of what will come when the end is here on the earth.  The videos of cars and homes burned has to penetrate your heart like nothing else.  People have lost all worldly possessions, there will be nothing left but to rebuild. In Canada at least they have insurance but what about countries like Roatan where they don't have insurance.  A fire hits and they're wiped out.  Which brought me to the tsunami of several years ago, the bombings in the Middle East and the picture of the floods that took place in the last weeks in Mississippi and Houston. Images of mass destruction and I know we're human so we turn them on and then turn them off and walk away but God doesn't.  He uses them to open our eyes to His greatness and out of vast destruction will come salvation.

I started this blog yesterday morning and got busy setting up my office and getting ready for my kids to come over but in the middle I went to church and guess what our pastor was talking about, something very similar but he used the examples of the presidential race, the enormous US debt and marijuana legalization.  And then he talked about Paul and Nero and how Paul left us all a very important message about where we should put our trust and it wasn't in this world, it was in Jesus.  So today, when I picked up my computer and my blog was unfinished, I realized I had the perfect Scripture and the perfect message.

So here it is to all the mothers who want to be, are, or have been, we are warriors.  We are mothers for a reason and the children God puts in our care belong only to Him.  So as I sit here, I find it important to emphasize that God is with us always. He has gone before us and our children.  He promises that if we train our children up they will come back to knowing Him.  So, right now, I'm praying that.  I'm praying that every rebellious child would know the hand of God.  I'm praying that each one of us impacted by the world scene would pray and not worry.  We need to stand on the promises of God and not grow weary of praying and having faith.  I know it's easier said then done but we must so that every child that comes into our path can see the power of the cross and the promises God bestowed on His people.  He is the one true God and we are His chosen so it's time we acted like it.

Believing when everything is going your way is easy, believing when you can't see is very hard.  If I have learned one thing this year, we have to believe even when we don't know where the staircase will lead.  That's what I'm doing.  I'm believing that some very confused people that I used to know come to Christ. I'm believing that Christianity will spread through the Muslim world.  I'm believing that Canadians that had to watch the flames in Canada will know the beauty of our Lord and Savior and I'm standing on faith that our children that have been deceived will see the mighty hand of God.

It's time to stand firm and to remember the words of Peter. He knew he was going to die so he left words to his church about remembering.  It's our time to remember because life is not easy and we must be there when people are questioning, why me?  I look forward to the time when all of us are around Jesus and He speaks of the power of our prayers.  Will you join me in praying for the church? I'm not talking about a particular religion that's for you to choose.  I'm talking about praying for a holy revival where Jesus is seen all around the world.  And where the blind will see and the deaf will hear the power of Jesus.  We have the privilege of sitting in church, owning a Bible and writing a world-wide proclamation because we still live in a country that has liberty under God.  We must pray for it to remain and for our Nation to stand up for the rest of the world where just confessing they love Jesus gets them killed.  We don't have the luxury of closing our eyes and walking away.  We are citizens of the one true God and we must stand firm and believe that He is who He said He was so many years ago.

2 Peter 1New International Version (NIV)

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I leave you today my sisters with love for you and the knowledge that God is with us, all of us.  We honored our mothers yesterday and that was wonderful but more so, we must honor a God that chose us to pray for our men, our children and their children.  It's time we understood our role on earth.  We must be there and prepare the next generation to stand firm on the promises of God.

Friday, May 6, 2016

The light that guides me...

Good morning all-

As usual I'm drinking my first cup of coffee and getting ready for a new day.  I've been very blessed in the last month so every morning I thank God for the blessings He has put on my life.  I really don't deserve them but He's done it anyway and I just have so much thankfulness in my heart, which leads me to my title today.

The light that guides me is Jesus Christ.  For years, I hid behind my faith worrying about telling people, screwing up and them saying, "She's not a Christian."  Well I do screw up that's for sure and I do need forgiveness.  Isn't that the definition of a Christian?  I recognize I'm not perfect and if you read this blog you see that on a regular basis.  Christianity is not for the perfect.  The perfect believe in their religion, they don't believe in a Savior.

For over 20 years, I've thought I was in control of my life.  I've planned, plotted and designed every detail and I really never looked back,  until last year.  Until an event that I had no control over happened and everything I planned, plotted and designed went into the biggest sink hole of my life and that's when I really met the light that guides me.  Now, I've been a Christian for all that time with let's say many things that needed to be fixed.  I guess I felt like I could control every element of my life and failure was not an option, ever.  I was going to succeed if it killed me.  And I thought last year was going to, until Jesus and I met on the road in my heart and I began to surrender all.

Surrendering all is not easy, especially when it comes to your livelihood. We all have sung that song at least once but did we even understand what it meant.  Well, for me it became quite clear around February of this year.  Surrendering all meant leaving my security blanket and diving into something head first without a safety net below.  Well, that's not exactly true, I had Jesus and He became the only safety net I needed.

And what a safety net He is.  I have never felt more peace in my life.  Instead of my mind being a super highway, it started just concentrating on each moment with Him.  I found myself slowly walking away from the negative and moving to the positive.  It was beautiful and it was amazing. Believe me, I still have times of worry but I manage to recognize it faster, push it to the "God take this" compartment and move on with peace.  It's been an enormous relief.  I no longer am the one in control of every step, He is.  And I think the greatest aspect of walking with the light that guides me is unlike me, He can see out past today.  I only believed I could.

Nothing in life is easy.  Whether you profess to know Jesus or not, life will have trials, that's just fact. With Jesus, at least you know that someone is going before you.  I can't tell  you how many times the Scriptures came to me about moving mountains, going before me and letting Him lead me.  He was with me from sun up to sundown and I was the benefactor of watching the Almighty light my every step.  It was an exhausting trial that I thought would never end.  It did end and when it did the light constantly reminds me never to go back to the place where I thought I could predict the future.  I am to remain in today and when I do that, He leads me.

If you don't know the light of Jesus Christ,  you need to.  This world will not get easier and the only one that knows tomorrow is God Almighty, who was and is to come.  He will come back but until that hour when He takes His bride, we must proclaim that He exists, He's for us and as long as He is we have a light that guides all of us.  Be well my sisters and know that God is for us and if He is, man has nothing on us.  We are screw ups but who cares.  We are the daughters of the King of Israel, who came to let His people free and to have eternal life forever.  That's who we are and that's who we need to proclaim to be.  Please say those words out loud today and ask Jesus to be the light that guides you, I am as we speak.  Have a blessed day and please stay in today so you can enjoy every aspect of God's creation. We all proclaim this in Jesus name!

Psalm 25:5 NIV

Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.

Isaiah 60:19 NIV

"No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the LORD your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.

1 John 1:17 NIV

But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

Thursday, May 5, 2016

The call to the muslim nation....

Good morning all-

Do you know that the Muslim religion is vast in Europe and the Middle East?  You probably do but I want to make you really think about what that means.  Once again in the year 2016 Christians are being martyred for what they believe in.  Others before us believed that they could kill off those that believed in Jesus Christ and for centuries He has been proving them wrong.

Ishmael was Abraham's first son.  He was loved by Abraham but when Isaac was born He was sent away with His mother.  He believed in God just as Abraham did but He was angry and that anger has continued for thousands of years.  Today, men and women in the Middle East are being called to love Christ.  He is powerful and He is bringing them one by one and they will be persecuted for loving Jesus.  So as I sit in my red chair writing this, I'm sad because I hope my faith in my God is that strong.

Recently, on Twitter there was a story about Najima.  They used a fake name for a kings daughter that was under house arrest.  She found Christ while away at school and when she began to profess the love she found through Him her brothers and father tried to electrocute her but they couldn't because the Bible on her lap she could touch and the power of Jesus was in that room.  She's 16 years old, can you even fathom the courage of knowing our family had stripped us to electrocute us and we remained faithful to the God that had come before us.  Jesus is one with God.  We worship one God in a Holy Trinity but they think it's wrong to worship Jesus and yet, He saved us all from our sins.  So I'm praying for her and for every single person like her.  May the Word of God infiltrate a culture and a way of life so they may have the power of Christ.

On this National Day of Prayer in the US, I'm praying that we don't just pray for our country but that we pray for every country.  It's not about politics or choices we will make.  It's about people, people coming to know and love Jesus Christ.  God gave us kings and presidents because we wanted to be led by man but all we ever needed was Him.  May the God of Abraham who created Ishmael and Isaac protect His people and bring on more and more from the Middle East right to my back yard.  Our children need to hear the call of Christ and be in awe that He gave His life for the sinner and it doesn't matter your color, race or nationality.  He just wants you!

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

Thank You Jesus for loving us that you come to man in dreams, visions, and light.  Thank You that Your powerful enough to keep a woman from being electrocuted and thank You for guiding men and women all over the world to You.  We need You and we are thankful for Your mighty presence in our lives. In Jesus name we pray all power and glory go to You! PS. Lord we pray for Najima wherever she is that Your will be done on her life and that her entire family is brought to You because of her great faith.  She is a warrior who has seen a Savior!  We lift her up and ask that You continue by her side and through the tremendous trial she now faces because she believes in You.

Monday, May 2, 2016

Inspiration through Scripture...

Good morning all-

I'm inspired today and that's because I started with my devotional and thanking our Lord and Savior.  I realize more and more that every minute must be dedicated to at least thinking about what He has to say to me. So with that in mind and knowing where my mind often goes, I'm thinking more and more about Him and the result is inspiration through His word.

No matter where we go today, we can get our hands on Scripture.  We are extremely lucky!  Soon China will lock down, the Middle East will be hard pressed and North Koreans can forget it. In 2016, there are still underground churches and the people that make them up have to be inspired and how do they get that way, by reading the words that were left behind.  Many enemies have tried to crush the Word of God but no one has and no one ever will.  And although I feel like the world is turning back to a barbaric time, I realize that each event inspires us to pray more, seek more and ask the Lord we love to bring light on a fallen world.

Fears are all around.  Many have turned off what is happening in the world, which in my opinion is a mistake.  We must hear the cries so that we might pray and seek the Lord for redemption and deliverance.  Imagine a world where we all turned the other way, it wouldn't be good.  Even Moses, who was raised in the house of a King, eventually could not turn his eyes from the destruction of human life.  Why should we be any different?  We shouldn't.  We should read the words of Jesus, Paul, Peter and John and remember that we are to love, to pray and to read so that God can inspire in us a heart like His.

I know what it's like to live with fear and I know what it's like to demolish that fear by being obedient to Christ.  Walking in faith is so much more powerful than walking in fear and yet, we choose fear over faith more often.  I'm not criticizing, I'm proclaiming that I understand if you do that because I fall into it too. 

Every day we must read our Bibles, think about what Christ is saying and use it to break the bonds that live inside of us.  The Word is inspired and we must live by drinking the water it provides to our hearts and minds.  It should be our drug of choice and God should be the leader we choose over any man.  It's time we were inspired to step out of our comfort zones and move toward a God that truly inspires greatness, love and mercy.  We need Jesus to reign all over the world and we need our brothers and sisters to have power through our prayers so that they may lead the lost to the fountain.  Jesus is waiting for us to be inspired so if you want to be inspired, choose to read daily!

Pick a Scripture and read it today!!!!!!!!!!!!